Prologue
"A Hero's Summon"
"Nngh..."
At first, that quiet, groggy groan was the only sign of life that came from the gaping maws of what could only be described as a mechanical steed. One might've mistaken the thing for some sort of statue, or even a strange piece of art, given the group's unfamiliarity with this land and the fact that the strange object hadn't moved so much as an inch since they'd arrived here. But, soon enough, it would become apparent that this was not just some strange landmark; a flash of blue hair could be seen within, belonging to a girl petit in stature, her hand raising to lackadaisically rub at her eyes with a tired yawn.
"Oh, what a strange dream," she mumbled, seemingly to herself.
"Sharena, Anna; you wouldn't believe it... I had a dream that I was-- ah!"
Whatever the short girl had intended to say was quickly lost to the wind, for in her quest to sit up, she slammed her head right into the metal overhang of her own mount. She recoiled with a yelp, her hands both placing themselves over her offended forehead with a visible pout.
"O-ow...-- Huh?" As intense as the self-inflicted pain currently vibrating her noggin was, something quickly overrode it. A question, simple, but important. Why on earth had she been sleeping in her Seiðjárn? And, equally importantly...
View attachment 11277
Several seconds of panic went by at the realization that she had somehow been whisked away from the camp she'd set up with the Askrans, her head whipping from side to side in order to take in her foreign surroundings. Oh, no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh
no. Where had she wound up? How had she gotten here? She hoped the others wouldn't worry about her. They'd all helped her so much already, and she didn't know what she'd do if she were to inconvenience them even further. Especially the summoner.
...
Wait a minute. The
summoner! Her dream came back to her in full force, vanquishing all thoughts of her pain from her mind. The way the world had shifted and changed before darkness consumed all in sight; the stars that had glimmered brighter than even the most beautiful diamonds before shattering and being scattered across the land; and, finally, a voice, imploring her to lend her assistance. To serve a greater cause. To guide this new world, lost in darkness, back into the light.
"Wow," she gasped, quietly, as realization hit her in full. Her golden eyes widened, as though seeing the world in new light.
"That wasn't just a dream, was it...?" If that was the case, then this Alice person must have a power like Kiran's. The ability to summon individuals from across all different worlds and verses, all into one place for one common cause; the salvation of the people. The maintenance of peace. And somehow, despite everything,
she had been among the Heroes chosen for the task. But, then, surely there were others, right? No war was easily fought alone, and she had learned well just how important camaraderie was in the face of plight. So--
A variety of crashes, roars, and cries of varying nature disrupted her train of thought, causing her head to whip in the direction from which the melody of battle came. Apparently, whoever the other Heroes that had been called upon were, they must be in trouble! Without a second thought, the girl was on the move, skillfully starting up the machine she was safely cradled with in.
"Don't worry!" she called out, her canto ability allowing her to join the fray at impressive speeds despite the seeming bulkiness of her mount.
"I'm here to help!" With grace and determination, the metal steed raced onto the battlefield, deftly maneuvering Reginn into a defensive position between Bennett and any remaining hilichurls. She took up position not far from Kiun in that way, an expression of total concentration upon her face as she operated her mech, raising her shield to cover for her apparent allies as she simultaneously unleashed a small wave of targeted missiles upon the remaining beasts with hopes of driving them off. She was late to the party, but at least she came.
