Friday, August 27, Late Evening

Leo Maxia

Finding the boss wasn’t the hard part. No, the Commwarrior was right where Xavier had said it would be, in front of the Film Club. Sure enough, it was glowing, as if partially cloaked in a dark aura.

There it is. There’s the boss. I grinned. Real life wasn’t really one for good level design, but that’s fine. After all… The Command Level is where I can make a difference.

I can hardly be mad at that.

The hallways leading up to it were lined with club booths. Of course, since the normal people couldn’t enter the Command Level, they were empty. I lowered the ice sheet around the corner and dismissed it.

I extended my hand. “Shadow of the Excalibur, blessed by the sun, come forth, Holy Sword Gala--”

“What are you doing?” Xavier hissed. “You can’t use that here!”

Who are you, Professor Oak? “Why not?”

“Can you say for certain there aren’t enemy Espers around?”

I lowered my hand. The area was quiet. Even the Commwarrior wasn’t moving, or saying anything. We’re fine, right now!

Xavier shook his head. “I hear someone. Two sets of footsteps.”

I didn’t hear anything. But he’d been right last time, too. I motioned to him, then ducked under one of the booths with a tablecloth. Xavier did the same.

We waited.

Sure enough, after about two minutes, there were indeed two sets of footsteps. They approached, quickly, then stopped directly in front of me.

“Leo. Come out. I know you’re there.” I know that voice. That’s one of my club members.

“Erin!” I pushed the tablecloth aside. Standing before us, Erin and Olivia, two members of my Hero Club. “Where’s Yuna?”

Erin extended a hand. I took it, and stood. Good, both of them were wearing something to cover their faces. “Fighting.”

“Fighting who?”

“Enemy Espers. There is a large brawl in the courtyard.”

“T-there were a lot of people f-fighting…” Olivia said. “Y-Yuna wanted to join them…”

“She must be keeping them busy,” Xavier said. “This is our chance. As long as they’re occupied, you guys will be able to use your Major Arcanas freely.” He looked over at Erin. “You can detect Espers, can’t you? That’s why you called out to me earlier.”

She nodded. It was just the slightest tilt of the head.

Xavier said, “Once she says the coast is clear, Leo, you take that thing out.”

I held up a hand. “Hold on. The Commwarrior isn’t going anywhere. We’ll help Yuna first, then come back for it once we’re clear.”

The hallway was silent for a moment.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Yuna’s always told us how dangerous the other Esper groups are. We can’t let her fight on her own.” I looked directly at Xavier. “She’s our friend.”

Xavier gritted his teeth.

“Calm down,” Erin said. “She’ll be fine.”

Even so… I don’t want to leave her on her own. Yuna was, without question, the strongest member of the Hero Club. But still… I didn’t want to leave her alone.

“Can she hold her own, for now?” he asked. He turned away from me, at the girls.

Olivia averted her eyes. “W-what do you think, L-Leo?”

“Kgh, Erin?”

She thought for a moment. “I think so.”

Xavier put a hand on his chin. “Let’s put it this way. If all three of you teamed up on her, who would win?”

“Yuna,” Erin said.

He looked at me. “In that case, she’ll be fine for now. You should take this guy out first.”

“She’s in more immediate danger,” I said. “We’re not talking four guys, we’re talking multiple enemy groups. We have to help her.” I swallowed. If something were to happen to her-

“At least let me out, first. I’m just dead weight,” Xavier said. “If my presence here is tied to that thing, then get rid of it first, and I’ll stay out of your way. Whatever you do after that is none of my concern.”

Olivia looked at me. “L-Leo…?”

Damn it… He wasn’t wrong. But still… I didn’t like it. I hate this feeling. “Let’s speedrun this.”

“Hold on.” Erin placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t try it alone.”

“It’s immune to bytes,” I said. “They dissipate on contact. I’m the only one that can hurt it.” Erin and Olivia’s Major Arcana powers, while potent, were not inherently aggressive. This is my job.

This is what I can do. I felt a rush building inside me.

“Erin, am I clear? I’m going to Limit Break this guy.”

She nodded. “Clear.”

“Come forth, then, Sword of Betrayal! The Sword of the Stone, the Traitor’s Blade, Clarent, give me strength!”

I hate this feeling: knowing that someone’s in trouble and not being able to do anything about it. But it was that same feeling that fueled the Clarent. The Magician Arcana appeared in front of me; I threw a fist through it. The shattered fragments reformed.

In a flash of light, before me was a shining rapier, glowing crimson. A surge of power coursed through my body.

Of course, with all that yelling, that boss Commwarrior wasn’t just going to stay there. “Already Active!” it yelled. “OTMOP03KAM HET!”

Its eyes, and the circuitry pattern running across its armor, glowed a sickly green. Slowly, it rose to its feet.

“Everyone, stay back! Olive, cover me!” That Virus must have a Host in the real world… but there would be too many people around. I can’t walk around with a Holy Sword like that. Besides, I didn’t even know what that host was.

But, that didn’t matter. After all, I could just stab it in here, too!

The Commwarrior stepped, one, after another, and brought its massive blade down. The blade seemed to screech as it was swung. I stepped to the side. It’s faster than the others. Its blade wasn’t a generic sword, either. It wasn’t sharpened to a point; no, instead, there were three holes bored through the tip in a triangle formation. An executioner’s blade. I was sure of it.

As I ducked under another swing, several fireballs sailed over my head. The Commwarrior didn’t even seem to notice as it was bombarded. They dissipated on contact. As to be expected. Erin seemed to get the memo, too.

This fight is up to me!

I stepped against a wall, and brought the Clarent up to a medium guard. It wouldn’t do much against an executioner’s sword, but it was better than nothing. The Commwarrior approached, one step, two, and lashed out on the third.

I jumped.

There was a loud crash beneath me. I touched down and looked behind me; the blade was embedded in the wall. Now’s my chance.

I ignited the Clarent’s blade and lifted the blade and swung. The Commwarrior’s left arm clattered to the ground and disappeared; its armor was hollow. The core is definitely inside!

But before I could swing again, something batted aside the Holy Sword. It was… the left arm?

The Clarent flared again; I swung in a wide arc, clean through its chestplate. It was there that I saw it; a cell phone, suspended in the middle. That’s it! But, within a matter of seconds, the Commwarrior had regenerated again.

Damn… it’s because it’s got an energy source right now. Unless I get it out of the host with the Holy Sword, it’ll keep at it. But… I can’t reach the host as long as the armor’s on the way. The Holy Sword Carnwennan’s blade just isn’t fast enough.

What if I… use the Clarent to cut it off, the Galatine to close the distance, then the Carnwennan to finish it off? No, I wouldn’t be able to move fast enough. What if I tried from closer? That might work… but I didn’t think I could move fast enough, especially since I had to finish with the Carnwennan.

I need someone else to damage it, so I can finish it off. But how?

“L-Leo!” A hand yanked at my sleeve. It was Olivia. “W-We’ve got t-trouble!”

I shot two blasts from the Clarent to beat back the Virus. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “S-Someone’s here!”