"Do you think they're mad?" Emilia asked, suddenly bringing up the subject moments into the flight.
She and Artorian were in a private jet, curtesy of Claire as the commander had promised. They were enroute to Gudenberg, a few days after Emilia's recent "request" from her father to return to her home in preparation for her arranged marriage with Douglas Wenz. When Emilia came to him about it, asking if she could borrow him for a week, he didn't even hesitate. He didn't even need to hear the explanation beforehand and was only more certain after she explained it to everyone.
"Nah, I'm sure they heard "arranged marriage" and were wholeheartedly with you in spirit." Artorian responded, currently reading one of the books Erica recommended to him. He was only using one hand, as his mechanical arm was currently disconnected, the Lord wanting to let it charge for the trip so that he didn't have to worry about it while in Gudenberg.
"I know but… we've only been doing this couple thing for less than two months, and I've already dragged you away from everyone." Emilia said, looking out the window to see the clouds. It was strange, back then she was always excited to have Artorian to herself, cursing anyone that interrupted their time alone. But now she couldn't help but feel guilty over getting private time with him.
"Unless this is an elaborate scheme where it's revealed I'm somehow the distant relative of the Wenz family and that's how the alliance will work, I wouldn't say you're dragging me away all selfishly." Artorian stated. "You're already facing a hurdle by bringing me, no need to let your farther know your cursed lover is also a scumbag with multiple women."
"But you're not-"
"We both know that's what he thinks." Artorian stopped Emilia from continuing, the two looking to one another. "Regardless of what I've done, your father only sees the Abyss, and while I don't blame him I don't intend to lose you."
It was a simple statement, but the conviction was present all across the Lord. But what drew Emilia's attention the most was his eyes; calm and collected, where once deep and bright blue met, now was a pulsing crimson. The Abyss' toll on an Abysswalker always came crashing down, but those same eyes were too vibrant to miss. What was the first sign his soul was losing the fight, was also the display of his reinvigorated will, a desire to live.
"Just… promise to let me handle this?" Emilia asked, leaning her head onto his shoulder as she looked forward. "This is my problem, I don't want to make you fix my problems. It wouldn't be fair to you."
"Emilia-"
"Promise me." It was more firm this time, even as the girl didn't meet his gaze Artorian could sense the trembling in her soul. She was anxious, confronting a part of her life she ran from the second she had the chance. While she had issues with her family, with two sisters that despised her, a stepmother that loathed her, a father that disapproved of any choice she made, and a brother she had no idea where she stood with anymore, it had to tear at her.
'Not that I could understand that.' Artorian relented, sighing as he knew he had no right to put forward a fight. His family consisted of a mother that only now cared for him, his best friend he watched after, a drunk bastard that barely looked after him, and a troublesome student. His life wasn't perfect, but his relationships with what he considered family wasn't the worst. He didn't have family that wished he was never born… anymore.
"Alright, I promise I'll let you handle it." Artorian relented, shifting his head to rest it just on top of hers. "Can I at least be a little snarky if any of them annoy me?"
"Don't go all out, just a light jab."
"Damn, really tying me up huh?" The two chuckled, letting the silence take over for a moment.
"If any of them insult you, I might have a hard time holding my tongue."
"Just try to restrain yourself. I'm a big girl, I've handled their insults before."
"Won't stop me from hating it."
"…Thank you, for coming."
"I wouldn't miss it for anything Emilia. I have your back, no matter what."
"And I'll have yours."
"Can you stop fidgeting, it's starting to get to me." Krovanh said, adjusting his tie with an annoyed growl.
It was their first day going into class, and a detail that Artorian hid from the former Hunters was that he separated them into groups; Nakri and Nesat being in one class while he, Touka and Karen were in another. It was the latter fidgeting, pressing her fingers together while being unable to stay still.
"S-Sorry… it's just this is… it's my first time being in class since before the Second Attack." Karen apologized, her nervousness only remaining despite her best efforts to remain calm.
"It's okay Karen." Miharu said, patting her shoulders and straightening her uniform. "I understand your concern, but you'll do great. You just have to go one step at a time." Before Artorian and Emilia left for Gudenberg, the Lord asked the nurse if she'd see to the five getting to their classes on time. Sakura was busy having to work on a new album, so she had no problem being the one to bring them in.
"Don't know why you're so worried Karen, you're the smartest of us three." Touka stated, cleaning out her ear with her pinky before flicking the bit away.
"Speak for yourself."
"Didn't you fail the mock test Shinshisho gave you?"
"S-Shut up!"
