The Bismuth Campaign

"Avian Form: Woodpecker Beak Strikes!" Mivangeline practiced with Shien.

"That's it, Mivange!" Shien defended with rolling punches. "Don't think, just react. Keep your knees bent!"

The two parried across the synthwave purple grid floor of a training room in the Saberdome Arena. Mivangeline wore a blue sports bra and dark shorts with her brown hair tied into a short ponytail. Shien wore a Vultau robe that had a little chickadee embroidery. When they finished practicing, the two bowed with their hands and fists together.

"Congrats!" Shien beamed. "You've officially become a bird!"

"What?" Mivangeline relaxed her hands.

"You know, Avian Form! Aves is the scientific name for birds. Mom said the Niang legacy based the entire style off of birds."

"Oh, that's cool. Your mom likes birds too?"

"Of course! We watch and draw birds together. We even made a birdhouse in the backyard for a family of chickadees! They're probably doing fine. I-I hope Mom is too."

Shien covered his tears. "I-I'm sorry, Mivange. I don't mean to cry in front of you. I miss my mom! I just want to get out of the Syanic Earth."

Mivangeline hugged him. "It's okay, Shien. We'll escape this game together. You'll see your mom, again. I promise."

The Commander realized she was embracing Shien again, but didn't retract this time. Mivangeline felt comfortable with Shien as the two looked into each other's eyes. They laughed with blushing cheeks.

"Commander! We finished our calculations!" Zirconessa blurted from Mivangeline's notifications. "The wartram will crash into Safinir City close by. We need you now if we're going to whoosh at the Dynastiotron."

"Copy, Zirconessa. Thank you," Mivangeline acknowledged.

"Hey, Mivange? I have an honest question," Shien jumped after Zirconessa hung up. "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Wait, what?" Mivangeline gasped. "Where did that come from?"

"I mean, I've got a crush on you. So, it would make sense to ask you out, right?"

Mivangeline burst into laughter. "Shien, you're just straight to the point."

"Yes! I know!" Shien blinked. "Wait, that's not a bad thing, right?"

"N-no! It means you're honest and don't play games. I like that," Mivangeline then remembered Shien encouraging her during the battle with Dosigma. "You stood by me when I was at my lowest and taught me so much in leading. So, my answer is yes!"

"Yay! This is the best day ever!" Shien flapped his arms like a bird before the couple kissed.

"Aw, Shien," Mivangeline patted his back. "Okay, let's meet with the party so we're not late."

"Cool!" Shien walked out of the training room, holding hands with his girlfriend. "When we beat the game, we should date in real life!"

"Let's make that a promise," The Commander made a pinky promise with Shien. "Let's fight together!"

***

"Hey, Enshiron! Did you get the message?" Naivern ran into Enshiron's hotel room. "The wartram's coming! Mivangeline wants us to meet on top of the Exrook Tower."

"Oh, sure," He placed his violin on his bed.

Enshiron grabbed his violin case from a shelf, but accidentally dropped it. "Ugh, at least it wasn't the violin. I'll be there, Naivern."

"Uh, are you okay?"

"Yes, why?"

"Just asking. I didn't want you to feel in the dumps-"

"I said there's nothing wrong!" Enshiron shouted but shrank back. "I-I'm sorry, Naivern."

"Hey," Naivern took a seat on the bed. "Just let me know when you're ready and we'll head out together."

Enshiron nodded, placing his violin into the case.

"Was it easy?" Enshiron inspected his bow arrows.

"What was easy?"

"Forgiving Knavus."

"It wasn't easy for all of us. I mean, Elysia still takes a swing at him whenever she feels like it."

"I'm sure she does," Enshiron closed his case. "I always thought if I could be nice to humans, they would like me, and then hopefully Vulpi. I did this by making human friends. Friends like Knavus."

Naivern pat on the bed, gesturing Enshiron to sit with her.

"I knew his declining father, the House Speaker of America. He often lobbied against our kind," Enshiron plopped onto the bed. "I became friends with Knavus when I started college. We were nice to each other, and I did everything to prove that Vulpi were as good as humans."

"I don't care why Knavus sold us out, but he knew me. He knew what the Federation does to my kind. He should have known better!" Enshiron took a deep breath. "I guess befriending Knavus wasn't worth what I thought it would be."

Naivern adjusted her ponytail. "I don't know Knavus very well, and I won't speak for him. But Enshiron, you're like one of the sweetest people I've ever met, period with a forte. You're priceless, and I know the rest of our gang thinks so."

