Author's note: A music score is made for the children characters showing up in this chapter. Feel free to have a listen while reading. Cheers! Youtube link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMnQyUrHhJQ

<Ⅲ>

The constant rustling of footsteps and the bustling tiny shadows brought Yuri slowly back to her senses. Every sound around her, the clattering, the whisper, the ambiance, enveloped her like she was trapped in a bubble of echoey hollow vibration. The sun was weak, unable to brighten her dim surroundings, casting but a single shaft a few steps ahead of where she lay, under a ragged cloak woven of golden silk.

“ She’s awake!” a timid faint voice squeaked in haste before Yuri even moved a muscle.

Scurrying footsteps followed. And a silence.

From what she heard, Yuri estimated dozens or more rattling footsteps surrounding her in the shadows, which means more than six or seven persons are present. Maybe more, or less, if it was in fact a multilegged Centipede Demon she was now trapped with.

Not likely, Yuri corrected herself as she supported herself to a sitting, those were not the sounds of Demons. Those were voices, like hers. They are people. And not just regular grown people, but children, possibly younger than herself.

Which quickly reminded Yuri of what she last saw before plunging into energy-spent slumber.

The small girl, of bright purplish long hair, with pupils that dazzled gold amongst the dusky earth.

Like the mellow sounds of Captain Bradson’s cabin, like the Chocos that melt with marvelous fragrance; Like her mother who she longed and started it all, this girl, who seemed a few years younger than her, was as prominent as is capable of causing such a drastic ripple upon her lost memories, appearing in many a flashing vague scenes replayed again and again in her mind’s eye.

She was someone important to her.

But how, Yuri had forgotten like the rest.

Yet the girl’s name, that short but paramount word, she had said it herself one time, she surely had grasped it in her mind. What is it? What is that girl called? Surely someone of such importance to her past should not have been forgotten entirely in such a way.

But there was only silence in her head.

Nothing could help her recall what was already gone.

There, several children, ages ranging around six to ten, hiding either behind thin dingy walls or in shadow, looking at this woken Starbreaker anxiously as they were curious.

“ What is the meaning of this?” bellowed one of the oldest among the children in a dismayed whisper.

“ Sensei taught us not to trust the Starbreakers or the Demons! Who brought this Starbreaker here?! Who?!”

“ I did.”

Lo, a wave of whispers swept upon the awed dumbstruck children as the one that answered bravely stepped out of the shadows, with a platter that held a bowl of soup and a glass of water in hand, walked forth to the unwelcomed Starbreaker unfazed.

Yuri looked up amazed by the decent foodings to see that it was the one girl in her memories that had brought the tray to her. The one person she had forgotten.

Putting down the tray next to where Yuri sat on a simple straw blanket on the ground, the girl sat down on her knees by Yuri’s side, looking at her with those dazzling golden eyes fixed in a calm stare.

Yuri couldn’t help but stare back anxiously, flusteredly searching her messy brain for the girl sitting in front of her’s name.

“ My name is Lima.” the purple-haired girl reintroduced herself in a calm distant fashion like the cool contained breeze of the north.

Thanks, Yuri thanked her without saying out loud.

The girl may be younger than Yuri, but her maturity reflected in those contained golden pupils seemed to outweigh any child around her, with a brave fervor beaming out of her fair countenance that is not overtly shown but felt through her silence and actions.

Her eyes were not the only thing that shined gold upon this young girl, Yuri noticed, for, under the dim glow, a circular ornament glistened, swinging close to Yuri with a thin golden chain hanging above the girl’s clean nape.

It was a beautifully designed necklace, shaped as the sun with short miniature rays beaming at one side, saggitally clasped in two parts as if holding something dear with its firm seal.

Yuri wondered for a second what the necklace might hold, but there is something else she must settle first.

“ And…I am Yuri.” Yuri shortly introduced herself to Lima, and all the curious and nervous children peaking from behind the dingy set-up walls.

“ I am a Starbreaker, of the airship Bet…Batogeese. I mean no harm…"

Yuri's sincerity and naturally welcoming appearance helped lower the children's guards as they curiously approached the StarBreaker to have a better look. More and more did they emerge from hiding, soon surrounding Yuri in a crowded circle.

This scene, this sight of nearly all the young children gathering in her presence, rippled a strong realization, a sudden revelation that beheld her not just to her eyes, but deep down reaching to the realm of reminiscence.

A soothing familiarity brought color and light to the dim spacious caves, brightening the various unique features each and every child possesses that are of equal resplendence.

It was a warm pleasant surprise, one that Yuri recognized, but fail to recall.

Now they are here, bringing Yuri with another piece to mend the fractured puzzle.

