Chapter Text
There were a few reasons Momo didn’t use Synthesize on the SU-57s. First and foremost being that she was currently one away from being maxed out on her Synthetic Shadow Limit, that being 35/36. She could have banished some Lux from her slots to make room, however, as she had discovered through testing with other pieces of technology, once she banished something it was gone forever. With the Lux this wasn’t a problem, they had thousands of their Soul’s stored. But if she took the SU-57s right then and there, and then needed to banish them, they would be gone. If she left their wreckage mostly intact, she could go back and claim them later. It was a safer strategy for preserving resources and studying the new blend of magic and technology. Not to mention, the SU-57s were pretty maneuverable and extremely fast. Trying to Synthesize them whilst they were taking evasive action would have wasted far too much time.
Since they seemed to be for defending their navy against air threats, Momo correctly deduced that they posed no direct threat to the people on the ground. To put it another way, she was saving them as a “snack” for her powers later on.
Momo couldn’t Synthesize something if it was completely blown to pieces. She couldn’t find a computer chip that was once part of a fighter jet and then reproduce the entire jet craft from that one piece, but if there was a good chunk of the plane left, then it would be brought back no problem. Her Wyvern Squadron had actually done a good job of bringing down the SU-57s without completely obliterating them because the jets were extremely durable thanks to the Magical Metal they were built with.
So while the F-54s handled the skies, and the Tenebris handled the land, Momo would take care of the seas. She was standing atop the nearest building with a view of the sea. It was actually a few miles away from the coast, as there were no big urban buildings near the sea. But the distance wouldn’t be a problem, not for what she was putting together.
Support struts buried themselves into the concrete of the building’s roof, ensuring that it wouldn’t launch itself in the opposite direction it was firing. Its base was a large rectangular shape that held the inner mechanisms and allowed Momo to load in her ammo. And its barrel?
Four parts stretched out about a meter, forming an X-shape centered around the firing mechanism for the weapon. Each of the four long parts was lined with powerful magnets, strong enough to accelerate a piece of metal to Mach 10, at least, if they were powered by standard means. Momo was using her own Mana, her own energy, to force the machine to quadruple its output.
This was a railgun that was many times more powerful than any military on the planet was in possession of and it was aimed directly at the destroyers just off the coast.
The shell she created and loaded into the weapon was the size of a football, relatively small compared to some other ammo. But it didn’t need anymore mass, it had the advantage of speed.
Momo placed her hand against the side of the machine, pumping enormous amounts of pure energy into it. Because she was still using Izuku’s old armor set, along with the Crystal Crushers Gauntlet, she had access to the Omni-Elemental Gem. It meant she could use Energy Magic to supercharge the railgun.
ZZZZZZZ
The railgun made a high-pitched noise, rising in intensity before-
FWOOM!
Not even Momo could track the object as it surpassed exit velocity. It didn’t explode against the hull of her target, it just went straight through it, carrying so much raw kinetic force that the metal around it instantly melted, alongside any other materials inside the immediate vicinity.
One second, the destroyer was floating confidently, firing shells at the Tenebris, the next, there was a gaping hole that divided the craft in two. There was no impact sound, no boom. It was simply erased from existence, like God had personally removed it.
The two halves began to sink, spilling the surviving crew into the water. No doubt many would drown, but Momo simply adjusted the aim of the railgun, focusing down the next target. It would take some time before the destroyers could get a bead on the location of the weapon firing upon them, and by the time they did it would be far too late.
“MY LADY!” Kaisel’s voice echoed in Momo’s head as she took down another two ships, vaporizing even more metal. “We have a problem!”
Momo took a moment to look through her dragon’s eyes. The sight was ghastly to say the least. Bodies were strewn everywhere, Russian soldiers with bullet holes, or with half of their bodies missing. But the most horrific part was the three ants standing before Kaina and Kaisel.
“BERU!”
“I’m already on my way, my Lady,” The Shadow Ant announced, leaving Kei and the house in Igris’s capable hands, speeding towards the opposite end of Japan with all his might.
Momo had reason to be worried. Beru, in life, had managed to resist and put up a fight against Gravity Magic, which Izuku had been using to its fullest effects, alongside a boost from his Hellscale Armor. It wasn’t unreasonable to say that they actually posed a threat to Momo on her own. Even with the Shadows, they were devastating opponents.
