Lycus stood calm, but Terra didn't share his confidence after having her throat crushed. This woman in black, this Exile, stood like an unmoving steel beam, without even a hint of fear as she faced a Legendary Blade.
Lycus studied Exile. “I see now. It was you who broke into the Archives after stealing Tiro Mason's shieldwatch ID. You were the one stalking me. Clever. You followed Tiro Mason to this time since you knew I would be watching over her. Then when I was alone and away from the city you would come here and kill me. A good plan except for the part where you have to kill me. That won't be so easy.”
Terra wondered when Exile had stole her shieldwatch information. Her eyes went wide when she remembered the day she fell asleep in Kairos's Garden and the black figure she saw then.
Exile drew her aeon edge. Black steel matched the darkness until the timecore orb and edge glowed red. The blade was a span longer than a longsword with the tip ending in a tanto point. She saluted Lycus.
Terra gasped for breath while pain surged through her arm. She crawled to a nearby iron beam, putting her back on it while watching Lycus and Exile face one another. Lycus stood, arms crossed, without expression. A long moment passed with the only sound being the wind and distant rumble of thunder.
Lycus appeared in front of Exile, aeon edge Cerberus in hand. He struck in a flash. Exile dodged the blade so close that the metal flat of Lycus's blade made sparks as it scraped against her mask.
Exile counter attacked, slashing her blade at Lycus. Terra couldn't make out what was going on, seeing only a blur of motion and after images. She looked around before seeing Roland who still lay unconscious. Terra crawled to him, gritting her teeth in pain before removing his shieldwatch and attaching it to her unbroken arm. Although weak, she felt her connection with time return. Working fast, she sent a distress call to Saturn City using her own identification, hoping that maybe Alya would find it.
A loud boom followed by a shock wave that washed over Terra. She shielded her eyes before looking back to the fight. Using, Roland's shieldwatch, Terra Sped her vision. She lamented that she couldn't use his shieldwatch to Restore herself as it was only attuned to Roland's body.
When Terra's eyes focused, she still could not keep up with both combatants' movements. She could see afterimages of Lycus attacking with each of his blows blocked. The ground cracked nearby under the power of an aeon edge burst. The wind from their movements rushed over Terra.
There was series of loud booms as Lycus unleashed a burst from his aeon edge. Unlike the other aeon edges Terra had seen, Cerberus unleashed three bursts in quick succession. Exile countered with her own burst, but the force almost overwhelmed her, ripping up the ground around her and sending chunks of earth flying into the air. Still she held her ground, panting from the exertion.
Lycus attacked again, unleashing another three bursts. This time the bursts knocked Exile back, sending her flying into a nearby metal beam with incredible force. She smashed into the beam with a loud clang, bending it.
Lycus stood, his face impassive, staring at Exile. He lowered his aeon edge.
Exile shot forward, appearing in front of Lycus in an instant. She struck, her blade almost taking Lycus's head off. He dodged, though the black aeon edge cut a small gash on his face before he fell back. Lycus took up a defensive pose before touching his face. His eyes widened upon seeing blood on his fingers.
Exile stood, aeon edge ready with no evidence of damage from her impact into the metal beam.
Lycus continued to stare at the blood. “Blood. My blood. It's been centuries since I have seen my own blood.”
Terra thought that Lycus was about to panic. Instead he lowered his gaze, obscuring most his face in shadow save for his wide toothy, snarling smile. He laughed with a twisted face that Terra had grown to fear. She then understood. He was no longer Lycus. His other faces had stepped aside to unleash the beast. Cerberus charged.
Their blades met again. This time, Cerberus no longer held back, pulling the trigger on his aeon edge and unleashing another series of bursts. Exile would jump back each time using her own burst to lessen the blast. Soon the ground around them shattered as their battle raged in the center of the construction site.
To Terra, it was like looking upon artwork too complex to appreciate. Each sword stroke was like a unique shade that blended with the whole tapestry of the fight. Instead, she tried to feel the ebb and flow of the battle.