As the gathered children marveled at Yuri's armor and asked countless questions nonstop concerning StarBreakers and the outer world beyond, one of them children, the oldest among them, at the age about twelve in human years, stood in a begrudging distance warranting hostile vibes upon the StarBreaker.

“ Make her finish the soup. We don't have all day. ”

The oldest child barked, leaving them to assert dominance elsewhere in the hideout among the underground caverns.

Yuri noticed some children hurrying back to their positions, packing their luggage and prepping their gear for some kind of voyage.

“ Neo is right…” squeaked a timid girl of long glistening ebony hair tidied to curls that ornately wrapped around the back of her head. In the tiny girl’s arms was a thick book she held tightly, securing the heavy object as if the large volume was more valuable than her light.

“ We have to hurry, or else…” The shy one was referring to the oldest of them all, the leader of the children Neo, a boy older in appearance than his actual years who was commanding the ingratitude to make a final check before their leave.

“ …Or else what?” Yuri scoured around the suddenly quietened children, their eyes filled with much trepidation.

“ Demons.” Another girl slightly older than the timid one, in a flimsy set of armor carrying hammers and long poles on her back, replied gravely. She seemed to be the main armor manufacturer and weapons crafter of the group, as Yuri observed.

Another small hooded figure was leaning behind the one armored girl amongst the crowd who seemed to be sleeping whiles standing, but Yuri wasn’t sure as the girl of armor and weapons continued.

“ One fierce Demon has been chasing us for days. We have managed to find these secret tunnels to hide for the night. But one of our scouts has seen it coming our way this morning. The sooner we leave the better.”

“ Wait! We can’t just leave now!” A sharp holler took Yuri by surprise, with short distinct sobs from one behind the main group surrounding her.

Yuri crawled up slowly to see where the saddened one was as the children parted to make for the revered Starbreaker, opening to a girl with an excellent crown perched atop her long crimson hair, crying her eyes out while some girls tried to comfort her to no avail.

That crown, with a red prominent jewel dazzling at the center, sure seemed pretty out of place.

“ We can’t leave…We can’t leave him there… We must find him! He needs us…!” the red-haired girl sobbed in anguish.

“ We lost one of our scouts when the Demon attacked us some days ago.” the armor manufacturer girl explained to Yuri in a saddened whisper, while Yuri saw that the one leaning behind the now whispering girl was indeed asleep while standing.

“ His name was Kiro, and he was Lucky’s close friend. One can say they were inseparable, but alas…”

Yuri felt her heart wrench hearing the news and saw that she was not alone. Though mostly silent in words, Lima, the one that brought Yuri in, showed visible anguish, fists clenched around her golden necklace, face buried in shadow, those golden eyes staring yonder in a woeful frown as if locked in an oath to slay that fowl Demon that had claimed one of her fellow confidant’s life.

Lucky, the sobbing one with the shining jeweled crown wept on, begging for the others to stay and help find her lost partner, but in vain. The children had finished their packing and were ready to leave.

“ It’s time…” the timid one squeaked nervously to Yuri and all, her slim book-holding arms shaking in fear. “ We must go…it might be coming…!”

But despite the children's begging and pleas, Lucky won’t leave.

No matter how her friends, girls and boys alike tried to persuade her to follow, none succeeded. And so a grave atmosphere enveloped the children trapped upon this standstill, either wishing to leave at once or wait for Lucky to give in.

Either side refused to compromise, and trapped between them was Yuri the unwelcomed Starbreaker, thinking hard for a way to break the stalemate. She wondered how commander Firren would do if presented under the same circumstances.

…

………..

Sitting atop a mount of fried, roasted corpses of Haijus, Firren pulled his Starbreaker helmet off as sweat, like rain showered down his ruffled bright red hair, panting intensely to savor the fresh air locked away from him for a whole night when he fought a sea of murderous Demons.

The exhausted, famished, dispirited Starbreaker just sat there, clearing his mind of any thought and concentrating on breathing.

You did good, Firren patted himself on the back, you did good.

But no sooner had his relaxing rest started, a rumbling moan of a descending skypod pulled the commander back to reality and the vehicle landed at the side of the clearing, right before the heap of perished Demons.

Firren need not guess to already predict the persons who would alight the skypod jet to meet him.

“ …Captain!” Firren stood up as his mannerisms permit yet the stern captain Bradson bade Firren sit as soon as he stepped out to the scorched village and encountered the pungent odor of rotted burnt flesh wafting over the coal-black village square.

Secretary Reina gagged and covered her nose and lips with the sleeves of her uniform.

“ Your night of endless Demon slaying is impressive. You must be very proud.” Bradson Captain walked up the Haiju heap standing next to the sitting commander as he scoured the entire surroundings across the village.

