<Ⅸ>

It had been two days, no, three, or four? It had been five days perched at the top of this deserted compound, watching the Demons crawl about underneath unaware of my existence, as it shall be, while I await the coming of the designated target.

The Eye of the Lord had last seen them fly by a fallen citadel at the north, where it had attempted to lure the target in, only to be foiled by a stray Dark Unerva. Shame, shame.

That’s why I am here. To make sure no Demons nor Dark Unervas would shuffle the grand scheme, the grand Slam. Whatever it is called.

Ah. Here they are.

Good ol’ Betelgeuse, sword of the sky. There it perched. Hmm, I see, I see. As expected. One would have thought they have infinite resources or some magic cultivating tech to farm their own fuel, not that they have the guts to do so…surely they would come to this deserted factory compound for some spice. Light Fuel. Whatever it is called.

Oh, here they come.

My word…is that not—Firren?

That young chap, serious and stoic, with that stern brooding face and prestigious manner, always as precise, contradicting his wavering uncertainty. Hardened outlooks to shield his fragile secrets, as expected, as expected. But who does not like a conflicted man?

There now—oh. My, this is wild. A Starbreaker long gone, has returned! Impossible! But what doubt can one say to the man of the impossible, Seito himself? Now, this is tricky…They have an ace in the whole after all. A man even I dare not trifle with. Hmm, decisions, decisions...

But wait. Where is the target?

Is she not with them? Not on the field? Not for this mission? Just when I have come in person to welcome thee, you chose not to show yourself?! Oh, my poor luck.

Guess I'll have to change my game plan.

Mm-hmm. Those are skills not to trifle with indeed. The speed, the blows. I have to be careful. That might just be all… wait. He missed one Demon. Seito! One more Demon behind you…and it's gone. Alas, with the powers of thee Lightning of great magnificence, it is the overconfidence in your blood that heralds thy doom. Or Light Blood? Whatever it is called now…

The apex of the protruding turret stirred as a Starbreaker covered in dust and camouflaging paint rose from its hideout, like a rock that came to life, leaning toward the sharp edge, before vanishing in a whoosh, zapping at untraceable speed to its next hiding post.

How an enormous craggy figure of thick hide leaps in a flash no one knows.

Mayhap it is a common ability among First Generation StarBreakers, the one in hiding thought to himself.

Then minutes after, all went south. Happening before his spying eyes, Androids started to fly about as if chasing each other, then without warning, the StarBreaker of Lightning went rogue, summoning bolts of thunder and tempestuous wrath all over the decayed towers.

Dodging in full speed amongst the crumbling monuments, the watcher dashed off a moment before searing Lightning blasted where he perched, zapping here and there, always an instant faster than the plummeting strikes.

The Watcher then dashed under a pile of fallen tiles and buttresses, letting the intermittent bolts land upon his hideout, all dancing off like sprinkled flare bouncing upon gravel before landing elsewhere.

Well, shoot…

The Watcher looked around, observing his cascading surroundings bombarded by pillars of igniting bolts.

Have to find a way up there…

His eyes, riveted to the parked Betelgeuse high up at the platform above.

Where a large, transparent shape crawled with its four clawed thick appendages, vanishing to the upper side of the platform where the airship was.

…

…………

Demons, like creatures that once populated the vast earth in vast numbers, teeming with all sorts of genetic and physical assortment, in shapes and forms that exceed one’s imagination, have inherited the crucial strategy from the once prominent species of keeping their breed permanently. That is to evolve, and mutate, pitting each other in contest to prove which variation suits the environment and resists natural disqualification better.

One can say no two Demons are the same, even those of the same type has contradicting abilities each possesses.

The one Bradson Captain encounters at the moment, has evolved a snide tactic to hide its physical appearance through its reflective scaled coating. By distorting light waves and redistributing heat, this demon becomes invisible under the human eye and heat detectors of any sort.

But there is one thing Bradson has in store to gain insight over the undiscernible.

With a press of a small button on the side, one among many buttons of all shapes and sizes, switched and functions, upon his glimmering armored high-tech gauntlets that command all the arsenals loaded onto the Betelgeuse, and immediately, the whole battleship rumbled in answer, spreading out unseen waves across its surroundings which Bradson saw on his screen circles blooming out from the center that is his control hub, and immediately, as the waves swept past the clear area at the ship’s left, a large shape emerged on his screen, and outside his windows.

The waves, rippling the reflective scales of the sly Demon, have revealed its whereabouts.

“ I see you.” Bradson Captain spoke. And with a wave of his gauntlets, the turrets and cannons of the airship fired off all their beams and weaponry at the disclosed entity, flames and explosions sparked rapidly in the air that vaguely shined the outline of the humongous four-strong-legged Demon as the bullets penetrating its scales, pushing the vile creature back at bay.

But still, this Demon has more accomplishments of evolution it has yet to show.

…

……….

Yanking the nerve gear off his sweating burnt forehead, Neo sprang up to his feet, frantically rushing to his friends and kin, helping them out of the nerve gears upon their red scorched skin, which sizzled in searing heat.

Moans and groans filled the droid center as the children, pained all over, staggered and supported each other by the arm, gathered to their lead Neo for help and advice.

With his wit and precision, Neo hastily sought the hospital droid stationed in the room to relieve them of their epidermal wounds, while the healer droids sprayed their bruises with cold medical sprays.

“ Neo!!” The teen leader spun around.

“ It’s Momo…!” Lucky sobbed dreadfully.

Finnir, Feira’s brother, who had been sitting by waiting for the android to tend his burns, stood up, his face pale and blanched. His light blood running cold.

