Groove Adventure Rave Fan Fiction ❯ Groove Adventure Rave: The Journal ❯ I'm So Afraid ( Chapter 1 )

Groove Adventure Rave: The Journal
By Adam Carr

Groove Adventure Rave is copyright of Konami and Kodansha. No infringement is intended.


I know I should be continuing with my novel The Tenshi Quest, but I hit upon this idea of a good Haru x Elie story, and thought I'd better get it down quickly. This will be more angsty than my other fics, but not too much. There'll still be the comedy we love Rave for.
In terms of time, this takes place after the events in volume 19, after Julia is returned to human form. I've taken a few liberties, such as the gang returning to Musica's airship, and Go and Rosa joining the group. Just for fun, you know.
As always, read, enjoy, and please review.

> > indicate diary entries

Couplings: Haru x Elie, Let x Julia, Go x Rosa.



Haru settled back on his bed, pleased that there was almost total silence. The only sound was the soothing melody of the wind blowing gently past the cruising airship. It would only be a matter of time before the silence was broken, either by Let's loud martial art katas, or Musica beating on Griff yet again, so he was determined to make the most of it.
He reached under the mattress, and pulled out a thick book, slightly worn with wear and constant travel in his bag. The red leather cover was scuffed all over. But at least the pages within were still in good shape.
Checking to see if anyone else was around, he extracted a pen hidden in the spine, turned to the next empty page, and began writing.

>July 12th >
>The weather has been gorgeous recently. Nothing but hot sun for the last few days. It's strange, never before has so many good things happened to us in one sitting. Apart from the weather, we haven't been attacked by any Demon Card troops since Jegen's attack three days ago. It's nice to have some peace, but Let still feels uneasy, and so do I. After all, we only have one piece of Rave yet to find, and we've still got the last piece of Sinclair. I would have thought Lucia would be tearing the country apart trying to find us. I hope he doesn't catch up to us for a long while. Besides making our job easier, I would hate for the peace to be spoiled. I haven't felt this relaxed in ages.
I'm also pleased to say we have some new members to our group. Julia, Let's girlfriend, returned to her human form after he had defeated Jegen. She's pretty cool, and level-headed considering she spend ages as a dragon being controlled by Jegen. That would have messed with my head royally.
Anyhow, she's joined us now, and Let couldn't be happier. Really, I don't think I've seen him smile this much since I met him. He and Julia are having a great time rebuilding their relationship.
Lucky joe.
We've also welcomed Go and Rosa on board. You remember them, they were that crazy director and his girlfriend who cast rain over Ska village for five years to shoot a movie. We ran into them on the last island we visited, and Go's still as nutty as ever. When he met me, he was determined he would follow us and film us in some sort of documentary. I don't know whether to be flattered or scared.
Still, at least they saw sense and got out of Demon Card. They're both determined to get some payback.
Go is so lucky. He may be mad, but at least he has Rosa to keep him on the level.
Lucky joe.
The rest of the crew are pretty much as usual. Ruby wants a part in Go's movie. (Those manga artists we met in Gazine must have gone to his head), Griff gets in frequent arguments with Herby about where the ship should go, Plue is now learning to ride bareback on Tanchimo, Musica is complaining he hasn't found any cute girls to hit on in ages….
And Elie? She's fully recovered from when she fainted in Jegen's attack. She was spooked, but as always, she just bounced back.
I don't know how she does it. Anyone else would be frightened to death if they were closely connected to Rave's power like that. But she isn't. Maybe she has accepted it, just as I've accepted being the Rave Master. It's a part of her now.
Like she's a part of me….
Seeing her in bed back then, strengthened my resolve to do something about it, this situation I am in. And today… RIGHT now in fact..
I'm gonna tell her.>