“ But I have to wonder, how does a training mission end up like this, a sudden assault, and a Starbreaker missing? Firren, have I not told you a million times already, Don’t Let Yuri Out Of Your Sight?!?!”

It was rare to see the silent stern Captain raise his voice, and when he does, it was like the whole sky over the Earth was speaking in the language of the storms and thunder.

“ Captain…if I may…” With simple clicks at the inner side of his helmet, Firren turned on a virtual screen, a recording of all the happenings that he had witnessed behind the visor. After rewinding back eight hours of Demon slaying, Firren stopped at a single frame, where two persons were both present in that one shot.

“ My word…!” Both the captain and the secretary gasped in gapping shock.

“ That’s right.” Firren grinned at his findings.

“ The children have brought Yuri to safety. And they are not too far off. The second phase of the plan, captain, already resolved.”

“ Not, Yet.” Bradson snarled at the news, heading back to the skypod in a frenzied hurry.

Firren was surprised. He expected the captain to express joy and relief towards his news.

“ The children are not the only thing that is near, Firren.” Reina gravely showed the commander the current radar pattern of the whole area.

Firren’s jaws slowly dropped agape.

“ Oh shoot.” He confoundedly remarked at the large red dot inching closer and closer to their perimeter.

…

…………..

“ Well? Where do you think this leads?” Seito, the bulky yellow-armored fellow with the great saber attached to his back, leaned over the edge of a large round hole upon the arenaceous soil that could fit a whole mountain, looking down at the dismal abyss in wonder.

“ Is your Dog capable of smelling out the course of a deep hole?”

“ No. I don’t think any canine could.” the winged emerald ally shook his head as he walked along the edge, looking down at the alluring darkness in deep thought. His wolf cub whined on his shoulder as it hid behind his nape shivering.

“ But perhaps…”

Putting his wolf cub into Seito’s large hands, the emerald Starbreaker opened up its wings wide and leapt down the edge, soaring down the abyss and disappearing into where even the sun cannot touch.

The wolf cub and the gruff yellow Starbreaker exchanged perplexed looks.

After a minute or two, the flyer returned, landing before them with a virtually scanned map of the underground tunnels hovering in his hand.

“ Your legendary foe is down there, alright.”

the winged Starbreaker showed the map to his cohort as he placed his wolf cub back onto his shoulder.

“ But it’s moving. We’ll have to bypass it from above.”

“ So Do!!” Seito cheered and together the two lonesome Starbreakers set off toward a legendary battle right ahead of them.

…

………..

“ We have to go now! The Demon is near!”

“ But…We can’t just leave Lucky here…”

“ Then make her move!”

As the children frantically bickered to and fro for eternity, agitated by fear, Yuri decided she had to step in.

“ Guys, stop. Let me.” Yuri suggested to them all as she approached the sobbing redhead.

Lucky halted her wailing for a split second to look at Yuri up and down suspiciously.

“ You…you are a Starbreaker! You snatch light just like Demons do! What do you want?!” the girl with the crown yelled with begrudging hostility.

“ I wish to help.” Yuri clarified herself calmly.

“ First off… I don’t snatch Light from others, but I can fight the Demons that try to hurt you and protect you from harm. Lucky, you should follow your friends where they can take you to safety.”

“ I don’t need safety.” Lucky refused Yuri’s offer.

“ I only need Kiro. Can you bring him back?! You are a Starbreaker of Light, are you not?!”

“ I…can’t. I am sorry for what happened to Kiro, but…wait…wait! Perhaps my commander can! He knows more than I do!” Yuri suddenly remembered there are still many people that are more than capable of providing great help, like commander Firren, sister Reina, and resourceful Grandpapa Bradson Captain!

“ I know people that might know how! Follow me, follow your friends! Let’s go somewhere safe and see what we can do!”

“ NO!” the redhead refused bitterly.

“ I don’t trust you, and I am not leaving without Kiro!”

Still weeping, the girl stood up and faced the opposite direction as the others stubbornly.

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“ If you are all leaving, then fine!” Lucky hollered desperately, grabbing her stuff, and was about to leave the gathered folk.

“ I will find Kiro myself!”

“ No…..Lucky, noble heart…don’t go…!” The shy one cried out sorrowfully, the thick book in her hand nearly dropping onto her own tiny feet.

Neo, the leader of the children, strolled from side to side in his intense brooding as he waited at the very front of the readied pack of children impatiently. They are supposed to be on their way! Neo thought to himself flustered. That vile Demon is coming for them at any moment, and standing here is only going to waste their time to escape!

“ Neo, Lucky is leaving for Kiro! She’s insane!” The oldest boy’s brother, a fast-mouthed hyperactive kid by the name of Rio, cried out angrily at the front of the rallying group, wishing the gang could quickly set off without any more delays as well.

