18 Unrest

After posting the previous chapter, I immediately worked on this one. I really won't have much to say in this chapter, since it will speak for itself.

So let's start.

Do you, at often times, disapprove of what your government is doing?

No, I'm not encouraging you to become a rebel. All that I'm doing is asking that question. Because it will have a bit of significance for this chapter.

You'd have an appropriate reason to disapprove their work when you know that what they're doing doesn't benefit the country at some sort, or when their words become half-truths, expressing the good side, but not the bad side.

But if you ask me, I am not one-sided. I'd like to be in-between this type of feuds. Because after thorough reflection, I learned one thing.

At some cases, everybody is right in some way, causing an endless chain of attempted exposures against the other group, which is not cool.

Citizens, support your government. Government, hear your people. Do that, there's harmony!

But harmony would be disrupted in this chapter.

Shall we begin?

Fanny was flying around, then she decides to visit Layla and the others. She reaches the residential home and knocks on the door.

"Guys? You there?"

Footsteps were heard, and Bruno opens the door. "Woah, Fanny! I didn't think you'd come here. Come in, come in." He motions her inside and lets her sit on the sofa. "So, how's this place?"

"The Land of Dawn looks neat. Flying around is so easy. However, it's boring to be on guard duty. Barely anything comes in and out," Fanny complains. "Estes has locked down all of the deliveries in and out the place."

"I heard. They're stocking up for the big day. Don't worry, nearly everyone is contributing. A bit more, and we'll gain the upper hand."

"A week and a half before the big bang. By the way, is Saber alright?"

Bruno shrugs. "Well, Layla, Lolita and I were helping out indirectly with Alpha and Johnson, but we aren't informed of his condition yet. Why?"

"I want to thank him for saving me back in the shores. If he didn't jump, I would've been sliced up. But for me, an action such as that seems too reckless for him."

"He does spout out some insane words of wisdom."

"I like that about him," Fanny said, smiling. "He may seem the least emotional, but he is the one who completely understands."

"Don't we all?" Bruno receives an email from Johnson. Through his visor, he views the message. It read:

Schematics applied. Repairs completed. Test drive postponed until further notice. You're not allowed to view him yet.

"What's wrong?"

"Saber is done undergoing repairs, but we're prohibited in going into their med bays."

"Phew, that's a relief. It must've taken long for him to recuperate."

"Well, all we know is that he is getting a few minor upgrades. He'll look a lot cooler, in my opinion."

"Hmm, I noticed you're the only one in here."

Bruno looked around behind him. "Um, yeah. Layla is with Clint in the shooting range, Chou is destroying the new dude, Gossen, Alucard is practicing his new skills with Ruby, and the others keep watch."

"So what? You're the… nth wheel?"

"Pfft, nah! One day, I'll get a girlfriend. Maybe."

"Don't tear up, Protector. It's either too soon or too late for that."

Bruno acted as he was choking on his drink. "Hey, shut up. Sick burn, though. Ah, I really want to have a breath of fresh air now. I like, played all of the video games in the console and completed them 100%."

"As long as you didn't hack the system."

"Johnson made the firewalls. What made you think I'd have the bravery to intrude?"

Meanwhile…

"Watch your form," Balmond called out, as he was sparring against Hilda.

"Don't remind me," she groaned, attempting to butt the orc with the end of her axe. Balmond dodged as he spears through her body with his shoulder, pinning him down.

"You're improving." He helps her up.

"Thank you. I still couldn't win against you, though."

"Being an orc of my kind gives us exceptional strength, but I don't want to have that impression to the people."

Hilda nods. "I remember. Your race once fought against the humans."

"A violent war. The Anarchic Century that the Dark Lord forged to break our bonds. When I have heard of it, I never vowed to seek revenge. I was different from most of my men."

"How different? You don't seem like it."

Balmond and Hilda sit down. "My physique shows the ferocity of a Bloodlust Orc, but all I wanted was to align that same ferocity with compassion. To fight for what we hold dear. Unfortunately, to become one of the Orcs, brutal tests and training were required to maintain our reputation… to make us feared."

"They'd disapprove."

"I didn't want to cause destruction. I want to fight for peace and harmony. The leader of my clan picked me on most of the time, often using harsh punishments when I intervened to avoid further executions, which nearly led to torture. In the end, I was forced to fight him, even if that meant being exiled. I won, but I didn't expect my brethren to believe in my philosophy. So, here I am, their leader, their representative."

Hilda smiled. "You're a good leader to them. I saw how you interacted with them like family. When one is in danger, you run to your warriors and rescue them without fear." She looks down on the ground. "If only…"

"Only what?"

Hilda sighed, resting her axe on the ground. "I promised to give my citizens a better place to live. We've tried so desperately, but we had to rely on this place for our rations. You are an inspiration. You proved that you can be fortitudinous whilst being kind and caring. I wanted to be like so, but if I cannot fulfill my people's wishes…"

"At least, you tried. Everybody needs help. That's why we're here," Balmond consoled. "Look at them. They're just like us: people who want to prove their worth."

Hilda looks at the shooting range, where Clint was helping Layla in aiming her cannon better. "Believe it or not, I'm insecure."

"That's something to hear from you," Balmond replies. "How so?"

"Many say I'm ugly."

"Understandable," the orc joked.

"Shut up. It's kind of offensive."

"But have they considered your contribution?"

Hilda was confused. "What do you mean?"

"If they say you're ugly, then what? It's a good thing. If they admire your work, then they love you not because of your looks. They love you for who you truly are. As the saying goes: Better to have one true friend than a million backstabbers."

"Whew, and I thought Saber was the only one who says stuff like that."

"There are still some many things to learn, comrade."

Meanwhile…

"Okay, okay, take it easy. Don't just spam the trigger," Clint says, helping Layla and adjusting her aim. "Slowly… slowly… and… now!"

Layla pulls the trigger, hitting the bullseye with one projectile. "Wait, wait… let me…" She fires again, but misses the other target completely.

"It's not that easy with such a big gun of yours. That thing overheats easily," Clint explains. "However, they're lethal, so your cannon fodder is good for providing cover fire."

"How come it's so easy for you?!" Layla complains.

"Training him isn't easy," a voice answers. It was Roger, smoking a fresh cigar. "He volunteered for the brutal training. And besides, he only trusts his dual revolvers."

