Chapter 21: For greed, for the greater good
Chapter 21: For greed, for the greater good
"God fucking damn it!" General Alban flips the table, and for a good reason. "If only I weren''t so blind, so ipetent! The signs were there, the hints were provided! Yet, I was too stupid to understand!" Alban rages, his hand reaching for his service pistol.
"General, please calm down!" Fortunately, his aides step forward and stop him from making a grave mistake. "There''s no way you could have known they will use our own ship against us, sir. It''s not your fault!"
Alban is infuriated, thousands of lives were lost in the span of a few days, and for what, another empty trench line. While the Belkans sessfully retreated to theirst line of defense with moderate damage, Alban''s army is now on itsst leg. The sudden intervention from what was once their destroyer, Vauquelin, had cost them valuable time to intercept the retreating enemy. Thus the Belkans retain much more in terms of an effective fighting force, they also create another buffer zone, the same as before. This means Alban once again has to clear buildings by buildings, street by street, a process he now has no time nor the manpower to pay for.
He is honest to God, stuck, as his effectivebat strength is now down to less than half of the 80000 men that entered Arash. They still outnumbered the enemy''s 404th Division, true. It''s just that what he has are demoralized conscripts while they have battle-hardened soldiers. Coupling with the out-of-this-world tactics that they have been employing, safe to say that they are truly deserving of the nickname: Ghost Division.
Facing this insurmountable enemy, Albanes face to face with a crippling truth that the choices he made, the sacrifices they endured, all of them are for naught. With such a disastrous result, Alban''s military career is effectively over. He will be stripped of his rank and probably be killed in a dark corner, somewhere, either by the Minister''s people or the disgruntled citizens. Losses like this aren''t taken too kindly by the affected people. In hindsight, it''s a miracle he isn''t having a mutiny at hand right now. It goes to say that Alban knows his stuff, damn well at that, it''s just that he drew the short straw this time.
Sitting down on the chair, his legs stepping on the important documents that are not littering the ground, Alban rests his face in the palms of his hands. He is tired, mentally and physically. Too many young men''s lives were lost because of him, he can vividly recall some of their faces too. That fact isn''t helping whatsoever in lifting up his spirit, rather, it plunges his morale further down the darkest pit.
The aides, not knowing what to do seeing their General like that, starts rearranging the furniture and documents that were disced. One of them goes out of the war room to grab a ss of water for the General, then ces it on a drinking table near him. Just in time for him to hear Alban mutters.
"...burn it."
Confused, the aide leans in to ask. "Did you just say something, General?"
Alban lifts up his face, revealing his bloodshot eyes, with grim determination, he says in a chilling voice. "Burn Arash to the ground! That''s the only way to end this menace!" He stands up, shouting. "If we can''t have this city, so too they cannot!"
"General! That''s not going to work!" A Colonel retorted. "That''s madness you''re speaking of! We are sent here to take the city back, not razing it to the ground like barbarians!"
"Then what the fuck are we supposed to do?! We can''t beat them with our meager force, nor we can oust them in terms of supply. Either option ended in the Belkans and the Reformists taking control of the city for good. Which is the failure condition of this operation we are having. So unless you all have a genius n to pull out your asses, burning the city is our only option. It''s the final solution that we have to take, lest our enemy has this vital city in their possession." Alban''s analysis stumped the officers and aides. Yet, they understand his supposed lunacy as they too see it as thest viable choice.
Having no other idea to contribute, the war room descendedinto a ustrophobic silence. If this goes on, they may actually have to see the n through. A fact many of them are ufortable with since who wants to see their bloodied efforts, just going down the drain like that? Not to mention the dishonorable act will be the talk for years toe, and they will be no different than death row convicts.
Fortunately for them, before theymit to anything, an interruption urs as a Sergeant heads inside the room to announce. "General Alban, sir, we have... guests?"
Alban snaps. "Why the fuck is that a question, son?"
The Sergeant fumbles while scratching his head. "About that, sir... They are civilians that just arrived in a caravan, full of supplies, and they told me to pass on a few words. Sir, if I may?"
Alban frowns as he immediately notices something fishy. "Well, go on. Say it out loud for us to hear."
"Yes, General. The leader of the caravan said that he is offering to help us. Help us in killing the enemy General, was what they were saying."
Alban snarks. "Say what now!?" The other officers also seem to be in disbelief. It doesn''t take a genius to find out that the whole situation reeks of ndestine activities.
"Sir, I think it''s more apt to hear what they have to say for us." An aide interjected. "We have nothing to lose anyway."
Alban scratches his beard, it''s just like the aide said, nothing left to lose so why hesitate? He sighs before telling the Sergeant. "Vet their leader for weapons, then bring him here to talk to us and under armed escorts."
The Sergeant salutes. "Yes, General!" He heads out with hastened steps, leaving the officers alone, pondering on the new development.
"What do you think?" Alban posed the question, his hand resting on the ss of water his aide prepared.
A Captain gives his thought. "The enemy has control of the sky, they can even see in the dark. Yet, this supposed caravanpletely evaded their patrols and managed to reach us, with supply to boot. If this is not a warning sign, I don''t know what is."
"That''s true," The Colonel that called Alban a madman added. "not to mention they arrived at such a coincidental time. I would assume that they were waiting for us to be on ourst leg before making an offer we can''t refuse."
"I second that." Many nodded at the Colonel''s words.
Alban too is of the same mind. "So we all know that the guy that''s about to arrive is full of dark shits. The question now is, should we follow through with the offer they''re proposing? Personally, I am much again cooperating with people on that side of thing, yet we have little options."
Everybody in the room understands the underlying meaning of Alban''s words. Dealing with the spies and undercover agents is like dealing with the Devil himself. As you may never know when they will write you off the book, literally. If razing a city can at least put them on the front page of history for performing a strategic decision, albeit a dark one, then working with the agents can potentially erase or vilify you. To put it bluntly, they hate working with a spy as all of them despite the dishonorable way they work, and the risk of associating with them.
Seeing that they all either have unwilling or ufortable looks, Alban let out a rueful sigh. "It seems like we share the same sentiment. Still, let us listen to their talk first before deciding on anything, as I know my proposal before is utmost unsettling for you all, also."
They nod beforemitting themselves to a short break, ordering tea and whatever is left for light snacks. It''s nighttime so they need some refreshment to clear up their mood. Soon enough, footsteps are heard outside the room, and appearing at the doorway is the Sergeant from before.
"Sir, the guest has arrived." The Sergeant leads a blonde hair man into the room, nked by two soldiers.
Alban gazes at the man, noticing the blue eyes and when coupling with that blonde hair of his, he knows the guest is clearly of Aryan descent. He''s a damn Belkan. Standing up, he and a few other officers are pulling out their pistols and revolvers. "Tell me one good reason why we can''t st that goldy head off your shoulders, damn demon spawn!"
The Belkan gives out a disarming smile, his hands raise in a surrender gesture. "Let''s all cool down a bit, shall we? I assure you I am here with good intentions in mind. If it is of any help, I am of a different faction than the General that''s leading the Belkan Division you have been fighting."
His words seed in lightening the mood if only a little bit. Alban scoffs before kicking a chair out for the Belkan to sit on, he too sits down with a gruff look. Though the others still rest a hand on their weapons, in case the Belkan bastard does something stupid. Letting out a wry smile at this, the Belkan thinks to himself that the negotiation may be harder than he initially thought, all thanks to the handiworks of the 404th.
He sits down and then introduces himself, deciding to ignore the stern gazes of the numerous Ustians in the room. "I''m Leopold Fitz, a field operative of the Belka Bureau of Intelligence. I have arrived with an offer to help you win this gruesome battle."
Alban ms the table. "I couldn''t care less what shithole you dug yourself out of so get to the point!"
Agent Fitz obliges. "Ok then, I will keep this short. With the recent victories of the 404th Division, led by the Imperial Reich Princess of Belka herself, some people have grown restless about her. Here, I serve one of those people to remove her from the board. To do that, I will need your help."
Fitz''s words allow Alban and his cohort to get a glimpse of Belka''s factional struggle. "Fucking backstage politics..." One of them utters aint.
"As expected, you lot of spies always have a hidden de. Though now you learn to backstab the one you''re serving, just to further your agenda." Alban said grimly.
Though he hates the Princess of Belka to the bone, he does respect her for her feats of war, even though they''re on different sides of the spectrum. Yet to see a talented person being conspired against by their own countrymen, a feeling of disgust swelled in Alban''s heart.
Fitz dismisses the aggressive wording from Alban, he speaks up about his n. "Just hear me out, General. I''vee bearing precious supplies for your army, enough for onest huzzah. We also bring some special devices that can obstruct the vision of the 404th scouts. They''re the same ones we used to infiltrate Arash. With those, you can get your army damn near the 404th without being spotted, surprising the defenders. All we are asking of you is to make the battle as shy as possible, pulling the enemy main force away from the 404th main camp. This will allow us to get closer to the Imperial Princess, close enough for us to get a clean shot at her. If we seed, you stand a higher chance of turning the table around, General Alban. I urge you to consider this matter carefully." Finishing his words, Fitz leans back on the chair.
Alban endures the disgusting feeling inside him to ponder. There are two choices presented before him: One is to ignore the offer and burn the city, meaning mission failure for both parties involved in the conflict. The second is to discard his honor and take up on the offer, yet they stand a chance to turn the tide in their favor. They still outnumber the 404th, after all, and if the Belkan''s words are to be trusted. They can use the devices to one-up the 404th at their own game. That''s at the premise that the Belkan traitorous agents can cut the head of the snake.
Seeing that Alban is lost in his thoughts, Fitz capitalizes on the opportunity, knowing that the General is willing to give the offer a chance. "General, you and your men sacrificed a lot just to get here, don''t let it be in vain. If you turn back from Arash now, the city will truly be lost, you people branded as failures, a disgrace to the current regime. Yet we''re here to help you make everything worth it. We will disguise as soldiers under yourmand. We will go behind the enemy line and kill the enemy General. Thus you can seize the chance and the payback you deserve. Reward and recognition from our actions will be yours to take. After all, the world sees you as the ones directing us to do the job. Imagine this, after a glorious weeks-long battle, you''ve defeated the unbeatable Belkan division and imed the life of its sole Princess. The bravery you and your men showed will be sung in praises for years toe. The living and the fallen alike will forever immortalize as heroes of your nation. Not to mention the fact that this victory will ensure the sovereignty of your country, preventing it from falling into a protracted civil war."
It takes some work but Fitz has sessfully strokes the ego of the people in the room. Unlike before, many are now envisioning the prospect that Fitz has said. It will be a lie if they say they''re not interested in it. Alban notices the shift in his subordinates'' moods. Yet he can''t really me them, as they''ve been offering hope and profits from the Belkan in front of him. It''s like a sinker suddenly receives a lifebuoy, they will hang onto it for dear life. He snickers mentally, they''ve been against his n of razing the city, yet they are seriously contemting working with a traitor.
Alban relents as he notices the willingness to cooperate with the Belkan oozing out of his subordinates. Gone were the men talking about not being barbarians and lunatics. "Truly, human greed is the caused of everything wrong in the world." His words signified the defeat of his codes of honor. Even he is tempted by the offer, after all, no one wants to be on the losing side of history.
"Fine, we''re willing to discuss this matter more in-depth. "
Fitz smiles, the first phase is a sess, thankfully. "I am d, General. I promise you all won''t regret working with us." Thus the real talk can finally begin.
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In the dark of the night, the subject of the ongoing discussion is now standing on a balcony, embracing the night wind. Yuki is standing there, waiting for the arrival of a messenger. A cawing is heard in the sky, having noticed it, Yuki turns around to make sure Bryn is fully asleep before holding her left hand out. A crow then proceeds tond on her outstretched hand, its eyes carry a hint of intelligence.
"Took you long enough." Yuki pats the head of the crow, making it ruffles its feather in response. Then, a feminine voicees out from the beak of the crow.
"I''m sorry for the dy, Princess. The pawn decided to dy his arrival to ensure the greatest chance of sess in his negotiation with the enemy."
Yuki epts the apology from the crow. "I see, I presume the man has it handled?"
"Yes, Princess. He and the Ustian General is now in the talk of setting up the attempt on your life. I have no doubt he can bend the conversation ording to your wish."
"That''s high praiseing from you, Agent." Yuki chuckled. She continues to pat the crow, making it squirmsfortably.
"He has been trained well, Princess. The lives and freedom of his loved ones are also in our hands. I can assure you of his loyalty."
Yuki nods. "I trust in your capability to keep him in line. Now, are the Cognition Interference devices ready?"
"The pawn is in the process of distributing them for the Ustians to use, Princess. With them, the Ustians can mask their movement long enough, even hiding from your Night Witches for a while. The Ustians will be tricked into attacking your Division, for sure."
"Good, we are prepared to receive theirst huzzah. Even with me gone, Bryn will still be able to takemand of the situation, keeping it under control till reinforcement arrives. Speaking of reinforcement, how are they?"
" General Bedonna''s vanguard is more than a day out while the fleet headed by Admiral Donitz is of the same timetable. When the time arrives, they can coordinate with the armored groups at White Rock to hit the Ustian from all sides. Thus eliminating this army from the face of the Earth."
"That''s great to hear. Bryn only needs to hold out for another day then. Now, as confirmation, run the n through me once again."
"Yes, Princess. Tomorrow at 9 am, a surprise attack will beunched on the Belkan defense line. Yet, as a standing order will be given before that, the surprise will be short-lived. Utilizing the attack, Belkan traitors will infiltrate our backline, wearing Ustian equipment. They will set an ambush, waiting for you toe out. Now, to investigate the sudden appearance of the enemy on the frontline, you will be moving out under escorts. Your route coincides with the ambush location. Adeline, having hidden near the site long ago, will be taking the first shot, incapacitating you. After that, you will be put under stricter protection, spoiling further attempts on your life. Yet, to keep up the ruse, the pawn will spur the traitors into attacking your escorts to no avail. Providing you with the just cause you need when the traitors are finally apprehended. We can assure there''s at least one still alive by having the pawn surrender to your escort."
Agent pauses before continuing.
"Princess, are you sure about this? Even though the pawn and his group of traitors aren''t the ones taking the shot, said task will be fallen to Adeline, and there''s still a risk of everything going wrong. This is thest chance to consider the matter, Princess."
Yuki sighs. "It''s well worth the risk, Agent. Belkan as of now has too many corrupted elements. By letting the pawn, and by proxy the wood elves, take the fall for my assassination Coupling with the previously recorded pieces of evidence, I will have the justification I need to clean up our nation in one fell swoop. And if you''re afraid of me losing my life, as if Adeline will ever let that happen. She''s a damn good shooter and you know that."
"I see. Then what about Brynhyldr, can she be trusted to lead the division to victory? After all, you will be shot in front of her eyes. The emotional trauma may prove too much for her to bear."
Yuki smiles, fully confident in the Valkyrie she has chosen. "Brynhyldr has more than enough experience when dealing with losses on the battlefield. As I''m not truly dead, merely incapacitated, she will be able to keep her cool and deal with the task I delegated to her. Capturing or eliminating the traitors and preventing the fall of Arash on her own. Though I have no doubt the aftermath will be a bit of a pain to clean up, needing to deal with my mothers and all that. It''s a bit of a dreadful prospect, I have to admit. Anyway, I digress. Anything else you need to report?"
"None so far, your Highness." The crow shook its head.
Yuki lets out a light smile, giving the crow her thanks. "You and the rest of the Einherjars have worked hard. Once everything is over, I will talk to Yggdrasil to have you rewardedter. I only ask to bear with my selfishness for a whileter, all to ensure the prosperity of this nation and Yggdrasil herself."
The crow stands a bit straighter before replying. "It''s fine, Princess. We all live to serve you and Yggdrasil, your words are ourmandment and we will stop at nothing to have them fulfilled."
Nodding to her trusted subordinate''s words, Yuki says. "You can go now, I will leave the situation back home for you and the rest to handle. Make sure that none of the rats escape our grasp."
"It will be done, Princess." After saying her pieces, the crow takes off to the sky. Yuki presumes it''s to keep her eyes on the pawn, making sure he wouldn''t try anything that deviates from the n.
Shaking her head, Yuki heads inside to see Bryn is draped in a fluffy nket, still soundly asleep. Yuki offers her apology in her heart for tomorrow will be a stressful day for the faithful Valkyrie. Yet, all of this is for the greater good, and she hopes Bryn will understand her motives.
Yuki gets on the bed lightly, in fear of stirring Bryn awakes. Laying next to the woman that offered up her soul to her, Yuki hugs thedy before drifting into a deep sleep.
It will be a long day tomorrow, for all of them.
Chapter 22: Battle stations (part 1)
Chapter 22: Battle stations (part 1)
During the heated urban battle for Arash, the situation out on the Antic sea proves to be much more calming. Yet, it''s a calm before the storm as dangers lurk under the sea and above the cloud.
"Admiral, it''s already the third day out here, do you think they will take the bait?" An XO posed the question to Admiral Karl Donitz.
Donitz sighs as he clenches his binocrs while viewing the horizon. Far away, he can somewhat see the cloud of smoke stemming from the Ustian blockade fleet. "They will, Commander, they will. What we need to do right now is be patient. The cards are all on the table now, they have more ships than us while we are pulling four transport behind the formation. Not to mention the fact that they have a carrier to boot." Donitz turns to take a look at his Task Force.
Present before him, on the starboard side, is Admiral Graf Spee, the leading ship in the screening formation for his gship. She and the other three light cruisers of the Konigsberg ss are forming a protective square around the Scharnhorst. Trailing behind the Scharnhorst is the Gneisenau, her sister ship. As for the four destroyers, they are divided into two further screening groups, nking the side of the formation. Further back in this fleet is a group of four transport ships, their protectees for the day.
"With this meager defense force against theirs, they will see us as a very lucrative target to pick on. We just need to keep up the ruse for a while longer." Donitz said calmly. His XO, though anxious about this gamble, chose to remain silent.
At this time, the first line of defense at Arash has already been breached, yet, they''re still here, unable to advance. Not just the XO but the entire Task Force is getting restless, they''re supposed to swoop in and help their Princess, after all. Not ying a mind game with the enemy fleet, one that has them sitting around, doing nothing.
Donitz understands their feeling, though he scoffs inside, thinking they''re still green. ''Theyck the patience of a submarinemander, a hunter thaty in ambush, even though intense hunger is driving his instinct mad.''
Donitz knows Arash canst for another week at least, enough time for him to fulfill what he has promised and delivered the troops in the barges safely. He already nned for the enemy to be indecisive andcking the thrive to actively pursue his escortee. Them being passive is because ofcking motivation, a thing Donitz can provide them with.
"XO, are the wolves in position?" Donitz questioned while he headed inside the conning tower to view the war map.
"Reporting, sir, the submarines have positioned themselves 15km behind the enemy. So far, they have been undetected, probably because their destroyers are busy chasing ours."
"Good, by now the enemy Admiral should have grown uneasy about theck of actions on this end. I think it''s high time we put our battle n in motion." Donitz checks his pocket watch. "The time is 8:35 am, the sea is calm with breeze winds, perfect weather for a hunt. Have the skeleton crews evac the transports and notify the fleet to prepare forbat. It''s time to implement Phase 2." Donitz looks at his XO. "Battle stations."
The XO regains his spirit, muttering to himself about damn time. "Yes, Admiral!"
He runs to the radio station to ry the order for the fleet. "General quarters! General quarters! All hands man your battle stations! All vessels proceed with Phase 2. I repeat, all vessels proceed with Phase 2."
As the rms are ring, the crews on all ships spring to life as they assume, check, and maintain absolute readiness on their stations for the time toe. The transports, ording to scripts, will unload its crew on motor boats, leaving empty husks for the Ustians. The rest of the Task Force can then move forward to entice the enemy into attacking the defenseless transports. Thus leaving their back wide open for the submerged fleet to engage them. After that, the main fleet will engage the enemy, causing utter confusion and chaos amidst the Ustian ranks. Donitz smirks as he thinks that the inexperienced Ustian Head of Admiralty will be their undoing.
He soon pulls out of his thoughts when his XO reports. "Admiral, the transports are evacuated and put on a steady course. The fleet is ready to deploy, sir!"
"Good, let''s get this over with."
Yet, let''s slow down for a bit here. Gotta double-check everything and all that, you know?
In Donitz''s n, the n is divided into three phases. The first phase will have the army troops they were supposed to escort move out inmandeered civilian vessels. Leaving the empty transports to be manned by only skeleton crews, while the actual troop transports are disguised and moving behind the fleet a fair distance away. Of course, they also move in an irregr pattern, unloading and loading stuff elsewhere, tricking the enemy into thinking that they''re actual civilian freighters. The three days spent here aimlessly, are just for the ''civilian freighters'' to catch up to the fleet.
Now, the second phase is when actions will surely happen. With the empty transports discarded by the entire fleet, the enemy Admiral will be beguiled to attack such a lucrative bounty. As the defenseless convoy iscking in anti-air defense around them, now that the Belkan fleet has moved out, sending aircraft is the logical choice to make. Consequently, by doing that, they will fall into another trap. Only, this is made by the Belkan Air Force. Stationed away from prying eyes are four squadrons. Two of which consist of purely Bf-109s for CAP duty, a total of 24 aircraft for dealing with the enemy naval aviation. The other squadrons are 14 Heinkel 111 torpedo bombers, tasked with helping the Belkan fleet to sink the enemy battleships. They need only a single word from Donitz to deal a devastating blow to the enemy.
Last, but not least, is Phase 3, and probably the most simple phase of them all. Just swoop in and spank some Ustian booties from the front and rear, up their asses and down their throats. Donitz has all the means an Admiral can wish for to achieve a perfect victory. And with the Mother Goddess on his side, he won''t be losing any ship of his, he hopes. Though it''s a thing that for sure he will fight for, not just hoping alone.
Currently, the enemy is divided into two Flotis. The first one, nearer to them, is the Battleship floti consisting of battleships Dunkerque, Bretagne, three light cruisers, and four destroyers. The second floti, also the one at risk of being hit by the submarines, is sitting further back with the carrier Bearn and three destroyers. Knowing this, Donitz thinks with his hands deftly maneuvering a few chess pieces on the war map. Each piece signifies a ship of him or the enemy. Soon, he makes a new formation of pieces on the map, suited for the task at hand. Donitz nods to himself, seeing the new battle n he made. It won''t hold up to actualbat, no n does, but it will provide him a background to work on. Now he waits, again, for the enemy to take the bait.
It takes only a short time, ten minutes at best, for the Ustian scout aircraft to arrive above their location. As usual, they will fly at high altitude to report on the location of the Belkan fleet, theirposition, and so on... Yet, seeing that the transports are left behind while their Task Force moves further ahead, presumably to break the blockade the Ustians are enforcing. The scout aircraft hastily reports their findings for the Ustian Admiral. Receiving the news from his XO, the Ustian Admiral smirks. Leaning back on the captain''s chair with a hand supporting his chin, he demeans his foes. "As expected, the Belkan scums have grown too impatient for this game. Knowing that their Princess is in grave danger for her folly on our soils probably lighted a stove beneath their arses."
The man, unlike Donitz who is 40 years old and served in the Great War, is ten years younger and only studied in the Erusea Naval Academy. Having been adored for his good looks, political skill, and his knack for capturing the heart ofdies. This Ustian Admiral sits at the Head of Ustian Admiralty, not through achievement but through connections.
He stands up and with a wave of his hand for theatrics, orders. "Have the Bearn sorties her squadrons, I want the transports and their thousand of souls be fish food. After that, the First floti moves out to intercept the enemy fleet. I want our destroyers and cruisers to run circles around the enemy. We will use our superb speed and maneuverability to run them rags, while the battleships hang back to bombard the enemy with ourrger guns. Show them no quarters, men!" He''s in desperate need to prove himself worthy of his status. There''s a girl at home he wishes to court and a resounding victory here will look damn good on his resume.
"AYE, AYE, SIR!"
Thus begins the downfall of the one who shall be known in history as the Casanova Admiral.
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"Go, go, go! Get that thing off the elevator!" A V-156-F is directed to the rear of the aircraft carrier Bearn. Ahead of the bomber are two columns of her sister aircraft, all spooling up their engines for the uing takeoff. While up ahead of the column, thest of the CAP fighter are taking off.
"That''s thest of the AC1! AB1 starts take-off now!" The flight deck coordinator screams over the ship''s speakers, his voice somewhat drowns out by the dozen of bombers on the deck. "We don''t have all day so move those rust buckets!" The crew then leads the first V-156 up the take-off line before scurrying off to the side. The carrier-born aircraft then hit the engine to the max before cutting off the brake. Roaring to life, the aircraft speeds up along the short runway before lifting effortlessly due to the favorable weather condition. After that, it''s rinsed and repeated for the next 23 aircraft. The scene is a bit hectic, though most carrier operations are just like that back in the day. If you''re not being careful, your head will be sent flying by the propeller des.
It takes an hour for the entire 32 aircraftplement of the Bearn to be deployed. During that time AC1 has been gaining altitude and keeping tabs on the Belkan formation. Their squadron consists of eight Dewoitine 373 air-superiority fighters while AB1 and AB2 are using Osean-made Vought V-156-F dive bombers. Once AB1 and AB2 have reached the altitude of 3500 meters above sea level, the three squads adjust their headings for the convoy ships behind the Belkan fleet. This process eats up another 15 minutes and all of this urs under the watchful eyes of the Belkan radar operators.
The report soon reaches Admiral Donitz. His XO says. "Admiral, as expected the enemy aircraft are heading straight towards us. Altitude 3600 meters. I reckon they will send a group to attack the transport ships while others will engage us as targets of opportunity."
"Range to the enemy main fleet?" Questioned Donitz.
"The spotter gave us the range of 50km, sir!" This means they are outside of the enemy firing range, for now.
"Good, all ships defensive AA formation, North-East heading," Donitzmanded. "and tell the Air Force to move in whenever they''re ready."
"Aye aye, sir!"
With the order sent out, the entire Task Force maneuvers to present their port-side AA guns to the approaching Ustian aircraft. At that height, it''s best to engage the aircraft with the 88mm and 105mm dual-purpose cannons. The 20mm is best used in a range less than 1km while the 37mm... That thing is a waste of money.
"Sir, the enemy aircraft is in our effective range. Altitude 2000 meters, they are preparing for a dive bombing run, sir."
"All vessels focus fire on the enemy bombers!" Donitz gave the order as the multitude of cannons point their barrels to the sky. Soon, the first shot is fired by the Gneisenau''s 10.5 cm/65 cannons, followed by the ones on Scharnhorst. Secondster, the plethora of 88mm k on the cruisers join in, promising a series of fireworks in the middle of the day. And by the time the 105mm cannons have done reloading, the k 88s have already sent out their second salvo.
From a bystander''s perspective, it''s a glorious sight to see miniature ck clouds blotting out the sky. Yet, for the pilots on the receiving end of things, it''s a nightmare to fly through them.
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High up in the sky are AB1 and AB2 bomber squadrons. Consisting fully of Osean-made V-156-F, the thing is built to be sturdier than the Ustian flimsy bines. Yet, thanks to a bunch of bureaucracy, its bomb load isughable to see. Only a pair of 100kg bombs for each aircraft is mounted under the wings, as they''recking the bomb rack beneath the fusge. With such a unique loadout for naval bombing duty, it''s best used against unarmored ships like transport and destroyer. The former is a piece of cake while thetter is harder as they can maneuver a lot to get out of harm''s way.
As for AC1, theirbat-air-patrol group is off to the left side to provide air cover. Yet, it''s doubtful how effective they are when they have only been engaging balloons for simted targets. Still, the same thing can be said for the two bomber squadrons. After all, Ustian Naval Aviation branch is underrated, undertrained, and underequipped. Hence it''s not surprising when two aircraft from AB1 got blown out of the sky from the first k salvo. That''s what they get for flying in a straight line, right in front of the enemy AA muzzles.
The first casualty explodes into a ball of fire and steel as the k shell, unknown of its caliber, detonated the two wing-mounted bombs on the bomber. Its pilot and gunner die instantly as the bomber, well, what''s left of the fusge plummetted to the sea 3km below. The second V-156-F spins out of control as its left wing snapped off the aircraft cleanly. Unable to get a hold of the aircraft, the pilot screams iprehensibly over the radio.
"Fuck! Who else got hit?!" The guy that is flying to the left of the exploded bomber cursed.
"It''s Damien''s ne!"
"Damn it! Eject, eject!" The flight lead of AB1 shouted as he lean his ne to the left, getting a view of the poor sod that''s spinning irrecoverably.
Yet, the AC1 flight lead announced painfully."No chute! I don''t see a chute!" Just before another barrage of k interrupts them.
Yet, having learned their lesson the hard way, the AB1 flight lead gives a hasty order. "All aircraft spreads out! Don''t bunch up with each other!"
AC1 and AB2 also follow suit with themand, lessening the possibility of a k burst gonna score multiple kills like what happened before. This earns them some respite, allowing the dive bombers to inch closer to their target. Yet, once they get closer to 2km away from the Belkan fleet, the AA firepower intensifies as the 20mm and 37mm start opening up. Shredding them a new one and scores three kills, 1 from AB1 and 2 from AB2. AC1 is luckily spared as they''re hanging back to provide air cover, not bombing armed vessels.
Nevertheless, despite their losses, AB1 soldiers through the intense AA coverage above the Belkan ships and head straight for the convoy vessels. While AB2 overshoots the Belkan Task Force before turning back, diving to 1000 meters. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out that AB2 wants to bomb the Belkan vessels as payback. Hence, all starboard side anti-air mounts start spitting fire on the sphemous flying antiques. It will be the shame of the century if a ship of theirs is sunk by such ackluster squadron.
Surprisingly, even with the increase in shell density, AB2 pilots muster enough willpower to keep on diving, targeting reticles trained on the Belkan cruisers. Sadly, theirck of training and coordination proves to be a detriment. As each pilot picks his own targets rather than cooperate and drop all their meager bombs topletely cripple one. That and some got cold feet when they reach 500 meters and dropped the payload too early. Missing their target by a huge margin before disengaging, leaving theirst teammates to bear the full brunt of AA fire. Just from that dive alone, three more bombers have sumbed to the coordinated AA defense.
When what''s left of AB2 dives to 300 meters, they notice the Belkan guns have stopped firing. Befuddle by the sudden change, they don''t have time to question it before bullets start zipping from behind them. The sudden backstabes from the Bf-109s that have finally reached the airspace!
Having diverted six Bf-109s to deal with AB1, the remaining eighteen Bf-109 tear through what''s left of the AB2 squadron. In a matter of seconds, their aircraft are either burning or crashing down onto the sea, not able to drop their payload at the end. Done dealing with the easy prey, the 109s train their eyes on the now retreating AC1 CAP squadron. As expected of the Ustians, they would pick flight rather than fight most of the time.
Scoffing inside his mind Rigel 1 gives the order to chase them. Their 109s can outrun and outgun the flying rust buckets the Ustians have been using. And true to his thought, after kicking his aircraft into overdrive for three minutes of flight time, his gun is now aiming at a panicking D.373. The Ustian pilot tries to veer his aircraft to the right yet fail to escape the muzzle of the 20mm autocannons. Rigel 1 pulls the trigger for but one second to see his white and green tracers m into the flimsy aircraft. The HE shells of the 20mm shred the thing in half, its pilot for sure is dead meat. To him, killing this thing is way too easy, the enemy he engaged when escorting Franka 1 was much deadlier and more exciting to dogfight.
He''s soon on the tail of another D.373, this time the bastard has the gall to try and shoot his flight mate. Well, if there''s one thing that antique can do well then it''s the turn radius is better than a 109 when dogfighting. This is why Rigel 1 always says to maintain goodmunication with your flight buddy. As if you have an enemy on your tail, your buddy is the only one that can save you. It''s why Rigel is now saving his.
Since the enemy is a bit too close to his buddy then he would like, Rigel can''t use the 20mm. Instead, he opts for the pair of MG 17s as the weapons of choice for this situation. Firing a short burst from behind, he grabs the attention of the enemy pilot when a few shotsnd on the fusge. Not doing much damage, yet enough to pull the enemy off his friend. The guy is intended to do the same turn-fighting trick he used on Rigel 1''s flight buddy, yet fails when the Belkan Ace got him figured out. Already anticipating the enemy to bank his aircraft hard left, Rigel 1 slows his ne down a notch before bringing all guns to bear on the cockpit of the now-turning D.373. From his cockpit, Rigel 1 can see the paled face of the enemy pilot, he knows he fucked up big time. That was hisst thought before the 20mm does God''s work and baptism him into a ball of fire.
Breaking away from the now dead enemy, Rigel 1 surveys the airspace to see that thest of the enemy CAP fighter is dropping down to the sea. To be honest, bringing 18 Bf-109s against a mere 8 D.373s are overkill. Yet, airmand demanded such a number to ensure operational sess, Rigel 1 can''t argue with it. He also notices that thest of the enemy bombers are also out of the picture, meaning he is now left jobless once more. Mentallyining that he''s now left with the babysitter job, Rigel 1 then orders to reform CAP formation for patrol. Internally hoping that the enemynd-based aircraft wille to join the fun.
"Thanks for the assist back there, Rigel 1." A female voice rang out from the radio, it was his flight buddy, Rigel 2.
He snickers before jesting. "Keep flying bad like that then I would rather shoot you down myself,ss."
Rigel 2ughs. "As if! I got them hot ass that you so dearly love. That''s why you keep saving it every time." She adds while taking a position to the right of Rigel 1. "And I will go back and haunt you so you won''t get a hard-on ever again if I get shot down."
Shaking his head, Rigel 1 can''t really argue with her. What she said is true, after all.
"Oof! It seems like 1 and 2 are at it again." This time a male voice belonging to Rigel 3 interjected. He flies to Rigel 1''s left before saying. "Wanna bet who will win this time, 4?"
Rigel 4 answers, to the right of Rigel 2. "No chance, I still own the bardy a few tabs. I would rather not add it up by losing this one." He shook his head to further emphasize his reluctance.
Rigel 3 guffaws. "Haha, that''s your fault for trying to court thedy then. The whole airbaseughed our asses off seeing your failed attempts."
"Ugh... must you say that out loud?" Rigel 4ined only to earn snickers from the rest of his squadron.
After that, all the Bf-109s disperse into smaller CAP patrol groups, securing the airspace tight for the arrival of the flights of He 111s. All the while bantering like that to kill the time, disregarding the tense atmosphere below. Where the two Task Forces are about to engage each other.
Chapter 22.5: Battle stations! (part 2)
Chapter 22.5: Battle stations! (part 2)
The utter decimation of Bearn''s aerial squadrons catches the Ustian byplete astonishment. Such a swift and crushing defeat right off the bat is not a good way to start a major battle.
"Can someone tell me what the fuck just happened?!" Unable to retain his calm, the Ustian Admiral inquired his XO with unbridled rage.
Gulping a shallow breath, the XO reiterates what he just reported. "Right before we lost contact with our seanes, they ryed theplete destruction of the fighters and bombers we sent out. The enemy now has air superiority and their seane can have a bird''s eyes view on us without obstruction, sir. All of this was due to the sudden arrival of the enemynd-based air force, and since we have no intel that they will coordinate with each other... We failed to set up aerial patrols in the direction of the maind, causing the disastrous loss of our air fleet."
"I already know that you, imbecile!" Raged the Ustian Admiral. It seems like he''s just looking for something to vent on, and the poor XO was just the one to do that. Yet, the XO bits his lips to remain calm.
After a minute of pacing around, heaving out puffs of hot air, the Admiral sits down heavily on his chair, saying. "Fuck it then, should have known better than putting faith in the flyboys." That''s right, he''s discing the fault to the dead pilots. It''s not his mistake to bear, after all, he''s the Admiral of the Navy for god''s sake. "Only the might of our cannons has any worth using. Have the Bearn and her escorts fall back, we alone are more than enough to deal with the enemy ships. All remaining vessels follow the Dunkerque to meet the enemy! Helmsman, engine to full! Battle stations!"
The XO breathes a sigh of relief before saluting. "Yes, Admiral!"
From this point onward, gloves are off for both sides.
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Unknowing to the Ustian at the time, their very movement is locked on by a periscope, peeking slightly above the waves. The periscope scans the entire Ustian flotis,municating their movements to the rest of its pack. This periscope belongs to the U-569, leader of the Markgraf wolfpack.
Lieutenant Hinsch, who''s using the periscope of the U-569, says. "The enemy carrier group is retreating. Meaning we only have to face the battleships floti if things go well."
"Will we be hunting the carrierter, boss?" A sergeant asked.
"Depend, if the Air Force pulls their weight, we won''t be wasting much time on this group. Thus leaving us ample time to catch up to the aircraft carrier. Sergeant Johansen, sends the word out for the pack, after the torpedo bombers make their strike, we will move in. When the enemy destroyers are entangled with ours, we willmence the attack. Our priority will be the sinking or crippling of the enemy battleships, then the cruisers. Once our navy gains the upper hand, we will see whether we can disengage to chase the retreating enemy."
"Yes, boss!" Sergeant Johansen moves to them station, the red lighting of the submarine''s interior helps him maneuver in the cramped quarter. Leaving him to do his jobs, Hinsch scans the horizon to see the Ustian floti preparing themselves for an air raid. It seems like the He-111s are here.
From his view, Hinsch sees the enemy floti discharging whatever AA gun they have in the sky. Yet, the AA-armament of the Ustian navy proves to beckluster, with the Dunkerque pulling her weight by the eight 130mm DP guns on her side. Nheless, their slow rate of fire severely limited their lethality, and without CAP fighters to provide cover, the He-111s approached unhindered at low altitudes. Their rugged construction allows them to shrug off stray k fragments. Very soon, the first He-111 squadron drops off their torpedo, seven in total, aiming toward the battleship Bretagne. The torpedoes, approaching from 1 o''clock of the Bretagne, are evenly distributed in a line to counter the evasive maneuver the Bretagne may do. Though it proves to be not necessary when the Bretagne itself is a slow and lumbering ship. The ship tries her best to turn away from the wave of deadly fishes, yet that proves to be her undoing when what she should have done is to turn into the wave instead. By turning away, shepletely expose her broadside to four torpedoes, all of them struck across different portions of the ships. Two of them struck at the fore-end and aft-end of the Bretagne, the parts where her torpedo bulge is the thinnest. The explosions cause heavy flooding across the entire starboard side of the ship, and with her engine rooms flooding, it''s safe to say the Bretagne is crippled for a long time.
Hinsch notes that the Bretagne is listing heavily on her side, such that if the ship dares to move any further, more water will pour in and hasten the sinking of the ship. It seems like that battleship is out of the picture for now so the Markgraf pack can focus on something else. He then calmly watches on as he noticed it''s only seven bombers that made the run, there''s still another group trailing waiting tomence their attack. After five minutes of the torpedo run, the second Heinkel squad is on an attack vector. He surmises that they will try to attack the Dunkerque and that they did.
The second squadron approaches the Dunkerque from her 3 o''clock position, yet, having smartened up from the mistake made by the Bretagne, the Dunkerque bits a fast turn to the port side. Bearing her fullplement of dual-purpose 130mm turrets to the low-flying He-111s. Though the 111s are rugged, they''re also slow and easy to hit if you take the time to aim. The three quads 130mm turrets finally prove themselves when they score a devastating hit on a He-111 flying at the edge of the formation. The aircraft loses her left wing, plunging heavily into the sea, the state of her crew is unknown. Another aircraft flying near her has her left engine caught fire. The pilots shut down the engine in hope of putting out the fire before slowing down and flying behind the formation. If they disengage now, they risk being singled out and shot down. They can only pray for the fire not getting to the fuel tanks.
Hinsch watches with utter fascination as the iron-willed pilots keep on flying toward their target, regardless of the danger of being hit by a k shell. Soon, he sees the squadron drops their torpedoes, though sadly they all miss the Dunkerque for she has maneuvered out just in time. Nevertheless, a torpedo manages to hit the rear of a cruiser, presumably knocking out her rudders as she is now moving in circles. Another one, and boy its spectacr sight, detonates and causes an ammo detonation in the fore magazine of a destroyer. Due to her flimsy nature as a destroyer, the vessel''s ripped in half with the fore-end sinking first before the rest of the body follows.
"Well, that''s one less annoyance to deal with. They lose one destroyer to our flyboys, the Bretagne is crippled alongside the La Motte-Picquet losing her rudders. All in all, they made a sessful run." Hinsch said as he saw the burning Heinkel 111 make for a touch down on the sea, a bit far away from the enemy fleet. "Also, we have a crashnded bomber, about 1km away behind us. Note their location so that we can swing back and rescue the survivors after the engagement."
Sergeant Johansen answers. "Will do, sir. Should we begin the hunt?"
"Why not? The Dunkerque is now ripe for the taking as she is now somewhat heading towards us. Her screening force ispletely oblivious to our presence as they are all guarding her starboard side. We have ample opportunity to tear them a new one." Hinsch folds the periscope. "Now''s our time. Sound the xon, U-569 raises the contact at 10:20 am, we will lead the pack for a hunt, travel at medium depth."
"You got it, boss!" Johansen punches a button on the bridge, and the familiar siren is heard across the entire submarine. The hunt is on for the Dunkerque.
U-569 moves stealthily beneath the waves at full speed. She leads the other three submarines, the U-94, U-124, and U-406, into theunch range. It takes a bit of time as their submarines can only move at 7.6 knots maximum when submerged. So by the time they arrive at thefortable range of 5km away from the enemy formation, the sh between two surface navies is about to begin. That is if the wolfpack doesn''t kick start it first.
Hinsch orders the helmsman. "Take us to periscope level."
"Aye aye, sir!" Soon, the 569 floats to about 15 meters away from the surface.
Hinsch says. "Up periscope!" he grabs the instrument as it drops down to eye level. With a quick scan, he spots the prize of the day, sailing with its turrets turned toward the Belkan battlecruisers.
Since the light cruiser and the Bretagne from before is crippled, they have made some changes to the current formation. They opt to make the floti formation to be more defensive in nature with the remaining cruisers covering the Dunkerque from Belkan destroyers'' attack. The same can also be said for their destroyers though they operate further away, doubling as a harassing force. Meaning, that they won''t be able to respond in time against an underwater assault.
"Order to the pack, 569 and 94 will engage with the Dunkerque first. Each picks their firing solution, fire at will on my mark. 124 and 406 stay on reserve in case of a failure, if fail to cripple or sink, engage the battleship at their own discretion. If sess, change target to a cruiser of their own choosing."
"On it, sir." The radio operator disseminates the order to the rest of the pack. After that, only the 569 and 94 stay ahead of the formation with the other two shadowing the Ustian fleet from behind. They''re waiting for a chance to shine.
Hinsch analyzes the enemy movement pattern alongside the rest of his crew. They work up a good firing solution in mere minutes.
"Bearing 300...Mark." The buzzer and mark light turns on with the correct input.
"Range 4500...Mark." Like before, the buzzer and mark light is switched on as the range is set.
"TDC matched."
"Angle on the bow port 35 degrees."
"Tube order forward is 1 to 2." The torpedo room preps the first two tubes for the firing order.
"Flood the forward tube 1 and 2." They then hit a button, flooding the firing tube with seawater, ready to fire onmand.
"The U-94 is ready, sir." Johansen reported, that Hinsch only nodded.
"Open the outer doors." Outside the submarine, the previously flooded tubes are now opened in full, rearing to spit death and destruction.
"On mymand... Launch one," The first torpedo from the U-569 isunched silently, followed by the one from the U-94. unch two."
A second torpedo shoots out of the forward tube. The tubes close the doors before the torpedo room begins the reload procedure. Unlike the 569, the U-94unches all her forward tubes in a narrow spread. By the time the torpedoes reach the target, ounting for the possible maneuver from the Dunkerque, at least two torps can hit the enemy.
The two submarinemanders wait with bated breath. For this mission alone, they have triple-checked the reliability of their equipment. The process was tedious so they all want a big bang in return.
Before the torps reach their target though, the Dunkerque fires the first salvo from her eight 330mm guns. Hinsch watches as the white tracers fly out of the barrels, leaving shockwaves and smoke battering the ocean surface. He is unsure of the uracy of those things but it''s not a thing he wants to test any time soon. He''s now hoping the battleship sticks to her course till thest second.
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The Ustian Admiral watches from the conning tower as the guns from the Dunkerque slowly point upward. Each gun is now loaded with an armor-piercing shell, ready to unleash hell on the hopelessly outranged Belkan battlecruisers. Their puny 283mm guns are no match for the might of his 330mm. In a way, naval warfare is no different than a dick-measuring contest, and he has a feeling he''s winning one.
Yet, he''s shaken out of his mirth when the hydrophone operator anxiously warns. "Torpedoes to port! Multiple, sir!"
"What?!" Everybody on the bridge is shocked, many runs to the port side only to see six torpedoes leaving behind minimal wakes on the surface. "Hard to port, engines to nk, now!"
The Dunkerque helmsman swings the steering wheel to the left while the engine room brings out as much power as possible, all are hoping they can steer away from the approaching danger. Yet, as the electric torpedoes are very stealthy, the hydrophone spotted them way toote, leaving the Dunkerque not much time to react. Finally, the Ustian Admiral can only watch, helplessly as three torpedoes hit the port side of his gship. Theck ofprehensive anti-torpedo bulge on the ship proves to be her undoing as two torpedoes struck the engine room while thest one hit the bow.
Dunkerque shakes violently with three violent underwater explosions. Her engine room is flooded heavily, knocking out three of her turbines while the A turret''s magazine is flooding with no sign of stopping. To avoid worsening the flooding situation, the Admiral gives the order to seal off the A turret, cutting half of their firepower as the result. He directs the damage control party to stop the flooding on the ship as the electricity on the Dunkerque keeps flickering on and off. Hopefully, they can bring the engines back to half-speed at the very least.
By now, the Admiral has received a rude awakening. Since half of the Task Force firepower got effectively disabled in mere hours, he stands no chance of winning. Not when he''s now boxed in between two battlecruisers and God knows how many submarines behind him. Knowing that the situation is grim, he regretted underestimating the enemy Admiral. The opposite side has employedbined-arms warfare, dominating the three-dimensional battlefield from the very beginning. He''s hopelessly outmatched. His only chance of survival now is to break past the submarine blockade behind him, reconvene with the Bearn group, and maybe he can get past safe water.
"Have the Primauguet and Emile Bertin smokes us up while our destroyers head out to hunt the enemy submarines! Call back the Bearn''s escort too! We need all the help we can get. The Dunkerque will be steering away from the enemy and will rendezvous with the Bearn''s escorts."
Quickly passing on the order, the Ustian Admiral prays to dear God that he can survive the uing onught. "And I want our remaining guns to keep them at bay!"
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"Herees trouble!" Hinsch spotted the three approaching destroyers. "If the enemy is smart, the other three that have been following the carrier are also doubling back as we speak."
"Boss, the U-94 is retreating as she has already expended her forward tubes. Though she is hanging on a holding pattern with her aft tube at the ready."
Hinsch nods. "The 124 and 406 are on a nking pattern against the enemy destroyers, correct?"
Johansen gives the affirmative. "Yes, boss. They report that they are well outside the detection range of their movement path. They are getting a firing solution on the destroyers as we speak."
Hinsch double-checks the submarine-hunting pattern of the enemy destroyers. Making sure that they aren''t looking for anyone else but him and the U-94. "Down periscope, crash dive."
"Aye aye, boss!" Johansen runs to the ship inte. "Crash dive! Crash dive!" The emergency xon is sounded across the submarine. Her crew bracing for the uing depth charge salvos. "Take us on a slow ahead, we will be moving directly toward the enemy."
"Got it, boss!" The helmsman answered.
Johansen runs up to Hinsch. "Boss, the U-94 reports that she''s out of danger and will join the attack on the destroyers that are approaching us."
"Good, all hands brace for impact. Once we''re given the clear, we will raise up andunch our remaining forward tubes at the Dunkerque, sinking her once and for all! Let''s bag us a nice bounty for this hunt!"
"YES, BOSS!"
The crew cheers before turning mum, letting the sonar operator work in peace. Soon, the operator reports. "Sir, they''re almost on top of us."
Hinsch nods. "Cut the engine, we now follow where the tide leads us."
And with that, the U-569 is nowpletely silenced. Up above, the rhythmic spinning of the destroyers'' propellers echoes down to the sea bed.
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Aboard the U-94, Captain Kuppisch watches on with anxiety as the Ustian destroyers are nowunching wave after wave of depth charges. "Is theuncher not ready yet?!" He questioned his XO sternly.
"Sir, the torpedo room report that they have managed to open the door, we can fire at any time!"
"Then what are we waiting for,unch it alongside the 124 and 406!"
"Yes, sir!"
Goddamn it, before theymit themselves to this operation, the aft tube was checked to be in good condition. Yet, the door was jammed at the most crucial moment, causing a dy in their attack. Thankfully, they manage to fix it in the permitted time window. Otherwise, they would have lost the firing solution they scrunched up.
With a low hum, the U-96unches her aft tube together with the tubes from the U-124 and U-406. They are evenly distributed on the remaining destroyers and with any bit of luck, the explosions from the depth charges will mask their sound. Three destroyers are too dangerous to be left alive.
Fortunately, the Mother Goddess has blessed them with good fortune today. As the enemy is too focused on scouring the U-569''s location, theypletely missed the approaching torpedoes. It''s only until they can be spotted visually that the destroyers break off from their submarine hunting pattern. By this time, it''s toote.
With glee, Kuppisch witnesses his torpedo striking a destroyer, right in the middle. If not sinking then the thing won''t be going anywhere soon. The other two also maneuver at will, just not enough as one got hit on the aft while the other ate two torpedoes before exploding into a ball of me. That has got to be a magazine explosion. By dealing such a swift but deadly blow, the enemy ASW capability has effectively been reduced to nothing at the moment.
Kuppisch orders the radio tomunicate the all-clear for the rest of the pack. Yet, after five minutes, he still hasn''t seen the U-569 reports back to takemand. He is fearing the worse when the sonar operator interrupts.
"Sir, you''ve to hear this." Kuppisch turns to look at thed. "There''s an engine sound at 200 meters depth, heading directly for the Dunkerque!"
"So that lucky bastard is still alive." Kuppisch sighs in relief. "And I guess he is heading to gut the big fish, once and for all. That''s fine with me then. We will move to the side for now, and reload all our tubes to intercept possible enemy reinforcement. Since the 124 and 406 still have torpedoes, they are free to engage the cruisers or help us deal with the stragglers."
The XO responds. "Yes, sir. I will ry yourmand."
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Back to the U-569, Hinsch is wiping a trickle of blood from his face. Though there''s no death from the destroyers'' attack. There are a few injured including him, he got knocked off his feet due to the shockwave, hitting his head on a piece of instrument.
While being cared for by the medic, Hinsch directs the sub to get closer to the enemy gship. Right now, he''s a bit pissed that his ship got scratches on her paint job. Ramming two fishes up the enemy''s ass will be a good payback.
"Boss, we are 1km out!"
Emergency surface, all ahead nk, flood tubes 3 and 4!"
"Aye aye, boss!"
"All hands brace for closebat!" Hinsch ordered.
Scanning the faces of his crew, Hinsch''s a bit apprehensive that they will get cold feet. Yet, the worry was for naught when he see that they have devious grins on their face. Seems like everyone wants an in on this knight''s charge of his.
Steadily, the submarine breaks the surface, and with adrenaline pumping, Hinsch orders. "Open doors 3 and 4!"
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On the bridge of the listing Dunkerque, the Ustian Admiral watches with spite as one of his cruisers is struck with a debilitating blow, presumably from the 283mm guns that he has been underestimating. And with the losses of the destroyers he sent out, his entire force is facing utter annihtion. What about the escorts from the Bearn, you ask? Bastards haven''t responded to any of his hailings, meaning they run away like cowards. The Admiral can imagine that they will cite the battle damages incurred by the Dunkerque and her floti had destroyed theirm equipment. So, they are unable to send out any cries for help nor can the Bearn receives any from theirs. That''s partially true as the long-range equipment they used to stay in touch with the maind was taken out previously by the enemy shelling.
Still, never has he faced this humiliation, not when he''s in the academy, not when he received a rejection from a fairdy. By now, he''s contemting the surrender of his vessels, if only to save his skin. They will not treat him badly for he has top secret information about both the Ustian and Erusean Navies. His thought is cemented when he sees a submarine surfacing, mere hundreds of meters away from his gship.
"Well, fuck my life..." He watches on as the Dunkerque trains whatever guns she has left to engage the submarine. Yet, the listing has prevented many of her guns to engage the fast-approaching submarine.
Under the light return fire from the Dunkerque, the U-569 just calmly sent out her two remaining torpedoes. They speed through the waves to once again, struck the bow and aft section of the Dunkerque. This time, however, the magazine of the A turret gives in. A detonation shreds open 1/3 of the Dunkerque as the A turret flies away into the sky, bluish me spewing out of its barbette. The me, in no time at all, is reaching for the B turret''s magazine.
The Ustian Admiral is knocked off his feet, yet, he looks with morbid fascination at the raging me on the Dunkerque bow. He only returns to reality when his XO shakes him with a cry. "Admiral, we''ve received heavy damage across all sectors! Please, give us an order!"
"Order...? Order for what...?" The Admiral shakes his head. "The only order I can give you is to abandon ship now. Dunkerque is now a lost cause."
He shrugs off the arms of his XO, walking out of the conning tower, hanging by the railing. Outside, he sees the U-569 making a past across his ship, its conning tower painted with the head of a wolf with red eyes. "Well yed, Belkans. Well yed." Hemented before turning around to reiterate the surrender order on all remaining vessels.
In his head, he has no doubt history will vilify him as the most useless Head of the Navy in history. For his first battle resulted in the sinking of his gship, the capture of one battleship and many auxiliary vessels with the Aircraft Carrier Bearn is now effectively a paper tiger. Though that will be the mess of somebody else to clean up, not his. The Ustian Admiral thought as he is now sitting on a life raft, being rescued by his cruiser. A bit of distance away, a mere stone throws in naval warfare, are the approaching Belkan destroyers.
"Maybe the exotic maidens of Belka are of much better pursuit, now that I think about it." Yet, it''s a thought he tucked inside his heart, waiting for the day to bloom.
Chapter 23: The Rose has fallen (part 1)
Chapter 23: The Rose has fallen (part 1)
Before the first ray of dawn can grace the smoke-filled city of Arash, Yuki is already up and is now holding a document. She''s busy making sure that everything is in order before she turns incapacitated as nned. Yuki is going over the allocation of manpower and munition when she feels Bryn draping her coat over her chilled body.
Bryn''s soothing voice chides her. "If you keep on working like this, it''s only a matter of time when you copse."
Unable to refute, Yuki can only let out a light smile. She puts a hand on the arms that are hugging her to keep her warm, saying. "Well, it''s my responsibility, after all. Our divisioncksmand staff, so I have to pull the weight otherwise we won''t be able to operate this well. Once everything is over, I will see to it that I get morepetent subordinates to help me with the paperwork. If only to make you less worry about my well-being, dear."
Ruffling my hair, to which I purrfortably, Bryn responds. "You better, else I will tell your moms to reduce your workload by force."
I groan. "Anything but that, please. They will literally ground me and I''m too mature for that."
"Well, you''re still a kid, physically, so they can do that without repercussion."
"...That''s true."
We chuckle, imagining myself, a famed General, reduced to a mere homesitter, forced to y with stuff befitting my age. Yet, let''s not do that, or else I''ll go crazy.
Soon, Bryn helps me change into my usual attire before we have a pleasant breakfast. It consists of warm chicken soup and coffee, keeping it light and energizing. All in all, it takes us till 6 am, only then do we set out for the war room.
Outside, we''re saluted by members of my guard retinue. One Corporal Jerry, a soldier under Sergeant Erika, gives us a good morning. "General, Adjutant, I hope you both have a good sleepst night."
"That we did, Corporal," I answered before putting on my cap. "Now, where''s Erika? Usually, she should be the first to greet me."
The Corporal reports. "The Sergeant is just outside, ma''am, she should be discussing with the drivers about our security arrangements for the day."
"I see, she''s one hard-working girl," I said with exasperation, making her my guard was supposed to help her with the workload. Nheless, she takes on more jobs instead. "Let''s set off then, we have much to aplish today."
We alight from our fortified officers'' rest house, converted from the La Riverie hotel. The reason is the architecture of the ce proves to be a sturdy one with an underground shelter. Outside, I see Erika talking with a few other Storm Troopers of my retinue, I give a nod to thess before boarding a covered half-track with Bryn. Then, we set off for the frontlinemand post.
On board, we discuss the uing preparation for receiving reinforcements from bothnd and sea. On that note, we also converse about the counterattack n to root out this Ustian army once and for all. By doing so, we will blow a major hole in Ustio''s manpower pool. Buying us and the Reformist valuable time for the near future.
Soon, the motorcade reaches its destination so we continue our discussion alongside the officers in the war room. So far, the battlefield is quiet, leaving the officers a bit perplexed.
"By chance, have they given up?" One of the officers asked. To which Brigadier General Alexa responds.
"Unlikely, they''vee so far to just pack up and leave. My guess is that they''re nning something, probably one final push." Well, the astute Alexa got that right.
I interject. "Either way, we must not let down our guard, not at this critical juncture. Help is right at the corner so this bloody battle is gonna end soon. The Ustians know that too so as a cornered rat, they may bite back much harder than usual."
Bryn nods. "I''ve ordered the Witches to double the patrols. And as precautions for the ambush tactic they''ve been employing, I cautioned them against flying low to the ground. Hopefully, this will prevent unfavorable situations likest time."
A few of the officers wince, they remember the moment when a Witch was shot down by the enemy, and the group that was rescuing her was left behind. While it wasn''t their fault that they couldn''t provide extraction for the team, as they were all retreating per order. It still makes them ufortable and helpless.
Yuki notices that and adds. "It was such a bad timing back then, thankfully Sergeant Quellec pulled through in the heat of battle. Not to mention we''ve already arranged for covering fire from the Vauquelin under my intervention. So everything ended well and the injured Witch is being cared for. You need not dwell on matters that you couldn''t control."
The people present give affirmative nods to Yuki''s words.
"Now, we''ve talked about it before but let me reiterate. We have no idea how many siege trucks they have left so tell our soldiers to keep an eye out. So far, we''ve encountered them in unexpected moments and half of them didn''t end well for us. The Witches can''t always be there to provide you will urate intelligence, not when the battlefield is this messy. Meaning the Grenadiers and Troopers on the field must think on their feet and adapt ordingly to the change on the battlefield. For the possiblest battle with the enemy at our gates, I don''t want unnecessary losses because our troops are overzealous and stubborn. It''s fine to pull back to a more defensible location and wait for support to arrive. It''s only a matter of time before this conflict is over, in our victory anyway. Did I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Princess General!"
"Good, now give me a report on our casualty rate." I move on to handle the attrition reports that my subordinates give me.
Of the 10000 men and women at Arash, excluding logistics personnel, we are now down to a little more than 7500 strong. A detailed number would be 434 deaths and 1890 of various degrees of injuries. Against an enemy four times our number, that is one miraculous number. Still, among those that are injured, many receive crippling injuries that will put them out of active service, to some it will be a fate worse than death. I withhold a sigh as it''s due to my decision that leads to such a result. Yet, sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. Such that even I can be an eptable casualty should the situation forces me to.
In the middle of our nning and fulfilling our due paperwork, I ask a secretary what time is it. Taking a look at her pocket watch, she answers. "It''s about 8:45, ma''am."
"I see, soon it will be 9 am." I turn to Bryn, saying. "Bryn, do me a favor will you?"
Perplexed, Bryn responds with a. "Yes?" Her action of putting down a file stops midway.
"Whatever the case, make sure to keep you cool andmand the force well. You''re the only adjutant I trust inmanding my force, after all." I said cryptically before turning to address the rest of the officers.
Bryn''s about to request further rification but I interrupt her by saying. "So far, we''ve had a lull on the battlefield, yet, if the enemy wants to stage an attack, now will be a good time. I want you all to once again tell our soldiers to maintain a cautious attitude. We''ve no idea what trickery they will try at thest second."
Per my order, the war room descends into a hubbub of activity as the officers start handing out orders to the defense line. Not questioning why I give the warning in the first ce. As for Bryn, she squints her eyes inquisitively on me.
''Yuki, you are hiding something from me, aren''t you." Her eyes conveyed such a message. To which I only give her a reassuring smile in return.
If I exin to her my borderline treacherous n, no doubt she would be the first to stop me in my track. Even though we share a bonding moment a short while ago. She''s a bit too caring for me to do that. Though I guess that''s what makes her such a Valkyrie I hold dear.
Short of 9 am, the frontline suddenly explodes into a hotbed of gunfires and artillery. Though this sure catches everyone by surprise, they don''t get flustered and react ordingly to the situation. Yet, they all have grim faces when a detailed report arrives from one of the Witches.
With urgencyced in her voice, she says. "General, the entirety of the enemy force just appeared out of nowhere, it''s like they suddenly teleported a mere hundred meters away from our line! If not for our heightened security, we would have taken heavy losses five minutes into the battle."
"Exin to me how did we fail to see the enemy this close to our line?" Alexa questioned sternly, the Witches are supposed to keep an eye out for situations like this.
Unable to provide an answer, the Witch can only bow down and offer her apology for their ineptitude. "I''m deeply sorry ma''am! We truly can''t see them until they''re on top of us! None of them even feel something was amiss with our detection spell!"
Alexa is about to blow a fuse and even Bryn is frowning at her Witch. I decide now is a good time to save the poor girl from the scoldings, now is not the time to have inner fighting.
"Calm down people. I don''t think this is the Witches'' fault, nor it''s ours. Clearly, the enemy has a method to sneak up on us undetected. The priority right now is to stabilize the frontline and mobilize the reserve."
I look to Alexa. "General Alexa, bring your subordinates and organize a QRF force so that they can plug up any hole in our defense line. Deploy everything we have."
Alexa and a few officers salute. "By yourmand, Princess General!" With haste, they leave the war room to perform their duty.
"The rest of you return to your post. Shore up the frontline and our morale. Remember my words from before and lead your troops ordingly. We have the leeway to do so while the enemy is on theirst gasp." I look into their eyes before adding. "Win this battle for your mothend, for your Goddess."
They give a proper salute and a spirited warcry. "Sieg Hail!" Before alighting from the war room also.
This leaves only a few officers and staff in charge ofmunication behind. I also bring Bryn and my escort out to fulfill my portion of the final act.
"Follow me to the Field Headquarters, Bryn. I need to takemand personally if only to ascertain their means of surprising us." She nods before organizing my escort. Just like before, we will be using a motorcade to quickly transfer me to the frontline.
The path we take is the same as many times before, moving across a junction in front of a church. For said route is the most secured one in Bryn''s opinion. Yet, her decision today will be a thing she regrets dearly in the future.
As nned, I and Bryn board our half-track. Erika and a few female members of the group, L included, are also present inside the vehicle. The convoy consisted of five vehicles, a 221 armored car in the front, one half-track behind it with mine as the third vehicle in the formation, an Opel Blitz carrying Grenadiers behind us, while the rear is shored up by an armed Kubelwagen. Overall, we have enough firepower to be a toon.
The convoy is quickly assembled and we set off for the frontline. It will be a fifteen minutes ride if we go at full speed, yet, for my safety, the convoy moves at a standard marching speed. The situation isn''t dire enough to warrant a breakneck speed. By the time we reach the junction near the church, about seven to eight minutes have passed. Knowing my time hase, I once again turn to Bryn, breaking the tense silence we''ve been having all this while.
"You still remember what I say, Bryn?"
Once again, Bryn is perplexed, not knowing what will happen next for me to say that. "I remember, Yuki. Just what do you mean by that?"
I just shake my head with a smile. "You need only know that I trust you a lot, that''s all. Don''t disappoint me, alright?"
"...That you have my words." The scene where she offered her vow to Yuki is still vivid. She will be damned if she breaks it mere days after she made it. Bryn''s answer brings an enchanting smile that captivates both herself and Erika. It''s a heartfelt smile that''s devoid of any anxiety or trouble, knowing that you can believe in others to help you do what you can''t.
Seeing such a smile, Bryn has a bout of extreme trepidation. Never in her entire life as a Valkyrie has she felt this way. Not even when her life was threatened that she felt such a deep sense of dread. Acting on her instinct, Bryn jumps out from her seat and conjures a protective barrier in front of Yuki. Unbeknownst to her, the .55 caliber bullet has already left the chamber.
Before the gunshot can even register in the ears of the guards, the Tungsten projectile has already prated the steel tings near Bryn''s seat. Due to the expert marksmanship behind the bullet, the projectile narrowly misses Bryn, only cutting a strand of her silver hair. Then, faster than Bryn can see, it impacts her blue shield, promptly breaking it with yellowish sparks. However, the shield does break up the bullet into fragments, but as if mocking Bryn''s effort, a fragment hit Yuki in her left eye.
Yuki''s mesmerizing ruby-colored eye, the one Bryn likes to lose herself into, now explodes outward in a bloody mess. The blood stters onto Bryn''s stunned face while Yuki''s head is banged against the ting of the half-track. Without strength, Yuki''s body slumps sideways.
Too shocked by the abrupt event, it takes them a few seconds to regain their wit. Even the ambushers are shocked as to what bastard pulled the trigger first.
Erika takes charge, and jumps off her seat, shouting bloody. "AMBUSH! THE PRINCESS IS HIT!"
By now, the entire motorcade forced itself to a hasty cover behind the confine of the church''s wall. The Ustian ambushers wisen up and order the attack from the buildings across the junction. From their high ground, the Ustians open fire down at the convoy.
Bryn is now holding Yuki in her arms, sitting on the floor of the half-track. Her hand is trying to stem the blood flowing out of the hole that used to be Yuki''s left eye. "No, no, no! This can''t be happening!"
She tried using healing magic on Yuki, yet the fragment from the bullet is still stuck inside the wound. Thus making her unable to close the wound outright. Yuki''s now in a deepa, her breath isbored while her blood is now staining their uniform a dark red. "Come on, Yuki! Please stay with me! We made a pact, remember?!" Bryn''s eyes are shedding tears for the first time in her life, her voice is shaken beyond recognition. She fails to register her surrounding, not even when Erika starts shaking her.
"Instructor! Please, this ce is not safe, we need to move the Princess to safety! Bring her inside the church!" Erika gritted her teeth in helpless rage when Bryn is not responding. Having no other choice, Erika is forced to p Bryn awake. The p even drowns out the sound of bullets mming their half-track.
"Wake up, Instructor! We have a Princess to save!" Erika''s action brings back some light to Bryn''s eyes.
Looking down at her liege, Bryn finally takes in the fact that there''s still a chance. Seeing that change, Erika hands over a first-aid kit to Bryn and then heads out to takemand of the situation. Bryn opens the kit to take out gauze and sterilized solution. She quickly cleans up Yuki''s wound before applying a dressing firmly, thus preventing the injury from worsening anymore. Holding Yuki gently in a princess carry, befitting of her status, Bryn moves to the rear of the half-track, calling for the escorts. "Safeguard the Princess!"
The situation outside is hectic. The 221 armored car is suppressing the enemy with its 20mm autocannon. While the Grenadiers and Troopers are using the wall and vehicles as covers to return fire at the muzzle shes from the windows. Erika, hearing Bryn''s order, tells them to deploy smoke grenades. Once the smoke screen is set, the soldiers form a protective shield around the half-track and fully intend to use their bodies to block the bullets if they have to. With a living barrier around them, Bryn carries Yuki further into the Ustian church. To protect them, dozens of soldiers block their visages from the enemy. A few are shotted in the process before a half-track driver pulls up his vehicle to block the doorway into the church. Then the grand door is pushed closed once a squad of Grenadiers head in to provide internal security alongside medics. The others stay outside to continue the firefight, preventing the enemy from getting any closer.
Inside, Brynys Yuki down on the red carpet, underneath the statue of the crucified Jesus Christ. The medics run up to Yuki, one of them examining the degree of injury the Princess sustains while others startying out their tool. Bryn takes a step back, knowing her anxiousness can affect the work of the professionals. She looks up to the statue above them, deep in her reverie. Staring at the face of the Son of God himself, Bryn offers her prayer to him for she is in his home. A bit ironic when she''s from the Norse Pantheon. Still, all are equal under the Mother Goddess, she is paying her due respect by praying to Jesus instead of someone else. Hoping that he can bless Yuki so that she can tide through this troubling period.
Seeing that there''s nothing left for her to do here. Bryn moves to the gathering of soldiers, this time with a cold fury burning in her heart.
"Give a sitrep, now." She demanded.
Erika steps up to report. "Ma''am, from the intensity of enemy attack we reckon they''re of an echelon in size. As to how they got here, it''s presumed that the enemy used the same method that the enemy''s main force employed. So far, aside from the Princess, we have taken seven casualties with three deaths among them." Erika turns to look at the door. Behind it is the active shootout with the thumping autocannon in the mix. "I decided against counterattacking the enemy with our vehicles until help arrived. We''ve already sent out an SOS and Brigadier Alexa is on the way as we speak."
Suddenly, a flutter is heard from the ceiling of the church. They look up with guns raising only to see the familiar Witches dropping down with flurries of wings. Among them is Alexa with her bat wings unfolded. Bryn turns to address her. "Did you bring help?"
"I bring the Storm Troopers," Alexa responded before directing her healers to help the medic. "and my personal healers. They can help stabilize her condition."
Turning to look at the incapacitated Princess, Alexa adds grievously. "Still, looking at her state, we need to transfer her back to the mothend. Only there can she be safely treated."
The battle outside suddenly increases in intensity. The Storm Troopers have arrived and are now attacking the enemy with righteous fury. They storm building after building, flushing out the ambushers with flurries of grenades and barrages from their SMGs. Alexaments. "With them, the bastards will soon be taken care of. I''ve also given the order to capture a few alive for interrogation. So I think you and I will have a nice chat with themter."
With her cold eyes, Bryn looks at Alexa. "That we shall but now," She moves out of the church with Erika in the tow, and Alexa follows suit. "we have an army to kill."
Bryn''s tone carries a certain chill that causes shivers down their backs. For the first time in years, the first Valkyrie finally reveals her true self.
--------------------------------------------------
Far away, perching on an abandoned building''s rooftop is a girl ds in a ck robe. With her back supported by a red chimney behind her, she talks to a crow that has just arrived. "Mission aplished." She leans her Boys AT-rifle to the side of the chimney. "Master is now in aa while the pawn is now surrendering after he knocks out a few of his aplices."
The crowments. "Well done, Adeline. Of all the people in Einherjar, only you have the necessaryputing skill to pull off that shot."
The girl, Adeline, fixes her ebony long hair to the side of her face, saying. "You need not tter me, it hurts my soul tomit this atrocity on our Master." With a remorseful look in her pair of dark brown eyes, Adeline adds. "If need be, I will dly take any punishment Master hands out. If only to soothe my regret."
Agent expresses a sigh through the crow. "Adeline, you and I both know that Master will not fault you for any of this. Instead, she will even reward you." Jumping from the chimney onto Adeline''s left shoulder, Agent says. "You did this per Master''s instruction, and that is not wrong by any stretch. Though if you keep beating yourself up like this, I think Master will truly punish you."
As if remembering something, Agent quirks an eyebrow at the girl in ck. "I forgot, Master''s punishment to you would be a godsend, no?"
Adeline, being a submissive masochist girl in front of their Master, blushes at Agent''s words. Pouting, she uses her pearly white hand to ruffle the head of the crow. "I don''t need you to say that out loud, damn it!"
In response, the crow caws as if mocking the sniper woman. "Who cares, there are only us here." The crow unfurls its wings and ps them a few times before saying. "I must head back and prepare for Master''s eventual return."
"So soon? Why not stay a bit and chat about the good old times? I even brought a watermelon." Adeline is surprised at the Agent''s haste. Yet, the mention of watermelon sessfully reigns in the crow that''s about to take flight.
"...Maybe I can stay and enjoy a few slices then."
They both drop down to the floor Adeline brings out some chilled watermelon slices for her and the ground. They''re seedless, just the way Agent likes. "So," Munching on the watery delish, Adeline asks. "what''s the rush about?"
Agent takes a bite of the red fruit with her beak before replying. "The Princess gives me the order to extract the pink-haired High Elf. Save her from the downfall of her family, basically. Make sure she will continue the bloodline."
Adeline tilts her head cutely though her height makes ite off as seductive instead. "Pink hair... Wasn''t she supposed to be blonde or something?"
Turning to look at her, Agent answers. "You haven''t watched her grow up so you wouldn''t know, huh? The mischievous brat usually sneaks away from home, either to give support to the Jewish in the wood elves'' territory or y street music for pedestrians to hear. That or just find some people to mess around in general. And every single time I have to go and clean up her mess, all while hiding it from her family." The crow heaves a caw that''s damn simr to a sigh. "Just recently, she changed her gic makeup to have pink hair. The reason is that she likes pink, can you believe that?! It takes me a lot of effort just to put up permanent disguise magic to make her hair gold again."
Patting the head of the crow, Adeline nods sagely. "You''ve had it hard, my friend. Now I''m grateful that I''m tasked with being on field duty instead of your backstage works."
The crow takes a few hateful bites out of the watermelon before looking at Adeline enviously. "Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Trade ce with me."
"Never." A straight face rejection.
The crow pouts. Adeline looks at that gesture and ponders. Can a crow do that in the first ce?
"I hate you." Agent said with a feeling of injusticecing her voice.
Snickering, Adeline quips back. "And I love you too!"
They then banter back and forth with the sounds of the battlefield as their background. By now, Yuki has already been moved to a secure ce while Bryn is takingmand of the situation. Finishing up thest of their watermelon, Agent leaves behind a few parting words before heading back for Belka. "Adeline, you stay here and protect Master from the shadow. Can''t have anything go wrong when she is now a normal human. Perchance, you fuck up your job, it''s not me but Alina will have your head."
Shuddering at Agent''s warning, Adeline responds. "You can count on me. Just cate Alina for me when you get home."
Smirking, the crow answers while flying away. "No promise!"
"Damn you, Agent! You''re the one that told me to take the shot! Take responsibility for it!" Adeline stands up, shouting at the hateful crow. In return, she hears distance cawings mocking herself.
Stomping at the ground hatefully, Adeline picks up her Boys rifle before a swirl of darknesses up from the ground, hiding her visage. After the mass of darkness subsides, Adeline disappears on the spot. Presumably to fulfill her duty.
Chapter 23.5: The Rose has fallen (part 2)
Chapter 23.5: The Rose has fallen (part 2)
"The Southern nk is copsing! They''re requesting immediate fire support!" A radio operator reported. The Belkan field headquarters is now a major hub of activity, serving as the nexus to ry real-timemands to all Belkan forces in the city. And Bryn, now actingmander of the 404th, has to call the shot for everything, a task that none would envy. Not when one mistake can prove fatal for the entire operation.
"The Vauquelin is upied with supporting the Western nk and we have no CAS avable currently." Bryn makes a swift judgment. "Tell Brigadier Alexa to plug the gap on the South side. Let her stabilize that front till we can call in support elsewhere!"
"Yes,mander!"
"Commander!" Another radio operator rushes to the war table to report. In charge of directing the destroyer Vauquelin, he brings grave news. "The Vauquelin reported that they are running low on shells! The Captain said they can squeeze out at max five more barrages. What should I instruct them with?"
Bryn frowns. "Tell them to continue their fire mission. After that, have them back off to the shipyard and resupply from the dry-docked destroyers there."
"Roger that,mander!" The soldier returns to his post, leaving Bryn to stand gazing down at the force-distribution map. She takes this brief respite in giving orders to rethink her situation thus far.
The assassins were either dead or apprehended after the Storm Troopers arrived. And Yuki has been moved to the field hospital, safely guarded by the most elite Storm Troopers and Grenadiers they have to offer. Still, ording to the doctors, Yuki''s state is grim. The fragments have destroyed Yuki''s eye while also nting themselves dangerously near the brain. They can not remove them safely without proper medical facilities back at Belka. To keep her out of shock, doctors have put her under a prolongeda while constantly being fed with life-attribute mana from the healers. Bryn is forced to bite her lips and move on to takemand of the division.
Currently, the enemy is attacking from three directions: West, East, and South. It''s an all-out attack with the South being hit with thergest concentration of enemy. This is why Bryn decided to send out Alexa with her QRF to reform the defense line there. Yet, now that the destroyer is running out of ammo to support the Western nk. Bryn will be hard-pressed if the West side starts copsing. Pulling back the destroyer would mean they can rearm though God knows how long it will take them. As for the East, thankfully it''s the nk with thergest concentration of booby traps and mines, nted by Yuki''s order days ago. Utilizing those, her force there can hold its ground against the enemy.
Nheless, it''s not like they can continue like this forever. The fact stands that Bryn''s slowly losing ground and soldiers. The previously constructed bunkers and barbed wire can only do so much against an endless tide of infantries. More so when this is an urbanbat scenario, where there are many angles to watch from. Bryn needs to cause a stalemate, just enough to buy time for reinforcement to arrive. Her mind works in overdrive, making up ns, scenarios, and simtions utilizing the current data she''s now granted with.
Bryn canunch a counterattack by using the remainder of her armored force in the city. It''s a suicide run for the troops but they will be able to remove a lot of pressure on their allies. Causing chaos and confusion amidst the enemy backline can slow the enemy deployment time by a lot. It will be more effective if she poises them to attack the enemymand structure. Sadly, her scouts still haven''t found any trace of them, yet. She can only specte about their hiding spots for now.
It may not be an attack as she can create another natural barrier to block the enemy. Just like Erika, who has burned a swath of the city to stem the enemy''s advance. There''s no doubt that Bryn can also do the same but on a muchrger scale. By lighting her defense line on fire, the Ustian would have no choice but to stop attacking. Yet, the cost is tantamount to losing the city that they have been fighting for days. Bryn marks the n asst resort.
Lastly, they can perform a tactical retreat. If the situation calls for it, Bryn may just order one. After burning the city to the ground, of course. No doubt the Reformist would cry in protest if she actually follow it through.
Minutes of ponderingter, she settles on the counterattack n. It may sound crazy to send out the defenders for them to have a sh with the enemy, but it can work. You have to remember that the enemy is just infantries with little mechanization. If the counterattack force keeps the paddle to the metal, by utilizing their speed and armor, they can p the enemy and get away with it. As long as they don''t stop and get swarmed by the Ustians, they will be fine. So, Bryn checks the map and ns out the possible routes her troops can take, maximizing their strength to cause as much damage as possible to the enemy. While checking the map, with the assumption that the enemymander has the means to hide from their observation, Bryn thinks up possible hiding locations. She marks them for the armored force to clean out along the way. Hopefully, they can strike gold and save them a lot of trouble.
She''s about to pass her new order when Rosa barges in with her entourage, mouthing. "Sorry to interrupt but we need to talk."
Bryn sighs while looking back at the Ustian Princess. "I have no time to entertain your willy, not when I have a war to fight." Her emotionless voice causes Rosa to shudder. "Do remember that it was your people that attempted to murder our Princess."
"I assure you, Ie here intending to help. What happened was tragic and no doubt has caused a lot of shade on us Reformists but I must reiterate that it''s not us that led the enemy in." Rosa said in one breath.
When Yuki was admitted to the hospital, Rosa and her family, alongside the Reformists cadre, were swift to visit her. Yet, they''re stopped by burly Storm Troopers at the hospital gate. She can still remember the bone-chilling gaze the soldiers gave her people when they approached them for answers.
"If it wasn''t for the Ustian assassins, the Princess would have been in perfect health right now." Erika, who by then had just arrived, added. "Go back to where you came from, Ustians are not wee here on the possible ground of backstabbing."
It shocked Rosa to the core when she heard that voiceced with rage and bloodlust directed at her. It''s the first time she interacted with a soldier like Erika, after all, so don''t fault her for stumbling over her words. Francis, knowing that they weren''t weed there, bowed. "We offer you our sincerest apology for whatever ourpatriots may have caused. Yet, we must say that we have had no hand in what had happened for you to be angry at us. Until the suspicion on us is cleared, we will be at our quarters. Please help us send our best wishes to the Princess."
He then led them back to the Reformists'' temporary headquarters. From there, Rosa figured out what urred and she threw away a teacup Mary brewed in rage. After all, an assassination on her ally wasmitted right under her nose, as the church where Yuki took temporary refuge is just at the edge of thend under the Reformists'' supervision. Knowing that this could very well cause her to have a falling out with the Belkans, Rosa had Francis help her gain ess to the captured assassins. Fully knowing that her move could also worsen the situation but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
It''s from there that she learned a crucial piece of information that can help her regain some brownies from the Valkyrie ahead of her. "Now I know this maye out wrong, but hear me out. I''ve had a chat with the prisoners."
Bryn frowns at Rosa, her hand reaching down for her holster. Rosa struggles to not gulp when facing the killer eyes that Bryn''s sporting. She soldiers on, if only to diffuse the misunderstanding. "One of them, against the refusals of his aplices, spilled out a lot of things on our enemy, he''s ready to disclose the means they used to get here!"
Rosa''s words sessfully grab Bryn''s attention, yet her hand still rests on her C96. Sighing to herself, Rosa continues. "The prisoner divulged everything on the ground that Belkan will protect his family. I can''t promise that so I will leave it to you to decide. Lead him in!" She motions for her retinues to bring in Leopold Fitz, the prisoner that proves to be very cooperative.
With force, he''s put down on his knees, his head turns up to look at Bryn. Spitting out a splot of blood in his mouth, he questions with eyes full of wariness. "I suppose you''re the one I have to talk with?"
Bryn sternly nods. Knowing that he''s running on a timer, Fitz quickly says. "What I''m about to speak up about is of most secrecy, I don''t think it''s suitable for my countrymen to be here."
"What the?" Rosa snapped back. Why is it this assassin has the gal to have them removed? "I risked getting you here and you want me to leave!?"
Bryn is of the same mind, she''s about to dismiss his request when the kneeling man mouths two words soundlessly. "Wood elves."
Biting back the words that she''s about to speak, Bryn swiftly runs the words in her mind through different scenarios. It all makes sense now that she realizes the whole shebang was a possible inside job. It correspondingly exins how they could suddenly disappear before staging an ambush and an attack under intense survence. If what this prisoner ahead of her said is true, then letting the Reformists here is not a good idea.
"I have no time for this, you better give what I wanted or it''s not just your head that will fly off. Princess, kindly vacate the area for the moment. I will call for you if need be." Bryn''s tone leaves no room for refusal. Rosa can only huff in annoyance before motioning for her group to leave. Now is not the time to exercise her right, she can only hope things will end in her favor.
With thest of the Reformists out of the door, Bryn addresses the former assassin. "Speak."
Wasting no time at all, Fitz tells everything. "My real name is Leopold Fitz, I''m a Belkan, just like you." His words cause not a small number of Belkans to stare at him with daggers. "I was part of a group of humans known as the Converted, serving under Lord Avera Everwood. Per her direct orders, we were to help the Ustians army here to defeat your division, with our main task being to ensure the death of Her Highness the Princess. We infiltrated the city by means of Cognition Interference devices, manufactured by the wood elves, and used them to stage everything thus far. Nheless, we failed at our task as I helped sabotaged the ambush. If not then we should have more than enough anti-tank weapons to destroy your convoy outright."
Tensing the arm on her gun, Bryn contemtes the notion of putting a bullet through the man''s head for his atrocities. By following through with the orders of the traitors back home, he has put Yuki under irrecoverable trauma. That alone would have guaranteed him a fate worse than death if not for the words following the confession. "So, you''re saying you betrayed your aplices?"
Fitz nods. "It may sound unbelievable but I was instructed to do so by an Einheri."
Bryn scoffs. "Unbelievable indeed! An Einheri serves only the Princess chosen by Yggdrasil and now you say that one is going on a tangent tomand you. And for what? Harming the one they''re contractually bound to serve? That''s impossible for them to do so unless-!"
Knowing that Bryn realizes the identity of the one orchestrating everything, Fitz continues. "Look, we can have all the time in the world to talk after we take care of the threat in front of us. Know that I only did this because the safety of my family is guaranteed by an Einheri."
Frowning, Bryn sits down on a nearby chair. She listlessly stares at the war map for a few seconds. Yet, her mind is racing to figure out why Yuki''s blood had to be shed and what for. It is, however, an easy conclusion to reach. They need a just cause to root out the wood elves, and risky as it may be, this gives them a surefire shot at doing so.
Sighing audibly, Bryn elects not to dwell on the issue, not when it''s time to act, rather than thinking. "Then tell me something that I can use."
With a light smile, Fitz says. "The Cognition Interference devices we used, a few of them are in the hands of the Ustians. No doubt the enemymand structure is using one to hide from your scout. The good news is I rigged them all with radio-controlled explosives, enough to level an apartmentplex. From here, you need only broadcast a city-wide radio wave of the correct frequency and then watch the fireworks explode." He looks at the map on the table. "If you use the chance properly, you may knock them off their feet long enough to buy you precious time."
"Cognition Interference devices... I should have known." Bryn knows those things damn well from the time before Ragnarok. They are a technological marvel that does what their name suggests and are used primarily to hide the movements of troops. As a race with a long-life expectancy, no doubt the wood elves can manufacture those in the dozens.
Having made up her mind, Bryn stands up and gives the order to have the counterattack force ready. Facing Fitz, she says. "What you said better be true otherwise the blood of my men, on your hands, would be thest thing you have to worry about."
Smiling, Fitz responds. "I wouldn''t risk my family to y games with you, Ms.Valkyrie." He then gives the frequency required to set off the explosives. Bryn watches on as the radio operator starts the city-wide broadcast.
Mere momentster, the entire frontline shakes as dozen of major explosions rock the Ustian ranks. And with it, the Belkan scouts now have free reign to take a look behind the enemy line. Soon, they report on the exact location of the enemymand center. Wasting no time at all, Bryn sends out the counterattack force, headed by Colonel Rommel, to attack the Ustianmand center.
