~Part XIV Verse Before Finality ~ Hawk x Falcon ~
~Saga~
“And that’s the plan.”
As I briefed them on our plan… everyone was silent, in deep thought. Not that I can blame them… this by itself is suicidal. Even with their help, the chances of success are not more than 3%... It’s a do…or die condition.
“I take it that the most important phases are the first and the last?”
Isdera asked… In terms of success, it’s probably correct.
“That’s right… the last phase, by me is the determinant of whether or not we fail or succeed, but the first phase is dangerous… as we need to break enough of the outer layer barrier before it is possible for a pathway to be formed in the 2nd phase…”
This plan is divided into 3 phases…the initial penetration, the pathway formation, and the final break…
Isdera will be front-lining the first phase from a distance… Judging from the speed of the barrier’s reformation…we’d need at least a breakthrough of 50 meters…
… It’s hard, it’s ridiculous…it’s almost impossible… but I have to try. I have to do this.
As the full moon radiates from out of the clouds… it is time.
“Everyone…let’s go. Our final battle!”
We all drew out our devices…
“Vorhang…ready.”
“Klarwind, please.”
“Zul.”
“Null.”
[Yes! Meister!]
“Knight Armor, Set Up!”
Within a flash of an instance…all of us were now donned in our complete Knight Armor, as we looked on from beyond the central outpost of our command center…
An endless raging battlefield, filled with blood and death, and a gigantic sphere of darkness, which is slowly moving and expanding…consuming and destroying every life in its path… and the remnants of a floating castle, now shattered, as it slowly goes above the skies…
“Everyone…take these.”
Shamal took out 2 handfuls of something as she gave each one of us some… These are…Belkan cartridges. And from their construction…they’re not just regular mass-produced ones…each one is refined, more potent than a regular load.
“I made these... it should give a slightly better boost than the regular ones made here… though it is fairly surprising though… I’d never thought that the quality of the cartridges here are of such a low-grade.”
Shamal’s tones at her last sentence, strangely high, almost teasing… and Astra’s pissed off look… a nice jab there, Shamal.
“Is that a challenge, woman? Or are you just being a sore-loser now?”
“Thank you…Shamal.”
[Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.]
5 continuous sounds of a revolving barrel… as I loaded the last bullet into the barrel of Schwertkreuz Null, fully loaded and ready.
[Click…All Cartridges Loaded.]
Isdera then came up to me…
“General...thanks… for everything. I am glad that I met you.”
“Wha-“
As he said that, he leapt down from the central tower, as he ran as fast as he could, riding the winds on his feet…towards…the direction of the black mass…Tiara.
Is he trying to break down the barrier from a point-blank range!? That’s suicidal…It’s true that it would be able to generate a better result from a closer range, but still…
Astra placed his hand on my shoulder... He too, wore a solemn expression, as his fingers were gripped tightly.
“General…Isdera had made his choice. Let him be…
He won’t die from something like this… I’m sure of it.”
Isdera… If that is what you chose, I won’t stop you…
If you’re willing to put your life on the line to reach our end, then I too, everyone too…shall do their best.
“Astra…Shamal… be on the lookout for the break in the barrier holdings, and ready yourself for the 2nd phase.”
I too...need to be wholly ready for my part.
~Isdera~
It hurts…It hurts like hell.
With each step I took, closer and closer to that abysmal mass of dark energy, I felt like I was poked with needles all over my body, and the air surrounding, thick and heavy, like a poison without poison…
I see why no one dared to even approach an entire mile away from the barrier…even at non-physical state; it saps away the mental strength of any man…
Yet, here am I…standing just less than 10 meters away…
So, 80 miles into this black blob is the General’s woman, huh… Along with the rest of the Wolkenritter as well, when their life energy was sapped to generate this… Signum’s too…
“Signum… are you in there as well?
You probably can no longer hear me… but if I don’t say this now… I don’t think there’ll be another time for this…
What I really wanted…wasn’t to defeat you. I just wanted… to be like you. On that day, when you defeated me, when you spared my life…I was attracted to you. Your presence, your swordsmanship, your entirety… it was like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
I wish we could’ve fought at least…one more time. But before everything else…
Thank you, Signum. If it weren’t because of you and the General, I would’ve longed given up on my life, my wings and my future that were taken from me… I lived through my hell so that I could see you one more time, and the General showed me a path that I could dedicate my life to…
Thank you.”
Now that I’ve confessed my heart…all I have left now is my mission, and promise to the General.
“Zul…Load Cartridge.”
[Explosion!]
6 loads were blasted off from the barrel continuously… as I slammed my sword down into the ground, as I channeled my magical powers to form a gust of wind surrounding my sword…
Focus…Focus…
And at an instant, I slashed it out of the ground, the friction of Zul and the ground…created a small spark, which combined with the concentrated wind and air of my sword, expanded and burned into a tornado of fire…
As I slowly controlled the flame…the shape of it slowly turned into those of flaming bird…
I created this attack to counter Signum’s Storm Falcon… even though I knew she died. Ironic, isn’t it?
“Flame Hawk!!!”
[Flamme Falke!]
I launched the flaming bird from my blade, as it flew as quickly as it could to the barrier…
But that alone isn’t remotely enough.
I need the strength…of another… my inner-blade, Myst.
Myst…you had never responded to my spirit… the one time you appeared in my fight with Signum, you appeared out of my malice, my hatred, my despair… You are a sword that exists within me, feeding on my negative emotions. I hate that.
But this time…just this time alone…please, respond to my will. I have someone I want to protect. That is why…
Soon…a small glow filled my palms as I see an energy sword generating itself…
“So, you’ve heard my call after all… Thank you.”
Holding Myst tightly, even though formless…I brought it above, as I rushed forward…9 meters…8 meters…slowly approaching the Flame Hawk and the black barrier…
Can you see this, General, Signum, Astra?
Myst expands its length just as I matched the timing of the slash, with the impact of the Flame Hawk…
Signum…if your sword was the blazing phoenix that will rise again even from the ashes and consumes all that exist…
“Ware na wa Isdera Saleen…Zerstro no tsurugi nari!
My sword is the sword that will break through the stars!!!!
TATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The 2 attacks collided simultaneously…as the impact of the combined force created a short dissimilation from the barrier…breaking almost…5 miles of the barrier’s outer radius apart.
“I’ve done it! Now! General! Astra!”
Within a split-second…just as I signaled Phase 2…I saw a black mass converging out from the volatile black dome which I just broke a part of it’s outer layer…as I saw a hand, with…a Belkan Triangle pointed at me..
“Bloody Dagger.”
A scene of red… of blood… as I saw myself being shot by countless daggers, penetrating each part of my body…tearing off one arm…my legs…
When the pain subsisded… I was lying as I could only open my eyes, and see the moon… Goddamnit…my eyes are hazy… I suppose even the sword that could cut through the stars is no match for a darkness that consumes everything…huh?
“Isdera!”
But then… I saw a something…with wings of darkness that contrasted the white moon like life and death, and a wing of light so pure, it seemed like it was one with the moon up in the sky…
I see… so Phase II and III has started… one last thought to the General…
“Saga… I’m fi..ne. Believe… believe tha…t…you…r…wing….s….a…re…th…e…wings…that..will rip…apart…eve…n….the…moon…and…the darkness…
Believe.”
I gave all my strength…and I raised my only remaining arm’s thumb…
“Good luck.”
And soon…I couldn’t remember anything after that.
Not until ‘then.’