PNC Story/Standard 2-5/Script

Persicaria: I never would've foreseen so many Sanctifiers on the way to the isolation wall...

Persicaria: Professor, after this...

Professor: We'll have to move faster, everything comes after we reach our target.

Antonina: What are you planning?

• No time to explain. Let's get there first.
  Persicaria: Okay, I'll trust your judgement!

• Leave it to me. All you'll have to do is observe.

Antonina: This is no laughing matter.

Persicaria: We're here!

Antonina: It's this wall again... Feels as oppressive as ever.

Persicaria: Wait a minute, Professor, where are you driving the truck?

Professor: (? 53.44, ?B 42.11, ? 44.15)

Antonina: Where are these coordinates? Why does it sound like we're going to squeeze into an alley... Hey, stop messing around! You actually made that turn?

Persicaria: Professor, you...

Professor: No need to fret! This is the place, let's get off first.

Antonina: Huh?

Professor: Raven's turf is up ahead, we need to find another place to observe the situation...

???: There's no need for that, is there? After all, no matter where you go, you'll be on your way to the underworld soon enough.

Antonina: !!

The pink-haired Greater Sanctifier descended from the sky and soon stopped before us. Half of her face was veiled by a translucent visor, but her sheer presence stifled the very air.

???: That damn Olivia was never going to pull one over me. Of course there are Daemons in Cyclopes.
???: Still, I didn't expect you to actually get this far through force alone. The Lessers are truly useless.
???: What kind of fight will you put up? I'm looking forward to this.

Antonina: Are you Raven?

Raven: You vermin have no right to call my name!

Before hearing but a word from Antonina, Raven's lance left her hand, tearing through the air toward Antonina.

• Look out!
  Antonina: ...!!
  Antonina trips, toppling to the ground. In the next moment, the place she was standing in was replaced with a crater.

• (Shove Antonina aside)
  Antonina: ...!!
  I hit the ground with Antonina in my arms, and we tumble a couple of times. By the time my eyes open again, there is a crater where she was standing just now.

Raven: Pft. How miserably you move. I must say I am utterly disappointed.
Raven: Still, you deserve some priase for predicting the direction of my attack. No perhaps not...

Persicaria: Are you alright?

Antonina: ...I'm fine. She's very dangerous...

As Antonina climbs to her feet, Raven raises her hand again.

Persicaria: Damn! She's attacking again!
Persicaria: Professor, move!

• Hold on. She's aiming behind us!

Professor: Escape down the other path! Don't let her slow you down!

Persicaria: Eh? Wha-

BOOM!!

Raven's next attack was not aimed at us, but cleanly landed on the truck carrying the jammer.

With a great cacophony, the jammer we went to such pains to transport was swallowed by the flames.

Persicaria: How could this... Now our plan...

Professor: Forget it! We're leaving!

I grab Persicaria and Antonina, and together we stumble into a large abandoned building beside the road. Behind us is Raven's voice, muttering.

Raven: That's the second time... I've been seen through twice. Hardly a coincidence.
Raven: Were I to follow the regulations, I should be reporting this to Lord Eosphorous at once. But such a chance for battle.
Raven Do you really think I'll let you off? This is one of my oh-so-few amusements... Ahahaha!

Persicaria: Professor... what are you?

• Don't panic. We've got a shot.

Antonina: We're up on the roof, you know. Do you think we'll be alright? What if that Sanctifier can fly?

Raven: Fleeing in a blink panic, are we? I suppose this is the extent of intelligence that I can expect from the lowly likes of you.

Antonina: Damn it, when did I start jinxing stuff like Croque?

Croque: ?

Raven's form slowly ascended up the building, and she gazed down at us as we cowered on the rooftop.

Raven: Before I put your miserable lives to an end, I've one question left.

Raven: "Professor"...? Hehe. You really can see the trajectories of my attacks.

Raven: You possess a great many operands. Are you their leader?

• On the money! Surprised?
  Raven: Straight to the point, eh? I'll play around with you, I suppose.

• What's this? I thought you found "vermin" boring.
  Raven: Indeed. My interest in wasting time on you seems to have suddenly faded.
  Raven: Our time together seems to be at an end, anyway.

• ...
  Raven: No answer? Shame. I rarely find it in myself to allow those of your ilk to speak before they die.

Raven laughs gingerly, and with a gentle motion of her hand, her weapons return to her hands.

Persicaria: Here she comes again. Find cover!

Purple light flickers around the hilt of her lance, and as its spiral of death began anew, its brilliance continues to coalesce. Even with the naked eye, the three of us cowering behind cover can tell just how much power there is behind that attack.

In the moment right before the lance leaves her hand, I sense that the time is right.

• Now! Scatter!

BOOM-

Dust and smoke submerged the air in a split second, and the lance obliterated the position we were occupying mere tenths of a second ago, Layer after layer of cracks erupted out from its impact, while the chunks ripped of the wall suspend themselves in the air from the sheer force of the impact. It was as though the entire sector was shaken to its roots.

Persicaria: Professor! Antonina! Is everyone OK?

• I'm fine.

Persicaria: Great. I'm ok here-

Raven: Already relaxing? How naive.

The airborne dust became agitated again, twirling and proliferating. It was if the air itself was the very embodiment of terror, shaking us to our very bones.

Antonina: She's got another one!

There was no time for reaction. As clarity returned into our world, so did the lance. The team dispersed, but Raven's spear had only one target-

Persicaria: Professor!!

This is far from the first time I've wagered my own life. Though I must admit, even as the shadow of death's valley graces me, its presence intimate enough for me to overheat my own pulsing heart between the keen edges of the frigid air, I waited, savouring this very moment - like all the pieces, falling into place.

Now then, what would the outcome of this game be?

"Click!"

And so the last piece shall fall.

Checkmate.

Raven: What?!

The bolt from afar surgically impacted the lance in motion. Though it was no more than an insignificant force compared to the lance's might, unable to diminish its power in the slightest, it was still enough to change its path ever so slightly.

And these slightest changes were the key to victory-

Simo: -Croque! Fire!

Croque: Roger!

The massive mecha made its skyfall, and beams of concentrated light burst forth from its cannons mounted on both its arms. Like shooting stars, they chart a brilliant arc across the sky. They follow the very shadow of Raven's lance, as though they carried the sentiments of countless people. At the end of their journey, the struck the massive, translucent barrier bisecting the Cyclopes Sector.

"Ka-krak-"

A great splinter cleaved apart Cyclopes' sky.

Simo: We did it! We've got a breach!

Croque: I'm not done yet! Have a taste of this!
Croque: Pulse-Bombard-

Before Raven comes to her senses, Croque's cannons are already pointed at her. She subsciously waves her hand, grasping at her weapons for something to withstand this blow with. However-

Raven: ...Dammit!

The lance that left her hands moments ago had turned to dust upon impact with the isolation wall, not to be reformulated anytime soon. Realizing this, Raven attempted to bring around her other lance to hold off the attack. Still, those precious few seconds of hesitation had taken away her chance to defend herself.

Raven: Ughh!!

• Got her! Now!

Croque: Go! Time to strike back!