Rip 3/Phase

BEGIN: ------- VII -------

Recollection initiated...

Stored memory analysis commencing in..  5...4...3...2...1...

ACW Model I: Colorless Nowhere

ACW Model II: Violet Steel Cloud Unit

ACW Model III: Enlightened Dancer of Fists

ACW Model IV: The Destroyer

ACW Model V: Knight of Justice

ACW Model VI: Seeker of the Great Truth

ACW Model VII: Red Blade Lily

ACW Model VIII:  The Spirit Splitting Sword.

What do these names mean, I have always wondered. They are my 'sisters' in a sense. We were all 'created' the same way. Do they remember their past, before they became ACWs? I remember very little of it.

I suppose we all must have different attitudes in regards to our make. Perhaps one of us seeks to regain her lost life. Maybe one of us is even content with what they have right now, or maybe they are like me. I don't know what to do with my life at this stage. Thrust in a world where very few people even understand my words. Very little memories to go on.

A few hours ago I was over the moon with joy at being able to run about in the sand, yet now I have just realized I'm completely lost. My only points of reference are this village and Sarla. The village however, isn't going anywhere. Sarla is. I need to find her.

"Lily... the caravan is here."

The good doctor brings me back to this earth once again. I open my eyes and stand upright. I have seen people find themselves troubled when waking up. I know I was...back at that time when I was released from the chamber. A very human reaction, also likely due to the presence of impure dream force.

I do have to ask the doctor about that actually...

"Hmm... if it is alright...I would like to know where one can secure more of this compound..."-without it, I'd shut down. The damage to my internals from a sudden shutdown would be the least of my worries... If such shutdown happened in a difficult environment, such as right in the middle of nowhere or perhaps, amidst hostiles I'd be in far more trouble.

"Small amounts of it, in the markets. I have an Avatar friend who gave me some. We haven't met in quite a few years, but I preserved the Abyssal Blood to sell it at a good price. High purity..."-the doctor clarified. Oh...that means...

"So you..."-I frowned. He needn't have done that. How is he going to recover that sum now? This 'Avatar friend' seems to have rather sporadic meetings with the doctor. "Hmm...Wait a second please. Do you have the capability to melt gold here?"

"Melt...gold? I mean, we can melt iron pretty well... Gold's not an issue in that case."-of course. I smiled, and gestured for him to step back.

I then made a fist, and begun to focus. I had very little time to do this if I wanted to save dream force, so I took it slow at first for about a minute. This let the dream force 'warm up' so that I could immediately fire off my Crest's power. "H-AAAH!"

The crimson unfolding Lily appears. This once it is simply the base seven petals. No need for extra power. Two of the petals then 'break off' floating away from the circle and remaining suspended in front of me. I then dismissed the Crest at once, as the Doctor looked on, eyes wide. "What are you doing, your supply will..."

"Sorry doctor... but I need to repay you nonetheless."-as soon as the Crest vanished, the two petals seemed to transform, losing the glow and thinning into the form of two short swords, both made entirely out of solid gold, and adorned with jewels to boot. I did not remember where or when exactly I retrieved these. My past is a bit of a mess, even though I can always remember what sorts are made and what 'character' created them.

These ones were crafted out of a very vain person, who equated such vanity to power. They are incredibly beautiful and well crafted, albeit utterly useless in serious combat. I always wonder how such weaknesses are exposed. Did the man know that the swords would, internally that vanity does not mean power, or was it me that 'colored' his extracted life force like that?

The doctor looks at the swords with some surprise. "These are yours."-I told him. "I hope gold and gems carry some value in this world as they did in mine, but...if they don't, then I'll certainly be back to repay you otherwise."

The doctor was stunned. "I... Yes, yes of course, they...fetch quite a bit of money, but... are you certain? I mean..these  must..."

I shook my head. "I am absolutely certain. If I remembered something about them then...maybe yes, but as things are right now, their only use is to repay the man who saved my life. They are yours now."

He simply picked the swords up, laid them by the bedside and sat down. "Thank you...I... I don't..."

"W-well, if you are that taken aback, just consider us even! You did quite a bit for me after all, and I am unsure that there is ANY form of repayment for it. Although...something that slipped my notice. What's your name?"

The doctor shakes his head, laughing a little. "Olvam. Which in the local dialect, simply translates to 'doctor'. You've been calling me by my name this entire time."

Of course, his laugh faded into seriousness as I put my hand under my chin and looked at him with doubt. Really? 'Doctor'?

"...I had a different name before, much as you must have. I discarded my own willingly, once it's meaning changed to something ugly, which I did not stand for."

"Hmm... I don't get it. Shouldn't you be the one who decides what your name means at all times?"-It seemed so obvious to me. Sure, what 'Lily' means to me and what 'Lily' means to someone else can be different, but one should only care about the former. You can never really control what other people feel... Otherwise I'd have been out of that chamber long, long ago.

"Supposedly. But it is not always easy..."-Olvam...the doctor says. I shook my head, smiling. "I suppose your life has been quite difficult then. I'll have to ask about it at a later date."

"If you return here, I'll be glad to share it."-the doctor said and beckoned outside. "Oh, before you go...you might need a change of clothes."

He does raise a valid point. "Do you happen to have any cl-"-UGH! WHAT IS...


