Liz

=Machine Base=

In the confines of a brightly-lit room, a girl was on a bed, in deep slumber. She's been in a coma for more than a month after Caitlyn's brainwashing but as scheduled, she was about to wake. She opened her eyes in a lazy fashion and proceeded to scan the room in which she was in.

The room was cosy, decorated with black linen and carpeted red, her bed was comfortable while the sun shined through the opening in-between the drapes of a window. She raised her upper body and scanned the room once more.

What is this place?

She thought. She extended both of her arms from under the white sheet and found out that she was healthy, no bruises, scars or any wounds. She still remembered that time when she and her group battled against Valentine, and after thinking that they'd actually win, she was dumbfounded at Artemis' intervention and subsequent victory over them.

The sheer power he displayed, it still sent chills down her spine. But she was rather calm now, not because she has accepted defeat, no, she wanted vengeance but that feeling was being overridden. Her memories, she still remembered her past but it was now combined with a thought she never knew before.

Utopia. That was the main point behind the strange thoughts In her mind. A world where humans could live in comfort and harmony, no bickering and strife. There would be no division, the perfect society.

"This is too good to be true," She wanted to ignore it but how could she ignore the idea that seduced her?

She was deep into her thoughts when Valentine came in, she sported her black uniform just like when they first met. Liz was suspicious of her, her demonic smile still lingering in her mind. The smile that they mistook to be warm, but was a smile that looked down upon them.

Liz frowned as Valentine walked closer to her bed, she was smiling and Liz hated it. Valentine then sat on the stool that was near Liz' bed and gazed at the former adventurer confined to her new home.

"What do you want?" Liz said rather harshly, refusing to look at Valentine.

Valentine continued her smile and spoke in a sweet voice.

"Well, I'm here to check on my compatriot,"

Suddenly, Liz' eyes bulged and she turned to face Valentine.

"Compatriot!? Big word for someone like you, trickster!"

Her voice was threatening but Valentine was unfazed with her bratty attitude. She dragged the stool closer to the bed and she leaned forward, her face almost touching Liz'. Liz was visibly uncomfortable as she felt her breath against her cheeks.

"Vivat, in Imperii,"

Lily suddenly froze.

"Vi-vat.."

Valentine leaned back and placed her hands onto her lap.

"In.."

"Say it," She whispered.

"Imperii,"

Liz finally turned towards Valentine. She moved her hair that covered her face and stared at Valentine with her now dark eyes, an aura of blackness oozed from her pupils as she placed her right hand upon her chest and whispered once more.

"Vivat, In Imperii,"

"Vivat, In Imperii" Valentine stood from the stool and extended her arms to Liz who without as second thought, grabbed her hand and stood beside her.

Liz was still wearing her patient's gown and so Valentine brought a spare black uniform similar to hers and offered it to her new compatriot.

"Wear this, this will be our signature dress from now on, show them our might, show them our strength! We work towards one goal, Liz, one goal!"

Liz removed her gown and immediately took the uniform, as she was wearing it, Valentine began to glow yellow as she did before they duelled.

"For Utopia!" She said in an angelic voice.

"For Utopia!" Liz whispered, finished dressing. The uniform was a perfect fit for her slim physique. She too began to glow but her colour was black, she did not retain her former colour but adopted the new color of the new state she now served.

She was brainwashed yes but she did not know, can it be really called brainwashing? No, she was offered the truth! A chance for redemption, something she thought fate had abandoned her for, now she could redeem her honour as the daughter of a prestigious noble and finally fixate her status.

"Valentine, what's my first mission?" Liz asked softly.

"Dear, we need to introduce you to our two leaders first," Valentine smiled.

"I-I see,"

"Then, let's be off," Valentine turned her back and walked out followed by Liz. This was Liz' first time in the Central Command Building of the Machine Empire directly located in the centre of the Main Hub.

