“Faylin— get up, now!”
I grabbed the girl by her wrist, pulling her to her feet and forcing her to run alongside me. It was difficult to breathe— the incinerated air charred the hair on my arms as black smoke, spreading with the desert wind, forced its way into my lungs. How was it this smoke could be so thick?
“Mister!— it’sgoingto hit us!”
I tried my best to get a look at the creature. Around its ever-shifting legs were vermillion flames, separate from its body, but pushing the black pollutant out even further. The heat and smog stung my watering eyes— I shut them tight, trying to run from it as fast as I could but it was no use. I didn’t make it more than five hundred feet before collapsing onto the sand, taking in gulps of scorching fumes and coughing from it, blinded by my own tears and smoke.
“Mister! Mister—!” screeched the girl clawing at my arm with every ounce of strength she had. “It’s-ahck— it’s going to hit us, weneed to run!”
I could feel her panic through my brutal hacking. The sound of a hundred— no— hundreds of pyres simultaneously burning reached my ears; the heat became more intense, burning and cutting my skin until a particularly thick slab of heat slit right through my elbow.
“GhaAh!—Faylin, come here! It’s tur-uack-ing sand into glass!”
“We need to ru-ahck-un!”
“Thereuogh-ghack! C-Come on! NOW!”
I hacked the words out of my throat as the sound of a thousand pieces of burning tinder intensified. Eyes squeezed shut, I felt the tight grip of a young girl around my arm intensifying the pain in my elbow. I forced myself to focus on the burning in my nostrils and lungs, and with my newfound strength as a Resonator, I hoisted her into my arms.
“Ha-uack-ng on!”
I couldn’t tell where I was going, it was nothing more than instinct guiding me in the direction opposite the unbearable heat with every ounce of strength I could afford. Goosebumps covered me as the smoldering sound culminated behind us, transforming from the sound of a pyre into an eerie, high pitched wail.
Like someone had decided to leave the stove on at home, only to return and light up a cigarette.
I forced my eyes to open. Through bloodshot tears I witnessed a burning comet travel across the daylit sky, aimed right for a building in the far distance.
“MISTER! WE’RgUAk— GOING TO!”
“AEGIS!”
Raw force like a truck slammed into my shield, sending me and the young girl in my arms spiraling into the desert. But my focus was still on trying to breathe. I felt the shield disintegrate, only managing to cushion against the initial shockwave accompanying the explosion. I cradled the girl against my chest, doing my best to not let anything harm her as each blow to my back forced the heavy smog from my lungs in frenzied, sporadic tantrums.
「Warning: Damage to Redoubt detected. Re-scanning for traces of Outsiders.」
I swallowed in heaves of clean, dry air. The blast managed to carry us outside the range of the black smoke, and while the sand had cut open small wounds on my lips, and my hair was absolutely covered in it, I could breathe somewhat normally. I turned to the girl spitting the grit out of her teeth, noting her similarity to Lia.
“You alright?”
“Y-Yes.” she said, moving the matted red hair from her face. Save for a few cuts to both her legs, she seemed uninjured. “Thank you…”
「No biological signatures detected. Scanning for severe environmental alterations.」
Annika’s voice echoed across the sandy biome, shifting my attention. The burning Outsider raised what looked like an arm, a large and dangerously bright orb collecting on the ends of its ‘fingers’. The screeching of high pitched gas collecting behind thrums of burning tinder was audible even from a distance.
Was that because of how big it was? The air shifted around it, like concrete on a burning summer’s day, making the desert and sky behind it look near illusionary.
“Tch..! Faylin, come on!” I said, not waiting for her response before picking her up.
“H-Hey, I can walk you know!”
I ignored her as I made a beeline for the Redoubt. The explosion had already given us a wide berth, but knowing Annika I needed to get there before—
「Environmental alteration detected: infrared scan complete. Outsider 『Spirit of Fire』 detected. 」
The already shifty earth beneath us became impossible to walk across as tens of turrets rose from the desert like summoned protectors. I only barely managed to dodge one rising right in front of us with speed unnatural for a machine— this is exactly what I was afraid of.