"Hey, behave yourselves." Miharu scolded the two, raising a finger as she leaned down to be level with them. "You're in school now, keep your outbursts in check. You are to be respectful, considerate, and well-mannered. No swearing, yelling, or fighting. Am I clear?"
"Tch, you're not the boss of-ow!" Krovanh was interrupted as Miharu pinched and pulled his ear, turning his act of defiance into a plea.
"Am. I. Clear?"
"Yes, yes! Hell, you pinch harder than Mei Mei!" Krovanh relented, the nurse releasing his ear before placing supportive hands on his shoulders.
"I know you're still acclimating to this life, but you just have to remember no one here is your enemy. Just like Artorian, I want what's best for you. So please, try to behave yourself. Okay?"
"F-Fine…" Krovanh tried to keep a stern face, but that was seen through easily as his face was tinted a shade different, and he looked away with a curled lip.
"Thank you." Miharu said with a smile. "I have to head back to the hospital, but I'll be back to walk you home. But if something serious comes up Mei Mei and Charlotte agreed to come pick you up."
"We're not helpless, we can get home ourselves." Krovanh muttered, thrashing back after Miharu ruffled his hair.
"Yes, yes. Artorian just wants you to get the proper middle school experience is all." The nurse chuckled, seeing Krovanh's embarrassed stare before relenting. "Okay, I've said what was needed. Remember to behave, and make friends while you're here!"
"Mrf, why's she gotta always act like that?"
"Because she cares about you." Karen answered honestly.
"Treating me like I'm just some kid, I can handle myself just fine."
"Maybe, but having someone that cares is nice, isn't it?"
"…Maybe."
"Alright everyone, attention! We have three new students that will be joining us." The class teacher spoke up, the class slowly quieting before the day started. "Please come in you three, and introduce yourselves."
"Hey, name's Touka Kenzaki." Touka introduced herself casually, raising a hand up to head level with a smile. "Shinshisho said he wanted me to get a proper education, so I'm here to live up to his hopes. I suck at most academics though, so I'll be grateful for any help."
"Mph… name's Krovanh." The Slayer said more with a tone of a grumpy kid, hands in his pockets as he slouched his shoulders. "I'm here for the same reason, my "boss" wants me to be educated so I'm here."
There was some muttering and whispers going across the class at the introduction of the two. Some questioning who Shinshisho was, what had Krovanh in such a bad mood, wondering why he looked familiar in comparison to Touka. There was also some questions as to why the three wore white uniforms compared to their green, all of it going over Touka's own thoughts while Krovanh blew some hair out of his face, uninterested in the gossip of others. But all of that changed when Karen stepped up next.
"H-hello… my name is… K-Karen Kisaragi." Even after her debut at the Founding Festival with Sakura, Karen was still skittish in the presence of a crowd. The stadium was possibly easier, she couldn't make the details of the audience's faces. But here, she saw everyone and was unable to miss their attention, although the confusion for the others was replaced with beaming eyes and smiles.
"It's Karen Kisaragi!"
"No way, the Little Witch of Little Garden is in our class!?"
"So cute! The white clashes with her hair and eyes in such a pretty way!"
"Are your legs okay? Back in the stadium you needed your Hundred to walk?"
"Okay, okay, there's no need to barrage the girl." The teacher clapped twice, silencing the outburst of excitement. "While Karen here may also be the up and rising idol the Little Witch, in here that is not her focus. While among her fellow classmates, she is Karen Kisaragi. Please remember to be respectful, and do your best to help her, Touka and Krovanh feel welcome here."
The three were then guided to their seats, a set of them in the fourth and fifth row. After they were seated, the class returned to what their lessons were last on, which in appearance was protocols for accidents and safeguards. It was the first week classes started again after two sets of attacks, so lessons like this wasn't all that surprising when thought about. As the teacher began to go through the course she distributed handouts that was passed down the rows from the front.
'It's been so long since I received a handout.' Karen thought as she received her paper, reminiscing on the past decade and how quickly it all changed. Her Severance came into effect awhile after the Second Attack, but even then Artorian was hesitant to put her back into class if he was in any way tied to her enrollment. Not to mention how it became impossible to go to class after contracting Severance. All she did was the homework Artorian gave her, it felt almost nostalgic to be in a classroom again. As she passed the papers back to Krovanh, her smile was apparent since she saw the boy roll his eyes at her before taking the last paper.
Although after he took it, his expression changed, appearing more confused and exasperated than annoyed. Karen could also tell he wasn't looking at her, but past her to the row ahead.
"Your song was really amazing! My name is Rebecca Martin, it's such an honor to meet you!" When Karen turned to see what he was looking at, it was the girl who passed her the handout. Rebecca was as cheery as was possible, her extravagant twin tails matching the warm summer aura she seemed to exude.
