Arc 2: Noble City IXS

Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihon-koku Shoukan as it belongs to its rightful owners.

Arc 2: A City, A Diplomacy A Dragon

Noble City IXS: Retreat, Fight & Plan

She marveled at the unexpected opportunity that had presented itself. It was a rare find, a weapon not commonly seen throughout the land, and she couldn't believe it was now hers to wield, But not before erasing the ones who tried to take it.

"So this is that man's weapon."

"Hmmm... Strange. it resembles the designs of a crossbow, but it is very different altogether."

"Hehe, I guess this is what they use nowadays! A weapon for jesters!"

The group of Wyvern knights laughed as they examined the strange thick weapon with three big holes at the tip. A very unusual weapon indeed, which led them to wonder if this could actually take down a powerful monster.

It felt out of place yet this was certainly intriguing, not just for them but the whole kingdom as well.

However, they did know that this would be their last chance to get a hold of it.

As they stood frozen and distracted, a glimmer caught their attention, and within moments a small glowing object appeared in front of them. It was a materia, and it pulsated with an eerie energy that filled the air. Suddenly, it exploded with a deafening blast that left them reeling. The force of the explosion was so intense that it ripped through their bodies, leaving nothing but a cloud of shimmering blue particles in its wake.

Despite its power, rumors had reached her of even more formidable weapons from the north, and she couldn't help but wonder what other secrets lay hidden in the vast seas and mysterious regions besides Rodenius.

The weapon itself was spared, as a certain bunny woman immediately grabbed it and headed toward the area where the recent battle was taking place.

XXXXXXXXX

As he watched the beast take hold of the black crystal, he felt a creeping sense of dread settle over him. It was at that moment that he realized the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

"Do you think I could be controlled that easily!?"

He heard the beast speak for the first time.

Luscious eyes widened before taking a short glance at the young lady, who seemingly looked innocent and confused.

He wanted to say those words "What have you done?" Yet it didn't even come to fruition.

His conscience took over.

"Rory." He eyed the girl as if to tell her that they had little time left.

As soon as he made eye contact with her, she knew exactly what he was thinking. She let out a sly grin and reached for her weapon. They took off together, leaving the tense situation behind before it could escalate any further.

When the dark dragon sensed their presence leaving, it roared again.

"Nobody escapes my wrath!"

Less than a second it unleashed a powerful shockwave by smashing the ground and its deal flames eventually attempted to chase the two.

The dragon's laughter echoed across the land as it reveled in its newfound strength. With an outstretched arm, it unleashed a torrent of energy that ripped the remaining shreds of darkness from every corner of the district.

Specifically, the wild and dark dragons that were born from it and that caused most of the chaos earlier.

The invisible force dragged every single one of them in every street and all entered and merged with the body of the larger corrupted beast.

Every second passed...its power grew more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She knew had no choice but to get up and continue the fight.

Everything that has transpired until now is rooted in the deep struggles that she had encountered.

She received the title of guardian and was hailed as a protector of her homeland.

The mother dragon felt disgusted upon learning the abomination that took a life of its own.

Despite knowing that her chances of survival were slim, she refused to give up hope. She was determined to buy enough time for everyone to evacuate the entire city safely before the inevitable destruction.

The Flame Dragon rose from the ground to face the enemy, who was still gathering power.

Her eyes focused both on it and her little offspring who was still recovering.

With her power growing, she summoned more strength, causing flames to radiate and engulf her. As the intensity of the fire increased, she charged forward with determination and purpose.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Come on! You gotta hurry!"

Yuji tried his best to help the little dragon as the creature was still recovering from the sudden burst of energy from the dark dragon.

"You can do it! Just a little bit more!"

Little Foot was surprised but appreciated the man's genuine intentions.

The fact that he only just met him not long ago.

He growled back in response as he attempted to push himself back up amidst the still-strong wind resulting from the shockwave.

However, as time continued, the gigantic beast noticed their presence.

"Shit!" Yuji exclaimed to himself, a bit frustrated by the bad timing.

"Nobody will escape!" The dark beast roared once more, making another attempt to grab both of them.

As the little creature tried to stand, he noticed that the wind was getting stronger, preventing it from fully standing. He then projected an advanced form of magic that subtly controlled and brought the force of the wind toward him.

Little Foot, the small and scrappy young dragon, let out a low, guttural growl as he tried with all his might to resist the overpowering force that was tugging at him. Despite the intense pressure, he kept his fierce gaze locked on the massive, dark beast that loomed before him, refusing to back down or show any signs of fear.

Yuji's mind was clouded with confusion as he tried to come up with a logical solution to their current predicament. However, his thoughts were limited and he found himself dwelling on mere possibilities that may not even be feasible - such as harnessing the power of the white crystal's magic, which he knew nothing about. To make matters worse, the strong force emanating from an unknown source was causing him to lose his balance and struggle to remain grounded.

It was like being in the center of a terrible hurricane.

Luckily, Little Foot used his wing to reach out to him, and the man grabbed a part of his wings, thus preventing him from being blown by the strong winds.

By then, the dark beast was keen on ending this once and for all and proceeded to grab them. But by the time his massive claws were reaching both of them, a familiar presence entered the scene and tackled the dark beast itself, which was sent towards a distance.

Everything stopped by that moment as Little Foot was able to recover.

"Hey, your mom is a lifesaver." Yuji chuckled as he was able to successfully resist not being blown away.

Little Foot gave a subtle, proud smirk before turning toward her beloved mother

The small dragon stared at the larger dragon with concern etched on his face. He growled softly as if trying to convey that they needed to work together to defeat their opponent. The bigger dragon looked back with a gentle expression, her eyes conveying a sense of reassurance and calmness. It was as if she was telling him that they were a team and everything was under control, despite the challenges they faced.