Neo’s furious haste was about to make the cruel choice of leaving Lucky behind for the good of the whole group, but a girl stopped Neo by gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

The girl, with lush green hair swaying to her waist, silently shook her head.

Neo complied, but still fuming irritably.

Then Lo, Neo’s close friend and advisor Kai, a boy of silver hair with a wise contained ambiance, pointed out suddenly at the back in surprise.

“ Neo, look!”

There, struggling angrily like a threatened critter in the Starbreaker’s firm arms was Lucky, though cradled in tight embrace still tried to knock and kick her way out of the Starbreaker’s grasp.

“ There, there, no one’s leaving you behind…”

“ Let go of me! Let me down this instance! I am not leaving!! I will find Kiro on my own…!!”

After a flurry of kicks and punches, Lucky, the redhead with the crown finally grew tired after all that tantrum and weeping and fell sound asleep in Yuri’s arms, snoring peacefully upon Yuri’s shoulder.

“ Thank you, Starbreaker Sister Yuri.” the girls expressed their gratitude to the teenage girl that had just managed to save their friend from marooning herself.

“ My name is Feira by the way.” the armor manufacturing girl introduced herself as the group of children started to set foot across the spacious tunnels onward.

“ I make most of the weapons and armor here with my brother Finnir, who’s always sick of something.”

“ I am not.” Finnir the younger brother denied but started coughing afterward.

“ And this is Neruko by the way.” Feira ushered to the one tiny hooded figure that had been sleeping and walking all this time.

“ She sleeps a lot.”

“ Is that okay?” Yuri was concerned.

“ Yeah. She’ll wake up eventually.” And Feira let the snoozing one resume her sleepwalking while she leaned onto Feria’s side.

“ …and…I am Neliya…” the timid one with ebony tidied hair finally introduced herself in a faint whisper.

“ I…I love to read…and it is my job to protect Sensei’s book.”

“ Sensei’s book?” Yuri curiously looked at the cover of the thick volume, which had a circular disc-like drawing with runes written around its elliptical outline. Yuri thought she’d seen this drawing somewhere before.

“ Sensei was our savior. He saved us from those who want to take all our Light Hearts away.” Feira explained briefly their plight.

“ Sensei had us stay in his headquarters while he went to fetch another child that needs saving, but Sensei never returned and the headquarters was attacked by Demons, so we escaped all the way here. It’s a relief Sensei left with us his blessings and enough resources for us to make our way here, or we would’ve all been Demon feed by now.”

“ Oh, dear!” Yuri felt sorry for these brave children and their perilous plight.

“ I come from an enormous airship where there’s plenty of room for everyone. Why not you all come join the Batogeese ship? It will be safer than roaming the lands on foot! And we will never suck your Light Hearts, I swear.”

“ Hmm. Sounds like a swell idea.” Feira agreed without delay.

“ I second this.” Lima, who had been silent all the way, agreed to Yuri’s proposal.

“ Me too…” Neliya approved also.

So the girls led Yuri to the front of the marching ingratitude of children to where Neo the oldest, his brother Rio the strongest, and the advisor Kai the wiser, were.

“ They are the Four Prominents of our gang.” Feira introduced as they made their way forward.

“ Neo may be impatient sometimes, but he is amongst the most affable of boys here, willing to make the hard choices that none of us could.

Rio, however, is a jerk and he breaks all my weapons all the time. But with the right equipments, he can win a fight against Demons of the same size.

Kai is the brains of the pack. He is calm and cool and is willing to help everyone in need. Everyone has a crush on him, I suppose.”

Yuri nodded in awe at all this gossip, which sounded too new and interesting for her.

Lima, however, despises gossip and kept her own silence while she followed Yuri wherever she goes.

“ But who is the fourth?” Yuri asked curiously.

“ There.” Feira pointed ahead, a small figure walking alone while the three other prominent kids followed.

It was a girl of long green hair with a gentle saintly demeanor, leading the group traversing the dark tunnels like a compass in the dark, blocking her right eye with one hand and letting her left eye discern the path yonder to safety.

“ She is Tricia the Silent. The strongest of the four.” Feira introduced mysteriously.

“ None of us knew how she does it, but she knows everything, everything about us, and the world beyond. She knows what to do in any kind of situation. One time there was a kid that was terribly sick and Tricia went out to the wild alone, fetched a plant whatsoever, and cooked it into a tonic before feeding it to the kid. The night after, the kid is cured! And there’s that time when we were all asleep when suddenly Tricia woke us all up and made us pack our things. Turns out Demons had infiltrated our old headquarters! It’s all thanks to Tricia that we are still here.”

“ No way!” Yuri marveled at the tales she heard.

“ How does she do that??”

“ No idea.” Feira shrugged.

