Finally, after acquiring the last fragments they needed to find, the group could now reach the world from which the Fallen launch their constant attacks on the other worlds. The place where they will find the person responsible for everything and for all the hardships the group has endured so far.
But first, they have to get there.
The gummi ship flew over the Sea of Stars towards its final destination on this journey, while the entire group was gathered on the bridge.
"Well, I suppose we're heading to the world of the Fallen now, aren't we?" Edea asked with her arms crossed.
"It's not that simple." Said Eve.
"What do you mean?" Asked Kairi.
"If you don't remember, remember that the world of the Fallen is currently sealed." Said Eve.
"Really? And how do you seal a world?" Asked Rena.
"It's quite easy." Said Airy, sitting in one of the chairs. "You could say it's trapped in a pocket dimension."
"Excuse me, what?" Edea asked.
"Let's say that this world is in its place, but not in our reality. It exists in a parallel plane to ours, in which no one can enter or leave." Said Eve.
"As if that would stop them from causing trouble. The Fallen keep coming out of that place anyway." Said Priere. And she was right. Despite being 'sealed,' the Fallen were somehow escaping, wreaking havoc wherever they went.
"The most plausible theory is that some cracks have formed in that prison, and the darkness from that world is entering our reality." Said Eve.
"But how did that happen?" Asked Rena. "If they have been trapped for sixteen years, why have they appeared now?"
Kairi was thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe it was because of Master Xehanort." They all looked at her. "Last year, for a moment, Xehanort summoned Kingdom Hearts, unleashing its power over the worlds. It is possible that the prison that kept that world trapped broke, allowing the Fallen to escape."
"But that doesn't match a certain event," Eve said. "If that were the case, Shaft would never have found Elrena and would have turned her into a Nobody, and that was years ago."
"Maybe when that world was sealed, some small groups managed to avoid being trapped." Suggested Edea.
"Well, let's change the subject because this isn't getting us anywhere." Makoto interrupted. "If we're not going directly to the world of the Fallen, where are we going?"
"We're going to their location." Said Eve. "The fragments are part of a system that keeps that world sealed and trapped. And that system has to be close to the place where the world was.
"Okay, we get there. And then what? Edea asked.
"There, we will use the fragments where we need to use them, and then we will access their world." Said Eve.
"Then we will have to be prepared." Said Priere. "They already know what we're up to. As soon as we break the seal, they will prepare everything to stop us by any means necessary. This won't be a walk in the park like it has been so far."
"That's what you'll say." Said Rena.
"In my opinion, the Fallen will have the same problem as the Heartless or Nobodies before. Surely the majority will be spread across all the worlds we have been to, and only the most powerful ones will be in this world." Said Airy.
"In any case, it will be better to be ready for anything." Said Nina. "Who knows what this world will be like."
Kairi looked outside thoughtfully, catching Makoto's attention while the others were talking. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I was just thinking." Said Kairi. "In everything that has happened. For what we have been through. The people who have suffered. The lives that have been cut short." She sighed. "We will soon put an end to all this. For my mother and the others." She said, recalling what she saw in the Tower of the Phoenix.
"Don't worry, we will be with you until the end." Said Makoto with a smile, making Kairi nod her head.
At that moment, the onboard computer started beeping, catching Eve's attention.
"It seems we are approaching something," Eve said, approaching the computer. "And whatever it is, it's in our way."
"And what exactly is it?" Asked Rena.
"I don't know," Eve said, looking at the monitors. "But there are a lot of objects in the way, but the computer doesn't seem to distinguish what they are."
"Well, I think you should look outside," Edea said with disbelief on her face, while pointing right in front of the ship.
The girls looked through the glass, surprised to see what was in front of them. It was a fleet of the largest and most colossal ships they had ever seen, whose size made the Gummi Ship they were on seem like a pea in comparison to those steel giants. Each of those ships seemed to have been designed with a Gothic style on the exterior, in addition to the enormous cannons that the ships possessed all over the exterior of the vessel.
"I don't know where these ships came from, but it's better if we don't mess with them." Said Rena, looking at the immense spaceships around her.
"Yes, it would be better if we passed through as quickly as we could." Said Makoto.
Suddenly and without warning, all those enormous ships started firing forward. Fortunately, they didn't shoot at them.
"Great! Now it turns out we're in the middle of a space battle." Makoto cursed.
"Yeah, but against whom?" Asked Nina.
"I think I already know the answer." Said Kairi, pointing ahead.
Right at the head of the fleet, they could see at least 5 ships that were much larger and longer than the ones around them. They also noticed that in front of this fleet, there was another fleet against which they seemed to be fighting. That fleet seemed to be made up of ships that appeared to be missing pieces of their outer hull or were constructed with asymmetrical and grotesque shapes, as if they were 'corpses' of what they once were. And right among them was a colossal ship, if it could even be called a ship, as it was not much different from an extremely large flat rectangle in height and width, with countless cannons all over the surface of the 'ship,' and a huge central crystal.
"Why do those ships give me the impression that they are Fallen?" Edea asked.
"Yeah, and they're right in the middle of our route." Said Eve.
"Well, what do we do now?" Asked Airy.
"I vote for getting away from here and trying a detour around the area." Said Rena. "I doubt our ship can handle that thing." The elf pointed to the enormous rectangular ship.
Suddenly, the ship began to shake, causing the girls to almost lose their balance.
"And now what's happening?" Edea asked.
"They've trapped us in some kind of gravitational force!" Eve exclaimed, trying to move the Gummi Ship.
"Or in other words, we've been caught in a tractor beam." Said Makoto.
Eve looked outside. "It seems that the ship there is the one dragging us." Eve pointed to one of the colossal ships on their side, which was retreating from the front lines.
"And I thought this would be boring." Said Priere, looking at the enormous ship they were approaching.
Kairi stood staring at the enormous ship without saying a word, wondering how all of this would end.
After several minutes of suspense, the Gummi Ship docked next to the enormous ship, fortunately connecting through the airlock of both ships. Kairi and the others, with no other choice, decided to leave the Gummi Ship and explore the area they were in to get an idea of where they were.
At first, they saw that the interior of the ship was extremely ancient, as if it had been in service for millennia. But even so, the ship proved to be much more resilient and advanced than anything else known. And the corridors themselves were really wide and tall, as if they had been designed for enormous beings to pass through.
"Okay... now what?" Edea asked.
"There's someone over there." Said Priere, pointing to a figure that was moving in their direction.
She and Nina went to ask who was approaching, but they were startled to see that the figure was a person who seemed more machine than man due to the number of robotic parts they had, and they also seemed to behave more like an automaton that only mumbled about heading to their destination, ignoring both of them and the rest of the group that watched him slowly move away.
"Does anyone else want to go back to the Gummi Ship?" Edea asked, trembling at the sight.
Priere and Nina stood confused, looking at the robotic man, but then they heard heavy footsteps approaching them, and when Priere turned to see, she found herself face to face with the barrel of a gun pointing at her face.
