After that, they all changed back into humans. Calvin looked very serious, and the atmosphere suddenly went silent again.
"Calvin, sorry, but I have a question," Celes said.
"What is it?" Calvin asked.
"Why did you make Charlotte and Cyrus step out?" Celes asked.
"I didn't want Layla to hear what I was about to say, because I've raised Layla since she was a baby, and she believes she was born naturally, not that she's a product of the machine. I asked Charlotte to leave so she could bond with Layla, and I asked Cyrus to escort them. That's all," Calvin answered.
"Then what do you mean, 'this city and the six of us are alone'?" Calista asked.
"As you know, humans and Draugr live side-by-side in this city, even starting families. I want to protect this city. The reason is that both humans and Draugr are attacking this city—you understand what I mean, right?" Calvin asked.
"Hmm... I see," Cole muttered, thinking.
"The GDA organization, which now leads humanity, absolutely cannot be trusted. The reason the Chimaera project was stopped wasn't because we were dangerous and they wanted to escape to the ocean. The real reason is that they are cooperating with the Draugr, but in a different way. They are setting up human farms in small towns with Draugr as the overseers and farmers in those towns, while those bastard humans live quietly and comfortably in their floating city without being bothered by the Draugr," Calvin replied, clenching both fists.
Cole, Celes, and Calista fell silent, listening to Calvin, who looked very serious in front of them. Then Calvin looked at the three of them.
"If you think about it, he's right. When we went to New Leviathan and saved Charlotte, I also felt like something was wrong there, like why would they even be researching Draugr in that underground prison," Cole said, thinking out loud.
"Yeah, plus they trapped and captured us, and they also had those chokers that could restrain our power," Celes added.
"Does this city have an army, Calvin?" Calista asked.
"Yes, let me show you," Calvin answered.
Calvin picked up a remote on the coffee table and pressed it. A screen lowered from the ceiling, and the room went dark. "Blar," a projector started displaying the city's structural blueprint on the screen. It turned out that all the city's real activities were underground, from the military and the development of clones or homunculi, to a human body bank with people in cryo-stasis capsules, an artificial forest for creating the bark needed for homunculus production, and farms with animals created by homunculus technology.
The city itself was actually a flying ship or island that could take to the skies and was fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology developed by combining knowledge from both Draugr and humans.
"Wow," Cole, Celes, and Calista muttered simultaneously.
"Turns out this city is more advanced than it looks, and clearly more advanced than New Leviathan," Cole said.
"Of course. We took the floating technology from the GDA's floating city and developed it over the past few decades. It's still not perfect, but it can be called progress," Calvin said.
"Does that mean the Chimaera GZX can fit inside without a problem?" Celes asked.
"Yep, it'll fit," Calista added.
"You came here in the Chimaera GZX?" Calvin asked.
"Yep, we just told you," Calista replied.
"Oh, good. Actually, there's another reason why I asked Charlotte and Cyrus to step out. I want to talk to the four of us alone," Calvin replied.
"Huh... what is it?" Cole asked.
"Plak," Calvin suddenly clasped his hands together and bowed deeply in front of Cole, Celes, and Calista, which confused all three of them.
"I beg you, please help me here and defend the city... I assume Char and Cyrus won't be a problem, but I didn't dare assume for you three," Calvin pleaded.
Cole, Celes, and Calista immediately looked at each other, then they smiled and turned to look at Calvin.
"Well... we don't have anywhere else to go either," Cole replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Right, of course we're ready to help," Calista added.
"But there's one thing that's bothering us... me, specifically," Celes said.
"Oh... what is it?" Calvin asked, raising his head.
"Please get rid of this smell. Even though the Draugr here are kind... a Draugr is still a Draugr. Their smell is pungent. I've been trying to endure it, and now I can't stand it anymore," Celes answered, covering her nose.
"Oh, is that all?" Calvin asked.
"Yeah, that's all," Celes replied, holding her nose.
"Okay, you see this?" Calvin asked, pointing at his nose.
Cole, Celes, and Calista immediately looked closely at Calvin's nose. It turned out he had an iron stud like a nail on the bridge of his nose.
"What is that?" Cole asked.
"A scent neutralizer. The Professor developed it because he saw me constantly covering my nose when I lived with him. I'll give you one later; I have plenty," Calvin answered.
Suddenly, "teeet... teeet... teeet," an alarm blared loudly throughout the city. Cole, Calvin, Celes, and Calista immediately stood up. They looked at each other and nodded, then they ran to the door, unlocked it, and went out.
"Brother!"
They saw Cyrus and Charlotte running toward them with Layla. Charlotte immediately jumped to hug Calvin.
"Layla, please activate Code Black," Calvin said.
"Yes, Dad," Layla replied, immediately turning around and running off.
Shortly after, spotlights lit up across the city. The residents immediately evacuated to the lower levels of the city. Heavy artillery emerged on top of the buildings, roads, and walls surrounding the city. Then the entire city was covered with a thick layer of iron and descended slightly underground. The city immediately entered combat mode.
"Come on, Calvin, let's go," Cole urged.
"Huh... where to?" Calvin asked.
"The Chimaera GZX. We're not just going to stand around, are we?" Cole said, transforming with a terrifying voice.
"Bwoooosh," everyone immediately transformed. Calvin smiled when he saw them, then he transformed too. They immediately ran out of the building at high speed. Cole leaped far, carrying Celes, and Calvin did the same, using his tentacles to leap far while carrying Charlotte, while Calista flew with Cyrus holding onto her bird legs. They went straight to the cliff where they had left the Chimaera GZX, then they jumped down.
"Psiuuu," the cockpit immediately opened, and the six of them entered, taking their respective positions. Cole was at the very front, Cyrus on the right, and Celes on the left, Charlotte behind Cole, and Calvin behind Charlotte, then Calista at the very back. After their arms and legs were covered in flesh, they turned to look at Calvin, whose four tentacles went into the ceiling above them. Cole, Celes, Charlotte, Cyrus, and Calista all had strange expressions.
"What is it?" Calvin asked, confused.
"Disgusting," Charlotte answered.
"Yep, exactly, gross," Celes added.
"Aww, come on, it was like this before, too! Why are you complaining now?" Calvin shouted.
"He's finally back to being the old Big Brother Calvin, not a businessman," Cyrus said.
"Shut up, Cyrus," Calvin replied.
"Hehe... now we're all set. Let's go, Cole," Calista replied.
"Yeah, Chimaera GZX, moving out!" Cole replied, pushing both hands forward.
"Grrrrrk... blam... jegleg," the enormous Chimaera GZX stood in the ocean, then leaped onto the cliff and stood upright, facing the sea. Its body, which was originally like an iron skeleton, was now filled in as if with stone underneath its armor. Ice spikes protruded from its shoulders, it wore leaf wings on its back, a horn had emerged on its head, it had a mouth on its palm, and an eye on its chest. "Klap," its faceplate closed, so its iron skull face was hidden, and only its eyes were visible.
"Greeek," the Chimaera GZX raised its hand and "blam," punched forward, causing a powerful gust of wind. In front of it, several GEAR units approached along with several transport hovers filled with soldiers. But what was truly terrifying was, "blam... blam... blam," "groaaaaar," a gigantic undead monster, shaped like a combination of several dinosaurs and a dragon, walking behind the troops.
Cole, Celes, Cyrus, Charlotte, Calvin, and Calista, seeing the approaching forces, immediately smiled.
"Chimaera GZX go!" they all shouted.