Satisfied with his entry, Haru placed the book back under the mattress. God forbid anyone should find it.
He got up, crossed the room, and checked in his belt bag. This was where he held the pieces of Rave… and something else rather precious. He removed this item with care and slipped it into his pocket.
Stepping out of his room, he saw Griff move quickly past his feet, holding what looked like a camcorder and sniggering to himself. Haru shrugged off the odd behaviour. Right now, he had to find Elie.
He was approached by the tall, muscular form of Go, who looked rather distraught.
"Haru! Have you seen my camera?" He demanded.
"Your camera?"
"Yes! My Mastafilm 5000. I can't find it. That thing's expensive you know."
"Oh I think Griff has it." Haru pointed in the direction Griff had gone. "The main deck. Hey, have you seen Elie anywhere?"
"Oh yeah. She out on the deck sunbathing with Rosa and Julia."
Go frowned, as he put things together in his mind.
"Griff has my camera…" He murmured. "Oh the main deck…. That little pervert!!! No ones films Rosa-chan half naked except me!!!"
He rushed past Haru, yelling curses. Haru snickered slightly at the thought of Go making a private adult movie. Rose would probably want several hours in make up before she even tried anything.
The thought of Elie in a similar situation rushed by his head, and his face reddened. He tried to push the thought away, but it still lingered in his mind.
He could hardly think about her like that. Not now.
He followed the path out to the main deck, the brilliant brightness of the sun and the blue sky blinding him for a second. Looking round, he could see Let sitting next to the bow, legs crossed and eyes closed in a meditative stance. Go and Griff were engaged in a tug of war with the camcorder on the far side, Griff holding his ground surprisingly well against the giant man.
In the centre of the deck, three lovely girls lounged on sunbeds, wearing sunglasses and the tiniest bikinis he'd ever seen. Julia was listening to a small walkman, her blonde hair contrasting with her bronzed skin. Rosa was flipping through a celebrity magazine, ohhing and ahhing slightly as she read the scandal stories.
But his eyes lingered on the girl between them. The seemingly magical, carefree girl who had entered his life unexpectedly and never left it the same.
Oddly enough, her skin wasn't as tanned as the other two, still retaining it's milky colour. He could see it quite clearly on her thighs and tummy. Her leopard pattern bikini seemed to only cover the essentials.
His breath seemed to quicken as he walked toward the three, his heart beating like a drum. Somehow, seeing her in hardly any clothes was affecting his judgement, but he was determined to get this out.
But God, did she look beautiful. Hell, she always did. Why was this different? Why was he finding it so hard to concentrate?
"Haru-maki?"
His breath stopped when he heard her pet name for him. He hadn't noticed he was now standing right next to her. She raised her sunglasses and looked at him in confusion. Rosa and Julia looked the same.
"Is there something you wanted?"
He tried to speak, but his words came out in a jumble. "Er no… I mean Yes. Yes! I want to speak with you. About… er … something."
He gritted his teeth. This was going to be like last time. Why the hell couldn't he do this without looking like an idiot?
Elie looked puzzled, but gave a smile. "Sure."
He breathed out in relief. Then he realised than Rosa and Julia were still watching.
"Er… alone… please. Its something… private."
Julia gave a sly smile. "Oh of course. I get the feeling this is VERY private. Come on, lets get us some drinks."
She and Rosa got up and walked away, Julia still smiling. For a woman who not three days ago had been a snarling, mind -controlled monster, she was very perspective.
He noticed Go and Griff were gone. And with Let in his trance, the two were very much alone.
"So Haru-maki, what's up?" She looked at him expectedly.
Haru shivered. He knew what he wanted to say, but her eyes, staring right at him. They seemed to bore into his soul.
"Elie-ch…chan, I er… want to tell you something important."
"Kaaaaay. What?"
She looked so innocent. She had no idea. What if she reacted badly?
"I… I….."
"Are you alright?"
"I… want to say sorry."
She blinked. "Sorry?"
He cursed himself inwardly. He'd screwed up again. "Yes. Sorry that I hadn't stopped Doryu and Ogre from kidnapping you."
"She blinked again. "Haru, that was like, days ago. And I don't blame you for it. I mean, you were fighting that oni at the time. I can't expect you to be everywhere."
"But I should have tried harder."
"And I should have shot that Ogre in the balls when I had the chance. We all make mistakes. I don't hold it against you."
She smiled that gamine smile. "It turned out alright in the end, didn't it?"
How could she do it? Just make him feel special like that? He reached into his pocket. He could still give her the gift, and see if he could swing this.
"Well… I still feel guilty. And so…" He swiftly held out the gift he'd gotten in Periall Town, and handed it to her. His hand was shaking.
"Oh my God" Elie stared in wonderment at the gold pendant he'd given her. It was shaped liked a winged angel, and hung from a long, gold chain.
"It's beautiful." She gasped, eyes twinkling.
"It's not a lot, just something to show how sorry I am."
"Not a lot?!! This must have cost you a fortune."
She shivered for some reason. "Th…thank you."
She fastened the chain around her neck. As he watched, Haru revelled in just how stunning she looked with it on, the gold angel sparkling as it sat in the hollow on her throat. He found a new courage within him.
"Actually… what I wanted to say was…. Elie, I…."
As she shifted, the gold angel suddenly slid down her chest, and disappeared into her cleavage. Haru' s eyes popped out as he followed the chain slinking in.
"Oops." Elie blushed. "I think the chain's too long. I'll ask Musica to shorten it."
She yanked at the chain to retrieve the pendant. If Haru was flustered before, he now went into overdrive as Elie's bosom bounced with each yank of the chain.
"Darn, must be snagged…"
Haru lost it. "Ihopeyoulikeitenjoyyourpresentgottagonow!" He ran off very quickly.
Elie finally got the pendant free, and looked at the spot where Haru had stood in confusion. Why on Earth had he run off like that? It wasn't like Haru to get nervous…
She studied the pendant. Why give her such an expensive gift to apologise for something he knew wasn't his fault?
"Holy Cow! Where did you get that?!" The other girls had returned.
Rosa and Julia sat down on their beds and peered closer at the pendant.
"Oh, Haru gave it to me."
"Haru?" Both older girls gave each other knowing smirks. "Well well. It seems Haru has a crush on you."
Elie's eyes shot wider. "Hah! As if! I know Haru… he's hardly the dating type."
"Oh come on." Rosa laughed. "Back in Ska Village, he practically jumped to protect you when that machine was about to explode."
"I don't know him as well as you, but he seems quite taken with you." Julia smiled. "Did he say why he gave it to you?"
"Just to apologise for something he couldn't control." She sighed.
Rosa sighed also. "I wish Go would do that every time he messed up…"