Secretary Reina had warned Momo that the electronic waves emitted off the Nerve gears are harmful to the infant, and due to his curiosity, Finnir had committed such folly in bringing the small child here, to her doom.

“ Momo…she won’t wake up!!”

Lucky cried as Neo, Feira, and the older children rushed to the infant’s side. Feira quickly felt the young child’s pulse and felt nothing.

“ Her light heart…” Feira stammered, hastily pumping Momo’s chest in urgence while the other children tried to help. Rushing here and there, pushing Finnir, dumbstruck on the spot.

“ Let the droid try!” Neo pushed the healer droid forth to Momo’s presence, but the droid just scanned Momo’s body without performing any procedures.

“ Droid…why don’t you do something?!” Lucky wailed at the irresponsive machine.

“ No Light detected.” The droid replied in its usual catatonic tone, which sounded hollow and deprived of compassion as of now.

“ Cannot operate. No Light detected.”

“ No…” Lucky burst into tears of sorrow and guilt, feeling as responsible for not keeping the child safe. She had lost her companion Kiro, now Momo…

Finnir felt his Light soul leaving him as well, mortified by the consequences that resulted of his folly. The frail boy teetered backward, about to fall. When suddenly, quick hands groped his shirt and pulled Finnir back to the world from fainting despair.

“ Wha…!” Finnir’s eyes widened, in astonishment, as who stood before him was none other than one of the four prominent leads, the one of green hair and mesmerizing grey eyes, Tricia the silent, gazing at the boy with yet hope and resilience in those sparkling pupils. Even without words, Tricia helped Finnir realize with just her firm glance, a way that might be able to save Momo just in time. What the way may be is out of Finnir’s ken, but it is his courage and belief that he could somehow help that matters now.

“ Wait—Finnir?! Finnir! Wait! Where are you taking Momo?!”

To Feira and all the children’s shock and astonishment, Finnir, holding Momo tightly in his arms, rushed off behind Tricia out of the droid center and down the corridors as fast as their thriving adolescent feet could take them. Following eagerly to help, all the children ran with him, together, hand in hand, to all ends.

…

………

As the children ran along the glass corridors, glancing out as they moved along, jolting in terror as thunder boomed to their ears, the trauma of the pain minutes ago vividly haunting them in the forms of flashing bolts.

Hurriedly they scampered off, stirring their minds away from the horrid beastly figure that Firren, Starbreaker Commander of the Betelgeuse now faces, stomping toward him in berserk rage.

“ Seito!” Reina, in her scarlet shimmering Starbreaker attire, landed before Firren, arms loaded with gattling beam guns raised at the rogue Lightning Starbreaker, who stopped at the Secretary’s cry.

“ Seito, Listen to me! Close your eyes, think of nothing else and just listen to my voice. Please. Listen to me.” Reina begged, weapons at the ready, stanced for the worst.

The one rogue warrior, bathed now in all the lightning that birthed from above, glowing ablaze, searing white more than his former yellow, breathing long and hard, a ruthless beast waiting to strike.

“ Listen to me,” Reina spoke, gently lowering her voice to a whisper.

“ Listen…It is alright. What you see, what you hear, what you feel…It is all behind us now.”

Reina stepped forward, one step at a time, her palm facing the lost man trapped within his electric orb, soothing him with her voice.

“ Let it stay in the past. Let it go. Nothing you did there…nothing is your fault. It is not you fault—”

“ NO…….” Seito suddenly groaned, his bulging fists bearing in a frenzied rage.

“NO NO NO NOOOOOO!!!!!”

Before Reina could react, Firren had pulled the secretary back by the hand, escaping what was about to come.

With just his two herculean arms, smashing onto the cement ground, it is enough to send a wide detrimental ripple across the earth, shuddering mountains far off at neighboring continents. With the earth-shaking blow, thick pillars of sizzling white and blue, yellow in hue, crashed down altogether, with Seito as their center, spreading the pillars of jarring lightning, eliminating all manufactured structures in its path as the pillars of light circled alongside hurricane tempests, rotating in a waltz of grave devastation.

…

………

Through her knowledge, of the recent happenings, and of the things that had happened eons before, Lima deducted that Yuri, if not following Firren out to the Mission, will most likely be by Vitas’ side. Yuri had always been most aware of her own shortcomings, especially when those that were affected by said shortcomings. It would be no surprise if Yuri had gone to take care of Vitas who was hurt alongside her in the previous fight. Still, Lima wished Yuri wouldn’t blame herself too much.

Racing down the corridor halfway minutes ago, her world was shaken and her body thrown to the floor by an unexpecting force, with lightning flashing all over the darkened skies while thunder crackled all over the lands far and wide. Lima was seldom shocked by the happenings around her, but this sure did send her a shiver deep down, intensifying the ill foreboding Lima had felt the moment she didn’t find Yuri inside her room.

Now, turning at the corner where the infirmary doors were sided to the left at the far end of the hallway, Lima accelerated her steps to a rush, faster and faster when what she saw halted her paddling legs to an abrupt stop, hitting her back close to the side wall before inhaling a quick breath, pausing each and every movement she might have, so as to not draw attention to what beheld her terrified eyes.

Androids torn, parts and gear scattered across the hallway, and amongst all the wreck,

lurking on the glass floor, snaking slowly at the hospital foyers,

a thick, ash-black puddle of Demon Kind,

sensing its surroundings in a slow wave side to side vigilantly, before slithering back into the infirmary doors.

Lima could hear her heartbeat pounding against the wall behind her. Her blood racing, Lima hesitated no more, flicking her fingers at the pendant of her golden necklace, switching it open as the golden sparkling marble fell into her palm.