INTERRUPTED: ======= VII =======

BEGIN: ------- ACW ARCHIVE -------


Inputting code.

ACW-MODEL-VI: KNIGHT-OF-JUSTICE.

Code accepted. Proceeding to record

'Greetings, dearest brethren! In my long and arduous travels, I have discovered an impeccably useful ability of our kind. Having perused a number of ancient texts, I have found that this skill has ties to the Ancients of old and similar beings of an otherworldly and venerable nature! However, anyone with sufficient spiritual power and inner strength can manifest it.

It is called the Shroud or Mantle of Fire. Anecdotes of it's manifestation seem to relate to a state of powerful and overflowing emotions, most commonly that of righteous fury. No doubt, a means to glorify the feats of those to have accomplished it! I have however, discovered a way to obtain similar results without the need to trigger such intense turmoil within our very soul!

It wouldn't be that you need potent emotions to ignite the Mantle, you simply need them to MAINTAIN the ignition. By 'anchoring' the mantle to a pre-existing physical item, one merely needs to invoke it at a steady rate. The best way to do so is through the power of one's Crest. The result must be seen to be believed! A magnificent display of burning, white power, unmatched in purity and radiance, befitting of the most excellent and splendorous of the fated Crest bearers, who are most assuredly far and few, like diamonds in the rough.

I believe that you all will be able to develop one at some point, if you have not been implanted with a Crest upon creation. I myself have found great success in employing this method, given the nature of my powers. Not that I would need to, for I could always prevail in the most herculean of tasks with little effort, but the extra flair is most indubitably nice to have. I can only hope the rest of you will find this recording useful.

I also wish from the bottom of my heart, that all seven of you may be alive to see this recording, and that you will continue to prevail! The world is neither black nor white, but from the moment of our birth we have certainly become accustomed to the Stygian midnight of the human animus. Therefore, I implore you all to seek goodness and remain resolute in your heart of hearts! It is our quest to prove to the world that despite the suffering heaped upon us, our hearts shall remain pure! Know, that I, Alexandra of the Unnamed Lands,Knight of Justice am with you! May you be emboldened by the intense ardor of my spirit as it watches over your journey from afar!!! `

END: ------- ACW ARCHIVE -------

RESUME: ======= VII =======

...HAPPENING?!

"Hello? Are you there? You just phased out for a minute or so?"

The doctor is looking at me. He has a worn cloak in his hands... I... what was that? What did I just see... a vision, and then some woman talking...she... The Knight of Justice...does this  mean she is one of my sisters? An ACW Archive...so there are messages, in my head. I need to find out more!

"...And there you go again...Lily? Hello? Are you alright?"-his questions now sound more concerned than before...

"Yes, yes...sorry. I was just...daydreaming for a second there."-I tried my best to dispel his worries. The doctor shot me an unconvinced look but there wasn't much more he could say or do I wagered. "I only had this cloak available."

I picked it up and threw it over me. Wait... That...recording. Didn't it say something about this whole thing? Yes... Then...maybe I can...

"Doctor, please take a step back."

Alright, alright, just like in the vision. I threw the cloak in and then unleashed my Crest. It was already fired a moment or so ago so this once it was easy. Once the Crest was out I tried to 'put' it into the cloak, channeling the power but without actually using it for anything. Just moving it from point A...to point B.

"Woah..."-the doctor took yet another step back in awe. I looked at the cloak. A deep shade of red, and it now had a hood too. On the back, was the shape of my Crest, three layers of petals and the central circle all in white, like an emblem. I smiled. "Just a trick I remembered how to do."

"Just be careful that you do not spend too much power with it."-despite his warnings I can see the doctor's smile. I suppose what I did must have looked cool. I feel good about it too... I'm not very fashionable on the whole, but this cloak is nice. Plus, red is definitely my color.

A man comes near the door and shouts a few words. The same one that the doctor spoke to yesterday about finding the wreckage. I can see a few people leave their homes in response to his call.

"The caravan is here. You should go.'-the doctor said.

"Goodbye doctor."-I lowered my head and nodded simply. No...that won't do. What do people do when...hmm...hmmm, you got this Lily, you got this, come on brain!!!

...

Aha! Yes! I went ahead and gave the doctor a hug. He was a little surprised, but eventually patted me in the back as we parted ways. The caravan was indeed waiting outside. And...with this, my journey continues.

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- A -------

"Alright, see ya later!"-I waved off some of the people in the wagon who I had struck up a talk with. A young couple, an old veteran, a scrap merchant, even two automata. They all seemed to be nice people. Of course you can never know who anyone really is...

Station 3 -  Yelfan.

Eight train stations mark the entrance to the great city of Keffar Atharom. It is night. The stars fill the sky, and the moon is full. You can see the glimmer of the gun barrels, lining the top of the walls if you have good enough eyes. Can see them near the rails as well. It's the last train for tonight.

You're supposed to walk near the entryways, and they perform a thorough check. The price of entering Keffar Atharom is the extreme thoroughness of the checks.

The price to stay in Atharom's even higher and you pay it every day. One more reason not to dawdle. I need to find Beatrix. I can only assume the girl from the chamber would have named her 'B', since I was A and Vorlan was C. Fitting too, for a different reason. She's a bitch.

