Steampunk CTs

“Rono, look out!”

I was brought back to reality at the mention of my name. But that wasn’t possible. That lady can’t even see me, so why is she calling my name?

Wait. The boy’s name is Rono. He shares the same name as me. That’s nice…

I gritted my teeth and braved into the unknown. The boy and his mother needed me and I decided that I was gonna die trying to save them.

I pointed my stemata to an exact position where I could possibly hit both Dawn and Twilight. When I activated my stemata and broke the mirror directly in front of me, I was revealed to everyone in the house of mirrors. Mostly because of Dawn and Twilight making a hallway of broken glass. When my stemata rushed towards Dawn, she only had enough time to dodge it. As it rushed towards Twilight, she jumped out of the way. With the boy realizing that I’m on his side, he’ll be able to run towards me, the mother however was still in the danger zone. Time to try something risky!

“Grab on!” I yelled out to her and before she could even register completely what was going on she grabbed on.

I retracted the stemata as fast as I possibly could, pulling the mother with it. Twilight swung at her with her blades, but she was able to escape by a hair’s length. The mother was on her way to safety, but she had to get through Dawn first.

“Ohohoooo! You're bringing her right to me?! Is this an early birthday present?!”

As if!

I lifted my staff into the air, carrying the mother along with it as well as keeping her out of Dawn’s range, and retracted it right to the exit where I stood, the force she was moving with had her almost fall down the steps leading into the house of mirrors, but I caught her.

“Get out of here! I’ll keep you guys safe!”

“T-thank you so much!” She picked her son up and began to leave.

Don’t treat me like a hero…I was about to leave you for dead like the coward I am… I couldn’t help but think.

The son gave me a concerned look as his mother began to run off. To reassure him, I gave him a thumbs up. “My name’s Rono too! Us Ronos gotta stick together, right?”

“Keep your eyes on me, CT!” Dawn lunged at me with two daggers and I reacted just in time to block the attack with my staff. I felt the weight of the assassin as she tried to cut my staff. She won’t be able to though. The entire thing is a stem crystal! I used her movement against her and pushed her aside. I ran towards Twilight and thrusted my staff several times in her direction but she perfectly dodged all of them and dashed to land a killing blow on my neck. To the complete reverse of me, Dawn already recovered and was going for the same vital point. These two are insanely agile. If I want to keep up, I’ll have to bust out the moves I’ve been working on myself!

I bent my back as backwards as it could go, making the assassins hit nothing but air. Dawn wore an expression of surprise at my flexibility. Twilight voiced her surprise.

“How?!”

I shrunk my staff to the size of my fist. An instant later I rotated it horizontally and extended it. In a perfect world, it would send both of the flying. But these two were trained assassins. They disengaged with the immediate encounter and hugged opposite walls of the house of mirrors. In response, I shrunk my staff back to its normal size and started to spin it around. In some instances, I used both hands, in other instances, only one. But in all instances, the staff danced around my body, as if warning the two attackers that I could attack or defend at any angle.

“D-don’t come a step closer!” I tried my best to give them a warning.

“You don’t sound as cool as you think when you stumble over your words.” Twilight said.

Hurtful, but ok.

“I can already tell he’s better than he was leading on!” Dawn licked her lips. “Let’s use that technique!”

“W-what’s that technique?!” I asked.

“If you think we need it, then sure.” Dawn massaged her neck as the overall tone around these two changed.

“Can you guys stop speaking in riddles?! What is that technique?!”

“You’ll find out soon enough!” The both of them said at the same time in an uncanny manner as they rushed toward me. I dashed away from the middle of the house of mirrors and moved down a hallway of the mirrors that was still standing. Twilight followed me as I did so. As I was about to meet the end of the hallway I pointed my staff toward a mirror adjacent to me and extended. The mirror shattered and revealed Dawn. I missed her by an inch and she was now wielding two daggers. Did Twilight give her the one she was holding? That’s entirely possible, but I doubt it.

Dawn swung at me and I rolled out of the way to avoid her swing. When I did, Twilight was at the end of where I was rolling to and she had not one or two daggers, but three. One in each hand and one in her mouth. I pointed my staff to the floor and extended it, making me fly upwards as a result. When I landed at a part of the house that wasn’t in either of their attack ranges, I watched as they were already catching up to me. Now I counted six daggers. It took me a while to put the pieces together, but they have a stemata that makes them able to produce daggers. I don’t exactly know how many they can do though…

Before I could think any more about ways to counter, they were already in my range. Swung at them, but they both ducked and threw some of the daggers they were holding in the air. I couldn’t help but avert my gaze for a split second. As I looked up, I noticed the four daggers glow a bright blue and split. They all just doubled to make eight daggers. How the hell were they going to keep up with something like that?!

