• Date: September 30, 2173


  
• Time: 8:35 AM


  
• Location: Udel Village Outskirts


  

  {Master Tale, the commander, and his team have advanced toward the lone invader.}

  In the distance, Tale observed the members of Tip of the Spear advancing into battle. Their silhouettes were visible through his H.U.D. system. However, a cloud of smoke would erupt, and he knew who it was. The Kaynian Lord was going to intercept the commander and his team, which allowed them to approach the device undetected.

  ''Then, it's time to move...''

  ''...Sarroth cast invisibility magic. Vee set a waypoint to the Kaynian Device.''

  The operative quickly commanded his companions, and within seconds, his power armor was coated with magic. Immediately, his stature was nowhere to be found, leaving only an armored footprint on the patch of grass he once stood on.

  {Invisibility magic applied.}

  [Waypoint set.]

  Following the waypoint established by his A.I. partner, Tale hastens his sprint as shouts and screams from the enduring battle behind him echo. Despite the MK48GV3 Power Armor's half-ton weight, he managed an impressive speed of sixty kilometers per hour as he hurried toward the device's position.

  [Um, Tale. We have a problem.]

  ''What is it?''

  [The device is suspended in midair. You won't be able to reach it.]

  Vee pointed out, and as Tale glanced at the alien device, she couldn't deny the accuracy of her observation—absent from its design were platforms or structures enabling access to the device's interface. However, an idea would strike the Ghost's consciousness. It was true that he couldn't access the device himself, but that didn't mean his partner couldn't—with the assistance of the blade spirit, she could make it up there.

  [Okay, I sense you have an idea?]

  ''With Sarroth's help, you could reach the Kaynian Device. Detaching your chip from my power armor would allow her to use levitation magic, granting you access to its system.''

  [But that would mean she would have to dispel the invisibility on your armor.]

  ''Affirmative.''

  [I see...]

  [...That could work.]

  Hearing the sound idea of her partner, Vee turned to the Former Queen, seeking confirmation of the solution given. Of course, the blade spirit would give a confirming nod.

  {I shall guide you to the device, Lady Vee.}

  [Thanks...]

  [...Also, objective up ahead.]

  Immediately, Tale stopped as he was now underneath the alien structure. Looking up, he saw the device without its tendrils siphoning resources. Now, the once blobs that surrounded have changed into smooth, pristine objects. Something that the A.F.E. or I.C.E. hadn't seen or documented during their war with the Kaynians.

  [Well, this thing has been doing a lot now.]

  ''That seems to be the case.''

  [Uh huh, to read about its purpose is one thing, but to see it in action is another...]

  [...Okay, yank me out.]

  Hedding his partner out, the Ghost then took out the chip embedded at the back of his head, and, with a hiss, the chip containing Vee was taken out without issue. Turning to his right, Sarroth manifested her avatar before him as the invisibility magic dissipated on his power armor.

  {Invisibility magic dispelled.}

  ''Good...''

  ''...Be careful with her.''

  {Of course, Master Tale.}

  The spirit responded as she received the chip housing Vee. With levitation magic, she suspended the A.I. before her breast. Reaching the device wasn't an issue, as without the Kaynian Lord guarding, it was all too easy as Sarroth arrived before their objective.

  [Here we are. Thank you, Sarroth.]

  {It is only my duty, Lady Vee.}

  [Now, you slimy bastard, where was I before you caused us to teleport?]

  Vee quickly accessed the device's systems. Various codes and data that were not present before surprised the artificial intelligence. However, what interested her was that the deactivation and self-destruct sequence was locked.

  [No! No! No!]

  {Is something the wrong?}

  [Yes! The Kaynian Lord locked the deactivation and self-destruct sequence!]

  An audible gasp escaped the blade spirit's mouth as she heard the revelation. The sole purpose of doing this was to deactivate the invader's device and halt the upcoming invasion. Still, it seems that their foe had placed a roadblock before them.

  {Is there another way?}

  [It needs the Kaynian Lord's I.F.F.]

  {Does that mean you have to insert yourself into the Kaynian's consciousness?}

  [Correct, this needs to be a manual data extraction...]

  [...We need to inform Tale immediately!]

  Nodding at her, the eternal servant of the Ghost Operative quickly descended in a hurry. With the information they have garnered about their foe's technology. They would need to inform their master/partner immediately.

  [Tale! We have a problem!]

  ''What is it?''

  [It's the device. It's locked. We need the Kaynian Lord's I.F.F. to unlock it and access the deactivation sequence.]

  Hearing the news about their new predicament. Tale couldn't help but curse inwardly, realizing their foe had clearly anticipated such a scenario. Nevertheless, he'd have to confront his alien rival once more. After inserting his partner's chip, Vee immediately established a waypoint.

