Volume 18 - CH 2

During the second day of the battle in Tokyo, Kurono Shinguuji is staring while shocked at the sight of Tokyo burning. The geo-front shelter where residents of Tokyo had been evacuated into could withstand a hit from a nuclear missile, but the ultra-high energy laser fired by the 88-inch Hadron Cannon equipped on Douglas Appleton’s air battleship-shaped device “Enterprise” melts through the geo-front’s multi-layered walls and created a huge explosion. The state of Tokyo burning down implies that hundreds of thousands or even millions of people have died, including Kurono's own family there. Kurono screams in despair after Appleton says in a loudspeaker that she could have prevented this.

“If you had not retired from the KOK, continued to work hard polishing yourself on the frontline until today, and reached awakening, you might have defeated me and prevented this reality. Don’t you think so, “World Clock”? However, while possessing so much talent, you prioritized your own family and withdrew from the frontline. Family has kept you away from battles. The existence of things needed to be protected sometimes weakens a person. For you, family was nothing more than shackles.”

“A, ah, aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH----!!!”

Back in the first day, the battle for the day has ended by evening and everyone is resting. The US Pacific Fleet retreated but is at Japan’s EEZ (exclusive economic zone) waiting for reinforcements to arrive which is predicted to occur tomorrow morning. While on her way to meet her family at the shelter, Kurono encounters Nagi “Alice” Arisuin who is helping children that got separated from their parents. Alice’s shadow ability does not have much firepower and it is not very useful in large-scale battle due to light sources can increase or decrease at random so he has decided to use his power outside of combat. Kurono then encounters Itsuki when arriving at the entrance to the shelter. Kurono was unable to take down “Enterprise” due its huge size and so apologizes for it, but Itsuki replies that it was thanks to Kurono attracted “Enterprise’s” attention that the Japanese forces were able to repel the first wave of the enemies. Kurono wanted to defeat “Enterprise” as soon as possible so that she could return to Kyushu fast but Itsuki informs her that the “Great Flame” Tendou Harima has already been defeated by Touka and the others. This is helpful for Kurono because she would be in a long-term battle against the opponent she is currently facing. Douglas Appleton was the strongest in US before Abraham Carter appeared and Kurono’s ability to manipulate time does not have large-scale destructive attack so it is difficult for her to take down a huge-size enemy. Kurono is hoping for Nene Saikyou to return from Vermillion but it’s unclear when Nene will return due to communication interruptions. Other major nations of the League seem to be under attack by the Union due to the US claiming that they captured Tsukikage and that he confessed that the League is behind Rebellion. But now that Tsukikage has arrived at Tsushima military base, Japan might be able to discredit that claim and request reinforcements from the League once other nations of the Union withdraw their forces. The US forces will attack again tomorrow so Itsuki tells Kurono to rest tonight which she agrees and enters the underground shelter. Kurono's family had been assigned a private room in the shelter, and this is a privilege also given to other mage-knights on the frontline. When Kurono enters the room, her 3 year old daughter Mei runs straight to her and they hug each other. Mei is scared but Kurono assures her that she will protect her. Kurono’s husband Takumi also greets her and he understands that she is needed for the battle tomorrow. The family then have dinner together for the night.

The next morning, Kurono and Appleton face off against each other again. She fixes space temporally with her ability and uses it as scaffold to run towards the sky where “Enterprise” is present. Appleton launches hundreds of EDY mechanical soldiers from “Enterprise’s” deck and they are equipped with thrusters that enable them to fly in the sky. The EDY soldiers fire their Hadron Cannons equipped on their palms to try shoot down Kurono, but she uses “Clock Up” to increase her speed by 10 times and avoids the shots fired. Kurono then uses “Clock On Death” which speeds up the time of the object that was hit by the bullet up to tens of thousands of time faster. 20 EDY soldiers are hit by ‘Clock on Death” and instantly become scrap from rapid aging. Kurono fires “Clock on Death” at “Enterprise”, but the air battleship had been remodeled with “bio-metal” created by Islands’ cell magic. As soon as the bullet hits, the area hit by the bullet is immediately purged and the “bio-metal” fills up the hole. The “bio-metal” also forms an autocannon and shoots at Kurono who defends with wall of time. Kurono shoots back again many times but she could only slightly reduce “Enterprise’s” total mass. Appleton claims the battle will be settled today and then suddenly Kurono hears huge screams of despair and confusion coming from Tokyo Bay defense line.

