XV - Exiled Brother

Within the throne room of Altiar's palace, Saitori and Maika clashed their blades into each other. The former sister-in-arms were not holding back despite their history surviving as street rats together. They slashed against each other in silence and deep breaths, focusing their minds solely on their duel.

Saitori's duel-wielding sliced in x-shapes as Maika twirled her rose rapier like a blooming flower. When the timing was right, Maika extended her lightning-powered rapier forward to prick Saitori by the waist. Saitori winced as Maika thrusted her rose rapier repeatedly like a swarm of needles.

Empress Maika's cat-green eyes felt no remorse as she stared into Saitori's blue eyes. Knowing Maika had no intention to wake from her loyal gratitude to Fanghui, Saitori swung her cybernetic swords against Maika's needle swarm.

Despite Maika using one blade, she was fast. With a precise thrust, she disarmed one of Saitori's blades. Saitori huffed, not letting her panic prevent her from defending herself. She held onto her last sword, making compact swings against Maika's thinner blade.

Although Saitori knew Maika always had better speed than her, she was aware that her power was stronger than Maika's. Utilizing powerful strokes, Saitori swung heavy blows against Maika's smaller weapon. Maika thrust her quicker blade into needle swarms as Saitori used her sword strength not only to attack, but to defend against multiple hits at once.

In the showdown between the broadsword and rapier styles, Saitori and Maika flipped their blades against one another. Both struck each other with their unique styles as fast as spinning atomic electrons. Soon, their overheated blades shattered.

Nonetheless, the battle continued. Maika flipped a knife from her pocket at blinding speed, swinging it at her former sister-in-arms. Saitori hurled back as quickly as she could, but the knife cut her torso. She countered Maika by drawing a sidearm pistol, shooting Maika's hand back.

After Maika dropped her knife, she kicked Saitori to disarm her. Maika drew her pistol until Saitori twisted her elbow before she had the chance to use it. Maika swung her foot to trip Saitori, scrambling for her gun. Saitori fell and also grabbed her pistol. Both lunged their pistols into each other's chest at point-blank range.

With a loud bang of their bullets, Saitori and Maika felt stinging pain in their chests. Saitori's gunshot wound was an inch away from her heart, while Maika's was pierced cleanly in the center. The winner was clear as the Empress lay dead. It was a miracle.

"Farewell, Maika. Rest in peace," Saitori closed Maika's green eyes.

The UICA rebels found Saitori and bandaged her wounds as the Vulpi magicians spread the news of Empress Maika's defeat. Isrina and Oreic were outside of Altair's palace, handling the Reaper Squad guards while Saitori settled the score with Maika. They nodded after hearing the news. Fanghui and Hernamidos were the only villains left to defeat. Or so they thought.

Oreic held his two fingers to cast his flamethrower against the Reaper Squad. His fire magic was ineffective against their mercury capes.

"Students! Don't depend only on your blood-born magic," The Master Magician resorted to martial arts to disarm the secret police. "I taught you the discipline of martial arts for a reason!"

While Oreic helped his Vulpi students on the battlefield with his lifelong lessons, Isrina destroyed the Reaper Squad with the Avian Form.

"Avian Form: Riflebird's Wingbeat!" Shien's mother flapped her arms like wings to blow the soldiers away. "Avian Form: Peregrine Landing!"

Isrina smashed her foot into the ground, summoning fissures upon the Federation panzers. When more Reaper Squad commandos charged at Isrina, she was filled with fury.

"Ouroboros Fang: Baneful Dreadscythe!" Her arms coiled into bloody muscles sharpened with scythes.

The secret police screamed as the demonic martial arts cut them into pieces.

When the panzers fired at Isrina, her arm slithered into skinned dragon heads that breathed fire. "Ouroboros Fang: Draco Animus!"

Oreic gasped after witnessing his longtime friend blow up the Federation tanks. "I-Isrina? Who taught you that martial art?"

Isrina's darkened blue eyes turned to the Master Magician. "Ouroboros Fang: Helshadow Serpente!"

The dragon heads from Isrina's arms elongated, opening their necrotic jaws wide at Oreic. The Master caught the dragons by the neck, burning them with his fire magic.

"Isrina! What happened to you?" Oreic watched Isrina's arms regenerate.

"O-Oreic, I'm sorry!" Isrina sobbed. "I-I can't control him!"

"It's been a long time, dear brother!" A male voice hissed through Isrina's mouth. "Did you miss me?"

"No, Iagen?"

"You thought you could put your dear brother in exile? Haha, I think not! It's time we settle the debate over who the rightful Master Magician is!"