With a flourishing, determined wave of her hand, a blade of sheer golden light burst out of the small girl’s hand, searing menacingly at all that lingers among shadow.

Weapon in hand, Lima edged forth toward the infirmary center, ready to cut down what hideous Demonry had intruded into the ship’s quarters as she slid a small aperture between the doors, peering in to see nothing but sheer darkness.

With her golden lightsaber as light source, Lima straightened her blade parallel to the floor before her blanched face, lighting the dark room as she stepped into the infirmary gingerly with slow soundless steps.

To her utter shock,

Lima saw, cracked on the floor,

Yuri’s wristband,

spliced into pieces, lying amongst the shattered gears of the torn androids scattered across the floor.

Lima feared that she was too late.

…

………..

Yuri

I need you, Yuri.

Yuri opened her eyes.

It is cold.

It is snow.

Pale, greyish snow.

Yuri blinked several times, turning around in astonishment at her queer but incredible surroundings.

She is now standing in the middle of a snowfield.

Nothing here. Nothing there.

Nothing up. Nothing down.

All but white.

Snow.

“ Yuri.”

Yuri spun around, following the voice as she finally saw who it was, calling not far away on the other side, amongst the snow.

It was a boy, with sandy gold hair, gazing at her with longing, with sorrow.

Yuri stared back, shocked, but somehow relieved, to see it was someone she knew. Someone she remembered to be older, now in a form of a younger self.

“ …Vitas…?” Yuri asked the boy, who responded in silence, shaking his head.

As a dark ghastly shadow emerged out of the grey and white, a smog swallowing all light, rising into solid form, sharp and intimidating, slanting and sleek, menacingly crouching its upper torso over the boy’s oddly still shoulders, its beak pointing helm protruding out to existence ominously.

Yuri gasped in recognition as soon as the armored shadow stepped out into the pale grounds, its dark colors shimmering under the reflection of its pure environment, with metallic wings sprouting out, waving the snow off in eerie elegance. They used to be of emerald coating.

But now, it was dark enough that it glowed outshining the weak lightings.

No. Yuri refused to believe who it was looming over the poor melancholy boy. It is someone else. It must be! Yuri convinced herself. It must be another Dark Unerva taking over—

“ It is I, Yuri.”

The piercing beak turned upward upon the helm it perched, as the rest opened up like fingers of nanofibers.

Revealing the face which Yuri would call ‘Vitas’.

No. Yuri quickly summoned her Starbreaker armor to counter, but nothing answered. Yuri looked down at her wrist, seeing the wristband she so familiarly kept as a part of herself, was no longer there.

Her wristband, storing her mother’s Starbreaker armor, was not with her.

Not with her in this realm of snow.

In this…

Where is this place…?!

“ This is where we belong.” Answered the one donning Vitas’ armor.

“ This is where it all started.”

The dark-armored young man tilted his gaze to a side, ushering Yuri to follow.

Yuri turned, seeing a monument that wasn’t there before, now lay half buried in the snow, teetered to side. It was wrought of marble, furnished smooth were its surface and walls; a large round medal-like apparatus fixed on top of the front face of the slanted establishment, with two iron fingers pointing to two random positions at the inner rim of the circle.

A building with a large clock on top.

Of what this building stood for, of what it is called, vaguely giving shape the longer Yuri stared at it, as if the scene was calling to her, calling deep down to her lost shattered memories.

And they answered.

“...School…” Yuri pushed the whisper out of her dried lips.

“ This is…our school…”

Before Yuri could try to fill her eyes more with the fallen structure that so echoed her memories with remembrance, she saw that the young boy, the young Vitas, alone and shivering, staggered forth, trudging his wavering feet across the snow, heading toward her.

He only lasted five more steps, before the boy tumbled, and fell onto thick snow.

Yuri quickly sprang to her feet.

“ He is beyond saving, Yuri.” The dark-armored being spoke solemnly, which Yuri heeded not but still came to the boy’s side, holding his stiff weightless body up in horror.

“ What…What have you done to him?!” Yuri half screamed, fear and rage seaming out of her agonized cry.

“ You are not Vitas…! Who are you?!”

“ Indeed, I am not Vitas. The name is tarnished and misinterpreted through time.” The ‘Vitas’ of the dark armor raised his finger to the name that was once carved on the side of his helmet, the crooked curved runes that seemed to be, but were not what they convey. Carefully, with the finger that seared with heat, sparks flashing, the man refurnished the lost carvings, connecting the vanishing curved and dots that had faded away to dust, finishing the one word that should have been.

“ Vernui, is my name. What you have always called me. Vernui is the word that you had lost, that belongs to the boy before you!”

Lo, as the word he so spoke, a wave swept past Yuri, bringing color and voices, bursting and resounding her world, lifting the veil upon those shattered memories dawning all that the word, the name had been in her past.

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He was Veruni.

They were once together, in this school.

They were close.

They were like family, with all the others—

And that was when Yuri saw, lying not far away from her and the fallen boy in her arms, were bodies, small, young, piled and scattered across the snow, prostrated motionlessly across the field, covered by the falling snow.

Bodies of children.

Lifeless children she knew.

Lucky….

Neliya…..

Neo….

Kai…..

Rio……

Feira……

Finnir……

……. Yuri……

Fear overcame her as Yuri fell back, trembling with tears, appalled by the horrid sight of bodies surrounding her in the snow. Affront the school monument that sank slowly behind her.

This is not real…This is not happening…!!!

This is Not True!!!!

“ It is, the truth, Yuri.” The armored shadow flew with a step of elegance, landing behind Yuri’s shivering self, supporting the terrified girl in his arms.

“ This is what you have sought to seek. Is it not?

The Past.

This has already happened, Yuri.

