Chapter Text

Volume 1: Prologue

Inside an abandoned facility on the outskirts of Millennium, a roar of gunfire echoed throughout the smoky hallway. Wave after wave, punctuated by the sparks and dying lights of fallen robots, the metallic reinforcements surged forward with their mechanical footsteps clanging against the ruined halls.

"Don't let her pass through!"

"Take aim!"

The shouts of the robotic troops rang out, only to be abruptly silenced by a blur of vermillion hair and a primal scream.

"ORA! ORA! ORA! OORRRRAAA!"

A petite figure burst into view, her crooked cowlick and back-braided knot adorned with Millennium tags swaying as she charged forward. Dodging bullet after bullet, she ran through the wall as her sharp red eyes narrowed behind the black lenses of her French maid headdress. Making way, she took aim, moving the twin SIG Sauer MPX submachine guns in her hands.

"Wha—"

—— - — —— - ——- — —

"Stand grou—"

—— - ——- — ——— - — —— - —

"—Gah!"

She unleashed a relentless barrage, smoke whizzing from the barrels as each robot crumpled to the ground. One after another, metallic bodies fell, circuits sparking as they hit the floor.

Finally, the heavy boots of her enemies came to a halt, their reinforcements exhausted. But the silence was quickly shattered by her cackling laughter.

"Haha! Easy."

Kicking the fallen metal head, a delinquent aura radiated from her small figure. When she heard the approaching familiar footsteps, she tilted her head towards their direction with a smirk playing on her lips.

"As expected of the President, it didn't take much effort to clear up our path," a serene voice praised, followed by a polite clap of admiration.

Emerging from the smoke, a pale blonde girl with a gentle smile beneath her black-framed glasses approached. Her Japanese maid outfit, similar to the delinquent redhead's but with a longer skirt adorned with two blue stripes, swayed with each step.

The delinquent shooter replied, her voice filled with satisfaction, "This mission's way too easy!"

However, her contentment quickly soured as she laid eyes on the young man with messy black hair standing beside the blonde.

Groaning, she added, "Tell me... Why the heck is Sensei even here when we could finish with just the four of us!"

Sensei sighed, his voice tinged with mild exasperation. "Yuuka told me to supervise you guys, remember? Don't you feel bad for her with the collateral damage you cause every mission?"

Unable to deny the claim, "I-I know that!" the redhead retorted, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. "But it's not like we needed to be babysitted every single time!"

"Well... Sensei did have a point," the pale blonde commented.

"Come on! We're not that bad!" the redhead replied.

"What about the last mission?" Sensei reminded.

"Tch!" As the little redhead stomped away, muttering under her breath, Sensei chuckled wryly before turning to the pale blonde girl.

"Anyways, are you done with the preparations, Akane?"

Akane's serene smile widened, her voice melodious as she responded. "Ready when you are, Master~"

...

Initiating their mission in earnest, they dashed through the maze-like hallways towards the rendezvous point. Avoiding potential threats when possible, they neutralized swiftly when time demanded it.

The delinquent shooter narrowed her eyes and gave a side glance to the man running beside her. Her voice carried a hint of frustration mixed with pride. "Sensei, you know I could take 'em all at once, right?"

"Better be safe than sorry, Neru." Sensei's calm tone brooked no argument.

Neru scowled but relented, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Fine."

Though she might not look it, the short redhead prided herself as the strongest agent in the business, boasting a 100% success rate. Puffing out her chest, she reminded him, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

"Just so you know, it's Double-O for you since we're on a mission, Sensei." Her hard-earned codename was a symbol of victory in their industry.

"My bad." Sensei raised his hands in faux surrender despite having a glint of amusement in his eyes.

After a brief back and forth to review their plan, Neru split off from the group, taking on the role of decoy to lure the robotic army into the building's hallways. The others tracked her movements, taking up strategic positions throughout the facility.

Outside, where the cold night air bit at exposed skin, a dark-skinned maid rested upon another rooftop. She peered through her rifle's scope, her keen eyes scanning the area. Her voice crackled over the comms as she updated Sensei.

"Master, reinforcements are on their way."

