Part 1

In a classified location known only to a handful of people, hides a dark room with monitors lining every side. These monitors all show silhouettes of people sitting on a desk facing whoever is viewing them. That particular person is a lady in violet who goes by multiple names.

“Yes I agree that the generals have reached a decision, but seeing as it’s so asininely absurd, I stand here questioning your sanity.” The woman know to the  the students of A.E.G.I.S. know as Miss Violet berates a gathering of military officials.

“Needless to say, we have come to the decision of handling the matter ourselves, Scorpio. You can tend back to those children you are so fond of so much.”

Miss Violet glares at the monitor that informed her of it.

“I’m sorry, but…’you’ have come to that decision? I somehow find it hard to believe. And I thought I told you to stop calling me by my old codename. I’m no longer part of Team Z, nor the army.”

“We only want what is best for this country. The world isn’t ready for the Alters just yet. They possess great power, but they lack the discipline to properly use their gifts.”

“How exactly do you determine that? If they use it by how they see fit, or if by how they are told?”

“They’re too young to be let loose with such a power. We keep our goals from them to keep them safe.”

“You keep your goals from them because you don’t trust them.” Miss Violet hisses at one of the generals occupying the middle space, possibly the most decorated one of them all. “The Alter Enhancement and General Instructional School builds more than their abilities and their Alters. That is merely second nature.”

Miss Violet remembers a memory of finding a young boy alone and has lost everything in a prison cell. The distraught look on his face longs for redemption.

“I had to watch a kid slowly be reintroduced to society for four years. Young kids like him are exactly why I made this school. Seeing him recover after losing so much makes me think if we really are doing the right thing here. That’s why I had to step up and carry on the task of teaching these children - no, these students so they can live healthy lives regardless of what they can do.”

A solemn silence fills the dark room. Every general inside the monitors think on what to do next.

“Very well. We will think over it some more…” One of the generals informs Miss Violet as she gives a slight nod. “…but, don’t get the idea that there won’t be any consequences for failing to apprehend call sign Blood Blade. We’ll be in contact with you with our plan within the day on how to handle the situation.”

And all at once, every monitor shuts off. The lights on the floor illuminate the path to the exit as half of the monitors slide out of the way. The pathway is so wide that the lights that line the edges of it illuminate only a portion of Miss Violet’s body. Her face is still vailed with darkness.

“Handle the situation…what a laugh. Still…” Miss Violet looks at her military-grade phone, evident by the wide and bulky casing, which outlines Alex’s report of Blood Blade’s plans. “…I’ll keep my students safe, with or without your help.”

Part of these plans is the attacks Blood Blade’s henchmen will be conducting, a siege on A.E.G.I.S..

Part 2

In the rooftops of a city in the middle of the chilly night, a young Katsuo gazes across the horizon. The wind blows gently through his spiky hair.

A soft thud can be heard from behind him as someone lands from a leap off of an adjacent rooftop.

“You don’t have to join us, you know.” The Gilded Saber convinces him as he walks beside the young Katsuo.

“Well isn’t this what I’ve been training for?” He turns his head towards his mentor.

“I helped you use your powers so you can forge your own path with it. You don’t have to dirty your hands by becoming a Gilded Saber.”

The young Katsuo bows his head and closes his eyes.

“The world needs legends to look up to, something I never got to experience growing up. If I will get to claim what I lost along the way, then I might as well put my new skills to the test.”

“Just don’t think I’ll be there to bail you out when you’re in a bind. Remember that as far as the world knows, there’s only one Gilded Saber.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been taught by the best. I’ll do just fine on my own.”

The two of them continue looking at the bright lights of the city below. And at that moment, the Gilded Saber remembers something.

“Oh right, if you’re going out there protecting this city, you’re going to need this.”

Gilded Saber hands the young Katsuo a piece of tattered cloth.

“Listen, Katsuo. This world is worth fighting for despite its faults. Our job is to bring out the good that everyone forgets amidst the evil. And I’m confident that you’ll reach your ambition and make a difference.”

Katsuo responds with a firm nod.

He takes the spotted rags and wraps it around his small body, making sure that it covers his face. He turns towards his master and they exchange a light nod.

The young Katsuo holds his hand to the side and a golden sword is assembled out of thin air.

Once it completes, he grabs its grip and leaps towards the rooftop at the opposite side of the road; starting his first night as the Gilded Saber.

At that moment, time seemingly stops as everything screeches to a halt. The cars below and the people walking down the streets stand motionless. The shroud of the Gilded Saber that is once being blown by the wind remains suspended in the air.

Looking towards them - and is still under the influence of the flow of the frozen time, Katsuo and Brynhildr stand from a nearby fire exit.

“You seem to be rather fond of this memory.” Brynhildr comments as she gazes at the grown Katsuo leaning on the railing.

“Haha…It was my first shot at becoming a hero. I thought for sure I’d do some good while I was there. But…” Katsuo grips tighter on the metal railing.

“You let your thirst for vengeance cloud your judgement. You humans have an odd fascination with clinging to events that have already transpired.”

Katsuo gives another chuckle.

“You’d be surprised how much of our past defines us. I suppose you could say us humans use it as a way to adapt to our environment.”

Katsuo stands straight and takes a deep breath.

“So, have you figured it out yet? Remember that I can’t let you go if you can’t give me a straight answer.”

Katsuo gazes towards the starry still sky in dismay.

“It’s just…it feels almost second nature. I have this drive, this urge, something at the back of my mind that bothers me whenever I just sit idly by while people get hurt.”

“You don’t owe these people anything, they mean nothing to you, why risk your life for someone you hardly ever know.”

A grin starts to fade into Katsuo’s face.

“True. But I don’t think there should be a reason to do a good deed. Helping someone because it’s the right thing to do is enough. And besides, won’t the entire human race benefit if we all help each other without expecting anything in return?”

 Brynhildr gives a faint smile as she crosses her arms.

“I see…you humans truly are an interesting lot.” Brynhildr places her hand by her chin as her lips curl into a seductive smile.

Katsuo takes notice and turns his head towards his Alter.

“Something wrong?”

“No, nothing at all.” Brynhildr responds to Katsuo’s concerns.

The surroundings fizzle back to the same rooftop and the memory continues where he left off.

(“I had my doubts, but it looks like my Siegfried can actually pull off his ambitions. But still, I have to be sure. I have an obligation to help him as I am a part of him. Time is running out.”)

“Hey…do you honestly feel confident that your ideals can change the world?” Brynhildr brings up out of nowhere.

Katsuo closes his eyes in confidence.

“Yes. In fact, I’ll make certain that it does.” He responds confidently.

“I see. Well then…”

A creaking of the metal struts holding the fire escape connected to the brick wall suddenly catches Katsuo off guard.

The small metal platform and everything else connected to it detaches itself from the wall of the building; plummeting him to the ground.

Brynhildr, however, is unaffected by this as she is simply floating away from the wreckage.

Katsuo turns his head towards the concrete pavement below. He aims his body towards the mound of garbage bags to break his fall.

He winces as he braces for the impact, but the surrounding area flickers back to the desolate white void. The floor below isn’t several stories down, but just under a meter.

The force isn’t enough to hurt him, but still delivers a sharp pain straight through his body. The rest of the energy causes him to bounce up slightly and land front side down.

Katsuo pushes his body upward, still grimacing from the fall. But then, a sword stabs into the ground inches from his head.

The sound of the impact makes Katsuo turn his head up in surprise.

However, this is no ordinary sword. As Katsuo stands up, he recognizes what this sword is. It’s the same sword he uses when he dons the mantle of a certain legendary hero. The sword in front of him glows with a familiar golden radiance.

“If you truly believe in your ideals, then you will prove it to me.” Brynhildr proclaims as she floats down from above.

She too creates a sword of her own similarly to how Katsuo creates his. Her sword is a longsword decorated with a dragon’s head.

“Draw your sword and fight me; prove your ambition. If you defeat me, I will release you to the living plane. I must warn you, death here would mean you will never be able to come back, no matter what the means.” She points the tip of the sword towards Katsuo while holding it in one hand.

Katsuo looks at the golden sword he once wielded before him. Without much hesitation, without a string of doubt, he grabs the handle and pulls it from the ground.

He firmly grasps it with both his hands and holds it by his waist.

“I won’t hold back. I don’t care even if you are my Alter. For the sake of a better world…I will defeat you!” Katsuo proclaims with the burning passion in his heart and in his eyes

“I’m glad to hear that. Very well, I shall honor your resolve, my Siegfried!” Brynhildr gives a happy smile.

And then, with one quick burst, she darts right towards Katsuo in tremendous speed.

Katsuo shouts with all his heart as he runs faster and faster towards his Alter and his opponent.

The moment they clash, their two swords parry each other as it gives off bright sparks.

Part 3

“I’m telling you now, he’s a goner!” The field medic tending to Katsuo reports to Miss Violet in her dimly lit office.

The doctor slams a clipboard containing all the information on Katsuo’s condition on the large wooden desk.

Despite the frustrated outburst of the military doctor, Miss Violet sits on her large swivel chair in a calm and collected posture. Her gaze is affixed on the various readings reported on the clipboard.

“You have far much more to learn, doctor. You of all people know that miracles happen.”

“Yes but never on this grand of a scale! I may be able to pull of some astonishing medical feats, but even I know there’s no coming back from vital readings like these.” The combat medic slams both of her hands on Miss Violet’s desk.

A moment of silence envelops the office as the doctor takes deep breaths. Cold sweat drips from her brow from her brief tantrum.

After calming down a bit, she gives a brief sigh.

“Alright, fine. Can you at least tell me what happened during the botched mission yesterday? What happened to the assault teams I asked to go on standby?”

“I can’t say for certain. Whatever it was that knocked them unconscious, it would have been gaseous in nature since there are contaminant traces in their blood. No signs of physical trauma either.”

“Then it would have been piped through the ventilation system.”

“Want me to get people to investigate the construction site?”

Miss violet slowly shakes her head.

“It’d just attract more attention that it should. It was already bad enough that we had to quarantine off that area to make sure nobody gets through. Who knows what kind of arrangement callsign Blood Blade made to even have that place be the meeting place.”

Miss Violet turns her chair around to look at the glass wall behind her.

“In any case, continue monitoring the lad. He may not look like it, but he’s a lot more stubborn than he looks. There’s no way he’ll just give up so easily, not if I can help it.”

A weary smile appears on the doctor’s face.

