Prologue

In the midst of the desert near the border of Florince, an abundant village stood there. Despite night time, there were still people in the streets and stores open. In the corners of the darkness, were cloaked figures walking as they head to a small house at the end of the village.

They knocked and the door opened revealing a woman with short jet black hair and emerald eyes. She wore a long-sleeved dark dress and closed shoes. Her eyes slowly widened recognizing the people in front of her. She glanced around cautiously before letting them in.

"I'm so glad that all of you are alive. On my last communication with Miss Maria, she told me there was no sign of your bodies." She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. They removed their hood revealing their identities.

"We barely made it out alive, Big Sister May. Thankfully, we found Silvia with her newborn child alone in the laboratory." The petite woman with long green hair and dark brown eyes spoke as the others sat in the couch. The old woman 

"Tiffany, I thought you were-" Miss May was cut off when the said woman spoke.

"I know Miss May..." Tiffany sighed as she averts her gaze from the old woman who smirked before clearing her throat.

"I see... But there is something all of you must know." The woman gravely said as she sat down in front of them.

"It appears there was a traitor in our midst." Silence surrounds them. Miss May observed their faces and came into conclusion.

"You knew who it was, didn't you?" The atmosphere became tense. Their faces crestfallen and filled with betrayal.

The old woman sighs as she stares outside the window. To think the peace that was maintained for 20 years was once again broken due to them once again.

She noticed a light from the sky coming towards the village. Her eyes narrowed when she heard the screams and the ground shook at the impact. The people in the streets were running away from something. The group noticed this and looked at the window. Outside, there was a huge monster attacking the civilians and destroying the buildings.

"A Slave?" The pixie-haired woman wearing glasses peaked behind Miss May.

"To think they even got as far as here..." The woman with strawberry blonde hair glanced at the woman with silver hair carrying an infant covered in blankets.

Silvia's eyes darkened and hid her daughter close to her chest. She could still feel the sting from the injections they gave her and the after-effects of the drugs.

"I will not allow my daughter to be taken away from me." She hissed and the blonde put a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll make sure of it, especially you. That bastard is still looking for you." 

"Claire..." Silvia muttered. Miss May immediately closed the curtains and turned to them.

"Hurry! All of you must go!" She whisper-yelled at them. 

"They must not lay their dirty hands on all of you." The woman said as she pushed them towards the secret passage that leads to the mountains.

"Big Sister May, we can't leave you here... Please come with us."  The bespectacled woman pleaded as she held the old woman's arm. Miss May gently removed her grip from her arm.

"I have done my duty, Vanessa. Now, go! You better leave this planet before they discover all of you." The group was hesitant nonetheless they went inside the passage.

The sound of military machines and grunts could be heard outside. All of a sudden, a loud knock came from the door accompanied by a shout.

"Open this door, this instant!" The old woman's eyes narrowed as she blocks the tunnel with the large rock and wardrobe. She took a silver knife from her desk and hid it in her sleeves.

"To our Predecessor, please guide them to safety and continue the future of the Otomes." She took a deep breath before opening the door.

-*-*-*-

"Kill every last one of them until those bitches show up!" The man in front shouted as armored men invade the villages, killing poor innocent people. Man and children alike. Blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the area accompanied by men laughing at their misery. They burned every house even the animals.

In the edge of the mountain, a small group covered with cloaks wondered quietly out of the tunnel they went through. One of them glanced at the village they just came from, eyes filled with grief and sorrow.

To think they could do such horrible things...

"I can't believe this... To think out of all people, you would betray us..."  Tiffany softly said as stop to gaze down from the mountain. Few of her long luminous green hair, which is parted at the right side danced with the wind, her dark brown eyes filled with sadness and betrayal.

The person noticed she stopped and walked towards her, grabbing her arm. "We must go, Tiffany. Before they find us here in the mountains." The woman has long wavy strawberry blonde hair that reached her shoulders. Her orange eyes staring at the depths of her dark brown ones.

"Claire..." She muttered as she let her companion drag her. Along their way, they had found a cave and decided to take a rest in there for a while.

"Vanessa, how's the system?" The blonde asked and the said woman shook her head, disappointment present in her eyes.

"The system is currently down. I need to fix the network to be connected to the Predecessor." Vanessa said as she tapped on her watch and checked the condition before taking out her netbook.

"Thankfully, the Predecessor was not fully destroyed. Khali managed to transport it along with the others just in time before the Schwartz found it." She told her companions who sigh in relief. If they were to get their hands on it, this world will be doomed.

The cackling of the fire along with the insects' cries was heard by them.

A small cry broke them from their thoughts. In the arms of the silver-haired woman was an infant covered with blankets, squirming as it cried. The woman rocked the baby in her arms gently as she hums a soft lullaby.

The brunette clasped her hands together as she gazes at the fire. "We can't stay here too long. They will soon discover our location."

"Tiffa is right. We have to find a safe place especially for Silvia and her daughter." Maya agreed as she tickles the little infant who giggles.

A soft ding came from Vanessa's device and her eyes slowly widened along with her grin. "Everyone, I just found the ship Khali and the others are on."

The others gasped, hope returning in their eyes.

"I'm about to contact them." Vanessa stood and press the device on her ear.

"Hello, Khali?" As the female talk on the device, Silvia stares down at her child. Her eyes gleamed with sadness as she recalls her husband's death. A small hand raised and touch her cheek. Silvia gently smiles as her silver eyes met the crystal blue eyes of her daughter.

The child giggled as she stared up at her mother. Silvia bent her head and kissed her daughter's forehead. Soon, the infant yawn and slept once again.

"I just talked with Khali, they will meet us at the border of Florince. The ship we will be using to leave this planet is already there with the Predecessor on board." Vanessa told them.

"They're on their way now?" Claire asked anxiously as to what might happen.  The bespectacled woman nodded.

"We have no choice, we better get moving before they find us." Tiffany stated as she stood and put on the cloak. The others followed in suit. Claire readied her weapons and Silvia covered her daughter as she held her close.

Vanessa distinguished the fire and all of them stealthily went outside.

When they thought they weren't discovered, a man voice shouted echoing throughout the forest. The women gasped before they started to run.

"We found them!"

"Kill them!"

They immediately hid deep in the forest. Sounds of hurried footsteps passed them and they remained quiet. Bent down, they occasionally peek above the bushes.

Tiffany clicked her tongue as she watched the soldiers stood there looking around, their backs turned to them.

"We have no choice..." She muttered, turning to the bespectacled woman.

"Do you think you can turn on the Surrogate System ?" She asked and Vanessa smirked as she opened her device and started typing codes, activating the back-up system.

"Of course Tiffa-chan~" The said woman glared at the technician before she joined blonde. Claire was about to join her when Kanon stopped her.

"Go with Vanessa and Silvia. I can handle this." She said and Claire was hesitant before she nodded.

She ran her fingers through her earring which glowed upon contact. The brunette appeared from the bushes just behind the soldiers.

"There they are! Capture them!" One soldier shouted and all of them began to run towards the green-haired woman.

She gave the men before them a wicked grin. Tiffany and Claire said in unison.

"Materialize!"