"Ah…! Uh… um… thank you very much." Karen was able to get out, a bit overwhelmed by the girl's forward presence.
"What's up with the special uniform, it looks really good on you! Especially with the purple stripe. Are you and the others in some kind of special group? Are you a part of Little Garden's Slayers? What are you-ack!"
"Slow down, don't go too hard on her." The girl sitting next to Rebecca said, pulling on her ear to halt her barrage of questions. "Sorry, Rebecca's been all hyper since the festival, with everything finally calmed down she's gotten a little too comfortable letting it out."
"N-No, it's okay." Karen responded. "I'm just… I'm still new with meeting new people. I was just off guard."
"See, she's okay! So can you please let go of my ear now!?"
"Rebecca, Aoi!" The teacher called out, the two girls looking up as she tapped her palm. "Do not cause such a commotion. Do I need to move you two?"
"N-No!" The two both responded, getting a satisfied nod from the woman as she returned to her lecture.
"By the way, the bob-cut girl's name is Aoi Umino." Rebecca whispered back to Karen, surprising her at the name.
"So you're from Yamato too?"
"I was born there, but I grew up in Liberia." Aoi answered. "Rebecca's been a problem for me ever since."
"Hihi, you know you'd never replace me."
"Bleh." Krovanh gagged, looking away as he rested his head on his desk.
"Wait up!" After the day had ended, the trio of new students were pretty quick to get out of class, out in the courtyard when they heard Rebecca calling out to them with Umino in tow.
"Hell, we actually have to be around them longer?" Krovanh groaned, stuffing his hands back into his pockets while Touka waved back to the pair.
"They're nice, Aoi helped me with a math problem before we left."
"Hey Rebecca, Aoi!" Karen responded, the trio stopping so the pair can reach them.
"You three left so fast, what's the rush?"
"We're going to meet up with Sharkface's sister and cousin, their class got out a little before us." Touka explained.
"Oh, Grumpy has family? Are they as down in the mud as him?" Rebecca asked, getting a bump in the side from Aoi.
"What she means is we'd be happy to meet them. Krovanh, right?" Aoi held her hand out, offering it to the Slayer, who clicked his tongue and looked away.
"Tch!"
"Don't mind Sharkface, he's a terrible people person." Touka shoved him to the side hard, knocking him to the ground as she shook Aoi's hand. "Thanks again for the help on problem 3, I was stuck on it forever!"
"O-Of course." Aoi was surprised at Touka, she was forward and quite excited not unlike Rebecca. However from their handshake, her hands were really rough, callouses all over as what she could only assume was rigorous training.
'Are white uniforms a sign of a team similar to Selections?'
"Oi, Ponytail!" Krovanh growled as he was back on his feet, butting heads with Touka who without a moment of hesitation was grinding her forehead back against his. "The fuck was that for!?"
"Someone has to be generous when Shinshisho and your sister isn't around! Otherwise you'll go giving Shinshisho a bad rep!"
"As if my attitude would change that!"
"K-Krovanh, Touka! P-Please stop… people are watching…" Karen tried and failed to stop the two's shouting, her face growing redder by the second as more and more people were watching.
"Yesh, is Grumpy always like this?" Rebecca asked.
"H-He's just really new to all of this… please don't hold it against him." Karen said, half pleading back to the two as she looked to Rebecca. "He's had it bad in life… he's still adjusting to a new life."
"Ha, told you we'd find them by following the shouting!" A laugh came from the side, everyone turning to see Nakri and Nesat approaching. They were accompanied by Chris, who was laughing more sheepishly at the exchange.
"You two really do argue more than you talk." Chris noted, Krovanh and Touka practically butting heads one last time before separating with a shared huff.
"You two should know better, our reputation is Artorian's. We should be on better behavior." Nesat said, Aoi and Rebecca both blinking in surprise.
'The strange uniforms, and they know Artorian Abyssal?'
"She/He started it!" Both pointed to each other, growling at the accusation before Nesat stepped between them.
"You have quite the energetic batch of friends, huh?" Aoi asked Karen, getting an awkward laugh from her.
"We… we met under interesting circumstances."
"It's good to see everyone's spirits are up." Mei Mei announced as she and Miharu appeared, the large group only getting bigger with the adults' arrival.
"Mei Mei! How have you been?" Karen asked, happy to see the maid.
"I'm doing great Karen! How was your first day of class?" She returned the question.
"It was great!" Karen explained, before motioning to Rebecca and Aoi. "These are two of my classmates, Rebecca Marin and Aoi Umino. They've been nice to me and helped me and Touka out with some of our math problems."