「Activating Slaughter Mode in three…two…」
“Faylin cover your ears!” I ordered. The girl obeyed in an instant.
「…one. Slaughter Mode: Engaged.」
Even my newly raised Aegis couldn't fully dull the sound of human sized bullets firing at the colossal monster. Vibrations traveled through the sand and straight into my bones, rattling my skull, oscillating my jaw, making my vision tremble. It was a painful minute of ignoring the acid in my muscles as I sprinted for the Redoubt, especially when my lungs were already spent from hacking through the smoke. My mind was far away, focused not on the distance but the pain, and slowly but surely the sanctuary finally came into view.
But I didn’t have the protection of a Slayer. Even with the Aegis, point blank turret-fire was far, far too much for me; the world shifted sideways and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. I collapsed some two hundred feet before the hexagonal hallway, spilling the girl and myself onto the sand. It was only when she grabbed my arm, yanking me forward in desperation that I noticed the reason for my weakness and loss of balance.
“—!-!-!——!!” the girl yelled. Her lips moved, but there was no sound.
I couldn't hear anything.
She pointed behind me, and to my horror I saw turrets firing into a great circular wall of brimstone and heat— the Spirit of Fire standing in its center with both arms raised like it was praising some sort of miracle. But it was hard to deny when the hail of bullets was unable to reach it. An unusually bright glare surrounded the fiery ring, and I could see the reflection of scintillating sunlight in a band just beyond the smoke.
Glass. An entire circle of it.
This thing had not only managed to evade Annika’s self-defense program, but was now defending against her countermeasures. The Redoubt’s countermeasures.
My eyes shut in frustration as I banged the palm of my hand against my temple, only to be greeted by high pitched ringing. I had to heal, I had to get back on my feet— what was the point of a reinforced body if I couldn’t even handle injuries like this?!
The vibrations stopped, and my eyes opened to see steam rising from the turrets’ barrels. The faint sound of a woman barely reached through to my ears— likely Annika’s automated announcement that the turrets were reloading.
Faylin had panic painted clear on her face, hauling and pulling my arm as the fire demon resumed the collection of flames to the tip of its arm. Being so close to the Redoubt, we wouldn’t make it through with simple cuts this time. I steadied my breathing, putting a hand on one knee as I tried getting up. I could hear the girl’s screams louder now, but my sense of balance remained distorted. With a burst of strength I tried sprinting and stumbled after only a few feet. Faylin began dragging me by my suit, but the girl couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve years old— her strength compared to a Resonator was nonexistent. But that didn’t seem to matter to her.
She was definitely like Lia in her stubbornness.
“Come on!” she said, her voice sounding as if through a pillow. But there wasn’t any more time. The girl fell backwards from pulling too hard, and I scrambled to her. It was up to me.
Turning around, I called out everything my Aegis would allow me, pushing the girl into the sand behind me to cover as much of her as possible. My shield glimmered to life in a brilliant pale hue as the Outsider hurled its blazing arm downward, sending the projectile straight toward us; light and heat not unlike Hanna’s explosions grew ever brighter the closer it came. And yet, the moment its light met my pupil was also the same moment a luminous orange glow was born from behind us, and with roaring presence, a pink and white mecha flew overhead, belting an enormous shield of the same color scheme against the fireball to send it straight into the ocean in an eruption of vapor.
“Anon, Faylin— are you both okay!? Where are you?” shouted a metallic, feminine voice.
I covered my eyes, a smile growing on my face. I gave myself permission to laugh in repose, and feel the slightest bit of jealousy.
What a bona fide hero.
“Down here.” I said, trying to send my feeling of safety to her. She must’ve gotten the message, because the moment those magenta colored shades spotted us, I could feel relief overflow like a fountain. “Take cover in the Redoubt!” Without another word, green electricity arced around her as she shot a bolt of lightning towards the fiery figure to no effect.