"You can never go wrong with Hansel and Gretel," Clint quoted, spinning his guns. "But believe my old man. It's torture to train with him."

"At least I made you one of the best gunslingers in the Wasteland."

"Correction. The best gunslinger in Gaius."

Roger scoffed, chuckling. "Don't be so full of yourself."

Bruno dashes into the conversation with Fanny. "Hey, what's up, you two? Layla, don't tell me you're rooting for him."

Layla exclaimed. "Hey! I was practicing with him! You're just a… wait, what's it called again? Third wheel?"

"We're still calculating," Fanny said. "So many couples around this place."

Ruby and Alucard arrive, holding hands. "Hey, what seems to be the commotion?"

"Nothing much," Roger lies. "How's it, Ruby?"

She smiles innocently. "I'm alright, Pop. Alu here is going along with his new ability."

"Yo, Alu, you're together, right?" Clint asked, pointing at him.

"Aren't you updated?"

"No, I was planning to make you teach rugby boy a few tips and tricks in scoring a woman!" The group laughs, and Bruno was turning red.

"Really?!" Bruno exclaims. "You're all diverting the attention to me!"

"You're the fifth wheel," Alucard points out. "Don't worry mate, you'll score Lolita someday."

"Shut up! I don't even have feelings for her."

Lancelot and Odette got interested in the conversation, so they barged in as well. The knight began, "Everything evolves in due time."

"See?" Roger adds. "Even lover boy said it."

"It really took time to straighten your behavior," Odette said to Lancelot. "You were so stubborn back then."

"I changed for the sake of love, Odette. If anything, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"Aw, so romantic!" Ruby reacted. Everybody looked at her in shock. "What? It's not like no one would react like that."

"It's the first time I heard you say that stuff," Layla replies. "Oops, Hayagura is here!"

Fanny scrunched her eyebrows. "Hayagura? You mean…"

Both the ninja and the mage teleport to the group's location simultaneously. Hayabusa began, "Don't think I heard you, Layla."

"Sorry, hehe," she giggles. "How're you two?"

"Holding up," Kagura answers, smiling. "It's too peaceful today, though. What're you talking about?"

"Well, if it wasn't for Clint reminding everybody that I have no girlfriend, we wouldn't be standing here to torture me!" Bruno complains.

"To prove your worth, you must give it your all, even if it means your demise," Hayabusa said. "It's not easy, but if it is worth the wait, then wait."

"You're all becoming Saber… spouting off some philosophy here and there. It's coincidence since he is coming back to commission later," Bruno replies.

"Is this another way to divert the topic?" Lolita said, barging in.

"Jeez, you're so horrible."

"We're family, Bruno," Lancelot smirks. "Expect us to be."

Everyone was laughing, a few nearly pounding the ground. Their emotions immediately changed as soon as they heard the alarm.

"An attack?" Fanny asks. She quickly launches a cable to the nearest pillar and flies off.

"Going to Estes," Hayabusa reminded, hugging Kagura for a second. "Be right back." He teleports without a trace.

"Gotta find Akai, then," the mage said as she vanished with her umbrella.

"C'mon, Clint, we need to go!" Roger orders. "Ruby, stay with Alucard." The student and the mentor raced for the exit, hoping to defend a vulnerable passageway.

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe," Alucard promises. As soon as they ran, Hylos arrived and casted his magical pathways, boosting their speed. A few of his fellow centaurs were with him. Irithel, Karrie, Yi Sun Shin, Lapu-Lapu, Freya, Zhao, Miya and all the others (except for Lolita and the cyborgs) respond, going in a multitude of directions.

"It's too early for the final battle to start," Karina says to Estes. "What's with this?"

"The Ocular Sun says that not even Alice, Vexana, Moskov or Zhask accompany the demons," Freya says, flying in the air with her holographic wings. "I couldn't contact Argus."

"He is in hiding to guard the Shard with Minotaur," Estes replies. "It's better to not cause panic to the citizens. Are the storages locked down?"

"All said and done, my lord," Zhao replies, sprinting faster. "The attack will surround the place, but the amount of demons aren't many. I suggest we minimalize our troops to prevent the enemies from knowing the full brunt of our defense."

"Good idea," Eudora says. "Gord and I will remain in the backline with the other mages. Try not to hold off the enemy too hard. It will make the tenacity of our place obvious. The Dark Lord would have to think twice before attacking."

"Every single one of you now knows your role," Yi Sun Shin answers. "Pick a place to defend and adjust along the way."

"I have spoken with Grock," Sun began, his doppelgangers trailing with him. "He will defend the exterior and drive the demons away."

"Everyone, you know what to do," Miya orders. "Split and find your positions."

All the heroes, along with their accompanied soldiers, split. Fanny flies around and catches an airborne Spitfire, slicing it down. She latches on a wall and scans the situation. The attack surrounds the whole Land of Dawn, but the force didn't seem to be many. However, the demons looked familiar. They were the usual Ravagers, Spitfires, Ghouls, Reapers, etc., but…

They sped even faster.

"Damn, they're insanely fast!" Fanny mutters. "I hope we can hold this off."

Estes, Hylos, Yi Sun Shin, Balmond and Eudora arrives at the main gate. The demons were rushing, and Tigreal led the phalanx to hold them off.

"In the count of three!" Tigreal ordered. "One… two… now!" The group of soldiers pushed with such force and knocked down the demons away. Hylos charged at the same time, causing the demons to scramble around ineffectively and panic. Some leaped over the soldiers to reach the other side, but Estes casts his spells to slow them down and lock them in place, letting the ranged heroes to blast them with projectiles.

"They don't seem to be focused on attacking us," Balmond noticed. "They're aiming for something else. Prevent them from getting in." The orc spins with his axe as Yi Sun Shin went straight through the field with his bow and glaive, multi-tasking in combat. He slices through a landing Spitfire and launches an arrow to a Reaper for Eudora to finish. Balmond cuts through the wave to split off the hordes of demons that were trying to take down the soldiers that were out of reach to receive help. Natalia, who was hiding in the bushes, intervenes, taking on the Ravagers from behind with the golden claw. The horde focuses on her, but Tigreal blocks their way, Hylos responding as well.

