The explosion went off, rending the metal door of the airship with a screech. The two lines of sub-dragons tried to file up the ramp with their guns at the ready.

The Disco Menace came vaulting down with a [Charged Dash]. Faster than their claws could squeeze the triggers, the bottoms of her boots connected with the first sub-dragon on the left.

The unfortunate organization caused him to fall back into the sub-dragon behind him. Then, that sub-dragon fell into the next one behind him. Thanks to the domino effect, the Disco Menace electrocuted three at once from her first strike.

Jumping off his chest like a springboard, she flipped around in the air and landed in the center of the group. A massive [Discharge] was expelled from her body, zapping everybody in range.

Target: fC-6702 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 0%

The sub-dragon that had been at the head of the pack took the brunt from both of the Disco Menace's attacks. He lost his life for it. The other enemy forces all fared better.

Target: fC-6780 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 45%

The next one in the domino chain retained even more of his health.

Target: fC-6795 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 65%

The rest that were affected in the mass [Discharge] had endured it well enough.

Vitality: 80%

What was most impressive: the fact that she had done that to a dozen sub-dragons at once. It was like she did not even need them, but eX-0281 and eX-0704 had already come up from behind in the classic sub-dragon sprint.

Their claws shredded wings and disabled some of them.

Target: fC-7241 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 90%

Discrete Parts: Left Wing (5%), Right Wing (10%), Tail (100%)

Most importantly, the ones that eX-0281 and eX-0704 attacked from the right rear had gone unaffected by the Disco Menace's assault. They even got one of the mages.

Target: fC-6799 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 90%

Discrete Parts: Left Wing (0%), Right Wing (0%), Tail (100%)

All the sub-dragons were stunned for a moment

"Fall back! Spread out," was the order given to the sub-dragons. The able-bodied ones scattered with the help of their wings.

Likewise, the three of them had to split up. Moving fast was the only chance they had. They always tried to keep another sub-dragon in the line of fire. eX-0281 and eX-0704 had dozens of sub-dragons with machine guns firing upon them.

The bullets struck their armor and would leave stinging welts. A few shot through their wings or managed to catch their vulnerable tails. eX-0281 felt the joint of his inner elbow ruined thanks to one unlucky placement. "Argh!"

Name: eX-0281 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 23%

Discrete Parts: Right Wing (78%), Left Wing (85%), Tail (60%)

Similarly, eX-0704 was struggling substantially.

Member: eX-0704 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 17%

Discrete Parts: Right Wing (50%), Left Wing (65%), Tail (80%)

Pain was lighting up throughout their body. The fire lessened as time passed. eX-0281 and eX-0704 had some of their own bullets ring true as they dashed around and emptied their rounds. More so, they served as distractions for the Disco Menace—the real threat to the squad of sub-dragons.

The two fire mages did not even bother with taking out the ice elementals right away. [Fire Balls] and [Flamethrowers] were flung from their claws at the Disco Menace. Always keeping up a [Charged Dash], she leaped gracefully around the attacks the best she could. When one came her way that she could not avoid, she relied on a [Glitch] for a transitory second.

Member: Disco Menace [Human]

Vitality: 80%

Mana Reserves: 1,343 Mu

Somehow, her health was in an amazing condition. Even if a single bullet had failed to graze her, she should have been in more dire straits from the encounter with the shadow spectre. Then again, she had run off with Josie the legendary nature mage and healer.

"Guys," the Disco Menace snapped. "Be more useful. I can't use this much of my mana!" Over 3,000 Mu had already been spent from her reserves in the complete reliance on magical attacks and evasions.

"We're dying over here," eX-0281 whined through the headset. Literally—they might if this kept up.

Her trusty metal pipe connected with a number of helmets, denting them inward as she fried their circuits and electrocuted the lizard within. The sub-dragons were picked off and died one by one. Even those with enough vitality to endure the Disco Menace's strike, their real-time battle assistant had been destroyed along with the helmet. Without any [Lock-On] feature, the sub-dragons' accuracy dropped a significant amount.

Alas, it was not enough to change the tides of the fight. There were too many of the fC series. The two eX sub-dragons saw their health trickle lower.

Name: eX-0281 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 14%

Most worrisome, his best friend had fallen into critical condition.

Member: eX-0704 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 9%

Panic seized him, fearing that they would die right here. After they had rescued Josie, eX-0281 and eX-0704 had relaxed too much. They thought if they had escaped from Grandesia once, they could do it again—even easier the second time. That was ignoring how lucky they had gotten the first time around.

Maybe if we didn't stop for 704's helmet, we would've made it onto the airship before this squad arrived. Maybe if we didn't get distracted by those vuls….

The pain made it hard to think, more so the thought of losing his very first friend than his own life.

"Group hug!" the Disco Menace ordered him. "Liz 2, give my Liz a hug!"