This is the past you longed and wished to recover—”

Yuri could but shake her head, trying all she could to deny it, only to know that it was true.

Follow him…

Dark Unerva Varium’s voice of the day before, when they parted rang in her ears.

Follow the man you call Vitas…He knows the way back…

But…This is not the past she expected to see. This can’t be true—

It is what it is… A Curse, Yuri…

Lima had said.

Yuri had finally understood. It pained her as a curse would to her Light-soul. It was too late. There is no turning back.

“ I have once forgotten also.” spake Vernuii of the dark armor.

“ But the path is now revealed. I know now what I have to do.”

The cold black surface of the metal plates touched Yuri’s trembling flesh, leaning his face close to Yuri’s wet cheek.

“ The Past I have shown to you, Yuri. Now I need your help.”

“ …What…what do you want…?” Yuri sobbed, overwhelmed by the shock and sorrow, as the dark hands curled over her shoulders.

“ I want to go back.” Verunii/Vitas answered with firm determination.

“ And I want you to go back with me, with the Powers inside of you,

We Can Save Them.

We Can Save Us.”

Yuri’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

Go back…

And save them…all…….!

But…how—

“ You have the power...” the dark shadow whispered, shifting its body closer and closer to Yuri’s defenseless frame.

“ It was inside of you…All This Time…!”

And with his dark gauntlets pressing the temple of Yuri’s head, arching her face upwards,

He helped Yuri behold her first glimpse of life.

“ Your First Memory...Yuri…

What is your first memory—?”

…

…………

Lima searched frantically for clues, looking underneath the beds and inside the cabinets, to see not a single hint that any person had stayed in the infirmary for the past few days.

But…Vitas surely was sent here. Yuri had taken care of him just a day before!

Something seemed off which Lima could put her words into, but aside from the torn androids scattered on the floor, everything else, the shelves, the equipments, the medicinal bottles, were all tidied and well placed in an eerily tidy manner that Lima couldn’t help but doubt Yuri and Vitas’ disappearance.

They are here…something, or someone is hiding them somewhere—

Lima then decided to turn on the lights of the room instead of using her Lightsaber as light source, but as soon as her fingers lay upon the switch, Lima quickly realized where the odd feeling came from.

The electric lighting outside the infirmary was working as usual,

And The light switch of the infirmary was on.

Yet the room was still dark as night.

It was not just shadow that obscured the room.

It was a shroud, a pitch-black veil, cloaking the whole infirmary in a lucent ink facade.

And the darkness, on the wall and upon the floor,

rippled as Lima stared in utter realization.

…

……….

“ Guys! I think Something’s out there…!” Rio uttered in tremoring unease as the school of children rushed behind Tricia and Finnir down the glass corridors on the outer side of the airship, where bullets and beams flashed and soared down from above, all aimed straight at the one point that seems to consist of nothing but air.

No, a shape was visible now that the flares and outbursts kept hitting, a transparent silhouette vaguely gave shape, a wide-limbed colossus right in from of them, inching force menacingly.

Some children slowed down to have a look at t what was causing all that commotion of bombs and fulmination.

“ Is it…some kind of Demon…?!” Lucky eyed apprehensively, her intuition sensing more than she saw.

“ Hurry!” Neo shouted as soon as he realized that the transparent being was after them.

“ Don’t look back! Just run!”

Even under the flurries of beams and gunfires, the colossal form, though stalled at its track, still managed to press onward, slowly, steadily, until its target has entered effective range.

A dark spark flashed that instant.

Lucky, falling behind as her legs ached after all that running and her body pained by the traumatic electrocuting, stopped to catch her breath.

“ —Lucky—”

Lucky froze.

It can’t be.

But surely her ears have heard it, loud and clear…

It must be—

“ —Lucky—”

Lucky spun around.

There, standing a few steps ahead of her

was her long-lost Kiro.

Neo quickly noticed that Lucky had stopped running, but stood idly, staring at the back as if fallen into a trance. Then to the boy leader’s horror, Lucky went to open the glass window on the side.

“ LUCKY, NO!!!” Neo shouted at the top of his lungs.

The lock upon the glass switched loose.

With a triumphant cry, the Demon revealed itself, flipping its reflecting scales aside and emerged, a four-legged beast with a head of a fanged creature at the bottom, and on its back stuck out an upper torso of an armored Dark Unerva, navigating its four crushing feet appendages across the flames and lasers as it bent its thick limbs down, before shooting the Dark Unerva out like a harpoon soaring through the air, crashing into the glass corridors where the children screamed in sheer terror.

The glass and all the coating upon the outer layer of the airship were engraved with Demon repelling light, yet evolution has bestowed this Demon warrior a power to override the minds and force their prey to open their own doors and feed themselves to the dark.

Quite a stunning way of hunting, the watcher commented as he stood above a remaining turret, overlooking the chaos ensuing across the city.

Firren and the secretary were outmatched by Seito, as expected, by the strength and skill of the Lightning wielder, the two commonly ranked second-generation Starbreakers stand no chance against him.

That is good, for the mission.

And this Demon, or more so a Dark Unerva, had successfully intruded the Betelgeuse through its deceptive mind illusions it constructs to abate these children’s vigilance, is also a far too competent adversary for these youngsters to deal with.

Surprisingly, the Dark Unerva is not after these Children’s Light hearts.

Curious, Curious…can it be, it is also after the same target as I?

Should I make a move? Assert my dominance?

No, no, no. This Demon will open a path for me, stuck himself in chaos, while I make my ultimate entrance.

Apologies to the Betelgeuse crew, but this is good, for my mission.

The Starbreaker Watcher sat back at his hiding spot with mild interest.

