Interlude I - The Dawnblade

When it came to reclaiming territories for humanity in the Void, the Alliance Space Command had a very strict system for their Void Clearers to follow, in which they all had a job to do.

Known as a Battlezone, the types of Battlezones ranged in tiers of difficulty – with one being the lowest and seven being the highest. To make the fight in a Battlezone easier for the Void Clearers, they were to do it one zone at a time, a zone being called a Dark Sector.

Multiple Dark Sectors made up a Battlezone, and Devil Dancer scouts were tasked with mapping out the Battlezone and marking the areas of that Dark Sector. Along with that, they were to set up communication devices within a Dark Sector to enable communications between the Void Clearers, as the technology of the Harvesters seemingly had an effective radius where communications were jammed.

The Black Wolves were to create perimeters within a Dark Sector to funnel the undead towards them, and with support from the Iron Angels – they fought the Harvesters head-on in the streets of the Void.

Meanwhile, the Storm Ravens were to strike on their own, and due to their elite status, expected to be able to fend off the hordes without any additional support. Their job was to head straight to the heart of the Dark Sector and eliminate the Harvester Core – a device planted into the ground that contaminated the area and infected the Earth with the same virus found in Runners.

In recent years, fighting in the Void wasn’t meant to just be just for the Void Clearers – and as a result of the little progress made by them alone, the Alliance Space Command began to send the majority of its regular forces to support the Void Clearers.

With that in mind, the Void Clearers still held an example for the rest of the Alliance Space Command to follow. Although with the newfound support, the system the Void Clearers already had strengthened.

This system proved to be helpful, yet still reclaiming the Void was an uphill battle for humanity.

As there was still little progress made.

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He looked down into the cityscape below, seeing hundreds of the undead stumbling in the streets. In the near distance, blue walls of energy formed in different parts of the city, and the undead were attracted to it.

The Runners let out a combined shriek that pierced the ears of the Troopers taking position atop the twenty-story tall building. They began to amass as a collective horde and set off with speed towards the walls.

“Once this is finished, we have about ten more Dark Sectors to secure,” the man said. He tapped on his eyepatch that covered his right eye, and it began to flash a red light.

“This Battlezone’s a tough one,” a woman next to him responded as she rolled a pair of dice onto the burnt rubble that was the ground. “Three and four, shooting again.”

She snatched the dice off the ground and began to roll them around in her palm.

From the mix of the dark skies above the walls in the distance, dozens of mechanized robots showered down. The sound of gunfire and the sight of explosions by the walls of energy began to occur.

“Here come the Iron Angels,” a voice in the back spoke up.

“Give ‘em hell, boys,” another voice commented.

“When are we going in, sir?” a different Trooper asked.

The man with the glowing eyepatch shook his head. “Still a red light, give it some time. Kenta! What do you see?”

A Trooper a few feet away from the man with the eyepatch had an attachment on his helmet that enhanced his vision. “Black Wolves and Iron Angels are holding their ground steadily. Looks to me we’re going to encounter a few hordes worth of Runners, and I’m seeing some Brutes on the ground as well.”

“Typical,” the woman rolled the dice again, resulting in a five and six. She cursed under her breath before snatching the dice off the charred ground.

“Take a look, sir,” a Trooper pointed up at the sky.

A few Alliance Space Command starships entered the area in the near distance, but close enough to where the engines roared.

“Main force is here,” Kenta spoke up. “From how everything’s looking, we’re in for a treat.”

Beyond the starships were a dozen giant, black spheres hovering in the distance. In a moment, the starships and spheres began firing at each other, the thundering sound of weapon batteries enfolding.

“World Eaters…” the man with the eyepatch shook his head. “No wonder this Battlezone is a challenge for us.”

World Eaters – the starships of the Harvesters – mechanical beasts that seemingly overpowered and outgunned the starships of the Alliance Space Command.

The sound of a jetpack followed by rushed footsteps sounded nearby. The group looked over and found a Trooper clad in armor in the colors of the Black Wolves running towards them.

He looked around and saw the man with the glowing eyepatch.

“Lieutenant Zenko?” the Trooper said with a salute.

“That’s me,” he replied as he glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge the Trooper before facing back towards the Harvester-inhabited city that was now a chaotic warzone.

“I know the Storm Ravens are about to attack, but…Colonel Ozaki is requesting your return, Lieutenant Zenko,” the Trooper informed. “It’s an urgent matter, something in relation to an immediate transfer to the Miyamoto Academy.”

“A transfer to the Miyamoto Academy? That’s back in the Haven,” Lieutenant Zenko shook his head. “The Colonel does know that we’re in the middle of securing a Tier 4 Battlezone, correct?”

The Trooper nodded. “Yes, sir, he’s aware.”

“Ren,” Zenko said as he turned over to the woman with the dice.

“I’ll handle it,” she said in reply.

“The Colonel can wait until we’ve secured this Dark Sector.”

Ren nodded and let the dice go from her gloved hands once more, resulting in an outcome of two one’s. “Snake eyes.”

Kenta let out a whistle. “Haven’t seen snake eyes in a while.”

Zenko’s eyepatch blinked green and he brought himself up to his feet from his previous kneeled position.

“Green light,” Zenko’s deep voice spoke. The Troopers behind him stood up and prepared themselves in battle-ready positions as Zenko took a step forward. “Summon: Dawnblade.”

A giant, two-handed sword made of blue flames materialized out of thin air in Zenko’s hands, as well as a pair of matching wings.

“Alright, everyone,” Ren said. “You know the drill – same as usual, rinse and repeat. Snake eyes, meaning we go full majutsu in.”

Zenko nodded his head. “Into the darkness we go!”

The Troopers behind him shouted in unison. “The Storm Ravens bring light!”

“Let’s move!”