Their attack didn’t end there of course. I look back down to see Twilight once again aiming for one of my vitals. This time, my heart. And if she’s doing that, the reverse must be happening behind me! Damn it! I don’t have time to dodge both! Especially with them closing the distance like this! I’m at a disadvantage!

I shrank my staff to the size of a baton and swung at Twilight. I only have enough time to divert her attack. I’ll have no time to avoid Dawn’s assault. And I haven’t even thought about the daggers that were coming down any second now.

The action of me diverting Twilight’s attack and taking Dawn’s attack happened in one instance. I batted Dawn away as the knife was still stuck in me. I only had enough time to take the knife out and throw it across the room before they began the final stage of their assault. This is it, Rono! Remember! Remember what Natalia taught you!

===

“You failed.”

“Figured…”

I was in the medical room with Jack and Derris. I was the first to wake up and Natalia was giving me the run-down on what exactly went wrong.

“I gotta say Rono…”

“You don’t have to say anything…I know I’m a failure. I know I’m a coward. Regardless, I’m gonna keep trying! I’ll die trying… I’ve found something that I want to do for the rest of my life and I don’t want to let it go!” I was gripping the sheets of my bed as tears streamed down my face. “What’s wrong with that?”

Natalia was taken aback. Usually, the bombastic CT had something stupid or outrageous to say, but she simply opened her mouth slightly and closed it, as if contemplating what to say next. After a bit of silence, she finally decided to speak up.

“No matter what you tried in life, you must’ve been shut down at every turn, huh?”

She hit the nail on the head, but I didn’t want to admit it. I just listened to her words quietly as I stared off into space.

“I was like you, in a way. I was at rock bottom. But the best thing about starting at zero is that…everyone expects you to fail anyway, so…” she pulled my head in towards hers and pressed her forehead against my own. As she did, I had no choice but to stare into her eyes. Her sincere, confident eyes.

“Go crazy! You got nothing to lose, so do whatever you want! If your heart’s telling you you’re on the right path, then unapologetically follow it!”

Her words reached right into my heart and grabbed at the very essence of my being. She was just like me in a way. Just like the Terror Crusher. She didn’t care what anyone said.

===

How could I forget what she told me? I’ll do it! Even if it seems impossible, I want to be like them! I want to be a courageous CT, so I’ll unapologetically run towards that image!

Including the daggers the two were holding, that made ten in all! I’ll have to keep track of all ten! I don’t know if I could do it, but the man I want to be could, so…

“Bring it on!” I resolutely said.

The sisters rushed towards me and my world slowed down as I registered every attack. They swung their daggers, caught falling ones, and swapped some between each other. In the meanwhile, I dodged, batted away, and landed blows every so often. It was like a deadly circus act. The three of us were dancing amongst the blades as they did everything in their power to attack me and I did everything in power to land as many hits as I could. I just had to survive this assault because if I’m right—

“Agh!” Twilight wailed out as I hit her in the thigh.

I knew it! Her leg lagged behind her usual attack pattern by a few seconds! This is their ace in the hole, so if I can hold out, I can take advantage of their weaknesses! Keep looking! Every habit and movement they have…I have to perceive every bit of it!

Twilight

How…

He was like a whiny little child not even half an hour ago! So how is he keeping up with our most advanced technique? Blade Songstress is supposed to be an attack that takes advantage of our opponents perception! He’s supposed to be stumbling to figure out where we’re supposed to be attacking next! He’s supposed to be stifled in fear at the possibility of death taking him out at any moment. But instead—

Bink!

Clink!

Clang!

He was batting off every attack and even counter attacking! This man isn’t just some normal trainee! He’s on par with the likes of a titled CT in terms of perception and battle prowess!

Dawn and I tried our best to corner him and drive him to a point of exhaustion, but it was like the reserves that were his stamina were that of a bottomless well. Or rather, he was acting like it was. He was sweating buckets, he was gasping for air, but he wasn’t letting up.

And then, foolishly, I made a mistake that he capitalized on. I retraced a step that I’ve been to several times already and he had his staff pointed and ready in that direction.

“Damn it—” Before I could finish my curses to my enemy he extended his staff and sent me flying. I broke through the ceiling of the house of mirrors and kept flying into the night sky. As I did, I saw the entire land. It was a beautiful view built on the suffering of Danny’s people. I only wished I could’ve killed one CT for him. As payback for all the great things he did for me.

“The rest…is up to you, Danny.” I got the words that I hoped would reach him somehow out as the staff stopped short and sent me plummeting to my death.

