Chapter 009: Blue Moon Down

 

“AH!”

 

Whether it was by reflex or will, Axess turned around and aimed his still-glowing arm at the incoming burning mass.  When he did, it stopped glowing, revealing the arm-mounted cannon form of the Blue Moon.  Immediately after the light disappeared, it let out one shot of energy straight at the fireball.  It was a direct hit, but it was useless

 

‘N-no way...’

 

The fireball was now coming closer and closer, and Axess could feel it also getting hotter and hotter.  He knew he had to move away, but for some reason his body just wouldn’t respond.

 

<SLASH!>

 

Just when it really was too late for Axess to move, the fireball split vertically into two.  Both halves missed Axess, and crashed far behind him.

 

“Who’s there?” a voice from the nowhere called out

 

This time, Axess looked up at the night sky.  Despite the city’s bright lights, there was one star that was visible tonight – at least, he thought it to be so at first.  He soon realized that it was too big and too bright to be a star, though it too was also a burning mass just like a real one.  It seemed to be getting bigger and bigger.  This time, Axess gained control of his body. He started to move away upon judging what it really was, but not without managing to bump into something – or rather, someone.  He caught whomever he bumped into off guard, pushing her back and making her land hard on her butt

 

“OW!!!” screamed a familiar girlish voice “What the heck are you doing?”

 

There was no mistaking those clothes: that black sweater, that orange mini-skirt.  Moreover, the orange hair, the bandages around her body, and the staff in her right hand were a dead giveaway

 

“Marie?” Axess asked in surprise “What are YOU doing here?”

“Can’t you tell, you idiot?” she said irritated, as she slowly got up while caressing her butt which was aching from the fall. 

 

She then faced the incoming mass of fire, and held out her staff in front of it.

 

“That’s Feis!”

 

The incoming object suddenly gained speed – at least, that’s what it seemed to be.  In reality, the flames were separating from the object and were being absorbed into the orb in Marie’s staff.  The object’s true form was revealed: a half-bird humanoid robot, with a set of three talons for each hand and foot.  However, it was still coming straight at Axess.

 

‘Usless!’

 

“KYA!!”

 

All of a sudden, the absorbed flames escaped.  The sudden force knocked Marie backwards once again, making her land on her butt once more

 

“Marie!” Axess shouted

“AH!” she screamed, louder than before, as she caressed her butt once again. “The sealing didn’t work?”

 

The flames returned to the robot, reverting it back to the mass of fire.  It was still coming straight at Axess, not veering off its path.  He felt the temperature steadily and rapidly increase, even though he could also see it coming even with his back turned on it.

 

“LOOK OUT!”  He said, propelling himself towards Marie and pushing her further back. 

 

Once again, she landed butt-first on the ground, though she did end up lying down – with Axess on all fours on top of her.

 

‘Too early’

 

The robot adjusted its angle of descent, following Axess’s movement.  It was only a seconds away from crashing into the two of them, giving them no time to react.

 

Suddenly, a crystal-like pointed conical object rose from the ground right behind Axess and Marie, towering up high.  This took the robot by surprise, making it unable to stop or change direction.  It collided with the object, causing an explosion and creating some sort of cold white mist.

 

“What was that just now?” Axess asked, looking back as the force from the explosion subsided. “It looked like an icicle...”

“So she made it just in time...” Marie said, sighing relief, as she looked to her right.

“Who?” Axess said, shifting his head and looking in the same direction as Marie.

 

Right below the light of the nearest street lamp was the figure of someone genuflected on the ground, holding something huge planted on the ground in front of it.  It was wearing a white T-shirt ripped on both sleeved and goes until just above the belly and fitted low-waist jeans with the part that covers the right leg torn off in the mid-thigh adorned with chains where a belt should go.  Like Marie, it also had bandages on – though not as much.  The thing she was holding was actually a red laser-bladed broadsword, which matches its red hair done in a ponytail.

 

“Stream?”

“It’s not over yet!” she said, uprooting the Red Sun with her left hand “Get out of there!”

 

The mist from the explosion suddenly vanished, as if blown away.  It revealed the robot, with its parts that resemble a bird ablaze except for the talons.  Its wings were spread apart, and the ruined ground it was standing on hinted that it went straight through the crystal-like object and crashed straight to the ground.

 

“As expected of the weapons.” It began “You can already utilize Hydra’s powers.”