"That didn't stop Knavus."

"Maybe not at first, but have you talked to him since?"

"Not nicely."

"Well, funny that didn't change how much Knavus wants to help us."

"Hmm... perhaps."

"Maybe this is the time for, you know... the two of you to rebuild that lost friendship."

Enshiron sighed. "You sound like Calice."

"Hey, I'm no professional. I'm just talking to a friend," Naivern smiled. "Hey, when we get out of Syanic Earth, let's have a big get-together to celebrate! We'll tell Calice, Dorian, and Nash all about how we beat the game!"

"It feels like a long time ago since we were all together."

"I don't think it was that long. I still remember Shien getting his head stuck in a hedge chasing that bluebird!"

Enshiron spurt out a laugh.

"Yo, let's give Syanic Earth a fiery forte of a fight together, and we can go home and just be goons playing Smash Bros with Dorian."

"I say, sounds good," Enshiron softly replied.

"Ey! The Enshiron we know is coming back!" Naivern pulled out her guitar. "Come on, buddy. Let's rock the Dynastiotron!"

***

Mivangeline's party met at the top of Exrook Tower of Safinir City.

"I'll use this walker Shien and I took from the hovertrain and support the main group on the train top," Mivangeline prepared the ardedius hellcracker as Zirconessa gave Shien his new clarinet staff. "Shien and Zirconessa will lead the Tesla police droids to clear all samurai within each cart. Understood?'

"Yes, Commander!" The party saluted.

"Ruddigus, were you able to shop for Eonspace Brews?"

"Yes, but only three. Players have been stockpiling on them."

"Well, three is better than nothing. Thank you, Ruddigus," Mivangeline then turned to Knavus. "Knavus, your trait is key to stopping the Francium Warbird. You and Enshiron need to coordinate your traits when the time comes. Is that okay for both of you?"

"Yes, Commander," Knavus nodded before turning to Enshiron.

Enshiron looked away until Naivern elbowed him. "Oh! Y-yes, of course."

A snake of red warning arrows carved its way from the desert into the city below the group. Skull icons beeped into everyone's notifications as a cloud of dust rose from the plains.

"Ding! Just in time as calculated," Zirconessa looked at her watch.

"Here it comes!" Mivangeline shouted. "Get ready!"

Dynastiotron Bismuth Wartram

Level 555

HP: [555,555/555,555]

The Bismuth Wartram jolted through the giant cloud in a heartbeat. It plowed across the city outskirts and blasted through skyscrapers with its massive drill head. It halted with a booming whistle as Dynastiotron samurai rolled out with bamboo baskets, ready to hunt androids.

"We're coming to save you, Phoenicia," Shien whispered.

Mivangeline closed the hellcracker's cockpit and activated it. "Prepare to board!"

"Yes, Commander!"

The walker jumped from the tower to land on the train's caboose, blasting the samurai patrols off the train. Elysia tackled them as the combined firepower from Mivangeline's walker and Ritom's flamethrower scattered the panicked warriors. Naivern landed behind them, playing her song to boost the party's stats and lower the Dynastiotron's.

Enshiron, Knavus, Ruddigus, and Esarin fired their ranged artillery at the Dynastiotron. Ruddigus and Esarin blasted away with their minigun and rocket launcher while Enshiron fired wind arrows from his violin bow. The crescent tip of Knavus' rapier glowed, launching shadowy projectiles at the samurai.

While the group held their ground on the first caboose, Zirconessa, Shien, and the police droids snuck in to flush out the Dynastiotron troops inside. The advanced police droids shocked rows of ronin sharpshooters within, leaving them paralyzed to be finished by Zirconessa and Shien.

"Whoosh!" Zirconessa blitzed into the next cart. "First cart is clear!"

"Good, let's keep it up," Mivangeline stomped the hellcracker forward with the party.

Mivangeline's group advanced to control the train surface as Shien and Zirconessa's police droids cleared each cart with their powerful Tesla rifles. The train's whistle blew, and the top group felt an immense wind almost blow them away. The wartram lurched into motion, rushing through the city past the rocky plains through a heated desert at lightning speed.

"Intruders detected! Activating defense arms!" The train's AI voice bellowed.

"Ritom! I'll bomb from above, you scorch them from below!" Mivangeline quickly ordered.

"On it!" Ritom nodded.