With a rumbling of treads and tires, a regiment worth of Grenadiers and Storm Troopers roll out to meet the enemy. Their morale skyrocketed as finally, they can dish out some due payback. The sudden reversal in the situation stunned themand structure of the Ustian army, as it is unknown whether their General is alive or not. This lead to the conscripts not knowing to respond to the onught of steel and autocannon from the mechanized regiment Bryn sends out. Thus rather than keep pushing the Belkan defense line to the breakpoint, they opt for the wrong decision to stop the tanks and half-tracks charge first.
A call that future historians will mark as the final straw that broke the Ustian camel''s back.
Chapter 24: Can’t stop, won’t stop
Chapter 24: Can¡¯t stop, won¡¯t stop
Colonel Rommel mounts a 251 half-track before being handed an Mp-35 from one of the Grenadiers. He puts on his steel helmet before turning around, his hand outstretches to hoist another Grenadier up on the vehicle. As they''re making final preparation to deploy, a soldier runs up to Rommel''s half-track, shouting. "Colonel Rommel, sir, the Acting Commander gave the mandate to not show any mercy to the enemy! She wants us to crush thempletely!"
Rommel nods. "Then it shall be done! All troops, ready your weapons! We will ride out with the holy might of steel and fire carving the path for us! Marks my word, we can''t stop nor will we stop until all the enemy falls beneath our treads!" His short speech garners a spirited roar from the entire regiment behind him. Waving toward the soldiers standing guard ahead of the convoy, Rommel says loudly. "Open the gate!"
Acknowledging hismand, they push the steel gate of the staging area open. With the way clear, the lead vehicle, which is a Panzer II, leads the first column out. Due to the circumstance, Rommel only has ess to 52 armored vehicles. Barely enough to outfit his mechanized 300-man strong regiment. He opts to split the regiment into two columns, each heading out at the same time but with different routes, before reconvening at the enemy HQ. He willmand the first column while Major Muller leads the other one. The mechanized convoy sets out under salutations from the nearby rear-echelon soldiers. They then split into two once they reach a three-way fork, a mere one kilometer away from the frontline. Rommel choose to head for the West, the nk that''s now being hit the hardest. This leaves Muller in charge of breaking out from the South.
The nearer they''re getting to the defense line, the more stifling the air gets. Rommel knows this atmosphere well, it''s one made of blood, me, and gunpowder. It gets worse when a particr battlefield is deadlier than others. Rommel is now heading straight into one. Standing near the Grenadier manning the MG-34 on the front, Rommel peers ahead to see a major gunfight. He pats the Grenadier on his shoulder before chambering a round in his Mp-35. "All at the ready! What will you say when we''re about to hit a deer?"
His soldiers echo. "Speed up!"
Smiling at their reply, Rommel aims his SMG. "Damn straight! Now let her rip!" By hismand, the leading vehicles open fire on the attacking Ustians.
20mm shells and 8mm Mauser bullets rip through the front ranks of the enemy conscripts. Earning enough time for the defending Grenadiers to clear the makeshift barricade they''ve been employing. And as thest vehicles of the column clear the barricade, they too unleash hell on the enemy. Quite literally, as three of the trailing half-tracks are equipped with two side-mounted methrowers each. While the lead vehicles suppress the enemy ahead of them to clear the route, the mmpanzerwagens rain down fiery napalm on the unprotected enemy. As they quickly find themselves turned into human torches, they run around trying to put out the me in vain. Yet, Rommel and his column keep the pedal to the metal, causing more death and destruction along the way. And while the Ustians are running around like headless chickens, the Belkan defenders cry a resounding cheer. Rommel''s timely help sessfully reignited their fighting spirit.
Driving down the messy streets of Arash, Rommel''s convoy is being shot at from all sides. They''re now in the thick of it but they won''t be deterred easily. Training his gun over a veranda, Rommel unleashes a burst of 9mm at a blue coat. The passing silhouette copses onto the ground, out of sight of the Colonel as his vehicle has moved on. Around him, his Grenadiers and Storm Troopers pull their triggers non-stop in a 360 degrees radius. It''s a target-rich environment so you''re bound to hit something even if you shut your eyes and fire.
"Watch out for the windows!" The Grenadier manning the MG-34 warned before he engage a target. The green tracers left behind by the 8mm bullets mark the location of the enemy for the rest of the convoy.
Making a swift judgment, not even knowing what''s behind the windows, Rommel orders. "Light them up!"
Heading hismand, many muzzles point toward the taller buildings around them before unleashing a hail of bullets. This deters the enemy from trying to take a shot at them from high above. Lessening the damage they receive by quite a bit. For the few kilometers ride, Rommel has lost count of how many times he has pulled the trigger. He also had to exchange his helmet for a new one, as the old helmet took a nasty hit for him. Despite the shock he received, he stands firm next to the machine gunner. It''s only there he can correctly assess the situation and make the necessary changes if need be. And though he luckily survived, a Grenadier behind him sadly didn''t make it. When the convoy rounded a corner, an enemy technical pulled up from the side and fired at them. Rommel was pushed onto the floor by the Grenadier, leaving him to be the one to get hit. The man died while Rommel tried to stem his blood loss. Such a thing leaves behind a bitter taste in his mouth. Though he made damn sure that armed truck got to bathe in napalm as a parting gift for the brave soldier.
Returning to the present, Rommel is now out of ammo for his Mp-35. Dismissing the magazine offered to him by a Storm Trooper, he pulled out his C96. In his mind, he praises the pistol for its robust and reliable nature, alongside the firepower it brings to the table. Taking aim at approaching conscript on a balcony, Rommel pulls the trigger on semi-auto. A 9x25mm bullet flies out the barrel before puncturing the wooden panel of the balcony. Without fragmenting, the bullet hit true in between the conscript''s ribcage. Thus causing his heart to explode before his body copses onto the ground. Rommel doesn''t even have to take a look to confirm the kill, fully trusting the pistol to be capable of its job. And as he just finished up his first 10-round magazine, a situation urs at the front of the column.
"Fuck! That''s a tank!" The tankmander of the leading Panzer II cursed before warning the vehicles behind him. "All units, enemy tank ahead of the formatio-... Shit! Driver, hard left!"
The driver followed hismand hastily, angling the tank to the side of the road. Barely in time before the 37mm shell makes a ncing hit on the left side of their turret, bouncing off before hitting a wall and exploding. Ears rigging from the impact, the tankmander kicks the driver on his right shoulder, signaling him to take them up to speed. "Fuck! Full throttle towards them! I want to hit them with my sword!"
"Load HVAP! Fire at will!" The gunner operates the turret mechanism, training his guns on the Ustian tank ahead of them. Taking a closer look at the enemy, the gunner can''t help but curse.
"Bastard is using one of ours Panzer 38! The up-armor variant! sted sons of a bitch probably salvaged them from God knows where!"
Themander can''t care about it, whatever the case, it belongs to the enemy now. "I don''t give a damn! Just st it to hell!"
The gunner obliges before firing his main gun. Not just him but Rommel also orders the rest of the column to suppress the enemy tank. Though its front armor ting can shrug off the 20mm shells, its optics can''t take much punishment. Some bullets manage to crack the optic, buying enough time for the Panzer II to approach them.
Noticing that the Panzer 38 is slowly pointing its cannon at them, the tankmander says. "Driver, on mymand, break hard right before dashing straight to the enemy side. Gunner, make sure we have an HVAP mag loaded."
"Sure thing, boss."
As they break past the hundred meters mark, the 37mm cannon finally manage to get its bearing on the daring Panzer II. Knowing it''s time, the tankmander screams. "NOW!"
The driver pushes the tank hard to the right as they all lean to one side because of inertia. Unable to track their sudden movement, the enemy gunner prematurely discharges his main gun. The 37mm impacts the ground harmlessly behind the Panzer II. With the coast clear, the driver turns his tank hard left, causing it to drift thest dozen meters to the left side of the enemy tank. The Panzer II''s treads leave behind sparks and scorch marks on the ground when ites to a halt, less than five meters away from the enemy. At such a close distance, even standard armor-piercing can prate the side of the 38t, not to mention HVAP.
The Gunner smirks before firing the autocannon. "Yippee Ki-yay, motherfuckers." A sonorous sound is heard as he discharges the entire 20mm magazine at the enemy. The gunner sweeps the entirety of the Panzer 38 with the gun, ensuring that it''s now truly dead.
With no time to celebrate their victory, the tankmander urges them to get back into formation. This fight is not yet over for them.
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It''s unknown how much time has passed, yet, Alban is now wide awake when he feels someone dragging his body across the floor. Turning around he notices that his heavily injured adjutant is pulling him out of a pile of rubble. Grunting, he asks. "What happened, son?"
Laying his General at a somewhat clean area, the adjutant slumps down with his arms limping. "We... Have no idea, sir. A couple of hours ago, a major explosion rocked the ce, killing and injuring many of themand staff. Not just here but our entire frontline exploded and it''s causing us a lot of confusion currently. We have no idea what happened, but right now, we need you to be back inmand, sir." Groaning, he continues. "The conscripts don''t know what to do so we''re halted at the enemy doorsteps. And they are using the chance to counterattack us at the moment, General."
Alban wants to curse but finds himselfcking the strength to do so. He can only let out a tired sigh when the battle suddenly takes a turn for the worst. They''ve utterly lost all initiative in mere seconds, and now it''s doubtful he can reorganize the army. He scans the headquarters, now in a shamble, with corpses of his aides dotting the ces. A few soldiers are trying to locate survivors like him but chances are slim. He was just lucky that whatever bomb that exploded, spared him.
Yet, for what? Alban can''t help butugh derisively at his predicament. He knows for sure he has lost now, outyed by a 15-years old kid. His reverie is interrupted when a soldier barges in to report. "Ge-General, sir! Please give us orders, the enemy armored forces are getting increasingly closer to our HQ!"
It takes him a few seconds to register the words. But Alban finally reacts when he stands up, only to stumble. Thankfully, the soldier supports him in time. "My thanks, son. What''s your name?"
"I''m called Bastien, sir."
"Well Bastien, you will be my runner for today." Taking a deep breath, he says. "I want you to find a working radio and broadcast the order for the entire army to regroup back at HQ. We must stop the enemy tanks dead in their track. Can you do it for me?"
"Yes, General! Please, sit here first." The boy pulls out a chair for the tired General to sit down. He then runs out to find the nearest radio station.
Alban heaves a painful breath before turning back to look at the aide. Sadly, he breathed hisst moments ago, too injured to wait for medics. Mourning his loss for but seconds Alban rethinks his choice just now. He chooses to make ast stand, knowing fully that it''s toote to retreat. Not when enemy reinforcement is just over the horizon.
Yes, Alban and the top cadre know that a Belkan army is swiftly heading for Arash. They''re mere hours away frompletely surrounding his army. This gamble was theirst attempt to secure a victory but sadly, they''ve failed miserably. Now unable to run nor attack, Alban can only hunker down and try to cause as much damage as possible to the 404th division. Until the veryst moment, he will fight.
But as ifughing at his resolve, Bastien runs back into the room, sweating profusely. "Not good General! A Belkan army has us surrounded from the rear! What should we do!?"
"What!?" Shotting up instantly, Alban can''t believe his ears. "Impossible, they''re supposed to be hours away!"
"Two hours have already passed when you''re still being buried, General. We''ve been trying to save you at fast as we can but... " Bastien rified.
"I see... It all makes sense now." What Alban knows was old news. Hepletely missed the fact that he was unconscious for hours. Granted, the aide died before he could brief Alban while Bastien is but a low-ranking soldier, he wouldn''t be able to know anything. But still, Alban can''t even make a proper defense n right now. It seems like it will be boiling down to just an infantryman and his rifle. No more tactic, no more nning.
Having made up his mind, Alban says to Bastien. "Take me to the armory, son. After that, gather whoever''s still capable of fighting with me. We will head for the frontline."
Calming down thanks to Alban''s stern voice. Bastien feels a rush of courage welling up from deep inside him. Saluting, he says. "Please, follow me, sir." But Alban stops him.
"And son."
"Yes, sir?"
"I am sorry."
Taking a long look at the grizzled General. Bastien is inspired by the fighting spirit hidden behind those eyes. "It''s fine, General. For our families, this was worth it."
Without waiting for a reply, Bastien heads out. Alban follows suit, leaving behind the battered soldiers that are still taking care of the injured officers.
Once they''re gathered whatever men and armaments they have left, a total of 100 men, various machine guns, and three AT guns. Alban orders them to follow him and make haste to intercept Rommel''s motorcade.
Jogging all the way to a checkpoint that''s being attacked. Alban has the conscripts spread out andy down suppressive fire on the enemy vehicle. They may not be able to do much but the 25mm AT cannons sure can, once they''ve set it up, of course.
"Fire everything!" Alban shouts. "I don''t care if you fire with your heads down! As long as you keep firing, then all is good!"
Tucking himself behind a destroyed car, Alban chambers around for his Berthier carbine. While the rifle is of the same caliber as the 8mm Mauser, it''s woefullycking in powerpared to its Belkan counterpart. The only upside the Berthier has is its portability and ease of handling. But for Alban, it''s more than enough to take the hat off a Grenadier, 100 meters away. Resting his rifle on the hood of the car, Alban lines up the sight on the Belkan machine gunner. Squeezing the trigger, he shoots the man in the head, letting his body fall down inside the half-track.
The Ustian General is forced to relocate when a Panzer II rounds a corner, its guns aiming straight at him. Thankfully, Alban slides inside a shop, hiding behind a counter just in time.
*BOOM* *BOOM* BOOM*
The car he used as a cover before is now ripped to scrap metals. Cursing under his breath, Alban questions. "Are the AT ready yet? We''re being torn up here!"
In response, the 25mm cannon fires its first shot of the day, hitting the Panzer II squarely on its side. The shell causes enough spalling in the tank to kill off its three crew members. The AT crew and the surrounding Ustian conscripts cheer on as a second AT gun fires, this time destroying a 251 half-track. Unlike the Panzer II, the upants in the rear of the 251 managed to bail out this time.
Alban watches on as his conscripts use the chance to push back Rommel''s force from the checkpoint. Yet, were things so easy?
The Ustian General has a bad premonition when he sees the Belkans make a full retreat. But why? The Belkan army already has them surrounded and is attacking their rear right this moment. If Rommel persists then he can just wipe out Alban''s motley group with enough troops.
What Alban doesn''t know is that Rommel''s regiment also takes heavy casualties during the two hours he''s been knocked out. Although Rommel has sessfully diverted the pressure away from the defense line, he and Muller then take the full brunt of it. The conscripts have moved back to help protect Alban''s headquarters, even without his order. They literally throw bodies at Rommel''s and Muller''s treads just to stall their advance. Thus causing Rommel and Muller a lot of trouble just to get near the Ustian HQ. You can say that Alban was worth a lot more in their heart than some vain fame and glory. A touching sentiment, don''t you think so?
Frowning, Alban is about to put a stop to his troops'' advancement when smoke grenadesnd a few steps away from him. From those, red smoke starts spilling out. It''s at this moment that Alban knows, it''s a trap! Laughing out loud with his face gazing upward to the sky. Alban has truly given up, thest sight that he sees, before a 283mm high-explosive shell obliterates him, is a smoky gray sky.
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Bryn lets out a sigh. General Bedonna has arrived in time with the full force of her tanks, storming into the city. Admiral Donitz also leads his vessels straight to Arash coastal water. The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau are now fulfilling the fire support requests in lieu of the Vauquelin. Army soldiers too are being unloaded from their transport onto the dock. They will head straight to the frontline and mop up every single Ustians.
In the sky, Ju-52s with 20mm autocannons mounted on their left side, are circling the city. Like vultures, they pick up on leftover enemies that are trying to retreat. Leave no quarter to the enemy, Bryn says.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Bryn turns around to face Alexa.
"You''ve done well, Brynhyldr. Go, I will handle the clean-up." Alexa said with a tilt of her head.
Nodding to the Brigadier, Bryn moves to a radio station, one that''s on the line with Air Force General Jurgen. She picks up the headwear from an operator, saying. "General Jurgen, the reinforcement will be dealing with thest of them. You can send down the medevac."
From the other end, Jurgen says with a sigh. "It''s alreadying down, Commander. If only we''d gotten there sooner."
Bryn winces, and she says wistfully. "If only indeed..." Only she knows that all of this was staged. Even the pain it has and will cause is nned by none other than Yuki herself.
Bryn just wishes that Yuki can forgive her for letting her went through such trauma. All because she is too weak to help Yuki more.
Chapter 25: Home
Chapter 25: Home
Berlin Imperator Air Force Base, night time, three hours after the Siege of Arash ended. Even though it''s in the middle of a chilly autumn night, the entire Berlin capital is lit up like it was Christmas.
An entourage of Reichguards and armored vehicles are surrounding the airstrip. Up in the dark sky, visible only by the Anti-aircraft searchlights, are dozens of Bf-109s and Bf-110s. The entire city is under military lockdown in preparation for the Princess''s return, not even a rat can escape scrutiny. For the average Belkan citizen, this is a shocking sight. Many can only peer behind closed windows as the army stops everybody from getting out of their homes. Some are wondering if the city is under attack, though if that was the case, the warning siren would have been sounded. Despite being confused, the civilians are very cooperative with the government''s actions. They hold hope that things will return to normal soon.
Back at the airbase, a bewitching woman is standing next to another ofparable beauty. Though they''re the VIPs, none of the Reichguards dare to stand in the ten meters radius around them. As for the reason why that happens, take a look at the ground and you''ll understand. The ground is moltenva! Courtesy of the bewitching woman, failing to keep her rage under a lid.
To calm down the volcanic air around them, Hel puts a calming hand on her wife''s right shoulder. Her chilling touch brings Lu out of her dangerous thoughts. Shaking her head of tinum hair, mixed with strands of ruby red, Lu sighs before reigning in her out-of-control mana. Soon, theva solidifies back into the solid ground while the stench of sulfur fades away. Unknowingly, the Valkyries in the Reichguards heave a sigh of relief. Noting in their heart to never piss off the Empress and praying mercy for the souls that enraged her.
Lu turns around to face Hel, her lover''s obsidian-colored hair still somehow shining in the night. "Thanks, love."
Patting away Lu''s loose strand of hair, Hel smiles lightly. "It''s fine, dear. I know you embody all 7 sins and you have all right to be angry. Yet, what would our daughter think when she sees her cool and dashing mother being this unbing?"
Smiling wrily at Hel''s words, Lu responds. "Yuki will have an existential crisis if that were the case. I never show my wrathful nature to her, after all."
"Right? So instead of mopping, return to the confident figure we''ve grown to love, alright? Don''t worry, I will heal her up to normal in no time."
"Umu." Nodding at Hel''s encouraging words. Lu realizes she desperately needs the support of her loved ones at times like this. Thankfully, Hel has always been there for her.
Suddenly, a Valkyrie approaches them. "Your Majesties," Bowing towards them, she says. "The ne carrying Her Highness is about tond."
Seeing Lu waving her hand in dismissal, the Valkyrie excuses herself. Lu and Hel then turn to look at the left end of the airstrip. There, a white He-111 with red cross markings is approaching fornding. Trailing behind the transport are Bf-109s on escort duty, four of them are nking the side of the aircraft. Of course, they are not going tond but rather keeping watchful eyes on the surrounding sky.
A minuteter, the wheels of the Heinkel make contact with the ground, softly as the pilots pay extra care to their passengers. Slowly, they ease the aircraft to a halt some 20 meters away from Lu and Hel. Cutting off the engines, the chief pilot informs the passengers that they''re safe to disembark. Before the doors are even fully opened, an armored motorcade is already fast approaching the aircraft. Lu and Hel disappeared on their spot before turning up next to the Heinkel.
The first to appear are Erika and a few of her squad members, they salute the Empresses before spreading out to secure the area. Coming out next is Bryn with a crestfallen expression. Seeing her lieges, she nods at them before turning around to help carry a stretcher. On it is Yuki who''s being sustained by life force from the nearby healers. Even though Yuki''s wound is somewhat covered, Lu can''t help but make a fist, struggling to remain calm. "Those bastards will pay..." She mutters darkly.
Running up to the stretcher, Lu lets Hel performs a full diagnosis on Yuki, while she moves up to Bryn. Putting a hand on Bryn''s shoulder, she says with a stern voice. "Come with me for a bit." Le''s expression leaves no room for refusal.
Knowing that Bryn calmly nods before leaving other medical personnel to assist Hel. She then follows Lu to a far-off corner of the motorcade, where Lu suddenly turns around and ps her. The p was strong enough to knock her onto the ground, causing Hel and many to turn and take a peek. While Hel sighs with a shake of her head, others wisely choose to ignore themotion.
Being knocked down, Bryn sits up with one hand supporting her body while the other wipes a trace of blood from her mouth. Suddenly, Bryn''s chin is being lifted upward by a regal rapier made of fire, forcing her to look up into the pair of glowing amber irises. Bryn can only let out a tired smile when she sees Lu''s cier expression. "For what it''s worth... I''m sorry." Bryn says in self-me. "It''s my fault that she''s in such a state, I''ve messed up badly by not changing up our route. The enemy knew and used it to get to Yuki."
Smiling in a self-deprecating way, Bryn grasps the Rapier. Ignoring the burning caused by the hot de, Bryn points the tip of the rapier to her heart. "If my death can soothe your wrath and my guilt, then know that you need only press it forward."
Sharing a look with Lu, Bryn silently awaits her judgment. If she dies, then so be it. Even though she was manipted by Yuki, Bryn mes herself for falling into such a trick, causing Yuki harms on her watch. Bryn''s only regret is not being able to spend more time with her little Princess.
Taking in the sight of Bryn''s calm eptance, Lu breaks her cold facade atst. "Tsk... Seeing you like that," The rapier in her hand dissipates before she drops down, pulling Bryn into a hug. "how can I bear to punish you?"
Lu puts a hand on Bryn''s back while the other casts a spell to patch up her right palm. "We all make a mistake sometimes. Me, for approving Yuki''s shenanigans, and you for losing your touch. Yet," Hoisting Bryn up before leading her back to their vehicle, Lu adds. "if not for you and Yuki''s effort, the war wouldn''t be so heavily in our favor. And though our little girl is injured, she is now in the safe hands of her mothers and yours. Knowing our girl, she will be screaming at us to pick up the ck she dropped."
Bryn just obediently follows Lu, she''s still lost in her world. Sighing, Lu once again turns around, only this time, she pulls Bryn into a deep kiss. Her promiscuous action stuns Bryn, on instinct, she reciprocates the gesture though only for a short while. When she reboots her brain, Bryn pushes Lu out of the way, screaming. "What was that for!?"
Smacking her lips, Luments. "Taste refreshing, very nostalgic." She smirks before saying with arms crossed. "So you still have feelings for me, after all this time, that''s very ttering, Bryn. Nheless, I tasted a stray hesitation in your emotion. Let''s see, you have a budding love for someone, O ho~! That someone should be very close to us too!"
Leaning into Bryn, Lu whispers her hot breath into her ears. "It''s a given that you''re still attracted to me and Hel, so that leaves only one suspect. Yuki~!"
Lu snickers at her ex when she sees Bryn turning a shade redder. Nevertheless, they can''t be dilly-dallying around anymore. Crossing arms with Bryn, Lu pulls towards Hel. "Come, we can talk more in the limo."
Seeing that, Hel shakes her head at Lu''s antics before following them inside the car. In her hands is Yuki now being held in a princess carry. The W150 II and the entire convoy roars to life as they make their way to the Grand Sanctuary of Berlin. Looking over at the unconscious Yuki, now being given ap pillow by Hel, Bryn asks. "How is she?"
Hel opens her closed eyes, her hands still caressing Yuki''s gray hair while she replies. "For now, nothing life-threatening, no infection, no hard-to-fix internal injury. Once we get to the Sanctuary, I will proceed to remove the fragments there and flush her system of any poisoning. Don''t worry, though she will be out for a few days, Yuki won''t have any brain trauma."
Letting out a sigh Bryn doesn''t know she has been holding, she says. "Thanks,ing from you, that''s the greatest news I''ve heard these couple of days."
Smiling, Hel replies. "It''s but my duty, both as a mother and the Pope of the Yggdrasil Pantheon. Patching up my daughter is part of my holy missions."
Sitting from the sideline, with a hand on an armrest supporting her chin, Lu lightly smiles at their interaction. She opts to let the two lovabledies catch up with each other while she ponders in pleasant silence. Though she isn''t showing it outwardly, internally, she is mad with the me of revenge. Having received the ssified package, sent by an Einheri before Yuki''s arrival. Lu has perused everything and she now has all the justification she needs to do what she does best. And that is purging the traitors in holy me, of course, it can only happen when Yuki is safe and sound.
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Grand Sanctuary of Berlin is a holy site that surrounds the root of World Tree, it''s there that the Yggdrasil Pantheon spread its teaching across Belka. Primarily built out of ivory white material, the Sanctuary is a stark contrast to the Obsidian Castle in its coloring and function.
While the Castle is the nexus for the governmental bodies of the Reich to gather, thus, deciding the country''s future. The Sanctuary is the undisputed spiritual leader of the Belkan people. It''s at the Sanctuary that the most brilliant minds of the Reich gather in pursuit of academic, magic, and spiritual studies. And from this, many ingenious inventions and theorems are spawned, improving the life of Belkan citizens by leaps and bounds. There''s no other ce in the world that can achieve such a harmonious blend of wilful scientists, stubborn old mages, and hyperactive clerics. Truly fitting for the name Sanctuary.
It''s at such a Sanctuary that Yuki''s admitted into a hospital ward. There, the best medical team in the entire Reich is taking care of her together with Hel. Pacing outside the ward with a heavy smell of disinfectants, Bryn has lost count of how many times she has sighed and the circles she has made. Watching her from the sideline with a twitching eyebrow, Lu finally has enough. "Oh for the love of everything holy, can you sit down for a moment woman!"
Directing an anxious look at her Lu, Bryn can''t help but retort. "How can I do that when she''s still in there!" Pointing a finger at the medical ward before directing it at Lu, Bryn says. "Better yet, how can you be so calm!?"
Putting her hands on Bryn''s shoulders, Lu forcefully pulls her to a chair before dropping her on it. "That''s because I''ve full faith in Hel''s skill and that the Mother Goddess will bless her Chosen One. Now, be a good girl and stay still for a bit. Damn it, Bryn, you''re anxious like it''s your kid that''s in the ward. Though trust me, I know that feeling."
Bryn''s about to stand up and say something but the stern gaze from Lu keeps her in the seat. Giving up with her back resting on the chair, Bryn says with a sigh. "Maybe it wasn''t that far off, considering I''ve watched her grow up till now." Stopping for a bit, wondering whether she should say it or not, Bryn hesitates before continuing. "That and I''ve signed a soul pact with Yuki. Probably the main reason why I am now so anxious."
Bryn''s words shocked Lu into silence, mouth agape. Thankfully, aside from them in this corridor, none other are presented. Letting out a rueful sigh, Lu sits down next to Bryn before crossing her arms, asking. "Since when?"
"The day we arrived at Arash," Turning to look at her ex, Bryn adds. "and before you ask, I offered her everything and I really mean everything. Death won''t do us part." She softly whispers thest sentence. Yet, Lu''s ears can pick it up just fine.
"... You both are unbelievable."
Bryn smiles wrily before rifying. "Though we weren''t in the best of mind at that time, we don''t regret it. We''ve discussed it together ande to terms that we''re both important to each other."
Taking a deep look at Lu''s amber eyes, Bryn slowly moves her hand, holding Lu''s palm in a gentle squeeze. "The feeling she gives me is just like you two. A feeling of home and that my desires will be fulfilled in due time. I gotta admit, even though she was adopted, Yuki is strikingly simr to both your and Hel''s antics sometimes. Sometimes spoiled, other times serious, a few moments where she''s in mischievous. All the while never losing her confidence." She chuckles at thest part.
Lu is the same, feeling funny imagining abination of her and Hel, leading Bryn around the battlefield. "What can I say, she''s a little Devil..." She smiles proudly at first but loses her touch a secondter. "Yeah, that was a bad pun."
Directing a warm look at her ex, simr to the way how you look at a kid, Bryn responds. "You don''t say." Before she leans on Lu''s shoulder. "I miss this feeling."
With her right-hand holding Bryn''s palm, Lu moves her left to pat Bryn''s silvery hair. This earns her afortable groan from Bryn as they sit in pleasant silence for a few minutes.
Lu waits for a while before speaking up. "So, will you return to us? Not gonna lie, our nightly activities have a little less spark without you around."
Frowning, Bryn sits straight to bonk Lu in the head. "No horny. Must you break the peace we just had with your lust?"
Pouting, Lu says back. "In my defense, you''re too hot to be taken by someone else!" She stops before adding. "Though it will be hot to see you and Yuki get together. Oh my~, just imagining the forbidden love between a teacher and her student gives me the shiver." Lu looks at Bryn with a feverish gaze.
Though Bryn does entertain the idea sometimes, having grown closer to Yuki ever since they started their journey. She can''t help but blush when Lu said it out loud. "You''re unbearable!" She started punching Lu multiple times, lightly of course.
Laughing at the emotional side that Bryn only showed to her loved ones, Lu jokingly says back. "I give! I give! Goddess damn it, woman! Must your punches have to inflict +10 holy damage!?"
Scoffing at her words, Bryn crosses her arms before looking away. Chuckling wrily at her action, Lu pulls Bryn into a hug. "So? The offer stills stand."
Resting her head on Lu''s ample bosom, Bryn sighs before replying. "After spending time with Yuki, and the conversation we had before... I guess I truly look at Yuki in that light." Looking up into Lu''s amber eyes, Bryn says. "It''s wrong, but I am attracted to her. No, I am in love with her. Yuki makes my Valkyrie heart beatings much stronger than you toobine. And you know that a Valkyrie heart never beats until it meets its destined one."
Faking a hurtful expression, Lu says. "Ouch. You wounded my pride for saying that my daughter makes for a better lover than I am."
Pouting, Bryn retorts. "Don''t twist my words, damn it!"
Kissing Bryn''s forehead, Lu chuckles before saying. "Gosh, you''re so cute to tease. It''s fine, I understand your reason for the soul pact now." Looking further beyond the medical ward''s doors, she continues. "Yuki must also feel the same way. Treasure her, alright?"
Bryn scoffs. "That''s a given, she is too precious for me not to. And from now on, I won''t fail." Directing a determined gaze at Lu, Bryn promises. "Yuki is my everything." And for the first time in ages, Bryn''s sapphire eyes swirl a trace of golden light. From them, Lu can glean a mad obsession with the one notorious Valkyrie.
Smirking internally, Lu knows that Bryn will stick to her words. She is shocked when the swirl disappears and Bryn speaks up in a meek voice. "Join us..."
"Huh?"
"I say you both are wee to join us you oaf!" Bryn says louder before putting a hand to cover her mouth. She doesn''t want to disturb the operation in the ward.
Chuckling at her cute action, Lu asks. "Is that the proposal from the first wife to us, wanting us to join Yuki''s harem or something?"
Bryn exins with a finger scratching her blushing cheek. "Well, it stems from the fact that Yuki is very clingy in bed. Every night, I can feel her tremble with loneliness. It''s the reason why I am always near her whenever possible." Rolling her eyes at Lu, she says. "And it''s not like I don''t know about you and Hel''s obsession with your daughter. Yuki jokingly made a bet with me on who will make the first move between the two of you. I don''t think that she will be against the idea of us pursuing a love rtionship with her."
Lu guffaws at that. "Hahaha~, so she does know! That''s good, now I can be more open in my endeavor! Take that, Hel! Our daughter gave us the green light!"
"What greenlight?" The doors to the medical ward open, revealing Hel in a doctor''s attire. In response to her sudden appearance, both Lu and Bryn says at the same time. "Nothing!"
Some things are better left discussed discretely. Lu and Bryn agree to a mental consensus.
Being none the wiser, Hel pulls off her facemask before directing an amusing gaze toward the hugging couple. "So while I worked my bone to make sure Yuki doesn''t have any seque, you lot were flirting out here." She said with a scary smile, making the pair shudder. Still, Hel lets them off the hook, for now.
"It''s good to know you''re back with us, Bryn."
Smiling at her words, Bryn says. "Yeah... Is she fine now?"
Nodding, Hel answers. "She''s in aa, not the bad kind so she will wake up after a few days." Pulling out a container holding the fragments of the .55 caliber bullet, she adds. "Thankfully, the impact was kept as light as possible so it didn''t cause any irrecoverable brain trauma. I assume it was your doing?"
Nodding, Bryn waits for Hel to continue. "Anyway, she is perfectly fine. Though we''re still currently trying to find a suitable donor for her eye."
Rxing their tensed shoulders, the pair can rest easy now. "Thanks for your hard work, Hel." They stand up to pull Hel into a hug as gratitude.
Hel reciprocates their feeling before turning around to look at the person that juste out from the ward. "Aponia, anything you want to talk about with us? You''ve been having that thoughtful look ever since you see Yuki."
"My apology, Empresses, Lord Valkyrie, but I must speak about the threads of Her Highness. If I may..." She bows, letting her blond hair fall to the side.
Lu gestures at Aponia, a well-endowed woman in nun clothing, to continue. With Aponia being the strongest seer currently, Lu and the others know there must be something important she wishes to discuss.
Having received their permission, Aponia directs her blue eyes upward to say. "As you''ve known before, the Princess used to have a very linear fate line. So linear in fact that it was like the line was nned, every single step of the way. But now,..."
Noticing her hesitation, Bryn frowns before asking. "Has it changed?"
Nodding to the Valkyrie''s words, Aponia answers. "It has changed, so drastically that you cannotpare it to the old one. The line has splits to epass the entire world. Gone are the predetermined path, now, the Princess is truly free." Aponia sps her hand in a prayer gesture. "The Mother Goddess has blessed us by intertwining our fates with Her Highness, and I have no doubt others will also be sharing theirs with her. Together, we will help the Princess achieve greatness."
To say that they''re shocked by the revtion is an understatement. Ever since Yuki was adopted, her linear fate had proved to be a point of contention in their little family. As with such a fate, one basically doesn''t have a choice in their life. They brought it up to Mother Goddess Yggdrasil before, but she only says that it will be resolved in due time.
Now knowing that Yuki is truly free from the shackle of fate, they all feel hopeful for her future. Suffice it to say, her life from now on will be a fair bit steamy. That and some more worldly excitement to follow, gotta spice it up a little, you know.
Interlude 3: Für
Interlude 3: F¨¹r
In a dimly lit room, visible only by the faint moonlight from the window, a figure sits with a ss of wine in her hand. Her twinkling emerald hair would be a mesmerizing sight, if not for the unkempt state it''s in right now. Thedy behind the table is Avera Everwood, who is now weighing her failures. Twirling the now tasteless wine ss in her hand, the glistening red liquid reflects her sloppy attire. Pouring it onto the ground, Avera calls for her faithful Head Maid.
"Wake up my husband and daughter, we need to talk."
From the shadow of a curtain, Agent steps out and bows. "As you wish, Mistress." She fades away to fulfill her task, leaving Avera alone to tidy herself up.
The elvendy turns on the light before fixing her hair. She contemtes for a bit before leaving her attire be, no point in changing it out right now. Sitting unceremoniously on the chair, Avera uses the time before her family arrives to think about her life so far.
In the old world, Avera used to be a caring and peaceful woman. That changed when the human gods set their sight on her elven homes, their desire for cultivation resources there known no bound. Thus, they sent out armies to raze Avera''s city to the ground and piged it with anything of value. The men were forced to be ves and alchemy materials while women had it much worse. Avera was luckily led away safely by her quick-witted husband, yet, the loss of her family scarred her to this day. It was at this moment that Avera was hellbent on revenge. The corrupted Gods, all must die!
Avera, alongside her husband and like-minded individuals, formed an army in secret. When the drumroll of Ragnarok was heard across the realms and the Ruler of the End appeared. Avera was among the first to offer her allegiance to the female Ruler. Led by the Ruler herself, Avera''s army helped the Ruler to kill deities and gods and burned the old world to ashes. Though they paid the price of blood, none of the fallen regret picking up arms against Heaven. It was at Asgard, thest bastion of the old gods, that the Ruler stopped.
"You''ve served me well, but this is the end. Whates next, I need not your sacrifices. I dere your participation forgotten, you shall bear no sin in the annal of history. The sins of the world are on me and mine alone to carry." The Ruler''s words echoed, bending the universalws to her will. That day, causality was rewritten, Avera''s army dispersed, and like mindless puppets, they boarded Yggdrasil''s seed. Leaving Avera and a few others to stay behind.
Stepping up to her, the Ruler gave her a blessing. "As an aide, you dutifully fulfilled my every desire in our cause to rebuild the world. Though we acted in ordance to Yggdrasil''s whims, for her to reward you is out of the picture with my meddling in causality. Thus, I can only give you this boon." The Ruler touched her index finger, glowing a dark light on Avera''s forehead.
At that time, Avera felt a rush of unknown energy heading for her lower abdomen. Perplexed, she was about to pose a question to the Ruler but she was cut off. "Avera, when you wake up, it will be a new era. An era where all have but forgotten about our sacrifices, our purpose in destroying the world, the omniverse. So I want...No, I hope that you will be the living witness of what we''ve achieved. As the Archivist of the past, when you think the world is ready, spread our tale for all to know. If not possible, then let the past be buried by the Sand of Time."
The Rule crouched down before putting a palm on Avera''s stomach. "The boon I gave you was a Boon of Pregnancy. I hope that the daughter you will soon raise would be a caring one like the old Avera. Not the Avera of now that is full of prejudices, biases, and hatred. Now go, this will be our farewell." At herst words, Avera''s mind went nk.
Before she knew it, Avera woke up in the new world alongside many others. Yet, she''s the only one that could remember the past. Honoring the words of her liege, Avera sessfully sired a High Elf, her loving daughter Elysia. Raising her with the care and the best education she could provide, minus Avera''s bad sides, she hopes that one day, her daughter will be the greatest there is.
Sadly, it may not be possible for her to witness that.
*Knock* *Knock* "Mistress, excuse our intrusion." The door is opened, revealing her maid alongside her husband and daughter.
Letting them settle down, the maid heads out to make tea and light snacks.
"You''re here," Avera says with one hand tapping her desk, while the other supports her chin. She sighs before saying. "I lost."
Her husband, Wilheim, frowns before realizing her meaning. He too sighs before standing up and moving behind his wife. Putting his hands on her shoulder, he massages Avera and says. "For what''s worth... You''ve done well. It''s time for you to stop, Avera."
Avera closes her eyes, feeling the warmth and care that her husband is providing her. She revels in it for onest time. She looks at her daughter, now a fine woman, with care.
Elysia, her raison d''etre, shares a worrying look with her. "Mom, Father, what''s going on?" Her sky blue eyes and pink pupils quiver slightly in anxiety.
Smiling at her daughter, Avera cryptically says. "It''s just my wrongdoings, catching up with me atst. Though my liege bears the sins of old, the treacherous things Imitted now will damn my soul." Her words confused Wilheim and Elysia.
Shirking off her husband''s hands, Avera turns to offer an apologetic smile before moving to Elysia. She kneels on both her knees, grasping the palms of her daughter. "Elysia, do you know why I asked your father to discard hisst name, and for you to not have one?"
Shaking her head, Elysia responds. "That, I don''t know, mom. I''ve spected reasons but none makes sense."
Chuckling at Elysia''s words, Avera exins. "Well, the name Everwood bears the blood of an entire civilization. It''s not a pretty name, never been ever since that day. The things I did," Avera puts a hand on her heart. "none of them deserve to be passed on to my family. As my liege chose to bear the sins of her follower alone. I too shall do the same for my loved ones."
From her heart, a shining light, dwarfing even the many light bulbs in the study, appears. Forming a fist, Avera pulls out a ss ball, containing a plethora of multicolored light. "This is my Archive, containing it are the lost knowledge of a time long past and many more. Some are my forbidden research, others are things I stole from others... I now hand it for you to keep."
"Mother...!" Elysia is about to say something when Avera thrusts the Archive into her heart. After that, Avera caresses her daughter''s cheek.
"I''m sorry, the pain that''s about toe may prove unbearable to you." She said before Elysia keeled over with a heart-wrenching scream.
Wilheim rushes to his daughter, pulling her into his arms. He directed his anger toward Avera, shouting. "What the hell did you do to our daughter!?"
Offering a wry smile, Avera responds. "Passing on the torch, just as my liege had done to me."
"Who the fuck is this liege you''ve kept talking about!?"
Shaking her head, Avera says. "You wouldn''t get it."
It''s at this time that the maid return with theirte-night refreshments. Agent, seeing the screaming Elysia, has a frown on her face. "It seems to me the tea would be unneeded here."
Sporting an apologetic smile, Avera says. "That''s right, isn''t it? Sorry, I''ve wasted your effort." Without waiting for Agent''s reply, Avera addresses her panting daughter. "Elysia, soon, the Archive will integrate with you. And with it, you wille to understand everything, including my mission and desire. Use it, forget about it, pass it on to someone else, the choice is yours to make, my daughter. My journey has ended, but your is yet to begin."
Hugging Elysia onest time, Avera kisses her daughter on the forehead. "Myst wish for you is to find your other half, one that cherishes you no matter what. And from them, yourst name will be granted. Farewell, Elysia."
Standing up, Avera orders Agent. "You know what to do."
Bowing to her Mistress, Agent says. "As you wish."
Befuddled, Wilheim protests. "Avera, what''s going on? Just slow down and we can work through everything!"
Avera smiles lightly. "Sadly, my time has run out 2000 years ago." Her smile is thest thing Wilheim and Elysia notice before Agent knocks them out.
Sighing, Avera goes to pour herself a teacup. "Take them to Castle, whates next need not concern them."
Bowing towards her Mistress onest time, Agent says. "Of everything I''ve witnessed about you, it''s the love and dedication you showed to Elysia that I admired the most." Before a surge of darkness swallows them, teleporting them elsewhere.
Thus leaving Avera alone, her face now has a faint smile. "Coming from the undercover Einheri that''s been beside me all this time, that''s high praise. Truly, I''ve never had the chance from the get-go."
Avera finishes everything Agent made in perfect silence. After that, the elf packs up to head back to her territory. There, thest vestige of the previous era shall burn, onest time.
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Avera''s territory is a valley city nked by two lush forests. Aptly named Parallel Covert, the city is home to a poption consisting of 95% wood elves. Usually, the city tends to have a pleasant atmosphere as many of the denizens are peace-loving individuals. Yet, an oppressive atmosphere now lingers in the air as a strange smell of sulfur and searing heat waft through the city.
Sitting atop a hill, a bit away from the city popce, is Castle Itter, the headquarters of Avera''s supremacist faction. Soon to be their burial ground, also.
Avera, now dressed in an elven attire from the pre-Ragnarok period turns to peer over the horizon. "So she hase personally for my head. I''m ttered."
On top of a balcony of her castle, overlooking the square filled with her loyal soldiers, Avera addresses them.
"Here we stand at Castle Itter, waiting for the ones that usurped our rightful ce! Through means of espionage and intrigues, we have been gaining the upper hand in our just cause. In time, we should have been the final victor and our Elven pride should have been the one on the Throne of Obsidian. Yet, Yggdrasil waits for no one, the enemy is now hellbent on destroying us for good. They fear the power, the possibility my daughter possesses and now theye to im the lives of us all."
Unsheathing her one-handed sword, Avera points it toward the sky. "Yet, I will not let them off so easily! With my daughter now in safe hands, we have no qualmsying down our lives so that she can live on. For the future of elvish kinds, for the glory of the High Elf. We! Fight! On!"
"F¨¹r Avera! F¨¹r Elysia! Fight!" Echoed the many elven soldiers and Converted humans in the square. With their rifles raised high, they await the order from Avera.
With a wave of her hand, Avera shouts. "To your positions! Let theme!"
With a cry of acknowledgment, the soldiers disperse to the many emcements Castle Itter has. Leaving Avera to retire to the throne room in the inner castle. Sitting on her embellished wooden throne, Avera waits with a calm smile for the inevitable.
All of them will die today, one way or another, right beneath the storm cloud that''s fast approaching.
Chapter 26: Castle Itter
Chapter 26: Castle Itter
A sudden air raid siren is heard across the entirety of Parallel Covert, leaving many citizens confused. Though the confusion is short-lived when the Reichguards swiftly urged the civilians back into their homes or shelters. After that, under the watchful gazes of the popce, the Reichguards march toward Castle Itter and sets up a siege perimeter. The castle, defended by a mere 1000 men, now stands alone, facing an entire division of the most elite armed force in Europe.
Lucifer Rosetta de Venusia, proud Empress of Belkan Reich, is standing at the forefront of the 20000-strong force. Standing next to her is Brynhildr Valkyria, formally the Acting Commander of the 404th Ironblood Division, now the Vice Commander of the Reichguards present in the siege. Picking up her binocrs to scan the castle, Bryn shakes her head.
"They just don''t know when to quit, don''t they?" Shemented.
Understanding her meaning, Lu opens her closed eyes, revealing her glowing draconic pupils. "Then I don''t see the need for negotiators," Turning to look at her lover, Lu says. "I will open the door. After that, shoot first, ask questionster."
Sighing at Lu''s barely controble wrath, Bryn motions for the vanguards to recede. She, alongside other mages, deploys many barriers at the forefront of the formation. Then, they all feel their skin crawl, the air singe their eyes while their throats turn dry due to intense heat. The atmosphere trembles around Lu as she gathers a ludicrous amount of mana. Concentrating it in the palm of her right hand, Lu forms an orb of white me, pulsing intense light every second she holds it in her hand. Holding her right hand in front of her chest, palm upward to let the orb float above it, Lu says grimly.
"May the Mother Goddess has mercy on their souls for I shall have none." With her words as a cue, the orb pumped with days worth of mana flies straight to the castle. Faster than the eye can see, it breakthroughsyers of barrier on the traitors'' side, before impacting the castle gate.
The result is cataclysmic as the orb expands, sucking in oxygen at a rapid rate before exploding into an extremely high-temperature explosion. The stpletely destroyed the gate while copsing the Northern and Eastern wall sections. As the traitors are using the walls as their primary cover, the pressure wave kills off many of them. Those that are lucky enough to survive obliteration in the st radius, soon die a painful death of the subsequent rarefaction that ruptures their lungs in minutes. The ones at the fringes fair better if you think suffering many internal, invisible injuries, including burst eardrums and crushed inner ear organs, severe concussions, ruptured lungs, internal organs, and possibly blindness... is your cup of tea. Well, at least they live to tell the tale about surviving a thermobaric explosion. That is if they don''t get executedter, though.
The entire city of Covert watches in muted shock when they see a mushroom cloud rising above Castle Itter. For a few, they''re reminded of the warring time of Ragnarok as they tremble to contain their fear. Lu and her army stand in silence for minutes, waiting for the aftermath of her attack to settle down. Bryn takes the chance to wipe a bead of sweat from Lu''s eyebrow. "You should rest up, leave the remainder to us." She advises.
As Earth, or to be more precise, the Will of the World is still adapting to mana, it implements a strict restriction on how much mana one person can hold. This means that if Lu has enough mana to destroy a before, her body can only hold barely enough to break a castle. And even that takes time to muster up unlike the standard fireball or ice bolt spell. To say that Lu is tired is an understatement, yet, she can''t show her weakness in front of her mortal enemy.
"Don''t mind me, finish up the rebels at soon as possible." Lu turns to Bryn, putting a hand on her cheek. "And when you get to the leaders... Bring me to them."
Nodding with full seriousness, Bryn responds. "Your words are mymand."
Turning to the officers behind them, Bryn says but one word. "Attack!"
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Pushing forward with extreme prejudice, the Reichguardsshows no quarter for the struggling enemy. The surviving traitors are trying their best to stop the Reichguards, yet, find themselves on the back foot. The thermobaric explosion cost them arge portion of their strength. And since they''re surrounded, they can''t relocate soldiers from one nk to another. Leaving what used to be the main gate to be crushed by tank treads of the Reichguard. Sparing no mercy to the disabled elves at the fringe of the st, the Reichguard Panzer IIIs drive over them without a care. Leaving behind puddles of meat pastes and blood. Pointing their 75mm cannons upward, they fire on the wall sections holding the traitors.
The explosions rock the entire castle as elves and humans alike are falling everywhere, that or being crushed under piles of rocks. With the chance presented by the force at the castle''s main gate, the other nks intensify their assault. Soon, many holes in the walls of Itter appear under relentless attack from both inside and out. In no time at all, Castle Itter''s walls copsepletely. Making way for Reichguard infantries to storm inside. Learning from the tactics of the 404th Division, toons of winged soldiers raid the castle from the sky. Theynd on top of fortified towers and rooftops of buildings inside the castle''s courtyards, clearing out enemy holdouts. Thus preventing allied forces from being hit from the high ground.
Thanks to the coordinated effort from both the sky and ground. It takes only thirty minutes for the Reichguards to start attacking the Keep. By this time, the traitors have regrouped and fortified the Keep with whatever firepower they could get their hands on. As both sides exchanged fire with each other with a multitude of tracers and magic spells, a task force of elite Valkyriesnded stealthily on the Keep. Lead by none other than Bryn herself, she waves a hand for others to nt the explosives.
For this operation, Bryn has ordered the armory to make special breaching charges ording to a blueprint Yuki made in her spare time for fun. Though Bryn has an inkling that Yuki has made them so they can use it in this specific scenario, not just as a pastime interest. Moving on, with the charges in ce, the Valkyries flies back a short distance. After thirty seconds, the charges, ced in a spherical formation, explode. This copse a part of the roof down on the unsuspected elves. Using the chance, Bryn and her Valkyries dive down, gun-zing.
Forgoing a submachine gun, the Valkyries opt to use the full-auto-capable C96Es and ded weapons. The firepower of the 9x25mm bullet proves more than enough to kill an undefended soldier in one shot, elf or human alike. While using a melee weapon allows them to engage the enemy with swift deadliness in the confined corridors of the Keep. Bryn is using a simr loadout as the rest, a C96E and silver one-handed sword with ruby red handle and scabbard.
Utilizing the element of surprise, Bryn and the Valkyries start kicking down doors, killing those that resist while incapacitating those that surrender. By incapacitating, I mean shooting off their limbs or cutting their tendons. If they bleed out, well, that''s their fault for dying.
Soon, the grouppletely clear the internal barracks and armory of the Keep, not sparing even the medical bay. Thus cutting off further manpower and munition that is reinforcing the frontline. To ensure the swift defeat of the enemy, Bryn leads her Valkyrie to hit the defenders from behind.
Charging ahead, Bryn soon arrives at a tower. There, she sees a few elves and humans using their machine guns to suppress the Reichguards. Motioning for the Valkyries to move on to another set of targets, Bryn will clear the tower solo.
Sprinting forward silently, Bryn fires thest of her bullets into the backs of the machine gun crew, killing three of them. Putting away the empty pistol, she brandishes her de, now softly glowing red, before cutting a human soldier in half. His corpse leaves behind a noticeable charring smell.
Bryn slides to the ground to dodge a bullet from a Kar98 and with a swipe of her wings, she jumps at the dastardly elf. Running her de through the throat of the elf, Bryn hears the man gaggle while her de cauterizes the wound. Not wasting any time, she swings her de sideways, leaving his head barely attached to the body. Hoisting the rechambered Kar98, courtesy of the dead elf, Bryn fires a shot at another one''s head. Thus blowing his head away into pieces, painting the gray wall behind him red.
Dropping the rifle, Bryn rushes deeper into the tower, swinging her de Goddess knows how many times. Each time her silver de shines is each time a charred corpse is left behind. Still, Bryn is suddenly halted at a corridor where the enemy has wisened up. The traitors are using an MG-34 as an overwatch, waiting for Bryn to appear. Though it''s not the first blockade shees across, this one is protected by ayer of barriers. Conventional bullets won''t be enough.
Scanning the Keep''syout, Bryn notices there is a set of rooms running parallel with the corridor, ending right next to the little blockade they set up. Curving her lips upward, Bryn starts conjuring up a spell. Said spell is a holographic illusion, one she learned from Yuki herself.
A few secondster, a lifelike projection of her appears. Bryn sends it to walk into the ambush while she runs stealthily into the rooms she spotted. Reaching the end, Bryn looks at the wall section behind which the enemy is standing behind. She reloads her C96 before putting a hand on the wall to use an ice spell. The spell will lower the temperature of the wall till it''s breakable with her bare hands.
A momentter, the traitors fire their MG-34 and whatever guns they have at Bryn''s illusion. While the illusion is fading away in specks of blue light after many bullets have hit it. Bryn breaks apart the frozen wall with her fist before running through. She fires three well-ced shots at the heads of the enemy before pulling her de out in a horizontal swing. Her quick strike cut off the head of two more human traitors. Done dealing with them, Bryn kicks down the door at the end of the corridor. Behind them are thest soldiers still alive in the tower, still busy engaging the Reichguards outside. With an emotionless gaze, Bryn points her C96 at their back.
*BANG* *BANG* BANG* *BANG* *BANG* BANG* *BANG*
Firing off herst seven rounds in quick session, Bryn ims the life of the seven remaining enemies. Pulling out another magazine from her vest, Bryn reloads her C96 before turning around. There are still more sections in the Keep to be cleared with the great hall will be leaving forst. Knowing the opponent, Avera, no doubt the woman will be there waiting for them.
Lu will be dealing with her soon.
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Sitting on her throne, Avera can feel every shock and tremble made by the raging battle outside. Far away, albeit a bit muffled, death cries and dying words of her loyalists can be heard. Some beg for mercy, others hold on to their firm belief of supremacy, even until theirst breath. Thetter brings a smile to Avera''s face, knowing that they were true believers in her distorted elven supremacist cause.
Ironically, whatever power she gains by building such a faction, all will be handed to Elysia in due time. An Elysia that holds no bias towards any races, rather, she shows them love and caringness befitting a High-Elf.
Avera lightly smile with closed eyes. She imagines a world where her faction is put in power with Elysia at the helm. There, her loving daughter will have whatever she needs to change the world. Making it great again ording to her promise to the Ruler. Such a world would be a dreame true for Avera.
"If ites to pass, that is..."
Avera opens her eyes to look at the double door across the throne room. Behind them stands thest of her loyal guards, nowying in their pool of blood. The blood even seeps under the door, darkening the green carpet leading to the throne.
Putting on a cold smile, Avera knows that her time hase.
*CREAK*
The door swings open with Reichguards running inside, their steps create pitter-patter sounds when stepping on blood. nking two sides of the throne room, dozens of muzzles are now pointing at Avera. Still, she never bothers to look at the Reichguards, they''re not worthy of her attention. Rather, Avera keeps her eyes beyond the door, waiting for the visage calmly approaching.
*Step* *Step* *Step*
Echoing clearly across into the silent hall, the blood on the ground part way to greet the fair Empress of thend, alongside her attendant. An air of sulfur and heat rush up to overwhelm Avera when the new arrivals step into the room.
Not disturbed, Avera stands up to perform a curtsy the Elven way. She put her left foot slightly behind while bowing. Her left hand is put behind her back while her right is put on her heart, making a fist.
"It''s an honor, my Empress. You tter me bying here in person."
Coming to a stop ten meters away from the throne, Bryn standing behind her to the right by two steps, Lu replies. "For what you did, it''s right by me toe and meet you, face to face." She crosses her right hand beneath her bosom while the left rest on it, her left palm caressing her cheek as she looks around. "Nice architecture you have here. Befitting of the old Elven Royalty should they still exist. Sadly, the ce is a bit unkempt."
Smirking, Avera replies. "I strive to impress, Your Majesty. Although it has been desecrated, as you can see, it takes little to no effort for you to clean it up."
They then share a look before both chuckles. Yet, their eyes betrayed their murderous thoughts. The atmosphere tenses up while the air itself seems to vibrate as the two leaders are having a battle of will. Bryn puts a hand on the sword hanging on her left hip, readying herself in case Avera rushes at her liege. The two keep the staring contest for five minutes straight, ignoring the Reichguards moving about to secure the rest of the Keep. It ends when both Lu and Avera just shrug with a smile on their faces, Avera says.
"As expected, you''re not only onepetent Empress but also a great mother." Pulling out her emerald-colored saber with a floral hilt, Avera ces it in front of her chest. "Even I, feel myselfcking in front of your figure. Yet, I find that I must stand up to challenge Your Majesty for onest bout. Lest I make everything I''ve done, meaningless."
Lu materializes her me rapier before swinging it to the right, leaving behind a trail of sparkles in the process. "To be honest, knowing you for so long, I am pleasantly surprised to see you not sporting the condescending attitude. Such was your trademark for a while, no?"
Smiling wrily at Lu''s remark, Avera rifies. "Well, the clown has to keep up his act to thest moment. My time hase to dispense such meaningless acting."
Squinting her eyes, Lu says. "As expected, you''re a woman with a purpose. Though I can surmise your reasoning and even respect you for it, you still crossed a line that you shouldn''t." Lu now loses her smile. "I now judge your soul as guilty and your soul will be sent to Hell by me."
"... The time for talking is over, so it seems." Showing the side of her de at the Lu, Avera says. "This de is coated with Weeping Ivy, one nick from it will send you into an eternal slumber. Whoever draws first blood, wins. I trust you have no issue with that?"
Rather than answering, Lu lets her de glows a shade redder. The blood from the ground starts floating before fusing into her de, causing it to let out a visible bloody aura.
"The de of Sinners, a fitting weapon for this asion," Lumented, earning a nod from her opponent. "one nick from it will send a death curse to your heart."
They trade one final look at each other, seeing the conviction in their eyes. Then, without a signal, both charge forward.
*CLANK*
Meeting des at the halfway point, sparks crackle in the air before both sides disengage. Avera then sends out a flurry of shes from her saber, aiming to overwhelm the thinner rapier. Calmly facing the assault, Lu uses her de to parry the blows to the side. Her lighter de allows her a much faster response time than the heavier saber. Avera knows that so each sh she sends out much be measured carefully, lest Lu has a chance to riposte. Just one small cut equals death, after all.
The duel rages on for a couple more minutes with Lu still maintaining her defense. Ever since the start of the battle, Lu hasn''t sent out any thrust at all. From a bystander''s perspective, you may even say that she''s in a disadvantageous position. Yet, Lu and Avera know better than most who are winning. Beads of sweat are already appearing on Avera''s forehead, she is losing stamina quickly. As for Lu, her cold facade still hasn''t cracked one bit.
After a few more engagements, Avera makes her first andst mistake in the duel. She fails to control her strength, overexerting it in a vertical sh. Lu seizes the chance and diverts the saber straight to the ground. Having no choice, Avera is forced to abandon the de to dodge an iing thrust to her heart. Then, she pulls out her backup dagger to parry another thrust from Lu. Being forced on a constant retreat with each thrust from Lu, Avera is being backed into a corner with no ce else to maneuver.
Knowing that her end is nigh, Avera does the unthinkable. She waits for Lu to thrust before shing her dagger heavily on the rapier, making it barely miss her side. Then, using her left hand, she grasps the de thus making Lu unable to use it. Ignoring the ck curse markings heading up from her bleeding palm to her heart, Avera goes in for the kill. Unfortunately for her, Lu already anticipated such a move.
With her lips mouthing. "I win." Before settling down for a cruel smile. Lu watches when the dagger is stopped by her sharp metallic tail. Before Avera can react, Lu flourishes her tail, flinging the dagger and Avera away.
Avera hits a wall, hard, with her dress torn up by Lu''s draconic tail. A line of blood is seen running across her abdomen. The Sinners'' curse is also eating its way up to her heart. Her life is running on a timer.
Despite that, Avera chuckles. "Fair and square, I''ve been defeated."
Lu strolls forward leisurely, her heels echoing in the now silent throne room. Pointing the tip at Avera''s heart, shements. "It was an interesting fight, no spell, no trickery, just pure physical prowess. You sure lost your touch by forgetting about my tail, though. Have I kept it hidden for so long that people are now forgetting that I''m the Devil?"
Smiling wrily at Lu, Avera asks. "So? You want to finish it with a thrust to the heart, or I will die a slow and painful death by the curse?"
Curving her lips upward, Lu answers. "I would much prefer the second choice."
Avera knows that''s her punishment, being eaten inside out by the curse once it reaches her heart. Even that is a light judgment for what she had done in the past, however.
Yet, it''s not her fate to die today. Oh no, Avera still has some uses for the Reich.
*SWOOSH*
A silvery sh appears from the side, cutting off Avera''s cursed arm while Lu dodges to face the sudden intruder. In response to the attack, all the guns now train at the white figure that just appeared. Bryn presses forward to step in between Lu and the new arrival, guns, and sword at the ready. No one noticed how the figure managed to get into the middle of the throne, even assaulting Avera right under their noses. Lu and Bryn frown when they register the fact. The person smells like trouble.
In response to the wary gazes, the figure bows with her tinum white hair cascading to her sides. "Greetings, I am Alina." Straightening her back with her sliver scythe''s pommel stabbing in the ground, Alina continues saying. "I am an Einheri, serving under the Princess of Iron and Blood in the name of our Mother Goddess, Yggdrasil. And I''vee bearing news."
Though cautious, the way Alina introduces herself lessens the intensity of Lu''s and Bryn''s stares. Lu waves for her guards to stand down, letting them keep watch on other angles instead.
Opening her mouth, Lu says her query. "An Einheri, what news that is so important enough for the Mother Goddess to deploy you as a messenger?"
Shaking her head, Alina directs her dark brown eyes at Lu before saying. "Not the Mother Goddess, she is taking a bystander role for today. Instead," From Alina''s left palm, a green magic circle lights up. Because of it, Avera stops bleeding from her abdomen, and even the wound from having her arm cut off is closed. The woman barely managed to scrunch up a smile on the sideline while Aline continues speaking. "it''s the Princess herself that ordered me toe here."
"She is awake!?" Lu eximed in pleasant surprise while Bryn sported a light smile.
"Yes, and though this may sow discontent with you," Alina brandishes her scythe, her eyes showing a dead seriousness. " Her Highness asked me to keep the woman alive."
Chapter 27: Project Chaldea
Chapter 27: Project Chaldea
"Yes, and though this may sow discontent with you," Alina brandishes her scythe, her eyes showing a dead seriousness. "Her Highness asked me to keep the woman alive."
*Click*
In response to Alina''s action, Bryn slightly pulls out her sword. Members of the Reichguards also tense up, ready to engage if need be. Though Alina is a revered Einheri and has a fearsome reputation as a soldier of Mother Goddess, she is ultimately not a part of the Belkan military nor its governmental body. Alina only answers to two people, Yggdrasil the Mother Goddess, and Yuki the Goddess''s Chosen One. So, Bryn and the Reichguards, under the directmand of Lu, are perfectly fine with pointing a weapon at the woman. After all, they''re trained to be loyal to the Empress, not the religious body that is the World Tree. In fact, conflicts of interest between the two running factions of Belka aren''t a rare urrence. Nheless, this is the first time that both sides point their weapons at each other.
Alina understands the underlying political implications if they trade blows with each other. Hence, she mentioned that her order came from Yuki herself, ying at the heart of Lu. After all, no matter how she wants a good fight, Alina can''t cause trouble for her liege. She does not doubt that Lu is also thinking the same. The woman treasures her daughter too much to upset the girl.
So, even though she really wants to end this charade once and for all, Lu chooses to relent. "Everybody, stand down!" Dispelling her rapier, Lu continues while looking Alina in the eyes.
"Our questions will be answered when we''re done here. Now tell me, Yuki asked to keep this woman alive, so there must be a reason."
"For that, I will need to lead you to the secret this castle is hiding. There, the elf will have much to say." Alina directed her sight at Avera. Knowing the meaning behind her words, Avera can only smile wryly.
Taking the initiative, Avera speaks up. "Since you already know about what''s underneath this castle, I see no reason why I shouldn''t lead you there. Be warned, what''s down there won''t be pretty."
Hearing the seriousness in Avera''s words, Lu and Bryn frown. Still, they need answers. Ones that will hopefully shed some light on Yuki''s motives.
Letting Avera stand up on her own, albeit with a bit of a struggle, they all follow behind the woman. Alina included, though she opts to remain hidden with a camouge spell. Surprisingly, the spell isn''t artifacting like the one the Night Witches use. This allows Lu and Bryn to infer that the Einherjar isn''t being restricted by the world, unlike them.
That begs the question if that''s the case, what''s stopping Yggdrasil and Yuki to use the Einherjar to st the enemy with army-killer magics? It''s food for thought at ater date.
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The group moves across the tattered castle, its elven decoration is now tainted with blood and dust. What used to be a venerable witness of ancient history, is now but a ce filled with dead, gore, and ruins. Along the way, they see other Reichguards cleaning up the site for valuable intel or just putting away bodies. Aside from Avera, none of the traitors present at Castle Itter survive. It was a blood bath that dwindled the already low number of wood elves. It will take the rest a lot of effort to continue the bloodline, making sure that they won''t go extinct.
After making their way down many flights of stairs and into a basement, one of the Reichguards moves to turn on the lighting system. The flickering lights illuminate not only speckles of dust in the air, but also a pair of greenish steel doors. The dusty condition here suggests that the ce has been abandoned for quite some time.
Bryn motions for the Reichguards to check the site, wary of a potential trap. Avera, seeing her cautiousness, chuckles with a grimace. "There won''t be any trap here, Brynhyldr, not even behind the doors."
Scanning the doors with signs of them being welded shut, Lu can even infer traces of a permanent barrier being cast on them. And albeit barely, Lu can feel a stench of death in the sealed-off room. Whatever it is being stashed here, it won''t be pretty, Lu''s instinct told her.
"Do tell, what is it that you are hiding here?" Lu questioned Avera with her arms crossed. The woman in question just shrugs. "A failed investment of mine, one Project Chaldea. Though saying anymore won''t be as effective as seeing it for yourself."
That''s the cue for Alina to appear, she materializes her scythe, and faster than the eyes can see, she cuts apart the doors. The doors, now turn into chunks of metal with the edges glowing red hot, fall heavily to the ground. This kicks up a heavy wave of dust that Bryn then uses a wind spell to clear for them to see. Before that, Alina has already stepped inside the now revealed chamber where an unpleasant secret is buried. Holding her scythe up high before mming the end of its shaft onto the floor, a wave of mana flows out because of her action. The mana powered up the equipment inside the chamber, shedding light onrge constructs of the sort, covered up by curtains.
Following Alina''s footsteps, Lu and the rest move in with Avera in tow. "What is this ce?" Lu pondered.
Alina answers. "The ce of buried childhoods and dreams." Before she snaps her fingers.
The curtains blocking their view obey Alina''smand, they retract to showcase the most nauseous sight they''ve ever seen. Behind the curtains are medical pods containing not just a green liquid, but also brains and eyeballs! And there are at least a thousand such pods in this chamber alone!
Disturbingly, the eyeballs move, darting everywhere when light from the world outside the curtains bombarded their view. Finally, a thousand pairs of eyes rest on their group, it''s such a disgusting sight that a Reichguard can''t help but express himself.
"What the fuck!?" He said what was on everybody''s mind at that time.
It doesn''t take a genius to find out that the brains in the pods, somehow, are still alive after all this time. Lu feels her skin crawl with repulsiveness, she can feel the desperation in the gazes. And if her instinct is correct, Goddess please don''t be, all the brains here belong not to adults, but to children!
"Avera!" Lu screamed out the ursed name, Bryn was fast to act with her de already on the neck of the elf. Just one word from Lu, she will cut off the head of this damnable elf. "Talk!"
Lu''s voice leaves behind a deep grumble. Though Lu prided herself to be a Devil, the ultimate Devil, she also has draconic blood running in her vein. Now, as if being touched on her reverse scale, Lu is slowly releasing a draconic aura onto Avera.
Though sweating heavily, Avera still maintains her grin. "Years ago, during the time we first integrate ourselves to this Earth. We received a rude awakening in the form of our powers being suppressed by the world. One of them is Divination, an aspect we elves take pride in. Unable to ept that we lost ess to our main strength, the seers, we did some research. Divination is a high-requirement spell, that needs a vessel that has a strong soul and mind to cast. With both being suppressed by the world, we sought ways to expand the existing vessels with limited sess. Still, it provided us with groundworks to build up into Project Chaldea, the ce you''re in right now."
Unafraid of the de, Avera uses her remaining hand to put away Bryn''s de. She calmly strides forward to the middle of the chamber, all the while saying. "Knowing that it''s very hard to break the restraints imposed on us by the world, we thought up a solution to bypass it. And that was to create a vessel of our own, born on Earth, yet strong enough to match the Previous Era''s most powerful seer."
Walking to an analog console, Avera presses some buttons before injecting a strand of mana on a nearby pedestal. Suddenly, the floor opens up, revealing a sunkenpartment. The elf operates the console for a few seconds before thepartment rises. Now in full view, Lu sees that it''s another one of those medical pods, albeit bigger. This particr pod is containing a female child with short ck hair, floating in the green life-support liquid.
Avera approaches the pod, cing a hand on her creation. "This was our attempt, utilizing techniques and technologies lost to time, we made an artificial vessel. Ironically, though we sought to revitalize elven Divination art, the result is a child not dissimr to a human."
To say that Lu''s shocked would be an understatement since Avera was ying God right under her nose! Back in the Previous Era, before Ragnarok, lifeform creation wasn''t all that strange in the Omniverse. There were three ways to perform the feat: Scientifically, magically, and godly. With science, ones can create automata or androids that can achieve true sentience. By using magic, you can create golems or spirits that slowly grow to have their own soul. And by godly, Lu means that if you have a deep enough understanding of the Laws of Creation and Soul, you can create the perfect lifeform such as dragons or devils. Nevertheless, with Ragnarok and the eventual Omniversal wipe after it, only the Mother Goddess is privy to the knowledge of how to perform such feats. Even Hel, a Goddess with divinity in Life, also doesn''t know how to create life, thanks to her knowledge being sealed.
Lu has an inkling suspicion that Yggdrasil, the Mother Goddess, doesn''t want people running left, right, and center tomit taboos, just like Avera here. Because to create life, a suitable price must be offered like arge quantity of mana and lifeforce. And to create a powerful vessel to rival the strongest seer as Avera said, mana and lifeforce alone wouldn''t be enough. Lu is forced toe face to face with the conclusion she dreaded the most.
Having arrived at the answer to the sight she just witnessed, Lu can''t stop herself from wrapping her tail around Avera''s neck. Yanking it back, hard, she forces Avera onto the ground. "Damn it, woman! Just how many children have you sacrificed!?"
Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Avera snickers before answering. "We lost counted after reaching the thousand... Cough, cough! There was a time when we tried to target your daughter... Though we gave up when you adopted her out of the blue."
Lu knows that to create a vessel that these wood elves needed, one needs to have materials of the highest purity in form and essence. And who can supply them best than children? Considering that a child''s soul is both innocent and malleable, they make for the perfect ingredient in this case. Yet, her rage reaches its peak when Lu knows that they tried toy a hand on her daughter! Judging from the timeline, she wasn''t even nine months old by then!
Letting out a growl from the depth of Hell, Lu uses her tail to m Avera hard onto the floor again, cracking it in the process. A part of her, her wrathful side, is screaming at her to snap the woman''s neck for the treacherous act. Lu couldn''t help but imagine that if they werete in the adoption for one day, Yuki would have died and been forgotten by the cruel world. She couldn''t ept such a scenario and she almost submits to her rage but Alina intervenes.
"Your Majesty!" The woman''s sentence smothers her wrath, only for a moment. "Remember that Yuki wants the woman alive!"
Still, Lu only lessens her hold on Avera when Bryn puts a hand on her shoulder. The woman in question only shakes her head at Lu. "We still have questions unanswered. Let her continue before we decide on anything."
"Tsk..." Lu knows that they''re right to stop her, yet she doesn''t feel any better because of it. Everything about Yuki is her reversed scale so knowing that this woman has threatened her life many times, Lu won''t contend with giving her a painless death. Avera will suffer!
Though the decision may not be her to make.
Sitting up with a struggle, Avera wipes the blood from her mouth. The woman is in pain, very much so, but she has nothing else to lose so why be afraid? After all, she''s lived long enough.
"We sacrificed the children of many races, human, dwarf, yokai, even demi-god,... Using their flesh and blood, we''ve grown the body. As for the souls, we used a forbidden art, not dissimr to the ones used by necromancers of old, to break them down into their purest form of energy which is Astral energy. We pumped the vessel with Astral energy in vain hope for it to coalescence into a soul, one without limitation like ours. And to ourplete surprise, it worked. There exist a soul in the vessel, we''ve seeded in ying God!"
God, the word that Lu and Bryn dread to hear. For aside from the Mother Goddess, many of the Old Gods were insufferable lifeforms, the epitome of arrogance. And now, they''re witnessing the retelling of a mortal, performing the heinous acts, not unlike the Old Gods.
"Yet, it wasn''t enough!" Avera said with augh of a defeatist. " No matter what we did, the soul remains dormant, the vessel refuses to wake up. Though the Project seeded in creating the vessel, we can''t use it. After investing so much, we couldn''t ept giving up, not when the literal future of our race rested on this Project. So, wemitted more unforgivable crimes."
Ignoring Alina, who now starts moving around to prepare something, Avera takes a breather before continuing. "We theorized that the vessel needs external stimtion to wake up, hence we sought for more children across the world, primarily from orphanages. Like before, we used their flesh and blood to empower the vessel. Only this time, we preserve the brains and souls before connecting them with the vessel. We hoped that the hyperactive mind of many children would stimte the vessel to wake up. And once again, we''ve failed. No matter what we''ve done, she wouldn''t open her eyes."
"Oh Goddess, all those children..." A female Reichguard prayed to Yggdrasil, her motherly instinct ached at the atrocity Avera did.
No sane person will be able to stay calm in this ce, hearing such an atrocious tale.
Chuckling at their uneasiness, Avera continues. "Chaldea was a Project to create the most powerful seer, able to predict or answer anything she is queried with. She''s the living personification of a quantumputer, ording to the Previous Era''s scientists. No doubt us elven kind would have dominated the world with her help. Yet, in our pursuit of greatness, we put even bona fide Evil God to shame. We''ve achieved nothing at the cost of everything. Unable to continue, we mothballed the Project," Turning to look at the vats, the medical pods containing the children''s brains and eyes, Avera mutters with an emotionless gaze. "And we''ve doomed a generation into perpetual suffering..."
No one can say anything during her confession. To be honest, what can you even express at this point? Rage? Grief? Hatred? What can they even say in front of the children, forced to suffer by the wantonness of the adults?
In the end, they can only swallow the bitter pill, knowing that the process is irreversible and words are useless. The only option left is to put an end to their suffering, and let them be embraced by the Mother Goddess. Let them rest.
"This has gone on for long enough." Lu said darkly. She had heard enough to make a judgment on Avera''s sins. A part of Lu regrets that others of Avera''s cohort died in the raid. They have the easy way out of what''s about toe.
Alina picks this moment to interject, having finished her preparation. "Your Majesty, if I may?"
Frowning, Lu looks at the Einheri. "Now what?" Her voice carried a trace of impatience.
"While I understand your need to punish this vile woman, it''s time to tell you Her Highness''s objective. By keeping the elf alive till now, we can use her to wake up the sleeping beauty in the pod. The process no doubt will cost her life, and we can make the sacrifices here, worth it."
"What!?" Avera is shocked that she is the means to finish the Project. While Lu and Bryn eximed in surprise because Alina''s words, mean that Yuki knows about this ursed Project from Goddess knows when.
Knowing that she has to rify the matter, Alina speaks up. "Please don''t misunderstand, Her Highness only knew about this recently when she ordered the Einherjars to investigate Castle Itter. Frankly, she and we all are disgusted with the depravity this Castle has been hiding. Still, the notion of a biological quantumputer is too good to pass up, especially in the tumultuous period we''re in. Which is why the Princess instructed me to lead you here, for you to make a choice..."
Lu finishes the sentence. "To let the past be buried, or to finish what they started and give some meaning to the deaths."
Alina nods at her words. She and the others stay quiet to let the Empress makes her decision. As a mother, Lu can''t justify the death and suffering of these children, she wants nothing more than for Avera to burn in the Ninth level of Hell. Yet, as a ruler, with such a tactical advantage presented before her, Lu must ept the losses and move on. She has to get the girl to wake up.
Steeling her resolve, Lu asks. "You confident that her death can wake up the girl?"
Alina responds in a heartbeat. "What the girl iscking is a trigger. Said trigger is the experiences in life: how to wake up, how to walk, how to talk... She needs a mature soul, so to speak. By sacrificing Lady Everwood here, converting her mature soul into Astral energy before injecting it into the girl, we can wake up the Sleeping Beauty."
Turning to look at Avera, who now sports an eptance smile, Lu says with finality. "Then do it, wake up the girl."
"As you wish, Your Majesty." Alina bowed before dragging Avera to a magic formation carved into the floor.
Avera isid down in the middle of the formation, and from there, gutters and pipes spread out, intertwining with the carvings before connecting to the medical pod. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out that they will be used to transfer Avera''s essence into the sleeping girl.
With a twirl of her scythe, Alina channels her mana into the magic formation, lighting it up in a sickening green. Knowing her time hase, Avera says herst words.
"I just wanted to make the world a better ce for my daughter, for my liege..."
Shaking her head, Lu replies. "No, you don''t. You wanted to shape the world into your misguided view. Whatever ounce of respect I have for the love you have for your daughter, is now gone." Though Lu ponders a bit on the liege Avera mentioned, for sure that isn''t Lu she''s speaking of. "Nevertheless, I give you my words that your family will be taken care of. As long as they don''t follow in your footsteps, they will be fine."
Letting out one smile, Avera''s consciousness ckouts when the formation gives out a blinding sh of light. Then, her body crumbles, her flesh melts while her blood seeps onto the formation. Her soul, being anchored by the sacrificing spell, breaks down into a gaseous energy form. After that, the formation directs her essence into the medical pod containing the girl.
The life-support fluid in the pod starts boiling before slowly turning blood red. Even after the formation stop glowing, leaving behind nothing of Avera, the absorption process in the pod continues for five minutes. While Lu and the rest watched with unwavering eyes. Avera deserved an end like this, dead to the very thing she sought to create.
Thest bit of red being absorbed into the girl also marks the end of the process. Alina operates a console to drain the fluid, letting the girl''s body be supported by the wiring attached to her. She opens the ss panel of the pod, allowing the rest to take a closer look at the girl.
The girl has a body of ten years old at best. Short ck hair and extremely pale white skin. She looks no different than a doll while her chest moves up and down in rhythmic breathing. Suddenly, her eyelids open, revealing her eyes that are golden in color. In them, a trace of confusion is apparent before it''s quickly reced by an inquisitive but scared look. Her mood swing doesn''t escape Lu''s and Bryn''s notice.
With a bit of a struggle, probably due to her not being used to her vocal cord, the girl asks. "Who... are you? Who... am I?"
Lu thoughts internally. ''Seems like the process was a sess, just like the Einheri promised. Though dealing with the aftermath, will be tough work...''
Seeing the girl''s insecurities, Lu moves up to pat her on her head. "Hi there, I am Lucifer. You may call me Lu, girlie. Now be a dear and stay still, let us get you out of your bindings."
Though still wary, the warmth from Lu''s hand patting her head dissuade her fear somewhat. So, the girlplies with Lu''s request. "Um!"
Letting out a caring smile, Lu thinks to herself Yuki may get a sister soon.
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^2
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^2
A figure of blueish-white light is sitting in front of arge holographic screen, the screen is showing the sight of a burning castle. Sitting cross-legged with one hand supporting her head, she has a thin smile on her face.
"Another sessful step closer to aplishing your goal. Truly, even I am surprised how your ns keeping to fruition, Star."
Leaning back on her chair made out of the finest fragrant wood, the figure is about to change the holographic disy when she hears something.
"Ara~, it seems like I have a guest." She looks up past the roof of her house with a Chinese aesthetic. From above, the sound of a propeller spinning is heard, approaching closer and closer.
Then, suddenly, her roof is crashed through by a miniature aircraft. The aircraft breaks into bits and pieces, and alongside the wreck of her wooden roof, it creates a mess of dust and wood chips mere steps away from her.
With a raised eyebrow, she waits for the dust to settle before doing anything. She has an inkling of what the hell just happened. Her guess is corrected when, from the pile of rubble, a familiar slime jumps out. She chuckles when the slime turns red before ''kicking'' the wrecked airne with its tentacle. Its kick makes the still slowly spinning propeller of the craft disconnect from the body.
"Well, that''s one way to make an entrance, though I will have to clean that mess you madeter. Do you have anything to say about that?" The figure said with a smirk. It amuses her to no end when the slime turns around, now colored blue while scratching its ''head'' sheepishly.
"It''s fine, no need to apologize. Since this is my personal space, I can fix it up in a jiffy. Look" The figure points out a hand, making a counter-clockwise motion. Then, the ruble sorts itself out, dividing it into two parts. One part flies up to fix the hole on the roof, and the other remakes itself into the miniature aircraft the slime used to get here.
"There you go." The figure said. "Your ride is fixed while my house is patched up. All is fine in the end. So, I presume that you suddenly got transported, here again, right little friend?"
The slime nods, before hopping over to a now materialized seat that the light figure made for it. It settles down in thefortable chair, before expressing its confusion.
The figure listens to it attentively, she too is befuddled by the slime''s sudden teleportation to her domain. After hearing the slime retelling its tell, shements. "So you''re telling me that you''ve been working on your story per usual. While in the middle of researching aircraft branding for your new chapter, you got sucked into a strange vortex, again. Only this time, you somehow were in control of a miniature aircraft before crashing here. As expected, your tale managed to confuse even me."
She stops to ponder before saying. "Though I have a hypothesis on why you keep being sent here. It may have to do with the Void being unstable due for certain reasons, thus it creates vortexes that enable universal travel. It''s unknown whether you''re unlucky or lucky enough to encounter said vortex twice, all arrived at the same ce that is my domain. Even so, the process usually doesn''t end well for mortals. For you to make two trips here, safe and sound, is telling on you having a good affinity with the Void. I do wonder how ites to be, however."
Listening to her hypothesis, the slime fells into deep thought with a tentacle on its ''chin''. Ultimately, it fails toe up with anything so the slime just shrugs.
"I guess our questions will be answered in due time." The figure concluded the topic. She and the slime agree that while the situation is strange, it''s not important enough to warrant them searching for answers.
The time spent on a wild goose chase is better off being used to converse over some tea.
Waving a hand over a tea table, the light figure materializes a set of tea and sweets. "Cookie?" She asked, passing over a butter cookie for the slime.
epting the treat with both ''hands'', the slime quivers its body up and down as thank you. "You''re wee, the cookie goes well with the mental cleansing tea I prepared. The tea should help freshen up your mind, enough for you to continue working on your storyter."
The slime nods, taking a few bites out of the delectable cookie before gently, it picks up a teacup. Taking a sniff out of the crystal-clear liquid, the slime can feel its fatigue fade away. It can''t help but take a sip of the warm tea the figure prepared. Instantly, its mind is cleared of confusion and tiredness.
Truly, it was a tea that authors and writers would kill for.
The figure chuckles when she sees the euphoric state the slime is in. "I take that as you enjoying my treats."
They then sit in pleasant silence for a few minutes, each taking pleasure in the tea and cookies. It''s not until the slime takes its third cookie that it notices the holographic disy. The figure still hasn''t changed the view of the burning castle into something else yet. So, it points a tentacle at the screen, wondering what''s that all about.
"Oh, that. I was watching one of Star''s ns in action. You still remember Star that I talked aboutst time, right?
The slime bobs its body up and down as an affirmative. Seeing its action, the figure continues exining. "So, Star is back though she is indisposed for now. Still, her ns are still being acted on by her trusted people. One of the ns involves the burning of the castle you''re seeing here. One Castle Itter."
Hearing that part, the slime questions why the castle must be burned down. From what it can see, the castle should have some historical significance.
"Ah, that''s because the castle hid one of, if not, the cruelest crime against sentience beings. It will be faster for me to show you, rather than putting it into words, only if you can stomach it though." The figure waits for the slime''s answer while sipping her tea.
Putting on a thinker pose, the slime admits that it''s interested in the topic. Being an author means you have to dig up materials for your story whenever possible. The slime sees this opportunity as a chance to learn more about this strange world. And perhaps, it can take inspiration from this world to jot it down into its story.
So, the slime expresses its interest in finding out more, steeling it resolves before the revtion. The figure lets out a smile seeing the slime hyping itself up for the inevitable reveal. Not letting it wait for too long, she changes the holographic disy to show the crimes the wood elvesmitted beneath Castle Itter. Not just that, but also the plotting they made behind Star''s, no, Yuki''s back.
Soon, the dozen minutes slideshowes to an end. The slime after watching everything fell into silence. After a couple of minutes to digest the information, the slime cups two tentacles in front of it, offering a prayer to the poor children. None are deserving of the cruel fate that befell them.
The figure lets the slime prays in a solemn atmosphere. After a minute of silence, the slime turns to the figure, thanking her for the disy. It also asks, concerned, about Star''s well-being.
Letting out a warm smile, the figure answers. "Star-, no, she goes by the name Yuki now, will be fine. It was her n to receive a traumatic injury, after all. Only by that could she spurs her mothers into taking action against the deep-rooted wood elves. From then, they would learn of Itter''s secret and promptly purge its stains from the annal of history."
The figure stops before saying. "The public only needs to know that the elves plotted a revolt, not the murdering of thousands of children. Only a select few will be privy to the bloodied truth uncovered today."
The slime nods, understanding that some secrets are better left undiscovered by the popce. It then pours another cup of tea for itself and the figure. It watches as the figure operates the holographic disy, changing it for them to view something else.
Curiously, it sees the disy shows a dark elf in formal attire.
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Port city of Arash.
In one of thevishly decorated rooms of the La Riverie hotel, nowmandeered by Alexa for officer duty, she is saluted by the just arrived Sergeant Quellec.
"Take a seat, Sergeant, wait a minute, and let me find your documents first." Quellec sits down on a chair across the table stacked with paperwork. After a minute of rifling through folders after folders, Brigadier Alexa finally finds what she''s looking for. "Ah! There we go!"
Alexa pulls out a stack of documents with Quellec''s name on it. "Ok, I''m not gonna beat around the bush, no time for that anyway as I still have a lot of work to do. Anyway, you will be promoted to the rank of Captain with a pending Iron Cross. With your contribution to the war effort, it will just be a matter of time before it gets approved."
