(78.9) Extra Chapter 8 – Meanwhile…

T- 30 minutes before the explosion.

Artificial sunshine beamed around the hotel deck of the MDS Space Station Arena, the flourishing parks just outside the many hotels housing hundreds of guests were mostly vacant at this time of day. Despite this, the parks weren’t completely vacant, as two lovebirds perched at the base of a tree in one of the remotest parks.

There, a teenager with fluorescent green hair sat upright, her back held against a burly tree trunk. She patted the sleepy face of a different girl, this one with glossy locks of long blond hair fashioned into two braids.

Her head reclined in the girl’s lap, lulling away life’s anxieties.

“Fufufu, are you enjoying this Aya? I’ve never done it with anyone before, so please tell me.” Asked the taller girl wearing a simple, dark tank top.

Aya’s words stumbled out of her mouth. She shifted uncomfortably; the unfamiliarity of the treatment evident on her face. “Hmm—Ah! Y-Yes… It feels good Anna… Your thighs are nice and soft… Crap! I didn—”

Anna pinned her down, laughing as she kept her from getting up. “Fufufufu, calm down baby; just relax and enjoy it. There’s no need to get flustered like that.” She looked down at the smaller girl’s skirt, placing a hand below it, tracing up. “Your thighs are also very soft.” She traced further up, her finger running over the girl’s silk panties, humming. “Very soft indeed.”

A jolt of comfortable pleasure ran up Aya’s spine, her bright blue eyes opening wide; “Ngg!” The girl squirmed under Anna’s touch and sultry voice. Yet she didn’t stop her, resigning herself to her partners’ advances.

But Anna stopped her fingers, leaning back up. “Now, this is interesting. Why didn’t you resist? We’re in public, silly.”

She simply rubbed her cheeks on Anna’s thighs, assuring lightly. “I-I trust you…”

Anna smiled at her words, but a frown crept in afterwards. “Don’t silly. We’ve only been together for what? A day and a half? Besides, we’re supposed to duel again at the finals.” Her words drew longer and her voice softer as she went on. “You can’t trust people that quickly, Aya… You’ll get hurt…”

But Aya still assured in a weak voice. “I-I still trust you… You wouldn’t hurt me…”

Anna looked at the girl on her lap and let out a defeated sigh, taking her hand out from below Aya’s skirt. “You’re so cute… Like a little baby bird… Fufu; Yes, that nickname suits you. My cute little baby bird…”

The submissive girl’s heart fluttered at hearing that; and every time Anna called her cute afterwards. She had gotten used to her nicknames: Sweety, Kittie, baby, sweet pie; She asked herself, How did it turn out like this? This girl was my mortal enemy a few days ago… But she stopped there, as tears ran from her eyes to Anna’s lap. She knew exactly what had led to them sleeping together, and she didn’t want to go back there. Anna’s lap was far more comfortable than those memories.

Anna noticed her lap getting wetter but instead of asking Aya to get up, she simply ran her hand lightly over her face. “There, there; There, there. Calm down, baby. You’ll have another panic attack at his rate.” She knew exactly what to do. She had spent the entirety of yesterday coaxing Aya into a semi-stable state; Even taking as little time as possible finishing up her loser’s bracket duel. Yet Aya remained a bundle of overly sensitive nerves. So beautiful yet so fragile… Like a lily in the middle of a storm… It doesn’t matter; I’ll protect you with my life if I have to. Those were her thoughts as her heavy eyes shut and her head tilted to the side.

Aya also didn’t take long to fall asleep in her love’s comfortable lap.

—

*BWUUUUUUPPPP*

A loud siren rudely awoke the two girls from their slumber. The sound of a thousand air horns and nuclear sirens hanging in the air, with flashing red lights shrewd about.

“What is going on? Anna?” demanded the smaller of the two. She quickly raised from the other’s lap, her eyes darting around.

The taller girl held the other tight, equipping her duel disk before assuring. “It’s okay, probably just a test. Let’s get back to our rooms and cuddle it away.”

Aya furrowed her brow, unconvinced. “T-There was nothing in the info pads about this. And why now? It’s way too late for that!”

She ended by equipping her own duel disk, something Anna could only frown at. There was no need for her to bother with it. Did Aya not trust her with her protection? Or was she just being cautious? Either way, Anna grabbed Aya’s arm and compelled. “Come on, let’s get back.” While standing up.

“O-Okay.” Aya stammered, accepting her hand and standing up as well.

