Nanoha FanFiction Discussion

[stormturmoil]

to sum up

it's often been said that English grows by stealing words from other languages, but this isn't the half of it....

One author described it as mugging other languages and then rooting through their pockets for loose grammar...

English is the Borg of the Language world...you will be assimilated...we will add your syntax and participles to our own...your grammar will adapt to service the collective...

resistance is futile?

because of this, most English speakers who grow up with it aren't perfect with it ( hell, I'm english, from England, and I Know my command of the language isn't perfect....)

[Evil Rick]

Spoiler for Opening theme: Eternal Darkness:

Spoiler for Chapter 4: The Bag:

The Mayor was dead, his crushed body was laying on the floor, I couldn't do anything, it happened too quickly. The giant... thing who was hanging from the roof, the demon that killed the Mayor, this Bag was looking at me, I was next and the only weapon I had at hand was the small axe I found in the Sheriff's office.

While releasing a horrible battle cry, the Bag smashed the floor with his fists, all the ground rumbled, I fell over my knees by the shock of the impact, the Bag raised his left arm and released it against me, I jumped to avoid the hit, the ground rumbled once more.

“Oh God, oh God” Was all that I could think while facing this abomination, God... I was scared... I was scared and only wanted to go home, the Bag released another hit against me, only for an inch, I evaded it and almost by instinct I attacked the hand with the axe. Only a little cut in his putrefactive skin.

The bag released another scream and smashed the ground again with both arms, the impact made me fall again, on the floor, I spotted a pillar, I ran at it and hid behind it, the Bag smashed the Pillar, the upper part of it fell in pieces, by miracle, they didn't hit me.

“I'm doomed... this thing... how... how can I defeat this thing without...!” I was convinced that I was going to die but suddenly, I saw up, the place in which the upper pillar was, had left an enormous hole on the roof, with breaks that were surrounding the part of the Bag that was attached to the roof.

“That's it!” I though, I looked around and spotted 3 more pillars that were holding the roof, I ran out of my hideout to the next pillar and raised my axe trying to call the attention of this thing. The Bag spotted me immediately, this was the time, I quickly ran behind the pillar like on the previous one, the bag smashed this pillar as well and destroyed it, I then looked up, more breaks and holes plus pieces that were falling apart were spotted on the roof, I was close.

I ran to the next pillar, the Bag tried to crush me on the way but with a quick jump I evaded the deadly hit that made the entire place rumble even harder, I reached the third pillar and repeated the action, First I called the attention of the Bag, then I ran behind the pillar, and the Bag did the rest, another smash was enough, there was no need of repeating the action with the fourth pillar, the Bag destroyed the third pillar and the roof collapsed along with the demon, I ran to the walls seeking for protection, it was like the entire place would fall apart when the Bag hit the ground, an enormous cloud of mist and dust raised, when it was dissipated, I could see the giant creature face down, still moving on the floor, trying to stand up, it looked like the uniform arms were useless in the position the bag was.

“Attack the head” Was the first thing I though, I grabbed my axe and ran at the head of the demon, from his back something raised, I stopped and saw the tentacles on the back of the Bag, various tentacles of all sizes... this wasn't over yet.

The bag raised his head to look at me, just before launching the longest of his tentacles towards me, I evaded the attack, but a shorter tentacle hit me and launched me against the wall, still on the floor, another tentacle grabbed my leg, I was raised to the sky and launched against the floor with violence, by a miracle, none of my bones were broken but the pain was horrible in any case.

Another tentacle grabbed my waist this time, like an anaconda, it surrounded me and started to crush me, slowly... like if the bag wanted to hear each one of my bones crash in pieces... but no, I wasn't going to allow it, with only one arm, I cut the tentacle with my axe, my body fell.

The bag screamed in pain, smashing the ground with his shoulders, this was my opportunity, I ran at the creature's head, another tentacle tried to hit me but with a jump I evaded it, now I was face to face with the Bag.

Spoiler for Event 3:

Spoiler for Ending theme: Once Upon a December:

[Satashi]

I think that, despite us all speaking in English, English is the first language of only about 10% of the people here.

[MeisterBabylon]

English isn't just the Borg too. There are wordsmiths like myself who keep using old words in new ways, reverse-engineer words and then create new ones on top of all that... Where do you think Bluecheesium and Khrack came from?

All this works because of the wonderful thing called context to explain the terms. I doubt it would be very useful for spoken-lish, but in litera-rish, when you can pile loads of words in one situation, it's awesome a tool.

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

No way.....

....
...
..
.
Zaffy is Obi-wan get it right

It has to be a girl! Same gender! Arf maybe?

[TheShinySword]

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

It has to be a girl! Same gender! Arf maybe?

Says who! Zaffy can do anything! But if you're so insistent... *Gets out the GB pills*


GO FORTH ZAFINA!

[USB500]

Off-topic:

Well, well, well. What do we know. Both the IRC channels are now invite-only. What happened really?

[Evangelion Xgouki]

Originally Posted by USB500

Off-topic:

Well, well, well. What do we know. Both the IRC channels are now invite-only. What happened really?

I was wondering about that. Just what happened?

[Satashi]

Mibbit died for a moment, it's all fixed now ^_^

[Satashi]

Board interaction time! Write a scene or scenes about something that a Nanoha character (or your OC) would be doing in their spare time that no one would ever believe.

Spoiler for Fate:

Fate threw up both her hands excitedly while letting out a triumphant yell. "GOOOOAL!" Standing up from the couch, her hockey jersey floated around her as she did a small jig before turning to point at the guys around her in the living room. "Ha! In your face! Hat trick!" She held out her hand, which still had orange smeared over the fingertips from the Cheetos. "Pay up suckers!"

Spoiler for Vivio:

Nanoha shifted the groceries in her arms to keep them from falling on the floor while stumbling into her kitchen. After balancing herself she sat the bags and was about to call her teenage daughter to come help her unload but stopped when she noticed a familiar backpack sitting next to her daughter's. 'Oh that's right, Syn is staying the night. I should bring them some snacks.'

Gathering two sodas and a bag of chips, Nanoha trotted down the hallway and opened her daughter's door without knocking. "Vivio-sweetie, Syn, I have some-" Her words stopped dead in her throat, and her items fell to the floor in shock. Syn was looking at her with wide eyes, trying to mumble something out of the ballgag in her mouth. Her arms were tied behind her back with what appeared to be handcuffs and a leash that lead the way to Vivio. The blonde of the room was wearing a tight latex fetish S&M outfit that had cutouts for her more 'feminine' areas. In one hand she held the leash leading to Syn while the other had a large paddle. As Vivio turned, she revealed the six in spiked heals and thigh high zip up boots. "MOM!"

Nanoha quickly retreated and closed the door, pressing her back up against it and holding a hand to her chest. Behind her she heard something about Vivio teaching Syn not to embarrass her, but when a loud thwacking sound came paired with a moan of ecstasy, she quickly ran to her room.

[USB500]

Tough choice about Nanoha's unexpected scenes if you ask me. though I have to admit I like that scene on Vivio. Oh, Satashi, you dirty-minded writer, you

[TheShinySword]

mmkay then

Spoiler for Zafira:

"I'm sorry Jeremy but my heart belongs to Adam!"
"But why? Why can't you love me!"

"She loves you! That's her evil twin!" Zafira yelled through his tears at the tv, " New New Bethany's trapped by the evil serial killer who got his head cut off two seasons ago but managed to get a transplant just in time. Why can't you see that New Adam?" He shook his head and waited for the next soap to come on his TV.

Spoiler for Griffith:

Griffith took a deep breath. He felt at ease for once as there was no one there but the air. It was the best kind of audience really. He gripped his weapon of choice and watched the screen anxiously. Finally the words started to appear and he begun.
"If I should stay~"

---
"Oh this is good. This. Is. Good." Vice laughed as he and Zafira watched their friend sing karaoke on the video monitor connected to the camera they'd set up. "Oh wait here comes the best part."

"AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"You know I'd always picked him for more of a Dion fan then a Houston one."

Spoiler for Vice:

"Vice what are these?" Griffith held up a dusty old video chip. Vice had recruited him to help clean his mother's attic.

"Hmm... no idea. Bet it's old videos of my greatness."

Griffith picked up an old video player that had also been conveniently left there, "Well we might as well see."

Immediately an image of Vice dressed in tights and on a stage appeared
"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends. "

Griffith blinked, "You did Shakespeare?"

"Hmm... oh yeah." Vice grinned, "I was in the drama club in high school! We did all sorts of awesome Shakespeare plays. I was Puck, Iago, Hamlet, Caesar, even Romeo once."

"There should be some law against that..."

"Huh?"

[Satashi]

Originally Posted by USB500

Tough choice about Nanoha's unexpected scenes if you ask me. though I have to admit I like that scene on Vivio. Oh, Satashi, you dirty-minded writer, you

XDD like we didn't all see that one coming? :P Looks like Vivio won that one.

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

mmkay then

Spoiler for Zafira:

"I'm sorry Jeremy but my heart belongs to Adam!"
"But why? Why can't you love me!"

"She loves you! That's her evil twin!" Zafira yelled through his tears at the tv, " New New Bethany's trapped by the evil serial killer who got his head cut off two seasons ago but managed to get a transplant just in time. Why can't you see that New Adam?" He shook his head and waited for the next soap to come on his TV.

Spoiler for Griffith:

Griffith took a deep breath. He felt at ease for once as there was no one there but the air. It was the best kind of audience really. He gripped his weapon of choice and watched the screen anxiously. Finally the words started to appear and he begun.
"If I should stay~"

---
"Oh this is good. This. Is. Good." Vice laughed as he and Zafira watched their friend sing karaoke on the video monitor connected to the camera they'd set up. "Oh wait here comes the best part."

"AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"You know I'd always picked him for more of a Dion fan then a Houston one."

Spoiler for Vice:

"Vice what are these?" Griffith held up a dusty old video chip. Vice had recruited him to help clean his mother's attic.

"Hmm... no idea. Bet it's old videos of my greatness."

Griffith picked up an old video player that had also been conveniently left there, "Well we might as well see."

Immediately an image of Vice dressed in tights and on a stage appeared
"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends. "

Griffith blinked, "You did Shakespeare?"

"Hmm... oh yeah." Vice grinned, "I was in the drama club in high school! We did all sorts of awesome Shakespeare plays. I was Puck, Iago, Hamlet, Caesar, even Romeo once."

"There should be some law against that..."

"Huh?"

Ahhh, TSS, you and your crack :3

[SulliMike23]

Originally Posted by Satashi

Board interaction time! Write a scene or scenes about something that a Nanoha character (or your OC) would be doing in their spare time that no one would ever believe.

Spoiler for Fate:

Fate threw up both her hands excitedly while letting out a triumphant yell. "GOOOOAL!" Standing up from the couch, her hockey jersey floated around her as she did a small jig before turning to point at the guys around her in the living room. "Ha! In your face! Hat trick!" She held out her hand, which still had orange smeared over the fingertips from the Cheetos. "Pay up suckers!"

Spoiler for Vivio:

Nanoha shifted the groceries in her arms to keep them from falling on the floor while stumbling into her kitchen. After balancing herself she sat the bags and was about to call her teenage daughter to come help her unload but stopped when she noticed a familiar backpack sitting next to her daughter's. 'Oh that's right, Syn is staying the night. I should bring them some snacks.'

