ShopDreamUp AI ArtDreamUp
Deviation Actions
Literature Text
"Suzuki? Come in, Suzuki! Damn it!"
There was a deafened thud as Shirke's fist slammed down on her office's desk. The situation had exponentially grown from bad to worse in very little time: not only one of the test subjects had escaped, not only two other had followed suit, and not only the person she'd sent to recover the former had been stalled by the latter, but she'd just lost contact with said person as well.
The captain of the Aegis Foundation closed her eyes, drawing two deep breaths. No time for nervousness now. She had to contact the rest of the military personnel and Head Reasercher Traynor now in order to better assess the situation and organize emergency containment procedures.
As it turned out, she didn't have to call for Traynor, for he contacted her first. "C-Captain!" he exclaimed through the comm, his voice coming in as a panicked shout. "Captain, do you copy?"
"I can hear you clearly, Traynor. Speak."
"We've got visual contact on... something about a kilometer away from here!"
"I have no time for guessing games! On what exactly, Traynor?"
"It's... uh... I'll just pass the camera feed on your side."
Shirke's eyes widened, disconcerted, as soon as they set upon the monitor on the right side of her desk. For an instant, she believed that she was hallucinating, so strange and horrifying was the sight that was now before her; she now realized why Traynor couldn't quite describe it. It vaguely resembled an octopus with a deformed, cancerous head, a multitude of red eyes clattering its surface, constantly shifting like a swarm of bloody insects; its eight tentacles divided into eight hands at the tip, each of which had eight fingers that it used to climb down the rocky hill that stood not far behind the Aigis Foundation headquarters. Its skin, which seemed to melt and boil in festering bubbles, was of the darkest color that Shirke had ever seen: it wasn't so much black as it gave her the impression of being blind just by looking at it.
"My God..." she whispered, covering her mouth with one hand.
"What do we do, Captain? We're... waiting for your orders."
Shirke quickly recomposed herself, her mind scrambling for a possible solution to this mess with little result. Despite her relatively young age, she had her fair share of experience and skill, but even the most hardened of veterans would have had problems dealing with... whatever that thing on the screen was. Eventually, however, something came to her mind; it was admittedly a very feeble hope, but at least it was something.
"Captain..? Are you there?" Traynor said, his voice sounding more agitated.
"Continue to observe it" Shirke answered matter-of-factly. "It seems to be going at a low speed, so we should still have some time before it reaches us; whatever happens, don't engage it unless it attacks first. Traynor, head to Medical Bay 1. I'll be arriving there shortly."
"U-understood..!" he answered, sounding almost surprised. With that, communication was closed.
Shirke had just gotten up from her chair when the door to her office suddenly burst open. In front of it stood the guard who kept watch on her door... until he collapsed forward with a groan, revealing a tall, fiery-haired young woman in a red dress right behind him.
"I apologize for having to break in," Linda said as she stepped into the office. Shirke immediately drew her handgun, pointing it at her; the Maiden bit her lip, but did not flinch. A second later the other Maidens entered as well: first a less-than-healthy looking Cécile, her pure white dress stained by red circles on the spots where she'd been wounded, followed by a still shaky-legged Chiara and, eventually, by Natasha, who securely held a handcuffed Justice by her arm, the latter following a bit reluctantly.
Shirke gritted her teeth as she saw that the Japanese Maiden had been taken captive, but decided to not comment on that. "Why are you here?" she said instead, staring right through Linda through both her brown eyes and the lethal, dark one of her pistol. "Are you here to kill me?"
"No," Linda answered firmly. "We just want to negotiate."
"Let me guess, are you going to offer Suzuki's freedom in exchange for your own?"
"Suzuki..?" Cécile mumbled, looking at Justice; the latter appeared to be contrite, as she didn't dare to look at her boss in the eyes, gazing downwards instead. "So that's her name..."
"Actually," Linda resumed "I'm offering more than that. I'm offering the help of all of us."
The officer raised her eyebrow, perplexed. "What are you talking about..?"
"We know that there's a Queen of Wands coming this way, and that it'll be here in less than ten minutes. I'll be clear: this is not an enemy you can fight on your own. Even if Magician hadn't escaped and your security was at full force, your chances of success would be practically zero; that's why I'm here to offer our help, if you're willing to let us go."
"Or I could just shoot you instead and call it a day. How does that sound for a deal?"
"Try it. You'd be dead before you could pull the trigger." Natasha hissed coldly.
"Captain, please..!" Justice pleaded, a desperate tone to her usually smug voice. "Listen to them. This is not some-"
"Silence!" Shirke suddenly shouted, the first time she'd been actually angry that day. "Don't you think for a second that, just because you're working with me, I'd hesitate for even an instant before killing you."
The Maiden opened her mouth, but words failed her; she lowered her gaze again, face contracted and eyes closed as if trying to hold back tears.
"Everyone, calm the hell down!" Linda shouted, barely containing her agitation herself. "No one is killing anyone today! I've had enough senseless violence for a whole month!" She paused briefly, drawing a deep breath to calm herself down. "Captain... Shirke, right? I know that our first contact wasn't exactly of the most... amicable, but you need to understand that, right now, we're your only chance you have of beating that monster out there, and we're gonna do it with or without your permission. The Aegis Foundation's goal is to protect humanity, right? The only way for that is standing right in front of you."
"You think I don't know that?" the woman replied with a bitter half-grin. "We've been observing you so-called "Maidens" for longer than you think. We know of your powers, even if we struggle to understand their functioning. Sure, most of you have been quiet up until now, but there's no guarantee that will be the case in the future. Ultimately, we're the only ones that humanity can trust."
Linda stood silent for a second, then spoke again. "Very well. If that's what you think..." she opened her arms like a pair of wings, closing her eyes as if in silent prayer. "You can shoot me now."
Cécile's eye widened in horrified surprise as she heard those words, but, like everyone else in the room, she didn't dare to make a move. Five seconds, that seemed to stretch out into five hours, passed, during which no one dared to do so much as breathe, until eventually Shirke lowered her pistol.
"Fine," she said through her teeth. "we'll have it your way."
Linda drew a sigh of relief, glad that she didn't open her eyes to find a bullet in her chest. "Thank you. You've just made the right choice, Captain."
"So... I hope you have a plan in mind."
"I'm... thinking on it," the Irish Maiden answered, grabbing her chin thoughtfully. She felt a warm hand tightly grabbing her shoulder; it was Cécile's.
"Yours was a dangerous play, to say the least," the Belgian said, looking up intensely at Linda. "I have to admit that the image of you falling down with a hole in your chest flashed before me... and it wasn't pleasant in the slightest."
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Cécile, but it was a gamble I had to play."
"I know, but... please avoid doing that in the future." For the first time since the beginning of this ordeal, she gave a warm, heartfelt smile, made all the more beautiful by her hidden scars. "I'd prefer if you stayed alive in the future, thank you very much."
"You know perfectly I wouldn't die that easily," she replied, returning that smile in earnest. They had all gone through a lot that day, but seeing Cécile smiling like that despite her wounds did a lot for Linda's morale. It reassured her that no matter what happened, her companions - Cécile first and foremost - would always be by her side to aid her; after all, like an imposing Gothic cathedral, even the best leader would crumble instantly without archs and pillars to support them.
"Let's take a good look at the situation first," Shirke said, regaining composure. "Right now, we have two problems: your friend out there storming through our HQ like a rabid dog, and that thing - a Queen of Wands, as you called it - that's slowly coming this way."
"Retrieving Aurora is our first priority," Linda said, clenching her fist. "We can't deal with a Queen of Wands if she keeps disrupting our forces like this, and we need all the help we can get."
"I disagree. She's too dangerous to deal with right now, and we have a few minutes at most before that monster reaches us. Perhaps I can just close the emergency seals to lock her in."
"That'd be useless. You've seen what she did to the walls, right? In this state she can tear through metal doors like paper tissue. If there's no time, then we create it... Cécile, Natasha."
"Yes?" the Belgian Maiden replied, stepping forwards.
"I know I'm asking a lot out of you two, but... you'll be stalling the Queen to buy some time while I go looking for Aurora.
Cécile gave her a coy grin. "I don't know what you're scheming, but I have faith in you. We'll try to not get ourselves killed."
"Shouldn't your friend here go to retrieve her?" Shirke interrupted. "Water beats fire, after all."
"That's true... given how our powers work, the other way around would probably be more tactically sound. However, my reasons for this go beyond strategy, Captain; you'll have to believe me when I say I'm the only one here who can bring Aurora back to normal."
"You're asking for a lot of trust here, O'Brien... but it seems I have no other choice."
"I'm also going to need someone to show me the way around the complex. That's why I'll have Justice come with me."
The Japanese Maiden suddenly lifted her head, as if startled from a daze. "What?" she asked, incredulous.
"There's no time for objections, I'm afraid. Natasha, can you release her, please?"
Strength looked at her with a mixture of diffidence and caution, as if saying "I hope she knows what she's doing...", then promptly snapped the handcuffs' chain in two.
"Don't try anything funny, or I'll snap your neck like a twig," Natasha said in a menacing tone. She didn't really mean it, but the Maiden in black didn't need to know it. Now freed, Justice seemed to relax a little, despite Strength's threats and the fact that she was still essentially a hostage.
"Is that all?" Shirke asked, glancing furtively at Justice.
"For our part, yes. I hope you have something prepared for yours." Linda answered, trying to sound as friendly as possible.
"Outside of what's left of our security, I do have something that might help us... but it's likely going to fail. I'll contact you through Justice either way."
"And how can we be certain that you don't double-cross us?" Cécile asked in her typical brutally honest, yet polite tone.