Well, besides getting its attention.
*SSEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIII*
That same sound, like steam forced out of a pot. It raised its arms in anger as the cry dissipated in echoes, replaced with the crackling sound of wood over a fire. It heaved another fireball, smaller and surprisingly slower than the last; Lia blocked the entirety of it, but the fire spread across the shield like liquid. Small pieces stuck to Skull Beach, and when a few landed uncomfortably close to us, I hauled the little girl from the sand and brokenly jogged into the Redoubt.
The door flung open with a hard bang, and while only a few Resonators were in the training hall, all of them ignored me, their eyes glued to an enormous projection of the Spirit of Fire in the middle of the room. But that suited me just fine, as I went straight for the hangar.
“Annika!”
“Oh, Anon!” said the girl, looking no better than she did in the dining hall. Worse, if that were possible. “Um, who is that?”
“Faylin. I don’t know how she knows Lia, but more importantly how’s she doing?”
“Faring well but we’ve got to get that thing away from the Redoubt!” she said, angrily typing on a keyboard. “AND NOW I HAVE TO RECALIBRATE THE DEFENSE SYSTEM’S TO NOT JUST LOOK FOR BIOLOGICAL—”
“Annika, focus.”
The collected voice came from a woman I hadn’t noticed. A dark blue blazer was draped over a white blouse, and though she was looking at the same projection of the fight shown on Annika’s worktable, her expression remained stoic. Maybe because of the cigar she kept smoking.
“Y-Yes! Sorry Commander.”
She ignored the apology, taking a lengthy breath from the tobacco in her fingers, watching the battle with ease…no. The light in her eye shined far too bright for her to be apathetic. She was equally, if not more invested in this assault than any other Resonator.
“How’s your equipment holding up?”
“Fairly w-well I’d say! The paint job was done on the fly, and Lia’s readings indicate it’s stable but—”
“But?”
Annika’s body flinched at the woman’s tone. “W-with all do respect Commander, and not to criticize your judgment!— but the shield would…fare, much better with a Slayer built for close quarters combat. I’m a bit confused as to why you would approve Lia’s request to receive it when her strong suit lies in ranged weaponry. More so given the fact Spirits of Fire aren’t even on her roster…”
The woman remained silent. I could feel the ceramic grip of a fist balling up my clothes; the fact Lia’s danger became all the more evident wasn’t comforting Faylin, but Commander Meredith didn’t seem to care. In fact, she seemed lost in her own world, entranced by the moving images.
“Ifnielis…demon of living fire.” she purred, smoke pouring through her mouth. “To think I’d ever see you again…”
My eyes widened. Against my will, my eyes moved to the scars covering the Commander’s body, hand, and the near entirety of the left side of her face.
“Our little Lia said she had a Forecast about him so I let her take it, it’s that simple. Let’s leave it at the fact that not only can we kill an Outsider that has the audacity to manifest on our doorstep, but also settle…call it a personal matter.”
The Redoubt suddenly and violently rumbled after her last words— spilling papers and tools across the floor of Annika’s workstation. Distant yells and commands sounded in the hangar behind us, but the Commander looked as composed as she ever did.
“That girl,” she cackled, “asking permission to do something stupid and doesn't hesitate to go right through with it.”
She lifted the cuff of her blouse, revealing a metallic bracelet no different from the one Resonators use.
“Oh Lia?”
The image on the projection showed Lelvedere dodging to the side as a stream of liquid flame burst from the Spirit’s fingers.
“Commander?! What happened, is something wrong?”
“Not at all, just an order.” she said, smiling as she exhaled smoke. The floor of the Redoubt shook with greater force than before, and I had to grab the edge of the workstation just to stay on my feet, holding Faylin against my side as she got thrown around. Aftershocks followed the earthquakes like footsteps, and it wasn’t long before faint sounds of distant thunder accompanied them. What on earth was going on?!