“Wyvern 1-1! I need a ride!”
“Copy that Empress,” The fighter jet responded, pulling away from a dog fight and allowing his companions to clean up.
For whatever reason, the Russians didn’t seem to be killing anyone, but the Ant-like Nomu would not have the same reservations. If they were even half as powerful as Beru, they would tear through much of Japan, killing an unfathomable number of people. And all three of them were aimed at Kaina.
They would tear her limb from limb, they would rend her Soul apart just as Beru had done. Momo would have to watch her new friend be eviscerated by-
“Hey assholes! Time for round 2!” A girl with white hair and red eyes fell from orbit, her legs clad in white and red armor that exuded impossible amounts of energy, bringing them down atop the head of the ants that had defeated her once before. She had come to prove herself, to redeem the pathetic fight she gave in the caverns on Jeju Island, and this time, she had the power to back it up.
*******
30 Minutes Ago (On the Moon):
Miruko pulled herself up from the cold metal floor, groaning. Her body was slick with sweat and her head hurt.
“I should kill you…” Miruko grumbled, expecting a response from the voice that had guided her here. And yet, she heard nothing at all.
“Hello?” Silence.
Miruko looked around, she was still in the bunker. It hadn’t been some fever dream, but it was strange that the voice had gone silent once more.
Her white hair spilled over her shoulders, reminding her of the memories she’d just relived. It was painful, she wanted to cut her hair right then and there, but even if she had a blade, she knew it would look sloppy. She’d get a real hair cut later.
“Does he like longer or shorter hair?” She wondered to herself with a stupid grin.
Miruko pulled herself to her feet, looking around. She appeared to be in a large room, almost like a hangar building. And as soon as she had that thought, massive flood lights began to switch on, filling the room with light.
At the very back of the room, there was a single stand, holding golden greaves. It looked really tacky. That was Miruko’s first thought seeing such gaudy armor. But she didn’t need to be told that they were off the charts when it came to power. Armor could be created in two ways, there was the highest quality, made by special Awakened Humans with blacksmith Skills; and then there was the cheaply mass produced armor. Because humans could only melt down the weakest ores, it typically resulted in weak results. This armor was still in high demand because anyone who had ever been in a Raid knew that the more gear you possessed, the more likely you were to walk out of that Gate with all your limbs.
Miruko, during her early days, and later in her pro days, had seen and worn both types of armor. But even the specially forged highest quality armor paled in comparison to the greaves in front of her.
It was like standing in front of that Ant all over again, the power beyond her comprehension. This time, that power would be hers.
She began walking over, nonchalant at first, but forced to put more effort into it the closer she got. The armor was putting off so much energy it was like she was standing in a hurricane. The closer she got, the fiercer it became. It got to the point where she was forced to slam her feet into the ground, cratering the floor to get a solid grip and not be flung away.
As she approached, shielding her eyes from the blinding light of the armor’s energy, she could see the metal changing. It went from a brilliant gold color, to a more refined palette of whites and reds. It was much more her style. Her will was imposing itself upon the armor.
Nearly upon her prize, the force reversed, seemingly pulling her towards the armor, as if it was accepting her as its owner. The plates on the greaves began separating, flying through the air and attaching themselves to Miruko’s legs.
She felt an influx of power, so much that it felt like her body was made of lightning. Her legs, always her greatest assets, became nearly uncontrollable, buzzing with so much energy that it almost looked like they were in two places at once.
Finally, the greaves completed their transition, sealing themselves to her legs. With the energy contained, she returned to normal, but with the feeling that she was capable of much more.
“Rumi Usagiyama. I bestow upon you the Divine Armor: Lunar Impact.”
“Thanks… So, you gonna send me home now?”
“You no longer need my help.” The voice sounded almost amused by her question. “All you need to do is trust your legs.”
Miruko looked straight up, the hangar opening to expose her to the cold vacuum of space. This time, she could tell there was nothing helping her breathe, and yet, she still felt comfortable. “You’re insane…” She said with a cocky grin, crouching down low. Her muscles tensed and her Mana ballooned in size.
