The Prince (2)

"Vega! Vega, are you alive?! Nova! Get to her, now! Cerviel! Respond! What is happening?!"

***

"Nova!"

"I can't!"

"We have to get to her!"

"I can't leave these people!"

"I am not losing another Angel!"

"You'll lose half of Asbestos if I leave now! Give me time!"

"She might not have time! Shit! Vega! Vega, please respond! Cerviel, what's Vega's status?"

***

... nothing you do can change your fate...

***

"Pilot Vega, please respond."

A groan was the best I could do.

"Command, I have received verbal confirmation of her status."

"Really? Is she okay?! What did she say?!"

" `Urgh'."

"...now isn't the time for humor, Cerviel."

"I merely responded to your query."

"I'm... I'm here." Static flickered throughout the visor when I opened my eyes. I didn't know whether that was from a damaged camera or the headache messing with my sight.

"Vega! Thank the heavens you're here. Nova, she's alive."

"Only until we get home. Dropping connection, I need to concentrate."

"Vega, what the hell were you thinking?!" Command shifted from pleading to angry.

"Where's Seir?" My arms felt heavier than lead. "Is he still alive?"

"No. That's about the only good thing that came out of your suicide attempt. Seir's blown to kingdom come."

The image stabilized as Cerviel stood up. An image of the demon appeared inside my visor. What the shield didn't cut off was charred beyond recognition.

It was a gross display and perhaps the best thing I'd seen today.

"Cerviel." I winched when the headache spiked. "D-damage analysis."

"Left arm damaged and cannot be used. Shield and oxygen scrubbers are destroyed. Only fifteen minutes of oxygen remain. Left rocket tube is damaged. Several motors throughout my frame are damaged. I am re-calibrating as we speak."

"Less than I anticipated."

"What, you expected more?" Command asked.

Not the best to tell her that. I flinched as Cerviel took a step. While she was the one who suffered the most damage, my own body felt as if it'd been through a grinder. "How's... Nova doing?"

"Struggling, but winning. He killed two demons quickly but the last two have teamed up. It's become a fight of attrition."

"And Asbestos?" Command didn't answer immediately. "Command?"

"We've lost the Cheis Dome." My heart sank. "The frame has breached. Thankfully, the two vaults remain unscathed. Casualties are minimal. We'll begin the evacuation after the battle."

"Foolish of you to think there will be one."

"What?"

I recognized the voice instantly. "Cerviel, where is he?!"

I turned toward the blue marker when it appeared. The initial images weren't wrong, but they were out of date. Seir was injured but alive. I saw fleshy strips hanging loose within his shadows, and both legs were missing beneath his hips. What greeted me was a legless torso floating above the ground. One with two purple lights shining from his eyes and two others emanating from his hands.

"What is he...?"

"I said your actions matter not." A shock wave exploded from the demon as a series of purple lights started shining around him. "Your world will fall. Our lord demands it, and I will make it happen." The lights intensified until Seir was surrounded by a purple vortex.

"All Angels, I'm picking an increase in energies around Seir."

"Can't talk now..." Nova said.

I didn't reply. Seir wasn't attacking, but the hairs on my neck were standing on end. "Cerviel? Are you combat ready?"

"No. I won't survive should Seir fight as he did previously."

"I don't think that's going to happen," I said. Another shock wave burst from the demon.

"Energy readings have spiked again."

...He will take you all away...

My eyes widened when I heard the shadow's voice. Not because I was scared, but because it was right.

"He's going to take us away."

"Sorry?"

"He's a teleporter! Remember what Father Alcor said? The vortex is him concentrating his energies. He's going to teleport Asbestos away!"

"Can he even do that?"

"I think he's going to try." A shock wave emphasized my point. "Cerviel, fire missiles!" Four streaks of light burst from my shoulder. Each flew true but disappeared when they touched the vortex.

The demon chuckled in return.

"More! Aim lower!" Seven missiles flew out this time. Five struck the ground around him. The vortex flickered for a second as the demon groaned in displeasure.

"Your attempts are futile."

"I don't think the missiles are strong enough."

"Do you have anything else?" Command asked.

"No, but I think I know of something that might."

"I don't like the sound of that."

I blew out a breath. The impact of my desperate plan wasn't to be taken lightly. "How low can the pulse cannons aim?"

It took Command a second to respond. "You're not serious..."

"It's the only thing I can think of."

"Firing at that low angle will shear the cannon in half!"

"I know!"

"We won't be able to repair it!"

"I know! But it might be the only thing that could get to him!"

"Even if the blow breaks his spell, what's stopping him from starting again afterward?"

"Leave that to me." I fingered the button inside my wrist. "It's the only thing powerful enough I can think of, assuming you don't have some heavy explosives hidden away."

"I..." The ground shook as the vortex gave a particularly violent pulse. "I hope your god smiles on us today, Vega. Re-targeting... and... firing!"

"Cerviel, missiles!" The missiles exploded from the tubes as a single streak of light slammed against the ground. The explosion covered Seir in a mountain of fiery dust, to which the rockets added several plumes.

Yet the counter didn't decrease.

"Vega, he's still alive!"

"I know! Cerviel, more!"

"Rockets are depleted."

"Dammit! Engage wrist blade!" I felt myself jerk backward as the booster sprang to life. It took only a few seconds for us to enter the dust cloud. My vision was instantly obscured, but Cerviel was kind enough to highlight Seir's location. I struck forward when the demon came into range. My arm reported an impact before I came close enough to see Seir's face.

"Insolent pest!" Seir spat through bloodied teeth. "You have bothered me for the last time!" His arm grabbed hold of mine before his free one slammed a blow against my stomach. Yet he didn't go, and the second one threatened to make me black out a second time.

"Vega, I'm coming!" Nova yelled over the earpiece.

A final blow knocked me free from his grip and sent me stumbling backward. I wanted to retaliate, and I took the first step to do so. Or I tried. The strange vibrations through my right leg should have tipped me off. I barely had time to wonder what it was before Cerviel's leg locked up. I managed to stay upright, but Seir's fist emerging from the dust cloud sent me stumbling backward.

"I will send you to the dark lord himself!" A purple haze appeared within the dust cloud, one rapidly sucking up the cloud until nothing remained but a bloodied Seir. A purple orb floated above each of his hands, which he combined into one by pressing his hands together. "May he punish you as he sees fit!"

"Vega! Energy spiking!"

"I know." The orb grew with every millimeter Seir's shaking hands moved apart. "I... I can't do anything..."

"May you suffer in hell for all eternity!"

"I'm sorry, Command."

"Leave her alone!" Two blades exploded from Seir's chest when Nova appeared behind him. Both Seir and I could only watch as they raised the demon into the air. One of the blades withdrew before slamming through his chest several more times. "Now, begone!" But, even as his life force started to seep through his chest, the demon chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"Say hi to the unicorn for me."

What?

The pulsing purple orb cut off everything else before it exploded in a bright light. I shielded my eyes out of instinct.

"What happened?" Command asked.

"I don't know." I lowered my arm after a few seconds, unable to comprehend what I saw.

Seir was gone.

And so was Nova.