Gathering two sodas and a bag of chips, Nanoha trotted down the hallway and opened her daughter's door without knocking. "Vivio-sweetie, Syn, I have some-" Her words stopped dead in her throat, and her items fell to the floor in shock. Syn was looking at her with wide eyes, trying to mumble something out of the ballgag in her mouth. Her arms were tied behind her back with what appeared to be handcuffs and a leash that lead the way to Vivio. The blonde of the room was wearing a tight latex fetish S&M outfit that had cutouts for her more 'feminine' areas. In one hand she held the leash leading to Syn while the other had a large paddle. As Vivio turned, she revealed the six in spiked heals and thigh high zip up boots. "MOM!"

Nanoha quickly retreated and closed the door, pressing her back up against it and holding a hand to her chest. Behind her she heard something about Vivio teaching Syn not to embarrass her, but when a loud thwacking sound came paired with a moan of ecstasy, she quickly ran to her room.

Aye yi yi yi yi! You certainly have a dirty mind Satashi!

[MeisterBabylon]

Spoiler for Kha in "Meister Manicure":

“Meister Kha?” Schach rapped on the mahogany door, a stack of papers in the crook of her arm. “I’ve gathered the battle reports you’ve requested.”

“Thank you, Sister Schach” came the telepathic reply. “Could I trouble you to leave it on my desk? I’m occupied at the moment.”

Without another thought, the lady acknowledged in kind and stepped in as instructed…

…and froze.

Laid out on the guest couch was the Meister Sieben Swert, clad in a maroon checkered robe looking a scene of ridiculous calm with his hair wrapped in a towel, his face in a solid facial mask complete with eyes cucumbered.

“Something wrong, Sister Schach?”

Why do you think he has pristine looks despite all the constant fighting?

Spoiler for Yagami Anita and Hayate in "Just Chillin':

“Oi idiot,” greeted Arisa with an ice stick in her mouth, barely audible over Hayate’s dejected scream.

“Hello Burning Fog.” Artei replied in kind, ignoring Anita’s victory cheer.

“What’s happening?” the shorter blond shot back as Hayate retaliated with a magical ice lance.

“Nothing much,” the silver-haired male took another non-caring swig of his ice-cold Dry as the battling girls exploded in frost nova then proceeded to cheerily pummel each other with frost bolts. “Just chilling and watching the Yagami twins have a snowball fight in the middle of summer.”

Arisa wiped the sweat off her forehead and scowled. “Damn I should’ve spec’d Frost.”

SS-ranks can do anything, including playing WoW IRL.

[Evil Rick]

Originally Posted by Satashi

Board interaction time! Write a scene or scenes about something that a Nanoha character (or your OC) would be doing in their spare time that no one would ever believe.

Spoiler for Fate:

Fate threw up both her hands excitedly while letting out a triumphant yell. "GOOOOAL!" Standing up from the couch, her hockey jersey floated around her as she did a small jig before turning to point at the guys around her in the living room. "Ha! In your face! Hat trick!" She held out her hand, which still had orange smeared over the fingertips from the Cheetos. "Pay up suckers!"

This was good!

Spoiler for Vivio:

Nanoha shifted the groceries in her arms to keep them from falling on the floor while stumbling into her kitchen. After balancing herself she sat the bags and was about to call her teenage daughter to come help her unload but stopped when she noticed a familiar backpack sitting next to her daughter's. 'Oh that's right, Syn is staying the night. I should bring them some snacks.'

Gathering two sodas and a bag of chips, Nanoha trotted down the hallway and opened her daughter's door without knocking. "Vivio-sweetie, Syn, I have some-" Her words stopped dead in her throat, and her items fell to the floor in shock. Syn was looking at her with wide eyes, trying to mumble something out of the ballgag in her mouth. Her arms were tied behind her back with what appeared to be handcuffs and a leash that lead the way to Vivio. The blonde of the room was wearing a tight latex fetish S&M outfit that had cutouts for her more 'feminine' areas. In one hand she held the leash leading to Syn while the other had a large paddle. As Vivio turned, she revealed the six in spiked heals and thigh high zip up boots. "MOM!"

Nanoha quickly retreated and closed the door, pressing her back up against it and holding a hand to her chest. Behind her she heard something about Vivio teaching Syn not to embarrass her, but when a loud thwacking sound came paired with a moan of ecstasy, she quickly ran to her room.

This not so

[Jimmy C]

Originally Posted by Satashi

Spoiler for Vivio:

Behind her she heard something about Vivio teaching Syn not to embarrass her, but when a loud thwacking sound came paired with a moan of ecstasy, she quickly ran to her room.

"Grovel before your Kaiser, wretch!"


"Vivio, if you want an S&M outfit as well, go buy your own."

"But mooooommmm, they won't even let me in the store!"

"And you had better clean that before you put it back in the box."

[Kaix]

Originally Posted by AtomicoX

Longest writing in one sitting I've done...and 1.5k is much for being ME. Part 3 of DRG is done, answers some questions, raises some more.

Dimensional Reminiscing: Revelations
From the void of space we come, to the void of space we shall return.

Spoiler for Part 3:

Walking through the metallic and clean corridors of the Alpakura, Nanoha was on her way to the bridge after an interruption in her messaging session. She had been in the process of sending an update to her daughter back home on Mid-Childa, when she had been interrupted by another message breaking through. It had come from the bridge, hinting about some curious anomaly in their current route and that they needed her consultation.

As she currently was the highest ranking non-crew member and an essential part of the Diplomacy Team, sent out on an errand from High Command, she had certain supervision that the officers could not ignore.

She met up with a junior officer of the crew at the mess hall. Not looking older than twenty, his uniform conveyed a rather nervous person underneath, as if it was his first real voyage.

"We have some rather disturbing news I'm afraid," he said and summoned a panel in front of him. "Fifteen minutes ago we noticed an object, a few thousand kilometers in front of us. Our radar tells us it's not more than a few meters across, but we haven't gotten a clear look yet."

Nanoha studied the values and different parameters showing up on the screen. They didn't tell her anything other than what the officer hadalrady told her, but she felt in her stomach that something was amiss.

"Certainly looks strange, especially since it wasn't there before. I am wondering though, why am I needed on the bridge? I don't have any real experience of anomalies outside of a ship."

"It's not the object itself we want your opinion on, it's the energy surrounding it. We don't know what it is, so we thought that you might have any suggestion. I don't know the details, but the output of whatever it is negatively affect the space around it," he said and checked the time. "We better get moving, the captain expects us in a few minutes. You'll get the rest of the info there."

They proceeded past the mess hall and took a right. Another corridor appeared before them, but at the end there was an elevator waiting, leading to the bridge.
They entered it and the officer pushed one of the buttons beside the door. The elevator chimed and closed the doors.

After a few seconds they opened again and its two occupants entered the bridge that was full of activity.
Scanners, monitors and processors were running diagnostics, showing the results in rapid succession. The crew maintaining them had a tough time keeping up, not being able to process the information pouring through at an insane speed.
The junior officer next to Nanoha went up to the captain sitting in his chair located in the middle of it the bridge. They exchanged a few words and he turned around, acknowledging Nanoha's presence. He waved her forward and told the junior officer to return to his duties.

"Miss Takamachi, glad you're here. Could really use your input," he said in a strained voice and made some keystrokes on the pad beside him. He was a middle aged man and a quite unknown person within theTSAB, having only been a captain for less than a year.
The mission he undertook at this momenthad not been deemed risky and he had therefore been assigned to it, giving him the chance to acquire more experience.

"So I heard, but from what I understand we don't have a visual yet, correct?" she asked.

"In a few moments, we will," he said and turned to his adjutant standing next to his control pad. "Tell the surveyors to bring the image online."

"Captain," she said and nudged her officer's hat. She headed towards some other crew members and told them something.

"Miss Takamachi, the object we have detected is of a rather interesting nature," he said and placed his hands in his lap, focusing on her. "It's four to five meters in diameter and a few centimeters thick. It's in the shape of a four-edged star. Nothing else is in its vicinity."

"Star shaped?" Nanoha asked, intrigued.

"Yes, but that's not what's interesting. What is our focus at the moment is the energy it produces. I don't know what it is, but it's quite low on the scale, nothing dangerous.
However, it looks like this energy, no matter how small, acts like a very weak black hole. It bends space itself. Not as much as to be a threat, but a nuisance at least."

"How far are we from it?"

He checked the readouts on his pad.

"One-thousand kilometers and closing. We have decided to investigate it from seven-hundred meters."

Nanoha looked at the screen and then back at the captain.

"Isn't that a bit irresponsible? We have orders to return, nothing else."

"Yes, but I think this is worth investigating. We've have never seen anything like it." He lent forward towards Nanoha. "And do bear in mind, that you might have supervision on this mission, but I am the captain of this ship. I make the calls around here."

Nanoha decided to not push the issue any further.

"All right. It's your call. I'm still against it though."

"Noted."

He returned to his original position and was just about to give the order to increase speed when one of the surveyors detected something.

"Captain! We are reading a substantial increase in energy output from the object. Its pull is getting stronger."

"Decrease speed and observe from a safe distance."

"Yes Captain."

As soon as the order had been given, the Alpakura began to slow down, its thrusters in reverse. The distance counter slowly began to slow down, while the energy output from the object stopped rising.

"Captain, I really suggest we return to our original mission. We can always return later," Nanoha said and looked him in the eyes.

He avoided her piercing looks and instead turned to the pad.

"Set our distance to nine-hundred meters and continue to observe the object."

"Captain," the officer who observed the energy levels said, "the output is increasing again. A five-hundred meter wide area around the object are now dangerous to approach."

"Noted. Keep observing."

The officer nodded and returned to his command board. Not any sooner had he done that when he turned around again.

"Captain, the energy made another spike! The dangerous area is approaching, fast."

"Turn around and put some distance between us and the object. Full speed," the captain said, letting some of his worry leak through.

The officer did as he said and entered the commands. Nothing happened and he did it again.

"What are you doing? Turn around now!"

"I can't, anything I do don't have an effect. The engine are reporting an increase in power but we are not moving."

"Captain," Nanoha said warily.

"What is it?"

"The object. Look," she said and pointed towards the large screen.

The live feed was now online, thanks to probes and processing enhancements. What they saw wasn't what they had expected. Lightning had begun to appear around the object, sparkling in short bursts, lightening up the dark space around it.

"Captain! The distance are decreasing, we can't do anything to get away."

"Did you say the object worked like a small black hole?" Nanoha asked.

"Yes," the captain stuttered forth, still looking at the screen.

"Then that thing is pulling us in. This is not a natural phenomena."

Something became visible behind the object, a tear in space. Red light began to leak through, lightning bursting out. The energy output increased even more until the computers no longer could measure it.

Nanoha brought up her personal com panel, ignoring all protocols, and accessed her last message, which she had not yet sent. She added a few words to it and finished with a name that had popped up in her head. A name that rung with a negative sound.

She sent it and closed the window. On the screen, the tear had grown larger as they had approached and the chaos surrounding it became more intense. They had to look away from the screen has the light started to blind them, its short but intense bursts burning on their retinas.

---




The view from outside was something no human in the surrounding area could see. However, from the viewpoint of the nearest planet, an administered world inhabited by a very primary lifeform, the show of the century went on.

Space had begun to live, extreme amounts of energy pouring out from the tear. Red, yellow and a varying amounts of color filled the sky from the planets surface. The Alpakura being only a small dot in the sky, black towards the massive tear. Slowly it moved towards it until the spacecraft began to twist, bending itself around its axis. It stretched out, extending itself several times its own lenght.
Finally, it disappeared, finishing its departure with a massive explosion that threw space dust and red light out into space. From the surface of the planet, the sky was now red, sparkling white dots filling its view. The tear closed itself fast and disappeared into the emptiness.
For years to come, the red light and strange material would travel a long way and occupy numerous skies in known space.

And so, The Void of Maelstrom, as named by Miss Takamachi, the most complicated and advanced technology of the Biscante civilization, had completed its fifteenth cycle.