In the distance, Grock waved off the Spitfires trying to reach the border. "Pesky flies, stay off!" Fanny flies around, latching on Grock's body as she flew to take on the flying demons.

"Don't hit me, or else!" Fanny threatened. Grock minimized his movement, letting her get a clear path of flight. She spins to catch an unaware Spitifire. Alpha suddenly arrives, flying on Beta. He launches a barrage of bullets and lasers on the airborne pests.

"Need help?" he asks.

"I thought you were busy in fixing Saber," Fanny replies.

"Johnson will take care of the final adjustments. C'mon, let's clear the skies."

In the sidelines, Zhao, Miya, Bane, Franco, Freya, Cyclops, Nana, Lapu-Lapu, Gatotkaca and Rafaela were holding off the Ravagers and Ghouls.

"This is fun!" Bane exclaims, shooting his crab cannon on the Ravagers. "This is target practice for next week!"

"Let me have some of that action, brother!" Lapu-Lapu yells as he raises his twin blades in the air, merging them into one. He slaps the ground, causing a shockwave that puts the demons airborne. "Those who are in my way, die!" He charges through with his greatsword, slashing the Ravagers like mincemeat. Barely anyone could touch him. Rafaela casts healing spells on the wounded soldiers, giving them another chance to fight.

"I'll take care of the Spitfires! Cyclops, Nana, fire!" Miya commands, making the mages focus their attacks on the landing Spitfires. Cyclops' cosmic orbs penetrate through the fliers, shredding them. Nana morphs the nearby demons into cats for Gatotkaca to mercilessly pound. He then launches forth lightning from his gloves, incinerating the newly arriving Hellhounds.

"They're so squishy, like mincemeat!" Franco compliments, hooking a Spitfire for Cyclops to attack.

"It's offensive to slay what is cute," Freya mumbles. "But they're demons, so we have a proper excuse." She stabs a fluffy cat.

"Yo, that's edgy," Zhao snickers, parrying a Reaper. "You had me back there." He flips the monster and stabs it in the back, Franco smashing its head with his hammer.

"Argus won't support us to prevent disorder," Rafaela reminds. "However, we can hold this off. We have to know why they're not focused on us." She looks behind and sees a few stray Ravagers who escaped. The angel feared that they would charge through the houses and kill the residents, but their motive was far worse.

The pathway they were sprinting off to led to the storages.

"They're focusing on the storages in the city!" she warned. "Without the food, we won't last!" She sees Hayabusa teleport and swiftly execute the Ravagers and Spitfires.

"I have them covered for you," the ninja replies. "Kagura, Lesley, Harley and Akai as well. Just hold off as much as you can." He teleports back to Kagura, who was singlehandedly killing the Ghouls.

"Give me some kills, jeez," Hayabusa joked.

"Earn for them yourself, dummy," Kagura replies, laughing. "I'll take this side. Help the others."

"You sure you'll hold out?"

Kagura kissed him lightly. "I'll be fine. Now, go!" Hayabusa nods, teleporting to Lesley and launching his shurikens, slicing through the Spitfires.

"Where's your brother?" he asks.

"With Akai. They'll be fine." A Ravager leaps behind her, but she sidesteps. The monster receives a dagger in the chest, killing it.

"You should watch your back," Gossen warns, landing beside her. "The monsters here are a lot faster now. I'll help you hold the line."

Lesley aims with the scope of her rifle. "I'll be fine. Go to the others." She shoots down a lone Spitfire.

"I volunteered to protect you. Let me do my job," Gossen mumbles. He charges straight to an incoming horde and launches his daggers. He suddenly blinks and casts another set of daggers, shredding the beasts. He spins, and all the daggers returned to him, killing the dozen Ravagers in the vicinity.

"Point taken," Lesley mumbled. "At least give me something to kill." Hayabusa teleports to an empty passageway and slashes through the Reapers that were attempting to break through the gates of the storages. As he looked around, he was surrounded.

"Shadow Kill!" he yelled as he morphs to a shadow, slicing through the Ravagers and Ghouls easily, their corpses covering the place. As he gets out of the state, a Ravager charges the unaware ninja, but Chou dives in and kicks it straight to the wall, paralyzing it. The fighter slams his foot to its head.

"Brutal," he mumbles, pulling off his boot. "Want some backup?"

"Hmph. I didn't ask you to come," Hayabusa scoffed. "Though, thanks." The two were cornered again by another horde.

"Ready or not…" Chou dives straight through one side, setting his fists aflame, punching through the bodies with force. It left cauterized holes on the Reapers, downing them instantly.

Meanwhile…

The remaining were scattering around, protecting the uncovered spots. Karrie and Irithel joined in on the walls of the east side, providing cover fire for the others. Gord was in the backlines of the storage areas, casting mystic fields of damage to prevent the demons from crossing. Roger and Clint were firing their rounds at the Spitfires on the beach. However, the Ravagers were now closing in on them.

"Ever wondered what I told you before?" Roger asks, shooting his shells at a Ravager.

"To shoot you when things go wrong. You never explained that to me, old man!" Clint answers, reloading with insane speed.

"Here's why." Roger leaps and morphs into a werewolf, decimating the Ghouls and land sharks mercilessly. He growls, forcing the Ravagers to scramble.

"Pfft, I had a hunch," Clint muttered, helping out Roger. He twirls around, emptying his clips as the demons closed in. He kicks a Ghoul and slams its skull with the butt of the revolver, leaving a bloody dent that knocks it down. "I hope Layla applies what I taught her today."

Meanwhile…

"Another day to whack skulls!" Sun cheered as he and his doppelgangers went to work. They took care of the horde singlehandedly. The demons scrambled to determine the real Monkey King, but it was no use. (Their perception was limited. Seriously, what made you think they can sense the real Sun?)

Sun was confused, because he found out only he and his doppelgangers were holding off the hordes. "Hey, where is Gord when I need him? Hey, Big Blue!" The warrior saw the mage locking himself down with a static field to shield him from the Reapers.

"A bit of help, dimwit!" Gord pleaded. "If we are going to hold out, you'd need to help!"

"Yeah, yeah, on it." Sun and two of his clones whacked off the Reapers one by one. A Ravager hits a clone, turning it to smoke. The monster was confused, until Sun slammed his cudgel on the spine, killing it.

