The moment the White King's forces invaded the Empire of Azure Star, the battle raged fiercely. After a hard-fought struggle, Ashfield and his allies managed to defeat the Seven Sword Unit. Ashfield's voice resonated through the comms, filled with authority. "Know your place, and understand who you are up against."
Klaus, battered but relieved, voice over Ashfield. "My lord... you managed to defeat those guys..."
Ashfield responded with seriousness "Klaus... I will do everything, to protect my people."
Suddenly, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Ashfield turned his head toward the sky, where a blinding light shone down upon them. A mysterious mech descended, and a voice echoed, "Azure King, I see you managed to defeat them."
Ashfield's eyes widened in realization. "That voice... could it be... White King!?"
The White King's response was calm and authoritative, "Indeed, yes, it is me."
Ashfield felt a deep sense of betrayal. "White King! Why are you doing this? If this goes on, my people, the innocent ones—they will die because of your invasion!"
The White King's voice remained steady. "Ashfield, this is for the greater good. The path to true peace sometimes requires sacrifice. Your reign threatens that peace."
Ashfield's resolve only hardened. "I won't let you harm my people, White King. We will resist you with all our strength."
The White King responded with cold finality, "Then you leave me no choice, Azure King. Lloyd, just how long do you intend to lay there, pretending?"
Lloyd, the leader of the Seven Sword Unit, struggled to his feet, his voice tinged with both respect and frustration. "My Lord... I apologize. It seems, even though the new Azure King is young, his mech piloting abilities are... unexpected."
White King cut in, his tone commanding, "Lloyd."
Lloyd straightened. "Yes, My Lord?"
White King's voice turned even colder. "Playtime is over."
Suddenly, the Seven Sword Unit mechs began to glow, their pristine white bodies transforming into a menacing blood-red hue. Klaus, feeling a wave of terror wash over him, exclaimed, "What is this!?"
The White King, in his unyielding calm, explained, "Don't you know why they are called the Seven Sword Unit? Behind their 'swords,' each represents one of the seven deadly sins. Their true power is now unleashed."
As one of the Seven Sword Unit mechs readied itself for another attack, Ashfield's urgent voice cut through the chaos. "Klaus! Protect our people! These guys are dangerous. Let me handle them!"
Suddenly, Lloyd appeared in front of the Azure Star with alarming speed. "What?! When did he..." Ashfield's words trailed off as Lloyd launched a relentless assault. Each blow struck with precision and power, forcing Ashfield to defend with all his might. The Azure Star's armor glinted under the ferocious onslaught, showing signs of struggle.
Lloyd's voice brimmed with confidence. "You can't win, Azure King. The Seven Sword Unit is unstoppable."
Ashfield gritted his teeth, the strain evident in his voice. "I won't let you destroy everything my father built. I won't let you harm my people!"
The Azure Star parried and countered, but it was clear Ashfield was struggling to keep up with Lloyd's relentless barrage. Every strike from Lloyd's mech seemed to carry the weight of the White King's ambition, a desire to crush any opposition.
Lloyd's mocking laughter filled the air. "Your father? Hahahaha, don't make me laugh. Don't you realize you killed your own father?"
Ashfield's eyes narrowed, "I had no choice. My father was consumed by his own greed! I had to take responsibility. I'm tired of being a weakling!"
Lloyd smirked and called out, "Raphael, Margaret." Two more mechs from the Seven Sword Unit rushed toward the Azure Star.
Klaus, piloting Tezcatlipoca, appeared in front of them. "Don't you dare touch our king!" he roared. But the two mechs skillfully evaded him, darting past with ease. "Hey! Don't you—!" Klaus was cut off as another mech attacked, forcing him to defend himself. He barely managed to block the strike.
Lloyd's ally, Lucian, sneered as he pressed the attack. "Lloyd, this guy is my prey."
Lucil, piloting the EMERALD PHANTOM, rushed forward. "Brother! Let us fuse together. Maybe Hecatoncheir can take them on."
Klaus, his voice strained, replied, "Lucil, with the condition of EMERALD PHANTOM right now... we can't."
Lucil cursed under his breath. "Shit! Then what are we going to do?"
Klaus responded with grim determination, "We try our best, even though our chance to win is slim."
Observing the battle from a distance, the White King order the others Seven Sword Unit. "Beau, go aid Lloyd."
Beau's voice was calm and resolute. "Yes, my lord," he replied, his mech rushing toward Lloyd to support him.
The White King continued, "Noel, Matthew, restrain those two Zacharias brothers."