The hallways were wide and contrary to her expectations, not cramped with the Empire's Androids. They made their way through the empty halls, they passed through a corridor that had huge glass panes as walls on each side. As they passed, Liz realized that they were not on the ground, no, they were 180 stories high above it!

It was a fantastic view, hovercrafts zooming through the sky, dots of every kind of designation were walking through down below like ants in a colony. Then, as they entered the next hall, they were greeted by the Elite Androids of the Overall.

These Elite Androids were taller than the average human, their armour was bulky but they were flexible and fast. They wielded their signature weapons, the M-1 Blasters and no, these were not blasters using magic but using a semi-reengineered version of prewar issue blasters used by the human government at that time. Their one eye glowed red, and they scanned the two before they allowed their entry.

These Androids were menacing to look at, you had to look up and you'd see the black and white outlines, the heavy plating, the small opening between their limbs that showed a vast network of intricate machinery, gears and wires and forming a sophisticated nervous system for these metal men.

They finally reached their destination, 180 stories high, the Overall's bridge.

The bridge was brightly lit like any room, the holographic monitors displaying a vast array of information were scattered in an organized fashion, and in the middle of that organized pile of monitors and desks was Artemis.

He emitted an aura that was more terrifying than before, if a powerful and terrifying demon lord see him now, he would have been walking the opposite direction. Artemis was looking away from them, swiping a holographic board that floated in front of him.

Valentine gestured Liz to follow her and they began to walk towards their leader.

Liz was trembling so much that she could be heard. She was fearful, the aura was too strong.

As they were finally here, Valentine stopped and stood upright before saluting with her right arm.

"Valentine, reporting!"

Stunned, Liz did the same.

"L-liz! Reporting also!"

Oh no! What did I say!

Liz was embarrassed. Stuttering in the presence of her new master, on the first day of the job too!

Artemis eyes slightly turned on their direction.

EEEEEK!!!

She screamed in her mind.

Artemis looked fine, his expression was cold but not menacing. But his aura was even more terrifying when he faced them. An aura that indicated he had tremendous power, that said that not even a Demigod or two could take him down.

"At ease," Artemis spoke in a monotone voice.

Valentine lowered her hand and Liz followed suit.

An odd silence took over. Liz was sweating like crazy as Artemis locked eyes on her and seemingly scanned her person.

"So you've finally come around," Artemis walked towards Liz, who, out of fear, could not reply.

"Fear, a human byproduct, something you need to manage," Artemis suddenly extends his right hand and hands over a black rectangular board. Liz immediately took it and bowed.

"Uhm, do you know how to use that thing?" Artemis asked nonchalantly.

"Uh..." Liz frantically began tapping on the black thing. All the while the other two stared at her, Artemis was deeply confused at what he was witnessing while Valentine was ever the more amused.

After a minute of endless tapping, Artemis was ready to commit genocide just by sheer annoyance and confusion. Valentine then took the pad from the frantic Liz and tapped it open herself.

Finally.

Artemis thought.

The board then displayed a holographic projection of what seemed to be the eastern defence perimeter, it was the live feed. In the feed, wreckege of hundreds of Airships, hundreds of dead Griffins, and the decimated 100,000 strong army sent by the Theocracy were scattered among the fields of grass.

"They were defeated, huh," Valentine remarked.

"Such power..." Liz was shocked further, she was literally seeing thousands of bodies which were killed by this state's soldiers.

"Give me a second," Artemis then changed the screen again and the screen shows a image of a creature.

"Your first mission will be simple," He raised his hands and pointed at a image on the screen.

"Find me a monster core of this animal,"

As Valentine look at the screen for a moment, her expression immediately turn to shocked.

"A Ravager, sir?" Valentine inquired.

"So thats what they called, interesting,"

"Yes, sir,"

"You and Liz must retrieve me it's monster core and try to find it's natural habitat if possible," Artemis ordered.

This was her first assignment, she cannot fail it! Liz was confident now, with someone like Valentine by her side, both of them will be more than capable of tracking down monsters, the biggest problem was..

The monsters they need to find was...

An S-rank.