Bringing Shien Home

"Naivern! Dorian! I need you to land the condor to extract the prisoners," Mivangeline ordered after her group freed the captive Vulpi.

"Got it, Commander."

"Now we just need to find Shien," Mivangeline sighed.

"I can take the prisoners to the ship," Master Oreic comforted the Vulpi children.

"Okay, thank you. Ritom! Go with them!"

Ritom nodded.

"Alright, people! Follow us, but watch for the Threshers!" Oreic raised his bo staff, leading the prisoners through the hallway with Ritom's help.

"Dorian! Watch them and make sure they get out safely," Mivangeline searched the cells for Shien with Elysia.

"Understood!"

"Shien's not here," Elysia plowed through another prison room.

Mivangeline kicked doors down. "I hope we're not too late."

"Aw. Heartbroken, you slut?" Joltiarre walked behind them with White Death guards.

Elysia and Mivangeline pointed their guns at the crazed woman.

"Myuuna! Where's Shien?" Mivangeline glared.

"Why bother? I get that Shien's got a good face, but who would love a tiny piglet like that?"

"Take that back!" Elysia growled. "You have some lip!"

Both girls fired at Joltiarre. The High Visionary stomped her scepter to emit a ray shield for protection.

"My, what a feisty vixen devil we got here," Joltiarre grinned at the angry Elysia. "I'm afraid Shien's in my lab, where he'll become a taller prince in shining armor. Not for you, Mivangeline, but me."

"You psychopath. Give him back, Myunna!" Mivangeline demanded.

"No. Shien's mine now. You should be satisfied with the boys' attention you stole from me. It's only fair if I get what I don't have!"

More White Death guards walked behind the duo.

"Not good," Elysia stood back to back with Mivangeline.

Mivangeline switched to her laser-edged kunai while Elysia drew her tungsten machete. The pale royal guards held their electric bo staffs against them.

"Kill them!" Joltiarre spat.

The two defended themselves from the White Death's bo staffs. Elysia parried with her machete while Mivangeline applied her Syanic Earth knife skills to fight back.

"If Iagen won't help me get what I want, I'll just do it myself!" Joltiarre giggled to herself with a wide nasty grin.

"Myuuna! Give Shien back!" Mivangeline cut a guard down and chucked its staff at Joltiarre.

"Ouch!" The High Visionary was knocked back as Mivangeline charged at her. "How dare you!"

Joltiarre stomped her staff to discharge lightning that shocked Mivangeline. "Why do you have to be prettier than me? Why did I even bother to help you become an idol? I should never have!"

"Let her go, Joltiarre!" Someone shouted. "Avian Form: Shoebill Thunderforce!"

Shien punched Joltiarre in the stomach, sending her flying into the White Death.

"Shien!" Mivangeline jumped onto him as Elysia finished off the guards. "Are you okay?"

"Mivange! I missed you. You're still so pretty in real life!" Shien embraced his girlfriend.

"Get over here, short stack!" Elysia squeezed her arms around Shien. "You're shorter in real life!"

"Ack! How dare you!" Shien yanked her by the Vulpi ear before hugging her back. "Good to see you too, Elysia."

When Mivangeline and Shien kissed, Joltiarre shook with uncontrollable tremors, shrieking in a demonic voice. "Mivangeline, you slut! Why do boys like you but not me? Why do you have everything I don't have? You whore!"

She stomped her lightning scepter, shocking the reunion and making the friends scream in pain.

"Yamero!" Kyrinna kicked Joltiarre to stop the lightning.

While Azuroid helped the friends up, Joltiarre repeatedly stomped on the floor like an unsatisfied spoiled child. "What's the meaning of this? Why is everything getting in my way!"

"Shien? What's going on?" Mivangeline asked.

"Kyrinna set me free."

"But why? Didn't she hate you?" Elysia held her machete at Kyrinna in distrust.

"Uh, we don't speak the same language. So, beats me."

"Wait," Mivangeline walked to Kyrinna. "Daijobu desu ka?"

The Countess gasped. "H-hai. Ninhonjindesu ka?"

"Hai," Mivangeline nodded. "Looks like we're both Japanese."

"Kyrinna making a friend is a first! How cute!" Someone's chortle echoed across the halls, sending chills down everyone's spine. "Remember me from Syanic Earth, Little Chickadee? It's your worst nightmare!"

"Th-Thalamoid?" Shien, Mivangeline, and Elysia huddled together in fear.

Kyrinna and Azuroid guarded the trio while Joltiarre stood alone.

"What do you want, Thalamoid?" Joltiarre demanded. "Don't get in my way of claiming Shien for myself!"

"For you? Hahaha! Don't make me laugh as I did just now, puny girl!" Thalamoid cackled. "I'm afraid neither you nor sweet Mivangeline will get Shien. Do you know why? Cause he's worm meat!"

The lights flickered as Joltiarre checked her tablet and threw it away in anger. "What the? The Threshers are gone! Did she ransack the control center? Damn you, Thalamoid!"

"We should leave while the Threshers are down," Mivangeline advised before asking Kyrinna in Japanese to lead them out of the citadel.

The lights blinked as everyone spotted a laughing shadow with pink lightning-shaped eyes crawling on the walls and ceiling at blinding speed.