Haru scribbled furiously in the book, to match his frustration.

>I have just screwed up for the third time. THIRD!!
The first time was in Doryu's lair. We were stuck in a lift alone, and was about to tell her, but I couldn't. And them Doryu attacked before I got a chance.
Then I tried during the mermaid festival. But she looked so happy, and I was afraid to spoil that. Hell, I was so afraid, I danced with her once and spent the rest of the night dancing with Seria.
I thought I could do it then, but seeing her like that… oh man, she is the sexiest woman alive. How the Hell could I keep my cool?
What a coward I am.
I can defeat a demon of darkness, all his minions, the leader of Demon Card and a Time Master, but I can't tell a girl how I feel about her.
But it does scare me. It scares me that if I tell her, I'll frighten her off or offend her. Or I'll ruin the precious friendship we share.
Maybe it's fate. Maybe we shouldn't….>

"Hey Haru, what're you doing?" Musica called from the door.
"AHHHHH!!!" Haru jumped a foot in the air, the book flying from his lap. Musica caught it.
"Hey, what's this….?"
Haru got up and snatched the book from his hand. "That's private!!" He held the book tightly under his arm.
"Okay, okay!" Musica replied. It was odd to see Haru get this flustered over something that wasn't an enemy.
Haru's gaze softened. "Sorry for snapping. It's just… my journal is private to me."
"Ah, writing your story on how we kicked Demon Card's ass for future generations, eh?" Musica smirked.
"Something like that." He changed the subject. "Did you want anything?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you were up for a sparring match."
Haru brightened up. "Yeah sure. Give me a minute, okay?"
"Sure thing." Musica walked off, and Haru breathed a sigh of relief.
This time, he hid the book in a nearby closet, before picking up the Eisonmeteor and heading off.