It felt unexpected that we suddenly jump 50 years in the past without any notice. I was actually hoping we'd see more from older Vivio and those two girls (whose names I forgot ><). But seeing everything that actually happened to the Alpakura made more sense than Vivio's explanation in the previous chapter. The last line is the most intriguing and raised even more questions.

Originally Posted by Evil Rick

Spoiler for Opening theme: Eternal Darkness:

Spoiler for Chapter 2: The Bag:

The Mayor was dead, his crushed body was laying on the floor, I couldn't do anything, it happened to quickly. The giant... thing who was hanging from the roof, the demon who killed the Mayor, this Bag was looking at me, I was next and the only weapon I had at hand was the small axe I found on the Sheriff's office.

While releasing a horrible battle cry, the Bag smashed the floor with his fists, all the ground rumbled, I fell over my knees by the shock of the impact, the Bag raised his left arm and released it against me, I jumped to avoid the hit, the ground rumbled once more.

“Oh God, oh God” Was all that I could think while facing this abomination, God... I was scared... I was scared and only wanted to go home, the Bag released another hit against me, only for an inch, I evaded it and almost for instinct, I attacked the hand with the axe. Only a little cut in his putrefactive skin.

The bag released another scream and smashed the ground again with both arms, the impact made me fall again, on the floor, I spotted a pillar, I ran at it and hided behind it, the Bag smashed the Pillar, the upper part of it fell in pieces, by miracle, they didn't hit me.

“I'm doomed... this thing... how... how can I defeat this thing without...!” I was convinced that I was going to die but suddenly, I saw up, the place in which the upper pillar was, had leaved an enormous hole on the roof, with breaks who were surrounding the part of the Bag who was attached to the roof.

“That's it!” I though, I looked around and potted 3 more pillars on the store, I ran out of my hideout to the next pillar and raised my axe trying to call the attention of this thing. The Bag spotted me immediately, this was the time, I quickly ran behind the pillar like in the previous one, the bag smashed this pillar as well and destroyed it, I then looked up, more breaks and holes plus pieces who were falling apart were spotted on the roof, I was close.

I ran to the next pillar, the Bag tried to crush me in the way but with a quick jump I evaded the deadly hit that made the entire place rumble even harder, I reached the third pillar and repeated the action, First I called the attention of the Bag, then I ran behind the pillar, and the Bag did the rest, another smash was enough, there was no need of repeating the action with the fourth pillar, the Bag destroyed the third pillar and the roof collapsed along with the demon, I ran to the walls seeking for protection, it was like if the entire place were gonna fall apart when the Bag hit the ground, an enormous cloud of mist and dust raised, when it was dissipated, I could look the giant creature face down, still moving on the floor, trying to stand up, it looked like the uniform arms were useless in the position the bag was.

“Attack the head” Was the first thing I though, I grabbed my axe and ran at the head of the demon, from his back something raised, I stopped and saw the tentacles on the back of the Bag, various tentacles of all sizes... this wasn't over yet.

The bag raised his head to look at me, just before launching the longest of his tentacles towards me, I evaded the attack, but a shorter tentacle hit me and launched me against the wall, still on the floor, another tentacle grabbed my leg, I was raised to the sky and launched against the floor with violence, by a miracle, no one of my bones were broken but the pain was horrible in any case.

Another tentacle grabbed my waist this time, like an anaconda, it surrounded me and started to crush me, slowly... like if the bag wanted to hear each one of my bones crash in pieces... but no, I wasn't gonna allow it, with only one arm, I cut the tentacle with my axe, my body fell.

The bag screamed in pain, smashing the ground with his shoulders, this was my opportunity, I ran at the creature's head, another tentacle tried to hit me but with a jump I evaded it, now I was face to face with the Bag.

Spoiler for Event 3:

Spoiler for Ending theme: Once Upon a December:

I think you mean chapter 4 in the title instead of 2. I noticed some typos along the way too, will be making a list later today.

Getting the Bag off the roof looked like a scene taken out of a video game. Poor Vivio at the end. She's really having it hard with Karil gone.

Originally Posted by Satashi

Board interaction time! Write a scene or scenes about something that a Nanoha character (or your OC) would be doing in their spare time that no one would ever believe.

Spoiler for Fate:

Fate threw up both her hands excitedly while letting out a triumphant yell. "GOOOOAL!" Standing up from the couch, her hockey jersey floated around her as she did a small jig before turning to point at the guys around her in the living room. "Ha! In your face! Hat trick!" She held out her hand, which still had orange smeared over the fingertips from the Cheetos. "Pay up suckers!"

Unexpected, but not unimaginable.

Spoiler for Vivio:

Nanoha shifted the groceries in her arms to keep them from falling on the floor while stumbling into her kitchen. After balancing herself she sat the bags and was about to call her teenage daughter to come help her unload but stopped when she noticed a familiar backpack sitting next to her daughter's. 'Oh that's right, Syn is staying the night. I should bring them some snacks.'

Gathering two sodas and a bag of chips, Nanoha trotted down the hallway and opened her daughter's door without knocking. "Vivio-sweetie, Syn, I have some-" Her words stopped dead in her throat, and her items fell to the floor in shock. Syn was looking at her with wide eyes, trying to mumble something out of the ballgag in her mouth. Her arms were tied behind her back with what appeared to be handcuffs and a leash that lead the way to Vivio. The blonde of the room was wearing a tight latex fetish S&M outfit that had cutouts for her more 'feminine' areas. In one hand she held the leash leading to Syn while the other had a large paddle. As Vivio turned, she revealed the six in spiked heals and thigh high zip up boots. "MOM!"

Nanoha quickly retreated and closed the door, pressing her back up against it and holding a hand to her chest. Behind her she heard something about Vivio teaching Syn not to embarrass her, but when a loud thwacking sound came paired with a moan of ecstasy, she quickly ran to her room.

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

mmkay then

Spoiler for Zafira:

"I'm sorry Jeremy but my heart belongs to Adam!"
"But why? Why can't you love me!"

"She loves you! That's her evil twin!" Zafira yelled through his tears at the tv, " New New Bethany's trapped by the evil serial killer who got his head cut off two seasons ago but managed to get a transplant just in time. Why can't you see that New Adam?" He shook his head and waited for the next soap to come on his TV.

Spoiler for Griffith:

Griffith took a deep breath. He felt at ease for once as there was no one there but the air. It was the best kind of audience really. He gripped his weapon of choice and watched the screen anxiously. Finally the words started to appear and he begun.
"If I should stay~"

---
"Oh this is good. This. Is. Good." Vice laughed as he and Zafira watched their friend sing karaoke on the video monitor connected to the camera they'd set up. "Oh wait here comes the best part."

"AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"You know I'd always picked him for more of a Dion fan then a Houston one."

Spoiler for Vice:

"Vice what are these?" Griffith held up a dusty old video chip. Vice had recruited him to help clean his mother's attic.

"Hmm... no idea. Bet it's old videos of my greatness."

Griffith picked up an old video player that had also been conveniently left there, "Well we might as well see."

Immediately an image of Vice dressed in tights and on a stage appeared
"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends. "

Griffith blinked, "You did Shakespeare?"

"Hmm... oh yeah." Vice grinned, "I was in the drama club in high school! We did all sorts of awesome Shakespeare plays. I was Puck, Iago, Hamlet, Caesar, even Romeo once."

"There should be some law against that..."

"Huh?"

Great crack!

[Tempy]

My god. This took a while. Doubleposting from OCT. Alas, I have nothing to offer in terms of crack for now.

Spoiler for Act 3:

Chains.

Black, jagged, rusted chains rattled and creaked as they unfurled around the grand throne, like writhing snakes slithering against each other. They unraveled and shrank, releasing their restrictive hold upon the sitting armor. But where did the chains go as they released their prisoner? Like an old automaton with creaking limbs, the knight rose from its seat, its arms dropping to its side. The Aces watched with frozen breaths as the chains returned to their origin… Until the final link disappeared under the black and red plate.

I told you not to touch that!

How was I supposed to know?!

It let out a hiss-like breath, its first full breath in a long, long time. Despite the comfortable temperature, the air escaped in visible condensate form. Was it really that cold? No… the breath was just that hot.

I was literally screaming at you the entire time!

What screams?! I didn’t hear you at all!

Lurching forward, the knight stepped closer to the ferret-changeling, his seven foot form easily towering over the little librarian. With a look that could be best described as hateful, it pulled its right arm back.

Hmm. Must have been the artifact then… by the way, heads up.

What? Oh shi—

Yuuno could only stare in frozen horror, his eyes locked onto those burning red orbs. He could distantly hear someone screaming at him, yelling at him to duck, dodge, get out of the way, but his legs refused to move. Rooted in place, the archaeologist could barely register the clenched fist coming to take his head completely off his shoulders.

“Yuuno-kun!” in a white blur and ringing chime, a pink magic circle formed between him and this black knight. Nanoha’s Round Shield sparked and crackled as the armored gauntlet crashed into the barrier. The impact resonated with a thunderous roar, Nanoha’s legs almost buckling under the pressure and her arms shaking in effort. Never before had she absorbed such a blow so strong! Never before did her own Round Shield begin to crack with only one strike! Yet she could see it with wide eyes as the knight brought his other fist to bear and struck her shield once more. With a sound like shattered glass, Nanoha’s Round Shield exploded into a storm of crystalline fragments, the force knocking her body a short distance away. Immediately did the knight leap after her, snarling in fury as he prepared to strike the killing blow.

Instead of flesh, however, his armored hands smashed into another barrier, green in color and much stronger than the previous. There, standing between him and his prey was Yuuno, a grim yet determined look upon his face and a glowing card between his forefinger and middle.

“Are you all right, Nanoha?!” the archaeologist gritted his teeth against the oppressive force. Damnit. Even with this enhanced barrier, he could barely stand! But he needn’t worry much longer, for his friends were already charging into battle. So long as he could hold this monster back, he could leave the battle to the others. Signum, Fate, Vita, and even Zafira, they came from four sides as Hayate prepared a spell; next to her, Shamal was ready to assist. The knight may have gotten the first strike, but he could not possibly hold back this elite team!

Two chains lashed out, whipping in every direction around the knight as he pivoted three hundred and sixty degrees. The others had no choice but to defend, their devices coming up to parry the whip-like chains. Yet behind the attack was a force none of them could have expected, so great and overwhelming that it smashed right through their defenses! In a single, unbelievable strike, he had repelled all attackers, blowing them away! As the knight flowed out of his attack, his foot stomped loudly upon the grass, throwing his head back to unleash an incredible warcry! The very sound caused Yuuno’s stomach to twist and turn, his breath to still in his lungs, and his own mind break in terror. An icy chill seemed to wash over his mind, numbing it and bringing his own sanity to its limits. The world around him seemed to darken, as if the terrible night had arrived.

The nightmare began then, unstoppable and unrelenting.

Nanoha staggered to her feet, her entire body aching from the blow. Where did all that strength come from?! Could they defeat it? No… not in their current state they could. They needed more power. A lot more.

Hayate-chan! Hurry! Release our limiters! The mental request went out as she stood to face her foe.

“Raising Heart! Exee—KYAAH!” Nanoha’s command could not finish as the berserker suddenly appeared in front of her, his hands grasping Raising Heart by the shaft. Her grip failed against the knight’s unholy strength, a strange terror filling her as she lost her companion to the enemy. Suddenly, she found the butt end of the staff jammed deeply into her belly, causing her to double over. Even as she tried to recover, the golden crescent head of the staff slammed into her jaw, sending her reeling back and falling over. Through her blurred, swimming vision distorted by pain, Nanoha’s eyes were wide in shock as she watched her precious device be snapped in two, the ruby gem of Raising Heart cracking as it dimmed.