Alexa hands him the documents on his rank and assignment. Quellec scans through it before standing up to salute. "Thank you, Brigadier, for entrusting me with this position."
Alexa nods. "You should head report to the quarter of the 75th, the Colonel there will exin more on your tasking. That will be all, Captain Quellec."
''Yes, ma''am!"
Though curious to know more about the man''s feats that allowed him to be promoted, the slime lets the light figure changes the disy. After all, the figure doesn''t seem to be interested in the man.
Now, the disy is showing a grey-haired, blue eye, kitsune. She''s busy putting on some light makeup.
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In an apartmentplex in Paris.
"Dana, are you done yet?" The inquiry belongs to Dana''s female friend, a human. The girl is concerned that her female friend will bete for the interview.
Knowing that her friend is just outside the door, Dana Elvidge hides her kitsune ears with magic. Though she trusts the gal, it''s better to be safe than sorry.
"I''ming Lilianna!" Dana takes her purse before checking her jacket and skirt for any creases. Seeing that nothing''s amiss, Dana moves to open the door, greeting her friend. "Hi, Lili! Thanks for introducing me to the job."
Her long-time friend that shares the same apartment room as her, smiles. "It''s no big deal, the job is a bit too much for me to handle nowadays. With me retiring from said job, referring you for the position isn''t that hard. Though, are you sure you want to be a secretary to the Prime Minister? What about your dream of being a teacher?"
Dana shakes her head, she exins while they make way to public transport. "Well, you know how it istely, being a teacher couldn''t cut it anymore. I need to be realistic here and aim for something stable. That secretary job should help me tide through some economic hassle."
Her friend nods, acknowledging the sentiment. "That''s true, huh? Truthfully, while the job is taxing, the Minister pays well and he isn''t one to harass ady. You should be fine working there till our society is stable enough for you to resume your dream." Patting Dana''s shoulder, her friend encourages. "Soldiers on, girl. I''m rooting for you!"
Smiling, Dana says. "Thanks, Lili. I will strive to be a good secretary."
And a good spy too, Dana adds mentally.
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The view then changes to a city surrounded by mountainous terrain. There, a fire is raging in the Southern part, near a school. Something is causing a major ruckus, and that thing isn''t humanoid by any stretch of your imagination. In the middle of that burningplex, a huge figure jumps out and onto the street. Its action caused the total copse of what used to be an apartmentplex, now are burning pile of ruin.
Now free of the burning confinement, the beast of white and pink stripes roars. Its visage with two front arms in the air, each the size of a person, roaring, has caused pandemonium in the midst of the curious onlookers. What they thought was just a standard apartment fire has turned into something out of their nightmare. A nightmare in the shape of a Demon.
It''s a good time to run while the beast is still busy being imposing, so, that they did. Parents hastily pick up their children, dashing away as far as possible from the beast. The fire department officers hastily guide the escapees, leaving the police to contain the threat. Thankfully, no one was trampled in the evacuation.
Loosely forming a containment circle with their service vehicles, the paled-face officers are praying their hearts out. Knowing that their puny pistols and revolvers will be hard-pressed to do any meaningful damage to the four meters tall Demon. They almost piss their pants when the beast directs its angr head with a glowing pink eyeball at them.
"O-Open fire!" It''s unknown who gave the order, nheless, a dozen policemenplied. Regretfully, aside from leaving behind some small nicks on the silicone-like body, the pistol cartridges fail to even flinch the Demon.
The Demon, a beast, whatever you would like to call it, scoffs at the mortals'' attempt. It crouches down, gathering strength on its non-existent rear legs before it jumps forward. The action leaves behind a cracking pavement while it crushes a police car as itsnds. The officers around it are pushed to the ground by the shockwave, fearfully, they scurried away on their backs to another cover. At least, they still haven''t run away yet, dreading the potential loss of civilians'' lives.
"Where the fuck are the Inquisitors!?" A police Sergeant screamed the question that was on everyone''s mind. He''s about to reload his service pistol when the beast jumps, again. "Iing!"
The Sergeant and his group of three scatter, barely in time before his treasured police van is reduced to scrap metals. Only this time, the white beast swipe its arms, hitting an officer squarely in the body.
"Lucas!" The Sergeant screamed the name of the poor sod. He watches as thed isunched ten meters away before crashing through a restaurant''s window. It''s unknown whether the man is alive or not.
As for the Demon, it rears back its head, overlooking the despair in the officers'' faces. The bastard is enjoying it, they can clearly see the smug expression on its face.
Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires is heard by everyone, including the beast. They turn to the source to see a pair of ck Fords drifting to a stop behind the Demon, some twenty meters away. Stepping off from the cars are armed men, dressed in ck with apanying fedoras to boot.
The Sergeant, knowing the allegiance of the new arrivals, sighs in relief. "We''re saved!"
The men in ck walk toward the beast with a calm gait, they stop fifteen meters away from the thing. The Demon watches curiously at the group, it wonders why are they so calm in front of its presence. One of them, presumably the leader even takes a swig of a cigar before saying. "You''re one ugly motherfucker, aren''t you."
He, ready his 1921 Tommy Gun in a hip-fire position, and so are the rest of the men in ck. Only a few of them are handling Lewis machine guns instead of the 100-round Typewriters. "Anyway, allow us to introduce ourselves. We''re the Spanish Inquisition, and my friend, you are already dead."
Then they start sting, abination of .45 caliber and .303 Erusea shred the haughty Demon''s armor, riddling its body with holes. Unlike the pistols from before, these automatic guns offer much more in terms of firepower. The Demon couldn''t even register that it was in deep trouble before dying to a .303 piercing its head. Thus its body falls heavily onto the wreck of the police van, marking the end of its short reign of terror.
The man, a proud descendant of the men and women from Africa, scoffs. "Truly, I wasted good bullets on a single Chariot. Though I guess we arrived just on time before coteral damage was incurred."
He motions to the rest of his cohorts. "Oi! Make sure the casualties are cared for and set up a perimeter! There may be those zombies running around due to the corruption from the Chariot!"
"Yes, sir!" The squad, dressing no different than gangsters, disperses. One of them, a fat man that''s holding a Lewis says.
"CJ, High Inquisitor Camati called in, saying you''ll be needed at his office once the mess here is over."
"Old man Ricardo? Did he say anything else on why he needs me, Big Smoke?"
The fat man, Big Smoke shrugs before fixing his fedora. "Beats me, that''s your problem to deal with. I just want to finish up fast and grab myself some food."
CJ shakes his head at Smoke''s dismissal. "You and your obsession over food, man."
Offended by his remarks, Smoke retorts. "I''m telling you, brother, a good dish is all you can ask for in your life. It embraces you, and heals your soul and body, allowing you to achieve Nirvana! And most important of all, it never betrays you!"
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The slime watches with interest knowing that it just witnessed the impossible, there exists this world''s version of the Grove Street Families! From the look of it, they aren''t too shabby at all with the suits and fedoras and all that.
Still, the light figure changes the disy, once again. It''s as if she''s an old woman trying to find a TV channel that piques her interest.
"You just thought of something rude, did you?" The figure questioned with a frown. Sweating bullets, the slime refutes the im by waving its ''hands''.
Though unconvinced, the figure moves on to switch the disy. Finally, she settles for the view of a bustling dock. There, ships of all shapes and sizes are offloading their cargo and passengers. One notable location has a gathering of Jewish people that are warmingly receiving their new brothers and sisters.
A Jews, just disembarked from his freighter, takes in the smoky smell of capitalism with vigor. "Sweet home America! I''ve arrived atst!" He sang in joy, causing the others to chuckle.
"It''s gratifying to see you in high spirits, brother." A middle-aged man with a well-kept beard moves to pat the youngd on the shoulders. "I hope the journey across the ocean has treated you well. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Rosh Hashana, you may call my Rosh, brother."
Hugging the man in greeting, thed introduces himself. "The ship provided by Lady Elysia has been most weing in its service, I barely notice any trouble at all! And I''ve chosen my name to be Jeffrey Iverson, brother Rosh. I''ve elected to discard my old one, the past should stay behind in Russia."
With an understanding smile, Rosh says. "It''s understandable, after all, the regime over there is very stifling for us Jews. Though don''t you worry, we can help set you up with a new life in no time. Thend of America is free to all, so long as they strive to be the better person of society."
Jeffrey replies with a nod. "I''ve received a second chance in life by Lady Elysia, I will be an ungrateful prick if I fail to live up to it."
Rosh gives him another pat, yet, his face has a look of worry when Jeffrey mentioned Lady Elysia. Curious, Jeffrey questions. "What happens? Is there something wrong with the Lady?"
Rosh ponders whether to share the news or not but ultimately, he let young Jeffrey knows. "News came from the Belkan Reich, Lady Elysia''s family is in deep trouble."
Shocked, Jeffrey interjects, he is careful not to raise his voice, however. "Why!? Was it because of us?"
"None of the sort, no." Rosh waved off the concern. "It has nothing to do with helping us. It''s the Lady''s family whomitted high treason against the governing body of Belka, and they failed, hard. Almost the entire family and its subordinates were wiped out, and cleansed from the Earth after their crimes were revealed. Thankfully, Heaven has blessed Lady Elysia so that she didn''t get caught in the crossfire. She, alongside her father and a servant, is alive and well with no charges pressed against them. Nevertheless, she''s no doubt under deep scrutiny by the Belkan government."
Jeffrey heaves a sigh of relief, it would pain him to no end if his benefactor was caught in that mess.
"Come, let us move to the dorm. There, you can rest and learn more about America." Rosh pulls Jeffrey to a car. "You can''t build a castle with a weary body."
Jeffreyplies, knowing the wisdom behind the words. Truly, he has high hope of achieving his dream here.
A dream of building a true sanctuary for his people.
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Letting out a bored sigh, the figureins to the slime. "This is boring~"
Turning to look at the figure, the slime expresses its confusion at her words. She exins. "Well, that''s because there''s nothing wrong with the world! No Yuki to mess it up as she''s still sleeping!"
"The world lost its colors without her running around, trying her best to aplish something." She added.
The slime, understanding her feeling, nods. It then begins to think up ways that can alleviate the boredom of the figure. Finally, it settles on pestering the figure with questions.
Tapping a ''hand'' on the figure, the slime grasps her attention when it creates a circle and a question mark.
Raising an eyebrow, she queries. "So you want to learn more about this world? I see you''re more curious after learning of Yuki''s circumstance." Shrugging, the figure says. "Well, I guess it''s a good way to kill time as any. It will take some time to exin everything though, anything you want to do before I teach you?"
Scratching its ''head'', the slime ponders. Suddenly, as if a lightbulb is lit on the top of its head, the slime makes a fist bump.
The figure chuckles at the meaning behind its action. "Fine, fine. I will help you advertise your work."
Turning to look at the reader, the figure says with a smile and a tilt of the head. "Just like before, our cute little slime author is facing trouble, jobless, and all that. To help them tide through the pitfalls life has prepared for them, you best show them some encouragement. They can be in the form of a goodment, a great review, or a heart for the story, and if you are capable, support them via financial aid through their Patreon. The link is Oh, and before I forget, give it power stones if you''re reading the story on Webnovel."
Raising her cup as a toast, she says. "Cheers!"
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^3
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^3
A long time ago, eons even, there was the Infinite Void, a singr entity in the unlimited nothingness. The being, Void, held an omnipotent power in the endless expanse, yet, it found itselfcking something crucial to all beings.
Bonds.
Ever since its conception, Void had always been along with not even a speck of dust to befriend itself with. Saying that it was boring would be an understatement. No, it was the crippling loneliness that was killing it from the inside. It soughtpanionship in the eternal silence, yet after eons of waiting, no other being came into existence as it had. Overwhelming with sadness, Void decided that its patience had run dry. It would move on to take matters into its own hand.
Pulling on the endless reservoir of its energy,ter dubbed Void Ether, the Void concentrated the formless mass into a spot, forming five spheres. Void kept on injecting and condensing the Void Ether for thousands of millennials, up until the point when the first sphere started cracking. Only then, Void stopped and waited. It had spent countless years in eternal silence so it matters not for Void to wait centuries more.
While waiting, Void projected and cared for the spheres like how one would treat their children. Void knew that it had aplished a monumental feat, it would cherish the lives that would soon be birthed with everything it had.
One day, while gently hugging the spheres with their formless body, the first sphere cracked even more. The time hade for the firstborn to give its first cry. In a burst of purplish light, a color Void never seen before, a small figure of purplish energy broke free from the sphere. Its action of stretching its body looks no different than making a yawn. Then, it moved to the side where the presence of its ''mother'' was thicker.
After the firstborn, the other spheres, eggs, also started cracking. The next to appear before Void is a tall figure, its energy is blue in color. The blue figure performed a cursory scan of its body before proceeding to the side also. Only this time, it moved behind the purple figure, opting to hug Purple from behind. Though confused, Purple let it be when it feltfortable in doing so.
Up next is a figure of golden energy, shorter than Blue though it''s taller than Purple. Yellow spun in ce, darting its head left and right to express its curiosity. It then waved at Void and the rest before skipping over. This time, Yellow stood to the left of Purple while grasping its hand.
Thest two were born at the same time. One had the same small stature as Purple while the other had a height simr to Blue. They had the color White and Red respectively. Their first action, however, was to express their rivalry toward each other. Not looking at each other in the eyes, they moved to pick their ces before Void. White stood to the right of Purple, taking a hold of its right hand. While Red moved behind White, next to Green. Much to the annoyance of Purple and White, Red utilized its height to pat them both on the heads. Regardless, they did not dislike the care Red showed them.
It warmed Void''s bodiless heart to see its children get along with each other. Expressing its joy, Void then told the children to go and have fun. It watched as its children started frolicking around.
White discharged an unlimited amount of Void Ether, much like Void itself, not knowing what to do with such power.
Yellow, with a tilt of her head, grasped White''s hand while outstretching its own. It tapped into White''s reservoir before using it to give light to the never-ending void.
Blue, learning from Yellow, also asked White for its permission. One that little White was quick to agree on, it then shared its Ether with everyone. With unlimited power at her disposal, Blue created the first universe. They then watched in awe at the grand disy of celestial bodies unfolding before their eyes.
With giddiness, Purple jumped into the fray, suddenly sting away a Saturn-sized with a punch. Purple giggled in glee as it watched the fly away into the far-reaching void. Legends say that you can still see the with a fist-shaped crater traveling the Universal Gap to this day.
Suddenly, Purple was bopped on the head by Blue, annoyed by having one of her creations yeeted out of view. Blue sighed when Purple had a teary expression, in an attempt to soothe its pain, Blue switched gears to pat its head. An action Purple relished by nuzzling against theforting hand.
After seeing Purple''s antic, Red shook its head. Then along with Yellow, who wasughing at the absurd sight of yeeting a, made a Universal Boundary to avoid situations like that. A Universal Boundary is a set ofws that allow one universe to expand unlimitedly while not infringing upon other universes that were soon toe.
Void watched as its kids yed around in good fun, creating and destroying universes left, right, and center. There was a time when they staged an Omniversal war with Yellow at the referee while the others were divided into two teams. Void witnessed the glorious sight of universes duking it out, mming against each other in an attempt to destroy the opposition. In the end, nobody won the contest, yet, they shared an evesting joy with Void in their fun. Truly, Void was very proud of her children, having learned of their respective powers. So, it was high time to name its kids.
Purple, the oldest, represents Time, Destruction, and Death. Void named it Star, after its feat of yeeting the Saturn-sized. Void and the rest watched with interest when Star''s body suddenly changed from being an energy lifeform to a female human. Star now sported short purple hair, purple eyes with a tinge of gold, and a curvaceous body, she was still on the short side, however.
Void and the rest inferred that a name was of much significance to them as it could change their existence at a base level. Excited by their findings, Yellow begged Void to continue naming them, if only to see what they would be. Agreeing with Yellow''s suggestion, Void moved on to naming Blue.
Majoring over Space, Creation, and Life, Blue was named Yggdrasil. She was then turned into a mature female figure with long light blue hair and sapphire eyes. Happily skipping over to Star, Yggdrasil pulled her into her bountiful bosom. Yggdrasil sported a major blush on her face, they wondered what would happen to Star once the gathering ended. On the other hand, Star gave up struggling against her younger sister.
Next to be named was Yellow, one that held control over Order and Chaos. Void gifted her the name of Yahweh in hope that she would help her sisters manage the Omniverse. They then watched on as Yahweh was changed into a girl with golden hair, reaching past her shoulders, while her blue eyes shone a mischievous glint.
Last, but not least, were the twin. Void called Red, who was in charge of Natural Bnce, Nature for short, to ste[ forward. Granting her the name Akari, they witnessed her transforming into a busty figure with red hair, pointy ears, and ck eyes. Witnessing her glorious assets, Akari directed her smug face at White. Void expressed a chuckle once it saw White''s envy. Not letting its cute child wait long, it gently pulled White closer.
White was special, it''s the only one to inherit Void''s authority over Void Ether. While others had limited control over it, White had unlimited ess to the Ether that created them. And after figuring out her strength, White was the smartest of them all, many a time White had surprised them with her soft-spoken input. Void decided to name herst child Ophis. She would be the holder of Infinity and Wisdom.
Thest transformation took ce, and once it was done, they reveled in the sight of a cute Ophis. Much like her twin Akari, Ophis had pointy ears and ck eyes with the main difference being her obsidian hair and smaller stature. Begrudgingly, Ophis epted the fact that her assets lost out to even Star''s.
After that, the family gathered around for a celebration of their own. Well, let''s just that many universes were snuffed out once again. Thankfully, the universes were devoided of sentience life. A fact that Void would change soon.
Seeing that its children were mature and handling their new responsibilities very well, Void gifted them the knowledge of creating sentience life. Void knew that they were excited to create new lifeforms, especially Yggdrasil and Star. Regardless, it must remind them to treat the newborns with care like they had treasured them. They all agreed to the reminder, not knowing it would cause them pain and losses in the future.
Nevertheless, they all banded together to create a system of Life and Death, Creation and Destruction. Then, they popte the Omniverse with life, starting from the first universe, the Prime Universe. It took no time at all for them to see the budding civilizations starting to take shape.
Lives of different shapes and forms, different cultures, and different knowledge,... were springing up everywhere, never stop amazing them. At some point, they even offered pointers and tips to the lifeforms across the Omniverse. Their actions prompted them to be worshipped in many ways.
After witnessing such a colorful world the mortals had been living in, Void''s children expressed their desire to move down there. They wanted to experience truly living a cycle in the flesh, in fact, they would very much like it for Void to be with them in their new lives.
Void considered the proposal, not seeing any detriment to it. So, Void agreed, much to the happiness of its family. Its child descended to the mortal world of the Prime Universe first, clearing the way for Void. Then, after a period of intimate skinship between Yggdrasil and Star, a suitable vessel to hold Void''s spirit was born. With bated breath, the children waited for Void to descend into the female infant and then...
The entire Omniverse shook as for the first time ever since its conception, Void had been given life. The Origin of All had descended.
Alongside her family, Void had been living a long good life. Though she said it was a long life, Void only acted maturely for thest five years of her life. The previous millennia were her acting spoiled and living a happy childhood with her children-turned-mothers-and-aunties.
And as you would have known by now, all good things muste to an end.
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During the time period that Void and her family descended upon, the Omniverse was in turmoil. Believe it or not, it was the denizens of the Prime Universe that ushered in an age of darkness and strife for the entire Omniverse. Their influence, as the oldest living beings, stretched through many worlds. Their greed for absolute authority and power knew no bounds.
As such, a few ambitious Gods banded together, scheming to attain the epitome of power and might. Their end goal, achieving true immortality. And to do that, they must be untouchable by the Cycle of Life and Dead.
In a stroke of insanity, they devised a heinous n. One entailing the capture and usurping of the powers that Star, whom they called Primordial Goddess. Utilizing a trusted friend of Star, they tricked her intoing to a magic formation, capable of harming even her. Interestingly, Star knew what was about to happen since she held control over Time itself. Yet, she still let them obtain her power at the cost of her life.
After uncountable years of witnessing the atrocity these lower lifeformsmitted, Star and the rest knew that it was time to clean the te. Her sacrifice would mark the end of the old era, not by her or any of her sisters, but by the hands of a very enraged Void. Her only wish would be that her mother, now her daughter, would find peace after everything was over. Thankfully, Yahweh would make sure of that.
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Void was holding the cold body of Star, her cute little face was shedding endless tears. Star, using thest bit of her fading strength, caresses Void''s cheek. No words were exchanged between them, only a silent promise. A promise to reunite with each other in the future, no matter how long it would take them.
When Star breathed herst, Void''s heart-wrenching cry shook the Omniverse once again. With mournful hearts, the family was forced to tear Void away, just so that Star could rejoin the Cycle. Yggdrasil swore that she would make sure Star would live a good life in the future. A fact that was barely enough to stabilize Void fromshing out. That and in an attempt to stop the evil-doers, Yahweh lost her physical body.
In one short day, Void was forced to watch her dearests sumbing to their ailments. Star passed on to her next life, while Yahweh was forced to remain incorporeal after engaging a summoned being called Trihexa. To say that Void was furious, would be an understatement.
So, Void took matters into her own hands, crowning herself Ruler of the End. She would see to it that the corrupted Omniverse would be destroyed and a new one would be born. Void told her family to sit at the sideline, letting Yggdrasil construct a seed ship. When Void started rampaging, the seed ship would be a ticket to a haven for those worthy enough to be saved.
Void, utilizing the weak Universal Boundary, courtesy of Trihexa, gathered an army from all corners of the Omniverse. Embers of resistance that were fighting the corrupted Gods pledged their swords under her banner. Odin, Loki, Gilgamesh, Scathach, Heracles, Izanami, and Morgan le Fay,... were but many names that served her Ragnarok army. Together, they marched to cleanse the Omniverse of the unrighteous, and while there were sacrifices, Void seeded in her vengeance in the end.
Standing on the crumbling fortress ind of Asgard, Void took onest look at herrades in arms. They shared ast meaningful smile of a job well done, a hope for a brighter future, before Void put her hand up.
And she snapped her fingers.
"Everything and anything just disappeared..." Her final words faded into eternal silence.
-Be reborn.
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Time is rtive in the creation of the Omniverse. Although the Omniverse was reset, many Multiverses are already in the process of bearing lives. One such Multiverse is now the final destination for Yggdrasil''s seed ship, a universe based on a piece of media that Star used to love and y. Based, because real life is often far away from fiction.
When the seed ship crashednded and cause an almost apocalyptic event on an alternate Earth, the Spirit of Earth, ya was rmed. Yet, it was the introduction of new energy, mana, from the seed ship that caused it to be worried, scared even. Earth''s civilization wasn''t supposed to be in contact with the supernatural for at least another century. With the mana from Yggdrasil slowly infusing Earth and will soon grant its inhabitants magical powers. ya dreaded the moment when even a child was capable of blowing up a building on a mere whim. So, ya struck a deal with the entity that resided in the seed, Yggdrasil herself.
In exchange for ya''s help in rebuilding her civilization, Yggdrasil would allow her to enforce a hard limit on the amount of mana a lifeform can hold. The restriction would be lifted gradually as Earth''s tolerance for mana increases after each passing Months of Demons. There''s no limitation to utilizing technologies that use mana or Void Ether, as long as they did not adversely cause uncontainable mutations. On a side note, if a lifeform carried too much mana, way more than what the Earth can handle, it would mutate into Demonic Beast or humanoid zombie.
A disimer would be that Months of Demons were regr intervals that yamanded to happen. It''s a period when she would allow Earth to take in more mana for it to gradually adapt. A side effect of that would be the unlucky few that may mutate uncontrobly into a Demon or zombie. Nheless, it''s much better than widespread mutation without a break. ya also influenced the mortals to create an Adventurer Guild, knowing that it would help them deal with the Demons in return for special materials harvested from the bodies.
Anyway, once the deal was made, both sides were satisfied that their home would be safe to develop. Yggdrasil released the inhabitants of the seed ship while also nting Star''s soul here for reincarnation. ya, on the other hand, actively helped Yggdrasil in her endeavor as the Spirit of Earth. She led the original non-human denizens of her Earth to Yggdrasil''s newly built nation while also enriching its mineral deposit.
Though Yggdrasil said that the deal was fair for both sides, ya knew in her heart that it heavily favored her. After all, the Omniversal reset just happened a few eons ago, and ya could feel that Yggdrasil alone outssed her. Not mentioning the rest of her sisters that were maintaining the Omniverse on a greater scale. Thankfully, Yggdrasil was open for discussion.
In fact, maybe she could turn this into a chance to grow into something greater. She knew for a fact that with Star''s reincarnation running about right now, it wouldn''t take long for her to unite the Earth under one banner. With that, she would be allowed to evolve into a cosmic entity, a notion that made ya giddy.
And for that to happen, maybe bending some rules for the girl name Yuki wouldn''t be too bad. Earth is too small for her, ya would aim for infinity, and beyond!
Chapter 28: Wakie wakie
Chapter 28: Wakie wakie
After finishing retelling thest bits of tales from the Previous Era, the blue figure, now identified as Yggdrasil, says with her hands resting on her knees.
"After the Omniverse was reset by Void, the Ruler of the End, my seed ship drifted for an unknown amount of time, in search of a prosperous Multiverse to dwell in. The soil that I''ve decided to call how right now, is one such Multiverse."
Yggdrasil waits for the slime to digest the information before continuing.
"Right now, Void should still be maintaining the new Omniversal bnce alongside Akari, Ophis, and Yahweh. It''s unknown when we can see them again. As for Yuki, it took a few years after the seed ship madendfall for her to be reincarnated. I''ve elected to use an artificial vessel to host her soul, guiding it to be adopted by her new family, and finally, be the person she is today. It took a bit of effort to ensure her well-being, thankfully, my loyal retainers from the Previous Era are very adept at their work."
Thatst sentence also marks the end of storytime. The atmosphere descends into a pleasant silence as the slime is deep in thought, while Yggdrasil is contended with having another person to share her tales with. Regardless, Yggdrasil has an important task today so they would have to move on.
Yggdrasil waves a hand, letting the holographic screen changes the view to show a hospital room. Its sole upant is Yuki, former Primordial Concept of Time, Destruction, and Death, now the Princess of Iron and Blood. With a smile on her face, Yggdrasil picks up the slime, waking it from its thoughts. Together, they disappear inside a blue portal that Yggdrasil conjured.
It''s time to say the words she so dearly wished to say.
"Wee back!"
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"Wee back!"
Groggily waking up after a very long sleep, I was surprised to hear a nostalgic voice. Pleasantly shocked with a bit of disbelief, I am about to sit up in haste when a soothing hand put a stop to it.
"Easy there, what you did, though necessary, leaves behindsting damage. It would take a while till you can be out and about."
Smiling wrily at the reminder, I greet the person in front of me with a trembling voice. My remaining eye is now fully opened to capture the sight of a person I dearly missed.
"I''m home... Yggdra."
The blue figure, Yggdrasil, sports a pleased smile before snapping her fingers. Suddenly, her featureless body condenses with a sh of light. After the sh subsides, Yggdra is now a beautifuldy, wearing a white imperial dress that sported a V-neck, showing a side of her ample breasts. Atop her light blue hair is a white that shines a starry radiance. It''s unknown what''s the actual materialposition of the essories, and her dress. I can haphazard a guess that it''s her power at work to make such a dashing getup.
"I miss that look, a helluva lot," Imented with nostalgia. "Hold me, please."
It takes every fiber of my being not to just jump straight into Yggdra''s embrace. That and a cute little slime that has been bobbing in and out of her arms. I''m a bit curious about why there''s one here though now is not the time for such a question.
Yggdra chuckles before settling the slime down on a nearby table. There, it proceeds to devour the nearby medical jellies with a noble''s finesse. Ok, now I have more questions.
Yggdra hugs me out of my reverie with the gentleness of a lover, oh how I missed her warmth. I reciprocate the action with my own hug, albeit weakly as I''m still recovering from the trauma.
"You have no idea how much I''ve missed this feeling... Yuki." Yggdra said while patting my grey hair.
I smile in return, opting to stay in the pleasantfort of my lover ever since time immemorial. Don''t get me wrong, being hugged by Bryn or this body''s adopted mothers are awesome, but Yggdra''s hug is of a different vor altogether.
We stay like that for five minutes, the silence is thankfully maintained by a slime that can read the atmosphere. It soundlessly eats the jelly while watching us with a warm gaze... Or whatever is the slime''s equivalent of one. Finally, Yggdra breaks the hug though she now sits on the bed, holding my hand. I''m kinda missing the hug already, everybody needs a hug in life, daily.
"Though I do love to catch up with you on everything that had happened before your awakening, our time is short." Yggdra holds out a finger, pointing it at my now missing left eye, covered by a medical patch. "After the many ordeals that you''ve been through, it''s high time I return this aspect to you."
Though a bit confused, I can and will entrust my very existence to Yggdra if I have to. So, I let the beam that shot out from her index finger pierce my wound without dodging it. Then, I can feel something changing inside me, especially where my left eye was. It''s a good change, the return of a familiar warm and nostalgic power, something that is now upying my left eye socket.
I remove the eyepatch, touching the wound lightly. I have an inkling of what Yggdra just gave me so I ask. "Did you just-"
Yggdra cuts in with a chuckle, saying. "Yes, my dearest. I handed back the aspect of Time to you." She gently remove my eyepatch as a multitude of colors now assaulted my eyesight. That and much more indescribable stuff, fragments of timelines and possible realities.
It''s such a rush of information that I am forced to close both of my eyes in an effort to control my power. Yggdra pulls my head into her bosom, I can feel her hand patting my hair infort.
"Bear with it for a bit while your power automatically adjusts itself for your mortal body. You can work on itter to remaster your control over it and reacquire what you''ve lost. Now, let''s just contend with some time maniption and an ageless body, my dear."
I snicker at the way she downyed what she returned to me. "You said like you were handing out candies to a kid or something, love. Gods killed just to receive a fraction of this power, you know?"
Yggdra shrugs. "And now it has returned to its rightful owner."
I smirk but ultimately, I entrust myself to her to let the information tidal wave passes. After a couple of minutes, I can feel the heat in my eye fade away, leaving behind a silent ticking of a clock in a corner of my psyche. Finally done recollecting myself, I lean back with a hand touching my eye. Smiling in joy, I say.
"This Primordial Goddess is back, bitches!" Only to earn a flick to the forehead by Yggdra.
"Language, youngdy!" She chuckles before adding. "And you''re not fully back yet. As of now, you still haven''t unlocked Destruction and Death, yet. Not to mention you can only harness a minor fragment of Time to stop aging and perform limited Chrono maniption. Though I have no doubt that you would climb back to your apex in no time at all. We''re all waiting for you to return, you know."
Smiling at her words, I reminisce about my true family.
"Yeah, you''re right. I will work hard to reunite with you all after I''m done with the mortal world." I then pout. "Nevertheless, must you flicked me that hard? A girl can show off for a bit, you know?"
"Well, earn the right to do that first, then."
We look at each other for a bit before both of us startughing.
"Oh, and before I forget," Yggdra conjures a mirror, reflecting my new look. "With your soul now carrying the power of Time, I''ve also taken some liberty to modify your left eye. After all, it''s the manifestation of your power so you will need the cool factor."
I deadpan at her after I took in my new look. "Seriously? Golden iris with gothic-style clock face?"
"What? It looks cool! Even Void''s femalerade sported the look and I like it!" She defended her reason.
"So that''s your true thought!?" I and the slime can only give her exasperated looks while she goes on a tangent, trying to show me the good side of her modification.
To be honest, though, I am digging my new style. Itplements well my other ruby-colored eye and grey hair. All I need now is a ck uniform with medals toplete the look.
We then talk a bit more with Yggdra mostly exining to me recent events. Though it pained me that the losses of innocent children were too high, partly due to the previous me not being able to detect it soon enough, I am content with the ultimate oue. A part of me knows that sacrifices must be made for the Greater Good, yet, that is a dark logical path that I would rather not tread upon. I vow that in the future, such an event will not take ce ever again under my watch.
Yggdra, still sitting next to me with her fingers interlocking with mine, suddenly says.
"Your mothers have returned." She stands up, patting my head and saying. "I also have to leave to prepare for the eventual harness of Void Ether. We can catch up moreter, once themotion dies down. Keep doing the good work, Yuki."
I lean into the hand that''s patting me, surprisingly letting out a purr like a cat. "Un."
Yggdra let out onest chuckle before grabbing the slime and vanishing into motes of light. Speaking of which, what''s the deal with that slime in the first ce?
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I fiddle a bit with the power granted to me by Yggdra. Truly, nothing groundbreaking yet aside from my achieving pseudo immortality and the ability to peer into the short-term future. Though thetter can be improved through some training, which I would do when I have some free time. Another upside is that my spell-casting ability and mana pool receive a stark improvement. Although I''m not a frontlinebatant, I won''t deny the usefulness of having an improvement in my self-defense capability.
Still have to train my physical body though, my physical strength is pitifully weak. All the more so after I got shot in the head, granted it was on my order that it happened, but still... Training arc in the future! Or not.
It''s at this moment that the door is mmed open. "Yuki!"
I only manage to see a blue before the figure tackles me on the bed. It should have been painful but the woman before me adjusted her strength at thest second. Chuckling wryly at the consideration that she expressed, I hug her back.
"Wee back, Bryn!"
"That''s not the time for that! How are you feeling? Any nausea? Pain? Do I need to call a doctor? And your eyes-!"
I sweatdrop at her frantically patting me all over. Thankfully, a hand grasp Bryn''s shoulder and pull her back, giving me much-needed breathing room.
"Jeez, calm down for a bit, Brynhyldr. My daughter won''t be able to answer anything if you pressure her like that."
This cool, melodious voice, can only belong to one person. My second adoptive mother in this life, wearing her trademark ck dress, the Goddess of Life and Death, Hel.
"Thanks for your help, mom." I smiled at her, watching Bryn calming herself by taking a breather. Thedy offers an apologetic smile, causing me difort after I woke up. "Though it''s fine if you let Bryn fret over myself for a bit, you know? It feels wonderful to have someone care for you like that."
Mom agrees with my sentiment, nheless, she must say. "While it''s true that it''s a pleasant thing that Bryn expressed for us to see, you''re still weak. As the one in charge of helping you recover, I must draw a line first. Speaking of my job, you have a lot to exin, youngdy."
She then puts on a smile that promises pain if I refuse to answer her questions. Even Bryn, now sitting on the right side of the bed, is showing her inquisitive side toward me. Can''t really me them, my new eye is a dead giveaway that something big just happened. Knowing their former prowess, they should also be able to feel the divinity in it too. I would have to work on concealing itter.
Scratching my cheek as I watch two of the most important women in my new life nking my side, I can only eke out. "Eh... Can I exin this when mama Lu is presented also? It would be a long story otherwise."
I wouldn''t exin my past life to them, yet. Nheless, answering questions about my motivester on would, hopefully, convince them to join my cause as Bryn did.
After all, my current end goal is world unification.
Chapter 29: Family gathering (part 1)
Chapter 29: Family gathering (part 1)
It''s the evening of the same day that I wake up. Right now, I''m being nked by my mom, Hel, and Bryn. Mom is busy checking my pulse, her hand softly glows a golden light. While Bryn is busy cutting a few pieces of apples, shaping them up like rabbits. As for me, Iy still while resting my back on the cushioned headboard.
After a minute or two, mom opens her eyes while her hands now rest on mine.
"You''re all fine and dandy now, my daughter. Whatever the Mother Goddess did, it also patched up any seque that remained from your injury. Nheless, I will have to keep a close eye on you. After all, you did receive a divinity all of a sudden."
"Yes, mom!" I epted with a bright smile. "It''s been a while since we all spent time with each other. I''ve been missing you all a lot so let''s use this chance to have a family gathering."
Mom and Bryn smile warmly at my words. It''s at this moment that we hear a knock on the door before it''s opened. The neer is my mama, Lucifer but we always like to call her Lu.
Mama chuckles at the heartwarming sight of us gathering around my bed. She steps inside the room, opting to pull a chair next to the left side of the bed, next to Bryn. Unable to contain my excitement, I point at my eye for mama to see.
"Mama, look at my new eye. Does it look cool?" I show it off like a girl that just received a new doll.
Usually, I''m not one to be this excited. Yet, you must understand that although I was reincarnated and only regained my memory a couple of months ago. I still have the memory and feelings that the previous me made with my new family. Meaning, I can and will treasure every single moment I have with them. It has always been my dream to have a big family, after all.
Mama looks at my golden eye with a gentle smile. She puts a hand near my eyelid, putting away a loose strand of grey hair. I lean into her palm, allowing her to caress my cheek. The nostalgic warmth emanating from her palm wipes away thest bit of my mental fatigue. Mama then asks concernedly.
"Does it still hurt?"
Shaking my head, I reply. "Yggdra makes sure that it wasn''t painful, nevertheless, the rush of information that I gleaned from the eye was a bit much. Though she did say that if I harness it regrly, I will get used to it in no time."
Mama chuckles wryly. "You''re the only one that I know of that can call the Mother Goddess by her name like that."
Tilting my head, I say. "What do you mean? In case you didn''t know, Yggdra would actually like you to call her on a familiar basis. After all, with me being in your care, she would very much like to get to know you all better. It''s boring being the only one inside the tree."
My revtion stumps them for a bit with Bryn almost cutting herself in the finger.
"Wait, you mean that she will, one day, descend again just to have a talk with us?" Bryn questioned uneasily. It''s easy for me to guess her fear.
"Umu. Yggdra said she will spend time with our family when she is done doing something that I requested. And don''t worry, she is not ming any of you for me being hurt. As a matter of fact, this injury only helps facilitate me receiving my Divinity." I exined, soothing the worries of my moms and Bryn.
Though I notice that mom is having a fervor look in her eyes.
"Can you believe that, Lu?! The Mother Goddess will soon pay our home a visit! Oh dear, I can''t quite imagine what to do! Should I cook a feast to wee her? Never mind, she may not be interested in useless formality, maybe something homely will do? And once she isfortable, should I ask some questions, or rather, should I share tales about Yuki''s childhood?"
And there she goes to the deep end... Mama, Bryn, and I sweatdrop at the sight of her mumbling at lightning speed. I know that mom is the current Pope of the Yggdrasil Pantheon, yet, for her to show such fanatism is a very rare urrence. I guess she is that excited, being a Goddess herself that holds Divinities over Life and Death.
Pulling her hand into mine, I calm mom down so that we can continue with the discussion. "Mom, it''s too early to do anything, you know. Yggdra will be busy for a while with the requests I made. For now, I think it''s more important for you to listen to my story."
Mom stops to take a deep breath, my words sessfully pulled her back to the present. Lu and Bryn chuckle at her antics from before, yet, they are all giving me their utmost attention, waiting for me to share everything. Nheless, concerns are written all across their faces.
Mama speaks up first. "Yuki, it''s fine to not have this discussion if you''re ufortable with it." She turns to look at the rest. "The little family we have here, well, we all trust you unconditionally. You need not exin anything to us, you know?"
Mama, mom, and Bryn, all give me a reassuring nod. This only fuels my desire toe clean with my n for our nation. If they believe in me this much, it''s only right for them to know everything I''ve cooked up so far.
"Thanks, mama. I really need to hear those words. Regardless, I''ve made up my mind. You''re family, and you all deserve to know about this. Bryn has received a short rundown of it, after all." I stop, trying to sit up straighter than before.
"It all starts when..."
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Having done saying everything that I could say, more than enough to convince my moms I hope, I await their response. It''s quiet for a few seconds before mama suddenly breaks out in a good-naturedugh. As for mom, well, she is holding her head, groaning exasperatedly. Mama only stop to take a breath after 10 seconds, it seems like what she heard was that shocking.
"Ha... Ha... Girl, that was one hell of a thing that you said. Never have I thought that you will have such grand ambition. Though with me being the embodiment of all Seven Sins, it''s a given that my daughter must aim for such a lofty goal." Lumented with a proud smile. You can even see her amber eyes twinkle in amusement.
I smile. "Though we''re not rted by blood, you all raised me to be what I am today. I will stop at nothing just so that you can live unimpeded in peace."
Mama and Bryn share a look, nodding at my words. "That''s a sentiment we all share. And judging from the reactions, it seems like Bryn already decided to join the wagon. I would be dumb not to back you up."
Mommy Hel, though, interjects with a worried look. "I hate to be the pessimistic here but as the more rational person in this family, I must say this. Are you all sure about this? What dear Yuki presented will push Belka to the forefront of the world, effectively plunging it into a never-ending state of war. Aside from Yuki, we all have been living long enough to know that it never ends well. No offense, daughter, but this is too high of a stake to discuss after you just woke up."
I chuckle with a shake of my head. "None taken, mom. In fact, we would love for you to be the calmer mind here. As you can see," I gesture grandly at myself, mama Lu, and Bryn. "We''re all a bunch of hotheads when you see us all agreeing to a damn world domination n."
Surprisingly, Bryn chuckles, agreeing with myment. "That''s true, what you''re seeing in front of you is a Valkyrie of War, the Devil of Hell, herself, and the girl being raised by them. To say that we''re hotheads is putting it mildly. Though with you having a Divinity over Death, it''s also hard to say that you''re the normal person in this household."
Everyone in the room giggle, knowing the absurdity that is our family. Finally, mom says.
"I truly can''t leave you bunch alone for a second after hearing that. This means I will be responsible for monitoring you a lot in case things get out of hand." Mom gives a pointed look at mama, who raises her hands in surrender, knowing what she''s about to say. "So more works for me and that means you mustpensate well, darling~"
She continues, this time taking on a sterner look. "Joking aside, for you to discuss such a matter with us, means that you have a n to back it up. Still, knowing you, you must have backups upon backups, no? So let''s hear them."
Bryn inserts. "Before that though, let Yuki eats and drinks something. In fact, I think we all should since I have a feeling this will be a long one."
Mom ps her hand together. "That does remind me, I have had the kitchen prepare some nutritious porridges for us. With all the hustle and bustletely, eating them would be much healthier than a full-course meal. In fact, it should be done in a few minutes."
Mommy''s words ring true, a light meal right now would be the best in my book. While waiting for the meal to arrive, we discuss some lighter topics. It''s from this that I learn that I now have a little sister, adopted but still.
"I have a sister!?" I eximed in shock. Not the bad kind of shock, more like a pleasant surprise shock. Do you get what I mean?
Mama and Bryn chuckle at my reaction while mom lets out a wry smile. "My point exactly. I made the same face as Yuki is doing right now when this one," Mom starts pulling on mama''s ear, to which mama lets out a tear in pain. "went behind my back and suddenly threw a new daughter in my embrace. I don''t have her or anything but you could have discussed it with us in advance, you know?"
"But I want to surprise you all! Besides, Yuki has been wanting a sister to spoil for a while, she is the perfect candidate due to how small she is!"
I interject, hearing something that causes my interest. "Wait, so you mean I can hug her?"
Mama looks into my eyes, full of seriousness, she says. "Yes. Now you have a personal, glorified body pillow. Perfectly huggable, 11 out of 10 will hug again."
"Bloody Hell, I''m in." I acquiesced instantly to the fact that I now have a new sister. Nothing beats hugging a family member to sleep, especially when she is huggable. I and mama decide to ignore the facepalming sounds from Mommy and Bryn while we''re gushing about my newfound sister. Now that I learn about it, mama has named her Ningyo and has described to me her appearance. I can''t wait to meet her in person.
Soon after, dinner arrives in the shape of piping hot porridge. The tray is carried by a person I haven''t seen in a long while.
"Sister Aponia!" I cheerfully greeted the buxom woman in nun clothing. Aponia kindly smiles before she helps the servants set up the table for all of us to eat.
Aponia was the headmistress for the orphanage that I was from, before being adopted by my family that is. She''s a kind woman, one of not many words, and although she may talk in a cryptic manner, her words contain wisdom. As a matter of fact, even though she''s a human, Aponia usually got mistaken for being an Angel. All because of her vibe that radiates the word holiness. It seems like she''s finally epted into the Pantheon, just like what she wished for all those time ago.
"Sister Aponia, has the Pantheon lived up to your expectation?" I received my bowl while asking that. I''m a bit curious about how far she much the former headmistress has progressed in her study.
Aponia kindly answered. "The Pantheon has answered all of my expectations, Princess. With their help, the orphanage has been renovated and is now a ce of innocence and hope. As for myself, I''ve furthered my Discipline like never before. Now I only hope that my skill in it will be put to good use, one day."
I nod. "I''m d to hear that. Just know this, once I settle everything, I wille to you for your help in the future."
Knowing her innate ability, and her Discipline, I can''t pass on the usefulness of having her under my employment.
Aponia bows, thanking me before excusing herself and the servants. "We hope that you all enjoy your meal."
I wave at them with a smile. Then, we start to enjoy the porridge, clearly prepared for a sick person. Although it''s hospital food, it tastes absolutely great! All the more so when it''s your mom that is spoon-feeding you with care. "Say ah~"
"Ah~" I opened my mouth to receive the warm porridge mixed with minced pork and vegetable. Tasted heavenly with the added love.
Mom keeps on feeding me like that while Bryn and mama gaze warmly at the scene. Truly, this is the life that I wouldn''t trade for anything.
Chapter 30: Family gathering (part 2)
Chapter 30: Family gathering (part 2)
With dinner out of the way, we can finally settle down and discuss the meaty stuff.
"For our nation to stand up against the entire world, we would have to make some serious changes," I said before adding. "Don''t get me wrong, it''s not like we aren''t strong currently for we are the most technologically advanced country in Europe. Nheless, it''s still a far cry from what I have in mind."
Mom nods. "So, what have you figured out?"
"Well, first of all, we would have to work on advancing our technological might even further. It''s so dumb that even though we host a lot of brilliant minds from both the Previous Era and this current one, we still haven''t gotten to the Information Age, yet. I want to change that by using the resource we got from Arash, injecting more life into our national industries. Thus, modernizing our nation on all fronts during the 5-year hiatus thanks to the Months of Demons."
I look at mama. "This is breaking protocols but it would be much easier for me to direct the movement if you help me gather our scientists and industrialists, mama. In fact, I think it would be much better if you just bring everyone with a position of power under mymand if possible. That way I can personally oversee everything, thus ensuring that all will proceed smoothly."
Mama touches her chin, thinking up something. "Hum... I think I have an idea. Currently, we still haven''t installed a person in the rank of Reich Marshal, yet. With your contributions to the country, it shouldn''t be an issue if I nominate you for the position in the court. Though I can grant you the rank right now, I think it will be better for you to convince the court members with your talents personally. Are you up for that?"
I quirk an eyebrow. "Reich Marshal? As in the military rank that is only second to your authority?"
"Yup, that one precisely. It''s the only job that I can think of that allow you to have the power you requested."
I nod. "In that case, I don''t mind giving a hands-on demonstration in the court a few dayster. I would like to take the reign before the Months of Demons fully arrive."
Mama acquiesces. "That can be arranged, we will hold court in three days. That much time should be more than enough for you to get up to snuff. Four dayster after that, will be the nned Victory Parade also, it will do great to the nation''s morale if we reveal you there as our hero and Reich Marshal." She smirks before adding. "Do you think you''re ready to bask in the feverish gazes of millions?"
I chuckle, jesting back. "If I can survive a court to attain my rank, I don''t see why I can''t do the same with our citizens. They''re much more easily tame, in a way."
Mom chooses this moment to interject. "Then what about our allies? For if we are preparing for war against the world, they coulde across as our greatest helpers or worst enemies."
I wince, not knowing how to break the news easily to them. "You know, aside from the new friend I made, which is the Ustio Reformist factions, I don''t think we have any other ally than them." I said dryly.
They all raise their eyes, their silence prompts me to further borate. "The reason why I am saying this is because we can''t trust the Rusviet or the Japanese. Both of them have their own agendas and from what I''ve gathered, they would be standing in our way sooner orter. Especially the Rusviet Union which has been getting bolder ever since they took half of Pnd. My Einherjar said that they are rearing up to invade Find and will be pressuring us to share more of our technology with them soon."
Mama frowned at my words, having had to deal with them regrly in matters of trading before. "Tsk, annoying bastards. If it weren''t for our need for industrial resources, we wouldn''t have signed any trade agreements with them."
I cate her. "Don''t worry mama, we don''t have to put up with their greed much longer. Once Ustio is brought under the control of the Reformists, we can form a proper alliance with them to gain ess to their colonies. Their Princess owns me that much. If the Rusviets bother us too much, I also have ns to deal with them, leading them to chase ghosts for a while."
My confidence brings a cheeky smile to mama. "I have a feeling someone will becking sleepter down the line."
"That and many more." We both chuckle, much to the exasperation of Bryn and Mom.
Bryn bobs me on the head while mom is doing the same to mama. With teary eyes, we both question. "Ouch, what was that for!?"
"Your inner devils were showing. Now get back to the main topic, what is it about the Japanese? The Shinto pantheon has been our closed ally for some time already. I don''t see any reason why we have to look out for them." Bryn said, pulling me back to my exnation.
"That''s the thing, it''s because they''re our ally that we must have countermeasures. Whatever stunt they pull, also reflects on us in the eyes of the world." I stop for a bit to let them ponder. "Meaning, if the Shinto and their ideology of Eternal through Domination decide to start a war on their neighbor. Well, we can be dragged into another untimely war, halfway across the Earth."
My mothers groan with mom massaging her temple. They all seem to know where this is heading.
"How long till they make a mess of things?" Mom questioned.
"A couple of years if we''re lucky, four years at best. The Shinto gods have always backed the movement to reattain their Previous Era''s glory. Now, with an entire nation worshipping them fanatically, thus granting them some of their old power back, no doubt they would start expanding when the time is right. By that time, Asia will be at the mercy of humanoid monsters. Even with the Shinto gods holding the reins, you can''t expect a Nazi fanatic to show mercy to anyone other than his kin. "
"...That''s a threat toorge to ignore." Bryn grimly added.
I nod at her. "Now, even though we want to wage a war ourselves, we do so in the name of peace and coexistence. Imperial Japan though, what they want is power. Even though the Shinto gods also have peace as the end goal, they want it to be peace under their iron grips. While I doubt they would be stupid enough to rule the popce the way their ancestors did, it will still cause needless bloodshed to enforce their rule."
Mama interjects. "So Japan will be a major obstacle sooner orter. The way their government works greatly contradicts our new objective." She sighs, adding. "I always thought that Amaterasu, in a way she is also your aunt, is too ambitious, you are only further reinforcing that fact. I just hope the pitfall she receives in the future can be filled."
"There''s not much we can do now. It''s not like we can just renege on our supposed ally." Mom adds her analysis. "Unless they''re the one that makes a mistake or two, that way we can slowly distance ourselves from them."
"I have a n, it''s just that it will take time to implement. I would rather focus on developing our nation in the next few years before we make any major moves. Before that, it will just be some background movements and ndestine operations, maybe some skirmish at most." I said.
Bryn suddenly pats my head. "At the very least, no nation would want to disce arge portion of their army, not with the Demons running about their territories. Thanks to that, you will also earn some much-needed respite from your constant-overworking state. I will make sure of that."
Mom chuckles. "Was it that bad? Her being on the frontline, I mean?"
Bryn rolls her eyes before lightly pinching my cheek, causing me to pout. "You have no idea, I forced her to sleep and eat many times. This girl needs constant supervision otherwise she will work 24/7 nonstop. A true workaholic."
"I''m not!" I refuted, my face a bit red from embarrassment.
Bryn deadpans at me, seemingly about to reiterate some of my work periods. Not leaving her a chance to hit me while I''m down, I change the subject, much to the amusement of my family. "Moving on! Although Rusviet and Japan will be a threat, it won''t be till muchter down the line. Right now, it''s important to put Ustio under our ally''s control. Their Princess pledges to help us in our endeavor, so long as she can be the rightful Queen of thend."
Mama leans back, resting her chin on her left hand. "Is she to be trusted?"
I nod, rifying. "She is, andpetent too. Has a knack to persuade her people, and managed to gather a sizeable armed force of her own. Though back then, the situation forced me to relegate them away from important positions. If it''s worth anything, the girl is also a lesbian." I chuckle, suddenly remembering a conversation I had with Princess Rosa. "She said the first thing she will do is legalize same-sex marriage."
That earns a snicker from mama. "The girl has her priority straight, that''s for sure."
"That she is. Back to the topic, during the Months of Demon, while we''re focusing on national development, they will be in charge of defending their allocated territory. Of course, that won''t include Arash or White Rock, more like thends around them. That way, they can still recruit manpower from the popce while we are free to defend our interests in the area. Regardless, if we''re to make them an effective fighting force, we can supply them with surplus equipment once we start modernizing our military."
Moms and Bryn agree. "That can easily be arranged, though how will that Princess pays the wage of her troops?"
Of course, even if we all fight for a righteous course, a man and his family gotta eat too. "We have more than enough cashying about so we can hire the civilians and help her pay the soldiers. That way, we can get fresh blood in the workforce while also tipping the scale at the negotiation table in our favor,ter down the line. Ustians have always been renowned for being good in their crafts, I don''t see why we should not make use of the unemployed ones."
Mom nods in agreement with my exnation. "We may need to vet them just in case, regardless, it''s a good idea to as you said. The long-term benefits outweigh the possible cons."
Bryn, though, presents a problem. "We still need to revamp our intelligence agency, though, letting them run like before won''t be cutting it. I think dear Yuki has an answer for that also."
I nod, saying. "That is on the very top of my to-do list. The old bureau will be torn downpletely, being reced by the new Office of National Intelligence, ONI for short. They will be headed by none other than me with the core executives being the Einherjar. If there''s one thing they excel at in this day and age, it''s ndestine operation. You''ve seen firsthand how their intel had helped us. Though I''m open to discussion if you want to input anything in the new agency."
Mama shakes her head with a smile. "That won''t be needed, your answer is satisfactory. With you being the uing Reich Marshal, letting you have directmand of our spies is a must."
I smile back, thanking her. "Thank you for believing in me, mama, mom, Bryn. I promise to repay that trust by making our country the greatest there is, rivaling nations from the Previous Era." I bow at them, further emphasizing my promise.
From the corner of my eyes, I can see Bryn shaking her head while patting my back, while mom put a hand on my hair, caressing it. Mama, on the other hand,ughs good-naturedly with pride mixing in. My family showers me with love and warmth until I flush red from overdosing on them.
"With that out of the way, mama, when can I see my new sister? I''m dying to hug my new pill- *kehem* sister."
*Pfft* "You''re just about to say pillow, aren''t you. Don''t worry, I get the feeling. As for thess, she was having a medical checkup and is now resting. Aponia should be watching over her by now. You can pay her a visit in a day or two after you''re cleared to walk."
I smile. "That''s great then! Can''t you all believe that? I now have a sister I can dote on!"
I and mama then start fussing about my new sister, with her showing me a picture of the girl. Mom and Bryn watch on with exasperation at our antics. The entire medical ward is soon filled with ourughter and joy, curving up the lips of the guards and doctors outside. After all, who doesn''t want their hard-working lieges to have some family fun?
All in all, it''s a fun day for the entire family. A day I will surely cherish.
Chapter 31: Elysia (part 1)
Chapter 31: Elysia (part 1)
The car slows to a halt in front of a majestic ivory-white building. The guards upying the driver and co-driver seats step out first, taking nking positions on each side of the car. More guards also disembark from other vehicles in the convoy, moving around to secure the area and exchanging details with the Reichguards patrolling the building. You would think that such a security detail will be protecting someone of important, well, kinda. Their main job is to prevent the two VIPs inside from making an escape, their well-being is but a secondary objective.
"Elysia," I was taken out of my reverie when a handnded on my shoulder. Turning to the right, I can see father looking at me worryingly. "We''re here. How are you feeling?"
Though I really want to be the old-cheery me, all I manage to put up is a tired, wry smile. I answer with a shake of my head. "It would be a lie if I say that I''m well, father."
I watch as my father''s green eyes pose into a light frown, finally, he settles for a heavy sigh. Gathering himself, he suggests. "It would do you no good if you head out now while feeling under the weather. Let me negotiate with the guard captain, maybe we can have the meeting adjourned until ater date."
It warms my heart to know that father is preparing to brave the unknown, just to keep me safe. Thest few days have been an emotional roller coaster for both of us between the betrayal of my mother and the interrogation from the government. Father himself loses the vitality he used to have before our lives came crashing down while I was put through the wringer thanks to the Archive''s knowledge. Such knowledge is everything I could have ever wished for as a High Elf, yet right now, I find my heart to be very unwilling to receive it. But I digress, I still have a more pressing issue at hand to address.
"Father, it''s fine, you don''t need to risk anything. The Princess has requested my present, alone, on this day. It would reflect on us badly if I turn back now, all the more so if I use the excuse that my health wasn''t good. After all, the Princess lost her eye because of mother''s meddling, and she is still up and running, not to mention me..."
Father looks into my eyes, taking in the sight of my supposed resolution. Once again, he let out a tired breath. At this rate, his hair will go gray, and I can''t have that. If I survive the uing encounter with the Princess, I should pick myself up and not let my father worry about me too much.
"Then let''s not keep Her Highness waiting." Father disembarks before moving to the other side of the car to open the door for me. "I can only apany you to the waiting room. After that, you''re on your own, my daughter."
I step out with a grateful smile, reassuring the pair of concerned eyes in front of me. "I will be fine, father. Though I can''t say that our family will ever be the same ever again, I hope you can help me piece it back together once everything is done."
Although it will be hard, considering our family lost not a small number of resources and family members. Not to mention our family reputation is now at rock bottom. Nheless, if there''s a will, there''s a way, as long as I stay clear of the dirty path mother has treaded for me...
Mother, I miss you...
A glimmer of hope radiates from father, finally, he let out a small smile, preventing me from dwelling any further. "Thank you, you''re too good of a daughter for the both of us. We have failed you."
I put both of my hands on his shoulders. "Don''t say that, father. It''s thanks to your upbringing that I''vee to love and treasure this world and its inhabitants. I should be thanking you all instead."
We both smile, and silently agree to end the discussion here. Father then leads me into the guardedpound, our guards and watchers silently falling into steps behind us. I have no doubt there are also hidden soldiers stationed everywhere in the building. Suchrge security details further enforce the fact that I''m about to meet the now-famous Princess of Belka, the one mother wanted me to rece.
Truthfully speaking, I am he nervous. Not just because of my mother''s past wrongdoings but also because I''ve been secretly a fangirl to Her Highness. Yeah, the daughter of the elf renowned for her racial discrimination is fangirling a human. Sue me!
It all starts around two to three years ago when I was led by my father to visit the Military Academy that the Princess was studying. There, I opted to leave my father alone to let him deal with official work while I headed out on a stroll. Walking across the sparsely popted hallways, it was a day off for the cadets there, I suddenly came across an upied ssroom. Curious, I peek inside the room with a sand table, and then, I see her.
At that time, the Princess was barely twelve years old, too young to be in the academy now that I think about it. Back then, her cold and calcting ruby eyes were staring down at the sand table with a holographic disy, presumably made by her magic. I was deeply fascinated, both by her figure and the beautiful way she utilized her spell. The light the disy gave out was pleasing to the eye and I knew for a fact back then her spell would have many utilizations. With vested interest, I made my presence known, only to receive a raised eyebrow in the process.
Seeing how stoic the Princess was back then, I chuckled. "For such a cute doll, it''s a shame that you don''t have the personality to back it up."
What I said back then, in a way, would have been insulting had the opposite party was not the Princess herself. Yet, funnily enough, it was a correct assessment. I was both shocked and intrigued by how a person could even admit to being one. This was why to sate my curiosity, we decided to talk.
It was at that moment that I was enraptured by a human girl.
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*Knock* *Knock*
"Princess, your guest has arrived." Announced Erika, now a Lieutenant with a few more badges and medals. Surprisingly, she is content with being the personal guard of Yuki, despite the Princess keeps persuading her to move up the rank.
Yuki, who has been scribbling a few lines on a file, looks up. "Ah, yes! Please, let her in, I will be done shortly."
The Princess returns to her work, ignoring the opening of the door. Erika guides Elysia inside alongside L, her second-inmand. Hearing the approaching footsteps, Yuki speaks up with her eyes still on a paper. "At ease, I have no need for salutation when I''m drowning in work here. Just give me a few moments."
Yuki doesn''t want to hear a ''Hail Princess'' right now, not when her work requires deep concentration. Having been the bodyguard of Yuki for quite some time, Erika knows better than to interrupt Yuki in her work. She politely directs Elysia to her seat which is a couch, and a tea table in the corner of the office. Nheless, hidden behind the calm gaze of Erika is a trace of wariness. After what happenedst time around, Erika has taken it upon herself to always be vignt. Whenever she looks at Yuki''s eyepatch, she is always reminded of her failure in her task. Hence she will stop at nothing to ensure such a thing won''t happen a second time. Even if that includes the disposal of the harmless guest in front of her.
With Elysia situated, Erika positions herself to stand behind Yuki, yet, far enough to not get a glimpse of any secret documents. As for Elysia, the girl has a touch of surprise on her weary face. Despite the light makeup she has on, Erika can still see thess is tired. She can sympathize with her, if only for a bit.
L, who has moved to a side room, returns with a tray of biscuits and warm tea. Sheys it on the table for Elysia to refresh herself, before moving behind Yuki, just like Erika. Only this time, the dwarf pulls out her C96 and deftly ys with it. Elysia can only sweatdrop at her audacity while Erika and Yuki are used to it by now.
"Ningyo! I''m done with this batch!" Suddenly, Yuki called out a name.
A door is opened from the side, and from there it reveals a girl with ck hair. Suddenly, Elysia''s heart skip a beat from seeing the new arrival. ''...Mother?''
She watches in muted shock as the ck hair girl, barely 10 years of age, skips to the wooden desk where Yuki''s. Even though the girl has no trace of her mother Avera, physically at least, Elysia can somehow still feel the minute trace of her familiar aura. Being a high elf has its perk and Elysia won''t mistake her mother''s signature for someone else, ever. And here is the interesting part, ording to the Archive, the girl shouldn''t be up and running! Meaning, the ck-hair girl is involved in her mother''s death, somehow.
Feeling a bit dizzy from the sudden surprise, Elysia massages her temple, opting to watch the situation unfold first. She would rather not rashly jump to a conclusion, lest she makes a bad impression on the Princess.
The girl, Ningyo, moves to the front of the desk, picking up the neatly stacked pile of documents that Yuki ced to the side. "Big sis, is this all of them?" Her voice contains the cheeriness a girl her age would have when speaking to her loved one. It''s a stark improvement from when she first woke up.
It seems like her new family has taken care of her very well thesest few days.
"Yup! I can finally take a rest from all the paperwork, hurray!" Seeing Yuki leaning back onto her chair, arms throwing high into the air, Ningyo giggles.
"Hey, big sis, just who is the little sis here with you acting like that?" Ningyo said with a smile before checking the documents in her hands. "So ck goes to Agent while red goes to mama, right sis?"
"I pride myself in being forever a kid, in spirit at least," Yuki answered the first question, even showing a V-sign to emphasize her point. "And yeah, same atst time. Thanks for the help, Ningyo, you helping me with all the secretary work, helped immensely. Once you''re done, head back here to rx, yeah?"
"Yes, big sis!" Ningyo smiled, carrying the files back to where she came from.
Overlooking her departure with a warm gaze, Yuki then stands up to address the pink-hair girl ahead of her. "You would have to excuse me for my tardiness, Miss Elysia. To uphold our national interest, my duty seldom ceases to let me take a break."
Yuki moves across to the tea table, while Elysia stands up to greet her. "It''s fine, Princess, I understand that after recent events, you would be swarming with work right now. I should be the one to say sorry, considering that I''m upying a portion of your time."
Yuki looks into Elysia''s eyes which hold no grain of dishonesty, her lips curving upward. Pointing at the sofa, Yuki says. "Have a seat, Elysia, and don''t be too formal with me, yeah? After all, it''s not like we are mere acquaintances, I thought we went past that back at the Academy."
Elysia smiles lightly at Yuki''s words, somewhat relieved that Yuki is still being cordial to her, especially after what had happened.
They both sit down while Erika moves forth to pour them some tea. Thanking Erika, Yuki picks up her porcin cup and takes a drink, prompting Elysia to also do the same. With refreshment out of the way, Yuki leans back on her chair, nursing the warm cup in her hands. Yet, she doesn''t say anything, only looking at Elysia with a mysterious glint in her eye.
Sensing Yuki''s gaze, Elysia puts down her cup, feeling the need to sit upright with her hands put on top of each other. To say that Elysia is feeling nervous right now would be an understatement. After all, Yuki being silenced and looking at her like that wasn''t part of any n she thought up with. So, to avoid extending the strange silence any further, Elysia decides to start with some small talk. Perhaps after that, she can get an idea of why her presence is needed here.
"How to say this... You''ve changed, Yuki."
The girl in question, chuckles. "How so, Elysia? I can say the same to you, however." Yuki takes a look at Elysia''s new hairstyle.
Elysia leans back slightly, twirling a strand of her pink hair. With a small smile, she says. "Do you like it? The color matches my eyes, that''s why I changed it at once when learned a new spell." Yuki nods, her eye trailing the loose hair that Elysia puts behind her shoulder. A sudden feeling of pride wells up inside Elysia for sessfully captivating the Princess.
"You used to be much colder, and your cute face wasn''t as expressive as now. Even though, before, your actions betrayed your true feelings, you rarely broke that mask of yours. If you don''t mind me asking, what changed?"
"Well... To put it lightly, I''vee to terms with a few things. Being near Death, twice, brought a few things into perspective." Yuki leans back, a trace of mncholy surface in her eye. "I''vee to see that the world is a myriad of colors, not just cold unchanging numbers."
Raising a hand, Yuki touches her medical eyepatch. "And I''vee to cherish my family, more so after everything that had happened. So believe me when I say that I will stop at nothing to ensure the well-being of everything I''ve grown to love. Nothing has the right to do that." The convictioncing every word that Yuki said, stumped Elysia.
Yuki''s sudden assertation of her authority has pried opened the lid that has been covering Elysia''s negative emotions. The feeling of envy, for Yuki, can boldly exim such words and has the power to back them up. Hatred, for she is the reason why her mother was executed, even though Yuki and many other children were the victims here. It was the Princess in front of her that became the trigger for her mother''s death. Andstly, bitterness, for she had been so blind to everything that had happened in her name.
Elysia knows that she is being a hypocrite right now for feeling just that. Yet, logic can''t determine emotion and vice versa. She is being unfair to Yuki but what can she do? The love she received from her mother was very real and that was robbed away from her in one night.
Yuki knows that she has touched a sore spot of the girl in front of her. Nheless, it''s a must-do because if Elysia keeps bottling up her negative thoughts, she will self-destruct one day. Yuki can''t have that because she has the memories and feelings of having treated Elysia as a close friend. That and she, herself, knows that she''s responsible for the death of Avera, Elysia''s mother, in one way or another. Yuki won''t deny that she has caused the girl to lose a precious part of her life, family is everything to a girl like Elysia after all. So, if the situation permits, Yuki will try to atone for the damage she caused.
Erika and L notice the strange air surrounding Elysia, and they tense up to prepare for any actioning from the girl. Yet, Yuki signals them to wait and see first.
"Elysia, you''re smart and you know what I meant by saying that outright. Do you still want to continue this dialogue?"
Elysia, who has been looking down all this time, raises her head. Biting her lower lip, Elysia answers. "So what, you want to be my therapist now?" Her snarkiness didn''t escape Yuki''s notice, yet, the Princess ignored it.
"In a way, yes, but as a matter of fact, no. I don''t think that''s what you want to hear right now. I am here with you today, mainly as a listener. If you don''t want to talk then we can just sit back and enjoy the tea." Yuki said dismissively. The choice is up to Elysia herself.
Regardless, Yuki''s way of talking has managed to tick off Elysia. "Why... Just why are you so calm!? My mother plotted against you, assassinated you! You killed her, and I hate you for that! This is not an equivalent exchange! So why are you here, acting as if nothing has happened between us!?" Elysia broke down, her eyes turned red as she said her heart out. "It hurts... It hurts so much."
Elysia slumps down, her hands moving up to hold her head as she tries to muffle her crying. "Why is it so unfair...? My mother was so good to me..."
Erika and L share a look as the spectators. They silently agree that the girl shouldn''t be a threat, in fact, they pity her. Everyone in her ce would feel the same as she is. I mean could you put yourself in Elysia''s ce and not sympathize with her? To put this into perspective, a mother stops at nothing to give the best to her daughter, and a girl only retaliates when she is harmed by said mother. This result in an innocent bystander losing her dearest person, so, who is right or wrong in this case?
Each side knows that what they''ve been doing is correct, they hold no remorse for what they did. Yet, in this case, what would the bystander think?
Yuki has long lost her smile, she is now sporting a sympathetic look. She stands up, moving past the tea table before crouching down in front of Elysia. Using her hands, Yuki fixes the disheveled strands of hair for Elysia before pulling her into a hug. Yuki slowly strokes Elysia''s back, feeling each and every time the girl shakes in emotional pain. Offering words to her now would be meaningless.
Amidst her sniffle, Elysia says. "Just why... I hate you... You hurt me. But I can''t seem to hurt you back... What''s wrong with me!? What the hell should I do for me to stop this pain!?" Elysia screamed thest part.
Again, Yuki decides not to say anything, letting Elysia work through the pain on her own. The best she can do right now is to offer her a warm embrace. Her action will speak for herself. Slowly, seconds turn into minutes, and minutes turn into hours. The tea has long been reced two times by L and Erika, it''s now on the cusp of being changed a third time when Elysia slowly moves.
The girl in question cried a lot, though she tried her best to stifle the majority of it. Right now, Elysia is slowly raising her hands, Erika watches on warily to see what the girl would do, only for them to see Elysia slowly returning Yuki''s embrace.
Now calming down a lot, Elysia speaks up more coherently. "I''m sorry."
"Umu, me too." Yuki replied, her hands still stroking Elysia.
"Does it still hurt?" Elysia''s voice quivered at thest second.
"Not anymore." Yuki said reassuringly.
"I will take responsibility for you. I will be your eye whenever you go. That''s my way of repaying my mother''s debt to you." Elysia asserted her opinion by holding Yuki tighter.
"I ept your pledge." Yuki calmly agreed.
"Then will you take responsibility? A life for a life, will you take care of me in my mother''s stead, for the rest of your life?" Elysia gently pulls Yuki away, looking straight into her ruby eye while her hand is caressing the eye patch. Yuki''s uing answer will determine her fate, to say that she is anxious would be an understatement.
Feeling Elysia''s inner turmoil, Yuki shows an innocent smile to ease her anxiety before saying. "If that''s what has to be done, then yes, you will be in my care for eternity."
As expected, Yuki''s answer doesn''t disappoint Elysia. In a bid to stem the tide of overwhelming positive emotions, Elysia does the only thing thates to her mind at that time.
And that is to kiss Yuki. An action the Princess reciprocates gently.
Chapter 32: Elysia (part 2)
Chapter 32: Elysia (part 2)
In Yuki''s office, a pink-hair girl is hugging her face, groaning in utter embarrassment.
"Ahh! I can''t believe I did that! Why the hell did I act so cheesy, ah!" Elysia, much to the amusement of the people present, squirms in her seat, unable to look them in the eyes.
Chuckling at the sight, Yuki, who is now situated next to Elysia on the sofa, pats her head in an attempt to calm down the red-faced elf. "There, there. You would have to get it out of your system sooner orter. It''s fine to speak your heart out to the person you can trust."
"Wah~" Only, Yuki''s action backfired and made Elysia kick up her legs now.
Smiling wryly at that, Yuki has no choice but to wait for the elf to calm down on her own, though she still pats the girl''s hair soothingly.
Five minutester, Elysia settles down though her pointy ears are still a bit red.
"I-I''m sorry! I lost control of myself for a bit there."
''Only a bit?'' Yuki wanted to say that out loud but chose not to. She doesn''t want the elf to fall into another fit of embarrassment tirade. Instead, Yuki picks a more suitable question.
"Feeling better?"
Showing a shy smile, Elysia leans onto Yuki, her hair flowing down to her breast. "Yeah, much better."
"Then all is good." Yuki nods, a bit surprised when Elysia takes her hand into her own.
They stay silent for another minute before Elysia speaks up. "So..."
Yuki has an inkling of what wille next, but she will ask just in case. "So?"
"So what are we right now?" Elysia spoke in haste, still a bit weird by how fast she, herself, decided to progress their... rtionship?
Yuki chuckles, finding her action amusing. "That depends on you, to be honest. Though if you find things progress too fast, we can take it slow and get to know each other better first. For example, I''m open to getting into a rtionship with girls, as in plural."
Hearing thest part, Elysia is about to say something when Yuki put up a hand. "Let me exin first, there''s a proper reason why I put it that way."
Seeing that Elysia is cooperative, Yuki exins. "First, you know that I am imed by the Mother Goddess, Yggdrasil herself, right?" Elysia nodded, prompting Yuki to say the next part. "What you and others wouldn''t know is that I am imed not just as her Chosen One, but also her lover."
"...You''re kidding, right?" Not just Elysia, but even Erika is having question marks on her face. L, herself drops the pistol she has been spinning in shock. Poor dwarf jumps in pain when the C96nds on her left foot.
Yuki smiles while shaking her head. "I''m afraid not, my dear. Yggdrasil picks me as her partner and tells me to keep it a secret till I''m of age. Nheless, she knows that as a person of my status, and with me already developing feelings with a few figures, she has allowed me some leeway to create a harem of my own. Knowing that, what do you think of me now? Should we cement this rtionship or settle down to just being the friends we were before."
Hearing the short rundown from Yuki, Elysia knows better than to offer a hasty answer. The elf ponders the matter carefully, knowing full well that she is now at the precipe of her life. Whether to just be content as a mere ward of Yuki, pretending the previousmotion never happen. Or take the dive and dedicate her life to the young girl in front of her. Thinking up to here, Elysia does an introspection of her psyche. Only to learn that she isn''t againstthe notion of sharing the girl, rather, shees to terms with it easily. After all, it''s not unheard of for a person to have a harem. There arews in ce for such practice too to provide fairness and security to the people involved. By now, Elysia has already made up her mind. Nheless, she must ask this question.
"Before I give you my answer, can you tell me who are you romantically interested in?"
Yuki nods and calmly answers with a few names. "It''s a given that the first person would be Yggdrasil, there''s no denying that. Then woulde my adopted mothers, Lucifer and Hel, they''ve been grooming me all this time to be the perfect figure in their eyes, after all. I love them for the family and love they provide, and the opportunity in life they''ve given me. After that would be Bryn, my second-inmand and the person that have been watching my back all those time at the frontline. Without her, the battlefield would have been a much colder ce. I can go on and on about why they love me and how I''vee to love every aspect of them. But I guess you don''t need to know everything right now."
Elysia gives a slow nod, a bit d that the figures Yuki listed a well in the realm of eptance. In her opinion, Yuki deserves only the best loveing from the best lovers. It''s won''t sit well with her if a random figure decided to carve a portion of Yuki''s heart for her selfish desire. Unknowingly, Elysia let out a sigh of relief, much to her confusion about Yuki.
''Shouldn''t the girl be exasperated at least when she heard I''m in love with my own mothers?'' Yuki posed a question of her own, mentally.
Suddenly, Elysia jumps up from the seat, pping her hands excitedly. "Yosh~! I''ve decided!"
Spinning around in ce, Elysia settles for a bow in front of Yuki, her right hand putting on her heart. "Please, take care of me in the future, my love."
Standing up to hug Elysia, Yuki shows them the brightest smile of the day, managing to enrapture Erika and L, the innocent bystanders. "I''m d, you know? Truly d that you''ve decided to stay with me. You don''t know but I''ve been feeling very nervous inside, wondering whether we would''ve grown apart from each other after what had happened. I''vee to cherish the girl that has been nagging me back at the Academy."
Hugging Yuki''s back, Elysia says. "Not all rtionship is smooth sailing, what happened before is an example. Thankfully, we both understand the ins and outs of the situation. And now, we have moved on, growing closer than ever." Pulling back, Elysia holds Yuki''s cheeks, looking in the eye. "The others may have a major headstart over me but I swear I will be a girl that has every right to stand by your side. Even the Mother Goddess would have to ept me, eventually."
Hearing the conviction in her words, Yuki chuckles. "I will wait for the time when you all are gathering together then. It would be a sight."
*Knock* *Knock*
Turning toward the door, Yuki says. "That ought to be Ningyo... Come in!" Looking at Elysia, she adds. "It''s about time you two get to know each other. No doubt you must have felt something from her, right?"
Elysia can only return a nod since she is, once again, being sted by the familiar feeling from Ningyo, who has just opened the door and is skipping toward Yuki. The girl, after a few days of getting to know each other, has treated Yuki and her family as her most precious. So, being true to her apparent age, she leaps at Yuki, pulling her into a hug after she dodges the tea table.
Having intercepted the body-size missile, Yuki lets out a soft but good-natured ''ouch!''
"Ningyo, what did I say about running in a confined space again?" Yuki lightly chided the ck hair girl, yet, it was proving to be not very effective when she herself is sporting a smile.
"You said to be mindful of my surrounding if I did so, and that I did!" Ningyou cheerily answered, the girl now position herself to be morefortable on Yuki''sp.
Lightly pinching the cheek of her little sister, Yuki says. "Cheeky little girl, you will be a big troublemaker if I keep spoiling you like this. But I just can''t help it!"
The pair giggle as Ningyo squirms to escape the hand that''s now poking her cheek. Elysia, though she has questions, can''t contain a smile from seeing the pair frolicking around in front of her. It''s just too cute of a sight!
"Now, now. We have a guest here, won''t you say hello to the big sister next to you?" Having had enough fun, Yuki reminds her sister of Elysia''s present.
Ningyo, turning her golden orbs at Elysia, is a bit surprised by the color of her hair. Nheless, the ck-hair girl happily greets Elysia with a wave of her hand. "Hi, beautiful sister! Your hair matches well with your eyes, is that natural?"
Beingplimented by the small girl, Elysia feels proud of her choice to change her hair color from blonde to pink. Fiddling with a strand of her hair, Elysia answers with a smile. "In a way, yes, it''s natural little sis. I''m Elysia, and you''re probably Ningyo, right? I must say that your golden eyes are very vibrant, and it suits you well."
With a big smile on her face, Ningyo says. "Thanks, sister Elysia!"
Yuki, who has been watching their conversation, pats Ningyo''s hair. "Ningyo, why don''t you take a break here, and eat some snacks, while me and Elysia here discuss a few things."
"Sure, big sis!" Ningyo nodded, leaning forward to pick up a cookie with both hands. Munching on it as a hamster would, the sight deals cuteness overload all the people in the room.
Yuki can''t help but say. "She''s so precious."
Elysia and the rest can''t help but agree with that statement. With the girl in question now upy with the snack tray ahead of her, Yuki turns to Elysia to address her questions.
"Well then, after seeing her, what are your thoughts?"
Taking onest look at the girl before answering, Elysia puts her feelings in order. "Well... My mom or more specifically, her soul, was used to wake her up, wasn''t it?"
Yuki answers. "Yes, and it was on my order." Looking at Elysia''s expression, Yuki asks. "I guess that''s another thing for you to hate me for."
Elysia bites her lip before heaving a sigh. "I''ve epted that my mothermitted the unforgivable. I won''t hate you any more than what I''m feeling right now, dear."
Letting out a bitter smile, Elysia adds. "It''s a fitting end for her, dying the same way as those kids she sentenced before. Only this time she actually did something good for the world as a result. Ningyo is the purest kid I''ve ever seen."
Without saying anything, Yuki holds Elysia''s hand, which she squeezes back. "You don''t mind if I treat Ningyo as my own sister, right?" Elysia asked, feeling responsible for the actions of her mother.
Understanding her concern, Yuki answers. "Well, you''re already my girlfriend, I think it''s a given that you must treat Ningyo as a family member. And I don''t think the girl herself is in disagreement."
Ningyo nods with cookie crumbs on her cheeks. "I don''t mind, big sis Elysia! The bigger the family, the merrier!"
Both Yuki and Elysia chuckle at her innocent expression. Elysia herself is in relief to hear that. Patting Ningyo''s ck hair, she says. "Don''t worry, I will take good care of my new family." The girl smiles at Elysia''s action.
With that, Elysia has made up her mind to reveal the thing that her mother entrusted her with. "Yuki, do you know anything about this?"
Willing the Archive her mother gave her before her eventual end, Elysia has it appear, floating on her palm. The Archive has taken the shape of a glowing golden cube.
Quirking an eyebrow, Yuki answers with a chuckle. "Yes, in fact, I do know about it, a lot to be precise. It''s just that I didn''t bring it up because I thought that you are not ready to talk about it, yet."
Knowing the hidden meanings behind her words, Elysia pouts. "Mo~, Yuki! I''m not a girl that you would have to cater carefully like an egg!"
With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Yuki quips back. "Then who was it that I has been hugging for the past two hours."
Holding a finger up at Yuki, Elysia tries toe up with a return but fails. "...So can you exin more about it? I only know that this thing, the Archive, grants me a lot of knowledge about the past, some of which include what my mother did. Yet, I can''t seem to ess everything about it."
Seeing that Elysia chose a tactical retreat, Yuki lets out a small smile but decides to move on with the task at hand. "Well, you are correct about its utilization. That cube in your hand, the Void Archives to be precise, is a recorder of the past from the Previous Era. Holding inside are lost knowledge, blueprints, training techniques, forms, and the history of many worlds and their end... To say that it''s the Akashic Record is also not an understatement. Even Gods would kill to have it so I would suggest you keep it under a tight lid, Elysia."
Elysia is stunned by the revtion. She only now realizes that her mother, and now herself, is carrying a hot potato. One that ording to Yuki''s words, can easily ignite another war on its own. Swallowing her saliva, Elysia asks her girlfriend. "Um... What should I do with it then?"
In response, Yuki shrugs. "Nothing."
"...Hah?" A befuddled response came from Elysia.
"I''m not kidding, you need not do anything about it. That thing has a built-in camouge function, as long as you don''t bring it out in front of anybody, you will be fine. As for how to ess its knowledge, it will take some time but as your soul grows stronger, its mysteries will slowly unlock themselves. By that time, saying that you will be more than a god would be an understatement with all the benefits the Archive can provide."
Understandably, Elysia says this. "Wait, in that case, won''t you be wanting this more than me? You sounded like you are the more experienced person here."
Yuki actually dismisses the offer. "Nah, I can do everything the Archive can offer in due time. At the end of the day, it''s just a recorder for a mortal to learn from. Don''t be offended but you will need it to transcend mortal limitations in the future." Looking at the pink-hair girl, Yuki adds. "I have my own ways of doing so, which is why you don''t have to worry."
Though still a bit unconvinced, Elysia nods, reabsorbing the Void Archive into her soul. She would have time to ask Yuki more questions in the future. This thing takes time ording to Yuki''s words. Instead, she moves on to ask. "So what will you do in the future?"
Putting her fingers under her chin, Yuki has a pondering expression. "I will have to tackle the Victory Parade speech first. Addressing our recent victories, gains, the rebellion your mother did, and our ns for the future. After that, I will have to convene with the national leadership. Finally, I will be busied with restructuring our nation as a whole during the Months of Demons."
Elysis quinces. "Seems like you have your work cut out for you."
Sighing, Yuki scratches her hair. "Yeah, though I will try to make time for my family as much as possible, and that includes you too. Speaking here, I obviously can''t say everything about your mother''s crime. Though I still have to ask whether you have anything you want to input in this matter."
"I guess that you will settle with my mother rebelled because she was incited by foreign powers rather than the full truth, right?" Elysia asked. "If that''s the case then I have nothing else to add. After all, I don''t want the entire world to look at my lineage like monsters."
Nodding, Yuki answers. "Yes, I will pin the me on Erusea and none would be the wiser." Chuckling, Yuki adds. "It''s not like the first time I did that."
Raising an eyebrow, Elysia requests further rification.
"Well, I''ve already pulled a simr stunt with the Ustian Princess so that we have a just cause for her to rebel. Erusea will be our enemy in the future so it''s imperative we steer public sentiment in our favor now, rather thanter."
Elysia is stumped, having just learned of Yuki''s handiwork. "...Suddenly I feel pity towards those that opposed you."
"Oh they will regret it that''s for sure. And I guess we''re done with serious matters."
Noticing the heavy talk is out of the way, Ningyo takes two cookies from her te, and hands them over to her sisters. With a tilt of her head, she asks. "Cookie?"
They both chuckles at the cute sight, epting it with smiles on their face. "dly!"
This marks the end of another day''s work for the Princess of Belka. Just for today, our Princess decides to cut it loose before the hectic days in the future. Bonding with her new girlfriend and family takes precedence. After all, what is life without some love?
Chapter 33: Victory Parade
Chapter 33: Victory Parade
Today is the day.
We''re now standing on the eve of a grand celebration, a national wide one. This means that the great me, despite my reluctance to do so, must dress up, quite heavily.
Looking at my reflection in the full-bodied mirror, my eye right eye can''t help but twitch in annoyance, seeing that the pair behind me still haven''t done my hair... And it has been a goddamn half an hour ever since they started! Just how long do I have to sit in this chair?
Yet, even though I want to stand up and shout out my grievance, I''ve learned the hard way the result of doing just that. Had I stayed put back then, I wouldn''t be sitting here still after half an hour has passed.
Noticing my struggle, the women behind me can''t stop a smile from appearing on their lips. Adding the finishing touch to their work, officially ending my torture, they have a look of pride on their faces for a job well done.
"Truly marvelous." The older of the two, who else but Bryn, crosses her arms, nodding at my reflection.
"I told you right? Yuki would be so beautiful if we did her hair like that." This time it''s Elysia, my self-proimed fashionista.
"That''s true, a semi-crown hairstyle suits her the best. Especially on this asion. Though I would wish for her attire to be less militaristic." Bryn put a finger under her chin, mourning for a lost opportunity to dress the girl up.