Rosa carefully adjusted her sunbed. She had placed all the beds on a deck overlooking the main front deck of the ship. Julia watched in amusement. Both girls had dressed in their normal clothes for the cooler weather.
Satisfied the bed was in the right position, she hopped on, lounged out, and picked up a large cocktail drink.
Elie walked up. "Getting ready for your show, Rosa?"
"You bet!" She smiled laviciously. "This is the highlight of my day."
Elie settled into her bed. On the lower deck, she could see Plue tucking into a lollypop, Ruby and Griff arguing over an article in their latest shonen manga, and the male members of their group getting ready for their practices. Which of course, entailed them stripping down to the waist.
"God I love this!" Rosa squealed.
Go, seemingly aware the girls were watching, flexed and posed in a variety of different poses that emphasised his huge muscles. He had the look of a proud peacock, albeit one with a mullet and a two foot tall flattop haircut. He gave a winning grin, and Rosa swooned.
Let sighed. "If you're done strutting around, perhaps we can begin."
Go smirked. "Just putting on a little style for the ladies." He extended a finger toward him. "You should try it someday."
Let grabbed the outstretched arm, and effortlessly flung Go over his shoulder. He smirked.
"I prefer substance over style."
"When does the hurting stop?" Whimpered the dazed director.
On the other side, Haru and Musica readied their weapons, Musica having transformed his necklace into a large broadsword.
The two faced each other, weapons ready and determined looks etched on their faces. Haru swung his sword forward, and Musica expertly countered.
The two engaged in their match, one attacking the other, or the other blocking the attack and retailiating. Elie always got a rush from watching these little bouts. She felt a lot more comfortable knowing the two weren't in a life or death situation
Her eyes never left Haru, who swing the massive sword with incredible skill. It seem amazing to her that in the space of a few months, he had gone from a normal kid living on a rural island, to the feared, respected and awesome warrior before her. When she had met him, she'd thought he was clumsy and dense, but rather cute. Today… well he still was rather clumsy and dense. But you also saw the most determined, valiant, yet kind hearted man you could meet.
And cute… cute was history. Elie gazed at his slim, yet well muscled chest.
It was enough to make a girl light-headed.
Rosa chuckled. "Check out lover girl. Can't take her eyes off her man."
"What?"
"Please." Julia smirked. "It's ridiculously obvious you have a crush on him."
Elie stared them down. "Listen. I do NOT have the hots for Haru! He may be attractive, but I do not look at him THAT way. Besides, he's the Rave Master. I'm sure he has more important things to worry about than girls."
"Just admit it…." Rosa began. Julia stopped her.
"Lets not force her. She'll learn to stop denying it sooner or later." She glanced at the girl. "Why don't we see what Herby's cooking for dinner."
"But Go's flexing his pecs…." Rosa trailed off as the two walked away. Elie looked at them sternly.
"If you've got smarts, you'll give up." She sat down again and looked at the duelling Haru. He hadn't heard them.
He looked up and gave a small wave. Elie waved back, already melting inside from the gesture. A sigh escaped her lips.
She didn't know how it had happened. Shortly after she had met Haru, she had found some kind of… attraction to him. Maybe it was the naïve nature he displayed, his loyalty to her when she was in trouble, or the fact that he was one very cute guy. But nether the less, she felt compelled to follow him on his quest.
As the weeks passed, and Haru grew more confident in his abilities, Elie began seeing new sides to him. Unmatchable courage, steadfast determination, and seemingly endless compassion toward friend and enemy. He was always there for his friends. He always protected her.