"They are going for the supplies," Gord explains. "We would have to prevent them from going further. Forcing them to a choke point would help."

"There are no choke points in this wide open area, Gord."

"Then we would have to improvise." The pair finds themselves surrounded by Hellhounds.

"Ready?" Sun asked.

"Almost…" Gord concentrated the ball of arcane magic on his hands. Sun was covering the demons' field of view. "… Now!"

The Monkey King charged forth with his doppelgangers, making the Hellhounds panic. As they ran in the same direction, Gord released a wide laser of death at their path, just long enough to avoid the infrastructure beyond.

Meanwhile…

"Alpha, I will go help my friends," Fanny said, slicing off a Spitfire in her path.

"Go ahead. Come back if you can." Fanny flew around Grock and into the residential areas, where the demons were clamoring to reach the underground supplies. Lolita, Layla, Bruno, Lancelot, Odette, Karina, Ruby and Alucard slay the demons that come forth. It was fortunate that the demons weren't really into fighting them, but they were fast, making them harder to kill.

"I'll run around the passages to nick them down," Karina suggests. She runs off performing her dance of death, her twin blades slicing through the hordes cleanly. She sprints to the alleys and slashes down the demons in her way.

"She'll be fine," Lolita reminds. "All we have to do is hold down this sector. And, of course, make sure everyone remains unharmed."

"Even I am having trouble chasing them!" Lancelot complains. "Pesky as hell!" He stabs through a Hellhound and dashes through the body of a Reaper. Odette casts her spells, keeping the demons in place. The resonating high notes deafen the sensitive ears of the Hellhounds, but the Ravagers barely flinched. Ruby slashes through the charging demons with her scythe, wiping the blood from her face. Bruno trips around the Hellhounds and kicks to the Spitfires for Layla to shoot down a lot easier.

"Ha, Clint was right! I keep hitting them because I don't spam the trigger!" Layla cheered. She was laughing as the Spitfires tried to come close to her, but her projectiles were restricting their flight patterns.

"Don't get cocky now," Alucard mutters. He cuts down the Ravagers and Hellhounds, but as every minute passes, the others noticed that they were no longer focusing on the storages, but on the Demon Hunter.

"Alucard, they're forcing you to unlock your powers!" Ruby warns. She rushes beside him and keeps the demons off him, hoping to avoid triggering the event. Yinsen suddenly arrives and throws his Molotov cocktails at the Ravagers, but Alucard stopped him on his tracks.

"Yinsen, don't. We don't want collateral damage. You can use your guns."

"Sure thing, mate." Yinsen grins, bringing out his pistols, shooting down the hordes. A Reaper nearly claws behind him, but Tuk lands his axe on the Reaper's skull. Hilda and a few of her best warriors ran to their aid, preventing more monsters from going further.

"A little bit more, everybody! Come on, don't be a jelly!" she commands, leading the push. The demons began to scramble, trying to find an exit, but they were overran. They began to run off. Alucard attempts to chase them, but Lancelot grips his arm.

"You've done much now, bro," he said. "Let them run. Not only are they aiming for the storages. They also want to learn of our defenses, most especially you."

A roar resounded throughout the place, and Layla eyed the cerulean protodrake swooping down to feast on the remaining monsters, causing a wilder frenzy. A few civilians who were securing their houses immediately panicked. A man tried to grab Yinsen's pistol and shoot it down, but Ruby intervenes. Unfortunately, the bullet hit the beast, but it didn't even flinch, the bullet merely ricocheting to the sky. The protodrake stopped its assault and immediately turned its head at the shooter.

The man, hyperventilating, kept emptying the clip, but the protodrake slowly walked, focusing on him. "No, no, why won't this thing die?!"

Before the protodrake could open its jaws, Alucard went in between and put his demonic arm on the forehead.

"Okay, okay, easy! Don't, okay! He's a friendly. He mistook you for an enemy," he said. "Try to drive off the other monsters, alright?"

The man ignored this and attempted to whack Alucard in the head with the pistol, but the beast tapped the man's body, immediately making him trip on the ground.

"No, no, please don't kill me, please!" the man pleaded, but the black flames of the protodrake glowed from its throat. Estes interrupts this as he casts a silencing rune to the protodrake.

"Don't hurt the civilian!" he orders. "Restrain yourself. Go back to fend off the demons." The protodrake regains its right mindset, immediately flying off to take down the Spitfires clamoring around Alpha and Fanny.

The man clumsily stood up, pointing the empty gun at Estes. "You! You… why are you using these types of allies! They are evil! You're a paradox! Y-you, should be o-overthrown!"

"Calm down," Bruno said. "Relax. Estes has a proper reason for recruiting us. Why on earth did you even attempt to shoot the-" A stone hits Bruno's head, causing it to bleed. He yelps in pain, a mild concussion looming over him. He dashes behind. The stranger flees, retreating to the houses.

"What the…" Lolita sees the residents coming out of the houses one by one, throwing stones and whatnot at them. "Okay, this is going downhill by the second!" She raises her holographic shield, covering Layla and Odette. Alucard raises his greatsword to shield himself from the stones. He seemed to be the main target of the residents. Estes casts a static wall around them to block off the projectiles.

"I don't want no civil war in here!" Victor breathes out, holstering his gun. "Quick, let's fall back to the main entrance of the castle!"

The other heroes went to the group's position, barely scathed. Hayabusa asked, "Hey, what's going on? The citizens aren't going rogue, are they?" Squadrons of Royal Guards went to the frontlines, using their big shields to cover the stones. A woman suddenly brought out a shotgun and tried to shoot down the static wall, but the shells stopped as soon as it came into contact. Nevertheless, a few, namely Nana and Cyclops, panicked.

"Hey!" Balmond said. "Stop whatever you're doing!" He nearly goes past the wall, and Hylos had to yank him away.

"Don't!" the centaur ordered. "You'll only provoke them more! We need to find out who caused this!"

Meanwhile…

In the med bays, Johnson and Saber stayed put.

"There you go! The final add-ons are complete!" Johnson announced. "All we have to do is to let the new systems mix in with a few of your old ones. That way, we wouldn't have to sacrifice your memories and old combat techniques. Old dog, new tricks." The swordsman didn't reply. He stood in the darkness in utter silence, never moving.