My mouth twitches at her action though I won''tment on it. That''s a whole different can of worms to open. I then watch as Elysia leans down to my level, her hands on my shoulder while her head is next to mine. We both look at my reflection, seemingly to check for anything out of ce.
Elysia lets out a bright smile, one that makes my heart flutter, before urging me to stand up to do thest check on my attire.
"I understand your feeling, sister Bryn, I can''t wait to have Yuki tries on some dresses I''ve been keeping an eye onter." Elysia said.
...There''s ater?
Ignoring my dread, Elysia continues. "Though for this asion, the parade, Yuki picking the ceremonial military attire is the best choice."
Now sporting an eptance smile, Bryn nods. "That''s true, it signifies well her position in the country right now. A bonafide hero andpetent leader, no doubt this will inspire many of our citizens. She has that grand presence thatpels loyalty from all, even though she is still young."
"My point exactly." Elysia agreed to her words.
Well, they''re not wrong. I look very regal and authoritative. My current attire is a formal military one, reserved for the highest-ranking officer of the state. It''s of obsidian ck as the main color with the essories and linings made from gold. On my left breast lies an borate gold insignia of an eagle sping a medieval sword, pointing it downward. Below are many of my medals from the short campaign I led. On my right shoulder is a crimson cape, bearing the same insignia as the one on my chest, only it''s embroidered in ck on the outside. The cape drape over my right, hiding my pistol holder while on my left is a visible ceremonial rapier, sheathed of course. The rapier''s handle and the sheath are, once again, obsidian ck. The engravings on the sheath and the de, Iron and Blood, are carved in an esoterguage, and the words softly glow in crimson. The de itself is silver in color, the same as the borate handguard that runs along the handle. They are handcrafted with abination of the best materials, workmanship, and blessing from the Mother Goddess Yggdrasil herself. On a side note, the words carved on the rapier are symmetrical when you read it horizontally or vertically. No matter the viewing angle, the meaning of the words stays the same.
Last but not least, my eyepatch. I''ve traded the usual medical eyepatch for a strapless ck one. On the eyepatch is a Knight''s Cross that should have been sped on my chest. But who cares, it''s cooler this way.
Oh, and before I forget, my pistol is a silver C96E. Perfect for the asion.
Seeing that nothing is amiss, Bryn and Elysia give me the green light to show myself to my mothers, to which I sigh in relief. Even though I''ve lived for two lives, one being ridiculously long, I will never get used to ying dress up.
Bryn moves first, opening the door to a waiting room in the castle. Inside are my mothers, both also dress up in their imperial regalias. On a different note, Bryn is sticking with the formal officer wear, color in white, while Elysia picks a white dress. Only this time, Elysia won''t be presented on the stage, she will only appear in the Grand Banquet after the parade.
Mama, who has been conversing with our Prime Minister, mostly in charge of internal affairs, turns to look at me. A bright smile blooms on her face and I know for a fact that she''s stopping herself from pouncing on me with a hug.
"Yuki, oh my, oh my~ You look gorgeous!" She said, her eyes giving me a lookover and I can see mom is doing the same thing. Minister Hartmann, father to Erika my trusty bodyguard, bows at me
I go at them with a smile on my face. "Mothers, Minister Hartmann. It seems that everything is ready."
Mom nods at my words. "All is set, we only await you to lead the parade." Mom stops before asking. "I hope you aren''t nervous, you''re a bit young for the uing task."
I shake my head, smiling in assurance. "I am fine, mom. I''ve been waiting for this opportunity. It''s now time for Belka to show the world that our country is a sleeping dragon," I put on a cruel smile. "and they''ve just woken it up."
With a proud face, mama repeatedly nods at my assertion. "That my girl alright." She then turns to Minister Hartmann. ''Well then, Prime Minister, it''s high time we get the ball rolling."
The Minister bows at my mothers before turning towards me, showing his hand out in a direction. "This way please your Highness, Ms. Brynhyldr."
We both nod before following the Minister out of the room, heading for the staging area for our division. Elysia stays with mama and mom, they have been bonding over thest few days so the youngerdy treats my moms like her big sisters. She will be presented in the seat of honor next to my moms. Bryn will be with me, leading the Night Witches.
As for me in particr, you will see soon enough.
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Belkan capital city, Berlin. Right now, the city of 4.3 million souls is in absolute silence. Even the birds in the sky feel like today is so important that they keep their chirping at a minimal level. They''re not wrong, for today is Victory Parade day. A first of its kind national event brought to them by the recent astounding sess in the ongoing war. For the first time in history, the parade is broadcast live, in color and full sound, to all corners of Belka via the usage of magic. Citizens from every city and town of Belka are now gathering at the squares whererge screens are set up, waiting for the start of the parade. While the people of Berlin stand in attention around the Obsidian Castle and Yggdrasil''s tree, eagerly looking around for the one-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Hosting this event on a nationwide scale puts no small of a dent in Belka''s coffer, yet, it''s a necessary investment for the future. Princess Yuki and Minister Hartmann extrapte that the profitable returns after the parade will be many times greater than the initial cost. Both the military and civilian sectors will have a great increase in productivity. Of course, to ensure the stability of the event, Yuki pulls out all the stops for her Einherjar to guarantee the background security of the nation. Effectively stopping all undercurrent plots in their tracks. This, of course, goes unknown by most people. After all, Yuki is the one that nned this parade from the ground up, she can''t have anything goes wrong at thest second.
Leaving that aside, the clock is ticking. The popce watches on as the leadership of Belka walks out of the castle with an air of authority. Their calm gaits and smiles inspire confidence in the people. They can''t wait for the main show to start.
Moving up a grand stage, built before the parade. The top brass of the country receives respectful bows from the lower nobility and officers in charge of helping them run the state. It surprises many of them when instead of giving a speech to address the people right away, the Empresses move to their thrones after a short meet and greet. Still, the people watch on with interest. Clearly, this parade is different than the ones before, judging from the already presented military soldiers, neatly lined up in square formations in front of the grand stage. Behind themys something that has been covered with a ck tarp. The object is resting on a tform being pulled by half-tracks. The only one missing here is the Crown Princess of Belka.
With all the VIPs situated, the atmosphere falls into pleasant silence until the clock tower struck 10 am sharp. Then, the sonorous sound of multiple bells rings out from across the entire nation of Belka, creating a never seen mood. The promised time has arrived.
The bells ring for exactly one minute before stopping, letting a melodious, yet solemn, female voice take its ce. For the majority of people, this is the first time they hear the voice of their Crown Princess.
"Today, we stand at Berlin, the proud capital of our Reich, thend of our Holy Mother Goddess. For the grace and lives that have been bestowed upon us... Salute!" It''s unknown where is the Princess currently, yet, per her words, all the military officers present stamp their feet once. The sound echoes straight into the heart of the people as they watch a simultaneous splendid salute being performed by hundreds of officers. Right after that, the military bands begin ying the music conceived during the founding period of Belka, titled: The Sacred War.
With the start of the music, a squad hoisting up the Belkan national banner and the g of the Yggdrasil Pantheon moves down in front of the military formations from the left. Back straight and head held high, the officer in the front moves with deliberate steps and a salute. He is followed by members of his squad only this time, their arms swinging forward and backward with each step they make. Two of them are responsible for carrying the gs representing two integral parts of Belka.
Amidst the slow yet awe-inspiring music, the gbearers march down the parade avenue as an announcer begins to speak in a solemn tone.
"29 years ago, in 1906, we first arrived in the strange new world with hesitant steps. From the ruins of the past, we''ve banded together, building up the great Belkan Reich that we have right now. During the most tumultuous period of our Reich, we''ve shed blood and tears to protect our people and our sovereignty from an unjust war, the Great War. Since then we have founded peaceful coexistence between races, and have achieved prosperity for our nation. Yet, once again war has reached our doorstep, once again, our ways of life are spat upon by the world atrge." Letting his words sink for a few seconds, the speaker then takes on a more spirited voice. "But fret naught and fear naught! For our nation is blessed by the Mother Goddess! For our nation is home to her brave children! For our nation is the bastion of our stalwart heroes! The Belkan Reich will stand! The Reich will never sumb, never falter under the test of time. Glory to the Reich and those who serve her!"
As if on cue, his inspiring speech prompted the civilians watching to subconsciously salute in pride. The touching words have stroked their love for their nation, their home, and most important of all, their brothers and sisters living under the same banners. Unknown to most of them, the speech was designed by Yuki and had been given to a V?in?m?inen, a demigod that possessed a potent, magical singing voice. It''s no wonder why the people are so enraptured by the speech.
The gbearers proceed to march to the other end of the formations before spinning on their heels, looking at the path that they just walked. With a few more steps, they are now at the forefront of the military formations, right when the Sacred War is at thest few notes.
"At ease!" V?in?m?inen said, letting the officers and people stop the salute. With that, the square now falls into another lull.
Then, from the gate of the Obsidian Castle, an open-top Mercedes drives out. Standing tall in the rearpartment is no one else than Yuki, Crown Princess of Belka. As the vehicle drives slowly to the assembling soldiers, Yuki and the female driver, Lieutenant Erika Hartmann, puts on their officer caps.
With the arrival of Yuki, V?in?m?inen announces. "Her Highness Yukia Rosetta de Venusian, Princess of Iron and Blood, Crown Princess of the Belkan Reich has arrived. To her, we salute!"
Once again, with a stomp of their feet, they salute the Princess. Only this time, it''s the entire military that greets the Princess. An action to which Yuki also does a salute of her own.
The music picks up again in a slow marching song, titled 25 years of the Belkan Army. The song most noticeable yed when the Ghost Division was marching on Ustian soil.
Under the ongoing salutes, Yuki arrives at the forefront of the military formations. With a cursory scan of the assembly, no doubt you will notice that the majority of the soldiers and officers there are of the 404th Division. Standing in the middle, Yuki pivots in ce, looking at the grand stage where the Belkan Empresses are. Of course, she is still saluting.
When the music stops, Yuki speaks up in a calm yet strong voice. "Major General Yukia Rosetta, reporting for active duty, Your Majesties!"
For the people watching on live television, the camera is now pointing at the Empresses who nod at Yuki''s words in silence. On their face are proud smiles when they witnessed Yuki present herself not as a Princess but as an aplished General.
Yuki returns to her former position and the bands resume their performance. Lieutenant Erika drives the Mercedes to the end of the assembly before turning the vehicle around, now in front of the g bearers from before. During the short drive, members of the Ghost Division sing.
"Hail! Hail! Hail!"
When the car stops, so does the music. Yuki now turns to her troops.
"Who are we!?"
Just like one single organism, the thousands of soldiers under her chant with overwhelming spirits. The disy encourages the Belkans while in different a corner of the square, the foreign dignitaries receive a rush of chill to their back.
"First in the line of fire!"
Picking up the intensity, Yuki shouts the question again.
"Who are we!?"
Another synchronous chant.
"First into hostilend!"
And again.
"Who are we!?"
This time, the troops chant the moniker the Ustians gave them.
"Phantoms!"
Yuki asks again, this time her lips curve into a proud smile.
"Who are we!?"
In response, the soldiers said their Wehrmacht designation with heads held high.
"The Panzer Elite!"
"Who are we!?"
"404th!" Came their Division number.
With one final deep breath, Yuki asks for thest time, her zeal beats the ones before. And the answeres with much stronger intensity.
"WHO ARE WE!?"
"GHOST DIVISION!"
Such morale! Such present! Such zeal! The force in their response, their belief, has knocked the hats off many people! Their aura shocks even their ownrades in the viewing seats not to mention the foreign dignitaries. A few diplomats have to excuse themselves, scared witless from the Ghost Division''s powerful oppression. It will take some time for them to regain their spirits, many thanks to the bathrooms.
As for the Empresses and Elysia, the girl is sitting behind the thrones next to her father. They all have the proudest smiles they can muster.
With their affiliation made clear to all, the music returns. Erika drives forward once again, moving closer to the first infantries formation of the assembly. Turning to salute the officer at the forefront, surprisingly it''s Bryn and her Night Witches behind her, Yuki asks.
"Comrades, who are you?"
As expected, it''s Bryn who responds with calm and confidence. "We''re the Special Operations Group, Night Witches!"
With a nod, Yuki gives her speech. "Your actions of performing recons, sabotage, and battlefield support deep behind the enemy line have granted us unmatched strategic advantages over the course of our campaign. Usually operating at the spearhead for any and all operations, you have sacrificed many things to ensure our operational integrity. For your service, I offer you my gratitude as your General and as the Crown Princess of the Reich."
With her concluding words, Yuki faces forward again. With that cue, Erika steps on the throttle gently and the bands resume ying. As the car moves forward, the Night Witches, arms holding Kar 98s and Mp-25s close to their chest, chant: "Hail! Hail! Hail!" while looking at theirmander-in-chief.
Under the cheering, Yuki arrives in front of the next group. "Comrades, who are you?"
The dark elves, Captain Quellec, represent his fellow troopers and answers. "We''re the Special Operations Group, Storm Troopers!"
Nodding in response, Yuki says. "The Storm Troopers, renowned for immense courage and resourcefulness in face of overwhelming odds. Unbreakable under the most atrocious of situations, your stalwartness has given us the strength to stand strong in front of any adversity. Your valiant was unmatched and for that, you have my thanks."
Just like before, Yuki moves forward under the constant cheering from the Storm Troopers who are holding Mp-25s. By now, you should have noticed the theme and pattern of this parade.
Arriving in front of a group that consisted of the majority of the 404th, Yuki addresses them.
"Comrades, who are you?" Same words as before with the differences being the answers and responses.
Major Aleph Morrick, standing in ck ceremonial attire with medals pinned to his chest, exims his answer. "We are the Panzer Grenadiers Group, the mainstay of the Division!"
To his words, Yuki says. "Riding in beasts of steel and breathing out fiery breaths. The Grenadiers are indispensable for any and all operations then, now, and in the future. Without you, there would be no division, no army. It''s thanks to your unquenchable fire that we have achieved everything that we stand for. My gratitude goes to you all, Panzer Grenadiers."
With a multitude of different armaments and equipment in the Belkan arsenal. The Panzer Grenadiers Group is abination of Grenadiers, scouts, pioneers, anti-tank units, field recement soldiers, medics, andmunication troops.
Moving forward under even more intense cheering from the Panzer Grenadier group. Yuki arrives at thest major foot-mobile group in her division. "Comrades, who are you?"
This time, a Colonel, one Ganer Spiele, steps up. He''s a familiar face, being the one to hype up the C96E for her soldiers from a long time ago. Though it feels like yesterday in Yuki''s memory.
"We are the Logistics Group of the 404th! Well fed, well stocked, well prepared, and well fought! That is what we help the Division achieve! That is our motto!"
"Well said from the unsung heroes! The Witches roam the night sky, the Troopers storm hardened trenches, the Grenadiers charge with mighty force... None of them are possible without your uninterrupted aid! With you around, we can and will fight with unconquerable spirit for we trust no one else to support us but you!"
Yuki''s assertion, even though she didn''t say thanks like before, prompts the loudest cheering yet. The entire Logistics Group has never felt so invigorated before. For the first time in history, logistics finally has the respect it deserved.
Yuki''s speech, though short, has sessfully changed not a small number of the Belkan military cadre''s view on the importance of logistics. All thanks to the current atmosphere and prior battlefield reports on the 404th''s unprecedented feats. One of them is General Bedonna who has received a crash course on proper logistics management from the time she rushed her army to Arash. In the future, she will be of great help to Yuki''s campaigns thanks to her view.
Moving on, Yuki finally arrived at thest group, perhaps the most important one in the assembly. Unlike the previous ones, this is the only infantry group to have motorized vehicles in the mix. It''s a requirement, after all, for the soldiers here are those that paid the price in blood for the 404th''s cause.
With a voice, much more solemn and respectful than before, Yuki asks onest time. "Heroes of the Reich, may I ask for your names?"
Standing on the back of an open-top Opel Blitz, a grizzled veteran that''s missing an arm answers. "We are the Iron of the tank that shed its skin for its crew to live. We are the Blood that was spilled to protect ourrades-in-arms so that they live to fight another day. We are the Fallen that watch with glee as our friends achieve what we can''t aplish. We are the Unknown Soldiers!"
With his words as a cue, the ck tarp that has been covering the mysterious object is pulled away. This reveals a 1-to-1 size bronze statue that depicted an ongoing battlefield. To the astonishment of many, it''s a recreation of a Panzer III blocking iing attacks, covering the wounded and injured behind it as those stillbat-capable return fire at the enemy. However, none of the soldiers depicted on the statue have a face. They remain featureless befitting of the name For the Unknown Soldiers, carved on the base of the statue.
With such a grand reveal, only now are the people reminded of the price of war. To protect their home, and their belief, many have paid the ultimate price. It''s a sobering moment, yet this only serves to rouse the dormant patriotic spirits in many young men and women across the Reich. They now have a deeper sense of appreciation for the heroes that have been fighting for them all this time.
The foreign diplomats, particrly those from the Ustian Reformists faction,ment the fact that their country is such spirit after witnessing such a disy.
Yuki knows that better to waste useless words and pleasantries in front of the true heroes of the Reich. Thus she expresses her deepest thanks. "In lieu of the entire Belkan Reich, I offer our deepest gratitude towards you all." She bows at the end, yet no one finds it strange for her to do so.
Thebat veterans in the group and even some of the spectators have tears in their eyes. They hail for the Princess as she moves past them and approaches the grand stage. Under the apaniment of music, Yuki soon reaches the foot of the stage.
Stepping off the Mercedes, Yuki makes her way up the stage and to the front of the thrones. Pivoting in ce, Yuki stops the salute before kneeling down in an expression of allegiance to the Belkan Empresses.
"Reporting to Your Majesties, the entirety of the 404th Division is presented before you and is awaiting yourmand."
Acknowledging Yuki''s words with a nod, Lu gives her the motion to stand up. "You may rise."
Yuki rises, yet, still keeping a respectful stance to the Empresses. She awaits the next move from her mothers.
Seeing this, Lu represents the Royal family and rises to her feet. With a few deliberate steps, she soon arrives in front of Yuki. Putting a hand on her daughter''s cheek, Lu says with a smile. "My daughter, I am so very proud of you as your mother."
Moving her hand to grasp Yuki''s, Lu leads her daughter next to a podium. Letting Yuki stand to her side, Lu turns to address the crowd below.
"Citizen of Belka, it''s I your Empress Lucifer." With her hands on the podium, Lu basks under the watchful eyes of millions. Without using a script, she goes on to say the rest of her speech. "A long time ago, I stand here, announcing to you all my... Our adoption of my daughter, a human, and raising her as the Crown Princess of the Reich. At that time, to say people are skeptical about her ability is an understatement. But today! Here we are!"
With a hand pointing at Yuki, Lu says. "My daughter has proven her mettle through trials by fire. Her talent shone brightly like the Northern Star and through her, we have achieved a never seen before victory! My daughter, Yukia, has carved her name on the pages of history through sheer will andmitment to the Reich atrge. Our enemies crumble beneath her feet while our soldiers wade forth with unwavering steps beneath hermand. In one day, Yukia carved a deep wound into Ustian soil. In a week, White Rock fortress has fallen. And in a month, Arash is now ours.
Hence, by my authority as the Empress, with the consent from the governmental body of Belka, and the blessing of the Mother Goddess herself. It''s my honor to say that Major General and Crown Princess of Belka, Yukia Rosetta de Venusian will be bestowed the revered position of Reich Marshal. A position second in power only to the position of Empress in matters of warfare and military development! Long may her talent reign supreme on the battlefield and long may her ever-watchful gaze protect ournds!"
Lu''s announcementes like a storm to the citizens of Belka. Nheless, they''re ecstatic when the news finally sinks in. They have long admired the heroic tale of Yuki''s rise to power. Having her ce on the pedestal that is the Reich Marshal, only further cements their belief of her being the invincible heroine that Belka needs. The crowd waves and cheers with unprecedented joy while the Ghost Division salutes. All mouthing the same words. "Hail the Reich Marshal! Long may she reigns!"
As for the foreign representatives, many are sporting thoughtful looks on their faces. Some are wary that having Yuki in power only serves to furtherplicate the current political climate. While a few think that now is a good time to make a connection to this new power figure in Europe. They all tactfully agree that a time of change hase.
"Now, I present to you the Reich Marshal. She has a few words to say." Lu steps down, handing over the stage to Yuki. She encourages her daughter with a smile before stepping behind her.
Striding forward confidently, Yuki faces the crowd. Her face has an ever-present smile.
"People of Belka, soldiers on the frontline. Just as you have seen and heard, I am now the Reich Marshal of Belka. Now the supreme leader of the military, answering to the Empresses themselves." With one nce, Yuki scans the attentive crowd before her. "Many of you have heard, read, or even witnessed my stories firsthand. Hence, I won''t be rehashing any of those. Yet, few properly know the actual reasoning behind my actions. After all, matters of the state can''t be discussed clearly. Nheless, I am safe to tell you about my motives, the drive that presses me into doing what I did."
Yuki stops for a bit, setting up the atmosphere for what''sing next. "When I first woke up on that ne, an injury to the head, I realize that as a leader, I can''t be the passive one. You can''t take a punch and not retaliate, by not doing so, you''re letting others trample upon you, ruining whatever thing that you''re protecting. So, I gathered myself an army, my Ghost Division, and together, I stabilized the frontline and hit the Ustians back tenfold!"
Yuki emphasizes thest part by squeezing her fist together. "Yet, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. For a long time, we have been paying too much attention to the visible enemy that is Ustio,pletely ignoring the festering corruption in our midst. In the heyday of the war, a part of the wood elvesmunity, driven by greed and maniption from a third party, had slowly moved against theirpatriots, their fellow Belkans!"
Raising her hand, Yuki puts a finger on her eyepatch. Her action and words spark a moment of rage from the citizens while the wood elves presented hung their heads in shame. Putting forth a hand to stop the brewingmotion, making sure that the atmosphere won''t go out of control, Yuki says.
"Citizens, please! Though it came at a cost, notably my injured to the eye, the Belkan government has sessfully rooted out the unwanted part of our society! Those that are next to you are your friends, your fellow countrymen regardless of their race. Don''t misjudge them for the action of the few! Soon, a wave of changes, directed by the Empresses and myself, will be rolled out. And with that, Belka will be revitalized and stronger than ever before! Nheless, for us to make our nation great again, we can''t do so without your help! So, I hereby ask, citizens of Belka, are you with us!?"
Raising a fist in the air, Yuki''s words cause a roar of excitement from below as they all raise their fists high. Though the speech is short, the build-up from the start to here is more than enough to garner the support of the nation as a whole. It needs another raise of hand from Yuki to cool down the atmosphere so that she can move on to the next subject.
"Previously, I said I won''t rehash any of my feats of warfare, so I won''t. But I will say what I and the Reich as a whole have gained from the campaign. Rather than us losing ground, we have gained 200 km ofnd starting from the old frontline! We captured numerous small towns and cities and most important of all, the economic hub that is Arash is under our control. Yet, to me, the most important gain of all is not those, but rather a friend of the same stature. I present to you, Princess Rosa Bonaparte, a member of the Royal Ustian family!"
From the VIP seat, Princess Rosa steps up, showing off her blue dress for the first time. Many are surprised by her presence, and they all wonder what is the deal with her and the Princess of Belka. It takes but a few seconds for the two princesses to stand side by side.
"It''s my honor to be here, Princess Yukia." Rosa performs a proper royal curtsy while Yuki just chuckles.
"Please, I did say we are friends, don''t be too regal and make me lose face in front of my people." Surprisingly, Yuki jests in front of millions.
For some, this rings warning bells in their heads. Yuki''s action signifies a deeper political tie than what is suggested. Rosa just smiles and nods, letting Yuki call the shot. Meaning Yuki is the one to hold the upper end in their rtionship.
"This here, is Rosa, a valiant princess and an admirable friend on a personal level. During my forays into Ustio, I''ve learned that Ustio too, has its fair share of corruption and unjustness. The upper echelon of their countrymitted many crimes against their own, not just us. They have turned their own king into their puppet while they, themselves, rob their people and wage an unjust war on us. Many of their crimes also include the envement of non-human races, an action that disgusts just us but also Rosa over here."
At first, the people are visibly ufortable, yet they choose not to act out on their feelings. The Reich Marshal is not done.
Turning to look at the Princess of Ustio, Yuki says with a smile. "Rosa has been fighting against the darkness of her country, building her own faction from the ground up. She is the one who has been harboring our stranded brothers and sisters that have been treated like ves under a yoke of tyranny! When we confronted each other at Arash, we soon reach amon ground due to our rtable circumstances. From foes, we turn to acquaintances. Over the course of the battle for Arash, we move on to be friends."
Yuki then steps to the side, letting Rosa says the final words. "And right here, we have decided to be the staunchest of allies!"
With a smile of her own, Yuki adds. "That''s correct! From now on, the Belkan Reich is establishing a military alliance with the Ustian Reformist faction! The faction is headed by Princess Rosa herself and together, we will end this unjust war and bring peace to both our countries!"
Rosa speaks up. "Our resolution is that in the future, our two nations can look at each other, not as enemies, but as brothers and sisters, people that share the same Earth together! So please, citizens of Belka and Ustio, help us realize our dream!"
The sight of the two Princesses bowing toward the audience causes an eruption on a nationwide scale. An alliance between the two popce that has been waging war against each other was unthinkable. But now, the two poptions hold high hope that maybe one day, they can stop this war and move on to be what their Princesses have been hoping for.
So, following the trends from before, the crowd cheers and hails for the Reich Marshal, the hope for a new era. "Hail! Hail! Hail!"
With smiles on their faces, the Princesses leave the podium. Yuki part ways, heading down for the Mercedes, while Rosa leaves for her seat.
The bands resume ying, this time the national anthem for Belka is in full swing. During each climax of the song, the nearby artillery battery will fire. Causing the people''s hearts to be pumped with adrenaline and excitement. It''s not every day that you can be injected with such an experience, after all.
By the end of the anthem, Yuki is now back in front of the Ghost Division''s assembly. Standing at the ready, Yuki shouts her orders.
"Ghost Division... Attention!" Heels are brought together and on the same line. Feet are turned out equally, forming a 45¡ã angle with each other, knees straight but without stiffness. Chest up, shoulders back, and level. Eyes looking straight to the front. Their heels are brought together smartly and audibly.
"Present, arms!" Unarmed members render a hand salute. While armed members will render a rifle salute. Yuki, herself, performs a hand salute with her attention on the grand stage.
"Forward, march!" Per hermand Erika drives forward at parade speed, followed by the Division''s music band ying their marching song.
Coming up behind the band is the Unknown Soldiers formation. Their vehicles rumble down the avenue with a perfect formation, pulling along the bronze statue.
Following after their tracks is the Logistics group with wide smiles on their faces. Though many aren''t armed, as they aren''t required to do so. They all maintain a strict marching formation befitting their military experience.
Not far away from the Logistics are the Panzer Grenadiers. This group, though thergest, moves down thene like a well-oiled machine. Notable examples are the machine gunners hoisting around MG-34s without breaking a sweat.
Behind them is the Storm Troopers decking in their full gear with all of them painted their faces in camo. Even during a ceremonial march, they still carry themselves with abat-ready atmosphere.
Thest to move out is the Night Witches. Headed by Bryn herself, it''s a given that the Witches move with grace and finesse. As battle-hardened maidens, they all carried themselves with confident smiles. Causing many of the male popce to observe with reverence while the females and children swoon over them with reverence.
Finally, with the infantries moving ahead, under the cheering of the nearby citizens. Only the bands are still in the square, still ying the music for the uing group.
This time, from the other end of the square,es the rumblings of uncountable vehicles.
Rounding a corner is not one, nor two, but six Panzer IIs! Forming a perfect line, they roll down the parade avenue with their crew turning out to salute. Mere meters behind them are two rows of armed Kubelwagens and motorbikes with sidecars. The machine gunners on them train their MG-34s upward while they turn to salute the stage as they drive past, following the Panzer IIs.
Coming up behind them are the armored vehicles, namely those of the 221 family armored cars and the 251 half-tracks. Some of the armored cars are armed with 20mm autocannons or machine guns. While the half-tracks can be divided into two groups, unmodified or modified. Unmodified are your bog-standard 251 with a pair of MG-34s. While the Ghost Division''s homebrew half-tracks are armed with 37mm anti-tank cannons, methrowers, mortar, or anti-air 20mm autocannon. Regardless, they all formed a neat formation that drives forth with unmatched precision.
Such skills shocked the foreign diplomats for they know that their countries may not be able to pull that off.
The next group unsurprisingly consists of Panzer IIIs and Panzer 35s. Only this time the Panzer IIIs receive a visible touch-up. Instead of the short and chubby 75mm cannon, they now sport an unidentifiable long barrel cannon and additional armored skirts in the side and the front. Such a tank model was unheard of, even by the top brass of the Belkan military. You can even see the evidence of confusion on their faces while looking at the new and improved Panzer IIIs. The Panzer IIIs and 35s also have their crews turned out. Their turrets are angled fifteen degrees to the right while their barrels are pointing twenty-five degrees upward.
Last but not least are the mechanized artillery group of the Ghost Division. Shockingly amongst their ranks are the presence of self-propelled artillery pieces! Of the first column of vehicles to appear, six of them are unknown tracked vehicles with each house an open-top turret with arge artillery piece. Those with more experience managed to extrapte that the vehicle is of a Panzer II chassis with a 105mm howitzer as the armament. Thankfully, whates next is more familiar to them. Mainly the 251s and Opel Blitzs that are dragging behind artillery pieces.
Thus they also roll off thest of the ground vehicle segment. But suddenly, the sky darkens when a shadow now blocks out a portion of the sky. Many citizens point their hands upward in shock, having witnessed the looming figure above their heads. Unbelievable to them, it''s a Zeppelin!
Flying low to the cityscape, the Zeppelin sports the Belkan g on its sides and are firing off steady streams of yellow acrobatic smoke. Behind it are flights of Bf-109s, Bf-110s, He-111s, and Ju-52s. Spreading evenly across the nks of the airship, as if they''re all in an escort formation with the airship as the center, the first two types of fighter aircraft drop ck acrobatic smoke. While thetter types, flying in the middle of the formation, drop trails of yellow smoke. The colorful trails encourage other rounds of apuse and cheering from citizens across the country. It''s such an awe-inspiring sight.
Finally, when the airshow is over, the musical bands march forward to the stage. The chief conductor salutes the Empresses before directing the bands to march toward the end of the parade. There, the Reich Marshal is waiting.
Knowing that the square will be vacated, Berlin''s popce moves orderly under the guidance of localw enforcement toward the next spot of activity. With that, the Reichguards also escort all the VIPs to the gathering for the finishing touch of today is almost upon them.
The location they''re all heading to is a scenicke in the heart of the capital, the Grand Sanctuary of Berlin. There, a major crowd is gathered around theke, where the bronze statue of the Unknown Soldiers is nked by a pair of cranes. Yuki is standing in front of the statue, surrounded by bouquets of flowers.
Without a word, the VIPs are directed to stand to the side, waiting for what''s about to happen next.
With the bands in ce, Yuki turns around alongside many of her officers to salute the statue and the Belkan anthem starts ying once again. This time, the statue''s base is carefully hooked to the cranes before being lifted off slowly from the transport tform and onto a pedestal near theke. With the deed done, the transports and cranes swiftly vacate the area, leaving behind the newly propped-up monument.
A solemn minute of silence soon follows with the band''s stop ying. Only when the minute end, does Yuki moves to pick up a bundle of white flowers from a nearby station and moves up toy it down on the base of the monument. She then moves to the side, joining the line of Ghost Division officers.
The bands y a piece of somber music, titled ''The Silence'' when many Belkan officers follow suit in Yuki''s act. None dare says any word when they are useless in the end. Surprisingly, even the normal citizen is allowed to step up and give an offering of flowers at the monument. A simple act that touches the heart string of many watching the live television, now deeply regretting not being there in person.
Unsurprisingly, however, is that the act of giving tribute will go deeply into the night. Yet, Yuki and none of her officers move from the position next to the monument. Against words of advice from even the Empresses, Yuki and her subordinates opt to preside over the tribute ceremony till the very end.
Unknown to them at that time, such an act earned them the deepest respect from not just the Belkan people, but the whole military world atrge. Though even if they knew about it, they would justugh and say that they care more about respect for the dead than for themselves.
This marks the end of Belka''s first national holiday known as Victory day. Undoubtedly, this day will continue to exist far longer into the future.
Epilogue: Aftereffect
Epilogue: Aftereffect
It''s half past midnight, yet the city of Berlin can''t seem to fall asleep. The city''s popce is now in a sudden festive mood, owing to the impressive disy during the day. After paying their respect at the Monument of the Unknown Soldiers, many citizens will set out to join the sea of people in the ongoing festival. Different kinds of stalls are set up all over the street, beers, food, games,... You name it, they have it.
Befitting of Belka''s tradition that the dead shouldn''t be mourned in grief but rather be remembered through a drink. Many adults can be seen moving about with a ss of cold beer in their hands while the children are allowed to enjoy the extremely low alcohol content ginger beer. Even foreign emissaries can''t help but be caught up in the atmosphere, joining alongside themon citizens of Belka in tales ofughter and epic. For the moment, they seem to have set aside their differences and just enjoy the rare treat that is tonight. Thankfully, they can drink to their heart''s content for the city has raised the security level to the max, subtly of course. None want the festivities to be ruined by some drunkards or people of much worse origins.
In the heart of Berlin, the courtyards of the Obsidian Castle are lit up bynterns and decorative lights. The Reichguards open up the castle gates, letting childrene in and y in the well-kept garden. Yet, unlike the liveliness of the exterior, the interior of the castle has a much more subdued atmosphere.
In one of the many Royal Quarters, off-limit to unauthorized personnel, Yuki''s family is now having an impromptu gathering. Lounging around an ornated table withte-night snacks, the host for the night ps her hands together, addressing the women around her.
"Well then, after going through the reports, I can say that we, or more specifically, Yuki, has outdone herself this time." Lu said with arge grin on her face. To say that she is a proud mother would be an understatement. "It''s projected that the festival canst for another day. After that, it''s expected that we will have a sharp increase in manpower for both the civilian and military sectors."
Hel picks up on what Lu left unsaid. "On the spiritual side of things, many citizens have paid a visit to the Outer Sanctuary. That and many other churches from across the Reich. Of which the majority of the civilians have a keen interest in dwelling deeper into the mysticism of our teachings. It''s expected that after the rush from the Victory Parade is over, we will be able to uplift the national identities of our citizens on a nationwide scale. Reinforcing their belief in our leadership and preventing further infiltration of foreign influences.
Elysia nods with a relieved smile. "You have no idea how much I want to hear those words, sisters. I really don''t want a repeat of what happenedst time."
Lu chuckles, knowing that the younger girl is still getting over her trauma. "Don''t worry too much, from what I''ve checked earlier, none has taken up a pitchfork to chase you or your brethren."
Hel reassures Elysia. "Please believe that our citizens aren''t so narrow-minded. Even if that''s the case, Yuki can safely steer them away from you."
Elysia nods. "I will. It''s just that I can''t quite believe that I''m sitting here with you all." She looks around to take in thevishly decorated room. "Everything happens so fast."
"Umu," Lu concurs, yet, she offers her exnation. "even I and Hel feel the same. Yet, Yuki has vouched for you and even offered us a detailed analysis of you to convince us to ept you as her love interest."
Hel adds. "And after we cross-referenced the details from the paper and with the real person, we admit that you''re one little gem." She smiles while saying. "A gem that fits perfectly well within our weird little family. We don''t see any reason why you''re not allowed to pursue Yuki. She deserves only the best partners."
Elysia ys with her hair, her cheeks a bit red from their direct answers. "Thanks, I guess? Knowing that I am epted on an official level puts a weight off my shoulders. Speaking of Yuki, when will she and Bryn returns."
To that, both Lu and Hel sigh, shaking their heads. An action that Elysia also mimics, only this time she is massaging her temple also. Even though they know the reason why Yuki and Bryn arete to the gathering, they really don''t want them to harm their health in doing so.
Nheless, speaks of the Devil and she will appear. The doors to the quarter are opened, softly, revealing Yuki and Bryn. The former is being carried by thetter.
With a bit of a forced smile, Bryn greets the upants of the room. "Hi girls, you have a ce I cany our treasure down?" She has been princess-carrying Yuki ever since the girl wobbled at the steps of the castle.
Unknowingly, the moment Bryn picked her up, Yuki fell asleep instantly.
Lu makes room on the sofa for Yuki while Elysia helps her tidy it up. Hel stands up and moves to Bryn to help her check on Yuki. They all have concerned expressions on their faces.
After they situate Yukifortably on the sofa, they watch as the girl chest''s lifts up and down slowly.
"How is she?" Elysia asked the golden question.
With a hand softly patting Yuki''s hair, Hel has the caring expression of a mother taking care of her child after a job well done. The grayish-blue hair woman answers Elysia''s query after a few seconds of silence.
"She is fine, just very tired. For a 15-year-old girl, even though she is blessed by the Mother Goddess, her body can''t keep up with the recent workload. Hence, she is now in a deep sleep, I''ve made sure of that."
Bryn, who has just taken a seat, nods. "Then it''s a good thing that you did. Goddess knows how much downtime the girl needs."
Elysia tilts her head, not yet familiar to the workaholic that is Yuki. "Has she always worked this hard?" She then moves to pour a cup of tea for Bryn.
Lu chuckles in response. "You just joined us so you probably still haven''t seen her working from 5 to 12, sometimes even pulling an all-nighter!"
Bryn adds while pulling a few strands of her white hair away from her face. "During the campaign, very rarely did she get a full sleep. The situation didn''t allow her to do so. Rather, she was content with just a massage and a cup of coffee before heading back tomand the battlefield." She stops to ept the warm tea that Elysia hands over with both hands. "Thank you, Elysia."
The pink hair girl just smiles and nods before heading back to her seat. Elysia has a pondering look on her face while saying. "Knowing her working her life off like that, I can''t help but feel very useless. Is there really nothing I can do to help?"
Bryn stays silent for she is also feeling inadequate herself, her face says it all. Lu and Hel are about to say something when another voice interjects.
"As you are right now, you won''t be able to help much."
The voice, though melodious to the ears, contains an air of aloofness as if the person is leagues above them all. Well, it''s not a wrong description for she is Yggdrasil, the Mother Goddess herself.
They all turn to look at the new arrival, now the most beautiful woman in the room, as she strides to where they are sitting. To her right is a ck-haired girl with a sleepy expression, who else but Yuki''s sister Ningyo.
"During my walk here, I notice the little girl is having a hard time sleeping alone." Yggdra said while leading Ningyo to Yuki''s sofa. "Hence, I bring her here to join her sister. Maybe with that, she will have afortable sleep."
Yet, no one is able to say anything, for they are in a state of disbelief. Every fiber of their beings is screaming out to bow down before the holy presence that''s in front of them. Hel, being the Pope of the Yggdrasil Pantheon, is hit the hardest. She forgets to breathe when Yggdra strolls past her to tuck Ningyo next to Yuki, her hands gently rearranging the nket for both sisters to be covered carefully.
With the deed admirably, Yggdra diverts her sapphire eyes to scan the women in the room, her lips curving into an amused smirk. It seems like she has subconsciously asserted her dominance as the Queen in this little gathering. While she can feel smug about it, it won''t be good if they develop a sense of inferiority because of it. So, with a snap of her fingers, Yggdra swaps out her Goddess attire, the one she used to wear when Yuki first woke up, to something more... Homely. Yggdra opts for a one-piece dark blue dress with a starry finish at the hemp while her crown is swapped over for a small white tiara.
Feeling satisfied with her choice, Yggdra picks an unupied chair to rest her legs there. She dials back her presence, causing others to sigh in relief. Knowing full well that they won''t be the first to talk, Yggdra breaks the ice by continuing with the previous discussion.
"As I was saying, right now you''re a bit immature in your ability, little Elysia." Yggdra notices Elysia flinches, yet her ears are perking up in an attentive way. The other women in the room also listen with interest, they''ve moved past their initial awe. Yggdra does a mental nod at their mentality, they can''t be shocked by her whenever she visits Yuki. "By now, Yuki should have exined to you what the Archive is. Yet, she has significantly downyed matter very much."
Yggdra stops to pick her words carefully, in an attempt to not cause any misunderstanding. "Yuki doesn''t attach much importance to the Archive since she can pretty much aplish anything the Archive can teach, given enough time. Hence, she has neglected that the Archive, while its knowledge can be unlocked over time, slowly. You can also speed up the process by nurturing your body, mind, and soul with some training."
Looking at Elysia deep in the eye, Yggdra offers. "I can teach you the ways to train. After all, the Archive is of the same origin as me, so I am perhaps the only person in the world that can show you how to use it safely. Are you interested, little one?"
Elysia and the rest are shocked to hear that the Archive is hailed from the same origin as Yggdra. Meaning, Avera had been lugging a very, very ancient relic right under their noses. They feel dumb not noticing it sooner. Shaking their heads out of their stupor, it''s Elysia who frantically speaks up first, waving her hands around.
"Wait, wait, wait! Mother Goddess, why!? How!? What!?" The poor high elf is in full panic mode. So much so that her response is iprehensible.
Yggdra chuckles at her antic as the rest watch on, not knowing what to say.
"You can say that it''s me watching out for a fellow sister of mine, for we" Yggdra gestures to everyone in the room. "are the people that care and love Yuki, a lot. Suffices to say that we must also help each other to lighten the loads on Yuki''s small shoulders, am I right?"
Yggdra''s stance on the matter, ease up their tensions. If, at first, they didn''t know how to treat this Goddess. Now they can rest at ease that Yggdra is another sister-in-love, just like they are.
Though they have no doubt that the position of Queen or Alpha in Yuki''s harem will belong to Yggdra now, after the entrance she made. Perhaps only Lu feels a bit regrettable that she won''t be the dominant one, for she is the Devil, after all.
It''s Hel that speaks up first.
"Goddes-"
"Please, just call me Yggdra like how Yuki is. We''re all family now, aren''t we." Yggdra interjected with an encouraging smile. It''s a bit off-putting when Yggdra looks as young as them but she treats them like her daughters. Goes to say that the title of Mother Goddess is very deserving that is what''s on everyone''s mind.
"...Yggdra, it ddened me to see you at our family gathering. Though Yuki had mentioned that you will be visiting us soon, we didn''t expect you will arrive on such short notice. Please excuse ourck of courtesy." Hel bowed down with Elysia, Bryn and Lu mimicking the action. It''s a given for Hel to do that since she''s Yggdra''s Pope while Elysia, Bryn and Lu did it out of respect.
"Apology epted." Yggdra said to push the discussion forward. She really doesn''t care about much decorum, just the basic of respect is fine for her.
With that out of the way, the moment hase for Elysia to decide whether to say yes, or not. Hel decides to offer the girl a piece of advice.
"Elysia, listen and choose your answer wisely. With what I''vee to know about the Archive ording to our previous discussion, I know that the Archive is rooted in your soul. Matters of the soul must be treated very carefully based on my experience as Goddess of Life and Death. Right now, you have two choices. One is to wait and as you grow older, your soul will be stronger naturally and with that, you can slowly unravel the Archive. This offers the least risk, yet it will take up arge portion of your life for it to bear fruits. On the other hand, you can take up on Yggdra''s offer, training yourself in a controlled environment. The result will be your very existence that grows stronger while reducing the time required to unlock the Archive by arge margin at the very least. This, however, will require you to pour in a ceaseless amount of effort, blood, and tears."
Looking at Elysia in the eyes, Hel adds. "Strengthening your mind and body would be an easy task for any of us, yet, the soul would require you toplete many trials. Ones that may even result in your untimely death. I do not need to warn you how that may affect Yuki now, do I? Not to mention the fact that arge portion of your time will be spent away from Yuki."
Elysia falls into a contemtive mood. Her head lowered to weigh the pros and cons carefully.
Lu chooses this moment to speak up, albeit a bit cryptically. "Elysia, this offer, by itself, is already a trial. Think of it like that." Without waiting for a response, Lu joins Bryn in partaking in the refreshments on the table. Bryn herself knows what she will do when faced with an offer like that. She just hope that Elysia will have the gut to do the same.
Yggdra let the pink-haired girl ponders in rtive peace, opting to discuss fine details in the working of the Reich with the three other women. She is relieved to hear that everything is in working order after the trip she made toplete the task Yuki handed over. As the talk gradually dials down to discuss the daily life of young Yuki, Elysia has already decided on her answer.
Noticing the shift in her demeanor, Yggdra awaits Elysia''s response with an expectant smile.
"I... will take up on your offer, Yggdra." Elysia bowed down, conviction filled her voice. "Please take care of me."
With a smile, Yggdra helps Elysia up. Bryn, having watched the interaction,ments about her decision. "You have picked the right choice, Elysia. For if you don''t have the heart to stand trials by fire, taking the easy way out, I don''t think you will be suitable to stand alongside Yuki as her wife."
Lu, Hel, and even Yggdra nod, with Yggdra saying. "Bryn said correctly, we would have been very disappointed if your love for Yuki only amounted to that much. Though as Yuki has already epted you, we probably won''t do anything against you."
Yggdra pats the girl on the head, pleased that Elysia has the backbone of a strongdy. "To reassure you even more of your choice, I will use all of my power to make sure that you be stronger, safely."
Knowing that this has been a test, all along, Elysia slumps down on her chair in relief. Yet, she has a big smile on her face, for she knows that the biggest hurdle, earning the respect of Yuki''s family, has been crossed sessfully.
Looking over at the pair of sleeping sisters, an action that the olderdies detected, Elysia vows to work hard to be able to support the pair of thin shoulders.
The older women in the room share a look with each other, smiling that Yuki, atst, has found a love interest of simr age. For they all arecking in one thing, in particr, the youth to be adventurous like Elysia and Yuki.
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POV: Dana Elvidge.
It''s been a few days since I picked up the secretary job for the Prime Minister. The man is an odd one, to say the least.
Always arrive at work at 6:30 sharp in the morning. His first sentence when he arrives at the secretary''s desk will be.
"Get me a ss of milk, will you?"
I answer with a nod of my head. "I will have one ready for you, sir. Do you want it warm or cold today?" The man has a habit of drinking either warm or cold milk. This depends entirely on his mood for the day.
"A cold one." And with that, I know that he is pissed.
Nodding at his answer, I move to the kitchen area to request the chief for a cold ss. The burly man ignores my action as he pushes open the door to his office. Unlike most people, he tends to do the minor stuff on his own, lightening my workload. Probably also the reason why he isn''t a fat lecherous bastard.
Minutester, I am now knocking on his door, asking for permission toe in with his order.
"It''s unlocked!" Came the gruff voice.
I open it up, stepping into the carpeted room with a tray in my hands. Picking up the chilled ss of milk before cing it down on the table''s cup holder, I then await further orders. I may or may have not used the chance to scan for any possible information, again.
The Prime Minister acknowledges my action with a muffled grunt, his right-hand moves to take a hold of the ss while his left is holding up today''s newspaper. Oddly enough, the newspaper is from the publisher La Revolution Nationale, one that is now a firm supporter of the Ustian Reformists.
I watch as he takes arge gulp from the ss beforeying it down, his hands turning another page of the paper. I hand him a handkerchief for him to wipe his beard.
"Thank you, Miss Elvidge." The man is also very polite to the fairer sex. Reading along the neatly printed lines and surprisingly high-quality pictures, the Ministerments. "Even though La Revolution is an enemy propaganda tool, the contents it publishes daily are the truth and nothing but the truth. Surprisingly informative for people of higher learning, I suggest you also pick up the habit of reading from this publisher. For they aren''t brain dead and reflect the true struggle in Ustio, from both sides of the conflict."
Though I nod, I still can''t help but ask. "But sir isn''t this publisher cklisted by the government? I don''t think I want to risk my job to just take a look at this."
The Prime Minister waves my concern off, his lips curving up in amusement. "Bah! Those pig-like police officers won''t be out and about to stop any vendor from selling the papers unless one is stupid enough to show it in broad daylight. And besides, you''re my secretary, whoever crosses you mean crossing me."
Letting out a small smile, I say. "Then perhaps I will do so, starting tomorrow. I''m a bit curious about our countrymen on the other side of that trench."
The Minister exins, turning over another page. "Better than themon rabbles here, that''s for sure. We have beencking young men to work on the heavier side of our industry, ever since I sent most of them to the frontline. Now, we have a shortage of many daily necessities, a majority of things must be rationed across our territories. If not for my iron grip on the nation, major rebellions would be the least of my concern."
Pondering his words, I ask. "Do you regret it, sir? Plunging the state into this mess?"
If it was any other Minister that I asked this, I would havended myself a firing notice. But this one is not like them.
With his face showing no remorse, he replies matter-of-factly. "No, I do not. At the end of the day, I am paid to do this job. I do what needs to be done and I ept the consequence of doing so. For if not me right now holding this seat, another will take ce and that person may be even worse than me. Trust me, I''ve met my fair share of recements." Turning to look at me, the Minister shrugs. "Didn''t end well."
Some words are better left unsaid.
The Minister then shows me one of the pictures in the newspaper, it''s one from the recent Victory Parade over Belka. "You see how advance they are in terms of military might?" Pointing at a modified Panzer III, he then says. "Though I''m not one the cleverest of the military head, I can say for sure that entire Europe iscking behind the technological department of Belka for ten years. See this paper, fine inks and details, such intricacy can onlye from a nation that''s more advance than ours. Amon fact that the leaderships of Ustio, Eurusea, and Sardegna fail toprehend."
He stops, mulling his words. "For if even a paper they make can be like this, just how much do they trump us in terms of military quality? Food for thoughts."
I nod at his words,menting. "Then it does look like the prospect for us is grim. Though, don''t we have time to catch up with them, sir?"
Shaking his head, the Minister exins. "Currently, Ustio has been brought down to its knee, from both mine and Eurusea''s doings. To revitalize the country, we need outside resources. Yet, the colonies have taken the stance of neutrality, waiting for the victor in our ongoing power struggle. That leaves only Erusea for us to call in some aid, which no doubt will cost us an arm and a legter down the line."
The minister suddenly sports a cruel smirk on his face, albeit only for a few seconds. I, however, noted it down.
"Regardless, they can only ask for payment when we finally seize the ultimate victory. Mind you, that prospect is very slim."
"If you don''t mind me asking, sir. Why are you doing this? Why go so far?"
The Minister lets out a sarcastic remark. "What, have you fallen so deep for that you''re now caring,ss?"
Shaking my head at the jest, I calmly reply. "While you may be a cool gentleman, I don''t think I''ve ever found you attractive, sir."
Faking a hurt expression, the Minister then clutches his chest, saying. "Your words feel like a thousand stabs to the heart." He suddenly switches gears, moving back to the calm facade from before. "As for your questions, I''m afraid my reasoning is on a need-to-know basis."
The man then finishes up his ss of milk, handing it over to me. "Clean it up for me will you, I have an inkling that today will be a long day at work."
Nodding in response, I excuse myself from the room.
The Prime Minister is right. After what urred in Belka, every department is swarmed with work as a response. I would have topile the information I''ve gathered at ater time.
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POV: Jeffrey Iverson
Finishing up thest batch of pita and matzo, I and my assistant put them into the ovens, baking them in advance of the morning rush hour. pping my hands a few times together, sending off a cloud of flour in the air, I turn to address brother Ross who has just ringed the bell of our bakery.
"Brother Rosh, as early as ever, I see!"
The middle-aged uncle with a nice set of beardsughs in response. "Not as early as you! Tell me, how is businesstely?"
I nod at him, gesturing to head inside my small office while saying. "Better than I expected for an up-anding shop. People like our pita, using them as a recement for a sandwich, while matzo is hunted to be eaten with jam and butter." I turn to look at brother Ross, offering a chair for him to sit on. "Business is booming."
With a pleased smile on his face, brother Ross sit down while putting his briefcase on a nearby table. "That''s great to hear! You will need not just the money but also the people''s support. What better than to gain the former by worming your way inside their stomach!"
Agreeing with his words with a nod, I ask the question of the day, an anxious tone in my voice. "Brother, have my ideas been epted by our people?"
Putting on a serious face, brother Ross nods. He then opens up the briefcase, taking out a stack of documents before handing it over to me.
"Not just epted but they even pledge to sponsor your campaign!" He said with a big grin on with that long beard of his.
Shakingly epting the document, and checking its authenticity, I struggle to form words once everything checks out. Noticing myck of response, brother Ross speaks up with a hand on my shoulder.
"Jeffrey, my boy, you''re a young man with a grand dream. From the short while, we have known you, you''ve proven yourself to have the backbone to achieve that dream. The best we can do as old-timers are to support you in your journey. We have lost Jerusalem to Sardegna, we can now only carve a piece of our own in this world then." Brother Ross suddenly stops, faking a serious expression. "Boy, I invest I helluva lot in this endeavor so don''t fuck this up! Else I will force you to supply my nine generations with your matzo, for free!"
That wakes me up from my stupor, deciding to go along with the joke, I shake off his hand. "Sod off, old man! You either pay it in full or leave it!"
We both look at each other for a bit beforeughing out loud wholeheartedly. Truly, it feels good to have a friend you can rely on in a foreignnd.
"Oh! Before I forget!" Brother Ross suddenly pulls out a newspaper. He flips the page until it shows me a ck-and-white picture.
"Belka''s majestic Victory Parade... Heard it''s all the rage right now." Imented, not knowing why he show the picture to me.
"Are you blind?" He points a finger at a spot on the stage, where the VIPs were seated. "That here is Lady Elysia you baboon!"
My eyes shot up in surprise, double-checking thedy in the picture to make sure. "Seriously!? Thanks the Heaven that she is alright!"
Nodding his head, brother Ross says. "Now that''s a load off our shoulders, knowing that our benefactor is alright. What will you do next?" He then folds the newspaper, having no more use for it.
"Aye, I can now think clearly. My n is to create a sanctuary for our people, the Jews. However, to do that we need support from not just our people, but also the world atrge." I open a drawer and inside are documents about the local gangs of African descent. "My n is to get the backing of ethnic minorities, those that are discriminated upon. Together, we will band up and create a political movement in the USA, seizing the rights of equality and freedom. It will be hard but given enough time, even the white people will support us if we y our cards right."
I stop before adding. "That and a load of money."
Brother Ross nods. "True that."
We then continue our discussion until it is time to open up my bakery.
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POV: 3rd person
Captain Quellec is now standing in front of Brigadier Alexa''s office, once again. Though this time, he knows for sure it''s not about promotion, but more of a transfer order.
"Come in!"
With permission granted by the upant, Quellec opens the door and heading, saluting the Brigadier right after. The woman in question dismisses his salute, promptly saying.
"Captain, you''ve shown impressive valor during the Division''s campaign, for that, Imend you once again. Regardless, you''re also known for your talent in acts of subtlety and off-the-book operations. With the uing changes to our intelligence agency, the Major General has seen fit to offer you and your team a slot in it. Mainly, you will be in charge of espionage, counter-intelligence, extraction of valuable assets, removal of HVTs, and so on... Everything that fits a nondescript field operation, will be your duty. That is if you will ept the transfer."
Stopping to gauge Captain Quellec''s action, Alexa is a bit amused that the man remains stoic. Though she knows that he is thinking things through. "I need not exin to you that most of your work will be a thankless one. Should you stumble and fail somewhere, a nameless grave will be your end. Those should have been exined by the Major General during the first days of Arash."
"So where do I sign up?" Undeterred, Quellec asks his superior.
Alexa justughs at his choice of words. "There''s no paper for you to sign, Captain. All are off the book." She then telepathically sends a set of instructions to Quellec. "Your new job starts now, Captain, best double time. And one more thing, pick a new name for you and your team. Further details will be exined on the spot."
Quellec just nods before excusing himself. From now, he''s part of something greater than just the Ghost Division. All in the service of the Mothend.
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POV: 3rd person.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Honey! I''m home!" The man, one Colonel Ganer Spiele, announced loudly on the veranda of his cozy home.
Almost instantly, the door is swung open and a human-shaped rocket rams his abdomen.
"Oof! You''ve grown stronger little one!" Ganer spoke with a visible grin on his face. He pats the head of the little girl before moving his hands to mess up the fur on the girl''s cat ears. The girl visibly rxed under his care.
"Little Ca has been missing you." Appearing at the doorstep is a beast woman, one of the feline race. "Carry her inside, you''ve arrived just in time for our family dinner."
With a goofy smile on his face, Ganer says. "Won''t miss it, honey."
They then head inside with the little catgirl on Ganer''s shoulders, giggling yfully as she messes up his hair as payback. Already presented at the table is a 16 years old teen, also a beast man. The teen looks up, and a smile appears on his face when he sees Ganer alongside his family.
"Father! You''ve returned safely!" The teen is Ganer''s adopted son, Gamer Spiele.
"Aye! Your neighborhood hero has returned safely with the appropriate awards!" Settling down little Ca at the dining table, he turns to address his son. "How have the family been, Gamer? Katherine still makes good food for you?"
His wife heads for the kitchen to prepare them their dinner, not before giving Ganer a smack on the head for the jab at her. The rest of the familyughs at Ganer who fakes a pained expression.
"We have been living very well, father. The neighbors here are also very friendly." Gamer suddenly stopped before mustering up his courage. "Father, I''ve discussed it with mother. I want to join the Air Force."
That puts a stop to Ganer''s goofy acts with his adopted daughter. Putting the littless down, much to her displeasure, Ganer''s face shows a serious expression. "Since when have you decided on this?"
Without missing a beat, Gamer replies. "I''ve already thought of this when we knew you were at Arash. My conviction turned into a decision after the Victory Parade." Gamer stops, before bowing his head at Ganer. His grey cat ears stand up in attentiveness. "Father, I want to do my part for the country, for thend our family has decided to call it home. Please allow your unfilial son to sign up for the Air Force!"
Ganer just stares straight at the kid, a part of him is proud that this son of his has such a strong will, but a different part is afraid that the family he has now will fall apart with a wrong decision. Finally, after a minute of internal struggle, Ganer relents.
"Sigh...What will I do with you now?" Ganer really wants a smoke right now but chooses not to for little Ca. "Fine, knowing that your mother has already agreed with your shenanigan, I will allow it. But! You must ace the Air Force Academy''s entrance exam! If you miss a single point, I will pull you out and then force you to relearn everything you know in life, again! Do I make myself clear?"
Gamer shoots up, his ears and tails straighten like a stick. With a proper military salute, Gamer shouts. "Sir, yes sir!"
Ganer nods, pleased with his son''s discipline. "Goodd! Now sit down, Katherine should be done with dinner. We can discuss your n throughout the night."
The family of four then proceeds to have one of the liveliest dinners they have ever had. When Gamer looks back on this night, the Ace known as Antares is deeply grateful for having such a supportive family. He knows they must have made a very difficult choice to send their son into a war.
A big thank you!
A big thank you!
And that is it for Vol 1 of this book! Boy, that was one hell of a ride.
I never thought I would get to see the day when Iplete my first volume man. Feels surreal.
I know, I know, Patreon has advanced chapters but that is beside the point. The point is, I freaking love you all for your support!
Without yourments, hearts, favorites, collections, and a few reviews here and there, there won''t be me today nor there will be this story.
The world, or rather, Omniverse, that I''ve been building up thus far is possible only because of you guys! So be proud and have some cookies!
Yeah, feels great man~
On a side note, consider supporting me on Patreon if you can. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink :D
Volume 2, Prologue: Gathering of money-grubbers
Volume 2, Prologue: Gathering of money-grubbers
"Citizens of Belka, this is your Daily Morning Channel, broadcasting from the breathtaking City of Berlin! Today, we have a special announcement to be made by the Belkan Ministry of Internal Affairs. Over to you, Sir Ozma!"
The usual jovial voice of the channel''s broadcasteres out from the radio. Though this time, it''s not the usual news and weather reports, but an official announcement from the government itself.
"Thank you, youngdy! Now, onto the topic at hand." An old but spirited voice reced the younger one. "At many of you would have known and prepared for this eventual day, the Months of Demons have arrived! Aye, the trying time has befallen the world, once again! Lady, have you and your family prepared enough necessities?"
The Lady from before says positively. "Yes! With prior experience from thest round, our family is now well-stocked in terms of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. Thankfully, despite the increase in demand for these products, the market prices for them remain low. This has allowed citizens from all walks of life to remain afloat despite the impending danger. Sir Ozma, can you exin how the Reich was able to keep the pricing of goods this low? From what I''ve gathered, most other countries have intion in price."
Sir Ozma answers with a well-prepared exnation. "Aye, that I can. It''s all because of proper nning and management of resources. Unlike other countries, Belka is sitting upon a plethora of natural and exotic resources. This removes the need of importing goods from overseas and with the recent political climate, even that will be near impossible. What I''m saying here is that Belka is self-sufficient from the rest of the world. By using magics and blessings, we can ensure the healthiness of our crops or conjure rainwater. Mining is made simpler thanks to earth magics. While our heavy industries have never been safer with the dwarves overseeing them. Though they tend to be quite bombastic in their works but overall, they''re one funny group of people once you get to know them. Of course, we have also maintained strict discipline in protecting the environment. This ensures the quality of life of our people, lessening the chance of them catching a disease and thus, improving productivity. On the off chance that they have to visit a hospital, treatment is kept at a low-cost thanks to healing magics. All of thesebined have ensured that every single one of our citizens has ess to the things they need, at a moment''s notice."
"I see, thank you for your exnation, Sir Ozma. It''s truly a blessing to be a citizen of the Reich."
"We''re blessed to be living under the boons provided by the Mother Goddess. Regardless, I must remind every citizen to be careful. Demons and zombies are a crystalization of baleful mana, meaning they can appear anywhere with a high concentration of mana in the atmosphere. However, they tend to not appear in areas with high poption density, namely: viges, towns, and cities... due to the high volume of life mana. Still, Demons and zombies can spawn in the surrounding area such ces, lying in ambush for under-equipped travelers. The military, police, and adventurers are there to keep these beings in check. But they can''t be everywhere at the same time, so citizens must exercise caution when going outside. If youe across either a demon or a zombie, report to the nearest authority figure, station, or camp. Let the experts deal with them for I need not say the bad end for those losing their lives to the demons. Bing a zombie is not a way to go."
With the announcement out of the way, the Daily Morning Channel returns to its usual contents, only with Sir Ozma as a special guest. I told Erika to turn off the radio, opting to have some peace for the rest of the drive.
Right now, I and Ningyo are being driven to a gathering of Belka''s most brilliant minds. My goal today is to disseminate my ns, thus dividing my workload among them. In five years, with their help, I want Belka to be a nation that is unbeatable in economic, technological, and military prowess.
Though we are having an edge over the entire world right now, mostly due to our abundant strategic resources and knowledge of the higher levels of technology. We are awfully inept at making use of them, thus wasting a whole lot of potential. For almost none of our love-living races are scientists or researchers at heart, the task mostly falls on the younger human race. While races like dwarves and goblins are more invested in crafting what they''re sent with. True, there are some oddballs here and there like L but not enough to change an entire nation. In terms of RPG, it''s like you have higher Intelligence yet no Wisdom to use it. The chief reason why this is the case is that all, and I mean ALL Gods and Goddesses that held divinity over Wisdom and Knowledge were killed. The Previous Era''s stupid power holders hunted them all down in fear of them throwing a revolt. With no one governing Wisdom and Knowledge, our scientists have to fumble their way in their research.
I, however, hope to change that.
"We''re here, Yuki," Erika said as she pulls the car to a stop. "let me get the door for you."
Nodding at her, I let her do her things while I try to wake up Ningyo. My little sis is leaning on my shoulder, peacefully asleep since she had woken up quite early in the morning.
Poking her cheek a few times with a smile on my face, Ningyo groggily wakes up.
"Sister, are we there yet?"
I chuckle at her choice of words. "Silly, we''re already here. Now let''s get yourself presentable."
I help tidy up Ningyo before Erika finishes up her security check. With the all greens given, Erika opens the door just in time for me to done fixing Ningyo''s bed hairs.
"Let''s go, today is an important day!" I said with a smile, one that Ningyo also returns.
"Let''s ace it!" Iugh at that strange conviction of hers. Not sure where she even learned that expression.
Standing at the precipe of what wouldter be dubbed the Mansion of Wisdom, the servants push open the grand entrance to wee us in.
"It''s show time."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I sit down at the chair for the main host of the event. Looking further down the long table across me, I can see many young and old faces. Aside from the rare expectant look on a few of them, most have an expression that they would rather get back to work. Can''t me them for they''re paid to do the job while Imandeered their time.
pping my hands together to get their attention, I calmly say. "I will keep this brief, the uing talk will be treated as a top-secret one. Meaning, any and all information discussed in this room will be on a need-to-know basis. You''re smart so I don''t have to exin what will happen if you have a loose mouth. Those that are getting cold feet, please get out or you will be wasting everybody''s time."
My words sessfully grab the interest of a few of them, even if a few remain unimpressed. Regardless, none stand up and leave the room. I nod before turning over to Ningyo.
"Help me distribute the files to all of them." My sister nods before skipping around therge table with a couple of servants. In their hands are well-organized folders that contain some crucial info on what I''m about to say next.
I smile warmly when a few of the hard-headed scientists fail to contain a smile when they receive the folder from Ningyo. My sister is too cute wearing a white one-piece dress with a ck jacket, after all. I quirk an eyebrow when I see a mature, green hair, female scientist having an inner struggle. The woman apparently wants to pat Ningyo or something.
I harrumph, pulling their eyes away from either the folder or Ningyo.
"The files in your hand are divided into two color codes: ck is for your eyes only while Yellow can be discussed inside this mansion." I wave my hands around the whole mansion. "By not taking my offer, thus leaving the room, this mansion will be your new workce, regardless of whether you wanted it or not."
A few are about to stand up in protest but I stop them by putting up a hand. "Let me finish! Your personal stuff will be moved here and ced in your designated quarter. Your sry will be double and your funding is provided by my own pocket! All that I ask is for you to cooperate and focus on developing the stuff that I want, under my instruction."
The green hair woman from before speaks up, waving her files aroundzily. "How does that different from before then?"
Ignoring her rudeness, I say. "Dr. Mobius, the difference here is that I will be providing you with detailed ns and instructions, gone are the days you have nowhere to look at to further your research. And if you want more funding, you need only convince me to grant you some. For I, quite literally, has infinite resources for I am the Reich Marshal!"
I stop, pointing at the files marked in ck in her hands. "Take a look at the ck files before you speak anything. In fact, I think you all should take a peek but do keep it discreet."
Dr. Mobius looks at me suspiciously before her hands pull up the files I designated. The others follow suit, taking care not to have any of them revealed more than necessary. At first, they''re skeptical but after a few minutes in, they turn frantic. Their eyes crazily dart around the pages, their hands furiously scribbling on their notebooks, calcting the prospect shown on the pages. It''s only tens of minutester, during which I spend time ying with Ningyo, that Dr. Mobius and the rest wake up from their studious attitude.
A bit embarrassed by their earlier disy, a woman with light blue hair and purple eyes expresses her apology. "Please excuse us for ourck of decorum, Marshal. We were, quite literally, entranced by the information in the ck files." She fixes her ss and pulls away a strand of red hair on her forehead before saying with a curious look. "The files are, quite literally, God sent. Just the first page alone has provided us with so many answers to many of our problems. How is it that you can acquire such information, Marshal?"
I smirk while waving my hand dismissively. "I''m afraid that is ssified, Dr. Einstein." I stop before adding. "You would have to gain my trust for me to exin. For now, I assume that you all have no qualms about working under me?"
Mobius represents every scientist and researcher in the room with her answer, her pale green eyes have a maddening glint behind them. "Do you still have to ask, Marshal? Even though we''re genius, we have been muddling through unknown water for so long. A few of us have even given up on achieving anything of note in our lifetime. Yet, you opened our eyes, pointing us toward the correct path in our research. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and we will be worse than a monkey not to take it up!"
Mobius stall her words before adding with a smirk. "That and the promise of additional funding are too good to pass up.
The other nods in agreement, they have stupid grins on their face as theyin about theck of funds, good-naturedly. I justugh along with them for I know that scientists and researchers put a lot of fixation on money. Only Dr. Einstein facepalms at her colleagues'' antic, though even she is tempted by the money on the table.
"Fine! If cash and gold bars are what you need then as long as you deliver me good results, I will flood your department with funds! I promise you that for I have more than enough money in my coffer."
Asides from Dr. Einstein and Ningyo, the others have dors in their eyes after my guarantee. Looking at them, Ningyo can''t help but be put off by their heated gaze. "Sister, they are dangerous and greedy."
My little sister innocently said that while stepping forward to shield me from their gazes. Her action instantly causes a majority of them to dete, none want to be hated by a cute girl, after all.
I just chuckle while patting Ningyo''s hair. "It''s fine, they''re just too excited. Now, let''s continue to talk about our research direction, shall we? I want to address the Civilian sector first."
Vol 2: National Developement – Chapter 1: Core Technologies
Vol 2: National Developement ¨C Chapter 1: Core Technologies
POV: Ningyo
Big sis Yuki is awesome! Ever since she came into this meeting room, she has been leading these stubborn geniuses by the nose! Right now, they''re dancing to her tune, unable to extricate themselves due to the carrot she''s been dangling! Also, it''s funny how she came up with the n to use me as a pacification weapon. ording to her words, I''m too cute for anyone to get mad at. So cuteness is also a handy thing to have, now I know. Though if I keep growing up, I will gradually lose my cuteness, recing it with beauty, ording to big sis. Not sure how I can use it or if I want to use it in the future, but right now, I''m content with helping my sis with whatever she asks of me.
At the moment, I''m helping her introduce our secretly developed equipment. One of them is called aputer.
"Ningyo, can you demonstrate to us how you use it?" My sis asked me after she exined the purpose of the machine to the scientists.
"Sure thing, sis!" It''s an easy peasy task.
I boot up theputer, it takes ten seconds for it to turn on the ck-and-white OS. Then, I run a program that''s responsible for inputting and calcting data. Pulling open a nearby folder with arge set of equations, I quickly type them into the program with ease. Under the watchful eyes of the rest, theputer soon returns the answer for the set I input, the process merely takes another ten seconds.
"It''s done, sis!" I turned over and high-fived big sis Yuki.
"Good job, Ningyo!" Big sisplimented me before turning to address the jaws-dropped geniuses. "As you can see, thisputer can easily handle any calctions or simtions, thus lowering the workload for you all by an absurd amount. Gone will be the day when you have to write on sheets of paper and inhale a high amount of charcoal. Now, you can rest at ease that you can devote your time and effort into something else, rather than wasting away at transcripts."
Sister''s words ignite a heated discussion, some exims glee, eyes gleaming a ravenous glint. Others can''t have but have a faraway look, they probably have incurred past trauma with paperwork. All in all, theputer is well-received. I can''t help but be happy that big sis''s creation is well-liked by them.
Suddenly, an arm is raised among the discussing scientists. Big sis points at the hand, saying. "Dr. Einstein, you have a thing to say?"
Dr. Einstein nods, fixing her sses before saying. "Marshal, if you don''t mind me asking, where did you even get such a machine?"
Big sis nods before gesturing me to step away from theputer, to which Iply. She then says.
"Good questions. This is a personal investment of mine, one granted to a sub-division under my control. The sub-division is responsible for developing the machine and many others after I gave them the general ns and ideas. However, I must stress that what I and my sub-divisione up with are strictly experimental. That''s why theputer you see here is not the finished product. Rather, we envision theputer to be in a smaller package, suitable for personal use, unlike this hulking machine that takes up the entire corner of the room. In the future, theputer will be small enough to be used in not just the military, but in the civilian sector as a whole: Hospitals, schools, and manufacturing,... as long as you have a program suitable for the respective field. Theputer can do everything given enough time. And of course, with the development of colored TV, I don''t see why both machines can''t bebined. " Big sis then shrugs. "Sadly, we are severelycking in both experience and manpower to revise the thing."
Dr. Einstein nods, it''s interesting to see her strands of red hair moving up and down from her pale blue hair.
"Is it presumptuous of me to say that you require our help to iron out the kinks that the machine has?"
Sister Yuki smiles at the question, she seems pleased to be talking to smart people. I must keep that in mind.
"Not just that, but your help will be much appreciated when I introduce other experimental techs. After all, we must adapt them to be suitable for our current means of production and technological levels."
I can see that many of the scientists nod. They understand the pain of drafting up a piece of experimental technology, only to be unable to put it into mass production.
"If that''s the case, give us a few days to familiarize ourselves with the machine and its blueprints. With all of here, we should be able toe up with improvements in a week at most." The green hair doctor, Mobius, said confidently. Her hands are rubbing with each other, I guess she can''t wait to dissect big sis''s machine.
Sister Yuki gives the doctor a nod. "The relevant files will be sent to your quarter this evening."
Big sis then ps her hand together. "Now then, onto the next agenda, it''s a major one so I suggest you all take a seat."
Once everyone in the room has settled down, big sis Yuki turns to me, saying. "Ningyo, it''s your turn to do your magic."
"Un!" I hop over to an opening in the meeting room. While the servants start distributing another set of documents, I work on channeling a lot of my mana into my hands.
Then, I will them to be constructed into a highly-detailed 3D projection of a reactor. One that, ording to big sis, is enough of a reason to wage an interster war for. Though I''m a bit confused as to why that''s the case, even though I know the ins and outs of the reactor. Meh, big sis said that leave the convoluted things for her so that I will do.
"Great work, Ningyo. Now, who here is ready to tell me what''s the thing being shown?"
I return to my seat, a bit curious about who can guess what the contraption being shown is. Big sis did say that aside from me and her, only mama Yggdra knows what it is.
Dr. Mobius from before has a pondering look on her face, the rest are of the same expression as they gaze at the projection. "It seems to be a blueprint of a sort. For sure it''s not involved in my main field of expertise which is biotechnology. Rather it looks like a power generator?"
Dr. Einstein then interjects. "Yes, but I don''t see any sign of the conversion mechanism. Without it, how will it generates electricity?"
Big sis chuckles, a bit surprised that Dr. Mobius managed toe close to the truth on the first try. "Well, you''re correct that this is a generator, or rather, a reactor. One that getting damn close to the concept of perpetual motion machine."
The provided answer shocked all of the geniuses in the room. It''s funny how their eyeballs almoste out of their socket as they are about to refute the im.
"That''s impossible! Perpetual motion is unachievable, even those from the Previous Era couldn''t achieve that concept!" Dr. Mobius shook her head. Some also nod in agreement, with only Dr. Einstein a pondering look on her face.
"Well, I didn''t say anything about it being the actual perpetual motion machine. Rather, the reactor serves as a giant converter, one that taps into the pool of infinite energy known as the void." Big sis exined.
Before the other can say anything, Dr. Einstein says, wide-eye at the conclusion she reaches. "Marshal, you aren''t kidding when you said it''s damn close to a perpetual motion machine. For as long as the reactor maintains its connection to the void sea, it can convert limitless Void Ether to different kinds of usable energy. Heat, electricity, and mana,... to name a few. That''s such an insane concept that I really want to poke around the heads of you and your sub-division. Excuse my rudeness, Marshal." She ended with a wry smile.
Big sis and I both chuckle at the doctor''s words.
"Hahaha! Wow, I think that this is the first time the renowned Einstein breaks her stoic facade."
Dr. Einstein can only scratch her head but before big sis can answer her question, Dr. Mobius interjects.
"This is not just insane, it''s supposedly impossible to do! To ess Void Ether, you would have to first breach the Universal Boundary. And doing that, by itself, is taboo already!"
Big sis just rolls her eyes. "Oh please, Dr. Mobius, we all know that you''re the least qualified of us here to talk about the taboo. Your research in enhancing the human body has granted you quite a lot of body count."
Dr. Mobius blushes in shame at the refusal, yet, it seems like she still keeps her stance. I wonder if the woman is what you describe as a hypocrite.
"I am not afraid of what I''ve done, yet, breaching the Boundary willy-nilly will bring an end to the entire universe! What I''ve done versus that is on a whole different sca-!"
"Mobius! That''s enough!"
Dr. Einstein ces a hand on Dr. Mobius''s shoulder. It''s at this moment that Mobius notices that my sister is exuding a weird atmosphere. Leaning her head on her palm, big sis is smiling yet her eyes are scary looking! Is she mad?
The entire room falls into silence as they wait for big sis''s words.
"I will ignore that outburst earlier for I know that you''re ignorant of what I''m about to say. Yet, I don''t take it kindly when ignorant people enforce their stupid universal truth on everybody else. Listen for what others have to say first before you decide on any response, will you?"
Dr. Mobius realizes that she has overstepped her boundary, hence, she mutters out a small apology while the rest just nods. I cross my arms while nodding at their reactions. That''s right, don''t be rude to my sister! Unknowingly, my act has been witnessed by my sister, who suddenly pats my head with a warm smile.
I deeply enjoy it!
Anyway, back to the main topic at hand. I can see that the geniuses heave a collective sigh when big sis decides to move on.
"As Dr. Mobius has said, breaching the Boundary equals a death sentence to all. Which is why we never wanted to breach it in the first ce. Rather, with the aid of the Mother Goddess herself, we have made a set of ssified spell circles. I can''t and won''t speak on how this set works, all you need to know is the circles will help negotiate with the void for its Void Ether. So long as void still deem us fit for its Ether, we won''t have to worry aboutcking in energy ever again!"
Big sis let the information sinks in for a few seconds before continuing with her talk.
"Once the reactor epts the Ether, it will run them through a series of converters, primarily turning them into clean mana. The mana will be then used to power the majority of our industries, freeing up a lot of fossil fuels for other needs. Mana itself is a clean and renewable energy source, thanks to the reactor, so we also don''t have to be worried about pollution."
The scientists and researchers nod, they already can imagine the future where vehicles and industries are run with mana alone. Though Dr. Mobius adds, this time with constructive a question.
"Even if we have the new power source, we still don''t have a lot of things that can be run by it, yet."
Big sis nods at her words. I can see Dr. Mobius''s shoulders sag in relief when big sis ignores her previous mistake.
"Which is why I will need your help. Ningyo, the next set of projections please."
"Coming right up!" Per the big sis''smand, I change the big projection to show a bunch of smaller ones.
Pointing at the new disy, big sis says. "These are the designs for mana batteries and mana-fueled engines of all sizes. If we can iron out the kinks, we can quickly adapt them for actual trials in a year at most. Once they hit mass production, I don''t need to say how this will affect the Reich and the world atrge, no?" Big sis ended with a grin.
Dr. Mobius and the others just give a cramped smile while Dr. Einstein shakes her head, saying.
"Marshal, you really thought of everything. Knowing the political situation right now, I pity the fools that oppose you."
Hearing that, big sis, and I share a look before we chuckle.
With the day still long, big sis moves on to discuss less important subjects with the geniuses. I also stick with her to offer whatever help I can. At the end of the day, even though it''s exhausting, everybody leaves with a big smile on their face.
Looking back on this day, Dr. Mobius and Dr. Einstein will say that. "This is the day the Earth stops spinning around the Sun. It now spins around Belka, more specifically, its Marshal."
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 2: ONI
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 2: ONI
In a nondescript four-story building, a ndestine meeting is taking ce. Situating along the oval table is a gathering of familiar faces to Yuki, though the same can''t be said for the others in the room.
As the clock struck 8 am sharp, Yuki proceeds with the meeting.
"Right now, a few of you must be wondering why we must be here, on such short notice," Yuki said. "It''s a question that we will be answering in a short moment. I already know all of your biographies, but I don''t think the others would be privy to them. For now, let''s settle for a short introduction between us before we continue."
Yuki points at a tall woman with ck hair tied up into two buns, her yellow eyes scan the people around the table with unnerving calm. While her beautiful yet cold facade deters anyone from approaching her. "Starting with you, just be at ease and don''t bother with formality."
The ck hair woman nods, maintaining a polite sitting posture while speaking with a voice melodious voice, though it carries a certain chill to it.
"Hello everyone, you may call me Agent. In a way, you can say that I used to work as a spy for Marshal Yuki."
Well, that exins her eery atmosphere and her decking in a full ck suit. The others only tersely nod in response, not knowing how to react to that short introduction.
Taking the cue, Captain Quellec, sitting to Agent''s right, speaks up. He opts for the standard officer wear today.
"Good morning,dies. I''m Captain Quellec. I served under the Marshal during the campaign to Arash, now transferred to this new department. A fact that the Marshal will soon borate for us all."
On the other side of the table, the familiar green hair belonging to Doctor Mobius can be seen swaying. She reacted to the Captain''s introduction with a question. "Quellec, weren''t you the one in the parade?" To this, Captain Quellec briefly nods.
Dr. Mobius then goes on to say something about the world being so small.
Thest figure to be sitting on Yuki''s right side of the table is a short girl in a one-piece dress with ck and white stripes. The girl shares a couple of traits simr to those of Agent, ck hair and yellow eyes. The difference being her hair is freely flowing and there are two ck metallic essories being donned on her head. Aside from that, the girl has an alluring yet dangerous smile, one you can only see on unhinge people.
"I guess this is my turn then." Surprisingly enough, her voice sounds quite mature, unlike her height. "You can call me Dreamer, primarily in charge of R&D and making whatever stuff that the Marshal can think of,e true."
She then looks at where Dr. Mobius and her friend, Dr. Einstein, are sitting. "You may know me as one of the lead designers behind the stuff you read and saw a few days ago."
"It''s my pleasure to meet such a brilliant mind, and one that''s so young too." Dr. Einstein expressed her courtesy while Dr. Mobius just look at Dreamer with interest.
"Dreamer and Agent, what interesting names." The next person to speak up is a tall woman with splendid proportions, rivaling that of Mobius herself.
Having wine-colored long hair, fading into a light shade of purple at the end,plemented by her shining amber eyes, thisdy looks to be a person of status. Yet, out of all the people in the room, she is dressed the simplest in only a brown two-piece dress and a ck jacket. Her sunsses were discarded on the table after she spoke up.
"I am Eden." Her lips carve the brightest smile on her masterfully sculpted face. "Not trying to brag but I''m known as the Heavenly Singer, trumping even Angels with my voice alone. Though, I''m d that your reactions are subdued. I think being overexcited will ruin this atmosphere we''re having."
Last but not least are Dr. Mobius and Dr. Einstein''s introductions. Funnily enough, the former only elbow her friend, making Einstein sigh before speaking up in ce of Mobius also.
"My name is Albertha Einstein and this green hairdy here is my close colleague, Dr. Mobius. We''re both recently employed by the Marshal to help her improve and perfect pre-existing technologies and experimental ones. I''m majoring in machinery while Mobius''s expertise is in biology. We both have great experience in the field of energy, also."
Others at the table nod, thus ending the five minutes introduction that Yuki has allocated.
"With that out of the way, we will talk about today''s bread and butter." Operating a device on the table in front of her, Yuki uses it to check for any possible breaches in security. "Good, we''re in private."
"In case you haven''t noticed, this building is warded and guarded secretly than the Ninth Level of Hell, especially this room right now. As the subjects that will be discussed here now and in the future are the bottom parts of the iceberg. Many of which should never see the light of day, regardless of how absurd or dark they are."
Yuki takes a serious look at the people present with her one good eye, letting her words sink in. Seeing that nobody has an obvious reaction, she then continues.
"As you all should have known by now, the previous intelligence bureau we had was investigated and promptly dismantled. The major reasons were their ineptitude and treacherous stance against the Reich, causing unnecessary losses of lives during the ongoing war. Fortunately, the people responsible had been tried and executed for the highest degree of treason. And now, here we are."
Yuki scans the gazes of the people inside the room, they''re smart so they must''ve known what she''s been getting at. True to her expectation, a person speaks up, just not the one she has been expecting, however.
"War a fought with men, yet, intelligence is the key to victory." It''s Eden, a singer. "With the old agency gone, you must be seeking to form a new one. One that is hopefully living up to its name, am I right, Marshal?"
Smiling at Eden''s guess, Yuki nods with a hand under her chin. "Correct, unlike what one would think of you judging from your upation, you''re surprisingly perceptive."
Eden just returns a smile of her own and a wink as a finishing touch.
Yuki then moves on to say. "I''m not gonna mince my words, rather I will justy it on the table directly. The people inside this room are screened for their talent, loyalty, and dedication to the betterment of the Reich. Such traits are what I am looking for right now to form a new intelligence service. One that''s much moreprehensive than thest one."
Handing out separate folders to the people present, Yuki then says. "I''ve gathered that all of you are ready to do whatever it takes for what you believe in, and I respect that. Hence I offer you the first seats of power in this new agency. Read the file and ask me any questions you want, included inside are offers that you can''t refuse."
They nod and pick up the documents. Yuki lets them peruse the papers for twenty minutes, during which she is seen scribbling something on a notebook. Finally, the first ones to let the files down are, obviously, Agent, Dreamer, and Quellec. To them, this is just a formality as they all agreed to take up positions in the new agency long ago.
Five minutester, Eden and the resty down theirs. The first to pick a question is Einstein.
"It''s written here that I and Mobius will both be offered the position of Vice Head of Section Four. Judging from the number, I assume that there are other Sections?"
Yuki nods, though she is still busy flying her pen on the white paper. "That''s correct, and now I will exin."
Turning over a page in the notebook, Yuki then says.
"The number of Sections can be counted up to four, namely:
-Section One is the Internal Affairs department, charged with rooting out and eliminating illegal activities in territories imed by the Belkan Reich. The true nature and activities of the division will be highly ssified and unknown outside of themand hierarchy of the newly established intelligence agency. This Section will be headed by Agent herself.
-Section Two is the proper intelligence-gathering branch of the agency. It has a wide range of responsibilities ranging from field operation, force recon, asset insertion, SIGINT, HUMINT, VIP extraction, HVT assassination, and so on... Section Two is also responsible for covering up all information on locations or subjects the agency wishes to keep hidden from the public eye. Right now, it will be entrusted in the capable hands of Captain Quellec.