…

………

The children, shocked by fear at first, now stood back up, revolting against the tyranny of the Dark Unerva that had successfully invaded the Betelgeuse. Though young they all were, courage wasn’t lost in them as they steadied their feet, each producing their hidden weapons to defend their kin from harm.

The Dark Unerva, sleek and covered in thorns, its thin neck holding a bulb-like head that wore no face, stared its clean arched visor calmly at the intimidating children.

In an instant, the face opened, and a dark glowed penetrated the children’s eyes.

Neo rubbed his eyes as his vision blurred and swam, leaning against the wall to stay his ground.

“ Don’t Look!” Neo shouted, even though the glow had faded and the Demon emissary still stood before them, calm as ever.

“ Everyone…stay close—”

“ —Brother—”

Neo’s light heart lost a beat.

The child leader looked up, eyes wide in disbelief at the sole figure, standing a few feet away, shining clear among a halo around that small long haired silhouette.

Neo’s lips dropped open.

“ …Nia…???”

“ —Brother, it's me—”

Neo’s tears burst out without his permission. His strong-willed persona switched entirely back to his softened, gentle form, falling to his knees as he spread his arms wide, welcoming his long-lost sister to join him in warm embrace.

“ Nia…You are back…!! Nia…NIA!!!”

But all the Dark Unerva saw, were begging children, staring blankly at the hollow void ahead of them, weeping alone.

The Demon made his way forth silently, with ease.

While Finnir and Tricia, with Momo in the boy’s arms, hid behind a corner, listening to the Dark Unerva’s footsteps clanking nearer and nearer toward them.

The Demon sensed the two children that were not yet enslaved by its charm hiding right behind the corner as it neared its twisted mangled Demon body closer and closer, climbing up the wall, prolonging its neck ready to shoot out its glow at the corner, an inch away from Finnir’s face.

Suddenly, the ceiling slid open above the Dark Unerva’s head, bursting down a cascade of light, bathing the dark being in a shower that seemed like acid to the Demon emissary, as the Dark Unerva struggled and twirled its abhorrent twisted body back in retreat, sensing the frenzied footsteps of the children echoing further away, rushing off to get help.

Light traps of the Betelgeuse launched out of the corridor ceilings and burst into action, apprehending the Dark Unerva as Androids swooped in to bring the children out to safety while the Demon made its way forth in a tactical struggle, fighting back the inner defenses Captain Bradson had quickly pulled out to save the children on board, buying Finnir and Tricia time to escort Momo to the right place where the infant still has a slim chance to be saved.

“ But…Tricia! The infirmary is that way!” Finnir ushered at the path ahead yet Tricia adamantly chose a closer room, which Finnir could but follow in, a wide chamber with a plaque on the door which wrote ‘Secretary’s office’. Why Finnir could but wonder, yet Tricia’s firm gaze, like a beacon assuring the frail boy to go on with his new-found courage, to do what he can to save this girl’s life.

“ What next?” Finnir asked the silent girl, who lead him to a large container at the side og the office, and pointed at the large vessel, ushering Finnir to put Momo in.

Bewildered, Finnir did what the girl firmly affirmed, closing the lid after laying Momo into the large container.

“ But…what is this thing, Tricia?” Finnir asked, remembering that Tricia could not answer in speech and could but put his trust in the girl’s decisions.

That vessel in question, just happened to be the Restoration Device Reina had fixed for the days before.

…

………

With fists now engulfed in flames, Firren burst forth in flight, landing all that he mustered, the flames of the thousand suns searing the lands and smoldering metal and substance, all onto the berserk Starbreaker of lightning as waves of lava swelled out like tsunamis sweeping the factory city compound and all its crumbled towers down, into molten liquid.

Firren panted, rising up from the inferno his one strike has blown, only to face the coming Lightning greatsword piercing out of the lava, bringing its wielder out of the flames and scourge, slashing down onto Firren’s visor. If Firren had evaded half a second late, his story would have ended there, but this is not what this universe has in store, and Firren, twin flaming blades pointing affront, pushed himself backward in a ball of explosions, scorching Seito’s visors as the huge lightning berserker stumbled back, just the right moment for Reina to dash forth, bringing her thrice spinning kicks infused with photon spuing machine guns, firing and kicking Seito back nonstop like a whirlwind of arsenals breaking the thunderer’s poise, only for a short period of until the yellow fury swung his fist and caught Reina’s leg, making to swing her off to oblivion if Firren hadn’t returned in time, throwing one more lava bursting sun bomb at the lightning smasher, saving Reina from doom as the two continued, pitting all their skills and battle exploits onto the beast among Starbreakers, fire, ammunition, clashing against the wrath of the skies.

But, no, Seito, trapped in his terror and guilt, chased by nightmares of old, refused to yield and forced himself out of the flames and flurry, his yellow armor burnt and crisped to brown, dented and penetrated in many places as blood spurted out of the Starbreaking-armor-penetrating bullet holes. Like a mountain, The lightning wielder stood his ground, exhausted but unfazed, respirating long and deep as if in calming meditation.

“ Is he…?” Firren panted, not sure if the battle was over as the commander rested in a kneel.

Reina observed closely through her visor and realized the meter of her energy sensors are running rampantly high the longer she stared at Seito’s glowing still posture.

“ He…He is activating…a Starbreak!!” Reina cried in grave urgence, rushing full speed ahead.

Firren sprung to his feet at the utterance of the word, fully aware immediately of what dire situation was about to occur.

Even the Watcher sitting afar had to look down in surprise.

Can it be…?

The Starbreaker Watcher switched up his power analyzer and his lighthearted usual grin bent down to a stern frown, intrigued by the gravity of the turning of events.

