Back in the heart of the forest—
The ground trembled faintly beneath Aoi's boots.
Around her, the forest lay in ruins—cracked earth, deep gouges slashed through the dirt.
Broken branches and massive tree trunks lay scattered—splintered by the force of their blows.
A thick cloud of settling dust hung in the air, swirling between the two figures now standing face to face.
Aoi wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb, eyes gleaming sharply—her well-toned body glistening with sweat, muscles coiled like springs ready to strike.
Across from her, the towering figure stood silently—glancing at her with newfound respect.
With a low growl, he reached up—gripping the edges of his heavy cloak.
"Tch..."
In one smooth motion, he cast it aside—the cloak falling to the shattered ground with a dull thud.
Now fully revealed—a hulking, scarred warrior stood before her.
Giant muscles rippled beneath battle-worn skin, thick veins pulsing across his arms and chest.
A deep, jagged scar ran down over his left eye—the mark of countless battles.
His gaze was cold—calculating.
"Such strength..." he rumbled, voice low and rough like grinding stone.
"In such a small body."
His lip curled into a faint smirk—equal parts admiration and threat.
Aoi cracked her knuckles, grinning wider.
"You're not so bad yourself."
The air between them thrummed—tension building again.
"I am Dagar—the Steel Ogre."
His voice rumbled through the shattered clearing as he lifted his massive greatsword—iron edges scarred and jagged from countless battles.
With casual ease, he leaned it against his broad shoulder—the blade larger than most men, gleaming faintly in the broken light.
"Heh..."
Across from him, Aoi's stance shifted—smooth and precise.
Her right foot slid forward, heel lifting slightly—hips turning just enough to keep her opponent second-guessing.
Her upper body remained loose, shoulders relaxed.
One free hand hovered near her collarbone—fingers half-curled in a deceptively lazy gesture, as though inviting the next move... or daring him to try.
A slow smile curved her lips.
"Never heard of it," Aoi replied, voice cool.
She tilted her head slightly—bright gold—green eyes gleaming with a wild spark.
"And don't care."
A faint breeze whispered through the ruined trees—the perfect pause before a new clash.
Dagar roared, massive boots stomping across the broken earth as he charged forward—greatsword pulled back, both hands gripping the hilt tight.
"HRAAAGH!!"
The massive blade swung in a vicious upward arc, aiming to cleave through anything in its path.
Aoi's body moved on instinct—graceful and sharp.
With a subtle twist of her hips, she slid low to the side—feet gliding over the cracked ground—dodging the deadly steel by inches.
Before Dagar could recover, Aoi planted her foot firmly—explosive force coiling through her leg.
"Tch!"
CRACK—!!
Her booted foot snapped upward, catching Dagar square under the chin—a brutal, precise strike that rocked his massive frame.
"Guh—!" Dagar staggered, but his grip never loosened.
With a guttural growl, he wrenched the greatsword overhead—swinging it down in a devastating vertical arc.
WHOOOM—!!
Aoi's eyes flicked wide—danger close.
She swayed sideways in a fluid motion—narrowly escaping the descending blade.
Her chest rose sharply with the breath of effort, but her form stayed controlled and lethal, maintaining her distance.
"Tch... stubborn brute," she muttered, repositioning swiftly.
But Dagar wasn't finished.
Using the momentum of his own massive swing, he let the sword's weight pull him into a spinning motion—body pivoting with surprising speed for his size.
CRACK—! The ground beneath his boots shattered further as he launched forward, greatsword winding back again.
A blur of steel and muscle closed the gap.
"RAAAHHH—!!"
Aoi's eyes widened—caught mid-step, guard not fully reset.
"What the—?!"
The massive sword came crashing down with unstoppable force.
BOOM—!!
The blade struck where she'd stood a split second before—ground erupting, deep cracks spiderwebbing out from the impact.
But—Aoi wasn't there.
A blur—faster than her own reflexes—swept her from the danger at the last instant.
One strong arm hooked around her waist, lifting her effortlessly—just as the greatsword split the earth behind them.
Dust exploded outward, filling the clearing with smoke and fractured earth.
---
A sudden rush of air—and in a blink, Aoi felt an arm wrap firmly around her waist, pulling her clear of Dagar's crushing blow.
BOOOOM—!!
The greatsword slammed into the ground where she'd stood—earth cracking and heaving beneath the impact.