“I see nothing has changed, old friend. You always were so keen on being so self-righteous. I know there isn’t much I can do to convince you otherwise, but whatever you’re planning for these kids, make sure you do them good. Lead them like you’ve led us…even if those days are already behind us. But should you need our help again, me and the crew will always be on your call.” The field medic says as she turns around and exits the office of who was once her superior officer.

As the headmistress of AEGIS returns to her usual lonesome, she remembers the life she once tried to save.

Four years ago in the dead of night, a young man cloaked in tattered rags dashes through the gardens of a large mansion.

He hides among the shadows and crouches down as he peeks behind a marble statue. He looks from side to side to see if the coast is clear.

However, he is not trying to break in. Instead, he is trying to escape.

(“Good. I just have to break for it and I’ll be home free.”) He whispers to himself.

He gazes towards a chest high brick wall that is only a few meters away. He leaps out of the statue he is hiding behind of and runs towards the wall.

His feet pound on the carpet of grass moistened by the evening dew with every step he takes. With freedom in sight and just a few meters away, he hunches his back further and picks up the pace.

However, among his dull steps, an out of place snap has been heard. This irregularity catches his attention, but it is too late.

A loop of rope snares his ankle and a nearby tree branch tied to it hurls him up in the air; tossing off the tattered cloth covering his body.

A boy with spiky black hair grimaces in dismay as he hangs upside down.

After the trap has been sprung, two unarmed soldiers reveal themselves from the shrubbery in the gardens.

“Well if it isn’t the legendary Gilded Saber. I figured that you were more trained with combat in the urban setting. Thought a simple survival trap might be enough to catch you.” One of the soldiers taunts the upside down hanged boy.

“Hey, you better get rid of these traps later on. Remember that we’re only borrowing the place.” The soldier beside him snaps back with an annoyed expression.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I kept a map on where I set every single one.” The soldier pats his numerous pockets from his bulletproof vest to his camouflaged pants

Eventually, a look of confusion fades on his face. Frantic sweat flies of as he panics and searches everywhere, but comes up with no results.

“Good grief…” His partner groans in annoyance.

“Ah don’t worry. It’s not like the Ishiharas use this mansion of theirs anyway. They have, like, a handful spread across the country alone.”

The young man clicks his tongue and extends his hand to the side with his hand open. He tries to call on a knife to cut off the rope. However, only weak gushes of crystalline sand are all that comes out.

Frustrated, he shakily clenches his extended hand into a fist and grits his teeth.

“Stand down, all of you.” An alluring female voice calls out in the darkness.

“Colonel!” Upon hearing the voice, the two soldiers turn around and stiffen to a straight posture with their heels clicked together and arms rigidly placed on the side.

Miss Violet treads the grassy field towards Katsuo who is hanging upside down from the trap he has set off unwittingly.

Her arms folded below her bountiful chest. Her golden blonde hair reflects the pale moonlight. The shadow of the night seductively veils her face, revealing only her sultry lips curled into a conniving grin.

“Tch. You’re wasting your time if you think you can keep me captive here.” Katsuo hisses while still hanging upside down.

“Captive? Oh no, that’s not my intention at all. Remember that I come across you by happenstance at that prison the other day. If I want you held captive, I would have left you there to rot.”

“Then why did you bring me here?”

“Ha. You may not know me, but I know about you. You’re the last survivor of an attack staged by one of the most prolific private military groups in the world. And most recently, you got tangled with their employer, the remnants of the company by the name of Lance Corporations. Yes, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person…Katsuo Kiyabu.”

“How did--!!” Katsuo glares at her with scornful eyes.

“Word can get around pretty well, especially when you have the connections that I do. But…how I did find out is a bit on the need-to-know basis.”

Miss Violet flicks her head to the side to signal one of the soldiers standing in attention. He quickly takes out the serrated knife from the holster on his vest and cuts the rope holding Katsuo in place; causing him to fall painfully on the grassy ground with a groan.

“Well I don’t need to be kept here! I could still be out there saving people!”

“And you’ll do what?! HUH?!?! Don’t try and gratify that guilty conscience with your inflated messianic complex. You’re in no shape to even be the Gilded Saber at this point. You can’t even make that weapon you’re so proud of.”

Katsuo scowls while looking down and away. “I’ll figure something out.”

“No you won’t.” Miss Violet gives a sigh as she unfolds her arms and places one hand on her hip. “Trust me on this. I happen to know a thing or two about what gives you your abilities. I can continue where you left of, you just have to let me help you. You can continue that vigilante act of yours, but I’m sure you’ll die on the first crime you try to stop.”

“!!” Katsuo loses the words to say.

Miss Violet paces closer towards Katsuo and past her two soldiers. Despite the distance between her and Katsuo going closer, her face is still covered by the shadow of the night.

“The reason your powers are not working now is because the trauma of the events past has put a seal on it. Your state of mind as of now is in total disarray. I can help bring you back that power, but you have to let me help.”

“How can I be so sure?”

A cold gust of wind colder than the darkest abyss that has known no light sweeps the mansion’s garden. The gale blows a bit of Miss Violet’s hair, revealing her face to Katsuo.

The indescribable sight clenches deep within his heart.

An unforeseen emotion ensnares him on the spot he stands while a vile, sinking feeling that drags him down to the depths of hell itself.

Was it fear? Dread? Whatever it may be, it’s a sense of powerlessness that he has never felt before; consuming and paralyzing him.

It’s almost like he has become a marionette tangled in strings, and the mad woman before her is holding them.

It is like being consumed by the venomous sting of a scorpion, or worse, gazing at the eyes of evil incarnate itself.

Eventually, the wind dies down and the veil of darkness is back where it has been. Thankfully, Katsuo is the only one subjected to the overwhelming sight.

“I told you, I know a thing or two about you…” She says in a chilling voice. “…or perhaps a bit more than what you know.”

Miss Violet turns around and walks back towards the dark of the night. Katsuo still stands for a moment, stunned by the otherworldly gaze of the enigmatic woman before him. And then after about a minute, Katsuo snaps out and runs toward her back to the mansion he was trying to escape.

Back at the present, Miss Violet continues to gaze outside the window of her office, looking at the bordering military base that surrounds the dense forest around the school.

“Heh. What a joke,…” She gives a condescending chuckle. “…the devil actually performing an act of good? No one has heard of such a farce. But…perhaps that’s why they don’t expect it the moment it comes around.”

Miss Violet turns her chair towards her desk slightly to gaze at the report left by the field medic.

She reaches to it and takes a look at the data provided. After making sense of them and flipping a few pages, the usual conniving grin fades into her shadowed face.

“You’re really one stubborn boy, my little Katsuo…”

Suddenly, a call comes in from the intercom on her desk. Miss Violet presses a button on it and the blinking light turns steady.

“This better be important.” She growls at the person at the other end.

“It is,” answers her analyst from the other end of the line. “It’s about the generals you talked to earlier today. We have a problem…”

Part 4

Alex sits on a chair in the infirmary, opening and closing his hand. A bandage is wound over his chest and left shoulder with his other hand supporting it.

“Any better?” Henrietta approaches him.

“Yeah. Still stings a bit, but it should be alright if I don’t push it too much.” He replies with a dreary smile.

“Not that, you’ve had that bad look on you ever since last week. Are you still bothered about what happened?”

Alex diverts his gaze to the floor. The angle his head is in puts a shadow over his eyes.

“I don’t know. It’s just that…whenever I look at him, it feels like I can still sense a bit of Necrosis on him. Believe me…it was not my intention to kill him at all.” Alex grits his teeth in dismay. “I never should have put him to such an experience. Not him, not Kanade, not anyone.”

Alex remembers the words Katsuo told him the day they went on a date.

(“You’ll always be…my precious friend!”)

“I never meant to betray that trust. I didn’t want to.” A single tear rolls down Alex’s cheek. “Heh, maybe I was right. Maybe I really am meant to be alone.”

Henrietta can’t help but scoff then lightly chops on Alex’s bandaged shoulder. He jumps up from his chair groaning in pain. He looks at her and she has the stern cold look on her face.

“Don’t you ever talk like that again. When I saw you standing over Katsuo’s dead body, I admit that I was angry, saddened even. I could have lashed at you on the spot, but I didn’t. Why? Because you’re not just Katsuo’s friend, you’re ours. And as such, I trust that you can get him back.”

“…” Alex turns his head up surprised.

“If you can still sense a bit of Necrosis in him, then I’m sure you still have the ability to get him out of it.”

“But…I don’t know if I can.”

“I know you do. If you can’t believe in yourself, then believe in me…believe in us…especially believe in Katsuo. Because I’m sure he has faith in you despite what you’ve done. He’s just that good of a person. And if not, well, we can just find a way until we can.”

Alex clenches his hand while gritting his teeth.

“How? How do you know that I didn’t just kill him out of cold blood?”

Henrietta gives a sigh while pulling up her armband.

“It’s that feeling you have right now: guilt. That aching feeling you have means that you didn’t want these events to happen. And the stronger the feeling, the more good is in you. And that dreadful sensation you feel right now…it means that what I’m saying is the truth.”

Alex wipes the tears swelling from his eyes with the long sleeve of his blazer, then gives Henrietta a gleeful smile.

“Thank you. Thank you all…”

Henrietta smiles back, although thinly.

Suddenly, a ringing from Henrietta’s phone interrupts the two.

Henrietta pulls out her cellphone from one of the pockets in her utility belt and answers the call.

“It’s me.”

“Boss, you have to see this.” Amaya reports from the other line.

Later, Henrietta arrives at the Disciplinary Committee office where Satsuki is hammering at keyboards of one of many computer terminals inside.

Beside her is Amaya, hunched over near one of the other monitors.

“What do you got?” Henrietta asks the two.

“We’ve been monitoring the military’s comms for the past hour. They’re planning something, but I can’t make heads or tails of it.” Satsuki reports while still typing into the military’s encryption.

“You’ve been spying on the military? I only gave you that permission when we tried to track down Call Sign Deathwish!” Henrietta tries to suppress her frantic rage.

“Well…we were going to take off our connection, but—” Amaya looks away while scratching her cheek.

“But we picked up something while we were about to. They’ve recently gotten new orders and it seems like not everybody in the unit is in favor of it.” Satsuki explains.

“What were their orders?”

“We don’t know, but whatever it is, it must be bad. The encryption key cycled out before we could get anything. I’m trying to get in, but it’s hard to do when I have to start from scratch.”