Noel and Matthew's mechs surged forward with deadly intent. Lucil and Klaus steeled themselves, knowing they were now up against even greater odds. The battlefield grew even more chaotic.
Ashfield snarled, "Tsk... four against one? You sure don't know about pride and honor."
Lloyd smirked as he began his relentless assault, his attacks following the same devastating pattern. Ashfield was forced to focus intensely on Lloyd, deflecting each blow with all his might. Just as he thought he had a handle on the situation, Raphael and Margaret's mechs appeared from behind, their weapons gleaming menacingly.
"Stay sharp!" Ashfield shouted to himself, rising swiftly above their combined attacks. He managed to dodge them, but his success was short-lived.
From above, Beau descended with a massive buster sword. "This ends now!" Beau roared.
Ashfield's eyes widened in shock. "Damn it!" he cursed, trying to maneuver out of the way. The buster sword struck with immense force, sending the Azure King plummeting towards the ground.
While the Azure Star was recovering, Margaret's mech transformed its weapon from a sword into whips, lashing out to restrain the Azure Star. The whips coiled around its limbs, tightening the movement.
Lloyd, Raphael, and Beau advanced on the immobilized Azure Star. Each of their mechs poised to strike, they drove their weapons into the joints and limbs of the Azure Star, crippling its ability to move. Sparks flew as metal met metal, and Ashfield could feel his mech's systems failing.
Ashfield's voice was strained but defiant. "Klaus, Lucil..."
Suddenly, he noticed through the sensors that both Klaus and Lucil were also restrained by the enemy. Tezcatlipoca and EMERALD PHANTOM were entangled in a similar fate, their movements restricted by Lucian,Noel and Matthew's mechs.
Ashfield's mind raced. He knew he had to think of something, anything to turn the tide. The lives of his people and the future of his kingdom depended on it.
As the White King and his mech, Aegis, floated slowly toward the Azure Star, a sense of impending doom settled over the battlefield. Aegis raised its hand, and suddenly a sword of light appeared, its radiant blade pointing directly at Ashfield. "You know, Ashfield, it is sad that I have to do this," the White King intoned, his voice devoid of emotion. With a swift, decisive motion, Aegis plunged the sword into the Azure Star.
"No! My Lord!" Klaus cried out, his voice a mixture of anguish and fury as he watched the Azure Star shudder under the lethal blow, Ashfield seemingly vanquished by the White King's merciless strike.
In the depths of his unconscious mind, Ashfield drifted in a dream world, detached from the chaos of battle. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to him "Ashfield..."
Opening his eyes, Ashfield found himself face-to-face with a figure he thought he'd never see again. "Father?!"
The previous Azure King, Alaistair Vanderbilt, stood before him, a spectral presence. "Ashfield Vanderbilt, my son. Look at you, our kingdom starting to fall... I know I was consumed by my own greed, but everything I did was to obtain power to make our kingdom and your life better."
Tears welled in Ashfield's eyes, a mix of sorrow and resolve. "I'm sorry, Father... but everything you did was wrong. There must be a right way to obtain such power"
As Ashfield wiped his tears, he continued, "But it's too late now. I'm sorry for being weak. I've failed, and now our kingdom is starting to fall."
Alastair's voice remained steady. "Who said that you are dead? There is still time. My son, you must find the way, rise above my mistakes. The future of our kingdom rests in your hands."
Ashfield looked up, hope rekindling in his eyes. "Father... you're right. This is not the time to give up just yet."
Alastair put a reassuring hand on Ashfield's shoulder, with his presence radiating strength and encouragement. "After all, you are my son."
As Ashfield returned to reality, a miraculous transformation began. The Azure Star's body started to glow with an ethereal light, illuminating the battlefield. White King's expression twisted into one of shock and disbelief. "How can this be?! Quick, everyone, fall back!"
But Ashfield's resolve was unwavering. "My kingdom, my people... I will never let everyone die! They've sacrificed everything for me, and now it's time for me to pay them back!"
As the light emanating from the Azure Star grew even brighter, it consumed the entire kingdom in its radiant embrace. In that moment, Klaus seized the opportunity to shield his younger brother Lucil from the blinding light. And then, everything vanished into nothingness.
In Present Time
Lucil lay on his bed, recovering from his injuries. A maid, following Black Queen's orders, brought him meals, but Lucil refused to eat. Black Queen, noticing his lack of appetite, addressed the maid, "He still doesn't eat?"
The maid replied, "Yes, My Queen."
Black Queen sighed. "I see. Just continue bringing him food; he might eat it someday."
A knock on the door signaled the arrival of Eliza, Luther, and Sally. Lucil looked up, surprised. "You... what brings you here?"