The flame dragon simply nodded.

Now was the best time to escape again.

Little Foot was hesitant initially, as he didn't want to leave her again.

He wanted to help this time and defeat the enemy alongside her. He dreamed of taking up the mantle as guardian of mountains someday.

However, the bigger dragon gave him another look, indicating that she was serious about this.

"Hey...I think she's right." Yuji remarked as he placed a hand on the latter, giving him an encouraging smile.

At that very moment, the enemy finally recovered and soon charged at the Flame Dragon, summoning waves of dark energy.

Little Foot had no choice, but before leaving again along with the mortal... he took one last glance at her...though, he made a promise to himself that he would come back.

XXXXXXXXXXX

It was a shock to many.

To be able to sneak up from behind and pull out a move that could be considered a clever, cheap shot.

Parna did the unthinkable when she immediately pulled the trigger without any hesitation.

The weapon, which she was able to acquire not long ago, unleashed a powerful blast that directly hit the back of the commander.

The result of the blast unleashed a wave of energy orbs due to the magic engraved into its small, round bullets.

The scene was morbid.

She saw the man's head...A large part of it is blown into bits leaving a crater shaped like a crescent moon.

"Is it all over?" She asked herself afterward.

However, her eyes suddenly caught the image of a certain redhead, who found herself falling toward the open skies.

"Your Highness!" Parna exclaimed as she tried to catch up, but at the same time, she suddenly found herself being grabbed in the throat by the same person she shot.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"He's dead! How could he...?"

As if the man brushed off her attempt and gave a grin.

"How confident you are..."

Parna struggled along with the wyvern that she was riding.

"You won't escape this painful death!" The man exclaimed as multiple roars were heard from all sides.

She more enemy knights heading in their direction.

Parna gritted her teeth in frustration and desperation.

The man's hands were too powerful much to his surprise but in the midst of that, she was able to find a simple way for a distraction.

The bunny woman then forcefully dropped a materia into mid-air but was to use her feet as she kicked the materia heading towards the mouth of the enemy wyvern.

Not long after, the magic activated thus the wyvern was suddenly overwhelmed with strong energy, and as a result, his stomach exploded, causing the man to lose balance and let the woman go.

Parna immediately directed the wyvern away from the area as the enemy wyverns began to follow suit and hunt her once again.

However, this time she knew where she was headed next.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The flamboyancy was definitely strong right now.

Even with new people, the second-in-command never let go of his usual hunch.

"Chase that girl and bring her down!"

His orders remain the same, confident that she could be even eliminated.

Yet, he wasn't aware that an apostle such as her could be worse given the situation at hand.

He fully believed that the powers of dark forces which Adem and his goons possessed, could easily destroy her in no time.

"Execute the formation!"

He exclaimed, barking his order as the imperial knights positioned themselves and the wyverns unleashed flames that spun around and resembled a giant whirling tornado.

One of their strongest moves that defeating the rivaling elite wyvern riders hailing from powerful kingdoms or even mercenaries in the past.

Giselle was indeed greeted by an overwhelming force of energy as the attack attempted to cover all of her surroundings, which could prevent her from finding an escape.

Although, she already had a plan in mind.

She was caught in the midst of a chaotic whirlwind, formed by the wyverns, resembling a tornado. The wyverns moved in unison, like an octopus, with their tentacles extending towards her, trying to grasp her tightly. Each tentacle was made up of multiple wyverns, their mouths constantly spewing flames that added to the confusion and danger of the situation.

The draconian apostle then commanded Mowto and Towato to split up immediately and redirect the attention to the massive spectacle of an abomination.

"There's no use in escaping!"

"You will die here, girl!"

The second-in-command could be heard taunting her, alongside the laughs of other wyvern knights, who were bonded together in that giant mass.

"The dark powers of his excellency will devour you if you don't surrender yourself!" He added more, confident that this would destroy her esteem.

Yet that was not the case.

His attention had been drifting away.

He had multiple eyes to monitor the girl and her two subordinates.

Every tentacle that stretched forth was taking over their path, and closing on them.

The sky was filled with the sound of beating wings as the wyverns and their knights flew in formation. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant red orb shot through the sky and collided with the side of the group, creating a massive hole. The impact was so powerful that it instantly killed many of the wyverns and their knights. It was a devastating attack that no one could have foreseen.

The second in command was greeted by surprise.

Then came from the left, another giant yellow orb emerged from the clouds that dealt another damage which slowed them down.

"W-What is this!?" He exclaimed, demanding the known answers.

He thought that the dragons were already cornered in those small areas. Though, in truth was all just a ruse.

As the fierce battle raged on, the two colossal orbs that had been hovering in the air suddenly began to emit a brilliant glow. It became clear that these were Mowto and Towato themselves, imbued with the magical energy that granted them incredible strength, lightning-fast speed, unmatched agility, and immense power to vanquish their adversary.

However, who were the ones that they had been chasing all this time?

"What!? How's that impossible!?"

The flamboyant captain widened his eyes in surprise when the two supposed dragons, that they were chasing disintegrated into the air...revealing them to just mere illusions.

A product of a particular rare magic.

Then there was the Draconian Apostle herself... Emerging from above the dark clouds with a surprise for him.

While the illusion magic took effect, Giselle began to gather an immense amount of mana. She hovered above, waiting patiently as her power grew stronger. Finally, she descended with her weapon in hand, which now appeared ten times larger than before. The weapon glimmered and shone with a golden aura of magic that was so bright, it nearly blinded her twisted enemies.

"Caught you off guard huh?" The young woman smirked as her weapon descended even more...finally making her move.