-Section Three is the propaganda branch. Responsible for psychological operations, both internal and external of the Reich, they will be a crucial tool in controlling the flow of the war. Overtly, however, Section Three only deals with externalmunication and public morale. It handlesmunication to reduce the spread of rumors and information that would damage morale. While it also reinforces morale via means of war stories,bat footage, and de-ssified tech demonstrations,... Covertly, however, the Section will be the propaganda war machine the Reich needs. By distributing false information, sowing dissidents, empowering a rebellion, or even bringing up false idols... The Section can weaken the enemy without Belka''s direct military intervention. Using the poprity of the false idols, Section Three can even help Section Two enter a hostile country subtlely. The revere world-ss idol, "The Brightest Star" Eden, is an integral figure for the Section to operate at full efficiency.
-Then, Section Four is the top-secret projects division that oversees the various groups responsible for creating new innovations through the use of advanced and experimental technologies. Section Four is also dedicated to the recovery, analyzing, and decoding, of data that Section Two is stuck with. Itstest results are theputer and Void Ether Reactor. This section will be headed by Dreamer for her crazy and innovative ideas. While the Vice Heads, primarily there to help perfect the technologies, will be Einstein and Mobius.
Finally, there''s me. I am the one on top of the food chain, not even the Empresses hold any sway over this agency. You all report to and follow my order and mine alone. So please, make sure to notice the line between the sand.
Aside from that, there will be many other sub-sections but we will continue this train of discussionter. Anything else you need to ask?"
Having done saying the quite long exnation, Yuki is now tapping the butt of her pencil on the table. She raises an eyebrow when it''s Eden that raises a hand up. "Well, shoot."
"Just how did you know what I wanted to offer that?" Eden said with a puzzled expression. Never has she shared her true dream with anyone, only saying the half-truth that she just loved singing. How does the Marshal guess what her true dream is?
Yuki shrugs. "I did an examination on your psyche... Well, I did that on everybody here. That''s why I could figure out your true wish. For example, Mobius here wants to transcend the human body." Turning to look at the shocked green hair doctor, Yuki smirks. "Am I right?"
Mobius closes and opens her mouth a few times before sighing with her face down. "You''re correct."
Yuki smiles, twirling the pencil expertly on her fingers. "See? Know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
The room then falls into a short lull.
Einstein, seeing that everyone has epted Yuki''s answer to Eden, fixes her sses. She is thankful that the Marshal didn''t make her out as an example.
"So we all have epted the offer we can''t refuse?" Einstein said, hoping to conclude the matter. The others nod in return.
Turning to Yuki, Einstein reports. "Reporting to you, Marshal. All Section Heads have assembled."
With a pleased smile on her face, Yuki answers. "Good! And before I forget..."
She leans up with both hands on the table, fingers interlinked.
"... Wee to ONI, Office of National Intelligence!"
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When the meeting has been adjourned, only Yuki stays behind with Agent and Dreamer. In absolute privacy, Agent has donned a maid dress and is now serving Yuki and Dreamer some tea.
Dreamer, after taking a small sip of the aromatic liquid, asks. "You think they will be of use?"
Yuki slowly leans back, eyes closed before saying. "They will be, not right now but will be in the short future. Besides, who else will I use when you all are responsible for keeping the world sane."
Dreamer chuckles in response. "Section Zero,prised solely of Einherjar, your ultimate weapon, Master, is now relegated all across the world, protecting it from the shadow. It''s ironic as we''re quite the opposite in the past."
Yuki can only wryly smile at that, reminiscing about her life as Time, Death, and Destruction. Noticing the exhausted look on Yuki, Agent proceeds to massage her Master. Her skill in the art allows Yuki to drift into a short but peaceful sleep. During this, the two Einherjar dutifully stay by their Master''s side, right until Yuki wakes up and they have to leave for their duty.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 3: Wunderwaffe Leopard
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 3: Wunderwaffe Leopard
It has been one hectic week ever since we first establish ONI. Believe it or not, the hardest part was not getting enough talented and loyal personnel, they are aplenty in the Reich. No, the hardest part is setting up informationworks in our supposedly friendly nations. The toughest nut to infiltrate is the Imperial Japanese for they have the backing of the Shinto Gods. Thankfully, Section Heads Quellec and Eden have banded together and managed to gain a shadowy foothold in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Rusviet Union is a bit of a special case though. The country is heavily guarded against foreign influence, more so than the Japanese, hence Eden can''t help much in this regard. The country bans foreign artists from being more popr than their domestic ones after all. Fortunately, they''re inept at the magical aspect of an intelligence war. Section Head Quellec personally led a squad of agents into Rusvietnd unnoticed. With him there it will only be a matter of time before we have sway over the high-ranking people of Rusviet.
Well, with the influx of Demons roaming the Earth right now, not many would be paying attention to a few agents anyway. Thanks to the worldwide warning made by Belka a couple of years ago, not many nations were caught unprepared like thest time around, at least for the first few weeks. Smaller countries like Nethends and Belgium aren''t fairing well right now, having lost ess to their industries outside of bigger towns and cities. To feed their people, they are forced to import a lot from other nations, paying not a small sum for security and tariff, and thus the price of goods skyrocketed. This is further exacerbated by the establishment of refugee camps outside of major cities. These camps take in people that are forced to relocate from areas where a nation''s military and adventures are unable to disy a presence, or frankly, they''re not worth protecting. And as you would have guessed, life as a refugee that lost their home isn''t fun, even with the government care package.
Fortunately, major countries like Belka, Erusea, and Sardegna,... Have more than enough leeway to send international aid, buying a lot of goodwill fromcking countries. Especially Belka being the biggest winner in this situation, covertly of course. By directing Eden to perform high-security and high-profile charity events, Belka has itself a not-so-small number of lucrative contracts. Eden also managed to snag a talent in the rough, ording to her words. One catwoman hailing from Persean ancestry, Pardofelis. Taking a look at her profile, I can see that she has a knack for doing business. If so, putting her under a sub-division of Section Three would be a good idea. By controlling where the money flow, you can also control how the people run their mouth. Eden will supervise her for now.
Speaking of the ONI Sections, right now, the Head and Vice Heads of Section Four have been turning positive results. Scaling down and making strongerputers prove to be very easy (mostly because it was one of the easiest technology to get a hold of from the Previous Era), the introduction of colored TV all across the Reich by a tertiarypany also helps. As for the official name Void Reactor and mana engines, both should be ready for a trial run in a month at thetest. They are prefabricated secretly by Dreamer before the establishment of ONI, hence the short wait time for us to get them up and running. With the added scientists and researchers in the mix, a few great ideas on how to miniaturize and improve the new techs have been thrown out. Such ideas primarily came from Dr. Einstein, the woman who sure has a passion for intricate machinery like this one. Knowing her dream, I can respect her for that.
Another thing to note is the task I sent to Dr. Mobius. Her expertise in the field of biotechnology would be wasted if I put her in the same room as Einstein. So, I''ve given her free reign on developing a method to enhance a person''s strength, regardless of their race. The only requirement is to not experiment on unwilling subjects and the ban from using mana and void ether. Everything else is fair game... Well, you can say that her sub-division, Ouroboros, doesn''t get much positive rep in the first week of its conception. The woman in question just shrugs if you confront her about it though. To help her avoid a fatal mistake, I''ve pointed her toward some ancient medications and Eastern body practitioners. You would be surprised to see how a human can push their body well past its limit from meditation and martial art alone. Dr. Mobius says that the avenue is worth the research effort but it will take some time to bear fruit. For that, I can wait, best I can do to hasten the process is to send Demon carcass as material to help the woman unravel their mystery. Who knows what wille out of it?
Last but not least is Agent and her Section One. Well, nothing to speak much here aside from them being hard at work in culling the spies and corruption in Belka. Right now she should be in an interrogation chamber somewhere. The Reich''s undercurrent no doubt is in a messy state at the moment, with us will be the final profiters after everything is said and done.
As for me, I''m busy drafting up ns for the uing economic change. With the introduction of a single Void Reactor, the need to use fossil fuel will be shaved by more than half in the earlier days. It''s expected that our need for such materials will be lowered to barely breaking past 20% of our current consumption when the Reactor is operating at full capacity. Of course, time must also be needed to introduce mana engines into our society. However, the focus of production for mana engines will be strictly for the military as of now. We don''t want our enemy to have easy ess to the engine for a multitude of reasons. It''s not because we''re afraid they could replicate it, more like we don''t want them to notice even a single hint of its true capability.
Why? The first and major reason is that this first generation of engines is highly efficient. A standard Panzer III with its 12-cylinder Maybach has an operational range of 165km and a top speed of 40km/h, while a Panzer III with a simr-size experimental engine has an operational range of 550km and a top speed of 60km/h. Yeah, you can see the difference is night and day. The second important reason is the mana engines are scaleable, meaning the higher the horsepower the bigger the engine, yet, they remain pretty much the same design with parts that can be interchanged with each other. This lessens greatly the strain on logistics, making sure we can set up a production chain very quickly and repair an engine with unprecedented speed. The only limiting factor would be the wear and tear of the parts. Its track or transmission may break before the engine even ran out of mana. There''s also the risk of not being able to resupply mana when deep into hostile territory...
Hence, it hase to my notice that just refitting out heavy armaments with mana engines won''t be enough. No, we must phase out our old vehicles to sessfully modernize the Belkan military as a whole. Starting from Army, first and foremost.
To begin designing a vehicle, we must know for what purpose and what battlefield will it serves. For example, you can''t put 100 tons tank on the ind terrain of Japan, that''s just asking for it to sink under its weight.
Pulling arge nk sheet of paper from a nearby holder, I ce it on my workstation alongside the necessary tools for drawing. I then fold my arms, deep in thought to notice the door being opened.
With the condition of roads and off-road in this day and age, too heavy of a design is out of the window. Hence, we must settle for something lightweight, pack a punch, and have enough protection against the current anti-tank threat until the 1950s at the very least. It also must be a modr design, one where its hull can be made to fill a variety of rolls. Parts interchangeability with other vehicles would be a good thing to note too.
After ten minutes of my brain working overtime, I''ve made up my mind on what will be the Main Battle Tank of the Belkan Army. So, I pick up a pencil and ruler, hand deftly draw on the pristine sheet of paper. Gradually, the tank and its specification are taking shape. On the paper is what I now dub Leopard Main Battle Tank, a modr design with room to be improved in the future, should the need arise.
Weighing 41 tons, the standard Leopard MBT has a length of9.54/8.29 m (gun forward/rearward), a width of 3.37 m, and a height of 2.39/2.70 m (turret roof/absolute). It will have a crew of four mander, driver, gunner, radio operator/loader) though this can lower down to three with the inclusion of a bustle autoloader. The autoloader increases the weight to 41.5 tons.
Instead of traditional RHA, the concept ofposite armor is in y. This allows the tank to have armor on par with heavy tanks while still retaining its mobility. Equivalent protection is 300mm against kic energy projectile and 420mm against the chemical round. Is this too much? Maybe, possibly, could be. Is this worth it? Hell yes! Because if we have the industrial capability to do so, then we must pull out all the stops for our ambition! On a side note, modr armor can be added when they''re developed, if need be.
Moving on, its main armament is no slouch either. Having taken some inspiration from our navy''s 105mm cannon, I incorporate the Leopard to use smoothbore 105mm L/52 cannon as its main armament (15 rounds in the turret, 40 rounds in the hull). The autoloader variant can carry 25 rounds in the ammo bustle with 30 rounds in the hull. Once again, there''s no such as overkill. It will be able to fire APFSDS rounds that are tipped with exotic minerals such as the extremely dense orichalcum. Tests will be needed for their actual pration value. The main gun can also fire HEAT-FS or HE-FS in case it needs to clear our softer target. Though with the arrival of theputer, they can fire programmable HE that can act as an anti-tank, anti-infantry, or anti-helicopter round. Thest part would be unneeded unless an aircraft is flying stupidly low. Another upsize for the programmable HE is it will simplify the ammo stowage on the Leopard, making the tank only need to carry two types of ammo. Last but not least is the inclusion of blowout panels in the turret and the hull. No one wants to be cooked alive by their own tank.
Secondary armament will be two ceholders MG-34s for now. Until I revise our infantry weapons, I won''t be touching these.
The Leopard''s powernt is a mana engine that can provide 1300 horsepower at 2400 RPM while it also has a continuously variable transmission. These twobined provide the MBT with a top speed, both forward and backward, of 74km/h. The operational range is 1000km on road and 850km cross-country. To aid with its maneuverability, the tank uses hydro-pneumatic suspension, this can also help with improving the tank''s gun elevation.
With the main blueprint ready, I proceed to work on other modified and derivative vehicles with the same chassis. Namely, engineering, bridging, and recovery vehicles, andstly, anti-air and self-propelled guns. They''re named Badger, Beaver, Buffalo, Gepard, and Hummel, respectively.
The Gepard is ted to be fitted with a radar capable of tracking and ranging, an optical lead-calcting sight, and a seven-barrel rotary 30mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-style autocannon. The autocannon fired a 30x184mm cartridge, either in high-explosive incendiary or armor-piercing discarding-sabot. On paper, it rate of fire will be 70 rounds/second, meaning 4200 rounds/minute. Of course, the rate of fire can be lowered to 2400 rounds/minute for it to not use the 1200 rounds ammo stowage.
As for the Hummel, it''s armed with a 150mm L/55 cannon. Equipped with an autoloader, this SPG will be able to fire ten rounds in 56 seconds. It uses 50 rounds of standard 150mm ammo with a range of up to 40km or a rocket-assisted projectile with a range of up to 65km. Of course, hitting a target that far will require precise calctions. For an SPG, the Hummel has considerable protection and good mobility, more than enough for it to survive a counter-attack and get out of harm''s way. In theory, the Hummel itself can be fitted on a naval ship but who the hell would do that?
All of these variants, except the Hummel, have almost the same operational range as the Leopard, approximately 1000km give or take 50km. The Hummel is the odd one out with only 850km, being much heavier than the Leopard at 55 tons.
With all the designs done and ready, ammunition for them included, I separate them into different packages. Not sure what time is it now but Einstein should still be awake. Getting these to her and having her deal with the production of prototypes will cut me a lot of hassle. After all, I would still need to make the ns for small arms, aircraft, and naval vessels. Those and a bunch of auxiliary vehicles for logistics.
So much work to do, yet so little time... Wait for a second! Yggdrasil damn it! I have literal Time on my side!
I CAN JUST USE MY EYE TO SLOW DOWN TIME!
Well, not quite. I can, however, boost my brain processing power, allowing me to think for 1 minute but only 1 second has passed in real life. Basic time maniption trick but useful nheless. I must do that in the future but for now, my work is done for today.
Picking up my stuff, I turn around only to be scared shitless by the sight of Bryn, standing right behind me with folding arms. Her expression is one of a dangerous smiling woman. Now I know that I''ve fucked up.
"Yuki~" She drawls on sweetly, yet, my back is feeling a rush of chill. "What did I say about overworking again?"
Looking at the not smiling pair of sapphire eyes, the only thing I can do now is... Tapping a fist on my head and says. "Tehe~?"
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 4: ‘Punishment’ R-18
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 4: ¡®Punishment¡¯ R-18
"Ah! Come on Bryn, I can walk!" Yuki screamed in protest at the treatment she was receiving.
Bryn, however, just ignores her plea and ms open Yuki''s office door. Pulling the girl outside by the back of her neck, Bryn leads her out to a car Erika''s prepared, much to the stun gazes of the scientists in the Mansion of Wisdom.
"Oh right! Bryn slow down for a bit!" Spotting Einstein and Mobius in a corner watching them, Yuki quickly tosses the blueprints she just drew to the bespectacled woman. "Einstein! Help me take a look at these!"
"A-Alright!" Einstein hastily catch the briefcase Yuki threw right before she disappear through the main door. Heaving a sigh that she now has more work to do, Einstein turns to Mobius who is next to her, asking in confusion.
"What the hell just happened?"
Shrugging, Mobius answers with a finger on her chin.
"From what I can see, it seems like the Marshal''s guardian didn''t take too kindly of her working till thiste of an hour."
"So... We should forget what we just see?" Einstein asked the question that''s on everybody''s mind after witnessing that.
"Positive."
"Yeah... I think that will be for the best." Einstein concurred.
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After moving out of the Mansion, Bryn leads Yuki to her quarter in the Obsidian Castle. Inside, her family is waiting for her with varying expressions on the King''s size bed.
There, Ningyo, of course, is sleeping peacefully in a corner while being covered by a wine-colored nket. Elysia isying face first on the bed, groaning audibly in pain while Yggdra is just patting her back, coaxing: "There, there." Lu is just giggling at Elysia''s expense while Hel spares them a single nce before diving back into reading a book.
The ones still conscious turn to look at Bryn and Yuki when the former pushes open the door.
Lu greets them first.
"Heya~ Finally here I see! It''s like what, almost midnight so you''re in trouble, little girl."
Hel closes her book, ncing at Yuki with reproach in her eyes.
"Yuki, just how many times do I have to address this workaholic attitude of yours? If not for your works being of the utmost importance, I would have grounded you long ago, youngdy."
Yggdra speaks up with a chuckle.
"It''s fine girls, she is still young. Would you rather see her running around on the battlefield than this? Her sacrificing some of her time now in paperwork will only serve to prevent her from going to the frontline in the future. Come on Elysia, gets up and greet our girlfriend."
Elysia, however, only creaks out a short.
"I can''t!"
"My, oh my~ I sure didn''t train you that hard now, did I?" Yggdra then poke around Elysia''s back, teasing her.
In response to that, Elysia struggles for a bit before finally managing to turn her face sideways. Resentfully looking at the Mother Goddess, now her sister and master, Elysia says.
"You''re Devil, no, saying that would beparing you to Lu. You''re even worse than that!"
Yggdra on the other hand grins at that.
"I will take that as apliment."
"I hate you."
"Love you too sweetheart!"
Giving up on their banter, Elysia slumps down on the bed, again.
"Yuki! Deliver me from this evil!"
Bryn chooses to interject at this moment. "I don''t think Yuki can help you right now, not when she also can''t save her own skin." Bryn takes a pointy look at the young Marshal.
Yuki chuckles wryly at that. "Is it perhaps toote to say that I''m sorry?"
Shaking her head, Bryn pushes Yuki onto Lu''sp, the buxom Devil hugs Yuki tightly before snuggling on her hair. Bryn then answers. "It''s toote ever since you said ''Tehe~''."
Sighing in response, Yuki says. "Worth a shot."
"Ho~ Being cheeky aren''t we?" Lu suddenly had this mischievous glint in her eyes, one that made Yuki very scared.
"...Help?" Sadly, the others express their interest by sitting on the sideline.
"Hehehe... No." Lu chuckles before materializing her dragon tail. She sways it for a few seconds in front of Yuki''s eye while making sure it''s not sharp.
Then, much to Yuki''s dismay, Lu moves her tail downward, coiling along Yuki''s ck pants, teasing her lower half. All this happens while Lu''s hands suddenly shot up Yuki''s officer shirt, grasping thetter''s pair of delicate breasts. Yuki involuntarily moans out loud at the suddenness of the situation, though this only serves to ignite Lu''s lustful nature.
Having had enough of teasing her daughter, Lu wills her tail to slither inside Yuki''s panties, resting right outside her daughter''s precious ce. Not just that, but her hands also go inside Yuki''s shirt and bra, firmly grasping the smooth and handful breast of her daughter. Lu decides to give these little melons a few firm squeezes, causing Yuki to go red by the ears and blocking her mouth in response. Yet, albeit muffled, the spectators know that Yuki is feeling the rush just from her panting alone. Even Elysia disregards her powerless body and turns to take in the sight of her lover being ''punished''.
After giving Yuki''s breast a good check, Lu moves on to circle her fingers around Yuki''s nipples. "Ara, ara~ It seems like these are excited to see me." Lumented, noticing how firm Yuki''s rosy nipples are.
Giving them a pinch, Lu causes Yuki to shoot up in response, yet, the pair of hands and tail force the young Marshal to remain firmly seated on Lu''sp. With her eyes glowing gold, Lu leans in on Yuki, right next to her ear. "The more you struggle under my grasp, the more I like to devour every inch of you, my daughter~!"
Without giving a chance for Yuki to respond, Lu''s tail moves beneath the fabric of Yuki''s panties and pushes inside her slit, slowly. Yuki, feeling the warmth emanating from Lu''s tail inside her vagina, jerks her body every now and then ording to the movement of the tail. Hot moans are let out from the cracks of her hands as Yuki struggles against the surge of ecstasy running along her body.
Lu is enamored by the sight. Finally! Her daughter is now squirming in her hands! She feels a great sense of aplishment as a mother. So, doing what she thought would be best for her daughter, Lu speeds up.
From an outside point of view, they can see Lu''s tail moving faster and faster underneath Yuki''s pants, pistoning in and out of her entrance. Up above, Lu keeps massaging Yuki''s breasts and nipples, ignoring the girl''s spasms. Slowly, but surely, Yuki''s approaching the first climax in her second life.
Yet, right at the moment, she''s about to reach the peak, Lu stops. Much to Yuki''s frustration and dismay. "M-Mama..." It''s unknown what Yuki meant by that, even the girl herself had no idea what she wanted at that moment.
Acting oblivious to the girl''s feelings, Lu says with a smirk. "Now, I can''t help you vent that inner frustration now, can I? This is supposed to be a punishment after all, yet you seem to enjoy it quite a bit."
"Gunu~" Yuki bites her lips in frustration, her legs squeezing together in search of the tail that is acting doggy all of the sudden. Even though Lu has prated Yuki, she has been careful not to break thetter''s hymen considering she''s not of age, yet.
The rush of heat starts dying down, leaving behind a profound sense of loss and disappointment inside Yuki. Yuki is about to struggle out of Lu''s grasp when thetter suddenly reattack!
Once again, the tail assaults Yuki''s slit, this time with newfound vigor. Lu''s fingers are now pinching Yuki''s nipples in an act simr to milking a cow.
"Ah~!" Surprised, Yuki lets out the loudest moan yet as she is soon reclimbing that unreachable peak from before.
But once again, Lu leaves her hanging right at the edge.
With her one uncovered eye, Yuki turns a resentful look at her mama. Only to see thetter has that same hateful smirk on her face. This is the moment that she knows that her ''punishment'' is far from over.
Seeing the look of realization on Yuki''s face, Lu takes that as a cue to press the assault. It''s only after the sixth cliffhanger that Lu decides that Yuki has had enough of her ''punishment''.
With onest thrust inside her vagina, Lu''s tail caused Yuki to arch back into her bountiful breast. The girl let out gasps of pure ecstasy as the orgasm hits her like a raging truck after being blocked by squads of traffic police. After an intense session of half an hour, Yuki finally gets the relief she deserves.
"Oh my~!" Yggdra ces a palm on her mouth before chuckling. Elysia, on the other hand, has a look of deep fascination at the sight of Yuki being toyed around by Lu. It appears the girl has found a new interest.
Bryn and Hel, however, only shake their heads, seeing that Lu has gone too far in her ''punishment''. They know that it''s unlikely Yuki will find this new practice... not engaging, to say the least. The Devil knows how to get a girl to want more.
pping her hands together, Hel levitates Yuki from Lu''s slimy hands, not wanting her daughter to fall any further than this, at least not yet.
"Alright, that''s enough! Lu, I let you punish her because I thought I can trust you not to go overboard. Yet, look at our daughter! She''s unresponsive right now!"
Being direct with the look of reprimands from both Hel and Bryn, Lu raises her hands in protest.
"In my defense, I''m not guilty if I''m the one being tempted by our daughter!"
"Are you serious?!" Bryn facepalmed, an action that should have been mimicked by Hel had she not carried Yuki right now.
"That''s it! You will sleep alone tonight! Girls, let''s go to the bathroom and help Yuki wash up. This unrepentance Devil can sleep in a corner for all I care."
"No! Wai-!" Lu''s about to run off together with them but thebined re of Hel and Bryn is too much. That and Yuki suddenly says in a teary voice. "Mama... you bully."
Defeated, the Devil slumps back on the bed, right next to her sleeping youngest, Ningyo. The others then help carry Yuki to the bathroom, leaving the Devil behind.
Turning to look at the innocent sleeping face of Ningyo, Luins to no one in particr.
"It''s not my fault if you''re so easy to bully in bed!"
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The Morning of the next day, I am now sitting in my office in the Mansion of Wisdom with my lower back aching.
Yesterday was so... ARGH! I don''t even know how to describe it! It''s one thing to be punished lewdly but it''s another thing for it to happen in front of the rest of my lovers! Elysia was fantasizing about me in the bathroom because of that for crying out loud! And she''s supposed to be a chaste high elf! Even Yggdra is having that look of wanting to bully me like the times before in my first life!
nting my head down on the table, I wonder just what was wrong with me finding it enjoyable. Am I that much of a little spoon, letting others dominate our sex life? Wait... Is that supposed to be a question a 15-year-old girl should be asking!?
MOTHER DAMN IT ALL!
I am this close to flipping my table if not for the door to my office being knocked on. Fixing my appearance, I then say. "Come in!"
The person that steps in is an Einstein with an obviousck of sleep in her countenance.
"Good morning, Marshal." The woman was about to say something when she is forced to fix her unruly strands of red and blue hair.
"I would have said the same to you if not for yourck of sleep." I said with a raised eyebrow. This girl seriously needs to stop workingte into the night.
I thought that but I''m also of the same work mindset. Pot meets kettles.
Einstein shrugs. "Don''t sweat the small details. Here, I''ve revised the blueprints for that MBT tform of yours. And the mana engines too."
Einstein theny down the revised blueprints on a nearby workstation. She then exins as Ie closer.
"Major changes being the chassis''s power nt and the Gepard''s armament. There was the concern of the vehicle running out of mana in hostile territory, thus being unable to be resupplied by a friendly unit. Hence, I''ve added a mana condenser and more batteries to the chassis. When the engine runs out of power, the condenser will take ambient mana in the atmosphere to repower it. Of course, recharging using the condenser takes a longer time than just swapping the batteries out but having this is better than no alternative.
As for the Gepard, though the design is very promising, the unit won''t be able to carry enough ammo for it to effectively engage hostile air presence in high-intensitybat. Hence, I''ve swapped out the Gatling-style cannon and reced it with a 57mm L/77 cannon. The cannon has a rate of fire of 60 to 120 rounds/minute, depending on the target you want to engage, and an ammo stowage of 250 rounds. With inspiration from your design, I''ve created the draft for its APFSDS and high-explosive with variable-time fuze. The effective engagement range is 4.5km and the muzzle velocity for the HE shell is 1000m/s. For our doctrine, this would be a much better design."
Checking the blueprints for myself, I nod at a job well done. "As expected of the brain of a mechanical genius! You''ve filled in the gaps that I''ve missed. Though I guess that you''re not done, judging from the turret design the Gepard is capable of standalone operation.
"That''s right." Einstein nods, showing me another blueprint. "I''ve been influenced by your design of modrity and upgradability. So I harbored a stray thoughtst night to make the Gepard''s turret capable of being ced anywhere and everywhere! The whole turret is self-contain that, without the aid of external radar or range director from a bigger machine, canbat air threats just as effectively as it''s ced on a mobile tform!"
With a grin on my face, I finish it for her. "Meaning, I can ce the Gepard on a ship or a static bunker and have it st away at any threat! This cut a lot of needs to develop further anti-air equipment in our arsenal!"
"If you put it on anything bigger than a Leopard hull, you can have it fitted with the 30mm Gatling of yours too. I figure if you put it on a battleship, it can house enough ammo to fire all day and night."
With a glint in my eyes, I exim. "That''s a great idea!" Unable to contain my glee, I hug the taller woman, causing her to sputter in shock.
Ignoring the blushing Einstein, I giggle with a mad obsession hidden by my face being buried under Einstein''s chest. You can never have too much dakka on a battleship!
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 5: Wunderwaffe Puma and more
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 5: Wunderwaffe Puma and more
Ignoring the still-blushing Einstein across me, I dance my hand along the sheet of paper, making another set of blueprints.
"Your designed has given me some ideas, Einstein." I said, finishing a sketch for what would be the first generation of IFV. "That 57 autocannon of yours will be a fine addition to this uing project."
Motioning Einstein toe closer, we both start working and throwing out ideas for the new IFV design.
"Infantry fighting vehicle, another new concepting from you. What are the requirements?" Einstein asked.
I then iterate my needs for the vehicle with crossed arms.
- Utilizing the parts and techniques from the Leopard. The new IFV must be modr in design and weigh no more than 20 tons in its heaviest configuration.
- It must be able to carry eight soldiers.
- It must be amphibious.
- The infantry must be able to fight from within the vehicle or dismounted.
- Protection from nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
Hearing what I listed, Einstein scrunches her eyebrows.
"Are you sure you''re not making another tank?"
I just shrug.
"We''re breaking new ground in military doctrine here, can''t fret over pre-establishedmon sense. Trust me, after five years, you will see that our military will be undefeatable."
Nodding, Einstein says. "I will hold your words for that."
After the short discussion, we dive into the designing phase of the IFV. With two of the most brilliant minds working together, we soone up with the perfect blueprint.
Being dubbed the Puma by Einstein, the new IFV shares an astonishingly 70% partsmonality with the Leopard. It also checks all the previously established requirements. Being modr, roomy, amphibious, and extremely survivable. Using the same powernt, transmission, and suspension as the Leopard, the Puma can ferry a fully-armed squad with unprecedented speed andfort. Such a vehicle is the ultimate representation of the Belka Blitzkrieg doctrine.
In its stock configuration, the Puma has a mass of 14.6 tons and is equipped with a 30mm autocannon and a coaxial MG-34 (ceholder). The Puma has a crew of 3+8 with the driver sitting lower down in the hull while themander and gunner man the turret. The 8 passengers are situated in a separatepartment behind the turret with arge ramp door. On top of the trooppartment are four hatches, allowing the soldiers inside to turn out and engage nearby enemy infantry.
There are currently three loadouts for the Puma to choose from:
One is loadout ss A with notable features being the belt-fed 30mm MK 103, the autocannon design is one of the seven making up the Gepard''s Gatling with 400 rounds. The basic armor can resist direct hits from 13.2mm Hotchkiss used by Ustio and the powernt is downgraded to a diesel engine, outputting 550 horsepower. Ammunition for the 30mm includes APFSDS and HE-VT.
The second is loadout ss B, weighing 17.2 tons. This is the up-armored and up-armed version of the Puma. Using the same 57mm L/77 MK 57 autocannon as the Gepard SPAAG, minus the radar system. It can swap the 57mm out for the 30mm MK 103. The all-around armor of the Puma is graded for medium-caliber and shaped-charge projectiles, while the roof armor is able to withstand artillery or mortar bomblets. This version and ss C have the same powernt as the Leopard MBT.
Last, but not least, is loadout ss C. This is the weirdest and deadliest version of the Puma. Forgoing the trooppartment, this version used the Leopard 105mm with its autoloader while having the same armor value as ss B. Weighing at 18.4 tons, this is not just a Puma anymore, but a whole different vehicle altogether. I would argue that wee up with a different name for this one but Einstein disagrees.
All loadouts can be mix-and-mash with each other depending on a unit''s field requirement. With the armor being the easiest to install and rece.
The whole vehicle is protected against heavy st mines (up to 10 kg) and projectile charges from below, while still retaining 450 mm ground clearance. Almost all equipment within the cabin, including the seats, has no direct contact with the floor, which adds to crew and technical safety. All cabin roof hatches are of the side-slide type, which makes them easier to open manually, even when they are obstructed by debris.
Finally, the Puma ispletely amphibious and moves with the help of two water jets that allow it to reach a speed of 10¨C12 km/h depending on the state of the currents. To increase the buoyancy, wheels are equipped with airtight chambers and powerful water pumps; extracting water from the lower chassis. The vehicle is sea-worthy and can cross water obstacles without preparation in a sea state of up to 3. While waterborne, the Puma retains the capability of firing even the 57mm.
Once I and Einstein are done giving a final look at the design, the pale blue hair woman exim. "What the fuck did we juste up with?"
Shaking her head with a hand massaging her temple, Einstein continues.
"I swear, just this thing alone is enough to bring the fight to Erusea soil."
I snicker, giving her a piece of my mind. "Well, that was the intention."
Rolling her eyes, Einstein changes the subject. "I don''t think we will need any more adjustments and can just ship these straight to the prototype stage. Well, we will need to swap out the MG-34 on these designster though."
"We have all the time in the world right now." Imented with a hidden meaning, putting the Puma blueprints away. "Best we make good use of it."
Einstein helps me with the task while asking. "Speaking of, how do you want to use these things?"
I exin with a smile as I slide thest of the Puma blueprints into a case. "Well, ss A, believe it or not, wasn''t made for our military per se."
"I can figure that just by the downgrade in overall capability." Einstein interjected.
"Smart girl, want a cookie?" I jested the usually stoic Doctor.
Sighing, Einstein responds. "Back to the point please."
"You''re no fun, loosen up a little." I pat her shoulder before saying. "Anyway, ss A was made to be supplied to our allies in the future, after we have outfitted our armed forces with ss B and C. Even if it''s a downgrade, ss A is capable of outmatching anything that''s not a heavy tank, if employed correctly. As for ss B and C, they, alongside the Leopard, will be the backbone of our military. ss B will secure the nks of our MBT with their Grenadiers while the Leopard takes on the heavy hitters of the enemy. ss C, on the other hand, will fill in the niche roles of a tank destroyer, scouting, and hit-and-run with its exceptional speed and firepower. And with them being amphibious, we can create a new branch of our military, the Marine. Though with them being this light, I''ve some ns to outfit the Air Force with these bad boys."
With a twitching eye, Einstein asks. "Do I even want to know about your crazy idea? I swear, Dreamer has been putting me through the wringer with her ns, not you too, please."
I chuckle with a hand over my mouth. "No promise." Pulling out another nk sheet of paper, I then say. "The day is still long, let''s continue."
"Something not too ridiculous, if you can." Einstein pleaded.
Complying with her request, I say. "Sure, how about infantry stuff this time? Still need to improve our Grenadiers'' gears."
Einstein adds. "Mobius and Dreamer have been working on improving our soldier''s survivability so I don''t see a need for us to intervene just yet."
"So this only leaves firepower for us to improve on. That decides it then." I concluded.
Einstein pitches in. "I have a few ideas." She then moves on to design an entire family tree of weapons. It takes some time but I watch on with interest, leaving the woman in her own element. Not gonna lie, her focus andmitment to her work are a beauty of their own.
I let Einstein adds the finishing touch to her designs beforementing on the results.
"Masterfully done. I see that you''ve been cooking these up for quite a while at least."
Einstein jumps up in surprise, forgetting for a moment that I am right next to her. The Doctor''s action of scratching her cheek embarrassingly is cute. "Well... Studying how firearms work mechanically is a fun pastime for me, and knowing how to improve on them is the side benefit of that. Your endorsement has allowed me some leeways toe up with these designs."
I nod with a small smile. "Then tell me your thoughts."
Einstein returns to her professional work ethic before exining.
"This is a rifle but not just any rifle, it''s a select-fire rifle that''s chambered in 8mm Mauser, operating on the principle of roller-dyed blowback. Temporarily dubbed the G1, this rifle is a modr weapon system. Its butt-stock, fore-stock, and pistol-grip/fire-control assembly may be changed at will in a variety of configurations. While the user is able to mount a magnified optic and additional essories on the gun. Simple push-pins hold theponents in ce and removing them will allow the user to remove and rece parts rapidly.
The G1 is hammer-fired and has an ambidextrous trigger mechanism with a 3-position fire selector switch: Safe, Semi, and Full-auto. It has drum sights with range and windage adjustment and the receiver has a rail system to mount optics. Its barrel is free-floated from the stock and has polygonal rifling. The barrel chamber is fluted with twelve flutes, which assists in the initial extraction of a spent cartridge casing. At the front of the rifle is another set of rails for attachments and you can exchange the muzzle device for something else.
G1es with a brass deflector and the option to be fitted for left-handed users. Its feeding system is optimized for 20-round double-stacked straight box magazines, a 50-round drum magazine, or a 100-round drum magazine.
There are currently a few variants that I''vee up with:
- The basic G1 is suitable for standard Grenadiers and capable of firing rifle grenades. 500¨C600 rounds/min rate of fire.
- SG1, the sharp-shooting rifle, has a contoured barrel to help with harmonic stabilization and consistent whip but remains free-floating. The stock isposite and has a high degree of adjustment. It is adjustable for length and includes a pivoting butt cap and a vertically-adjustable cheekpiece. The forend is fitted with a T-way rail for a sling swivel or tripod. Its rail system is long enough to hold long-range optics while the charging lever is modified in a way to not interfere with them.
- MG1, a squad machine gun, has a free-floating, heavy, quick-change barrel and is capable of mounting a muzzle device. The drum sights are adjustable and the machine gun is capable of mounting medium-range optics. This machine gun is made specifically to handle intense firing using 100-round magazines at 800 rounds/min.
- MP1, a G1 downscaled to a submachine gun chambered in 9x25 with 32-round of ammo. The rate of fire sits at 800 rounds/min."
Einstein then takes a breather after that long exnation. "So, what do you think?"
I p my hands, praising. "It''s a great design! If we equip our military with your guns, any and all member of the armed forces can take on an enemy thrice their number!"
Blushing at the high praise, Einstein can only mutter a short thanks. I smile before pointing out a few improvements to her design. That and pitching in some of my own ideas for the G1 variants. Stuff-like integral suppressed designs and usage of a special gas system that lower the muzzle velocity to subsonic. These are ideal for special operation groups toy out the pain unnoticed.
Einstein soaks up the information like a sponge, her eyes marveling at the design of the suppressor. "If we install suppressor on the SG1, assassination will be made a whole lot easier."
I smirk. "You don''t say."
After finalizing the G1 and a few knit-knacks for the Grenadiers, we move on to the hard hitters used by the standard infantryman. And at the end of the day, we''ve designed a few more weapon systems.
A Panzerfaust, is apact, lightweight, shoulder-fired, unguided anti-tank or anti-bunker rocketuncher. It consists of a disposable canister with a 110-mm warhead and a reusable firing and sighting device.
A shotgun, S-12G, features a bottom-loading, side-ejecting receiver, and a tubr magazine holding 7+1 12 gauge rounds under the barrel.
A modr, multi-caliber sniper rifle, chambered in 8mm Mauser, 14.5x114mm, 20x82mm, or 20x120mm. Therger caliber is intended for anti-material, deployment against targets including parked aircraft, vehicles, telmunication masts, gun emcements, bunkers, and personnel, using a range of specialized projectiles. As with other weapons of this type, it can also be used for counter-sniping and ordnance disposal.
Last but not least is the MG-35, a recement for the MG-34 general-purpose machine gun. Even though the MG-34 is a new arrival in the armed force, it has its own limitations. the MG-35 aims to ovee them and beparable to the uing MG1 made by Einstein. The MG-35 will fire 8mm Mausers from an open bolt and use a long-stroke gas piston to cycle the conventional rotary bolt action. It''s modr and has a quick-change barrel much like the MG1 but is more suitable to be mounted on vehicles as it''s belt-fed. Though it''s very capable of fulfilling the role of a squad medium machine gun with its 120-round belt box.
Very pleased with a profitable day, Einstein and I pack up the mess made on the workstation. Thankfully, we managed to end the day early than thest time, mostly to the fact that I''ve been cheating with my Time power. As thest of our papers and blueprints are safely stowed in a strong box, Einstein turns around to address me.
"Well, that was fun." She yawns before saying. "If you don''t mind, want to go and head to the cantina? I really want a cup of coffee right now."
I shrug. "Sure, we can get something light to eat before I need to head back. Though I''m not sure Erika will be avable at that time, she needs to go pick up Ningyo, I think."
"Then I will drive you back, just don''t hope for a limo." She offered,
"Knowing you, Einstein, your car would be one of thefy kind, not a luxurious one." Turning to look at her with a small smile, I take up her offer. "And I like it that way."
We both chuckle before making our way to deposit the box at Dreamer''s office. She will help us get the designs ship to a factory under the Royal Family''s control. As for us, we enjoy a nice warm dinner together before calling it a night. Unexpectedly, we both grow closer after a period of working harmoniously together.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 6: Wunderwaffe Reichsmarine
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 6: Wunderwaffe Reichsmarine
It has been a week ever since I and Einsteinbined our effort to develop new equipment for the Belkan Army. During the said week, Dreamer and Mobius also swung by our office, depositing their ns for screening. Many of them include designs for infantry armor systems, auxiliary armaments, and weapon essories...
Dreamer, in particr, has also notified me that the first sets of factories and shipyards have been converted to produce uing modern equipment. She cited that the process was made quicker due to an influx in the workforce after the war went into hiatus. By the time the void reactorpletes its trial run, our heavy industries will be ready to receive new orders from the government. It will take a few months for that to happen so right now, I am off to supervise one of the shipyards with Admiral Donitz. It''s imperative that the workers are well-trained in the new construction method as we don''t want any defects in the final product.
"As you can see here your Highness, the work environment has been revamped ording to your specifications. We have made sure that the shipyard and its auxiliaryponents have sufficient lighting and safety measures have been raised to the highest degrees." Admiral Donitz introduced me to the shipyard. Standing on a raised tform, we have a bird-eye view of the manufacturing facility below.
The shipyard is clean, for an industry that is, and the workers move in an organized manner with a clear purpose in mind. Of course, with the nature of their work, all of them are decked in protective gear, a bit stuffy, yes, but they all don''t seem to mind it that much. Rather, they have a spirited expression and their steps have a certain strength to them.
Admiral Donitz then goes on to say. "They are in high morale, mainly due to the fact that their working condition is drastically improved, their wages and hazard benefits are now better. All of them are grateful for the importance the Reich has ced on their lives and works, so, they want to repay it by doing their best. This sentiment is shared by the entire industrial sector, not just this shipyard alone, your Highness."
"I see." I nod with a smile, watching with fascination as the dock workers band together to make armor for our warships. They have a strange rhythm that is much like a choreographed dance.
"The Reichsmarine will be strong with them supporting us." I gave Admiral Donitz mypliment. After all, the Admiral is the one that helped me revamp the shipbuilding industry.
The Admiral bows. "I only do what I must for the Reich, your Highness."
The Admiral then leads me to a meeting room, knowing that it''s time to discuss paperwork. There, the Admiral and I take a seat at the conference table while being served coffee. After making ourselvesfortable, I have Erika ce the required ns and blueprints on the table for both of us to peruse. The Admiral takes a look at them all beforementing.
"This is crazy, insane, and everything that is synonyms to them... And I fucking love it!"
I snicker at his choice of words, nheless, it seems like my sale pitch got his vest interested. "Though it will take time to build up a proper fleet with these designs, the end result will be a fleet of unquestionable quality and might. It will take the enemy years to even hope to catch up with us in our naval capability, that is if they still exist in the future."
The Admiral nods as he envisions the future of naval warfare with these ships in y. There are currently seven primary designs, each is capable of changing the doctrine of the Belkan Navy on its own.
The first is a design for an aircraft carrier, one that, on paper, is no different than a floating fortress. With a discement of 95000 tons and holding up to 90 aircraft, the Yggdrasil-ss aircraft carrier will be the proud jewel of the Reichsmarine. The carrier has an angled armored flight deck with four mana-electric catapults, a cruiser-like hull, four rudders, and four shafts, and is ted to be fitted with eight miniaturized void reactors. At fullbat load, the ship is prospected to be able to go up to 33.5 knots. It''s such a ridiculous speed that put some cruisers to shame. The Yggdrasil has a defensive armament of 6 x twin 150mm L/55 dual-purpose turrets, 32 x Gepard 57mm turrets, and 8 Gepard 30mm Gatling turrets with numerous smaller 20mm guns.
"It''s just that the Yggdrasil-ss will take a lot of effort and manpower to get one up and running."
I add. "The crew count per ship will be at least 5000. The construction of a Yggdrasil will require the biggest shipyards we have avable. Right now, we only have three such shipyards, each can only build one Yggdrasil in a span of more than one year, two years at max."
Admiral Donitz interjects. "Counting the necessary tests and shakedown cruise, we will be barely able to fully field them in five years." Shaking his head, Donitz says. "That''s such a tight timeframe."
I just grin. "Yes, but it will be worth it. With them working together with other ships, we will have three capital strike groups that can project power all across the globe, 24/7, with minimal supplies. These uing ships," I point at the blueprints on the table. "don''t need refueling with a void reactor as the power generator."
"I can see the benefits they provide, especially so when we aim to expand to a worldwide scale. Though I think my personal favorite will be this design." Admiral Donitz grasps a blueprint before showing it to me.
I chuckle, knowing the reason why he likes it. "Well, it''s a bold design, even in my book."
"Bayern-ss battle carrier, also capable of fulfilling the role of an amphibious assault ship. Arge ind superstructure to starboard, decked to the teeth with auxiliary guns, with an angled flight-deck 2/3rds of the length of the total deck; the foredeck will be taken up with its main armament."
"Aye, discing 52000 tons at 32 knots, the main armament is a pair of twin 380mm, carrying 32 aircraft, and has a well deck to facilitate amphibious warfare. She also can go to ces with six reactors and four shafts. This is the wet dream of all captains and admirals and I intend to build at least eight of them."
Admiral Donitzughs boisterously at the way I worded it. "Let''s not forget her secondary weapons, a pair of 150mm dual-purpose, 8 Gepard 57mm, and 3 Gepard 30mm on each side of the ship. Oh, and the 20mm autocannons, let''s not forget about them."
"Now then, on to the next one, the Bismarck-ss battleship. You must have figured that it''s based on the hull we secured at Arash." I said, to which the Admiral nodded.
"Though the future of naval warfare lies in the capability to engage a target at a stand-off distance, hence the Yggdrasil and Bayern designs, the ability to constantly bombard an enemy shore, at a cheap price, is too good to let go off. Hence, it''s a given that we will be putting in limited production for these bad girls."
I take a breather before saying. "The ship has a discement of 60000 tons, armored heavily in an All-or-nothing scheme, it has eight reactors and four shafts, giving it a top speed of 33 knots. The main armament isprised of 3 x quad 432mm 57 caliber gun turrets, positioned in an A, B, X format. While the secondary armament is 8 x twin 150mm L/55 dual-purpose turrets, 48 Gepard 57mm, 6 Gepard 30mm, and numerous smaller 20mm autocannons. Complimentary weapons include 10 x 533mm torpedo tubes and two anti-submarine rocketunchers."
"It''s a floating fortress." Admiral Donitzmented.
"That''s the n, can''t have them sink when they are considered morale boosters."
"Having them paired up with the Bayerns will be a good idea. That or just stick them with a Yggdrasil, double the trouble for any enemy." The Admiral proposed and I can see the benefits in doing that.
"With the capital sses out of the way, I think it''s about time we take a closer look at the workhorses of the fleet." The Admiral helped me put away the capital designs, leaving behind the design for a heavy cruiser, light cruiser, destroyer, and submarine.
We then trade our opinions on the designs, having made it clear that they are a must-have for any strike group. Finally, we settle for these specifications.
The heavy cruiser, Hindenburg-ss, has a discement of 20000 tons, thanks to its three reactors and three shafts, it can go to a speed of 33 knots. The main armament will be 4 x triple 203mm turrets in an A, B, X, Y format. While secondary guns willprise 4 x twin 128 mm L/61 dual-purpose turrets, 4 x Gepard 57mm, 2 x Gepard 30mm, and 24 x 20mm autocannons. Auxiliary armament will include 4 x 4 533m torpedo tubes. Its survivability is approaching the upper limit of what''s eptable for a heavy cruiser.
The light cruiser, Munchen-ss, is lighter than the Hindenburg by a lot, sitting at 13000 tons. It has six reactors powering three shafts, letting it has a top speed of 37 knots. Of course, its armor will be morecking than the Hindenburg to reach a speed limited to the destroyer ss, yet, its armament is no slouch. Armed with 6 x twin 150mm L/55 dual-purpose turrets, 12 x Gepard 57mm, 6 x Gepard 30mm, 24 x 20mm autocannons, 4 x 4 533mm torpedo tubes, one anti-submarine rocketuncher, andstly suite of depth-charge projectors. This is not a light cruiser you want to underestimate for it can chase you to the other side of the Earth.
Up next will be the destroyer, Elbing-ss with a discement of 2000 tons. These are the hunter-killer of the fleet with a staggering speed of 40 knots owing to their four reactors and two shafts. Armed with 4 x twin 128mm L/61 dual-purpose turrets in an A, B, X, Y format. Complimented by 4 x Gepard 57mm, 2 x Gepard 30mm, two quintuple 533mm torpedo tubes, an anti-sub rocketuncher, and a suite of depth-charge projector or mineying/clearing equipment. With a capability like that, they will the first ship of the fleet to make contact with the enemy.
Last but not least is our submarine design, the Nassau-ss. This is probably the most ssified design that I''ve ever made. Discing 1800 tons on surfaced and 2000 tons submerged, the Nassau has six reactors and three shafts, giving it a 21 knots top speed on the surface. When submerged, it has a top speed of 18 knots and a silent-running speed of 10 knots. Thanks to the void reactors, it''s extremely silent and the cigar-shaped hull only serves to further lower its signature. The Nassau has six bow and two aft torpedo tubes with a totalplement of thirty torpedoes. It has a small aft bay for mine deployment and decoy units. In the future, it can be upgraded to hold a few subunched missiles with the removal of the aft deployment bay.
Of course, all of the designs are made with some special traits whenpared to contemporary fleets. First, their superstructures and hulls are very angr to maintain a small radar signature. Second, without the need for a boiler room and smokestack, these ships have a lot of room to be updated in the future, ensuring their life expectancy andbat effectiveness. Given enough time, these designs can be fitted with anti-surface and anti-air missiles. Third, and this is a rehash of the old information, all of these vessels are powered by void reactors. Meaning they have an unlimited operational range for a nigh unlimited amount of time, as long as they don''t sink that is.
Yes, they will be an expensive investment, but the cost of maintaining them will be much lower than the fleet we''re having right now. That said, we also have settled for a standard strike group formation.
A carrier or expeditionary strike group will have:
- Strike leader: 1 Yggdrasil-ss aircraft carrier or 1 Bayern-ss battlecarrier.
- Optional sub-leader: 1 Bismarck-ss battleship or 1 Bayern-ss battlecarrier.
- One to two Hindenburg-ss heavy cruisers.
- Two to three Munchen-ss light cruisers.
- Three to four Elbing-ss destroyers.
- One to two Nassau-ss submarines.
- Two to three auxiliary vessels.
That said, a strike group of this scale is nigh unbeatable against other naval forces. They''re perhaps too advanced and the force multiplier that is the uing jet and multirole aircraft that I''ve been cooking up will be too much for this era. Well, no such kill is overkill, I say.
To wrap up this fruitful day, we also agree to modernize our current naval ships up to the new standard. An example would be the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau receiving the same twin 380mm SK C/34 turrets as the Bayern. Their secondaries will be reced for a suite of 9 x twin 128mm L/61 dual-purpose and their anti-air guns revamped to the Gepard standard. This refit will be implemented fleet-wide for it to maintain operational integrity in the future.
At the end of the discussion, almost approaching dinner time, Admiral Donitz escorts me back to my vehicle. Along the way, he suddenly says as if finally remembering a piece of news.
"Oh right, your Highness, I heard words that the Long Dynasty is getting restless, and they want to modernize their military."
I respond with a raised eyebrow. "The Chinese? Well, that''s not surprising considering the Imperial Japanese is raising a ruckus."
"Aye, and I think sooner orter, they wille to us to buy some hardware."
Frowning, I say. "Though I''ve expected this, I don''t think they will be doing this soon."
Admiral Donitz adds. "We are on good terms with them so having them procure weapons from us will be a great deal for both sides, judging from our uing developments. Yet, no doubt that the Japanese will being to us in protest sooner orter."
I sigh. "I have my own ways to deal with them, right now though, I just want to take some rest. You should too, Admiral."
The Admiral nods, having escorted me to Erika''s assembled convoy. "Have a good night, your Highness."
I just wave at him as I mount the Mercedes. Letting out a tired sigh, I think to myself.
"All the time in the world and I put 90% of them into work. Better do this now for a long vacation in the future, I guess."
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 7: Wunderwaffe Air Force
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 7: Wunderwaffe Air Force
Berlin Imperator Air Force base. Right now, I am touring one of its hangars to get a feel for our national Air Force. So far, the tour has been pleasant, especially when I get to see a Bf-109F close-up. The hangar is tidy and the aircraft are well-organized, lining up on both sides of the armored hangar, ready to take off at a moment''s notice.
The trip to Imperator air base was a spontaneous choice, having decided to bring Ningyo out for her to touch some grass. I chuckle as I watch her hop in and out behind a 109, much to the amusement of the nearby mechanics. Though I did have to remind her to be mindful of her surrounding. Can''t have my dear sister being injured now, can I?
Ningyo has been of great helptely, herputation power has been crucial in calcting the necessary material strength for the void reactor, and just how much juice we can safely draw from it. With her help, the uing trial run for the reactor should be a breeze... I just jinxed it, didn''t I? Anyway, these days, Ningyo has been locking herself up with Dreamer and Einstein to do a lot ofputational work, too much in fact. That''s the biggest reason why I''m bringing her out to y right now, she needs to have some downtime of her own.
Mama and mom, on the other hand, have been helping me deal with political issues. They have been keeping me away from the shadier side of running a country, letting me operate in rtive peace. The uing delegation from the Long Dynasty will be received by them, allowing me to concentrate on adding the final bits of the groundwork for our arms development. Well, I will still have to meet the Chineseter down the line, however. My mothers have fully entrusted me with anything military-rted, when they talk about arms trading, I will have to step up.
Fortunately, it shouldn''t be too much of a hassle. The Long Dynasty should be easy to supply, much like the Ustian Reformists. Speaking of Rosa''s faction, colored me surprised when they actually managed to stage and attack the Loyalists in the middle of the Time of Demons, and they freaking seed! Utilizing the time when Demons'' numbers are still low and the enemy awareness wascking, Rosa gave the order to Francis, now General, to mount a surprise attack on the towns and viges bordering their control zone. They''ve managed to capture five towns and three viges, expanding their territory and resource by not a small amount. Of course, such action alsoes at a risk of stretching themselves thin, posing a big target for the Demons. Thankfully, Rosa has been keeping a close eye on the field situation and is solidifying her gains and foothold in the region. She did, however, request more transportation for her troops, a request I dly obliged, merely as a gift for managing to surprise me. The blood of Napoleon runs strong in her, no doubt the short man would beughing in glee in the afterlife.
As for Bryn, my dear trusty aide, she and Brigadier General Alexa have been busied with reorganizing and refitting the 404th at my behest. The division is now acting as my personal guard and taking orders solely from me. Right now, I am having them outfitted to be the temporarily dubbed ''404th Experimental Division''. When the next generation of weaponses out, the 404th will be the first to trial them and create new tactics for the rest of the military to follow.
I am pulled out of my thoughts when I notice Ningyo climbing up on a 109, shaking my head at her antics, I call out.
"That''s enough, littledy!" I move up to her, my arms holding up to help her get down from the aircraft. "You''re ten years too early to fly one of these beasts."
Ningyo lets me catch her with my arms, pouting at me, she says. "But big sis! Didn''t you also fly one of these? I want to try too!"
Eyes twitching, I exin. "That was an emergency situation, Ningyo. If I didn''t take control of the aircraft at the time, I wouldn''t be here with you now." I must keep an eye on this girl in case she tries to pull something dangerous on us.
"But it seems like fun..." Don''t you dare pull that puppy expression on me, damn it! Because it''s damn effective!
Sighing, I let her down on the ground before bringing my hands up and pinching her cheeks.
"Wait till you''re at least 15, by that time, I can apany you to the sky for a bit of fun. Right now, you''re a tad too young for flying, missy."
"Promise?"
Switching to pat her head, I say with a small smile on my lips. "Promise."
"Yay!" Ningyo jumps around in glee, causing me to shake my head. I then let her run around for a bit while I turn to address the person behind me.
"Thanks for waiting, General Jurgen. Had to keep her in check otherwise, she would be doing something that makes us all worry."
"Hahaha! It''s all fine and dandy, your Highness." Air Force General Jurgen turns to look at the excited Ningyo. "Kids these days sure grow up fast, my daughter is also poising herself to take to the sky in the future."
I chuckle internally at the General''s words. The official story is that Ningyo is an adopted daughter, just like me. Nobody aside from those presented at Castle Itter knows about her true nature as an artificial human.
"It''s good that a child has a dream, General. What''s important is the journey to reach that dream, and that''s where familyes in."
"Right, there are no truer words than what you said, your Highness." The General nodded.
I then turn to Erika and L, my personal guards. "Help me keep an eye on Ningyo and make sure you stop anything you deem dangerous for a kid her age."
L puts a thumbs up while Erika nods, thetter already moves to intercept Ningyo. "Will do, Little Boss."
I watch a moment as they all gather up with Erika gently chiding Ningyo while L pulls out a lollipop for my sis. Seeing that they''ll be fine on their own, I follow General Jurgen further into the airbase, reaching arge meeting room. There, Dreamer and Einstein are already waiting.
Once inside, I and General Jurgen give our greetings.
"Ladies, I hope you''refortable."
It''s Dreamer that answer with her legs swinging as she''s sitting on the table.
"We are feeling fine and dandy, for sure. In fact, it''s surprising that you serve a very good cup of coffee here. Actually better than the crap my coworker, Mobius made."
We both chuckle when Einstein facepalms, having remembered the monstrosity that''s Mobius''s coffee. General Jurgen gives an exnation as to why Imperator airbase''s coffee is so good.
"My subordinates are working in a high-intensity environment, regrly, they would have to pull all-nighters to aplish their task safely. During such times, a good cup of coffee is a must. That''s why I invested a lot in procuring the finest beans and renowned coffee makers to serve the base."
Dreamer nods at the exnation before picking up her coffee that''s ced to the side.
"So that''s the case. As they said, you can work with an empty tank or something along that line."
I smile before turning to the General. "That bit of exchange about coffee makes me crave some."
General Jurgen nods before turning to a soldier guarding the door. "Head to the cafeteria and tell Lucius to bring another set of coffee, milk, and sugar included."
The soldier salutes before heading out, leaving us to take a seat at the table, ready to get to work.
I speak up first as I see that everybody is nowfortable in their seat.
"Well General, you should have known by now about my trips across all branches of the military and my ns to modernize every sector." I point my finger at the folder in front of him. "The Air Force is myst stop and the files in front of you are the information needed to bring this branch up to the standard I envision."
General Jurgen removes the seal on the folder, taking out from it a lot of papers about the improvement ns I made for the Air Force.
I let the General peruses them with a frown for a bit before saying.
"As you can see, the Air Force made a big mistake by hoarding their control over any and all aircraft under the sky. Going as far as to create amunication tree that is separated from all other branches of the military. This severely limited the Air Force''s effectiveness in anything that was not rted to Air Superiority. But as you can see, during my campaign for Arash, I''ve revised the chain ofmand between the Army and Air Force. This has allowed both branches to work seamlessly in times of need. If it weren''t for that, taking Arash would have been much bloodier than it was, General Jurgen."
With a serious look on his face, General Jurgen nods.
"I will reform the Air Force per your instructions, Marshal. This ipetency won''t stand."
I ept his pledge. "You do that when we''re done here. Now, it''s time to give you some insights into what''s about toe. Dreamer, would you mind?"
Dreamer nods, standing up before handing out the blueprints and their rted documents to us. It''s at this moment that the previously ordered coffee arrives. We all get ourselves a cup of that goodness before delving deeper into work. Mine cup is filled with White Coffee, in case you''re wondering.
"This here is the design for what I''ve called ''Mana jet engine''."
We take a look at the paper in our hands, showcasing a design for the engine that Dreamer said. To put it inly, it''s a turbofan engine that, instead of running with fuel and gas, it''s powered by mana. A standard turbofan is a gas turbine engine that achieves mechanical energy frombustion. The basic operation of the gas turbine is a Brayton cycle with air as the working fluid: atmospheric air flows through thepressor that brings it to higher pressure; energy is then added by spraying fuel into the air and igniting it so that thebustion generates a high-temperature flow. The main difference here being instead of spraying gas into thebustion chamber, thus igniting it, mana will be pumped into a script that produces a constant high-intensity me. This high-temperature pressurized flow then enters a turbine, producing a shaft work output in the process, used to drive thepressor. The unused energying out can be repurposed for external work, such as directly producing thrust, thus achieving forward propulsion for aircraft.
Dreamer then proceeds to explore the prospect of mounting such engines on our new generation of aircraft. It''s pros and cons. And its impact on aeronautic development as a whole.
General Jurgen and I listen with deep fascination as the talk goes on, sometimes both of us will pitch in with a question. To which, Dreamer or Einstein answered with professionalism, fully knowing what they were doing. A fact that made me proud to have such adept subordinates and friends.
Even though I can make something better if I am to fully invest myself in the job, I opt not to and choose to only hand out some instructions and design ideas whenever I can. I cannot do anything on my own for if I do that, what''s the use of fostering a generation of geniuses in the first ce? Their drafting up a mana jet, based solely on breadcrumbs I left behind, is a big step up in our technological prowess and ability.
Moving on, I and the General agreed that jet engines will be the future of aerial warfare. Yet, it goes to say that not all aircraft will be needed to field such fine and expensive machinery. Hence, Einstein that steps up to introduce the turboprop engine. This is much simpler than the jet engine and much cheaper to produce.
A short discussionter, we all familiarized ourselves with the capability of the two engine types. Then, Einstein pulls out another set of folders, it''s time to introduce the new aircraft designs to the General.
"General Jurgen, these here are the designs that I, alongside Dreamer and with the help of the Marshal, have created. It''s our hope that Belka willter dominate the sky with these aircraft."
The first to be introduced is a two-seat multi-role jet fighter that is capable of going supersonic, much to the pleasant surprise of me and the General. So far, the concept of supersonic has only been theorized, not made possible for an aircraft.
This supersonic jet, aptly named Phantom, has a low radar profile, is powered by two mana jet engines, has a speed of 2,743 km/h (MACH 2.3) at 12000 meters, abat range of 900 km, and a service ceiling of 18400 meters. The Phantom can carry 9000 kg of weapons on external hardpoints and it has a quad barrel 30mm Gatling based on the Gepard''s Gatling. Auxiliary systems include radar, recon and/or night fighting equipment, drop tank for mana batteries and aerial recharging rod. It has enough room to be upgraded with newer weapon systems in the future.
The Phantom is made with carrier operation in mind, hence it has a short-takeoff andnding ability. However, Air Force and Army can make use of it just the same for it can take off andnd at roughnding strips.
The Phantom is ted to be produced by Messerschmitt, fully recing the Bf-109 and Bf-110 in service.
The next aircraft is more niche, being a single-seat subsonic jump jet, codename Harrier. Unlike the Phantom with its rear-facing engines, the Harrier has four rotating jet nozzles with two on each side of the fusge. This provides the Harrier with the ability of vertical/short takeoff andnding, lessening greatly the requirement of anding strip. Made with to be fielded on a Bayern-ss battlecarrier, the Harrier has an impressive capability, even though not capable of reaching supersonic. Like the Phantom, it has a low-signature design while has a speed of 1200km/h and a ceiling of 18000 meters. The Harrier has a respectablebat range of 800km and can carry 8000kg of weapon. Like the Phantom, it also uses the four-barrel 30mm Gatling and ordnance types, while also sharing the same auxiliary systems as the Phantom. This lessens the strain on logistics and allows them both to be upgraded to the same standard. Regardless of its capability, however, the Harrier is expected to only be used by the navy on their Bayern-ss. It''s ted to be produced by Dornier for its expertise in naval aircraft.
Both the Phantom and the Harrier have ejection seats built-in into them as a safety measure for the pilots.
The uing aircraft, Osprey, is prospected to be the workhorse for all branches of service. The Osprey is a multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft that has both vertical takeoff andnding (VTOL) and short takeoff andnding (STOL) capabilities. It is a twin-turboprop aircraft designed with long-range, high-speed cruise performance in mind. Meaning it can operate anywhere and everywhere with speed and power. Its two turboprops, mounted on the two ends of its foldable wings, give the Osprey a speed of 600km/h at abat range of 820km/h, putting it on par with the range of jet fighters. Though its service ceiling is only 9000 meters. Again, its auxiliary systems are the same as both the Phantom and Harrier.
The Osprey has two doors on the side and a loading ramp on the rear. It has a crew of 4 and a troopplement of 24. The soldiers aboard can fast-rope out from the side and down to the ground for a tactical insertion. It''s possible to remove the benches on the Osprey to carry a small armed transport with a squad of troopers for special operations.
The Osprey is also capable of carrying armaments, most notably a gimbal-mounted 30mm Mk103 and a few others on four external hardpoints under the wings. The external pylons can be armed with rockets, bombs, or missiles, for close support. The sides and the rear of the Osprey can also be mounted with retractable machine guns to provide fire support for infantry.
The design greatly intrigues General Jurgen for its multi-purpose trait like a Swiss army knife. Hemented that it''s a game-changer for any army and no doubt we should procure a great number of them.
The Osprey is just a perfect design that can do logistics, transport, or CAS... All in one package. It will be a great support craft for the Bayern-ss in addition to the Harrier too. We''re nning to let Fieseler manufactures it.
Last but not least will be the major transport aircraft, As. Fulfilling the role of strategic/tactical airlift, and aerial refueling, the As has four turboprops, each with 13000 horsepower, giving it a speed of 800km/h at max-take-off-weight. The aircraft has a crew of 4 and can carry 116 fully equipped troops or paratroopers, or up to 66 stretchers apanied by 25 medical personnel. If fitted for heavy-duty cargo, it can carry up to 46 tons of cargo. Meaning it can carry abat-ready Leopard MBT and five As can carry a tank toon of four with enough auxiliary equipment and infantry support. At max load, the As has a range of 3800km, a takeoff distance of 950 meters, and a service ceiling of 14000 meters. In theory, it can be catapulted by the Yggdrasil-ss aircraft carrier, neat. As is ted to be manufactured by Junker.
After we go through every single aircraft of the next-gen. Jurgen can''t help but sport a silly grin like a kid in a candy store. I can understand the man''s excitement though.
I can''t wait till any of them are made, just so I can take my family for a fun trip in the sky. It''s a must to showcase to them the newest advancement in Belkan technology.
Vol 2: National Development – Interlude 1: Ambassadors (R-18 Lite)
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Interlude 1: Ambassadors (R-18 Lite)
Walking down a hallway of the Forbidden Pce, I can''t help but reminiscent of an era long past. There was a time when wars were fought with swords, spears, and sheer fucking will. There was a time when chivalry and magnanimous were touted as the righteous ways to fight a war... Yet, all of that is now faded into the annal of history, begone from the heart and mind of the people.
By the end of the hallway is a veranda surrounded by a lotuske. Reaching there, I stop for a moment, taking in the aroma of lotuses before deciding to take a nightly stroll around theke. Midway through it, I turn to look up at the starry sky, a mncholic mood befalls me as I look for familiar constetions. Centuries ago, I stood upon this very sky alongside the Five Tigers, the constetions are still here but gone were the days of drinking around a bonfire with the sound of merry brothers. Now, there are but a man and his somber heart.
Ever since I donned the mantle of Emperor of the Long Dynasty, I''ve regrly questioned the stars about the meaning of my reincarnation. For what was the purpose of bringing back a senile old Emperor, one that was clearly unfit for the modern era? As expected, whenever I asked such a question, none returned an answer, only the chilly night wind washed over my bones. That is, until that fateful day.
I remember the day the stars answered. The day we learned that we were not alone. As a familiar sun rose on an unfamiliar universe, some of us saw wondrous possibility, and others existential danger... The astronomers had insisted that the bright streak in the sky was no natural phenomenon. Most of us didn''t really believe them until they burned through our atmosphere and crashed into what''s now Belka today. It left only wreckage, uncertainty...and the future.
In our ignorance, we fractured, taking refuge in our most primal emotions: fear, wrath, and greed... Each of us see what we wanted to see and feel what we wanted to feel. Each of us divided by amon cause, fought against each other to prove that we were just. We squabbled with each other like beasts only to find that the home that we knew of, has changed perpetually. It''s disconcerting at first, to awaken to an unfamiliar home. To open your eyes and see that everything has changed forever.
But unease has long been the price of wisdom. Therees a time when we must ept change, no matter how great. Therees a time when we must all leave home.
"Home... an unfamiliar ce."
The sound of quiet footsteps shakes me out of my reverie. For a second there, Iid a hand on my C96, thinking it was an assassin, only to find that it was one of my General and my friend. He approaches me as I''m standing on a bridge, overlooking the gently lit lotuses below.
"Emperor." My friend, Liu Zhang, cups his hands and bow. "The Imperial Consort and her daughter have arrived. They''re now waiting in the throne room."
I give a grunted acknowledgment, cing a hand on General Liu''s shoulder.
"Follow me, old friend. We have much to discuss."
"Yes, Emperor!"
We start making our way to myvishly decorated throne room with a dragon motif. Though I''ve been acting on the principle of not wasting resources in this life, the throne room must not becking if you want the other party to be aware of you. By the time we''re there, my consort and lovely daughter has already there, waiting for me.
"Greetings, Emperor." My wife and daughter greeted me. Even though I''ve elected for them to dispense the needless pleasantry, they only seem to address me differently in our private chamber.
Regardless, I can''t stop a smile from showing on my face as I see my cute little sunshine. "Little Mei! Come to papa!"
With that as a cue, my daughter Mei rushes into my embrace with a big goofy smile. The human-size artillery almost knocks the wind out of my sail for a moment there. My wife breaks her serious facade, showing a wry smile at the bonding moment between father and daughter.
"Good, good! It seems like you''ve been gaining some much-needed weight! Those physical training must have done wonders!" I said with a jubntugh, teasing my daughter.
Pouting, my little Mei protests.
"Papa! You can''tment on ady''s weight, that''s uncouth!"
I faked a hurt expression upon her admonishment.
"Oof! Emotional damage from being called uncouth by my daughter."
Little Mei and my wife roll their eyes at this. Seeing this, I turn to address my lovely consort.
"Ling, sorry that I''ve woken you up at this hour."
Sporting a kind smile on her face Ling says.
"Had I not known any better, I would have admonished you for waking Mei up also."
Patting the little girl''s hair, making Mei squirmsfortably, I go on to say with a light smile of my own. "Well, the news was abrupt and so was my decision. If you don''t go now, it will be hard for you to leaveter."
My words make Ling shows a pained expression, if only for a moment. She has schooled her expression as we have Mei near us right now.
"I see, we''ve packed our luggage for the trip."
I nod.
"Good, General Liu will escort you to Belka. You and Mei, alongside him, will be our ambassadors there in the name of fostering the rtionship between the two nations." I stop before saying with a rueful smile. "Only there will you both can be safe."
My wife nods slowly, notmenting any further. Little Mei chooses this moment to speak up though.
"Papa, must I go study abroad? Our school and teachers have already taught me everything I needed."
The girl is a genius unbefitting for her age of ten, yet, a kid she still is.
I crouch down to her level, putting on the kindest smile I can muster while I look into her dark purple eyes.
"Mei, the best teachers in all of China have taught you everything they have. It''s time that you spread your wings and fly away to a newnd, broadening your horizon there. In Belka, thend of mystery and technologybined, I have no doubt you will be able to learn a lot more many things."
"Un!" My daughter nodded with strength, the promise of knowledge proved to be tempting, I see. "Will you be visiting mommy and me, papa?"
At this, I have a brief moment of inner struggle, thankfully, it doesn''t show on my face. Smiling reassuringly at my daughter, I say.
"Though I am bounded by this mantle to take care of the state, I will work my bones off so that I can visit you soon. Don''t worry, your mother will no doubt fill your life with interesting things so that you won''t even notice I wasn''t there." It pained my heart to say so, however.
Ling picks this time to wrap up thisst bonding moment by saying.
"Come on, Mei. We must get ready to board the ship. Father still has work to do." I''m grateful that she intervened, otherwise this parting will be harder than it already has been.
"Ok, mama! Papa, I will see youter, promise?" Mei held out a pinky to me. Smiling, I make a pinky promise to her, probably myst one too.
Standing up, I let the pair of mother and daughter walk past me, heading out under armed escort to their motorcade. Though my face shows no obvious emotion, my heart betrays me for beating a sorrowful tune.
I motion for General Liu toe forth, the man respectfully kneels as I ascend my throne. Sitting down grandly, I address the venerable General with an order.
"Liu, you have been my long-time friend ever since we''ve known each other since five. It''s with a heavy heart that I entrusted you with the task of safeguarding thest of my family." With a heavy voice, I give him his first task. "Keep them safe at all costs, even your own life isn''t worth a hair on their body."
Cupping his hands, General Liu swears an oath.
"Your word is mymand, Emperor! So long as I draw breath, not a single harm shall befall your royal bloodline!"
I nod, trusting my best friend. "You have never failed me so far so I know you won''t stumble now. Onto the next and final task, you''re to secure our dynasty with modern firearms from Reich, and if you can, a long-term partnership between them and us. Though I do wish we can enter a proper military alliance with them, it would be too much of a thing to ask for as the Japanese share a root with the Reich. Whatever the case, remember this, the first task must alwayse first and foremost. Their safety is more important than some arms, we will fight the Japs with bamboo sticks if we have to!"
"Yes, Emperor!"
"Now go! Don''t keep my family waiting."
Bowing his head, General Liu retreats from the throne room. I am now truly alone.
Leaning back on my throne, I have a tired sigh. What use is a second life as an Emperor for me when I can''t hold my family close? This Cao has never seen such bullshit.
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"Are we there yet?" Rosa saidzily to the inte as she slumped into the crevice of Mary the maid''s breasts.
In response, an irritated female voicees back. "For the uncountable number of times, you slutty princess! No, we aren''t there yet!" The pilot is having just about enough before sending this ne crashing towards the Alps.
"Mo~ I want to see Yuki, my best friend!" Rosa pouted, arms swinging all over the ce before cing them on the melons next to her head. "Though I don''t mind taking my sweet time with these here."
Giving them a few squeezes, earning herself a gasp from Mary, Rosa is living the life right now. Not content with being teased by her master and lover, Mary snakes her hands under Rosa''s attire. The maid can feel the hotness near Rosa''s lower region, so she does what a good maid must do: Putting her fingers into Rosa''s slit. Mary is shocked by the wetness of Rosa''sher region.
"Are you that excited to see Princess Yuki or you''re just happy to have me in you?" Mary said as she started pushing her fingers in and out of Rosa.
With heated cheeks, Rosa direct her beady eyes upward. "Both... Yeah, both are good."
Mary chuckles at the way she answered. After a bit of time spent with the Belkan Princess, she hase to ept her as a very chill person, that''s until someone touches her reverse scale. Anyway, what she means is that Mary isn''t feeling jealous over Rosa''s attention on Yuki anymore. She hase to see them as a fitting power couple, should they even admit to having a thing for each other. So far, only Rosa has been hinting at developing their rtionship further than being friends, with Yuki being too preupied to do much else. Even though her feelings for Yuki have been one-sided thus far, the love Rosa has been showering Mary with has never been stronger, ironically enough. The mere hope that she will be able to date Mary in the open has ignited Rosa''s passion into overdrive, it seems. The Ustian Princess can''t wait, being too excited about their vacation in Belka for her to sit still. This is why she has been messing a lot with their chief pilot and friend, forcing Mary to have a bout of sex with her just to make her lose some steam, literally and figuratively.
All in all, it''s just another one of those passionate but routine trips to Belka.
Armory 101: Main characters and Belkan armory
Armory 101: Main characters and Belkan armory
Belkan Reich:
Spoiler
Yukia Rosetta de Venusian, otherwise known as Yuki. Titles: MC; (former, still reacquiring) Primordial Goddess of Time, Destruction, and Death; Star Yeeter; Yggdrasil''s Chosen One; Crown Princess of the Belkan Reich; Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich; Harem-seeker but is led by the nose by said Harem;...
Like: Her family and everything about them. Ningyo.Dislike: Anything and everything that her family dislike. If there''s a person that hold an ounce of negativity about her family, they should be sent down, straight down to the boiler room of Hell.
Spoiler
Yuki:
[copse]
Brynhildr, otherwise known as Bryn. Titles: Strongest Valkyrie; Yuki''s loyal aide; Harem member;...
Like: Yuki and her family. Ningyo.
Dislike: Yuki overworking, unable to support Yuki.
Spoiler
Bryn:
[copse]
Lucifer de Venusian, otherwise known as Lu. Titles: The Devil; Doting mama; Overprotective mama; Lustful mama; Prideful mama; Harem-seeker but is a part of a Harem; Daughter-con;...
Like: Yuki, her harem, and Yuki''s harem... This is whose harem again? Ningyo.
Dislike: Those that hold ill-intent for her loved ones. Thermobaric to the face for them all.
Spoiler
Lu:
[copse]
Hel de Venusian, otherwise known as Hel. Titles: Goddess of Life and Death; Doting mom; Overprotective mom; Lustful mom; Strict mom; Harem-member; Daughter-con;...
Like: Yuki and her lovers, Ningyo.
Dislike: Yuki overworking and not taking care of herself well.
Spoiler
Hel:
[copse]
Yggdrasil, otherwise known as Yggdra. Titles: First Wife; Primordial Goddess of Space, Creation, and Life; Mother Goddess; Doting harem-member that''s always on hand to help Yuki;...
Like: Yuki and her family, which keeps getting bigger and bigger. Ningyo.
Dislike: Anything that''s bothersome to her lovers, or just in boring stuff.
Spoiler
Yggdra:
[copse]
Elysia de Venusian, otherwise known as Elysia. Her surname is recently adopted for being Yuki''s lover. Titles: Holder of the Void Archive; Mischievous High Elf; Miss Pink Elf~; Strongest Elf; Harem-member; Not a Seiso High Elf;...
Like: Her mother and father (Surprisingly, her father doesn''t have much presence, hence, little to no screen time), Yuki, and her new family, Ningyo, new and interesting things.
Dislike: Her mother''s darkside, Yuki doing dangerous stuff.
Spoiler
Elysia:
[copse]
Ningyo de Venusian, otherwise known as Ningyo. Titles: Quantum girl; Dotable hug pillow; Must-protected girl; Adopted girl with the strongest family;...
Like: Big sis Yuki! Her family and sweets.
Dislike: Anything that she dislikes... Is that even a thing?
Spoiler
Ningyo:
[copse]
Doctor Mobius, otherwise known as Mobius. Titles: Dangerous Doc; Bio-genius; Rules Breaker; Potential Harem-member (cuz it seems like fun);...
Like: Yuki the Boss (For her unlimited fundings), Nice the Shoggoth (For her unlimited adaptability and evolution), Einstein the Blue (For being her best friend), bio-tech researchs. Ningyo.
Dislike: ''Uncooperative'' subjects.
Spoiler
Mobius:
[copse]
Doctor Albertha Einstein, otherwise known as Einstein. Titles: Blue; Stoic Doc; Mech-genius; Potential Harem-member (cuz she admires Yuki);...
Like: Yuki for being an innovative and supportive boss, Mobius for being her best friend. Ningyo.
Dislike: People saying something is impossible.
Spoiler
[copse]
Nice Williams, otherwise known as Nice. Titles: Overworked Shoggoth; Strongest and most helpful Shoggoth; Cosmic cookie lover; on-paid-vacation-please-leave-a-messsage;...
Like: Anything but being overworked, Cosmic cookie, Lady Yuki. Ningyo.
Dislike: Overworking.
Spoiler
[copse]
[copse]
Ustio:
Spoiler
Rosa Bonaparte, otherwise known as Rosa. Titles: Lustful Princess; Surprisingly adept Princess (Hey!); Totally not gunning for Yuki;..
Like: Mary, Yuki, being in a position of power. Ningyo.
Dislike: Corrupted people.
Spoiler
[copse]
Mary the Princess''s loved maid, otherwise knowns as Mary. Titles: Princess''s maid; Secret lover; Supportive maid; Surprisingly not a normal maid;...
Like: Rosa and what she likes. Ningyo
Dislike: Anything Rosa dislikes.
Spoiler
[copse]
[copse]
Visual dictionary for Belkan Reich''s equipment.
Spoiler
221 armored scout car family:
Spoiler
[copse]
251 half-tracks:
Spoiler
[copse]
Panzer II:
Spoiler
[copse]
Panzer III family:
Spoiler
[copse]
Field artillery:
Spoiler
[copse]
Bf-109 and Bf-110:
Spoiler
[copse]
Ju-87 and Ju-52:
Spoiler
[copse]
He-111:
Spoiler
[copse]
Leopard family:
Spoiler
Leopard MBT without autoloader:
Leopard MBT with autoloader:
Badger Engineering vehicle:
Beaver Briding vehicle:
Buffalo Recovery vehicle:
Gepard Anti-air vehicle (WARNING: the Anti-air tank is NAMED AFTER the turret, which is further divided into the 30mm Gatling AA-turret and the 57mm autocannon AA-turret.)
The best possible match for the 30mm Gatling turret is this
The best possible match for the 57mm autocannon is this
Both turrets are referred to as 30mm Gepard and 57mm Gepard. Both can be mounted separately as static AA or shipborne AA. When mounted on a tank, they used the Leopard hull to do so.
Hummel self-propelled artillery:
[copse]
Yuki''s and Einstein''s Puma family:
Spoiler
Warning: The Puma family is the cross-breed of the BMD-4M and the actual IRL Puma IFV.
30mm Puma
57mm Puma
105mm Autoloader Puma, no troop-carrying capability
[copse]
Einstein''s proposed 8mm Mauser family:
Spoiler
[copse]
Various knick-knack Yuki made:
Spoiler
[copse]
Scharnhorst-ss battleship and her nned refit (The refit will remove the funnel, making ce for future armaments i.e. missiles, exchanging the 283mm tripple turrets for twin 380mm turrtes, exchanging old secondaries to 9 x twin 128mm dual-purpose, and revamping the AA-suite):
Spoiler
[copse]
Bismarck-ss Battleship:
Spoiler
This but Belkan and no funnels. Will be armed with dual-purpose secondaries, Gepard AA turrets, three 17-inch gun quad turrets.
[copse]
Yggdrasil-ss Aircraft Carrier:
Spoiler
Basically Enterprise but Belkan.
[copse]
Bayern-ss battlecarrier/amphibious assault ship:
Spoiler
This but Belkan, no funnel, and before the nned refit, the bow are armed with two twin 380mm turrets.
[copse]
Hindenburg-ss heavy cruiser:
Spoiler
This but no funnel and can be refitted further.
[copse]
Munchen-ss light cruiser:
Spoiler
This but Belkan, no funnel, and can be refitted further.
[copse]
Elbing-ss destroyer:
Spoiler
Best possible match is the Allen M. Summer-ss. Of course, no funnel and more room to be refitted.
[copse]
Nassau-ss submarine:
Can be refitted to have subunch missiles.
Spoiler
[copse]
Phantom, semi-stealth, carrier-capable, multirole, supersonic jet:
Spoiler
[copse]
Harrier, semi-stealth, multirole VTOL jet.
Spoiler
[copse]
Osprey, semi-stealth, multi-mission VTOL aircraft.
Spoiler
[copse]
As, semi-stealth (can this thing even stealth?!), multi-mission airbus.
Spoiler
[copse]
[copse]
Announcement about Armory 101. It’s completed, for now!
Announcement about Armory 101. It¡¯spleted, for now!
Per promise, I''vepiled a glossary/information panel for this story.
Here''s the link to it. Sorry that I can''t post it on Royalroad, Webnovel, and Patreon as they''re very messy when I want to include images.
/read/55793-reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich/chapter/631833/
Included in the spoilers are the good stuff, which pretty much contained spoilers for the story. Do check it out and leave ament on your thoughts.
Armory 101 is subjected to future changes if need be.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 8: Unofficial dinner
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 8: Unofficial dinner
Three days before we start trialing our first void reactor, right now, I am helping Dreamer and the Doctor duo to assemble thest mechanical pieces of the reactor before carving thest set of runes around the reactor. The external runes are there to fortify the room in case of a major mishap alongside the heavily reinforced walls. The reactor itself also has runes carved in its manyponents, they are there to help facilitate the connection to the void and help convert its ether to useable mana.
Runes are neat because it has such a high degree of useability, you can use them to enhance your weapon with increased uracy or durability. Or you can use them as anguage tomunicate with a higher dimension. There are endless possibilities in runic science and we are working on further developing it to incorporate it more into our magitech. Thus far, runes are problematic to use because it''s very hard to upscale or downscale the size of the runes to fit something like, let''s say, a fan in a turbine engine or a ten-meter strip of battleship ting. It''s possible but takes extreme precision on the part of the craftsmen to set up a runic array. Fortunately, even with the downsides, runes still help cut a lot of time in the production of delicate machinery orplex material. Way better than using just pure science to make and reinforce something and you only need minimal mana to recharge them for usage. If youbine a set of runes with a durable rune, you also don''t need to worry much about maintaining the integrity of your runic formations. As I said, runic science is such a neat field of expertise to not further it. That''s why I have Dreamer dedicated a portion of our resources to advance the field, searching for a way to simplify its production method so that we can incorporate it more in both the military and civilian sectors. Until that time though, we must make do with manualbor to produce the runes. Hence, the workers and builders in our industries must be treated well, they''re too talented in their craft to lose them.
Anyway, enough about runes, it''s time to build this baby up to shape. I thought as I directed Mobius''s and Einstein''s teams to add the finishing touch to the reactor''s protectiveyer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"...And done! Congrattions, you all! You have just built our first step to a brighter and cleaner future!" I said into the mic, broadcasting my voice to the scientists and engineers behind the protective ss. I watch with a smile as the people inside the reactor room erupts into cheers, their sound muted by the thick protection of the control room I''m in.
The reactor is now basicallypleted. We need only run thest few security tests for the protections we ced before the big day three days from now. But for now, I will let these men and women take a well-earned breather. It has been a hectic period for the people from the Mansion of Wisdom and Section Four.
Turning over to Ningyo, I pat her head for a job well done. "Good work back there, Ningyo! YOu helped us a lot with your precise instruction on which goes where." That was a sincerepliment since my sister had used her impressiveputing ability to make sure nothing was misced. She was basically the director of the show.
I watch with a warm smile as Ningyo purrs at the attention I am giving her right now. This little girl is so easy to please.
