IV - Maika's Coronation

"Think fast, red bird!" Hernamidos fired his pistols at Isrina.

"Avian Form: Riflebird's Wingbeat!" Isrina flapped her arms like wings to blow the bullets away. "Avian Form: Kingfisher's Axe!"

The enraged Isrina jumped high to aim a downswing kick at her rival. Hernamidos zoomed back with his jet shoes, aiming his wrist gear to blast a flamethrower at Isrina.

"Isrina!" Oreic held his palm to block the fire with his magic. "We need to get out of here! Let's find Shien before he does!"

The Master Magician clapped his hands to redirect the flames at Hernamidos, but the Reaper Squad leader shielded himself with his mercury cape. Hernamidos aimed his shoes to fire missiles at Oreic. The Master Magician's palms blocked the explosives.

"My antiprogram is loading into Cyanic Odyssey!" Saitori typed buttons into her laptop as Oreic shot fireballs at Hernamidos with his two fingers like a pistol. "Come on!"

Saitori led the two through the hallway to the top of the building. Hermaidos chased them, firing his pistols, wrist flamethrowers, and shoe missiles. Oreic used his fire magic to repel and throw flames back. The windows broke when a Federation zeppelin shot another cannonball at the tower.

"Almost there!" Saitori huffed, watching her computer process the antiprogram.

The three rushed onto the roof towards the aircraft shaped like a cardinal bird. Hernamidos jumped onto the roof, swiveling his foot to fire missiles at the jet. Oreic held two fingers to cast a flamethrower, burning the projectiles.

"Trying to save the players? Too bad!" Hernamidos' wrist gear shot a lasso that grappled Saitori's laptop. "Game over, losers!"

"No!" Saitori screamed. "If he destroys it, the players will never escape!"

"Avian Form: Roadrunner Blitz!" Isrina bashed her head into Hernamidos with super speed.

Isrina recovered the computer as Saitori and Oreic frantically activated the bird-shaped jet. The cardinal plane flapped its wings to fly as Isrina jumped in. Hernamidos flew on his jet shoes to chase, firing his entire arsenal at the cardinal. Isrina steered the aircraft as Oreic stood on top, blasting fire at Hernamidos.

Saitori clicked buttons on her laptop to finalize the antiprogram. "Almost done!"

"Hey, little birdies!" Hernamidos flew beside the jet's cockpit, aiming his wrist at Saitori. "Think fast!"

A red laser pointed at Saitori's head, firing small, fast saw disks. Isrina pulled Saitori down for cover as the saws crashed through the windows and nicked their hair. Saitori and Isrina held the computer and each other tightly as the air pressure hurled into the cockpit.

With two fingers held like a pistol and one eye closed, Oreic fired an accurate fireball into Hernamidos' jet shoe. The Reaper Squad leader spun on his other shoe to crash land. Oreic jumped into the cockpit, melting the broken windows with his fire magic to form glass, closing off the air pressure.

"Thanks, Oreic!" Isrina hugged him.

"Of course, Isrina," The Master Magician turned to Saitori. "How's the antiprogram?"

"F-finished!" Saitori smiled wearily. "Thank goodness you two protected this from Hernamidos!"

The three took a moment to breathe as Isrina steered the aircraft towards her home to find Shien.

"Are the players free now?" Oreic asked.

Saitori sighed. "Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. Someone placed a complex virus inside. If I didn't create the right program, the virus will destroy it."

"So, what did you do?"

"I did what I could. I made an antiprogram that would free the players, but it will only activate when the players beat the game."

Isrina gasped. "B-but nobody's ever beaten the game. People say the three superbosses are too hard!"

"I know, but it was the only way I could make it so the virus won't destroy it," Saitori closed her computer. "I sent instructions to the NPC androids to guide the players. I wish I could do more. I'm sorry it wasn't the easy solution we wanted."

Oreic patted Saitori on the shoulder. "We understand. You did your best."

"After getting my Little Chickadee, where do we go?" Isrina asked.

"A secret base I built," Saitori revealed.

As the cardinal jet flapped away, Hernamidos watched. "Run, red bird! Run! You and your Little Chickadee will soon be added to my Niang kill count!"

***

The Federation zeppelin fleet hovered across Altair, wrecking any UICA facility with their cannons. Winged fighter drones with red eyes secured the cities as gunships landed. Reaper Squad troops and panzer tanks arrived in Altair to hunt the UICA survivors and shoot down the Vulpi without hesitation.

The Vulpi magicians tried to fight back, but the Reaper Squad used their capes laced with mercury to shield themselves from magic. Mercury is the only element of the periodic table immune to Vulpi magic. The Federation warcraft are also armored with mercury.