“ Some say she can see into the future. I think she has superpowers. But sadly we will never know.”

“ Why’s that?”

“ She is born without a voice.” Lima then answered solemnly.

“ She may not be able to tell us how she does her thing, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is our ally, and how much we need her.”

Yuri silently nodded in awe as they finally reached where the four prominent children were.

Neliya the shy one hid behind Yuri at the sight of Neo the Oldest's stern, disgruntled stare.

“ Yo, Neo.” Feira called normally.

“ Yuri suggests we join her and board her big ship.”

“ No. Feira.” Neo rejected the idea grimacingly.

“ I don’t trust Starbreakers.”

“ Come on, Neo.” Feira tried to convince the stubborn leader of the gang,

“ Not all Starbreakers are like the ones that took your–”

“ Did I Stutter?!” Neo boomed, his rage evident. Neliya cowed in fear, grabbing Yuri’s thigh tightly to stable her shivering body.

“ This is how the Starbreakers trick us! This is all part of their scheme to snatch all our Light Hearts! I shouldn’t have agreed to let her follow! Begone with thee, treacherous Starbreaker, before you corrupt our minds!”

“ Hey! I don’t snatch Light! I fight Demons!” Yuri argued with the boy leader on her own behalf.

“ I protect those threatened by Demons…at least I try! If you don’t trust me, then fine! But think of those that follow you. Are you sure you can lead them across this dire world unharmed? Across this world full of Demons? My ship can protect you, and even if they don’t, I will.”

“ You? Will?!” Neo smirked insultingly. “ What can you do? You were taken in after losing a fight against Demons! You are as bad a liar as being a Starbreaker!”

“ HEY!” Lima at this moment stood out against the leader of the children angrily, her golden pupils fuming with flames of rage.

“ You don’t talk to her like that.”

Each word Lima said was like a threat to gauge Neo’s Light Heart out of his chest.

Neo wasn’t a boy who easily backs down on anyone, due to his pride and paramount position in the hierarchy of children which his Sensei anointed to him. But even against Lima, a mysterious silent girl with powers unknown and perception extraordinary, Neo had to hesitate.

But his hesitance was abruptly deterred for Tricia was suddenly nudging his arm in great urgence, as if in fear of something that should have been averted but failed to fully evade!

“ What–”

Yuri sensed it a second after, but was too late.

All of a sudden, the tunnels rumbled like the earth was turned upside down with tremendous unworldly force, knocking the children to their feet and rocking down rocks and sharp stalactites upon them.

Witnessing the children in jeopardy and trapped in grievous peril, something like a torch alit seemed to blossom inside of Yuri, pitting her to react before she realize, to spur before his senses could catch up, letting her Starbreaker training and instincts lead the way as she let go of all six energy grappling hooks aflight, thrashing each boulder that was about to descend onto the hapless children into debris.

With her sword rifle materializing in hand, she swung it around her body like lightning dancing upon her sleek radiant armor, firing icy elemental bullets that shattered every sharp slab into smithereens.

The trembling of the earth continued, but the danger was temporarily resolved.

“ It’s the Demon…!!” Neliya the timid one, holding the thick book of Sensei atop her head as a shield, whimpered in terror as the children all started to panic.

Neo and the other two boys too were at a loss, seeing that all of them were trapped in this dark crumbling demise.

At that moment, they needed a beacon to light the way.

And it came in the form of the white Starbreaker.

“ HEY!!!” Yuri shouted, her helmet activated along with her armor which blazed shimmering blue amongst the dim passage.

“ Follow Tricia!!! She knows the way!!!!”

Startled yet agile, the children unanimously sought Yuri’s guidance, following their lead Neo and Tricia forth towards the exit.

With a flash Yuri flew to the rear with a grappling hook shooting to the back, making sure none of the children were left behind.

Lima also followed Yuri to the last of the escaping gang and stayed close by the Starbreaker’s side.

Traversing across the tremoring tunnels with their short skinny feet, the children finally made their way out to the light, bathing under the warm sun after days trapped under shadow, only to realize they were at the depth of a dried-up towering ravine whereas the end stretched far beyond sight.

Tricia the silent one, still with one hand covering her right eye and scouring the slanting rocky slopes around them children with her left eye, made a distinct turn to a side diagonal to the main path of the long ravine, leading them to a large ponderous object lying on the side of the exit that ensued astonished enlightened gasps from the exhausted children all.

Yuri was amazed so, wondering if things were just too convenient to be true.

“ This is it…!” Rio the brother and the kids uttered in shock and excitement. “ It’s an Airship! We are saved!”

“ It’s an escape jet!” Yuri exclaimed as she yanked the rusted door of the mid-sized vehicle open for the children to hop in quickly. The capacity of the crammed jet was just adequate for all the children to have a sitting, though squeezed but acceptable at the very least. Yet just as every child was secured and well seated, Yuri realized there was no space for her to hitch the ride.