Cerberus's blows seemed to come much faster than his foe's strikes. Each savage blow matched his wolfish grin that looked eager to draw blood. Exile remained on the defensive as bursts pushed her back. When Cerberus ran low on stasis cells for his aeon edge, he reloaded another clip so fast it seemed to flow into his next attack.
His opponent, though slower, was more methodical. Her attacks were not as powerful nor as quick, but they were precise and with no waste or unnecessary movements. There was a simplistic brutality to them that matched Cerberus's savageness. Each blow was blunt and without any flourish as though driven more by discipline as opposed to Cerberus's berserk rage. Even Exile's blocks and dodges were minimalistic.
Terra understood that these two were beyond her. It was like watching two storms collide. It was a battle between a three faced monster and a black steel battleship.
The two locked blades. Cerberus then pinned both blades to the ground before letting one hand go of his blade and reaching for Exile's face. His fingers brushed along the edge of the mask as Exile rolled away. He smiled, stepping back into the first floor of the unfinished building.
The black legionnaire readied her weapon and followed Cerberus. They weaved between steel supports. Cerberus fought one handed. He grabbed each steel beam, swinging on it with his shieldwatch hand, using the momentum to increase his speed. Exile marched through the floor at a slow pace, cutting down metal pillars when they got in her way. Each clash caused the surrounding area to rust with age. Terra noticed that every pillar Cerberus touched would rust.
Exile landed another blow, cutting deep into Cerberus's arm. Terra wondered why he didn't change strategy. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Cerberus grabbed another pillar and rusted it before flinging himself outside the building. Exile hesitated.
Cerberus smiled as he used his aeon edge to send a burst of energy at the building. Weakened pillars failed under the burst and the entire structure collapsed. The mass was great enough that a shieldwatch wouldn't be powerful enough to stop all of it. The rubble entombed Exile in a grave of rusted steel.
Cerberus gasped for breath before he Restored himself. He turned to go when he saw a red light emanate from the debris. He paused. “That should have killed her.”
The steel rusted away as the black Legionnaire rose from the decaying debris, unhurt. The red haze of grainy energy rotted away everything around her as she stood, like a storm of death.
Terra felt so small while these giants battled. Their shieldwatch skills were beyond hers and the instructors had called her good with those. Even how they fought on a basic level was far above her own. Each planned their attack far in advance and they weaved these into a greater strategy.
She thought back to the Trial of Blades in the Academy. Those were a child's squabble in comparison. She, Roland, and Hikari seemed like bugs to these two.
Cerberus's wolfish grin returned as he loaded in another stasis cell clip. Their battle then moved to another half constructed building. One burst from Exile sent steel beams flying into the air. While the beams fell, they dueled upon them, leaping from beam to beam. Upon each beam they crossed blades and the burst from their aeon edges would tear the beam apart before they leaped to another. Terra could only see them with Sped vision while the beams fell in slow motion.
They clashed again. The burst pushed Exile away. She cut through another metal beam in her way. Cerberus pursued. When he drew close, Exile faced him while still falling in midair and unleashed another burst from her aeon edge which sent a metal beam flying at Cerberus.
Metal beams took Cerberus's attention as he dodged, but Exile maneuvered around him and slashed. The blade cut across his chest.
Cerberus landed on the ground, clutching his chest. Terra thought he would Restore himself. Instead his snarl twisted further as his eyes went wide. He howled an inhuman battle cry and charged. His speed was incredible. Terra saw only afterimages even with Sped vision. Blood now covered his chest yet he took no notice. Instead he attacked with a savageness beyond what she had thought Cerberus capable of.
Exile became like steel. Each burst tore at the surrounding ground, yet she held firm, blocking each of Cerberus's attacks. She struck, wounding Cerberus several more times. Each wound made him more enraged.
Cerberus's rage built until even Exile could not keep pace. Then one burst threw Exile off her feet. He charged, thrusting his blade into her chest. Blood splattered as she fell to the ground. Pinned, Cerberus moved in closer, standing over her. She twisted, pushing Cerberus's blade out before knocking it aside. With his hands free, he pinned her on the ground before reaching for Exile's mask. He grabbed and pulled.