Kicking off the ground, the sheer force of her jump leveled the entire lunar facility. But it didn’t matter, the only thing of worth in the facility was now resting around her legs, flying through the void of space.
*******
“Time for round 2!” Miruko brought her heel down atop the head of the closest ant, burying it deep into the soft soil of Japan. She was carrying with her the kinetic energy of a jump from the moon.
Kaina and Kaisel were nearly blown back by the sheer force Miruko was carrying in her legs. As the ground cratered around the first ant, the other two darted into the air to lessen the effects of the shockwave on themselves.
“KIEK!” Beru shot like a bullet through the air, tackling one of his would-be brothers and driving them both to the bottom of the ocean, where they would tear at each other. Kaina could feel Beru hit the ocean floor, shaking Japan itself.
Miruko was about to bring her foot down for a second time, cratering the skull of the first ant, but the final one, remaining hovering in the air, charged forwards. Miruko pivoted, swinging her leg at the charging Nomu instead. He avoided at the last second, giving his brother time to pull himself out of the ground and escape the rampaging bunny girl.
Gaining some distance, the two ants chittered between themselves for a moment, examining the situation. Just as Miruko crouched to take them both on, the first one seemed to resign himself to his fate.
The first ant, his head concave and weakened, flew straight at Miruko, crashing into her sternum and flying off. Even as she bashed his head in deeper, driving her knees and elbows into his body, he carried her away, which just left… Kaina.
[Kaisel is using Skill: Divine Retribution]
The ant avoided the blast without even looking at Kaisel, blurring through the air and taking off the dragon’s head. It was regenerating, but it essentially left Kaina alone against the same sort of Nomu that had damaged her Soul, that had nearly taken away her dreams. And unlike Beru, this one wasn’t interested in dragging out her pain, it was just going to execute her.
They say that your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die. Kaina, well she saw eight lives flash before her eyes. So much bloodshed, so much death and pain, and very few moments of peace and happiness. Sitting at home with Izuku while she recovered, laughing and joking with him, feeling like she had someone to protect and understand her. She struggled through so many lives, so much pain, and it was all about to end, for the eighth time.
She couldn’t accept that, she wouldn’t accept it! In that brief moment between life and death, Kaina felt the weight of reality resting upon her mind and Soul. She felt the Spiritual Essence Path connecting her and Izuku. Some rose up from her chest, a burning hot sensation that threatened to engulf her entire existence. She’d spent her life focusing pain, this was no different.
“No…” Kaina whispered. “I won’t let you steal any more futures from me!”
[Attempting to access System]
[System Access Granted]
[Kaina Tsutusmi’s Soul is undergoing forceful Evolution.]
It should not have been possible. Even the Architect, watching from Catalina Island, could not believe his eyes. It was beyond reason, beyond comprehension, for a Soul to force its own Evolution in such a way.
“I suppose humanity has something to offer after all,” Raia muttered as Kaina’s Soul expanded beyond mortal comprehension.
[Apex Skill: Strea, Lord of Dragons]
Kaina’s pupils narrowed, becoming lizard-like slits, Draconic Eyes that saw through everything.
One second, the ant was about to tear her throat out, the next it was grasping at empty air. All it could feel was the pressure freezing it in place. Turning its head like a rusty hinge, it spotted Kaina, hovering in mid-air. She didn’t just acquire an Apex Skill in that moment, but several other Skills, like Omni-Movement, which were packaged into the Apex Skill.
She no longer held her rifle. Instead, her right arm was covered in auburn, shining dragon scales. Its shape morphed until her entire arm was a draconic barrel. She plucked a strand of hair from her head, molding it into a single aerodynamic spike. She loaded it before the ant could recover.
Through her eyes, she could see the ant’s Soul, trembling in existential fear, just as Beru had damaged her own. She pulled the trigger.
It all happened within less than a nanosecond. Light, like the sun, completely blanketed the area.
Momo, looking down from the sky, traveling in her F-54 to join the fight, could not help but wonder if a nuclear device had gone off.
But that single point of light soon vanished. There was no explosion, no great impact. Kaina’s bullet had simply torn through flesh and Soul to completely eradicate the ant from existence. It was now just a corpse on the ground. And Kaina stood above it, hovering like a God of fire and death.