The air crackled with energy as the second-in-command braced himself for the impending attack. With gritted teeth, he charged towards the towering figure wielding a massive glowing scythe. Despite the odds stacked against him, he refused to back down. He had faith in the dark powers that had been bestowed upon him and his allies, and he was determined to stand his ground.

He tried to create and force more gigantic tentacles and sent more groups of wyverns to detach in order to subdue her before she could do anything.

"No one is stronger than us!" He screamed again.

Adding more types of attacks, such as commanding a huge chunk of the gather on their own and forming another dark mass that would act as a shield.

"You will all bow down to him!"

He never let himself nor the army be overtaken by their own doubts.

This was their chance to achieve their goal.

At the critical moment, the weapon came into contact with the dark whirlwind mass, and the force of the impact was immediate and overwhelming. The apostle had summoned an immense power that seemed to consume everything in its path. The weapon of the enemy was no match for this kind of incredible force, and in a matter of seconds, it was completely dismantled and sliced in half.

The majority of those wyvern knights evaporated into the air becoming one with the blueish essence.

There was bit of silence that emerged.

Giselle felt a huge chunk of her mana being drained, yet she knew she could recover in time for the next big challenge ahead.

Mowto and Towato rushed to their master once the battle was over and the young woman patted them both on the head with a smile.

However, the celebration was short as they all felt a sudden burst of intense energy that came from the east.

By then, two huge silhouettes of the dark dragon and the flame dragon could be seen battling out to the death.

Giselle could sense the dragon's pleas for help and she knew she had to act swiftly.

It wasn't long after that she realized that time was running out.

XXXXXXXXX

Escaping the battlegrounds was a good decision, to begin with.

As Little Foot and Yuji made their way towards the western district, a sense of eerie silence descended upon them. It was the first time they had encountered such a profound stillness, and it left a palpable weight in the air. Signs of life began to emerge as they drew closer to the border, and the destruction wrought by the invasion was noticeably less prevalent than in other areas.

The shophouses and the streets were still in their complete state yet almost everything had been deserted, similar to the eastern district where there almost were no signs of life with the exception of death that could be occasionally seen.

Yuji had been observing his surroundings ever since they have escaped. Despite trying his best to be calm, he could still feel that paranoia in him.

A small close encounter with death in the form of those dark twisted dragons had made him even more cautious, to the point he reloaded his handgun with the remaining ammo he possessed.

When they got closer to the district, his mind immediately shifted toward the offspring himself.

He was quiet...Too quiet and the way he moved as if he was just trying to force himself to flee as fast he could, even though his own heart desired to help her mother.

"Hey big guy!" Yuji called out, enough for the latter to catch his attention." I know it's tough to make decisions like this, but trust me your mom wants the best for you."

Little Foot didn't respond but instead halted his tracks enough for the young man to fall off the ground...safely.

"Hey! That's not funny you know." He then said looking at the dragon, who seemed to be slightly sulking.

He growled back as he looked away.

The writer recovered back up as he tried to understand him.

"Look, I apologize for whatever I said just now..." He explained, trying to be genuine to the creature with his own opinions." I don't usually follow anyone's decisions but if you want to help your mom then I fully support it."

His statement caused the latter's ears to light up and Little Foot looked back at him with hopeful eyes.

He growled once again.

"Yeah, I know..." Yuji took a deep breath. "If you want to help her...then we must first get some help or use some powerful magical tool to defeat that big guy back there," he explained while the baby dragon listened.

Frustration came back for the first time.

Yuji surveyed the white crystal and the now broken tablet.

These traumatic and life-threatening hours had been too much yet, he realized that running away wasn't the right option.

In the back of his mind, he felt that this Piece of Artifact could still help them but in what way?

Surely, they had to find someone who knew how to use this in whatever magic spell they could produce.

For some reason, he felt compelled to look above and saw several wyverns heading towards a certain direction from the east. Most of them were.

Then in that moment, Little Foot immediately sensed a presence from nearby as he stood up and growled at the young man.

"What...what is it?" Yuji asked, a bit confused though curious about what the beast had just sensed.

Immediately, he found himself being picked up by the dragon himself as they sped their way toward a nearby area.

The location was similar to a street, but instead of the street, Little Foot leaped to the rooftop of an abandoned establishment.

There he waited for the remaining time to last.

"Hey, can you please tell me what's going on?" Yuji asked this time, his confusion growing more until he noticed a shadow looming over them.

When he saw Little Foot looking up, he decided to do the same. His eyes caught a glimpse of a human figure only to realize that they were on a temporary landing site and that the purpose of this was to keep her from falling.

Little Foot reacted as he immediately caught a mysterious person from above as he lay down on the ground facing the sky itself.

Yuji quickly rushed towards them and by the time he got closer...his expression was overwhelmed with disbelief as he recognized the person he was looking at.

"You've got to be kidding me..." He grumbled to himself shortly after recognizing the familiar red-haired girl as the mysterious Princess Pina of the unknown kingdom, whom he had met not long ago.

Not long after, both of them immediately heard the cry of an eagle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yuji? As in Yuji Takamori?"

The name sounded familiar to them. Almost as if it was the one they'd been imagining all this time.

Ine simply nodded." I don't know about that last name but he only addressed himself as Yuji and nothing else." She explained while taking a drink of the plastic water bottle that they provided her.

"Sounds like something he would say." One of the men in green outfits remarked.

Something that made her think the man was related to these men...because their outfits were similar in color and style.

She wanted to tell them a lot.

The whole story of how she ended up in this situation.

Surely, they knew what was going on?

How could they be so calm and collected at this hour?

Were these people braver than she expected them to be?

They were interesting people, to begin with, and she needed to see more of what they could do.

And one quick incident proved all of that.

It started with the cat girl herself...sensing something important.

Screaming out the top of their lungs didn't even help them in their current situation.