I remember quite well how she came to us. Saying she was a noble from Atharom, and indeed she seemed to be one. Then she said she had a high-paying job for us. Very well. Then we were told to go all the way into the Land of Wind Pillars, which blows but we did that too. Down into the caves we went. Picked up this big, glowing orb she wanted. Then she says she can't pay us for the return trip. Well fuck.

She then (clearly) makes up some story about her running into a certain black market dealer by 'complete chance' and that he had an item of great interest to her family, which had been purchased but needed ferrying. Ok, sure, she had the audacity to trick us twice. Had us doing transport work for free. Like we were falling for that. We went ahead, grabbed the 'item' and were going to sell it.

Of course, that item was the girl in the chamber. No way whoever had a stake in with her was going to let this slide. As we flew off, the black market place we retrieved the girl fro blew up. Then we were chased. We made it at first. Spent about two months going around the desert, picking up fuel when we could. Beatrix was adamant that we didn't return to Atharom in these conditions. With how terrified she looked, I figured she was trying to save her own skin and not playing us. Should have known that bitch was up to no good. Ugh.

Anyway, the checks are underway. Atharom prides itself in it's field tech. They use fields for almost everything, and it keeps the city alive. The conditions here aren't as bad but the entire city is both protected and held together by the 'critical fields' generated underground. If one of them goes down, anomalies begin to present themselves in that part of the city..then spread to others and before you know it, boom. Atharom's gone.

I kinda get why the security's so heavy. But I digress. They run you through a few fields to check that you aren't a monster in disguise or that you aren't carrying any dangerous items. Weapons are allowed as long as they aren't of certain types and makes. They check if you have dangerous Nodes, or are otherwise 'shady'. If they say there's something off with you but can't pinpoint it exactly? That's probably the worst outcome. Luckily I had a pass from the military in the train that explained the slight Abyssal Blood present in me.

Once they let me in... it would be time to begin my mission. A doorway opens up for a limited period of time and lets people pass. You really gotta leg it here, if the door closes on you they do not open until the next train comes by, and in my case that's tomorrow. We all run past the doors (you don't need to run but it is advisable just in case) and are then met with the sight of the city. Atharom sure is something.

Atharom's split in three parts. The central sector which is a small circle in the center of the city, the field sector which is a third of the city's circular shape, and the 'main' sector which is the other two thirds.

The first thing you see is the Driver's Square. A large round expanse with multiple transports on the sides. A bit above the middle of the square, to the left and right respectively a large, twenty four lane road rises off the ground and then proceeds to arc over the city. This is called the 'Laurel Road', due to how these massive highways form a broad arc that covers the main sector of Atharom, and of course having multiple paths branch out (much like a laurel wreath is shaped) and let one descend into the city itself. Not all of these branches exit at the same level which is exactly what I'm about to exploit.

I got into contact with one of drivers that hung near the far back. Those are the ones that drive towards the ground levels. The upper levels usually have 'streets' that connect the building floors above fifteen or twenty, which are kept suspended by the fields I mentioned. It's the darker, ground levels where the not-exactly-legal shit goes down that I'm opting for. I didn't need to tell the guy much, just paid him enough to take me on a solo trip all through the highway.

The circular vehicle has a small cabin, and I sat in the back. The two wheels that encircle the central cabin light up in blue as the Aether flows and the low hum of the hyper-rapid spin enters my ears. We're off. He enters the highway at an ever-accelerating speed and after a minute or so everything just becomes a fast moving blur in a background of black. I quite like this. I used to drive like this for a year or two. Good money.

Anyway, I tell the guy to drop me near here. It should be good distance. He takes the nearest lane that goes down and slows down. No more blurs. I can see the silhouettes of buildings, close together. Narrow alleyways, dark corners. The occasional lit up place can be seen. The people down here call them 'Angler lures'. Apt, given these places are the most dangerous, or near the most dangerous spots down here. That would be the only way they'd afford to keep the lights up.

I left the drive, thanked the guy and headed on. 'The Violet Thorn'. A rather unpleasant place, but one I still have connections in. And most importantly the place Beatrix contacted us through. I can already see it's lights from this far. I made sure to trade for a handgun, with one of the automata in the train. Turns out he just wanted information. Seemed awful interested in the nature of the ships that attacked us, means I gotta keep an eye on him. But I can't go into the Violet Thorn without some measure of protection anyway.

I reached the back door (which is where you enter from if you know what's good for you) and waved at the bodyguard. He recognized me so I made it in with ease. The whole place was rather loud, as four separate fights were going on near the center. The champ was fighting tonight too. Old guy, but still really dangerous. Knew some fancy martial arts. I headed for the small bar counter on the side, slammed my fist on it and got the bartender's attention.

"Sarla! Of all people, I didn't expect you back here."

"Hah. Of course not. But I'm here anyway. So, what's going on tonight?"

"They're holding a tournament. Borak wants to make a lot of money so that's why he's got the old man fighting."-the bartender was a nice guy named Theodore. A bit too young to be working here in my opinion. He seems to be handling things well however, so maybe it's just me.

"I see, I see. That's nice. Maybe he can get some decent lighting on this place then."-I said, and then ordered my usual. Theodore fills the glass and laughs a bit.

"Yeah, definitely. I'll make sure to tell him."

"That's not why I'm here of course... Listen, I need to..."

"You shouldn't have come Sarla."-Theodore warns, while cleaning a glass. "Look near the other corner."

