Forgotten World: The Promise We Made That Day

Volume 3 Chapter 18

 An intense battle was raging on, explosions going off in multiple areas around the vast battlefield. Brynhild was using an array of new explosives. He'd even improved his Chain Blast bombs, making them more effective than before and even leaving a lingering spark after going off. Of course, Tarou was avoiding them with ease. Unlike last time, he knew how to react to Brynhild's attacks. "Damn... Even with my upgrades, it's still not enough?" He was with a slight look of annoyance on his face. "Get your head in the game, Brynhild! It's not like you to falter like this!" Charlotte says while sending multiple lance thrusts towards Tarou. He uses his sword to block every incoming strike, effortlessly parrying her weapon away. She flinches slightly, in which Tarou takes advantage of by slamming his foot into her stomach.

She is sent sliding back a bit, but uses her lance to stop herself. She stabs the tip of her weapon into the ground and pants. "Wow.. You've got some strength on you. That kick might have been stronger than your brother's punch." She says with a smirk, holding her stomach with her free hand. "Oh? That was only a warning hit. The real attack begins.. now!" He vanishes for a moment, only to reappear in front of her. He takes her by surprise as she grasps her throat and begins to drag her across the ground. With enough force, he was able to use her body to dig into the ground and create a gaping path. Once done with her, he tosses her aside like a ragdoll. "Charlotte! You'll pay for that, you asshole!" He readies more explosives, but Charlotte slowly staggers to her feet. "N-No, Brynhild... Allow me to continue taking him on." She wipes the blood from her face, still smirking despite what had happened to her.

"A-Are you... sure?" He looked a bit worried, but she weakly gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry. I didn't take on the title of Demon General of the Wise for nothing. I'm going to make this monster pay for what he did to my father." She stands up straight and suddenly rips off her jacket, tossing it to the side. All the was left of her was her tattered and beaten up dress. "Prepare to feel the full might of Demon General Charlotte the Wise!" She raises her lance to the sky as the clouds turn grey. Thunder could be heard in the distance. Brynhild raises a brow. "So this is the true power of your Divinity Arms, huh? Guess I better sit back and witness this with my own eyes." He takes a few steps back before crossing his arms. "Hehe... As if you'd have enough power to stop someone like me." She lets out a soft giggle. "You really don't get it, do you? You see... there was a nickname I earned through my battles. They called me 'The Goddess of the Lance'. You're about to see why." Tarou bursts into laughter. "As of you'd be able to-....." Before he could finish, a giant bolt of lightning shoots down from above and strikes a direct hit onto Tarou. Millions of volts are sent through his entire body with enough power to fry his entire being.

She wasn't done with just that. She readies her lance and begins charging a powerful beam attack. She'd previously used this when fighting Taku, but this was an updated version. It was much stronger than before. Taking aim, she fires the laser and it pierces Tarou through his midsection. This causes a giant hole to appear in the center of his body. Once her attack was over, Tarou falls to his knees. Blood pours from his gaping wound as his body hits the ground. Brynhild then whistles and claps. "Wow! I can't believe you just did that! It was... incredIble!" Charlotte would then let out a sigh as she falls to her knees as well. She uses her lance to keep her balance. "It took a lot out of me, but... I did it. I defeated Hybrid-02. L-Let's contact Mr. Daniels and let him know that we defeated one of the three." The two begin to walk away, only to stop when they hear laughing coming from behind them.

"Hehehe... You really thought that'd be enough to kill me? I'll let you in on a little secret. Hybrids heal much faster than regular Uncontrolled. To truly kill us, you'll have to destroy our brain and heart simultaneously. If you destroy one and leave the other in tact, we regenerate what we lost." Tarou stands up, the wound slowly starting to heal. "N-No way... Their healing ability has advanced that far?" Charlotte was shocked to see that her efforts to stop him were in vain. Brynhild quickly acts, throwing a bunch of bombs at him. They all go off, but the smoke clears and reveals that he was okay. "M-Monster.. How did he survive all that?" Even Brynhild was at a loss of what to do. "Now... It's time for my attack!" He starts to spin his sword in order to create his infamous crimson cyclone technique. Brynhild needed to think fast. If he doesn't do something right now, they'll both be killed. There was only one thing left to do.

Multiple cylindrical bombs rolls over to Tarou, emitting a heavy cloud of smoke. The others create a powerful flash to stun him. With the combined effort of both the smoke bombs and stun grenades, they manage to escape and head back to the city. A military style vehicle comes to pick them up, quickly taking them back to the base. Tarou glares, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Those slippery little pests... I'll get them sooner or later." He looks down at his stomach. "That bitch really made of mess of me, huh? Guess I better take a break to heal myself up." He starts heading back to find himself a place to heal.

Back in Japan, Taku was busy training. After almost being defeated by Tetsuo, he knew he needed to improve his skills and prepare himself for future battles. Mizuki was still recovering, resting in a makeshift bed that Taku put together for her. After his training session, he goes to check on her. She was still unconscious, but looked as if she was going to wake up anytime soon. Of course, her wounds weren't too severe and she was able to heal up. "I'm sorry, Mizuki... It was my fault that this happened. If only I wasn't so weak..." Her eyes slowly open upon hearing his words. "Tak-kun... Don't feel sorry for yourself.. You're not to blame." Taku's eyes widen, suddenly embracing her. "Mizuki! You're awake! I was.. really worried." She smiles at him. "Taku.. I'm glad you're happy, however... I need to tell you something. I've... recovered my memories from when I was taken away."

An awkward silence filled the room as Taku then grasps at Mizuki's sleeve. "Wait... You remember what happened?" She gives him a nod. "I do. I'm going to explain everything that happened to me in those months. It's a lot.. so I hope you're ready." He nods and prepares himself to hear her story. Big secrets are about to be revealed.