"It''s about time that I call it a day, do you want to follow me home or do you want to hang out with Einstein and Mobius?" I asked, knowing that Ningyo has been getting closer two the two olderdies. They are incapable of fighting against this bundle of cuteness and supreme intellect.
"Big sis! Sister Mobius have invited me and sister Einstein over to her house to y! She said that her assistant Klein will be making dinner tonight!" Ningyo said cheerily, she tilts her head at the end. "She also told me to invite you over if you just want to hang out with us."
"Umu, how about a different day then? This evening I must receive Rosa who has just arrived from Ustio." I replied, a bit remorseful that I can''t join Ningyo for her fun time.
Thankfully, Ningyo doesn''t seem to mind, having had a trip with me to the Imperator airbase earlier. "Don''t worry, big sis! I''m pretty sure we will have more time in the future to y!"
I chuckle, giving her head another pat before I head out from the control room. Taking off myb coat and putting it on a hanger, I open the door to see Bryn already waiting for me.
I sport a grin as I see her.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. You had your work done early?"
Bryn nods with a small smile. Noticing my fatigue, Bryn holds her right elbow out so that I can cross my left arm over it, letting my head rest on her arm as we walk to the car.
"Thanks." I said. Though I won''t show it in front of Ningyo, I am tired physically.
"You''ve worked hard. Fortunately, the uing trip with Rosa should be able to afford you some downtime." Bryn said in a soothing tone. "After that, I will see if Hel can help you relieve your fatigue. You''re young, but overworking yourself isn''t without repercussion."
I smile lightly as I can feel the care in her tone. The rest of the trip, from the walk to the car ride, has been in pleasant silence after our short discussion. Bryn elects to let my mind rest rather than saying anything else. A notion that I am grateful for lest I risk a quick migraine.
By the time we pull to a stop at a small restaurant, one that I''ve picked as the rendezvous location with Rosa, I am feeling many times better than before.
Erika steps out first to watch the surroundings while L skips on her feet to open the door for me and Bryn. Together, with my arm crossing Bryn''s, we step down from the Mercedes before making our way inside the building.
A stray thought hit me as we were approaching the restaurant''s entrant. "Now that I think about it, this is like a date for the two of us. Well, a double date if you count Rosa and mary''s pairing." I said with a small smile.
In the corner of my eye, I can see Bryn is now sporting a light blush as she responds. "I think you''re right about that." As we step inside the restaurant''s premises, we''re hit by a well-lit interior and soothing music, the furniture is one that subtly provokes a hint ofpanionship andfort. This ce is geared toward dating and loving couples.
In a spacious corner of the building, I can spot Rosa and Mary, the former of which is now waving her hand toward us with a sunny smile. Bryn then takes me to their table with a calm gait, her previous embarrassment is now gone, reced by a confident look. I chuckle internally, Bryn decided to be the Alpha on our date, I see. Not that I mind and I like it more this way.
"Heya! It''s been a while, isn''t it?" Rosa greeted us while Mary stands to give us a small bow. They both have a ss of white wine on the table. Rosa takes a cursory scan of me before turning over to Bryn, asking. "She has been overworking, again, isn''t she?"
The question causes my partner to close her eyes and sigh, her answer making me pout. "Believe me, I and her mothers tried our very best to limit her workaholic attitude. Still to no avail, however. If we set up a curfew for her, she will just double her workload to make up for the time unable to work. She is stubborn like that."
"Hey! I am anything but stubborn!" I protested, which caused the three of them to look at me weirdly.
My defense quickly falters under their judgemental gaze so I hastily diverted their attention. "Come on, let''s order something to eat. I''m starving!"
I take a seat,pletely ignoring their pointed look as I focus on the menu I''ve just picked up. Secondster, Rosa also sits down with a chuckle at my antic while Mary sympathetically says to Bryn. "You have it hard."
Bryn responds by saying. "You too."
The two have a short bonding moment as the aides for the two problematic princesses. This caused both of me and Rosa to wryly smile. With the short reunion out of the way, we all promptly take a seat before pondering over what to order.
Rosa asks a question as we all take a look at the menu. "I must admit, Belkan cuisine fascinated me for its manybinations. As the hosts here, what do you think we should have for dinner?"
Bryn and I share an understanding look before we turn to Rosa. Bryn speaks first before me.
"Well, believe it or not, fried potatoes are a must-try dish for when you''re here. Usually, it''s a dish that determines a Belkan restaurant''s quality. Here, they serve the potatoes with bacon and onion, seasoned with salt and a variety of spices."
I add. "The restaurant here is well-known for its tantalizing aroma from its fried potatoes. You should try it out."
Rosa nods in understanding while Mary asks. "Does it go well with sd?"
I nod. "Personally, I think it goes very well with a haus sd to clean up the grease from the bacon."
"I see, since it''s fried, the oil may interfere with the vor of the entree." Mary turns to look at Rosa, seeing that her master returns a nod, she then says. "I think we have our starters."
Bryn and I nod. "Then let''s move on to the main course and dessert."
Rosa speaks her opinion. "They said that when in Belka, one must not forget to try their burgers. I have never had one before as Royal Ustian cuisine sees it as a low-ss food. Yet, now I am dying to try out the burgers that I''ve seen everybody eating day and night."
I sport a grin, seeing this as a chance to convert her taste bud to a burger fanatic like I am. "Then you''re in luck, the beef patty serves in the burgers of this restaurant is to die for. It alsoes packed with its own vegetables, hence, burgers are a very convenient food for working people like me. You can just enjoy it on the fly without any utensils whatsoever. We also pride ourselves in making our burgers big enough to fill a belly, unlike the American ones."
In response to my pitching, Rosa raises her hand. "Then I would be d to have one right now."
"So four burgers, I see, now we only need a desert. My personal rmendation is fruit pudding for its texture and vor. It will be a perfect dessert after eating the hotter starters and main course."
I raise my hand. "I seconded that."
Rosa and Mary nods their face lit up when Bryn suggested pudding so it''s not surprising. A girl gotta love her sweet.
We then pass on our order to a waitress who bows before leaving for the kitchen. Till the food arrive, we four engage ourselves in a light discussion ranging from everyday happenstances to what hobbies we have.
Thetter part has me teased for my hobbies of working for the betterment of my loved ones. Again, I only work normally, howe it''s a bad thing in their eyes?!
We switch our discussion topic to our food when the first dish arrives. As promised, the fried potatoes of this family-owned restaurant are amazing. Potatoes that were fried to a golden standard and the glistening bacon didn''t fail to capture our eyes. Its aroma also further attracts our attention, so much so that''s almost a waste to just eat the dish outright. Luckily, the sdes mere secondster so we can start digging into the tantalizing food.
"Oh wow~ this is so good!" Rosamented after her first bite of the potato.
Bryn adds. "As I said, if this first dish is this good, then wait till the rest arrive."
Mary can''t help but nod in agreement, her fork is apanied by sd as she eats. "I must research more on this cuiser. I must admit the chefs here are capable experts for they blow away my taste buds in the first bite. That was apliment, of course."
I chuckle. "I know right? I used to frequent this ce when I was still studying at the Academy. In fact, I know the owners of this fine establishment well enough to ask them to share a few tidbits of their cookings for you, if you like it."
Mary nods, taking up on my offer as Rosa can''t stop her fork from moving. "I can''t wait for that, your highness."
We then eat and talk in a lighthearted atmosphere, enjoying a moment of peace in our busy lives. As time goes on, Rosa and mary are increasingly taken by the taste of our cuisine. I and Bryn can''t help but show proud smiles at their growing interest. Want to get a girl''s heart, get her stomach or something along that line, they said.
The arrival of the hamburgers seals the deal for Rosa and Mary though. It''s funny to see them clumsily holding up a hamburger, only to have a bite and moan at the sauciest and bombastic taste they have ever had in their entire lives. Bryn and I chuckle as we witness what could possibly be a foodgasm, judging from the words from an age long gone. It takes them no time at all to finish the te-sized hamburgers and I swear they almost let out a tear when they realize that it''s gone. Thankfully, the puddings sessfully prevent them from breaking down as a kid got robbed of her candy.
"My goodness! The texture of this pudding is sublime while the taste is truly fresh and aromatic. It melts into your mouth while the fruits leave behind a pleasant sour aftertaste. Such a pudding beats even the ones served by our greatest chefs!" Mary excitedly said what was on everyone''s mind at the time.
During dessert, Bryn suddenly offers me a spoon of her gooseberry pudding, prompting Rosa to do the same with her cherry pudding. If there was only Bryn''s offering, I would have taken up the offer without hesitation but now there''s Rosa... Suddenly facing a predicament of not knowing who to eat first, either way, will be a death sentence from the other, I can only turn to Mary, asking for the maid''s help. At first, the maid opted to watch on with a curious glint and a small smile on her face. She falters when I put on my puppy eyes, however, and scoops up a portion of her strawberry pudding before handing it over to me. Pretty sure I didn''t ask for that kind of help though!
But screw it, I need a way out and Mary seems to be the lesser of two evils, what''s with Bryn being my lover and Rosa getting damn near to that point. Hence, my mouth picks Mary''s spoon as its destination. Chewing the strawberries and pudding together, I am surprised by the sweet aftertaste it gives me. I stifle my chuckle when Rosa and Bryn, of all people, pout, and re at Mary. In response, the maid just shrugs, saying.
"You girls should really work on your dating skill, like seriously, sharing a spoon with the person you''re interested in? That''s such yesterday''s strategy. At least pick a suitable atmosphere where there are only two of you, gosh!"
Finally, I can''t help it anymore and almost stumble downughing as Bryn and Rosa blush in embarrassment, holding their faces after being called out by Mary the maid. I give Mary a thumbs up for her timely save while the maid rolls her eyes with a hint of a smile on her lips.
Regardless of the earlier fiasco, we agree that the dinner was fun and fulfilling for all of us. Having needed that downtime, every one of us treasures the time we spent on the dinner, knowing that the next few days will be filled with work for the parties presented. Calling it a night, we promise to hang out unofficially like this on ater date, preferably with more of our friends and family involve. In a way, this serves as a way to foster the rtionship between the two regimes but let''s be honest here...
We all are just girls wanting to have some fun.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 9: Section Two
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 9: Section Two
Aboard the Yi Xian, a light cruiser heading for Singapore, General Liu is maintaining a close eye on the horizon for the Japanese destroyer that has been shadowing his ship for quite some time. It''s one of the reasons why General Liu ordered the Captain of the ship to stick to territorial water, and other civilian vessels, as much as he can till they reach Singapore. Knowing the identities of the VIPs onboard, the General must maintain a certain cautiousness against the Japanese.
For a long time, the Imperial Japanese has been showing an increasingly aggressive stance against maind China. Japan has always implemented the policy to expand its influence politically and militarily in order to secure ess to raw material reserves, food, andbor. This culminated in the invasion of Manchuria, resulting in the formation of Manchukuo, a puppet state of Japan. It has since grown worse when the Shinto Gods take to the stage and are now directing Japan behind the scene. In the face of such aggression, China, which is now being divided into three factions, is woefully inept at raising a proper response. Even though Emperor Cao Long has been improving the war readiness on the entire maind, it was a slow process when the Republican faction and Manchukuo backed by Japan keeps hindering the Emperor''s effort. Now, if General Liu lets Japan gets a hand on the Emperor''s family, it will be a devastating blow to China''s independence for Japan can use them as hostages. Thankfully, Japan is wary of causing trouble out in territorial water, especially more so when there are witnesses. General Liu can rest easy that they won''t dare to intrude in the popted sea.
He thought that but then he notices strange shapes swimming quickly near the surface of the sea. Now he is but merely a decorated Army General but even he knows that those shapes aren''t anything good. Now when they''re approaching the Yi Xian and the convoy of civilian vessels near them en masse. Turning toward the conning tower, he shouts a warning to the Yi Xian''s Captain.
"Shout the rm! Enemy attack underwater!" General Liu removed the Mp 28 that was on his back, and much to the shocked gaze of the seamen near him, General Liu unloaded his entire 32-round magazine in the water. His action causes one of the shapes beneath the surface to raise up, revealing a jellyfish-like demon with a white body and a pink-glowing orb acting as its head. It raises two of its four tentacles up to block the General''s bullets while the other two are used to fling its body in a different direction.
"Shit! It''s a swarm of demonic jellyfish!" The Captain of the Yi Xian eximed at he is now next to General Liu with his pistol out. The General Quarter rm has already been broadcasted during the short engagement. "I want all guns on deck, now!"
General Liu then turns to the Captain. "Have you spread the words to the civilian convoy?"
The Captain nods. "The radio man is working on it right now while we''re now redirecting to Hue. I''ve told him to raise the Ustian patrol crafts if possible but don''t hope for much."
"st themzy ass. It seems like we''re on our own then."
By now, the Chinese seamen and army personnel are mostly on deck with different kinds of weaponry, some even have potatoes on hand, ready to throw at the demons scurrying below. They all wait with bated breath as the demons keep circling the convoy as if looking for prey. After five minutes of anxiousness, the demons make their move on a disengaging trawler.
"Damn it! The best they could do was to stay in formation till we reach the harbor of Nam. Now they will be picked off before those thingse for us." The Captainined as he watched the trawler move further and further away. They''re dead men sailing.
Meanwhile, General Liu asks a few of his trusted men to keep the VIPs safe and prepare for evac, just in case. It''s unknown what sorcery will these demons pull so it''s best to be prepared for the worst.
"Captain, tell your men to start ranging for that trawler." General Liu said.
A bit incredulous, the Captain asks back. "I hope I misheard that, care to say it again?"
Shaking his head, General Liu said. "You haven''t heard wrong. I want you toy the cannons on the trawler, no doubt the demons will be swarming it like no tomorrow so they''re dead meat anyway. Best we use this chance to avenge their deaths, taking out a few of those demons in the process."
"...Fine, you heard the man, tell the gunners to get ready." The Captain gave the heartless but necessary order.
"As for you two," The Captain then address two other crewmembers of the Yi Xian. "I''ve been sailing for way too long to not notice something is wrong with this situation. These demons won''t just appear out of nowhere in such a huge number, something must be attracting them here. I want you to take those who are free with you and scour the ship for anything suspicious and bring it to me."
"Yes, Captain!"
General Liu and the Captain watched as the pair go away before turning their attention back to the trawler.
Finally, having run out of patience, the jellyfish demons strike. At first, they all surface around the trawler, numbering in the dozens, before slowly approaching the vessel. On board, the fishermen grab whatever they can to keep the demons at bay, visibly panicking as they wave their spears and stick at the water. Suddenly, a person appears out of the cabin, carrying what seems to be a Mannlicher M1886 rifle. The old man holding the rifle then points it at a demon that''s hoisting itself up on the trawler and fires. Regretfully for him, the rifle bullet hit one of the demon''s tentacles, cutting off but failing to leave behind any meaningful damage. Pissed off by the mortal that cut off its limb, the demon uses another tentacle to p the old man into the ocean alongside his rifle. The force of the p is so strong that the old man leaves behind his sneakers on the deck while his mangled body skips across the sea a few times.
The death of their Captain instilled absolute feat into the fishermen. A few opt to abandon ship, leaving behind their brothers that are fighting to the bitter end. Those aboard either get skewered by the demons'' tentacles or get pped by one onto the deck. Either way, their body will be reanimated into zombies soon enough. As for those that are swimming away, they''re in for a much more torturous death.
Slowly, the fleeing fishermen are dragged underwater, one by one, before being stabbed and gutted like fish beneath the surface. They either die due to ack of oxygen or their blood flowing out of their system. Arge patch of the sea is dyed red as a result of the demon-hunting humans.
However, before the demons can dance on their kills, major explosions obliterate the bloodied trawler and the surrounding sea. The Yi Xian hasid all guns to bear and opened fire on the unsuspecting demons. Since the Yi Xian has four-caliber of artillery, the vessel creates a weird symphony of mismatching sounds and rhythm.
Unfortunately, after the initial shock that caused the death of six demons, the others sink beneath the waves, taking refuge from the iing artillery.
"Damn it! I was hoping we can get more of them." The Captain of Yi Xian cursed as the 152mm and 140mm cannons failed to cause more destruction than he expected.
General Liumented. "But that got their attention alright. Those things are ignoring the civilians and are heading straight for us."
The Captain nods grimly. "Alright, boys! It''s time to earn your paycheck! Fix bays and prepare your grenades! Wait till you see the pink of their eyes!"
The crew and the army personnel aboard the Yi Xian raise a battle cry in response. It''s at this moment that the pair of seamen the Captain sent away earlier, return.
"Captain! I think we found the problem!" The burlier of the two reported as he drop arge satchel down onto the floor. "They were stashed in our ammunition storage!"
General Liu and the Captain gawk as the contents of the satchel are revealed. They are the same pink orbs that the demons have as their cores!
"No fucking wonder they''re attracted here!" The Captain cursed before ordering. "Throw those fucking things overboard!"
General Liu frowns as he watches the satchel being thrown into the sea. "How did those even get aboard."
"I can hazard a guess that they were hidden in the charges for the cannons. Most never bother to check the containers for the charges and the enemy found that loophole to take advantage of." The Captain turns toward the pair. "Good job, now get yourself a weapon."
The pair nods before heading out. General Liu and the Captain return their gazes to the sea where arge swarm of demons is now circling their cruiser. After a few circles, one-fifth of the swarm detaches and heads for the Yi Xian.
"How many do you think are there in the water?" The Captain suddenly asked with the edges of his lips curving upward.
"Enough for all of us to get three rounds of barbecued squids." General Liu answered with a smirk.
"Hahaha! I will drink to that!" The Captainughed before raising his hand. "Let them have it, boys!" Swinging his hand downward, the Captain ordered everybody with a grenade to throw them into the water.
Dozens of grenades are thrown overboard on all sides of the ships as the demons swim closer without being aware of the danger they possess. A few secondster, the sea rumbles more times than the seamen could count as the demons are sted in the face by the grenades. They watch as death carcasses and crippled demons float back to the surface after themotion dies down. Surprisingly, the first wave of demons is defeated just like that.
The crew of the Yi Xian and the civilians aboard other vessels cheer. It was a pleasant surprise to them all to stave off the demons without a casualty. Yet, before they can further celebrate, the demons pull half of their remaining number and speed toward the Yi Xian. Just counting the shadows near the surface alone, they are already numbering more than fifty.
Letting out a deep breath, General Liu says. "Prepare yourself for mortalbat men." He checked his Mp 28, pulling out the magazine to check it, before putting it back into the gun. Others are doing the same, their faces showing grim eptance that many, if not all, will not get out of this alive.
"Grenades at the ready!" The Captain called out as the demons are approaching the same range where thest group met their end.
"Remember to keep your weapons at the ready after you chuck those grenades!" General Liu reminded them as he trained his ironsight out to the sea.
"Now!" Following themand from the Captain, thest batch of grenades is thrown overboard. Just likest time, the grenades act as mini depth-charges and detonate beneath the waves.
After the explosions have ceased, leaving behind a foamy ring around the Yi Xian, the crew waits with a sense of oppression as they try to determine the situation.
When one of the army personnel approaches a railing, peering down to check the damage, his head is grasped by a pair of white tentacles before being yanked off the ship and into the sea. Other demons start surfacing around the ship before swimming closer to get aboard.
"There they are, st them!" It''s unknown who gave that order but anyway, the Chinese started sting anything that was white and has four tentacles for limbs.
General Liu and Yi Xian''s Captain open fire on the nearest demon as it used its tentacle to try and grab a sailor. Their covering fire riddles the demon with numerous small scratches and a few shallow wounds, however, their action has bought enough time for the sailor to get away and use his longer Hanyan 88 rifle. The sailor aims and fires, opening a big hole in the demon''s pink orb, shattering it and making the demon hang powerlessly from the railing.
"Those with a rifle get onto higher ces while anything smaller gets down to the deck!" Noticing the disparity in both firepower and weapon handling, General Liu ordered a shift in formation.
The longer, more cumbersome rifles and machine guns, yet having more firepower than a pistol-caliber weapon will take the high ground. The shorter but more numerous submachine guns and pistols will secure the lower deck, staving off the enemy by volume of fire.
It''s a good n but it also means the formation change will leave behind a gap for those demons to climb aboard. That they did.
During the time it takes for the crew aboard the Yi Xian to shift their firepower, a few demons have isted thete runners from the rest of their friends. Slowly, they are being encircled and whittled down by the white and pink demons. General Liu and the others have been trying to help but the efforts are made futile by the risk of friendly firings and their share of demons to take care of.
Noticing the hopelessness of their situation, thest few stranded army personnel and sailors share a look before pulling the pins of their grenades. epting death with open arms, they charge toward the encircling demons, ignoring being stabbed and crushed so that they can get even a step closer to the enemy.
"Kehum..." A soldier with blood flowing out of his grinning mouth says. "Front toward enemy... dumbasses." He, alongside the rest of hisrades in arms, exploded, taking along seven demons with them. The whole fore-end of the Yi Xian is repainted in blood, gore, and ashes due to their heroic sacrifices.
"...Damn it!" General Liu and the Captain cursed before returning their attention to the rest of the demons aboard.
The crew aboard the Yi Xian fights on bravely despite their losses, right before they lose the deck, thest of the demon aboard is taken out by a well-ced 8mm Mauser from a Hanyan rifle. As the demon''s body falls lifelessly, the crew of the Yi Xian doesn''t even have the strength to cheer.
Though the onught was brief, the casualty reached a staggering count of 30 out of the 190 crew of the Yi Xian. General Liu bites his lower lip in frustration at the report, knowing that there are still more of those things out there also doesn''t help with morale. The only silver lining here would be that the Emperor''s family is still safe, for now.
"Hehe... I think we''re in a pickle." The Captain said with a wry smile, he has long since traded his pistol for a Hanyan 88. The thing scored enough kills for him to earn a decoration but it''s unknown whether he will live to receive it.
Sporting the same smile as the Captain, General Liu says. "Whatever the case, the VIPs must get to safety. Our lives are damned."
"Though I understand the need for that, I don''t think they will take it kindly... Here theye again." The Captain announced as thest of the demons decided to storm the battered cruiser with vengeance.
Racking the charging handle on his Mp 28, General Liu prepared himself for his eventual end, not at the hands of man, but at the mercy of the demons. He wouldn''t count on those beasts leaving anyone alive, however.
As the entire cruiser tenses up for the inevitable charge, the firsts of the demons are already surfacing. A few secondster, the fastest demons are seen jumping onto the ship... Or almost about to.
A sudden burst of tracers from the sky cut down any demons that dare to get close to the ship. General Liu and the others can only watch incredulously as the tracers then create a circr pattern around the cruiser, killing the rest of the demons around them.
It''s at this moment that Liu and the rest wisen up to take a look into the air.
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"Alisa! Are we there yet?" Sergeant Franka asked her best friend with a bored tone on their heavily modified Ju-52.
Her friend, Sergeant Alisa the angel, responds with a twitching eyebrow. "For thest time, we''re almost there! Stopining and keep your eyes peeled for the cruiser! For all we know, they can be attacked by anything right now."
Ignoring the protesting whineing from Franka, her other half, and a fallen angel, Alisa steps up and approaches the viewing port to the port side of the aircraft. Thanks to her enhanced eyesight, Alisa can spot the smokeing out of a shipping convoy miles away. From the intel, the only convoy that is near the city of Hue at this time is their target. Best make haste for it.
"Pilots! Divert North, North East!" Alisa shouted to the pilots of the Ju-52.
"Roger that, Sergeant!" Came the reply and she can feel the aircraft changing heading.
Soon, Alisa is now having a good view of the convoy, a clear sign of battle has taken ce down below. And it seems like they aren''tte for the party.
Franka whistles as she watches the carnage down there, unknowingly, she has appeared right next to Alisa without her knowing. "They''ve been in some shit, eh? Demonsing up their asses."
Alisa, however, reminds Franka. "Language!"
Franka rolls her eyes before putting on a smile and addressing the crew of the Ju-52.
"Ok, people, listen up! Down there is a convoy of innocent and hopeless civilians, among them, are also our VIPs! Chinese, Vietnamese, Ustians... I don''t care! They''re our brothers and sisters now! So let''s get them home safe since we''ve arrived a bitte, yeah, Section Two?!"
"Damn right we are!" Came the shout of affirmative as the crew works to load the 20mm autocannons and train their MG-34s onto the demons below.
"All ready!" The crew chief reported.
Franka nods, and with a bloodthirsty grin on her face, she says. "Light ''em up!"
On cue, the two 20mm ks and four MG-34s mounted on the Ju-52 spew incessant amounts of white and green tracers down to the sea. Viewing from above, Franka and Alisa can see the jellyfish-like demons being cut apart with ruthless efficiency. After a strafe on the port side of the Yi Xian, the Ju-52 circles around to clear the aft, starboard, and fore-end of the cruiser.
With the situation contains, Franka and Alisa then prep themselves for a trip alongside two others. They need to get down to the Yi Xian and coordinate with the people below.
So, when the Ju-52 has made a full circle, the group of four, a fireteam, jumps out of the aircraft. Diving headfirst and only unfolding their wings at fifty meters, theye to a slownding on the charred fore-end of the Yi Xian. To maintain their identity, all members of the fireteam wear a nk, grey-colored mask with their eye holes covered by white-tinted sses.
Stepping forward to address the confused Chinese while Franka and the rest form a protective circle, Alisa speaks in Chinese.
"I''vee in peace." Her voice is modified by the mask to sound mechanical and genderless. "Take me to your leader."
Franka nearly sputters andughs at the cliche way that Alisa has unknowingly introduced herself.
Whatever the case, two persons from the Chinese side have stepped up to address them.
"I am Army General Liu Zhang and this is Captain Lishu Sui, we are the ones inmand of the vessel." General Liu and the Captain then cup their hands and bow. "We offer you our gratitude for helping us get through grave danger. Please, if you don''t mind, we can head inside and discuss further matters through tea."
Nodding at their offer, Alisa says. "Then please lead the way, we have much to discuss."
As both sides pay proper courtesy to each other, they step inside the internal of Yi Xian, leaving behind other sailors and soldiers to clean up the mess. A few stays on the lookout for further trouble and the now undetected Japanese destroyer. Unknowingly, the destroyer has already made a hasty retreat the moment the demons attacked, even before the Ju-52 even arrive in the AO.
As for the reason, I think we all know why they did that, no?
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 10: Jinxed!
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 10: Jinxed!
D-Day... Or whatever is the equivalent of a reactor''s first trial run. Right now, I am in the control room alongside Dreamer, Einstein, Mobius, Ningyo, and my mom, Hel. Of course, there are also others scientists, researchers, and engineers but they are not the main characters of today''s event. Though they''re indispensable for today''s event to go smoothly.
From the control room, you can look through the reinforced ss and see the reactor room. Though we called it a room, the ce is built to have a shaft leading up toward the ground. And yes, we ced the void reactor underground, safe from any enemy air raid. The reactor is... irregrly shaped, to say the least. Rather than calling it a reactor, it''s more suitable to call it a ring-shaped device, a manmade portal that can connect to the infinite Void. The portal itself is encased in a series of protective spheres, leaving only a few openings for valves and pipes to connect to it. The pipings then run upward along the wall until it reaches the power distributionwork, hidden beneath a reinforced bunker. The reactor/portal operates on the principle of space-time maniption using spells and runes, reinforced by modern-day materials and technologies. Exining how it works with science and magic will be too long so here''s the dummy version of it.
First, mana will be injected into a series of protective spells and runes, further reinforcing the passive ones and starting up the inactive ones. With the protections in ce, a signal will be sent to activate the portal. When that happens, the protective film, the portal''s ''eyelid'' will open up, only then will the portal starts forming a connection to the void. The creation of a portal involves heavy usage of spatial spells that will create a stable wormhole.
"Portal creation has been a sess! Energy consumption is higher than expected by 5% but still eptable. All other ratings are normal with no sign of sudden increase." Mobius reported the sessful formation of the portal.
If you stand next to the protective shell of the reactor where there are a few viewing ports, you can see that on the other side of the portal, there is a wall of light. That wall of light is made by countless archaic scripts running up and down at a speed faster than the eye can see. That wall of light is the Universal Boundary that separates a universe from the infinite void. To get past it, you can either brute force it, which will never end well ormunicate with it. Of course, we have to pick thetter if we don''t want shit to hit the fan.
And bymunicating, I mean we will broadcast a specific signal in a specifguage, using a specific set of telepathy spells which is enhanced by a specific set of runes. Yeah, it''s very specific, if I say so myself. Thenguage used in the signal is of the samenguage as the archaic scriptings of the Universal Boundary. The content of the signal is basically a formal letter with a stamped insignia. This letter states the identity of the sender, which is us, our reason for writing this letter, and the request to tap into the void for its ether. In the end, we also further rify how we will use that ether and what the converted ether will be used for. An example will be this first reactor that will be used to power the majority of Belka''s powerwork. While other smaller reactors will be used to power our naval ships.
Regardless, just a polite letter alone will not be enough for the Universal Boundary to open an ess point for us. That''s where the insigniaes in. The insignia, being the spiritual marking of Yggdra the Primordial Goddess of Space, Life, and Creation, bears more than enough authority tomand the Universal Boundary to do our bidding. Though with the Boundary being sentient, it''s still better to treat it as a friend and ally, rather than a subject. Anyway, with the letter and the insignia sessfully sent to the Boundary, we wait for a few minutes before the Boundary starts shifting. Gradually, the light from numerous running codes fades away, leaving behind a purplish film of misty light.
At this moment, reports starting in. Dreamer, says out loud for all to hear in an excited tone.
"Communication with the Boundary was a sess! It has put down the defensive barrier!"
Einstein then adds, though her face remains calm, her louder-than-usual voicer betrays her inner excitement.
"Spatial fluctuation is increasing! Expect the removal of thest barrier that separates our universe from the void!"
I choose this moment to warn the team. "I want all personnel to focus in case of a sudden development! Shut-off crew is on standby and ready to deactivate the portal in case of a copse!"
Hearing the chorus of affirmation from the reactor operators, I nod before turning to my mom.
"Mom, when this is done, it will mark the beginning of a new era for Belka. One that will outshine the Previous Era in terms of aplishment and prosperity." Sporting a smile on my face, I then say. "To be honest, I''m feeling very giddy and anxious right now. Though I have no doubt the experiment will be a sess, I still don''t want you to be here because nothing is absolute."
My worry put a smile on mom''s face, she ces a hand on my head, ruffling it as an encouraging, saying.
"What are you saying, foolish child of mine? It''s because I trust you that I am here to witness my daughter''s greatest achievement. It''s one of the very few asions can a mother witnesses her daughter does something that can change the world as a whole. By being here right now, I already one-upped Lu and I won''t let her hear the end of it. Fret not, if there''s truly something that will go wrong, I am here with you."
After hearing all that, and let''s be honest in answering this question, isn''t a mother the greatest gift a person can have? An uncountable number of yes will be my answer.
Our small episode of the family moment is witnessed and received warmly by everyone here. Regardless, I put on the brightest and most confident smile I can muster before turning back to view the reactor. Unknown to me at that time, the others in the room has taken a vow to do their utmost and protect that smile.
Momentster, the film of purple light is also brought down by the Universal Boundary, it''s then that nothingness slowly seeps in through the portal.
"Detecting a high concentration of Void Ether! It''s filling up the reactor chamber!" Dreamer reported, herb coat flutter about as she runs to an instrument disy. "The concentration is much higher than expected!"
Without wasting a second longer, Mobius and Einstein rush to operate some levers and buttons. Mobius reports. "Energy converters are up and running! It should help dilute the Ether by converting them into mana."
Einstein adds as she slowly pulls a red lever halfway down. "Portal eyelid is fifty percent closed and it''s holding up well. This will also slow down the influx of Ether."
I nod, pleased at their quick reactions. "Good! Mobius, status on the converters?"
I turn only to see a big grin stered on Mobius''s face. "Marshal, it''s working! The converters are operating perfectly and are turning Void Ether into mana, at a rate of 1 Ether for 1000 standard mana batteries as we speak! No sign of overload, strain, or waste! The first phase of the trial run is a sess!"
At her words, everyone cheers and dances around in joy, for they have advanced mankind by leaps and bounds. All around me, people are either hugging each other or sharing firm handshakes for a job well done. Out in the corner, I can see Dreamer and Mobius share a mischievous glint with each other before pulling Einstein, who is still stoically monitoring the instruments, into a group hug, much to thetter''s embarrassment. Mom is doing the same for me and Ningyo as we all smile, sharing each other''s warmth.
After a while, themotion settles down as we stand, proudly, watching as the Ether is being converted to mana and is transferred upward to the local power grid. For the first time in history, mankind has ess to a safe, clean, and quite possibly infinite energy, so long as you don''t do anything that pissed off Void, that is. Speaking of which, I dearly hope one day, I will be able to hug my mother-turn-daughter Voi, again.
Suddenly, as we thought that nothing else could go wrong at this stage, an alert from Dreamer woke us up as a sense of foreboding permeated my very being.
"Fuck! I really did jinx it a few days ago!" I cursed quietly, knowing that whatever that''sing is pretty much my own foreshadowing at y.
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Location:??? Time:???
In a high-ss, but ultimately friendly bar, brightly lit by an amber sheen, a hooded figure sitting on a stool by the long bar table. In front of them is the only bartender and also the owner of this special bar. The beautiful, albeit a bit short bartender, surprisingly enough, has short purple hair and is mixing a drink for the hooded figure with her eyes close. The bartender has been in the business for so long that opening her eyes just isn''t needed anymore.
Having finished mixing the hooded figure with their drink, a Margarita, the bartender gently ces the ss down in front of the mysterious. With a small smile on her face, the bartender says in a charming voice.
"Yahweh said that a letter bearing Yggdrasil''s marks has arrived from Sector Typhon, your sector." She stops speaking and lets the figure takes a sip of their Margarita. "It seems like Yggdrasil''s n worked wonderfully. She should be poising herself to elevate her universe up to the level of the old Prime Universe right now." Her voice carries a trace of joy but also longing.
Looking a the silent figure, the bartender leans down, cing her elbows on the table and one hand supporting her chin. Even with her eyes closed, the bartender seems to be staring into the figure''s very core of existence. The bartender shows a helpless smile before addressing the figure.
"Sadly, you know that my and Yahweh''s hand are tied, unable to visit them as we''re still stabilizing the birth of the new Omniverse. So, I have a proposition for you."
The figure perks up as their covered hand slowly trace the rim of their ss.
The bartender poses her offer with a grin. "I will give you ten cosmic cookies while you will head over there and watch over them, helping them with whatever they need, deal?"
The figure stops before slowly raising up fifteen hands. The bartender rolls her eyes at their action... I thought she has her eyes closed though. "That''s not the point here, no?" The bartender suddenly said and I agree. We''re still writing about the figure raising fifteen hands.
The bartender scoffs in response. "Don''t be greedy, I can only give you twelve cosmic cookies. Any more than that will risk you overeating and causing the birth of many new multiverses. It will only worsen our workload."
The figure''s shoulders slump in disappointment. They then lower two hands, and another is used to scratch its cheek in embarrassment, while thest twelve pose a thumbs up, having epted the trade offer.
The bartender nods with a pleased smile, and with a snap of her fingers, she materializes the cosmic cookies before giving all twelve to the figure. "Here''s the payment, upfront. Report to Yahweh if anythinges up, otherwise, just listen to Yggdrasil and Star... she is Yuki now, though. Anyway, just listen to the two of them for what needs to be done."
The bartender stops, trying to remember something before with an "Ah~" she says. "Remember, no Tekeli-li."
The figure nods, retracting all fifteen hands before picking up the cookies. They then stand up, and bow, before disappearing through a wormhole that appeared out of nowhere, missing theint from the bartender in the process.
"Still forgetting to finish up the Margarita, I see." The bartender sported a wry smile as she said that.
"Though I can''t wait to see their faces when a Shoggothes knocking." The bartender chuckled before cleaning up the leftover Margarita. She still needs to receive a few regr guests so the bar must be in its presentable state.
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"Warning! Extreme spike in spatial fluctuations! An unknown signature is forcing a wormhole to open next to the reactor!" Einstein warned, causing the previous happy mood to evaporate as everyone scrambled to make heads and tails of whatever was going on.
Yuki steps up to takemand of the situation as Hel pulls Ningyo into a protective embrace, already casting all the protective spells she knows. Though, Yuki''smand perplexes them all.
"Do not close the portal! The reactor must remain operating till I say otherwise! I want all personnel to evacuate the reactor room and medical and security teams to be on standby by the bulkheads! And remember, whatever the case, do not look into the reactor room until I give you the clear!"
Yuki then turns to Dreamer. "Reiterate that for them and seal all the st doors and bulkheads when I get inside the reactor room.
Dreamer nods with a serious look on her face as she opens the reinforced door for me to pass. The rest only watch on incredulously until Hel snaps out of it and is about to rush to Yuki, Dreamer, however, puts a stop to it.
"Ma''am, I understand you must be very confused right now but I would advise against making any rash decision."
Hel snaps at Dreamer with a wary look, the short girl seems to be the only knowledgeable person in here. So, Hel bites down her anxiety and orders in a stern voice. "Exin."
Dreamer nods, calmly saying. "We are about to receive a guest, and of all the people present, only Master has the right to head out and greet them."
Frowning, Hel says. "That''s not the whole truth."
Dreamer shrugs. "Of course, however, we don''t have much time." She then steps up to a console, opens up a cover, and ms the big red button down. She then turns to address Hel as the underground bunkerplex around the reactor is being sealed off. "If you trust Master, then you will stay here and await her return. I assure you that the new arrival has Master''s best interests in mind."
Dreamer''s words don''t do much to soothe the tense atmosphere, and she doesn''t need to as the result will speak for itself. Her main task is to keep these people in line and she will use force if the need arises. An Einheri always enforces the will of their Master.
Hel frown, hugging Ningyo tighter to stem her growing restlessness as not being able to help Yuki. Though her trust ultimately prevents her from doing anything. As for Ningyo, she''s showing obvious panic at not understanding what''s going on even though her brain is running at max capacity. Einstein clenches her fists to stem her unreasonable anger while Mobius frowns before cing a hand on her friend to keep her calm.
They can only wait for Yuki to return, only this time, with a very strange guest.
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Yuki stands at the precipe of what she determines to be one step away from the soon-to-appear wormhole. She has an inkling as to who will appear but it never hurts to be cautious, that''s why she had the entire reactor room sealed off. Anyway, she is now humming a tune, one that she knows for sure the new arrival will love to hear it.
Secondster, arge wormhole appears as a wave of Ether bathes the reactor room. Whatever the intent behind the wave of Void Ether was, it didn''t seem to be harmful, more like a cursory scan. Then when the wormhole starts copsing, a heavy rumble shocks the reactor room as something very heavy just touches down. Something that is both heavy, and slimy, to be exact.
When the wormhole disappears, Yuki stands face to face with what can only be described as an abomination that''s an amalgam of a thousand eyes, a hundred tentacles, and ten razor-sharp mouths. A low grumble escapes the many mouths of this monstrosity, yet, a chuckle is what Yuki responds with.
"Well, hello to you too! Wee to thend of the living!"
In response to her greeting, the ck mass of flesh slithers forwards before showing out a tentacle for Yuki to grab. With a smile on her face, Yuki shakes ''hands'' with the abomination. "As expected, seeing you is a pleasant surprise, but a wee one. Though with you being here, I can only guess that Void and Yahweh are still very busy. Akari is probably stillzing about in her seat as the Chief Guardian of the new Omniverse, am I right."
The ck mass shakes up and down slowly in what can be inferred as an annoyed but affirmative nod. Yuki can only chuckle at this. "If it''s anything to be positive about your new assignment, think of it as a paid vacation for the work here, if any, will be way less stressful than what Akari throws at you. In fact, you should be d as you''re the first Shoggoth to have a paid vacation in the first ce."
The abomination freezes up at the implication of Yuki''s words. Then it literally starts jumping around in joy, though mindful not to wreck anything with its surprising dexterity. After five minutes of dancing and Yukiughing at its antic, the mass, now identified as a Shoggoth stops, panting from its many mouths. Then, all 1000 eyes turn to look at Yuki before they all blink as ck light starts covering up its body, and its figure slowly shrinks into a more humanoid one.
After a minute, the ck light fade, and from it then appears a tall beautiful figure with pale skin, long blonde hair, and ck eyes. Her mature body is covered by a ck gothic dress and her ample breasts bounce slightly as she steps forth to pull Yuki into a hug.
"Thank you, for giving me a chance to finally take a rest!" Thedy''s enchanting voice cracks at the end, almost crying at finally having a vacation. "You have no idea how much work Lady Akari has been dumping me with! She is the only one to have the time to fly around in the void, having fun doing barrel rolls! Please, ept this cosmic cookie of mine as a repayment!"
The woman then steps away, pulling out a cookie that is not a cookie, instead, it''s like an ultrapressed gxy and she thrusts it into Yuki''s hands. Yuki fumbles with it but ultimately resigns herself to epting this monstrosity of a snack, one that every Shoggoth loves. Yuki deadpanned at the giddy Shoggoth in front of her.
"You do know that I will explode from consuming this, right?" The woman flinches, sporting a sorry smile this time. "But don''t worry, no doubt Yggdrasil will want to have one. This will be a nice little gift for her so thank you for bringing it to me." Yuki smiles and nods at the Shoggoth.
The Shoggoth sighs in relief with a hand on her chest. "I''m d! I really, don''t want to mess this up!" Suddenly remembering that she forgot to introduce herself, the Shoggoth performs a perfect curtsy like prim and proper royalty... She is still an overworked Shoggoth in Yuki''s eyes, though.
"I am named Nice Williams and also, I quote Lady Akari, ''The strongest and most useful Shoggoth ever.'' I am most fortunate to meet the big sister of my Lady. Please, during my extended stay here, allow me to help you and Lady Yggdrasil with everything you need."
Yuki epts Nice''s curtsy with a wide and weing smile. "As I said, this is supposed to be your vacation." Helping Nice up, Yuki then adds a line to soothe the Shoggoth''s workaholic nature. "Though if there''s something that requires your expertise, no doubt I will call for you first and foremost. For now, let''s head back and introduce ourselves to my new family. Counting the others, I have one big and happy family now!" Yuki has a boasting grin at the end, leading Nice to meet Hel and the rest.
Nice nods and follows Yuki with an anticipated smile. Judging from Yuki''s expression alone, Nice thinks that her stay here will be very productive, much more than doing her old, menial job, that''s for sure!
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Though the arrival of an Outer God like Nice was supposed to be a major, upheaval thing for the world. It''s not, surprisingly. The world, and therefore, the universe, keeps on running smoothly without even noticing the major problem of having a Shoggoth out and about. Though Yuki and Yggdrasil will no doubt keep Nice in check, thus curbing her productive tendencies, a Shoggoth tends to leave behind a trail of... To put it mildly, innovations.
Nheless, there''s one person that''s not having a good day. That person is ya, the personification of Earth. Having noticed the arrival of an Outer God, a friendly one at that, ya can''t help but wipe her eyes a few times as she witnesses the conversation between Yuki and Nice. Finally registering the fact that she is not hallucinating, ya flips the table, cursing. "MOTHERFUCKER!"
Out of nowhere, she pulls out a C96 and full-auto sting the screen in front of her out of frustration. After emptying 20-round of 9x25mm, ya slumps down on her couch, muttering.
"Damn it, Yuki! The rules, ones that I''ve personally written, keep being bent for you!"
epting her fate, for the greater good, ya can only watch on and let Yuki and Yggdrasil do their things, so long as none tear the agreement they''ve set before. After that short internal debate, yaes to find join in watching the dumbfounded expressions of Yuki''s family members as she introduces Nice to them.
"See!? I''m not the only person here to find a Shoggoth''s appearance not normal, damn it!"
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 11: A fine addition to the family
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 11: A fine addition to the family
When the st door swings open, I and Nice are greeted by a dozen muzzles of rifles and SMGs. To avoid both sides from making any unsalvageable mistake, I jump in front of them, hands outstretched to diffuse a situation of my own making.
"Oi! Oi! Chill!" I shout, watching as the gun barrels move away from me to aim at Nice as the former''s shadow is also swimming on the floor. "She''s friendly!"
Myst words cause the Grenadiers to pause before their Captain orders a standdown. Only they remain tense on the guns they''re holding, seeing that the situation is still unclear.
"Marshal, thanks the Goddess that you''re safe." Directing a wary look at Nice, the security chief then says with a skeptical tone. "We were thinking that there was a demon in the reactor room."
Feeling that Nice is slowly loosening her tension, I turn to share a knowing look with her as both chuckles.
"Why that couldn''t be any further than the truth, Captain." I said with a big smile, ending the discussion there. "Though, I hope that not many were afflicted by a sudden migraine. It''s one of the reasons why I ordered the medical crew on standby."
The security chief nods as he directed his men and women to clear a path for me and Nice. "It''s as you expected, Marshal, a few of us did get hit by a bad migraine, though nothing too serious. The medics said that they will only need a day''s rest and a cup of milk."
I smile while nodding. "Ah~, milk, the cure-all for any sickness."
My sentence earns nods of agreement from many, even Nice herself is of the same mind. I then directed a few more instructions to the chief before making our way back to my mom, knowing that questions must be answered. Though it would be wise to take this discussion in a more secure ce in the inner sanctum.
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Inner Sanctum. Grand Sanctuary of Berlin.
After making sure that the reactor tests are left in the good hands of Dreamer, I pull my family and friends to mom''s private quarter in the Grand Sanctuary. This time, mama, Bryn, Yggdra, and Elysia managed to free up some time in their schedule to join us. They all gather around arge table with enough sofas and couches to host all of us. Well, except for me and Bryn because for whatever damn reason, I suddenly want to mix drinks and change lives. Wee to the Random on-the-spot bar.
Under the amused gazes of everyone present, safe for the anticipating look from Nice, I start mixing everyone''s drinks. When I start to pull out some sweet maneuvers and shakingbinations though, the amused gazes change to muted shock. Bryn is the most puzzled as to where and when did I even manage to pick up bartending. And when it was time for them to taste-test, they all melted in pleasure when the refreshing mix injects a burst of vitality into them. Of course, Nice gets her Margarita and Ningyo gets her non-alcoholic drink.
I watch as Elysia can''t help but slump blissfully, as the fatigue from all the physical practice, soul training, and Archive diving under Yggdra''s supervision, fade away. "Ah~, I wish Yuki keeps making drinks like this every day!"
Oh, this greedy elf. I snicker as I move to massage the pink elf, making her sink even deeper into the couch. Impressive, I must say.
Others are also experiencing the same refreshing feeling after a tiring day of work so they can rte to that wish. Nice looks at me as she caresses the rim of her Margarita ss.
"Margarita... Tasted the same as the ones I loved to order. It was a great drink."
I offer her a smile, knowing exactly what Nice''s insinuating. "Well, from whom did you think the bartender learn to mix drinks?"
Niceughs refreshingly, nodding while leaving the rest a bit confused. Mama, being the savviest when ites to drinking, offers me herpliment.
"I must say, this has been a surprise, but a wee one. And I must back Elysia''s words on this one if only you can mix us a drink every night." Having said that, mama then shows a grin before suddenly teleporting right behind me. Hoisting me away from Elysia, earning the elf''s protest in the process, mama then holds me in her bosom as we reappeared on her couch.
Did she just waste mana just to have me under her breasts? Yup, that she did.
"Hey! That''s rude of you to spirit away my masseur!" Elysia spat out with a fake offended expression. Though the way she worded it caused me to quip back.
"Your what now?!" A bartender or a masseur, make up your mind girlie!
My reaction earns a chuckle from everyone, effectively dispelling thest trace of hidden wariness against the Outer God or well, Goddess in this case? A Shoggoth can be whatever gender they want so... Anyway, mama then says.
"I can''t help it, Yuki is such a doll for making us all happy in her own surprising little ways." Mama licks her lips as her eyes glow lightly. "Makes me all hot and bother right now."
In response, Elysia sits right up, her face has an understanding expression. "I know, right? This little treasure of ours just wants us to shower her with love all over." There''s a certain intensity in Elysia''s gaze that causes my tummy to flutter. Girl, are you that pent up after all those training!?
Yggdrasil chuckles, seemingly reading my mind. "Though she is tired, her tolerance for fatigue is rising so she now has an excess of energy and frustration, waiting to be released."
I pale, a bit more afraid for my chastity right now. Thankfully, Bryn and mom step up and bonk their head. Mom chides them. "Are we seriously having this conversation, again!? There''s Ningyo here you nymphs!" She pointed at my sister who is showing a very clueless expression.
The sight of them groaning while holding their heads earn a chuckle from everyone. Though Einstein and Mobius fidget ufortable, feeling very out of ce in the presence of my family. To make them feel involved in this little family of mine, I start talking with them about the reactor test.
"So, Einstein, Mobius, how do you feel about achieving history in the span of a month?" I asked with a small smile, still being held by mama. My head is patted as we continue our discussion.
Being the calmer of the two, Einstein speaks first.
"To be honest, not as... rowdy as I''ve expected?" Tilting her head as she ponders over what to say before nodding. "I think it''s also because there was an abrupt development that doused the excitement. It reminded us that everything has a chance to go wrong, no matter how small the possibility is. Which is why we''re thinking of preparing more contingencies for the future." A glint of determination makes itself known on the otherwise stoic Doctor.
Mobius piggyback her words off Einstein. "What blue said, though in my case, I am more invested in biotechnology so achievements from other fields to me are just decorations to further my ultimate goal, and you know that I am pretty reckless in my work." The green hair Doctor shrugs. "But I will not do anything that will blow up in my face or anybody else, not if I can help it."
I chuckle, taking a jab at her. "Yes, you did show such determination back when we first established the Mansion of Wisdom."
This statement cause Mobius to groan, holding her face in embarrassment as Einstein pats her back with aforting smile. "Must you remind me of that!?"
I nod, causing Mobius to re resentfully through the gaps in her fingers. "I''ll make sure to get back to youter."
"Try it, I dare you." We both hold a staring contest before breaking intoughter. The others look at us with amusement with mommenting how I made such good friends.
I am not sure whether she meant that literally or she was appraising Einstein and Mobius''s beauty... Probably both.
"Anyway, joking aside, with the reactor running splendidly, we should have the first batch of mana batteries to run some tests with, that and liquid mana for your experiments. Once we confirm the reliability of the reactor and power system, we will move on to plug the reactor into the city''s power grid, letting it supply Berlin for a week to gather data. After that, we will be making any necessary adjustments before we make the reactor handle heavier loads. But today, let''s just sit back and rx, no doubt you will be needing it for what I''m about to exin."
Einstein and Mobius nod while the rest perk up at my words. It''s finally time to satisfy their curiosity.
"Nice, will you do the honor or should I?" I turned to the blonde Shoggoth.
"I think you should handle it from here,dy Yuki. I figure they will take it easier with you at the helm."
I nod, putting on a semi-serious face. I used semi because I can''t be serious with the pair of melons on my head. I swear mama is having fun right now.
"Alright then everyone, as you would have guessed by now, this blondedy here is a very, very special guess." I gave a preface to grab their attention, and to emphasize Nice''s existence. "During the test run of the void reactor, we sessfullymunicated with the Universal Boundary. When it lifted off the barriers separating our world from the void, it also sent over an overseer as insurance, in case someone abuses the system or something goes horribly, horribly wrong." I spouted a half-lie since Shoggoths do work to uphold the Boundary. You can''t just say that Nice is on paid vacation, after all. "And really, she will be nothing but a bundle of goodness and sunshine for us, unless someone really pisses her off."
I lift my hand over to Nice, introducing her to the rest. "Meet Nice Williams, the Universal Boundary''s overseer and thest line of defense for us when things do go South. Though she looks and feels like a normal human, she is, in fact, what you will know as an Outer God, a Shoggoth. A race that is famous for maintaining the Universal Boundary and helping in the formation of the current Omniverse."
Nice raises a hand and disarmingly says. "Hello there." I quirk an eyebrow, knowing what she''s trying to pull so I go along with her.
"Nice Williams." I said as we both share a knowing smile. Much to the confusion of a few members of my family.
Yggdrasil and mama chuckle while Bryn and mom massage their temple in annoyance, caught off-guard by our sudden Jediness. Ningyo tilts her head in confusion before giving up and focusing more on the cookies in her hands. Elysia, however, interjects with a tinge of excitement.
"Wait! You mean she has been a part of creating life as we know it?"
I smile at her the exciting elf, knowing for a fact that the Archive surely has information on the Shoggoths. Yet, knowing and seeing are two different things. "That''s correct, no doubt Nice here has her fair share of creating many universes."
Nice nods in agreement with a proud smile on her face. She also offers her two-cent on the fact. "Us Shoggoth is a very creative and productive race. For us, creating something, new or old, is always a fresh experience. Though we do get tired in the job," She flinched when she mentioned her job. "we never grow bored of it. Hence, we are the best workers when ites to pretty much everything for our nature is infinite adaptability and evolution."
Elysia is fascinated by Nice''s words. As a high elf and the one holding the Archive, Elysia has a strong curiosity to see the wonders of the world, and ultimately, the Omniverse. If Yuki has given her a goal to work at, then the sudden appearance of Nice has given Elysia an idea to start building her foundation for the future.
"Forgive me for intruding but did you just say infinite adaptability and evolution?" It was Mobius that raise her voice, obviously excited if a bit in disbelief.
Nice calmly nods, stating the obvious. "Yes, it''s our racial trait."
"A trait that is solely specific to their race, if I may add." Yggdra said. "As a Primordial Goddess, I havee across a few of them when they were firstborn. Their hyperactiveness was fun to watch sometimes."
Nice shyly smiles under the motherly gaze of Yggdra. Mobius watches on with fascination in her eyes.
Knowing Mobius and her geniuses, she would have no doubt figured out a loophole to take advantage of. I need to put my foot down on this matter though. "Mobius, there''s time and ce for everything, but not now. Nice is our guest and the overseer for the reactors so reign in your excitement. We can discusster and see whether she wants to help you with your work or not."
Mobius turns to me with a grateful smile, nodding. "Sorry," She offers her apology to Nice. "I am in charge of developing biotech for the country so imagine my glee when you show up."
Nice, though, chuckles. "It''s fine, you''re much tamer inparison to my colleagues."
Again, Mobius nods with a small smile before settling down, letting the conversation flow once again.
Mom has taken the role of being the questioner for today while mama just watches on the side, more content with hugging me.
"If you don''t mind me asking, Nice, what does your work entail, currently."
"Right now, asdy Yuki said, I am to oversee and help with the operation of the void reactors. I must say, even for a Shoggoth, the ideas behind the void reactor are crazy!" Niceughs at thest part, a bit of disbelief bleeding into herughter. She is hiding the fact about my past identity.
Bryn, having known me for a long time, smiles wryly. "What can I say, our Yuki never ceases to amaze."
Nice offers a nod of agreement before continuing. "I can imagine. Anyway, I can also help with researching or building things if you would like a Shoggoth''s help. Just do keep in mind a Shoggoth can easily be carried away in the spur of creativity so you may want somebody to keep a watch on my work."
A bit confused, mom asks. "This means?" To which I help rify.
"Basically, if you give her the skeleton of a one-story house with the option of maybe a two-stories. She can build a castle out of it, with ns for a city surrounding it, in one day. That''s how much a Shoggoth can do if you give them leeway."
Mom flinches as she is feeling another onset of a headache. Groaning, she says. "Just don''t give us any more paperwork if possible."
Nice offers innocently. "I can make you an automatedputer to handle the paperwork for you?"
Mom facepalms as we all share augh at her misery. Yggdrasil knows how much background work mama and mom have been doing just to give a pass for my Marshal''s works.
I then p my hands, pulling the conversation back on track. "Though Nice said that she is willing to do some side jobs for us, and she certainly has the power to do so, being an Outer God that is unbound by the rules of this world. It doesn''t sit right with me if we let her do everything. Hence, I willy this out now and only let her do anything rted to our technology or industry, and that is only when she agrees to take on the job. She will also be paid ordingly and her every need be fulfilled as long as it''s in our power to do so. Since the Universal Boundary has shown us goodwill by sending her over to help us, let''s do the same in return, yeah? Treat her right like one of our own."
We all share a look, knowing that leaving Nice out of our circle will be both dangerous and inhospitable. That''s why we waste no time at all when we say to Nice.
"Wee to the family!" With a weing voice, unsurprisingly, Einstein and Mobius also got swept into the chorus in the heat of the moment. Our action earned a subtle acknowledgment nod from Yggdra.
Nice brightly smiles, happy that her new destination, and now home, is more friendly and hospitable than she expected. Though she should have guessed it long ago knowing that there are two Primordial Goddesses here. "Thank you very much for epting!" Nice stands up to bow, an action that is soon put to a stop by Elysia who received a telepathicmunication from Yuki.
To put it in short, the message is. "Bring the overworked Shoggoth and Ningyo out to have some fun for me, pretty please!"
Though a bit confused, Elysia is swift to ept the new mission given by Yuki. She soon grabs both Nice and Ningyo out to y in the city. Unknowingly, the trio will soon be famouster in the city for either making breathtaking attractions or breaking record after record in their fun trips.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 12: The Berlin Arms Deal
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 12: The Berlin Arms Deal
It has been more than a week since we epted Nice as the newest member of our growing family. As expected, she fits in perfectly with her nature as a Shoggoth. The woman has been a bundle of joy to all of us thanks to her tendency to make ridiculous stuff. Ningyo, in particr, found her best friend to be the Shoggoth when the pair went out to y with Elysia.
The trio had a lot of fun out in the city, so much so that when Agent reported to me about their activities, I was forced to spit out my coffee at their audacity. For whatever damn reason, Ningyo has deemed it fit to convince both Elysia and Ningyo to make a Yggdrasil-damn statue of me in the Outer Sanctum. The statue is kitted out with my attire back in the Victory Parade and apparently, it''s now a national attraction for being extremely lifelike and has a passive rejuvenation effect. Ningyo was the one behind the design with Nice being the builder using material from a nearby metal workshop. Elysia was also an aplice in advertising the statue and the building process for the people of Berlin. And they did everything in one day! Their action attracted a lot of onlookers and people even host a small celebration when the statue waspleted!
But that''s not all, somehow, someway, Elysia came across Eden on one of her national musical tours. And now Eden is asking for Elysia to be her assistant in her uing tour around the world... What? How? When? I''m honest with Yggdrasil confused as to why all of this happened in a span of a week, without me knowing.
Noticing my utter confusion as I gaze at her, Agent shrugs, exining. "I deemed these matters to be of secondary importance, knowing that you''re still busy with the reactor test results. Hence, I only report them now."
I m my forehead down on the table at her exnation, and after a minute, I speak up. "Does Elysia know about Eden''s side job? Scratch that, Elysia should have figured that out by now which was why Eden asked for my permission. Help me forward the matter to Yggdra, if she deems Elysia to be capable of handling herself, she can tag along with Eden for the tour. Elysia isn''t a caged bird, after all, and she deserves to go out and see the world. The tour should also provide her with real experiences under Eden''s supervision."
"I will do as you instruct, Master." Agent bows before reporting the next matter that requires my attention. "Section twopleted one of their mission yesterday. Hugin and Munin have sessfully escorted the Chinese delegation to Berlin via air transports, they''re now in the Obsidian Pce to have a meet and greet with the Empresses."
I nod, a please smile now ster on my lips. "Good to hear that! Any side effects from our operation?"
"So far, there isn''t any aside from some rumors about an adventurers band that swooped in to save the day. The Japanese are also befuddled as to why their underhanded scheme failed, they don''t even know who was the party involved."
I tap my fingers on the table, apparently, the Japanese intelligence agency is more inept than I thought. "Let''s keep it that way, in fact, build up a proper background story on the basis of the rumors. I want the Japs to be lead by the nose."
Agent nods. "I will forward the directive to Eden."
"Good, what about Quellec?"
"Section Head Quellec has made great stride in securing his foothold in Rusviet. Though a bit costly, he has hooked up with a local underworld boss, this has secured him a great deal of ess to conduct business there thanks to the boss being part of the Rusviet military cadre. Per instruction, he is setting up an armspany in Leningrad."
"Good, keep me posted on his progress." I stop to ponder before asking. "Did he encounter any trouble yet?"
"None he couldn''t handle, Master."
"Good, and thedy we nted in the heart of Ustio?"
"She has been able to forward us a lot of internal information on that front. No suspicion has befallen her yet and she is steadily gaining the trust of the Prime Minister. Currently, she is working on digging up the agenda of the Minister, she cited that the man may have a deeper reason to run the Ustio ragged like this."
I raise an eyebrow, that''s very new to me. If you remember, this world is based on a game I yed in my past life. In that game, they didn''t bother to exin much about the background of the Ustian Prime Minister.
"I see," I cross my arms, leaning back on my chair. "it''s a good reason as any to keep digging up more intel. We need to find out whether we can use that intel to further our cause. Let her continue her task, just tell her to keep it under the radar while she''s at it. Thedy is in too good of a position to be removed."
"I will forward it to our agent."
"Anything else that I need to take note of?" I asked, cutting out the discussion here since it was almost time for me to meet the Chinese and Rosa.
"There''s currently nothing else that requires your attention, Master." Agent answered.
"Great! Then keep doing the good work." I stand up, preparing to leave but stop to give onest instruction to Agent. "Oh right! Arrange a meeting between Mobius and Nice, letting them hash out their conditions to work with each other. Just make sure nothing gets out of hand, rather, let Dreamer supervises the whole thing. I don''t want the world to react negatively to us using Nice to skirt the rules."
"As you wish, Master." And with one final bow, we ended our ndestine meeting for the day.
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The time to get to thend of mysteries that is Belka was short, yet extremely eventful for General Liu and his lieges. For a period of time, he deliberated the thought that he may have failed his Emperor, yet, the intervention from the Belkans had given him another chance in life. He can now breathe easy knowing that the Emperor''s family is now in a safernd.
After the Belkan host arranged them a safe lodging, General Liu finally eased up a bit of his tension, allowing him to sleep peacefully for a night. Though he had to wake up very early this morning, just to secure a meeting with the Empresses of Belka. Personally, he is anxious about this meeting, considering the Empresses aren''t humans like the Emperor he serves. Regardless, he maintains a strict facade as he follows the wife of the Emperor and her daughter alongside a small retinue of servants. It''s a proper courtesy for them all to go and greet the host nation''s leadership.
When they arrive in the throne room, nked by the famous Belkan Valkyries, General Liu cups his hands and bows while Imperial Consort Ling and Princess Mei perform a proper curtsy in the presence of the foreign Empresses.
"We offer you our greetings and gifts from afar, dear Empresses of Belka." Consort Ling said with her right hand motioning toward the servants behind her. They then bring forth cases of treasure and exotic as the Chinese''s greeting gift.
The gift is avish one, even by Emperor Cao''s standard, yet it''s a necessary sacrifice to earn the goodwill of Belka.
With a cursory scan of the offerings, Hel nods at Lu, letting thetter address the foreign delegation.
"You have our thanks for gifting us with such valuable treasures. Knowing your people''s customs, I think it''s best for us to talk over tea. Please, have a seat." Lu waved a hand sideways, showing them the already arranged tea tables and seats by the side of the throne.
With permission granted by the host, Consort Ling epts the offer gratefully before leading her daughter to a table. General Liu follows behind, taking a seat at a different table from the Consort. The Chinese servants retreat, leaving the treasures behind.
Seeing that they''ve situated, Lu ps her hand to signal the maids to serve drinks and snacks to the guest. "We''vee to know that your trip was rife with perils. It''s a good thing that our chefs are known to make food with revitalizing effects, I hope you will partake in a light meal and alleviate some of the stress you incurred."
Watching the maids presenting aromatic tea and sweets, Consort Ling lets her daughter Mei enjoy it after a scan. She then expresses her gratitude to the Belkan Empress for a multitude of reasons.
"As a representative for my Dynasty, I really shouldn''t be doing this but," Bowing toward Lu, Consort Ling says. "really, thank you for the grace you''ve shown toward us. If it weren''t for your intervention, things could have gone much differently, I''m afraid."
Showing a pleased smile on her face, while Hel gracefully nods, Lu responds. "The Chinese people have always been renowned for repaying grace with kindness, sadly, your kindness is best directed toward my daughter. For it''s her that made the call to extradite you from the quagmire you stumbled upon."
Though a bit surprised, Consort Ling maintains her graceful facade and says. "I see, then when I will see to it that I thank the Imperial Princess, personally."
Lu giggles, saying. "Oh, you will see her soon, that I can guarantee. Were it a normal diplomatic visit, I would have been the one you talk business with, but this is not a normal visit, no?" Sporting a grin on her face, Lu leans in the direction of Hel, a hand supporting her chin. Though Hel internally rolls her eyes at Lu''s sloppy attitude, she ultimately lets her do her thing just like always.
Consort Ling, struggles to hide a frown when Lu tears open the outward facade they''ve been putting up. On paper, the trip was for little Mei to study abroad, broadening her horizon under the supervision of her mother and General Liu. Nheless, just like Lu has said, the underlying objective is for them to receive protection from a third party and to purchase arms for the Dynasty, a matter best keep hidden from the Japanese for as long as possible.
Lu chuckles when she sees Consort Ling forming a response. "Why the long face? It''s not like we don''t approve you for your stay here so you have nothing to be afraid of. What I meant by saying the previous statement was that we aren''t the person you should discuss this with. Not when this is not just state business but also the military. There''s a Marshal in town that would like to have a word with you."
Consort Ling lightly scrunches her eyebrows. "I can''t help but infer that you said as if you don''t have the authority over our matter, Empress de Venusian."
Lu snickers, knowing the angle the Consort is ying at. "It seems like you''recking in terms of information about the Reich. The Marshal is second only to us Empresses in terms of power. When the need arises, her authority will overwrite us if it''s to ensure the longevity and prosperity of the Reich. Right now, she is in charge of developing the country into a world superpower, while we will be helping her in the background to ensure Belka''s stability. If you want to discuss your true objectives, it''s best you go through the Marshal first."
Consort Ling is stumped, shocked even. For a country to put so much power into one person''s hands, are they not afraid of a coup? "I can''t help but think that it''s unwise to trust one person with an authority rivaling your own, Your Majesty.
Hearing the words from the Consort, Lu can''t help butugh out loud at the sheer gall of the woman. "Dear Yggdrasil! To think you haven''t done your research and yet, still spouting your nonsense in front of me. Truly, I think the uing talk should be left into the hand of your General, he''s the only person in your delegate to know what''s going on."
Frowning at the insult, Consort Ling turns to General Liu, only to see him nodding with a remorseful sigh. Consort Ling is usually a smart and perceptive woman but is limited in the confined of the Forbidden Pce. Hence she has made a grave mistake due to herck of worldly knowledge, if not because of the recent messy event. She should have discussed more in-depth with the more world-wise General beforeing here.
It feels like a p in the face to her when the Belkan Empress goes on to say. "Tell me, why can''t I trust my Marshal when it''s my only daughter that''s holding the coveted position?"
Knowing that she has messed up, Consort stands up and bows apologetically. Fortunately for her, the Empresses are patient, full of wisdom, and understanding of her predicament so they ept her apology. You can''t imagine the relief the Consort felt, having her mistake forgiven just like that. The Consort resolves to improve on her diplomatic artster so for now, it''s best that General Liu takes the helm.
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It''s a chilly afternoon when the Chinese delegation is directed to a facility under the control of the figure now dubbed Princess Marshal by members of the delegation. Though General Liu still remains closely behind the Consort, thetter has opted for the former to take care of the uing negotiation. It''s for the best when the Consort has already made a faux pass and has been warned in goodwill by the Belkan Empresses that the Marshal knows everything, even the talk that had taken ce back in the Obsidian Castle. To say the Consort is now nervous about the future is an understatement. However, her worry is cut short when the delegation arrives just outside of the designated meeting ce, right next to another group that''s already there.
"Consort, these people should belong to the Ustian Reformist faction. They are being backed by Belka in their civil war." Consort Ling nods in response to the informative whisper from her General. "The oldest of the group should be General Francis, a close aide to the young Princess of Ustio, Rosa Bonaparte next to him."
The two groups eye each other curiously, if a bit warily, for they can guess the reason behind the other''s visit to the Reich Marshal. Before both sides can address one another, however, the door to the meeting room is opened, showing Bryn who motions them to head inside.
"The Marshal is ready to receive her guests. Please proceed inside." Stepping to the side, Bryn lets the two parties move in and orderly take their seats inside thevishly decorated room with a Belkan military motif. A notion that ce a frown on both the Consort and General Liu''s faces. Not because they''re ufortable with the arrangement but because this is a subtle disy of the Princess Marshal''s standing in the grand scheme of things.
The impression is further emphasized when the Princess Marshal strolls into the room with her guards, wearing a lightly decorated ck officer attire that sports a unique insignia only reserved for the Reich Marshal herself. The look is furtherplimented by the ck eyepatch on her left eye and the hanging medals on her left breast. To Consort Ling and General Liu, they can infer that the Princess Marshal has lived up to the name and her victories, just by the way she carries herself. To the younger Mei though, the girl exims a bit excitedly. "You''re cool, sister!"
Chuckling slightly at the little girl''spliment, Yuki the Princess Marshal answers. "Thanks for the sweet words, little Mei."
Mei tilts her head in response. "Do you know me, sister?"
Yuki sports a small smile as she takes a seat reserved for her at the head of the long meeting table. Much to the Chinese delegation''s shock, she ces on the table a golden smoke pipe with a glossy ck handle, along the handle runs a golden embroidery of an Eastern Dragon.
It''s the same pipe that has been reported missing by the servants just yesternight.
"I know a lot, in fact." Yuki''s calm way of answering Mei''s question only serves to douse the Chinese with a bucket of cold water. It''s only now that they finally realize the depth of this young Marshal in front of them and her power.
Feeling the tense atmosphere, Rosa can''t help but take a jab to help the faraway-from-home Chinese. "Seriously, Yuki, can you stop flexing your authority? I think we all know just how dangerous you''re by now. Look, their faces are white as sheets."
Chuckling at the reminder, Yuki lowers the intensity of her aura by putting on a friendlier smile. The action causes the Chinese to let out a sigh of relief while the Ustians look at them understandingly.
"First time?" One of the Ustians asks a Chinese, to which he confusedly nods. Letting out a smile, the Ustianforts. "You''ll get used to it."
The short discussion, while strange, ease up the atmosphere for all parties involved. With the stifling mood out of the way, Yuki addresses both delegations.
"Now then, I know the reason behind your visits and I will handle them by the end of the day. But first, I must make this clear, I will resolve matters with the Reformists for they are our allies and have been here first. I can only ask the Chinese delegation to exercise patience and listen in for now. Some segments of our discussion will also shed some light on the matter you''re requesting so listen closely before asking anything. Are we all in agreement?"
Rosa, Francis, and the Ustians nod having no against the arrangement. As for the Chinese, though they''re a bit ufortable when being left forst, they know their ce and are d that the previous faux pass wasn''t brought up by the Princess Marshal.
"Good." Yuki nodded, turning to Rosa. "Now fire away, my friend."
It seems like the rtionship between Belka and the Reformists is closer than just allies, General Liu thought.
Rosa says with a confident smile as she leans forward with both her hands on the table.
"For starters, we havepletely absorbed and secured our gains in the new region we captured. Right now we are working on recruiting more for our standing army while working away on clearing up sporadic demons. As such, we are here to discuss and negotiate the further acquisition of arms and supplies for our growing army. Knowing that you will soon have a surplus of old military equipment, it''s best to strike the iron while it''s hot."
General Liu and the Consort now understand why the Princess Marshal wanted them to listen in. It appears negotiation for arms can go smoothly if Belka now has surplus equipment. Though it can also go the opposite direction if the Reformists hog all the surplus ahead of them. Something to think about now, rather thanter.
Nodding at Rosa''s words, Yuki says. "Then you havee to the right ce, knowing your current strength, I will say that you need enough equipment for four to five divisions. The questions though, are what is your doctrine, your needs, and your budget."
"What do you have to offer?" Rosa asked this question just because she wanted to do the Chinese a favor. If they know precisely what Belka has, they can n ahead to grab what they really need. By doing this, she earns herself a grateful nod from General Liu. It also seems like a move that Yuki also wanted her to make as the Princess Marshal now sports a small grin at Rosa.
"Soon, we will have an abundance of small arms, weapons like our service rifle, the Kar98k, and our SMG, the Mp-28 and Mp-35, will be up for sale. Along with that are auxiliary equipment like M24 hand grenades, methrowers, helmets, and uniforms... All the way up to things like heavy armament like Pak 37 and anti-air cannons are up on the table. Combat and support vehicles are also avable for purchase or negotiation. Though for the Reformists, I don''t think you will have much need for a naval ship but will lean more toward the ground and air vehicles."
Yuki then snaps her fingers, motioning to Bryn to step forward and distribute the ''menu'' for the Ustians to have a look over. "Here is the list tailored for your faction, in it is what we can offer right now and in the future. Take a read and discuss with each other what and the amount you want to acquire."
Rosa nods, passing the matter to the more knowledgeable Francis as she engages in small talks with Yuki. The Chinese can only enviously look as the Reformists go on a shopping spree. Fortunately, the torture onlysted half an hour for the Reformists had already researched the matter beforehand.
Yuki receives the checklists Francis passed over for review, nodding at their real demands. "You made a good choice by outfitting your current army like this. Five divisions, with three being motorized, one mechanized, and one armored. As your army right now is still green and small, unlike ours, by outfitting them this way you can use them as a good defensive force until you can train them to a higher level. By then, your army should be bigger and more experienced to handle another influx of equipment."
Yuki then gives Rosa a look as she says. "Though I''m impressed with your recent victories, I''m d you didn''t let it get over your head. It takes time to win a war, after all."
Rosa jests. "I learn from the best." Causing Yuki to chuckle, quipping back. "You better or I will punish you for causing me trouble!"
With the jabbing out of the way, Yuki and Rosa finalize their dealing with Yuki ending it by saying. "Just like before, the heavier equipment will be put on your tab." To which the Ustian Princess nods, already used to this kind of negotiation.
It''s now time to talk with the Chinese as the Ustians now sit on the sideline. Being semi-involved in the current maind Chinese developments. Knowing this, General Liu doesn''t ask for the removal of the Reformists.
Yuki opens up first. ''Well then, General Liu Zhang, it''s now time for us to discuss."
"As you wish, Marshal." The General cups his hands, showing respect to Yuki.
"It''s our hope that we''re here, first to secure protection for Emperor Cao Long''sst surviving family members, and to secure an arms deal with the Reich." General Liu said upfront, figuring that the Princess Marshal doesn''t like pleasantry.
Nodding, Yuki says. "It''s good that you cut the needless pleasantries since I''m a busy person. For the first and primary purpose of your being here, I will agree to host Consort Ling and her daughter. They will receive the best protection and hospitality the Reich has to offer. Little Mei here will be enrolled in any academy of her choosing and her needs will be taken care of ordingly under your supervision. I also assure you that any unwanted party will also be removed, letting Emperor Cao Long''s family be at peace for as long as they remain in the Reich."
Yuki''s statement receives grateful bows from all the Chinese. That''s one less thing to worry about.
Gracefully epting their thanks, Yuki goes on to say. "Next will be the arms deal, for this, I will not just give you aprehensive list of arms and products, I will also show you all their performance." Yuki then turns to Rosa, saying. "You all follow me for a trip."
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In a non-disclosed military testing ground, near an unmarked naval base. Yuki and Bryn are leading the delegation for a tour. They then stop at a firing range where Yuki has set up a small demonstration. The same one she has given to the Ustians days ago.
Turning to address the Chinese, Yuki says with two of her hands outstretched. "These here are the weapons currently used by your military while on the other side are the ones we put up for sale. Try them both topare their capabilities, and determine what you want and what you can get beforeing to me. Any question you have, just say it out loud." Yuki said like a true arms dealer, letting the Chinese delegations have a go at the weapons on disy. There are also members of the Belkan military nearby to help them operate what they don''t know how to use.
Soon, duels of a short between Chinese and Belkan equipment take ce. Examples will be Hanyang 88 versus Kar98k, ZB vz. 26 against MG-34, Ruby pistol against our full-auto C96... The shock is also evident on their faces when Yuki even has the Chinese''s homebrew 75mm artillery and mortars going up against the 82mm, 88mm, and 105mm Belkan artillery. Even aircraft like I-15 and tanks like the T-26 that the Chinese used are also beingpared with the Bf-109 and Panzer II.
The well-prepared showcase made by the Princess Marshal deeply shocked the Chinese to the core. It''s made more shocking when Yuki pulls out the equipment that the Chinese severelyck and have them show off their ability.
First,e the armored cars and half-tracks with veterans from the 404th Division demonstratingbined-arms tactics in storming a fortified vige while receiving support from CAS, Panzer II, the newer Panzer III M, and the Wespe self-propelled artillery. The stunning disy shocked the Chinese while the Ustians delegation is already used to such a sight.
Finally, Yuki ends the demonstration by exining further the ability of the newer equipment, especially the ones that were presented in the Victory Parade.
"The Panzer III M, as you can see, is an improved version of the original Panzer III with better reliability, protection, and firepower. The transmission is revamped while a stronger engine is fitted into the tank. Additional armors are installed in the front with side skirts that can be fitted on the side. The older short 75mm and 37mm are removed and a new 57mm L/52 gun is mounted in the turret. The new cannon, with new shells, can prate up to 135mm of armor 100 meters away at a fire rate of one round every five seconds with an experienced crew."
Yuki then goes on to the Wespe artillery tank. "The Wespe, a recent development, can provide an army with quick and deadly fire support anywhere on the battlefield thanks to its 105mm howitzer mounted on a tank chassis. Though it''s no doubt more expensive than towed artillery, it makes up for it by maneuverability in an ever-changing battlefield. It will be an important purchase if you want to prevent the losses of field artillery in a retreating battle. Thest thing you need is your own weapon being turned against you."
General Liu alongside a few Chinese army personnel nods. They had first-hand experiences in such a stunt when the Japanese attacked Manchuria. They then move on to thended air assets, the most notable of the bunch is thetest Bf-109 model.
"This is the Bf-109K, refurbished for export to countries such as yours. It''s no doubt one of the fastest aircraft in the world currently, sitting at 720km/h max speed at 6km altitude, best used in boom and zoom tactic. It''s also armed with two 8mm machine guns and three 20mm autocannons. A respectable loadout for anything short of a heavy bomber, though even a bomber can be turned to swiss-cheese if yound your shots right."
Though General Liu may not be an avid airman, even he understands how ridiculous the 109K is. The look feverish look on the only Air Force officer on his side is also a telltale sign of this being the most advanced aircraft they have ever seen. As expected of Belka, the nation with the most advanced technology.
General Liu then turns to inquire. "These are great offers you''re giving us, Marshal. Though I have no doubt the prices will be great, I must also inquire about the naval section in the list you have been showing us. Is it true we can procure warships from Belka?"
With a smirk on her face, Yuki answers. "Let''s take a trip to the naval base."
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When therge group arrives at the nearby naval base, Yuki leads them to docked ships presented there. Pointing at thergest ones, Yuki says. "These here are the ships we considered obsolete, yet, they can be refurbished with modern equipment and be sold at a lower price to the Chinese Navy. Yggdrasil knows how badly your navy needs an upgrade."
Being talked down directly like, General Liu and the Chinese can''t help but put on ashamed smiles. "You''re corrected, Marshal, our navy needs an upgrade to deter unwanted elements."
"Then I presented you with one of the Mackensen-ss battlecruisers, the Prinz Eitel Friedrich. It''s currently armed with eight 350mm L/45 guns, 150mm and 105mm secondaries, and smaller caliber AA guns. However, we can refit them to be armed with the same amount of bigger 380mm guns and 128mm dual-purpose secondaries while its AA suite will be revamped to counter more modern aerial threats. The refit process will also slightly improve its protection and modernize its fire control while still retaining the fairly fast 28 knots top speed of the battlecruiser."
They then make a tour around the ship, ultimately leading them up to the battlecruiser''s conning tower. From there, Yuki points at the smaller heavy cruiser to the berthing near the Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
"Over there is Admiral Scheer, a Deutd-ss heavy cruiser with a battlecruiser level of firepower thanks to its six 283mm L/52 guns. It has the same top speed as a Mackensen with smaller 150mm and 88mm secondaries and on its stern are 8 torpedo tubes. We have ns to refit the Deutd-ss to have longer 283mm guns and dual-purpose secondaries with improved fire control. If you have the money, we can also build you more ships of the ss. The same offer will be extended to the destroyers and submarines you see over there."
Yuki stops, turning towards the Chinese. "So, interest?"
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During the drive back to Berlin and up until they reconvene back in the meeting room, the Chinese delegation has been in a heated discussion to determine what''s best for their nation''s interest. Finally, having made up their mind, General Liu represents the Long Dynasty to state their terms.
"First, we will like to secure enough small arms and auxiliary equipment to modernize at least half of our army up front. As for the other half, we want to buy the production lines and rights to produce them locally. For heavy equipment, we want to procure at least 100 Panzer III Ms, 40 Wespes, 150 armored cars, half-tracks, and enough trucks to motorize our logistics and army. We also want to modernize our entire air fleet with Belkan aircraft."
General Liu stops to let Yuki processes the order. The Marshal alsoments. "How original."
Though not sure why she said it, General Liu carries on to say. "In regard to our navy, we want to purchase three Mackensen-ss battlecruisers, six Deutd-ss heavy cruisers, twenty-five destroyers, and fifteen submarines, all modernized. Lastly, we will like to procure production lines, if possible, or the maintenance parts and stations for everything. We will also request the Belkan military to train our service members in the art of war." Having said his piece, the General and all member of the Long Dynasty''s delegation stands to bow toward Yuki.
With a small smile on her face, Yuki says. "Daring today, aren''t we?"
Standing up, Yuki then asks. "Do you even have enough capital to ask for such a procurement? Surely you also want more in the future so it''s best if you have a way to pay for everything."
Without a hint of shame, General Liu admits. "Currently, it''s true that the Dynasty is unable to cover everything. However, we ask you to let us pay in installments, just like what the Ustian Princess has requested."
A bit surprised at his boldness, Yuki directs her gaze toward Rosa, and thetter shrugs, expressing that she has no hand in this. Yuki then crosses her arms, falling into a contemtive mood as she ponders just how much she should supply the Long Dynasty.
To be honest, Yuki really hasn''t expected them to buy anything but the Army equipment, maybe add in a few aircraft and that''s it. Yet, the General here, being entrusted by Emperor Cao Long, ce a very big and lucrative shopping list, one too hard to ignore. Not when there are actual benefits when following through with the order and ignoring the pissed-off Japanese.
First, Yuki can negotiate to have them pay with manpower instead of money. At this time, maind China is facing economic depression thanks to the Japanese influence. By letting them send unemployed, yet experienced workers over to work for the betterment of the Reich. Yuki can create a win-win situation for both parties with Belka can speed up their national projects while Long Dynasty can revitalize their economy.
Second, by signing the arms deal, she can have the Long Dynasty take the brunt of Japan''s ambition, long enough till she''s done with Europe. When both side''s Cold War gone hot, she will let them bite each other till both are tired, finally, she will swoop in with a fabricated just cause against Japan, dealing the final blow. This will put Japan and China, which have been ruing debt due to the arms purchase during the Sino-Japanese war, under her sphere of influence. This means she can''t have the Chinese be self-sufficient in arms manufacturing. If they really are self-sustaining because of the arms deal, the Japanese will grow to be an annoying thorn in her side much earlier than expected.
Having made up her mind, Yuki gives her answer.
"Here''s my counteroffer then. It''s the best I can do so take it or leave it."
- The deal is made between the Belkan Reich and the Long Dynasty and only the two parties involved can remedy the deal.
- Belkan Reich will provide the Long Dynasty with the previously discussed amount of small arms, infantry equipment, vehicles, aircraft, and vessels. Belkan Reich will sell the production lines for small arms and infantries equipment, while anything else is spare parts and ''maintenance stations''. How the Long Dynasty uses its maintenance stations is up to them. If the Long Dynasty pays a fee, Belkan Reich will train the Long Dynasty''s military with modern battle tactics and equipment usage.
- Long Dynasty will be paying the cost of this deal and any future deal in yearly installments with interest. A portion of the cost can be covered by sending over unemployed and willing citizens to be hired at a discount rate by the Reich. The Belkan Reich has a responsibility to treat Chinese citizens as their own in ordance with thew and the Chinese people must uphold thew. In addition, if a Chinese citizen is willing to be a permanent citizen of the Reich and is vetted by the Reich, the Long Dynasty can''t force him or her to return by any means.
- This is by no means a military treaty, only an arms deal. The terms of the deal can be negotiated in the future depending on the world''s situation.
Of course, there are many more secondary terms but the four just listed are the important ones. Having read the papers with fine inks, the Chinese delegation shares a look between them before nodding. General Liu picks up a pen, signing away his name before pulling out a dragon seal, an object the Emperor has entrusted to him and stamps it on the deal. Yuki, representing Belka, also does the same but with her Ironblood insignia which is of an borate medieval sword design.
To the Long Dynasty delegation, they secured a lifeline for their country, giving them a chance to stave off the Japanese''s aggression. Yet, to Yuki, she hasid the first brick in creating a foothold to bring Asia under her control in the future. It will be a long while till she gets there, but it never hurts to prepare now, even though it''s a bit of a maniptive preparation.
Future historians will record this deal as the Princess Marshal''s first foray into the internationalmunity. Others will also hold regr debates as to whether the future downfall of both the Long Dynasty and Imperial Japan are orchestrated by Yuki from this meeting or not. Sadly for them, ONI has made sure that none of the debates go anywhere.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 13: The Shooting Range (Part 1)
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 13: The Shooting Range (Part 1)
Time sure flies... Well, it''s weird to think like that considering I am holding the Aspect of Time. Anyway, it has been two months since the arms deal with the Long Dynasty, and so far, no trouble hase knocking which is very surprising. Curious, curious... Are they really that inept at gathering intelligence, even on their own ally, or are they plotting something else? Though Section Head Quellec is still busy setting up shop in Rusviet, he has taken it upon himself to direct a few eyes and ears to Japan. Sooner orter, the full picture of Imperial Japan''s internal working will be figured out, then we will see just what they''re nning.