“Commander! Is this another—”
“Lia.” she said with a sweet, gentle smile. “Make sure he doesn't escape.”
A final, powerful tremor shook the entirety of Skull Beach; from the corner of my eye I saw Faylin and Annika get thrown onto the floor, but I was too shocked to pay them much mind. On the projection, emerging from an explosive sinkhole below the earth like she was born from it, was a pink and blue Slayer with a brilliant golden visor.
“You freaks can’t wait five minutes before pulling some kind of BULLSHIT!”
One whose appearance didn’t match her words in the slightest flew out of the smoking crater, her voice loud and clear alongside Lia’s.
“If it’s a deathwish you have, I’ll be more than happy to provide!”
Ifnielis raised his smoking arms as the ring of flames grew— sounds of pressurized gas squealed like a metal pot, with more and more fire gathering around his fingertips.
“Hanna, his body, look out!”
“Tch! Concussive flames, restricted output!”
Hanna extended her arm— even with partial strength, the blast erupting inside Ifnielis’ ring was half as big as he was, its shockwaves causing the walls of the Redoubt to groan. It struck me that Hanna had initially been sent underground, if explosions of that caliber had been her method of tunneling up the caverns, it was no wonder we could feel the rumbling in the Redoubt. At maximum output…just how big was the blast that knocked me out, during our fight with the Rogue?
“What!?”
“This isn’t a Rogue, how’s that—?!”
The girls’ voices cut through my thoughts, drawing my attention back to the living fire. The smoke had cleared, giving me a clear view of what caught their surprise— Hanna’s explosion, being held right in the palm of the Outsider’s burning hand. Or more accurately, it was being absorbed.
As a teal and a purple Slayer emerged from the sinkhole, I saw the Commander bite her lip, the shine in her eyes growing brighter.
“You’ve been given new tricks I see.”
“New tricks…?”
“What’s the situation?” asked a new, high-pitched voice coming from the muted purple Slayer.
“This sorry excuse for a living bonfire just ate my bomb like it was a piece of fucking fruit!”
“Spread out!” said a deeper toned voice from the bright teal Slayer. “If we’re spread out and keep moving, we can handle it no problem!”
It suddenly struck me— the initial fight against the Rogue, my own against the Crysfiend, in both those instances they were able to use an ability specific to Lia and myself. If Hanna hit the Spirit of Fire with one of her own…
I slammed my fist onto the table, screaming into projection on the table. “That won’t work— it’s using the explosion as fuel for something!”
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But I don’t think they heard me.
Shrill screams, like a broken gas pipe, erupted from the demon of flames. The fire of its body collected behind its back before the sprawling wisps finally took a recognizable form.
“Wings?!” scorned Hanna. “And since when does living FIRE need WINGS?”
“Now’s not the time, we need to take cover!”
“Not if we take it down first!”
“Machina, don’t!” cried Lia. But ignoring her command, Lord Machina rushed in with sword drawn before Ifnielis hurled himself into the air, the black smoke spreading and enveloping the teal Slayer and everything around it. Through the eyes of Hanna, Lia, and Meredith, those of us inside the Redoubt saw Ifnielis rise into the air, the explosion in his hands growing larger with each pulse of flame that pumped into his fingers.
“Annika.” snapped the Commander. “Activate the Redoubt’s barrier defense system— every layer, every wall.”
“Yes ma’am!”
“Let me go help them.”
“No.” she said in a tone that didn’t sound unlike Chelsea’s. It made me stop walking almost involuntarily. “With four Slayers already there you’d only add to the chaos. Moreover, you’re still on probation, so you stay. That’s an order.”
She left no room for discussion. I tried to think of anything to say in response, but the adrenaline in my system wasn’t letting me think— adrenaline coming from listening to their voices.
“Pull back, get behind my shield!”
“I can’t— this smoke’s too thick! And the heat fried my navigation module!”