"Don't move, demon." Said the weapon bearer, a large man in a colossal red armour over two and a half meters tall with orange shoulder pads with violet edges, a violet winged skull on the chest of the armour, an orange helmet with green eyes and a white central line on the top of the helmet that covered his face, in addition to having a huge metal backpack on his back.
And he was not the only one; there were also four others like him, but with purely white helmets, aiming their weapons at Priere and Nina.
"Hey! Point that somewhere else!" Exclaimed Priere, swatting aside the weapon that was in front of her.
"Priere, I don't think that's a good idea! We don't even know who they are!" Exclaimed Rena.
"I would watch that tongue if I were you, abomination!" Exclaimed the armoured man, pointing his weapon once again at Priere.
"And watch your tongue, pal!" Priere was offended by the man's words, stomping on the armoured foot and denting it.
"Ouch! Damn demon!" The armoured man exclaimed and began to hop with his foot raised from the stomp he had received, causing the others to look in his direction.
But Priere didn't stop there, for when he finished turning around with the bounces, she kicked him in the rear area, sending him face-first to the ground.
"Okay, we're dead." Said Airy.
"You will pay for that, demon!" One of the armoured men exclaimed as he aimed his weapon at Priere.
At that moment, Rena aimed her bow at them. "If you pull the trigger, we'll see how resistant that armour of yours is." The elf threatened in a serious tone.
Priere invoked her baton, ready to fight, while Nina prepared to cast one of her spells.
They began to hear more heavy footsteps approaching from the other direction, more armoured men appearing, these wearing red helmets, with one of them wearing an orange one, aiming their weapons at the group.
"Don't move!" Said the armoured man with the orange helmet to the girls.
At that moment, Makoto prepared to fight while Airy got ready to cast one of her spells, as Eve prepared her drones for the battle, and seeing no other option, Kairi summoned her Keyblade, also getting ready for the fight.
The situation was very tense at that moment, and it only took a single mistake from either side for everything to turn into a bloodbath. And everything could get worse now that the man Priere had thrown to the ground had gotten up, aiming his weapon at the demon girl.
Edea was the only one not ready to fight, as she believed they wouldn't make it out alive and that everything would end at that moment. But then she noticed something on the shoulder pads of the armoured men.
"Wait, Wait! Hold on!" Edea exclaimed as she stood in front of Kairi, making everyone look at her. "Kairi, look at the shoulder pads!"
Kairi fixed her gaze on the shoulder pads of the armoured men, seeing in one of these symbols that made no sense to her, but when she directed her gaze to the other shoulder pad, her eyes widened, for the drawing there was no ordinary drawing.
It was the emblem of the Order of the Phoenix!
Moreover, all the men had the same emblem on the same shoulder pad. But how was that possible? Wasn't the order massacred years ago? Was it a trap or something?
There was only one way to find out. Kairi unleashed her power, transforming into her Esper Form and flying over the group, staying in the air with her wings. Upon seeing this, the armoured men directed their gaze towards Kairi. For a moment, they did nothing, but then they not only stopped aiming their weapons at them, but also knelt on one knee, holding their weapons in both hands, bowing their heads down in a sign of reverence.
"Long live the Scion of the Phoenix!" The armoured men said in unison as they knelt.
The girls looked around, completely surprised. None of them would have expected these enormous warriors to be linked to the Order of the Phoenix. But seeing how they knelt before Kairi, despite how tense the situation was, now anything was possible. Kairi was speechless when she found herself in that situation. Possibly on that ship lived survivors of the massacre that she didn't know existed.
"Well, this is new," Airy commented, raising an eyebrow.
At that moment, the armoured men stood up, directing their gaze towards Kairi.
"Please, Scion of the Phoenix, I ask you and your companions to accompany us to the bridge to speak with the Voice of the Phoenix." Said the armoured man with the orange helmet.
Kairi didn't say anything for a moment, mentally processing what had happened, until she decided to come down to the ground.
"I know it's counterproductive, but I think it would be better if you keep your Esper form active," Eve said to Kairi.
Kairi looked at Eve for a moment before nodding, then directed her gaze to the armoured man and nodded again.
Then the armoured man with the orange helmet looked at the one with the white line on the helmet. "Brother veteran Vitelus, I suggest you go replace the boot in the armoury."
The one in the white line directed his gaze to the dented boot, nodding his head.
"You make sure they reach the bridge." He ordered this to the armored men with white helmets before starting to move away, not without adding one more thing. "But if the demoness gets lost on the battle barge and ends up being taken down by some patrol, better for everyone."
Priere felt offended by the armored man's words.
Edea approached Kairi as she landed on the ground. "I would suggest that you maintain this form for now. Just in case." Suggested Edea, to which Kairi nodded her head.
The girls soon began to follow what appeared to be the leader along with the other armoured men at a short distance, making sure that Kairi was always visible to avoid any possible problems with those inside the ship. As they followed them, the girls noticed that, in addition to several armored men wandering the corridors, there were also people of normal size walking through the ship, most wearing thick brown robes that concealed their identities, as well as some people resembling the one they saw first.
“Excuse me, what's wrong with those people? They look more like machines than humans,” Eve asked the leader, pointing at the cyborgs acting like robots.
The leader only turned his head to Eve for a moment before looking ahead.
“They're Servitors. We use them to perform all kinds of tasks. They obey without question or voice,” the leader said.
“And why don't you use machines or droids for that?” Makoto asked. That question made the armored men look at her seriously, making her start at the impression they gave her. “I say this considering we're from different worlds,” she added with nervousness in her voice.
“The Abominable Intelligences were prohibited millennia ago. That's why I suggest your mechanical friend doesn't stray too far,” the leader said without looking at her. Rena directed her gaze at Eve, indicating that she should do as he said and not stray too far from her or her drones.
“By the way, what are you? It's clear you're no ordinary men,” Nina wondered.
“We are the Adeptus Astartes, commonly known as Space Marines. Enhanced super soldiers with the sole purpose of confronting anything that threatens humanity, wherever it may come from,” the leader said.
“Sergeant, I doubt it's wise to discuss this with outsiders, even if they're with the Scion of the Phoenix,” one of the Space Marines said.
“Don't worry, brother. Besides, as they've mentioned, they're from another world, so they don't know what things are like for us,” the sergeant replied.
“Okay, then, if it's not too much trouble, this Voice of the Phoenix, who exactly is he? A high-ranking priest or something?” Edea asked.
“No. We call the Chapter Master, who commands our entire Chapter, the Voice of the Phoenix,” the sergeant replied.
“Chapter?” Airy asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s right. Each Space Marine Chapter consists of no more than a thousand Space Marines, dedicated to fulfilling our mission throughout the galaxy,” the sergeant replied.
“By galaxy, you must mean your world, don’t you?” Rena asked.