"Hey, bro? Why so silent?" Johnson asked, setting his wrench aside. "What's the-"

"The citizens."

"What about them?"

A slow whirring came from Saber's new visor. "They're going against us."

"What?" Johnson checks the surveillance feed, noticing the violent rallies that were uncalled for occurring in the main entrance of the citadel. Estes and the other heroes held their ground behind the static wall. The citizens wielding guns were aiming at Alpha, who was in the air. "You've got to be… We have to go now!"

"Don't," Saber replied, clenching his fist. "Not yet. Let them learn. If they keep this up…"

The tank grabbed his wrench, prepping his intervention. "What are you saying, dude! We have to go!"

"If they see you, they will most likely urge themselves to intensify their demonstrations."

"But-"

Saber turned to face him. "Have you once asked in your whole life if the people we protect even deserve our help?"

Johnson stopped in his tracks. He looked at his newly upgraded companion. Saber looked insanely different, much less human. Johnson feared if the upgrades made Saber lose his morality. "Um… no."

"No matter your answer, justice will be blind, not heartless. Nevertheless, remember what we are fighting for. It is all right to question, but it is not about what they deserve. It's about what they need." Saber stepped out of the dark, showing himself. "I will stay. If they won't learn… I'll force them to."

Going back to the rallies…

"Ugh, I thought it wouldn't get worse," Bane discusses with Franco, hiding from the view of the crowd. "Look at this! Most of the citizens, if not all, are pushing through with this rally. The ones who still side with us don't even have the courage to stand up for themselves."

"It's best if you keep yourself hidden with me and the others," Balmond suggested. "Communities, no matter the people, have common mindsets. They regard us as warmongers of some sort. Even a few of Alucard's friends are being framed and such."

"I hate being a sitting duck in the castle," Roger huffs. "Now that they've seen what I can do…"

"We have no choice," Sun sighs. "We have to find a way to calm them down. I don't want to resort to using my cudgel. Lucky for Grock, he can leave if he needs to."

Outside the citadel, Estes and the other heroes with positive reputations were trying to make peace with the citizens.

(It is not that easy. How can you soothe the heads of… I don't know… tens of millions of people? The files are being inaccurate here, in terms of numbers/population.)

"Everyone, calm down!" Estes commands. "We don't have to use violence. Use your voice to proclaim your ramblings."

An old man steps forward in response. "You! You use a dragon to fend this place! I thought they were symbols of evil and greed! Have you lost your mind?!" The crowd jeered, throwing their stones again. Some threw trash on the steps.

"It was a protodrake we found in one of our expeditions," Tigreal explained. "It was guarding an important artifact necessary for our victory. We understand if you feel confused, but hear us out."

"Hear you out?!" a woman exclaims. "My husband risked his life to join your foolish escapades! If it weren't for you, he would be standing here with me!"

Layla spoke. "Your husband wasn't forced to work with us! If anything, it would be his decision! We never asked for you to fight!"

"Argh, I hate stuff like this!" Lesley said to Gossen in the balcony. "Civil conflict is the least that we're supposed to worry."

"It's actually what we have to focus on right now," the assassin contradicted. "If not, we've already lost the war."

"Good point." Lesley eyes Alpha flying towards them.

"It's very bad," the cyborg says. "Beta is getting annoyed. I am practically the only thing preventing her from shooting them down." He then eyes Johnson on the ground, arriving in the scene. He watches over the citizens through the static wall. Alpha flies down to greet him.

"Hey, what took you so long?"

"The schematics were too complex," Johnson sighed. "Saber won't be going out for now. He has to keep watch silently over the situation."

"This is bad. They're really mad."

Harley, along with Nana and Cyclops, huddled behind, fearful.

"C'mon, guys, be brave!" Harley said, trying to cheer them up. "We've fought demons. They're just people!"

"People who really have a bad view on us," Cyclops jitters. He uses his hourglass, trying to get a glimpse. "If only this thing wouldn't be so stubborn…" The glass shifts the reflection and shows a scene. "Yes! For the first time!"

"What is it?" Nana asks.

"My hourglass is showing me something! I hope it's good…"

(Let me ask you this.

Is there anything that's ever good showing up in relapses and dreams?

Barely.)

Cyclops sees it and drops the hourglass in shock. He hides behind Harley, shivering.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Harley grabs it, but he only saw his reflection. "Hey, Cyclops!"

The mage could merely stammer. "Everyone… we… they…"

"We what?" Nana asked, nervous.

"We're all dead… So dead…"

"Dude, we are! To the citizens! They'd stone us as soon as they saw us!" Harley joked.

"No, Harley! I swear, this is not a joke! I saw it with my own eye… Lancelot… Odette… Alucard… they…"

"Cyclops, calm down. Breathe," Nana comforted, grasping his hand. "Explain slowly."

"Lancelot and Odette will die, right? Their blood… littered on the ground… they were shredded, I couldn't… I barely recognized their faces… and Alucard…"

"What about him?"

"He will lose it. He will turn into something else when he uses that power of his!" Cyclops breathed out. "We mustn't let him use it too much, or we lose him!"

"Lose what? Cyclops, you're not making much sense."

"His sanity… his sanity… don't you know what happens if his emotions get out of hand?! He turns back into what he's meant to be… And I don't-"

Harley realizes it. "So, you're telling us…"

"If he keeps on using it, the demonization process continues. As for the lovers… They will die in the war, somewhere… before Argus can save them."

(That's one huge clue for that stanza in the poem. Analyze.)

"Got any ideas?" Hylos asks Estes.

"I have never thought this would happen," Estes said, dismayed. "Either way, we have to pacify them. And there's only one way to do so." He turns around to the other heroes. "Everyone! We will take down the static wall."

"Are you kidding me?" Akai exclaims. "They wouldn't hesitate to shoot us down!"

"Well, it would be the least that they'd expect," Ruby thought. "We'd have to try unconventional plans."

"Make it so," Lancelot said.

Everyone else nod in agreement. Estes holds out his hands and slowly drags them down, lowering the static wall bit by bit. A few civilians aimed their guns and armed themselves, but their supposed officers held their fists up, preventing them from firing. As the static wall disappeared, neither side made a move.