And so for Elie, her admiration for him had turned to adoration.
She just wondered if he felt the same for her.
"Poyo! Elie, is it true you don't like Haru?"
Elie spun round to face Ruby. "Please, just leave it alone Ruby. Whatever Rosa did to make you spy on me…"
"No no! I just overheard you." The penguin said. "And I think it's weird, poyo."
"Weird?"
"Well, yeah." Ruby stared at her. "When you first came into my casino, I thought you two were going out together. But now I hear you aren't, I don't see why. I mean, Haru has ladies flocking all over him because he's the Rave Master, poyo. How come you don't?"
Elie got angry. "I don't fawn over him because he's the Rave Master. I fawn over him because he's the bravest, kindest person I've ever known, and you…" She stopped as her words caught up to her brain. "Oh no…"
Ruby grinned. "See? I knew I could get you to admit it. You do like him."
Elie gave the penguin a seething look, yet at the same time, had to admire his manipulative abilities.
"I won't tell anyone, if you like, poyo. I know this must be important to you."
She sighed. "Thank you Ruby."
Ruby glanced slightly at Haru. "So why don't you tell him, poyo?"
She looked longingly at him at he put his shirt on. "I'd like to, but… I don't think he's interested in me."
"I'm sure he is, poyo."
"Well he never shows it." She groaned. "He's never asked me out on a date, he never tries to chat me up… I don't think he has a clue on how to be with a woman."
"He was pretty charming with Seria, poyo."
"Nah, he was just being his normal self. He's always nice to people, but girls… Remember when we left the mermaids? Seria kissed Haru, and he went nuts."
"I'd act nuts if a mermaid kissed me…" Ruby said dreamily.
"And today, he was even weirder." She extracted her angel pendant from her top. "He gave me this…"
"Can I have it?!!!"
"No. He gave me this and said he was sorry for not saving me from Doryu. And he freaked out when it fell down there." She pointed to her cleavage, and Ruby stared at it a little too long.
A small smile appeared. "I swear, if I went up to him and shoved his head down my top, he'd burst into flames." She sighed, as her predicament came back into focus. "I just don't know what's wrong with him."
"You know, Poyo, my dad had a saying that people are like onions."
"WHAT?" Elie gaped at Ruby's words, trying to make sense of them.
"Well, an onion looks like an onion, right? But when you peel of the layers, it looks different."
He smiled as he saw Elie begin to understand. "Take me. Most people think I'm just the casino mascot, not the owner. Maybe Haru has a different view of you than you think. You just have to peel back the layers, poyo."
"I see your point. I never knew you were so smart." She patted the penguin's head. "Though I doubt you can help me look in Haru's head."
"Nah. But it would be cool to see what he's thinking. I mean, he never really talks about himself a lot, does he?"
Elie was silent at that thought.
"Ohhh, I smell dinner!" Ruby ran off, leaving Elie pondering something she'd never thought about before.
What WAS Haru thinking? Outside, he always looked cheery, determined and overall, fairly normal. But he was not normal, he was the Rave Master. The world's hope for peace. How did that weigh on a man, how did it affect him? He only kept saying he was determined to complete the Rave Master's destiny, but how did he feel about it really? What on Earth drove him on this quest against the seemingly invincible Demon Card?
He had said he had a sister on his home island, but otherwise, she knew hardly any backstory on him apart from what happened to his late father. Was he really the nice guy she always saw? The man she….
"What a mystery you are, Haru-maki." She said silently. It sounded odd, she was the one who was meant to be the big mystery, with her forgotten past and her link to the creator of Rave.
"I wish you would let me in."