“Indeed. In our case, our world is at least as large as a galaxy,” the sergeant confirmed.
“And how many of those Chapters are there?” Priere asked. “And do they all have cretins like the one before?” That second question made the white-helmeted Space Marines turn their gazes to her, feeling offended.
“It’s believed there are over a thousand Chapters, but I don’t know the exact number,” the sergeant replied. “But I have no knowledge of the character of the Space Marines there. Though I must ask that you mind your tone in this place. Although you are with the Scion of the Phoenix, our brothers are just waiting for an excuse to eradicate you,” he warned Priere.
“You heard him! Keep your tempers down,” Rena said to the most troublesome members of the group.
Kairi remained silent throughout the conversation until she decided to speak.
“How is it possible that there are people associated with the Order of the Phoenix? I thought it had been exterminated,” Kairi asked.
“You’d better ask the Voice of the Phoenix when we arrive,” the sergeant replied.
After walking through the long corridors, the group reached what looked like an elevator, large enough to fit everyone in. But before they could board, a tall man with countless mechanical implants, dressed in a red robe and carrying a robotic staff, approached the group. Especially Eve.
“What a strange creature,” the cyborg said in a robotic voice, observing Eve. “A purely robotic creature with a human appearance. I’ll need to examine it, if you don’t mind,” the cyborg told the Space Marines.
But before anything could be done, Eve slapped him so hard that he spun around several times before falling to the ground, a hand on his cheek. Some of the Space Marines and men nearby stifled laughter at what had happened.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” the sergeant said, before heading for the elevator, followed by the others.
The group entered the elevator, and when the sergeant touched a few buttons, it began to rise.
“Who was that cretin?” Eve asked.
“He’s a Tech-Priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus,” the sergeant replied. “Don't take this the wrong way. Their obsession with technology surpasses even their own intellect. Something I feel sorry for them for, by the way. Obsessed with finding lost technology, but incapable of inventing or simply improving it.”
“What tech-priests these people are,” Makoto said.
As the elevator stopped, the group prepared to exit the elevator, just as what looked like a skull with robotic implants flew past them. Not only that, but what looked like a cherub with robotic implants flew past them, passing through the elevator shaft. The mere sight of both of them made Edea jump into Makoto's arms in terror, while Makoto grabbed her in equal terror.
“Please ignore the servo-skulls and cherubs,” the sergeant said as he walked.
“Hard not to ignore them,” Edea said, hugging Makoto tightly, both of them frowning.
After that incident, the group arrived at what appeared to be the ship’s command bridge, which was truly colossal, with a huge holoprojector surrounded by several people. Kairi also noticed some statues, which were enormous representations of the Phoenix, as well as another important-looking figure she didn’t recognize. This figure didn’t notice that she had caught the attention of one of them, who looked at her with some suspicion.
“Voice of the Phoenix,” the sergeant said, addressing a Space Marine whose face was uncovered, revealing his advanced age, carrying a huge staff in his hand as he turned to him. “I have brought the Scion of the Phoenix and her companions.”
The man the Voice of the Phoenix called turned his gaze to Kairi, who was still in active Esper form. And when the sergeant mentioned Kairi, everyone else, at least the Space Marines present and a few people in brown robes, turned to look at her.
For a long moment, there was only silence, which made Kairi and the others uncomfortable, until the Voice of the Phoenix struck the ground with the staff she was holding.
"Long live the Scion of the Phoenix!" the Voice of the Phoenix exclaimed, kneeling on one leg. At the same time, the rest of the Space Marines did the same, directing their gestures toward Kairi.
"Okay," Airy commented, looking around. "So what do we do now? I didn't expect this."
Kairi stared for a moment at the people who had knelt before her, until she suddenly abandoned her Esper Form and returned to her normal appearance, catching her breath from the magic consumed to maintain that appearance, resting her hands on her knees.
"Please. Just call me Kairi, that's enough for me," Kairi requested, looking at the Voice of the Phoenix, who stood up on his two feet like the others.
"If you wish, Kairi," she answered without hesitation at Kairi's request.
"Forgive me for interrupting, but who are you?" Rena asked.
"I am Tamiel Sedreo, the Voice of the Phoenix. Although in common terms, you would be known as the Chapter Master," Tamiel replied.
"Hello, I am Edea Lee," Edea began. “Question, may I ask what's going on here? Wasn't the Order of the Phoenix supposed to have been massacred over a decade ago? Where did you come from now?”
Tamiel crossed his arms. “That's a more than reasonable question, miss. And I'm willing to answer in a way you can understand.”
“Okay, I'm all ears,” Makoto said.
Tamiel turned her gaze to the holoprojector. “It was a long time ago. The Order of the Phoenix existed solely to pray to and worship the Phoenix and its power, for as you may know, it represents reincarnation and rebirth. I don't know when it was, but some people began to raise their voices about using and channeling the power of the Phoenix to help others, even though it was not supposed to be done according to the teachings, since the only one with that right was the High Priestess.”
“Okay, some wanted to worship the Phoenix alone, while others wanted to use its power for others. So what?” Airy asked.
“There came a time when those voices came from half the Order. But no one wanted to pit brother against brother, so the decision was made that those who advocated using the power of the Phoenix would leave the world and move to another where they could process their dogma, while using its power for others.” Tamiel continued to explain.
“The Order split to avoid a civil war. I think it was for the best,” Rena said, crossing her arms.
“And all this?” Edea asked, gesturing around her. “I highly doubt all this is solely the work of your branch of the Order. In fact, I highly doubt it has anything to do with the Order itself.” Edea pointed to one of the statues they were unfamiliar with, the one that seemed the most important.
“Well seen.” Tamiel nodded. “Let's just say that several millennia after we separated, these people found us, and after seeing the magnitude of the Phoenix's power and the good it could bring, they enlisted our side of the Order into the Imperium of Man. They would allow us to maintain our Order in exchange for a maximum of a thousand of our people fighting in their wars.”
Tamiel sighed. “It wasn't until over a decade ago that we discovered that the Fallen massacred our brothers in the original Order. Our honor was tarnished by our failure to protect them.”
Then the Voice of the Phoenix turned its gaze to Kairi. “That's why, as soon as we discovered the existence of the prophecy that triggered the massacre, and upon learning that a member of the Order had survived, we swore that we would do whatever it took to see the prophecy fulfilled.” He looked up. “When the Dark Lord expands his influence over all worlds, darkness will fall. But if a member of the Order of the Phoenix stood against him, his end would come.” She looked back at Kairi. “And now that hour draws near.”
“Okay, understood, but…” Priere interrupted. “Aren’t you supposed to be part of the Order of the Phoenix as well? Shouldn’t you handle the matter yourselves?”
“When the Order split, our side remained a secondary branch, with the Order where Kairi was born being the main one,” Tamiel replied. “Believe it or not, the prophecy referred to the main branch, not the one that split off.”