Dust surged upward in a wave.
Through the haze, Aoi blinked—glancing sideways at her unexpected savior.
It was the boy.
Silent. Calm. Eyes glowing faintly—light crystalline blue, unreadable.
"You—how did you—?" she started, breath caught.
Then shook her head quickly, tone sharpening.
"No—what are you doing here?! It's dangerous!"
The boy simply blinked once, face unreadable—offering no reply.
Just a calm, steady gaze.
Aoi let out a sharp sigh—half exasperated, half impressed.
"Tch... figures," she muttered under her breath.
Before she could say more—another voice cut through the clearing.
From a distance, hidden behind cover—
"Mu~ let's change mode... to—C Cannon Mode~!"
Yuna's cheerful voice rang out, light and playful, almost as if this were a game.
From her cover, she raised her transformed right hand—the metallic surface shifting again.
Mechanical rings rotated inward, blue and yellow circuits flaring to life.
The shape of her forearm extended—panels sliding open and locking into place.
A faint hum built up—energy gathering visibly in the forming barrel.
Vreeeeeeeeeeeee—
A high-pitched charge sound filled the air—tip of the cannon pulsing with brilliant blue and yellow light, energy crackling at its core.
Yuna's eyes sparkled, a playful grin spreading across her lips.
"High-Pressure...Bulleeeeeettttt..."
A dramatic pause—her voice lilting upward, teasing.
"FIRE!!"
FWOOOOOM!!
A brilliant blast erupted from the cannon—compressed energy surging forward in a spiraling beam, ripping through the air toward Dagar with a thundering roar.
As the first spiraling blast raced toward Dagar, Yuna's eyes sparkled.
"Hehe~ let's make it count~."
Squatting low, her legs tensed.
"Rocket boost... on~!"
VWHOOM—!!
A sharp burst of blue and yellow propulsion fired from beneath her boots—energy flaring bright, kicking up leaves and dust.
Yuna shot forward—fast, sleek, and precise—a glowing streak through the shattered clearing.
Wind whipped around her, strands of dark hair with sapphire-blue highlights trailing behind her.
In an instant, she drifted cleanly in front of Aoi and the boy—body twisting slightly midair with practiced grace.
"Hehe—safe for now~."
But she wasn't stopping.
With a subtle shift of her core and another burst of the thrusters, Yuna curved around behind Dagar, boots skimming over cracked stone.
"And now—just where I want you~."
She came to a soft hover—right behind the massive ogre, cannon snapping up toward his exposed back.
The tip of her weapon pulsed—a different, deeper hum this time.
Not a piercing beam—something heavier, blunt.
"Tankyaku~..." she whispered—voice slowing, playful, lips curling into a grin.
In her mind:
"Tankyaku... small damage, short range..."
"But—perfect for pushing big idiots like this right where I want 'em~."
"Time it right... aaaand—"
VWHOOMMMM—!!
"Bulleeeeeettttt...FIRE!!"
BOOOOOM—!!
A powerful shockwave burst blasted from her cannon—slamming into Dagar's back with concussive force.
"GUHH—!!"
The Steel Ogre's massive frame lurched forward, balance broken—his boots tearing trenches through the cracked ground.
He was shoved straight into the path of Yuna's original spiraling blast—now seconds from impact.
Timing—perfect.
Trap—complete.
"Nailed it~," Yuna giggled softly, eyes sparkling.
Dagar's boots skidded helplessly across the ruined ground—body tilted forward from Yuna's Tankyaku blast.
"GUHH—!!"
His eyes widened—too late.
SHHHHHHRRRRRMMMM—!!
The original spiraling energy blast—charged blue-yellow light—finally reached him head-on.
BOOOOOOOM—!!
The impact struck full force—a massive detonation of compressed energy, ripping through the air with a thunderous roar.
A towering pillar of light and smoke erupted—shockwaves blasting outward, flattening nearby brush and scattering loose debris.
Aoi instinctively shielded her face with one arm.
The boy's crystalline blue eyes gleamed faintly as he watched—expression unreadable.
FWOOOOOSH—!!
The force of the blast sent a gust of wind through the clearing—rushing past Yuna mid-air.
Her layered black chiffon skirt fluttered wildly, the high side slit snapping open briefly with the force—a quick flash of soft pink underwear visible beneath.
