353 Side Story End / Half Chapter

Acid spit and bone spikes were flying overhead as the Star Wizard ducked and clumsily stumbled toward the rendezvous point.

"Artillery, are you still there?" Lance dodged spikes and almost tripped over a boulder.

"Ready and waiting, captain!"

"Prepare for immediate lift-off! We're coming in hot!"

"Understood! We'll try to give you some cover fire!"

But despite his best efforts, the Star Wizard took hit after hit. By the time he reached the firing range of the Dropship, not only had his armor sustained significant damage, the mech even had some internal damage.

"Open fire!" the pilot of the Hedgehog yelled.

Scattered bursts of large crackling energy bolts rained down on the pursuing Pawns. Lance ducked, bringing the Star Wizard into a defensive crouch as explosions erupted on every side.

"Don't stop! Lance, the Knight is right behind you!"

Captain Lance burst into action, running full-tilt for the Dropship, heedless of flying debris or stray explosions.

Behind him, strapped away in a hammock at the back of the cockpit, the unconscious Ermine let out a pained groan. But Lance didn't slow down. He couldn't. While technically the Star Wizard should have been more than a match for a single Knight, Lance himself was unable to use its true powers, and the pain he felt over his body was actually increasing as time went by, not fading. Just what injuries he had or how severe they were, he did not know and they did not have time to find out.

Seeing the boarding ramp in front of him, Lance practically dove into the Dropship. Forget dignity!

"GO!"

The Dropship blasted off toward the sky, breaking several safety regulations and almost several bones during its rapid ascent, leaving a disappointed Knight-ranked Mitigok and a broken, burning world behind.

***

In high orbit, the Asred wasn't in good shape either. It was visibly on fire, altough the flames looked more like liquid shimmering around the hull, and chaotic waves of mana leakage were rippling about randomly. The front half of the light carrier had completely disappeared, as if something huge had taken a big bite out of it. Of the six Towers, only the three at the back remained.

"What happened?" Lance asked painfully, trying not to move or speak too loudly.

"The Princess wouldn't let them get away clean. Apparently she's half-developed flight capabilities."

"Great. Just what we need." Lance groaned. "Any more good news?"

"Sort of. Do you remember where our repair bays were located?"

Lance's face fell. The Bright Lance Mercenary Company had been housed together with the Golems. But Golem Tower was completely gone, so… "All our stuff?!"

"Um… that mech you brought back? That's it."

Everything was gone.

"No… you can't be serious." Lance couldn't believe it. The very idea was incomprehensible. They just went out for one more mission, a typical day's job, and now… now… "What about the crew?!"

Silence.

Even the crew was gone?! Whole squads of pilots carefully trained up of dozens of missions, friends who had fought by his side campaign after campaign… all gone?!

Lance felt the world tilting around him.

"Captain? CAPTAIN!"

But he did not respond. Could not respond. Could not speak. Could not stop himself as everything turned dark and the silence was all that remained.