“These columns are quite sturdy. Protect me while I cut them down.”

With those words, Tomoe directed herself towards the top of the building. Leaving Bran behind to cover the lower floor entrance, she takes two jellies, cuts a hole in the roof, and goes through it, making her stand over the building, with the entire battle in her sight. Though somehow, in this grim situation, Tomoe doesn’t feel anxious at all, the sound of rain almost replaced by the sound of the battle. Her heart feels light, and a strange feeling of confidence embraces her. Taking the situation seriously, she still felt a little bit like her old self of many years ago.

Some memories of the old days gone by appearing in her mind. That day that changed her life forever, that day was her wish of serving and protecting the innocent from those that try to take advantage of them by force. The face of the old man that she saved, and how grateful their family was that he was still alive.

Yes, how could she have forgotten? What she felt in that moment, the reason why she decided to become a Beheader instead of a Priest. That little girl that certainly didn’t know what she was getting herself into, but for some reason now she doesn’t regret anything from that choice.

What would have been of her if she stayed in the path of Priesthood?

Not that I have the time to muse about that though.

The battle is right now raging right in front of her, and everyone is doing their best. She has no other choice but to do the same if she wants to see everyone that she loves again alive. With the memories of her old Priest cloak flowing against the backdrop of the sunset, she brings herself back to the present.

Jumping over to the buildings to her left, she takes an overview of the battlefield: To her right, the Aquamarines, at the top of the hill, defending against the enemy army. To her left, a large number of soldiers from the enemy army, pushing against the Aquamarines, in what looks like a never-ending stream of soldiers. Something catches her sight: At the end of the stream of soldiers, a circle of bluish banner carriers encircles someone, fully clad in armor, while that someone moves his arms and points towards the Starlight Forest.

Is that the one in charge?

Shaking her head but keeping him in mind, she turns back to the enemy army at her feet. Lacus asked for a distraction while he worked on the columns of the building, and the only thing that occurred to her is what she is about to do: Eating two of the last tree jellies she has, Tomoe creates a large body of water, taking more than half of her Aura in the process. Compacting it enough to the size of a small pond, she makes it float over the stream of soldiers and drops it. The impact and liberation of the forces make it so that the stream of water rises over the building, and covers a large number of enemy soldiers in the process.

Taking a peek to see her work, she sees the body of many soldiers, plastered against the walls of a couple of buildings and all over the street, red starting to come out of their bodies. The other soldiers look up, one point at her, and from a carnival of colors, arrows, spears, fire and electricity comes in Tomoe’s direction, ripping the air.

Jumping backward, and then to the side, Tomoe dodges the first volley of attacks, but the building she’s on takes a lot of them. With the walls crumbling down, the building loses its second floor, while Tomoe jumps back to the building on her right, from where she came from.

Three buildings left between me and the guys.

Taking some of the rocks she took with her to the roof and strengthening her body, she starts throwing the rocks against the electrical tamers of the enemy army. With a sudden burst, each throw hits the enemy tamers, one in the head, two in the chest, one in the stomach, destroying all but one Aura in the process.

The attacks continue to come, and the ceiling of the building caves in, sending her to the third floor proper. Standing up again, Tomoe reinforces herself again, and jumps against the wall of the next building, smashing it and getting herself to the third floor of the next building.

Amid the smoke and dust, the attacks continue on the building before. Seeing this, Tomoe crouches, and taking back the water she just used before, she made a fast-moving circular water blade, with an inclination against the enemy army.

A yell can be heard. Attacks suddenly focused on the building before to the one she is in.

The hole in the wall surely is visible now.

Moving closer to the center of the circular room, attacks start destroying the wall in front of her. Moving the circular water blade faster, she finishes slicing the columns, and compacting the water at the base column in the center, Tomoe rises and throws forward the entire third floor of the building.

The crash comes down with force. Dust raises even over four stories buildings of the abandoned city. The strength of the impact shakes the ground, making Tomoe lose her balance for a brief moment.

“Tomoe, we are done!” These words reach Tomoe ears, and standing up, she reinforces herself once more, and goes through the last building, smashing through its wall, and then smashing two more, getting to the building were Bran and Lacus are, all while carrying the infused water with her.

Facing Bran just as she enters, he takes her by the hand and tells her “To the first floor, fast!”

Just as they reach the first floor, facing the street, Tomoe sees Lacus, kneeling, finished with the columns. Bran leaves Tomoe besides him and goes to the door, eating his last two jellies, and starts firing water to both sides of the enemy army. They were right smack in the middle.

“Wait, what the-” starts Tomoe to say, but Lacus interrupts her, putting a hand on her shoulder and saying “He will gather every one of those bastards in the front, and then, you will help me throw this entire building over them.”