"Did they?" Miharu was the first to respond, before giving a smile and appreciative nod. "Then I think it's best to thank them, it means a lot that you're welcoming to them."
"Happy to, Karen's super nice and Touka's funny carrying that sword around everywhere." Rebecca responded.
"Is that necessary though? It seems like a safety hazard?" Aoi asked, getting an agreed chuckle.
"Yes, but she's very determined to keep it around. She even bothered Dr. Dimandias to get her a similar magnetic holster that Artorian has." Miharu stated, Touka pouting as she huffed to the side.
"Shinshisho always remains at the ready, I should be too now that my Zaneizan is coming along."
"Yeah, after it obliterated your hand."
"Shut it Sharkface!"
"Hey Karen, we'll have to get home, but would you be okay exchanging numbers?" Rebecca asked, surprising Karen as she offered her phone. "Me and Aoi were going to head into Sangria tomorrow to check the town out. Would you like to come with us?"
"u-Um… I'm not sure…" Karen muttered, looking over to Miharu as if to ask for permission.
"Of course, once class is over there should be plenty of time." Miharu said, patting her head in support.
"A-Alright!" Karen said, accepting Rebecca's phone and putting her number in.
It was a beautiful sight, watching Karen take a big step at getting her life back with the introduction of two new friends. Miharu was sure to stealthily take a picture of the moment. Both as a memento itself, having helped care for Karen since she arrived at Little Garden, and to send to Artorian once he was landed. But today, it was for her.
"Alright, all fastened and ready." Charlotte announced, standing up and dusting herself off. After finishing her prototype for her thrusters, she knew the perfect volunteer to start with, as well as who was most suited for a trial run.
"It's a little… much, isn't it?" Liddy asked, shifting her shoulders around. In addition to the new larger thrusters at the side of her hips, there was a bulky backpack attached to her via an energy link. From what she could tell, it was a similar link as to Artorian's holster for his sword, although seemingly modified to work with Savage plating that made up Armaments. Everything was bulkier than what she was used to, and she hadn't even activated her Hundred yet.
"Are you sure this is a good idea Dr. Dimandias?" Claire asked. Both were wearing their variable suits, Hundred's in hand as Charlotte wanted a combat session to test her latest work. "A separate power pack seems risky, especially with the bulk it's putting on Liddy."
"Oh, that's not a power pack." Charlotte responded, adjusting her glasses as she took a wide berth from the pair. "Trust me, I've been working quite hard on this. It's started as a project to help Slayers who don't have arial capabilities like you, but I had some inspiration since Artorian and Emilia headed for Gudenberg."
"…What kind of Inspiration?" Claire asked, both Slayers raising an eyebrow at the vague statement.
"Well, I've spent so long refining Hundreds that I realized that I missed a vital factor that could come in handy." Charlotte then gestured to them, smiling as she was growing eager. "Trust me for a moment, get your Armaments ready."
The Slayers looked to each other, caution present as there was a bit of concern as to what might be on mind. However Liddy shrugged with a bit of surrender, gesturing back to Charlotte.
"I mean, she hasn't let us down before."
"…Very well." Claire relented soon after, both gripping their Hundreds before flipping them up into the air, energy bursting to life.
"Hundred On!"
Both Slayers adorned their Armaments as the flashes of energy disputed. Claire's Bare Armament was the same as it had always been, however Liddy's revealed itself to have modified with the equipment attached to it. The thrusters at her hips became fused with extensions of the Armament, while the pack had separated from her, a pillar of purple energy connecting it to the link Charlotte placed.
The backpack then shimmered with purple specks of energy, and brightened as a secondary transformation underwent. When it was finished, the pack was hovering just over Liddy's back, and a pair of aviation wings extended out over a meter each. The material adjusted itself in energy and color, matching Liddy's own Hundred as it activated with the induction of her energy and whirred to life.
"In addition to thrusters, I believed it would be beneficial to provide a balance measure while the system is in a prototype." Charlotte explained, Liddy looking over each of her shoulders in amazement. "The wings are solely meant to help you adapt to working with proper flight and new speed compared to your original burst of the standard thrusters some Hundreds possess. Also to prove that equipment can be integrated into a Hundred without being implanted in manually or through code so you don't gain or lose familiar functions."
"Dr. Dimandias this is… this is incredible!" Liddy was able to find the words for it, taking a second to fully drink in the equipment that was connected to her now. Despite the wings and thrusters being almost two bodies more worth of material, Liddy barely felt any heavier, evident as she bounced on her feet to test her balance. "I hardly feel any different, and this level of modification… I thought it was impossible!?"
