♢
"...My heart is dead."
We went to the military HQ by foot just to make sure we didn't attract unwanted attention. If we used my car instead, Anciles or even worse, the Pillars could be drawn to us. We could use the underground subway to go there, but if we ever encounter those people in that enclosed space, there would be no running away.
I heaved a deep sigh as Aya and Miranda looked over their shoulder, to look at the pitiful me.
"I'm sure it was already dead a long time ago," pointed Miranda.
Aya glared at her, and the woman just shrugged as if she was merely stating an obvious fact. Wait... I suppose she was right. "Anyway, it has been half an hour, and I think we are already pretty close to the HQ."
"It's right over there."
Aya pointed at a looming metal gateway, leading to a military base with numerous solid structures and hangars housing high-tech military weapons. But what stood out most to the three of us was the glowing white Aegis crystals— firmly attached and wrapped around every inch of the military base— including its graphite road, the hangars, buildings, and even the metal gateway.
Perhaps exactly because of this, there was no one in the vicinity, not even the guards I had expected to be standing near the gateway.
"What... is this?" Miranda gaped.
"Aegis crystals... but at this magnitude, its kind of..."
Neither of us had any recollection of seeing 'white' Aegis crystals, much less it being used as a barrier for a military base as large as this one. Hell, to produce this much Aegis crystals would take, at least, one of the...
"It must be one of the Four Pillars," I said.
"It's definitely not Ivar's," said Miranda and Aya simultaneously.
"Oh... I forgot you two had seen him before."
"And it's not that woman named Yvonne either. What do you think, Miranda?"
"...I don't know. This is quite... strange."
Miranda bit her lip, somewhat frustrated about something. I was curious about it, so I asked her what she had in mind.
"It's too quiet. Normally, this being Amathelia's headquarters would have somewhat a decent number of guards surrounding it. You know, like the Four Pillars."
"And yet they are nowhere to be seen..." I put a hand at my chin. "What the hell is going on?"
"Guys!"
I focused back on the 'white' military HQ when the ground shook heavily. "What the—"
The white Aegis crystals were now glowing, as the military HQ, seemingly, starting to ascend towards the sky. My jaw dropped at the sight. Cracks and deep fissures covered the area outside of the HQ, and in just a few minutes, the entire military HQ was lifting off, trying to pull itself out of the earth and towards the cloudy sky.
The ground groaned from it and before long, the gateway ascended a few meters up from its initial spot. A wall of stone and dirt about the same height filled our vision.
"That thing is... is about to fly!" cried Aya.
"We need to get in right now. Come on!" Miranda urged us to jump into the military HQ right then and there.
The three of us were about to just that— when a girl's scream shook me to the core. It was the ever-so-familiar voice of a little girl, the one I cared most about in this world.
I looked behind me without hesitation.
"E-Elle?!"
Right, she was running towards me with drools and tears covering her face. Just next to her was Eugene— along with a bunch of silver Anciles a hundred meter to their rear with Aegis blades ready to slice.
I blinked, my body froze for a few moments.
"Papaaaaaaa!"
"Elle? What is she..."
"I don't know, Aya. Maybe she went to chase after Derrick—"
I ran towards Elle as fast as I could. There was no time to think. No, I didn't want to think about any worst case scenario. My daughter was in trouble in front of me, and I wouldn't even doubt for a second when her life was in danger.
Elle leaped towards me and I caught her, while Miranda grabbed at Eugene with a charcoal black gauntlet sprouting from her back. With no time to stop, we jumped into the military HQ's compound just before the whole area lifted off the ground— and floated up high in the sky.