That was before they discovered numerous revelations that even they didn't know what to do with them.

Right now, they all choose to remain calm but instead of shouting...they were begging and desperately praying.

Particularly, Tomita, a bit from Furuta, and mostly from the cat girl herself Selina, who did nothing but give all of them more adrenaline, while a certain Qua-Toyne knight could only shake her head in disappointment and embarrassment.

Their wild conversation continued.

Base camp! If you can hear me this is Tomita! We are currently being chased by those wyvern things!"

Being influenced by that adrenaline that the cat girl brought did make him talk to the radio even though, it was still stuck with the same static sounds.

"I told you going this way was a bad idea! Those stupid wyverns were having fun there and now they want to eat us!"

"Who's the one that smelled or sensed that someone is in danger?" Tomita replied as he tried to concentrate on the driving while arguing with her at the same time.

Selina shrugged in return." Well, you're right but I was kinda just overreacting, Nya.." She slightly snickered much to the man's annoyance.

Not long after, Tomita immediately pressed the pedal as the green military vehicle halted its tracks.

By then, they realized that their panicking was for nothing. Furuta was the one to look through the windows and saw the wyverns not chasing them but flocking towards a certain path.

The chef-turned-soldier was also the first one to realize why the young woman from the back seat was just calmer than all of them.

This time Tomita glared at the cat girl...while in return she gave a grin and peace sign.

"Well, you were driving this thing so slow... so I tried my best to make you drive faster hehe." She giggled in return while the man just looked away and cringed.

"So now what?" Furuta entered the conversation and then asked.

By this time, everyone had heard the wyverns' roars, and a massive beam appeared from the spot where they were currently flocking in.

Selina smirked upon recognizing the type of magic being summoned as she pointed in that same direction.

"Prepare your mighty weapons...Men in Green as someone needs our help, Nya!"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She had this feeling for a long time that their short-lived period of peace would disappear quickly.

For this long, she chose to remain vigilant and cautious throughout their journey.

Lelei emerged from the carriage, bringing her staff and leading it above before finally casting a spell through her staff that summoned a magical forcefield that encompassed them.

A surprise appearance or nonetheless...an ambush by deadly wyverns was the last thing she was expecting.

A good and quick decision on her part as the creatures unleashed a series of attacks right after she cast the spell.

The enemy led the charge to overwhelm their surroundings...A line of fire was formed in front of the carriage, preventing it from moving forward. At the same time...they descended closely, looming over them and blocking their view of the skies.

This was their backup plan in the event one of them could be a mage or perhaps a powerful one.

Without wasting any time, Kurata, Shino, and Higashi sprang into action as soon as the situation demanded it. Higashi rushed to the wagon to ensure that the children were safe and sound, taking charge of guarding the area, while Kurata and Shino swiftly reloaded their rifles and kept a watchful eye on the surroundings, ready to take on any potential threats. They knew that the stakes were high and they had no option but to fight till the end.

"I don't understand why this always happens to us?" Shino remarked, a bit annoyed and weary.

Kurata, who came down with her, was more optimistic. "This means we're almost there..." he said. "Every time a quest is about to end, you get hit by a final battle, which means...after we finish these bastards, we can finally reach our destination."

Shino rolled her eyes." What do you mean by destination?" She added." We are right in the middle of nowhere." She tried to bring in some sense to him.

The Otaku soldier continued to grin.

The busty young woman looked away to focus on the more important matters, particularly the mage girl.

"Lelei! Should we try taking down these bastards while that forcefield of yours is still in effect?" She exclaimed.

The young girl heard her and simply nodded." Yes, you can!" She replied." They cannot destroy the barrier that easily." She had extreme confidence for the first time. Before she went out, the merchant was kind and generous enough to provide her with the necessary items to replenish her power.

With her statement giving them the go signal, Shino and Kurata proceeded to fire at the enemies.

The bullets fired from the rifles were proving to be ineffective against the beasts as they were going through the barrier, but they were still managing to cause some damage. Despite the barrage of gunfire, it was taking longer than expected to take down the enemy creatures. Whenever a wyvern was successfully eliminated, its lifeless body would slump down, yet it wouldn't fall to the ground. The barrier appeared to be a physical manifestation of some sort, causing the bodies to slide down towards the other side.

"Keep shooting!" Shino exclaimed, telling everyone not to stop.

However, the main problem was about to rise.

The more they killed...the more the enemy quickly replenished its number as more wyverns began to arrive and continue their attacks from the other sides.

Higashi had to join in the battle as enemy wyverns were now attempting to destroy and break the barrier from that certain side facing the wagon.

While inside the wagon, the children were put into distress once again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's happening again!"

"We are being attacked by those dragons again!"

The elf children were huddling together in the same corner for the third time.

Sara took responsibility as she tried her best to comfort them once again, though not in the way everyone would expect this time around.

"Just calm down guys! Crying is not going to help us." She exclaimed at them, even giving a slightly frustrated expression.

As much as how intense the situation was...the kids had to stay strong and muster up the courage the control their emotions.

Even the elf boy couldn't think of anything that could help alleviate the situation. However, something came up in his mind as he shifted his attention to his childhood friend.

"Tuka." He called out, upon seeing her who seemed to be deep in her thoughts.

As for the elf girl herself, she had already readied the necessary tools that she would take outside. She peeked through the curtains and she saw the huge number of wyverns doing everything that they could to break the dome-shaped magical barrier.

She couldn't believe she was going to do this again, and as if fate had no plans for her to rest.

She was frustrated regarding it, and her desire to eliminate the enemies grew even more. At this point, no one could stop her from fulfilling her goal.

"Tuka...are you okay?" Aldon's voice broke through her thoughts and she turned to see his worried eyes.