Right on cue, a battalion of robot troops poured through the staircase, giving chase. Their metallic voices echoed through the halls.

"Catch her!"

"Open fire!"

"Don't let her get away!"

Dodging and tanking the hail of bullets with ease, Neru complained, her voice a mix of excitement and irritation. "Damn! These guys are persistent!"

Following Sensei's orders to the letter, their chase led them into the isolated parts of the building. Without breaking a sweat, she effortlessly mowed through the incoming soldiers attempting to trap her. Running low on ammo, she finally had to run as the hail of gunfire continued.

Reaching an intersection, a wide grin crept across her face. Her body tensed, ready to spring into action.

"...Now!" she immediately bolted forward after hearing the man's signal.

——Bang!

A single bullet shattered through the windows from outside, piercing through the robotic ranks and carving a path towards pre-placed bombs with pinpoint accuracy. Barely avoiding the blast, Neru slid across the floor as rubble began to bury those behind her.

"Whew, that'll teach 'em." She rose, dusting herself off before opening her comms to the sniper. "Hey zero-two, where's the room located again?"

The sniper's calm voice came through clearly. "You should go straight, and turn right after two intersections. The archive room should be at the end of the hallway."

Thanking her for the directions, Neru proceeded to the next phase of their plan. Sensei's voice crackled over the comms, reminding them of the time pressure.

"Since we don't have much time before they find their way onto us. Ne—I mean Double-O, can you hold them off until we retrieve the items?"

"No problem," Neru agreed, her tone offhanded but her eyes alight with anticipation.

Their plans proceeding smoothly, it shouldn't take long before they make their exit. Sensei continued, his voice steady as he gave out instructions.

"Alright, while I help zero-three in retrieving the documents, zero-one should..." He trailed off, brows furrowing. Concern crept into his voice. "Wait, where is she? Uh...Karin? Any visuals on Asuna?"

The comms opened again, the sniper's reply was apologetic. "Sorry, Sensei... I've lost track of her."

Instead of being frustrated, a resigned sigh escaped Sensei's lips. His voice carried a mix of worry and acceptance. "Well, knowing her... she'll be fine."

The rest of the team exchanged awkward nods, silently agreeing to continue their mission without their missing agent. The tension was thick as they prepared for the next phase of their operation.

"Target located," Akane, code-named zero-three, muttered as she scouted ahead. Her keen eyes scanned for threats as she planted a bomb once the coast was clear. The metallic door's joints blew apart in a burst of smoke. As it cleared, they quickly surveyed the mountain of documents now accessible to them.

Scanning one paper after another, Sensei grimaced. His voice was tight with concern as he spoke. "There's so much evidence...I don't know if we can retrieve all of them."

There was too much to take, and just when things couldn't possibly get worse, Akane's soft voice trembled with dismay.

"Oh my..." she muttered, her normally serene expression clouded with worry.

"What's up, Akane?" Sensei asked, turning towards her.

With a grave expression, she handed him a paper. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I think we may have stumbled across something more than simple illegal weapons trafficking."

Rapidly scanning the document, a chill ran down his spine as he realized the massive implications of this crime. Gritting his teeth, his grip tightened until the paper crumpled with his anger.

"Those bastards...!" he hissed, his voice filled with a mixture of rage and disbelief.

- - - - -

In another location, the floor above shook violently, the unmistakable sound of rage ringing out amidst the gunfire. Tremors reverberated through the building, punctuated by muffled explosions and the staccato rattle of automatic weapons fire.

A beige-haired girl's head turned towards the source of the disturbance, long tresses tied with a blue ribbon bouncing excitedly. Her sharp blue eyes sparkled with childlike glee behind the black lenses of her French maid headdress as she heard the commotion through the earpiece in her left ear.

"Ooh! Pres must be having super duper fun right now~!" She clapped her hands together gleefully.

Then an intuitive tingle of unease prickled at the back of her mind, "Hm... Strange~ My intuition's telling me to go down there, but also not to!" She stuck out her tongue impishly, as she brushed it off with a playful giggle.

"Well whatevs~" Her voice was filled with excitement as she continued. "I can't resist when something fun is happening!"