Wartram Defense Arm

Level 75

HP: [75,575/75,575]

Pillars of buzzsaw arms attacked the surface team. Mivangeline's hellcracker bombarded the sentries as Ritom scorched them with his flamethrower, saving the group trouble. The top and bottom groups met at a flatcar full of compressed ardedius hellcrackers. Panicked samurai jumped into them to battle Mivangeline's walker.

Dynastiotron Ardedius Hellcracker

Level 145

HP: [145,750/145,750]

"The ranged team and I will shell them with artillery! " Mivangeline instructed. "Tanks will sneak past and attack from below!"

Her walker and ranged members exchanged firepower with the enemy hellcrackers as Naivern concentrated her song to shield the party. Shien, Zirconessa, Ritom, and Elysia snuck underneath the heron-shaped walkers while they didn't pay attention. They sliced down the large-bladed talons, leaving the hellcrackers to tumble onto each other.

As the police droids zapped the last Dynastiotron warriors off the train, Elysia punched the leftovers down.

"Good work, everyone," Mivangeline walked the hellcracker forward.

The party found a helipad cart where an aerial elephantier took flight. It fired blue cannonballs at Shien and Elysia, but Naivern jammed a tune in time to shield her friends.

Dynastiotron Aerial Elephantier

Level 125

HP: [500/500]

Trait 1: Zero Armor

Trait 2: Ironclad Plating

"Don't be fooled by the low HP! It only takes one damage per hit," Mivangeline warned the party. "Surround it and concentrate your fire on the golden head and back!"

"Taste my Swords of Revealing Light!" Ruddigus fired bright cards that shocked the aircraft's golden-geared backside.

They surrounded the heavily armored chopper and attacked from multiple angles, taking advantage of the aircraft's slow fire rate. A cold wind blew as the desert environment turned into a snowy tundra.

"Intruders must be terminated! Release the Francium Warbird!" The hovertrain's AI voice roared as the drill head opened to release the ghostly helicopter.

"This is the miniboss!" Mivangeline warned.

The warbird hovered beside the elephantier, machine-gunning the party with its heavy miniguns. The party fired back but struggled against Poltergeist Semblance's 25% accuracy handicap.

Dynastiotron Francium Warbird

Level 186

HP: [186,666/186,666]

Trait 1: Poltergeist Semblance

Trait 2: Phantasmal Mitosis

Mivangeline pulled a lever to reload her walker's weaponry. "Knavus, get your trait ready! Use your Cosmic Matterslash to negate Poltergeist Semblance!"

Knavus Rodigand

Level 115

HP: [93,173/115,350]

Trait 1: Contour Haze

Trait 2: Cosmic Matterslash

"S-sure, but who should I borrow HP from?" Knavus wielded his sword.

Everyone stared at Ritom, who had the most HP left.

"What? Why me?" Ritom dodged the elephantier's cannonball.

"Shut up and take it, loser!" Elysia barked, firing her machine pistols at the warbird. "Do it, Knavus!"

Knavus spun his rapier to summon a purple spell circle around Ritom.

"Naivern, shield Knavus and Ritom!" Mivangeline fired rockets at the elephantier. "Enshiron, get your Vampiric Zephyr ready!"

Enshiron nodded as Knavus' spell circle drained Ritom by 100,000 HP. Knavus snuck underneath the elephantier and slashed a dark rift that stunned the warbird in shadowy lightning.

"Yeah! My cards can hit it now!" Ruddigus cheered as the group focused their firepower on the miniboss aircraft.

A low-HP Ritom whined as Naivern shielded him from the aircraft. Enshiron fired his Vampiric Zephyr at the warbird, hoping to heal Ritom with it. Unexpectedly, the elephantier charged into Enshiron's blood-red arrow to take the hit, blasting cannonballs at the party to deal massive damage.

"Shoot! Give Enshiron an Eonspace Brew!" Mivangeline kicked the elephantier away with the walker's talon.

Ruddigus gave Enshiron one of the three almighty potions to heal Ritom and the party.

"Sorry, guys," Enshiron huffed as his Vampiric Zephyr trait locked into cooldown.

"It's not your fault, Enshiron," Knavus tapped his shoulder. "You did your best."

Enshiron nodded.

"We need to get rid of the elephantier," Mivangeline thought of a plan. "I think I know how."

"We're ready when you are, Mivange!" Shien clutched onto his clarinet staff. Mom, please be safe. I love you, and I hope to see you again.