But that was not the only problem they now face.

“ How do we drive this thing??” The boys asked in wonder, yanking the steering wheel and pressing every button there in the cockpit. But the jet won’t start.

Even Yuri had no idea either. The sight of seeing a ship abandoned in the wilderness just as they needed one clouded most of their concerns about the details to escape. Navigating a ship is an impossible task to her, but seeing as the rumbling of the ravine intensified in each second down under, heralding the Demon’s advent arrival, Yuri believed this coincidentally placed jet must be the key to their escape.

They just need to power it up! Somehow!

Seeing that no one could successfully activate the engines of the jet, a small hand raised nervously amongst the flurry of experimenting button-mashing kids, as the timid one squeaked suggestively to them frustrated folk.

“ I…I think…I know how…….”

All eyes were on Neliya as they paused in momentary silence.

Neo, the oldest, was the first to react. Breaking the silence, the boy decisively led the anxious girl forth and helped her to the driver’s seat in no time.

“ Do it, Neliya.” Neo, for all the children’s survival, chose to believe her.

“ We are relying on you. ”

With a sense of duty and newfound confidence, Neliya flipped open her thick book from her Sensei, stopping at a page and following the instructions as the abstruse alien texts so described, thoughtfully pressing each button and pulling the levers in a specific order.

Lo! As the little girl turned one last switch and stepped with her out-stretching leg a panel far under, an intermittent rattling roar immediately erupted behind the jet to their anxious ears, announcing their victory as the children cheered in unison.

Yuri cheered with them also, holding tight to the back of the jet, anticipating a wonderful rush to the skies.

But the escape jet remained immobile, its engines pumping out clear steam while achieving nothing entirely.

“ What is the meaning of this?!” Neo demanded, distraught by the poor outcome after the promising buildup. “ Why aren’t we moving?!”

Neliya was close to tears, unable to think of an answer under such stress.

“Its power’s too low.” Lima stepped forth to clarify, pointing at a meter ahead of the cockpit with a needle pointing to the left end of the half-round scale.

“ The engine’s too old. It needs something to jump-start it to fully operate. We need to push it first…”

“ You mean some of us must stay behind to push this ship to work?!” Neo asked incredulously.

Lima was silent, as devastated as Neo was by the notion of sacrificing others to survive. Even if someone had to stay behind, it should be him. As their leader and the oldest kid among them, Neo knows his responsibilities well enough to make the hard choice.

But does things really have to come down to this…?!

“ I can do that!”

All eyes turned around.

Yuri, outside of the jet at the rear end, waved back to them encouragingly.

“ Tell Neliya to drive! I’ll make it work!”

“ How are you–” before Neo landed his question, the six energy grappling hooks soared off beyond, whooshing passed with buzzing winds across their faces as the white Starbreaker leaned her back onto the blunt tail of the jet, pointing her materializing sword rifle of golden linings out behind, gathering blue shimmering energy bit by bit as the rampaging neared.

Yuri closed her eyes, letting her armor glow abright as her sword rifle started to load with a humming strong blow within its canister.

She wasn’t sure if she was ready or not.

But that doesn’t matter.

She wants to help them. She wants to save them.

She wants to keep their light intact, keep their memories safe,

from whatever threat that dares snatch them away!

She will do whatever she can to stop them!

Her sword rifle bellowed, enveloped in blinding light that flashed in a defining glow engraving deep to their memories, shooting out a searing light surge that started thin but gained power more and more, second by second, embroidering into a thick pillar of blue and white, bursting endlessly into a mighty stream that went on and on and before Yuri knew it, her feet no longer touched ground, the wind rushing past behind her raging faster and faster, and they were off, ascending in reliable acceleration reaching sprighting speed, up and up along the wide ravine, gaining altitude steadily to new heights.

“ No way…”

Amazed by the impossible, silent awe replaced what should have been cheers from the children. The world fleeting past their riveted gazes upon the realms with reverence.

…

………

“ What is that I spy??” Seito pointed at a levitating spec far away as he and his ally ventured across the stony terrain at high speed.

“ A bird, mayhap.” His winged aide replied shortly, soaring next to his long-ranged leaps.

“ What bird??” Seito eyed his comrade strangely. “ A demon you say?”

“ Shush, Seito.” before Seito realized, the emerald Starbreaker had landed on dusty ground all of a sudden, scanning the soil with top concern.

“ It is coming.”

…

……….

Never would the children, hiding from demons in dark caverns and shadows nearly most of their lives, imagine themselves taking flight away from the lands of torment towards infinite possibilities, feeling free from terror for the first time in their lives.