Then, he spoke.

“Pitiful, sniveling girl. This amount of suffering will not appease me. No… your pain comes from the suffering of your friends, does it?” His words were like a demon’s, distorted in resonance and evil in character. The girl could barely resist as he grabbed her neck, lifting her into the air. Scarcely able to breath, Nanoha could only struggle weakly against the iron-like grip. There was a rush of air before an explosion of pain blossomed in her back, but even greater was the agony in her hands. Her heart thundered in her ears as she felt a strange warmth trickle down her arms, a horrified scream taking over as the Ace realized what had happened. Upon the far wall of the room, the broken shafts of Raising Heart pierced her hands and splayed her arms apart in some twisted crucifixion.

“Then be witness to their misery, their anguish, and their torment! Do not look away, child, unless you want them to scream even louder!”

“You bastard!” an anguished cry came from behind him, the lithe form of a furious Fate charging forward. The bladed form of Bardiche glistened in the darkness, its keen edge thirsting for dark one’s blood. Her battlecry was cut short, however, as she suddenly found her face smothered by the knight’s large hand. With a great roar, he slammed Fate’s head into the ground, showing no mercy as he brought an armored boot down upon her slim neck. Fruitlessly she struggled against his weight, unable to breathe at all.

“What hope do you have of defeating me, reject? You cling to the tattered false love of others when the others loathe and despise you! You have no right to exist, you disgusting bitch of a copy! Suffer, and writhe in agony!”

He could do no more, however, as a sword and hammer came rushing for his head. Instead of a victorious strike, however, Signum and Vita watched incredulously as the knight backflipped out of the path of danger, landing mere yards away. Nonplussed, the hammer struck once more, though its flight was stopped short. More than that, as his hands gripped the shaft of Graf Eisen, Vita suddenly found her world spinning and her brain rattled as her own weapon was torn from her hands and used to beat her to the ground. Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear that horrible mocking voice.

“How far has Belka fallen to have her Knights so weak? This weapon is ill-suited to scum like you!”

The hammer was almost like a toy in his hands, sickly black veins forming wherever he touched it. Brandishing it before him, the knight called out his command, red eyes blazing brightly, “Graf Eisen, obey me!”

[JaWHoL!] the device responded, though not wholly itself. What was once a proud and strong voice was now as twisted and dark as its current master.

“N-no way! That’s not possible, dammit!” Vita yelled. Her own device, betraying her?! How was that possible?!

In a glow of ghastly crimson, the hammer grew in size and shape. He held the now warhammer sized weapon before him, mockingly saluting his new opponents.

“Now… come, weaklings! If you are truly knights, then you are prepared to die like one!”

In an instant, he was among them, hammer splitting the air.

“Move!” Signum yelled.

The earth cracked and the world trembled as the weapon smashed down on where Signum and Vita once stood, red and magenta streaking away as the hammer came up once more.

“What the hell is he?!” the swordswoman hissed as she landed a short distance away, yet as she regained her bearings, she saw no enemy before her. “Dammit… where?!”

The answer came with a jarring blow to her head, the colors leaving her vision and stars exploding in the darkness left in the wake. Barely did her vision return when she was struck again, her brain rattling in her skull as the strength leaked away from her legs. Where was he?! Where was her enemy!? Behind? In front? Signum’s senses, though disoriented, confused her even more as it told the Cloud Knight that her foe was all around her!

“Get away from her, you bastard!” came the vicious, almost hysterical cry from nearby. Screaming a mighty warcry, Vita charged in with her bare hands reaching for the dark knight’s throat. All sense had left the girl now, her mind overtaken by a rage greater than anything she had ever felt before.

Such blind fury paled in comparison, however, to the wild insanity boiling within the knight and all around them. He spun around; in his right was a corrupt Graf Eisen, its head bloodied from use; his left arm lashed out instead, the sound of scraping metal strangely loud.

There was a light pressure on her legs, if only for the briefest of moments. She barely registered it through the rage that clouded her mind, yet in an instant Vita could feel the difference. She tumbled awkwardly now, her bare-fisted tackle rendered harmless with a single swipe. With a heavy, almost wet splat, Vita of the Hammer collapsed as an overwhelming torrent of agony pierced the cloud of adrenaline blanketing her mind. Her legs! She couldn’t feel them at all! Had the nerves been severed? No… oh god. Oh god! Where were they?! Where were her legs?!

Dark crimson glistened from a thin blade jutting forth from the knight’s left gauntlet. With the child down, the Berserker returned his attentions to the Flame Empress just in time to see the fiery blade of Laevatein seek his neck. Yet no closer did it travel than a mere inch from his head, the weapon and its master held in bondage by scores of black chains.

“Who the devil are you?!” she hissed, straining against the chains of heaven and hell. Her arms, her legs, even her torso, these damned things had come from almost nowhere!

Though his face obscured by his warped helmet, Signum swore she could see the man underneath grinning madly as he replied, “The devil, I am…!”

Ah. So that’s what that feeling was. It was fear. Absolute, pure, unadulterated terror. It gripped her heart, crushed it painfully, and squeezed her lungs empty of air. Why was it so hard to breath? Oh God! Oh GOD! Her throat! It was being crushed! And her hair! Pulled so tightly it felt as if it would be torn right off! Stop it! What are you doing?! STOP IT!

Poor Vita, finally finding sight through the blinding haze of pain, recovered in time to witness her friend’s throat be torn apart by black bloodstained claws. With growing horror and disgust, the Hammer Knight could do nothing more than watch Signum’s head be brutally and cruelly ripped off its shoulders. With disgusted grunt, the lunatic knight threw away his bloodied prize, its tangled mass of magenta hair and dead blue eyes rolling to a stop by Vita’s head.

“NOOOO!” she screamed hysterically, clawing desperately at the ruined soil to get away. Her body felt so heavy, so cold now. Memories of that snowy day flashed back to her unwillingly, though now she alone lay there in the snow, dying in the cold. Her body jerked violently, a shuddering breath escaping her lips as she reached her hand out desperately, longingly, for a freedom not even there. No more could she move, no breath could she take, all as her vision lost all color and her strength wean away. Even the pain was fading…

With a final wet crunch, the dark warrior tore the bloodied shaft of Graf Eisen out from the girl’s back.

“Be still, filth.”

A strange light stopped him for a moment, however. A strange feeling too; a hollow, cold feeling from within his chest. A green light? A hand! This filthy hand dared to even touch him?!

“Wretch!” he roared, grasping the hand with his own and crushing it with all his might; a terrified and agony-filled scream followed after. Weakly, the hand tried to pull back, struggling fruitlessly against the vise-like grip crushing it. Worse still, the dark knight pulled the hand forward until it could come no more, then he thrust his own hand through the strange portal. Immediately it came back, grasped tightly in the hand his prize: still beating, alive and strong, Shamal’s heart continued to work even when ripped free from its master.

“Can you hear it?! Can you hear your own heart crying out?! Its mewling disgusts me!” the knight spat and clenched his hand, crushing the organ with a wet splatter. With its master dead, the portal winked to nothingness.

A beastly roar was the knight’s only warning as a mess of blue fur blurred into his vision. His eyes mad with fury, Zafira snarled wildly as he leapt at his hated enemy, claws and teeth bared. His intended target of the neck would not be found, to his horror, as the same damnable chains that held Signum now trapped him like some twisted spider’s web. His arms and legs bound, not even this beast-man could tear himself free. And lo, did he see his foe step forward with eyes blazing red.

“A dog dares to bear its fangs at me? You forget your leash, mongrel!” the Mad Knight held a hand high and snapped his fingers, a clear, sharp sound that rang beautifully as the chains will pulled tight. The Guardian Beast howled as he felt his limbs be stretched to the very limits, a cry that grew as muscles tore and ligaments failed. Ragged were his screams as he was at last drawn and quartered limb-by-limb, his head and ruined torso was left to flop unceremoniously to the ground like a dying fish. With every futile twitch, the beast’s blood spilled onto the soaked earth.

As the knight brought his hand down, he turned to face the last one standing: a trembling girl in soiled clothes, a bare remnant of a once happy and proud woman.

“You’ve killed them… you’ve killed them all!” the Meister sobbed, barely able to see clearly through the tears that clouded her eyes. Every bit of her trembled in fear and loathing, the instinct to flee outrageously strong amidst all this horror. Yet with conviction she straightened up and pointed the Schwertkruez at her enemy. “Nothing matters any more! Even if I kill myself, I will end you—URGK!

An armored fist buried itself deeply into Hayate’s belly with such great force that she was lifted off the ground, a horrifying bulge protruding from her back. Her entire body shook from the blow, the trauma so great she blacked out for a moment. Yet her consciousness remained long enough to hear the knight’s hateful words.

“Be silent! Is this the best the Meister of the Night Sky can do? Pathetic. Whilst your Guardians threw their lives at my feet, you stood back and watched them die! Now you see fit to step in?!

“You have no right to stand upon the same earth as they. Wallow in your own waste, trash!” His hand plunged into the girl’s belly, as if her barrier jacket were but measly rags, tearing through soft flesh and fragile organ, until his fingers ripped out through her back. Clenching into a fist, there was a horrific, agonizing crack as he crushed the girl’s spine. Just as swiftly, his fist tore free from her belly, and with it, the ruined remants of Hayate’s spine, intestine, and flesh. Crimson stained the black gauntlet, trails of blood dribbling down the jagged plate.

Hayate couldn’t scream. No. She was in too much suffering to scream. Her world was nothing more than burning agony and a creeping cold that filled her very being. Blinded by pain and no longer able to stand, the meister collapsed like a puppet with cut strings. There was a dull thump as the knight threw a mangled pile of shattered bone and flesh next to her head.

The dark one, alone standing amongst the dead and dying, threw his head back and laughed. His maniacal laugher bellowed in the grand, hollow room, a place once beautiful, now stained with blood and tainted with sorrow. In discord were the wracking sobs and pitiful screams of the crucified girl in white not far away. But he could not cheer for too long. There was at least one who still lived, after all…

------------------------------------------

The Claudia
Immediately after the “Awakening”

The bridge exploded into a flurry of activity as a shrill alarm blared incessantly over their heads.

“Status report. Talk to me, people – what is this alarm about?” Chrono asked calmly, though internally his mind raced. Worry gripped his heart as dozens of dreadful thoughts pounded his skull.

“Sir! It’s the swordship! It’s activated!” one of the operators reported. “Defense gadgets just tripled—no, quadrupled—in number! They’re firing on us!”

The fresh pict-feeds projected to his personal holoscreens showed a damn near mythical swarm of fresh gadgets, disgorging themselves from the target objective. It was as if they meant to blot out the skies in one grand biblical plague, and sweep away Claudia in the process.

“Shields are holding – returning fire!” the weapons officer reported.

“What of our Marines?”

“We’ve lost contact with most of the teams! The AMF just jumped to insane levels! We can’t break through it!”

“I’ve got something!” one of the communication operators called out, though his face quickly changed into one of utter dread. “They’re… they’re being torn apart! The ship’s defenses – t-they’re killing them all!”

“Deploy the reserve platoons ASAP; outfit them in maximum level protect gear. Medical! What is that status of our away team?” the Admiral’s cool was quickly deteriorating. The entire operation had gone to total shit in an instant, and now his closest friends were in terrible danger.

“Sir! Their psychographs are out of control! Vitals are fluctuating madly, and I can’t get into contact with any of them! Whatever’s happening to them… I-I don’t know! This is horrible!”

“Damn it. Damn it all!” Chrono swore beneath his breath, breaking from his unruffled persona and leaping out of his chair. No longer could he just sit back and watch it all happen. Damn protocol! Damn regulations! It was time he did something about it.