  ''Then we have a job to do...''

  ''...Sarroth, contact the commander and inform him that we've encountered a situation.''

  {Very well.}

  Using telepathy magic. The Former Queen quickly established a connection. However, it wasn't the Champion of Elvania who answered, but his former rival, Pauline, and upon establishing a stable connection. The first thing she heard was the sound of heavy breathing, possibly indicating exhaustion from their recent engagement.

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  {Pauline?}

  ''Lady Sarroth, have you deactivated the invader's device?''

  {We have not. It seems our foe anticipated our meddling and inserted a barrier that hinders us from deactivating the device.}

  ''Should I contact the Javelot?''

  Spear Four questioned, and the blade spirit merely shook her head even though the wyvern rider wasn't present before her. However, a short explanation was needed to ensure to the commander or, in this case, his former rival that it was still within parameters to deactivate their enemy's technology.

  {No. You see, this barrier could be unlocked via an I.F.F. within the mind of the invader. The hero's companion will attempt to recover this I.F.F. and allow us access to the device's systems...}

  {...What is your position, and where is the commander? It may be best to coordinate with my master as we have to immobilize our hated foe.}

  "Lady Sarroth, we are in the ruined village, and for your second question, the commander has been wounded while Spear Three has been killed by the invader.''

  The response given by the rider shocked the Former Queen. Hearing about what had happened to her daughter's champion and the frame unit spirit was something she did not anticipate. Though it was undeniable that there would be deaths among them, she had never foreseen it to be this severe.

  {Hold your position! We shall come to your aid!}

  ''Understood, Lady Sarroth.''

  Severing the telepathy magic between her and Spear Four, Sarroth turned to her master. She would have to rely on the information about Tip of the Spear so that her master could save them from the alien lord's wrath.

  {Master Tale, we have a situation!}

  ''What is it?''

  Tale asked, clearly disturbed about his servant's fearful tone. However, he was inclined to stay calm as panic would only make things worse for them. Yet, he couldn't help but feel curious about what had transpired with the commander and his group, as he remained unaware of the battle that had taken place between the elves and the Kaynian Lord, along with the defeat suffered by Tip of the Spear.

  {The commander had suffered an injury, and Spear Four had been slained by the invader.}

  ''Where are they now?''

  {Currently, they are in the ruined village of Udel.}

  ''Then, we go there...''

  ''...Sarroth cast invisibility magic. Vee set a waypoint to Udel Village.''

  Barking his orders, both his companions immediately performed their duties. Invisibility magic then coated his power armor, making him invisible once more. Meanwhile, his H.U.D. received new coordinates for the ruined settlement's location. After the preparation was completed, Tale began his sprint.

  TALE: Hero of Eldrant

  Arriving on the edge of the once lively village. The operative's unseen figure slipped through the main gate and cautiously surveyed the surroundings. Acknowledging that the Kaynian Lord was still nearby, he wouldn't drop his guard even inside the settlement. Following his waypoint, it would lead him to the chapel that once held Priestess Celine.

  {I sense magic residue inside, master.}

  ''Hmm, it must be them...''

  ''...Deactivate your magic. I don't want to cause unneeded panic.''

  Hedding her master's words, the invisibility magic that coated the armor plate of the MK48GV3 Power Armor dissipated, revealing the black exterior of the Ghost. Entering the chapel, the first thing greeting them was the sight of the Champion of Elvania lying on the ground, surrounded by Spear Two, Spear Four, and Priestess Lumiere.

  ''Who goes there-''

  The ranger shouted upon hearing the heavy footsteps before noticing the familiar stature of the newcomer. Immediately, Spear Two dropped to a knee, acknowledging the presence of the prophesied hero. Seeing this, Tale was fuzzled and annoyed at the action done by the ranger. He knew that elves would kneel before him whenever he was near, but he hadn't expected them to do so in the middle of an active war zone.

  ''Spear Two, stand up.''

  ''But I-''

  ''This is no time for you to kneel before him...''

  ''...Now, stand up and give me an assessment about the Kaynian Lord.''

  Yielding to the operative's demand, Hector stood up and straightened himself. Recollecting the events before the hero's arrival. The ranger quickly compiled key moments from their confrontation with the alien lord.

  ''We have heavily wounded the invader, though it wouldn't be long until he would recover from them.''

  ''Hmm, has he tried anything?''

  ''No, though you must've seen him outside?''

  Shaking his head, Tale gave a negative response. Thinking about it now, he didn't notice the Kaynian Lord's presence. Even Vee couldn't locate his position via scans. Looking behind the ranger, he saw the wyvern rider and the priestess exhausted and lying beside the commander's body. Of course, he also noticed the missing right arm.

  ''Spear Four.''