Indeed, he was right. I realized once I saw it. Three big, bulky figures leave their seats and turn to different routes. They're surrounding me, and trying to keep the exits blocked as well. I looked up on instinct. A sharp dressed man, in a maroon suit and pants, a black turtleneck underneath as well as a fancy haircut to match his facial hair. He was easily into his fifties of course.

Came down the stairs, straight for me. Had an assistant follow him, and hand him a fancy black cane. "Sarla dear. I am sure Theodore told you already. You should not have come."-Borak's voice is smooth, belying his intentions. "Your last order of business was... not the wisest career choice. And even then you performed quite awfully."

Ouch. Way to sour the mood old man. "Really? I'd think I did quite well with those odds. Managed to get right back here alive, didn't I?"

"Indeed. It baffles me as to why you went for it, but that was definitely the worst of your choices."

"Answers. I thought I could do with a few more answers in my life. Such as 'what the fuck was that job'? Why is everyone ELSE in such a twist over it?"

"Hmm... let's just say that the lady that hired you has powerful backers, with far-reaching intentions. Intentions I'd much rather not mess with. Know when to fold, Sarla. That's the golden rule. So here we are. I've received a considerable payment for your death, should you enter Atharom. You coming here made it quite easy, I didn't need to search."

One of the men from before has already reached here. He's got a hand over my shoulder. I can already see the weapon ready to be drawn and fire inside my brain. Yeah...no.

I kicked the leg of my stool, broke it in two. The guy's hand on my shoulder slipped. I spun on my ass and got behind him. Took out my gun, fired at where his head was. I missed. Hit the light though, which fell on his head, and then I fired again in the general direction he was in. Not sure what part of him I got but I heard him topple over.

Time to run. I made for the front door, Borak's minions wouldn't want to start a fight there. I was wrong of course. Man, am I bad at this. The other two came from the sides. One of them slammed me with a stool, and I got thrown into the ground. Fuck. I can feel the other one drag me by the arm and then he grabs my gun. The other arm's making for my neck, fuck, fuck, fuck he's gonna snap it...

Unless I bite his nail off, which of course I tried to. Turns out big size offers no immunity for having someone's teeth dig under your nails... but his hands did taste awful. Fuck, this guy needs a bath. I saw the silhouette of his gun and grabbed it right away... Wait. No... This is wrong.

I figured I'd shoot him, but... what I really need to watch out for is the other guy. I immediately held out my arm and aimed near his head. One, two, three shots. One got him right through the forehead. I was right too, given that he was readying to shoot me. The other guy decks me in the face however, and I lost my grip of the gun. Okay, back into the shit. I couldn't make it in time this once, there's three of him...I mean, I'm SEEING three of him.

Grabbed the gun off the ground and begun running. He fired, missed. Hah. I made a fairly disoriented charge for the door and ran right out, scaring a few people with my bleeding face and the gun in my hands. The big guy tries to make it out, but Borak stops him. Finally... I can run. No doubt, they'll chase me..

Right before I go, I see Borak approach the front door with Theodore following him. "Sir, she suggested that you use the money from tonight's tournament to improve on the lighting."-Good kid.

"Hmm... she did? That's a good idea actually, Clara, keep a note of it."-he said to his assistant.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

I kept running for around twenty minutes, and my vision's gotten better but the pain not so much. Man, I need ice. I need to find a safe place too, or leave Atharom altogether... even if that means no answers. Answers have a way of disappearing if you take too long to find them so I can't wast anymore...

"You are looking awful."-Oh you have got to be kidding me. A small aerial transport lowers itself, blows all that dust into my face and once the front door opens up  I see Beatrix of all people. Fuck. I could have done without this. Two mooks are at her side, far better equipped and far too professional-looking for me to even attempt a fight. They already got me in their sights. Those two come out and surround me, while two more seem to be guarding the bitch.

She's sure prettied up some ever since last time, but no fancy dress is going to make her less of an eyesore. The two mooks relieve me of my gun, and take me to the interior of her transport. There is a small table there, with two drinks. Beatrix takes a seat and beckons for me to follow.

Ugh. Fine, if she wants to play the game that way. "So... Why haven't they shot me dead yet?"

"My, my, is this how you introduce yourself? Sarla please, aren't we friends?"

Hah. Yeah...

"Sure, c'mere, I'll give you a big kiss."

"Now, now, there is no need for such crude innuendo. I pride myself in being able to understand and get to know people well, even within a little span of time. And I know you Sarla. You came here to get answers."-sure, she sees that. But you can never really know what a person's about.

They can always surprise you, and that's what B isn't counting on here. However she is right that I need answers. "I'll bite. You're giving me answers?"

"All the answers you want. Of course, they won't change your fate, but they will certainly be all the answers you came here to find."

Ugh... Here we go again. I grabbed the drink in the table. Didn't drink it. Beatrix eyed me for a moment, then took a sip from hers. Only when I saw her her gulp it down, did I drink as well.

"So easy."-she said, as...she spat the drink back out. That bitch! She poi...so...n...ugh...

What is this...some... slee..p...ah..

...

END: ~~~~~~~~ A ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- VII -------

"Hello? Sir, please could you tell me where..."-Uffffuuu! Another failure. The people in the caravan were quite nice. They told me that to find Sarla, the best place to start looking would be Atharom. When we got near it I was...quite taken aback, I'll admit.

