Love Far Beyond the Ashes

Waking Up

Sora pov: "Ughhh, my head hurts..." I mumbled as I struggled to stand up. I looked over to Azki, who was passed out beside me, and shook her, "Wake up!" I said

Azkichi shot up and looked around, asking, "Where is Roboco?" She asked

"Gone," I commented.

"Damn it!" Azki yelled, "We can't stop her!"

"Why not?" I asked her

"Sui-chan is knocked out because of Miko, not to mention how injured the two of us already are," I said.

"What are the chances she's killed someone?" Sora asked

"100%," I told her.

"Ah..." I sighed. "Well, we just need to find her parts!" I said

"Miko, get up!" Azkichi yelled as she kicked her up.

"W-what!?" She shouted

"Look, we forgive you. Just look at Robocochi's parts. I mean, it's not like you wanted her to turn into a killing machine," Azki said.

"Uhm... I wanted her to kill Toko," Mikochi said.

"What...." Azki growled

"I did modify her to become a killing machine, and I also modified her to kill specific creatures like Elves for my father's sake. I thought I could control her," Mikochi said.

"No, you idiot!" Azki yelled as she punched Mikochi in the stomach.

"Where am I?" A-chan asked as she woke up.

"We are at ground zero, the place where Roboco tried to destroy us." Anemachi panted

"Hey Anemachi, A-chan, please kick Miko a couple hundred times for me," Azki said.

"Wait, where are you going?" I asked

"To fight," Azkichi replied.

"You know that if you go, it's a one-way mission, so please let us all go with you!" I shouted

"Miko does need to atone." Azki said

"We should hurry up and find those damn parts!" A-chan yelled

"Okay!!" Miko cried

"Sui-chan will encounter her first..." I said

"Yes, that's why I want to be there to support her," Azki said.

"We really aren't being optimistic, Azkichi," I said.

"The problem is none of them know what they're dealing with. Robochi isn't a problem when you know what she can do." Azkichi sighed

"And she's glitching." I groaned

"Correct, we need to go now," Azkichi said.

"Are you sure you're okay? Have you heard any hypnotic suggestions lately?" I asked

"No, Sora-chan, don't worry yet." Azki said, "One problem at a time."

"Will we have to destroy Robochi?" I asked

"I don't want to, but if she becomes too much of a problem, I'm sorry. We need to end this before it can become more of a problem," Azki said.

"Sora, we are looking at a person who could destroy the world. Miko, let her go wild..." A-chan growled

"I found a piece, but I may have broken some of the other pieces," Miko said.

"What did they look like?" A-chan asked

Miko described them, and A-chan sighed, "Luckily, I have replacements."

"Hey, I should go on ahead and meet with my sister," Anemachi said.

"Honestly, go out and try to stall for us," Azkichi said.

"Got it, and make sure to punch Miko again for me," Anemachi said as she left.

I decided to rewrap Azkichi's wounds so she wouldn't be uncomfortable, and since we had some time, she definitely wasn't looking good.

"Don't push yourself," I told her.

She looked at me and smiled. "Don't get hurt," she said cheerfully.

"You are way too kind," I commented.

"Well, you are the cutest," Azki said as she wiped away my forming tears.

"We will take full responsibility for this as a unit, right?" Mikochi asked

"No, you are taking the full brunt of the blame. You did this because of stupid jealousy," Azkichi said.

"I thought you understood Sui-chan now!" I said

"I did, but at the same time, her life is too sad for me; I want to at least show her a happy world," Miko said.

"A happy world in a pool of blood and the bodies of the ones she likes?" Azkichi said

"Well, when you put it like that, you make me seem like a bad guy!" Mikochi shouted

"You are..." Azki growled.

"I feel like we are all falling apart!" Sora-chan cried

"Don't worry. We won't fall apart again." Azkichi reassured me.

I nodded, knowing she was putting on a farce for me, but I was too scared to say anything about that.

"You two should go on ahead as well," A-chan said.

"Wait why?" Miko asked

"You keep digging!" A-chan screamed

"Sora-chan, we'll go, but let's go slower. We need to recover a bit more." Azki said

"Let's take it slow," I stated, just restating what she had just said.

"Okay, since we are both in agreement," she said.

I let her lean on my shoulder as we both began to walk to the exit of the underworld.

"I'm shocked she didn't destroy the gate," I said.

"Maybe Robochi didn't want to for some reason" Azkichi said

"You don't think it's a trap, do you?" I asked

"It definitely is a trap," Azkichi said.

I gulped, but Azkichi held my hand and squeezed it a tiny bit to reassure me. I felt calmer about that.

"If it gets too difficult, we'll leave," Azki said.

"Are you serious?" I asked

"Yes, I don't want to lose what we have, and I don't want Roboco to feel guilty when she comes two as well," Azkichi said.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you more," Azkichi giggled.

"You are so sweet to me," I said.

"Well, you did reach out to me back then," Azki said.

"You two are cute," Anemachi said.

"You aren't further ahead?" I asked

"No, I was waiting since Nodoka is right here," Anemachi said.

"Suisei woke up and ran off ahead with Toko!" Nodoka cried

"Okay, we'll keep that in mind, but we can't pick up the pace," Azki said.

"Hold on!" I said I picked her up holding her bridal style "I'll carry you"

"Wait, you'll be tired later!" Azki said

I didn't reply to her. I just began to run. We needed to get there fast. I wasn't letting the five of us split up again.