"I might be ruthless, Cauchemar, but I'm not a fool. Those who can't adapt to the circumstances usually end up dead, which is something I'd like to avoid."
"Yes, I think we can agree not dying is probably a shared interest," Linda said. "Oh, and about Chiara... it's probably for the better if she stays somewhere safe in this building. If there are any underground facilities or the like, that'd be for the best."
Quite unexpectedly, the blonde 15-year-old stepped forward and spoke. "Uhm, about that... there's something I want to say..."
"Huh?"
"I'm not sure about what's going on, but... I want to go with Cécile."
Linda leaned down and stared at her, concern writ in her deep blue eyes. "It's extremely dangerous, Chiara. That thing... it might end up killing you."
"I-I know, but... you've all helped me so much today, and I want to return the favor in some way. A-and, something tells me that, if I go with them and see things for myself, I might... I might understand how my dreams and this "Maidens" thing are connected. So, please... let me go with them."
Linda looked away, hesitant to give a response one way or another. She glanced to the side at the other Maidens, who were listening carefully.
"I agree." Natasha simply said, crossing her arms. "She's a Maiden. I'm sure she can be of some use."
The red-dressed Maiden turned around, looking at Strength straight in the eye. "Very well," she said. "I entrust her protection to you. Make sure she doesn't get hurt." The Russian girl answered with a simple nod as Chiara ran to her side, an unusually determined look in her azure eyes.
"Is that all?" Shirke said, tapping her foot impatiently. "There's not much time left, I believe."
"Yes, I think so," Linda replied, her eyes encountering the ones of everyone else in the room before looking at the woman again. "We'll all get out of this. That's a promise."
There was a deafened thud as Shirke's fist slammed down on her office's desk. The situation had exponentially grown from bad to worse in very little time: not only one of the test subjects had escaped, not only two other had followed suit, and not only the person she'd sent to recover the former had been stalled by the latter, but she'd just lost contact with said person as well.
The captain of the Aegis Foundation closed her eyes, drawing two deep breaths. No time for nervousness now. She had to contact the rest of the military personnel and Head Reasercher Traynor now in order to better assess the situation and organize emergency containment procedures.
As it turned out, she didn't have to call for Traynor, for he contacted her first. "C-Captain!" he exclaimed through the comm, his voice coming in as a panicked shout. "Captain, do you copy?"
"I can hear you clearly, Traynor. Speak."
"We've got visual contact on... something about a kilometer away from here!"
"I have no time for guessing games! On what exactly, Traynor?"
"It's... uh... I'll just pass the camera feed on your side."
Shirke's eyes widened, disconcerted, as soon as they set upon the monitor on the right side of her desk. For an instant, she believed that she was hallucinating, so strange and horrifying was the sight that was now before her; she now realized why Traynor couldn't quite describe it. It vaguely resembled an octopus with a deformed, cancerous head, a multitude of red eyes clattering its surface, constantly shifting like a swarm of bloody insects; its eight tentacles divided into eight hands at the tip, each of which had eight fingers that it used to climb down the rocky hill that stood not far behind the Aigis Foundation headquarters. Its skin, which seemed to melt and boil in festering bubbles, was of the darkest color that Shirke had ever seen: it wasn't so much black as it gave her the impression of being blind just by looking at it.
"My God..." she whispered, covering her mouth with one hand.
"What do we do, Captain? We're... waiting for your orders."
Shirke quickly recomposed herself, her mind scrambling for a possible solution to this mess with little result. Despite her relatively young age, she had her fair share of experience and skill, but even the most hardened of veterans would have had problems dealing with... whatever that thing on the screen was. Eventually, however, something came to her mind; it was admittedly a very feeble hope, but at least it was something.
"Captain..? Are you there?" Traynor said, his voice sounding more agitated.
"Continue to observe it" Shirke answered matter-of-factly. "It seems to be going at a low speed, so we should still have some time before it reaches us; whatever happens, don't engage it unless it attacks first. Traynor, head to Medical Bay 1. I'll be arriving there shortly."
"U-understood..!" he answered, sounding almost surprised. With that, communication was closed.
Shirke had just gotten up from her chair when the door to her office suddenly burst open. In front of it stood the guard who kept watch on her door... until he collapsed forward with a groan, revealing a tall, fiery-haired young woman in a red dress right behind him.
"I apologize for having to break in," Linda said as she stepped into the office. Shirke immediately drew her handgun, pointing it at her; the Maiden bit her lip, but did not flinch. A second later the other Maidens entered as well: first a less-than-healthy looking Cécile, her pure white dress stained by red circles on the spots where she'd been wounded, followed by a still shaky-legged Chiara and, eventually, by Natasha, who securely held a handcuffed Justice by her arm, the latter following a bit reluctantly.
Shirke gritted her teeth as she saw that the Japanese Maiden had been taken captive, but decided to not comment on that. "Why are you here?" she said instead, staring right through Linda through both her brown eyes and the lethal, dark one of her pistol. "Are you here to kill me?"
"No," Linda answered firmly. "We just want to negotiate."
"Let me guess, are you going to offer Suzuki's freedom in exchange for your own?"
"Suzuki..?" Cécile mumbled, looking at Justice; the latter appeared to be contrite, as she didn't dare to look at her boss in the eyes, gazing downwards instead. "So that's her name..."
"Actually," Linda resumed "I'm offering more than that. I'm offering the help of all of us."
The officer raised her eyebrow, perplexed. "What are you talking about..?"
"We know that there's a Queen of Wands coming this way, and that it'll be here in less than ten minutes. I'll be clear: this is not an enemy you can fight on your own. Even if Magician hadn't escaped and your security was at full force, your chances of success would be practically zero; that's why I'm here to offer our help, if you're willing to let us go."
"Or I could just shoot you instead and call it a day. How does that sound for a deal?"
"Try it. You'd be dead before you could pull the trigger." Natasha hissed coldly.
"Captain, please..!" Justice pleaded, a desperate tone to her usually smug voice. "Listen to them. This is not some-"
"Silence!" Shirke suddenly shouted, the first time she'd been actually angry that day. "Don't you think for a second that, just because you're working with me, I'd hesitate for even an instant before killing you."
The Maiden opened her mouth, but words failed her; she lowered her gaze again, face contracted and eyes closed as if trying to hold back tears.
"Everyone, calm the hell down!" Linda shouted, barely containing her agitation herself. "No one is killing anyone today! I've had enough senseless violence for a whole month!" She paused briefly, drawing a deep breath to calm herself down. "Captain... Shirke, right? I know that our first contact wasn't exactly of the most... amicable, but you need to understand that, right now, we're your only chance you have of beating that monster out there, and we're gonna do it with or without your permission. The Aegis Foundation's goal is to protect humanity, right? The only way for that is standing right in front of you."
"You think I don't know that?" the woman replied with a bitter half-grin. "We've been observing you so-called "Maidens" for longer than you think. We know of your powers, even if we struggle to understand their functioning. Sure, most of you have been quiet up until now, but there's no guarantee that will be the case in the future. Ultimately, we're the only ones that humanity can trust."
Linda stood silent for a second, then spoke again. "Very well. If that's what you think..." she opened her arms like a pair of wings, closing her eyes as if in silent prayer. "You can shoot me now."
Cécile's eye widened in horrified surprise as she heard those words, but, like everyone else in the room, she didn't dare to make a move. Five seconds, that seemed to stretch out into five hours, passed, during which no one dared to do so much as breathe, until eventually Shirke lowered her pistol.
"Fine," she said through her teeth. "we'll have it your way."
Linda drew a sigh of relief, glad that she didn't open her eyes to find a bullet in her chest. "Thank you. You've just made the right choice, Captain."
"So... I hope you have a plan in mind."
"I'm... thinking on it," the Irish Maiden answered, grabbing her chin thoughtfully. She felt a warm hand tightly grabbing her shoulder; it was Cécile's.
"Yours was a dangerous play, to say the least," the Belgian said, looking up intensely at Linda. "I have to admit that the image of you falling down with a hole in your chest flashed before me... and it wasn't pleasant in the slightest."
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Cécile, but it was a gamble I had to play."
"I know, but... please avoid doing that in the future." For the first time since the beginning of this ordeal, she gave a warm, heartfelt smile, made all the more beautiful by her hidden scars. "I'd prefer if you stayed alive in the future, thank you very much."
"You know perfectly I wouldn't die that easily," she replied, returning that smile in earnest. They had all gone through a lot that day, but seeing Cécile smiling like that despite her wounds did a lot for Linda's morale. It reassured her that no matter what happened, her companions - Cécile first and foremost - would always be by her side to aid her; after all, like an imposing Gothic cathedral, even the best leader would crumble instantly without archs and pillars to support them.
"Let's take a good look at the situation first," Shirke said, regaining composure. "Right now, we have two problems: your friend out there storming through our HQ like a rabid dog, and that thing - a Queen of Wands, as you called it - that's slowly coming this way."
"Retrieving Aurora is our first priority," Linda said, clenching her fist. "We can't deal with a Queen of Wands if she keeps disrupting our forces like this, and we need all the help we can get."
"I disagree. She's too dangerous to deal with right now, and we have a few minutes at most before that monster reaches us. Perhaps I can just close the emergency seals to lock her in."
"That'd be useless. You've seen what she did to the walls, right? In this state she can tear through metal doors like paper tissue. If there's no time, then we create it... Cécile, Natasha."
"Yes?" the Belgian Maiden replied, stepping forwards.
"I know I'm asking a lot out of you two, but... you'll be stalling the Queen to buy some time while I go looking for Aurora.
Cécile gave her a coy grin. "I don't know what you're scheming, but I have faith in you. We'll try to not get ourselves killed."