 A huge city with walls in the shape of a gigantic octagon. A massive gate on each, with railways rising from underground tunnels and coming into the station. Caravans were only allowed to enter from one one of these railways which was defunct, and re-purposed to allow other things to travel in it. It took a day or so of travel to make it to Atharom. The caravan people were nice, but not very chatty so I spent most of that time thinking...

One of them asked about my cloak. I don't quite know how to explain it but it makes me feel stronger. It is like I have someone gently hugging me at all times...it feels quite comforting. I guess comfort can be strength in some cases? Yeah! That's probably it. Anyway, the caravan folks went their separate ways once we entered Atharom. This entrance was close to a large square full of buses, and I went around asking for Sarla.

Of course, nobody could tell me anything. What a waste of time... It's such a big city but I cannot even find one person in it. How am I ever going to...

"Miss! Hello, miss! You mentioned a woman with blonde hair? Wearing a black jacket...hmm..about...this tall, right?"-some random person approaches me, straight out of his...weird round vehicle, and begins talking. Did he hear me ask...wait...no, that's not it! He knows Sarla!

"Yes, yes! Exactly..."-I kept giving him more details and he seems to nod. "...Yeah, I...I know who you are talking about. I gave her a ride earlier today. "I can take you to where I left her. I saw her head for some rather...dark place. If you have the money for it of course."

...Gee, does this guy think I was born yesterday? "...How much?"

"Fifty Imperials."-I might need to be less clumsy, but I am  not a fool!

"Five Imperials now. The rest, if you hold up your end of the deal. I know what the place she was going to looks like, so if you take me to the wrong address, you get nothing more."

"Aw! I'm hurt. But I'll keep my word."-And with that I handed him five Imperials. Not a  bad price for the one possible option I had of finding Sarla! And certainly less than the fifty he was asking for.. I only have a hundred, from trading with the caravan folks.

I hopped onto the man's vehicle, as the ride begun. It was the earliest of the morning and the sun was just rising. As we rode across the town, this guy took me up a riding road that lead into an elevated huge highway. It was indeed quite big, with vehicles moving so fast that they looked like blurrs. How he managed not to crash was beyond me...maybe there was some sort of sensor he had or...who knows...

Anyway, it takes a good while for us to slow down. After an hour or going about the town, he moves towards one of the sides of the road and into a lane that seems to descend. It gets darker as he does, the buildings too dense to let the light of the rising sun through. We slow down and the finally come to a stop after crossing a number of buildings, and reaching into an area with a single building that had lights on.

Violet Thorn? What sort of name is that..? I suppose since it has purple lights and these thorny-shaped designs on the table with the name...but still, doesn't seem like a very good place for business. Then I feel his hand behind me...and...DRAT, no!! No!

He makes off with all of my money. Ugh! I assumed we'd be civilized, and that he would... Eh...I guess I was born yesterday. Clumsiness 2, Lily 0. I'll get better at this one day.

"I made good on my promise. Your friend entered the Violet Thorn. Good luck! You'll need it, haha! You'll definitely need it!!"-the man makes off in his fast vehicle. I cannot even give chase. Ugh...this is bad. Bad... But why would he say that last thing? ...My friend...inside that building? And why leave? I have nothing more on me...  there's no way there is another layer of deception here.

...No, that's wrong. There most likely is another layer of deception. Hmm...at least I have my crest to defend myself if they try anything really bad. Not like there is anything they can steal from me now...

I made for the front door, and the two bodyguards eyed me suspiciously. "I have business inside...Let me in."-I said. I tried my best to sound serious and stern, but it seems my intimidation game is a bit weak. Just at that moment, the front  door opens and someone is thrown out. A shirtless man, battered and bleeding...

Focus! This is my chance. As the bodyguards look at him for a second, I rushed past them. One of them went ahead to grab my hood...

But that's when I deactivated the Shroud of Fire, the cloak vanishing. Hah! I suppose I got lucky, and ran right into... wait...what is this?

It looks to be some sort of tournament. There's an old man fighting against an Automaton. The old man seems to be on the ropes, defending and dodging the Automaton's rapid kicks. He won't make it... why would they put someone like that to a fight?

Then I hear it. Clapping. "At last! Our main entertainment for the night!"-he looks very fancy. Grey hair, dark red suit. Expensive cane. He has some sort of secretary following him around too. "My name is Borak, and I am quite happy to be your host for tonight. You have caused us no little concern miss. After all we thought you would never awaken."

...Wait a second...

"...You... you know... about..."

"Yes, indeed. I am part of the wider organization that was involved in your...acquisition. Of course, you being awakened in this condition is rather troublesome."

...I was aware this was going to happen at some point. Someone sees me as a piece of equipment and not a living being. I was quite certain I would end up encountering people like this, and that it would be possible they outnumbered the ones who saw me as people. Perhaps I should have just stayed in the village...

"Where is Sarla?"-I have no intention of humoring this man, but I did come here for answers and I am not leaving without them.

"You will never see her again, if she even is alive."-the man's tone shifts immediately. From gentle and smooth, to downright savage.