A deep breath to force calm back into his system, and he was once again in control of himself, “Tell the transport room that I will be arriving shortly. Have them prepare to send one person to the bridge of that ship. I will see to this incidence personally.”

“Admiral! This is hardly the appropriate response for this situation! We should—w-where are you going?!”

Chrono was already quickly stepping to the ship’s lift, ignoring the cries of his crew and communiqué requests from the scientists. “You are in command, XO! If I fail, here – catch.”

A single “key” flew through the air to land in shaky hands, the second-in-command gave his leader a look of absolute bewilderment and shock, “Th-This is lunacy, Admiral! Leave it to the Marines to handle it!”

The blue-haired man turned on his heel and glared at his XO, a fury so chilling that people swore the room got colder. In hissed tones that barely hid the riotous emotions within, he managed to grind out, “Our top teams were on that ship when it went off, XO. Do you really believe reserve Marines can handle where their best could not? I go now to the face this forsaken serpent and cut its head right off. And should I fail, you will do your duty!”

No more words reached him as the lift doors closed, painfully long seconds ticking by as he was transported to another deck. The moment he arrived, however, the mage found an unexpected person waiting for him by the door.

“Erio,” Chrono nodded at his godson, schooling his emotions with every ounce of willpower so as to not betray the turmoil of wild emotions rushing through his mind. “Everything is being taken care of. You have nothing to worry about.”

With that, the Admiral brushed past the child and continued to walk quickly, but calmly, down the hall. Yet for some reason it did not surprise him to find young Erio to be following him closely.

Not slowing in his steps, Chrono merely raised a brow at the boy, “What do you think you are playing at, boy? Return to your room.”

The boy only scowled back and snarled a response, “Do you take me for an idiot to just sit back and watch this chaos unfold?! I am coming with you!”

“Do not be daft, godson. I will handle this personally, so you need not concern yourself,” the Admiral internally winced at the poor argument, but he did not have much time to think of one anyways.

“Again: do not think me naïve just because I am a child, godfather! These alarms would not sound throughout the entire ship if it were nothing! Turbulence is not what shakes us! Something terrible is happening, and I won’t stand back and watch it happen!”

Such incredible intelligence in one so young, so much that it almost surprised Chrono. Then again, this was the boy that Fate had adopted, and she had a knack for finding the most interesting people. Still, what the boy was asking was simply preposterous. Gods, if it had not been for her, he would not even be standing here to worry over the irascible runt! And when this was all over, no doubt she would return to finish their interrupted “talk” too!

Why… Why is it so? Fate, are you the executor of… Her will?

Finally arriving at the transporter room, Chrono had one last chance to dissuade the child.

“Listen to me. I am going to do something incredibly dangerous, and possibly stupid. For the sake of everyone else, I am putting my life on the line. I do not wish the same of you, Erio. You still have much ahead of you. Do not put your future in jeopardy because you feel some – indignant obligation to make a difference.”

“What life will I have then, if everyone dies?”

That question, Chrono could not answer, his benevolent patience spent. What a brat!

“It is because That Woman that I am here now, and I still want to see where this path will take me,” Erio’s eyes, though young and inexperienced, were bright with determination and rage. “I will not let her be taken away, so easily, without even lifting a finger.”

Pangs of nostalgia and strangely, sympathy, tugged at Admiral’s spirit. In Erio, he saw a slight reflection of himself, and in that he knew that the boy would fight even the eternal darkness to win.

How he wished he still had that spark…

“…Be it insanity, courage, fury, or all of them, I can admire that. Very well then, Godson. I shall see to it you do not sally forth empty-handed into the belly of the beast.”

==

All around him, his friends lay dead. All around him, their lifeblood and bodies. Signum, her head brutally ripped from her body. Shamal, her heart literally crushed before her eyes. Vita, cut to bloody pieces and impaled with her own weapon, and Zafira, drawn and quartered like a piece of meat. Hayate drowning in a pool of her own blood, her spine ruthlessly crushed and torn out. And Nanoha… dear Nanoha, crucified to the wall to watch every damnable moment. She was screaming earlier, but now she was silent. He dare not look over at her, lest his heart be crushed.

Now… their blood stained the tainted ground.

God… stop it! Stop it! Yuuno wanted to scream so badly, but his words were trapped in his throat. Since no words could be made, he clenched his mouth tight with bared teeth and his fists balled into fists, despair enveloping his very being.

Dead… they’re all dead! All in a blink, you killed them! Tortured them! Murderer! How could you do this…?! You… You DAMNED MONSTER!

Despair and fury.

While his rage remained bottled, another’s was released with a blinding flash! Lightning crackled as the electric yellow blade of Bardiche Zamber sought the mad knight’s neck. But like those before it, the blade would not find its target. Wrath fueled Fate’s frenzy of attacks, and though her movements were blindingly fast and elegant, she could not land a single hit. Her opponent bobbed and weaved with inconceivable dexterity, dodging potentially lethal strikes with the most minimal of movements. The deceptive ease in which the knight avoided the black witch seemed like outright mockery and taunting; with but a minor twitch of his arm, the zamber blade scraped harmlessly off blackened armor.

“Fight! Rebel! Struggle with all your might! If you cannot even touch me, what hope do you have to save anyone?!” Fate’s opponent mocked with every swing.

As the black witch raised her blade over her head, the knight stepped up to her with alarming speed. His left reached up to grab the shaft of Bardiche, while his right buried itself deeply into Fate’s belly. Like Graf Eisen before, sickening black veins seemed to spread out from where he grasped and down the device’s shaft. The knight pulled the device down, his right hand grasping the weapon as well and twisting it horizontal. Bardiche’s base slammed into the girl’s chin, burying chokingly into her throat. With his greater stature and lunatic strength, the knight easily overpowered the smaller girl; in a single, smooth move, Fate was lifted off her feet and thrown to the ground, her own device used as a lever against her.

Suddenly, the red-eyed witch found herself winded, disarmed, and rolling out of the way of Bardiche’s distorted axe-head. She scrambled to her feet, almost stumbling to get away from her enemy. Yet in an instant, he was before her, device in hand.

“Bardiche.”

[YEs siR?]

“Cut her to pieces,” he pointed the head of the corrupted device at its former master. “With contempt and malice, strike her down and RIOT!”

[yES SiR. RIoT bLadE.]

The cartridge system fired twice, the “hilt” of Zamber compacting into a smaller shape. Along with the grip and pommel, the great blade of Zamber mode shrunk into a more elegant saber shape. The blade’s magic, however, seemed unstable and flickered as if to reflect the device’s distortion. At the same time, it was a damning reminder of the knight’s domination over the device.

“N-No! How?!” Fate cried in anguish, horror-struck by how her precious device was infected and enslaved by this unholy warrior. How could this… this monster do that?!

“Now… DIE FOR ME!” he howled and charged forward… only to find himself arrested by green chains binding his legs. More of such chains erupted from the ground, confining his torso and arms. No longer could the knight move as his capture was completed, though strangely he did not seem to strain against his capture.

“Hurry and get away! I got him for now!” Yuuno called out, a card in his hand and a glowing green ball in the other. He was visibly sweating, however, struggling against a supremely heavy AMF load. Much like with his earlier shield, the archaeologist could barely hold against his foe; long enough for his friend, he prayed.

These prayers, Yuuno found, were unheeded as the emerald chains suddenly shattered to useless fragments with a mere flexion of the knight’s insane might. Barely had Fate a moment to move before her enemy was upon her once more, a terrible howl and burning red eyes the last thing she witnessed before a great, burning pain erupted in her chest. Worse still was the jarring impact of her entire back slamming into the bulkhead, sending her vision swimming in a blur. Though the agony and dizzying pain, she realized her final moments, impaled upon the wall with her own device.

Oh god… oh god…!

“Die, reject!” the unholy knight spat, driving the sword deeper, all the way to the hilt. “Die as you have lived: sad, weak, and alone!”

No…! I…! Na…no… Don’t…look!

Fate cough wetly, a gout of blood spilling from her mouth as her lifeblood drained out. The brilliance in her eyes faded gradually with every waning heartbeat, the girl’s fruitless struggles weakening until finally, her entire body slumped in horrible repose.

There was a terrible, soul-rending screech then, the loudest that had ever been heard. Though she struggled against her bondage with all her might, she was trapped. All this time, crucified upon the wall and forced to witness every murder, Nanoha had cried for her dying friends, screaming for the nightmare to end. But this… this was the last her sanity could withstand.

“Yes! Yes, that is what I wished to hear! The screech of a soul’s suffering, the howl of a heart’s agony! Is it because you loved this girl? Is it she that held your heart? How cruel of me to tear you apart! Here, let me reunite the two of you.”

A blade slid out from his left gauntlet once more, the same one that severed the legs of the Hammer Knight. With disgusting ease it slid though the still warm flesh of Fate’s neck, splitting muscle, bone, and sinew. Gripped by the hair, Fate Testarossa Harlaown’s severed head was cruelly shoved into Nanoha’s face, their lips touching and muffling her screams.

“Kiss her! Kiss her goodbye, mongrel! Let your final moments be together!” he cackled, pressing harder and harder with every passing second. Slowly, one could hear the dull cracks of bone breaking under the growing pressure. The girl’s struggles slowed, becoming jerky and twitch-like. Nanoha could cry no more, her jaw and skull fragmented and her brain slowly mashed along with her dead friend. Red and slate blue eyes popped from their sockets, held close only by thin optical nerves. Harder and harder, the blood oozing from their ears, eyes, and mouth, until finally, he crushed both their heads with a satisfying wet crunch.

Again, he threw his head back, laughing the same crazed, insane laughter as before. The gooey remains of Nanoha and Fate’s ruined heads trickled off his hand as the other was pressed against his visor, as if to steady his haphazard balance. The knight seemed to almost stumble and falter with every raucous bellow, bending almost completely backwards in his madness. And as he did so, he saw the last.

“And you! The very person to awaken me! This is your reward, little man: you get to die last. But forsooth! This will be my only mercy, a quick death!” he cackled, twisting his body to stand upright. With awkward and unbalanced steps, the knight shambled towards the mage.

Slackjaw’d, Yuuno made no effort to escape his fate, the weight of his failure crushing his very soul. Having witnessed each of his precious friends be literally butchered before his eyes… what could he do now? His knees buckled as the strength to stand, to fight and to struggle, left him.

He had failed them.

Oh damn it all! Wake up you idiot! None of this is real! Open your eyes, damn it!

Wh-what? O-open my eyes?

Open your eyes and behold!

The card in his hand flashed with a brilliant green light as a beautiful, haunting voice echoed forth from it.

[Nazar Bocugu]

There was a strange sensation, as if someone had changed the channel, flipped a light switch, and lifted a veil all at the same time. From a horrific world of death and blood, Yuuno now saw the swordship’s bridge as it once was, unsullied with bodies.

Hah! Not so tough now without your illusion, aren’t you?

Chains.

Chains everywhere. Among those blackened links were his friends, tightly bound and trapped. Still lost in the hallucination, they thrashed about against their bondage as they screamed, cried, laughed, and raged. Yet they were whole in body, without a single injury to be seen. Trapped they were still, in that terrible nightmare, but… but they were all alive…!

Oh… oh god… thank the gods…! Yuuno nearly let himself fall flat onto the ground in exhaustion and relief. It had truly been a mere illusion, a false dream! In reality, they were all fine! What wonderful, wonderful news!

Eyes forward and get up! We may be free of that illusion, but now we’ve got the real thing to deal with!