"Well, when you write the book on creating and modifying Hundreds, you're allowed to prove yourself wrong." Charlotte said with a smile. "Although referring to this as just a Century Armament attachment feels a little dull. What do you girls think about Millenium Bond? Eon for short to match with my Century Armament's convention."
"It's truly amazing what you've managed to do Dr. Dimandias." Claire said, approaching Liddy and carefully running one of her hands across the left wing. It felt like energy itself, similar to how an Armament's armor felt to a Slayer. While the energy between her holster and the pack showed it was different, the hover was almost identical to Claire's Alystherion gun pods and Emilia's Arms Shroud feathers. Charlotte integrated an entire different piece of equipment. "Is this a Dual Act?"
"Oh no, replicating a Dual Act is impossible." Charlotte answered. "Far too many variables to work with, especially if we wanted this to be more widely used. There isn't a core in the Eon, I worked it from scratch and programmed the plating to react to energy itself. That way, even Slayers with low Hundred compatibility ratings could use it."
"This could become standard issue?" Liddy asked, surprised at that level of a leap forward in weaponry.
"Maybe not standard issue, but specialized Slayers could benefit from attachments. Maneuverability, stealth, firepower, the combat applications are obvious but the potential is even greater. Shield generators to provide cover from Savage beams, excavation drills to help dig out civilians from collapsed buildings, energy purified sensors that could deploy supplies and send instantaneous messages without the risk of jammers. Squads could go from singular specialized Slayers to a team of multi-purpose roles."
"It's unreal, and you did this all on a whim?" Claire was always astonished by Charlotte's technological genius. From the inventor of the Hundred, the standard application of generating energy from repurposed Savage cores, even Liza's current housing chamber was all from the sudden brilliance of the engineer. And yet she always found flaws, past errors and fixed them, creating even newer applications those trying to replicate her work had missed for years.
"Well… not entirely a whim." Charlotte admitted. "The thrusters were the intended product, since Artorian's team consists entirely of those with evasion thrusters at best. It made me realize that while the Hundred molds to the Slayer, it doesn't mean we can't do something to help cover weak points that those without Full-Body Armaments may have."
"Do these not work with the addition of a Full-Body Armament?" Liddy asked.
"I'm not sure, the test today was to see if it worked at all." Charlotte answered. "I can't imagine it isn't an impossibility, but the most important goal is to improve the caliber of our average Slayer, rather then focus solely on our strongest."
"I agree with that notion. If we could turn Slayers with lower scores to specialists that can perform multiple combat and evacuation roles then the adaptability of Slayers could improve tenfold. We could fight back against the Savage better than ever before, without the loss of life." Claire concluded, getting a nod from Charlotte.
"It's the hope of everyone fighting that no one else has to die. And that's why this test is important." Charlotte explained, motioning between the Slayers. "You two have sparred and dueled before, I want you to now try fighting with the Eon equipped." She said, the prototype humming as she placed a visor over her right eye. "I have to see how it operates in a real fight, fluctuations and the like."
"Huh, it's been a while since we had serious spar." Liddy hummed, looking over to Claire. "I recall almost getting a win in that one."
"I also remember putting myself under the handicap of not using my Full-Body Armament." Claire countered.
"Yeah, but Artorian forced you to do it, and I haven't lost to him in a match yet."
"Come on, let's test out Charlotte's new miracle." Claire ended the attempt at bragging with a playful pat to Liddy's shoulder, walking several paces to be fifteen meters away from her. "How serious do you want this match to be?"
"I'd like to salvage the Eon to make it easier to reproduce sooner, but what's more important is testing how well it works under pressure." Charlotte answered. "So go nuts, hit each other as hard as you think is required. We'll just keep it set to a five-minute fight."
"Sounds good." Liddy said with a smirk, rolling her neck before lowering her stance, shield held forward while lance went to her side. "I'd say I'm eager to test the Eon, but I really want to see how far I've come this last year."
"I couldn't agree more." Claire responded, her own smirk present as she readied herself.
Going past their own pride and competitiveness, Claire knew Liddy was far past her best the last time they fought. She had not missed her own training, in fact her energy control and output had grown significantly even before becoming a Variant. Neither of them were the same as they were before, and the growing anticipation between the two was fueling their spirits, resulting in their energy glowing across their Armaments. They were friends for years and had nothing but respect for each other, but they also were fighters, and no question was more adrenaline pumping then three words.
Who is stronger?