The situation at Tokyo Bay defense line is the same as the day before, which Japan’s mage-knights and self-defense force are protecting it from ships that are trying to land on the port and EDY soldiers that are coming from the sky. One ship has landed on the port and a number of men come out of the ship. Japan’s forces are shocked to see that all of those blond-haired men have the exact same appearance including their faces. The self-defense force soldiers fire their rifles and tank guns at the enemies that arrived but the enemies suddenly disappear inside the barricade created by the self-defense force. The enemies release explosive flames and lightnings at many places inside the barricade which causes Japan’s soldiers and mage-knights on the frontline to go into panic. There are B-rank and C-rank student knights on the frontline as well. Renren Tomaru uses “Black Bird” to attack one of the enemies, but the enemy suddenly disappears from Renren’s sight and kicks her to the ground from above. Her lower leg is suddenly being twisted by an invisible force, causing her to scream in pain. Ikazuchi Saijou tries to help her but the enemy easily dodges Saijou’s attack and knocks him down with high-voltage electricity. Yuuri Oreki is also there and she recognizes who the enemy is based on his physical features and the multiple abilities he possesses. She doesn’t understand why there are so many of this man but knows he must be defeated. Oreki uses “Violet Pain” but the man doesn’t seem to be agitated by Oreki’s shared damages and pain. The man strikes his fist deeply into Oreki’s abdomen and while she’s on her knees he is trying to release his powerful flame magic on her. If Oreki receives an instant death attack, she can’t exert the effects of “Violet Pain”. Yuuzou Kaieda then suddenly appears while clad in red lightning and his spear-shaped device “Vjaya (scarlet thunder god)” pierces the enemy. The enemy is “carbonized” with unusual joule heat, turning him into dust. Kaieda is one of Japan’s leading A-rank knights with overwhelming offensive power and speed, and he continues attacking surrounding enemies at true lightning speed. However, there are too many of the enemies and the other mage-knights are overwhelmed by them, which causes the defense line to fall into disarray.

The EDY soldiers in the sky also break through the defense line and begin to gather just above the geo-front in the city center where the Joint Operation Headquarters and evacuation shelter are located. The League’s Japan branch building has been moved to inside the geo-front with an elevator. The personnel inside the Joint Operation Headquarters report damages to the city caused by Hadron Cannons fired by the EDY. Itsuki recognizes that the men with the same face on the frontline are Abraham Carter and guesses that they are clones created by Carl Islands. The EDY are breaching the geo-front so Itsuki orders for the geo-front’s defense system to be activated. He also orders mage-knight reservists along with D-rank and E-rank student knights to intercept the EDY. Since it normally it takes Blazers around C-rank to deal with the EDY, one of his subordinates asks if that’s okay but Itsuki says he will take responsibility. Ayase Ayatsuji and a group of Donrou Academy students are D-rank and E-rank student knights that were left behind in the geo-front due to lacking the power to fight on the frontline, but now they have been called to deal with the EDY that have just entered the geo-front. Ayase, who is wearing a hakama and leading the Donrou students who call her “nee-san”, avoids the heat flash fired by an EDY and slashes the EDY’s body with her sword. However, the EDY isn’t damaged and hitting its durable armor with her sword causes her palm to be in pain. The EDY then swings it retractable super vibration blade attached to its arm, causing Ayase to create distance from it. Ayase’s father Kaito then appears and plans on fighting despite not being a Blazer and had just gotten out of a hospital. Kaito is initially 10 meters away from the EDY but he suddenly cuts the EDY’s soft joints without making a sword sound, causing the EDY’s body to fall apart. Three more EDY soldiers show up but the Ayatsuji sword style students are able to deal with them well. However, if the number of enemies increase the situation will become worse.