“Machina, pull back NOW!” spat Hanna, repeating Lia’s order. But as she did, a dark purple Slayer bolted past her, diving into the black smoke.
“MERIDIA!”
“He can’t find his way out, I’ll evacuate him— just get behind Lia!”
The workstation suddenly dimmed as I turned around to see the hangar shutting tight; layers upon layers of thick iron walls sealed the open roof, leaving nothing but industrial white light to illuminate the hangar.
“There’s no time, Hanna— get behind me!”
“……tch…!”
With grit teeth, Hanna crouched beneath Lelvedere who raised the shield above them. Her exhalations were audible as she steadied herself, and with a sudden yell, spun the small bulwark, running cyan colored electricity through it. The result was a shield that resembled more of a fan than anything, gyrating at high speeds beneath the scream of Ifnielis.
And scream it did.
“BRACE!”
Like a newborn child, the sound of his wails carried into the Redoubt as a shower of light erupted from above it, exploding like a colossal firework— it was almost beautiful. The way the fire spread like an apocalypse across the sky and onto the earth. I wasn’t sure whether the ground beneath Skull Beach fissured as pieces of flame the size of oak trees collided into it, all I could register were Faylin’s tears on my arm as I held her close, crouched down, using my legs to push my body against the sturdy workbench.
For some reason the connection with Lia and Hanna was still audible, but I could only somewhat make out Meridia’s voice, lost beneath Hanna’s curses. I forced my eyes to open, taking in the visuals projected atop the worktable; Lia had the right idea to spin the shield. The hail of burning embers dissipated and weakened, but it was hard to stop what looked like molten metal. A thick bout of flame seared the air, smashing into the hangar in a massive fissure that finally caused me to lose balance; part of it must’ve hit the shield domes, because from the ground I saw liquid slag drip from the steel casing, collecting into a pool in the middle of the hangar.
And someone, thrown across the floor from the rumbling earth, fell face first into it.
*SSSSIIIIEEEEEEEEHH*
With a final ear-piercing wail, the demon of fire flew higher, dragging smoke behind it while gliding over the ocean, forcing mass amounts of steam to rise from its surface.
“Commander!” screamed a voice as soon as she was able. “Meridia and Machina aren’t responding!”
“We’ll handle them.” she said, collecting herself off the floor. Hair fell down the unmarked side of her face, making her look particularly frightening as she gave her orders. “You were told to not let him escape. Lia, Hanna, follow him.”
“Is this really the best—”
“His presence was unnatural, even for a Spirit of Fire.” she said without patience. “You need to be there, more so since you had a Forecast about him since I suspect that he may actually…”
She shook her head, mentally cutting off the train of thought.
“If your Slayers are undamaged then go! Before his Resonance trail goes cold!”
“Understood!”
Lia hoisted her shield from the air, bolting towards the beach before turning back.
“Hanna?”
“Hanna, are your comms operational? I said you’re joining Lia, without delay!”
The pink and blue Slayer remained on the ground, uninjured, but unresponsive. It was only when Lia was about to speak that her radio clicked alive.
“…gch………understood.”
Her mecha, easily dwarfing the Redoubt proper in height, rose from the sand— fine particles falling like dust. In no time at all she joined Lia on the shoreline before both their Flight systems activated, and in a few seconds, became no more than scintillating lights in the fading daylight.
“Annika,” posited the Commander, not bothering to move the hair out of her face. “A report on the state of the Redoubt.”
“O-Of course, though mercifully it looks like—”
“Anon.” she said, and I snapped my head towards her. But whether in obedience, urgency, or fear, I couldn’t say. “Leave the girl here, I have questions for her.”
“But what—”
“Ifnielis’ appearance always means one thing.” she said, interrupting me. “So find Chelsea, this order is for the both of you.”
———————————————————————————————————————
The destruction was obvious enough in the midst of it, but it was much easier to see its consequences from miles away. Terrible, beautiful aftermath— the kind only destruction can create. Molten pits of fire were etched into the ground, slowly turning the surrounding desert into giant mounds of glass.