"Shouldn't your friend here go to retrieve her?" Shirke interrupted. "Water beats fire, after all."
"That's true... given how our powers work, the other way around would probably be more tactically sound. However, my reasons for this go beyond strategy, Captain; you'll have to believe me when I say I'm the only one here who can bring Aurora back to normal."
"You're asking for a lot of trust here, O'Brien... but it seems I have no other choice."
"I'm also going to need someone to show me the way around the complex. That's why I'll have Justice come with me."
The Japanese Maiden suddenly lifted her head, as if startled from a daze. "What?" she asked, incredulous.
"There's no time for objections, I'm afraid. Natasha, can you release her, please?"
Strength looked at her with a mixture of diffidence and caution, as if saying "I hope she knows what she's doing...", then promptly snapped the handcuffs' chain in two.
"Don't try anything funny, or I'll snap your neck like a twig," Natasha said in a menacing tone. She didn't really mean it, but the Maiden in black didn't need to know it. Now freed, Justice seemed to relax a little, despite Strength's threats and the fact that she was still essentially a hostage.
"Is that all?" Shirke asked, glancing furtively at Justice.
"For our part, yes. I hope you have something prepared for yours." Linda answered, trying to sound as friendly as possible.
"Outside of what's left of our security, I do have something that might help us... but it's likely going to fail. I'll contact you through Justice either way."
"And how can we be certain that you don't double-cross us?" Cécile asked in her typical brutally honest, yet polite tone.
"I might be ruthless, Cauchemar, but I'm not a fool. Those who can't adapt to the circumstances usually end up dead, which is something I'd like to avoid."
"Yes, I think we can agree not dying is probably a shared interest," Linda said. "Oh, and about Chiara... it's probably for the better if she stays somewhere safe in this building. If there are any underground facilities or the like, that'd be for the best."
Quite unexpectedly, the blonde 15-year-old stepped forward and spoke. "Uhm, about that... there's something I want to say..."
"Huh?"
"I'm not sure about what's going on, but... I want to go with Cécile."
Linda leaned down and stared at her, concern writ in her deep blue eyes. "It's extremely dangerous, Chiara. That thing... it might end up killing you."
"I-I know, but... you've all helped me so much today, and I want to return the favor in some way. A-and, something tells me that, if I go with them and see things for myself, I might... I might understand how my dreams and this "Maidens" thing are connected. So, please... let me go with them."
Linda looked away, hesitant to give a response one way or another. She glanced to the side at the other Maidens, who were listening carefully.
"I agree." Natasha simply said, crossing her arms. "She's a Maiden. I'm sure she can be of some use."
The red-dressed Maiden turned around, looking at Strength straight in the eye. "Very well," she said. "I entrust her protection to you. Make sure she doesn't get hurt." The Russian girl answered with a simple nod as Chiara ran to her side, an unusually determined look in her azure eyes.
"Is that all?" Shirke said, tapping her foot impatiently. "There's not much time left, I believe."
"Yes, I think so," Linda replied, her eyes encountering the ones of everyone else in the room before looking at the woman again. "We'll all get out of this. That's a promise."
____________________________
Traynor tapped his fingers in nervous rhythm against the table, staring intently into the void. It was the only way for him to not fall in complete panic; the situation was, to put it lightly, critical, and he was perfectly aware of what Shirke's response to that would be, which was the same reason she had summoned him here. He cast a nervous glance to his side, looking at the only other person currently in the room.
Subject 01 was sleeping peacefully, or at least appeared to be, her naked, monstruously tall form floating in the crystal-clear nutrient solution of the stasis tank, her corpselike pale skin and white, wispy hair almost seeming to glow under the neon lights. She looked almost otherwordly, like an angel or an alien that had found herself stranded on Earth and taken captive by the humans; and indeed, some would have debated whether she really was human.
Someone like Captain Shirke, who just happened to enter the room in that exact moment, her heels clicking at a furious, exact pace.
"C-Captain!" the scientist shouted, immediately standing up. "Why have you summoned me here?" This question was, of course, useless.
"We have no time for useless chatting, Traynor. You perfectly know the reason why." the woman replied coldly, stopping in front of the stasis tank. "Take 01 out of stasis."
"She's... she's not ready yet, Captain. We're not even sure if she'll survive out of the tank."
Shirke glared at him, making the scientist recoil. "I'm not just going to sit here doing nothing while there's a goddamn monster coming here to eat us. Subject 01 is the only reliable weapon we have now, Traynor... the only possible one, anyway, and we must take every opportunity. So, stop complaining and get her out of the goddamn tank."
The Head Researcher swallowed. It was no use arguing with her. "Yes, ma'am..." he mumbled as he pressed a series of numbers on the tank's keypad. Slowly, the azure fluid that filled it started to drain, taking about a minute before the tank was completely emptied. Almost dramatically, like a curtain opening on the first act of a play, the door of the tank opened, and Subject 01's scarlet irises slowly fluttered open. Drops of liquid dripping from her glistening, naked body onto the floor, she stepped out of the tank, almost hesitantly, and looked at Traynor with dazed, lost eyes, like a toddler trepidantly waiting for answers from their parent; and despite her size, she really did look like a small child, embracing herself as she shivered with cold.
"It seems alive enough for me," Shirke said, before turning her attention towards the huge girl before her. "Subject 01, I'll be the one giving you orders from now on. Do you understand?"
The white-haired being simply stared at her, slack-jawed.
"Answer me. Do you understand?" the captain of the Aegis Foundation repeated, sounding slightly more irritated.
"Guh-uh... uuhhhh..." Only an incoherent moan, similar to the wail of a newborn escaped Subject 01's pale, trembling lips.
Shirke looked at Traynor for explanations. "W-well, perhaps the language centres aren't fully functional yet... b-but from the looks of it, it appears she's fine on the other aspects."
"That's all I need to know," the woman answered rather stand-offishly, focusing on Subject 01 once again. "You don't need to speak, then; just nod if you understand my words. From now on, you're going to obey my orders. Do you follow?"
The artificial girl stood still for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.
"Good. I'll explain the reasons why I've awakened you on the way; for now, follow me."
"H-hold on, Captain!" Traynor exclaimed worriedly, going after her. "You're not going to have her fight in this state, are you?"
"What if I am, Traynor? This is what Subject 01 was made for. If it's still not ready, then it'll die, and that'll be it; but if it is, then we can gain an edge against this new enemy, and as I said I won't let this opportunity slide. Now, Head Researcher, you should go to the underground shelter with the rest of the reasearch staff. We don't know what might happen next." That said, Shirke spun on her heels and started to walk away, Subject 01 following with uncertain, trembling steps.
The scientist just stood there for a second, unsure on what to do. He had predicted that something like this would happen, but he'd also hoped that he could have somehow convince Shirke to relent, or even just wait a little for Subject 01 to be fully operational. As he expected, all of that failed, but fortunately he had another, more drastic solution. He walked after Shirke, who had almost reached the door, and took something out of his labcoat's pocket. What he was about to do was likely the wrong thing, but he didn't care right now; it was the only way to not let this tyrant of a woman do what she wanted with... well, with his daughter, if Subject 01 could be called that.
"AAAGH!" Shirke cried out in pain as she felt the sharp pain of something sharp being jammed into her neck, biting her like a vampire's fangs. Reflexively, she turned around, batting whatever had stabbed her away, took out her handgun and pointed it in front of her; there she saw Traynor standing in front of her, breathing heavily and holding what appeared to be a syringe in his right hand.
"I'm sorry, Captain," he said, sounding genuine despite everything. "But I can't let you do this to her. I... can't let her die."
"Y-you..!" the woman snarled, holding the spot where the syringe had pierced her skin. Normally, she would have already shot Traynor right there and then, but suddenly she felt that her fingers had stopped responding. A second later, and the numbness spread to her arms and her long legs; the pistol slipped from her nerveless hands, clattering uselessly on the floor, her arms fell limply at her sides, and she dropped to her knees. "Uhhnh... what... what did you do to me..?" she said, looking at the scientist with boiling rage in her eyes, barely muffled by the rapid decrease in her awareness.
"Don't worry, it's just fast-acting sedative. The same you used to capture Subject 02, actually..."
"Nngh... d-damn..!" she cursed, but already her voice had difficulty in coming through. Her brown eyes, usually so sharp that they could intimidate a lion, softened, eyelids starting to flutter as she felt her thoughts mixing in a dark, ill-defined slur of blackness. "Uhh... nnhh..." she moaned in an uncharacteristically feminine fashion as her body uncerimoniously flopped forward. Whatstung the most to her was not Traynor's betrayal, for it came all but unexpected to her, but the fact that he would actually manage to get away with it. Humiliated and defeated, the only thing Shirke could do was let out a sigh of "Aahhuuhhhnh..." as her eyes rolled up in her skull, before eventually hiding behind closed eyelids. Her toned body gave a little spasm, a last act of protest against her fate, and then went completely limp. Like the Maidens she had captured that day, either personally or through her underlings, Bethany Shirke was finally unconscious.
His act of treason completed, Traynor just stood there completely dumbfounded, incredulous that his plan had actually worked, staring at the aftermath of what he'd just done.
Shirke lay face-down on the floor, her limbs mostly straight save for her left hand, which rested above her head, fingers twitching softly; her sternly beautiful face bore a troubled, almost angered expression, her eyebrows crinkled as if she was accusing Traynor even in her sleep, softened somewhat by her slumber. Indeed, for all her cruelty, the Captain of the Aegis Foundation now looked like a damsel in distress, unconsciousness surprisingly highliting her beauty; her long, athletic legs and her toned rear end especially underlined by the tight pants of her suit.