Kairi was thoughtful about everything she had learned. She was surprised that not all of the Order of the Phoenix had been extinguished that day. And now these people were intent on helping her in her mission.
“Let me get this straight.” A voice spoke, causing everyone to turn. It was that of a very elderly man wearing bluish technological armor. "Is this the person for whom you have mobilized an entire Space Marine Chapter for a certain honor?" The man cast a deep gaze over Kairi, as if trying to see into her soul. "If I must be honest, this 'Scion' of the Phoenix does not strike me as astonishing or important as she appears."
“And who is the grumpy gentleman?” Edea asked.
“I am Inquisitor Merek, of the Ordo Astartes.” Merek crossed his arms as he answered.
“Excuse me, Ordo Astartes?” Airy asked.
“I’m here to make sure this Chapter doesn’t do anything stupid that could harm the Imperium of Man in the long run,” the man replied. “After all, no one takes their entire Adeptus Astartes Chapter to the other side of the cosmos for reasons beyond the Imperium’s control.”
“You’re kidding, aren’t you?” Edea asked.
“Having the Inquisitor here was the condition imposed on us for carrying out this mission,” Tamiel replied.
“And honestly, this mission seems like a complete waste of time and resources. I still don’t understand what we’re doing here,” Merek said with distaste in his voice.
“Don’t you understand?” Makoto asked. “Don't you know what happened to the Order of the Phoenix? Don't you know that everyone there died? Kairi's the only one who survived all that!”
“So?” Merek asked coldly.
“So?! Not only have we had the Fallen pestering us from all sides trying to exterminate her, but we've also had to search for, and fight to obtain, the only items that would allow us to reach the world of the Fallen and put an end to this whole hunt!” Makoto explained.
“So?” Merek repeated just as coldly. Apparently, he's not the least bit interested in everything Kairi had been through.
“Oh, enough already! We don't have time for this! I'll slap this idiot to the hospital right now!” Priere exclaimed, preparing to hit Merek, but Rena and Makoto stopped her before she could, despite the squirrel girl's support of the idea.
“If you try, I assure you the consequences for you and everyone present will be devastating, demon,” Merek threatened, still cool.
“Unfortunately, the Inquisition possesses absolute power,” Tamiel warned the girls. “They could easily endanger your worlds with a single order.”
“Oh, that’s enough!” Airy exclaimed. “Does anyone vote to send this arrogant, heartless jerk off the ship through the garbage compartment?”
“Excuse me?” Merek asked, raising an eyebrow at what Airy called him.
“I don't think that's possible,” Eve said. “Perhaps they have unlimited power in their world. But right now they're not in their world. In fact, we're not in any world in particular, so, practically speaking, it's outside their jurisdiction. Therefore, their threats at this point are completely empty.”
The sergeant crossed his arms thoughtfully. “Honestly, that makes sense.”
“Excuse me, but have you forgotten I'm here right now?” Merek asked. “And the first one who tries to throw me out will get a bullet in the head!”
“Can we just leave it? There's something I need to know,” Nina interrupted. “How did you even know we were coming here?”
“We were informed by a former Vindicare assassin turned mercenary that the Scion of the Phoenix, I mean, Kairi, was alive and seeking the fragments to access the world of the Fallen,” Tamiel replied.
“Vindicare?!” Rena exclaimed.
“You know him?” the Chapter Master asked in surprise.
“Yes, we had a disagreement with that mercenary,” Edea said. “I'm still surprised someone like that was hired by those two buffoons.”
“Well, I'm actually affordable despite being expensive.”
The group turned to the side of the room, some groaning at the sight of Vindicare, the assassin they encountered in Agrabah, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.
“This is a joke, isn't it?” Rena asked. “Do you want a rematch?”
“I'm currently working for these gentlemen, but if you're so eager for me to put you in your place…” Vindicare said arrogantly. “Besides, you only won because the squirrel girl helped you.”
“Can we focus, please?” Kairi asked, interrupting the discussion.
The assassin simply shrugged.
“I assume that's the reason you're here, right?” Kairi asked the Chapter Master.
“Indeed,” Tamiel replied. “We originally planned to protect the location of the seal if what we knew was true. Unfortunately, we're now experiencing some complications.”
The Voice of the Phoenix directed its gaze to the outside of the ship, causing Kairi and the others to turn their gaze there, observing the enormous fleet in front of them.
“The Fallen Fleet?” Makoto asked.
“That's right. As soon as we arrived in the sector, we found this entire fleet. It was as if they were waiting for us,” Tamiel said.
“They weren't expecting you,” Eve said, causing them to turn their gaze toward her. “That fleet was meant for us.”
Edea looked back at the enemy fleet for a moment. “Wait a minute. Are you implying that if we had gotten here sooner, we would have met this entire fleet head-on?”
“That's right,” Eve said. “The Gummi Ship, despite all the upgrades I could make, isn't capable of taking on the entire fleet.”
Makoto looked at the fleet. “So we're looking at the Fallen's last line of defense against us. Things can't get any worse.”
“We've been trying to break through their lines ever since we arrived,” Tamiel said before pointing at the enormous ship in front of them. “But their flagship is the main problem. Even if we destroy one of the smaller ships, that monstrosity seems to be able to create more ships out of thin air.”
“If you can even call that ship a ship,” Eve said.
“We're still debating how to take down that ship, but we've barely come up with a firm solution,” Tamiel said.
“I still don't understand why they're going to such lengths to prevent someone like this girl from passing through,” Melek said, arms crossed. “It's not like it's that important to them.”
“That's because both Kairi and the leader of the Fallen are connected by fate,” Airy said. “According to a prophecy, Dracula will unleash a wave of darkness that will cover the worlds in shadow, but if a member of the Order of the Phoenix stands in his way, he'll be the one who ends up shorn.”
“So, it's a case of 'either I kill you or you kill me,' right?” Melek asked.
“You could sum it up like that,” Edea said.
As they spoke, a servo-skull began scanning Kairi, who was surprised.
“Hey! Leave me alone!” Kairi exclaimed to the servo-skull as she was scanned.
At that moment, the servo-skull's light turned green and began to float near the group, catching everyone's attention. At that moment, the servo-skull began to display a hologram before them.
It showed one of Master Brain's robotic armors.
"Master Brain?!" Kairi exclaimed upon seeing the hologram.
Everyone was surprised to see the enemy hologram on the bridge.
"Has he taken control of a servo-skull?" Tamiel asked.
Master Brain crossed his arms, looking at Kairi. "Well, well. So you've finally come. I was planning on throwing you a little welcome party when you arrived. But these deviants had nothing else to do but come and annoy us."
Kairi frowned at the hologram.
“Well, now I know where you are right now, little one. That will make it much easier for me to deal with you,” Master Brain said. “And don’t think about escaping. Right now, you’re on the border of where the Fallen world used to be, and we’ve blocked all the routes. There’s no way you can get past our blockade.”