He is committing a Starbreak.

Each Starbreaker, being Light-hearted kind at the beginning, before their Light mutated into a strong genetic combination that enables them to be able to withstand Demons’ corruption better than other Light souled individuals, so as to be chosen by the Lord to be knights to defend the capital and the civilization of man.

The uniqueness of the Starbreakers granted them powers of elements only they themselves can wield, except one Power of Might which all Starbreakers exhibit, or should I say, cursed by.

The Starbreak. The ultimate blow onto the enemy, irradicating all Demons in a quarter of earth scale perimeter, devastating everything, including themselves.

A suicide move, to make a long story short, which would only be worth it if used against a sea of Demons or even one or two Archdemons. But now?! Seito, there is nothing worth of using your Starbreak now! What is he even trying to achieve? What statement are you making?!

…

………

Soon after the android armies have escorted the children back to their room, Bradson filed them all back to fend off the intruder, trapped between walls of light, burning within the trap the Captains had set.

This Demon, Bradson recalled, sensing a queer habit exhibited in this Dark Unerva’s actions; successfully escaping Firren and Seito’s detection, corrupting the minds of the children yet consuming none of their Light Hearts. What does it want…? What is its goal? Bradson Captain snarled as he twisted his gauntlets, controlling waves of androids to keep the prowling Dark Unerva at bay, only to realize in shock as the army of droids crashed down a sudden halfway, walls of defensive Light fading out without warning, all paralyzed by waves of violent electrical fields that had spread all over the city, dimming all electronic devices nonfunctional in an instance.

Both Bradson and the Dark Unerva sensed the surging energy not far away, a growing kinetic power able to take over a quarter of the earth, brewing more and more in intensity and catastrophic might.

Bradson’s heart sank. The bolts and catastrophic lights of the city could indicate one thing alone.

A Starbreak.

An imminent passing of a Starbreaker.

Mayhap it is the last resort, for the man to relieve himself from this suffering.

With the walls deactivated, Bradson was pulled back by the escaping Dark Unerva, scrambling its twisted long limbs up the floor, rushing into the corners rapidly, after a target it so craveth somewhere in this ship.

Bradson prepared his rapier and a customized photon missile bazooka, ready to go after this Demon in one-on-one combat.

But what does this Demon seek?!

This Demon did not harvest the children’s Light Hearts, simply impairing their defenses through illusions, rushing past them in a frenzied hurry. Can it be its motive was not to seek Light Souls, but something worthier, more valuable for its struggles—it hit Bradson like a gong to the ears.

Not something.

Someone.

Yuri.

That was when Bradson knew he had miscalculated the whole board and endangered the one he most needed to protect. Bradson cursed his own misjudgment. Everything had gone wrong, as if fate was pulling the strings, leading it all to this dire circumstance.

He could but pray that Yuri was now in safe hands…

…

………

“...My first…Memory…?”

Light.

Blue snow.

People.

“ Is that it?” The armored shadow leaned closer, its tepid breath brushing over Yuri’s face.

Yuri shook her head.

“ There was me…Mom…we are standing somewhere bright. She was about to leave…then……”

Something screeching crashed in through the sky.

The people were frightened.

“ Then she took me down, below…somewhere filled with blue and yellow light…Then…then…”

“ Where is that place?” the shadow asked.

“ I don’t know.” Yuri whimpered, her eyes shut, trying to collect all she could remember.

“ I don’t know where I was. Mommy was close to me…she told me to go…to leave…to stay away from—”

“ It’s alright.” Vernui whispered gently, resting his gauntleted hands on Yuri’s two arms.

“ That is well enough. Focus on the memory. And I’ll do the rest.”

Don’t, Yuri!

“ Wait!” Yuri opened her eyes, looking to her left where the sudden voice of a young boy just called to her.

Vernui/Vitas was surprised.

“ Yuri, I told you to focus…”

“ I heard someone!” Yuri searched with her eyes frantically at the vast grey snowfields, trying to peer through the thick falling snow.

“ I heard someone…I knew…!”

“ It is the past calling.” Vernuii/Vitas ushered Yuri, his armored grip around her arms tightening.

“ Yuri, I need your focus. Time is not on our side! ”

Reluctantly Yuri turned back, closing her eyes to recall

her First Memory.

Diving deep, into the forbidden secrets.

…

………

“ Seito!!!!” Reina shouted at the top of her lungs, rushing to Seito’s presence, hitting an electrical magnetic field that repelled her back a distance apart.

“ Seito…Please…! Stop it NOW!!”

“ …No……” Seito growled, half sobbing, kneeling with his Lightning Greatsword struck to the ground beside him.

“ …It’s… the only… way…escape… from this…”

“ No…” Reina tried to break into the repelling field, only to feel the condensing energy ominously rising within the broken man as the Runes of power flashed and glowed all around the yellow Starbreaker in initiation of the Starbreak.

“ No…Seito, stop!! It’s not your fault—”

“ …I…Was…There…….”

And Seito refused to elaborate as Firren quickly pulled Reina back while the Starbreak procedures reached half completion, the electrical field growing larger and larger, enveloping the whole compound in but seconds.

“ Because…Me……they…….died……!”

And with a forlorn roar, emanating a repulsing forcing that swept all that sought to get near, to try to reason.

To no avail.

…

………

Finnir noticed the thunders striking louder and more hallowing outside the secretary's office, as the usual lights dimmed and switched to muted glows powered by residual power source, the same as those powering the Restoration Device as it stored Momo safely within its metal and ceramic constraints.

“ That Demon…” Finnir tried to make conversation with one of the four prominents of the children lead when suddenly Tricia placed her finger over his lips to cease his speech as tappings of claws rattling right outside their door.