The fragmented pieces reflected light onto the Redoubt, showing that the fire had also attached itself to its walls and atop the iron dome. Lia knew it was liquified metal dripping down the sides of the partitions, but the smelted red color only made her think that it truly looked as though the Redoubt was bleeding.
“You should turn around,” said the voice flying next to her. “Looking back won’t help.”
“How far is it going to go?” she said, taking Hanna’s advice and turning to face the horizon before them. “To run across the other side of the ocean…”
“That’s why we’re chasing it. To show up, attack the base, and retreat,” she seethed, “I’m almost impressed. I didn’t think Outsiders could be so cowardly.”
Even if they were separated by their mechas, Lia could perfectly picture Hanna’s expression.
“……it’s not your fault you know.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The bomb. You couldn’t have known, especially not since the Outsiders have been more and more unusual lately.”
“Hah, so what? You have Empathetic Connect now too?”
“Well,” she said, hesitating with a smile, “truthfully I think you’re just easy for me to read.”
“Spare me.” she scoffed, in response to Lia’s light laughter. It was through her bouts of small mirth that the atmosphere between them gradually softened, though Hanna’s eyes remained forward, tracing the Resonance left behind by Ifnielis. “How’d you even do that?”
“How…you mean the shield?”
“You ran a current through it— I knew you were working on the magnetizing part of Electromaster, but when did you end up getting so far with it?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘far,’” she said with a wry smile, “but I can’t fall behind Anon, what with you training him and all.”
“………………”
“Sorry?” she said, purposefully flying closer to Hanna. “Come again?”
“…I just had experience with what he needed is all.”
“Hmm, is that so? Well don’t treat him too harshly.”
“How can I with you coddling him all the time?!”
Lia’s joy sounded in Hanna’s ear, much to her chagrin. “Just give me an answer already! How far along are you with that?”
“Admittedly not very far. Don’t worry, you won’t lose your status as the third strongest in Skull Beach anytime soon.”
“That’s hardly noteworthy enough to be called a worry.”
“…well, it’s also because of my Forecasts.” she said, returning Hanna’s sincerity with her own. “This Outsider, Ifnielis…I saw him just this afternoon, after we’d eaten. Normally there’s more of a warning, and the fact this was so sudden…”
“The Commander mentioned you had one about him.”
“He’s a well-known folk tale, apparently; Commander Meredith said the domed cities speak of him to scare children into not wandering off. Resonators with the Forecast ability often see him at least once, but I, having grown up as a nomad, never did.”
“Yeah, I remember the stories.”
“You do?”
“…………hey……”
Hanna only spoke after a few long seconds of silence. Seconds that weighed heavy on her heart.
She asked what was wrong, but it was only out of politeness. Even without a Forecast, she knew the question on her friend’s mind.
“I…how can you talk so easily with her? When I see her, even after all this time I……”
In silence, Lia closed her eyes— Hanna was finally to ask the question she had prepared for. The roar of their Flight systems had long since left their focus, becoming nothing more than noise in the background as Lia thought of her answer. “Easily, huh…” The light of the sun had just barely touched above the line of the horizon, yet the glow of stars reflected in the passing waves beneath them. “It was never easy, but now I…I think it’s because I like the idea that people don’t simply pass once.”
“Pass..?”
“I’ve been thinking lately that it hurts to have someone close to you go. But…doesn't it hurt more if you act like you don’t remember them at all? Maybe that’s why we remember…even when we try not to.”
“…………”
“It may spare us pain, it does spare us pain, but I’ve recently learned that people really do die twice. And I don’t want to let Akane pass a second time.”
“That’s just a load of—!”
“I—!” she said, forcefully cutting off her friend, “will do everything I can so that the world can see flowers bloom. On my pride as a Resonator, I’ll erase that Outsiders’ story from this world— I’ll grant both deaths to that demon Ifnielis!”