Yet, that sensation was short-lived.

The earth shuddered at its wake; voices drowned under that piercing loud cry; the tail of the ravine exploded loud and wide, bursting rubble and smoke to infinite.

Darkened the heavens were under the emerging form of dread and defilement, snaking up upon the lone escape jet a serpent of despair devouring its feeble declining prey.

Yuri’s heart sank as the vile entity rose above the escape jet in but one simple climb to the skies, casting a shadow of doom with spikes protruding out of those mineral-armored hides, looming over them as it lowered its wide jaws rolled of sharp piercing fangs, savoring the children’s fear and despair manifesting more and more under the inescapable darkness the grand Demon so brought upon their terrified light souls.

It was the one, the Archdemon serpent that Yuri so faced days before,

Now returned greater and stronger. Angrier, and hungrier.

With a heave of its spiked crown, the Archdemon smashed the jet downward back to the ravine, sending them screaming terrified children down a devastating freefall. Yuri held tight, letting all six of her energy grappling hooks pull the jet back up to an ascending swerve while she held on to both the energy cord and the jet for dear life, swinging the vehicle back up, only for the slithering Archdemon to plunge down another strike.

Yuri knew not what to do. She need not know, for her instincts, her resolve to protect her friends, guided her to the choice she would always make despite the detrimental risk, for deep down Yuri believed they are not just her friends.

They are family.

Kicking the jet forth and standing in the way of the Archdemon, Yuri shielded the children in the jet out of the way, accepting the blow with her sword rifle in hand alone, her blue emanating blade pushing the enormous crooked grotesque face of steel back, staring bravely into those red frenzied eyes that looked back with sickening berserk longing for Light Hearts to devour.

“ You shall never have them…their Light Hearts and all!” Yuri shouted at the serpent Archdemon furiously.

“ You shall Never Harm Them Under My Watch!!” Swinging her blade upon the face of the demon, holding her weapon in the middle as a javelin in one split move, Yuri plunged her sword down, piercing with all her anger and resolve at the Demon’s eye,

Which dashed off in unexpected speed, letting her weapon strike but hard solid hide of the beast as the Archdemon slithered here and there in circles all amalgamating and merging in grave sophistication in but blinks of an eye before striking forth a hidden blow of the sharp corrupting tip of its tail, slashing Yuri by the chest and thrashed the white Starbreaker off, plunging full speed down below.

Yuri’s visor cracked, her world spinning nonstop; her ribs crushed and unable to breath, and her limbs numb and senseless, all this only by receiving one blow from the Archdemon serpent. With her six grappling hooks now pulling the jet away from the Archdemon, she herself was left with nothing to defend herself no more.

Even with all the powers, she got by her side, it was not enough.

Not enough to protect anyone from harm, from devastation.

Shame and guilt filled her eyes in the form of hot tears which blurred her sight. She was not ready. She was never going to be ready. She was always going to fail those that believe her, failing the memories that were kept inside of her, perhaps…it was because she was too weak that her memories were shattered and lost.

But her memories…she wanted to keep them safe…new and old. All of them.

She doesn’t want to let go.

She doesn’t want to lose!

With her last breath, Yuri stretched out her hand, reaching to the sky, reaching to all that went further away, away from her,

but still, she reached, reaching far and wide–—

to a small grip that held tight, all five fingers clenching hers deeply.

“ YURI—!”

There, between the sun that blinded her vision and her falling self, the brave silhouette of Lima there was, hanging onto a rope tied around her waist as she held with all her young blooming strength onto Yuri’s hand.

Lima had prepared the ropes and tied them onto a handle within the escaping jet and onto her herself as soon as she saw Yuri fall.

“ Pull me up when I get her.” Lima had said before leaping down courageously after Yuri, whereas everyone else tried to stop her reckless attempt.

“ Stop! This is insane–” Neo had tried to halt her jump, but to his surprise, Tricia, the silent girl had her hand placed on his shoulder, as if all this was meant to be.

Seeing them hand in hand, Feira immediately gave out the order.

“ Pull! Heave Ho!” She cried as the children shouted back valiantly.

“ Heave Ho!!” And they pulled together with all their meager strength combined, into a considerable force nonetheless.

A moment ago they saw her as a Light-snatching monger, now collaborating to save her Light. And again, Yuri realized, she was saved by Lima, the girl she once knew and was now sure,

is her friend.

“ Lima…”

“ Don’t…let go! Don’t you let go!” Lima shouted back, cutting Yuri’s thanks of gratitude short intensely, hiding countless thoughts in that one cry, of sorrow, of longing, of more.

“ I…I am never going to let go…ever again! So don’t…don’t let go…Yuri!”

Closer to the jet they were with all the jolly cooperation ensued, just an arm’s distance away from the jet opening, when the inevitable struck again, in the form of the Archdemon!