Finnir blanched, as Tricia calmly ushered the boy backward, hiding deeper into the room.

“ No.” Finnir let go of Tricia’s hand, straining the trembling of his clenched fists.

“ This Demon…This Beast had hurt everyone, my friends…My sister…I have to stop it, now that I am the only one able to!”

The weak, frailed, low-esteemed boy, gaining courage through all his encounters, producing a weapon his beloved sister Feira had specially designed with care, a rifle with a curved axe at the end, and despite Tricia’s distraught disapproval, Finnir edged forth, opening the office door without a sound, to see the slim, hard armored Demon emissary, crawling on all fours, sniffing the ground, unaware of Finnir’s aiming shot pointing at the back of its head.

…

………

Firren helped Reina up to her feet as the two exhausted Starbreakers staggered back, Firren trying to pull Reina further away from the bursting ball of Lightning.

“ Reina, we must retreat…There is no way…!”

“ There is!!!” Reina pushed Firren away desperately, activating codes upon her Starbreaker armor upon her chest, to Firren’s horror.

“ No, Reina…Stop!!”

“ The only way…to stop a Starbreak…Is ANOTHER…Starbreak…” Reina sobbed, her fingers taping at the hovering screen before her, entering confirmation codes as her own Starbreak was about to commence, just before Firren pulled Reina’s hand away to initiate the countdown.

“ Snap out of it, Reina!!!” Firren shouted frantically now.

“ We don’t trade lives like this…We have a purpose! Not to be wasted here!!!”

“ THEN WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE ME DO?!?!” Reina screamed in torment, falling to her knees as the electrical fields of Seito’s Starbreak started to emit lightning stronger and Mightier than those that devastated the city as the whole establishment started to tremble and sink.

“ What do you propose me to do…Firren…?! Leave him…Let him perish…A Second Time?! Before My EYES?!?!”

“ If it’s the only way…” Firren stammered with firm resolve.

“ Reina…The Betelgeuse is intruded by a Dark Unerva…! We have to—”

“ Let me go…” Reina loosened Firren’s grip off her arm.

“ At least…Let me…bid him farewell…”

Firren couldn’t find the words of response, more so he couldn’t accept his own hand letting go of the secretary that stepped further away.

Secretary Reina had been a crucial member of the Betelgeuse, playing a vital role that greatly fortified their swift voyage and success ever since the starting days of preparation and planning, giving sage advice to her Captain, and Firren, and righting the wrongs in ways that are most respectful and instructable.

And those were just the days after the Fall.

Deep down, in Firren’s heart, and memory, he had seen Reina as a remarkable person, who would stand in the way of harm without hesitance, for the children she cared, and for those she loved.

She was like an older sister to him. To the children…An incredible person to everyone who knew her.

And now, having chosen her own path, Firren found his yearning to pull her away from the one she loved and longed most…is but a futile act of selfishness.

Firren wished he had held on, but instinct made him loosen his grip.

…

………

And it was instinct also that forced Finnir’s finger to pull the trigger, firing the Light bullet straight at the Dark Unerva’s head, piercing a wound that spurted Demonic blood across the glass corridor as the Demon pranced and squirmed around in an agonized frenzy, slamming its long thin sharp armored hand at Finnir’s belly, and its feet kicking Tricia away, who tried to pull Finnir back, slamming the girl far off while striking the boy to the wall where Finnir quickly sprang back up in fear and adrenaline rush, boosting the boy up to his feet, only to be one second too late to escape the lunging grab of the beastly Dark Unerva, clenching both arms, twelve piercing fingers strangling the frail boy’s vulnerable windpipe, at the same time squeezing Finnir’s head with such force, nearly popping the poor boy’s eyes out of his sockets. As his eyes bulged morbidly, Finnir could but stare, stare straight at the sleek opening visor of the Dark Unerva cornering him, revealing the eye that glowed devilish Light beaming into the boy’s inescapable vision.

Finnir screamed, seeing things that no person could withstand without spiraling to insanity.

Truth, illusions, Past, Present, Future,

All that could be seen, all that should not be seen,

burning deep into Finnir’s retina, imprinting all that the Demons see, the Demons felt, into the traumatized boy’s optic nerves.

As the Demon intruder tormented the boy with all it could present, it neglected a looming shadow, raising a photon bazooka aimed at the back of its lid-opened revealing head.

The last thing the Dark Unerva heard, was a click of the trigger, and the loosening of the springs.

The blast was lost to it, for its head blew up in a pulp of exploding dark blood, splattering all over the glass, and Finnir’s mortified face.

…

………

Letting go,

pushing back the tears that started to well, Firren reluctantly turned away, ready to burst off back to ship when suddenly he saw—

“ Reina!! Stay Back!!!”

Reina spun around, just in time to dodge away from a descending boulder that crashed between her and the Starbreaking warrior.

To both Firren and Reina’s astonishment,

The huge rock stood up.

“ Just to clarify,” The huge boulder spoke in human speech.

“ What I am about to do is for my mission. Nothing personal.”

And the boulder, made of thick huge rugged layers clad upon this huge person, shielded underneath all the hulking pieces of armor as the outer surface of the boulders hardened in runes of power glowing in excellence, before the huge figure dashed forth in a sound-breaking boom, exploding forth in absurd speed, penetrating all the magnetic fields with his one fist pointing forward, and the other preparing at the back until it broke through all the thundering striking layers, unfazed, unharmed, pausing in front of Seito’s dumbstruck presence, before landing this one punch, this one blow that blew everything out in a circle, creating a clean sphere of sheer nothingness for a split second right in front of everyone’s awed witness, and at the next second, all was white. The city, enveloped in white; the earth, sparkling a white glow that could be discerned far from space, a blow that could shave mountains clean to fields, and part the oceans deep, halting the Starbreak sequence and nullifying any action, any comeback that could possibly withstand that one punch.

