Golden Aegis and Ghostly Maid Attack
Cattleya couldn't believe what she is seeing right now. One minute, the boys were about to be killed by Malos and the next, Pyra suddenly took on a new appearance as a blonde young woman and now there appears to be another girl who dress up like a maid and has a big scythe.
"Rex, what just happened?" Rana asked.
"I have no idea…" Rex shook his head.
"What… You can't just rewrite the act now! It's too late!" Akhos proclaimed as she and Obrona charged at them.
"My, my, don't you both look… tasty." Airi held out her hand and four ghostly worm-like creatures appeared charging at the two enemies.
Akhos and Obrona tried to dodge them, but the four split into two phasing through each enemy and came back to Airi into her body.
"Oh, that felt tingling." Airi giggled as she licks her two fingers a bit.
"What did you do? It looks like you didn't hurt them, but you definitely did something to them." Rana asked, confused and amazed at his new Blade at the same time.
"How very observant of you, Master. I simply store some of their ether energy and took them as my own now." Airi explained and did it loud enough for the enemies to hear.
"Stole our ether energy?" Akhos gasped upon hearing this. He never heard of a Blade being able to do that.
"Hey Akhos, I feel a little bit weak for some reason." Obrona informed.
"Well then, just make sure you don't get hit by those fuckers and kill them!" Melona charged at the boys, still believing this battle is theirs for the win.
However, the now blonde Pyra looks toward Melona and her emerald gems started glowing which only Malos knows what she is about to do.
"Hey, pink bitch! Look out!" Malos warned.
Melona became confused and look up at the sky to see a bright light shooting down at her and the blast was close to send her flying from the shockwave explosion, and more light blasts came down at the area and then half it was destroyed.
"Whoa, are you seeing this?" Risty asked as she and Swan are shocked of this.
"Such power!" Cattleya surprised.
"You awoke at last! Mythra!" Malo smirked at the blonde Pyra now calling her by a different name.
Malos goes in the attack and Rex cuts him off along with a barrier.
"Mythra? Pyra, you're…" Rex felt very confused about what is going on right now.
"I am not Pyra." The blonde said, confusing the two brothers.
"I am Mythra. Pyra, she's a different self that I constructed." Mythra explained a bit.
"A different self? You mean like personalities?" Rana asked, and then saw Malos pushed back the barrier a bit.
"Master, I believe is not the time for questions and the enemies are still here." Airi pointed out.
"She's right, just get ready to fight." Mythra agreed.
"Okay, let's take them down." Rana nodded, getting ready to fight.
"Got it." Rex decided to just go along with this for now.
"Now focus, Rex. You need to focus, or I can't transfer my power to you!" Mythra instructed while Rex is able to fight off Malos and Sever very well, better than before.
"But wait, you can't transfer your power to me because of those two." Rana pointed at Akhos and Obrona.
"Hmm, I thought that was the case. Then all we have to do is drain them of their ether and beat them down. Will be alright, Master?" Airi asked for this suggestion.
"My name is Rana, and I say let's beat them down hard!" Rana agreed.
"Very well then, Master Rana." Airi nodded and they charge at the enemies.
Akhos and Obrona quickly prepare themselves against Rana and this new Blade while seeing that Rex is getting power from Mythra, and somehow not being affected by the ether flow cancelation field.
"Impossible! My powers are useless on her?!" Akhos shocked before getting a kick on the stomach by Rana.
"I don't know how she's doing it either, but I'm not complaining as long as it helps us beat you guys down!" Rana said.
"It would appear you field affect is nothing but dust in the gentle breeze to her." Airi insulted Obrona and landed to strikes before knocking her down.
"Master Rana!" Airi tossed her scythe to Rana and started fighting Akhos with it.
"I don't get it! How is that bitch getting energy while in my field?!" Obrona whined.
"Pull yourself together, Obrona!" Melona yelled after being knocked away by Rex.