Indeed, though the shroud of horrific fantasy was lifted from his eyes, the young archaeologist still had this terrible foe to contend with. Unlike those nightmares, this beast was very real, and very dangerous. Yet what mockery it was to see the knight sit upon that cracked throne, legs crossed and head propped on a fist as if leisurely observing the chaos before him. As he climbed to his feet, the archaeologist felt as if his foe was watching with bored derision.

What did he seek? For what reason did the knight choose to use an illusion instead of truly slaughtering them all? Thought it was false, the murders still seemed to be a real possibility, as if he was showcasing what he could do to them. But why? Why hallucinations? The answer, Yuuno would learn immediately.

Damn. That illusion spell must have really messed with my memory. I recognize this bastard now. No wonder he was screwing with our heads – he was testing us. The weak will die, and the strong will fight. But now that we managed to get out, we’re in all kinds of trouble.

What? Why? Who is he?

Oh come on! You call yourself a historian? You’re standing in front of a real live historic figure, Doc~tor!

This isn’t the time for this! Can you please just tell me?!

…Alright. An abhorred relic from the distant past. A soul lost to madness. A traitor to king, country, and family. Some call him the Traitor Knight. You know him as…

“Mysteries, no…! You… you’re him…” Yuuno whispered, horrified recognition finally setting in. “The Knight of Calamity, Noland Reiniger…!”

But how could that be?! That was over four hundred and sixty years ago, when Belka was still its own planet! How could this beast be here, still alive?! Was it the ship’s anti-time flux? Some strange magic? Or maybe he was cursed to never rest…

“How long? How long since I have heard my name?” the dark knight rumbled, his head mockingly cocked to the side. Yuuno could not control his flinch at the sound of his foe’s voice, so dark and cold, distorted, and warped. It was far worse in person than in that false reality; no human could possibly have such a horrible voice. No… this was a demon…!

D-dammit! No wonder he decimated everyone! Even with seven elite mages, they faced an apocalyptic force that not even a whole army could stop! This was the very person that brought about the downfall of an entire world!

“Well done, child. But the game is just beginning!”

The knight stood slowly, his armor creaking softly with his movements. At full height, he was a staggering full seven feet tall, a giant amongst men and by no means any less intimidating. A wet, crimson soaked gauntlet came up, a single claw-like finger pointing directly at the mage.

“Your head…” the hissed words seemed to echo through the room and in Yuuno’s mind, sending shivers down the librarian’s neck. “I shall have it.”

Oh hey look, part two just below.

[Tempy]

Yep. Another double post.

Spoiler for Act 4:

“Sir, that AMF is too strong. We can barely lock on the bridge, let alone get a signal through,” a technician gave an incredulous look and a bewildered tone to his superior. “Forgive me if I sound disrespectful, but I don’t think we’ll be successful in our current state. You could gate out in the middle of that firestorm out there, or even in the planet surface!”

“I will worry when it comes to that, Warrant Officer, though your concern is appreciated. However, we still must get to that bridge as quickly as possible. Divert power from other systems if you have to. Brute force your way through that field,” Chrono ordered, back in his mask of calm. “Our priority is to rescue and recover our people, even if this ship has to take a few hits.”

“V-Very well, sir. But what about the boy? He’s… He’s too young to go out there!”

The admiral shifted his gaze briefly to his godson, the boy now clad in a hastily engineered barrier jacket and bearing a mass-produced Belkan spear device. The set up would hardly cater to Erio’s budding magical abilities, but at the very least, he was protected and armed. The spear in particular had a few special properties that could be useful, and it seemed the boy was already somewhat familiar with handling polearms.

All the better, he supposed. If circumstances had been different, the Blue Breaker might have thanked the incorrigible, horribly wealthy asses who had paid enormous sums to bring the boy into the world.

“I understand your concern, and I thank you for it. However, the boy has convinced me that he will not be a liability in this operation. He is my godson, and I will be responsible for everything he does, including worst case scenarios.”

“Sir, I don’t think— ”

“Warrant Officer, thank you, but please, focus on the hour at hand. The more time we waste here, the more lives we will lose.”

“…Yes sir. Diverting power now. We can only do this for one shot. Any more will burn out the systems and leave us completely naked.”

“Understood,” Chrono nodded, watching as the very lights in the room dimmed as power was focused into the teleport system. Already, he could hear the abnormally loud hum and electrical feel of an overcharge building up as the entire ship around him visibly weakened.

Incredible. The AMF is that powerful? The drain is enormous!

Almost immediately, the ship-wide intercom crackled to life with an alarming message: “All hands, brace for impact! Prepare for hull breech!”

The entire ship shook violently as the warning came true, tossing several of the crew to their feet and sending others scurrying for support. In an instant, alarms blared as crisis crews scrambled to site of damage.

How strangely fragile his ship was, despite being a ship-of-the-line. Then again, the ship designers had not planned on hyperboosting a teleporter to pierce an overwhelmingly powerful anti-magic field while under fire from thousands of gun drones blasting away at the hull. For an instant, the admiral entertained the idea of suggesting an improvement to the designers.

…Nah. It was too incredible to explain.

What other idle thoughts he had were dashed in an instant as a bright light engulfed the room, the teleport system straining to the maximum to maintain stability. Damn. His ship was taking one hell of a beating, inside and out.

“This is it, sir! Your only shot! Good hunting!”

Chrono nodded, looking to Erio one last time before stepping up to the platform.

“With our light, we will burn the darkness away.”

------------------------------------------

They had all been defeated. That much could not be denied. But with the knowledge that all the horror was just a mere illusion, and that all his friends were only incapacitated, spurned a new fire within Yuuno.

Now that our morale is back up, what’s say we take this bastard on?

For the sake of my friends, I will put everything on the line. But our opponent is a legend!

Be it ancient horror or modern day warrior, it makes no difference. I refuse to cower before the enemy, and I refuse to let you do the same! We will stand and fight!

What a troublesome partner, but he would not have wanted it any other way.

“Alright then, Mana of Light. Show me the way! Light my path to victory!”

That’s the spirit!

Held between his forefinger and middle finger, the single card glowed in response to his renewed spirit. With a flick of the wrist, the card became an entire deck, fanning out in front of him. The fan spread even further, expanding into three rings of cards, orbiting around the young man. Another flick of the wrist, and Noland found three razor sharp cards barely missing his head.

“Oh ho! So the little ferret has fangs! Come then, unfortunate soul. Show me your rage!” one could feel the mad grin hidden behind the helmet as he charged forward. Yet Yuuno seemed unfettered by his opponent, even going so far as to turn his head aside and regard a handful of magical cards. Ten meters. Five meters. One meter away. Without a single glance back, the mage tossed the cluster at his foe just as he was close enough to strike.

“Power Seal, Magic Seal, Lock Seal! Bind his wings and chain him to the earth! [Energy Seal]!”

At such a range, there was no defending. The deck exploded upon contact, throwing the knight a short distance away. As he rose to his feet again, he discovered a new addition to his armor plate: a mysterious, bizarre character of an obscure and ancient language. It was barely the size of a fist, yet it blazed upon the knight’s chest brightly.

“What!?” Noland clawed at the strange mark to no avail.

Yuuno would soon answer that question. “Your strength, sapped. Your magic, sealed. And no matter how hard you try, I will never miss my mark.”

Noland growled low in response, the glow of his eyes ever bright. “Think you that I am any weaker for that? Magic is a mere facet of a knight’s strength!”

Though the three seals tied him down, Noland seemed no less slower or any less agile than before. As Yuuno attacked with a seemingly endless barrage of magical cards, the knight leapt, rolled, dove, and somersaulted with mindboggling dexterity. His defense was not perfect, however, the cards whittling his armor and stamina away. But still he fought on. Though the archaeologist did his best to keep his distance, it was only a matter of time before Noland pushed his way through the swarm. Now in close quarters, the young blond found himself on desperate defense.

Yunno panted and fought to see through the sweat that threatened to blind him. Every punch the knight threw, Yuuno brought up a reinforced shield to deflect the blow. Again and again, punch, kick, swipe, stab, Yuuno’s energy was quickly sapped. With the anti-magic field weighing him down and Noland’s overwhelming strength, the mage was quickly tiring.

Dammit. I can’t keep up. Mana!

I got him!

A piercing howl sliced through the stagnant air; a white blur soaring over Yuuno’s head and slamming into their opponent’s face. A great wolf, with brilliant moon-white fur and elegant red streaks, clawed and bit at the knight. Off balance, Noland could only roll backwards as he wrestled with the beast, finally kicking it off with an angry roar. This distraction was enough for Yuuno, quickly invoking another spell.

“You won’t escape this one! Strike from the heavens! [Moon Drive]!”

From above came another howl, followed by a blinding pillar of light that scorched the knight’s armor, searing his flesh and set the very ground around him ablaze with holy radiance. Noland’s roar of pain was lost amidst that same light, a bizarre cacophony of inhuman noise and beastly howls. When the glow finally subsided, Yuuno witnessed a sight that filled his heart anew with courage.

The knight had fallen to one knee! Such an opportunity could not be wasted. It was time to finish this in one shot!

“The cards have been dealt. In my hand is the key to victory. Now reap your reward and be cut to pieces! [Trick Edge]!”

The seal upon Noland’s chest glowed brightly as every card Yuuno had thrown suddenly hovered into the air. In an instant, from every direction around the knight, the cards attacked in a great swarm. Hundreds, what seemed like thousands, of like a violent tempest of furious insects. With his abilities sealed, he could do nothing but raise his arms up to protect his head. Again Noland released an earthshaking howl as his entire being was enveloped in this hurricane, the sounds of impact lost in the fury. Though victory seemed imminent, Yuuno refused to relax.

Until we see his corpse, stay alert!

The warning came just in time, as a black shape suddenly burst free from the frenzy. The cards immediately adjusted, seeking Noland once more as he leapt away… and towards Yuuno.

Suddenly, the world seemed to slow down around him as the young man reacted, tossing another handful of cards whilst simultaneously bringing up the other hand to defend. Like a vengeful demon, the mad knight seemed to glide through the air with a fist cocked back, behind him a literal wall of blades. Predictably, the fist slammed into Yuuno’s shield, but what the mage did not expect was the sudden vast increase of power behind the blow. Had this monster gotten stronger?! He really was a demon! Alas, the blow was simply too much; with that final strike, Yuuno’s concentration finally broke, and with it, the effects of Energy Seal. The shield shattered like glass before the fist, the storm of Trick Edge collapsing. In an instant, the blonde’s legs were swept away from under him, only then his side exploded in agonizing pain as a second kick launched him into the air. Through the haze of pain Yuuno saw the knight once more, leaping after him with punch ready. The blow drove him into the unforgiving earth with such force that he literally bounced slightly. Still no respite would come as Yuuno felt a knee be driven painfully into his back, then an arcing heel drop slam into his belly. The young Scrya folded like paper into the blow before slamming into the ground in gruesome finality.

Oh god. Oh god! His body felt shattered, his legs crushed, his arms like lead, and his mind in ruins. No amount of will could drive him anymore. Everything… everything was broken. Defeated, Yuuno barely registered the shadow that covered him.

He stood over him, looking none-the-worse. His armor was chipped and cut, and there were scorch marks all over it, but the berserker seemed unaffected.

“Most impressive, little ferret! Most impressive, indeed. You’ve given me a challenge greater than I would’ve expected from a mage such as you. But the games end now.”

Noland’s giant form loomed over him as if he were a mere insect, a blood-soaked hand reaching for the librarian’s head.

Well… it was a good run. You did good, kid. I have no regrets.

Nanoha… Fate… Hayate… everyone… I’m sorry. I’m too weak…

A sudden, new light captured both mage and knight’s attentions. As if struggling to tear through the very fabric of space, a tiny star of light gradually grew brighter. The Mid-Childan magic circle, at first as small as a coin, slowly expanded to full size. Shimmering lights characteristic of a teleport spell filtered through the light, and from it…

Chrono? Erio?! What…? No…! They’ll… They’ll be caught too!