Without a care in the world, she twirled towards the stairs, bounding down them with the boundless energy of an excited child. Her hand drifted to the concealed FAMAS F1 assault rifle at her thigh, but she treated it more like a favorite toy than a deadly weapon.

"Call sign 01: Asuna. Here I go~!" She sang out, her voice echoing in the stairwell. With a graceful leap, she cleared the last few steps, landing soundlessly on the lower floor. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation as she readied herself for whatever awaited her in the depths of the facility.

- - - - -

Underneath all the commotion happening above, deafening sirens wailed, bathing the sterile white space in flashes of crimson light.

——BANG!

A thunderous explosion rocked the area, shrapnel and acrid smoke drowning out the silent scream. The force of the blast rattled the very foundations of the building, sending tremors through the floors above.

Within the facility's lower basements, the large white room stood charred and mangled from the devastating blast. Though protected by blast-proof glass, the robot scientists were not spared the sight of the explosion's gruesome aftermath.

As the choking smoke began to clear, one unfortunate soul took the brunt force head-on. There, at the center, a bloodied, naked white-haired girl was revealed, strapped to a chair and was bleeding profusely.

With her halo flickering erratically before winking out of existence, a robotic voice droned dispassionately, "Subject unconscious, Halo still intact. Request order to force heal and restart the experiment."

"Acknowledged," came the cold command, devoid of any compassion or hesitation.

At the order, a pair of robots entered the devastated area, vials of sickly fluorescent gold liquid clutched in their metal grasp. Without a shred of empathy, they injected the foul concoction directly into the girl's veins.

Her body convulsed violently, flesh knitting back together at a grotesque, unnatural pace as the wounds closed. But there was no reprieve. As the last robot retreated to a safe distance, an electric current surged through the restraints.

The girl's back arched in a rictus of agony, a blood-curdling scream torn from her throat. Her eyes flew open, blue and glassy, staring sightlessly at the ceiling as she slumped back into the bindings, spent.

"Analyzing current state of the halo..." Another robotic voice intoned, its mechanical cadence a chilling backdrop to the girl's suffering.

The flickering corona rematerialized, undamaged. But according to them, "Experiment #728B deemed a failure. Moving on to the next awakening test."

Uncaring, unfeeling, the robots began preparing for the next round of torturous trials. Just another Tuesday. More data to collect, more ways to inflict suffering – all in the name of scientific inquiry.

As the robots prepared to detonate the next payload, the blaring alarms cut through their single-minded routine.

"INTRUDER ALERT!"

"What?!"

"Dammit, we were so close... Everyone gather the research and begin evacuating!"

Panic took hold as the stark reality of an intruder breaching their secured facility sank in. Time was a luxury they could ill afford.

Suddenly, a robotic scientist burst into the room, its mechanical voice filled with urgency. "Everyone, we need to run! They're coming—"

Its warning was cut short by a burst of gunfire. The robot crumpled to the ground, sparks flying from its damaged chassis.

"No! They're already here!" Another scientist cried out, its voice modulator crackling with simulated fear.

Documents were hastily gathered, and their escape routes had been planned. But it all went down the drain as a burst of automatic gunfire shredded through the chaos.

Robots crumpled, vital components shredded by the merciless onslaught of the busty beige-haired maid striding into the room with her assault rifle blazing.

It was Asuna, her earlier cheerfulness now transformed into deadly efficiency.

"Sorry, but I can't let you guys leave~" she sang out, swinging the rifle towards the fleeing scientists. Her voice was cheerful despite the destruction she was causing.

"Save me!"

"Run! Leave it all!"

"What are the guards doing?!"

Screams of panic and fear filled the air, drowned out by the thunderous report of the assault rifle's fire. She fought with cold, ruthless precision, cutting down any who attempted to flee with calculated efficiency.

One robot tried to crawl beneath a desk, optical sensors wide with terror. Asuna's lips quirked in a sly grin as she casually strolled over, rifle barrel aimed squarely at its head. "Sorry, no hiding~"

Its agonized scream was abruptly silenced by a hail of gunfire, swiftly joining the rest of its dismembered brethren littering the floor.