“Wherever it is, you won’t get away with it!” Kairi exclaimed.
Master Brain laughed for a moment. “We shall see about that.”
“Don’t think it will be that easy, abomination,” Tamiel said, making Master Brain look at him. “You stand before one of humanity’s bastions against terror. And we owe Kairi a debt of honor. If you want her, you’ll have to go through us!”
“Ah, yes, the famous Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, those who are said to know no fear,” Master Brain said.
“And therefore your Fallen won't be able to use us to find out what we fear and use it against us,” Tamiel said. “So I'll only tell you once. Withdraw your forces and clear the way.”
“You're truly stupid if you think you can just order me around like that,” Master Brain said. “Maybe you can't be afraid. But there's something very interesting I've learned about fear. Fear can come from anywhere.”
Without warning, Tamiel grabbed his pistol and fired at the servo-skull, destroying it instantly and shutting down the hologram as the remains of the servo-skull fell to the floor.
“Sir! We're receiving signals from the enemy flagship!” one of the bridge operators exclaimed.
Everyone turned their gaze to the enormous ship outside, watching as the large crystal began to glow, just before several spheres of light emerged from it and flew toward the barge, crashing into it.
“Damage report!” Tamiel ordered.
“It doesn't appear we've received any damage to the ship's hull!” the operator reported.
“Those weren't gunfire,” Eve said. “Those were summons.”
“Are you sure about that?” Melek asked.
“Sir! We're detecting hostile signals inside the Burning Wing!” the operator exclaimed. “Four signals in total!”
Melek looked at Tamiel. “We must expel the intruders before the damage they cause becomes irreparable!”
“Where are the locations where the attacks are taking place?” Tamiel asked.
“In the armory section, in the airlock boarding area, in the vehicle bay, and the reactor core,” the operator reported.
“Damn it. Send all available personnel from the First and Second Companies to protect those points!” Tamiel ordered.
The operators began sounding the alarm and informing all personnel on the ship to protect the points attacked by the Fallen.
"Girls, we must do something, and fast!" Kairi exclaimed.
"Yeah, but except for where we got here, we have no idea where anything is," Makoto said. "Besides, I doubt they'll allow Eve to take a map off their ship right now."
"What do you plan to do?" the Chapter Master asked the group.
"We must stop the Fallen, so you'll need all the help you can get," Kairi said. "And I'm not going to take no for an answer. They've invaded the ship because of us."
"That's true," Melek said, frowning.
Some of the girls kept their comments to themselves because of the Inquisitor's tone. Tamiel thought for a moment before addressing the sergeant.
“Sergeant Rubun, I want you to escort Kairi and her companions to the hotspots. Arrive as quickly as possible,” Tamiel ordered the sergeant.
“It shall be, Lord Tamiel,” the sergeant said before moving, gesturing with his hand for Kairi and the others to follow him, which they did without hesitation, amidst the inquisitor’s confused gaze, who didn’t understand why they should help.
At one point, the elevator stopped on the previous floor, and the group began to follow the sergeant, trying to keep up with the Space Marine's accelerated pace. It didn't take long for them to see some crew members running in the opposite direction they were heading, indicating they were getting closer. This assertion began to be confirmed when they began to hear gunfire as they approached the docked location of the Gummi Ship.
As soon as they arrived, they saw several Space Marines engaging a wave of Redheads bearing down on them, accompanied by Giant Bats hovering above them and Lickers walking on the walls. The Space Marines in question were trying to contain their numbers with their ranged weapons.
"Okay, this isn't good," Edea said, seeing the tide of Fallen trying to approach.
“Focus. Master Brain clearly wouldn't risk sending four attacks so widely scattered among them. We must locate the Chieftain who might be commanding them here,” Kairi said, looking among the Fallen.
At that moment, they began to hear heavy footsteps approaching through the Fallen, until they glimpsed a huge figure running among them.
“Look out!” one of the Space Marines exclaimed before being pushed aside by the figure that dashed past.
The huge figure stopped in front of the girls. It wore armor similar to that of the Space Marines, but it was completely dark, armed with a sword and a pistol, and the helmet's mask was more like a vertical metal mouth (Nightmare Marine).
“Okay, we've found the Chieftain there,” Rena said, readying her bow.
The sergeant readied his weapon before addressing the Space Marines. “You hold off the horde! This one's ours!” He said before pointing his weapon at the enemy.
The Nightmare Marine roared with almost psychotic rage at the group before pointing his pistol at them and starting to fire fireballs from it, forcing them to move apart to avoid the projectiles.
"Okay, that's not ordinary ammunition," the sergeant said before starting to fire his weapon at the Chieftain, whose armor seemed to withstand the latter's shots.
"Don't be squeamish now, okay?" Rena asked before starting to fire her arrows at the Fallen, trying to cause some damage.
The Nightmare Marine continued firing his pistol at the group until a loud thunderclap struck him, causing him to flinch from the attack.
"Very good!" Makoto exclaimed to Nina, who cast the spell.
Priere quickly launched herself at the Warlord and began slashing at him all over his armor with her baton, but he attempted to attack her with his sword, forcing her to block it with her baton and feeling the full force of her enemy's attack. Makoto used this opportunity to attack him by surprise, striking him in the head, knocking him out of position and allowing Priere to strike again, just before they both stepped back to avoid the Nightmare Marine's sword attacks.
Edea took over as a black mage and began bombarding the Fallen with Firaga and Thundaga spells, supporting Nina with her magic, while Eve used every Nasod weapon she could use without damaging the ship's stability, but still causing some damage to the Nightmare Marine.
"Any idea how to deal with that?" Airy asked, avoiding a shot from the Fallen.
The Nightmare Marine launched himself at the group, raising his sword, but the sergeant stepped in his way and blocked his attack with a chainsword of some kind, meeting the blow with his weapon, earning a roar in the face from the Fallen.
"Your very existence dishonors us Space Marines," the sergeant said, meeting the attack.
The sergeant pushed the Fallen back, causing him to flinch, losing his guard. Without warning, Kairi, using Shiva Form, leaped from behind the sergeant and landed on top of the Fallen with her feet on his shoulders, slamming her Keyblade into his metal mouth. In a flash, the Keyblade was covered in ice, piercing through the helmet on the other side.
"Ew." Edea winced at the sight. "That can't be good."
Kairi leaped off the Fallen before it vanished, freeing the heart and souls within it. Kairi undid the ice on her Keyblade as the sergeant approached her.
"I see you've encountered Lady Shiva," the sergeant said, observing Kairi's changed appearance.
"Now, not counting the Chocobo Form, Shiva was the first Eidolon I've ever met. A bit cold, if you ask me," Kairi commented. “Though the others were quite unique.”
“Forgive me, but we still have things to do,” Makoto said.
“Don’t worry, without their leader, this will be over quickly,” the sergeant said.