Tomoe’s chest tightened, but she still gave a nod “be careful there Bran!”

Bran just gave the thumbs up

Tomoe then says “Lacus… I’m sorry about before.”

Tomoe can hear a snort, and Lacus saying “I deserved it. I was a coward. I’m… sorry. I didn’t do more when I could’ve.”

At these words, Tomoe felt like a knot in her chest was being undone, a pain now dissipating.

Bran kept firing, but not for long, as he fell back, followed by a volley of attacks directed towards the door, where he was just moments ago. Bran puts himself besides Tomoe, and says “Guess this is a good time to raise a barrier.”

“On it.” Says Tomoe, as the three of them raise a barrier of red, yellow and blue Aura combined, that lights up the entire room as if it were directly exposed to the sun.

Enemy soldiers start appearing in the vicinity of their view. They do signals to the others, in order to get closer, and group together in front of the building, continuing the attack that they stopped moments ago. Hits start clashing with the barrier, chipping away at it in large chunks. As the attacks continue, more and more soldiers start arriving and attacking, or supporting the others in front of them, in order to make their attacks stronger. Parts of the door start to crumble under the pressure. Tomoe sees to her sides: Bran has his eye twitching, Lacus has that known expression of his that he puts when he wants to run away. A smile suddenly bursts on Tomoe’s face, while drops of sweat run down her forehead. Even so, her heart was still oddly at peace, even when the enemy soldiers destroyed the entire front door, and they were exposed to all the attacks.

“Now!” Tomoe hears Bran’s yell, and in an instant, they hit the sliced columns with the water, sending the building forward, and with water still, they lift the building slightly to the front.

It ended in an instant. The force of the impact shook the ground in a way that Tomoe didn’t expect. The pieces of the building that came out flying hit the barrier unexpectedly hard. The dust-covered the entire street on the ground and the sky. Tomoe didn’t need the dust to settle to see that the plan worked: A ring of blood was now surrounding the debris, and splatters were put against the walls of the buildings around.

“Now, we gotta move!” Tomoe says, being followed by Bran and a stumbling Lacus, as she stands up and starts running towards the Aquamarines, taking advantage of the dust to provide cover for them.

Killing any enemy soldier that came to be in front of her, they get to the top of the hill, when, before leaving the cover of the dust, she shouts “Titania! Lorelei! It's Tomoe!”

“Don’t attack!” Tomoe can hear Lorelei yell, followed by “Tomoe, come here fast!”

“I’m with Bran and Lacus!”

“I understand, now come!”

Coming out of the dust, Tomoe runs full speed to get past the defense circle, followed by Lacus and Bran. Tomoe runs directly towards Titania’s arms, and both fall down.

“You get here right in time.” Says Titania, as giggles escape her.

“It is nice to see such pleasantries, but there is almost no time. Tomoe, we are about to cross the Starlight Forest, prepare.” Says Lorelei.

“I figured as much, but hear me for a moment,” says Tomoe, as she starts to stand up, helping Titania to get up “I saw their commander.”

“You mean, Lord Lapis?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, a sudden loud burst of wind came from behind, together with a bright flash of light. The sound of a bunch of debris could be heard, as Tomoe turned to see what happened: The building, the one that she dropped together with Bran and Lacus, that she hoped could also work as some sort of barrier, was there no more. Part of the dust that was in the air either settled or went away with the sudden explosion. In its place, just slight mist-like dust hanged in the building’s place, and the same fully clad armor commander she saw a bit before, right in front of the army.

“It is him.”

“Seriously, these loud bursts can’t be good for the heart.” Lorelei complaints.

“The last Aquamarines are about to enter, get ready.” Oscar comes by. Looking at Tomoe, he adds “good to see you in one piece, Sparky.”

“Oscar, hear me out. Tomoe says that she has a plan to take out their commander.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, master.”

“Think it can take out that Lord Lapis bastard?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Then, let's hear out your plan then, but fast since we have to go.”

A smile is drawn in Tomoe’s face “Thank you. It is rather simple and straightforward. We only need a few Beheaders, and we will be taking advantage of the Starlight Forest. I know how to avoid the danger it poses.”

“That woman… telling you such secret. I wonder what else has she told you?” says Oscar, while he snorts, and puts a hand to his face.

“Bran, Lacus, Master, Lorelei. Please, I need your help. Gather around.”

“Let’s hear it, Sparky, anything that can put us at an advantage is worth considering” Oscar adds.

With a single nod, everyone gathered around Tomoe. Moments later, the last Aquamarines entered the Starlight Forest, and shortly after, all Beheaders followed, with the enemy army still on their toes.