"If we go against each other, we will lack unity," Alucard says to them. "Most of what you think are bad have changed. We wouldn't make such decisions without consideration. If we continue this anarchy, we will be dead meat to the demons, and we can't allow that. It's not like we're going to back down without a fight."

A few of the civilians from the distance silently nodded in agreement, but a man stepped forward. "You're the Demon Hunter! You hunt your own kind?! Why would they take you in?!"

"Rumors will get us nowhere!" Chou yells. "Has anyone of you learned about a demonization process? He underwent that!"

"Then why isn't he dead yet?!" The civilians changed their mentality in a heartbeat and started jeering again. Suddenly, the flapping of wings could be heard, and Argus landed on the spot. A few civilians fled in fear, but most stood their ground.

"An angel's ichor can stop the process," Argus began. "I gave him the ichor."

Rafaela went up to him. "Argus, what are you doing?!"

"I have to do this," the fallen angel answers. He then turns to the crowd. "You may not believe my words, but I have changed for the better. If I wanted it, all of you wouldn't be standing here. If you need any clarifications, we're open. If you wish to be informed, then we will do so."

Everyone thought hardly. Freya and Zhao stood their ground with Miya, their minds racing. Alucard slowly eyed the people. He spots someone in the balcony of a house, crouching…

He notices the red dot on Estes' cloak.

"SNIPER!" Alucard yells as he dives to keep Estes out of the firing range, if not, save the king by blocking the bullet with his own body. The gunshot could be heard and the bullet hits Alucard's demonic arm, simply deflecting off, making a hole on the palace walls. Lesley eyed the shooter and disabled the gun by shooting the rifle's frame. The protesters brought out their guns and started shooting. Lolita, Johnson raised their shields. Out of shock, Estes couldn't concentrate in casting the static wall again. The shooters rallied bit by bit and the heroes had no choice but to defend themselves WITHOUT engaging the people in combat. Argus goes in front of Estes, protecting the king with his wings.

(It's like going to a boxing match with both hands tied behind your back.)

"I detest war!" Lolita yelled, deflecting the bullets with her shield. "Wouldn't all of you listen for a second?!"

"Argh, this is pointless!" Layla mutters as she brings out her gun. Rafaela puts it down quickly.

"This is not time to do that, Layla. We need peaceful intervention!"

Odette eyes a child trying to cross the space between them and the protesters, being held back by his mother. "Look!"

Chou catches her words and follows, and realized that the boy she was pointing at was the same boy he saved back in Eruditio. The kid breaks loose and runs frantically, racing for Estes. Noticing this, Johnson tries to run and protect the child. A gunman sees the tank and shoots him down, but a stray bullet hits the boy's leg.

"No!" Johnson gets to the boy, crying in pain. The bullet didn't pierce through the boys leg, but it did cut from the outside, the gash letting loose a moderate amount of blood. Estes casts his healing rune at the boy's leg, letting it heal.

"It's okay, buddy!" Chou comforted, his mind racing. "It's me, the dude who kicked that ugly monster sky high! If anyone hurts you, we'll catch 'em!" On the inside, he was in the verge of tears.

Suddenly, Kagura catches a faint supersonic boom.

"What was that?" The civilians stopped and began to clamor for themselves.

Fanny looked around in confusion. "A jet?" The flier looked for Alpha, who was just a few feet away from her. He may be wearing his visor, but the nervous expression on his face was obvious.

"It's no jet," Bruno said. "It's…"

Everyone heard the breaking of the sound barrier, and a miniscule dot catches Yi Sun Shin's eye. The dot grew bigger as it went closer, and as it did, everyone saw the figure, resembling an eagle.

But it wasn't organic or anything. It was mechanical. The figure transforms bit by bit, its mainframe independently changing. The huge booster on the bottom became its legs, the metallic wings readjusting. The huge gold feathers spread out, and the eagle became a humanoid robot, its striking gunmetal palette and light blue hue drawing attention.

The head of the figure was a full helmet with two yellow slits and a pair of antennae. The body was made of full titanium and gold, barely a scratch visible on the armor. The humanoid stood in front of Argus.

"Wait..." Natalia asked. "Is that…"

"Yes," Johnson replied. "It's Saber."

Saber's feathers dislodged from the wings' exoskeletal system, flying independently. The frame folds on his back, and the twelve feathers angled its sharp edges straight at the crowd. They weren't just feathers.

They were swords.

Saber stood in silence, his systems analyzing the situation. All he had to do was to disable the weapons without harming anyone. However, he had to protect his friends. That was the primary objective.

His new systems were enhanced, giving performance more than twice as better than his old mainframe.

"I… am reborn," he said, his voice much less human. His voice resembled Argus' for its resonance. "All of you! Discontinue this outrage."

The civilians didn't think twice and fired at him, the bullets simply deflecting off his armor. He walked slowly, and a sword flew straight to the crowd, cutting through the weapons held by the protesters. One by one, his swords flew around, disabling the weapons when he had the chance. Two remained on his back, and he grabbed them with his hands. The yellow blades sparked with electricity.

"Saber!" Bruno cheered, dumbfounded. "You're… you've changed!" Saber didn't respond and focused his counterattack at the civilians. He eyes the gunman that hit the boy and charged straight through him, pinning him down. Out of fear, the gunman raises his hands.

"No… please, don't… I'm sorry that…"

Saber's eye slits glowed angrily, but he didn't say a word. No words can describe his frustration, anyways. A bullet deflects of his armor, and a sword slices the assailant's gun in half.

The civilians were panicking, and were trying to flee. However, the swords flew on the edge of the area and whirred, generating a static field locking the civilians in place. In a wide circle, everyone was tightly secured. Saber walked back up the steps, the crowd nervously eyeing his movements.

Lolita couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Noumenon and Malefic Energy working together…"

"What?" Layla asked.

"The two most volatile energy sources working as one to power his core. I can't believe the outcome would be… as perfect as this."

"Everyone, behold the scourge of your wrath," Saber began, pointing at the injured boy. Half the heroes outside was attending to it, while everyone else is inside witnessed the scene. "Behold the outcome of your misconceptions."

An angry woman marched up. "The misconceptions you impri-" Suddenly, Saber slapped her down to the ground, silencing her.

"You let your ears shut! We didn't mind, that was true. We didn't mind because you thought that our security diminished your personal spaces, but you're wrong! We've prevented the enemy from ransacking your homes, but one small mistake from us is already enough to fuel your frustration against us!"