As he said, the Space Marines containing the Fallen didn’t take long to clear the corridor, for without their leader, the Dark Horde descended into complete chaos, making them easy targets for the more disciplined Space Marines.
“This is Sergeant Rubun. Enemies purged in the airlock corridor,” the sergeant said as if speaking to someone else, leaving the group confused.
“Perfect, I just received a report that the attack on the armory area has been thwarted,” the sergeant heard from the Chapter Master. “Now we only have two locations left to clear of daemon scum.”
“I suggest you send the available units near the armory to the reactor core. I'll take the available troops here to the vehicle bay,” the sergeant said.
“Good thinking. Do what you can, but don't cause any more damage. We might need the vehicles later,” Tamiel reported.
The sergeant nodded and looked at the group. “Another hotspot has been cleared, now we must head to the vehicle bay as soon as possible.”
Makoto looked at Eve in confusion until she responded. “It must be a communication system they use.”
The sergeant turned his gaze to the Space Marines present. “Let's go!”
The group began to move, following the sergeant and the Space Marines in front of them.
“Why are we going there, and not somewhere else?” Airy asked as she flew on her wings.
“Believe me, you're not prepared to survive in the reactor zone.” The sergeant replied. The girls simply shrugged at the response.
After a long run, the group reached what looked like a large room filled with vehicles of all kinds, from what looked like motorcycles to tanks and other armored vehicles.
"And this place?" Makoto asked. "There are more vehicles here than at a dealership!"
"It's where we keep all our combat vehicles," the sergeant replied. "If something happens to these vehicles, our military capacity of at least two companies would be affected. Let's find the problem as soon as possible."
It didn't take long for them to encounter problems, as they began to hear gunfire from the scene, along with the sounds of moving vehicles. Just then, they saw several Space Marines fly backward, then a huge heavy tank sped past, with strange creatures protruding from the tank's hatches.
"Gretchins in a Predator?" The sergeant asked in confusion.
"Gremlins!" Kairi exclaimed.
"We have to stop that thing and get them out of there!" Edea exclaimed. "The question is, how?"
Rena looked at the other Space Marines approaching. “Hey! Make yourself useful and make sure there are no more of those creatures on the loose! Those things love to mess with machines!”
“You heard her, start searching! Don’t let them steal another vehicle!” the sergeant ordered. “We’ll take care of that.”
The Gremlin-controlled Predator kept moving wildly around the vehicle bay with barely any control, firing its weapons without even aiming, forcing everyone to take cover wherever they could.
“Let’s see, does anyone know how to get close to that thing without getting run over or riddled with bullets?” Edea asked after several vehicles were resisting the fire.
“At least they don’t know how to make it go at full speed; it barely reaches 6 miles per hour,” the sergeant said.
“Yes, that's right, Sergeant. Some people have already complained about the speed of that Predator. Maybe the Machine Spirit in the engine isn't where it should be,” said one of the Space Marines standing there.
“Machine Spirit, you can't be serious.” Eve frowned.
“Well, at least it's not going fast. Any ideas?” Nina asked, ducking to avoid a stray shot from the tank.
“I could try to stop it in its tracks, though I'm sure it'll be difficult,” Priere said.
Kairi watched the tank go by. “That's a good idea, Priere. I'll help you,” she said, coming out of hiding.
“Are you serious?” Airy asked.
“Hey, that’s dangerous!” the sergeant exclaimed.
At that moment, Kairi summoned her Titan Form as Priere approached her side, just as the Predator tank began to spin.
“What’s that?” Sergeant Rubun asked, seeing Kairi.
“Oh, that’s it? That’s Kairi’s Titan form. Believe me, when she uses it, she becomes a true beast of physical strength,” Edea said. “She smashed a steel door with one blow. Maybe the two of them can stop it.”
After a moment of thought, the sergeant left his cover and stood between the two girls, putting away his weapons, as the tank advanced toward them, firing randomly, hitting nothing.
“Okay, on three,” Kairi said, watching the Predator approach, until they were almost upon it. “Three!”
Kairi slammed her Keyblade forward, Priere did the same with her baton, and the sergeant attacked with a forward kick, all three impacting the front of the tank. The force of the three's blow not only stopped the tank in its tracks, but for a moment, the rear of the Predator lifted slightly, sending some of the Gremlins not inside the tank flying into the air before it came to a crashing landing on the ground.
The other girls quickly took charge of destroying the Fallen that fell to the ground, while the sergeant grabbed a grenade, until Airy intervened.
"Leave this to me, soldier," the fairy said, before using her magic to send a massive fireball into the Predator, causing an explosion inside. "There shouldn't be anything alive in there by now."
It wasn't visible through the helmet, but it was clear the sergeant was frowning as he looked at Airy. “I just hope the interior wasn't seriously damaged by that explosion.”
“Well, hopefully the rest have already sorted out the problems at the last location, haven't they?” Edea asked.
“There might still be more Fallen around here,” Nina said.
“And where, precisely? This place is huge!” Edea asked.
“Hopefully, our marines-”
The sergeant was interrupted when the ship began to shake, causing everyone to nearly lose their balance.
“Has anyone else noticed?” Kairi asked.
“I don't like this at all,” Edea said.
The sergeant stepped to the side. “Lord Tamiel, what happened?” he asked through vox.
“We just received a direct enemy attack! And if things couldn't get any worse, we've detected enemy activity in the landing bays! We're ordering available forces to go there as soon as possible! It also appears the bulk of the attack is on the main bay,” the Chapter Master reported.
“We'll go there immediately!” the sergeant said before addressing the girls. “Come on, let's go!”
“Where this time?” Makoto asked as they all began to run after the sergeant.
“To the main landing bay. The enemy has launched another attack there,” the sergeant reported.
“And what's so special about that location compared to the rest of the ship?” Rena asked.
“This ship is a battle barge, and unlike other ships, battle barges were designed to carry out planetary invasions as close support and troop transports, dispatching as many units as necessary from the landing bays.” The sergeant explained.
“So if those places were completely destroyed…” Eve commented.
“This battle barge would be largely useless in its tactical deployment capacity!” the sergeant reported. “In short, our ship would be nothing more than a gunboat or a command ship.”
“Yes, a gunboat several kilometers long,” Airy said.
“And it seems the main hangar is taking the most hits,” the sergeant said.
“Well, we'd better avoid further damage. Let’s go!” Kairi exclaimed.
After a long run through the corridors of the battle barge, the group reached the main hangar, where they could see the place was an inferno with flames everywhere and several transport ships destroyed, while several servers and crew members tried to put out the flames wherever they could.
"What's causing all this?" Kairi asked, looking around.
Makoto turned to one of the crew members. "Hey! Have you seen who caused all this?"
The crew member pointed to the central platform of the hangar, which was surrounded by flames. Nodding, Kairi, and the rest of the group jumped onto the platform at the center of the flames. There, the group looked around for any sign of the attacker.
"What a mess," Rena said.
