Chapter 11

Classes go by as usual, the cubs getting much more acclimatized to everything, though a few accidents still happen. Aura has been pouting that she has not been able to get her own night alone with Allanon, as more duties from her tribe have come up, along with tougher assignments that she needs to complete to maintain her class position (her father still having certain expectations of her). A dozen times she could have had a quickie, but she wants a solid 3 hours of time in an evening to get herself wrecked. Her awareness does get tested as Allanon finds the time to ambush her and get minor payments from her, most leaving her panties a ruined mess.

Chiaia has also tried to settle her choice once and for all during this time, with Allanon being genuinely nice completing more of the picture compared to how Dagmyer is seen to treat a few people badly as she observes him from a distance. The cherry currently is that Dagmyer doesn’t seem to train at all, compared to even her sister who is seen training in the school gym a couple of days a week. Him just wanting to coast on his laurels of being a noble and a male mechanoid pilot seem wrong in her eyes.

Despite a few more tournaments happening, Allanon has decided not to participate, though Lashara has pleaded as she wants him to win her more money. The upcoming week though should allow all of that and more. Time for the midsemester vacation. Though the country they are heading to is under the control of Flora, Lashara decides to bring the Swan instead of taking public transportation like many of the other students that have been invited are doing. Flora invited 40 students, many of them minor friends of her daughter Maria, or otherwise prominent people like Dagmyer. Maria and Yukine take rooms on the Swan at Lashara’s prompting, while Maria still books out a mass transport to travel with the Swan for the full day it will take to get there.

“Aunt Flora is going to want you even if she doesn’t know your secret. Your tournament win and before that surviving a fight with Mexiah were already piquing her interest, and no doubt she has squeezed Maria and Yukine for as much information as they could find. I kept wanting to push this off, but I realized a few weeks ago that on the politics side I’ll need help, and while Lithia is a recent and welcome addition, she doesn’t have anywhere near the influence to make a difference on a global scale. Yes, she is a good pilot and will be great on the loopholes side of things, but with Flora in your bed, we would have the complete backing of another country, and possibly merging it with the empire. If such a thing managed to happen, along with your being a mechanoid pilot coming out, then no one would be able to interfere with you becoming my king. The exception would be the Church, and how they present their position will tell us how hard or soft we will need to go at them, though I would prefer the cutting them off from any support for what they have tried to do both recently and in the past.” Lashara comments.

(Elseware)

“You are sure that both your information is accurate and that your hack wasn’t traced.” Cordyline asks as she paces her tent.

“Yes, a cornucopia of such important people, traveling through an accepted safe route, no one on the planet will ever get such an opportunity ever again. Besides, only the Swan will be armed, and will have just 2 mechanoids at most on board. Important figures ranging from the Queen to be herself Lashara of the Shitorieyu Empire, Maria, the daughter of Flora of Havoniwa, Dagmyer Mest, a male pilot, and that is just 3 of the close to 50 non staff aboard the ships. Just imagine how much money you would obtain for their safe return. Your reputation would skyrocket as well.” The well-paid informant said, goading Cordyline by appealing to her baser natures.

“Yes, from you when you initially told me about their trip, the only thing that has changed is the number of prizes going up. Even with all of this prep, this is still a succeed or die situation. I’ve called in so many favors without letting folks know more than what should keep them interested, and that is not including the many favors I now owe. If this plan fails to the degree of failing to capture even 1 of the top 3 targets, me becoming a sexual toy again will be the least of my worries. It has taken 10 years for me to get to this point, but the reward if we bag them all will mean I can live in the lap of high-class luxury forever. I can also start a bidding war just for Lashara herself. Just the thought of the payday from her enemies vying to gain her as a slave makes me salivate in joy.” Cordyline finishes by laughing hard.

Just outside the tent, her daughter Lan is listening in. ‘Of course, she only thinks about herself yet again. Once I get my share I’ll be gone. Just in case of failure though, I need to have an exit strategy that doesn’t involve me being on my knees and passed around. I saw enough of that from Cordy when I was younger to last me a lifetime.’ Lan thinks, as it has only been in the past decade that Cordy got half-way decent with money, forcing Lan to become self-sufficient at a very young age lest she starve or be sold into slavery herself.

(Back on the Swan at the half-way point to the vacation spot in Havoniwa)

“I haven’t even told mother about the cubs. She is going to be beside herself, with both the cubs and Allanon having most of her attention. This will allow me to actually have a vacation, though hopefully I can tempt Allanon to at least give me a taste.” Maria comments to Yukine as they lay on chairs under the cloudy sky.