"Oreic!" Isrina's voice whined as her body moved within Iagen's command. "I-I'm sorry!"

"Isrina! Why?" Oreic asked.

Isrina sobbed on her knees.

"I-I wanted Shien to have a good wife and live to see my grandchildren! My family has a generational curse! Hernamidos killed my husband and everyone else in my bloodline! Nobody in my family, none of us, could beat him! My Little Chickadee is lonely without a father or people to play with! I-I wasn't a good mother for Shien! I want to be a better mother!"

Oreic's purple eyes filled with tears, acknowledging the pain his longtime friend felt. When his apprentices arrived to help, Oreic told them to stop.

"So, dear brother," Iagen's red pentagram pupils radiated from darkened Isrina's blue eyes. "What do you think of this pathetic soul? You speak so mightily of forgiveness, dear brother! Do you forgive her?"

Oreic took a deep breath. "Brother, you already know my answer. Don't you?"

"How weak! The Master Magician should know when to strike their foe down with holy lightning! Too bad! I knew I should've been the Master Magician all along! Now then, what better way to claim the title you stole from me than by using your friend's body to do it!"

"Ouroboros Fang: Hellsing Squamata!" Iagen commanded Isrina's body to crawl like a lizard, pouncing on Oreic with bloody paws.

"Hang on, Isrina! I'll help you!" Oreic blocked with flaming fists, careful not to hurt Isrina.

***

After all players and androids met with Mivangeline, the commander led them toward the DiskGen airbase. While Enshiron and Phoenicia led the gunners and medics in the back, Mivangeline took the front with Shien, Elysia, and the close combat players. They approached the glowing airfield guarded by battleship cannons and missile launchers.

"Enshiron! Target the turrets!" Mivangeline ordered the Vulpi archer.

"Yes, ma'am!" Enshiron saluted.

He signaled the gunners to follow his lead. They sniped the defending turrets with their artillery as Mivangeline led the frontline into the airfield. DiskGen robots wearing techno goggles marched out, wielding wrist DJ mixers that shot fireballs.

"Avian Form: Woodpecker Beak Strikes!" Shien and Mivangeline worked together to beat the soldiers while Elysia stung them with her poison machete.

With Enshiron depriving the DiskGen of their defense systems, the enemy droids scurried to launch their aircraft. The players avoided the airfield streets so they wouldn't be run over by the planes. Phoenicia and the medics recovered the party's HP as the fighter jets strafed the area with their machine guns.

As Shien and Mivangeline punched their way through the droids, the gunners would shoot down the fighter jets. When the fighters' HP dropped to zero, they crashed into players.

"Shoot the fighters even if their HP hits zero!" Mivangeline hurled rolling punches at the DiskGen robots. "Don't let them crash into you!"

"Yes, Commander!"

Enshiron and the riflemen followed Mivangeline's orders, gunning the fighter planes even after their HP dropped to zero. The kamikaze fighters exploded before they could crash into more players. The party worked together to fight the droid soldiers and their fighter jets. Soon, the airfield shook, lifting off as a flying aircraft carrier.

Shien tumbled into Elysia. "Is this supposed to happen, Mivange?"

"I think so!" Mivangeline assured. "Don't panic! I think the carrier will take us to the final boss!"

Everyone held on tightly as the aerial field zoomed up into the sunset sky like a high-speed elevator. As they felt the atmospheric pressure upon themselves, DiskGen attack helicopters fired rockets at the party.

"Don't let up!" Mivangeline jumped from a rocket explosion. "Enshiron, target their cockpits! Phoenicia, heal us!"

"Yes, Commander!"

Enshiron and the gunners fired into the attack choppers, aiming for their cockpits. The Vulpi archer's deadly wind arrows sniped the droid pilots to take the heavy aircraft down. Phoenicia and the medics got to work, healing everyone from their injuries.

"Avian Form: Riflebird's Wingbeat!" Shien and Mivangeline flapped their arms like wings, blowing away the rockets back at the helicopters.

With all helicopters down, everyone waited on the flying carrier that soared into the beautiful orange sunset sky.

"HP status?" Mivangeline asked.

"All HP restored to maximum, Commander!" Phoenicia saluted.

"Let's do this!" Mivangeline huffed.

The flying airfield stopped as the sunset sky blackened into a cold, apocalyptic city. It was as if the carrier took them into another dimension. The party walked across the ruined city, looking up to find the dark sky filled with black holes that ate stars and planets.

Shien shivered from the cold. "Don't tell me that this is the place."

"Yes, Shien," Mivangeline held his hand. "The final boss is here."