"Isrina is my rightful mother, not yours, Shien!" The shadow hissed from all directions. "There's about to be a deep-fried Little Chickadee! Avian Form: Avocet Lancer!"

Thalamoid lunged her scythe for Shien's neck from the flickering nightmare.

"Avian Form: Cardinal's Talon!" Shien ducked and gave Thalamoid a helicopter kick, smashing her into the wall.

"Nigeru!" Kyrinna signaled the group to run.

As they ran from the scene, Mivangeline screamed when Joltiarre shocked her with lightning.

"I'm not done with you, slut!" An enraged Joltiarre stomped towards them while Elysia fired at her force field. "I'll kill you and steal your boyfriend!"

"Avian Form: Peregrine Landing!" Shien stomped fissures that made Joltiarre trip.

While Shien carried a weakened Mivangeline on his back, Thalamoid kicked Joltiarre away. "Out of my way! Shien's life is mine to seal, stupid girl!"

The terrified group ran across the light-flickering hall, not wanting to look back at the shrieking Thalamoid scampering like a cockroach in pursuit. Azuroid and Elysia fired at the elusive horror that crawled on all fours.

"It's going to be okay, Mivange!" Shien assured Mivangeline as he carried her. "We'll get out of here!"

"You can't run, tiny songbird! Avian Form: Blackhawk Missile!" When Thalamoid whirled into a cyclone toward Shien, Joltiarre stomped her staff to electrify her.

"Shien will be mine! So, butt out, Thalamoid!"

"You dare shock me, Joltiarre? It's you who should butt out!" Thalamoid slashed her tuning fork scythe against Joltiarre's barrier. "I want Shien's head to rot with maggots, idiot!"

"Shien belongs to me! Time for you to experience rotting with maggots first-hand!"

"Me? Hahaha! Do you know who you're dealing with? I learned the Avian Form from Jinhai Niang, fool. Perhaps it's time to teach you a lesson!"

Kyrinna and Azuroid led the group away from the howling deranged girls. As they tumbled outside towards the landed condor frigate, Team Enshiron held Xneong off. Enshiron bombarded Xneong's cover while Calice and Nashura battled against the High Envoy's hybrid sniper rifle scythe.

"No!" Xneong saw Shien carrying Mivangeline to safety. "I won't let Iagen succeed!"

The High Envoy punched Nashura and aimed his triple-barreled rifle at Shien. Azuroid shielded him as Calice shocked Xneong with high voltage, sending him flying. His camera implant short-circuited and knocked him unconscious.

"Shien's home! Let's go!" Calice grabbed Enshiron and Nashura and zoomed into the condor's cargo bay. "Uh, why is Kyrinna with you?"

"Kyrinna helped us escape. She's with us, I think," Shien sat Mivangeline on a seat and hugged his friends. "So glad to see you all!"

The Countess stood before the condor, uncertain if she should enter with them.

"Want to come with us?" Shien gestured with his hands to help Kyrinna understand.

As she hesitated, Azuroid knelt, howling in pain. "No, SANDRA! Please forgive me! Don't destroy me!"

"Azuroid?" Kyrinna held the big droid's hand.

"Go with them! At least you'll be safe! Go, quickly!" Azuroid kicked Kyrinna into the ship and rolled on the ground in agony. "Have mercy, SANDRA!"

"No, Azuroid!" Kyrinna cried, running back to hug him. "Come with me!"

"I didn't mean to disobey the Supreme Herald! I wanted the best for Kyrinna!" Azuroid felt SANDRA's hive mind devour his brain. "Leave me, Kyrinna! I want you safe and happy!"

"Thou art a disobedient lapdog, Azuroid! Did thy brawn brain forget the meaning of loyalty?" SANDRA's voice echoed from Azuroid's vocal system. "Thou dost know the punishment for thy blasphemy?"

"Please take Kyrinna!" Azuroid begged Shien's group. "She didn't mean to hurt you all. Please care for her! I beg you!"

As Calice zoomed Kyrinna inside, SANDRA shouted in Azuroid's mind. "Thou and thy Countess hath conducted treason against the great Supreme Herald! I condemn thee to perish in everlasting fire!"

In tears, Kyrinna watched Azuroid's muscular body implode into a chaotic mass of metal. The mass took the form of a robed lady with dark agent sunglasses. SANDRA arose from Azuroid's ruins, brushing her pastoral robe. Kyrinna bawled as the condor flew away from the citadel.

The Countess sobbed in fury, clapping her hands together. "Panthereal Shiva: Enlightenment of Bodhisattva!"

Kyrinna's art summoned the colossal ice buddha within the citadel to strike SANDRA with its giant palms.

"Cerulean Countess! Thou shalt not be forgiven for thy sins!" SANDRA opened her Tessenjutsu war fans. "Arcane Cybernetics: Yamata Ritual!"

The Machine Queen summoned her steampunk Yamata no Orochi to breathe lasers against the ice buddha and destroy it. As the Countess wept, the icy explosion blew the condor afar. Kyrinna helped free Shien, hoping she did the right thing. It cost the only true friend she ever had, Azuroid.

End of Azir Citadel Arc