"If the place holds up, it could still be used," the sergeant said.
"I doubt it."
The group turned their gaze to the voice that spoke, and a servo-skull appeared, most likely controlled by Master Brain.
“I can't believe you decided to come all the way here, knowing you couldn't defeat what was here,” Master Brain said through the servo-skull.
“In your dreams,” Kairi said.
“What kind of nightmare have you summoned upon this ship, Master Brain?” Eve asked.
“Oh, a very simple one, but at the same time very special,” Master Brain said, as heavy footsteps began to be heard coming from the flames. “You have no idea the things these people truly fear. But of all of them, there is one in particular.”
The footsteps grew closer until a huge figure appeared in the flames, approaching and emerging from the flames. The group was shocked to see what it was, but the sergeant nearly lost his composure as he took a step back. The figure was a being wearing absurdly ostentatious golden armor and a long cape, holding a large sword in one hand and sharp claws in the other. But what was most striking was the large skull it had for a head, with flames in its eye sockets. (Fake Emperor)
“An irrational fear of their own Emperor of Mankind,” Master Brain said.
“What… what…” The sergeant tried to speak in shock until he came back to his senses. “What kind of heresy is this?! How could you possibly distort the image of the Emperor of Mankind like this?!”
“In my opinion, he’s nothing more than an old glory from the past,” Master Brain said. “But I see him as more than adequate to finish you off once and for all.”
Rena shot an arrow, shattering the servo skull being controlled.
Kairi stared at the Fake Emperor as he stared at them coldly, readying her Keyblade. “Let’s get this over with. This thing is the last wall in our path, and we’re going to get through here, even if we have to break through that wall ourselves.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Edea said, activating her Huntress role and preparing her own bow.
“The only advantage we have is that the Fallen are fairly foolish when they take on dangerous aspects,” Airy said, looking at the sergeant. “Let’s take advantage of it while it lasts.”
“Fine, let’s get this over with,” the sergeant said before starting to fire his weapon at the Fake Emperor’s body.
The immense Fallen seemed unfazed by the weapon's fire and simply raised his free hand, casting a spell that was initially indicated by small circles of fire on the ground beneath the group.
"Move!" Kairi exclaimed, starting to run to the side.
Everyone began to move to avoid the fire circles that immediately turned into enormous pillars of fire that could have charred them on the spot. And while they moved to evade the onslaught, Nina and Airy used their magic to attack the False Emperor.
After stopping his spell, the Fallen raised his sword with both hands, spinning it toward Kairi and Rena, who were standing together at the time. The Fake Emperor performed a vertical slash that not only struck the ground but also created a curtain of flames in their direction, forcing both of them to jump to different sides to avoid the attack. Taking advantage of the fact that he was looking the other way, Edea began shooting special anti-undead arrows, hoping to cause significant damage to the Fallen due to his undead appearance, supported by the sergeant and the shots from his weapon.
The Fake Emperor quickly made another move, this time extending his hand toward the center of the platform, creating a small attraction field that slowly pulled the group toward it.
"Great! As if we were magnets!" Makoto exclaimed.
"I don't think that's the problem," Eve said.
At the same time that the attraction field drew them toward the center, several electric fields with bolts began to appear, forcing everyone to move and avoid the falling thunder as they were attracted by the spell. Makoto and Priere, meanwhile, gathered their strength to move away from the attraction field and reach the Fallen, beginning to hit him as best they could with the weapons they had. Eve also managed to nullify the attraction field around her and, flying close to him, began firing at the Fake Emperor with every weapon she could muster.
Both the attraction field and the falling thunders quickly disappeared, with the Fallen now focusing on those closest to her and beginning to launch wide slashes with his sword, forcing the three to avoid the slashes and move away from him. This moment was seized by the rest of the group, who could attack from a distance, whether with magic or ranged weapons. Even Kairi began casting Firaga and Thundaga spells at the Fallen while covering Eve, Priere, and Makoto's retreat.
"Seriously, this thing is tough," Nina said, casting her best spells. "Obviously, it must have a weak spot."
"Yeah, because otherwise we're in deep trouble," Edea said as she fired arrows.
The False Emperor flipped his sword around, holding it in a reverse grip before impaling it into the ground, coating the blade in dark energy. He then began firing pulses of dark energy across the ground, forcing everyone to jump over the energy pulses. Fortunately, Eve, Nina, Priere, and Airy could fly above the energy pulses, allowing them to attack the Fallen with whatever they had at their disposal.
Kairi decided to get serious at that moment, turning into her Esper form and flying toward the Fallen One, starting to hit him with all her might with the Keyblade, supported by Priere's heavy attacks. However, they eventually had to retreat when the False Emperor stabbed the ground and began repeatedly slashing around him to get rid of them both.
"This doesn't seem to be working!" Edea exclaimed as she fired her arrows.
"Keep going! He can't hold out forever!" Kairi exclaimed, backing away from the Fallen's slashes.
When the Fake Emperor stopped his attacks, he raised his hand, casting his magic, summoning the rings of fire on the ground once more.
"Here we go again!" Rena exclaimed, starting to run to avoid the pillars of fire that followed.
The group also began to move to avoid the pillars of fire, taking advantage of any time they could get between dodges to attack the Fallen One while the attack was going on. After finishing his attack, the False Emperor grabbed his sword with both hands, launching a fiery slash in another direction, forcing those in that direction to dodge. Unfortunately, the sergeant was hit hard by the attack, sending him flying backward and landing heavily on the ground, his armor on fire.
"Sergeant!" Edea exclaimed, running over to him and standing beside him. "Are you okay? Ouch, hot!" she asked worriedly, complaining about how hot the armor was.
"Yes. I've survived worse blows. The flames will die down," the sergeant said with pain in his voice as he tried to get up, hitting the flames covering his armor to put them out. "But I felt that."
"All right, let's get this over with!" Kairi said, beginning to hover over the Fallen while preparing the most powerful attack she could use, holding her Keyblade in both hands.
Even before the Fake Emperor could launch his next attack, Kairi pointed her Keyblade at him, firing a massive phoenix-shaped fireball that slammed into the Fallen, causing a powerful explosion that exploded in a fiery wave that covered the entire landing bay.
When those flames reached the sergeant, he noticed how the wounds sustained from the Fallen's attack healed as if they had never been suffered, even the flames covering his body instantly extinguished. "This power..." the sergeant commented, looking at his hand.
His attention quickly shifted to the Fake Emperor as he began to stagger after receiving Kairi's brutal attack, falling face first onto the ground, at which point the ground began to glow before exploding, vanishing all traces of the Fallen.
Kairi landed on the ground, breathing heavily, while the rest of the girls approached her to check on her, while she didn't respond a word. The sergeant got up from the ground, looking around as the flames began to disappear, revealing only the destruction wrought throughout the landing bay.
"Lord Tamiel. Mission accomplished. Attacker eliminated. Landing bay secured," the sergeant said through vox.