Lights flashed in the eyes of the Slayer pilots, the white of the pads quickly turning red as a rocky shore with low plateaus and stone arches became visible in the distance. Shallow river channels separated the stone, but beneath a particularly large archway was fire congregating in mass, taking on a vaguely humanoid shape and screeching at the pursuers that had chased him across an ocean.
“Spirit of Fire in sight! ETA fifteen seconds!”
“Break!”
Hanna and Lia maneuvered to the left and right as a massive fireball was hurled in the space between them. The sound of evaporating water hissed as Ifnielis prepared another, but different in appearance.
“So long as we keep moving we’ll have the…wait, that’s not a fireball!”
“Lia, hit the shore!”
Retracting her Flight module, Lelvedere tucked into a ball as she gracefully landed on the shore, sliding atop smoothened pieces of stone as she turned back to see two massive bursts of fire. One where she had just been, and another—
“Hanna!”
As if answering her cry, Hell’s Belle emerged through the blast, dragging smoke behind her. She tackled the shore, using forward momentum to glide across the thick gravel and spread the damage throughout the entirety of her Slayer. Miraculously, she looked completely unharmed.
“Lo and behold,” she snided, “he’s got Concussive Flames now too.”
“Another copycat…”
“Incoming!”
Lia quickly reached for her shield, holding it in front of her as a barrage of flames and small explosions sent stone shrapnel flying. Seeing Hanna dive behind her, the two retreated through an archway leading behind a small plateau— just big enough to cover the both of them.
“It’s standing out in the open, and not making as much smoke as before,” Lia said, shutting one of her eyes as a particularly large blast shook their cover. “Between the arches, rivers, and the elevation of this place, there’s plenty of cover we can use to get close.”
“We’ll pincer it.” Hanna said, drawing her blade. “Most of the cover is closest to the shore while the far side is pretty open— gunfire won’t do much, but I need you to cover me while I loop around to kill it. I’ll expose myself as much as possible to draw some of the heat off you.”
“In that case, here.”
Lia slung the white and pink shield off her forearm, offering it to Hanna who merely shook her head.
“Keep it.”
“But—”
“Don’t forget which of us here is the one with Dreadnought Armor.” she said with a sardonic smile Lia could almost see through the radio. “I can’t leave my junior in combat experience defenseless, can I? And besides, I can take the blowback of my own explosions; if this thing hits me, I’ll be fine— can’t say the same for you.”
Lia had to admit it was a compelling argument and tried to think of something against it. Going for the kill is riskier? She already has cover in the form of the terrain? But she knew none of it was any good, and in the end, was forced to concede to Hanna’s plan.
“Fine…”
“Oh don’t pout.”
“I’m not pouting!”
“You’re so stubborn!”
“You’re the last person I want to hear that from!”
“You’re so childish sometimes!” Hanna said, peeking around the corner of the plateau. The fire demon hurled its projectile high, reaching over the cover, but overshot— striking the shore instead. “Still not smoking, and daylight’s faded for the most part.” she said, nodding to the last rays of sun stretching above the horizon. “Use thermal imaging if it helps you aim easier.”
“It’s hard to miss the moon illuminating a ‘sorry excuse for a bonfire.’”
Hanna turned back around. Though neither one could see the other’s face, both Lia and Hanna knew that the other had a smile on her face— one coming from the confidence each had in the other.
“Ready?”
In silence, Lia reached for the massive weapon that had been hanging from her back alongside her new shield. Unlatching it, she grabbed one of the magazines sprouting from a glowing compartment on the side of her hip, and loaded the ammo into what Hanna recognized as Lelvedere’s signature weapon— a snow white bolt rifle. Latching the shield on her back, she pulled back the handle, and the first round entered the chamber with a satisfying *click*.
The world became still as the redhead closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself. And before Hanna could say anything, she suddenly jolted them open as she grabbed the top of the plateau, using her thrusters to flip herself backwards and upwards, a pink and white Slayer illuminated by the soft glow of the first rays of moonlight.