Yuuno was suddenly tossed aside, as if he were but mere garbage, landing roughly on the bridge’s floor. The Traitor Knight of Belka had new arrivals to his Necrofantasia, and it would be rude to not greet his guests.

Chrono’s senses were immediately assaulted by a wave of heavy, choking air. Nausea flipped his stomach in ways he had never felt before, and the anti-magic field weighed on him like the world on Atlas. However none of those feelings could match the horror that bloomed upon witnessing the carnage before him. The smell of blood was thick in the air, almost sending the mage reeling. But even worse were the sights of his friends far too late to be saved. Shamal, Vita, Signum, Hayate, they were all butchered in the cruelest of ways. Dear Fate and Nanoha, their heads missing somehow, and Yuuno, barely alive on his own.

Wha—What the fuck is this?! How did this happen so quickly?! This… This cannot be-! I refuse to accept this as the truth!

With every denial, a sharp pain pounded against his skull as he squeezed his eyes shut. Mustering every ounce of will in him, Chrono forced his mind to push through the heavy fog of confusion.

This… can’t… be… happening…!

For a moment, Chrono’s vision changed. He saw, rather than a massacre, a multitude of black chains crisscrossing the room. Just as quickly, however, the murders returned. The visions seemed to struggle against his consciousness; by sheer will and focus of his anger that he could repel this overwhelming imagery, but not by much. And from the sounds of it, Erio managed the same.

“GRAAAGH! STOP IT! These… these are all lies!” the boy screeched, his eyes wide with mad fury. What he must be seeing, Chrono could not even imagine. Yet through his struggles, he could see his enemy.

“Bastard! I’ll kill you! I’LL KILL YOU!” Erio howled, charging with his spear held forward. It seemed to be a move unanticipated, as the weapon pierced Noland’s armor uninhibited at the left shoulder. Though surprised that a boy so young managed to come this far, the knight did not seem to be alarmed by the wound.

“What’s this? A child with such intense rage! Commendable, boy, to land a blow on me. But this charade ends no—” Noland’s shoulder suddenly exploded, his entire left arm blasted off with a shower of dark, almost black blood. “—AARRAAAAGGGHHH!!!”

Still in his attack stance, young Erio now held a smoking, bladeless spear. The tip had a second function, intended for anti-armor work rather than anti-personnel, an explosive spearhead that would explode moments after piercing the target. With this, Erio managed to successfully wound his enemy. Unfortunately, his decisive blow seemed to only infuriate the knight even further.

“Brat! That hurt!” Noland’s remaining arm snaked out to grab the boy by the neck, lifting him to face level. “Begone!”

The boy would know nothing more as the knight’s visor smashed into his face, a vicious concussive headbutt that snapped Erio’s head back and banished his consciousness. With a disdainful toss of the hand, the redhead was thrown to the side.

“Erio!” Chrono resisted the urge to reach out to his fallen godson, knowing already that he could do nothing to help. Instead, he glared at his enemy with a fire that rivaled the latter’s fury. “Bastard. I will make you regret everything you have done this day!”

“Regret! Regret! What a mighty vow!” Noland howled with maniacal laughter. Sickening still, were the black tendrils that snaked out of from the bloody stump, seeking the lost arm. The strange things pulled the limb back to its socket, a wet, nauseating squelch as flesh was pressed back into flesh. The fallen knight roared his pain as the wound seemed to seal itself along with the break in the armor. In mere seconds, the severed limb had grafted itself back in! “You know better than I, o’ lost fool, what it means to regret!”

The Harlaown’s response was a swift strike with S2U, its head ablaze with magical energies. But like his adopted sister before him, Chrono found his opponent quick and deceptively nimble. Though his strike was unsuccessful, the mage opted to leap back rather than continue the attack. His foe was a Belkan Knight, a master of close combat. In contrast, Chrono was a Mid-Childan mage, specializing mostly in medium to long range attacks. In an open area, he would have the advantage, but in enclosed spaces like this bridge, the knight dominated. This battle would be an extreme challenge.

A tiny figure suddenly latched on to his arm, Chrono suppressing the reflex to lash out against it just in time to see that it was the still living Reinforce Zwei. Her barrier jacket was ruined, torn in places and sullied with dirt, and once shining sky blue hair was a dull mess. It horrified Chrono that so much had happened to her in the brief moments before he arrived.

“Rein? You are unharmed?” he breathed, a rush of relief temporarily calming his nerves.

The tiny girl buried her head into the folds of Chrono’s robes. “Hayate made me hide, to wait for your help! She knew you were coming!”

Blue eyes flickered briefly over to the mangled corpse that was once a happy, playful girl from Kansai. Or was it just a fake? It was near impossible to tell anymore. “That girl… I will avenge her, Rein. I swear it.”

“No, we’ll avenge her! We’ll avenge everyone!” the girl hugged Chrono closer, her face contorted into an uncharacteristically serious face. “I, the Blessing Wind, Reinforce Zwei, will fight along with you!”

Her tiny body was encompassed by a silver glow, an orb that would fade into Chrono’s chest. An odd cooling sensation spread from his chest, creeping to every inch of his body in moments.

“Rein…” he whispered out loud.

“I’m here!” the response came from within his own mind.

“The others. Are the others…?”

“…” Reinforce didn’t reply for a moment. “They’re gone too. Yuuno-san tried really hard to fight back, and he was doing really well! But… but he lost too. I wanted to help him, but I was so scared. I just watched him fight and… and…!

“Rein, girl, easy there. You did alright. We will get the bastard back for this, but you need to stay calm for this, understood?”

“I’m…I’m okay, now! I’m ready!”

“Alright then. Let’s do this, Reinforce Zwei!”

“I’ll take care of the processing! Take him down, Chrono-san!”

Stronger. Faster. Better. So this was the benefit of a Unison Device. Spellcrafting felt far easier now, and the weight of the anti-magic field felt less heavy. The physical changes were not that much either: black and blue robes had transformed into white and blue; fashion that befit a holy knight, it felt rather appropriate that he look the part to fight this demonic warrior.

Heh, not that I deserve to be called a paladin in the slightest…

“Blades of light, exterminate! Seal away the evil – [Stinger Ray]!” he called out in an instant. On command, dozens of electric blue swords of magic formed around the mage, immediately speeding towards their target. Control would paramount here.

Rather than dodge, however, Noland merely brought up a hand and uttered his response, “Shield of the War God – [Ancile]!”

The space in front of the knight flickered briefly, just before the swords struck. Abruptly those first blades were deflected off course, followed swiftly by every one after it. It was as if he were walking into a stream, his great form pushing the water out of the way. Those around him, bound in chains, were in danger as well, as the deflected blades came treacherously close to striking them.

“Stubborn bastard. Try this one then – [Stinger Snipe]!”

From a hail of swords to a single, greatsword-like blade, the weapon once again streaked to its target. No barrier would stop it now, that same shimmer fruitless in even slowing down in its flight. Noland reacted in time to duck his head to the side, the sword’s edge scraping loudly against his helmet. Immediately, he dropped low, letting the attack soar over him harmlessly. Again, he leapt backwards, dodging by a hair’s breadth. As the knight landed, he waved his other arm and brought forward a cluster of chains. Wrapped amongst the blackened links was a certain blonde ace, her ruby eyes glazed over as her mind was still trapped in illusion. Meek whimpers slipped from her lips, followed by short cries of unbridled rage as her body weakly flailed. Biting back a frustrated growl, Chrono diverted the Stinger blade away, instead sinking its razor point into the ceiling above.

No! I mustn’t lose heart now. At least, she still lives, and I will save her come damnation and hellfire!

“You would use hostages to protect you?! Coward!” the mage spat as he gripped his staff taut, almost painfully so. In good time, too, as Chrono suddenly found himself on the defensive. The same edge that dismembered Vita and took the head of Fate now bit deeply into S2U’s shaft, nearly splitting it in half in one go.

The damage was bad, but it would not make a difference now. Instead, Chrono slammed the butt end into the ground, forcing his opponent’s arm down while simultaneously aiming S2U for his head. Immediately a hot blue orb formed upon the device’s tip.

“O’ Mighty Flame by my command: [Blaze Cannon]!”

“Enough!” Noland angrily barked, a gigantic hand wrapping around the still fiery head of S2U, snuffing the attack spell before it could even reach full power. The device’s core cracked under the strength of his grip, the entire head crumpling like an aluminum can. “Enough of this child’s play!”

Immediately the mage abandoned his ruined device, flying quickly backwards to put distance between them. Noland was already on the move, throwing aside the now scrap metal. New plans, then. The destruction of S2U was regrettable, but it was not the only weapon he had. “Fine. Let’s try something different then. Awaken, Durandal!”

In an instant, the draconic Sceptre of Ice was in its master’s hands, already aglow with charged magic.

“Spread your wings and surround! Swarm and pierce the frozen sky! [Icicle Fall]!”

Like the blades before it, numerous shards of ice sped towards their target in two streams. The shards first traveled to either side of the knight, trapping him amidst a storm of deadly crystals. Then, the shards turned inwards, transforming the entire area into a literal blizzard of icicles. Yet, there was one glaringly stupid weakness to this spell. So stupid, in fact, that Noland actually paused to glance incredulously around. Perhaps if he’d been a meter back, the spell would’ve then provided some form of challenge. But here? He took a single step forward into an empty space directly in front of the Bureau mage, completely bypassing the entire barrage. Idiocy to the 9th degree, and now the knight was within arm’s length of the admiral.

Right where Chrono wanted him.

“Got you! [Dynast Knuckle]!” Chrono yelled triumphantly, a brightly glowing blue fist punching forward. Noland brought one gauntlet up to deflect the measly strike, readying to counter it in an instant. To his shock, the entire gauntlet piece was suddenly encased in solid ice, the freezing magic quickly travelling up his arm and covering the rest of his body. Barely could the knight give an indignant roar before his entire person was enclosed within a sheath of ice, soon to become a full pillar of ice.

You got him! Hooray!

No… Not yet! It was not enough! He is breaking free!

Indeed, cracks were already forming within the icy prison. Fragments of ice fell off the pillar as the entire thing shook violently, a gigantic schism forming down the length. A terrible cracking sound thundered through the room as the ice shattered, the knight breaking free with a cataclysmic roar.

With shards of ice exploding all around him, Chrono instinctively brought his arms up to protect his face. What he managed to see through the diamond dust, however, caused his blood to freeze: the black and red shape of the Lunatic Knight charging him with bloodsoaked gauntlet ready to strike. A desperate hand came up to defend, a blue Round Shield springing to life in front of him. It offered little protection, shattering the instant the knight’s fist came in contact with the spell. Unheeded, the punch struck the Bureau mage and sent him reeling backwards. As if that would be all. Jaw, throat, kidneys, belly, knees, neck, every vital point on his body was struck with unbelievable ferocity, the shockwave of every blow rattling his very being. Like a ragdoll, Chrono was thrown about mercilessly. No matter what he tried, no matter how hard he fought back, the mage could not gain any leeway against the Ancient Belkan knight. Spells, deflected. Attacks, countered. His will, sapped. The futility of it all weighed heavily against him as he was held aloft by his neck.

“Is that all? Is that the best an admiral can do? How utterly disappointing. Even that changeling boy proved a greater challenge than you! Whereas you failed again and again with such weak and stagnant magic, he has grown beyond your reach! And that child drew blood whereas you could barely scrape my armor. Even with a Unison device, even when arriving fresh, you still failed! Pathetic dog!”