"She's not drawing power from the ether, it's something else." Malos informed, knowing this all too well.
"Not… ether?!" Akhos shocked of hearing this.
"(Of course, you'd know about it and that must mean we're screwed.)" Melona thought exclaimed angrily.
"Mythra… Looking good. Things are heating up." Malos smirked.
Malos charges at Rex and Mytrha while Melona goes in with him for a double attack.
"Let's do it!" Mythra said before forming a golden dome around mostly the area.
Then Rex started to see something strange, Malos and Melona charging at him but something tells him it's not exactly them.
"What is this?" Rex asked.
"It's called Foresight." Mythra answered. Rex still doesn't understand this, so she explains to him.
"A prediction of what will happen in the immediate future. Read their movements to fin an opening, then counter." Mythra explained.
"I get it." Rex nodded and readied himself for the incoming attacks.
(Music: Magenta, Nano)
Once the future seeing view ends, Rex now knows what to do. He first dodges one slash from Malos and swings his new sword right at Melona on the stomach to push her back.
"What the… How the fuck did he do that?" Melona gasped, feeling the painful sting on her stomach.
"Who cares how. Just get them!" Malos shouted.
Suddenly more beams of light came raining down from the sky as Malos was protected by Sever's barrier as Melona does one for herself, Akhos and Obrona were fortunate enough to not get hit by one.
"Don't think you're getting out of this scot free!" Rana charged at the young man with glasses.
"Too easy!" Akhos smirked as Obrona put out a barrier that blocks Rana's attack.
However, the boy soon smirks at the two as they have no idea about their little trap that they have just fallen into.
"Pardon me." Airi revealed herself behind them and unleash the phantoms again on them to drain some more of their ether energies.
"For a guy who likes plays so much, you probably should have seen that twist coming." Rana mocked.
"Damn it, as if one big problem wasn't enough…" Akhos angered.
"This is it… The true power of the Aegis." Malos smirked a little wider.
"Takes me back. I've waited so long to see it again. Mythra, welcome back!" Malos shouted in excitement like an insane man.
(Music: Magenta, Nano)
"Rex, you and Mythra fight Malos and those other two! Me and Airi will handle the other ones." Rana shouted.
"Got it!" Rex nodded, now believing they can win this battle.
"Don't think you're some big shot just because the Aegis has awoken!" Melona angered.
"Come at me and try." Rex smirked.
That pisses off Melona that she charges in first despite Malos calling out to her to stop, she swings her sword trying to slash at him, but Rex was able to parry each attack and land a couple of strikes onto her before pushing the slime woman back.
"Think you're so confident in yourself? Then try fighting yourself too!" Melona yelled and transformed into Rex.
"What the what?!" Rex surprised.
"Rex, focus!" Mythra yelled.
Rex quickly gathers his thoughts back together and started fighting his imposter clashing their swords as they appear to be evenly matched, the real deal finds this crazy that he's literally fighting himself but at the same time he can also tell that this girl doesn't really fight like him.
"She's only copying you, but that doesn't mean she has the same feelings of strength as you have. Show her that she can't copy your feelings!" Mythra stated.
"Why don't you shut up!" Melona-Rex yelled at Mythra and barely blocks an attack from Rex.
"Sounds like you're having trouble with your own feelings." Rex commented.
Rex and Melona-Rex started fighting each other again while Malos tries to go after Mythra only to be pushed back easily by her barrier and some more of those lights from the sky almost hitting him and Sever.
"That girl… She's amazing!" Nia amazed of this Mythra girl now.
"So, that's the true power of the Aegis. I never would have thought the legend could be so strong." Ymir said as she and Agata slowly get up.
"Yeah, and Rana even awaken a new Blade as well! How crazy is that?" Agata looked over to Rana's side.
Airi wave her hand for her ghost to phase through Rana making he started to glow.
"Whoa, what did you just do?" Rana asked.
"Some of the ether energies I took from those two have now been given to you, so best to make use it now." Airi answered.