“When did they change the encryption key?”

“It was just—“ Amaya is about to report in.

However, thundering footsteps followed by the door being kicked down and torn off its hinges alerts the three members of the Disciplinary Committee.

Everyone in the room turns their heads towards the collapsed door startled.

Henrietta holds up an Absolute Territory pointed at the door while Amaya gets on the ground ready to pounce.

“Hold it right there—!!” Natalia calls out while leading two soldiers into the room with carbines on the ready.

However, the moment she sees Henrietta, she is suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Wait, so you’re the hacker who got into the military’s communications?” Natalia asks puzzled.

Upon realizing she is no threat, Henrietta takes down her Absolute Territory.

“Oh no, it was…” Henrietta is about to point to Satsuki, but trails off.

Satsuki suddenly vanishes which leaves the two looking for her.

Slowly, she peeks from the side of the desk, exposing only her eyes.

“A-am I in trouble?” Satsuki asks in a quivering weeping voice from behind the desk.

“Is she one of yours?” Natalia points the question to Henrietta.

She responds with a light nod.

Natalia breathes a sigh of relief after knowing this.

“Both of you stand down. They’re friendly.”

At her command, the two soldiers lower down their rifles.

“Wait, a high school student got into our network?” One of the soldiers asks his partner.

“We’ve got to get the captain to discharge our security chief.”

Henrietta can’t shake the feeling that the voices of the two soldiers seem familiar.

She recalls that this is likely not the first time they have seen them, as they were present during Katsuo and Alexia’s date. Specifically, they are the soldiers dressed up as a vending machine and an arcade cabinet.

Upon looking around the room, Satsuki stares at Natalia.

She immediately catches her glimpse and looks back at her, but the moment she does, Satsuki lets out a small yelp and runs behind Henrietta’s back.

Natalia tries to reach to her, but is not quick enough to convince her to stay a while. She bows her head in dismay.

(“I guess there are just some things that can’t be changed.”) Natalia says to herself.

She looks at Henrietta with confused eyes; wondering what to do. She merely responds with a light nod.

(“Just remember what he told you.”) Henrietta says in her mind.

Amidst her lonesomeness, Natalia remembers that this constant, despite the fear everybody else around her has, someone has approached her like a normal girl.

(“I know we haven’t known each other that well. But you seem rather nice.”) Natalia remembers the words that has welcomed her, followed by the smile that still sends her heart aflutter.

This very same smile that she has pledged to protect fills her with courage and determination.

With a clench of her fist in confidence, Natalia looks towards Satsuki’s direction and calmly walks towards her. Upon seeing her, Satsuki flinches in fear for a moment and presses her face against Henrietta’s back. But, Natalia slowly reaches a hand towards her.

“It’s okay,” Natalia assures her with a cheerful smile. “I’m not mad.”

Satsuki looks at Natalia with frightened eyes.

She uses the long sleeve of her school blazer to wipe her tears and lock eyes with the very Demon Queen of the Night that the school proclaims should be feared at all costs.

She slowly reaches for Natalia’s hand while occasionally pulling it back out of reflex.

She eventually touches her fingertips, and slowly crawls towards her palm. A happy and calming smile starts to grow comfortably on her as Natalia returns her smile with a tilt of her head.

Natalia helps Satsuki up and gives her a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“You’ve got talent. Just be sure to use it for good, okay?” Natalia advises her.

With an inspirational glimmer on her eyes, Satsuki gives a vigorous nod.

All the while, one of the two soldiers Natalia is leading looks amazed.

“Wow, I never knew someone so young can crack military-grade encryption. You’re one smart kid! You’re almost as good as me. Almost.” The soldier commends her then swiftly gets a slap on the back of the head by his partner.

“Oh…it’s nothing, really…” Satsuki fidgets in bashfulness.

Natalia joyfully gives a smile and crouches down to see her eye to eye.

“Tell you what, if you need anything, be sure to give me a call, alright? I’ll have one of these guys come help you.” She gives Satsuki a small handheld radio which she clutches in both of her hands.

“Hey, by the way…” Henrietta asks off-handedly, “…how come soldiers from the military are taking orders from you?”

“Hmph. Well…being the strongest has its perks.” Natalia folds her arms with a smug smile on her face.

Satsuki and Amaya stare at her stunned with mouths hanging wide. They are so surprised that they turn chalk white.

(“Sh-she is strong enough to command the military?”)

(“As expected from the Demon Queen of the Night.”)

A burst of static from one of the soldiers’ radio grabs everyone’s attention. Both of them tune in to their radios and listen in.

“Gemini Alpha here.”

“This is Gemini Bravo. Reporting in.”

After a brief silence, a surprised look suddenly appeared on their face.

““DON’T SCREW AROUND!!!”” They both scream in rage as they turn their gaze towards their respective radios.

Everyone in the room is suddenly startled by the sudden shouting.

Meanwhile back in the infirmary, Alex’s phone rings much to his surprise.

He looks at the screen to realize that it’s a number he doesn’t recognize. He touches the screen to answer the call and places the phone by his ear.

“You have to hurry! Your friends are in danger.”

He recognizes the voice. It’s the girl she has placed in hospital arrest.

“How did you get this number, Arsenal?”

“What? Oh no, it’s not Arsenal talking now. Listen, the military is on the move. After all data has gone public, they are now deciding to cut their losses.”

“How do I know you’re not bluffing?”

“I got contact of you thanks to your headmistress. Look, I don’t have much time, but she told me this: ‘They don’t just want Katsuo. They want everyone.’”

Alex ruffles his brows in confusion.

“They…Blood Blade? I thought he just wanted Katsuo dead!”

“We both know Katsuo Kiyabu is just a step to their plan. We were involved in them, after all.”

Alex recalls that Blood Blade has initially planned an attack. However…

(…How are preparations coming along?”)

(“As planned. We’ll be able to commence the attack by tomorrow.”)

Blood Blade is staging another attack on the school. He knows that it will take place today, but if Blood Blade simply wants Katsuo dead, leading Taskforce Mars to attack AEGIS is unnecessary, even if it means making sure that he stays dead.

“So you’re saying Blood Blade now wants to kill everyone in AEGIS?”

After a brief silence, what responds is a boisterous laughter. It’s obvious that even though the voices are the same, the person talking has changed.

“Sorry you wannabe hero, but that information is not for free. You’re gonna have to figure that out yourself since you don’t want to trust either of us anyway. But I will throw you a bone, at least.” Arsenal taunts using Toshiko's voice.

Alex clicks his tongue in annoyance.

After another silence, the same somber voice returns.

“Check the news. That’s what Arsenal wanted to tell you. Time is short and I’ve only been given a short window. I have to go.”

After the call, Alex uses his smartphone to browse the internet. He looks for the latest news reports and they are indeed about the information spread about the military’s involvement in developing Alters. He stumbles on one article and sees the headline.

(“No way!”) Alex looks at it surprised.

“If this is true…then we’re really left defenseless.”

Part 5

Kanade sits beside Katsuo as his body still lies lifeless despite the medical equipment monitoring his condition.

She remembers the last time that she finally meets her sister, along with the anguish that has come with it.

(“You and I can save this world from the chaos they will bring.”)

“Can the world really be so cruel to turn good people evil?” Kanade whispers to herself.  “Tsubaki sis would always do the right thing, but…”

She remembers turning down Blood Blade’s offer without hesitation while glaring at her with eyes filled with disappointment. For this person is also Tsubaki Ishihara, the sister she has once looked up to.

“She’s changed a lot since then. I wanted to believe that she’s still alive, though I never hoped to see her this way.”

And then, she remembers the one advice that she took to heart, the very same words that started it all…and what will end it.

(“Maybe try asking yourself… ‘What would Tsubaki sis do?’…”)

“You were just like she once was in many ways. And the rest, well…”

Kanade can’t help but let out a chuckle.

“You really are a damned idiot. And I guess…that makes me one too.”

Kanade looks at Katsuo longing for what they have gone through. She gazes at his gentle resting face calmly resting in peace.

She slowly reaches her hand towards Katsuo’s forehead and gently combs his spiky hair. But as doing so, she discovers something which makes her gasp lightly in surprise.

“That’s strange…”

She rests her hand on Katsuo’s forehead again. A strange sensation radiates to her hand, at least, strange for someone supposedly dead.

“He’s been dead for about a week. But his body is still warm. Could it be…?”

A faint light suddenly glimmers in the dark hopelessness of the future. This spark of hope is enough to put a smile on her face.

“I knew it.” She gives a thin smile.

All of a sudden, the door bursts open revealing Alex who is hunched down after running all the way down.

Kanade quickly stands up and turns towards him.

“What’s wrong?”

“We have a problem…” Alex says pointing towards the TV still out of breath.

Kanade hastily grabs the television remote and presses the button to turn it on. What comes up immediately is a news report about the latest actions by the military.

“Official word has come in about what has sprung last night about the supposed ‘human experimentation’ and their involvements with the once pharmaceutical conglomerate Lance Corporations. Outcries from human rights activists come from all over the world over the development of what the information released describes as, quote, Alter Enhancements, as they are now requiring the military to disclose any and all related allegations about the claim.”

At the same time, other news outlets are covering more of the story.

“Part of the information spread across online includes tying numerous supposedly ‘confidential’ missions to eradicate certain individuals, including the murder of renowned neurologist Harvey Kingsley. Further evidence has linked certain governing bodies within the nation’s Defense Ministry for helming such actions.”

In another broadcast, they’re playing back a transmission that was part of the information purposefully disclosed to the public. However, the audio is so broken and noisy that some bits of it are inaudible.

“Command, we have the target surr—…! We have a squad moving in to eliminate.”

“Good. We don’t have much time. The time table is accelerated enough as it is.”

“I almost feel sorry for these people. Is killing all of them really necessary?”

“We can’t take any chances. Every person there is hostile. We don’t have much time. Br—… may…any minute. Be absolutely certain that nobody in this village survives.”

That is when the static gets worse and the faint sound of an explosion can be heard amidst the white noise.

And then after which, the audio cuts.

Meanwhile in a hospital room, the same newscast is being shown. A bedridden Toshiko Sakawa grits her teeth in dismay.

“You fool. This was not what we agreed upon!” She mumbles as she clutches the blanket on her lap.

The news report cuts to a military officer holding a press conference being barraged by camera flashes.