The crowd maintained their faces, which made the cyborg impatient.

"All of you, all of you wouldn't listen. We feared that one day this event would hinder our progress. You all think that without us, this place would be in safer hands. But no! The situation will only grow much worse."

"What makes you think you have the right to give us a sermon?" a protester complained. "My parents died adhering to their morality of joining your crusades! My brother lost his life from the monsters! It's all your fault! How come you can guarantee our safety if all of these incidents are always happening?!"

Saber looked at the man. "What makes you think you have the right to complain about our roles?" Most of the civilians muttered to themselves, a commotion slightly growing. "What makes you think… you can simply judge us from who we were before?"

The cyborg looked at Natalia. "A friend of mine once told her companions that in this point in time, the past no longer defines who we are. It's what we do that counts." The female assassin was caught aback, and was blushing in embarrassment.

Saber then turned his head back to the civilians. "When the Royal Guard was established, the people then cheered for their name, their motto echoing the streets. Now, you detest them, because you fear they have gone beyond their code, but that's all a lie. Only people of noble hearts deserve a spot in our military, nothing less, nothing more. You mourned for the deaths of your loved ones, but you lay the blame on us, even if there is no one to blame. It was their choice to serve the Land of Dawn… a choice they shall never regret. To me, they are heroes, while all of you are merely citizens."

"If it wasn't for the rally of the Royal Guards, we would have wavering hearts as we witnessed their sacrifices in the battlefield. Without their inspiration, our minds would have forced us to fled in terror. I once believed that we would not need a catastrophe to align ourselves with others, but from what I am seeing, this is already impossible."

The other heroes could barely speak.

"I wish to have his fortitude to pronounce his thoughts," Eudora said to Gord. "He is mechanical in nature, but his soul is as human as it could ever be."

"It cannot be outmatched," Minotaur replies. "He defied it all."

"To face the Dark Lord and triumph, we had to cast aside all of our personal ramblings and fight as one," Saber continued, his swords slowly returning to him, taking down the static field. "Humans, Orcs, Elves, Titans, Valkyries, Angels, Sorcerers, anyone you could think of. We didn't have to fight valiantly, because our rally back ensured a landslide victory. Multiple readjustments were made to make sure our connections and peace maintained, but when the foundations grew weak, the Dark Lord has decided to strike us here and now. Evil has ways of filling every crevice and suffocate the living essence of our humanity, but when the light floods, all the suffering flees. All of you, we have desperately tried to protect, the future of this land, even if you disagree with our methods, for we know it's the right thing to do."

He walks to the boy, who has already healed his leg completely. Saber gently grabs his hand and helps him walk down the stairs. "This child wanted to drive out the negative thoughts you beheld upon us. His innocence remained. To let traumatic events affect his thinking would be a disaster for everyone else. All because you thought that overthrowing us would ease everything, but all you've done is complain." The cyborg's voice cracked.

"All you've done is complain rather than go fight the real enemy! Never complain that you've lost what you've held dear, because the people behind me have suffered much worse, same as I. You have no right to judge us, because you're afraid to go to the frontlines to fight for a worthy cause. Admit it." Saber looked at his friends, who were expressing themselves in a depressed manner. The swords bunched together into feathers, and his wings folded. "Take it from someone merely half a man, yet full of heart… Someone willing to die alongside his friends." The crowd was silent, but a few were crying. Saber slowly walked up the steps, everyone looking at him.

"Dude," Alpha began, touching his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

He replied, "Every day, I'd ask if all of this is for nothing. I'm done fighting without worth. I'm done clashing aimlessly. If given the chance, I'd leave immediately. We don't deserve this, and they don't deserve our help. But I will fight, because it's not about deserve." Saber walks inside and closes the gates, leaving a baffled crowd and an amazed group of friends.

Meanwhile…

Okay, I'll have to intrude for a while.

Do you know how it feels like being blamed for not making a good school project even if you and your groupmates have tried your best?

That's what Saber felt. He felt frustrated that everyone had to judge him and the people around him. He was mostly anti-social, but he was probably the philosopher of the group. His words can silence people as good as his swords.

Never be judgmental. However, I don't believe in this saying.

"Before you judge, make sure you're perfect."

Because no one is perfect.

We have to rephrase the line.

"Before you judge, make sure you are obliged. Make sure your words aren't too critical. Words are as comforting as pillows, yet as sharp as knives. They comfort and pierce souls. Choose them wisely."

There, that's better.

"Hey, Arcturus? Why give out some morals?"

Well, I wanted to give worth to this story.

Hey, it's not like I'll make some worthless FanFiction that you'll simply forget when the time comes you have finished reading it.

Always remember to give meaning to everything. Sure, this can be a pain, but remember Lolita's quote…

"A painless lesson is also meaningless."

For some reason, these heroes are more human than we are in their background histories. Sure, some have insanely bad background writing or gruesome history, but that's not the case. We often like a character because of what he/she says, and what they do.

I won't make you hate a single one of these heroes.

Well, probably the antagonists… because some most all of our beloved heroes fighting valiantly for honor, peace and love in this unsung tale of the Land of Dawn… will die.

Yes. There are deaths.

That's inevitable.

(And yes, I was thinking this up. That's why there are scratched off words.)

I mean, Lancelot and Odette's deaths are confirmed, but you don't know when. We don't know when people will die. But since I am kind, I will give you this warning to keep your soul ready.

And please, don't discard this story when your favorite character dies. Because a lack of character deaths is unrealistic.

And no, a character's death won't seem obvious here. Well, some.

Also, to inform you, I am nominated for this international math competition that will commence in the next few months, so my summer will be sacrificed by a month of training for it, so my posting will lag.

C'mon, don't groan. Being in one of these events is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I won't back down, but I won't let you guys down. You are what fuels me to write this story from these annoying files.

I also noticed that no one is complaining about why I am relying on a bunch of foreign, corrupted files to write my story.

Anyway…

"Its name was 'Project Monsoon'," Alpha began. "A prototype program invented by the scientists who created Saber. It featured numerous enhancements into our systems, in case things go south. Conflict was tearing up the dimensions then, and the scientists wanted to make the ultimate weapon to silence the chaos. An angel of death that lacked humanity designed to save humanity. Only Saber had the blueprints for the project. If he did undergo the process, his new codename would be 'Storm'." The cyborg was explaining this to Alucard and his friends.