Of course, all of this didn't matter to the scientist - he had more to worry about than ogling the sleeping woman. His job at the Aegis Foundation, his work as a researcher... he'd destroyed them completely. But there was no time to worry about that now. Quickly, he looked at Subject 01, finding a pair of watery, uncomprehending scarlet irises staring back at him.
"I..." he mumbled, uncertain if he had any right to talk. "I just saved your life. At least, I hope so... do you understand?"
The huge girl looked down at Shirke's unconscious body, then back at him before slowly nodding.
"G-good. Follow me now... we're leaving this hellhole." That said, he took off his labcoat and gently placed placed it on her shoulders, as to shield her from cold somewhat; the coat was, obviously, extremely ill-sized, ending just about under 01's crotch, but it was better than nothing as she seemed to stop shivering. Relieved, she looked down at the (now former) Head Researcher, the corners of her mouth curling in an awkward excuse of a smile.
"There's... there's no turning back now," Traynor muttered to himself, before talking to his new "daughter". "A-anyway, let's go. I'll take you to safety."
"Uuuh... uh-uh." Subject 01 groaned, nodding again. Then, with an uncertain, awkward step, she followed Traynor outside of the lab, beyond the four walls where she was born.
Subject 01 was sleeping peacefully, or at least appeared to be, her naked, monstruously tall form floating in the crystal-clear nutrient solution of the stasis tank, her corpselike pale skin and white, wispy hair almost seeming to glow under the neon lights. She looked almost otherwordly, like an angel or an alien that had found herself stranded on Earth and taken captive by the humans; and indeed, some would have debated whether she really was human.
Someone like Captain Shirke, who just happened to enter the room in that exact moment, her heels clicking at a furious, exact pace.
"C-Captain!" the scientist shouted, immediately standing up. "Why have you summoned me here?" This question was, of course, useless.
"We have no time for useless chatting, Traynor. You perfectly know the reason why." the woman replied coldly, stopping in front of the stasis tank. "Take 01 out of stasis."
"She's... she's not ready yet, Captain. We're not even sure if she'll survive out of the tank."
Shirke glared at him, making the scientist recoil. "I'm not just going to sit here doing nothing while there's a goddamn monster coming here to eat us. Subject 01 is the only reliable weapon we have now, Traynor... the only possible one, anyway, and we must take every opportunity. So, stop complaining and get her out of the goddamn tank."
The Head Researcher swallowed. It was no use arguing with her. "Yes, ma'am..." he mumbled as he pressed a series of numbers on the tank's keypad. Slowly, the azure fluid that filled it started to drain, taking about a minute before the tank was completely emptied. Almost dramatically, like a curtain opening on the first act of a play, the door of the tank opened, and Subject 01's scarlet irises slowly fluttered open. Drops of liquid dripping from her glistening, naked body onto the floor, she stepped out of the tank, almost hesitantly, and looked at Traynor with dazed, lost eyes, like a toddler trepidantly waiting for answers from their parent; and despite her size, she really did look like a small child, embracing herself as she shivered with cold.
"It seems alive enough for me," Shirke said, before turning her attention towards the huge girl before her. "Subject 01, I'll be the one giving you orders from now on. Do you understand?"
The white-haired being simply stared at her, slack-jawed.
"Answer me. Do you understand?" the captain of the Aegis Foundation repeated, sounding slightly more irritated.
"Guh-uh... uuhhhh..." Only an incoherent moan, similar to the wail of a newborn escaped Subject 01's pale, trembling lips.
Shirke looked at Traynor for explanations. "W-well, perhaps the language centres aren't fully functional yet... b-but from the looks of it, it appears she's fine on the other aspects."
"That's all I need to know," the woman answered rather stand-offishly, focusing on Subject 01 once again. "You don't need to speak, then; just nod if you understand my words. From now on, you're going to obey my orders. Do you follow?"
The artificial girl stood still for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.
"Good. I'll explain the reasons why I've awakened you on the way; for now, follow me."
"H-hold on, Captain!" Traynor exclaimed worriedly, going after her. "You're not going to have her fight in this state, are you?"
"What if I am, Traynor? This is what Subject 01 was made for. If it's still not ready, then it'll die, and that'll be it; but if it is, then we can gain an edge against this new enemy, and as I said I won't let this opportunity slide. Now, Head Researcher, you should go to the underground shelter with the rest of the reasearch staff. We don't know what might happen next." That said, Shirke spun on her heels and started to walk away, Subject 01 following with uncertain, trembling steps.
The scientist just stood there for a second, unsure on what to do. He had predicted that something like this would happen, but he'd also hoped that he could have somehow convince Shirke to relent, or even just wait a little for Subject 01 to be fully operational. As he expected, all of that failed, but fortunately he had another, more drastic solution. He walked after Shirke, who had almost reached the door, and took something out of his labcoat's pocket. What he was about to do was likely the wrong thing, but he didn't care right now; it was the only way to not let this tyrant of a woman do what she wanted with... well, with his daughter, if Subject 01 could be called that.
"AAAGH!" Shirke cried out in pain as she felt the sharp pain of something sharp being jammed into her neck, biting her like a vampire's fangs. Reflexively, she turned around, batting whatever had stabbed her away, took out her handgun and pointed it in front of her; there she saw Traynor standing in front of her, breathing heavily and holding what appeared to be a syringe in his right hand.
"I'm sorry, Captain," he said, sounding genuine despite everything. "But I can't let you do this to her. I... can't let her die."
"Y-you..!" the woman snarled, holding the spot where the syringe had pierced her skin. Normally, she would have already shot Traynor right there and then, but suddenly she felt that her fingers had stopped responding. A second later, and the numbness spread to her arms and her long legs; the pistol slipped from her nerveless hands, clattering uselessly on the floor, her arms fell limply at her sides, and she dropped to her knees. "Uhhnh... what... what did you do to me..?" she said, looking at the scientist with boiling rage in her eyes, barely muffled by the rapid decrease in her awareness.
"Don't worry, it's just fast-acting sedative. The same you used to capture Subject 02, actually..."
"Nngh... d-damn..!" she cursed, but already her voice had difficulty in coming through. Her brown eyes, usually so sharp that they could intimidate a lion, softened, eyelids starting to flutter as she felt her thoughts mixing in a dark, ill-defined slur of blackness. "Uhh... nnhh..." she moaned in an uncharacteristically feminine fashion as her body uncerimoniously flopped forward. Whatstung the most to her was not Traynor's betrayal, for it came all but unexpected to her, but the fact that he would actually manage to get away with it. Humiliated and defeated, the only thing Shirke could do was let out a sigh of "Aahhuuhhhnh..." as her eyes rolled up in her skull, before eventually hiding behind closed eyelids. Her toned body gave a little spasm, a last act of protest against her fate, and then went completely limp. Like the Maidens she had captured that day, either personally or through her underlings, Bethany Shirke was finally unconscious.
His act of treason completed, Traynor just stood there completely dumbfounded, incredulous that his plan had actually worked, staring at the aftermath of what he'd just done.
Shirke lay face-down on the floor, her limbs mostly straight save for her left hand, which rested above her head, fingers twitching softly; her sternly beautiful face bore a troubled, almost angered expression, her eyebrows crinkled as if she was accusing Traynor even in her sleep, softened somewhat by her slumber. Indeed, for all her cruelty, the Captain of the Aegis Foundation now looked like a damsel in distress, unconsciousness surprisingly highliting her beauty; her long, athletic legs and her toned rear end especially underlined by the tight pants of her suit.
Of course, all of this didn't matter to the scientist - he had more to worry about than ogling the sleeping woman. His job at the Aegis Foundation, his work as a researcher... he'd destroyed them completely. But there was no time to worry about that now. Quickly, he looked at Subject 01, finding a pair of watery, uncomprehending scarlet irises staring back at him.
"I..." he mumbled, uncertain if he had any right to talk. "I just saved your life. At least, I hope so... do you understand?"
The huge girl looked down at Shirke's unconscious body, then back at him before slowly nodding.
"G-good. Follow me now... we're leaving this hellhole." That said, he took off his labcoat and gently placed placed it on her shoulders, as to shield her from cold somewhat; the coat was, obviously, extremely ill-sized, ending just about under 01's crotch, but it was better than nothing as she seemed to stop shivering. Relieved, she looked down at the (now former) Head Researcher, the corners of her mouth curling in an awkward excuse of a smile.
"There's... there's no turning back now," Traynor muttered to himself, before talking to his new "daughter". "A-anyway, let's go. I'll take you to safety."
"Uuuh... uh-uh." Subject 01 groaned, nodding again. Then, with an uncertain, awkward step, she followed Traynor outside of the lab, beyond the four walls where she was born.
_____________________________________
The past three minutes had been of awkward silence as Empress followed Justice inside the halls of the Aegis Foundation's headquarters; they were following the residual trace of Magician's presence, which they could almost feel as a smell of charred meat.
"Why are you doing this?" Justice said, suddenly breaking the steely silence.
"What do you mean?"
"Entrusting me with this task. For all you know, I might betray you at any moment; I still am, technically, your enemy after all."
Linda huffed, apparently exhausted. "I know you're not stupid enough to try something like that. Temperance and I wouldn't struggle against a stupid opponent." She sighed again. "And I can't exactly be picky, right? I have to make do with what I have at my disposal. That's what any good leader would do, at least."
Justice chuckled bitterly. "Any good leader, huh..?" Again, she fell silent. Against her will, her mind started to make comparisons. In one hand, the woman she had entrusted her loyalty with, a stern and cold commander willing to sink to the most nefarious acts to protect humanity; on the other, the girl who walked with her, a caring leader that would do anything to save her friends. Both their means and ends were so similar, yet so different, like opposite shades of the same color, and yet only now she realized that she couldn't follow either of them; Shirke had shown just how heartless she could be, being even willing to shoot her in cold blood, and Linda... well, they hadn't exactly started on the best premises. And besides, her true loyalty lied elsewhere, somewhere beyond mere flesh-and-blood people, whether she liked it or not.