Kurono is wondering what’s happening on the ground and Appleton tells her that the US forces’ reinforcements is PSYON and that all of its members are clones of Abraham Carter, which is something even Appleton didn’t know until this operation. The clones use telepathy to integrate their consciousness which enables them to perform teamwork much better than ordinary people can. Each clone is slightly weaker than Appleton, but still stronger than the average A-rank knight. There are 200 Abraham clones in this war so Kurono desperately tries to head back to Tokyo. However, while Kurono is distracted the EDY eject their arms and the wires connecting their arms and bodies wrap around Kurono. While Kurono is immobilized, the Hadron Cannons on “Enterprise’s” main armaments are charging and aimed towards Tokyo. There are civilians there but Appleton still plans on attacking as he believes it to be necessary sacrifice for justice. The firing of “Enterprise’s” main armaments which Appleton calls “Justice Fire (execution of justice)” destroys Tokyo and the million lives there. However, in the next instant Tokyo is no longer destroyed and it was “Enterprise’s” main armaments that were destroyed. Kurono was suddenly no longer captured by the EDY and fired her bullets on “Enterprise’s”main armaments before they were fired. The internal energy went out of control and so heavily damaged “Enterprise”. Appleton realizes Kurono had just achieved “Brute Soul” and rewinded time to distort the past and change her destiny into a form that benefits her. The changed past resulted in her never captured by the EDY and prevented Tokyo from being destroyed. But Appleton who is also a Desperado doesn’t falter and proceeds to repair the damaged air battleship with “bio-metal”. Suddenly, Kurono is injured all over her body as shown in a pic which confuses Appleton. At first he thought Kurono’s injuries were backlash from rewinding time, but after taking a closer look on her wounds he realizes what happened to her.

Kaieda who was fighting 10 Abraham clones was initially doing well with his destructive power and speed, but he was eventually overwhelmed by the number and defeated. The frontline has been annihilated and Oreki is one of the few knights standing. She then decides to use her Noble Art “Cytokine Storm (blood-stained heavy storm)” which overloads other people’s immune system and shares her illness. However, this technique requires activation at maximum output so she can’t select targets and everyone within range will be affected regardless of whether they’re allies or enemies. Before Oreki has the chance to activate her trump card, the 10 Abraham clones are suddenly blown away by Kurono who uses “Clock Draw”. The Abraham clones move their bodies that are full of holes with psychokinesis and try to counterattack, but suddenly there are multiples of Kurono appearing. Everyone at the Joint Operation Headquarters is confused about the appearance of many Kurono fighting the Abraham clones all over the frontline. But Itsuki and Appleton understand that Kurono repeatedly went back in time, creating past interventions many times at the same time and accumulating the results. This is her Noble Art “Three Thousand Worlds” that she obtained after achieving “Brute Soul”. Kurono had never opened the door that would lead to her exceeding her fate before because she chose to live as a mother and was afraid of losing her happiness as a human. But she changed her mind after talking to her family last night. Kurono retired from the KOK because she was pregnant and couldn’t do dangerous things, but Mei and Takumi said she could make a comeback now. Kurono replied she can bet her life in order to protect her family but she can no longer do it for the sake of honor. Takumi is an E-rank Blazer so he doesn’t understand much the feelings of those fighting at the top, but he assured Kurono that family is not a shackle that binds her.

“…Our treasure has grown this big. Against this war, we have become strong to the extent this child knows how to fight. We are not a burden that could only be protected. Families are comrades that fight alongside you. Well, even though I say fight, we could only cheer for you. Kurono-san, you said you can’t step into that world unless you have the resolve. Certainly if you have the resolve to die for honor we would feel troubled as well. But, couldn’t that desperate resolve be replaced by the voice of us, your family?”