“Ready!”
The first shot rang loud as Ifnielis’ attention was immediately directed towards the girl in the air. The bullet passed through his torso with devastating speed— if she didn’t know any better, she would’ve believed the shot to be useless. But its screams let her know that, though it didn’t bleed, that didn’t mean it wasn’t hurt.
*IIIIEEFNIIIIIIIIIIIIII*
It raised a hand, the sheer activation speed of Concussive Flames partially offset the Spirit of Flame’s weakness of moving hitting targets, but it still wasn’t enough— Lia could feel the wave of heat above her, but it was far from lethal. As she landed on the top of the plateau, she dove behind an archway as another explosion rang out where she stood moments ago. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hanna sprinting through gorges and pillars with incredible agility.
“Cover me for a sec!”
Hanna responded to her call, shooting a hail of bullets at the living fire while weaving through the terrain like a playground.
Lia quickly holstered the rifle on her back, removing the shield to hold it with her right hand while a compartment on Lelvedere’s calf opened— revealing a massive submachine gun she grabbed with her left.
“Get into position!”
As Lelvedere sprinted towards Ifnielis, she just managed to dodge a fireball aimed at her by sliding atop one of the mesas; she could see Hanna almost opposite of her, nearly in position to jump onto the isolated plateau Ifnielis stood on. Perhaps the Outsider sensed her gaze, perhaps it sensed something was wrong— either way, when it turned to look at Hanna, and back to Lia, it was too late.
“I’ll erase your name from memory, Ifnielis.”
The darkening night was suddenly illuminated by the bright muzzle flash of a cascade of smaller caliber bullets battering its body every second. It hissed, screeched, and wailed— recoiling in pain and unaware as Hanna leapt onto a stone pillar, breaking it in two as she jumped off it and right above the Spirit of Fire.
“Should’ve stuck to scaring kids, idiot!”
Lia watched as Hanna bellowed. And heard, as her bellows turned into a gasp.
A gasp that caused her to falter as she reached Ifnielis.
Her sword went wide, dismembering one of the fire demon’s arms instead of dissecting its body as it wretched. Lia was about to ask what was wrong before the radio in her ear clicked alive.
“CIVILIANS BELOW THE PLATEAU— GRAB THEM!”
Almost not believing her ears, Lia immediately activated her infrared imaging, spotting a group of two people watching the battle in horror. She sprinted towards them, delicately and swiftly grabbing them and retreating towards the shore as Hanna battled Ifnielis atop the plateau behind her.
“Stay here!” she ordered, and was about to return to the fight when…
“…Lia?”
A voice stopped her.
“Lia…oh my, is that you Lia dear?”
A voice from three years ago.
She turned around, and whereas the voice of a woman spoke the first time, it was the elderly man’s voice next to her that spoke next.
“It has to be…that voice. Even the mecha looks like her somehow…”
Her heart was racing. She was aware of the sounds of clashing behind her, but somehow couldn't avoid seeing the faces of the people so tiny below her.
“Chief…and……Miss Firtha…?”
*BEEEEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEEEP*
“The alarm— more of them?!”
“Hanna, get out of there, I’m picking up three on radar coming fast!”
But it was too late. As Lia ran back towards the plateau, Ifnielis’ wings returned. He took to the skies— the glow of his body mingling beautifully with the silver moon as he raised his arm like a ravaged lunatic. And in response, a gargantuan ring of crimson flame was born around the plateau, surrounding Hanna in walls of flame as thick as their Slayers were tall.
From a distance Lia saw Ifnielis lift the Outsiders, ignoring the burns searing their skin and welcoming the ring. Like blood-starved executioners.
“Hah……I have to say, three to one is too barbaric, even for me.”
“H-Hanna…”
“Lia.” her friend said with a calm that scared her to death. “Take them…and leave me here.”