Chrono would soon discover how hard the bridge’s throne was, his body thrown with such force that the stone seat cracked from his landing. Through it all, he survived at the very fringe of consciousness. By the gods, he was hurting bad; the pain was excruciatingly intense, almost blinding. But how was it that he still lived? Though nearly every part of him ached beyond anything he had ever felt, there was not a single mortal wound upon his body. Was the Mad Knight toying with them?! Such unholy strength, capable of tearing a man limb by limb, yet he sought only to slap his enemy around? What cruelty, like a demented cat playing with its prey before killing it.

Damn it. Damn it all! His blood coursed with adrenaline; Reinforce Zwei supplemented his spellcasting; Durandal was pushed almost to its limits, and still it was not enough! Eyes wide, heart thundering, every part of him felt electrical and alive, yet no advantage could be held. The knight was simply too much for him alone to handle. There was no other alternative, now. Suicide or sacrifice, those were his choices. He could not risk this demon or this ship to run free and threaten the rest of the galaxy, even… even if he had to give up on everything and everyone.

Rein… I am sorry. I can’t go on.

It’s okay. We… we tried our best.

Help me one more time, Rein. I… I am going to invoke Durandal’s forbidden power one last time.

B-but that will get everyone!

I know. But... they would understand.

Is there really no other way?

If there is, I cannot see it. Either, we die here and let this monster free, or trap him forever in a frozen tomb. And, heh-heh, if that does not work, I hope that do-right captain on my ship has the balls to do his duty.

Chrono would hear no answer from the tiny girl, but he could feel her conviction. At least they could all be together, forever. Struggling to his feet,

Forgive me, everyone. No, I do not deserve to be forgiven. I…I have failed you all, again.

“Durandal. Get ready.”

[Yes, boss.]

Holding the staff before him, Chrono could feel the surrounding air cool to a deep chill. “Everfrost, construct a frozen coffin and deliver eternal sleep unto this beast.”

The bite of icy air stung his face and fingers, even through the gauntlets. Already, crystals of ice were rapidly forming along the ground. A prison of ice: what a fitting end for a man with a frozen heart…

“Freeze! Eternal Coff—”

“Chrono, don’t!”

Suddenly, standing before him, he saw her. Standing there, alive and well, the face of his long lost wife gazed pleadingly at him. Impossible! She looked exactly as he had last seen her, that accursed day, clad in an officer’s uniform and her hair tied back with her yellow ribbon. A little grime and dirt smudged her cheeks and the fabric of her clothes, but past that, she seemed so… so perfect.

“What are you doing, Chrono?! You’re freezing everyone! Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, Hayate-chan, all of our friends! And me! Don’t bury us in the same tomb as this monster!”

“A-Amy?!” Chrono stumbled into a halt mesmerized, the light of Durandal dimming. Was this another illusion? It had to be! There was no possible way she could be here! But it all seemed so goddamn real. Everything, her hair, her eyes, her voice, even her scent, why was it all was so real!? “H-how?! This can’t… this can’t…! Y-you—you died!”

“But I’m not! Look! I’m here with you! How can I be dead if I’m standing here? I survived the explosion and found refuge in this ship. It’s okay now though! The Marines are coming, and the knight’s gone! We can go home!”

Yes…

“Stop it! Stop these lies! You mock me with her image, torture me with her voice! I won’t let you fool me, demon knight!”

I watched…

“Chrono… please… don’t leave me alone again… All this time, drifting in space… I was so cold, alone, and deathly afraid. I wanted to see you and the children so badly… why are you pushing me away? You’re scaring me, Chrono!”

And with…

The evidence was weak, and there was absolutely nothing that proved that she was as she claimed. What sanity Chrono had left screamed that it was merely another falsification, while the rest of his mind gibbered in madness. And yet, deep inside, a small part of him wanted to believe. Dear gods, he wanted to believe…!

“Amy…”

The first step was the hardest, mind and heart fighting for control. The second, unbelievably easier, then the third, then the fourth, until he stumbled like a zombie towards the figure of Amy. The childish voice of Reinforce Zwei felt light years away, her cries unheard as he sluggishly limped over. But as the admiral came within arms length of her, his wife’s beautiful face suddenly contorted into a cruel sneer.

An armored fist buried itself into Chrono’s belly, expelling all the air in his lungs and even a mouthful of vomit as he flew back from the force of the blow. His landing was no more graceful than his flight, unceremoniously rolling with his impact until he came to a sprawled stop. With his vision swimming and his hearing muddled by a strange ringing, Chrono could barely make out the mocking laughter of his wife, her brown eyes glittering with insanity. Suddenly he could feel the weight of the ship’s AMF once again pressing against him. Had Reinforce separated? Where… where was Durandal? Ye gods, there really was no hope… Despair clawed at his mind.

Faintly, as if some distance away, he could hear his name being called.

“Chrono! Chrono!” Yuuno coughed, his sides and chest burning in agony. Yet still he crawled to the admiral’s side, leaving a thin trail of blood behind him. “It’s not real! None of it’s real! Wake up, dammit! Wake up and see the truth!”

With his last ounce of strength, Yuuno reached out to touch his friend’s temple and pushed the few remnants of power left in him. With that last bit came the clarity of vision the scholar once held, banishing the choking nightmares that ensnared the admiral. His objective complete, the archaeologist allowed the darkness to take him.

“You need to… you need to win, Chrono. Take out that monster! Pierce… the dark…”

“Y-Yuuno?” Chrono suddenly found his friend collapsed near him, alive but unconscious. No longer did those terrible images cloud his mind – the truth now guided him… and it gave him strength. “… Thank you. I won’t let this go to waste.”

“Clearly you see? Clearly then, you know of this futile struggle,” the Belkan knight seemed unaffected by the mage’s escape.

“I will not be taken by your illusions, knight! Never again! The battle is yet finished!”

“Ho? You still speak with such dramatic conviction! But does your speech hold truth? Are you truly stronger? How late this power is! Too late to save your wife, and now too late to save your friends.”

“That day… I will never forget it. That day, my sun, my light, my happiness, was taken away from me,” Chrono ground out as he struggled to his feet. “I was… a fool. Why did I not realize sooner how precious she had become to me? She was irreplaceable; her words still ring in my soul. Her fate… I will never forgive…”

No words came from the knight. He stood there, silent, with his eyes blazing red.

“I will never forgive - The Bureau - for sending her on that mission. I will never forgive myself - for letting her go…” by will and spirit alone Chrono stood once again, though his body shook in pain and exhaustion. “And I will never forgive you... for tainting her memory!”

“Forgive me? You have no right to forgive anyone, sinner,” Noland sneered.

“Then hear this, O’ fallen knight. I will show you the conviction behind my words,” Chrono snarled as he gripped his tattered collar and tore it away, revealing underneath two necklaces: the steel chain of Bureau dog tags and elegant silver from which hung a beautifully crafted Belkan Cross. It was his final memory, the last gift from - a lost love.

“I promised! Even if I sacrifice everything… Even if I lose my life… I will save my nakama!”

“Sacrifice. What do you know of sacrifice?! What? You… You…?!” How strange it was to hear him stutter, his hands gripping his head as if in pain. It was as if he were struggling with himself, a clash of wills that shook his very being.

“Sacrifice! Sacrifice! A knight’s duty to serve, to put his life before his king. A knight must forfeit everything for the good of his king! No, a knight serves his people? He serves himself? No. Yes. He serves the world! The king is his world? Yes. YES. What greater sacrifice than to kill your own king?! That is my sin! That is my victory!

Noland threw his head back and released a spine-chilling roar, a bellow that seemed to carry a hidden sense of sorrow and anguish. Deep within all that rage, that fury, was indeed a man forever broken. And though broken he was, still he could fight.

“Wretch! What loss have you suffered?! Your precious wife? What of your children, then? Those twins you’ve all but abandoned as you wallowed in your self-pity! Yet you dare to give your life now?! You have no right, Chrono Harlaown! You have no right!”

How did he know all this? Was it a product of that nightmarish power? To glean such details in an instant, of a man’s greatest sins and fears… what a terrifying ability. “I… I have been a terrible father,” Chrono shook his head sadly. “I cannot deny it, nor will I defend myself. They deserve a life without one such as me to give them nothing but disappointment. Which is why… Which is why now, even if I die, I am ready.”

“Coward. Death will not be an escape for you,” Noland’s tone was almost pitying.

This is it. Watch me, Amy. I – I won’t let you have died in vain. Everyone: they gave me - us this proof of living, the ‘Eternity’ known as our bond. They will be my - our living legacy.

Dropping his arm to his side, Chrono walked towards his foe with slow steps and whispered strange and forgotten words, ancient and powerful. By his feet, a Belkan spell triangle appeared first, overlaying yet another spell another brother to create a unicursal hexagram, ringed by a pair of concentric counter rotating spell circles of its sister. There at last, a supreme magical array – nay – mandala not seen since Forgotten Aeons, said to release the bounds of the earthly world and its material trappings, was born once more: “The King’s Star”! A bluish-white light gathered in his clenched fist, gaining in brightness with every passing moment. With each step, the louder his aria chant:

“Though the world rots away, I will shine brilliantly.”

Undeterred and perhaps ignorant altogether, the Knight of Calamity met step for step, distorted and mysterious words escaping his lips. A Belkan spell triangle appeared at his feet, supported by an array of smaller triangles hovering in formation, like cavalry prepared to charge, as the air around him shimmered with barely contained energy. With a resounding cry, great arcs of red lightning danced around him as mana gathered, his own spell aria like growing discord:

“I defy the laws of nature and transcend reason.”

In resonant cacophony they sang, their chants echoing clearly in the grand room.

“With a hoarse voice I call upon you, ‘o lost angel.”

“I am the will of destruction made manifest.”

“Grant me wings once more and be my sword.”

“From the sea of madness, come forth and destroy!”

“Release light into the darkness and fear not.”

“Scorch the earth and burn the skies!”

“We are stars that slash apart fate.”

“Consume these fools in blazing inferno!”

“Now, I shall take away your overflowing tears.”

“And tear their souls asunder!”

“AZOTH: BE INVOKED!”

“HOLOCAUST: EXIST!”

A blade of dazzling light erupted from Chrono’s bloodied hand, the Belkan Cross now its hilt and grip. Pure in its radiance, the shining sword liken to the brightest shooting star was in great contrast to the dark violent firestorm of howling winds and white hot flames that exploded all around Noland.

The Sword of Light and the Blaze of Fury clashed.

A loud, unearthly crack.

Glorious white light.

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“Waaah, that was really scary!” little Vivio cooed as she read the last lines of the book and shut its aged cover. The story wasn’t over yet! She still had a bunch of other ones to go through too! But which one? “Ne ne, Zaffy? What book should I read next?”

The wolf by her feet grunted lazily, offering little in terms of opinion.

Left to her own devices, Vivio looked over the books available to her.

Which one should she pick?

The Terror of Death

The Machinator

The Avenger

The Prophet

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A/N: Now, before anyone gathers up a lynchmob complaining how unfairly the Aces and the Wolkenritter were defeated, or how Hayate should’ve done this or Nanoha done that, keep in mind that it was all a mass hallucination cast by Noland. This means that they saw what he wanted them to see in order to crush their spirits and weaken their will. As I feel none of them would be prepared for a sudden, aggressive, and thoroughly traumatizing psychological attack, they were at a severe disadvantage. Had they not been in such a situation, the battle would have progressed much differently. And guys? It’s just the third chapter. There’s a boatload more to come in the future. Relax. Oh. And do vote

[Estavali]

Hmm, IIRC Amy was still shown alive in the first StrikerS Sound Stage, during RF 6's visit back to Earth.

And The Machinator, please .