After the three-way meeting between us, the Ustian Reformists, and the Long Dynasty, all parties have gone home in an uplifted mood. Belka has seeded in securing control over the Reformists and expanding our influence over China. The Reformists, on the other hand, have gained valuable material and tactical support, which allow them to pull their own weight in abat scenario. Ultimately, they will be their own regional power, after they''ve toppled the current regime and assimted their colonies, that is. And it will be a sight to behold to have them under our wings for you can never have too many resources. After all, though Belka is sitting on a gold mine of many things, we struggle to mine and process them fast enough to fill our ever-expanding needs. Hence, it''s important we have ess to arge pool of manpower and readily avable, tradeable resources. Thetter can''t be fixed yet, not until Rosa is the Queen of Ustio, but the former has been rectified thanks to the Reformists and the Long Dynasty.
Fortunately, I have full confidence that we won''t be running near the red anymore. With the first void reactor working smoothly as silk, we have wasted no time at all integrating it with the national power grid. For now, only Berlin and 1/3rd of Belka have been using electricity provided by the reactor but we are aiming to have the entire country using power from the reactor by the end of this year. Of course, we can''t exactly only use one reactor, no, we aim to have at least five reactors working in tandem to power the nation. Can''t have an enemy agent blowing up the one and only reactor, effectively plunging an entire nation into darkness.
Now, because the need for fossil fuel has been lowered drastically, we have been funneling the excess resource back into other industries. And withpanies, i.e. mining, refining, and manufacturing... that answered directly to the government have been slowly phasing out their old equipment in favor of the first mana-powered equipment, we should see an increase in productivity. Though I n it to be like that, I still have to wait for the first test run of the mana-based machinery, thepanies above also serve as test pilots for those things. If any issue crops up, Dreamer will have to deal with them swiftly to not waste any time.
Speaking of testing things, right now, we, as in me, Einstein, and Bryn, are at a military range just outside Berlin, testing the prototypes of Einstein''s rifle and much more infantry-based equipment. In front of us stands the devoted members of the 404th Division, my 404th, dressed up with the newbat helmet, load-bearing equipment, and bulletproof vest that is worn over a field dress. Their uniform camo is a 5-color disruptive camouge pattern, Flecktarn for woond terrains, Tropentarn for arid and semi-arid regions, and Schneetarn for snowy environments. Currently, they are all sporting Flecktarn as their camo. They all are holding different variants of the G1 rifle, mainly the G1 itself or its derivative marksman, SMG, or MG version. A few other noticeable mentions will be the appearance of the bigger MG-35, the newer modr multi-caliber sniper rifle, and the Panzerfaust anti-tank rocketuncher.
We won''t be testing any bigger stuff until another month or at least.
Nodding at them, I say. "Well then,dies and gents, put them through their pace!"
With a snappy salute, they all divide up into smaller formations, each taking up a corner of the military range to perform properbat maneuvers and drills with their respective equipment. Once those are out of the way, they will then proceed to put the weapons through live fire and torture tests. These acts will allow us to gather all sorts of necessary data on many things at once. Of course, there will be possible cases of failure so medical teams are on standby. It''s especially important when you''re testing out a rocketuncher, a grenade, or putting a rifle that''s chambering for 20mm HE next to your head.
As the range dives into a hubbub of activity, my entourage and I move back to an elevated, secured observation post. Inside, we each take afortable position to witness the trials below.
Turning toward Einstein, who is watching the processions below with deep fascination, I ask.
"What material wille out on top today, Einstein?"
Einstein jerks up, probably too deeply enchant, before turning back to face me with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but can you say that again."
I let out a chuckle before patting the chair next to me, motioning for her to take a seat. Turning toward Bryn, who has just ced down a set of tea and snack, I say. "Youe and rx too, it will be a while till they get to the loud part."
They both nod before taking their seats next to mine, from where we are, getting a good view is easy enough without the need to stand next to the window.
"I was asking what material for your weapons wille out on top during this one-week test run."
"Oh, right! That..." Einstein eximed before putting on a pondering face with her hand underneath her chin. "To be honest, I think that wood and steel will be the best. ording to my calctions, if we use wood for the stock and handguard while the internal is made with pressed and stamped steel, we will have cheap, easily producible but effective, and durable weapons. A good option to easily outfit armies with the newer designs."
"I see, those are some valid points." I nodded at her words, not failing to understand her underlying meaning. I turn to my ever-trusty aid-now-girlfriend. "What about you, Bryn? What''s your opinion on this?"
Einstein perks up, also interested in hearing the words from an actual, long-lived veteran. Noticing our curiosity, Bryn puts down her cup of tea before addressing the question.
"If I recall correctly, for Einstein''s design, there are three major variants with different materialpositions." Bryn holds up her fingers. "The first variant, the one Einstein mentioned, features wooden and pressed and stamped steel furniture. Next will be a mix of synthetic material and machined parts. Lastly, is a full-steel design."
"That''s right. Each of the variants has its own pros and cons. Since you''re a soldier, what will you bring to war?" Einstein asked as she leans closer to Bryn. Which, mind you, is also closer to me for I''m being sandwiched by the twodies.
Bryn answers. "My answer will be based on my experiences. The first variant is, just like you said, cheap and easy to manufacture but durable enough to withstand the punishment. Yet, what you fail to ount for is the weight and pressure it ces on the handler. The majority of the rifle or whatever is in the family is built of wood, and wood is not light by any means. A Kar98k weighs up to 4.1kg but the main rifle, the G1, weighs up to 5.2kg. That''s a major increase in weight. If you ount for all the newer equipment, mainly helmet, armor, and auxiliary, they all amount up to 30kg in standard operations and 58kg inbat operations. Counting the eight spare magazines and the rifle with another one inserted, you will have to add another 6.3kg. That''s a lot of weight you will be hauling around and no doubt you will find it hard to aim with the rifle without swaying all over the ce. When the soldiers know that, they will no doubt return to the old faithful that is the Kar98, just for the ease of handling alone."
Einstein visibly shook, her face now showing a regretful smile as she turns to look at the marching soldiers below. "Now that you have said it straight, I can''t help but admit that I failed to ount for the weight on the shoulders of our fighters. I pity the men and women running around with the wooden furniture now."
I pat Einstein''s back as she slumps forward, defeated. "Come on, it''s fine! We made these test weeks in mind to figure out anything we missed in hindsight. Nothing will go wrong aside from a few aching shoulders, that''s something we should be thankful for. You can think of this as a chance to gather credible data and feedback from the veterans, also"
Bryn addsfort. "Yuki''s right, even a genius designer wille to miss a thing or two forcking field experience. After this, maybe you should take some time to address the men and women down there for a few things."
Being advised like that, Einstein realizes that the spreadsheet she drafted isn''t always reliable. Life isn''t just about numbers, after all. "Thanks, I will do just that."
Seeing that she has moved past the moody attitude from before, I now have a pleased smile on my face. Our attention is grabbed when Bryn points at a corner of the field.
"Though we say that someone may run ragged with the heavy rifle, I don''t think it applies to that guy."
We direct our sights to where Bryn is pointing, only to sweatdrop at the sight of a very familiar Oni running about. The Oni is Sergeant Jirou who is leading the marching formation with an MG-35, fully loaded to the belt with ammo, in his right hand, while his left is carrying a Panzerfaust. The man even has the strength to sing loudly as he marches across the muddy test ground.
"...Well, what else did you expect from an Oni?" Einstein asked rhetorically. To which I deadpan with a. "Yes."
Einstein gives me a pointy look before directing the conversation back to what we have been discussing. "Yuki and her... questionable tendencies aside."
"Hey!" I''ve taken offense to that!
Einstein ignores it while saying to Bryn. "Please, do continue telling me your thoughts."
Bryn nods but before that, she pats my hair to calm me down. An action in which I dly partake.
"What I''m gonna say next also applies to the second variant of the designs. Pressed and stamped steelponents are great if you''re looking for ease of manufacturing and cheap. But in actual field conditions, they''re more trouble than they''re worth when you have a powerful rifle like the G1. Stamped steel is never famous for its durability against impacts and now you have a full-auto capable rifle that''s firing the strong 8mm Mauser cartridge? Try banging the rifle against some rocks and taking it for a few dips into the mud. You will see why using stamped steel is bad for the rifle. Don''t get me wrong, using either wood or steel are great ideas on paper, but only for lessplex and powerful weapons. However, for the next generation of warfare that Yuki and the military envision, we don''t need cheap, disposable weapons. What we need are reliable, durable, and quality weapons. By building around that aspect, we can have our military fights anytime, anywhere for who knows how long without proper resupply. As such, a soldier''s weapon must be as dependable, if not more dependable than his or her brother and sister. Only with it can he or she protects everything they or hold dear, after all. This means that the variant with synthetic materials and machined parts stands a higher chance of being epted by the military, regardless of the higher cost."
I nod, showing my agreement with Bryn''s words. Einstein is silent, contemting the short yet passionate talk that Bryn gave. Knowing how her mind works, she must be revising her priorities and the like to be better at her work. Unwilling to interrupt her train of thought, me and Bryn sit back infortable silence as we keep watching the trials below.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 14: The shooting range (part 2)
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 14: The shooting range (part 2)
Location: Undisclosed shooting range at Berlin outskirt.
From early morning to noon, this Belkan shooting range has seen a marked increase in activity. This range from strenuous physical actions like running, rock climbing, marching drill... All the way to delicate operations like uracy testing of the new weapons and their field stripping. Such activities have been going on for days now and they have provided much-needed field data to the researchers and arms makers of the now-dubbed Next Generation Military Weapons Program. NGMW, to put it short.
For the first two weeks, a lot of the testing has been centering on small arms and infantry equipment with a limited test run on mana jet engines and tank engines. Thetter has been an eye-opening experience for many of the scientists from the Mansion of Wisdom and ONI. The trial, limited as it may be without a fully constructed vehicle, has allowed the brainiacs of Belka to gleam into the operations of the, quite literally, infinite potential of the new magitech devices. Thanks to it, the white coats have been making suggestions and improvements left, right, and center to help popte the invention to all sorts of fields, not just the military or heavy industries. And once these mad geniusese in contact with Nice the Shoggoth, things kinda blew up, literally. Nice has given them pointers on a whim when she was experimenting with Mobius. However, said whim has inspired another Doctor, majoring in metallurgy and runic science, to figure out a way to simplify the rune-making process.
The Doctor in question figured, carving runes has always been done by hand because the carver must be the one to infuse mana into the runes while cutting away at the surface of the thing he or she works on. The fact that the carver must calcte the amount of mana they input also adds to the difficulty of the process. A few attempts have been made to reduce the workload for the carvers but most have stopped at just improving the handheld tools. Hence, rune carving is a tough and high-paying craft that few dare to pursue. So, this Doctor decided to mechanize the process, or at least tried to. He theorized that, with the advent of programmableputers, he can hook a pre-programmed one up to a machine and set it to cut away at a... let''s say a metal panel and have it create a runic formation or any formation, to be honest. However, there''s a ring issue, the machine, on its own, doesn''t have the mana to make the runic carving into a runic formation. It''s the one and the only thing that has cut short any previous attempts before him. That is until he pulled the Uno reverse card and introduce this into the mix, liquid mana. Thanks to the void reactor providing a surplus of mana, gaseous, liquid, and solid alike, he has requisitioned a not-so-small portion of liquid mana to test his theory.
By sting out liquid mana using a tiny nozzle at an extremely fast speed, effectively making it the first liquid jet cutter in history, he can use it to either cut a thick block of metal in or when fine-tuned, to carve a runic formation with extreme precision and speed, without any human errors thanks to the built-inputer in the machine. Note that it''s the runic formation that was mentioned, not runic carving. That''s right! Because liquid mana is used, the runic carving can automatically absorb the liquid mana without human inputs, effectively making the processpletely automated. Well, somewhat as the operator of the machine will have to code in the calctions for the jet cutter to work but you get the point.
Unfortunately for him, he''s kinda in sickbay for now as the machine he described... Well, it worked splendidly, in fact. It''s just that the runic formation he let the machine carve was of the... Kaboomy kind, let''s leave it at that. Still, if you ignore the kinks that will be ironed out in the near future, the mad Doctor has pushed Belka a giant leap to the future.
Anyway, you''re not here to read a slime typing out the words for this story. Oh, no you aren''t!
YOU ARE HERE TO READ HOT MEN AND WOMEN WORK OUT THEIR SWEATS! *Evil coughingugh*
In a corner of the spacious shooting range, there lies a difficult obstacle terrain. Putting themselves through their pace in the obstacle course is Major Morrick and hispany of Panzer Grenadiers, fully kitted out in their Flecktarn gears. On their hands and back are various NGMW program weapons, namely Einstein''s battle rifle, the G1 itself, the G2/MP-9 submachine gun variant, the G3 machine gun variant, and the G4 marksman variant.
Other auxiliaries include the S-12G shotgun, the MG-35 GPMG, the new USP automatic pistol chambered in 9x25mm, the Panzerfaust, and the now-dubbed MSG multi-caliber sniper rifle tform. On a side note, the MSG has three variants: the MSG-8 for 8mm Mauser, the MSG-14.5 chambered in the 14.5x114mm, or the MSG-20 which is using the big fuck-all 20x110mm round on infantrybatants. Depending the on the task at hand, a unit can outfit an MSG to fit any possible battle demands whether it''s long-range assassination, asset removal, mobility kill, or ordnance disposal... In theory, one can handstand shooting the MSG in its 20mm configuration and walk away unscathed... if you''re a non-human, that is.
All of the weapons that Morrick and hispany have equipped with are of synthetic and machined parts variants. They have to thank the Mother Goddess for this because they absolutely loathe the heavy wooden stocks and janky, flimsy cheap steel parts. Those variants were too cumbersome and way less reliable when you had to run through mud and cliff. Often times when they were done running the tortured course, they were too tired to hold up the heavier wooden furniture rifles or the weapon refused to work right with broken ironsight, jammed charging handle, or broken internal. And if they did work well, the feeling of dumping almost a thousand rounds in less than ten minutes, while holding a wooden or steel handguard, wasn''t the greatest.
Morrick sure did remember the experience well, kitted in the new EOD suit, shooting a ming G1 with its steel handguard melting as the barrel spatting out mes. It was a weird but fascinating experience, though. Anyway, lo and behold, just like what Bryn predicted, the higher-cost manufacturing methods for the guns prevailed and the sleek and ck-looking guns are what they''re holding onto right now.
Still, while they sure are lighter and more reliable, to the point of being more urate than the lesser variants, even though they''re from the same blueprints. Morrick and hispany still feel very short of breath right now. After all, he has been running his men and women withbat-condition gear, meaning they''re carrying more than 60kg each through a long and arduous course. It''s not just hispany but also the others, if not all members of the 404th are now at the range, putting the new equipment through field trials.
Jumping over a rotting log that somehow made its way into the middle of the muddy road, Major Morrick almost face-nted if not for his trained reflex. He''s at the forefront of hispany, right alongside Sergeant Jirou who is sporting a mild fatigue expression also. The Oni has taken it upon himself to carry additional equipment for thepany, keeping the run fair in this nonbat scenario while making sure the unit has more supplies in heated battles. Stealing a nce over his back, Morrick tells in a quick second that thepany is running on willpower alone.
Sure as hell reminds him of boot camp, just a bit heavier on the shoulders that''s all. Still, this can be a great opportunity to solidify thepany''s morale and camaraderie. So, with a renewed conviction, Major Morrick sings a song that has been widely circted among units of the 404th. Mainly because this song, while made by the famous singer Eden, is rumored to be inspired by the Reich Marshal herself.
-One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two!
Morrick sang the first verse before turning to Sergeant Jirou. The Oni has a stupid face at first, but changes when Morrick sings the verse again.
-One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two!
It''s at this moment that Jirou and a few others behind him understand that Morrick is singing the song knowns as Division XXth. Their faces light up in excitement as Muller turns around, running backward at a slower pace while singing the next verses.
-Keep up the pace, don¡¯t let yourselves lose the count for a second.
Morrick then holds up his G1.
-Remember which end the bulletse out of, and the other, less important, lessons.
As Major Morrick turns around after making sure the men and women behind him can his singing, Sergeant Jirou chimes in with a giant smirk on his face while jumping over a loose rock.
-I said I¡¯d follow you through anything, Hell or highwater, which is convenient now that most days spent beside you are just... Hell.
Well, in a way Jirou is not wrong but Morrick still gives him a middle finger, knowing it''s directed at him and their obstacle-running moment.
Another Grenadier sings with a wide smile, patting the left shoulder of a radio man next to him.
-Others call it ¡°survival skills¡± but I know now it¡¯s just up to luck.
The radio man, if you can remember, was the same one that has been directing the Belkan destroyer, Vauquelin, to shell Arash. The experience he lived through at that time can''t be expressed truer than this next verse he''s about to sing.
-Our squad¡¯s somewhere between a pending cluster bomb, and a clusterfuck.
Following up on his words, a female Corporal sings as she watches one of herrades stumble on the ground, biting a few mouthfuls of mud.
-¡°For §Övery one that falls
Another ten rise up to take their ce.¡±
The Corporal chuckles as she quickly helps her teammate up. The said teammate then spitefully sing as he was done spatting out the dirt and grime.
-That¡¯s a beautiful sentiment, as long as you aren¡¯t the corpse they rece!
Though he acted angrily, the soldier then sports a toothy grin as he continues the march.
-Who am I to stand in the way of morale? Observe, my smiling face! I¡¯m told that through my faith, I won¡¯t die...
I¡¯ll leave a testament, just in case!
Riding up on the high of thest verse, the entirepany joins in for a chorus.
-Don¡¯t lie, we¡¯ll be dead and gone before you know it. So when I die, shift the numbers up once more. Rece me!
By this time, they have arrived at their destination afterpleting thestp for the day. Their singing is heard by the others that are there, including Yuki and her cohorts. With a smile on her face, Yuki watches as the other 404ths join the singing with salutes and smiles directed toward Morrick and hispany. As Morrick''s ragtagpanyes to a stop near a shoothouse, Sergeant Jirou plops his Panzerfaust downs at a corner before patting Morrick on the back with a big grin.
-Just smile! What are we without humor in horror? It¡¯s worth it! Failure, glory, life, and living!
With a smile of his own, Morrick does a fist bump with Jirou as he joins the others in singing the chorus.
-All of your guns, all of your calls...The bad ones most of all! They define you, they¡¯re the lowest standard we can strive to!
Though it came off like a diss at their teammates, they all take it in good fun.
-Your faults, your tact, inordinate amounts of k! In all the carnage, there¡¯s no one I¡¯d rather stand beside!
Surprisingly, Yuki also steps forth, standing next to her subordinates as also sings loudly alongside those that fought under and with her in the frontline. Seeing that, Bryn can only shake her head exasperatedly while Einstein and the just-arrived Dreamer, both have a small smile as they watch the sudden gathering.
-Every day lived, another semi-sessful run-and-gun.
What can they say, just another day alive on the battlefield is another day to cherish your life and those that have fallen around you. Well, that''s unless you have a penchant for the alternative that is dying.
-But with friends like these maybe dying¡¯s not the worst of oues?
When that verse is sung, the scene of a few Grenadiers chasing each other about in mock anger like kids can be seen. The gathering watched on with boisterousughs as even Yuki joined in with her merry voice. Though it can be said that their action is unbefitting of military discipline, one must understand that the 404th isn''t your regr military unit. No, they''re a special force directly under Yuki, her bodyguards, and her brothers and sisters that have fought a war side by side together with her from the muddy trenches to the burning Arash. They''re one big family.
Which is why Yuki sings.
-If given the choice again, I¡¯d dly partake of these death games.
Major Morrick follows after.
-The only true mistake is not to y! And also friendly fire!
In thest verse, he turns to give a friendly smack on Jirou''s shoulder. Then, each of the officers around started chiming in.
-Keep up the pace, think on your feet
-Work around the ws in ns and,
-While we¡¯re breathing, count our blessings,
-Savor calm, this shit gets messy!
Thest part is sung by Yuki, earning not a small amount of chuckles because she sang one of the cruder lines in the song. Morrick carries on with it, not willing to miss the beat though. He sings while looking back at hispany with a proud smile on his face.
-Though their stupidity makes me want to cry
I guess there¡¯s some who have it worse than I.
In response to him taking up that line, his soldiers retort with fake anger and sadness.
-It¡¯s not insubordination and it¡¯s not having your back, but trusting your calls is like waiting for a heart attack!
-You were wrong, when ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad!¡± was what you said.
Having sung that, the officers can only smile wryly as it was alluded to their timemanding the battlefield. Each and every decision they make, undoubtedly, affect their subordinates the hardest, after all. And surely, there''s always a price to be had whenever one has to make a choice.
Thankfully, the song is meant to be a snarky sarcastic song, one that''s sung between a closed-knit unit like th4 404th. With that in mind and big grins on their face, everyone that''s affiliated with the 404th Ironblood Division joins the impromptu, open-air concert for thest section of the song.
-Don¡¯t stop! If life catches up, we¡¯ll surely meet our deaths!
-No rhyme or reason, are you sure we aren¡¯t Chaos?
-Ourughter keeps the dread from out of earshot!
Then, the song dies down to a calmer tone as the majority of them, with the exception that is Yuki, chant the marching number one-two.
-One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two.
While Yuki herself stands taller with her back straight, softly singing.
-Keep the count of the soldier¡¯s song,
-One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two.
-As everything that can goes wrong.
-One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two.
-Though our path isn¡¯t always right,
-One-two, one-two, one-two, one-two.
-There¡¯s not a thing we can¡¯t ovee with spite!
Having sung the final verse, Yuki performs a snappy salute to her Division, prompting them to do the exact same thing. The atmosphere of the shooting range dies down as the people present, though still excited inside, take on a sterner attitude as they remind themselves of the trials and bloodshed it takes to get to this point. They each reaffirm their conviction and with it, their belief that the sacrifice they make now will be for the greater future of everything they stand for.
Unknown to most of them at that moment, the whole session has been recorded in colored and high-definition magic tools with sound support. This particr moment will not just be used as a great propaganda tool for the mass but also as an important historical reference for future academic studies. For now, though, they will fall back to the regr schedule at hand.
Yuki steps back, pointing at the shoothouse, which is supersized to a shoottown.
"Now with that morale booster out of the way. I think you have a few OPFOR in there to tackle." Yuki said to Morrick with a small smile.
The Major nods, holding his rifle up before with a grin, he ps the charging handle down, letting it cycles a non-lethal round with a sounding smack.
"Bloody Sevenpany, make ''em pray!" He said, right before kicking down the door to a shoothouse, one that''s but a part of many that are made up of this simted enemy town. They have done the forced marching, now it''s time for some forceful clearing.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 15: The Shooting Range (Last part)
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 15: The Shooting Range (Last part)
In a VIP quarter of Berlin''s biggest hospital, Yuki and her bodyguards are paying a visit to a Doctor that contributed quite a lot in the field of runic science and runic manufacturing. The same Doctor that, ording to his words, had made a mistake in the spur of the moment, telling his automated machine to carve abustion rune formation. The formation is a veryplex one, used in the uing jet engines, and though the machine carved it perfectly, it also activated due to the abundance of mana and caused an explosion. Fortunately for the Doctor, he escaped with only minor burns and a light concussion. Goes to say that even though he is a genius in his own right, a genius can also make a mistake.
Regardless, things have settled down and Yuki is knocking on the door to the Doctor''s quarter. Hearing the acknowledgment from the person inside, Yuki slides open the door, stepping in with a bouquet of flowers and some gifts. The gifts are carried by Erika and L so she has them ced on a nearby table, half-upied with other sorts of knick-knacks and get-well letters.
"I hope I''m not intruding, Doctor Martin Johnsen." With her familiar eyepatch and attire, one must be blind not to recognize Yuki. The Doctor, ignoring his injuries, was about to stand up to greet the unexpected VIP but Yuki put stop to it. "Please, just keepying down. A concussion, albeit light, can still have unforeseen consequences. We don''t want Belka to lose a remarkable scientist due to unneeded pleasantries now, are we?"
The Doctor, Martin, chuckles with a hand now moving up to scratch his bandaged head. "You tter me, Marshal, it''s my mistake that has troubled you toe here."
Yuki though just waves it off. "No trouble at all! In fact, I''vee here to give you my thanks as a representative of Belka." Yuki then pulls out a small maroon-colored box, opening it up, she presents a War Merit Medal to Doctor Martin. "I know that for people like you, stuff like this isn''t that important..."
Yuki suddenly smiles before closing the box with the medal and putting it to the side. "I think you would rather keep that majestic beard of yours than some flimsy metallic piece."
Hearing that, the middle-aged man snickers. "You don''t say, Marshal!" He pointed to his head. "I would rather lose all my hair than have to lose this sage beard of mine. It''s tough to grow it this long and it gives me an air of wisdom. Thankfully, I managed to duck and protect this beard of mine just in time."
Yuki chuckles. "d that you got your priorities straight then."
"Now, the medal is one thing but I''vee to tell you that I''ve perused your notes. To be honest, I didn''t think that someone will make an automated machine using aputer this soon. Theputer is still a hunk of machinery on its own, after all. Yet, color me surprised when you managed to pull it off and coded it sessfully to produce such a... explosive result." Yuki and Martin bothugh at that. "Anyway, thanks to your effort, we have managed to boost the runic field by decades at least. Hence, I''ve gathered a team for you, good men and women that will help you to further your work in runic science once you''re out of this bed. Believe me when I say that with your work, giving you more than just a passage in history is a bitcking."
Listening up to now, Doctor Martin is a bit teary-eyed. For a human approaching his mid-fifties like him, he never thought that he will make such a great contribution to the Reich, even if he was a genius. Now though, his sleepless nights working on the machine have paid off in the greatest dividend he used to dream of. Making a name of his own in the world of knowledge.
"...Thank you, Marshal, for giving me this chance." Martin bows, saying. "I will not mince my words so I will say this straight. I will not let you be disappointed with the results, Belka will one day be able to stand on top of the world with our sheer industrial power!"
Hearing such a fierce deration from the man, Yuki ps her hands with a small smile. "Great! Now rest up, will you? On the table are some snacks that I know you will love to have. Trust me, hospital food isn''t the greatest, take it from the person that used to be in your position right now."
Nodding to her words, Martin eeks out aint. "Gosh, your gifts are a godsend. I can''t stand the jellies here anymore."
They both share augh with each other before proceeding to talk a bit more pleasantries before Yuki has to go. She still has to visit the range to take a look at the ongoing trials.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*BANG* *BANG* BANG*
Firing thest of her magazine in a G1 rifle, Yuki pulls the charging handle back before unloading the expended mag, putting it in her ammo vest before pulling out a fresh one. Loading the 20-round magazine into the mag-well, Yuki ps the charging handle, sending it down out of the grove before the internal spring pushes it forward, pulling an 8mm bullet into the chamber in the process. With the gun alive and deadly, Yuki takes aim using the iron sight at a target 200 meters away, slowly, she pulls the trigger.
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
Sending a three-round burst down range, hitting the target and over-prating to hit the dirt mound behind it, Yuki nods, pleased with the performance of the G1. She then proceeds to use up herst mag before unloading it and putting the rifle on safe.
Laying it down on the wooden table in front of her, stacked with different magazines and ammo boxes, Yuki removes her ears protection before turning over to Einstein.
"Phew~ That was fun!" Yuki giggled with a face like a kid in a candy store, causing Einstein to smile wryly. "Your rifle wasfortable to shoot for a weapon that is firing 8mm Mauser and pretty urate too for a rifle that''s not a marksman rifle. Though firing in full-auto is best used in short-burst to maintain a decent uracy. With the synthetic furniture, the rifle isfortable to use, especially with the adjustable stock."
Patting the G1 on the table, Yuki says with a smile. "With the G1 and the other weapons passing the torture tests we have been doing 24/7 in all sorts of conditions, I believe that Belka will soon be the first modern superpower." Yuki then steps forward to pull Einstein into a hug, thetter blushes but return it also. "Thank you, Einstein, you have no idea how much you and everyone else have been helping me in making my vision a reality."
"It has been our pleasure, Yuki. Belka has been great to us in every single aspect, we''re only repaying some of it back." Einstein responded, patting Yuki''s head.
Relishing in the warm, Yuki chuckles. "You and your humbleness, try and boast a bit, won''t you?"
Rolling her eyes, Einstein jests. "And be like Mobius? No way!"
We bothugh, at Mobius expense, no doubt the green hair Doctor must be sneezing right now.
"Anyway, let''s move along and watch the men and women using the toys for onest time. It will be quite a while till we return here, only that time we will be bringing along our newer vehicles."
"Sure, lead the way, Yuki." Stepping aside with her hands outstretched, Einstein lets me walk first.
We move from one end of the shooting range to the other, watching as the 404th performs an uracy test on the weapons. When we reach the group using the G2, otherwise knowns as the MP-9, we stop toment on the SMG.
"You know, I do not regret removing the 3-round burst from the weapon series." I offhandedlymented as I watch the Grenadiers firing short bursts of 9x25mm. "It takes minimal training for a soldier to fire a short-burst when on full-auto. In a CQC situation, having your gun on full auto is usually the rmended tactic. A 3-round burst may not be enough to clear a room as you may not have time to just pull the trigger in quick session. That and removing the 3-round burst also simplified the internal of the weapon."
Einstein nods when she sees a Grenadier running a shoothouse, clearing it with a perfect score, all the while maintaining proper trigger discipline to conserve ammo but still retain the deadly fire rate of the MP-9. "I thought that the 3-round burst mode is a helpful mechanism with proper field usage. You know, for training and conserving and the like... Now though, I can see that it''s just over-engineering an alreadyplicated weapon."
"That''s right." Yuki agreed. "Let''s move to the next group, I can hear the sound of mag-dumping all the way over here."
They then resume their trek and true to their expectation, the next group is using a bunch of G3s with 100-round drum magazines or the MG-35s with 120-round belts to cut some grass. They watch as the G3s use up drum after drum of ammo without any malfunction whatsoever. The only times they have to stop are when they have to reload or quickly change the barrel.
Einsteinments as she watches another empty drum discarded by a soldier.
"As expected, though a bit finicky at first, the drum magazines are now much more reliable and very easy to use after many revisions to the design."
"Yes, for a weapon using magazines, especially if it''s full-auto capable, the magazine is usually the most important part of the weapon. If the magazine fails to feed a round, then that gun is as good as useless. Hence I have always told you guys about improving the magazine reliability for the weapons."
"True, you did say that a lot these days. I can''t imagine what a soldier would feel when he is behind enemy line, only for his rifle to fail to function."
Yuki winces, having had her troops experience it firsthand. "Yeah... it wasn''t fun is all that I can say."
Continuing with the walk, they thene across soldiers using the S-12G shotgun. The chonky bang of the S-12G whenever it''s fired is pleasant to the ears, especially so when they m-fire the shotgun. Once expended, they fast reload the S-12G by pulling four shells from their ammo belt before quickly loading them two at a time into the ammo tube. They perform the action once more before pumping the shotgun and firing away at the target 100 meters away.
Seeing the carnage the shotgun pellets did to the man-sized target, Einstein can''t help butment.
"Seriously though, do we need that much devastation? It seems unnecessarily cruel to the person on the receiving end."
Yuki turns to Einstein and raises an eyebrow. "Seriously? Do I have to remind you that they used chemicals back in the Great War to devastating effect, more so than our dinky shotgun here?"
"Point taken."
They then move up to a gathering of precision rifle enthusiasts, there, a smallpetition is taking ce.
"Ok, boys and girls! Targets are ced at 300, 500, 700, andstly, 1000 meters. Whoever can knock the hats off all targets without a miss will win the match, and no, you can''t use the explosive mass from the HE-filling to cheat. Only direct hits will count, keep that in mind." A Captain announced to the shooters that are lying prone with their rifles deployed on bipods.
The shooters are using a plethora of weapons ranging from the Kar98k, the G4, the MSG-8, the MSG-14.5, andstly, the hefty MSG-20. With each shooter stationed five meters away from each other, each with a set of targets, the Captain gives the signal to start thepetition after a count of three.
*BANG* *BOOM*
Different sets of gunfire echo across the shooting range with the loudest being the MSG-20 with its 20mm payload. Since these sniper rifles are all equipped with scopes, the 300 and 500 meters targets are taken down in less than a minute. The 700m and above targets take a fair bit of effort to engage and with the premise that all shots must be a hit, half of the shooters are disqualified when they didn''t hit the helmets. Finally, thepetition settle down with thest set of targets at 1000 meters being knocked out by an MSG-14.5 surprisingly.
"The 14.5mm is ssified as an anti-material caliber, right?" Einstein turned to ask, confused by the uracy the big round has at a long distance.
Yuki exined with a small smile. "That''s right, however, unlike the bigger 20mm, the 14.5mm has a ridiculous velocity albeit carrying a lighter payload. This velocity, reaching 1000m/s, makes engaging a target at extreme range very easy for you don''t have to ount much for bullet drop and environmental effect. When coupled with the MSG chassis, we have a damn powerful sniper rifle for a multitude of tasks, especially for the first strike in ambush or assassination. Of course, you can''t exactly hide an MSG-14.5 like the G4 or the MSG-8, hence it''s best using it at extreme range and in the hands of an expert marksman."
"I see, another downsize is that the MSG-14.5 and MSG-20 are heavy. Unless you are an Oni or well, any race physically stronger than a human, you can''t exactly operate it alone." Einstein noted.
"Yup."
Theirst stop before calling it a day is the tank buster group. There, they can see a fortified testing range, located further away from the rest because of safety reasons.
"Speaking of which, I think this is the first time you will be watching a live fire of the Panzerfaust, right?" Yuki questioned Einstein as she lead her inside an observation bunker.
"Yes, I''ve only read the report on the new anti-tank weapon. I can''t really imagine how a portable weapon like the Panzerfaust can pack such a punch, even if I know the theory behind it." Einstein answered, her eyes glue on the ck stick a soldier is holding.
"Then it''s a good time as any to see one in action. Just keep this in mind, never stand behind a Panzerfaust..." Yuki warned.
Einstein finished up the words for her. "Or you risk getting caught in the backst and remove yourself from the gene pool, bing a recipient of the Darwin award in the process."
"Good girl." Yuki chuckled, making Einstein roll her eyes.
They don''t have to wait for long when the soldier holding the Panzerfaust shouts. "Clear backst!"
The others around him stand clear, once they''re at a safe distance, one of them gives the go-ahead. "Backst clear! Fire when ready!"
The soldier nods, taking a deep breath before exhaling, five secondster, he sends the explosive ordnance down the range in a st of white smoke. Three secondster, the rocket hits a stationary Ustian AMD 400 meters away. The projectile creates a big explosion as the poor vehicle exploded internally, effectively making the thing scrap metals.
Einstein whistles, impressed by the explosive disy. "And you said that we can easily equip a squad with two or three of this?"
"That''s right, manufacturing the Panzerfaust is quick and easy, effectively making it a disposable anti-tank weapon, one that can punch through 700mm of armor. However, it''s rmended to retain the aiming device as they''re a bit too useful to discard. And, for dedicated AT-crew, the Panzerfaust is also reloadable."
"I see, I pity any tank crew that rolls up in front of these things. They will never see theming until it''s toote."
Yuki snickers. "That''s the whole point, imagine setting up an ambush on unsuspecting enemy convoys with these. The damage will be catastrophic, to say the least."
"You don''t say."
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 16: Miss Pink Elf?
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 16: Miss Pink Elf?
With a well-timed elbow strike, ''Yuki'' knocks the air out of Elysia and causing thetter to stumble backward. Elysia struggles to regain her bnce as her back crashes onto a brick wall. Barely a blink of an eyeter, ''Yuki'' has disappeared from her field of view, this makes Elysia hastily jumps and rolls to the side, narrowly dodging a cut that has split the brick wall in half.
Stabilizing herself into a crouch, Elysia squeezes the rapier in her hand tighter before deflecting a heavier-than-expected blow from ''Yuki''''s de. Such a miscalction while it did make ''Yuki'' miss her mark, also causes Elysia to position her rapier at an awkward angle, unable to retaliate. Seizing the chance, ''Yuki'' presses the advantage by rapidly giving out deadly shes and stabs, pressuring Elysia and giving her no leeway for a breakthrough.
Looking at the apathetic eyes of ''Yuki'', Elysia can barely bite back a curse directed toward Yggdrasil. The ''Yuki'' in front of her is not Yuki, per se, but a shadow that was made with Yuki''sbat experience in mind. Elysia is fighting this shadow, and losing because Yggdra thought that Elysia will be more mature if she fights again the subject that she''s so in love with. Well, it''s damn hard to stave off the lover that''s trying to kill you, Elysia thought. And Elysia can hardly muster up a retaliation when she really doesn''t want to see the Yuki-look-alike getting hurt.
*CLANK*
With another heavy blow, ''Yuki'' breaks Elysia''s rapier in half after sessive hits on the same spot.
"Damn it! That''s so sneaky!" Elysia jumped back while casting a pink hexagonal barrier with an outstretched arm, letting Yuki''s strikes cause cracks as pinkish sparks fly out.
With a hasty mentalmand, Elysia wills the Void Archive to figure out a solution to this predicament of her while she conjures a pink energy de, growing from the broken rapier, to meet ''Yuki'' in a deadly confrontation again.
"Just how much strength are you packing in that small body of yours!?" Elysia wondered as the pink barrier broke into motes of light as ''Yuki''''s de impacted on the energy sword Elysia has been holding horizontally. With a bit of effort, courtesy of buffing herself with a reinforcement spell, Elysia manages to push ''Yuki'' backward a few steps.
Unwilling to let ''Yuki'' regain her advantage, Elysia charges forward, swiping her de diagonally. Sparks fly as ''Yuki'' deflects blow after blow from Elysia as it''s now her turn to be backed into a corner. Yet, as if mocking Elysia, ''Yuki'' sessfully parried everything Elysia throws at her, even with the Void Archive working overtime to analyze her defensive pattern.
To counteract Elysia''s analytical ability thanks to the Void Archive, ''Yuki'' has presented herself as an enigma that''s constantly changing her style. Even if Elysia managed to figure out a possible opening for one moment, ''Yuki'' can just switch up her already masterful style to a different one. This effectively means that Elysia is fighting not just one but multiple godlike levels of experts, all in one body. To be honest, Elysia is surprised that she is still holding on and not dying, yet.
After five minutes of trading attacks at each other, Elysia has decided that she has had enough. Knowing that she iscking in the aspect of stamina conservation like ''Yuki'', Elysia decides to screw swordy and bid a tactical retreat. The moment when their swords are about to sh again, Elysia closes one of her eyes as shemands her energy sword to dissipate and explode into a sh of blinding pink light. This cause ''Yuki'' to misjudge and her de narrowly misses Elysia as she jumps back. Temporarily blindsided by the sh, ''Yuki'' takes a mere two seconds to reorient herself, more than enough time for Elysia to create clones of herself as they all run in different directions of the concrete jungle.
Knowing that she can not chase Elysia, given her physical stature, ''Yuki'' puts her fingers into her mouth and whistles. Thismand of hers spawns the entire 404th Division and its supporting elements of aircraft as they all spread out and hunt for Miss Pink Elf. A chorus of "That is so cheating, ''Yuki''!"es from all directions as the Bf-109s and Ju-87s strafe and bomb building blocks as soon as a lock of pink hair is spotted. Overhead, armed Ju-52 circles the airspace in counter-clockwise formation, rearing their 20mm autocannons to take aim at anything that''s pink.
A clone of Elysia lets out aint as she is sted through a window and onto the street by a 75mm HE shell from a Panzer III. "Pink did nothing wrong! Mo~!" She is soon obliterated by the Ju-52s as simr sights happen all across the simted city.
Meanwhile, the real Elysia is chuckling wryly as she hid in a dark corner of a cathedral. Having witnessed the carnage and destruction ''Yuki'' caused just to eliminate her, Elysia shivers as she imagines what would happen if the real Yuki really went hunting someone with a vengeance. Elysia ys with the thought that maybe their soul won''t even get to the afterlife if that''s the case.
Shaking her head, Elysia knows fully well that she truly cannot win this battle. Not when ''Yuki''''s everything literally includes the entirety of the 404th and Belka''s full might. She is but one person so how can she fight against a country? The answer to that is...
Just don''t.
Unless she is a godlike being, which she isn''t, Elysia has no hope ofing out of this engagement, alive. Gueri warfare doesn''t apply to this when you''re outnumbered by Yggdra knows how much. Running is also out of the picture when the whole damn city is flooded with soldiers. Hence, ast stand is the only possible choice. Elysia has an idea as to what she can do to cause as much damage as possible in return. In fact, she has been preparing for the eventual final act during the time ''Yuki'' has been hunting her clones.
Elysia has been charging up a special area of effect spell, one that promises absolute destruction to anything in its range. It''s also why she is in a cathedral as it''s one of the taller buildings in this simted city. Slowly, Elysia starts ascending the cathedral''s bell tower as she listens to themotion outside the sacred ce. In her hands is a white and ck bow with purple decorations, in ce of a physical arrow is an energy arrow that''s glowing a soft pink, its light casts a soft glow onto the dark wall of the cathedral. Ascending the final portion of the stair, Elysia soones to see the now smoking city below, courtesy of the decorative acts of ''Yuki''.
"You really aren''t pulling punches." Elysiained with a twitching smile. Thankfully, Yuki in real life is on her side.
Mustering up a daring smile, partly to psych herself up, partly to taunt the enemy, Elysia steps to the ledge of the bell tower. There, she leans out and looks in the direction of thergest concentration of the Belkan military, the only ce ''Yuki'' could possibly be. After a deep breath, Elysia screams out.
"It''s over, ''Yuki''! I have the high ground!" Her voice, carried by the wind, soon reached ''Yuki''. Thetter turns and with a swing of her hand, orders everything to converge on the bell tower.
Grinning at the attention she is getting, Elysia points her bow and arrow upward as she casts a city-wide pink kaleidoscope dome. "In an alternative timeline, maybe I would have really been hunted by you. Yet, this one is not that timeline, for we''ve developed feelings for each other, feelings that serve as the source of power for me to struggle more, reaching this stage."
The pink arrow shines brighter and stronger as Elysia continues saying. "Even though I wanted to show this move to Yuki first, I guess we can settle for a test run on you for now. Take a look, ''Yuki'', for this is the beginning of you and I."
Unleashing the arrow skyward Elysia and ''Yuki'' watch as it grows bigger and ever brighter as it impacts the kaleidoscope barrier, causing it to split into multiple beams and bounce everywhere. The beams, either hit something and decimate it, or hit the barrier again and split up into many more beams. Soon, the entire simted city, stuck inside the pink barrier, is ravaged by countless beams of light that leave behind unrecognizable mess and destruction. nes are shot down, crashing and burning, while tanks are left as smoldering wrecks with infantries disintegrating just by standing near a beam. During the chaos, Elysia has lost track of ''Yuki''''s whereabouts, partly because the spell cost her entire mana pool, partly because she herself is also trying to survive being killed by it.
"Ok! Side note, need to work on mastering this spell otherwise it''s no different than suicide bombing!" Elysia shouted to herself as she jumps off the bell tower that was cut in half by a pink beam.
Elysia is about to use whatever scraps of mana she has left to cast a slow-falling spell, thus preventing her death by jumping from the previous high ground, when her danger sense res. With less than a second to process it, Elysia turns to look in the direction her sense is tingling, only to see a battered ''Yuki'' holding up an NTW-14.5 with its bipod deploying on a car. Stuck in midair with no foothold, still in the middle of casting a now-made-useless spell, and a damn good sniper takes aim at her with, quite possibly, something that should be banned on employing on flesh and blood... Yeah, Elysia knows of a fucked up pink elf when she sees one.
"This is so unfair~!" Elysia screamed in protest as the NTW-14.5 shocked its surroundings and its hypervelocity projectile wasted no more than a second to tear her in half.
Elysia feels a lurch and sudden weightlessness as darkness pulls her in and suddenly chews her out, spatting her back into thend of the living. Sitting back up with iprehensible screams, mixed with annoyance, anger, and helplessness, Elysia directs a hateful gaze to the orchestrator of her misfortune these days.
"I demand a rebnce!" Elysia jumped and grasp Yggdra''s shoulders, causing thetter to almost spill her tea. "That mission, killing ''Yuki'', was impossible! What the hell was that with her pulling an army out of nowhere!? It''s like I''m aplete newbie against a yer with money to bribe and pay for their winning streaks!"
Yggdra, however, just chuckles and ces her teacup down. "Such an apt and detailed description you made, it reflected your circumstance fully."
Patting Elysia''s head, Yggdra lets her cool down for a bit by letting the pink-hair high elf slumps down onto her breasts. "For what''s worth, you performed a great deal better than what I''ve been expecting. In a way, you managed to aplish your objective."
Elysia visibly perks up, and with upturned eyes, she demands. "Exin."
Yggdra chuckles at the absurdity of the situation.
"Believe it or not, after sending away the bullet that would be your eventual demise, Yuki''s shadow died of blood loss."
It takes ten seconds for Elysia''s brain to buffer and process the information, even with the Void Archive helping. Finally, having let that information sinks in, Elysia jumps and celebrates with both hands in the air.
"YATTA!"
Yggdraughs as the elf return to her hyperactive mood in the span of seconds. Knowing that she has been subjected to cruel training and trials though, Yggdra let Elysia perform her merry dance for a little longer. The pink elf deserves it for she has graduated from her first course, earning herself enough readiness to face the world atrge.
Once Elysia''s done getting her frustration and happiness out of her system though, she copses down onto Yggdra''sp in exhaustion. Thetter pats Elysia''s pink hair, soothing her with motherly love.
"...I did it, huh?" Elysia asked, as if still unbelieving that she has survived everything Yggdra has been throwing in her direction.
"That you did, my dear. That you did." Yggdra said with a small smile.
"I''m d. With everything you''ve been forcing me to learn, I hope I''m useful to Yuki now that I''ve grown this strong."
As if waiting for Elysia to say that, Yggdra gives her a piece of news. "The chance for you to shine is nearer than you think."
Elysia looks up, not getting the meaning behind Yggdra''s words. Thetter patiently exins. "Remember Eden? The one you said is more of a spymaster than an idol?"
Seeing that Elysia nods slowly, Yggdra continues. "Eden has asked if you want to help her on her tour, going around the world, seeing new ces, helping people, and helping Yuki by doing odd jobs here and there. Yuki has said to me that you can go with Eden, only if you''re judged ready by me and you''re willing to partake in the offer."
Stopping herself to rearrange Elysia''s hair, Yggdra smiles. "Though you will still need a bit of work, I deem that you''re strong enough to spread out your wings. It''s time that the fairy leaves her home to start her own adventure. The question now is, do you want to?"
Though Elysia is d to know that she has grown to be a better person, she is also anxious about the sudden offer. Don''t get her wrong, Elysia really wants to take a look around the world, meet new people and experience new things. Yet, doing that means she is cutting the time spent with her new family short by quite a margin. She has grown deep in love with Yuki, developed infatuation by the confidence radiated by Lu,e to be invested in the profoundness of Hel, forming a deeper connection to the ever stoic but helpful Bryn, and even though she''s not a masochist, Elysia is fond of the effort Yggdra has shown to develop her into someone greater. Surprisingly, even Nice is growing on her, just because the Shoggothdy is a funny package that Elysia is never bored hanging with her. And let''s not discount Ningyo, that little cutie pie takes a special ce in Elysia''s heart.
Still, Elysia knows that she can''t be coped in one ce forever. It''s not in her style nor it''s good for any of them if she does not move on. As a holder of the Void Archive, Elysia needs to independently learn new things and grow up in an uncontrolled environment. Training can only get her so far, after all. So, even if it pained her to do so, Elysia nods and ept the offer from Eden. She takes sce in the fact that she will be helping Yuki, even though they may be separated for some time.
Knowing what''s on her mind, Yggdraforts the elf. "Don''t worry, it will be after Christmas that Eden will be going for another tour. Till then, you have all the time you need to create memories with Yuki, with us. After that, you will be turning a new page in a story that, with your relentless effort, will no doubt result in a happy ending."
Smiling, Yggdra adds. "Be proud, be brave. For you have the chance to be the pir that Yuki needs in her journey."
Nodding with a smile, her eyes a bit teary thanks to the holy and motherly aura Yggdra''s releasing, Elysia mouths with conviction. "I will! I won''t let any of you down!"
Vol 2: National Development – Special Chapter: Christmas Night
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Special Chapter: Christmas Night
"...And done! Adverse weather testing has beenpleted! Powering down the turbine." Announced a female scientist as she operated a lever. Slowly, the muffled humminging from the wind tunnels recedes.
Taking off myb coat and handing it over to a nearby aide, I announce to everyone present. "Good work, people! With this new data, we''re one step closer to re-innovate the aeronautic industry! Now let''s pack up the scaled models and bring them back for inspection. After that, we can call it a day."
"Yes, Marshal!" Came the chorus of replies.
I then watch as they move out and about, carrying the new aircraft model and checking the wind tunnels for any sign of breakage. Operating a wind tunnel is he expensive so they have to be well-maintained after each and every single test. Though we won''t have to worry about the electricity bill with the first void reactor hard at work. Amidst all of this, I am suddenly tapped on the shoulder. Turning around, I am greeted by Einstein as she says.
"Seems like you''ve finished up your business for the day." I nod at her words, sidestepping a trolley carrying the model of the Phantom jet.
"Looks to be that way, what''s up?" I asked. Einstein rarely sought me out in person unless the matter required my personal touch.
I am thinking that Einstein may need some help setting up the newerputers when she says with a raised eyebrow. "Have you forgotten? Today is Christmas and with the evening party right around the corner, everyone is waiting for you."
"Oh..." That was all I can say before I realize the full meaning of Einstein''s words. "Oh!"
Ipletely missed the fact that today is Christmas. Works have been piling up high near the end of the year and because of that, I''ve been pulling my weight to finish most of the important ones before 1936 arrives. Can''t really let unfinished businesses affect the development of the country at the start of a new year, lest it bears stagnation which is not good. With such a mindset, I''ve been putting celebrations on the back burner, until now.
Facepalming at my sheepish grin, Einstein groans.
"Damn it, Yuki, I should have known better than to believe in your one-track mind. Come, let''s get you back so that the other can make you presentable. Anything that is better than wearing..." Einstein motions to my regr military attire. "This."
I pout, not willing to let her disregard the benefits of my uniform. "Hey! It''s practical, formal, and overallfortable to wear in all weather. Most important of all, it''s cool!"
Einstein deadpans. "Seriously?"
I double nod, only to be grabbed by the scruff of my neck as Einstein pulls me out of her car. "We really don''t have time for your shenanigan, Yuki. The others have already prepared some clothes for you so like it or not, you will have to discard that uniform."
I protest, knowing the pain of ying dress-up with my family. "No! I don''t wanna!"
"Why the hell are you acting like a kid right now?" Einstein asked incredulously.
Despite my best effort, I am still brought back to the Obsidian Castle. There, I have been, quite literally, chased by a Devil with a dress on each arm.
This is pain.
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Funnily enough, Christmas, although an important event for the Biblicalmunity of Earth, being the birth of Jesus Christ and all, is also a notable event in the teaching of the Yggdrasil Pantheon. Why you may ask?
Well, the part where Yahweh, who is known as the Primordial Goddess of Order and Chaos to the Yggdrasil Pantheon and the Biblical God for the Abrahamic Church of Earth, sent down an Emissary to save the world from its sins, is true. But that''s where the simrity ends.
ording to the Sardegnian Papacy, where the Biblicalmunity holds the highest amount of influence, Jesus Christ is the son of God, born to Mother Mary to save humankind. Yet, it''s not the truth, or at least, not the full truth. For the tale of Jesus Christ is but one of many tales in the teaching of the Yggdrasil Pantheon, and Jesus Christ is most definitely not the son of God, not when Yahweh never bears a child in the first ce. In fact, during the tumultuous time of the Previous Era, before my eventual death, Yahweh wanted to reform the world through a much more peaceful method than let''s say, unleashing Void into the Omniverse atrge. She hoped that if the mortals were enlightened on the fact that they could strive to live a better life, one that''s based on the fruit of their hard work and their morality, not just trudging along in the dark. They could learn to break free from the tyranny and whims of the Corrupted Gods. This, in turn, would force the Gods to change and be their better selves, if only to retain their followers. Hence, she sought to find suitable Emissaries to raise a movement against the Corrupted Gods.
The first one was, undoubtedly, Jesus Christ. A gift from Yahweh to a faithful Mother, one that would go on to teach and spread the meaning of the word ''Love'' and the meaning of sins across the Omniverse. His teaching would then go on to reinforce the following of Yahweh due to the promises it delivered. Thisys the foundation for the eventual rebirth of the Omniverse in the hands of Void.
The second Emissary was Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha. Born to a royal family but was enlightened by Yahweh on the suffering of the world. He then went on to journey the world and would go on to teach the people about Nirvana, freedom from ignorance, craving, rebirth, and suffering. Buddha''s view on the life of every being was so illuminating that he even converted a few Corrupted Gods.
In many ways, the path of Jesus Christ and Buddha mirrors each other, both ultimately sought the peaceful coexistence of all races and sses without corruption. Yet, unlike Buddha, who was able to achieve ascension to reach a higher state of being, thus being able to continue to spread his teaching across the new Omniverse, Jesus Christ chose to sacrifice himself to absolve the sins of a great many beings. When he knew that the Primordial Goddesses agreed to reset the Omniverse, thus would no doubt cause countless souls to die. Jesus Christ, as the preacher of ''Love'', decided to sacrifice himself to absolve the sins of many out of his love for life. Though he was crucified by the followers of the Corrupted Gods as a result, his selfless sacrifice allowed Yggdrasil''s seed ship to house be filled with enough people to form what''s now known as Belka. While those not fortunate enough to board the seed ship had been reincarnated by Yahweh, an act they wouldter identify as Isekaied. They would go on to be the foundation of many better universes.
With such a noble sacrifice, Yahweh had the birth of Jesus immortalized into what would be Christmas today. An event of joy and hope for the entire Omniverse for it''s only through his sacrifice that the Omniverse is a more... wonderful ce for everyone.
Thinking up here, you can see that the Sardegnian Papacy omitted and falsified a lot of its teaching about Jesus Christ. Hell, they tantly changed the image of Yahweh to suit their agenda, all the while imposing their doctrine or culling other religions. Funnily enough, even though we have literal Angels, and Gods on our side, with Yggdrasil being of the same rank as Yahweh, the Abrahamic Church still brands Belka as Hell''s nation. They basically med every single evil and suffering in the world has been the handiwork of Belka. Why? It''s not because my mama Lu being Lucifer is holding the reign of Belka, but it''s because it suited their agenda to reacquire the lost power and prestige from when their Holy Kingdom was still a thing. They did seed, somewhat, but the world is not stupid, not anymore. Regardless, they will be a thorn that has to be removed in the future, either by hook or by crook. Probably the former considering almost any person that''s affiliated with the Vatican is a zealot through and through.
Anyway, I have been pulled off my short reverie when a Reichguard announces. "Princess Marshal Yukia Rosetta de Venusian and her retinue, have arrived!"
Taking onest nce at my attire, I let out a pleased smile. "Though it was tough, the dress sureplimented me well. They really pulled out all the stop, just for me."
Smiling fondly at the memory of the previously hectic morning I had, I step into the decorated hall with a Christmas motif. There, I receive many appraising gazes from not just the governing members of Belka but also foreign dignitaries. The event is big, after all, and we would be stupid not to use this chance to further improve Belka''s standing in the internationalmunity.
As I head further inside, followed by Erika and L who are sporting tuxedoes of all things, I scan from the corner of my eyes for anyone of interest. Of course, the Reformists are here, getting veryfortable with their Belkan peers, and surprise surprise, the Long Dynasty''s representative is also here. Understandably, they find themselves furthest away from the Japanese delegation with both sides eyeing each other warily.
With that said, I soon reach my family, each sporting their own beautiful attire.
"So you''ve made it, after all." Elysia said with a smirk, knowing full well that she had fun dressing me up like a doll with mama.
I roll my eye, yet, my lips can''t help but curve up. "Yeah, gotta say you look great, in fact, everyone here is making me feelcking inparison."
Mypliment has earned me smiles from everyone with the only exception being Yggdra who is, understandably, not present. She will disrupt the atmosphere with her being the subject of worship, after all. Fortunately, she will be joining us in privateter on, can''t have her feeling left out.
Anyway, mama and mom are now wearing their regalias, only this time with overcoats that serve to increase their imperial aura, not just protection against the cold. And of course, with her impressive stature, when mom pulls me to her to give me a look over, I can safely say that none of her curves are left unattended with her clothing. Goes to say mama will be even more bewitching with her devilish dress, especially for thosecking in mental strength.
"You''re looking gorgeous, Yuki." Mommy Hel gave me an approving smile, seeing that everything is in order.
Mamaughs slightly, proud that her daughter is growing into such a finedy. "Of course, she has to be! We spent ages setting up this dress for her!" She then says a bit smaller only for us to hear. "Yggdra sure knows how to pick, huh."
Bryn, on the other hand, is wearing a modest white gown with a split skirt, and just like mama and mom, she also has an overcoat with a red inner but white outeryer. Though she is wearing her dress reservedly, it doesn''t hide away the sculpted figure of an ice-cold beauty. Still, she is showing a small smile at the mention of Yggdra picking me clothes.
"It''s a given considering the woman, in a way, is Yuki''s stalker. If her words are to go by then she has been peeping on Yuki ever since she was a kid, nonstop at that, I may add." Her out-of-character jab at Yggdra caused us to chuckle. Yet, it also goes to say that my family members are getting along well.
Elysia adds. "It''s understandable though. Yuki is irresistible and I can''t wait till she grows up more nicely."
Elysia then goes around me in her white gown decorated with purple and gold lining thatplimented her pink hair. She let her hair flows freely on this asion and it''s now reaching pash her midriff. With an appraising look, the pink elf nods many times. "Yup, can''t wait till she develops her assets more."
I deadpan at Elysia while the girl licks her lips. Shaking my head, I am about to say something when Ningyoes next to me, wearing a dress of the same design as me. "Sister, we''re both alike!"
Chuckling at her innocent joy, I carefully pat her head, saying. "That''s right! We''re sisters, after all, and sisters can''t be too different. Now then, Ningyo, you like the atmosphere here?"
"Un~!" My adopted sister nods and her golden eyes scan the food tables. "The music is cheery and the sweet is delicious! Sister, with Christmas being an annual thing, we will have more opportunities to have fun like this in the future, right?"
Nodding with a warm smile, I answer. "That''s right, you can experience this festivity every year and I promise that each year will be a different but fun experience." From the corner of my eye, I can see a fidgeted girl standing over at the Chinese delegation. "Ningyo, I think there''s a girl over there who wants to have a bit of fun yet she is too shy to do so. Why don''t you head over there and introduce her to our cuisine, and while you''re at it, make yourself a friend."
"Ok sister!" My sister replied before she skipped over to Mei, daughter of Consort Ling. It takes no time at all for Ningyo to swoop Mei into her rhythm and pull thetter everywhere. We all watch their interaction with smiles while the Chinese delegation gives us grateful nods. Much to the chagrin of the Japanese.
"I hope we aren''tte." Said the familiar Einstein who is pulling Mobius and Nice along. The reason is Mobius is protesting about attending a useless party and Nice is being distracted by everything she deems fascinating in this hall. Thest thing Einstein needs is a Shoggoth climbing and remodeling the Christmas tree in the middle of the room.
I snicker at their action, not forgetting to admire the view while at it also. Unknowingly, mama is also doing the same, even if she''s secretly being pinched by both mom and Bryn. Elysia, well, is being Elysia I guess? The woman is also not hiding her intention in checking the brainiacs out.
Regardless, after spending more than enough time with this family of mine, the geniuses are used to their antics.
"You guys aren''tte, even though I can see that you''ve been making efforts in dressing up for the asion." I then say. "They suit you well."
Einstein is wearing a stringless sapphire blue dress, matching her hair while Mobius is, surprisingly, sporting a ck and white dress that leaves her back exposed. A bold design choice from her but a wee one as her hourss body leaves many wanting.
Nice though is wearing her trademark purple dress with a v-cut. The mature Shoggoth doesn''t take much effort to maintain her beauty but I doubt she would prioritize it over being inventive. Even now, we can feel her desire to just cut loose and make this asion even grander than it''s now.
I said that because per the n, Berlin will be having a nighttime light show that will be broadcasted to the rest of the country. I dread the feeling when Nice would be the one to be in charge of the celebration. Nevertheless, the light show will be some time away, the night is still young, after all.
As we have all gathered, we spend time chatting and mingling either with ourselves or our close colleagues. Due to the nature of the celebration being a light-hearted one, heavy topics aren''t being discussed openly but you can hear some insinuating stuff here and there in the gathering of diplomats. Many did also try and get close to us for a get-along chat, their attention mostly fall on me and my mothers. We adeptly maneuver around people like this, of course, it''s good to get along with each other and it''s great to be on guard with the people that have an agenda. Either way, Section One will be keeping an eye on everybody for many of them are persons of interest that may help Belka in the long term.
Amidst the meet-and-greet, the super idol Eden takes to the stage. Wearing a wine-colored dress, thedy performs many songs that are synonymous with Christmas. And yes, we also broadcast the concert via all media, can''t leave an opportunity like this to waste. Her heavenly voice has no doubt enchanted many people, funny because it''s her own hard work that gets her here, not by any sort of blessing. Once the concert is over, shees to join Elysia for a discussion, to which both sides seem to click and are very favorable to each other. It''s great to see Elysia makes a new friend.
As for me, after a while, I suddenlye face to face with a hunk of a man, a good one, mind you. With a weing smile on my face, I greet the older man.
"Saint Nichs Cage, as expected, it will be weird not to see you on this asion."
Wearing a bright red suit and sporting majestic white hair and a long white beard, the old man that has been munching on some biscuits turns around in surprise. "Hohoho! Princess Yukia, Merry Christmas to you!"
I nod. "A Merry Christmas to you too, Mr. Santa."
That''s right, it''s Santa us! Bearer of gifts for the good and charcoal for the naughty.
"Thank you, Princess. I must say that the mood for this Christmas has been many times better than thest. I can''t wait to see how it will improve after a few more years under your leadership." Santamented with a jovialugh, his belly shaking up and down yet don''t let it fool you. He packs a set of muscles beneath that thick winter clothing that makes bodybuilders looks like a kid.
"You tter me, Mr. Santa." I shake my head, not willing to ept apliment from the personification of goodwill. "With you being here, I guess it''s almost time for you to go deliver presents across the globe."
Santa crosses his trunks for arms, nodding powerfully. "That''s right! This year, the good kids outnumbered the bad by a lot. I have high hope that the next generation will be bright and shine! With any bit of luck, Belka will have a much brighter future if you y your cards right." Santa advised patiently.
I take the advice seriously, knowing that the wisdom of the old man in front of me is not to be taken lightly. "I''m grateful for your information, Mr. Santa. Now then, knowing that you will have to prepare for the uing Christmas delivery, I will leave you to it. Have a Merry Christmas, Mr. Santa."
"You too, Princess!" Santa nodded, patting my shoulder before fading into specks of golden light.
I show a light smile, knowing that this is another year that the good kids will receive small but meaningful gifts from Santa himself.
"Santa us ising to town~!" It''s funny how the band is ying that song, very fitting.
Vol 2: National Development – Special Chapter: Violent Night
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Special Chapter: Violent Night
Materializing on top of a tform, high above the cloud, and on top of one of Yggdrasil''s branches, Santa us pats his belly in contentment from enjoying the delicious cookies served at the party below. With that out of the way, he goes on to perform a final pre-flight check on his sleigh, pulled by eight reindeer and has a hefty sack of gifts on the back. Midway through his task, Santa notices a couple of guests that have just arrived.
Turning over with a speed shocking for a man of his stature, Santa wees them with a big smile. "Lady Yggdra and one cute little guest! I wee you to my humble abode, hohoho!"
Hisughter is infectious as Yggdra smiles lightly while the slime that she''s holding in her hands, ps its tentacles excitedly. "Saint Nichs Cage, still attentive to your work as always."
Nodding, Santa replies respectfully. "Yes, mdy, we can''t have children unattended for Christmas. I would be unfitted for the title if I couldn''t handle the job in this holiest of days."
"I see," Yggdra says. "Carries on then and don''t mind me."
Yggdra then proceeds to pat the slime a few times before materializing a Christmas hat for it to wear. "I''m just here to let my little friend witness Santa us, in the flesh."
"Hohoho! Hello there then, little one! You''re wee to tour my abode as much as you like. Oh, right! Here." Santa creates some Christmas treats, handing them over to the slime that happily munches on them. Seeing the slime giving him a thumb-up, Santaughs before nodding at Yggdra, stepping away to mount his sleigh.
"Well then, mdy. I wish you a Merry Christmas and soon to be a Happy New Year! Hohoho!" With a snap and the apaniment jingles, the sleigh is pulled forward by the reindeer as Santa''sughter echoes throughout the sky. As Santa makes for a few spins in the moonlit sky, Yggdra watches with a smile while the slime waves its ''hand'' to say goodbye to Santa.
Finally, with everything checked out, Santaughs a final "Hohoho!" before pressing a button in on a control panel in front of him, this unfolded a pair of hidden nacelles beneath his sleigh, and with another pull of a lever, the begin charging up. Five secondster, the nacelles shine a bright blue light before Santa''s sleigh is propelled faster than the speed of light, leaving behind two trails of dissipating blue energy.
Fascinated, the slime bobs up and down, gesturing in disbelief at Yggdra. The Primordial Goddess, however, chuckles. "Though reindeer serve as the main mean of propulsion for the sleigh, they''re not fast enough. Hence, Santa installed a pair of FTL drives on his sleigh, and with it and his ability to be at multiple ces at the same time, the Saint can deliver presents and charcoals for all kids in two nights. Even an old man has to keep up with the time, you know."
Understandably, the slime expresses its confusion. Never has it expected Santa''s sleigh to have warp capability but it can wrap its head around the idea when it digs a bit deeper at the notion. Regardless, it just shrugs as it resumes eating the treats while Yggdra carries it around, introducing it to Santa''s quarter and his gift factory. Finally, they move on to watch the light show, made by Yggdra casting pr light over the sky of Berlin. With the apaniment orchestra, the light show marks one of the grandest events Belka is capable of holding annually.
And under the blessing of the pr light, Santa will no doubt bring great gifts to good children.
Or charcoals for naughtier ones. Oh, there will be naughties tonight.
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With a burst of blue light, Santa and his sleigh get out of warp, right above the outskirt of New York. It''s snowy tonight, the weather that Santa always seems to enjoy, especially when he can see the warm chimneys down below. Parking his sleigh right, some hundred meters above a vi atop a hill, Santa grasps a gift bag from behind without turning around. Standing up and with a jingle from the bells, he jumps down from the sleigh. Like a cannonball, Santands with a hefty thumb as he sinks five meters deep into the snow. The shocking moment scares away an owl that has been perching on a pine tree nearby.
Chuckling to himself, Santa crouches down before with a "Ho!" he jumps out of the hole he... Well, quite literally, jumped in. Anyway, like the muscr Chad he is, with a flex of his muscle, the snow on his attire and gift bag evaporates into steam. Funnily enough, his pot belly is actually not because he is fat, it''s because it''s stacked full of cookies and snacks. Saint Nics Cage has a muscr pack that ady can grind cheese on and he sure has caused many women to swoon over him throughout his years.
That aside, Santa has a job to do, to set aside a gift for a littlessie in the vi in front of him. He''s just about to take a few steps forward when he notices something is wrong. Stroking his white beard, Santa says. "Hoho... It seems like someone has been very, very, naughty."
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Earlier, by around 30 minutes before Santa''s arrival, give or take five. The viplex atop the snowy hill receives its first guests of Christmas night. Jeffrey Iverson is standing next to a few of his bodyguards, in their hands are small wrapped boxes of Christmas gifts, waiting to be presented to the owner of the vi. Shortly after the doorbell has been rung, the door opened up, revealing a woman of African descent. Her face blooms into a big smile, showing her pearly white teeth.
"Hey, honey! Jeffrey is here!" The woman turned around, announcing her husband Jeffrey''s arrival. When the man raises the red box in his hands up high with a smile of his own, the woman chuckles. "And he brings gifts! Come, let''s get you boys inside."
Nodding in gratefulness, Jeffrey says. "My thanks, Ada. Hope we''re not intruding on this holy night."
The woman, Ada, smiles as she leads them inside the guestroom. "Oh, it''s no trouble at all! The more the merrier! We can even gather and sing around the firece, with drinks and snacks in our hands. Tonight is too fine of an asion not to do just that."
"Then we will dly partake in the offer!" Jeffreyughs as he and his men set the gifts beneath the Christmas tree in a corner of the room.
Not being impolite to the host, they then move on to help Ada in the kitchen, having been here a few times already. There, theye across Ada''s husband and father to their only daughter, Roman Conti. The tall man, also of African descent like his wife, is busy bringing out a finely made turkey.
Like his wife, Roman greets the Jews with the best smile he can muster. "You''vee, good, good! Irish will be pleased that our house will be bustling tonight, hahaha!"
"Wouldn''t miss this for anything, Roman." Jeffrey said with a smile. "Here, let us help you with that."
As the group happily mingles and sets up therge dining table with delicious dishes, a rush of footstepses from the floor above. "Daddy! I heard uncle Jeffrey is here!"
The daughter and mood maker of the Conti family, Irish, skips down the stair and into the dining room. She rushes to give a quick hug to her father Roman as thetterughs. "That''s right, sweetie. Your uncle is here and he''s carrying big gifts!"
"Really?!" Irish turns to look at Jeffrey as thetter chuckle at her enthusiasm.
Knowing the little gremlin loves receiving presents, Jeffrey steps forward before crouching to the same level as Irish. "That''s right, little Irish, we ced gifts beneath the Christmas tree. However, you must wait untilter to unbox it. Instead, I have this one little gift that you would like to have."
Speaking there, Jeffrey reaches into the inner pocket of his coat, pulling out a small wooden box. "Go on, take a look at what''s inside." Jeffrey encouraged Irish to check its content.
With a bright and anticipative smile, Irish grasps the box but gently opens the cover, revealing a hand-carved wooden reindeer with a red nose. Fascinated by the cute design, Irish lifts it up to hold it in her palm.
Seeing her excitement, the Contis and the Jews join for augh. Ada interjects to remind her daughter about proper manners, however. "Sweetie, what would you say when you received a gift?"
"Oh!" As if only remembering just now, Irish exims before turning to Jeffrey. With a nod and the apanying smile, she says. "Thank you so much for the gift, uncle Jeffrey!"
"Atta girl, now you best hold onto it, ok? I heard you canmunicate with Santa through a little reindeer friend here." Jeffrey said a white lie as he pats Irish''s head.
Standing up, Jeffrey receives a nod from Roman. "Thank you, my friend, you have no idea how much this meant to our family."
Jeffrey nods, sping Roman''s shoulder as thetter directed his daughter to the dining table. "It''s but a thing I must do. You will also do the same to me, had I had a family here."
"I still can''t wait for the day you find yourself a chick, man. All that works and politics with no fun," Roman pointed a finger at his head before making a few circles around it. "can cause you to go loco, man."
Snorting at his jest, Jeffrey retorts. "I will getid when I''m dead."
"That or someone literally has to strap you onto a bed and get the deed done. Cuz I sure as hell know that Ca has the hot on you, man." Roman said with a smirk as they walk to the table, the seats are mostly upied by the Conti family, its subordinates, and the Jews.
Visibly shuddering at the mention of the woman named Ca, Jeffrey scratches the goosebumps on his arm as he says. "Please, you don''t have to remind me of her. Never saw a woman falling in love with someone''s cooking so much that she literally offered to buy out the entire ce and its owner."
Seeing his uneasiness, the whole dining roomughs at his expense with Roman goes on to say. "That''s the power of Capitalism, man, they can drive people to do unimaginable things."
Jeffrey is about to retort when he notices a glint from behind arge window of the dining room. Trusting his intuition, he jumps and pushes little Irish down onto the floor while screaming for the rest. "SHOOTERS!"
Trusting Jeffrey with his life, Roman pushes his wife below and covers her. Everyone else also does the same, albeit toote for the sudden bullet hailing from outside. With a cacophony from an unknown number of automatic gunfire, the dining room is ripped apart at the dozen men and women that serve under the Conti family and Iverson receives numerous bullet holes. Saved for Jeffrey, Roman, and his family, only two others survive the sudden onught as the rest are either dead or dying.
"We need to get out of here!" Jeffrey shouted as Roman, pulled out an M1911 in the process. The two surviving bodyguards also pull out their pistols.
"There''s a bomb shelter underneath the firece! We need to get Ada and Irish there!" Roman said, earning a nod from Jeffrey.
Waiting for the moment when the bullet storm ceases, Jeffrey signals his men to turn up and fire at the approaching shadows. "Go!" He said to Roman as he conserved and pulled the trigger on his M1911. Even with the flickering light, Jeffrey managed to score a kill on the unknown enemy while the rest disperse under the sudden return fire.
Using this chance, Roman rushes his family back to the guest room. Pulling away the thick carpet, thus revealing a hidden door, Roman opens it up and reveals a small and dark tunnel, clearly made with emergency evacuation in mind as its leads to a somewhat cramped bomb shelter. With haste, Roman hoists Irish into the hole before helping Ada down also. Noticing their anxiousness, Roman hastily says. "Don''t worry, we got this! Whatever you do, no matter what you hear, stay silent!"
With only Ada being able to offer a nod, Roman closes the hatch before covering it with the carpet from before. Turning around, just in time to see Jeffrey runs out of the dining room while reloading his pistol, Roman says. "Follow me, there are weapons in the storage locker!"
Running ahead to lead the way, Jeffrey and his bodyguards follow suit, making their way further into the vi under intense suppressive fire. Sadly, one of the bodyguards picks the short straw for the day when a rifle bullet over-prates the wall, cutting across his neck and thus causing a major bleeding wound. Jeffrey can''t help but curse under his breath as he witnesses the man failing to stem his bleeding and dying of blood loss.
By the time they reach the storage locker and thus pick up heavier ordnances, the unknown assants have breached the vi and are storming the interior. Unwilling to go down without a fight, Jeffrey directs his new Tommy Gun to spray the entrance to the locker room, cutting down three enemies dressed in ck. Roman is doing much the same but he''s holding a shotgun, arguably something very solid as deterrence in this close-quarter situation. Thest surviving bodyguard for Jeffrey is holding a Springfield with a bay attached. Though not as effective in taking down the enemy, his bay earned him some blood when a few enemies rushes in with their pistols out.
Knowing that staying in one ce equals death, the group of three brings the battle away from the storage locker, and if possible, out of the vi. Along the way, Roman says. "We have to get to the guesthouse! Get them away from the vi."
Understanding his n, Jeffrey responds. "Good idea but how!? They''re fucking everywhere!"
Roman is about to say something before a nking is heard a few steps away from them. With only a split second to take in the sight of the foreign object, the bodyguard, a war veteran, shouts. "GRENADE!" He then jumps toward it, clutching the thing and putting it beneath his body.
Even with his sacrifice, the grenade still explodes mightily and bathing Jeffrey and Roman in blood and gore as they''re knocked back. The shockwave causes them to be unable to respond as the assants step in and restraint them both, kicking their weapons away.
Thest thing Jeffrey can remember is being hit by a buttstock before he cks out.
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Santa gingerly steps inside the vi, well, it''s hard to call it a vi now when the interior is shredded to swiss cheese, mostly. Anyway, Santa explores the inside of the building,ing across the wrecked dining room but luckily or magically, the te of biscuits and milk is still intact. Unwilling to let them go to waste, Santa lets down the red satchel he is carrying before heading over to have a bite of the tasty treats. Surprisingly, he''s unfazed by the grizzly sight of the dead, bloodied men.
"Hoho! Thedy of the house-baked good cookies." Santa gave hispliment after finishing the chocte-chips cookies in seconds. Washing them down with a ss of cool milk, Santa lets out a burp in contentment. "Now to go and deliver the gift."
Returning to his satchel, Santa peers inside it and pulls out a big green box with a red wrapper. "A doll house for little Irish!" He then proceeds to ce it next to the gifts around the Christmas tree. Giving it a couple of pats, he turns around before heading back to his satchel.
Suddenly, he hears a small, soft prayer, echoing in his head.
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Hiding in the shelter beneath the firece with nothing but a small oilmp, little Irish can be seen shaking in the hands of Ada. Understandably, she is scared after the recent traumatic event and is worrying about the safety of her family and uncle. Knowing her daughter''s dismay, Ada assures her child even though she herself is having teary eyes.
"Don''t worry sweetie, your father and uncle will be fine. Here." Ada holds up the reindeer Jeffrey gifted to Irish earlier. "You can talk to Santa with this, no? You can use it to ask him to help us."
Though she said it, Ada thought that it will be a miracle for it to be true. Regardless, this sessfully diverts Irish''s attention from her fear and grief. Taking hold of the wooden reindeer, with the sincerest voice she can muster, Irish wishes.
"Dear Santa us, if you can hear me. I promise I will be good forever. I really, really don''t need a doll house, I only need my father and uncle to be safe. Please, Santa, can you help me?"
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"Hohoho! Such a good child you are." Hearing the prayer, Santa strokes his beard. "For such a good girl, it will be a shame if she doesn''t have a great Christmas night."
Once again, Santa crouches down and peers into his satchel, only this time what he pulls out is not a gift, but a hefty double-barrel shotgun with a red Christmas motif. Flipping open the chamber, Santa ces two green shotgun shells inside before flipping the chamber back, the gun with the name "Niceties" carved on the side is now live and dangerous.
"Oh, it''s on for the naughties." Santa said with a big jovial smile.
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Jeffrey and Roman, the leading figures for the Jewish and Africanmunities in New York, aren''t having a great Christmas.
Receiving a punch into his gut, Jeffrey spats out a bile of blood as he res hatefully at the white American in front of him. His defiance earns him a snort and another punch, this time to the face, causing the Jewish to be knocked onto the floor, struggling against his bond.
Roman, seeing the state of his friend, screams at the white bastard. "Damn you beast of a man! Rather than beating a bounded person, untie me and fight like a man!"
Yet, as if mocking his rage, the American just continues torturing Jeffrey with kicks and punches, ignoring Roman raging against his bonds.
"Come on, brother! Stay with me!" Roman shouted, trying to keep Jeffrey''s consciousness for he knew things will be much worst if Jeffrey passed out. "Bloody Yanks! Cowards, all of you!"
If look can kill, Roman would have killed these bastards a thousand times over. Fortunately, having grown tired of this charade, the leader of these white gangsters ps his hand, calling a stop to the abuse Jeffrey is experiencing.
With a cigar in his mouth, the man, with brown hair and adorning himself in an expensive suit, says with a cruel smirk. "Rx, Mr. Conti, for I truly think this has served a good enough of a reminder for Mr. Iverson."
Taking a hold of his cigar, he discards the ash before continue speaking.
"This is but a small... punishment. No one disregarded the offer from the Luca family." The man then directed a derisive smirk at Roman. "And if he thinks that by getting cozy with some ckies he could escape the repercussion... Well, he has another thinging for him."
Pointing at himself, the man holding the cigar says. "Me, Antone de Luca."
Finally managing to catch the name of his adversary, Jeffrey struggles to let out a hateful snark. "Bloody fucking bastard!"
Sharing the same sentiment, Roman res at Antone de Luca with the might of an African warrior. "Wait till I get out of this bond, we will see who will be punishing who, white face!"
Faking a scared face at their hatred, Antone mocks. "Oh, mamy, I''m so scared! These lowlives want to harm me!"
This earns the collectiveugh from Antone''s men, he then says. "As if you can do anything to me!" Antone said aggressively as he stood up to walk over to Roman. "You''re the ones that got their charred asses handed to them. Best you learn your ce... mongrels."
With a sickening smile, Antone holds Roman''s forehead, forcing his eyes open as he presses the hot cigar into Roman''s left eye. Roman screams and struggles against his captive as the burning feeling proves too much to bite down.
"ROMAN!" Jeffrey shouted toward his good friend, unwillingness marred his face for being unable to do anything.
Suddenly, amidst the hateful screaming from Jeffrey and Roman, and the sickeningughter of Antone, a different instrument is introduced. One that proved to be deadly to an unsuspecting gangster.
*BANG*
Shocking everyone presented, those that are still conscious at least, a gangster''s head got turned into meat paste. As his body copses beneath the doorway, a hunk of a man in red is revealed in all his glory.
"Hohoho! You all have been very, very naughty."
Santa has arrived and he''s hot on their asses.
Not willing to let them recover from their initial shock, Santa points Naughties at another gangster and sts him through the window. With stride blisteringly fast, Santa arrives at another gangster that''s struggling to raise his gun and give him a taste of Naughties'' buttstock. The blow cracks open the gangster''s head and Santa uses the poor bastard as a human projectile to knock over another pair.
By this time, Antone and his men have woken up from their stupor and started firing at Saint Nichs Cage with everything they have. Yet, much to their dismay, the bullets disintegrate into wisps of golden light as Santa lets out a bellowingugh. "Hohoho!"
After spending all of their ammo and being unwilling to ept that Santa can''t be killed, the gangsters rush at Santa with knives and brass knuckles. They all punch and w at Santa to no avail, as whatever they throw at Santa only leaves behind sparks but not a scratch.
"Standing here, I realize... You all are impotent as hell." Santa chuckled darkly to himself as he didn''t even budge an inch under their assault.
Antone steps back in shock as he mutters, scared out of his wit. "What.. the actual fuck are you? Why won''t you die!?"
"Hohoho." Flexing his muscles, Santa replies. "Perks of being a Santa, son. Invulnerability before physical trauma."
"Impossible!" Said Antone.
Regardless, no matter how unbelievable it is, the proof is here right before their eyes. As Antone steps back, muttering iprehensibly to himself, Jeffrey and Roman watch on as Santa bulldozes through the rest of the white gangsters. Each kill he made is either bloodied or more bloodied, dying the floor of the vi dark red until finally, only Antone is left.
Unwillingly believing the situation that has been unfolding, Antoneughs weakly as Santa is now towering right in front of him. Throughout the entire ordeal, Santa ispletely clean and uninjured, even though the body count has already reached the dozens.
Grinning dangerously at Antone, Santa shoves a cherry-shaped grenade directly into Antone''s mouth, breaking his teeth before pulling the pin of the grenade. Without letting Antone struggle to remove the grenade that has been deep-throated forcefully, Santa hoists the gang leader up before throwing him out the window and into the snow. Dusting his hands, Santa turns around to Jeffrey and Roman.
"There goes the Naughties." As he chuckles, the cherry grenade explodes into a sh of fireworks, and to say that Antone is erased would be an understatement.
Jeffrey and Roman can only sweatdrop at the nonchnt attitude of the Santa in front of him, regardless of whether he is their savior or not.
Knowing that they are still in a state of disbelief, Santaughs. "Hohoho!" Before disappearing slowly, leaving behind a cup of milk and a note.
Jeffrey and Roman can only share a disbelief look before saying.
"Fuck."
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Dawn arrives and to Jeffrey and the Conti family, everything that has happened feels like a fever dream to them. Yet, the ss of magical milk that healed Jeffrey and Roman, the dollhouse that appeared out of nowhere for Irish, the note that detailing Luca''s operations, and the fact that there were two dozen corpses in the vi have basically sealed the myth that Santa us is very, very real.
Sitting on the porch of the ruined vi, Jeffrey and Roman direct their thousand yards stares toward the sight that is Irish ying around with Ada. Roman goes to say.
"Has the world gone crazy or I am still on an acid trip right now?" Holding out a bottle of whisky, Roman clinks it with Jeffrey''s.
The Jews answer after chugging the hot content in a mouthful. "The former, thankfully. And believe me, I think this is not thest time shit hit the fan."
"Touche." That was all Roman can say.
Right now, the pair of friends, bonded through trials by fire, would rather much ignore the carnage that''s being cleaned up behind them. Faintly, they swear that they can hear Santaughing his belly off, somewhere.
They sure hope that somewhere is anywhere but here though.
Vol 2: National Development – Interlude 2: Recent Developements
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Interlude 2: Recent Developements
*BROOM*
The loud noiseing from the rocket engine reverberates across the testing area as the bluish jet exhaust starts cooking the marshmallow sticks set up near it. After the test, crispily cooked marshmallows are ready to serve as the team behind the project moves to enjoy the treat. Doctor Werner von Braun, the director of the ongoing rocket engine development project,ments as he enjoys the treats.
"I have to be honest with you, Marshal, it''s a delectable experience to enjoy marshmallows cooked with our prototype engine."
Yuki chuckles as she is holding up a stick of the aromatic snack. "It''s just a spur-of-the-moment thought. Since the prototype engine was ready to be put on trial, may as well use it to make something tomemorate the asion."
Nodding to her words as he pulls out a piece of marshmallow, Werner says. "I have a guess that sooner orter, cooking marshmallows using rocket engines will be a widespread thing along here. What''s with the guys and girls finding it a good way to celebrate sess." Using his stick, Wener points it at the team members chatting happily near the engine with marshmallows in their hands.
Yukiughs having imagined the sight. "So long as they pay attention to safety procedures, I don''t see why not. You''re the team that is responsible for putting creating the next generation of propulsion, after all, a bit of fun will do great for morale and ingenuity."
"I will make sure the members keep that in mind, Marshal." Werner agreed with a nod. "Having said that, have you had the chance to take a look at my proposals, Marshal?"
Throwing away the empty sticks, Yuki wipes her hand with a wet tissue presented by Erika before answering.
"That I did, Dr. Braun. Your ideas about using liquid mana as an explosive ingredient in both the propulsion and detonation of a projectile were a pleasant surprise. The idea is very feasible on paper and I''ve already allocated additional funding to your Rocketry Department. The military is very interested in the prospect of rocket artillery, you see, so we will also help you with procuring testbeds for new trials."