"Is what I've been told true?" Linda asked. "That you're the one who kidnapped me?"
Justice seemed to flinch for a second. "I... yes, it's true. What of it?"
"Nothing..." the Maiden in red cut off, staring forwards. "It seems I still got a ways to go..."
Suddenly, as if brought there by an unseen guidance, the two Maidens found themselves in front of yet another door, the words "Storage Room #02" cast in red letters on the grey metal; Magician's "scent" was clearly coming from beyond that door, so overwhelming that Linda could almost taste it. Without so much as a word, she reached out for the handle and twisted it, stepping inside the room with Justice trailing behind her. What followed was a sight she did not expect, or rather she wouldn't have wanted to see.
Shattered crates and partially melted lifting machinery littered the floor, some of both still on fire; a large, gaping hole had been left on the wall to the right, the support beams easily torn apart as if they were made of candy. And there, at the center of the room, surrounded by a swirling whirlwind of ashes and cinders, stood the fiery form of Magician, her silhouette distorted by the sheer heat radiating from her yellow flames.
Linda's eyes widened, her mouth left agape for a moment; in all her experience as a Maiden, she'd never seen anything like that, and watching it happen to Aurora of all people felt... disconcerting, to say the least. But that dismay would have to go soon, if she was to have any hope in saving her.
"Aurora!" Linda shouted, her trembling voice reaching over the laughter-like cackling of the fire. Magician, who had her back turned upon their arrival, slowly turned towards her, her head hanging rather eerily over her shoulder; the fire covered the expression of her face, her glowing red eyes staring soullessly right through Linda. The latter flinched at the sight, but her resolve did not waver. "Aurora, it's me, Linda! Stop this meaningless destruction, I beg you!"
Magician turned fully towards her, unblinking eyes still gazing right through her. "Aaaaaahhhh..!" a pitiful, ghastly lament came out from the mindless Maiden, the sound wavering as it passed through the scorching air surrounding her.
"P-please!" Linda cried out again, the tears that flowed down her eyes evaporating from the heat before they could reach her chin. "I'm here! Don't you see it?! There's no reason for you to be doing this!"
"Ah-aaaaaaahhhhhh..!" Magician moaned again as her hands reached out to claw at her head, her body contorting around as if experiencing a great agony. "Aaaahh..! Aaaaaahh! AaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Gradually, her moan turned into a cry, then into a banshee-like shriek as the flames surrounding her suddenly exploded in a burst of heat, drops of liquid fire shooting in all directions like a volcanic rain; instinctively, Linda put up a barrier wide enough to protect both her and Justice, the lapilli fizzling and dying down as they hit the shimmering forcefield.
"Diplomacy isn't going to work, I see..." Justice mumbled. "I hope you have a plan B."
Linda didn't answer immediately, staring at the slowly approaching form of Magician. A wave of dreadful despair suddenly surged over her as the horrible thought that, perhaps, Aurora was beyond saving surfaced in her mind; she tried to hold back her tears as she gripped her spear with both hands, shifting into a fighting stance. Right now, she had to focus and find a way to turn Aurora back to normal; she owed her that much, at least, and she wouldn't leave that debt go unfulfilled.
"We... we need to fight." she said as firmly as she could. "Justice, you have to hold her off while I find a way to turn her back to normal. Don't worry, I'll cover you with my shield."
"...is this the best you have?"
"It's the only thing I have right now. You'll have to trust me on this."
"I assume this means no lethal force, then..." Justice mused as she lifted a hand and, sparks of light dancing between her fingertips, created a rune in front of Magician; from the circle of light a giant-sized hand made of purple energy rose into existence, lunging to grab the berserk Maiden. For a moment its shimmering fingers coiled around her fiery form, squeezing it tightly, before being swiftly dissipated by another explosion; then, with another cry and a twist of her body, Magician hurled a large mote of fire, which exploded harmlessly on Empress' barrier.
"Aurora!" Linda cried out once again. "Look, I'm here! I'm safe! Isn't this why you're like this? Isn't this what you wanted?!"
The flaming Maiden heard those words, and turned towards her to look at her with soulless, incandescent eyes, but didn't respond beyond an animalistic groan. Instead, she lifted both hands, releasing a torrent of flames that quickly engulfed the entire room with a mighty roar; Linda reflexively put up another barrier to defend herself, but only then she realized that that meant leaving someone else uncovered.
"J-Justice!" she shouted, watching as the Japanese Maiden was swiftly enveloped by fire. Blinded by the sudden flash of light that accompanied the explosion, Linda stood frozen in place for a second, fearing the worst; when she regained her sight, however, she saw Justice lying face-up on the floor a few meters away from where she previously stood, unharmed save for a few burn marks on her face and bare feet.
"These protection runes come in real handy..." she mumbled as she got back up. "Empress, this isn't going anywhere. She can't understand what you say, apparently."
"N-no, it's not like that! I just need a little more time and-"
"There is no more time!" Justice suddenly barked, silencing Linda. "It's clear that whatever plan you had before is not going to work anymore. If you're not willing to do what needs to be done, then you can stand aside. I'll take this into my own hands." That said, she took hold of the bandages that covered most of her left arm and started to unwrap them, revealing more and more of her pale skin. As she threw them away, Linda saw to her surprise that the Japanese Maiden's hands appeared to have been painfully disfigured, thin, criss-crossed scars covering the skin almost up to the elbow like a tattoo, as if it had been cut over and over with a pocket knife or similar tool. Justice's right hand was covered with identical markings, as it was shown when she unwrapped the bandages of her other arm as well.
Linda's eyes detached themselves from Justice for a moment to look at Magician; much to her surprise, the berserk Maiden hadn't used the opportunity to attack. Instead, she released a wounded, almost mournful wail, clawing at her face and writhing in place as if she was overtaken by painful migraines.
Something's wrong, Linda thought, letting logic overcome her grief and pity. I thought she'd be completely enraged and attack us recklessly; sure, her attacks are powerful, but... she seems almost passive. She has only struck as a response to my words or to Justice's attempts at restraining her. Perhaps... perhaps this means that she can hear me after all? That's why she's able to hold back at least a little? And... is that why she's in such great pain?
"Uuhngh..!" A grunt coming from beside her tore Linda away from her reflections; as she turned around, she saw Justice panting heavily, blood oozing from her slowly reopening scars.
"What the... what's going on?!" Empress shouted. "Justice, what are you doing?!"
"I'm... trying to put an end to this!" the Maiden in black shouted between labored breaths. "It's my last resort... but it shold be enough!"
It was then that Linda noticed that, despite how quickly and abundantly Justice's blood was flowing from her wounds, not a single drop of it was falling to the ground. Instead, it seemed to coalesce right behind her, slowly forming a symbol as if it was paint from a calligrapher's tool.
This didn't go unnoticed by Magician either. A sort of animalistic focus seemed to return to her as her head snapped towards Justice; letting out a distorted screech, she unleashed a wild torrent of yellow flames in the Japanese Maiden's general direction.
"I won't let you hurt any more people, Aurora!" Linda shouted as she quickly interposed herself between Magician and Justice, barrier raised. Even if it's someone like her... she followed in her mind without voicing the thought. The Japanese Maiden flinched slightly as the flames roared around her, wrapping around Linda's shield like clawing fingers, but did not stop letting herself bleed to complete the ritual; the situation lasted for several seconds, the combined effect of extreme heat and effort of holding up such a large barrier threatening to overwhelm her tired body, until a reddish light coming from behind Justice signaled that the rune was completed; due to its position, only Magician could see it, but it looked like a rather convoluted kanji inscribed in a hastily-drawn circle, pulsing slightly of a faint dark red glow. There was no visible effect at first, but then something started to happen to Justice's clothes; the dragon that was embroidered in gold thread on her dress, far too detailed to have been drawn by human hands, appeared to spur into life, its serpentine form circling around Justice's own sinuous silhouette in a spiraling movement until it escaped from its silken prison, soaring upwards and passing through the center of the rune; as it did, its form became larger, the contours of its body glowing of a golden energy. With a mighty roar, the dragon charged at Magician, leaving behind a trail of yellow dust as it sprung to bite at her fiery form; the berserk Maiden barely had the time to acknowledge its presence before she found herself held in the creature's mouth, its teeth passing through her coat of flames and biting into her skin.
Exhausted, Linda dropped the barrier, as it was no longer needed, and simply watched in horror as the beast sank its fangs into Magician's flesh over and over, sending her awful screams to echo in the fire-lit room. Linda, both appalled and enraged, quickly ran over to Justice, firmly gripping both of her shoulders.
"Stop! Stop it!" she shouted for the umpteenth time that day. "You're going too far, Justice! I can't let you do this to Aurora!"
"Shut up!" the Japanese Maiden shouted back, shoving Linda off and leaving a hand-shaped bloodstain on her armored corset. "Do you think I'm enjoying it?! Do you think I'd like killing people?! She's beyond saving, Empress! This is best for the three of us!"