With a simple smile, she flicked the curtains and exited the wagon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Higashi was in a slightly terrible spot.

Like the rest of his fellow recon colleagues, he brought his rifle and opened fire towards the beasts that were trying to get in from this certain spot.

As every second passed, the enemy seemed to grow stronger.

The numbers weren't even changing as every wyvern killed, another one would arrive to take the former's spot.

From the middle of the street...his two colleagues were fully occupied by their problems, meaning he had to take care of this on his own.

The man pressed forward...even getting closer to achieve point-blank damage. He aimed directly at the head, intending to remove their eyes which would instantly take away their vision.

For some reason, his strategy worked.

The enemy wyverns were wildly reacted to their eyes being pierced by the strong bullets and It was only a matter of moments before their chests, too, were consumed by the relentless onslaught.

Higashi pushed hard...thinking that he could finish them in no time.

Yet there was a problem...

Since the majority of the small dome was surrounded in all spots, it did give the enemy a slight advantage.

Particularly, the riders themselves.

It turned out that the riders themselves had their mage who was able to cast several spells that accelerated the damage.

As he watched in awe, he realized that the magical forcefield cast by the young mage was even stronger than he had anticipated. He vividly remembered observing her practice her skills back in Alnus base camp. He would often see her manipulate a specific essence that manifested on her staff, pushing it to its limits and creating a unique scenario each time. This particular forcefield was just one example of her incredible abilities, and it left him in utter amazement.

This was just one of them... used to its full potential and worked very well in this scenario.

"Dammit!" Higashi gritted his teeth as he was hesitant to leave his spot...yet a huge part of him was telling him that he should deal with the mages first.

The dark mage himself stood in the middle and alongside the wyvern knights who were responsible for this surprise attack. All were confident that with other foes being distracted by the neverending wyverns, they would be the ones to slay them.

"It's certainly interesting that we stumbled upon this band of unique people."One of the knights remarked.

After they pillaged and looted most of the district, they still want to find and experience the fun of glory and reap their rewards.

"Only one merchant carriage and a Chocobo-driven wagon..." Another comment was made." It's hilarious though I wonder what's the relationship between them?"

"It doesn't matter...I could sense a powerful essence amongst them." The mage shared his thoughts, looking towards the blue-haired teen who was keeping the barrier alive."Perhaps, you people don't need to devour them or kill them this time."

"We could use them for our own goals."

The air changed as the barrier gradually weakened, just as the Japanese man was about to rush toward it. Then, as one wyvern infiltrated their safe zone, a piece of the barrier that the wyverns were attempting to destroy broke.

"Shit!" Higashi cursed as he halted in his tracks. He was about to fire at them when it happened.

He knew he was too late, but he still had to push and defend the wagon, even though, the wyvern was much faster than he was.

To his horror...it moved like a Komodo...slithering its way towards the wagon. His imagination wasn't helping either, how he hated to see a scenario of the children being torn to pieces and eaten alive.

As the wyvern lunged towards the wagon, a brave elf girl stepped out from behind the curtains. With a bow that radiated an ethereal glow, she aimed and fired an arrow that struck the beast right in the mouth. The arrow erupted in a shower of magic, obliterating the wyvern's face and leaving a gruesome mess of blood and flesh in its wake.

It did not stop as more wyverns followed suit and Tuka continued to fire more arrows as the same results kicked in again.

Upon seeing this, Higashi suddenly had a glimmer of hope. With the elf girl holding them off, the recon soldier proceeded to resume his original purpose and went back toward the area with the other culprits.

However, as he turned around, his eyes widened in shock as the mage was able to break a part of the barrier, thus letting the twisted knights inside.

"We're coming for you!"

His instincts quickly took over as he brought up the rifle and started firing at them. But before he could pull the trigger, the mage immediately cast magic as a big thick ice pick materialized in thin air and he commanded to move directly to the man to pierce his heart.

Higashi evaded it by taking a slight dive. By then, he brought up his rifle, aimed at the mage, and pulled the trigger.

The mage instantly went down but the rest of the imperial wyvern knights continued to charge. This time, they were more quicker and intimidating.

Higashi found himself being tackled on the ground, as an imperial knight holding a blade, excitedly drooled over him.

"Finally! I hope you are worthy of devouring!" The enemy laughed.

*Bang*

However, at the same time, the wyvern knight found himself shot in the head by none other than Kurata, who had rushed in to save him.

"Higashi! Get up while I hold them off!" Kurata suggested.

The man quickly grabbed his rifle and he began firing at the enemies, who were now charging at them without any hint of fear.

"Why is it taking longer to kill them!?" His thoughts materialize into words.

The bullets were strong enough, but there was something that the Otaku had noticed.

"Their Health Points! It has increased somehow." Kurata explained as he shoved his rifle into a wyvern knight's face.

"What are you talking about?"

He looked at him seriously.

"It means that something powerful might have made them a bit harder to kill!"

"Like a power boost from some evil force or something like that..."

Higashi was a bit confused, yet the latter's explanation do have a point. They're going to need to raise their game on this one.

"Come on guys! Focus! We can beat them!" Shino entered the conversation." Just keep shooting until they are in hell!"

Her confidence was just unwavering.

Yet, whatever they do to alleviate their situation, it still wouldn't be enough as things would be more complicated.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

I told you...if you let me off these magical charms then I will help you save them."

Elrena was getting annoyed.

The interrogation had been going so forth that not even the current situation at hand could stop it.

She was receiving more questions yet at some point, she found herself getting weary of it.

Terra stood there still doubtful and a bit hesitant about placing full trust in her. All this time, He had suspected that the young lady was not even serious in the beginning. Yet, this was different.

As if she was forcing her way out through a set of emotions.