“The Defense Ministry has gone for the record stating that they deny any ties with Lance Corp. with regards to the matter. As much as we would like to comply with the wishes of the various parties questioning us, we have nothing to disclose. We weren’t even sure where the information from the details came from as it was coming from multiple sources at once.”

Immediately afterwards, the mob of reporters start hurling questions one after the other. Their clamoring frenzy makes anything they say incoherent, even to the audience observing them.

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit office…

“You can’t be serious!!” Miss Violet exclaims in outrage.

“Nevertheless, we have decided that it’s best given the current circumstances. All military forces are to withdraw immediately and all involvement with the Alter research will be discontinued.”

“So you’re going to turn your tail between your legs and run?!”

“Not exactly,” a different officer answers. “We would just like to minimize our losses granted that the classified data has been released to the public. Especially after they believe that we’re responsible to the numerous deaths that have been reported.”

“Your losses? That’s what you’re concerned about? What about the students, you’ll just downright abandon them?”

“That is but beside the point. Our main objective is to mitigate risk away from anything that could pose to any form of danger.”

Miss Violet clicks her tongue in anger.

(“Mitigate risk…the only risk you’re trying to avoid is from your self-interests!”)

Back in the Disciplinary Committee office…

“You can’t be serious! There are kids here!! You want to cut off every single military support by having everybody pack up and leave?! That’s like stranding them in the middle of nowhere!” One of the soldiers that Natalia has escorted barks angrily at their radio.

“Having them blend within society is far too dangerous. As most of them have no grasp of their abilities, they can pose danger to the general public.”

“Don’t give me that crap, Virgo!”

Somewhere within the military compound bordering the school and the vast forest around it from the rest of the world, the combat doctor that was tending to Katsuo grimaces in grief.

“Those were the words of the higher ups. I don’t like it either, but we have our orders.” She says over the radio getting in contact with the soldier earlier.

“Screw the orders, what did she say about it?!” The other soldier interjects.

A brief silence follows.

“She hasn’t said anything yet. For all we know, we might be at a loss right now.”

Outside at the school grounds, the students are watching as the soldiers march onward and into the forest surrounding the school. Even the guards stationed at the gates start to pack up and leave.

“What’s going on?”

“Why are the soldiers leaving?”

“You think there’s a mission going on?”

“Maybe they’ve all been dispatched.”

“I heard the teachers are leaving too.”

Various chatter coming from the students start to spread as they witness the military’s retreat.

Armored personnel carriers start to roll out from the campus grounds and all military support starts to slowly pull away from the base.

All the while, on the rooftop of the main campus, Kagami gazes over the horizon as every last soldier retreats from the very thing they were once tasked to protect.

She holds on to the steel grate that borders the edge of the rooftop that prevents anyone from falling off.

 “So…this is your plan. And you have the guts to say you’re after the greater good?”

A wide grin stretches across her face as she leans her head against the steel fence. The angle it is in places a shadow over her eyes.

“It’s evil like yours that I want to eradicate from this world. And I intend to do it with my own hands!”

Just a moment ago, while she is about to visit the room Katsuo is being monitored in…

“I’m telling you, we can’t be certain at this point.” The field medic’s voice can be heard through the metal door.

Before Kagami can open the door, she pulls back her hand and leans her ear against it instead to listen in to their conversation.

Only one voice can be heard, so it’s likely that the conversation is taking place over the phone.

“Listen, I know you’re upset about what happened, but grasping at straws is useless.”

“…”

 “Look, there isn’t much time with all the new orders going around. But just in case, there’s something I should let all of you know. Based on the latest readings, it’s likely that the boy is…”

The following words are enough to catch Kagami off guard. An unexplainable feeling suddenly mixes with the hopelessness brought about by recent events.

In the pristine white void, Brynhildr looks up towards the muffled voices that fill the infinite corners.

“Oh my, looks like time is running out.” She tells the only company she has in this empty void.

Katsuo clenches his hand in frustration.

“Please…only I have the power to save them! You have to let me go!”

“Not in the shape that you’re in. You may be strong, but you’re far too naïve, my Siegfried.” Brynhildr scoffs at him while folding her arms and turning her back on him.

Out of frustration, Katsuo forms a dagger and tosses it towards Brynhildr while shouting in anger.

With her back still turned, Brynhildr reaches a hand backwards and catches the blade between her two armored fingers.

“!!” Katsuo lets out a gasp as he staggers back.

“That bad temper isn’t going to get you anywhere. Typical humans, succumbing to their emotions. But…no, that’s giving away too much.”

“Why do you have to do this?! People are in danger and I have to help them.”

Brynhildr gives a disappointed sigh.

“There you are again with your messianic complex. What’s difficult about you is that you easily mistake bravery with recklessness. If you die out there, then nobody is going to be able to save your school.”

Katsuo can do nothing but be silent. He looks away while rubbing his shoulder.

“I’m…I’m sorry…”

“Don’t stress yourself about it. It’s a good thing we share mental states, else I wouldn’t have known that you used your power while within limbo.”

With a flick of her fingers, she sets the dagger in her palm and crushes it into iridescent dust.

“Now then, I don’t want to stay here this long as much as you do, so I’ll try to steer you to the right direction. Think back to what drove you to use your power – your true power, back then. What did you feel? What did you think? What were your heart and mind saying when you wanted to pull such feats?”

Katsuo stands confused.

(“What did my heart and mind say back then? I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t even realize it. I have to figure this out if I ever hope to save anyone. Kanade…”)

He remembers the words that she whispered to him during the fight. And to this day, he keeps them to heart.

(“Kanade, just wait. I will return the favor someday.”)

As the helicopter that evacuates all of the teachers and soldiers, Miss Rin looks towards the school as it disappears towards the horizon.

She grits her teeth as she clenches her fist in anger.

“This is wrong. Don’t you guys see that there’s something off here?!” She tries to convince the other passengers.

“But…we have our orders. What can we do?” Another teacher asks back.

Miss Rin looks to the soldiers sitting inside the helicopter along with them.

They all bow down their head in dismay with their faces showing conflicted emotions.

She can do nothing but click her tongue in frustration.

“Dammit!” She shouts as she punches one of the helicopter's00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 metal struts.

Outside the wilderness that secludes this once heavily guarded installation, a person in a makeshift ghillie suit hides among the bushes.

“Recon to Control, it’s just as you said: the military is pulling out.”

“Of course they are. Their reactions are so predictable when their precious plans fall apart at the seams.” A hostile electronically-modified voice responds over their tattered radios. “They will complete extraction in fifteen minutes. And when they do, AEGIS will be defenseless.”

“Copy that. Recon out.” The scout responds as it turns of its radio.

Shortly after, a platoon of guerilla fighters peak from the leaves that hide them in plain sight. Repurposed jeeps slowly emerge from the shrubbery with high-caliber machine guns mounted on the back.

Back at the dimly lit headmistress’ office, Miss Violet angrily slams a fist on her wooden desk.

“Dammit! Those bastards are getting on my nerves for too long!! ‘For the good of the many’ my hide!”

Meanwhile in a nearby cliff side that overlooks the vast military base along with the school in the middle, a red cape flutters along the breeze.

“And so, the siege on A.E.G.I.S. begins…” Blood Blade whispers to the wind.

Part 6

Time has passed since the military mobilized out of AEGIS and the military installation surrounding it.

A handful of personnel are all that’s left on the south outer border of the base by a now empty aircraft hangar. However, they are not awaiting extraction.

“The brass is gonna be mighty sore when they find out we disobeyed an order from them.” One half of the Gemini pair sighs in dismay as he gazes at the windsock drifting northward.

“All the more reason why we shouldn’t fail.” His partner responds as he readies up his carbine.

Apart from run of the mill soldiers, five people with different insignias on their shoulders stay by the abandoned hangar. The two soldiers who reported as both Gemini Alpha and Gemini Bravo are one of them. Their sigil resembles a roman numeral two.

“Hahaaaaa! Hahahaha!! As expected from the dynamic double, the Geminis! You comrades ready to face the glory of combat once again?” A grizzled old man wraps his gigantic arms around the Geminis’ necks.

Despite his hair being grey as chalk, he looks well within his prime. In fact, his muscle mass is double – no, triple of the Geminis’. His physique is essentially that of a lumbering giant. His uniform also sports a special insignia. His resembles a bull’s head.

“Taurus…can’t…breathe…” Gemini Alpha rapidly taps his hands on Taurus’ bulging bicep.

“Calm down, ya big lug!” Gemini Bravo tries in vain to pry free of Taurus’ bear-like grasp.

Eventually, Taurus lets go still with a chuckle and a smile as he rests his broad knuckles on his waist. The Geminis collapse on all fours gasping for air.

“Still, I just wish we could have had more back up. Right, Libra?” Gemini Bravo asks another soldier who happens to be walking by while carrying a small crate.

Unlike the three muscular soldiers, Libra’s frame is a lot more light and nimble. A brown scarf covers his mouth and the rest of the lower half of his face. He too has a symbol on the shoulder of his uniform.  His looks like an underlined omega symbol.

Libra stops for a moment, gives him a glare, and continues bringing the crate somewhere else.

“Still a man of little words, I see.” Gemini Bravo remarks offhandedly.

As the two get back on their feet, an angry shout grabs their attention.

“Oi!! Careful with that thing, mate! That’s filled with highly-sensitive explosive ordinance. Geez, I can’t get any good help nowadays.”

“It can’t be helped, Cancer. We, Virgo, and the colonel are all that’s left of Team Z after the military has turned their backs on rank and file soldiers like us.” Gemini Alpha explains.

“Da. The time of flesh and blood warriors has already come to pass with the progress of Alter research. These children are what will be our world’s future.” Taurus adds.

“Those little buggers?! They can’t even fight on their own.” Cancer protests.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Natalia respectfully disagrees as she approaches the team of soldiers.

Unlike them, she still sports her usual AEGIS school uniform.

“See? What I tell ya. That outfit isn’t exactly combat ready, lassy.”

“It’s good enough. Besides, I’m not part of the military anyway. I’m fighting as myself through my own conviction.”

Taurus can’t help but give a jolly chuckle from Natalia’s passionate words.

“Hahaha!!! I like your attitude! You will make a great warrior by day. Tell me, what inspires you? Honor? Justice? Freedom?”

Natalia suddenly feels subtly flustered.

“It’s…someone’s smile.” She says as she diverts her gaze and scratches her cheek.

“Ah, a young laddie, I see. He’s really lucky to have you then, don'cha know? Reminds me of when I met my loving wife.” Cancer couldn’t help but reminisce.