Kurono lost her previous passion to win even if it means betting her life, and so she didn’t have the ego to try exceeding her fate. Kurono ran away from Nene because she had always felt that she was getting weaker and didn’t want to show it. However, she now realizes that her family is her new source of power that now pushes her forward. Kurono declares to Appleton that this moment right now is the golden age of “World Clock” Kurono Shinguuji. Appleton then appears on the deck of “Enterprise” and applauds Kurono. Even though Appleton hates evil, there are still enemies that he considers worthy of his respect. He praises Kurono for fighting 200 Abraham clones in a row and winning during her continuous past interventions. However, Kurono is now too badly injured to fight Appleton who is using his floating ability to operate the “bio-metal” of “Enterprise”. The air battleship’s main armaments are being rebuild and will fire another shot at Tokyo in 10 minutes, but Kurono is not worried. Suddenly, Nene appears while screaming “WHY YOUUU!!!! JUST WHOSE GIRL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE LAYING YOUR HANDS ON…!!!!”. Nene uses “Hadou Tensei” and Appleton changes the “bio-metal” of “Enterprise” to transform the deck part of the air battleship into an air defense ship carrying anti-aircraft weapons and missiles. All the shells and missiles are fired towards the meteor that is falling down towards “Enterprise”, but the meteor is only losing its volume slightly. Appleton then tries to stop the meteor with his floating ability but the falling meteor is only slowed down slightly and eventually it hits “Enterprise” directly. Kurono is falls down towards the sea but Nene catches her. While her body is suspended in the air due to her gravity ability, Nene holds Kurono’s body with a pained expression on her face. Kurono says she doesn’t want to see Nene making such a face as she wipes the tears on Nene’s face as shown in a pic. Kurono also tells Nene not to worry since she will back to settle their score from that summer, which is something Nene had always wanted to hear. After Kurono faints, Nene says that she will take care of the rest together with Kurono’s reliable students.

Other US soldiers in the area try to go to help Appleton, but their ships suddenly can’t move due to the ocean around them has become frozen. The soldiers wonder if this is the “Frozen Plain” that Ryouma used during the Battle of Midway which they’ve heard of, but this is actually caused by Shizuku Kurogane who inherited her ice magic from Ryouma. Shizuku’s body has become very small and floating like a fairy as shown in a pic due to providing her somatic cells to Ikki who had lost almost half his body during the war in Vermillion. Ikki, who is currently in his original appearance, is running through the frozen plain and heading towards one of the enemy ships. Because he and Shizuku are sharing the same body, he is able to use Ryouma’s sword technique called “Ikkaku (sword whale)”. It is a piercing technique that freezes the target instantly the moment the tip of the sword touches the target and then the piercing strike would destroy the frozen target into pieces. The soldiers that jump off the broken ship are no longer a threat so Ikki and Shizuku proceed to attack another ship that is a destroyer. The destroyer fires their weapons towards Ikki but they all pass through Ikki’s body that has become like mist due to “Aoiro Rinne”. Ikki then attacks the destroyer with “Kachiwari (frozen slash)”, which works in the same principle as “Ikkaku” but this time it’s a sword slash that freezes the target and immediately cuts it in half. The “Worst One” currently possesses Ikki’s sword technique and Shizuku’s magic, and thus can’t be stopped with conventional weapons. Then, 20 EDY are being launched from an aircraft carrier, causing Ikki to tell Shizuku to separate their union. Shizuku at first protests because Ikki will be in his child form, but he assures her that at any time he is always stronger than he was the day before. Shizuku complies and proceeds to take care of the EDY while Ikki infiltrates the aircraft carrier. The soldiers on deck fire their weapons at Ikki, but because he has a small body now he is able to run through below the barrage of bullets like a cat. But because he has a small body, the power of his slashes won’t give much damage on the soldiers who are wearing protective clothing made of special fibers and EDY’s armor. Thus, he decides to test out the idea he came up during his training in Edelberg. His magic control has improved to the point that he was able to concentrate his small magic to create mana defense that repelled Edelweiss’ sword back in Edelberg. Now he’s concentrating magic on his sword to create a very thin blade that can slide through the bonding of any substance, and cuts off the legs of the soldiers along with their protectors one after another. The soldiers also lost sight of Ikki even though he has now stopped moving and is just standing beside them, which is due to him slipping into the blind spots of their consciousness using “Trackless Step”. Ikki tells the soldiers that he will fight anyone who hurts his hometown without question, and he eventually subdues the aircraft carrier. In addition, Ikki and the others that showed up on the frontline aren’t the only reinforcements that arrived.

