"Very soon... Very soon..."
The construction of the last tower was in progress, and soon, Yuki would break free from the cage of chance.
Time was running out, but Yuki (clone) was not in a hurry. Though he didn't have Zafkiel, time had always been his greatest ally...
"Your Excellency..."
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard, but Yuki didn't even turn his head, as he knew who it was.
"Hm? What are you doing here, Alisa? You should be enjoying these last days; you don't even know if you'll return..."
"Hm, that's what I'm doing... I want to be with you, Your Excellency..."
Alisa was alone in this world, and only Yuki could be considered the closest to her. After all, he was a benefactor to both her and her parents.
Alisa wanted to spend her last days serving him...
"..."
Yuki didn't speak but turned his head, looked into the girl's eyes, and sighed...
"Am I a nuisance?"
Alisa clenched her fists and asked, fearing rejection. Fortunately, that didn't happen.
"No, you're not a nuisance... If you want to be with me, go ahead. I won't stop you, but don't regret it later..."
"I won't!"
At that moment, all the God Eaters were resting, some enjoying time with their families or friends...
And of course, there were some who didn't waste any time....
"Lindow~"
Sakuya, a member of the first unit, grabbed her captain by the neck and locked him in her room.
Only one God Eater continued training, and that was Soma.
Being the last to wake up, he was far behind his companions and hoped to catch up in these three days. Of course, this was impossible, but none of it mattered since his mission wasn't exactly to fight. On the contrary, he had to arrive safe and sound and seal Nova.
Suddenly, the atmosphere at Fenrir turned strange in these days; there were smiles and joy throughout the base. Thanks to the trees that had grown in the base, the residents enjoyed fresh air and warm mornings...
Alisa and Yuki, on the other hand, continued as always, walking in the mornings and Yuki telling stories to her at night...
They weren't exactly close, but a connection had been established. Even so, Yuki didn't forget his identity or that of this girl.
Disposable resources...
So, despite enjoying their time together, they never crossed the line, and Yuki also made sure to create the seal.
Time passed quickly, and the three days ended...
On the morning of the fourth day, all the God Eaters gathered with Yuki...
Among them, some couples had formed. From Yuki's perspective, this situation was the trigger for 'love' to blossom.
Although it seemed more like two small animals seeking warmth from each other, they were afraid of what was to come, but they also knew that running was not an option.
It was all or nothing, life and death...
There was another group of people behind the God Eaters, suppressing their tears and standing straight without making a sound.
Families, lovers, and friends were all here to bid farewell to these warriors...
"Very well, let's start the operation..."
Yuki's words were like the lever of a guillotine.
---
The helicopters began to lift off, leaving the base directly towards the barrier...
Alisa and the God Eaters looked down, deep memories passing through their minds. They knew this was a one-way trip, the last mission...
Yuki's words were very clear...
"The mission is to get Soma to Aegis safe and sound... Soma, your mission is to enter the central area and use the master key..."
Unfortunately, Yuki had to rely on the God Eaters if he wanted to save the world from this second Fragment of Chaos...
"At 50 kilometers from the barrier, you won't find any Aragami. After that, the challenge begins..."
'Nova,' the devouring Aragami, is a monster whose purpose is to destroy this world. It is so powerful that even Yuki (Original) can't stop it...
A Medium Destroyer about to become a High Destroyer.
Fortunately, it is asleep, and due to some tricks of the World's Will, this monster is inactive. Otherwise, the world would have perished long ago, as 'Nova' is the strongest Fragment...
For Yuki (Clone), killing it would be impossible...
Even so, access to where 'Nova' is located is in a space distorted by chaos, almost impossible to enter without the key...
Furthermore, if Yuki tries to force his way in, it would only awaken the monster, leading to the end of the world.
He also couldn't use the girls due to the risk involved, and they had their 'Aura' of order all over their bodies. Nova would awaken at the slightest hint of a threat.
Unable to do much, the only thing he could do was seal it and later kill it. But for that, he needed Soma and the God Eaters...
"Many of you will die, and it's possible that no one will return, but this mission will determine the fate of this world, and you are the only ones who can achieve it...."
There was too much at stake. Even so, Yuki didn't try to encourage them, nor did he prevent them from leaving. He simply told the truth but didn't leave them alone; his unconscious crown guided their destiny towards victory...
"Soma, when you encounter 'Nova,' stab this into it.... Leave the rest to me."
Handing over a small black stake, Yuki assisted those present...
Soma, on the other hand, was trembling. 'Nova' was his mother. He had longed to meet her, but he also knew that his mother was now the cause of this world's downfall, all because of his father and himself.
Therefore, although it tore him apart inside, he had to end this. He gripped the key and the black stake tightly...
"Good luck to you all; have a beautiful death..."
With these words, Yuki bid farewell to the God Eaters. Now all he had to do was wait; the Apocalypse Towers were about to activate, and before that happened, 'Nova' had to die...
"Your Excellency..."
However, before leaving, Alisa looked at him intently and said...
"If I return, can I ask for something?"
Yuki was puzzled by this request but smiled. He didn't have the power to fulfill promises, but his Original could.
Therefore...
"If you return, I'll do whatever you want..."
A smile formed on Alisa's beautiful face, warm and happy.
She now had a reason to come back...
And as they departed, the tears of families and friends fell. However, there was no sadness, only pride, as they knew that if this mission succeeded, even if the bodies of the God Eaters never returned, their names would be remembered forever...
As heroes, that is why they weren't sad. Their children, friends, or lovers would be eternal after this.
With so many memories passing through their minds, the God Eaters didn't realize they were very close to the 50-kilometer safe zone perimeter...
"Here they come!!"
The pilots' shout awakened the God Eaters, who quickly took battle positions as the Aragami approached...
"Here is fine! You need to go back...."
Lindow, the mission leader, quickly ordered the pilot to stop, but he didn't obey. Instead, he accelerated...
"Idiot, what are you doing?! Do you want to die?"
"Haaa~ Since I volunteered for this, I never thought of returning, Captain...."
Yes, although the pilot's mission was to escort the God Eaters to the perimeter's end and return, for this pilot, retreat was not an option.
He knew exactly that the God Eaters still had to walk another 100 kilometers and cross 10 kilometers of sea. The journey to Aegis would inevitably cause casualties among the God Eaters, who couldn't retreat.
Therefore, this pilot was determined to advance, even if it meant going 2 kilometers beyond his destination.
If it meant the mission's success, dying was nothing....
"You... Crazy..."
Lindow saw the determination in the pilot's eyes and knew it was useless to persuade him; on the contrary, it would be an insult to his bravery to do so...
"Everyone, get ready... Prepare to jump..."
So all they had to do was jump before the helicopter exploded....
"Ahhhh!!"
And so, with the pilot's roar, the journey ended, the helicopter destroyed, but its mission complete...
---
TN: Pilot the unnamed hero...