"Awesome! That makes you the ultimate counter to Obrona's abilities!" Rana cheered with one fist in the air.
"No fair! You're cheating?!" Obrona complained angrily.
"I don't think that's matter anymore…" Akhos groaned in the damage he has taken from those two.
"What's wrong? Are you guys going to abandon your friends when things are looking too deep for you to handle!" Rana mocked.
"How are dare you!" Akhos gritted his teeth.
"Face it, you guys are nothing but tools to Malos and Jin. They'll throw you away like yesterdays trash once they accomplish what they want, you won't be any use to them." Rana taunted.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP?!" Akhos shouted in rage and charged at Rana.
"(Good, he fell for it!)" Rana thought smirked.
Akhos started attacking Rana blind with rage as the boy parries them with the scythe and using the long length to keep some distance and landing a few good hits on Akhos then slashes him away as he notice that Akhos is moving slower now.
Airi and Obrona are having their own battles in the air, but the Blade of Akhos was having trouble with her movements are slow for the maid woman to dodge them easily and she slaps her in the face and kicks her down.
"Damn it, I feel so tired." Obrona said.
"That's because of the ether I've been stealing from you. If I steal any more, I could revert you back to being a Core Crystal but I'm not really sure if I can." Airi smirked, making Obrona scared.
Now Rex is fighting against Malos and dodging most of his attacks and parries them away thank to having Foresight from Mythra and being able to counter Sever and Melona when they come in to attack him to.
He then tosses his sword to Mythra who takes it and comes in to attack the two Blades, able to hold her own very well against them as she kicks Sever away in the face and slashes at Melona a few times before pushing her back.
"Fucking damn it, this is getting us nowhere!" Melona angered.
"I don't care! The Aegis is right there, we have to take her to reach our goal!" Malos glared at Mythra as he charges toward her.
But Mythra jumps back and gave the sword back to Rex for him to clash with Malos striking each other, yet Rex is doing well against his rough fighting style pushes him back.
"Rana! You and Airi better take cover!" Rex alerted.
Rex and Mythra held hands together as the sword glows gold brighter and that light became a pillar that reaches to the sky, like it had just pierced the Heavens.
"Sacred Arrows!" Rex and Mythra shouted and lots of light beams came striking down at the enemies.
Malos and Akhos braces themselves while the other Blades try protecting themselves with their Barriers, but Melona felt her instincts warning her to just dodge them and she did start to move around as much as she can.
Unfortunately, Sever and Obrona have met their untiming end when the beams hit their Core Crystals.
"Wh-What is this…? Akhos…!" Obrona called out before being reverted her Core Crystal, but they are not glowing like Roc's.
"Obrona?!" Akhos screamed in pain, having lost someone who was dear to him even though he couldn't say it out loud.
"Malos, dear. I believe this is the part where we realize we can't win and get the heck out of here!" Melona pointed out.
"Yeah, I know." Malos nodded.
"Akhos, we're retreating!" Malos yelled, but Akhos didn't respond as he is still moaning about Obrona.
"No time for that, Akhos!" Malos threw down his fist and created a powerful glowing shockwave that blinded the heroes for a moment for him and the two to make their escape.
(Music End)
After the dust is settled and the villains are gone, Rex and Rana look at each other knowing that the battle is over, but they paid a heavy price of losing someone close to them.
The salvage brothers came together and look at the corpse of Vandham, the rage they felt at the bad guys has been replaced with deep sadness, losing a loved one who was like family to them. Risty notices the looks on their faces, and she too can feel the same way that she also lost her father-figure.
Mythra changes back to Pyra, and she fell unconscious having to use more power than she intended, Nia comes to help Pyra rest a little easier, but she knew the boys have taken this harder.
Both Rex and Rana let out a sad loud crying with tears coming down from their eyes, Risty holds back the sobering, but the tears just came out as Swan hugs her for comfort. Cattleya also pull the boys into a hug, feeling sad that a great man has perish.