Eliza approached with a determined look. "Instead of doing nothing, Lucil, come join us in The Silver Prism."
Lucil's brow furrowed in confusion. "Join you? But why? Aren't we enemies? I fought against you and GENESIS, Eliza..."
Luther his tone conciliatory. "It doesn't matter anymore. The past is the past. We're trying our best to move forward."
Lucil looked down, conflicted. "But look at you, Luther... everything that happened to you at Stillwater Regional Prison... you were tortured. To this day, you still cover your face with bandages and are confined to a wheelchair."
Luther, undeterred, responded with a gentle strength. "Lucil, the scars I bear are a testament to my survival and resilience. We all carry wounds from the past. What matters now is what we do moving forward."
Eliza added, her voice soft but resolute, "Join us, Lucil, and together we can create a better future."
Lucil's eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and hope as he considered their words, weighing his options and the possibility of redemption.
Sally, who had been quiet until now, added softly, "And for ourselves. We all have a stake in this fight."
After a moment, Lucil nodded slowly. "If you say that... you're right. Instead of crying, I'll join you. The only thing I seek is revenge for their actions toward Azure King."
Somewhere at sea
As a storm raged and the sea churned violently, a group of fishermen struggled against the elements. One of them, his voice strained with worry, shouted over the howling wind, "The weather keeps getting worse! What should we do?"
Another fisherman, gripping the wheel tightly, responded, "We have to wait for the boss's command. Hold on, I'll try to contact him." He fiddled with the radio, but all he got was static. "Dammit, I can't reach the boss. This weather is wreaking havoc on our communication."
Tension hung heavy in the air as the fishermen exchanged worried glances. Suddenly, a thunderous roar split the sky, followed by a blinding flash of lightning. One of their boats was struck, and in an instant, it was reduced to a burning wreck.
"Everyone, brace yourselves!" someone shouted. Panic began to set in, but the fishermen knew they had to keep their wits about them if they were to survive the storm.
As one of them squinted through the torrential rain, he pointed and shouted, "Look! I saw something!"
Another fisherman followed his gaze. "Huh? Wait... is that... mechanical?"
A third fisherman, trying to make out the shape, added, "Mechanical? But it looks like a bird?"
The first one responded, his voice tinged with fear, "Could it be... this thing is causing all this?!"
The mysterious mechanical bird hovered ominously above the raging sea, its metallic wings glinting with each flash of lightning. The fishermen could feel the tension in the air, a sense of impending doom that made the already dire situation even more terrifying.
At Goro Industry
The atmosphere was tense as Goro Hasegawa and Oswald Orcaser discussed recent events.
Oswald Orcaser began, his voice heavy with concern, "After everything, we managed to hold back the Valkyrie Sisters. But the situation is worse—a few of our fishermen were found dead, and the enemy is still unknown."
Goro Hasegawa leaned back, his brow furrowed. "It seems this unknown enemy is even more mysterious this time. We can't pinpoint its origin. Perhaps it's similar to that mechanical creature we encountered before. I apologize, Oswald, but I cannot help you without more information."
Oswald sighed, frustration evident in his expression. "We need to find a way to deal with this new threat. My fishermen are scared, and I can't afford more losses."
Goro nodded. "We'll need to gather more intel and figure out what we're dealing with. Until then, all we can do is stay vigilant and protect as best we can."
As Oswald ended the conversation, Goro Hasegawa quickly made a secret call to the Valkyrie Sister. "You managed to play your part so well," Goro said, a sly smile forming on his lips.
The Valkyrie Sister's voice was cold and businesslike. "Where's the payment?"
Goro laughed, a note of satisfaction in his tone. "I've already sent the payment. Check your account."
The Valkyrie Sister paused, then replied, "I see. Thank you. Anyway, is that all your doing? The deaths of the fishermen?"
Goro's expression shifted to one of confusion. "What? No, I thought it was you."
The Valkyrie Sister's tone turned serious. "Of course not. If it were from us, I would have informed you first."
A chill ran down Goro's spine. "Then what the hell are we dealing with?"
The Valkyrie Sister added, "I will gather some data about the enemy. I'll catch up with you later."
Goro nodded, though the concern lingered in his eyes. "Make it quick. We need to know what we're up against."
As the call ended, Goro leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. The mysterious mechanical creature, the deaths of the fishermen, and now this unknown enemy. Goro suddenly murmured to himself, a twisted smile forming on his lips, "Ahahaha, instead of fighting it, why not capture it? Use its power to control others? Yes, that would be far more beneficial."