"Alright, energy readings are good. All that's left is to see it in action." Charlotte said, shaking her head with a smile. She saw the eagerness and competitive spirit glowing between the two. She had known both for years, and as much as they come off as responsible and proper. But once a fight was present they practically seemed to be in the same desire to win she recalled athletes had.
'Maybe that's why sports have changed to have Slayer divisions.' She thought, now thinking of how every Slayer of Little Garden were competitive and had a drive to win at even the mundane things.
It also reminded her of Artorias, and how the big guy used to practically throw tantrums every time he lost in chess.
"Begin!"
Had Charlotte blinked, she'd have missed the two moving for their first engagement. Claire moved back, her canons all raising and firing six beams. Liddy moved faster, the thrusters on her back boosting her past any firing lane as the beams dusted where she would have been without the added speed. Liddy's lance rotated as energy coated the tip, and her own thrust was narrowly avoided by Claire.
The blonde's own thrusters rotated her body, dust kicking up as she grabbed Liddy's wrist and reared her free fist back. Liddy overpowered the attempt to pull her in, her shield deflecting Claire's fist before blocking a beam from behind her. Both Slayers then slid a foot forward, nearly stumbling at the mirrored reaction before Liddy flipped over her opponent.
Two beams were deflected by her shield, and her elbow parried a high kick that nearly struck her head. As she landed her Eon erupted to life and she flew ten meters back, avoiding a barrage of energy from the flying canons.
Fighting Claire was a difficult challenge thanks to the sheer effectiveness of a Dragoon-type Hundred. Canons formed based around the compatibility of the Slayer, and with the exception of Emilia, Claire was the unrivaled highest score in that department. Keeping track of your opponent was a challenge, facing a ranged opponent who also covered their weakness with extensive hand-to-hand training was a tall order. Add in her ability to command the canons mentally while in the midst of combat and it was no wonder she was considered the strongest Slayer, even with contenders of a veteran of Artorias' original Slayers or the talents of Francois or Gudenberg.
'You really were unfair challenging Artorian on day one.' Liddy thought for a single moment, chuckling at the memory before her adrenaline returned her focus to the fight.
Energy burst from her thrusters as she cleared whatever gap was between the two again. However before she reached Claire, the blonde took to the air with her own thrusters, firing a barrage of energy as she ascended. Liddy raised her shield over head and poured her energy into it, extending a transparent purple barrier and deflecting the blasts. Dust shot up and covering the area, Claire losing sight of Liddy amidst the debris.
With a thunderous boom, the dust all blew away before revealing Liddy, the Slayer flying right up and reaching Claire in record time. The lance barely grazed the blonde as she twisted her body in evasion, sending her leg out for a kick that struck at Liddy's side. Both lost balance in the air and rotated to regain control, as Claire managed to rebalance and hover, Liddy shot down in evasion of several beams.
Claire's canons were now giving chase, forcing her to learn quick on her maneuverability. Each small move of her body gave a different direction, and it was having full flight capabilities had Liddy realize just how much control was needed to even keep herself straight. A stray shot had grazed her leg and she nearly crashed into the stands, the Eon popping with energy and boosting her upward, whether it was a failsafe in its programming or a subconscious application like how Claire's canons move Liddy wasn't sure and didn't have the time to think about it.
Her flight took her up to the barrier over the arena, where she spun her body to plant her feet onto the smooth surface. Energy barriers had no friction, so her boots had to be coated with her energy to plant them well enough to stabilize herself and get a firm planting. She used the short few seconds given to readjust her coordination, only to lunge off and take flight again as Claire's canons fired at every angle.
It was a rough introduction to flight, and Liddy was only able to keep herself from being hit clean amidst her evasive maneuvers. Up, right, left, down, inclines and corkscrews were being used in such ways that the Slayer barely had the time to process she was doing them. This kind of movement was what Claire and Emilia could manage and do so with ease, it reminded her how difficult it could be to just learn energy manipulation, this may have been trying to learn to use a completely new Hundred.
A canon caught Liddy off, racing in front of her and firing a beam at a collision course. Liddy managed to evade with a sudden boost up, but stared in shock as Claire was in the final pose of a punch. And at that moment, she felt a mix of pain and sickness as her fist connected with her stomach. It nearly sapped her of all her strength, but just before that came she threw her shield arm out, cursing as a canon blocked the strike and protected Claire.
The blonde then spun around and delivered a kick to Liddy's side, the force sending her crashing down to the ground in a kinetic burst that disrupted the air. Rolling off her back was near impossible, the Eon's bulky frame having been pressed against her back now and the wings preventing her from getting a good movement. And that was including the sickness she felt, and in a last moment of awareness, Liddy coughed to the side, bile and spit escaping before she put whatever focus she could to cut the link with the wings, spinning over and vomiting out whatever came.