“Da, I remember when I first met my little snow fairy too. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’ll get your happy ending too, comrade!” Taurus gives his encouraging words.

Libra nods his head in affirmation with his cheeks flush a bright red, thinking about his own lover too.

At a quick moment, Natalia’s composure slightly buckled from all the praise she’s getting.

“It’s not…exactly that I feel that way about him. It’s complicated, but…“ Natalia is at a loss for words.

Gemini Bravo can’t help but chuckle as he folds his arms.

“Yeah well, when I get home, I can’t wait to see my dear’s lovely face again.” He unwittingly sets everyone up for disaster.

This catches the ear of Gemini Alpha who quickly gives him a smack at his partner’s bicep.

“Ow! What gives?! Don’t you have a fiancé at home too?!” Gemini Bravo exclaims in surprise.

“I know that, but that’s beside the point! Don’t you know saying things like that can lead to trouble?”

Natalia stares at the eccentric pair confused, but then a sound from the forest outside of the base alerts her.

She remembers this sound before, although it’s very faint. It’s the sound of a small rocket being shot.

“RPG, 3 o’clock!!” Natalia quickly commands.

“Right! Get behind me!!” Taurus reaches behind him and slams a piece of deployable cover to the ground.

The metal plate is folded into three sections and is wide enough to cover twice his already enormous build. The plate is initially on knee level, but extensions suddenly shoot up until it reaches his height. A thick metal beam hinging from the top swings backwards to prop the shield upright.

Everyone dives for cover with some going behind Taurus and his shield. The sound of a rocket comes zooming within a split second of Taurus’ shield being set.

A bellowing shockwave explodes from the metal shield along with a violent plume of debris. Anyone out in the open is tossed in the air and lands on the ground hard.

Meanwhile, within the campus grounds, the same explosion – although muffled, steals the attention of the students inside. They all rush to the school courtyard and see a tower of black smoke out towards the forest surrounding the school.

Alex squeezes himself past the crowd and tries to get a better view of the situation.

“Oh no…it’s starting.” Alex whispers to himself.

Upon surveying the area, he notices one of the jeeps discarded by the military during their retreat. He runs towards it, and switches on its ignition. After a few seconds, the engine roars to life and is ready to advance.

Back at the military base…

“Looks like the cavalry’s here.” Gemini Bravo readies his rifle as he takes a peek around Taurus’s shield.

Three jeeps with machine guns mounted on the back burst through the iron link fence. Metal plating is crudely welded on the windshield brackets with only a narrow window for the driver to see through.

The gunner on the back is shielded with a thicker metal plate pointing towards the direction where the giant machine gun is pointed.

The mercenaries riding them have gas masks on their faces and wear metal vests that are lined with glass tubing containing an unknown fluid.

“EVERYONE, OPEN FIRE!!!!” One of the soldiers shouts pressing hard on their rifle’s trigger.

Every soldier peeks out of the corner they are hiding from and fires at the armored jeeps. Every single round makes a high pitched ping as they all ricochet upon impact.

“What did I just say?! WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!?!?!?!” Gemini Alpha screams amidst the gunfire.

“Alright, alright! I’m sorry, you happy?!?!” Gemini Bravo shouts back with his attention affixed to the attacking mercenaries.

Cancer takes out four grenades strapped to his uniform, two on each hand, and tosses them under the jeep in the middle.

They roll across the tarmac and settle under the chassis. A resounding explosion blooms rapidly from below the jeep and sends it flying several feet in the air.

“Ah yeah!! I bloody love my job!!!” Cancer declares in pride.

The occupants of the jeep are shaken out of their vehicle. It crashes and tumbles with a metallic crunch on every impact, but it’s still in one piece.

One of them tries to get up, but Libra manages to dash towards it and draws the kukris sheathed in a cross behind his back.

While the mercenary’s back is still arched from staggering into gaining his footing, he shoots a knee into its gut, spins around, and hits it at the neck with the back of his blade; knocking it out.

A mercenary behind Libra readies its weapon; however, Libra flips one of his kukris into the air to hold it by the tip, and throws it at the awaiting enemy.

It drives itself towards and unprotected area of the chest and sticks out like a large metal splinter.

Without him noticing, the gunner of the jeep has mounted back on and aims the high-caliber gun at him.

“Libra, watch out!!” Gemini Bravo warns him.

Libra stands stunned while staring at the high-powered gun.

“Don’t worry Comrade Libra, I will save you!!” Taurus takes out a gigantic Gatling gun, bigger than the machine guns the mercenary’s jeeps are using, and spins the barrel up.

However, a gust of wind blows to the side out of nowhere leaving a silver colored blur.

The jeep-mounted machine gun spews out every single round on its box magazine.

But then, the silver blur that has gone past Taurus stops between Libra and the enemy jeep, revealing to be Natalia.

As consecutive shots are fired, Natalia’s Alter, Nachteufel, appears and catches every single bullet with its large scaly hands. They move in speeds so fast that only afterimages remain. But to anyone of the Category 0 soldiers witnessing this, all they see is that the bullets don’t seem to hit them despite being so close from the weapon that fired it.

When the magazine is emptied out, Nachteufel opens its hands and a shower of bullets trickle to the ground.

“W-what the—!!” The mercenary asks stunned.

Before it can react, Natalia violently slams her shoulder to the jeep; bending its thought-to-be sturdy frame.

It still has more than enough energy to launch it to one of the other armored jeeps, violently rattling both of its occupants enough for their shooting to stop.

“The hell just hit us?!” The driver of the collided jeep asks.

They look up as a sudden shadow is cast, and before they realize it, Natalia drops down while screaming with all her might and pulling a fist back.

With an unfathomable amount of force, Natalia punches down on the hood of the armored jeep. The devastating impact crumbles the hood like paper and crushes the front suspension with a resounding crunch.

The back end of the jeep shoots up in reaction to this which catapults everyone on it out of the vehicle.

The rest of the momentum is used to send the jeep itself tumbling and skidding right towards the soldiers taking cover by the hangar.

Everyone dives out of the way in panic of the battered mass of metal as it rolls across the ground.

Thankfully, nobody got hit.

The mercenaries in the other jeep are stunned by the sudden display of strength, enough for them to stop shooting at the soldiers.

“Did that skinny teenage girl just—”

“INCOMING!!!!” The mercenary on the passenger seat of the jeep shouts in warning.

The gunner turns the turret to where the passenger wanted to.

It takes aim, but is greeted with the sight of the other trashed jeep hurdling towards them from the air.

“Oh, son of a bit—”

Another metallic crunch interrupts the mercenary’s sudden spout of profanity as the falling armored jeep crushes theirs.

The resulting impact knocks everybody onboard off the vehicle at the jeeps tumble towards a fuel tank used for the vehicles that are formerly stationed in the base.

A few steps away, Natalia sees the collision that inevitably takes place. She turns around and brushes her ponytail back and places the hand she used to do so on her waist.

An explosion bursts behind her in a pillar of fire and smoke.

Everyone’s mouths hang open in awe. Taurus coasts the revving of his Gatling gun to a stop and then drops it with a loud thud. Libra’s eyes go wide since his mouth is covered.

“Show off…” Cancer snidely remarks while crossing his arms.

Suddenly, a brief beep is heard from a few of the mercenaries that are taken out: one from the one Libra has stabbed, and the others caught in the explosion of the fuel tanks.

A hissing sound follows and a cloud of purple mist starts spewing from their armored vests.

“EVERYONE, FALL BACK!!!!” Natalia shouts as everybody makes a hasty retreat from the sudden fog.

The fumes rise to the sky and drift along the wind. A flock of birds find themselves caught in it while flying away from the explosions caused from the base’s borders.

After merely seconds in the cloud, they start falling from the sky and slams into the hard tarmac.

All the soldiers seek shelter in the aircraft hangar with everyone covering their mouths from inhaling the toxic fumes.

“Drat, those buggers are starting to get a wee crafty!” Cancer comments on the sudden shift of events.

“It isn’t safe to assume this is all of them. They’re the same people who broke into that military installation a week ago. There’s got to be more on its way.”

While Natalia informs everyone of the attack, Gemini Bravo is on the radio.

“Just got off with Virgo. There’s another on its way on our end and another down west.” He reports in.

Natalia clicks her tongue in frustration.

“They knew our forces will be spread too thin. They planned this since the beginning. The leak was created so that the military will see us as a liability and abandon us!” Natalia pieces everything together.

A sudden dip in morale consumes the troops as they are suddenly shown the reality of the situation.

“So what’s the plan?” Gemini Alpha asks.

Natalia puts a finger on her chin as she thinks of a solution. She looks at the bodies of the mercenaries on the tarmac outside, but only a few of them are dispersing the poison.

(“Why are only those are the ones giving off the toxin? Is it because of defective equipment? No, the ones caught in the explosion have it worse. There must be something we’re missing.”)

Suddenly, the sound of an engine revving alerts everyone. The soldiers peek out of the hangar door to see what it is.

It’s only the sound of one vehicle heading towards their direction at incredibly high speed. A jeep arrives in front of the aircraft hangar, but the built is different from the armored jeeps that has attacked them earlier.

Upon seeing who is behind the wheel, Natalia signals everyone to stand down.

“Miss Lenhoff! Get in!!” Alex tells her while covered in leaves and twigs.

Natalia gives a nod and turns to the troops behind her.

“Everyone, hold the point. I’m heading to the west border. Make sure nobody gets through the forest.” Natalia runs off and hops onboard.

Once she’s inside, she notices something odd about it. The jeep he is driving is worse for wear too. Dents on multiple sides are present, and a few sides and a fender is torn of completely. The roll bar going around the chassis has a few bends out of place.

“Mein gött, what happened here?”

“No time, we have to go!” Alex stomps on the gas and the jeep zooms forward while violently swerving side to side.

Natalia hangs on to her life with frightened tears in her eyes.

“NEVERMIND!!!” She screams in terror.

The soldiers look on as they speed into battle.

“Godspeed, Miss Lenhoff.” Taurus declares in confidence as the rest of the soldiers salute her proudly.

Part 7

As Virgo puts the radio down, the field medic turns her attention to the other person with her.

“Why aren’t you the one issuing these orders? They’re your team, I’m just a medic.” She directs the question to the lady in violet hiding in the shadows.

“Issuing orders to Team Z is not the problem. I’ve yet to earn my students’ trust.”