As the mask fell, Cerberus's rage faded as his eyes widened. He froze, staring at the unmasked face.
Exile wasted no time. She slipped her aeon edge out of Cerberus's grip and in a flash, trust forward. The aeon edge plunged through Cerberus's chest. Blood splatted as the aeon edge pierced his heart and ran through his back. Exile stood before twisting the blade, bringing Cerberus to his knees and then to the ground in a reversal of their previous position.
Blood ran from Cerberus's mouth as he twitched. As he lay on the ground, he met Terra's eyes. His lips moved, speaking something Terra couldn't hear. His eyes seemed to be pleading with her, trying to tell her something. But all that came from his mouth was blood. Then his gaze became hollow and his body stilled.
Terra felt the first drops of rain.
Exile twisted her aeon edge again. The length of the blade glowed bright red before it ejected a small cylinder that the she grabbed. She then pulled out her bloodied blade and turned to find her mask. Terra tried to get a good look at her, but the woman's hair and shadows cast from steel shrouded her face, but Terra caught one detail. When Exile picked up the mask, Terra saw something above her right ear, a single black rose. Terra then spotted something else on Exile, a patch on her arm. Six aeon edge blades arranged in a circle; the sixth Legendary Blade.
Terra pushed herself up before limping closer. Wind and rain picked up around her.
Exile ignored her and stood over Cerberus before restoring herself. She loaded the spent shell in a small slot on her mask before she checked her shieldwatch display. After a moment, Exile picked up Lycus's aeon edge and put in on his chest before clasping his hands around it and closing his eyes. “Rest in the garden, Lycus Cerberus.”
Terra stared at the woman, shocked. “I know who you are.”
Exile turned her gaze to Terra.
Terra trembled as she stared at the black clad woman. At the person who had saved the city from the Faceless. The Aeon Legion's greatest heroine. “Kairos.”
Kairos stared at Terra for a moment. Her dark hair waved in the wind as she turned to go.
Alya jumped down into the construction site with her aeon edge drawn. She paused before fixing her gaze on Lycus Cerberus. “I don't believe it. You killed Cerberus. You killed a Legendary Blade!”
Terra stumbled. “Alya!”
Alya faced Kairos, keeping her eyes focused on her. “Are you okay Terra? I came as fast as I could when I saw who sent the distress signal.”
“She's Kairos!” Terra yelled.
Alya froze. “What?”
Terra struggled to stand. “She has a black rose in her hair and the sixth Legendary Blade patch on her shoulder.”
Alya looked at Terra before turning back to Kairos. “You can't be Kairos. Kairos wouldn't have done this.”
Kairos stood upon a solid steel slab, drenched in rain and blood, staring at Alya. She then sheathed her aeon edge. “I will not fight my former teacher.”
Alya shook her head. “No. Kairos wouldn't do this. I knew her.”
Kairos remained, unmoving as metal. “Who I was, am, or will be no longer matters. All that matters is that I complete my mission.”
Alya's eyes narrowed. “And what mission is that?”
Kairos took a step forward, her footstep clanging on the steel. “The destruction of Saturn City, the Aeon Legion, and the Legendary Blades. I will then take the Temporal Singularity and use it to rescue Time from destruction. I will spare only you and those wise enough to get out of my way.”
Alya scowled. “How will that save Time from destruction?”
Kairos clenched her fists. “I have seen truths you will never know, Alya. I have been to both the Beginning and End of Time. Within the Singularity of Memory I have remembered a thousand lifetimes. Within the Singularity of Thought I have drank deep of the well of knowledge. Most of all, I have seen with my own eyes the destruction of Time that will ruin everything I have fought for. To save humanity, to save history, I will do anything, even wade through an ocean of blood if that is what it takes to save our future.”
Alya lowered her aeon edge. “And how will killing Cerberus help that goal?”