"Fuck… come on Claire." Liddy panted out, spitting some of her vomit out as she heard the soft hum of energy, Claire landing next to her and patting her back to help comfort the puking Slayer. "I'm starting to think you… hate breakfast."
"Sorry, I didn't think about what would happen if you got turtled." Claire apologized, Liddy mentally noting she wasn't making any apologies for the gut punch she's started to become notorious for. "Do you want to keep going? We can have a fresh reset."
"Nah… I don't think I can handle the vertigo after losing my stomach." Liddy responded, groaning before she rolled to sit, leaning back against her hands as she looked up to Claire. "I don't know how you do it, that's so much information to process all at once."
"You get used to it, you were already doing better halfway through your dodging." Claire informed, sitting next to Liddy as their armaments dissolved and they caught their Hundreds. "You flew pretty good for your first time, how do you feel?"
"Like my best friend punched my meal out of me." Liddy responded, getting a playful jab from Claire as the two chuckled.
"Good job ladies, it looks like I have some information to work off of, if cut a little short due to fatigue." Charlotte noted, walking up to the two with a datapad in hand. "And the Eon is still in working order, so I don't have to worry about repairing it before making a few more."
"Happy to help."
"Any notes you can give me? What did it feel like? Any strange occurrences?"
"It felt fine just, different really." Liddy admitted. "It was like trying to learn energy control from step 1. I filled in the blanks, but there was clearly problems felt that I knew were me. Like I knew how to make a barrier, but not enhance my body. Something like that." Liddy noted, recalling the strange half-cocked balance she was trying to keep. "It also acted on its own, when I nearly slammed into the stands it boosted me up."
"Subconscious connection is expected, good to know even someone new can cause the necessary corrections." Charlotte took note of Liddy's discussions before walking over to the Eon, the wings now reverted back to the bulky backpack without the supply of energy. "It's only meant to be a training aid, but I should try going sleeker to make sure no one gets stuck on their back, or maybe make the wings flexible so that rolling is easier."
"May I ask how long making more Eons could take?" Claire asked.
"Oh, duplicating this will be easy. The Air Raid and the thrusters can be mass produced by the end of the week."
"What about new Eons?"
"That would depend on the function and complexity." Charlotte answered. "Why, do you have a personal request."
"You mentioned before that some of the possible configurations that can be made. The shield generator feels like one of the most important, the signal amplifier too." Claire said. "Those alone will be invaluable for standard distribution along with the Air Raid. I was also curious… if there's a way to get artillery variations?"
"I see, the Perfect Queen wishes to amplify her own ordinance." Charlotte put it together quick. "Well, I'd have to go to the drawing board and work hard on those. The shield generator should be easy, I just have to go back to my barrier schematics and make it portable. Everything else may need a few extra steps."
"I understand." Claire nodded, before looking down into the dirt with an attempt at hiding her thoughts. But it wasn't an easy thing to do, with two people that knew her so well.
"You're concerned about the next fight."
"The Vessels showed a power I didn't believe was possible, our adversaries have only grown stronger and have a political foothold. And then… then there's Him." Claire trailed off as she subconsciously placed a hand over her stomach, her scar aching at the memory of when the Nameless King impaled her at the end of his sword-spear.
"He hasn't been sighted since your encounter with him."
"And we all know that's a reason to be concerned." Claire responded, Charlotte knowing she couldn't argue against that. "He had us completely outclassed. If I could use my Variant mode and Full-Body armament and pour every ounce of energy into Alystherion… I still don't think I could take him down. I need to be stronger or else… or else I can't protect a world that Liza could be safe it."
"Claire…" The Slayer didn't look up as Liddy placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"Of course you would, thinking in that way is how we always lost." Charlotte stated, surprising the two as she tossed her pick away and pulled out a fresh lollipop. "Artorias, Ornstein, me; we were individuals fighting in a team game. We didn't find our rhythm until it was too late… and we're paying for that even now."
It hurt to think on it, but the coordination of the past generation really did screw things up for the next. Ornstein and Artorias were hardly friends at the time, and she was too busy trying to refine the Vessels at their disposal and create additional countermeasures to see the writing on the wall. As uncoordinated as they were, their influence and effect on the world was made clear after the First Attack. They suffered heavy losses, but for humanity's first encounter with an onslaught that even the Lords never had to fend off they did good enough.