Virgo can’t help but chuckle.

“You really are a compulsive liar. But still, your ability to put together a team is beyond astonishing.” She comments as she gazes on the plethora of screens. “Team Z…Team Zodiac. When the military felt like it no longer needed us, we eventually went our separate ways. Well…most of us did, anyway.”

“The past is a great place to visit, but not a good place to stay.” Miss Violet paces forward towards the screens, close enough to show her body, but nothing from the eyes up. “The world needs a new Team Z…”

Suddenly, the monitor tracking enemy movements shows additional blips on the surrounding area.

“No way, we’ve got two more heading to the south and…they’re coming in everywhere!”

All of a sudden, Miss Violet heads to the door quickly.

“Colonel, where are you going?”

“I need to check on him. If this is the attack Blood Blade is planning all along, then he’s our hope in making sure these students are safe.”

“You’re still going on about that? I told you that medically speaking, he still being alive is nothing short of a miracle.”

“True.” Even though the doors are open, Miss Violet stays still on the spot. “But right now, a miracle is exactly what we need.”

And so, she continues to run out of the room and down the hall.

Part 8

Meanwhile, at the main campus…

“Everyone, get inside! Don’t panic.” Henrietta is directing the crowd into the main campus.

“Boss!!” Erica calls on her attention bringing along with her two other students.

“What’s wrong?”

“We got two other students missing. Their friends wandered to the forest outside the school.”

“The forest?! Why did you go there?” Henrietta directs the question to the students accompanying Erica.

“Well…because…”

The other steps in on behalf of her friend.

“It was my fault. I thought that we could somehow get a hold of the teachers to get them to return. There’s chaos out there and we need them to help us out on this. For heaven’s sake, we’re just students!”

“And I suppose your friends got lost on their way back when you found out the extent of the damage outside? What exactly were you hoping to accomplish risking limb for limb? Don’t you know that—”

Henrietta bites her tongue; not out of accident, but to stop her from saying something, the one thing that even she can’t bear to hear.

(“How many times do I have to tell you that you can’t save everyone?!”)

Henrietta calms her breathing and bows her head.

“I’m sorry; all of this is starting to get to me. I’ll find your friends. I promise.” Henrietta tells her and then dashes off.

“Boss, wait!” Erica calls out.

“Don’t try and stop me. I need you to stay with everyone else. Keep them safe and prevent any form of panic.”

 “That’s not what I meant. Surveillance systems have been disabled in the surrounding forest due to the military’s retreat, so we can’t use that to find them. At least bring Amaya with you. Her tracking skills can help you out on this.”

“She needs a sample to work on. There isn’t much time to find one.”

Erica grabs a hold of Henrietta’s arm.

“What’s gotten into you? Ever since that Kiyabu kid died, you’ve been acting recklessly. Does the failure of one task mean so much to you?”

Henrietta bows her head in dismay.

“It’s not about the failure, but the result of such failure. I’ve been lax, dismissive. I should have stuck by him the entire time like I’ve always been. I don’t…I don’t want the same thing to happen to someone else.”

Henrietta breaks free from Erica’s hold and dashes off. Erica tries to reach out to her again, but the immense sense of guilt she gives off is forcing her away.

As Henrietta runs through the corridors…

(“Dammit, why am I feeling like this? I know I’m not perfect, I know I would fail one way or another. Even if I never entertained that thought in the slightest. But still…”)

Henrietta remembers the days she has had Katsuo under her care. Her one task is to protect him and she has failed. But what she thinks about isn’t that one failure, but instead his joys. Although brief, his stay fills her days with genuine glee.

(“You may be a bit of a troublemaker, but I have to admit that a lot of things changed for the better since you came. You have a kind heart, and that’s what I admire about you. I never saw you as weak which is why you needed protecting. You needed a way to bring your true strength to light.”)

She remembers someone who possesses such valiant ideals. Who she thinks about is the dashing hero that only exists in legend to some. But their heroism has inspired her to where she is now.

(“I always wanted to be a hero, but you pull it off without any problems. Perhaps…”)

The guilt in her chest is cast off the moment she remembers Katsuo’s smile. She can’t help but smile herself and pull up her armband in pride.

(“…perhaps I can consider you my hero too, alongside the Gilded Saber.”)

Part 9

Half of the old building has been damaged thanks to Arsenal’s rampage weeks ago. Restoration work on it hasn’t even started and the entire place has been fenced off. The clubs that used to occupy here had to relocate elsewhere.

Kagami stands on its rooftop looking at the sky. Up in the heavens, a faint spiral of clouds looms overhead. The winds feel like they are being collected from every direction. They circulate within the school grounds in a gentle breeze.

“The winds are acting strange…this is your doing, isn’t it?” Kagami throws the question to her sudden company.

“You’re as keen as ever, Inverter. As expected from the World’s Strongest…at least on record.” An electronically synthesized voice commends her.

Kagami turns around slowly and places both her hands in her skirt’s pockets. Her back is arched while she glares at Blood Blade with sheer animosity.

“Don’t call me that. That name is nothing but an empty shell; a title without a legacy.”

Blood Blade responds with a chuckle.

“Tell me, do you intend to defy me, the change necessary to save the world and prevent chaos from ruling?”

“Always the self-righteous as ever, that’s what I never like about you from the get go.” Kagami cracks her neck with her eyes closed. “I’ve never done anything worthwhile, but if I’d do one good act in my life, it’d be to save all these people.”

Blood Blade gives a heavy sigh through her voice modulator. She creates a rapier giving off a black smoke and holds it by the side.

“Then so be it.”

With a strong gust pushing her, Blood Blade dashes towards Kagami while pulling the blade back.

Mid-flight, she reverses the grip on the rapier.

Kagami grins with shaded eyes filled with malice and confidence.

However, that same bravado vanishes in a flash.

She receives the full impact of the collision and is swiftly unrooted from where she has once stood. The pommel of the rapier is jammed deeply into her gut.

For the first time, she feels a dreary sensation: pain.

(“Im…impossible!”)

Kagami’s mouth gasps for air as they have all been pushed out of her lungs. Her body bends sharply to the direction of the impact as the leftover momentum drives both of them towards the chain-linked fence behind her.

This same fence tears open and they both fall to the grassy ground below.

Kagami manages to break free and uses her Alter ability to break her fall.

Before Kagami can get up, Blood Blade darts towards her again and slashes her blade while spinning rapidly.

Kagami catches the sword, but is unable to stop the strong push. This time, she is driven through the wall of the old building.

One after another, she is plowed through mortar, steel, and everything set in between.

The live wires running within the walls snap and start to give off sharp sparks.

Their thrust eventually falls off and Kagami is slammed into one last wall with cracks going around her.

With a vile chagrin, Kagami pries herself off the wall and clutches her stomach.

Metal footsteps from Blood Blade’s armored boots resound in the wreckage of the old building.

“They call you The World’s Strongest, but your abilities dwarf in comparison to mine. You’re a fraud, a copy, a fake! That’s the reason you never reached the strength you desired. You covet power so much that you don’t even attempt to improve yourself. You can’t even make full use of your innate strength if I take away your impervious shield.”

The sinister blade buzzes with the slightest wave.

Kagami takes notice and sets her sights on it.

“So…that’s what it is…” She says with her usual growling voice.

Kagami dashes towards the sword on Blood Blade’s hand and reaches towards it.

Blood Blade responds by quickly thrusting it forward with a stab.

She moves out of its way on the last minute and grabs the rapier by the shaft, away from the tip.

And with a clench of her hand, she snaps the rapier in two.

The cocky grin returns on Kagami’s face after easily destroying the weapon that has countered her greatest strength.

However…

“Fool!” Blood Blade retorts to the side.

Blood Blade pivots in one foot and aims a punch towards Kagami.

Kagami quickly turns around to block the attack. She manages to do so, but the plunging hook still knocks her down to the ground.

No weapons, no Alter abilities, just pure natural strength.

“Did you really think that I had to rely on a weapon to take you down? I know what you’re capable of, and you’re nothing but a one-trick pony.”

“…How…”

Blood Blade slowly walks towards the writhing Kagami.

“Simple. I have access to every single remnant of Lance Corp. from the very beginning. Part of that are the records kept for Project Promotion. Only a select few even know of your existence, let alone how your abilities work.” Once she reaches her, she kneels down in one knee and looks at her through her heavily tinted helmet. “And I have knowledge of every detail of it, including the response time for your Inversion ability, your direction manipulation.”

Kagami uses her trembling arms to stand herself up.

“…you pull out your attacks on the last second…the moment I activate Inversion.”

“And you do the rest.”  Blood Blade stands and walks away from Kagami with her back turned.

Kagami glares at Blood Blade with scornful eyes.

(“I-impossible! The calculations to compute my abilities are more than any human is capable of, with an Alter or none! Your timing would have to be precise to the nanosecond and the direction accurate to the last billionth of a degree to pull that off! To think that someone is stronger than me…I won’t allow it!”)

“I won’t kill you no matter what your choice may be, but I want you to make the correct one. Join me and you will maintain the position as the strongest.”

Kagami staggers as she stands up. Her shoulders shake as she crackles softly…

“Ehahahaha…”

Once she slumps forward as her arms dangle from her shoulders.

“…ghehahahaha…”

Eventually the laughter booms into a boisterous maniacal laugh that echoes within the abandoned building.

“GHEHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! If you honestly take me for a fool who blindly plays for the winning team, you’re sorely mistaken. I didn’t leave you because they’re better. I left you because I’m tired of being led astray by people like you. I’ve had it with being used as merely a tool to carry out someone’s ambition.”

Kagami clenches her hand in determination. She grits her teeth while bowing her head down.

“I want to be the unbeatable hero that defeats all evil, and I intend to start with you. So just take your offer…and go stuff it!!!”

With a great leap, Kagami speeds towards Blood Blade.

She readies a jab to counter her, but Kagami is able to anticipate.

She uses her Inversion ability on herself and reverses the direction of her flight abruptly; moving away from her.

Blood Blade manages to hit nothing but air.

Kagami lands on all fours with her feet apart on the ground and hands together on her center of gravity.

Razorback materializes from her arched back and pounces at Blood Blade.

Blood Blade creates a katana out of thin air and parries every single consecutive strike with its scythe-like arms. Each slash is delivered in rapid succession but Blood Blade just nullifies them with every swing of her sword with the same blinding speed.