(Morning)
After everyone went back to the inn for some rest, they came to gather the few people to attend Vandham's funeral which is back at the ruins where he died. A tombstone was made there, and Cole gave a speech for the gathering.
"The body may die, but never the soul, which is merely passed on. Souls flow onward, born and reborn, forever part of the great ether stream." Cole stated and everyone pay their respects to them silently.
"Why friends make grave here? Can we not take Biggpon home to village?" Tora asked.
"He'd want to be buried where he fell. It is traditional amongst mercenaries." Azurda explained as he and Dromarch move for Iona to place flowers down in front of the tombstone.
"I'm so sorry, Vandham… If only I hadn't listened to those people, you'd still be…" Iona sobbed, Risty comes in with a hand on her back.
Meanwhile, Nia clutches her fist with this terrible guilt in her heart that she could have done something back then, but she was scared.
"It's not your fault, kid. Those fuckers used you like a tool, they're the ones to blame." Risty stated and look at the tombstone.
"To be honest though, they would have tracked us down a little later on. But even so, Vandham never gave up the fight, kept fighting his war until the end." Risty believed.
"Yes, I also believe that he saved all of our lives. Right now, we can be graceful to them." Rex added.
"So, cheer up. Vandham wouldn't want you to be sad over this, right?" Rana asked.
"You're right." Iona nodded.
"Vandham, the words you taught us. Fighting our own wars, we promise they'll never leave our hearts." Rana said.
"I may not have known the man, but I can tell he was important to them. You left a mark in their hearts, Sir Vandham." Airi commented.
"That's right, I'll fight my war with Pyra." Rex nodded.
Then everyone turns around seeing Pyra, fully awake and Cattleya with her, walking up to the grave.
"Pyra, are you alright?" Rex asked.
"Yeah…" Pyra answered softly and sad.
"Good, I was worried that you might not… wake up…" Rex said before going for the question in his head.
"Pyra, you know I've got to ask. That thing that happened yesterday. You called yourself Mythra?" Rex asked, Pyra hesitated to answer.
"I'd like to hear that too. That power… it wasn't normal. Is that the true power of the Aegis?" Nia asked.
"Well, Pyra, I did warn you about the questions. And I believe you know they deserve an explanation." Cattleya stated the little talk they had.
"Yeah, you were super crazy strong!" Ymir nodded.
"Maybe more for words to describe." Risty commented.
Pyra tries to find the best way to answer, but then her Core Crystal glow then suddenly changes to Mythra shocking everyone, and she marches angrily at Rex.
"Why? Why did you wake me up?" Mythra asked, confusing Rex.
"I didn't want to wake up… I didn't want to come back! I left everything to her, so I'd never have to use that power again! But then you woke me up!" Mythra yelled at Rex.
"W-Woke you up?" Rex stuttered as he still has no idea about Mythra.
"If you hadn't been so useless, none of this would have happened! I wouldn't have had to use this power! Didn't you listen to that Vandham guy? He told you to hold back! He told you to run!" Mythra reminded him of Vandhman's words.
"But you just had to push yourself. Idiot… Look where it's got us now!" Mythra stated. "You're really messed up."
"You don't have to tell me that!" Rex yelled back a little.
"I know, all right?! I knew I was being an idiot. But I just… I couldn't hand you over to them. I wanted to keep you safe." Rex stated. This caught Mythra off guard that he wants to protect the girl he doesn't even know yet.
"A-At any rate! If you got questions, you can ask her! I'm outta here, bye!" Mythra said, changing to Pyra again.
"That's not fair…" Pyra mutter before turning to the others. "Everyone, I am very sorry about that." She apologized.
"Something tells me we're in for a big story time." Rana commented.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Mythra's power is something to behold when it comes to being an Aegis, and Airi is certainly a special Blade herself when helping out with Rana in the fight. The group are finally going to learn more about Pyra and Mythra, about their past and the power they hold within.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!