"Irrelevant. I asked where she is, not whether I will see her again. Answer me."-the old cloak lifts a little. I can see the white aura, moving like fire across it's length. Soon, it turns red, and the shape of my Crest is manifested behind it. A little dust lifts from the floor, and the glasses in the tables shake a little. I guess he made me a little angrier than I'd wish...

"Hmm...Well, well this is troublesome. We can't kill you... nor can we let you do as you please. Which of course would be quite the conundrum, if this wasn't a sporting site. In this particular case I have a very effective solution that should leave us both satisfied."

That is when I hear a loud noise and then see a shadow bolt past me. The automaton's body flies right off the ring and slams into the ground, a large hole through his chest. It went right by my face... I think my heart froze a little there. I turned around and saw the old man resting  against the ropes.

I knew he was going to win, but I did not expect such a vicious attack. "...That automaton... what did it ever do to you?"-I turned to ask him.

"Was in my way. We went into the ring, taking into account the fact we might not leave with our lives. He fought well."-the old man replies, before folding his arms. He had white hair and quite the beard. Muscular, tall, scarred. Wore only a black sleeveless shirt and pants of similar color. Practical, simple, dangerous. The worst kind of enemy.

"Anyway...what I was going to propose is a simple fight. You and my champion. If he wins, you belong to us. If you win, well... I'll point you to the direction your friend went. Sounds fair?"-The old man asked.

...Fair... Yeah. It's about the fairest thing I've heard ever since I stepped foot in this city. Which is why it sounds incredibly fishy.

But I can see what he's thinking. If his champion can neutralize me he wins in every sense of the word. But if I can beat this guy, then he's more interested in saving his life, since he knows I can take him and his cronies.

"Alright. I'll fight."

"Splendid, splendid! Then..."-he claps his hands, as the spotlight falls on me. "Ladies, gentlemen! Tonight's main entertainment!

An automaton from another world will be taking on our champion! Will the champion prove victorious? Or will he be defeated by the strange power of this alien machine? Bets are as always, open and ongoing. Let us begin now!"

I took that as my cue to climb past the ropes and into the ring. The guy takes a defensive fighting stance... Just what is he playing at?

I manifested my crest right away. There is no wind here, but I have the opportunity to use the sword I got from that raider. I immediately released some of my red particles in the air, and then brought out the sword. I swung it at the man, rising up dust and conjuring once more a crown of rocky spikes. The wind from the swing propels the small particles at him...but...

That's when he folds his arms, and lets out a shout. A blue aura  forms around him, pushing the particles back out. Guh! They fade away soon enough...I can't implant them on him like this. He begins to move forward, dancing between the spikes and approaches me...but does not attack yet.

His funeral. I summoned another sword, a green one, with a flat rectangular blade. Rising it above my head, I had air gather around the blade, swirling rapidly and picking up the particles, before releasing it into a straight slash right at the guy. He...sidesteps with ease. But that wasn't my real plan. I had two more petals of my first layer lotus fly forward, and try to impale him. Now in sword form, but if I can get the petals inside him he'll already be primed for me to use my...

Wait...what? The old guy coated his hands in what must be Aether, and deflected the blades with his palm, hitting them on the broad side. They get impaled on the floor, leaving me with only three more...guh, no...

He begins to advance, careful but quick steps. I flung two more blades at him, one which he hits with his elbow, breaking it in the middle, another which I threw horizontally so he wouldn't be able to deflect it with his hands, at least not easy... he leaps over...and then brings down his foot on it, breaking it as well. I only have one blade left...

But he doesn't wait for that. This guy's... He immediately got behind me and kicked the last petal off, breaking it into pieces. No...

I ran off, trying to dodge. It didn't sell, he was right after me. Right then I tripped into the rock spikes. The old man wastes no time to grab my face, lift me up and slam me back-first on the floor. I scrambled to get up but the pain was very much real, especially as the plating over my spine hit the ground and... Ouch...

I'll spare myself thinking about the details. I got grabbed in the leg and pulled back, before a punch to the face knocks my lights out for a momen...t....

INTERRUPTED: ======= VII =======

BEGIN: ------- ACW ARCHIVE -------

Inputting code.

ACW-MODEL-III: ENLIGHTENED-DANCER-OF-FISTS.

Code accepted. Proceeding to record

'Greetings. My name is Sanara. As the code input will have told you, I am ACW Model III. My main achievement as an ACW is the complete mastery of our vast internal world and our many functions. I will be using this recording to teach of the basest level of mastery.

A common misconception lies in the belief that we, like most other beings exist only in the space occupied by our body. While we certainly exist IN it, our very being is so intrinsically tied to our powers and their manifestations or extensions, that a part of us 'lives' in them. It is useful to consider your 'aura' like a sphere which is completely under your control. Whenever you launch a projectile, or conjure a familiar, whatever your power may be, you are extending your being to it.

Your weapons, your tools, your powers, they ARE you. You can control them as you control a muscle, by focusing your mind in them and seeking to channel your power a bit past your body. You will see that your life force, the energy of your Crest is easily attracted to these extensions of your power.

A particularly useful opportunity comes in hand to hand fighting. You can project your aura just a bit further than the limits of your body and have it intermix with the opponent. This allows you to sabotage them from within, gaining an understanding of how they move by having your little 'spy' planted within them. You exert complete control over the battle in this way, being capable to bring every fight to an immediate and conclusive end. It takes quite a bit of mastery to make the best of it, but the  most basic applications should be readily apparent.