Elie looked up from the book she was reading. The heavy novel had done it's work in distracting her from her problems for a while. A long while in fact. Peering out of the window of her room, she was surprised to see the sun setting beneath theclouds.
She put the book down, and concentrated on the problem with Haru. She wanted to tell him how much she cared for him, but was unaware of how. And also, worried about what his reaction would be. What if Ruby's theory about onions was wrong? What if he really had no feelings for her?
She was terrified of losing him, like she almost had in the final battle against Doryu. He was the best friend she'd ever had. She couldn't afford to lose that friendship. She couldn't imagine him not being there.
"Just talk to him. What happens from there will happen." She thought.
She left the room and walked to the outer deck. The ship was bather in golden light from the dipping sun. She walked slowly, wanting to prolong the wait until she found him. She wanted to be sure not to screw up the conversation.
"Maybe I could give him something as thanks for the pendant…" He thoughts stopped when she saw him on the bow of the ship.
He was sitting, polishing the Eisonmeteor. She could see the reflection of his bowed head in it, his eyes etched in concentration and his hair falling about his face.
He seriously had no idea just how good looking he was, how those eyes of his could thrill any woman.
She walked up him, and coughed. He looked up at her. He didn't freak out this time, but she could see a nervousness in his eyes.
"Oh, hi Elie-chan. What are you up to?"
She racked her brain for an answer. "Just uh… hanging." She stared into those steel coloured eyes of his. "Haru, is something bothering you?"
"What… makes you think that?"
"Well, when you gave me that pendant, you were…." She choose her words carefully. "A bit out of character."
He shrugged. "Ah, I was just nervous that you wouldn't like it."
"He's lying, but why?" Elie thought to herself. She realised Haru kept staring at her anxiously.
"Er… you did like it, right?" He rubbed his hands nervously.
What was going on in his head? "Yeah, of course I did."
"Great." He sounded relieved.
She kept looking at his eyes. She knew there was something there, something that would tell her about what he felt. But she could not read it, and she knew he wouldn't tell her.
Maybe if she were to spend a bit of time with him. Just the two of them. Then he would open up.
"Say Haru, you look like you have something on your mind. You wanna tell me?" She said as innocently as possible.
Haru seemed to whiten. "No… I..I'm fine Elie-chan. Really!"
"Come on Haru." She gave her best smile. "You can tell me."
"Its nothing, really."
She sighed. Well, at least she could make him relax a bit. "Okay then. But if you won't tell me, at least lets get your mind of it. Why don't we watch a film together. Herby has some DVDs we could watch."
"Okay." He said simply. "Er… which one do you want to see?"
"Oh, I think he has that disaster film I wanna see. You know, the one with the superliner cruise ship that crashes and sinks."
She had forgotten the name temporalily, but she had wanted to see it for a while now. She'd never tell anyone, but she was a sucker for romance flicks. And just maybe, it would encourage Haru to talk to her. Or maybe she would tell him…"
"I don't know it." Haru looked embarrassed. Elie blinked, it was only the biggest film of the year. Everyone loved it, even Go, who normally sneered at movies that weren't his own, had given it respect.
"Oh you must have seen it! It's the one where the guy jumps on the front of the ship." A wicked grin came to her. "Like this."
She ran past him, and hopped up onto the railing . "You know.. he goes…" She bellowed. "I'm the King of the World!"
She kept staring out at the sun, the golden sky. It all seemed so tranquil. "Don't you remember that?"
Suddenly, she felt his body push slightly against her back. He was standing on the railing, feet next to hers, body behind her. She glanced behind her to see him smiling, his silver hair blowing in the wind.
"Yes. I do now." He softly said.
He gently took hold of her hands, and outstretched them with his own. The wind blew in their faces, and from their viewpoint, they got the impression they were flying with each other.
For a few seconds, Elie felt she really was flying. The feel of Haru near her body felt like heaven, his warm aura caressing her. It was a feeling of safety and contentment.
He looked behind her, and could see Haru smiling. She could also see Go and Rosa. Rosa looked at the two adoringly, while Go seemed to mouth something like `what a cliché.'
She wished they were alone. She wanted this moment to be just her and her crush…
No, not her crush. Her love. The one she loved. A soft sigh escaped.
As she looked out at the sky, she noticed a black dot in the horizon. Haru let go of her and dropped back down to the deck, watching. As it came into focus, it was revealed to be a small black hovership, about the size of an SUV. It was a flat, circular shape, wit an open cockpit in the centre.
The small ship reached the front deck, and hovered over. Elie stood closer to Haru, feeling a bit uneasy.
A man peered out from the cockpit. He wore dark, round glasses and his hair was slicked back. He gave a friendly wave.
"Hey there! Do you have the time?"
Elie blinked. This seemed too odd. Haru checked is watch. "Er… it's almost eight o'clock."
