Shattered Army [Iris's Army]

[Simon]

Iris's host was scattered from Simon's monster force, and the ground shaking didn't help either. Simon took a few steps towards her and grabbed her by the armored throat with his bare hand.

"I told you to surrender," he hissed, then shot his hand forward, grabbing her belt. He crushed it in his grip, destroying the Genesis Driver and Peach Energy Lockseed. She fell to the ground at his feet.

[Shinji Yakamura]

Shinji saw Simon as he roared and charged at him throwing a flying punch to his face.

[Simon]

Simon turned and leapt back, laughing at Shinji, "You can't do anything against me, Overlord."

[Shinji Yakamura]

"I'll do everything in my power to save her," he growled.

[Simon]

"I'm not killing her," Simon said, "If you want to save her, pick her up and go. You've lost."

[Shinji Yakamura]

Shinji glared at Simon before he helped Iris to her feet and walked away.

[Simon]

"I didn't think you'd take the smart option," Simon told him.

Iris groaned as she walked with Shinji, trying not to think about this defeat. Her army was in tatters, there was no way she could defeat someone this powerful. She could lead her forces against monsters, monsters who had no leadership, no order. But against an actual enemy... Who was she fooling?

She was no leader, no commander. It was doomed to fall apart as soon as they met an intelligent enemy.

[Shinji Yakamura]

"It's okay," Shinji said, "we'll regroup and think up a strategy. We won't lose as long as we don't give up hope," he said to her.

[Iris Trochu]

She turned her head and looked around, "Look at them. They're dying...because of me."

Monsters were tearing through her forces. ZECtroopers, Last Raven soldiers, volunteers. They were fighting, but they were dying. They were being overrun, torn apart. Those who fled (and she couldn't blame them) were spared. It seemed their enemy had some sense of dignity or honor, at the very least.

"This is...this is all my fault... I'm no soldier, no commander...I have no claims. I'm just the daughter of the last President of France, and...and I thought I could rally people who could care less..."

[Shinji Yakamura]

Shinji looked back to see his Lords fighting hard to get the remaining soldiers out, he had called them on when the battle turned against them and so far they were doing a decent job at it. He knew that there was nothing he could say to Iris, not when she was like this, but he could never blamed her for what happened. At least she had the bravery to stand up and try to do something instead of nothing like most people did.

[Iris Trochu]

Iris stopped and drew away from Shinji, "I need to go back...," she muttered. She turned and looked back, "I...If these people are dying for me, then I should die for them. I should at least stand until they flee." She started to walk back, ready to face Simon, and to see what he may or may not do. He had a weird sense of honor about him, and she felt she might be safe.

Or he might kill her.

Either way, she was ready to face it. As long as as many people survived as possible, she was ready to face him.

[Shinji Yakamura]

Shinji looked at her before following her, "Then I'll go with you," he said, "I promised to you that I would protect you and that hasn't stopped with our defeat. If you wish to fight him then I'll continue fighting him until everyone has retreated."

[Iris Trochu]

She looked at him without stopping, "I can't fight him. He destroyed my belt," she told him, "I can't fight with it, and I can't fight without it..." She sighed, "Go. I don't need you to be doing this. If he kills me, I want you to live at least. I want to go alone, to try to talk sense, to try to broker peace and get us all out of here alive. Bringing a soldier with me is bad form."

[Shinji Yakamura]

"Doesn't matter, I'll still protect you even if it's from afar, I promised you Iris that you will live through this. I will not break that promise even if it kills me," he told her putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I am with you until the end...as long as you trust me," he said to her.

[Iris Trochu]

"I trust you," she told him, brushing his hand off as she continued to walk, "But I need to do this alone. Please, let me do this on my own terms." She kept walking on ahead, unsure if he followed or not. She hoped he didn't.

She was nearing the hill where she had had her belt destroyed. As soon as she came to the top she saw the corpses lying around the area, and she saw Simon standing not far away, watching those who refused to surrender.

"Great Leader!" Iris screamed out.

In a flash he stood before her, "You wish to broker peace?"

"I want my people to live."