Chapter 81: Return of the Crimson Dragonfly
Amphere Harrison
Raiding six sites for one team at the very same time is a little too much. We have divided our forces into six teams. The first team, which was led by Cleru and Rudolf, are in charge of scouting the abandoned town a few hundred meters near Twilight City. The second team was led by General Holster are the ones who will be raiding an underground basement. Third, fourth, and fifth team which was led by Sherman, Dennis and Adrian, respectively is in charge of checking the slums that were near to some major cities.
And for the sixth' squad, Reina Fleuret and me. We didn't have many troops on us because the site that has been assigned to us… Is the gargantuan crater of Vanilla City, which is apparently, my girlfriend's fault.
"Sure brings back memories. Totally." I held a sarcastic smug as Airi and I look for clues in the rubbish metal planks in this very rubbish abandoned city.
This is the place where Airi became a Monolith Dragon and wreaked havoc, killing a thousand people and annihilating a city in just a matter of minutes. The Crimson Dragonfly Incident, which was the issue that almost ruined my relationship with Airi.
"I-It doesn't matter now, r-right? Y-You still love me, t-totally…right?" Airi had her face slightly worried and her eyes teary.
"Of course!" I made a generic smile at her. "We already talked about this long ago."
"It sure brings back memories." Reina said as she gazes upon the hill where her mansion was supposed to be standing years ago. Right now, there are just endless titanic brown bricks on that mansion. There are still walls in it but it won't hold out for a couple of years.
"Reina…" Richard muttered. I know he's still worried about Reina's grudge against Airi.
"It's like what Amphere said." Reina closed her eyes and made a genuine smile. "We already talked about this. There's no use about getting revenge to someone who really didn't know what she's doing at that time."
Airi approached Reina and bowed politely. "I'm really grateful that you have forgiven my sins, Reina. You're the kindest woman I've ever met. Totally!"
So far, so good. We haven't seen anyone besides us. It's too quiet that we're doubting if this is a trap or not. We decided to activate Vesryn Pulse and had our flying dragons survey the whole ex-city, and we did it separately so that the entire job would become a lot easier. For the past thirty minutes, all I've been seeing from above are abandoned buildings, creepy untouched houses, and giant piles of junk.
No irregularities at all. This place is dead. But then Reina called us through our communicators.
"We have spotted a young dragonoid maiden from below. We'll be landing to check her. I advise rendezvousing to our location, over."
Hearing that, I commanded my Chimeratech Dragon to activate her photon boosters from her back and jet to that specific location as stated by our trackers. We arrived at an old warehouse in a matter of seconds. There's no sign of Reina or Richard from above, so we decided to land and search them on foot.
When we opened the door, there was a certain sight that made Airi froze. Her mouth seemed to become dry, and her pupils shrank as if she saw a ghost. What's happening to her?
Reina and Richard are here, talking to a dragonoid woman with black hair. She was wearing a long dress, kinda like what you always see to each and every married woman. She seems to be at the age of twenty-eight after all.
When Reina noticed us, she said this. "This woman says that she's a friend of yours, Airelina."
Airelina failed to respond. I can feel her heart beating like a boom box, as if she was scared. She wanted to run, but her body fails to recognize this command.
"It's been a while, Airi." The woman said. "It's me, Noira."
"W-Why are you still alive…?" Airi finally talked. Hey, isn't that phrase rude to say to a friend who hasn't seen you for long?
"There's some good guys who rescued me when you left me after you wreaked this city, Airi." The lady named Noira said.
"We both destroyed this city!" Airi's shout echoed throughout the spacious rusty warehouse. "Don't you dare pass the blame on me!"
"Oh, I really forgot." Noira said with a sarcastic laugh. "Best friends share the same sins, right? THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME LIKE A USED RAG!?"
"W-We can't afford to." Airi's voice became something in the borderline of crying. "Estoff and I…We only have time to save ourselves."
"YOU SELFISH BITCH!!!" Noira shouted. There is an intense aura emitting from her, but Richard, Reina, and I stayed away from this war of the words.
Airi closed her eyes and successfully suppressed her tears. As he opened her eyes again, it was filled with crimson red determination glare to her old best friend. "Yes I am. I know that you hate me because I sacrificed both you and Zac. And I'm really sorry about that. Go ahead and hurt me. I won't resist. The Crimson Dragonfly incident is my fault after all."
"Are you really that sorry, Airi? Like, totally?"
It was the voice of a young adult man. There was an echoing footstep behind us. As we turned around, a brown haired man with harajuku anime hairdo was there, wearing a tattered American suit. He was about in the same age as Airi. What makes me wonder is that why do they use Airi's nickname so casually as if they're really close to her?
"Y-You…" Airi's spine has been chilled once again. "H-How are you two alive?"
"Didn't Noira say it earlier?" the man chuckled. "Dragunov saved us. He's my foster father after all. All the execution trash that you witnessed are just an act. Dragunov had connections to free Noira from prison. And he also forced some innocent human to be beheaded in my place. All we needed are some makeup and wolla! A purely staged execution."
"W-Why didn't you tell me that you're still alive, ZAC!!!?" Airi shouted once again. "I-I thought y-you…"
"I never loved you, Airi." This man, who seems to be Zac Schneider, bowed down. "I just wanted to see if I can control you and channel your anger so that you can massacre a lot of people in my stead."
"Y-You…" Airi started to utter a cry. I felt the urge to intercept this tension and catch all the bullets to myself.
"Airi never loved you too." I said with confidence. "All she's been waiting is me the whole time."
"Is that so?" Zac had his chin upwards. This man is grinding my gears. "Let's see who she will follow."
It's obvious! Airi loves me, and she hates Dragunov! She won't change sides! I know her heart!
But my speculation was wrong.
Zac held his chest which glowed with blue light. "Activating Vesryn Pulse!"
Suddenly, Airi's body glowed with golden light. Her body shaped itself into an eight-meter Futuretech Dragon. It was her previous form, but how…?
"Hahahaha!" Zac made an evil laugh. "I still know your heart, Airi. You didn't rescind our contract after all. You thought you didn't need to because all you thought is that I am dead the whole time. Well, you're wrong!"
The Futuretech Dragon Airi roared in protest, but since Zac was the one who activated the Vesryn Pulse, Airi cannot hurt her former master. She will be brainwashed as long as she's on her dragon form, and do everything that bastard want. It is a freaking unfair rule of the Vesryn Pulse.
"Zac, I'm ready!" Noira shouted as she jumped to Airi's head.
"Good." Zac laughed obnoxiously. "DRACARYX!!! Activate Crimson Dragonfly!"