“I will reiterate what I told your mother in your presence regarding Allanon. He will wreck you plain and simple. If you offer yourself to him, he will probably not hold back. Your body is more petite compared to Lashara, so if Allanon has had sex with her like you believe, along with me not exaggerating on the size of his cock, then you who has barely used your own fingers to spread your young flower, might not recover from his attentions.” Yukine states with certainty, though she recalls the private messages with Flora that involve detailed instructions of how to give pleasure to a man if she ever found herself wanting to do so, and Allanon has her wanting to do that very much.

‘ATTACK, All around us.’ Seiryu almost screams to Allanon as the bare edges of her detection becomes awash with weapon systems powering up. Allanon doesn’t reply, merely tumbling out of his bed (alone for once) and sliding around the halls in his haste to get to the hangar and Seiryu. Not 10 seconds later not only have Star and Moon roared loud enough to shake the windows, but the Swan’s sensors follow right beyond them and start to light up from many enemies around them. The force is big, 7 mechanoids, at least 14 gunships, and numerous humanoids on much smaller craft, too many to differentiate right now.

“I’m going out there Lashara. Unfortunately, in doing so we rip off the cover of my secret. I know that we are not ready for the additional attention doing so will bring, but you and many others that I care about are here on these ships. I won’t let harm come to you for any reason.” Allanon almost yells into the communicator as he reaches the hang.

“I know my King. Show them. Show them and whoever else may be watching what you are truly capable of. If this means playing offense to the other nations instead of defense, then the Church might not be needed if we end up having to conquer the whole planet.” Lashara replies with stars in her eyes.

He moves Seiryu out into the open on top of the Swan. Deciding to be a bit more grandiose and making sure everyone knows, since they will by the end anyway, Allanon sets Seiryu’s comms to the general frequency. “To the bandits and scum attacking The Swan and the allied transport, know this: I am Allanon, pilot of the Seiryu, and the King to Queen Lashara. By attacking us you have signed your death warrants. Your only chance to live is to run and hide in the deepest cave on the other side of the planet.” He roars. He punctuates this by using a new weapon. Aiming at the closest gunship, particles coalesce around the maw of Seiryu, and a concentrated energy roar is fired. The ship is hit immediately, glass turning to powder, metal buckling then being torn asunder as the command tower and an engine are cut away from the rest of the ship. The ship immediately starts to list as with the main controls destroyed along with an engine, the ship can’t maintain current balance and altitude.

‘A mechanoid has that kind of attack, unreal. I don’t care if the prize increased by the reveal of another male mechanoid pilot, I am not dealing with this.’ Lan remarks to herself, pulling her gun out, killing a bandit and taking his hover boat, then trying to get the fuck out of here.

Another gunship starts to move in, a mechanoid wielding a tower shield and a rifle on the deck. Allanon boosts there, changing Seiryu’s left hand to the hammer in mid-jump/flight. Numerous shots from nearby bandits make ping sound as they deflect off of Seiryu as Allanon lands, hammer already swinging. The mechanoid pilot grits and holds as the hammer contacts with the shield but is easily pushed back, their feet carving grooves in the metal deck and then getting crushed against the command tower of the ship. An explosion follows and the ship starts to fall from the sky, but Allanon is already on the way to his next target. He takes some damage from the big beam cannon fired at him but is able to escape by out racing how fast it can rotate on its base. He then ducks and slides back the other way, giving him free reign to avoid the rest of the beam as it peters out and the mechanoid using it slumps, having burned through a majority of their energy. They try to pull a backup weapon, but Allanon is already right in front of them, right hand with the serrated claws plunging in with almost no resistance as the pilot is eviscerated, what screams would be emitted, coming out only as whimpers as they are tossed aside like garbage.

As he goes to destroy the ship he is on, he sees that Chiaia has launched and is already reaping a bloody toll with her sword, no attempt at taking any prisoners to be had as she turns a guy to pulp by stepping on him as she does another 2-handed swing. He heads toward the newest ship to show up, sized between the gunships and The Swan. The mechanoid rising to the top deck is unique in that it wields dual swords with hooked edges and is colored an ice blue with hints of yellow. Surprisingly, this one is able to stay in place when he goes to swing his hammer of an arm, by they are having to drop to their knees from the strength he is exerting as they cross their swords over their chest. “Victory or Death now that you have shown up. I may not have a long operating time, but that doesn’t mean my skills haven’t been honed.” A strong female voice yells at him as she tries to push back to her feet but is having no luck.