And that was why the Nameless King struck Ornstein during the Second Attack. It was considered "theory" by everyone else, but she knew better. The Second Attack was brutal, but the numbers were close to the same as the First in terms of Savage numbers. Distribution was the critical key that was missed. Hundreds of Savage dropped in each attack individually, with the number of Trenta consistently at around 50 reported worldwide.
In the First Attack, they were spread all around. Most countries didn't see a Trenta but it was enough to cause problems. It was difficult, but manageable. The Second Attack however was completely different, in addition to the First Generation of Slayers losing numbers from a spree of back luck and growing political pressure, the Savage did the unthinkable. They divided and conquered.
Just as the First Attack, there was 50 reported Trenta in the Second Attack. However, they were dropped solely in two locations: Yamato and Liberia. Thirty landed in Yamato, and twenty in Liberia, each drop happening in single cities where the Lords allied with humanity were recorded to be stationed at. Such overwhelming attacks were planned, taking away the vital pieces and force them into single locations. In addition to the Savage's sudden adaptation that created Regenerators, the casualties were worse as Slayer numbers couldn't compete.
But it was with their attacks in Yamato and Liberia that it was all shown. What was originally believed to be a random invasion, where the asteroid broke apart and threw them at random, was revealed to be coordinated. Thirty Trenta landed in a single city in Yamato, not impossible given the country's size and the population density of the capital, but for all of them to land was problematic. But the batch in Liberia, for Twenty Trenta to land in a single city in a country of fifty states that dwarfed Yamato showed the tactical attack on Ornstein that it was.
And it all came back to the Nameless King. He saw the opportunity and took it, dividing the Lords and conquering them in a swift action.
"The Nameless King is powerful, the only person I imagine that can defeat him in a straight fight is Gwyn himself, and even then I wouldn't be surprised if he left crippled." Charlotte stated, sitting down in front of the Slayers with a regretful stare into the dirt. "Ornstein tried, God knows he tried and did his best. A couple inches to the right and he'd have skewered his heart. But there's no knowing if he took that hit to cut Ornstein's arm off or not. He's simply too much."
"And that's why, you will never fight him with the plan of it being alone again." Charlotte then pointed to Claire, a sudden surge of passion and fury in the engineer's eyes as she did. "Don't you dare ever make the same mistake as us. You're strong Claire, strong enough that I genuinely believe you'll surpass Artorias and Ornstein. But don't for a second think that means you have to fight alone. If you do that, you're as good as dead."
"And don't think we're letting you fight alone either." Liddy stated. "You're not alone in this fight, and we're not going to sit around and do nothing while you fight a god of war. You've held us up for so long, but you also relied on us when the fights got rough. That won't change now just because the gap of strength is widening."
"Of course." Claire said, composing herself before clasping Liddy's hand with a returning smile. She never considered turning them away, but as the fights grow in scale she can't deny there's always a fear one of them won't make it back. Liddy and Erica had come close to death even before the Zwei Islands, but even then she was able to help and stop the Savage as they approach.
But Savage were no longer the only threat. The Anti-Slayer Faction, Vitaly and the Nameless King's Akin are opponents that make the average Savage encounter seem like a walk in the park. And then there's the fear of Savage evolution, for the first time in a decade a Dragonfly Savage appeared, despite its landing being years ago the timing is too concerning. Then there was the Nameless King attempting to awaken it and enhance it with the sacrifice of Variants. It meant there was even more to Variants then known, if their consumption can evolve the aliens then this may well just be setting the stage.
Variants were the targets of everyone now, Vitaly's research formed off it and can grow from it while the Nameless King seeks to use them as fuel for the future of Savage. She'd fight and die before giving them the chance, but she wasn't the Variant everyone would go after. Not even Artorian, Emilia or Sakura would be the targets. Only one Variant could spawn an evolution to either side that'd turn the tide of this conflict.
'I have to get stronger.' Claire thought, looking to the blue sky as she thought of Liza. Her sister was at the center of this, a primary target of Vitaly's research and the strongest Variant alive. She may even be the only one that could match the likes of the Nameless King, making her identity and presence secret paramount. Should anyone else find out, her life would always be in jeopardy.
She would get stronger, to protect everyone she could. She wasn't alone, but she had to be a pillar for everyone to rely on. It was her vow, her belief in Noblesse Oblige was not just to protect others but to keep herself going. She had to improve each day, even as the world builds against them Little Garden wouldn't give in.
(A/N): Well, now I'm back on the path provided by the original series. Obviously as before I'm taking some creative liberties, but I'm glad I was able to fully complete my original arc and get back on track. It's probably the biggest challenge I've faced currently, and I'm looking forward to go forward and continue with this series. It's a long time coming and it's hopefully a long time to go. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next.
Peace!