"No, there has to be-"
Linda's response was cut short by a resounding boom, and the dragon's body flying between the two Maidens to crash on the opposing wall. The beast hissed loudly as it got back up, coiling into a spring and charging again at Magician in a zig-zag pattern; the Maiden hurled several fireballs at the creature, one after the other in a scorching barrage, but none of them managed to strike true, the dragon's unnatural agility making it relatively easy for it to dodge the projectile as it quickly closed the distance. With a snap of the jaw, the beast tried to take a bite at Magician, who rolled away at the last possible second; without needing to change direction, the dragon swatted its tail at her, swiftly coiling around her flaming body. As more and more of the reptilian's body wrapped around her, squeezing her like toothpaste in a tub, her screams grew more intense, a shrill cry of pain engulfing the entire room. Despite the agony she was in, however, or perhaps fueled by it, Magician managed to summon a portion of her wild magical power, conjuring a powerful, unfocused explosion of fire from her body; the tail reflexively snapped away, its owner howling in searing pain, and both Linda and Justice had to cover their eyes to not be left blinded by the light.
When the flash of light faded, they saw Magician standing there, hunched over; she was panting heavily, the flames that surrounded her made cracking and popping noises as they flickered. It would appear that Magician's energy reserves were dwindling - indeed, considering how fast Aurora tended to burn out while using her powers, it was surprising that her flames were still burning at all. Meanwhile, Justice's magical construct surrounded her, ready to strike; a second later it sprung into action, shooting towards the Maiden like an arrow, its open maw ready to swallow her whole. Tired as she was, there was simply no way for Magician to avoid it.
As it turned out, however, she didn't have to avoid it - because the blow never came. The dragon's head was suddenly deflected, bouncing off a transparent wall about a meter away from Magician.
"What are you doing?!?" Justice shouted as she fell to her knees, woozy from the loss of blood.
"I'm sorry," Linda answered, her arm still pointed forward in the gesture of putting up her barrier. "But enough is enough. I won't let you go any further."
"Are you insane?! Do... unh... do you want to get us killed?!" the Japanese Maiden answered between fatigued breaths, finding it difficult to even stay conscious at this point, her already white countenance made even paler by her self-inflicted wounds.
"No, I don't. But I won't... I won't let Aurora get killed either." While her face oozed determination, doubt had leaked into Linda's voice. Doubt that she was not doing the right thing. Doubt that everything from her kidnapping afterwards had been her fault. Doubt that, perhaps, she wasn't strong enough to be a leader. And finally, most of all, doubt that Aurora, the girl that she had come to know and grow fond of, was gone forever, and it was all her fault for not being able to save her.
Magician was, of course, oblivious to the turmoil in the orange-haired Warden's mind, the only thought filling her own a voice that screamed to burn and destroy. Embracing it fully, she exploited the opening that had been left by Empress' intervention; taking a run for it, she jumped straight into the dragon's still-open jaws, a glowing ball of incandescent yellow light forming in her right hand - the very same attack, in fact, that Aurora had used to defeat Death two weeks prior. With a desperate roar, she thrust her hand forward, hurling the sphere right into the creature's gaping maw; the dragon emitted a low screech as a massive, white-hot burst of plasma tore its serpentine form apart, dispersing it into a fine mist of golden dust.
There was a moment of stony silence as the echo of the explosion faded. The gold powder that once formed the dragon's body suddenly stopped floating in midair, running over to Justice and attaching to her dress, recomposing once again the mythical beast's silhouette on the yukata's silken black background. The Maiden herself lay there stunned, propping herself on her bleeding arms, struggling to not let herself fall unconscious. As she heard Magician's footsteps approaching, flames creaking loudly, her mind was filled with despair and regret at how she hadn't been strong enough to complete her task, to do what needed to be done; she lifted her head, deep black eyes watery with tears, and saw the fiery Maiden bearing down on her, glowing yellow eyes staring at her judgmentally, her open palm held a few centimeters off the reeling girl's face. Closing her eyes in acceptance, Justice uttered a silent apology to her fellow Maidens, waiting for oblivion to come.
"Magician!" Linda's voice suddenly resounded in the room, filled with passionate authority. She could have put up a barrier in front of Justice, or try and tackle Magician out of the way, or anything else to save Justice, but instead she chose to speak, one last time. The berserk Maiden lowered her arm, twisting her neck to affix her eyes onto Linda's. "Look at me!" the Warden continued "You're not Aurora. You're not the kind girl with a heart of gold that would do anything for her friends. You're not the compassionate Maiden that I swore to protect, either; you're just a heartless, rabid monster that destroys everything it sees for no reason. Therefore, Magician, I ask - no, I demand that you give my friend back! Don't you think for a second that I wouldn't be ready to die to save her!" Linda's voice trembled as she spoke, but not once did it waver; she poured her soul, her true essence as the Maiden of the Empress, in every word, her heart and lungs filled with such motherly authority that even Justice couldn't be left indifferent.
Silence was the first answer to Linda's words, the quiet crackling of flames the only sound that could be heard. Linda expected Magician to attack her in response, or to howl in pain once again; instead, she simply turned around, ember-like glowing eyes affixed on deep-blue, oceanic ones. For a moment she simply stood there, staring at Linda; then suddenly, like a candle snuffed out by a whiff of wind, the flames surrounding her extinguished themselves, leaving Aurora's form, clad in her Maiden outfit, to stand there on weak legs for a moment before collapsing to her knees, hazelnut eyes rolling back into her skull; before she could slump fully to the ground, however, Linda rushed up to her and catched her by the waist, preventing her from falling. Carefully, as if she was laying a child down to sleep, the red-haired Maiden lowered her companion to rest on the floor, watching as Aurora's eyelids slowly fluttered, her brown irises moving in circular motions until they eventually settled into a half-lidded gaze.
"Li... Linda..?" the girl whispered, her voice quivering and feeble as a leaf. "Is... th-that... you..?"
The Warden gently grasped her gloved hand with both of hers, feeling it limp and warm. "Yes... I'm here, Aurora. Everything's all right..." Her lips curled into a motherly, reassuring smile, tears of joy and relief trailing down her blue eyes onto her cheeks.
Aurora smiled back in a weary, but heartfelt manner. "Ah... so, did I... did I save you..?"
"Yes, you did. You were... you were metal as fuck."
"Eheh, I'm... I'm glad..."
In the moment of silence that followed, Linda absently thought just how pretty Aurora looked, and felt, in her arms. There was something in the kind smile drawn across her plainly beautiful face and in how soft and weak she felt in her grasp, like a delicate princess rescued by a knight (or knightess, in this case), that she couldn't quite place; in that moment, Linda felt... serene, and fulfilled. Of course, relief played a big part in that feeling, but she could distinctively sense that there was something else, a mysterious and almost romantic quality to that moment that filled Linda's heavy soul with peace.
"H-hey, I..." Aurora murmured, thighs shifting slightly. "I'm... kinda tired..."
Linda snickered. "Don't worry, Aurora, you can rest now. You deserve it."
"Oh... th-thank you... I'm sorry..."
"I said to not worry. You've saved us all, and a good sleep is the least you deserve. I'm... I'm proud of you, Aurora."
The girl's pupils glinted with gratitude from beneath her fluttering eyelids, the faintest of blushes appearing on her pale cheeks. "Ah... th... thank... you..." she whispered, her eyes finally closing as her body relaxed even further in Linda's arms; her mind filled with serene, almost heavenly bliss, Aurora fell into Morpheus' welcoming embrace, a contented smirk writ on her peaceful visage.
Sighing in relief, Linda let go of Aurora's hand, letting it rest by her side, and lowered her head on the floor, her red-tipped short ponytail spreading beneath it like a small, flaming halo; she then stood up and walked over to Justice, finding her breathing less labored, and her wounds bleeding much less.
"Need help?" she said curtly, offering one hand. Justice looked at her for a moment before grabbing it, letting herself be lifted up to stand on shaky legs.
"I don't mean to brag, especially in this situation, but..." Linda said, putting one hand on her hip. "I was right in the end, it seems."
"And, to be honest, I'm glad for that," Justice answered, breathing deeply twice. "I... really don't want to think about having to kill someone. I'm... sorry about that."
"Don't be. This is my fault. If I wasn't so indecisive, I..." She shook her head. "Nevermind. No use thinking about it now."
"You're right. You should probably go take her to a safe place, away from here. I'd do that myself, but..." She gestured at her blood-soaked hands. "I'm afraid I cant be of much help with that."
Linda nodded in response. "I'll make sure of that. I... I just hope that Natasha and Cécile can hold their own until we arrive..." She turned, gazing wistfully at the broken window, a silent prayer to her friends' safety in her mind.
"Why are you doing this?" Justice said, suddenly breaking the steely silence.
"What do you mean?"
"Entrusting me with this task. For all you know, I might betray you at any moment; I still am, technically, your enemy after all."
Linda huffed, apparently exhausted. "I know you're not stupid enough to try something like that. Temperance and I wouldn't struggle against a stupid opponent." She sighed again. "And I can't exactly be picky, right? I have to make do with what I have at my disposal. That's what any good leader would do, at least."
Justice chuckled bitterly. "Any good leader, huh..?" Again, she fell silent. Against her will, her mind started to make comparisons. In one hand, the woman she had entrusted her loyalty with, a stern and cold commander willing to sink to the most nefarious acts to protect humanity; on the other, the girl who walked with her, a caring leader that would do anything to save her friends. Both their means and ends were so similar, yet so different, like opposite shades of the same color, and yet only now she realized that she couldn't follow either of them; Shirke had shown just how heartless she could be, being even willing to shoot her in cold blood, and Linda... well, they hadn't exactly started on the best premises. And besides, her true loyalty lied elsewhere, somewhere beyond mere flesh-and-blood people, whether she liked it or not.
"Is what I've been told true?" Linda asked. "That you're the one who kidnapped me?"
Justice seemed to flinch for a second. "I... yes, it's true. What of it?"
"Nothing..." the Maiden in red cut off, staring forwards. "It seems I still got a ways to go..."