All of a sudden, Razorback disappears to reveal Kagami pouncing towards Blood Blade. While spinning on an axis, Kagami delivers a roundhouse kick aimed towards the side of Blood Blade’s head.

However, within just a few inches from impact, Blood Blade is able to block Kagami’s shin with her forearm.

Every time Blood Blade pushes her arm towards Kagami, she would reverse it back to it.

This constant counter of forces goes on for a few second until ultimately; Blood Blade counters the Inversion again thus sending Kagami flying back, but manages to stick the landing with her feet.

(“Heh. Can’t believe that actually worked! Well, almost anyway. Turns out I can shift displacement direction as well!”)

“Looks like I can still pick up a few tricks on my own.” Kagami says while wiping the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. “For someone who thinks themselves so high and mighty you’re still no different from being human.”

Blood Blade twirls the sword into a reverse grip then stabs it to the floor. This disperses the sword to the air in misty particles.

“Perhaps going easy on you was a terrible mistake. I have to admit I was being overconfident back there.”

As she talks, the air around her starts to warp in a haze, like oil dancing along water. A greasy scent comes from the fumes the sword has given off fills the room as Kagami covers her mouth with a sleeve.

She reverses the direction of the air flow around her to drift the fumes away. However, a crackle from the torn walls grabs her attention.

What she sees is a set of loose live wires giving off faint sparks.

As soon as she realizes what is happening, Kagami’s eyes expand in horror.

“However…this pretentious prattle is going on for too long. It’s time to end this.”

The wires ignite the air around both of them in a vibrant plume.

Kagami diverts the rush of air away from and around her, however…

(“Dammit, these flames are burning too hot! What did she turn the air into?!”)

The strong light from the flames assault her senses. She finds herself surrounded in a vibrant cloud of light and heat. The pure white light surrounding her is just as bright as staring at the sun.

She has to divert all her attention to the fire trying to eat her alive. Kagami shuts her eyes tight in her daze.

And with a great growl, Kagami pushes the heated cloud of plasma surrounding her.

Once the infernal cloud is swept away, Blood Blade drops from above with a mace over her head.

Out of reflex, Kagami uses her Inversion instead of dodging.

And by the time she realizes her mistake, it is too late.

Blood Blade makes use of the same deceptive tactic she has used on Kagami’s Inversion. This makes her body take the full force of the downwards impact. The concrete floor below starts to fissure and buckle.

Eventually the floor collapses and both of them fall to the darkness leading towards the old building’s basement.

Battered and beaten, Kagami’s body goes limp. Her consciousness barely clings with the pain surging through her body.

Thanks to this, her Inversion ability is barely in effect.

The two of them plummet to the empty concrete below. Blood Blade leaps off of Kagami and lands on her feet. Kagami, however, hits the ground hard as she bounces and tumbles across the cold ground then her back slams into a thick column.

Some of the fiery debris of wood fall along with them and provides an ambient amber glow of the surroundings. It is a wide open area with pillars aligned in neat columns and rows stretching to the darkness around them that seem to extend to infinity.

“I don’t know what gives you such hope. Are you that desperate to redeem yourself? You don’t owe him anything and yet you stick by him. Join me and your powers will be of better use.” Blood Blade persuades Kagami one more time.

“Hahaha…you still don’t get it, do you? I actually do owe him something. He gave me what no one, not even you had offered me: freedom. He didn’t pester me to join him like what you’re doing. He told me to choose who to side with.”

(“It doesn’t have to be us.  So long as they are the people who believe in you…and you believe in them. Together, you will reach that kind of power that you dream of.”)

“You…are nothing to me.” Kagami defies Blood Blade one more time. “You don’t believe in me, you just want my power. You don’t even need me if you think you’re so strong. You don’t see me as a person, you see me as a tool; a weapon. And you have the galls to use my ambition against me? You’re not the hero this world needs like what you claim to be. You’re nothing but a villain.”

“INSOLENT FOOL!!” She shouts so loud that the voice modulation glitches out her voice.

Blood Blade steps hard on Kagami’s gut causing her to give out a loud and painful scream that echoes within the basement.

“You are following a fantasy; a delusion! The world doesn’t work that way, reality is far harsher than that childish boy believes it to be! Do you think I actually WANT to do all those things? To hurt you this bad?! Reality eats you up and spits what is left of you to rot! There is no room for fantasy!! And the reality of it all is that he is a threat under the wrong hands. Someone with that great of a power cannot be trusted. Now look where he has ended up!!”

Blood Blade steps harder and Kagami gives a painful grunt.

“Your one hope is now dead. All because he foolishly believed that he can fight the reality of fate. He ignored his judgement so the world judged him. All I did was to merely enforce that judgement. He needed to die to save the world. Nothing could have changed that.”

Kagami’s shoulders start to quiver. A faint chuckle escapes her grin while she reaches to the leg bearing down on her with trembling hands.

“To save the world…for the good of the many…this is how reality works…you say those things like they’ll help you sleep better at night. What a joke.”

Blood Blade steps deeper into Kagami’s wound but all it has done is make her laugh harder.

“And you know what’s even more pathetic?”  Kagami glares through the heavily-tinted helmet. “You’re wrong. Dead wrong.”

With a deep grunt, Kagami pushes Blood Blade’s leg off of her; throwing her backwards into the air.

The uneven force causes her to flip upside down as she reaches the ground.

Blood Blade extends a hand to catch her fall, pushes herself up one more time to flip her upright, then lands on the ground with two feet and one hand touching the ground with the other hand swept to the back.

The crimson cape on Blood Blade’s back flutters elegantly after flawlessly disembarking from the toss.

Kagami, still battered and beaten, staggers to stand on her feet. She clutches on her waist to put pressure on her wound.

Upon doing so, she makes one courageous declaration.

“Katsuo…is still alive.”

Part 10

An intense growl sounds from within the white void.

Katsuo runs towards Brynhildr slashing left, then right. However, both of which are simply avoided by her swaying her body to dodge it.

He pulls the sword back and drives it forward; however, Brynhildr leaps out of its way.

Once his back is facing her, Brynhildr grasps the sword tighter then delivers one big slash.

Katsuo quickly notices and he turns his body around. He holds his golden sword sideways and places his free hand near the tip to strengthen the block.

As soon as the slash ends, Katsuo counters by holding his sword over his head and swings down.

Brynhildr reverses the grip on her sword and swipes the slash away from her. She then follows it up with a kick straight towards Katsuo’s stomach. But before it even reaches him, he leaps to the side to dodge the attack.

He gives one big slash, and so does Brynhildr. The forces of both attacks are so strong that both their bodies stagger back for a bit upon the impact of their swords.

Once they recover at exactly the same time, they lean towards each other and parry their blades. Their faces are merely inches from each other.

Brynhildr is so unfazed that she is still able to smile after the fight lasting for so long.

Katsuo, however, is worn out and exhausted.

“Is your resolve so weak that you can’t defeat someone who is a part of you? I know you can do better than this, my Siegfried.”

Katsuo glares at Brynhildr while gritting his teeth in anguish.

(“This is insane! I thought for sure I shouldn’t be restricted by how much my body can take if I don’t have it anymore. But this exhaustion…this stress…it’s no different from when I’m alive.”)

“Don’t you get it yet?” Brynhildr suddenly interrupts his thoughts.

This surprises him long enough to catch him off guard. Brynhildr gives one last push which sends Katsuo sliding back.

He desperately roots his feet to whatever the floor is supposed to be in this desolate void to keep him upright.

As soon as he recovers his footing, he looks forward to find that Brynhildr has disappeared.

Dazed for a moment, he looks around for his opponent, only to find her falling from overhead while pointing the tip of her sword straight towards him.

He quickly flips away and dodges her plunging strike. It gives off so much energy; Katsuo could feel a tremor in its wake.

After quickly dismounting from the impact, Brynhildr flies towards Katsuo with the sword drawn back. She gives one slash which is immediately parried, then another. Finally, she draws the blade back and pushes it forward towards Katsuo for a stab.

He pushes it to the side with his own golden sword. The friction between the two blades causes a rain of sparks at the point where they meet as they scrape each other.

After passing her, he quickly pivots his body on one foot and gives a diagonal strike. Brynhildr immediately turns to face him, and shifts the slash away from her with a spin.

This causes Katsuo’s sense of balance to disorient which isn’t helped all the more later on.

As Brynhildr continues to spin, she aims a kick with her heel towards Katsuo’s right thigh.

Katsuo struggles and stumbles as he falls to his knees. He stabs the sword to the ground and uses it to brace himself up. The weight of the exhaustion combined with the overwhelming throbbing of his body consumes what little of his strength is left.

“How…is this possible…” Katsuo asks in between heavy breaths.

“It was never your body that has been limiting you to begin with. It’s not what any of you humans have that has been limiting you. If your bodies are so frail, the physical feats that people like you and your friends can achieve should be impossible.”

Katsuo staggers his feet as his legs tremble while he struggles to stand up.

“I won’t…I won’t give up!” Katsuo clenches his teeth.

“Why do you struggle? Do you wish to hang on to the life you once had? Whether your friends survive this or not won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Life comes and goes naturally. Saving them won’t warrant anything of value in—“

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!!!” Katsuo shouts using what little air is in his chest is left. “I know how feeble human life is. I know that loss is a normal part of life. And that’s why I want to change it.”

Katsuo draws the sword from the ground. His body sways as he finds his sense of balance again from the exhaustion of the duel between him and Brynhildr.

“I know what it’s like. I’ve experienced every aspect of it. I know what it’s like to lose…to take…and to be taken. It’s a terrible…heartbreaking experience.”

Despite his hands shaking and barely holding a grip, Katsuo uses what little strength he has to hold on to the golden sword on his hand.

He remembers three respective events in his life in quick succession. These three events are what have leaded him to this path.

The fire and massacre where he has lost everything…

The night he has taken the life of Alexia’s father…

And the day where Deathwish has killed him with her touch…

“I’ve placed the pain from years past aside; locked them away to the bottom of my heart…my soul. I want to put an end to it all. Not just for me, or my friends, but for everybody else. I want to spare them the pain that I went through. That’s why…”

And with one final shout, he lets loose his everlasting conviction.

“…that’s why I chose to be a hero!!” Katsuo shouts as he glares at Brynhildr – not with anger, but with courage.

With Katsuo’s resounding words that echo within the pristine white void, the sky overhead suddenly cracks. The ground trembles as fissures spread like a web, not just overhead, but down on the ground as well.