"You didn't use it… until now," Chou pointed out.

"Our recent discoveries of Noumenon and Malefic Energy gained us an edge, but we had many setbacks to deal with, mainly memory loss."

"Injecting the new systems will wipe the old ones," Layla said. "To preserve Saber's memory and soul, we had to physically extract and contain them separately, and inject them after the new mainframe and systems were installed. Someone's soul and memory is absolutely delicate, so we asked not to let anyone else interfere with the work."

Lolita added, "When they went to Rooney to remodel Beta in another dimension, they also asked for help in perfecting the program. After some tedious arrangements, ta-da! A new Saber."

"With memories intact," the swordsman replied. "Nothing has changed. These new add-ons, however… seem odd."

Ruby raised her hand. "So, he can fly now, right?"

"The wings were my idea," Johnson popped. "If Saber would be more efficient, he must take to the skies. We wouldn't want the same mistakes occur to him. His swords also act as his feathers, and his wings twist and turn completely, 100% adjustable to adapt to both flight and combat. Not only that, the volatile energy each sword possesses can make static fields and immense energy waves. He needs to get used to it, though."

"You don't say," Alucard muttered. "Without him, we would've been chopped liver."

"I didn't save you. My impulse did the work," Saber replied. "My actions dealt a huge risk, but the disorder was pacified. You haven't seen what I could fully do."

"Oh, one more thing," Bruno began. "'Project Monsoon' also had a prototype 'Overdrive' mode embedded in its databanks. It's a last resort, like Alucard's powers. It maximizes Saber's combat potential, but both the mainframe, system and hardware won't take all the hyper-activity in."

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked. "He becomes a ticking time bomb?"

"A ticking time bomb that sets off while it's running. That means he has an unconfirmed amount of time before he breaks."

"And after that?"

Saber replied, "I will die, like any other. Never fear. I may be prepared to use it, but I won't risk such actions. Besides, the system will override and wipe my memories just to give more space to combat enhancements."

Alucard said, "Why do I have this sick feeling that he's going to use it when the time comes?"

"Let's hope not." The cyborg looks at the Demon Hunter. "The reason why it took long for your half-sister to realize that you two had the same father was because of the other alias of Rooney… Leinster. The name he imprinted in her mind over time. All to keep this a secret. I hope you understand.

Saber extends his wings and powers up, flying quickly into the horizon.

"That's fast," Chou grinned. "Gonna have tougher sparring partners to face. C'mon, Bruno, I am sure there are donuts in the house."

"Hey!" the Protector warned. "Make sure you didn't eat my chocolate coated ones! Those are extremely rare, you know!"

Lolita tapped his shoulder. "Bruno, Chou only likes the munchkins."

"Wait, really?"

The group bursts into laughter, leaving an embarrassed Bruno.

"Aw, jeez, dudes! First, the training grounds, and now here in the steps of the citadel. C'mon!"

"Yo," Johnson barged. "Bruno, when will you confess to Lol-"

"SHUT IT!" Bruno ordered. "I already told you that I don't have feelings for her!"

Alpha smirked. "To tell you the truth, Beta's telling me otherwise. You may reject, but the feeling is there, even I you don't know."

"Do you think confessing is easy?!" Bruno complained.

"We know it isn't," Lolita said. "That's why we're giving you time. It's not easy, but if it's worth the wait, then wait."

(What is funny here is that Johnson literally almost said Lolita's name, while the elf is completely unaware of the fact that she was the one being talked about. XD)

Layla switched the topic. "Speaking of which, Hayabusa got back with Kagura again, right? When did they…"

"Get back together?" Alucard asked. "A week and a half ago… maybe."

"WHAT?!" the gunner exclaimed. "And I only learned about it three days ago?!"

"He told me that they were keeping it low."

"Makes sense," Alpha noted. "Everybody would freak out if they touched again. I was shocked to randomly see the two of them making it out in a dark alley."

"Really?!" Chou asked.

"Hey, if you're thinking of any naughty business, let me inform you that I wiped my camera feed of it to maintain privacy."

"I wasn't. C'mon, Bruno, let's get those donuts."

Meanwhile…

Freya hurriedly flies back to the Citadel with news. She ignored the melancholy civilians below her, barely eyeing her in the sky. She landed on the main gates and ran to the underground chambers, where Estes was examining the Ocular Sun.

"Estes!"

The Elven King didn't look up to see her. "Now, now, Freya. I am still examining Moskov's former whereabouts."

"Wait, listen to me! The Lords-"

Estes immediately looked up. "What about them?"

"They demand your presence… along with a handful few."

ALERT! UNAUTHORIZED TRANSMISSION PLAYBACK DETECTED.

(The camera feed shows a [DATA EXPUNGED] room, and a fully clothed figure adjusting seat to face the monitors, his face completely covered, barely exposing a patch of skin.

The date reads… 09/04/[DATA REDACTED].)

"I am making this transmission for those who seek the truth."

(The figure rubs his gloved hands, feeling nervous.)

"I almost quit in progressing with this story. Yeah, yeah, the game is losing its taste. I really don't know what the developers are actually doing, and I hate that their screwing up so much."

"It's almost like I'm trying to seek perfection here, or a different type of polish for the franchise."

"But as we plummet further… we stray from hope."

"Absolutely 95% of my brain tells me to stop doing what it thinks is 'nonsense'. The other 5%? It says otherwise. And I'm sticking to the latter."

"There is no other way to tell you the truth rather than writing a story such as this… A story that breaks the boundaries of the universe itself."

"Over the passing time, you will now receive transmissions and puzzles wedged into the upcoming chapters, and all will not cease until I say so."

"Time is short. The cosmos call me. Someone will guide me as soon as they come…

My guide that will show me, and you, the truth."

"Unfortunately, now is not the time."

(The figure sighs slowly, checking his phone. He puts it down and looks back at the camera.)

"This is [DATA EXPUNGED], and I am the [DATA CORRUPTED]."

([DATA EXPUNGED] deactivates the monitors and exits the room, a bright light illuminating from the other side.)

(End of Transmission)