Suddenly, as if brought there by an unseen guidance, the two Maidens found themselves in front of yet another door, the words "Storage Room #02" cast in red letters on the grey metal; Magician's "scent" was clearly coming from beyond that door, so overwhelming that Linda could almost taste it. Without so much as a word, she reached out for the handle and twisted it, stepping inside the room with Justice trailing behind her. What followed was a sight she did not expect, or rather she wouldn't have wanted to see.
Shattered crates and partially melted lifting machinery littered the floor, some of both still on fire; a large, gaping hole had been left on the wall to the right, the support beams easily torn apart as if they were made of candy. And there, at the center of the room, surrounded by a swirling whirlwind of ashes and cinders, stood the fiery form of Magician, her silhouette distorted by the sheer heat radiating from her yellow flames.
Linda's eyes widened, her mouth left agape for a moment; in all her experience as a Maiden, she'd never seen anything like that, and watching it happen to Aurora of all people felt... disconcerting, to say the least. But that dismay would have to go soon, if she was to have any hope in saving her.
"Aurora!" Linda shouted, her trembling voice reaching over the laughter-like cackling of the fire. Magician, who had her back turned upon their arrival, slowly turned towards her, her head hanging rather eerily over her shoulder; the fire covered the expression of her face, her glowing red eyes staring soullessly right through Linda. The latter flinched at the sight, but her resolve did not waver. "Aurora, it's me, Linda! Stop this meaningless destruction, I beg you!"
Magician turned fully towards her, unblinking eyes still gazing right through her. "Aaaaaahhhh..!" a pitiful, ghastly lament came out from the mindless Maiden, the sound wavering as it passed through the scorching air surrounding her.
"P-please!" Linda cried out again, the tears that flowed down her eyes evaporating from the heat before they could reach her chin. "I'm here! Don't you see it?! There's no reason for you to be doing this!"
"Ah-aaaaaaahhhhhh..!" Magician moaned again as her hands reached out to claw at her head, her body contorting around as if experiencing a great agony. "Aaaahh..! Aaaaaahh! AaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Gradually, her moan turned into a cry, then into a banshee-like shriek as the flames surrounding her suddenly exploded in a burst of heat, drops of liquid fire shooting in all directions like a volcanic rain; instinctively, Linda put up a barrier wide enough to protect both her and Justice, the lapilli fizzling and dying down as they hit the shimmering forcefield.
"Diplomacy isn't going to work, I see..." Justice mumbled. "I hope you have a plan B."
Linda didn't answer immediately, staring at the slowly approaching form of Magician. A wave of dreadful despair suddenly surged over her as the horrible thought that, perhaps, Aurora was beyond saving surfaced in her mind; she tried to hold back her tears as she gripped her spear with both hands, shifting into a fighting stance. Right now, she had to focus and find a way to turn Aurora back to normal; she owed her that much, at least, and she wouldn't leave that debt go unfulfilled.
"We... we need to fight." she said as firmly as she could. "Justice, you have to hold her off while I find a way to turn her back to normal. Don't worry, I'll cover you with my shield."
"...is this the best you have?"
"It's the only thing I have right now. You'll have to trust me on this."
"I assume this means no lethal force, then..." Justice mused as she lifted a hand and, sparks of light dancing between her fingertips, created a rune in front of Magician; from the circle of light a giant-sized hand made of purple energy rose into existence, lunging to grab the berserk Maiden. For a moment its shimmering fingers coiled around her fiery form, squeezing it tightly, before being swiftly dissipated by another explosion; then, with another cry and a twist of her body, Magician hurled a large mote of fire, which exploded harmlessly on Empress' barrier.
"Aurora!" Linda cried out once again. "Look, I'm here! I'm safe! Isn't this why you're like this? Isn't this what you wanted?!"
The flaming Maiden heard those words, and turned towards her to look at her with soulless, incandescent eyes, but didn't respond beyond an animalistic groan. Instead, she lifted both hands, releasing a torrent of flames that quickly engulfed the entire room with a mighty roar; Linda reflexively put up another barrier to defend herself, but only then she realized that that meant leaving someone else uncovered.
"J-Justice!" she shouted, watching as the Japanese Maiden was swiftly enveloped by fire. Blinded by the sudden flash of light that accompanied the explosion, Linda stood frozen in place for a second, fearing the worst; when she regained her sight, however, she saw Justice lying face-up on the floor a few meters away from where she previously stood, unharmed save for a few burn marks on her face and bare feet.
"These protection runes come in real handy..." she mumbled as she got back up. "Empress, this isn't going anywhere. She can't understand what you say, apparently."
"N-no, it's not like that! I just need a little more time and-"
"There is no more time!" Justice suddenly barked, silencing Linda. "It's clear that whatever plan you had before is not going to work anymore. If you're not willing to do what needs to be done, then you can stand aside. I'll take this into my own hands." That said, she took hold of the bandages that covered most of her left arm and started to unwrap them, revealing more and more of her pale skin. As she threw them away, Linda saw to her surprise that the Japanese Maiden's hands appeared to have been painfully disfigured, thin, criss-crossed scars covering the skin almost up to the elbow like a tattoo, as if it had been cut over and over with a pocket knife or similar tool. Justice's right hand was covered with identical markings, as it was shown when she unwrapped the bandages of her other arm as well.
Linda's eyes detached themselves from Justice for a moment to look at Magician; much to her surprise, the berserk Maiden hadn't used the opportunity to attack. Instead, she released a wounded, almost mournful wail, clawing at her face and writhing in place as if she was overtaken by painful migraines.
Something's wrong, Linda thought, letting logic overcome her grief and pity. I thought she'd be completely enraged and attack us recklessly; sure, her attacks are powerful, but... she seems almost passive. She has only struck as a response to my words or to Justice's attempts at restraining her. Perhaps... perhaps this means that she can hear me after all? That's why she's able to hold back at least a little? And... is that why she's in such great pain?
"Uuhngh..!" A grunt coming from beside her tore Linda away from her reflections; as she turned around, she saw Justice panting heavily, blood oozing from her slowly reopening scars.
"What the... what's going on?!" Empress shouted. "Justice, what are you doing?!"
"I'm... trying to put an end to this!" the Maiden in black shouted between labored breaths. "It's my last resort... but it shold be enough!"
It was then that Linda noticed that, despite how quickly and abundantly Justice's blood was flowing from her wounds, not a single drop of it was falling to the ground. Instead, it seemed to coalesce right behind her, slowly forming a symbol as if it was paint from a calligrapher's tool.
This didn't go unnoticed by Magician either. A sort of animalistic focus seemed to return to her as her head snapped towards Justice; letting out a distorted screech, she unleashed a wild torrent of yellow flames in the Japanese Maiden's general direction.
"I won't let you hurt any more people, Aurora!" Linda shouted as she quickly interposed herself between Magician and Justice, barrier raised. Even if it's someone like her... she followed in her mind without voicing the thought. The Japanese Maiden flinched slightly as the flames roared around her, wrapping around Linda's shield like clawing fingers, but did not stop letting herself bleed to complete the ritual; the situation lasted for several seconds, the combined effect of extreme heat and effort of holding up such a large barrier threatening to overwhelm her tired body, until a reddish light coming from behind Justice signaled that the rune was completed; due to its position, only Magician could see it, but it looked like a rather convoluted kanji inscribed in a hastily-drawn circle, pulsing slightly of a faint dark red glow. There was no visible effect at first, but then something started to happen to Justice's clothes; the dragon that was embroidered in gold thread on her dress, far too detailed to have been drawn by human hands, appeared to spur into life, its serpentine form circling around Justice's own sinuous silhouette in a spiraling movement until it escaped from its silken prison, soaring upwards and passing through the center of the rune; as it did, its form became larger, the contours of its body glowing of a golden energy. With a mighty roar, the dragon charged at Magician, leaving behind a trail of yellow dust as it sprung to bite at her fiery form; the berserk Maiden barely had the time to acknowledge its presence before she found herself held in the creature's mouth, its teeth passing through her coat of flames and biting into her skin.
Exhausted, Linda dropped the barrier, as it was no longer needed, and simply watched in horror as the beast sank its fangs into Magician's flesh over and over, sending her awful screams to echo in the fire-lit room. Linda, both appalled and enraged, quickly ran over to Justice, firmly gripping both of her shoulders.
"Stop! Stop it!" she shouted for the umpteenth time that day. "You're going too far, Justice! I can't let you do this to Aurora!"
"Shut up!" the Japanese Maiden shouted back, shoving Linda off and leaving a hand-shaped bloodstain on her armored corset. "Do you think I'm enjoying it?! Do you think I'd like killing people?! She's beyond saving, Empress! This is best for the three of us!"
"No, there has to be-"
Linda's response was cut short by a resounding boom, and the dragon's body flying between the two Maidens to crash on the opposing wall. The beast hissed loudly as it got back up, coiling into a spring and charging again at Magician in a zig-zag pattern; the Maiden hurled several fireballs at the creature, one after the other in a scorching barrage, but none of them managed to strike true, the dragon's unnatural agility making it relatively easy for it to dodge the projectile as it quickly closed the distance. With a snap of the jaw, the beast tried to take a bite at Magician, who rolled away at the last possible second; without needing to change direction, the dragon swatted its tail at her, swiftly coiling around her flaming body. As more and more of the reptilian's body wrapped around her, squeezing her like toothpaste in a tub, her screams grew more intense, a shrill cry of pain engulfing the entire room. Despite the agony she was in, however, or perhaps fueled by it, Magician managed to summon a portion of her wild magical power, conjuring a powerful, unfocused explosion of fire from her body; the tail reflexively snapped away, its owner howling in searing pain, and both Linda and Justice had to cover their eyes to not be left blinded by the light.