Meanwhile, Fanghui, Hernamidos, and Maika visited Altair's politicians in their palace. The leaders were terrified of the UICA and Vulpi conspiring together using Cyanic Odyssey. Fanghui assured that martial law would guarantee the safety of the people as the Reaper Squad hunted their enemies.

With the public cheering for Federation rule, Altair's leaders handed emergency powers to Fanghui until the UICA and Vulpi behind the Cyanic Odyssey incident are over. While the politicians took temporary leave from Altair's palace, Fanghui was given Altair's crown. He then spoke to Maika privately.

"You've done well," Fanghui nodded to Maika. "Code Fuchsia was a success."

Maika bowed.

"Thank you. I'm honored to serve you, Supreme Leader. You found me and Saitori as street rats. You provided new lives for us. Saitori didn't show the same gratitude, but I'm grateful to be at your service."

"I'm also honored to have you serving our cause," Fanghui stared at the crown Altair's leaders gave him. "Maika, I would like you to rule this country."

"Wait, what?" Maika blinked her cat-green eyes. "But you're the Supreme Leader."

"You know me, Maika. I'd rather be on the frontline to end the Vulpi. I have unfinished business with the Waxing Sickle," Fanghui crowned Maika. "I crown you as Altair's Empress. Now go, see to it that Altair remains in our control!"

"Yes, Supreme Leader!" Maika saluted.

As Fanghui met with Hernamidos to lead the Reaper Squad into battle, Maika walked outside the palace to greet the cheering crowds. Wearing Altair's crown with a smirk, she pulled her fuchsia hair back to charm the public that gasped at her beauty. Maika greeted the people, twirling a rose in her hand.

"Dear citizens of Altair! Fanghui has entrusted me to be your Empress, and I'm honored to serve you. I know these are stressful times, sacrificing Altair's peaceful traditions to Federation martial law, but I assure you, we will undo the destruction Cyanic Odyssey caused! We are researching a solution to rescue the players, and the UICA and their Vulpi conspirators shall be hunted down to ensure peace and security for all!"

***

While the citizens of Altair cheered for their new Empress, Fanghui and Hernamidos landed gunships to hunt the hiding Waxing Sickle. The zeppelins and drone fighters rained fire on the gangster camps as Reaper Squad commandos and panzers closed in. Hernamidos wreaked havoc on the frontlines, unleashing the full might of his advanced arsenal.

Mom, Dad, Hongmi, Jein, Limian, Kifen. Fanghui cried tears as he remembered his dead parents, three younger brothers, and a younger sister. I failed my duty as the eldest son. I'm sorry I couldn't save you all.

As his gunship landed, Fanghui walked towards a Waxing Sickle camp to face the ones who killed his family. He was only ten when it happened, and since then, he had heard voices in his head that his family was angry at his failure.

Escorted by the Reaper Squad, Fanghui encountered the Waxing Sickle Vulpi. The skull-masked Vulpi magicians snarled at Fanghui. They cast fire, water, earth, and air spells at him.

I'm sorry I wasn't the eldest son and brother you all wanted. Fanghui's red and teal eyes glared with hot tears as the different elemental bullets approached him. Please don't turn your love away from me. Please let me fulfill the duty I couldn't do that day. I promise to wipe out the race that destroyed you all!

"Herald's Hand: Claw of Fenrir!" Fanghui swiped a claw, demonstrating his arcane martial arts powered by Nordic sorcery.

He reflected the elemental spells at the Vulpi, letting them die by their magic. More thugs fired guns and spells at Fanghui. The mercury running in his nervous system deflected magic and high-velocity bullets with an invisible magnetic barrier.

"Herald's Hand: Gateway to Niflheim!" Fanghui's hair flickered like fire.

Fanghui stomped his foot to summon a burning crater shaped like a six-winged seraphim. The supernatural crater boiled the thugs in white fire.

More skull-masked Vulpi charged at Fanghui with spiked clubs and machetes. Nothing seemed to hurt Fanghui. The mercury in his blood made his muscles and bones impervious to cuts, physical trauma, and most forms of pain.

Fanghui glared with his red and teal eyes. "Herald's Hand: Tsunami Strike, Jormungandr!"

Fanghui's palm strikes slithered like serpentine water waves, slashing the thieves into bloody pieces.

The last scoundrels tried to escape on their pickup trucks, but Fanghui wasn't sparing anyone. "Herald's Hand: Holy Mjolnir!"

With tearful eyes turning hot white, he jumped sky-high. Fanghui held a fist shining with lightning shaped like Thor's Mjolnir. He smashed his hammer into the trucks, slamming a mighty thunderstorm down upon the fugitives. After the Federation forces incinerated the Waxing Sickle, Fanghui screamed at the Vulpi.

"Despair, all Vulpi! Hold your families tightly as I did when you took mine away! By the power of the Aesir gods, Ragnarok kisses your world goodnight, for your destruction is on the rise!"