The man's smile turned nasty. "Correction. It's time to die, Rave Master!"
Suddenly, panels burst part on the sides of the ship, and eight long robotic arms, each with a grappling claw and machine gun on the end, extended out.
A second later, the front two arms shot forward, and embedded themselves into the deck of the ship with a massive crunch. Haru and Elie dived to get out of the way.
"Bwa ha ha. Prepare to feel the wrath of…. The Spider!"
Haru and Elie smirked at each other. They had beaten blowhards like this in their sleep. They got up, grabbing their weapons. Behind them, Rosa pulled out her chain-sword.
"Lord Lucia will be pleased when I bring you to him." Spider crowed.
There was something in the man's tone Haru didn't like. As he transformed the sword into Million Suns, he broke into a run toward the craft.
Suddenly, the floor disappeared under his feet. He, and everyone else, were thrown to one side, as the Spider craft's arms, tilted the whole airship sideways.
Haru crashed into the railings, and looked up at the ship stabilised. His eyes widened in horror as he saw another robot arm dart toward Elie. He snarled in anger. She had been the target, not him.
"AHHHHH!!" Elie screamed in pain as the metal vices clamped around her painfully, trapping her arms. She struggled, but it was impossible.
"Now would be a good time for that stupid Etherion to work." She thought. As the arm suspended her over the sky, she could see Haru, Rosa and Go on the deck. Musica, Let, Plue, Ruby, Griff and Herby, Musica's second in command, ran up to join them.
Rosa shot forward her chain-sword, the sharp tip darting toward the open cockpit. Spider just smirked, and aimed an arm. The machine gun on the end fired, the shots knocking away the sword. Before Rosa could shoot again, bullets hailed toward her, and she took cover behind a cooling duct.
Let and Go rushed toward one of the embedded arms, but were forced back by gunfire to the cooling duct. Haru and Musica blocked bullets with their weapons, and hid along with Plue, Griff Ruby and Herby.
Spider laughed, and Elie gasped in horror as he began to tilt the airship sharply. The warriors below clung for dear life.
"He's gonna flip us!" Herby screamed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Griff and Ruby yelled.
Haru managed to get a footing on the skewered deck, and glared at the craft. Even from her position, Elie could see the fury in his eyes.
His sword transformed into Silfarion. With a loud war cry, he rushed across the deck at lightning speed, and ran straight up the arm holding the airship. Spider could hardly believe what he was seeing. But before he could react, Haru reached the cockpit… and went loose with the sword. A hundred sword swipes cut through the weak armour of the craft, shredding it to pieces.
Before the ship began to disinergrate, Haru grabbed Elie, pulled her free of the claw, and leapt to the ground holding her in his arms. They landed on the now level deck.
He never turned his head to see the Spider craft explode and Spider crash onto the deck. His eyes remained focused on her, checking for any injury. Elie silently gasped at the intensity of his gaze.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine…." She trembled.
He put her down, and walked toward Spider, who was trying to get back on his feet.
"You win man. I surrender…" Spider began. But he didn't get a chance to finish before Haru grabbed his collar, forced him up, and punched him in the face.
Elie gasped, as did probably everyone else. Haru landed punch after punch on Spider's face and gut, forcing his back against a cooling duct. He covered his bloody face.
"I give up!!! I give up!!" The man wailed. Haru glared at him with pure malice.
"Shut up!!!" Haru yelled.
Elie crept closer to the scene, totally confused as to why Haru was acting like this. Never before had Haru done this to a Demon Card underling.
She could just hear him talking to the man.
"…I'm so sick of you assholes. Thinking you can just ride in and do whatever you want. Why can't you just leave her alone?!!"
Elie blinked. Leave her alone?
Haru realised she was nearby. "I mean… leave us alone."
He drew a fist back. Let moved up and held him back.
"Let it go. He's not worth it."
Haru didn't argue. He just put his hands down and stared Spider in the eye.
"Tell Lucia…" He whispered. "…that if he tries to hurt her, the next time I meet him, I will kill him."
Spider nodded. Haru stepped away.
Spider collapsed to his knees. "Oh thanks man, I…" He was interrupted by Let's hand on his throat.
"Does Lucia know where we're going?"
"No man!" Wailed Spider. "I was just patrolling along, and I spotted you by chance! Honest."
"Thank you." Let gave a small grin. "Now, if you promise not to tell him where we are, You get to swim away from here in one piece. Understood?"
"I promise!" The Demon Card scowled. "Though it won't do you much good! You don't stand a chance against Lord Lucia! He will…"
That was as far as he got before Musica shoved a lifebelt over his mouth, and wrapped a lifejacket around him. Then he was booted over the side and into the sea.
Elie didn't notice however, she was looking at Haru. He had the most haunted look in his eyes.
"Haru-maki…. Why did you do that?"
Haru looked at her sadly.
"I'm just tired of Lucia trying to hurt you."
Then he picked up his sword and walked off, leaving a distraught Elie.