"And done~ That took longer than expected," Asuna hummed as spent casings clinked underfoot. Her voice was light, almost sing-song, as if she hadn't just decimated an entire room of robots.

"Hm~ What do we have here," she mused, surveying the ruined laboratory filled with mechanical equipment and computers. She rifled through the fallen documents, thinking this might be the evidence they sought. However, her eyes were drawn beyond the tinted glass windows to the battered young girl slumped in her chair.

"A student?" she murmured in curiosity, her voice softening with concern.

Ignoring the rivers of blue fluid and scattered robotic limbs, she strode over to the control panel and swiped a fallen ID card.

——Kshhhh!

Stepping closer to the motionless girl, whose halo barely materialized into existence, Asuna attempted to remove the straps.

The bloodied girl was silent as her stained white hair covered her eyes. When she felt the straps loosening, delicate white fox ears perked up, no longer drooping with exhaustion as Asuna cradled her close.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here..." Asuna's typical carefree demeanor hardened with grim determination as she lifted the girl, keeping her steady.

The girl didn't resist, couldn't even if she wanted to – her body trembled uncontrollably, on the verge of collapse. Asuna ducked her head, a soft, reassuring smile tempering her harsh features.

"My name's Ichinose Asuna, or just call me Asuna~" Her voice was warm and friendly, trying to comfort the traumatized girl.

The bloodied girl gazed at her emptily with dull blue eyes, too shattered to muster a response.

"Not much of a talker, huh? It's okay, take your time~" Asuna's voice was patient and understanding.

Carefully, Asuna adjusted her burden, allowing the white-haired girl to be carried in her arms. She could feel the girl's blood trickle down to her skin, but she carried on, heading for the exit with quiet urgency.

- - - - -

Everything was blurry. I didn't know where I was anymore. Weird noises kept barging into my head, and I wanted them to stop.

"—-— - —- —— —- —- - —"

That voice called out to me again. I couldn't make out the words; it all sounded muffled. I tried to breathe, but it was getting harder and harder.

"W-r— - lm-st ther-"

It called out to me again, a bit clearer, but still not enough for me to understand.

"—ok! We're finally outside~" the voice carrying me said.

I couldn't process what she meant by that. Outside? I asked myself. When I felt a brush of cold air against my body, strange waves of confusion rushed over me.

"Asuna, where did you go off to?" a deep voice asked.

Is there someone else there? And Asuna... that name sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember why.

"Sorry, Master! This one here 'probably' needs an ambulance," the person carrying me said.

Master? What did she mean? What's happening?

"Huh? What do— What do you mean 'probably'?! She definitely needs it! Akane, call an ambulance!" The deep voice got louder and sounded upset. His voice was so loud it made my head hurt.

"On it, Sensei!" Another voice said.

So many things were happening suddenly. What's going on? What's happening?

"What's the ruckus all about— Woah! What the hell happened to this pipsqueak?!" A new voice, a bit rough but sounded really surprised.

"Sensei, the ambulance is on the way. How's her condition?" the girl's voice asked.

When something suddenly touched my neck, I flinched.

"She's barely holding on... If... If only we'd come sooner..."

"Sensei... We came here as soon as we got the mission. Just be glad that we managed to save her in time," the rough voice said, trying to make the deep voice feel better.

"Here... this should at least keep her warm." Just as they said that, something soft and warm was placed on top of me, blocking out the cold.

I see... They're worried. So that means I'm finally safe. No more pain. No more suffering.

Just when my guard was down, suddenly, a really loud noise made me jump. It was like those alarms, and it terrified me so much I couldn't breathe. Help me, I don't want to go to that place again.

Please, I'll do anything!

I tried moving my mouth, but my broken voice fell silent. Noticing my unease, I felt something warm rubbing my head.

"Hang on... we're almost there..." the deep voice said as a blurry pink and white put something over my face that made breathing easier.

I felt sleepy. I didn't want to sleep. No matter how hard I tried to stay awake, a cold, familiar darkness engulfed my blurry sight once again.

No matter how hard I tried to stay awake, a cold, familiar darkness engulfed my blurry sight once again