I thank you for your time. I hope you found this recording helpful. I hold hope that I may meet with you one day."

END: ------- ACW ARCHIVE -------

RESUME: ======= VII =======

"Alright, take her..."-I hear the old man, right as I come back to my senses. I see people climbing into the ring, one of them moves in closer...

Ah...is this it? Did I really lose to... Hmm... But I do not like this ending. I wasn't as good of a fighter as I imagined, I suppose but I am still awake aren't I?

I almost... thought I was back in that chamber. Helpless, without the opportunity to move. I haven't lost that yet...no, I cannot just lie down here. GET UP LILY!!!

Indeed, as if ordering my own body to rise up, I immediately jumped to my feet. My neck cracked a bit, my face hurt and my back more so, but I could still move. "I'm not done."

The old man turns to face me, with a little frown. "If your new showing it going to be just as bad as the last one then for your own good, stop now."

"...We'll see, won't we? Anyway, are we going to fight?"

It doesn't take much more. Will he underestimate me? Yes, quite possibly. I opened up my Crest, and summoned the second layer of petals.

Indeed, the guy leaps up by powering up his feet and I immediately took a step to the side. Just as he was about to hit the ground, I jumped. The ring shakes as he comes down, but I managed to avoid the worst of it due to that jump. A bit wobbly once I came down, I immediately threw a petal at him. He dodges.

I throw another, and he destroys that one. A third, fourth... Ah... I need to get my 'aura' inside him but he will defend against the blades or the particles. Then...

A fifth, missing. I let him break the sixth one and send the seventh right behind it. Just as he is about to shatter that one I decided to... focus on it. Sending all of my power there. Everything looks dimmer for a second, as I look about to faint... but I managed it. The last petal blows up and the energy flies right into his face.

He coughs a bit, but looks unaffected. Looks. As he readies his punch, I focus yet again, on him this once. I feel a faint pulse, and with it a direction. I move the opposite way. He is surprised at first, but recovers from the daze with a kick. I feel it's 'direction' towards my face, and duck. He brings the leg down as I roll to the side, the shaking ring not affecting me as much in the ground. He readies to punch at me again, but I have the hang of this now.

"It's over."-Good job Lily. Scare him like that. He does seem to smile, as he punches forward. I do not feel the arm reaching me but the power in it definitely feels like it could, and it almost does, as an Aether beam fires forward, and even past the ring. He managed to project Aether at such a distance?

...He's strong alright. But I can win this! He kicks at the air, releasing another Aether beam which I barely dodged. He's keeping me at a distance... Clever, but it won't do him any good. The next kick has the beam attack horizontally, as he sweeps across the air with it..and I bent back, before falling on the ground. A clean hit...?

He decides not to take any chances, and readies to finish me off. Brings the arm back, readies the fist and prepares to hit me straight in the chest... I'll get knocked out for sure. Back into the chamber... Losing everything... Never seeing Sarla again...

Just kidding!

The blades that he failed to break, the ones that got stuck into the floor...they fly off the ring and impale his arm. Immediately after, his body begins to ache as the guy lets out a very loud shout...and petals burst out. First, from his shoulders, and then the torso, back, arms...legs...he's covered in them in less than ten seconds. I got back on my feet and moved to him. The old man only smiled.

"Nice feint. I honestly...thought I had you with that last one. Hah! Amazing..."

"...I am not a fighter...but I'd say you were pretty good too. I genuinely felt frightened a few times there... Anyway as I told you before, it's over."

I reached towards his chest as the glow had formed and pulled out a sword. The heavy, black blade had lines in it that seemed to fill with Aether. It quietly parries and defends, until it has understood the power of it's enemy. Then it roars to life, destroying the opponent in the most effective way. Just like this man's style.

This might be one of my best swords so far... The man only flinches a little, and falls on his knee, making no more noise. I turned to the organizer of this charade.

"It's over. Tell me where Sarla is."-and for extra intimidation I pointed the sword at him. He, for his part, certainly looked shook. "...Let's talk about th-"

"No. No more talking. Tell me where Sar...l...a..."-oh no...no...I exhausted my dream for...ce...

I fell to the floor, first my knees and then my face. I can no longer move my body to fight... his guards rush in at once and grab me by the arms, carting me off. No...

I was so close... My eyes are shut, and fate once more deals me a grim hand. Just how am I going to get out of this one? It's the second time in such a short time span that things seem lost... third, if you count my little feint. I am beginning to think I came in unprepared...heh...

Okay Lily, it's no time for jokes. You need to figure out a way out of th...I am being laid somewhere. It feels...cold, and wooden. Doesn't seem like the ground, they had to lift me up. I can hear some device being prepared, and one of them pokes around my arm, underneath the elbow... oh dear, they are going to shut me down.

"That's basically her power supply, right?"-I hear the...old man, ask. He did not strike me as the type to be in on this. I didn't hear a reply, but... what I did hear was the sound of liquid pouring over...and then my arm getting wet... What even is going on?!

I realize soon enough however, as my eyes open once again and I feel my limbs..I can move. I immediately punched the nearest mook, and then turned my back to the others, summoning my Crest and having them impaled. The petals emerge soon enough, and I look at the surroundings. The old man has a glass in his hands, and a spill of Abyssal blood is over my exposed power injection channel...