Dashing full speed with its jaws opened wide, fangs baring, winds beating the jet sideways violently. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

NO!

With her command through the mind, Yuri stirred the grappling hooks to an abrupt turn, swerving the whole jet aside, evading the first crunch whereas the razor-sharp teeth scratched through the side structure of the jet, dealing damage that is not detrimental to their flight.

Yet.

With incredible speed, the Archdemon arched up, circling back for one more bite. Yuri pulled the grappling hook cords once again at the last collision moment, escaping demolition at the cost of damage. This time one of the jet’s wings was shaved clean off and the jet teetered in the air, tumbling the children to a side.

Lucky, the redhead with the crown, who was in deep slumber all this time, was rocked awake to witness the Demon’s jaws diving down in preposterous speed outside the jet window right in front of her.

The girl screamed.

Yuri made one last pull, yanking the ship out of crushing range.

But the Archdemon had learned of her moves and turned accordingly after where Yuri had pulled the jet, already anticipating her third move from the last two before.

There was no escape this time.

The end of the journey, so sudden that none could react to the abrupt turn of events.

Lima and Yuri held to each other tightly for life, all of them did, cradling each other in tight embrace, giving each other courage to face the finality.

Bravery and company, were all they could depend on in their last moments, before bearing the crushing demise.

When hope was lost,

and all that was left, were their courage which seemed to have summoned a blinding light dashing in with large widespread metallic wings, swooping into the middle of the collision, dazzling like an exploding sun, forcing them to avert their gaze as the wind started bursting like mad, thrashing and whipping uncontrollably out of the center of that shimmering emerald green light.

Yuri could hear the deafening roar of the anguished Archdemon followed by the screeching of jagged sharp surface driving vehemently across unbreakable steel as the Archdemon serpent sped straight up towards the realm of stars before bending off and slithering to a considerable distance away, chasing something at the opposite direction ahead.

…

………..

Seito shivered under his hulking yellow armor as the Archdemon soared down toward him menacingly, which put a smile across the Starbreaker’s face. His excitement was exploding out of his broad chest whereas his heroic feverish laughter burst without control.

“ Come, ye fowl Demon!!” The Yellow Starbreaker pulled out his Great Saber twice his huge size, coated with zapping streams of lightning.

“ Our Battle Will Be Legendary!!!!!!!”

…

………..

What the Archdemon was now after Yuri wasn’t sure, and didn’t take note ever the slightest.

For her eyes were riveted to the levitating one standing atop the winds and clouds behind those ornate emerald and golden wings out spread.

…

……….

“ There they are!” Reina shouted aloud, not hiding her worried haste anymore, pointing in the direction of a lone escape jet floating miles away above a large ravine.

Firren prepared to set off, stopping only when he saw through the magnified frame on his visor, the winged Starbreaker, defying gravity’s will, standing on thin air in front of Yuri.

A round shield in one hand, and a long saber in the other.

Firren’s frown was of disbelieving shock, and anger combined.

“ Firren? What is it you see?”

The commander didn’t reply.

And it was his silence that revealed more than his words to Bradson Captain, who followed his gaze in a stern glance outward.

…

………..

Yuri waited patiently for the emerald one to turn around, which he did slowly, facing her with the long piercing beak-like apparatus perched atop his Starbreaker helm which opened slowly.

Unable to turn her gaze away, unable to move or turn away from who she beheld, out of curiosity perchance, or something deeper closer to instinct telling her to wait and see, Yuri wasn’t sure. But there at the moment her body was rooted, and her sight riveted to the rippling sandy hair revealed as the emerald helm opened like clasped fingers depart, lower and lower to the sharp but humble nose, the thin lips slightly ajar in surprise, as amazed as Yuri as their eyes met, her blue deepened glow meeting his turquoise shine, mirroring each other in their separate vision, their separate minds, onto the other.

The flickering of memories was nothing new to Yuri by now, but what she now felt, her light heart pounding each breath out from the bottom of her stifling chest, the world delayed and distant like all the things of this earth mattered not to her anymore, and the memories and scenes of before, billowing all down in waves and waves, with voices of one person alone, ringing, echoing inside her with all that swelled upon her; this all, was something Yuri had never felt before.

By the look of utter shock and astonishment from the one before her, Yuri somehow knew He was feeling the same.

And indeed he was.

Call him Vitas, deprived of the past, having no knowledge of the world and himself, traveling with his benefactor Seito along a Demon slaying path which he had naught a better option but to follow.

Yet finally, here, now, seeing the one girl hanging onto someone attached to a thin thread, he had a strong feeling of a new option giving shape before his eyes.

The Calling in his turbulent mind, was echoing towards her.

[......to be continued]