"Could she be telling the truth?" He asked himself, trying to figure out what this girl wanted to do.

Her annoyed cute face also somehow showed a desire for freedom was also the light.

"Oh please...I would do everything in my power to help you and your friends." She pleaded once again, this time in a sarcastic manner." Besides...I do want to get to know all of you." She added, showing genuine interest.

Another playful wink the familiar spirit had received.

Terra was getting annoyed, he hated conflict from within his mind, and yet...He wanted to believe that she would keep her promise.

Eventually, He gave in much to his frustration.

"Fine!" Before he looked away, he raised both his hands and finally disabled the magic that had bound the blonde.

By then..an excited grin escaped from the young woman's lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lelei almost staggered as she could feel the enemies' overwhelming attacks from all sides of the dome barrier.

When the first two spots were finally breached, the teenage mage tried her best to put more extra mana to rebuild the large damages, and yet the enemy had already made the breach and entered their small territory.

In a manner that could be considered a swarm, there was hardly any organized charge with the wyverns and their knights. All were scattered from their positions but had the same intent of slaughtering them all.

Lelei's eyes widened with determination as she swiftly executed a defensive move, unleashing a piece of the essence from her barrier towards the enemy zone. With lightning-fast reflexes, she deftly manipulated the essence into a powerful force that slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact. In a matter of moments, the earth erupted, engulfing several knights and wyverns in a flurry of chaos. The essence transformed into massive roots that took the form of a massive hand, crushing everything in its path into tiny bits. Lelei stood her ground, unflinching and ready for whatever came next.

Soon, the blue-haired mage found herself having the responsibility of defending their zone and resisting the enemy, which also increased her chances of draining her mana fast. Even though she had the supplies, she still needed to manage every materia she used, so that it won't be a waste.

By then, the enemy had taken notice and realized that she was the source as they redirected their attention to her.

Then her worries for her friends rose.

Tuka and The Men In Green...They were slowly being overwhelmed and she couldn't bear to witness a possible slaughter.

How many magic crystals and runes she had left?

Maybe she could cast that spell and summon a big group of golems to aid them, but it would take too much time and energy to do so.

So many plans and strategies and every one of them would be effective if she only had more time.

At this point, the enemy was closing in.

"Stay close to each other!"

"Don't let them get to you!"

Shino had been telling the rest.

As for their side, they had to conserve their ammo if they would want to fight again.

The air was filled with the deafening roars of the wyverns and the battle cries of the knights charging towards them. The street had turned into a battleground, and the once peaceful landscape was now a scene straight out of the apocalypse. Blood splattered on the ground, and the bodies of knights and wyverns alike were flying in every direction.

Yet still, their onslaught never halted.

Overtime...hope was fading away and the battle was slowly being taken advantage of by the enemy.

"The wagon! Keep the children safe at all costs!"

Higashi heard Shino voicing out her concerns and it reminded him of his original objective, triggering him to rush towards the wagon. When he got closer to the spot, He noticed the Chocobo could be seen on the ground covering itself due to fear.

He could hear the cries of the children from the inside, and that made him even more determined to eliminate them.

However, the man started to fire at the knights who were trying to sneak in. A huge shadow loomed over him as he turned to face a wyvern, which decided to take flight and attempted to swoop down to bite him.

Higashi's world slowed down and for a few moments his own body froze and his mind went blank.

He realized that he had just gotten himself close to death once again.

He didn't know what to do or think.

For the first time, he felt helpless.

Yet, unbeknownst to him, a light emerged from the merchant's carriage, and the next thing he knew, a certain blonde clad in dark brown robes stood in front of him, quickly decapitating the wyvern's head with a unique curved blade that resembled a hook.

His life was saved and he almost dropped his rifle on the ground upon seeing something out from anime and fiction coming to real life.

The blonde young woman smirked.

"If you already got someone in your life...then don't stare at me like that.

The way she relayed her words.

It sounded so sassy.

By then, his world came back to normal speed as the battle continued. The blonde proceeded to take down more of the wyverns as she managed to draw a huge number of attention to her.

Higashi came to his senses as he gripped his rifle again and began firing at the knights, who were trying to get hold of the wagon.

The battle went on with no indication of who was winning, but it did produce some excellent teamwork among the Recon members and the rest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tuka was taken by surprise when the girl from before appeared in the middle of the battle.

She was initially vigilant and cautious, believing that something had happened inside the merchant's carriage that had resulted in her escape. Her suspicions were confirmed when she witnessed her killing the wyverns and knights.

The blonde woman who killed the boy...was suddenly helping them and even protecting the wagon where the children were currently residing.

It was mostly confusion that took over for her but she began to notice how the young woman fought.

With experience and finesse.

Evading every attack and then going for a smooth and sneaky kill.

Alongside her brutality and merciless approach of dealing with the enemy.

The decapitated heads and necks of both knights and wyverns rolled on the ground.

The fact that she was doing this with ease.

She was beaming from ear to ear the entire time and showed no indication of fear.

This inspired and motivated her more as she continued to fight the enemies who were charging towards are from all sides. With several swift leaps, she landed on the backs of the wyverns, unleashing a barrage of arrows aimed at their vulnerable spots. As she descended, she turned her attention to the knights, deftly using her small blade to render them powerless.

Her own battle continued.

Yet, in the middle of that...her attention shifted toward the barrier as it was slowly weakening, which led her to realize that a certain blue-haired mage needed assistance right away.

But a couple of wyverns prevented that when they attempted to ambush the elf girl from both sides once more, which they ultimately failed to do.

Tuka leaped away drew out more arrows and started firing them away against the creatures that tried to pursue her once again.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Terra arrived at the scene, He saw the current status of the fight which was very much chaotic and violent.