Yuna landed lightly, spinning in place with a playful twirl—striking a quick victory pose, one hand on her hip, cannon arm still smoking faintly.
"Ta-daaa~!" she chimed—eyes sparkling mischievously, lips curling in a cheeky grin.
She glanced slyly over her shoulder—aware of the little 'accidental' flash, but clearly unfazed.
"Hehe~ hope no one was looking too hard~," she thought playfully.
The smoke began to clear—revealing the battered form of Dagar, forced to one knee, armor scorched and cracked.
As the smoke slowly cleared—Dagar battered, kneeling, struggling to rise—
Souta (still the unnamed boy) stood quietly behind Yuna and Aoi, crystalline blue eyes locked on the scene.
But then—a pulse of strange light flickered faintly through his body.
"Wh...?"
His gaze blurred for an instant—vision hazy—and then:
FLASH—
A faint memory—not from now, not from here.
A soft voice—gentle, familiar:
"You saved me again..."
A silhouette—a woman's figure, her face indistinct.
She leaned close—her hand gently cupping his chin, touch warm and tender.
"Souta..."
Her voice echoed—clear, soothing, certain.
FLASH—
He blinked—snapped back to reality.
A sudden pulse coursed through his body again—small, but deep, as if something inside had finally begun to awaken.
His lips parted—voice dry, slow.
"Sou..."
Aoi turned her head slightly, sensing something.
"My name is..." he whispered again, gaze distant but steady.
"Sou...ta."
His eyes narrowed faintly, light crystalline blue glowing a little stronger now.
As the last of the pulse faded through his body—
Souta's eyes fluttered once… twice…
And then his knees gave out.
"Eh—?" Yuna blinked.
THUD—!!
Souta collapsed forward in an instant—completely unconscious.
Face-first into Aoi's chest.
BOING~
A very audible, soft bounce echoed through the quiet moment.
Aoi's eyes went wide.
"Huh?!"
Yuna leaned closer—eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Did he just faint... after seeing my underwear~?"
Her voice lilted playfully as she leaned in, one finger gently tracing the edge of Souta's lower lip with a soft tap.
"You poor thing~," she teased with a giggle.
Aoi deadpanned—arms slightly raised as Souta remained pressed against her chest.
She glanced down at him, then over at Yuna.
"Girl… what the hell are you even SAYING right now?"
Her tone flat—expression caught somewhere between disbelief and mild amusement.
BOING~
Another small bounce as Souta shifted slightly against her.
Yuna's cheeks puffed in a pout—eyes narrowing.
"Hmph—no fair... landing there~!"
She crossed her arms with an exaggerated frown—lower lip jutting cutely.
Aoi sighed.
"You can tease him after we finish dealing with the big guy, alright?"
Psssshhh—
"Uh oh~," Yuna blinked.
A small puff of smoke hissed from her right arm cannon, vents releasing faint steam.
The cannon retracted with a mechanical clink—folding back into the small crafted metal circle embedded in her palm.
"Sorryyy~ guess the cooldown started…"
She glanced sheepishly at Aoi.
"It'll take more than eight minutes before I can use it again~."
Aoi gave a sharp exhale, cracking her neck lightly.
"Don't worry about it. This'll be over before your toy cools down."
She twirled both arms loosely, rolling her shoulders—then her stance shifted.
Left foot planted firmly forward—
the ground beneath her sole cracked slightly from the sudden tension.
Left fist thrust forward—right pulled back—hips angled.
Eyes gleaming with amusement, Aoi smirked.
"Well then—"
"Shall we get started… for round two?"
FWOOOSH—!
A faint blaze of heat shimmered around her fists—rapid bursts of speed and power pulsing from her arms.
Her golden-green eyes locked onto Dagar—calm, eager.
Across the battlefield, Dagar rose with a snarl—armor cracked and skin bruised.
"You're really looking down on me..."
His voice rumbled low and deep.
"Do you even know why they call me... the Steel Ogre?"
His body began to change—slowly but surely.
Skin turning a deep, shining gray—metallic gleam spreading across his chest, arms, shoulders.
"Let me show you—"
He swung his massive greatsword with one arm, energy flaring behind the arc.
"How I earned that title!"
Aoi's eyes narrowed—unimpressed.
"So what?" she replied flatly—voice calm, confident.
"Steel breaks too."
She shifted her weight slightly—ready to strike.