Rono

“Noooo!” Dawn screamed out for her sister, but to no avail. The damage was already done. My staff that returned without her on it pretty much confirmed it.

“How could you?! She was my flesh and blood! She was my everything! And you took her away from me!”

She tried to make me feel bad for killing her sister. She was hitting the right marks. I did feel bad. I felt terrible for taking a life, but I wasn’t going to entertain any of what Dawn was talking about. “You don’t have any room to talk! You were going to kill an innocent child!”

“Don’t you bastards get it?! Your precious BCT did ten times worse! They ruined the Rosaria clan over a hoax! Over evidence that they couldn’t provide! Even years later! You call us criminals? You call us terrorists?! The way I see it, you guys are the terrorists!” Dawn pointed an accusing finger at me while she cried her eyes out.

It didn’t seem like she was in the mood to fight anymore, so I dropped to my knees and clenched my heart. It felt like I was going to pass out with the way that I was gasping for air. I could barely even move without feeling like I was exerting too much energy. As I sat there, I heard a distinct sound hurtling towards us as the ground shook. There’s no way. Is this backup for the twins? If it is, then I’m screwed! It sounds like a huge car crashing through buildings. No, not a car. It made the same sound the Terror Crushers armor would make when he launched surprise attacks by smashing into the enemy base. What the hell could—

Before I could finish that thought, a wave of debris and dust kicked up as a body went flying into the house of mirrors and crashing into the back wall. As soon as some of the dust settled, I looked over to see that the source of the sudden crash was Arno Achebe. And he didn’t look good whatsoever.

I looked over and the entire upper right corner of his armor was missing, his face was bloody, His eyes were barely open, and he looked like he was seconds from meeting death itself.

As more of the smoke cleared, Dawn also realized the state that Arno was in. She narrowed her eyes and had a newfound drive to kill at least one CT today. She grabbed a dagger from the floor and dashed towards Arno.

“Ar—ACK!” I tried to scream out to tell him to dodge or move out of the way, but I was still gasping for air. When I tried to turn toward him and save him, I fell to the ground. My body was finally catching up to what I just pulled off. Damn it! If only I did more to Dawn! I had to focus on one of the twins to speed up the fight, but this was all I could muster?! My friend’s going to die! I have to save him! I have to do something!

“Oh…you’re an enemy…” Arno said in a raspy voice with all his strength.

The slits in the armor of his left leg glowed. And just like the bullet of a gun, his leg shot right into Dawn’s side and sent her crashing into the Kagami house’s right wall. Her body created a splatter of blood that painted the wall as her body lifelessly dropped to the floor.

The Haustorian CT wasted no time after taking the life of one of the enemy forces.

“No rest for the weary…” Arno pried himself from the crater he made in the building and planted his feet onto the ground. After a deep breath, he took step after step. He looked deathly pale, and his eyes had a thousand yard stare, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

“Are you seriously going after the leader?! You’re on the verge of death!”

“I can’t stop…not until I find it…”

“Find what!?”

“Something that could stand up against hatred that spans generations…” He muttered.

“B-but…aren’t you scared? What if you die before you find it? What if you fail? How could you take that step without having these fears, Arno?! Tell me!”

I begged him for an answer. I was being selfish. I was only asking because I never wanted to be the same coward I always have been. I wanted to change and become the ideal version of myself. I know this is the worst time to ask, but I couldn’t help myself.

Arno was now using the doorway to prop himself up. “I guess with enough time…that fear lessens. It never goes away, though. Back when Haustoria was a lawless land, if I didn’t kill others to survive, the price would be the lives of both Ori and I. I just think about it on a larger scale this time around. That’s why…I have to look into this.”

Arno’s eyes began to light up with a burning desire to fight on. This is why I admired him. He was up there with the likes of Natalia and TC.

“Then I’ll help you.” I offered Arno my back and as he hopped on, I gritted my teeth and lifted the both of us up. As I walked out of the Kagami house and down the road to Triana land, I said “Hey Arno…”

“Yeah?”

“You’re gonna be a pretty badass CT. Like a superhero.”

“Thanks man…you too…I’m gonna rest my eyes for a bit…”

“J-just don’t die on me, okay?! Ori’ll kill me!”

[The following is one of many excerpts from the incident report of the 20th first zone division vs. the terrorist organization known as “New Dawn”]

[Rono Ecluse Vs. Dawn and Twilight Rosalia: Rono Wins. Casualties: Various cuts around Rono’s body and a 6-inch deep wound in his back, and the lives of Dawn and Twilight. Arno Achebe was reported to crash into the ongoing battle and finish off the fight by killing Dawn.]