  Upon being called, Pauline quickly stood up and approached. Though tired from the healing magic she and the priestess had to perform to ensure the champion's survival, none mattered when the hero called her upon.

  ''You need to fly back with the commander to the Javelot and get him treated...''

  ''...Spear Two, Priestess Lumiere, and I will distract the Kaynian.''

  ''I assume the three of you will retrieve the I.F.F. within the invader's mind?''

  ''Affirmative.''

  Hearing the operative's plan, Pauline then turned and approached her former rival. Shouldering his left arm, she successfully lifted him off the ground. However, before they could proceed, the champion redirected her to another location.

  'Pauline...'

  '...I must talk to him.'

  Adelard whispered as he gathered the strength to utter those simple words. Honoring her friend's request, Pauline then approached the hero. Looking at the emotionless helmet, the commander smiled at the sight of his people's savior. However, it was a shame that he hadn't done enough to aid him and his quest.

  'Forgive me, hero...'

  '...My brash decesion had costed me much.'

  ''Sir, please conserve your strength.''

  'Please...'

  '...Could you grant a wish of mine?'

  Seeing firsthand the stubbornness of the Champion of Elvania. Tale sighed before giving a confirming nod. Of course, his response gave Adelard hope as he smiled at him. Though his wish was simple, hoping that the Ghost wouldn't carry it for him. Given his current situation, he knew he couldn't do it himself.

  'Kill that invader bastard for me. He took the lives of my subordinates and threatened Eldrant...'

  '...Please. Kill the invader and save us all.'

  ''Consider it done, sir.''

  With confidence, Tale offered his condolences to the dying elve. Turning to the wyvern rider, he would give her the order to return the champion to safety. Of course, even before saying a word, Pauline knew what she needed to do.

  ''Pauline, proceed with your evacuation with the commander.''

  ''Understood.''

  Slowly, they all exited the chapel, with the operative at the front, scanning the surroundings with his battle machine rifle. Upon seeing nothing on his H.U.D., he signaled for the others to follow, and they did. Splitting into two groups, Pauline mounted her wyvern with Adelard in toe. Meanwhile, the priestess, the ranger, and Tale took another route and ventured out of the ruined village in search of the alien lord.

  [Energy signature detected!]

  Vee shouted, and immediately after going outside the Udel. They were meant with the lone invader, energy saber on hand. Slowly, the three would approach their adversary. However, unbeknownst to the alien, the operative had already thought of a pan to give his allies.

  ''Lumiere, you will be our fire support. Utilize your magic to damage the Kaynian from afar, and never get close. Hector, while I confront him head-on, you'll conduct scoot-and-shoot tactics to irritate him...''

  ''...Remember, our only hope of saving Eldrant is getting the Kaynian's I.F.F. When we do, we will advance toward the device and take it down, understood?''

  After hearing him out, his allies would give a confirming nod as a response. Right after, he would take out his battle machine rifle. However, an issue would reveal itself to the Ghost Operative within three days of being stranded on Eldrant. The drum magazines he had been carrying were only a handful left.

  'I only got a few mags left. I better make them count then.'

  Steeling himself, he'd stare intently at the alien in front. Though alone, Tale knew better than to underestimate his alien rival after facing him numerous times. However, those times merely resulted in a draw or failure to hold an objective. Now, it was time to do the impossible and save the planet from being invaded.

  ''Spread out, and watch your approach.''

  He ordered, and the priestess and the ranger quickly heeded his command. Spear Three would take the right side while the priestess would approach from the left with Tale in the center.

  ''Affirmative!''

  ''Understood, hero!''

  Taking their respective flanks, Hector and Lumiere kept their weapons close at hand. After experiencing defeat at the hands of the lone invader, they wouldn't do anything reckless and follow the hero's lead as he had more experience in dealing with the alien lord and his kin.

  ''Tell me, demon. Why do you fight for these primitives? I've seen the memories of one, though brief. They are pathetic, ignorant, and easy to exploit.''

  ''Because it's my duty and purpose.''

  ''Is that all? Duty and purpose are what drive your species and your constructs?''

  Taunted the alien as he activated his psionics to activate his energy saber. The familiar glow of the weapon erupted in a flash of light before pointing it at the operative. Though audible to the Ghost, his elven allies were perplexed by the conversation between him and the Kaynian Lord.

  ''Do you think that will be enough? I have lived for a thousand years, fighting in every battle against everything that could have threatened the Arc Imperium...''

  ''...And that includes your race demon. The unholy spawn of the deities!''

  Engaging his face plate, the alien lord would assume a stance and hold his energy saber close. Meanwhile, Tale merely pointed his MK12 Battle Machine Rifle, as did his allies. Hector had his bow aimed while Lumiere prepared her magics.

  ''You may come to regret that.''