The hundreds of Blazers defending the geo-front are mainly D-rank and E-rank, and they were having difficulty fighting the 50 EDY that invaded. Ayase and Kaito were about to be killed by one of the EDY until they were saved by Kuraudo Kurashiki who shows up. Yuudai Moroboshi also shows up and apologizes to Ayase for taking Kuraudo with him to Kyushu. Moroboshi’s Noble Art is useless against machines and even though Ayase couldn’t even scratch the EDY, Moroboshi’s spear is able to break through an EDY’s armor. Kuraudo tells Ayase to get her wounds treated and then he uses “Akuro-Ou” to cut down a group of EDY while evading their attacks. Ayase, while seeing Kuraudo and Moroboshi taking down the EDY without difficulty, feels unpleasant of the difference in the levels between her and them. Other knights from West Japan also arrived including Touka who uses a technique called “Hikouraikou (swarm of wild lightning)”. Once she removes her sword, small electric shocks scatter in all directions from the sheath. The electric shocks avoid people, enter the mechanical soldiers and burn down their internal circuits. The people inside the Joint Operation Headquarters are reporting that thanks to the knights who have returned from Vermilion and Kyushu as reinforcements, the situation on the frontline and inside the geo-front are improving greatly with about 70% of the EDY in the geo-front have been defeated. Itsuki orders that everyone in headquarters including him will go fight as well in order to decide the battle.

The US Fleet Command which is far away from the battlefield is in turmoil due to strong knights like Nene, Shizuku and Ikki have appeared and are taking down their ships. “Enterprise” is out of contact and it is unknown if the fleet’s commander Appleton is alive or not. PSYON is struggling against Kurono and Japan’s forces in the geo-front will head to the frontline soon. The fleet’s vice-commander named Mustang has no choice but to order their operation to stop. However, Appleton is revealed to be alive and through their communication equipment he orders them not to stop their operation. Appleton insists on continue fighting despite him injured and “Enterprise” heavily damaged. He believes this is a battle for justice of the world since he’s been told the League of Mage-Knight Nations is behind Rebellion and triggered various wars and terrorism which resulted in the deaths of their comrades in various places like Afghanistan, Iran and Vietnam. His own son also died in one of those wars. Even if he’s told that people on his side are also behind Rebellion, he wouldn’t believe it since his country’s justice which his son died for is the only thing he believes in. Appleton has finished operating the “bio-metal” with his ability to rebuild “Enterprise’s” main armaments. The 88-inch Hadron Cannon fires the powerful heat flash towards Tokyo, but Stella appears in the sky with wings made of flame. She tells Appleton that she won’t let him kill anyone and uses “Katharterio Salamandra” to intercept the incoming attack. Stella’s sword of light that is more powerful crushes the heat flash and cuts “Enterprise” in half. “Enterprise” that was half-destroyed by Nene and cut in half by Stella becomes engulfed in an explosion. Once “Enterprise” is completely destroyed, Mustang orders all their remaining forces to retreat since their operation is a failure. The EDY and Abraham clones don’t have free will of their own so they fight until being defeated. The fleeing US forces are not being pursued by Japan’s forces since there probably won’t be a third wave of attack and treating injured ones is prioritized. Somewhere outside the geo-front, Itsuki puts his hand on the rubbles below his feet and activates his Noble Art “Tekketsu Rensei (iron blood transmutation)”. His own “blood” passes through inorganic materials and he manipulates them to create a building where the injured ones can be treated. Itsuki then uses a radio to inform everyone that they have obtained victory in this war, causing them to cheer out loud.