“As Chapter Master, I must deeply thank you for the help you have given us in this delicate situation. I do not know what would have happened if not for your support.”
Tamiel spoke to Kairi and the girls on the command bridge, while several Space Marines stood at attention around them.
“It was nothing, Lord Tamiel. We only did what was right given the situation,” Kairi said.
“And that is an understatement. Not only you, but also your companions have shown a worth worthy of those who face terror,” the Chapter Master said.
“Well, if you say so,” Edea said with a simpering grin.
“If I may add something.” The Inquisitor began to speak. “I had my doubts about you, and about this whole Phoenix story, but given what happened today, I believe many of those doubts have been satisfactorily resolved.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Kairi said.
“Still, it must be added that this is not over.” The Inquisitor said, directing his gaze outside, more specifically at the battleship in front of them. “That thing is still in front of us. And if we don't do something, they'll swarm us again.”
“That's true,” Kairi said. “And we can't stay here forever. We have to get through this blockade somehow.”
Eve generated holographic screens and looked at some data she had apparently just received. “I think I may have the solution.”
Everyone looked at Eve in confusion as she looked at the received data.
“When we arrived here earlier, I wirelessly connected to the ship's systems. By the way, I might add that it's the most inefficient computer system I've ever seen. I'm surprised Master Brain didn't hack into your systems,” Eve commented, and the technicians and priests didn't know how to take that comment.
“Back on topic, I had them run a full scan of the ship and send me the data for further analysis,” Eve said.
“We've done that before, and we barely discovered anything,” Tamiel said.
“But not long ago, we discovered something without knowing it,” Eve said. “Remember how we were invaded? Where did the Fallen come from in the first place?”
Makoto looked at the ship, more specifically at the crystal it held. “That crystal.”
“Correct. With this new data, I've been able to determine that crystal is a vital part of that battleship. If we break it, we could cause a chain reaction that could destroy the entire ship,” Eve concluded.
“But we fired at it with everything we have, and we didn't do anything to that thing!” the Inquisitor exclaimed.
“And have you tried physical munitions like missiles?” Makoto asked.
“Yes, they all hit and had no effect on it,” the Chapter Master said.
“And let me guess, did any of them hit the crystal by chance?” Rena asked.
Everyone remained silent until the sergeant spoke. “No, all the projectiles aimed at it were shot down mid-course.”
Makoto snapped her fingers. “That’s the weak point!”
“Even if it is, how will that help us?” Kairi asked.
“Perhaps hitting it with something more durable that can reach it…” Priere suggested.
“Are you suggesting ramming one of our ships into that?” Tamriel asked.
“Oh, no! Not at all!” the inquisitor exclaimed. “We’re not sacrificing a battle barge just for the sake of theory!”
“It doesn’t have to be a ship like this. One of the small escort vessels will suffice,” Airy said.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Eve said. “Currently, both fleets are in a timeout, with no advantage over the other. If we sacrifice one of these ships and the mission fails, this fleet would be at a disadvantage.”
“So what do we do?” Rena asked.
Eve was silent for a moment. “The only idea I can think of right now would be to use our gummi ship as a battering ram against the target.”
The girls were stunned by Eve’s suggestion until Edea began to speak hurriedly.
“Hey, wait a minute! Are you serious?!” Edea asked. “Are we seriously going to think about sacrificing our only form of transportation to cross? Are we crazy or something?!”
“I don't really like the idea. But given the situation, it might be the only possible solution,” Nina said, crossing her arms.
“Yeah, but what about us? How are we going to travel if we wreck the ship?” Edea asked.
“That's not a problem,” Kairi said, turning to the others. “We still have a way to go.”
The gummi ship undocked from the battle barge and, against all logic, began advancing through the middle of the allied fleet. It didn't take long for the ship to get in front of the Fallen's main battleship, while the entire enemy fleet stood guard without firing.
Soon, the gummi ship received a transmission from the battleship, from Master Brain. "Well, well, this is a real surprise. I didn't expect you to come straight at us. I don't know whether to think this is a brave move or a stupid one."
"You can take this maneuver however you want," Kairi replied. "No matter what you try, we're going to continue on our way."
"I don't know what you're really up to, but right now our fleet is ready to take down your ship. You won't get past this point," Master Brain said.
"Well, if you want our ship so badly, you can have it," Kairi said. Before Master Brain could ask in confusion what she meant, she broke the communication and looked at Eve at her side. "Now!"
Eve manipulated the controls of the original gummi ship, and it left the ship's docking bay, just as the large gummi ship flew at full speed toward the battleship. Sensing danger, the enemy fleet began firing at the rapidly approaching gummi ship, even though its shields protected it from harm.
Kairi smiled when she saw the ruse was working. Everyone was inside the gummi ship Kairi had started her journey with, despite the cramped space for eight people, while the enormous gummi ship Eve initially built headed on a collision course with the enemy battleship.
Unable to stop it, the gummi ship crashed into the battleship's large glass window. The direct impact caused the gummi ship to begin disintegrating into metal fragments and gummi blocks in the explosion, but at the same time, the glass began to crack across its surface. As suspected, this started a chain reaction that caused the battleship to explode from its entire exterior, eventually suffering violent explosions from within, all while Master Brain swore that they would pay for this.
“What a shame… with all the clothes I've bought so far,” Edea said, looking sadly at the explosion.
“Yeah, I had just arranged my cabin the way I liked it,” Airy said, crossing her arms.
“Well, the only thing I was able to save was my study journal,” Nina said.
“I know we all lost something, but remember, it was for the greater good,” Rena said.
“I still can't believe it worked,” Makoto said, surprised.
“Well, it's better this way. Who knows what would have happened if it hadn't worked,” Priere said.
“But it did work, so don't think about what could have gone wrong,” Eve said.
“She's right. Come on, we can only move forward now,” Kairi said.
Eve nodded and piloted the gummi ship, taking advantage of the chaos of the explosion to cross the Fallen blockade.
At the same time, everyone was celebrating and raising their fists from the bridge of the battle barge as the enemy battleship crumbled with each explosion.
“I must admit, this has worked better than I expected,” said the Inquisitor. “Perhaps that group does deserve all the respect, Lord Tamiel.”
Tamiel simply watched the explosion until he raised his arm.
“Listen to me, everyone!” called the Chapter Master, causing everyone to turn their gaze to him. “The enemy flagship may have fallen, and the Scion of the Phoenix may have made it across, but the Seers were clear before they departed! We still have a task to perform! And to accomplish it, we must first win this battle! By the flames of the Phoenix!” Tamiel exclaimed, pounding his chest with his fist.
“By the flames of the Phoenix!” Everyone shouted in unison several times. “All fleet! Open fire! Shoot down those infernal ships!” Tamiel ordered, pointing ahead.
With that order, the fleet began firing its weapons at the Fallen fleet, hoping to destroy it as fast as possible.