  ''I will only bring death and destruction to your kind and these primitives. And when the gate finishes, this planet will be under the claim of the Arc Imperium!''

  ''Then it's about time we find out.''

  Unbeknownst to the alien, magic has been brewing as the clouds around him darkened. This would accumulate into lightning striking down on him. A massive boom echoed as dust and smoke obscured the surroundings. Though an effective opener in this fight, it wouldn't do damage due to the energy shield protecting the invader.

  ''YOU DARE!''

  Suddenly, a powerful psionic shockwave erupted, clearing the smoke around the Kaynian Lord. The alien scanned his surroundings and spotted his rival charging toward him, weapon aimed and ready. Not to be outdone, the invader would raise his energy saber and charge fearlessly.

  [Incoming!]

  The A.I. shouted as she aided the automatic aiming software to ensure her partner's shots would land. In response, the operative pulled the trigger, unleashing a barrage of depleted uranium fifty caliber rounds at his charging opponent. The alien's shields flared as it stopped the incoming hypersonic projectiles. However, with the distance between them closing, it would allow the lord to deliver a precise slash. Reacting accordingly, the Ghost dodged the attack by ducking underneath the blade and going around his opponent's back.

  ''Let my arrows fly true!''

  Seeing the operative dodge the invader's swing gave Spear Two enough time to nock, draw, and aim three arrows with his compound bow. Letting out a battle cry before releasing his arrows, all three striking the alien lord's energy shield. However, it wouldn't do much but decrease the shield's durability by a percentage.

  ''Sarroth sword!''

  {Right away, my master.}

  Placing his battle machine rile on his back, Tale then summoned Sarroth, wielding her as he pushed forward to his adversary. After missing his target and coming under fire, the alien lord turned to see his rival charging at him with a sword in hand. Immediately, the two combatants clashed their blades once more. The invader made the first move, advancing with intent and delivering a flurry of strikes. In response, the operative swiftly executed a series of blocks and parries to deny his hated foe. Frustrated, the lord would faint an attack before approaching his opponent and delivering a powerful psionic punch.

  ''Argh!''

  The operative grunted as he crashed to the ground with his magic shield protecting him from the kinetic force of the punch itself. Meanwhile, at the left flank, Priestess Lumiere prepared another magic attack. This time, she manifested ice magic as needles.

  ''You shall not harm the hero!''

  Lumiere shouted as she launched her ice needles at the invader. These projectiles traveled at hypersonic speed, possessing enough power to significantly weaken the passive energy shield. Unfortunately for the alien lord, who intended to attack his rival, the barrage of ice needles prevented him from acting.

  ''Let me help you, priestess.''

  Helping the priestess, Hector then nocked more arrows to his compound and began firing like an automatic rifle. Nock, draw, loose were the words that the esteemed ranger of the first army whispered in his mind as he unleashed his skill in archery. Pushing his limits even when his arms begged for him to stop. However, he wasn't standing still; he was moving while he engaged from afar.

  [Tale get up!]

  Heeding his partner's encouragement, the Ghost quickly stood up and saw his rival at a disadvantage as he withstood the barrage of magic and arrows from his elven allies. With its back against them, an opportunity arose to immobilize the invader and access its mental node.

  ''Sarroth, immobilize the Kaynian Lord!''

  {By your will!}

  Quickly disappearing from her master's grasp, the blade spirit then prepared to cripple the lord. Of course, this required the use of binding magic. Manifesting her magic, Sarroth immediately cast it and chained each limb of the Kaynian Lord, effectively immobilizing him. Of course, it wasn't just the Former Queen hindering the alien's movements. The young priestess would also add her magic as she froze the lower half of the invader's body with ice magic.

  ''Vee, it's all on you!''

  [Got it...]

  [...Alright, you, let's see what lies inside that head of yours.]

  Materializing her avatar, Vee would access the Kaynian's mental node. It was the first time in history that someone accessed the brain of their foe. Throughout the war, I.C.E has always wanted to discover what's inside an alien's cerebrum. While there were attempts to capture a live specimen, all resulted in committing suicide, erasing their mental nodes to the molecular level.

  [Okay, I'm in. Oh, mama, I got to record this!]

  The A.I. exclaimed as this was new; so much of this was new. The mental node of the alien lord was the same as artificial intelligence, albeit more advanced. Thus, it was a gold mine of code and data of information relating to their enemy.

  [Aha! Here it is—the I.F.F. You might be technologically and magically advanced, but that doesn't mean you're invincible...]

  [...What's this?]

  Adjacent to the I.F.F. was a fragment of information about humanity. When Vee interacted with the data, she was immediately expelled from the alien's mental node. Subsequently, the Kaynian Lord released a powerful shockwave, throwing everyone off.

  ''Vee, status?''

  [I got it! Quick, we have to go now!]

  To Be Continued.