When the flash of light faded, they saw Magician standing there, hunched over; she was panting heavily, the flames that surrounded her made cracking and popping noises as they flickered. It would appear that Magician's energy reserves were dwindling - indeed, considering how fast Aurora tended to burn out while using her powers, it was surprising that her flames were still burning at all. Meanwhile, Justice's magical construct surrounded her, ready to strike; a second later it sprung into action, shooting towards the Maiden like an arrow, its open maw ready to swallow her whole. Tired as she was, there was simply no way for Magician to avoid it.
As it turned out, however, she didn't have to avoid it - because the blow never came. The dragon's head was suddenly deflected, bouncing off a transparent wall about a meter away from Magician.
"What are you doing?!?" Justice shouted as she fell to her knees, woozy from the loss of blood.
"I'm sorry," Linda answered, her arm still pointed forward in the gesture of putting up her barrier. "But enough is enough. I won't let you go any further."
"Are you insane?! Do... unh... do you want to get us killed?!" the Japanese Maiden answered between fatigued breaths, finding it difficult to even stay conscious at this point, her already white countenance made even paler by her self-inflicted wounds.
"No, I don't. But I won't... I won't let Aurora get killed either." While her face oozed determination, doubt had leaked into Linda's voice. Doubt that she was not doing the right thing. Doubt that everything from her kidnapping afterwards had been her fault. Doubt that, perhaps, she wasn't strong enough to be a leader. And finally, most of all, doubt that Aurora, the girl that she had come to know and grow fond of, was gone forever, and it was all her fault for not being able to save her.
Magician was, of course, oblivious to the turmoil in the orange-haired Warden's mind, the only thought filling her own a voice that screamed to burn and destroy. Embracing it fully, she exploited the opening that had been left by Empress' intervention; taking a run for it, she jumped straight into the dragon's still-open jaws, a glowing ball of incandescent yellow light forming in her right hand - the very same attack, in fact, that Aurora had used to defeat Death two weeks prior. With a desperate roar, she thrust her hand forward, hurling the sphere right into the creature's gaping maw; the dragon emitted a low screech as a massive, white-hot burst of plasma tore its serpentine form apart, dispersing it into a fine mist of golden dust.
There was a moment of stony silence as the echo of the explosion faded. The gold powder that once formed the dragon's body suddenly stopped floating in midair, running over to Justice and attaching to her dress, recomposing once again the mythical beast's silhouette on the yukata's silken black background. The Maiden herself lay there stunned, propping herself on her bleeding arms, struggling to not let herself fall unconscious. As she heard Magician's footsteps approaching, flames creaking loudly, her mind was filled with despair and regret at how she hadn't been strong enough to complete her task, to do what needed to be done; she lifted her head, deep black eyes watery with tears, and saw the fiery Maiden bearing down on her, glowing yellow eyes staring at her judgmentally, her open palm held a few centimeters off the reeling girl's face. Closing her eyes in acceptance, Justice uttered a silent apology to her fellow Maidens, waiting for oblivion to come.
"Magician!" Linda's voice suddenly resounded in the room, filled with passionate authority. She could have put up a barrier in front of Justice, or try and tackle Magician out of the way, or anything else to save Justice, but instead she chose to speak, one last time. The berserk Maiden lowered her arm, twisting her neck to affix her eyes onto Linda's. "Look at me!" the Warden continued "You're not Aurora. You're not the kind girl with a heart of gold that would do anything for her friends. You're not the compassionate Maiden that I swore to protect, either; you're just a heartless, rabid monster that destroys everything it sees for no reason. Therefore, Magician, I ask - no, I demand that you give my friend back! Don't you think for a second that I wouldn't be ready to die to save her!" Linda's voice trembled as she spoke, but not once did it waver; she poured her soul, her true essence as the Maiden of the Empress, in every word, her heart and lungs filled with such motherly authority that even Justice couldn't be left indifferent.
Silence was the first answer to Linda's words, the quiet crackling of flames the only sound that could be heard. Linda expected Magician to attack her in response, or to howl in pain once again; instead, she simply turned around, ember-like glowing eyes affixed on deep-blue, oceanic ones. For a moment she simply stood there, staring at Linda; then suddenly, like a candle snuffed out by a whiff of wind, the flames surrounding her extinguished themselves, leaving Aurora's form, clad in her Maiden outfit, to stand there on weak legs for a moment before collapsing to her knees, hazelnut eyes rolling back into her skull; before she could slump fully to the ground, however, Linda rushed up to her and catched her by the waist, preventing her from falling. Carefully, as if she was laying a child down to sleep, the red-haired Maiden lowered her companion to rest on the floor, watching as Aurora's eyelids slowly fluttered, her brown irises moving in circular motions until they eventually settled into a half-lidded gaze.
"Li... Linda..?" the girl whispered, her voice quivering and feeble as a leaf. "Is... th-that... you..?"
The Warden gently grasped her gloved hand with both of hers, feeling it limp and warm. "Yes... I'm here, Aurora. Everything's all right..." Her lips curled into a motherly, reassuring smile, tears of joy and relief trailing down her blue eyes onto her cheeks.
Aurora smiled back in a weary, but heartfelt manner. "Ah... so, did I... did I save you..?"
"Yes, you did. You were... you were metal as fuck."
"Eheh, I'm... I'm glad..."
In the moment of silence that followed, Linda absently thought just how pretty Aurora looked, and felt, in her arms. There was something in the kind smile drawn across her plainly beautiful face and in how soft and weak she felt in her grasp, like a delicate princess rescued by a knight (or knightess, in this case), that she couldn't quite place; in that moment, Linda felt... serene, and fulfilled. Of course, relief played a big part in that feeling, but she could distinctively sense that there was something else, a mysterious and almost romantic quality to that moment that filled Linda's heavy soul with peace.
"H-hey, I..." Aurora murmured, thighs shifting slightly. "I'm... kinda tired..."
Linda snickered. "Don't worry, Aurora, you can rest now. You deserve it."
"Oh... th-thank you... I'm sorry..."
"I said to not worry. You've saved us all, and a good sleep is the least you deserve. I'm... I'm proud of you, Aurora."
The girl's pupils glinted with gratitude from beneath her fluttering eyelids, the faintest of blushes appearing on her pale cheeks. "Ah... th... thank... you..." she whispered, her eyes finally closing as her body relaxed even further in Linda's arms; her mind filled with serene, almost heavenly bliss, Aurora fell into Morpheus' welcoming embrace, a contented smirk writ on her peaceful visage.
Sighing in relief, Linda let go of Aurora's hand, letting it rest by her side, and lowered her head on the floor, her red-tipped short ponytail spreading beneath it like a small, flaming halo; she then stood up and walked over to Justice, finding her breathing less labored, and her wounds bleeding much less.
"Need help?" she said curtly, offering one hand. Justice looked at her for a moment before grabbing it, letting herself be lifted up to stand on shaky legs.
"I don't mean to brag, especially in this situation, but..." Linda said, putting one hand on her hip. "I was right in the end, it seems."
"And, to be honest, I'm glad for that," Justice answered, breathing deeply twice. "I... really don't want to think about having to kill someone. I'm... sorry about that."
"Don't be. This is my fault. If I wasn't so indecisive, I..." She shook her head. "Nevermind. No use thinking about it now."
"You're right. You should probably go take her to a safe place, away from here. I'd do that myself, but..." She gestured at her blood-soaked hands. "I'm afraid I cant be of much help with that."
Linda nodded in response. "I'll make sure of that. I... I just hope that Natasha and Cécile can hold their own until we arrive..." She turned, gazing wistfully at the broken window, a silent prayer to her friends' safety in her mind.
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Part two of the finale of Force Maiden's second arc! We follow Shirke's plans for the new menace, while the clash with the Queen draws closer...
© 2018 - 2024 MinexLaggante1
Comments3
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Oh my. Pretty good chapter, Minex!
Tense action, a good fight between Justice and Berserk Aurora and more tension with the Queen of Wands getting closer each second.
I liked Shirke's KO, fast and precise. Loved how an authoritarian woman like her became a cute, sleeping damsel in just an instant. Also I wonder what's the deal with the Subject 01 and who is the Subject 02. Hmmm...
Linda surely is a good leader. I loved how she confronted Shirke and how she stood resolute in returning Aurora back to normal. Speaking of that scene, it was a very nice fight! Justice showed what she's capable of outside of traps with runes, and I was fearing for Aurora's safety for a moment there! Good to see she made it relatively unharmed and that she is back to normal now
I wonder what exactly happened, did she got possesed by the Magician's true self? Was she entering a Hulk-esque mode? It's a mystery for now, one that I hope gets solver soon. Also, just tell Aurora you love her, Linda!
And well, nothing else to say besides it being a great chapter and that I'll be waiting for the next one! Amazing job, my friend!
Tense action, a good fight between Justice and Berserk Aurora and more tension with the Queen of Wands getting closer each second.
I liked Shirke's KO, fast and precise. Loved how an authoritarian woman like her became a cute, sleeping damsel in just an instant. Also I wonder what's the deal with the Subject 01 and who is the Subject 02. Hmmm...
Linda surely is a good leader. I loved how she confronted Shirke and how she stood resolute in returning Aurora back to normal. Speaking of that scene, it was a very nice fight! Justice showed what she's capable of outside of traps with runes, and I was fearing for Aurora's safety for a moment there! Good to see she made it relatively unharmed and that she is back to normal now
I wonder what exactly happened, did she got possesed by the Magician's true self? Was she entering a Hulk-esque mode? It's a mystery for now, one that I hope gets solver soon. Also, just tell Aurora you love her, Linda!And well, nothing else to say besides it being a great chapter and that I'll be waiting for the next one! Amazing job, my friend!