He saw the blonde who had surprisingly...kept her promise of helping them and he also noticed the mage still pushing out effort to combat the enemy at the same time.

As soon as the enemy hoard charged toward them, his first instinct was to protect the mage girl. Without a moment's hesitation, he began to cast a spell, summoning a powerful white shockwave that pushed back the majority of the enemies. The mage girl was given precious seconds to regain her footing and prepare for the next wave of attacks.

"Lelei! Are you alright?" He asked.

The teen gave a glance." Don't worry about me, the others are struggling...we need to help them." She explained.

Then his attention went towards the others...and the girl was not wrong.

Despite their valiant efforts...the enemy continued to increase their numbers and made one more bid to overwhelm them.

Terra gritted in frustration.

"We can't let them gather in one place." He thought to himself.

"We need a decoy...We need a distraction."

There was no choice...He had to make his sacrifices and that would be himself. He knew that certain magic and as he was about to do it...Something unexpected happened.

Right after that...there was a sound...a very unfamiliar sound that he had not heard before.

It was a faint sound that seemed slightly distorted when he first heard it. Then gradually, it increased to the point it rang through everybody's ears.

Then there was this strange yet catchy beat that followed.

Terra couldn't comprehend what kind of sound was playing but it seemed familiar and moreover, it was starting to affect the enemy.

Then a high-pitched and husky voice came out.

"She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean

She was the best damn woman that I ever seen

She had the sightless eyes, telling me no lies

Knocking me out with those American thighs"

The words were unusual yet somehow went well with the music.

Taking more than her share, had me fighting for air

She told me to come, but I was already there

'Cause the walls start shaking, the Earth was quaking

My mind was aching and we were making it

"What is this sound!?"

The enemy knights were affected and their bodies trembled.

"It's strange but addictive!"

The wyverns halted their actions and started growling non-stop.

"I want more! I need it! It makes us feel..." One of the knights trailed off his words before he dropped his blade and dashed off to a certain path.

The rest followed in his footsteps as the music repeated its main chorus.

"And You Shook Me All Night Long!"

Everyone from the other faction became bewildered and dumbfounded by the sudden interruption, but did make them realize whatever was that...did eventually help them big time.

"Hey, I know that!"

"I swear!"

It wasn't until Kurata spoke and began to claim that he knew the type of music and that Higashi simply nodded in agreement.

"I definitely heard that song before many times."

However, The trio would then realize that this kind of music would only belong to someone or something from their world.

Fortunately, the source was not that far away and it was indeed helping them in a major way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was only located a few walks down the street where a wide intersection would greet any traveller.

In the middle of that intersection...a certain green contraption became the center of attraction. The source of music originated in this area, particularly where a couple of cables connected between the LAV and a big device boosted the sound itself.

"I hope this works..." Tomita remarked, gripping a certain weapon." Good thing I brought the speaker with me." He added, carefully watching the street itself from above.

It was an absurd idea to begin with.

"Just trust me guys...These things are attracted to wild sounds." Selina's voice emerged from the walkie-talkie.

"I kind of liked it too!"

"There is no doubt that this music of yours fits that." She snickered, before adding more remarks." And this communication device of yours is amazing as well!"

Tomita slightly cringed in response.

Despite the cat girl having that cheerfulness, even in these kinds of situations, she was pretty much knowledgeable about these monsters and how this all works.

He brought his focus forward to the main area and also spotted the cat girl herself, who was able to perform a triple-check of the traps.

Being on the rooftops of the abandoned shophouses does have its advantages. But it took a lot of work before all of them proceeded to different spots.

"Are you guys ready?" He heard Hitoshi's voice next.

"Those C4s can make you wet your pants."

"Really? Wait till you see how those Materias work."

The man took a deep breath." Got some butterflies on my stomach but yeah.." He replied." Especially, if all that training you went through back home doesn't even fully apply to what is happening right now."

He heard a slight chuckle.

"Tomita-san...we're in another world..." Hitoshi replied, a bit blunt this time.

"Yeah, I know..." He muttered to himself.

"Selina, I do hope this works." He added, thinking how this certain strategy would play out.

"Had to cool myself down to take another round

Now I'm back in the ring to take another swing

That the walls were shaking, the Earth was quaking

My mind was aching and we were making it"

Then at that very moment...the ground began to shake.

He moved again slightly to finally catch a glimpse of what they were expecting.

As if a big swarm of murder hornets and locusts banded together and were all in the same league heading towards the street with incredible speed.

Tomita's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting them to be this many. He was nervous about this but he had to strengthen his faith and trust with the plan.

Selina positioned herself strategically on the street, carefully avoiding the dangerous traps that littered the area. She had equipped herself with a limited arsenal of small weapons but was confident that they would suffice for the task at hand. As a skilled cat girl, Selina knew how to make the most of her resources and was ready to tackle the challenge ahead.

Then she made a countdown to herself...

3...

Both Men in Green, who were on separate rooftops stood up.

2...

By this time...the enemies came closer and set their sights on the cat girl.

1...

Then it happened, both men raised their handguns and pulled the trigger, finally giving the signal.

Selina's eyes snapped open as she deftly drew out her small blades. With lightning-fast speed, she raced through the bustling streets, her heart pounding with adrenaline. In a split second, she launched her blades directly towards the soft white solid explosives that the two recon members had planted. The blades hit their mark with precision, causing a deafening explosion that shook the ground beneath her feet.

All blades hit the traps with perfect accuracy.

At the same time, the cat girl also began to mutter several chants to activate the material's magic, and by the time, she made the last throw the wyverns and the knights had finally crossed the last line and entered the street.

The enemies were confident that they could pursue the source in a quicker time and even if there were traps set up they could withstand it.

