Arc I: “Apocalypse”
Chapter III: “Armageddon”
Episode III: “The Ninth General! And The UFA?”
[Western Wastelands]
“Rikito! Are you okay?!” Asuka slid beside him, panic lingering in her voice.
“Stay back!” Rikito barked, forcing himself onto one knee as he feebly tried to stand.
It was then that Asuka noticed her — a tall, lithe woman with an aura like liquid ice.
The Dystopian General walked toward them with the casual grace of someone who’d already won the battle.
“Who… who is that?” Asuka whispered.
“Cette,” Rikito grunted, forcing himself upright. His every breath burned. “Our older sister.”
“What!?” Asuka’s stomach sank.
Cette smirked, tucking a lock of her silver?black hair behind her ear.
“How sweet. Little brother remembered me. You still look as cute as I last recall.”
She licked her lips like a starved beast.
“That’s right. The Ninth General.” Rikito squared himself, sweat dripping into his eyes. “And I can already tell… she’s even stronger than Tub.”
Cette tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with cruel amusement.
“Aw, I liked Tub. Such a fun little monster. But he was always… impulsive. Unlike me.”
Her aura flared slightly — a controlled, chilling presence.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make this quick. Rats like you don’t deserve to play hero for long.”
“Shit…” Rikito muttered under his breath.
I can’t stop her, not like this. I just need to buy enough time for Asuka to escape.
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He clenched his fists, digging deep.
“Then come! I’ll draw out every last drop of my power!”
His aura roared upward — but sputtered, breaking before it could reach its peak.
He collapsed to one knee, punching the ground.
“D?dammit!”
Cette giggled, the sound was like glass cracking.
“Oh dear. Did little brother hit his ceiling? Don’t worry. I’ll end this quickly, so you don’t embarrass yourself further.”
She raised a single finger, charging a needle?thin laser of dark energy aimed between Rikito and Asuka.
“STOP!”
The sky split with a shout as two figures crashed onto the battlefield.
Darc landed like a boulder, Rayon like a swaying blade of grass.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Darc said, muscles already tightening, “but you should cut that out before I make you.”
“Oh? And who might you be?” Cette’s eyes gleamed, delighted.
Rayon cracked his neck, his calmness almost theatrical.
“We’re the finest the UFA has to offer.”
“The UFA?”
Cette’s smirk grew.
“Now this… might actually be fun.”
She flicked her wrist, dismissing the laser.
“Fine. I’ll entertain myself with you two first. But don’t worry, Rikito — I’ll get back to you soon.”
Rikito exhaled in relief as Asuka rushed to him, her hands glowing over his wounds.
“You two finally decided to show up. Seems like the UFA’s been busy recently.”
Rayon smirked. “Hmph. We’re here to save your ass.”
“I don’t remember asking for your help,” Rikito grumbled.
“Shh. Let them handle it,” Asuka said softly. “I’ll keep you in the fight.”
“Fine.”
“Ready, Darc?”
“Always.”
Darc clenched his fists as he thought, I’m going to be strong enough to save others, just like Akira and Sikira!
The two UFA elites unleashed their aether in unison and rushed Cette.
Their teamwork was tight — Darc absorbing her counters with his sheer bulk; Rayon slipping in precise strikes between her guard.
“Surely you two can do better than this,” Cette said, unfazed.
She caught Darc’s wrist mid?punch, flipping him into Rayon with minimal effort.
“Hmph. Let’s turn up the heat!” Darc roared.
His body steamed, muscles swelled grotesquely, and his veins bulged as his aura doubled in magnitude.
“What is that?” Asuka whispered, awe in her tone.
“Some kind of physical enhancement…” Rikito muttered, watching closely.
Even with Darc’s bulky frame and Rayon’s rapid?fire techniques, Cette was untouchable. She danced around their offense, each counter?strike a surgeon’s cut.
“Alright, take this! Red Laser!” Rayon Aether-Skipped behind her, unleashing a crimson beam at point?blank range.
Cette didn’t even look.
“Predictable.” She spat as she swatted it away like a fly.
She reacted to that? Rayon’s eyes widened—
—Then his vision blurred as Cette appeared in front of him, driving a knee into his ribs and launching him into a distant ridge.
Darc gritted his teeth, going wild to hold her back.
“Over here!”
He fired a flurry of aether blasts.
“Cute.”
Cette casually weaved through them, closing the gap in an instant.
“HA!”
A shout erupted as a blinding white light flooded the battlefield. Rikito’s Spirit Resonance flared, a second wind pulling him to his feet.
“Rikito!” Darc gasped.
“I’m here. Let’s push her back together.”
A distance away, Rayon emerged from the rubble, coughing but grinning.
“That’s more like it. I didn’t know you to be a pushover,” he whispered.
Rikito and Darc rushed Cette, forcing her to actually defend herself for the first time.
“Oh, how interesting.”
Cette smirked as Rikito’s fist grazed her cheek.
“Seems little brother still has some fight in him.”
“Thanks to Asuka,” Rikito admitted, catching his breath.
But I’m burning through what’s left fast.
“Super Dark Demolition Cannon!”
Rikito unleashed his signature blast.
“Cold Stream,” Cette whispered the words like a curse.
A wave of freezing energy erupted from her palm, consuming his attack like a snowstorm swallowing a torch.
“Damn it.”
“Let me try!” Darc yelled. “Hollowed Fragments!”
A massive orb erupted from his hands, splitting into dozens of high?speed projectiles that rained down on Cette like a storm.
Cette laughed, her aura erupting cold and wild for the first time.
“Now we’re having fun.”
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “Tag Team! Rikito and Rayon!”
[Yield Levels]:
Rikito: 10m
- SR: 1b (Physical)
- Super Dark Demolition Cannon: x3
Asuka: 5m
Cette: 500m
- Suppressed: 105m -> 125m -> 140m
- Cold Stream: x5
Darc: 30m
- Max Power: 60m (Physical)
- Hollowed Fragments: x10
Rayon: 50m
- Red Laser: x3