She was trying to get them to die together, it sounded like. As soon as eX-0281 and eX-0704 converged at a location, two streams of fire would collapse on them. Since he had no other plan, eX-0281 obeyed the orders that came over his headset just like he always did at the company.

Spinning round on his claws, he dashed the other way and tackled eX-0704 in a bear hug.

"281, what're you doing?"

When they fell together, eX-0281 had landed on top. Naturally, he draped his wings over them and tried to shield eX-0704 the best he could. After all, eX-0281 had the greater vitality left and felt most responsible for all that had gone wrong.

It was my stupid idea to get his helmet and follow the el'vul…. I'd rather die first, he determined.

As the bullets continued to careen against his armor and tear through his wings, something happened. A woman's high-pitched scream sounded close, and then the rattle of gunfire became distant.

eX-0281 felt like he was somewhere different, but he could not understand where. A [Glitch] was a disorientating experience, but they were somewhere safe. That was what mattered.

"Fly!" the Disco Menace shouted. "Take off, now!"

In an immense amount of pain, eX-0281 only caused more as he flopped over. Like before, the ground was hard. The material felt slicker than the concrete. Instead, he found himself on the tiled floor of the hovercraft's bridge.

Through his hazy vision, he could see Josie standing near the ship's pilot with a knife against his neck. She had been the one holding down the ship on her own while everyone else had been fighting. She looked more shaken than the man who she held hostage, especially as she had to press the tip against his skin and draw blood.

"You heard the young lady," Josie snapped. "You had better fly this ship out of here right this instant!"

The pilot complied. The hovercraft whirred to life.

"I'm sorry for yelling," Josie said instantly in a hushed tone. "And sorry for cutting your neck." The tiniest [Cure] spell was cast to erase the scratch.

When eX-0281 felt like nearly blacking out, it was hard to register all these things beyond the sight of his visor. Information danced on the screen and stole his shallow attention.

Name: eX-0281 [Sub-Dragon Shifter (Dragon Form)]

Vitality: 3%

"Ugh." He grunted while his clumsy claws tried to find open wounds to put pressure on. A hand clamped over his bloody elbow. His claws gripped around the joint, trying to hold on to his own life.

At low percentages like this, an error in the system's estimate could take him from 3% to 0% without bothering with the values in between. eX-0281 found himself at death's door.

"Josie," eX-0704 whined. "Healer! He needs you." In similar desperation, he had started to press his palms into the gunshot wounds of eX-0281's tail.

Since the pilot had already initiated the take off process, Josie rushed over to them and nearly slid on her knees across the tiles. A green glow came from her hands which she immediately held near eX-0281's body.

A great deal of concern enveloped her eyes. Josie seemed to register that eX-0281's gaze had fallen entirely on her, even through the black visor. For his sake, she forced a kind smile to her lips and uttered soothing words. "You're going to be just fine, 281. You did a really good job back there. Just keep breathing."

Surprisingly, he felt touched that Josie had remembered his number and could tell him apart from eX-0704 from their brief introduction in the police station. The pain was ebbing away under her hands like a sedative effect. eX-0281 sighed and felt entirely safe in the hands of her magic.

In order to get to them and [Glitch] them out of there, the Disco Menace had also taken fire. She slouched over herself, clearly in pain from the multiple bullets that she had eaten. Additionally, her bullet-proof vest was a lower quality than the armor issued to sub-dragons, nevermind the lack of scales.

Meanwhile, eX-0704 insisted, "We can't leave yet, Disco. There's vuls down there!"

"What do you mean there's vuls down there? And why do you have a fucking helmet on your head?"

eX-0704 shrunk back, but the determination could be felt in his claws that gripped around eX-0281's tail. "I can explain later, but there's three baby vuls!" The point was pinned on the map, and he begged, "You have to save them. Please, Victoria!"

She paced momentarily, more like a sad limp. The Disco Menace stooped down towards eX-0704's face and let out an incomprehensible scream at him. Then there was a [Glitch], and she disappeared.

Too stunned to say anything for a second, eX-0704 flopped back and let Josie heal his tail. "I-Is she really going to save our vuls?"

They waited in relative silence. The motors of the hovercraft hummed while gunfire still pelted the ship from outside. Some bullets pinged against the ceiling when a few sub-dragons tried to take aim up the open door of the hatch.

Everyone flinched and ducked, but they were generally safe from the line of fire.

Another crack from a [Fireball] resounded, but it had been launched from a different spot in the hangar. It sounded like the fire mage had attacked in the general direction of the vuls' hiding spot.

"No!" eX-0704 gasped.

Damage was registered on the screen for somebody in the party, but it did not make any sense.

"Wait," eX-0281 murmured. His mind was slow to pick up on what just happened.

Member: Victoria "Vickie" Carabotta / "Disco Menace"

Vitality: 0%

That can't be right... he thought. It couldn't be.