Noboki's True Motive
--Noboki's Perspective--
Amera, Dante, Tavian, Moon, Ellie, and I all sat up on a ridge near the entrance to Zealous. It was a little steep, with grass moving up the ridge at a 45-degree angle. Falling down would mean hitting the bottom before slowing down.
We had binoculars and were hiding behind a basic gathering of rocks and trees that blocked us from being seen. Ellie took the helm, watching the gate to see when everybody would come through.
"Right ahead, do we see her?" Ellie called out, handing the binoculars back toward the rest of us.
I thought of our group to have an interesting composition. We were 'Group Orion' for the reason that we all had ties to that evil man... but we all thought different things about him. Not even Moon had him in high regard, but our sympathy for that man was unjustly high.
Ever since the Isle, I felt I wouldn't last under his rule. As selfish as it sounds, I was just waiting for my opportunity to escape when somebody gave me a good reason to. I'm not a leader and couldn't forge that reason myself. I needed somebody else to carry me out of that situation. That little kid, Sky Asterio. I'm completely amazed by his every move. I wonder how a child like that was able to rip me from this senseless devastation of the Isle and motivate me enough to join his side.
Even now, I fight on his side. We certainly don't see things the same way, but it's not my life to interfere in. I knew that. I had no right to go against his wishes because of what he did for me. He saved me... no... he saved us. 'Group Orion' are all people he saved. That kid needs a damn prize for all he's done. And I hope that at the very least, we can all stop the foes in front of us from interfering in what's going on.
"Let's get into this building," Tavian said. He pushed down a wooden plank that allowed us to climb into the second story of a vacant building that wasn't finished being built yet.
"We'll wait here to see what Fico does. Illya's Incarnation is blocking her from using her insane speed, but she's the Leader of Quake. Her fighting style might be more refined than yours," Tavian bumped Dante, and he scoffed.
"Doubt it. The only reason I was stopped was that I lost both of my hands," He muttered. He looked like he was remembering Sky as well.
About ten seconds went by as I leaned up against the edge of a wall next to Ellie. She calls the shots here, so I follow her.
"Guys, now," She said. I jumped out of the second-story window right behind her, and Ellie was charging straight for Fico, right next to the orange-haired man with a grin on his face.
Ellie shoved her longsword in between the claws of Fico, and she took it without even batting an eye.
Both Moon and I took the opportunity to apply more pressure before things got bad and clashed with the second set of Fico's claws before she could do anything else.
"Focus on Kire! We'll handle Fico!" Amera called out. She waved over to some people I didn't see, and Fico slashed backward toward us, running out of the gate.
The doors shut and the third barrier was set in place. This was a guaranteed blockade, meaning that Fico couldn't get back in... and neither could we.
"Jesus, how many people are standing around me? You guys really know who the dangerous one is, don't you?" Fico asked, stretching her arms out. Her wings... fell off?
They just fell off of her body and evaporated into golden strands, shoving themselves into her forearms and coursing through her veins and body.
"You're not able to use your Incarnation. And, with this many people, I'd like to assume that you won't win here," I told her.
Fico wasn't even paying attention, watching the viscous liquid on her claws drip onto the floor.
"Sorry... do you think... no, you can't possibly think like that... you think I need an Incarnation to fight you? Oh, honey... this is going to be so terrible for all of you," Fico said. She smiled, holding her claws down at her hips.
She wasn't moving... probably making us announce the fight first before she did anything.
"We don't have time to sit around, let's just attack her," Dante muttered, but Tavian shook his head.
We were all staring deep into her eyes. They were glistening with some weird color and type of energy I couldn't stand to look at anymore.
There were golden strands flowing in her pink eyes, causing light nausea to everybody standing on the opposite side of the battlefield from her. She was keeping her eyes open without blinking, slowly tapping her foot. She had a rhythm going, and she was following it.
Dante and Moon ran at her first. Dante had two swords made of Mahina Metal, although they didn't compare to the Mahina Blade, and Moon had her rapier, repaired and reinforced with that same regenerative metal.
As soon as the two got close to Fico, she held up one set of claws to stop Dante, and the other to stop Moon.
I took this opportunity to run at her, now that she didn't have any hands available to stop me.
I rose my sword up to strike at her hip to weaken her... and her body shifted.
It was abrupt, and violently squishy, but out of her leg came a set of three blades covered in the same viscous liquid, slashing at my arm, and barely touching my chest with the tip of her blade.
She cracked her shoulder out of place, and one of the blades extended past Dante's blade, lightly scraping against his forehead.
"Damn! That hurts!" Dante called out.
Fico's plain, violent eyes turned back to look at me, and the gaze that came from them caused my knees to shake, as the claws grew again, her body snapped, and her wings grew.
"Have you ever flown before?" She asked me with a wicked smile.
A shockwave of wind shot out from underneath her and she grabbed me by my collar. She threw me upward, caught me with her talons, and threw me back toward the ground.
Had I not reinforced my entire body with Essence Strands, I would've broken my neck on the hit toward the floor. I was extremely lucky I had a heightened usage with Essence Strands, otherwise my life would've ended in an instant.
I flipped backward, recovering, and looking back up at Fico.
"Shit," I muttered.