“Those who use a shieldwatch steal time for themselves,” Kairos said. “Those who use time travel also damage time. By killing those who time traveled the most and have lived the longest, I can free the time they have stolen. This will allow me more time to find a solution. Naturally, the longest lived time travelers are the Legendary Blades and Saturn City itself. Destroying Saturn City will gain me enough time to find a permanent solution.”
Alya's gaze narrowed. “What proof do you have?”
Kairos held out her hand to Alya. “Come with me and I can show you.”
“Show me your face first,” Alya said as her grip on her aeon edge tightened
“No,” Kairos said as she lowered her hand. “I may not wish to raise my blade against my former teacher, but I do not have to do anything you say.”
“I just wanted to see her again,” Alya said, her gaze downcast. “I wanted to see the face of the person who did so much good. You can't be Kairos!”
Kairos stared at Alya, unmoving, with a gaze as cold as steel in winter. “All that matters is my crusade. The destruction of Time is coming and if I have to murder millions to save humanity then it is a small price to pay. I will cut down anyone in my way.”
Alya glared at Kairos as the wind and rain picked up around her. “This is all wrong, but I'll bring you back and we can fix this. I promise.” Alya pointed her aeon edge at Kairos.
Terra heard the hum of engines in the distance. Spotlights shown through the rain as vehicles drove up to the construction site.
Kairos stepped back. “You might stop me Alya, but you will have to abandon the tirones.”
“Crash,” Alya muttered between gritted teeth. Alya glanced to Terra and to the other tirones before looking back at Kairos who turned to go. Alya glanced once more at Kairos before turning back to Terra. “Terra! Get to the girl lying on the ground and use her shieldwatch to send her back to the city. Then bring back the other tiro yourself. I'll bring back Lycus.”
Terra nodded and moved to Hikari before accessing her shieldwatch. She used the manual recall feature to send Hikari back to Saturn City. Then she ran back to Roland and lifted him up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Alya did the same with Lycus. Alya and Terra looked one last time at Kairos who dashed into the darkness, disappearing into shadow. Just as the German soldiers stormed into the construction site, Terra activated Roland's shieldwatch. The ring transported them to the Edge just as Nazi soldiers raised their weapons to fire.
∞
Chaos reigned at the timeport. A legionnaire found Terra after she had fitted another shieldwatch and Restored herself. They told her to follow them and he led her to a room where Orion waited. Several officers were in the room all talking at the same time.
Orion looked up at her before waving the others away. “That is the most tired salute I have seen in a while. The rest of you are dismissed.”
“Sir?” one officer asked. He wore the badge the Second Cohort, the Shadow Cohort.
Orion maintained his stoic expression. “We are about to review classified information. Besides, I need your unit to help cleanup the Tartarus disaster. Crashing End. It's going to take us weeks to get Tartarus reattached. At least only a few prisoners escaped. Also, I want another unit to investigate how a crashing military unit from the 1940's managed to sneak into the city so easily. What a mess.”
The rest of the officers looked shocked. Terra thought they must be unaccustomed to being left out of the loop or seeing Orion so tense.
They saluted before leaving. Terra then recognized her surroundings. This was the place where Orion had brought her during her first day at Saturn City.
Terra sat down on the opposite side of the table while trying to stay awake after the shieldwatch Restore had washed away her shock and adrenaline. Her body was fine now. She no longer felt any pain or hunger, but her mental fatigue made her ready to pass out asleep. A shieldwatch couldn't fix that.
Orion sighed before sitting. “So who was it?”
“Kairos,” Terra said in a tired voice.
Orion frowned. “Evidence?”
Terra stared at the table. “Sixth Legendary Blade patch on her upper arms. Black rose in her hair. One silver lock of hair matches her approximate age. Height and hair color are a match. I don't know about her voice, it was distorted.”
Orion shook his head. “We did a DNA sweep. It was inconclusive, but its still too soon to tell. Too many contaminants. Most of it yours or Cerberus's and a few others. No fingerprints.”
“She wore gloves.”
“Any other clues?”
“She said that Cerberus would rest in the garden after he died. I think she was referring to Kairos's Garden.”
Aeon Legion: Labyrinth Page 42