The two girls walked through the park, Aya clutching Anna’s arm. They passed through playgrounds and lakes. At some point, the lights even stopped blinking red, but they didn’t take it as a sign to relax. The alarm still overwhelmed any natural noise around the zone.

They soon came to a clearing, the end of the park where the entrances to many of the hotels stood proud, announcing their names with decorated neon/metal name plates, from meek entrances to grandiose arches.

The short-haired girl looked at the girl clinging onto her arm, looking around in perpetual uneasiness. “See? We’re back, nothing to worry abou—”

An enormous earthquake shaking beneath their feet interrupted her, almost throwing them to the ground.

“Eeep!” Aya pressed her face onto Anna’s back almost immediately, like a scared little child hiding away from danger.

She’s so cute! Were Anna’s immediate thoughts, and she pulled her in tightly. Yet the ground shaking pulled her thoughts away from Aya. What the hell is happening here? Space stations aren’t supposed to have earthquakes.

Soon, other patrons would arrive at the clearing. They looked as confused as Anna, with some even dragging themselves on the floor out of fear.

But other than the floor shaking, nothing else happened. The emergency siren rapidly just became background noise, and the lights were already normal.

The earthquake passed in a few minutes, and the people there returned to being confused about what had just happened. There was no announcement, no information, just terrifying silence after an impossible event.

While the sound of calls being made echoed in the background, Aya still held onto Anna, terrified. “I-Is it gone?”

Anna just smiled, nodding. “Yes, it’s gone. You can relax, baby. Do earthquakes really scare you that much?”

Aya’s face scrunched up. She tilted her head and quizzed. “Anna… We’re not on earth… We should not have earthquakes… How are you not scared?”

She kept on smiling, shaking her head lightly. “Aya… Why don’t you try to relax? We’ll have a lot of time to talk about it after the danger goes away.”

“What?… Danger?…”

“ATTENTION CITIZENS! DO NOT RESIST!” a loud siren followed the announcement.

Arriving at the entrance to the hotels was a band of soldiers wearing crimson red armor and closed helmets. They fanned out across the space, approaching civilians with guns visible.

Aya looked to Anna and asked between panicked breaths. “W-What’s going on?!”

The larger girl turned to Aya, her eyes staring her down. “Don’t worry. They’re not going to attack random civilians… I hope—But even if they do, I won’t let them touch you!” Taking her circular duel disk out of her holder, hiding that arm behind her back.

A soldier separated from the group, approaching the two with a large rifle close to his chest. He asked in a seemingly calm, distorted voice. “Do not panic, citizens. What are your names?”

The two girls looked at each other, eyebrows raising. But Anna complied. “Anna Matili and Aya…”

The soldier didn’t wait for her to complete telling Aya’s name, as they lunged, intending to grab the smaller girl. “You’re coming with me, citizen!”

“No, she’s not!” Anna exclaimed, raising her duel disk from behind her back and activating its barrier.

The soldier flinched as the barrier almost closed around their hand with the power to cut it off. They raised their rifle. “Citizen! We command you to stand down! You are interfering in official Union operations! Do not resist! Or we will resort to lethal force!”

Aya pressed her face against Anna’s side, her face sniffling. “Anna! I’m scared!”

Noticing this, Anna looked down at the girl acting like a frightened child, an unexplained rage bubbling underneath her skin. She scowled, looking at the guard—Who already had three others with them, surrounding her completely—And warned. “Now look at what you did!! Do you want me to clean the floor with you!? Because that’s what I will do if you don’t scamper!”

But instead of running from there, the four soldiers held their perimeter, allowing two others to move in… Red duel blades showing.

Anna’s eyes shot open. Two of them!? I can’t deal with two alone! She stepped back, looking at Aya, sobbing. I can’t ask her to help! She’s not ready yet!

As Anna backed into a wall. A feminine scream echoed around the space. “LET GO OF ME YOU CREEP!!!!!!”

Recognizing the voice, Aya looked out. A familiar monster materialized behind the soldier, a massive creature that could only be categorized as ‘A Monarch of Darkness.’

The group of soldiers turned around, revealing a short girl with black neck-length hair and a chest that was barely contained by her red NWDA uniform.

“M-Mia!” the blond girl called out.

The girl, which scowled at a close-by soldier with a blackened hand… Turned to the two, waving at them. “Aya! Anna! You’re also here!?”

Seeing an ally, Anna smiled. “Yes! We were at the park when the siren went off! But that’s not important! Can you help us defeat these guys!?”

Mia looked around, then a crazy smile formed on her lips. “You bet I do!”