Did he literally spill that thing... "Why..?"

"Hmm... Why did you win?'

I shook my head. Maybe I knew, but things were so hectic I could not even think about his question. He seems to have senses that, and grabs my shoulders to shake me.

"Because you HAD to win! I am a fighter. I made myself a fighter... I am a man who fights. And every day, I am made to fight against scoundrels who only care about money! 'Survive one round and get 500 Imperials!", 'Survive three rounds and make that 2500!'. I only see cowards who run at the sight of a fist! You cannot make a world class chef cook plain rice! You can't make a great racer push a toy car! This place was suffocating my soul!"-he is quite loud, I'll give him that...

But I think I understand to some extent. I wasn't...made for anything, or at least I don't feel like I was, but I wanted to enjoy life. I wanted to be able to move, and breathe and run and do all of those things so much, when I was trapped in that motionless state. I guess he feels like that too, unable to do these things he really wants to...

"You were the first person in years, that walked into that ring with the intent to win... Thank you! Thank you for defeating me. Seeing you rise up like that... In that moment, the invisible hand around my throat relaxed, even if just a little bit."

...A little dramatic...but I'll take it. "...Abyssal blood...where can I...?"-Priorities. I DO need that thing to stay alive.

"I do believe you'll be able to obtain some more by robbing my stash of it. Mixing in tiny amounts of Abyssal blood makes for a rather lovely drink."-The barkeep mentions. He looks so young, yet his nerves must be like steel. He did not even flinch for one moment.

"...Yes, I'm robbing you, give me all of your Abyssal Blood."-I made a finger-gun gesture at him. "Oh dear, how frightening, yes, yes, have it all, please do not hurt me."

Good kid. I smiled, and begun pouring the bottle down my power supply channel. Once about half the bottle is done, I see a door open up on the second floor. "What's taking you all so lon-"-the guy with the cane shows up... He must have realized things were bad, and immediately turned around.

No. I am not letting him elude me again. I ran ahead, making my way to the stairs and... Saw the guards. Punched one, petal'd the other... But he was still too far away. I gave chase, running to the best of  my ability, but my body was quite heavy and... he was still far away, having thrown off his jacket...

Drat... I'll never reach him like this. Come on Lily...there has to be some way you can... Wait...yes there is. I threw a petal forward from my Crest, and then immediately...

Tried to take myself to it. I don't know how to explain it...but...if that petal is 'part' of me, there should be some connection between us... It was like a revelation, but I wasn't sure if it would apply.

My Crest begun to spin like crazy as I attempted to 'carry' my body through the power I was transferring into that petal, as it was still in flight... and then I saw red sparks fly all over me. My next step carried me forward THROUGH a table, as I faded into a blur of red light.

Then the next...and then the one right after it, sequential blurs that were much faster than I was on foot. For a second I could only see a red screen over my field of vision and then, I found myself colliding with something. That man...

I got him. Grabbed him by the collar of his turtleneck, and readied a petal. "Speak. Now...where is Sarla?"

He was terrified. But at this point I did not care. This man had tried to cheat me one too many times. Although on the side...I guess I really did achieve that intimidation level I wanted.

"...Fine...fine, you win! I'll tell you everything... she's..."-he pointed out the window. I dragged him all the way over, and put his face near it. "Where?"

He pointed once more...to this round structure. The top of some building? No...as I looked closer, it was actually a floating station. "What's there?"

"...That floating station is reserved for nobles. All big noble families have them, as compensation for their lands being taken. That  one belongs to House Emernia. Our...benefactors."

Finally, some answers. "...Beatrix Emernia, hired your friend and another...a pilot, to retrieve some...artifact in the desert...which was going to be used...for you...that's all I know."

...Used for me... An artifact... why does this not ring a bell? I let the guy down, and walked off, back to the bar. It looks like things just got a whole lot more complicated.

But at least I have some direction to go on now. And an hopefully sufficient amount of dream force. Most importantly... I have a contribution to make.

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- ACW ARCHIVE -------

Inputting code.

ACW-MODEL-VII: RED-BLADE-LILY.

Code accepted. Proceeding to record

'Greetings. I do not know if anyone is hearing this, if I am too late and there is nobody else who can listen to these recordings...but I have to hope there is. I also don't know if you are familiar with what I am about to describe here, which would admittedly be a bit embarrassing...

But if there is a chance that this is new knowledge to someone, I wish to help them, like they helped me. I want to thank...Sanara and Alexandra, ACW Models III and VI respectively for teaching me the basic techniques I used to awaken this power. What I am about to describe I have named 'phasing'. By projecting or focusing your power to a point outside of your body, and channeling your Crest at the same time, it is possible to enter a state of high speed movement, which also allows one to briefly phase 'through' physical walls or restrictions.

While I used it as a means of giving chase, in my first and so far only application of it, I would think that it can be quite useful as a defensive tool. I look forward to experimenting with it.

Once again I hope that there are those of you who would receive this recording. My name is Lily. I am in...some unknown world, where dream force is found in liquid form called Abyssal Blood. I am currently in a city called Atharom, or Keffar-Atharom. I also visited a place called Galamine. I don't know where I'll be in the future...but if these names mean anything to you.. I hope that one day we can meet. Goodbye, for now.'

END: ~~~~~~~ ACW ARCHIVE ~~~~~~~