Not long after...Hell finally was unleashed...as the first powerful explosion erupted followed by a chain of them that engulfed the entirety of them.

A lot of wyverns roared in pain but with their long health lines, they proceeded toward the end of the street. Thinking that they would escape.

Although, that was not the case.

When Selina got out of the street, a pinkish materia that was located on the last line glowed and finally the magic came to life.

A huge magical barrier emerged from the ground that went towards the skies.

The same happened once all of them entered the street.

The enemies were taken by surprise as they found themselves now trapped in the street itself.

Then the worst came in when a huge number of red materias were triggered causing them to glow bright Moments later, the huge flames were summoned and materialized to join in with the explosions, creating a literal hell for them.

The trio watched as all of them burned away from existence.

Tomita was surprised.

Hitoshi was amazed.

Selina casually yawned.

The combination of both of their world's magic and weapons can be frightening and devastating if planned well.

"Shook me all night long!"

The music also halted at the same time, and no screams and roars were further heard.

As the whole street still burned, the same question started to emerge once again.

"Is it still over?"

However, in reality..another battle had just concluded for now.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

It was scary to think that what they experienced was indeed born of an actual nightmare.

Even though this battle was over...the thought of celebrations was replaced by fresh scarred memories

The bodies of both wyvern and knights lay on the streets with some even stacked together in piles.

The silence returned once again.

The wind grew stronger and colder.

And the emotions had drastically changed again.

Albrecht, for his part, was horrified and became saddened by the fact that what he faced before was just a part of an even bigger disaster.

He witnessed how they dealt with the situation and came up victorious though it still did not change the idea that they were going to be safe throughout the time.

Death could still come at any moment for them.

The ghostly apparition of his spirit hovered nearby, watching as the group attempted to regain their composure after the harrowing events they had just endured. He witnessed the Men in Green selflessly aiding the frightened children, while an elf girl bravely tended to a weary teenage mage who had risked everything to keep them all safe.

He knew his body was inside the carriage and he still wondered why they would go to such lengths to protect it, even though, he was aware that he wouldn't be able to live again.

He felt a wave of emotion that swooped him.

"Why does this have to happen?"

He was furious that he couldn't even do anything during that time when they almost fell into the enemy's wrath.

The boy looked up and saw the current state of the whole place.

"We have to do something." He said as he turned his attention towards the beautiful woman known as "Astalte."

"We can't let anyone and everyone suffer this for long." He added, hoping that she would understand.

Although she remained silent she gave the boy a solemn look.

"I've done all I could to help." She explained, still looking away." Even the Gods themselves cannot intervene anymore."

The boy felt confused, but he still fought the doubts that were taking over.

The woman then took a deep breath.

"I'm afraid that Fate would have to decide whether they would survive or not."

Albrecht responded differently.

"To Hell with Fate!"

His emotions emerged.

His words stunned the young woman.

"You said it yourself that you had done everything you could to help anyone," the boy now in tears explained, trying to figure out her struggle. "That means you still believed that lives could be saved and deaths could be avoided from the beginning."

Then memories from the long-forgotten past returned.

She recognized those emotions since that day she confronted "Her" and relayed her pleas.

"You didn't lose hope.."

"You have shown that the people of this world are worth living and fighting for."

She recalled how she was in tears just like she was before.

Astalte was lost for words as she continued staring at him.

"Who was this boy?"

His own belief and perseverance stood out more than anyone present here.

"You said the Gods have no right to interfere anymore." He then added." That they couldn't use anyone or do something to fix this problem."

His eyes darted toward the very essence that surrounded the two.

"Then that means they cannot stop anyone from trying to do it right at the moment."

The young woman slightly widened her eyes." You don't mean by-"

The boy simply nodded and gave a confident smile.

"Yes! I may not know how to use it yet..." he said, looking the young woman in the eyes. "But I know you can..." he added as the ethereal essence surrounding them grew stronger.

"The lifestream...We can encourage it to help us!" He pushed for it...believing that it was going to be their best bet.

"If you want to ask why...then simply because I don't plan on giving up that easily..." He gave a confident grin as the boy shifted his focus toward the gigantic battle from the east.

From a distance, the roar of the dark dragon became louder as its power continued to grow.

Astalte was hesitant, but she remembered the first time she defied fate itself, and even she was astonished that she was able to achieve the impossible.

Especially, the boy himself...she could see that drive and desire to save the land as it reminded her of how she was able to overcome that obstacle.

A small smile escaped from her lips.

"So be it.."

From that then on...the small hope from within had started to grow.

In some ways, they needed to start that path toward the end as otherwise no one would and, unbeknownst to them...

The Will Of The World heeded their call for salvation.

XXXXXXXXX

The moment those words came over the radio, Al had to take a step back and consider what he was going to do next.

"Al, do you copy?"

"May you be able to handle it?"

"It's just a simple task...You don't worry that much since they're gonna take care of the rest."

He was speechless for a few seconds before he finally came to his senses.

He shook his head and grabbed the walkie.

"Yes sir...We'll do our best." He replied to the representative from the main camp, a bit shaken on this one.

How will he try to execute this?

The short conversation ended right there and a familiar voice was heard.

"Everything alright? Al?"

Lieutenant Brian soon came onto the scene and at the right time.

"Yeah... except for the last part." He scratched the back of his head slowly as he relayed the information, sounding hesitant and uncertain at the same time.

"What do you mean?" The taller man raised an eyebrow.

Al looked at him with a nervous look.

"The F15s and other aerial reinforcements are coming soon." He then said." That's the good news by the way.."

Yes and...?"

He sighed in the end.

"We're gonna have to make sure that no friendlies would be involved in the skies."

The man was speechless for a brief moment before giving him a puzzled look.

"Now...How the heck are we going to do that?

CHAPTER END.