“And you must have not been paying attention to what I did minutes ago.” Allanon coldly states as he engages the energy howl. The female pilot barely has time for her eyes to widen before the beam cores her and her mechanoid. The blast continues, hitting something sensitive within the ship as moments later, small explosions rock the large ship. Allanon leaps away just as a second sun appears, the ship’s unstable core having melted down when the housing was breached. The blast throws him further than his longest jump, the blast wave battering him and Seiryu. Of the remaining ships, 2 more are tossed to crash against the mountains, the waves too strong for them to ride out. Allanon and Seiryu drop to a knee, that blast having shaken them from the strength of it, along with the energy they expended to do the roars. Looking around there is still more work to be done, though Chiaia has taken down a mechanoid and another gunship.

Finally, some try to run, but Allanon crushes or shreds with every attack once he gets back to his feet, sparing no one, not even those who surrender. The transport and The Swan are unharmed, though there are quite a few shredded bodies on the grassy deck of the ship, many in multiple parts. Star and Moon are grinning nearby, pleased with their handywork at defending their family. Yukine has accounted for 4 enemies as she works to protect Maria. Most of the students on the transport are freaking out, many of them recognizing Allanon’s voice.

Dagmyer scowls where no one is looking. ‘Such an intimidating force, bigger than a few small countries can put together, and yet even just between the 2 of them, hardly any damage is being taken. There is no way his piloting skills could have been able to grow so much in such a short period of time. Chiaia has also gotten better, though she is nowhere near her sister’s lofty abilities, so thank every deity for that. I’m so glad that this attack was random happenstance though, and now I have an inkling of what we really need to take him down and secure our rule over this planet. That or another ambush when he is nowhere near his mechanoid and then throw so many bodies at him that he can’t keep up after a time. I will exceed his limits and laugh as I crush his skull under my boot.’ He screams in his own head, fists throwing several objects, his anger leaking out.

“Yukine we know that was him, right?” Maria asks her attendant, her heart racing and her panties dripping as she sees such an enemy force being reduced to nothing by Allanon and Chiaia, Allanon doing much more damage than Chiaia.

“Beyond a doubt. You and many other young women are going to be fighting for him, many wanting such a man to give them a child or three, though his declaration of being the King to Lashara’s Queen has the biggest connotations. She will be the gatekeeper beyond a doubt. Lashara will also be glad that she doesn’t have to hide his status or ability, but the other problems that this will create, particularly with the Church, will have such far-reaching consequences. The Church being the neutral power, world law creator, balance keeper, and arbiter all rolled into one. Unit wise for a personal royal’s force, this doesn’t exceed the 4-pilot limit or total unit limit that is based on a country’s size, but the actual power being shown, even with this being clear cut self-defense, that far exceeds what any one country is allowed to have access to.” Yukine explains.

“I don’t think that Lashara even cares about that at this point. Months ago, just after her father died, she felt that the Church was not doing enough as so many countries circled Shitorieyu like vultures. She had to make what was clearly a delaying tactic by making a placating promise to choose a husband before she graduated. She has been using such time to grow Allanon’s reputation no doubt, thus the tournaments and other high-profile things she has tried to arrange for him to participate in, all so that he could have such a list of deeds and beyond compare accomplishments to raise his commoner status. Then when she willingly revealed his ability to pilot a mechanoid and declaring him as her King, there would be minimal objections that could be made. Now when the Church and the Holy Land inevitably try to sanction her to keep the Empire from growing much stronger, something will have to give, and I don’t think that it will be Lashara or Allanon. The Church, both on its own and with complaints from other countries, is going to try all they can from many an angle, but it won’t be enough. The Church is going to be backed into a corner by its own history of actions and inaction, so maybe 5 years at the most and the Church will be no more. Now while Allanon is out fighting, I have to see what Lashara wants that is within my power to give, all so the Havoniwa nation can get in close to the ground floor of this.

Meanwhile, Allanon is continuing his decimation of the enemy, though no more energy howls, as even with just 25 minutes having elapsed since he stepped foot into Seiryu, his operational limit time has been drastically cut, to the point of him having maybe 10 minutes left before he starts to take damage from the Ahou poisoning. The cannons on the ships can’t tag him even once before they get destroyed as he keeps on the constant move.