Despite Katsuo looking around dazed, Brynhildr simply floats inches from the ground just like before. A smile on her face reflects sincere happiness.

“Finally…” she whispers to herself.

Both the sky and the ground break apart. White debris of various sizes fall off from where they were. But despite the floor crumbling down, it still feels as though Katsuo is still standing on solid ground.

As the pieces of what once has made up the pristine white void are destroyed, a clear blue sky filled with clouds on every direction is shown behind it.

Bright sunlight fills his senses as he shields his eyes from the sudden impulse of light.

A clear depiction of the heavens above replaces the desolate lonesome world where Katsuo has found himself in.

Upon the shining radiant light, Katsuo’s fear suddenly drifts away as he looks around in breathtaking awe.

“You’ve done it. You’ve broken the seal that you have placed on yourself.” Brynhildr congratulates him.

Katsuo turns to face Brynhildr again. For as long as he can remember, he has lived with this tremendous burden weighing down on his chest.

“After all, don’t you remember what you’ve been telling your friends?” Brynhildr reminds him one advice that he has been giving.

(“You can always tell me anything that’s bothering you.”)

Katsuo gently places his hand on his chest. A weary smile slowly etches in his face.

“I can’t believe it…I can’t believe that I’ve been such an idiot.”

He remembers all the faces of his comrades.

Kanade…Henrietta…Natalia…Kagami…and Alex…

He remembers all of their genuine and happy smiles.

“We may be a troublesome lot, but I admit…I’ve never known happiness until I met all of you.” Katsuo whispers to himself. “All this time, I’ve been afraid. Back then, I was afraid of losing. Then I was afraid of messing up.” He continues as he clenches the hand over his chest.

His shoulders quiver a bit as he gives short chuckles as he bows his head.

“So that’s it. That’s what’s been holding me back. I can’t believe it took me all of this just to realize that.”

Brynhildr gives an exasperated sigh in response.

“Well, as you humans say, better late than never.”

Brynhildr materializes the same glob of black miasma that is anchoring his consciousness to limbo. And with a short wave of her hand, she dispels it like fanning a wisp of smoke.

“Well my Siegfried, my work for now is done. As such, I can freely send you back to where you came from.”

And with a wave of her hand, the smoky aura drifts off into the air and vanishes.

Particles of light similar to a swarm of fireflies start to surround him from the bottom of his feet upward.

And at that moment, Katsuo snaps into a realization.

“Hey wait!” he calls out. “What did you mean back then? When you said that there’s more to my power? How do I even use it?”

Brynhildr smiles as she grants his request.

“Simple. Your powers are more than just creating weapons to fight. These are merely tools, a means to an end as what you humans will call it.” Brynhildr slowly walks towards Katsuo.

“Your true power isn’t unlocked with strength, nor with your mind, at least not alone. It unlocks when your mind speaks with your heart. By coming to terms with what has shackled you from your past, you will be able to break this barrier. This isn’t just keeping you from your full power, but it stops your will and your soul from becoming one.”

Brynhildr gently taps on Katsuo’s forehead and chest as she says these. As she does, the slight enveloping Katsuo grows and grows.

“So that’s why you wanted me to go through all this.”

She merely responds with a smile.

“Your mind won’t accept it if I just tell you to. It’s something you had to have accepted naturally. Telling you to throw your past away is simply too cruel to do, and I know your mind will automatically reject that notion. That’s just the kind of person you are. Your heart was already in the right place, it’s just your mind that was confused.”

Brynhildr holds the dragon sword with both hands by the blade and gives it to Katsuo.

“Take this. This…is your Balmung. From now on, you truly will be the hero you long for. So long as what you believe in isn’t just what your heart or mind believes in alone, but what it believes together.”

Katsuo lets go of the golden sword in his hand. He then reaches slowly towards the sword before him, a mighty, enchanting blade that gives off more than just courage, but honor.

He humbly accepts the gift of his Alter and receives it with both hands. He then looks at the cross guard of the sword that is adorn with the head of a dragon.

Eventually, the light that’s surrounding him is almost done enveloping him. A hazy white almost consumes his vision.

“Listen…” Brynhildr adds one last thing. “…The true name of your abilities? It’s not Weapons Construct. From now on, let it be known. Your true power’s name is…”

Part 11

In an enclosed room, nothing but the lights of medical equipment provide their subtle glow. All of these are connected to a young boy lying motionless on the lone bed in the room.

However, someone else is with him.

“Come on you damn idiot. I know you can pull this off.” Kanade whispers to him in desperation.

She sits beside the bed Katsuo is placed on, slouched forward as her folded arms are rested on that same bed.

“I know you can…” She softly adds as she rests her head on her arms. “…I believe in you.”

And so, nothing but the monotonous tone of the monitoring equipment fills the dim room. All she has for company are her memories and her thoughts.

(“You’re right. I’m no longer Tsubaki Ishihara… I have already rejected my humanity.”)

“I’m such a fool. I let your sacrifice be in vain. I just…I just hope that my gut feeling is true.” Kanade says as she rests her head on her arms.

As she does, she stares at Katsuo’s resting face. His eyes closed in sound solace, almost like the horror that has brought him in such a state never happened.

“Please come back…Katsuo.” She whispers as she closes her eyes.

Without her seeing it, a wisp of black miasma leaves Katsuo’s chest.  Then all of a sudden, Katsuo’s hand flinches for a moment.

The continuous tone of the medical instruments is broken for a second. The long droning beeps are broken into sequential tones in a constant interval as Kanade sits right up to see what is happening.

His brows ruffle as his eyes slowly open. He turns his head and sees the hazy form of a girl with short red hair.

“Kanade…I…” Katsuo says as he rubs his eyes as though he has woken up from a long sleep.

Katsuo groans a bit as he slowly sits right up. Then all of a sudden, Kanade lunges at him for a hug, much to his surprise.

“Thank goodness! Thank goodness you’re back!” She whispers happily.

There are no tears in her eyes; no sadness in her voice. Her warm embrace envelopes him in a soothing sensation unlike he has felt before.

Startled at first, Katsuo is at a loss for words.

“Kanade…I’m sorry.”

“No, I should be sorry.” Kanade says still wrapping her arms around him. “I let something so petty bring you like this. I shouldn’t have put your life on the line like that. After all, you mean so much to me.”

Katsuo is caught unaware by the words that Kanade has said, as though his heart skips a beat upon hearing them.

“Tell me, you ever wonder why I felt the need to keep you out of trouble? Well, to tell you the truth, you remind me of myself. Too much, in fact. I can’t explain it, but the moment I first saw you, only one thing screamed in my mind…”

Kanade lets go of Katsuo and they each see each other eye to eye. She gives a heartwarming smile as tears start to swell on Katsuo’s.

“…Katsuo, I didn’t want you to go through the misfortunes that fell on me to happen to you. I…I thought that by convincing everyone that you’re dead that it would be the end of it. I didn’t protect you because I had to, or I’m in the position to unlike the others. I did it because I want to. I didn’t tell anyone because—”

“It’s okay; you don’t have to explain yourself.” Katsuo smiles in ease. “I understand. You didn’t get anyone else involved so it would be more believable.”

“But still, it’s my fault! Despite doing it in order to protect you, I still put you in danger because of it.” Kanade looks away in guilt over what happened.

However, Katsuo does nothing but smile.

“Tell me, do you remember what you told me back then? Back when we were fighting?”

“…!” Kanade suddenly remembers.

Back when Katsuo and Kanade are having their duel, she pulled him towards her and whispered something.

(“Just play along. Trust me on this.”)

At the present, Kanade remembers what she has told him.

“To this day, I still do. I didn’t know what you were up to at the time, but I know you. You look up to someone who is pure at heart, so I know you have good intentions.”Katsuo reassures her.

“Yeah, but…” Kanade’s voice breaks off.

A look of uneasiness fades in Kanade’s face. It’s different from guilt, but this time, it’s grief.

“Let me guess, something happened to her?”

Kanade gasps in surprise. “How did—?”

“You said it yourself; you and I are too much alike. The face you have right now? It’s the same one I had when I see my world crumble before me.”

Katsuo remembers the fire five years ago. The heat of the blaze, the bodies lying about, he remembers all of it clearly. But there is no pain. Not because of apathy, but he’s finally at peace with it.

Kanade bows her head in dismay.

“Tsubaki sis…she’s…she’s different now. She’s no longer the big sister that I look up to.” Kanade grits her teeth in frustration.

Katsuo clenches his fist, grasping onto the thin white blanket on his bed.

“Don’t worry. If your big sister is the good person that you say that she is, then I believe you.”

Kanade turns her head up upon hearing what Katsuo has said.

“Y-you mean it?”

Katsuo nods with a smile and his eyes closed.

“You bet. In fact, I’ll make sure to remind her that you’re her little sister and she means the world to you. I’ll do everything to get your big sister back. I swear it.”

Kanade’s heart races with Katsuo’s courageous words. She uses the long sleeves of her uniform to press off the tears that are trying to leak out.

Afterwards, she gently rests her hand on Katsuo’s head and gently ruffles his black spiky hair.

“You damned idiot…” She teases him with a happy grin.

Kanade slowly moves her hand to the side of Katsuo’s head, softly caressing his hair.

She gently closes her eyes and slowly brings their foreheads together.

However…

“Ahem…”

Startled by the sudden cough, Kanade head butts Katsuo by accident. Both of them clutch their foreheads in pain.

“Well Miss Ishihara, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” A sultry voice calls from the door to the room.

“What is wrong with you?!” Katsuo barks at Miss Violet, still recovering from the sharp impact.

“It’s good to see you too, my little Katsuo. I never doubted that you’d make it eventually. A lot of things are going on right now.”

Katsuo looks at her bewildered.

“What…exactly is happening?” He asks.

“I’ll explain on the way. Time is short.”

Part 12

In a hospital room where Toshiko Sakawa is being held in confinement, a nurse opens the door holding a tray of food.

However, something has caught the nurse by surprise. So much so that it causes her to drop the tray to the ground.

The patient being held here is nowhere to be found and the window in the room is wide open. A harsh gale bellows the curtains causing it to wave along the current.

The nurse quickly runs down the hall as fast as she can.

“Security! Come quick!! The patient is missing!!” A distant shout echoes down the corridor.

But little did she know that the risks are far greater.

Behind the bed unseen from the door is a pill bottle.

And the last dose of medicine inside…is nowhere to be found.

 

 

 

TO BE CONCLUDED