None could.

And at the third second, the light was gone.

A canyon was formed, starting right where the boulder-armored one stood, reaching out to the horizons where the sun started to set.

There Seito lay, at the far far depth, knocked out cold, but snoring in deep slumber.

Both Firren and Reina were at a loss.

“ Nothing Personal.” The Starbreaker Watcher clarified once more,

his First Generation sigil glowing on his left chest plate.

“ It is for the best of my mission. That’s all.”

Riveted his gaze was, Firren switched his helm open to have a better look at the man that had just saved them from a potential Starbreak disaster, his mouth agape in awe and gratitude, only able to utter two words out of his disbelieving stuttering lips.

“...Master…Solo…?”

The Watcher, First Generation Starbreaker, General Solo of the Capital nodded with a dark grin at the call of his name.

…

……….

The Dark Unerva’s numbed body crumbled to the floor as Bradson Captain lowered his Bazooka, sighing an exhausted sigh.

It has been a long day.

But Tricia, dragging the captain’s long coat back in grave urgence, pulled the Captain back to the day

that was far from ended, yet.

…

………

The blue snow.

The blue armor.

Mother.

Golden lines…

Light.

Light.

And—

Yuri, Stop!

Yuri’s eyes opened wide, this time gazing at where the voice came from, in the snow.

Staggering, crawling with great effort with one hand reaching to her from the snow,

The young boy, Vitas/Vernui in his adolescent form cried out once more.

Don’t Let Him—

The world tilted in a violent jolt as Yuri felt her body slammed backward, about to fall onto the snow behind her.

Yet her back felt not the coldness of rough piled snow,

but the cushioned drapes of the infirmary bed squeezing against her back.

The snow was gone. The sky vanished. All she saw was the darkened ceiling of the hospital center,

and the looming dark form of who she once called ‘Vitas’, hunched over her without a single cloth covering his sleek fit physique. His hands crushed her arms down on the bed covers, forcing Yuri to stay no matter how she struggled.

The weight of his body sat over her, trapping Yuri under his confining shadow.

“ Vi…Vitas…” Yuri whimpered, fear like vice suffocating her throat.

“ … Let me go…please…”

I need you, Yuri.

The shadow of the young man lowered down, his face right above hers.

I Need You, To Save Us.

Caught in the daze of his words, with the guilt she saw of the Children lying motionless in the snow, it took Yuri a couple of seconds to realize that his lips were already upon her, squeezing down her tight lips as if trying to break in.

Yuri jolted in terror, squirming and kicking the heavy pressure ruthlessly pinning down on her, the restraints around her limbs and wrists wrapping tighter the more she struggled, cutting down to her skin.

She tried to scream, but all that came out were faint toneless whimpers, muffled by the pair of lips forcing down onto hers.

She couldn’t breath. She couldn’t resist.

She wished she could escape, but then—that would mean she refuses to Save them, her friends…everyone…with the Power she has. The Power Vitas…Vernui needs…

I need to…Save us…

Letting her tears go freely, Yuri succumbed, shutting her eyes and switching off her senses as she let him search all over her body, touching and feeling her, using her painfully for his needs, just to bring them back…To Before…The Light…

…To Save Everyone…Yuri convinced herself, withstanding the excruciating pain all over her insides.

…To Save…Us……

But it hurts…It hurts…Vernui…

Just as Yuri felt she was about to perish, a spec of Light broke the dark ceiling, blinding her eyes for a split second as the spec grew into an aperture, cutting down and letting more and more light in until suddenly, the constant thrusts like drilling into Yuri’s body stopped abruptly as the shadow arched up in a cry of agony and awe, as a blade of sheer light, pierced through his exposed chest.

Dark liquid burst out of the orifice of the young man’s chest, spurting all over Yuri’s face and bare skin as she turned away in terror, not realizing the pressure over her was lifted off her bruised throbbing midsection.

Light filled her world once more as Yuri opened her eyes a couple of seconds after she was sure it had all stopped and his arms were no longer upon her, to see Dark Demon blood splattered all over the place.

And one figure, standing over her bed, back facing her with one weapon, one blade of light raised at a dark entity cowered at the far corner of the infirmary.

“ ……Li…Lima…?”

Yuri thought she had not seen her in years, as hot tears welled up in her eyes once more.

“ Get out of here…Yuri…” Lima’s voice, fumed with extreme fury, pointing her lightsaber’s searing tip at the Demon stranded at the corner.

“ I’ll finish this…Demon of a man…!!!!”

Grabbing the thick towel Lima held to her with one hand, Yuri covered her bear self, watching in horror as her friend stood at a standstill at the Winged Dark Starbreaker that stood up slowly, menacingly.

“ You don’t understand…” This winged figure uttered, straightening up to explain his deed.

“ It is the one way…To Let Her Remember !!! And you foiled it!!”

“ Hurting Yuri Is Never A WAY, You SCOUNDREL!!!”

Lima shrieked furiously, tears in her eyes, letting the lightsaber sail forth toward the armored Devilish figure’s flesh.

Snarling incredulously, with his wings wide spread, spinning in sudden acceleration, he slashed Lima with violent forth off her footing as the man, the Condemned Starbreaker, The Dark Unerva, and also the one who they once called Vitas, dashed out of the room at the speed of Light, crashing out of the window and vanished into dark feathers in mid-air, untraceable no matter which radar they use.

Vitas, Vernui, was gone.

[.........to be continued]