With a smile on his face, Werner excitedly says. "Perfect! With the new funding and aid from the military, our department will soon present you with ground-breaking instruments of war. Perhaps in the future, we will soon be able to reach the moon with our new technologies. Though I have a hunch it will even happen in this generation."
Yuki affirmatively nods.
"We will get there soon enough when the world is at peace, right now, we can only take one step at a time. Anyway, let''s see to it that the mana jet engine in front of us operates at maximum reliability. Then, we can get around hooking it in a working aircraft for a test flight. It''s now January 1936 so the sooner we have a fleet of newer aircraft, the better we can train our pilots."
Werner replies. "Don''t worry, Marshal. We will have it done in no time."
With that out of the way, they then move on to exchange more information on the project and its potential. When a member proceeds to report on the data gathered from the test engine, Yuki is pleased to see that the prototype has a greater-than-expected efficiency and life expectancy. With this, she allows them to build more prototypes and have them test under different conditions. Since the first prototype is running on a mana battery, the others will be fitted to run either with liquid mana or a mix of both.
After giving out thest set of instructions, Yuki leaves Dr. Werner von Braun and his team to finish up thest tests for the day. Since the day is still long, Yuki has Erika and L escort her back to the Mansion of Wisdom. There, Yuki pays a visit to Einstein, Mobius, Nice, and Ningyo.
Yuki''s sudden visit causes them a bit of a surprise but it soon turns into excitement as they hurriedly introduce her to a working prototype of a gun dataputer. After a couple of gruesome months and with immense help from Ningyo''s and Nice''sputational capability, the first generation of ballisticputers is made. Though still too big for anything short of a tank or an aircraft, the X1-GDC is more than capable to calcte precise fire telemetries for either direct or indirect fire. When hooked up to a director, the X1 can also fulfill anti-aircraft applications. Of course, as it''s still a prototype, this ballisticputer requires a lot of additional bug-fixing and programming to get it up to snuff with the newer equipment. Regardless, just this positive sess alone has boosted Belka''s technological might by a decade. Yuki can''t wait until the day that the firstbat-capable Phantom jet has a built-in ballisticputer and radar. It will no doubt be a nightmare for the enemy to fight against.
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Stepping away from Belka''s secretive developments, wee to see General Liu sitting next to amunication terminal, trading information with his liege, Emperor Cao Long. Instead of a radiotelegraph, this Belkan-made radio uses expensive runic formations to maintain uninterrupted, instantaneous, and encrypted long-rangemunication. Kindly provided to them by the Belkan government, this machine has allowed General Liu and Emperor Cao Long to discreetlymunicate each side''s development with each other without fear of espionage activity.
"Your Majesty, I presume that the training progress for our standing army has been going well?" General Liu asked. He has been supervising the material transfer from Belka to China so he is out of touch with the current military standing of his home nation.
"It has been going very well, much more than I have anticipated. Apparently, the presents of the Belkan liaisons and the prospect of being a local superpower prove to be very enticing for the entire military to usher in a period of positive changes. Of course, there are oppositions, mainly from the Republicans and our own heads of the industry yet they amount to nothing under thebined might of the other Generals. A few of them have been petitioning me to use this modernization period to flush out those corrupted factory owners and put someone more capable in charge. As a matter of fact, I will do that if we want to produce the licensed Belkan equipment. That aside, we have subjected a few of our divisions to the new training regime and equipment, under the supervision of the Belkan liaisons, they will soon adapt to the modern era of warfare. As for the matter of our Air Force, things have been proceeding well and our pilots are constantly being trained on the newer aircraft. I am still waiting for the report on the navy, though. Since they''re being instructed by the Reichsmarine over in Europe, you will be the one to receive the first news, after all."
Heaving an audible sigh of relief, General Liuments. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to hear the good wordsing from you, Emperor. I used to fear that even though we received the goods, we will fail at implementing them due to some old cougars. Heaven above knows just how much trouble we had to face doing the deeds behind the back of those hyenas."
Letting out a bellowingugh on the other side, Emperor Cao Long says. "That goes to say that our preparations have proven their worth! By forging a close-knit bond with the militarist through the promise of wealth, power, and the threat of Imperial Japan, we''ve managed to force the tumors of our dynasty to submit. In a couple of years, the Long Dynasty will need not worry about the Republicans or Manchukuo. The only threat we will have to face will be the Japanese themselves."
General Liu adds. "Yet, even then they will not be an issue so long as we Chinese unite under onemon cause." Hearing the acknowledging harrumphs from the other end, General Liu continues. "Fortunately to us, the windfall from excavating the Tomb of Emperor Wu of Wei has provided us with untold riches. I just hope that Lord Cao Cao deems our transgression a necessity to ensure the perpetuity of China."
Though General Liu worded it with a touch of wariness, Emperor Cao Longughs in response, causing the General to shake his head.
"I assure you, old Liu, we will never have to worry about divine retribution. For it''s we that are in the right, after all." Emperor Cao reassured his trusted General.
After all, Lord Cao Cao won''t be throwing any charges at them for one reason and one reason only. This Cao Long here IS Cao Mengde''s reincarnation. Hahaha!
"I will take your word for it, Your Majesty." General Liu said with a sigh. "Have there any response from the Japanese?"
"None that we can''t handle. So far, they''ve been lobbying along with Manchukuo about the reason why we''re arming ourselves. They even got in touch with the Belkan ambassador here but are failing to get anything of note. We are banking on the facts that due to the Months of Demons, we need to improve our national defense. While Belka is stating that they have secured a trade agreement with us to profit from the lull in the war against Ustio. So far, the Japanese have been begrudgingly buying the excuses but we both know the true reason behind the matter." The Emperor said with a mocking tone when he mentioned the Japanese. "It''s about time we give the Japanese a taste of their own medicine. We will not let another Manchukuo happens ever again."
Having said that, the discussion between the Emperor and the General moves onto something else mainly''s it is about the Emperor''s family. When General Liu reports that little Mei is doing well and even managed to befriend the Belkan Princess Marshal''s sister, Emperor Cao Long is very pleased.
"That''s my girl! Climbing up the socialdder already!" He soon turned into an overly doting father and General Liu was forced to tell the Emperor every little thing Princess Mei has done, much to his exhaustion.
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Madrid, Spain. In the Lord Inquisitor''s chamber in the Spanish Inquisition Headquarters.
Lord Inquisitor Ricardo Camati is taking another look at the reports in his hand. The content is disturbing news to him and if all of these are proven true, then it''s safe to say that the Catholic world will be thrown into turmoil. Worst, the entire world will be put at risk for the sake of one deranged Pope.
Heaving a heavy disappointed sigh, the Lord Inquisitor stands up and proceeds to throw the ssified documents into the firece. As he watches the folders being burned to nothing more than ashes, Lord Ricardo mutters darkly. "Mussolini, you will doom us all! It seems like the Spanish Inquisition and Sargednian Papacy will no longer see eye to eye."
Once he confirms that the papers are all burned up, Lord Ricardo moves back to his office chair before slumping heavily onto it. A swirl of thoughts runs about in his mind as he struggles to find a solution to the predicament the people of Spain have found themselves in.
Ever since the beginning of the Months of Demon, Spain has been hit the hardest by the Demon spawns from all directions. This has caused widespread disruption on a major scale, plunging the country into a whirlpool of chaos as the Inquisition struggles to keep the nation intact via any means necessary. Yet, they''re being stretched thin as it is. Thankfully, the previous Lord Inquisitor turns out to be the key to restoring some semnce of stability to Spain. Back when the Belkan Reich was formed, Lord Camati''s predecessor has taken a tolerant standing with the up-anding Reich, unlike the Papacy that''s hellbent on its aggression against Belka. Granted, the predecessor''s standing was primarily the result of Spain still reeling from the aftermath of Ragnarok, much like all other countries at that time. Regardless, because of his tolerant standing, when Spain is down on luck right now, Belka offers them the olive branch and sends over numerous supplies. Just that gesture of goodwill alone has lifted a whole lot of pressure from the Inquisition. This allowed Lord Ricardo a chance to investigate the cause of why Spain is hit the hardest in this period. The answer truly frustrated him to no end, as you have seen.
To exin it much more clearly, you will have to know that Spain is a subsidiary Catholic state to Sardegna, one that is being overseen by Lord Ricardo and his Spanish Inquisition. Yet, unlike the Sargdegnians, the Spanish people have a much more open-minded view than Catholics. Many Spanish lends their ears to the teacher of Belkan''s Yggdrasil Pantheon for, in their opinions, the Pantheon provides a clear answer to Catholic belief, unlike the Sardegnian Papacy where it requires blind faith. This has caused friction between the two countries'' believers and was further exacerbated by the previous Lord Inquisitor''s action. The tension between the two sides is now at its highest when Spain is ravaged by Demons while Sardegna is still calm and prosperous. Thetter even propagated that Spain is receiving God''s retribution for not taking a harder stance against the Belkan''s heresy and that if they repent, Sardegna will send aid.
"Repent my holy ass!" Lord Ricardo cursed for the reason why Spain is the hot spot for Demons right now is that Sardegna has been sending the Demons their way!
When faced with thecking trust the Spanish have been showing to the Papacy, the Sardegnian Pope Mussolini, in a stroke of distasteful genius, ordered his army to secretly reinforce the Demons in Spain. This is achieved by fostering man-made Demon spawn zones, made possible by thecking presence of the Spanish Inquisition. And when Spain is on itsst leg, Sardegna will swoop in to save the day and reaffirm its holding in this subsidiary state. It''s such a stupid n on so many levels that Lord Ricardo can''t believe that this Pope is the leader of the Catholic world. But that''s not the world-ending news, no. this is but the tip of the iceberg.
Lord Ricardo''s agents have caught a lead on a possible Sardegnian project that, ording to their words, is ''no different than opening Pandora''s box". Now it''s still unconfirmed for the traces have gone cold but they''ve gathered that possible human experimentations have taken ce some time ago. Experimentations that involved creating a superhuman that has the strength capable of contending with Demons. While it sounded wonderful on paper, his agents have alreadye across countless human corpses and a, temporarily dubbed ''failed experiment that has the power to wipe out two squads of veteran Inquisitors''. This is not good news for if words get out about this, the Catholic world will lose substantial standing if the words of the Yggdrasil Pantheon are to go by. It''s hell on Earth if we are to experiment on the power we don''t understand nor are allowed to for, quite literally, the world will not stop at anything to eradicate us.
Hence Lord Ricardo is seriously contemting throwing this hot potato to someone else. The Spanish Inquisition doesn''t have enough power to contend against Sardegna and its possible supersoldiers. Having figured it out up to here, Lord Ricardo sighs for he knows only one party will be interested in putting a foot into this mess between two religious parties.
"It would seem like I have to pay a visit to Belka."
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 17: Nobody expects anything
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 17: Nobody expects anything
Pulling the control stick backward, Yuki forces her aircraft to go into a steep climb. Right when she reaches the half loop, Yuki applies the right rudder to yaw her aircraft and performs a side slip. At the top of the loop, her aircraft ends up inverted and pointing outside of the loop''s vertical ne. At that point, Yuki applies a hard reverse rudder, while at the same time controlling the aircraft''s right aileron to roll the aircraft in the opposite direction of the applied reverse rudder. After the resulting twisting motion, Yuki uses the elevator to pull the aircraft up, which brings it into a horizontal flight in the same direction as the loop began and right behind an aircraft of a simr design to her own.
"I''ve got you on my sight." Yuki announced over the radio with a hint of a smile. Her words also mark the end of the mock test flight of the newer aircraft model made by Focke-Wulf.
"Well, I will be damn, Marshal. Where the hell did you learn to fly like that? Better yet, howe you haven''t cked out from pulling all those Gs?" Came the surprised tone of Rigel 1, Yuki''s OPFOR pilot in the suddenbat maneuver test they did earlier.
Yuki chuckles, saying. "Ady has to have a few tricks up her sleeve. Come on, let''s get these babiesnded and have the technicians take a look over them. I have a feeling that we put these aircraft ways past the specification from all the maneuvers we did."
"Lead the way, Marshal." Came the reply from Rigel 1.
During the transition period from traditional propeller aircraft to jet-powered ones, Yuki and the Air Force caught on that there must be an aircraft that serves as a stop-gap until the whole air fleet can be modernized. While the improved Bf-109 that saw exported to China is more than capable against its contemporaries'' designs, it proved to be extremely limited on anything other than air superiority, not suitable for Belka''s new doctrines. So, General Jurgen suggested to Yuki they should hand out a new contract to relevantpanies and have them develop the next era, and most probably thest, of piston-engine aircraft with the newest set of technologies.
Of all thepanies that are able to manufacture aircraft in Belka, only four joined topete in getting the contract. They are Heinkel, Focke-Wulf, Henschel & Son, and Gotha, with each offering their own design under these requirements:
- The aircraft has to be a high-endurance, multirole, all-weather, and carrier-capable design. It must be able to maintain an uninterrupted presence over a contested battle zone for an extended period of time.
- It must be able to carry at least 2500 kg of ordnance, both modern and future ones, while still capable of taking off from an aircraft carrier without assistance.
- The design has to take into ount the newer technologies and avionics that Belka has to offer. Meaning: Turboprop powered by mana, modern avionics, and newer ordnance...
- Most important of all are the reliability and safety of the design.
Under these requirements and the fact that the budget for the program is aplenty, the fourpanies let loose and set out to design what would be their proudest achievements to date.
Heinkel would set out to put forth a bigger and more modernized version of the He 100. This failed the trial for having an unreliable turboprop that stalled when under high-G maneuver. The aircraft also failed for being an arse to maintain ording to the engineering crew that''s been working on it.
Henschel and Son came along with what could only be described as a flying tank with their twin-engine design. Though promising for being able to carry a lot of ordnance, it failed to make the cut for being too heavy and unable to operate on an aircraft carrier without having to reduce its payload by half, resulting in it only being able to bring 2000 kg of ordnance. That and the size of the aircraft is toorge for the simted hangar of the Yggdrasil-ss carrier, even with its wings folded.
The design from Gotha was a surprise though. Since thepany is licensed to produce Bf-110, they''ve opted to modernize the tform under the blessing of Emil Messerschmitt himself, and they did that by a lot. Gotha has pushed the boundary of what the Bf-110 is capable of and, to be honest with you, has created what''s possibly the best twin-engine aircraft an Air Force would want. With updated engines, modern avionics, and the ability to carry almost five times its previous payload of only 700 kg, this thing is best ssified as a new aircraft altogether. Best of all the older Bf-110 can be refurbished to the newest standard, dubbed Bf-110 H by the Gotha designers. Even the father of the 110 is impressed by the renovated design of the aircraft. Yet, thises with a downside. The Bf-110 is now crammed with so much new technology that it has reached a dead end in its development cycle. Though it will be state-of-the-art for the next three to five years, it will be hopelessly outssed by anything newer. Especially more so when the Jet era is right around the corner. The design alsoes with a matching price tag for maintenance, being a twin-engine design, and is a multi-crew aircraft.
The Gotha designers knew this well, which was why they weren''t aiming to get the contract per se. They''re actually using this chance to make a testbed in hope that they will receive another kind of contract, one that involves modernizing the aging Bf-110 fleet for the export market. Yuki must admit it was a smart move by them,ing from apany that is still inexperienced in makingbat aircraft.
Anyway, thestpany to make an entry into thispetition is Focke-Wulf. You should have guessed by now that Focke-Wulf is the clear winner here. It''s why Yuki is flying in a mock battle using their aircraft, after all.
Focke-Wulf named their brainchild Fw 152 and boldly imed to the Reich Marshal that, and this slime quote, "If there exists a better prop ne at the moment, thepany will change its name to Puter."
Well, the im wasn''t made without basis, the Fw 152 was a joy to fly and quite possibly the most trusty propeller aircraft to ever exist now and in the future. Made from the ground up with the potential for future revisions, the Fw 152, Skyraider, is the final answer to end the era of piston fighters.
Powered by a ridiculous 3700 hp turboprop, the Skyraider has a maximum speed of 760 km/h, a range of 2200 km, a service ceiling of 15100 m, and a rate of climb of 20m/s. It''s armed with four 20mm autocannons with 800 rounds in total or three 30mm autocannons (one being a motor cannon) with 600 rounds in total. In addition to its guns, the Skyraider can carry and take off unassisted from an aircraft carrier with a payload of 3600 kg, mounted under 15 external hardpoints. If that isn''t enough bomb to level an entire vige, Yuki doesn''t know what will. A bonus will be that the aircraft also have an ejection system, a first for a prop ne.
True, the aircraft will be he more expensive than, let''s say a Bf-109, but it''s a given considering the missions it has to fulfill. Not to mention the fact that the projected cost of procuring and maintaining three Skyraider equals two Harriers or one Phantom. So in the near future, you will be seeing a lot more Skyraiders than jets. Yuki has a feeling the Skyraider will still be relevant fifty years into the future, just because it''s so cheap to run. Granted, it won''t be as effective against near-pear threats.
Back to the task at hand which isnding the wild girl that is the Skyraider. Wild because, and let''s be honest here, if an aircraft equipped with a 3700 hp engine is not wild then what is?
Thanks to it being midday and there''s little to no cloud, the visibility is great for them tond. Yuki slowly eases up the throttle of the aircraft till she reaches a speed that can deploynding ps and gears. Once all is said and done, she gently brings the girl down for a soft touch down, smooth as silk. Rigel 1 follows soon after for a simr textbooknding before they both pull to a stop near the service hangars. There, a small crowd is already formed upon their arrival, among them is the stony-face Bryn.
Spotting her from inside the cockpit, Yuki is tempted to kick the throttle to full and take flight again for she dreads the earful she will be receiving. In the end, she chooses not to and epts the uing session with dignity. Stepping off with the help of a technician, Yuki removes her flight helmet before moving toward Bryn who is crossing her arms while lightly tapping her foot. Along the way, Yuki is greeted by Rigel 1.
"Marshal! Once again, nice flying back there." The Ace pilot said with a big smile. The man has blond hair, ck eyes, and a well-kept beard, he bears the rank of Captain and ismanding the Rigel squadron.
"Captain Milosz Sulejmani," Yuki greeted him back. "You also flew wonderfully. As expected of Belka''s most famous Ace."
Stopping for a bit, Yuki says. "You know if only you''ve taken up the offer from the Top Gun Academy. Goddess knows we will need people like you to lead those hot-blooded pilots."
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Captain Sulejmani says. "I am and will never be a proper instructor, not when I only feel at home, soaring with a selected few. That job is best suited for people that are more... grounded."
Shrugging but nheless epting the Captain''s choice, Yuki moves on to ask. "So, how are you liking the ne?"
"The Skyraider? Well, Focke-Wulf isn''t all barks but no bites, that''s for sure. They delivered what they promised and I can''t wait to truly put her through her paces." The Captain turns to his Skyraider painted in dark blue. "She is truly deserving to be thest huzzah of a generation of aircraft."
Seeing the mncholic expression on the Ace approaching histe thirties, Yuki goes to end the conversation by saying.
"With such a promising prospect, we will no doubt ce arge order for the aircraft. Perhaps with it, someone may go and contest the title of the Strongest Ace with you."
This brings forth a confident smirk from the Captain. "I would like to see them try."
Yuki then bid the Captain goodbye before heading over to Bryn. Unsurprisingly, the first thing thetter does is pinch Yuki''s stic cheek.
"Aiya~! Pain! Pain!" Yuki protested before Bryn let off her fingers.
The Valkyrie says, not very impressed by Yuki''s action. "So, who''s the unlucky bastard that got roped by you and let you take off with an experimental aircraft no less?"
Smiling cutely at the pointed question, Yuki tilts her head and says. "Tehe~?"
"... I''m not paid well enough for this shit." Bryn facepalmed. "You''re lucky that something just came up and required your attention, otherwise you won''t be hearing thest of this from me and Hel."
Hurriedly changing the topic to what Bryn said, Yuki asks. "Oh, oh! What''s it that needs my personal touch?"
Rushing over to hug Bryn''s arm, Yuki goes to say. "We can talk in the car!"
Sighing at her lover, Bryn leads them back to Yuki''s motorcade. Once there, Sergeant Erika, patiently guarding Yuki as always, opens the door of their Mercedes. Inside the vehicle, Bryn fills in Yuki with thetest development.
"A group of foreign dignitaries has arrived, hailing from the Republic of Portugal of all things. They''re here to talk about trading and arms deals."
"And I guess there''s a caveat somewhere, hence you''re bringing it to me?" Yuki asked as she leaned on Bryn. Thetter makes Yukifortable by slightly adjusting her posture.
"That''s right, they''vee to talk about heavy armaments. Correct me if I''m wrong but I don''t think Portugal has a big enough pocket to do that." Bryn pointed out the obvious.
Yuki chuckles. "No, they don''t. Which means this is an obvious cover for something, one that the opposite party wanted us to notice."
Bryn nods, also of the same mind. "Do you have any idea who they are and what they''re here for?"
Yuki rxes her body, closing her eye while tapping on the armrest with her fingers. "I have a guess as to who and why but it''s better if we see what they have to say for ourselves."
"Alright, per usual I have them waiting at the base. They won''t be able to do anything by being there." Bryn added to which Yuki hummed in acknowledgment.
Bryn notices that Yuki wants to take a short break so she orders Erika to drive slower and go on a detour while she watches over the young Marshal. Kissing Yuki on her hair, Bryn pats the girl to sleep as they take a thirty minutes trip around the city.
------------------------------------------------------------
Yuki now refreshes and lively thanks to Bryn''s impromptu decision,es into the meeting room where the so-called Portuguese are waiting.
"My apology, gentlemen, sudden matters keep springing up left, right, and center and causing me to lose not a small amount of time before getting here." She addressed the men in suits with a friendly smile, followed behind by Bryn and a few aides.
A grizzled man, approaching histe fifties and wearing a white tux, stands up and bows. "It''s our honor to receive you, Marshal. We didn''t have to wait long and the service here has been very hospitable to us." His retinue also performs a simr curtsy as the aides go around to rece the drinks and snacks.
"Good to hear that." Yuki nodded before she and Bryn took a seat at the head of the table. "Please, be my guest."
With her permission, the man in white and his group, dressed in ck, also take a seat by the table.
Yuki goes on to break the ice by saying. "Color me surprised when I heard that the Portuguese are here, and to discuss heavy weapons no less. This is why I dare say that you aren''t from the Republic, heck you aren''t even sharing the same regime. I have an idea as to who you really are but I will let you enlighten me on that."
Nodding nonplussed at Yuki''s direct way of saying fess up now and don''t waste our time. The man in the white tux proceeds to pull out a red cross from his coat pocket and ce it on the table. The action is also mimicked by the African men dressed in ck. And to the people in the room that can recognize the crosses, are shocked to see the men dressed in tux here.
Yuki, seeing the crosses have a wide grin on her face as she leans back, saying.
"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. True to your fame, your weapons are surprise, fear, ruthless efficiency, and most important of all, devotion to the cause."
Standing up after Yuki''s speech, the man in white performs a Belkan curtsy before reintroducing himself.
"It would seem our reputation preceded us. Allow me to introduce ourselves, I''m Lord Inquisitor Ricardo Camati and those behind me are the few Inquisitors I can entrust my life to. Their leader is Carl Johnson."
The African man with a shaved head nods, saying. "You can call me CJ, Marshal." Receiving a nod from Yuki in return.
Yuki then goes on to say. "Though we have some dealings with Spain before, I don''t think it will warrant an entry like this to Belkan soil. Something must be serious if you went here incognito with such a small guard retinue."
"It is as you said, Marshal." Lord Camati acknowledged it before surprising everyone by bowing toward Yuki. "Spain needs your help!"
The sudden act stunned everyone into silence. After a few seconds, having put her brain into overdrive to figure out the cause to warrant such a Lord Inquisitor to bow to a foreign power, Yuki leans back with a palm on her temple. The Marshal knows what about the shitstorm that has been brewing in Spain, her agents are tracking it step by step, but it''s not supposed to be bad enough for the Lord Inquisitor to bow. This means that there is something missing in their intel, something that could be a game changer or worse, a game setter.
"This is not supposed to happen any time soon, damn it..." Yuki cursed under her breath, earning herself a concerned look from Bryn.
Massaging her temple, Yuki leans forward and says with a voice that leaves no room for negotiation. "Tell me everything."
Seeing the cold seriousness in the Marshal''s eye, Lord Camati secretly admired the spirit the young Marshal exuded before going on toy out everything he has prepared.
Once done, Bryn and the others are surprised to see that Yuki suddenly stands up, and with a single empowered punch, obliterates the table into splinters. Thankfully, they only receive minor scratches and while they''re shocked, they elected to remain silent. The reason is Yuki is exuding such a tyrannical aura, her face is chillingly passive as she seems to stare off into the unknown. The oppression she is bringing out onto everyone is only alleviated when Bryn musters enough courage to ce a palm on Yuki''s back. This seems to bring thetter back to Earth as she turns around and gives Bryn a grateful nod, her face now returning to its normal expressive behavior.
Turning to address the Inquisitors who are regaining their wits, Yuki says. "Apology for the unsightly disy. You must understand that the information you gave me is very, very frowned upon here."
Lord Camati nods, epting Yuki''s apology. "I understand, Marshal, I am much the same when I heard this news. Now then, should we continue with our discussion?" Befitting of a veteran, the Lord Inquisitor remains calm and collected as they all return to their seats.
"dly, we have much to discuss." Yuki said with a small smile as she signaled the aides for a recement for the table.
Whatever is going on in Spain, and by extension Sardegna, Yuki must get to the bottom of it.
Chapters delayed due to Covid
Chapters dyed due to Covid
Sorry to say this guys, but due to me being infected with the Coof, C-Virus, Covid... I won''t be able to post the next chapters for Reich Marshal or Omniversal Bar, not until I can get rid of this headache.
It pained me, not being able to work for a few days to a week. This means that I also failed to keep up my regr schedule and I fear that I''ve failed you all, especially my Patrons. I am also afraid my mom will be infected with the disease, living next to me and the like. Gotta keep an eye out for that, huh?
Regardless, I will try and get well from the sickness, at the very least, the headache before I return to work on RM first before R.O.B. See you guys around!
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 18: A mother’s feelings
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 18: A mother¡¯s feelings
"Hel!" Bryn''s voice stopped me from knocking on the door to Yuki''s office in the Mansion of Wisdom. With an almost imperceptible frown, I turn to look at the Valkyrie.
Having lived with each other for a long while, Bryn can infer my annoyance at being stopped by her. So, cing a hand on my shoulder, she directs me away from the door as she speaks.
"Look, I know that you''re worried about Yuki, me too, but she is a big girl already. A girl also needs some time to be alone for herself."
Sighing at that conjecture, I reply.
"Look, I get it, but she has never shown genuine anger, not to mentionshing out in rage like that. I felt that all the way at the Cathedral so you can''t exactly me me for wanting to check up on her."
With Yuki being in Berlin, the holy ground of the Yggdrasil Pantheon, I have the privilege to be able to sense Yuki''s general location, her health, and her mental state as long as she is in the city. Earlier this day, I surge of bone-chilling rage washed over my connection with Yuki as I felt her utter hatred for whatever she just heard. I drop everything I did as soon as possible toe here but Yuki is not receiving any visitors after the meeting with the Spanish Inquisitors.
"Just what exactly has she been listening to that caused her outburst?" I asked as we both take our seats by a waiting table outside of Yuki''s office.
Bryn, having heard that, starts retelling the entire discussion. After listening to her exnation, I can''t help but massage my temple.
"Gosh, humanity and their stupidity never cease to amaze me." Iined out loud, earning a dry chuckle from Bryn. "So let me get this straight, despite our warnings to the internationalmunity about the dangers of live human experimentation with mana, Sardegna still does it anyway and is somehow hiding it away from our intelwork. It was not until the Spanish Inquisitors came across a live specimen, murdered their squads, and left behind a trail of blood that we came to know about their existence, am I correct so far?"
Bryn nods, saying. "That''s the gist of it, yeah."
"...This is not a job human is capable of pulling. We have Einherjar working as Yuki''s field operatives so it''s weird that the Sardegnians were able to escape their notices." Imented.
"Yuki also said that her conjecture was that a non-human race is helping them in their reckless endeavor." Bryn added.
"And if that''s the case then they must have a lot of helpers capable of using subterfuge magic. I find it hard to believe that with magic in the mix, Spanish Inquisitors managed to sniff out their experiment." I concluded. "This must be on purpose, the Sardegnians allowed the Inquisitors to get close, most probably to test out their product, failed or not, and have both sides killed each other."
"Whatever the case, I''m just surprised that the world still hasn''t retaliated any harder, what''s with the sheer scale of the matter and all." Bryn wondered as I also nodded in agreement.
Though we haven''t had a hand in doing such distasteful work on living beings, we know that the world is capable of inferring when and where human experimentation is taking ce. And should mana is injected haphazardly and unnaturally into a human, the Will of the world will intervene and 100 percent of the time, will cause the experiment to copse. Usually, failure of an experiment is apanied by a mana explosion that obliterated everything in a not-so-small radius. Or, rarely, it would spawn a mindless beast that is much alike the one that killed the Inquisitors. But those are minor experiments, this one is a whole country operating on living beings. If the scale is thisrge, I dread the retaliation the Will of the world will hand out.
"You need not worry about it, for a while at least." A voice interjected one that I am now very familiar with.
Bryn and I turn over to Yggdra, who has, most probably, teleported right next to us. We both give her our greeting as she picks her seat next to mine. Even after months of interaction with her, I still feel a bit giddy that a person at the epitome of power is my family member.
Yggdra gets herself situated before exining. "ya, the Will of the world, knows about what''s happening in Sardegna, and of course, I too also have knowledge of it. Yet, when I discuss the matter of fallout with ya, the Will of the world has stated, quite bluntly that she will not do anything, not yet for a few years. But if the fallout is to ur, ya told us to clean up our own mess."
Yggdra stops to let the words sink in before saying. "Now, I''m not gonna handholding you, nor Yuki in this, all I can say is that the so-called helpers of the Sardegnian Papacy were once members of both the Reich and Imperial Japan. You and Yuki can use that information as you see fit. You are all grown-ups, some rocks along the way shouldn''t be an issue."
I can''t help but nod at her words. Though she is literally omnipotent and omniscient, Yggdra doesn''t have a responsibility to help us every single time. She is our Mother and family, after all, not our servant. And if you truly love your family, you won''t bother them with every single thing.
We continue to chat for a bit, this time, it''s about Yuki herself. When faced with the fact that Yuki lost control of her emotion, Yggdra nods knowingly.
"That girl is easy-going, most of the time, yet, there are bottom lines that shouldn''t be crossed. The Sardegnians ran over the lines by experimenting with something they shouldn''t in pursuit of power, sacrificing everything else for it. In Yuki''s opinion, such power is corrupted, tainted, and will cause needless suffering for everybody involved. If waging war against the world is a necessity, then Sardegna has made it personal in Yuki''s mind."
Yggdra is about to say more when she turns over to Yuki''s office. "It seems like the girl has set her emotion straight."
With a click and a push of the door, Yuki reveals herself with a tired look. Ignoring the fact that her attire is a bit unkempt, Yuki walks toward Bryn and deposits a container.
"Can you help me send this over to the Brainiacs? Tell them it contained a new design for a strategic bomber, some designs for rocket artillery, and a gift for Mobius." Her instruction wasced with a sleepy voice.
Unable to contain myself, I move over to hug Yuki, pulling her to my seat and making her rest on myp. Yggdra watches on with a kind smile while casting a rejuvenation spell at Yuki while Bryn stands up, excusing herself silently, not before showing a concerned expression though.
Whatever it was that Yuki did, it drains her a lot. My cute little child is struggling to stay awake as she is nuzzled in my arms. Unwilling to move her at this stage, I turn to Yggdra.
"Can I trouble you to help me move her back to the castle?" I asked.
"It will be my pleasure, I will be putting the two of you in the bedroom so hold onto her tight. I will join along with the restter in the night." Yggdra said with a motherly tone. I''m grateful for her presence in this family of ours.
"Thanks, I will be seeing youter." I said before Yuki and I were enveloped by a blue energy curtain.
We then appear on top of the grand bed in our quarter, cing Yuki gently, her head resting on the silk pillow, I then plop myself next to her before pulling her into a hug with her face opposite to mine. Seeing that my little love is tired but struggling to sleep, I start singing her a song, hoping it will lull her into dreand.
"I remember tears streaming down your face,
When I said I''ll never let you go,
When all those shadows almost killed your light.
I remember you said: ''Don''t leave me here alone.''
But all that''s dead and gone and passed tonight.
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.
You''ll be alright, no one can hurt you now.
Come morning light, you and I''ll be safe and sound.
Don''t you dare look out your window, darling, everything''s on fire.
The war outside our door keeps raging on.
Hold onto this luby even when the music''s gone, gone.
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.
You''ll be alright, no one can hurt you now.
Come morning light, you and I''ll be safe and sound.
Ooh (ooh)
Ooh (ooh)
Oh whoa (oh whoa)
Oh whoa (oh whoa)
Ooh (ooh)
Ooh (ooh)
Oh whoa
Oh whoa
Just close your eyes.
You''ll be alright.
Come morning light.
You and I''ll be safe and sound.
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
The song is short, yet, by the time it ended, Yuki''s expression is now rxed, and her breathing is now slowed and steady. She is peacefully asleep. Regardless, I''m not gonna leave her alone, not just yet.
"You know, Yuki, I am starting to think meeting and adopting you, was fated to happen." I chuckled softly. "Now that I think about it, Yggdra was probably the mastermind behind everything, what''s with your fate being so... singr and all. Not to mention thedy has a hidden obsession over you, no doubt she would want you to have the best family and love this world has to offer."
I smile, patting Yuki''s gray hair before removing her eyepatch, and leaving it to the side. "But I, we, never regret having you in our lives. You''re now our beacon, our hope, our love. It''s also you who is the glue to keep this unique and entric family bonded. I dread to imagine a future where members of our family, stood on the opposite side of the spectrum instead of loving each other like we are right now."
With my thumb now caressing Yuki''s left eye, one that has been reced and augmented by Yggdra, I softly say.
"Yet, you also have the tendency to put everything on your frail shoulders, regardless of whether you have recruited helpers or not. It''s unhealthy, it''s dangerous, and it''s not worth it to fight the entire world alone. Yuki, we are here not just to be supported by you. We are here to also support you in return along the journey that is life. You need not forge ahead alone for we are capable women and we will be standing right next to you. Whether you like it or not, we are not dolls to be sheltered and will be fighting alongside you. Best keep that in mind, this unruly little lover of mine."
With a hand under Yuki''s chin, I direct her face upward to meet my lips. After tasting the cherry vor of her lips, I then push my tongue inside as I explore hers with a sudden craving. I greedily devour her lips, losing myself in the moment but Yuki''s moaning as her hands reflexively hug me closer returns me to my sense. Giving onest kiss, this time gently, I regretfully pull away before hugging her into my breast.
"Soon, Yuki, soon." Though I said it that way, I know deep inside it''s directed toward myself. "Just two more years before I can release this pent-up lust of mine. I hope by that time, you can take it all at once. Ufufufu..."
Iugh, not knowing that it''s a very seductive one. With me being a Goddess of Life and Death, the act of child-making is rated quite highly on my to-do list. Though I haven''t been able to conceive a child, I still want to do it with my loved ones. Lu and Bryn already shared passionated nights with me but Yggdra and Elysia opted for Yuki to grow up beforemitting to any carnal act. Now there are still more love interests for Yuki, with the almost confirmed one being the stoic Einstein and I can''t wait to see how Yuki''s harem will grow.
After all, I can''t wait till I hold a child born from this family.
Really, really, can''t wait.
Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 19: Paramilitary
Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 19: Paramilitary
After a well-earned rest, Yuki wakes up in the loving embrace of her family members, namely Yggdra, Lu, Hel, Bryn, Ningyo, and even Elysia. She is pleasantly surprised to find that after cking out yesterday, her family opted to end their work early, just so that they could take care of her. It makes Yuki''s little heart flutters when bathed in their love.
Regardless, there''s much work to be done today, even though Yuki really wants to kick back and rx for a day or two. The circumstance over Spain needs her immediate attention. So, gently, Yuki calls her lovers awake before they proceed to perform their morning routine, and have a nice breakfast, before heading out. Elysia, much to her regret, has to part ways with Yuki, she has to return to Eden''s side as they are still preparing for their oversea tour. Ningyo, on the other hand, skips away to Einstein, Mobius, and Nice after making Yuki perfectly fine. Yggdra, as usual, returns to the World Tree and oversees the world. This leaves only Bryn, Lu, and Hel apanying Yuki to meet with the Spanish Inquisition, at 9 am in the morning. In the throne room, the relevant people are already present.
After a Reichsguard announced their entry, Hel and Lu move to their respective throne while Yuki sit on another, smaller one, situated to the left of Hel''s. While Bryn stands behind Yuki, ready to do anything thetter asks of her at a moment''s notice. Standing in front of the thrones at the lower steps are members of the Inquisition and a few Belkan decision-makers.
"We gather here today to discuss a potential treaty with the leadership of the Spanish Inquisition. For the Inquisition, you can present your case on the benefits we can gain by signing a treaty with you. As for the Belkan Minister and Generals, you have all been briefed and you are here to provide your analysis of the situation at hand. What we will hear will determine whether we have a treaty or not and to what extent will we support you when we sign the treaty." Hel addressed the people present, receiving nods from everyone.
Though yesterday''s meeting between the Spanish and Yuki ended on a positive note, nothing was cemented. Hence, Lord Camati must now step forth and negotiate.
"Your Majesties and Marshal, allow me to make my case." Lord Ricardo stepped forward and bowed. "For so long, Spain has been put under the oppressive clutch of the Sardegnian Papacy. Though we both share the same religious root, our open-mindedness in epting change and sound wisdom has always put us at odds with the Papacy. Thus, in their zealotry, Sardegna has deemed that sowing chaos in Spain, causing the nation to copse before finally, annexing us once and for all, is a wise move. Yet, they go about it by inhumane means and that is to artificially increase the poption of Demons roaming Spain. This has caused widespread disruption and the deaths of hundreds of thousands! We have been stretched too thin without a proper standing military and now, with the advent of possible artificial supersoldiers, we have found ourselves verycking. It''s as such that we are here to seek aid from the Belkan Reich, a nation that has been showing us nothing but goodwill so far. Even if you won''t help us, we will still be rescinding our allegiance to the Papacy, I will not let our people suffer under the yolk of a lunatic Pope."
Nodding at his words, Hel asks while Lu leans back with a hand under her chin. "What do you have to offer?"
"Allow me to be blunt, your Majesties." Hel frowns at this but Lu waves him to go on with a smirk while Yuki and Bryn both have pondering expressions.
Nheless, with Lu''s explicit permission, Lord Ricardo carries on.
"From what I can infer, your Alliance with the Ustian Reformists is to gain entry to the Ustian colonies that are Africa and Indochina once Princess Rosa Bonaparte is to elevate herself as the Ustian Queen. Yet, even with the Ustian Loyalists defeated, the Sardegnian Papacy will no doubt interfere with your ess to the colonies for they are too greedy for their own good. In the contest for the colonies, especially Africa, Spain serves as a strategic location for it''s through it, goods can be transported cheaply and quickly. Whoever controls Spain will control Africa."
Stopping for a bit, Lord Camati then continues.
"Spain is willing to act as a tribunary state to the Belkan Reich in exchange for protection and economical aid. Should the treatye to pass, Spain will see to it that it will fulfill any request from the Belkan Reich, as long as it''s reasonable and doesn''t go against the will of the people."
Lord Camati''s statement earns raised eyebrows from the people present. It''s no different than exchanging one overlord for another and he should be smart enough to know that even if he wasn''t offering all that much, the Belkan Reich will still send aid anyway because Spain is too important to lose. So why ced an offer that will make them lose their independence while also providing the other party with too many benefits?
Sensing that there''s a trap somewhere, Hel frown while Lu has an appraising look on her face. Yuki interjects before anyone can say anything, however. "You''re looking to ride on the coattail of the Reich''s future achievements, aren''t you."
"As expected of the Marshal, nothing can escape your notice. Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that was my intention. In my line of work, I''vee to be able to read between the lines. Your recent advancements are no doubt just the tip of the iceberg. Sooner orter, Belkan and Ustio will be major yers in the region, dwarfing even the colossus that is Erusea and the Rusviet Union. Knowing that Spain, albeit a trade hub, is small andcks genuine talents to make the country truly great even if we can protect our independence. It''s better if we can serve under the Reich that can propel us to a brighter future, even if it''s just for the former''s convenience." Lord Camati exined, his exnation didn''te out as a shock to his Spanish retinue.
It seems like the former truly has the trust of his subordinates, even if he is selling out their country.
Yuki nods, thinking to herself how much this will impact future developments while Lu smirked at the Lord Inquisitor. "You''re awfully trusting in our capability. Aren''t you afraid that we will stumble and cause your downfall along with us?"
Nonplussed, Lord Camati responds. "It beats being the pawn of the Papacy. If we die, we die as free men and women!"
Laughing out loud at his conviction, Lu praises the Spanish man. "Well said! You embodied the spirit of Spain very well!"
She goes on to say. "Let''s just end this facade already, we all know that Belka will help Spain regardless of the offer thetter put forth. Though I do admit that having Spain presenting itself as a tribunary state was unexpected."
Sighing at the fact that Lu, once again, burns through the formal procedure because she iszy, Hel turns to address Yuki.
"Marshal, what''s your opinion?"
Yuki crosses her arms, looking at Lord Camati before saying.
"As the Lord Inquisitor said after we''re done with Ustio, we will be branching out for the colonies andter on, the entire world. However, if Spain is taken over by Sardegna, Ustio and Belka won''t be able to ess the colonies. Hence, it''s now imperative that Spain is under friendly control. To ensure that will be the case, we must deploy not just material but also military aid, just enough to stabilize Spain and preferably without kicking a ho nest. If Sardegna is spooked and proceeded to tantly invade Spain, we can''t help them in the time since the Months of Demon is still ongoing and we are too far away to intervene. For that reason only, we can''t deploy our regr military."
This caused everybody to have a pondering expression. Yuki is right, the ndestine trip made by the Spanish Inquisition here was to evade the Sardegnians'' notice. If they got wind of this, there''s no telling how they will react. The same goes for sending over a Reich''s army, it will be seen as an act of war on their end.
"This means we must make this a paramilitary operation." Yuki added.
To which Hel questions. "Paramilitary?"
"That''s right, a paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and, often, function are simr to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country''s official or legitimate armed forces. An example will be ONI and its operative branches or the Adventurers'' Guild with their international work in dealing with Demons or simply, mercenary." Yuki exined. Her words allowed General Bedonna, who has been silent thus far, to infer what Yuki wanted.
"I see, that is a brilliant idea, Marshal." The cat-eared female General then says with a mischievous tone. "It would be a shame for the Sardegnians if an adventurous mercenarypany intervenes in Spain."
With a simr smirk on her face, Yuki piggybacks on the words of General Bedonna. "Saidpany is, somehow, very experienced in the ways of battle also, they''re clearly ex-military."
Somehow, Lord Camati also feels the need to chime in, saying with a grin. "And since they''re paid by Spain, they will be apanied by veteran Inquisitors who are also adept at dealing with Demons and know they of thend."
"Together, they willb Spain and free it from the terrors that befall it. Yet, because they''re unaffiliated with any country on paper, Sardegna can only suck it up." Lu ended it with a big smile.
As the four leading figures of the two factions share a dangerousugh, Hel and Bryn can only shake their heads at the sight. Hel even goes on to ask Bryn this.
"I''m not watching a bunch of children, aren''t I?"
The Valkyrie can only sport a wry smile at this. At least both side seems to be very amiable when they n their course of action.
Moving past the formation of the new mercenary group to be deployed in Spain, both sides then discuss the matter of supplying the Inquisition with additional hardware and supplies for humanitarian purposes. This proves to be a faster talk than before as Belka can just send over the surplus stuff they now have in abundance, just like what they have been doing to the Ustian Reformists and the Long Dynasty. Only this time, it''s for little to no cost as Spain will be a tribunary state for Belka.
Thenes the talk about when and how to send the mercenary group over.
"The Spanish Inquisition will be sending over our own ships to ferry the mercenaries. It will raise some eyebrows if a mercenarypany has ess to sea-faring vessels." Lord Camati offered. "Though not many in terms of ships, the Spanish Navy does have veterans manning up-to-date vessels. If there''s one thing Sardegna doesn''t skim upon then it is the navy, they need us to have a strong enough navy to contest the Strait of Gibraltar. Now this wille to bite them back in the rear."
"That simplifies the process, they can even help transport the war material. But can your navy be trusted?" Yuki questioned.
"We can safely entrust the task into their hands. Admiral Matias Torres is a Spanish hero and is loyal to the Spanish people instead of the Papacy. The same can be said to the men under hismand for they''re vetted to serve the people, not the overlord that is Sardegna."
"Matias Torres? If I recall correctly, he, as a gunnery officer, managed to score the longest kill on a moving target while under a storm." Yukimented, impressed by the report she read on the man.
"That''s right, Marshal. He is now an Admiral now after he repelled the Erusean navy multiple times in recent skirmishes."
"Talented people like that are hard toe by." Yuki has the feeling that the Spanish Admiral and their Belkan Admiral will get along just fine if they meet.
After the short conversation, Yuki turns to the Belkan Minister Hartmann who is standing in the corner with a bunch of notes.
"Minister Hartmann, I will entrust you with the formation of the new mercenarypany and the requisite funding they and the Spanish will require." Turning over to General Bedonna. "General, you will be scouting for potential recruits and leadership for the mercenarypany, though they will be ced under the supervision of ONI."
They both nod before Minister Hartmann asks.
"Marshal, what should we name this newpany?"
This cause a pondering expression to appear on Yuki''s face, suddenly remembering something, Yuki asks General Bedonna this.
"General, you have that guy who is named Phillip Graves working under you right?"
"Uh... Right, there''s a Colonel under me with that name. In fact, I was thinking of putting the guy in charge of the new group." General Bedonna answered, not fully understanding why Yuki asked that.
As ifughing at a joke that only she understands, Yuki goes on to answer Minister Hartmann''s question.
"Let''s call it Shadow Company." Yuki said with a grin.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 20: 1937
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 20: 1937
"Alright, Shadows, another gig well done! Now go get some chow and a cold one, you boys and girls have earned it!" Colonel Philip Graves said to his subordinates with a grin.
"YUP-YUP!" Came the spirited affirmation from the soldiers wearing ckbat gear and bva.
Waving them away, Colonel Graves proceeds to head further inside the Covert Operating Base that belongs to Shadow Company. They have been stationed for quite some time in Spain, long enough to build a sizeable base with an airstrip. The base, Sombra, is the nexus from which Shadow Company and its Spanish Inquisitor ally operate. For months now they have been eliminating many Demons and Sardegnian infiltrators, bagging any and all intel or evidence that can help Belka build up a just cause against the Papacy. So far, Sardegna has been trying to keep the matter under wraps but they''re slowly losing their patience with their so-called underling which is Spain. When the timees for Sardegna to outright invade its former subordinate, they will be in for a rude awakening, regardless of the fact they have supersoldiers hiding in their sleeve.
"Hey, CJ!" Graves called out to the African Inquisitor that acted as the liaison between him and Lord Inquisitor Camati.
"Hey man!" Holding his fist out, CJ and Graves did a fist bump. "How''s the op?"
"Like usual, rains down fire from the sky and watch the ce burn." Gravesmented. "The Spooky gunships proved their mettle, once again, against a nest the Demons have been spawning from."
At first, he said it with a smirk but then Graves turned somber. "Couldn''t save a convoy of refugees in time though. They had been evacuated from a nearby vige when the Demons got a jump on them. Now, half of them are buried in unmarked graves."
cing a sympathetic hand on Graves''s shoulder CJ gives it a few pats. "But you did save the rest, that''s what matters here. Don''t let the things you can''t control burden you, my friend. Sometimes, it''s better that you leave it to the Lord to decide."
"Tsk. Look at me all moping now." Shaking his head to clear away the depressing thoughts, Graves changes the subject by asking. "So, how''s our POW? Been talking yet?"
"He''s been singing." With a smirk, CJ opens the door leading to an observation room where there''s a see-through ss installed. Behind the ss is the interrogation chamber where an agent serving Sardegna is being put through mental torture by a nun. "I must say,dy Aponia has a... magical way of making people speak."
The nun, Aponia, is closing her eyes with her hands sped in a praying posture, yet, the agent in front of her is soundlessly screaming as his tear-stricken eyes gaze at something far away.
Seeing the sight, Gravesments. "Better not get on her bad side, I don''t think anyone can stand being disciplined by her. Do you know what happened to the previous POWs being interrogated by her when she was still in ONI Section 1?"
"Now you are making me curious, say it man." CJ turned over to Graves. Thetter exins it with a grin.
"Believe it or not, they''re now converted to be pious believers of the Yggdrasil Pantheon, doing charity and farming works at day, praying and teaching poor people at night."
"...You''re not pulling my leg, aren''t you?" CJ looked incredulously at Graves'' words. What kinds of mind-breaking torture were they put under to break them down into bonafide good guys!?
Knowing his Spanishrade''s inner thoughts, Graves adds. "The Aponia kind. Seriously, you don''t ever wanna cross her." Pointing at the POW, he then says. "I doubt the guy will escape the same fate that has befallen his predecessors."
Unknowingly, they both shudder at the prospect that Aponia''s discipline may be used on them if they misbehave.
"... So she''s a mysterious yet approachable nun by the day and a mysterious yet dangerous nun by the night. Good to know." CJ tried to liven up the mood.
Graves can''t help but go along with it. "To put it mildly, yes."
They then continue watching until the Yggdrasil Pantheon''s missionary sessfully break the mind of the POW. After that, Aponia moves out and hands over the task of asking questions to Graves and CJ. They both thank the nun wholeheartedly before moving in to collect intel, ignoring the weirdly content smile of the POW.
It''s better for their sanity if they don''t question it.
------------------------------------------------------------
17 years old and counting, Yuki never thought that she will beining to herself about the fact that her physique remain youthful... Too youthful in fact. She hasn''t grown an inch even after two years! The old clothes from years ago still fit her perfectly, damn it!
Weird stray thoughts aside, she is now inside her office in ONI headquarters, reading up on the newest intelligence to keep herself up to date with the rest of the world.
Erusea has been very active in its trading with the Ustian Loyalists, arms trade is not the only thing they have been dealing with. Commodities from the colonies, limited as they may be because of the ongoing civil war, have been making their way onto the shelves of Erusean storefronts. This provided the Loyalists with an influx of cash to stabilize its economy, somewhat. They''re still rearing from the loss of hundreds of thousands of young men and able-bodied. Their economy is in shamble if not for the investment from Erusea, and unsurprisingly, America. The former is because they want to slowly usurp Ustio, and thetter is because of profits. Typical capitalists and their money-making scheme.
Rosa and her Reformists have been doing well though. The windfall they made earlier in the Months of Demons hasted them a not-so-small support from the colonies. With her promise of improving the condition in the colonies, with the help of Belka of course, Rosa earned herself a lot of sympathizers especially after she has proven herself in leading her faction. And with the recent influx of manpower and armaments, Rosa''s army canpete on equal footing with the Ustian Loyalists, given the right conditions. Erusea still hasn''t made a move with its military, yet.
As for the Long Dynasty and its rivalry with Japan. Of course, stupid as they may be, the Japs realized that something was very, very wrong when the Dynast''s navy now have a few more battlecruisers and whole fleets to back them up. The sudden increase in military might from the Dynasty had effectively forced the leadership of Japan to go back to the drawing board, costing them a few years of nning. Japan, as expected, sent envoys to me to see if I could rescind our trade agreements with the Long Dynasty. Yet, because I pulled the capitalism card, saying that we need the arms trade to fund our ongoing projects. And the fact that as our ally, Japan has no right to interfere with our national decision. Not when, on paper, Japan is not at war with the Long Dynasty, hence, we can safely sell our equipment to the Dynasty which is also on closed terms with Belka. Yes, I know, my hypocrisy knows no bound.
Anyway, they could only ept my reasoning, begrudgingly, of course. The envoy returned without much to show to their Emperor and Shinto Gods while the Long Dynasty and Belkaughed behind their back. They did, however,mit a pretty serious faux pas on me. A Japanese zealot officer had the gal insult me for being, and I quote, "Short-sighted kid that ys at being a Marshal. You truly haven''t seen the world so you can''t recognize friend and foe!"
Wow, right? Anyway, if only you could see the panicky faces of the Japanese diplomats after the zealot uttered the words. Though I do understand the man was angry because of my standing in this situation but seriously? Has he not been briefed on what to know and what not to do? The faux pas had only given me more bullets to fire at the Japanese and that I did. I sent the envoy back with an officialint, one that was signed by not just me but both of my mothers and Yggdra herself. And because we broadcastedints to the entire world, Japan faced an unprecedented protest from its own people. Why? Because in their eyes, Belka is their close ally and the holynd of the Shinto Gods. Though the Shinto Gods have been living far away from home and with different ideals than us, they did not forget to teach the popce about their root which is Yggdrasil. We used that teaching against them this time, forcing Japan to drop the matter of us selling to the Dynasty and having them make an official apology. My aunt, Amaterasu, even sent me gifts and a letter to let me know that everything was a mistake on their part. She hoped that I, and by extension, Belka, won''t let the incident sour their rtionship.
Though the hatchet is buried, for now, I can just dig it back up in the future.
Moving on to our recent intervention into Spain, Shadow Company led by Colonel Philip Graves has been racking in sess after sess. The man and his soldiers have proven themselves to be invaluable assets in unorthodox warfare. A petition from General Bedonna has just arrived to try and convince me to retain the Company after the mess that is Spain is dealt with. I am much of the same opinion as the General, Shadow Company will be another valuable tool in ONI''s shed, especially when Section Head Quellec is still upied in Rusviet.
By nature as a mercenarypany, Philip Graves and his men and women aren''t equipped with the now modernized standard equipment of the Belkan military. They are running around in Spain with Kar 98s, MG-34s, C96Ks, Mp-35s, etc... Their heavier equipment is much of the same as those used by the Long Dynasty and the Reformists, Panzer III Ms, 221 armored cars, Ju-52 gunships, and the newer Bf-110 Hs... Though they do have a prettyrge covert base, Sombra, tucked in the middle of a mountain range. Aponia, my former caretaker, has been sent over as part of a missionary group for the Yggdrasil Pantheon. She is also the main interrogator for any prisoner Shadow Companyes across. Yggdra blesses the poor souls for Aponia shall have none.
Because of their help and our support, the Spanish Inquisitor is regaining lost ground and the Spanish people finally see who is their real friend in times of need. That friend sure as hell isn''t the Sardegnians. Now, public support for Belka in Spain has been at an all-time high. This is also a result of a recent musical concert Eden and Elysia have made. The pair has caused a sort of miracle to ur, saving a few souls just by their music alone. This warrant some investigation on our part, even if it was a positive event.
As for Sardegna, the investigation of the inhumane experiments has reached a deadlock even with the Einherjar involved. This is both frustrating and concerning, yet, it does confirm one thing. The mysterious helpers are, most probably, god or godlike beings. Even if they are suppressed by ya which is the Will of the world, they can still use their expertise to hide from prying eyes. This is especially true for gods that deal in shadier Divinities. We are currently investigating just who may these gods be.
Moving back to Rusviet and Section Head Quellec, he has set up a medium size factory in Stalingrad. The man has beenpeting in the arms market against Degtyaryov and has hooked up with a number of major yers in the Rusviet Union. He reported that he is now being looked at by Stalin himself, whether this will result in anything remains to be seen. Of course, the weapon designs he offered to the Rusviet Union, though modern by 1937''s standard, is nowhere nearparable to ours. An example will be his design of a 10-round semi-automatic rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm while we are using Einstein''s G1 which is full-auto and used 8x57mm.
The 7.62x39mm bullet has been tested against our body armor and failed to prate. Meaning our soldiers won''t have to fear much about the rifle.
Something else of note is that the USA weed its first Jewish Senator, James Iverson. With the backing of the Jewish tycoons and oppressed African people and gangsters, and subtle support from us. This former gang leader is now a powerful Senator for his view of a truly free America. An America where none are oppressed and are free to pursue their dream. Though he will have topete with the monster of a President that is Franklin Dno Roosevelt. We will have to keep a close eye on the situation in the American continent.
With that said, I must now turn my attention to the internal reports. Sigh, work, work, work.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 21: Internal Affairs
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 21: Internal Affairs
Holding up the internal reports, Yuki contemtes the information she receives.
Things have been changing in thest couple of years for the Belkan Reich. With the instation of five additional Void Reactors, Belka''s needs for power have been fulfilled with the national storage now having an excess of surplus mana should they''re required. Having said that, the addition of mana-powered heavy industries equipment, have increased doubled the Reich''s industrial capability. Of course, it will be a while until the civilian sector gets a hold of them but right now, they''re content with the extremely cheap fossil fuel price and electricity bills.
As for the extremelyrge military procurement order that Yuki had ced two years ago, things have been going smoothly overall.
For the Army, we are now sitting at a grand total of 36 Divisions with most of them either armored or mechanized. It''s expected that with the uing recruitment campaign, they will be able to establish two more corps by next year. Outfitted with the next generation of weapons, Yuki is proud to say that the Belkan Army will be invincible on any battlefield if nothing goes horribly wrong that is.
The Leopard MBT and its offshoot variants have been performing very well either in trials or mockbats. The crews and engineering teams alike havee to love the ease of use, firepower, and overall reliability of the tform as a whole. And because of that, there''s a petition to make a so-called Tank Biathlon to have the best tank crews in Belkapete against each other in a multi-match sports championship. It''s such an intriguing concept that Yuki has it approved instantly, it will take a few months to organize such an event but she has a feeling it will be quite a bombastic event for the whole country to enjoy.
There was an issue, however. Though it did get remedied by Einstein, back in one of its amphibious trials, the Puma IFV tform incurred a major failure, one that cost the life of a test driver. During an amphibiousnding test in a simtedbat environment, a Puma IFV was sunk after its surrounding water was bombarded by artillery shells. The waves from around the vehicle had caused it to be unstable, making it dip below the waves. This caused the vehicle to take in too much water and sink. Although the majority of the crew and the apanying Grenadiers managed to escape the sinking vehicle, the driver failed to make it. It was a sad day and Yuki personally visited the lone family member of that driver, his sister, to offer her Yuki''s condolence. It was an unpleasant experience and Yuki was forced to reflect on herself, knowing that it was her oversight that caused an unnecessary loss of life. Einstein fixed the issue by adding a wave breaker to the Puma and improved the tform''s stability and water-pumping capability. Though the matter was regretful, it didn''t change the adoption of the Puma into the military''s arsenal after all the kinks have been ironed out.
On a side note of infantry-carrying vehicles, many smaller auxiliary vehicles, i.e. MRAP and cargo hauler... have been epted into service and are being outfitted to the entire armed force. They''re much easier to design and procure with little to no fault has been detected. Even if there was, it''s soon ironed out by either Yuki or Einstein.
As for small arms and infantry equipment, it ddens Yuki to finally see that her entire military is equipped with the next generation of military gear. It will take a while for the heavier stuff to catch up but it''s getting there, probably in the third quarter of the year will the Army is done modernizing.
To have them maintain their ridiculous technological advantage over the enemy, Yuki has had the Army train regrly on all kinds of tactics, mostly to have them familiar with the new ways of war. She has them drilled either in a gueri warfare scenario or a near-pear threatbat situation. Yuki has a feeling they will be needing the constant reminder otherwise they wille to grow too arrogant for their own good. The new Army is expensive and too valuable to be defeated by stupidity.
Moving on to the Air Force, as expected, fleets of turboprops are built much faster than the jets Yuki ordered. For every jet Yuki received, she has three more turboprop aircraft already up in the air, whether they are the Osprey, As, Skyraider, or the much bigger strategic bomber Hs-36 Bear.
The Bear was a new design she made back when the Spanish Inquisitor came for a visit. It''s a long-range strategic bomber with a flying-wing design and is powered by six contra-rotating turboprops in a pusher configuration. Aside from the fact that it can carry 40000 kg of ordnance and is still able to bomb a target halfway across the world, the Bear can be outfitted and modernized for a variety of missions.
Regardless, all designs past the tests Yuki''ve thrown at them, all but the Osprey. Who would have known that when the engines on the Osprey rotated on its axis, physics decided to fuck up? Well, they know now. Just like the Puma which had stability issues, the Osprey was much the same when it rotated the engines upward for a verticalnding approach. In one of the tests, an Osprey had one of its engines out of sync with the other, causing the aircraft to tip sideways before the whole thing crashed down onto the airstrip. Thankfully, there were no losses of lives but the Osprey had to go back to the drawing board. Einstein and Yuki wracked their brain over this but they managed to fix the design in the end. They had identified the problem to be gravity interfering and adding too much stress on the engines. So, rather than having the entire engine block rotating, the engines are now kept in position while the rotors and driveshafts tilt. This proved to be a much safer and more reliable approach and the Osprey is now a trusted workhorse for a multitude of tasks that required the finesse that the As can''t handle.
Funnily enough, due to the secretive nature behind the modernization program, the stories about UFOs and the like have gained traction in the Europeanmunity. This can be attributed to the high-altitude testing of the Belkan aircraft, their overall speed and small radar cross-section, and the interference from ONI itself. Yuki and ONI capitalized on the chance to keep the world in the dark about their true ability.
Last, but not least, the Navy. If the Air Force and their shiny new toys'' existence can be blurred for a couple of years, then the Navy is quite the opposite. Due to Belka''s close proximity to other major powers, hiding the addition of their Capital Strike Groups proved to be impossible. Hence, rather than hiding them, Yuki tasked ONI to make sure any and all information about them is falsified and unproven when it reaches the hand of other nations'' leadership. An example would be the Bismarck-ss and its 17-inch guns being downgraded to 15-inch guns. While the Yggdrasil-ss aircraft carriers are dubbed ''floating hotels'' with little to no aircraftplement due to thetter being stuck in development hell. And boy did ONI earn their paycheck well on this one.
Ustio Loyalistsmissioned a new ss of battleship, Richelieu, as a response to Bismarck. They failed in the trap and only fitted Richelieu and her sisters with 15-inch guns, awfullycking against the Bismarck-ss. Erusea isn''t any better, not even getting anything new for they thought their fleet is already good enough. And since aircraft carrier is still an unproven concept, none of the local yers made any countermeasure against them, especially since the sinking of the Loyalists'' Bearn shattered the ss'' reputation. Yuki remembers when she and Belka''s leadership read this information, theyughed so hard because the enemy severely underestimated the power projection of an aircraft carrier. Oh, they will be in for a rude awakeningter.
Anyway, Yuki has digressed.
As of now, Belka currently has three Carrier Strike Groups and four Expeditionary Strike Groups. With the formation of the Belkan Marines Corp, attached under themand of the Navy, Belka can now wage war anywhere and anytime. Though they still need toplete the relevant trials and training for the vessels and crews. It will be another year or two before they are perfectly ready.
Another interesting piece of information to know is that the entire world is absolutely unaware of the Belkan Navy''s underwater might. During a trial run of the Nassault, the lead ship of her ss, Admiral Donitz personally tookmand of her and had her do all sorts of maneuvers right beneath an armed Erusean convoy. The destroyers and cruisers escort of the convoy had been unable to detect the Nassau, even at close range. With that information verified, Admiral Donitz then made a stealthy exfiltration and reported the details to the higher-ups which are Yuki and the Empresses. After listening to the exploits of the daring Submarine Admiral, Yuki and the rest could onlyugh wryly before Yuki threw him another submarinebat medal. The man only grinned, receiving another one for his collection. What? Though their tech advantages made it possible for the Nassault to sneak under the convoy, only someone as courageous and experienced as Donitz could make that happen without any mistakes. The man truly deserved it after taking pictures of Eruesean booties for two freaking days!
"Sigh."
Putting thest of the paper down, Yuki leans back tiredly on her chair. That is it for the reports, she still has to sign away some more documents but it will surely take less time than before, the stack is smaller, after all. Taking a drink from her coffee mug, Yuki picks up a document before flipping it open.
"Funding allocation for missile artillery development? So he''s already thinking of tactical missiles and strategic missiles." Yuki signed the paper after carefully reading Doctor Werner von Braun''s neat writings. "Seeing that the man has sessfully put the design for guided and fire-and-forget missiles into mass production, I don''t see why I can''t indulge in his whims more."
Taking onest look at the design of what''s quite possibly the first ever cruise missile, Yuki says. "Perhaps the golden age for line-of-sightbat is fading with them being introduced in the future."
Putting away the signed document, Yuki carries on to finish up the other ones, only stopping when she reads up on Mobius''s paper.
"Interesting..." Because Mobius is asking for help.
Knowing that Sardegna is messing around with creating supersoldiers. Yuki can''t just sit still without making a simr program, albeit one that is not a bloodied mess like the Sardegnian''s. So, Yuki invested much more heavily into Mobius''s department to find a scientific way to enhance Belkan soldiers without using mana or ether. Mobius happily epted the funding and proceed to unravel the mysteries of the physiques of the many races that popted Belka. Bybining said knowledge she infers from her quest with the information she gained from researching Demons, dead or alive, Mobius is hoping to create a perfect serum that can perfect a being''s gics and allow them to unlock their full potential. ording to Mobius''s words, the serum should work on all lifeforms that have a physical body so technically, even Lu and Hel can receive a power boost from it.
After Nice agreed to use her innate ability as a Shoggoth to help Mobius, being that she can imitate the physicalities of any lifeform, the green-haired mad scientist achieved breakthrough after breakthrough in the field. Yet, even with all the funding and aid she received, there is still a long andplicated road to travel, Mobius admits it in the papers Yuki is reading. Hence, she cooperated with Einstein to make something else as a stopgap. A magitech suit that, in theory, will enhance the wearer''s physical attribute and provide aid in casting magic. But there''s a catch, the suit is too powerful and expensive. So powerful that it will kill a human wearer by tearing their limbs off, their fragile body unable to keep up with the boost from the suit. So expensive that a suit cost the same amount of money they used to build a destroyer. And although the suit has been tested to bepatible with any race that has a stronger physical baseline than a human, they are disappointed when they can''t mass-produce it.
"The most ring issue here is that humans can''t wear it without dying..." Yuki inferred.
Money isn''t an issue for Belka, not when their industries are racking up gold for them. It''s with this knowledge that Mobius is asking for Yuki''s permission to use the still-in-development, imperfect serum on human test subjects. Though it won''t be as powerful as what Mobius''s aiming for, the imperfect serum should be able to enhance the physical attributes of a human... with a certain degree of fatality, of course. Yet, Mobius is confident that if a test subject adversely reacts to the serum, she can put them in stasis, and either fix their ailment or inject them with the perfect serum in the future. This way, no life will be needlessly lost due to their hastiness andcking techniques.
Yuki contemtes what she is reading, does she, Belka, really needs to do this? The suits can be produced and worn by races like Oni, Devil, Angel, or Beastman so by that logic, what''s strong will be even stronger. Yet, this will no doubt leave the human in the dust, serving as pawns until the deployment of the strongerbat force. Though the current mentality of coexistent between races in Belka is fine for now, what will happen when this variable is added to the equation? Yuki really doesn''t want to figure out that mess, not at all. So, Yuki continues reading the document to pick up on anything else that can help her cement her decision.
Aside from stasis being used to save the life of the test subjects, Mobius states that the chance of sess is much higher if the human has strong willpower and pain endurance. Physical fitness is an added plus but not a requirement for even a disabled veteran can have a second wind after injecting the imperfect serum. Reading thus far, Yuki has a nagging feeling that the current imperfect serum is actually perfect in the eyes of disabled veterans and physically impaired people, even with a chance of dying. After all, what do they have to lose?
Sighing, Yuki makes the choice to allow the Brainiacs to go ahead with their experiments. With such a high payout with minimal risk involves, Belka will be stupid not to carry on with the matter. Of course, Yuki adds in a few instructions of her own.
- The whole project will be kept under wrap by ONI. The project, henceforth, will be known as the RAVEN program.
- The current subjects will be veterans that are willing and have nothing left to care for but their loyalty to the Reich.
- Compensation will be given to the affected parties when an experiment goes wrong.
- To aid in future testing and improve the chance of sess. Orphans will be educated, trained, and indoctrinated to join the project with generous benefits. Though if they refuse to partake in the procedure, they are allowed to return to their normal lives under observation or join other branches of the armed force.
- Sessful subjects will be dubbed Raven for identification purposes and are paired with the newly developed magitech suit. A Raven will then go on to join a special training course to make them a true elitebatant, serving as the counterweight for the Sardegnian''s equivalent supersoldier program.
With her signature on the document, Yuki heaves onest sigh of the day before cing the papers in a secured container, leaving it for Dreamer to handle. Though she allows it, Yuki can''t help but feel it''s a bit inhumane to drag even orphan children into this. There are many reasons Yuki could use to justify the act but she would rather not stoop that low.
"For the greater good huh... Trulyughable." Yuki let out a dryugh as she leaned back on her chair.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 22: Steps toward the future
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 22: Steps toward the future
Putting down the signed document from Yuki, Mobius can''t stop herself from sporting an insane grin, yet, she detes mere secondster.
"So Yuki gave her blessing?" Einstein, who was cing down a tray of milk tea, saw the papers and asked. Mobius nods, prompting the blue hair Doctor to say. "You sure you want to follow this through with your current mindset?"
Sighing with a hand ruffling her own hair, Mobius answers with an annoyed face, more to herself though. "I must! I''vee this far to get cold feet and with Yuki counting on the result of my program, I won''t let myself be disheartened by my newfoundpassion..."
Sighing, Mobius continues. "Though I guess with thispassion, there will be no room for fatal error, at least. Worst case scenario, they will have to sleep for a few years till we have the tech to patch them up."
Passing Mobius who is now gazing at the brown reinforced ceiling with a dazed look, Einsteinments. "You''ve surely mellowed out, Mobius. Were it in the past, you wouldn''t hesitate to experience on live subjects without care. We could only lessen the impact on your reputation by sending you criminals to test on, but now..."
Einstein chuckles as she passes Mobius her cup of milk tea. "I guess Yuki and Ningyo have put a leash on the mad scientist."
Rolling her eyes, Mobius refuses toment but does take a drink from the warm tea Einstein prepared. The pair continues drinking, taking a break from their respective research until Nice appears next to them. The blonde is still as fashionable as ever in her purple dress. Having familiarised herself with the Doctors here, Nice picks up her own cup of milk tea before gazing at Mobius''s messy work table.
"Oh. So we''re cleared to have a go at improving humankind''s baseline before marrying them to the magitech suit, neat!" The Shoggoth''s cheery voice failed to betray any hesitation she had. The monumental project they have at hand is just another Tuesday for Nice had she decided to go all-out.
"Also, nice tea, by the way." Nice didn''t forget to give her apliment.
"Thanks, though it was mostly due to Yuki providing the Mansion with a variety of great ingredients." Einstein humbly responded.
Giving a nod at Einstein, Nice then asks the pair. "So, when will we begin?"
Einstein replies. "That depends on Mobius, I already have twenty suits at the ready."
"We still need to set up a proper stasis chamber. Have to work on the magic formations and all that." Mobius added with a hand under her chin.
"Oh, right. You will be using a mix of time maniption and cryogenic technology, no?" Nice asked with a thoughtful expression. "If that''s the case then if the test subject is experiencing trauma, you can put the operating pod they''re in under an isted time lock. Unlike standard cryogenic pods, the stasis pod reduces the issues with the water in a person''s body crystallizing during the freeze and shredding cell membranes in the body. It''s overall much safer but also hoards more power." Nice spoke a bit of her knowledge.
Mobius nods, saying.
"That''s right since we all agree to experiment on willing subjects that are helpful to the Reich, we can''t, in good conscience, have them passed away on us. It''s thanks to Yuki dedicating a Void Reactor for us scientists to use so that we can go all out on ensuring that. The stasis chamber should be up in a week or so, the progress is wholly dependent on how many pods we want to have."
Hearing that, Einstein turns to Nice. "Can you give us an estimate?"
Nice nods, morphing her hand into a purple tentacle before changing its form many times speedily for fun.
"Well, with the imperfect serum taken into ount and the number of times I exploded or crippled in previous tests, I can safely guarantee that of the ten volunteers, seven to eight can withstand the pain without any trauma. With the serum working on enhancing every single aspect of the physical body, I would say that the procedure has a surprisingly high 75% sess rate and, with timely intervention, no mortality rate."
Mobius nods, sighing in relief that her mental calction was sound. "I figured as such, though I guess there won''t be any harm if we build a few more pods."
"I see, so should we put the first run about two weekster? It will also take some time to get the volunteers situated, after all." Einstein gave her suggestion to which Nice nodded while Mobius shrugged.
"Sure, till then, we can do whatever we want." Rolling her eyes, Mobius adds. "Only Yuki knows just how much stuff she has been throwing at us."
Nice and Einstein chuckle. "Well, if it wasn''t for the newputers, I don''t think we can handle working on multiple projects at the same tie, even with Ningyo''s help."
Mobius asks after hearing their names. "Speaking of them, what are they doing right now?"
Einstein ces a finger on her chin, answering. "Well, if it''s Ningyo, she should still be putting on that visor, hard at work simting the experiments we can''tpute." Sighing, Einstein adds. "Yggdrasil knows where she gets that trait from, being such a hard worker."
Nice chuckles. "From Yuki, who else? As for our dear Marshall, she should be overseeing a naval drill or something along that line."
"Naval drill?" Mobius ponders for a moment before putting a fist on her palm. "Right! The Reichsmarine 1st Carrier Strike Group is scheduled for one today!"
Raising an eyebrow at Mobius''s enthusiasm, Einsteinments. "You never peg me for one with an interest in the navy."
Rolling her eyes, Mobius responds with her hands waving.
"I''m not a mechanical geek like you, Einstein, but I do know when to appreciate a proud achievement made by a collective group of passionate people. Like, have you ever seen a vessel as majestic as the Yggdrasil with the matching capability?"
Nodding at Mobius''s words, Einstein replies. "Point taken."
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"Left, 25 degrees!" Admiral Donitz ordered.
The helmsman quickly responds with an. "Aye aye, sir!" As his hands quickly spun the helm to the pre-designated heading.
"Tower, send them up." Donitz ordered the air boss. The air officer gave an affirmative yes before she, alongside the miniboss, starts conducting theunch of the Yggdrasil-based air wings.
Pulling on the mental list of what they will be doing today, Yuki appraised look at how the crew is working on the carrier. The strike group is scheduled to conduct high-speed formation maneuvering, ASW drills, andunch and recovery of air wings. After a week on the sea, they''re now at thetter stage of the third part, which involves live-firing exercises of the air wings on dummy targets.
Incidentally, the 1st Carrier Strike Group consisted of:
- Strike leader: the aircraft carrier Yggdrasil which is also the name giver of her ss.
- Sub-leader: the battlecarrier Mainz of the Bayern-ss.
- Two Hindenburg-ss heavy cruisers: The Yorck and the Emden.
- Three Munchen-ss light cruisers: The Munchen, the Hermelin, and the Dresden.
- Three Elbing-ss destroyers: the Gaede, the Maass, and Schultz.
- Two Nassau-ss submarines: the Kassel, and Jena
- Three auxiliary vessels.
Since there are two carriers, only the Yggdrasil and the Mainz are on duty forunching their air wings. The rest can just kick back and watch the air show. And since the priority of jet aircraft allocation is given to the navy, more than half of thebat aircraft on the Yggdrasil are the Phantoms. The rest being Skyraiders and armed Ospreys. The Mainz is different for herbat aircraft consisted of Harriers and Ospreys instead.
Under the precise coordination of the now experienced air officers, the two carriers swiftly prep their aircraft for take-off with for CAP and anti-ship duty. Yuki nods at the Admiral, or more precisely, the Grand Admiral, before they leave themand of the vessel back into the hand of her Captain, heading outside to enjoy the spectacle.
Handlers in blue jerseys will move the aircraft through the hangar by tractor trailers, onto the giant elevators, and bring them up the deck. It takes less than ten minutes for the previously emptied flight deck to house twenty aircraft: 10 Phantoms for CAP and anti-ship, 5 Skyraiders for low-altitude torpedo attack, and 5 Ospreys for ASW patrols, electronic warfare, and CSAR.
Once the Handlers wearing blue have made sure the aircraft are in ce for prepping, they vacate the area on their tractors, leaving the red shirts to handle the weapon. Through a small elevator, bombs and missiles of all sorts would be brought up the deck and stored in a small section next to the Ind, aptly named ''the Bomb Farm''. The red jerseys will check the integrity of the weapons and proceed to load them up.
Once done, the purple jerseyse in to make sure the aircraft''s mana batteries are full and plug their drop tanks up, filling them with liquid mana.
After that, they¡¯re linked up with their respective pilots, ending the prep work after five minutes, the whole process took only that long, surprisingly.
With the Yggdrasil having four mana-powered electromaic catapults, the Aircraft directors in yellow will herald the first four Phantoms to their respective catapults.
Catapult operators in green jerseys will then make sure that the jet is locked properly onto the catapult¡¯s shuttle, and that the catapult is set to the weight of the aircraft. As a precaution, inspectors and safety observers in white scan the aircraft and the flight deck to ensure that everything is safe forunch.
The Jet st Deflectors are raised. These will ensure that the hot jet wash won''t kill anyone standing behind it.
The ¡®Shooter¡¯, or the Catapult Officer in yellow jersey will see whether everything is fitted where it¡¯s supposed to be by voting. When the green jerseys give a thumb up, saying that the catapult is hot, the white jerseys give a thumb up verifying everything is good, the Catapult Officer will do this cool pose that had earned this position the nickname ¡®Shooter¡¯: Crouching and leaning on one of their feet, the other spread outward horizontally, while one arm tucks behind their back, the other makes a gesture of shooting a gun at the angle where the aircraft isunching. With the signal given, the Catapult operators punch it and send the catapult forward, and along with it, the aircraft.
With the first Phantomunched off the carrier sessfully, the next one follows secondster. After that, the third and fourth areunched at the same interval. Once the third and fourth Phantoms areunched, the next set of aircraft is already hooked to the first and second catapult. While all that is happening, the Ospreys are taking off vertically from the aft section of the Yggdrasil. From further away, you can also see Mainz''splement of aircraft doing much the same with their Harriers and Ospreys.
Half an hourter, the sky is filled with Belka''s finest engineering.
"Truly a sight one has to see in their lifetime." Grand Admiral Donitzmented. "I will never get bored seeing it."
Nodding, Yuki answers as she gazes into the formation of Phantoms and Harriers high above the cloud. "The same can be said for me."
"Up next will be the testing of the new anti-ship missile. I trust that the tugboats have made sure that the targets are in position?" Yuki asked Donitz.
The Grand Admiral nods. "That they did, Marshal." Stopping for a bit, he can''t help butment a bit wistfully. "I''ve never thought that the era of cannons and battleships will be ending this fast."
"Shocking, isn''t it? To engage beyond the visual range of your target, only a click of a button away." Yuki added. "The Airforce is currently pioneering the usage of missiles, either with their short-range heat-seeking Iris missile or medium to long-range semi-active radar-guided Falcon missile. Applying the same principle as the AA missiles but supersizing them for anti-ship duty, we now have the experimental Kormoran anti-ship missile, guided by a shorter-range infrared-seeker or a longer-range semi-active radar-guided detector. With thetter being used, the Kormoran can effectively engage an enemy warship some 40 km away without any of them knowing. Of course, the uracy of these anti-ship missiles is untested, so it will be quite a long while till they arebat capable and ready to fit on our vessels. Say what you want but try to format them for anti-ship duty is moreplex than just killing an aircraft."
Sighing, Donitz responds. "Woe be the days when our enemy is attacked by Heaven itself. Fortunately for them, they won''t be facing its wrath in two to three years at least."
"That''s right, though they should count their lucky stars while they still can. Also, take a look at this." Yuki pulled out a folder, tucked in her jacket. "There still isn''t much on it yet but thetest intel on Japan''s shipping industry gave us something to look at."
Receiving the folder, Donitz takes a cursory look at it before his eyebrows raise up in shock. "A battleship of nearly 73000 tons at full load!? Has the Jap gone mad? I thought they were increasing their funding into constructing aircraft carriers."
"I know right? For a countrycking in resources, they sure dream big." Yuki snickered before saying. "The reason for the sudden shift in priority was due to our sinking of the Bearn and us constructing new battleships. Coupled with misinformation about our actual strength, the Japanese have decided to fund the construction of the Yamato and Musashi instead."
"From what I can see though, even with them having a muchrger discement and bigger guns, I don''t think they will stand a chance against our Bismarck-ss. Not with them being much obsoleted in electronics and fire control. Are we expecting them to improve on those aspects?"
Yuki shakes her head at the question. "Not when the whole world is being secretive and somewhat disparaging the use of radar. Of all the major powers in the world, only we and Erusea seem to be developing the field further. Regardless, that 18-inch gun will spell trouble if it manages tond a hit, uracy is damned or not."
"In a one-on-one engagement, Bismarck can utilize her faster speed and longer range to kite away at the enemy. With the Bismarck having a smaller radar signature thanparable warship and if we y our cards right, I don''t think the Yamato can even see her at all." Donitz hypothesized.
"Reality does differ from fiction though." Yukimented. "With us having carriers at our disposal, why bother matching up for a gunfight when missiles can do the job? Of course, it will take some time for missiles to be in the y but you get my idea. Even without them, I doubt the Yamato can stave off supersonic jets dropping off bomb after bomb. Or we can just use our battleships to lure the Jap in for a decisive engagement before sending in aircraft in an alpha strike, crippling the Yamato and her escorts before bombarding the survivors with the 17-inch. Either way, they will sink."
Stopping for a bit, Yuki shrugs. "But what do I know, I never went to a naval academy."
Donitz and Yuki share augh, knowing that what they discussed earlier was just unconfirmed theory intel. That matter is best left for another day.
Momentster, Yuki can see a fast-moving object, leaving behind a trail of white smoke, m into a faraway dummy ship. That target explodes into debris and burning rubbles, signaling the first sessful hit of the Kormoran missile. Yet, the joy from Donitz and the crew is short-lived for the other four missiles are utterly missing their stationary targets.
With a twitching eyebrow, Donitz facepalms before saying. "Well, you did say experimental for a reason. They will be needing much fine-tuning after this test."
Yukiughs, not disheartened by the failures, patting the Grand Admiral''s shoulder. "See, maybe you can live your dream of having a battleship slugfest, after all."
At least the other exercises seed, the homing torpedoes on the Skyraiders worked while the Ospreys carried out their mission perfectly. Most notably the jammer-equipped Ospreys managed to cripple the entire 1st Carrier Strike Group for a whole ten minutes. This raises a major red g for both Donitz and Yuki, hence, they will double down on training and improving the electronic warfare aspect for the military after their return to Belka. After all, any nation can effectively create an electronic warfare task force with limited investment, even if the concept is still new. And Belka better bes the leading figure in that field or things will be bad.
Though not everything is smooth sailing at the end of the day. Donitz and Yuki are content that they did learn valuable insight into Belka''s naval strength rtive to the world.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 23: Intervention
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 23: Intervention
In the office of the Ustian Prime Minister, a special guest is being hosted there, one that is best known as an ambassador from the Erusea Kingdom. With her face maintaining strict professionalism, even under the lecherous gazeing from the ambassador twice her age, Dana Elvidge serves tea for both the Minister and the ambassador. After that, she then moves to a work table by the corner of the office before sitting down there. Per the Prime Minister''s instruction, Dana will be jotting down the details of this meeting forter reviewing, she proceeds to do just that.
As the two men soon move past pleasantries, the ambassador delves into the matter of financial and military support.
"Prime Minister Churchill has deemed it fit to prepare the Erusean military for the eventual war against the Belkan horde. Before the Months of Demons end, we will be sending over our Expeditionary Force which is 400000 strong, with about 700 tanks, 20,000 motorbikes, 45,000 cars and lorries, 880 field guns, and 310rger equipment, about 500 anti-aircraft guns, 850 anti-tank guns, 6,400 anti-tank rifles and 11,000 machine-guns. Armed with thetest weaponry we have avable, an example will be the Cruiser Mark III and the Matilda, the Erusean Expeditionary Force will give the famous Ghost Division a run for their money." The ambassador then boasted more about what equipment and weapons the EEF would have, Dana noted these down for future reference while the Prime Minister nodded along without much enthusiasm.
"It''s good that the Erusean Kingdom is finally making its move. Though you failed to mention anything about helping us in rearming our Ustian Military." The Minister pointedly said that, earning a smack of the tongue from the ambassador. "We still haven''t received a single crate of rifles so far, only mary support."
"Don''t you worry about that, along with the EEF, shipments of surplus small arms and heavy armaments will be apanying them over to Ustio. They''re more than enough to outfit your hundred army divisions and Air Force." The ambassador answered, clearly not amused with his spiel interrupted.
Having none of that, the Prime Minister moves on to say. "That will leave us next to no time to familiarize ourselves with the new equipment. Ourbat effectiveness will be reduced with thete delivery."
The ambassador, however, doesn''t give a damn about the Ustian Minister''s concern. "That''s for you to figure out, the EEF will be focusing on setting up proper defensive infrastructures on the basis of your defensive line that stretches from Strasbourg to Charleroi. Unlike the previous defensive line you were so proud of, the EEF will make this new Maginot line unbreakable in a literal sense. With the number we will be sending over, it will be up to you Ustians to fill in the needed manpower to man the line."
Though he expected this, the Prime Minister can''t help but quip. "You''re saying as if you EEF will be sitting on the sideline."
Frowning, the ambassador responds. "We WILL be covering the northern nk, the part where the Republic of Darscen has been very reluctant in allowing any country other than Erusea to station an army there. This is a precaution for when Belka uses Arash as a springboard to invade Darscen and into the unprotected northern Ustio. If only your King hadn''t made a fool of himself in front of the Darscen delegation, we would have been able to extend the Maginot line all the way to the sea."
Snickering, the Prime Minister retorts. "Erusea wanted an ipetent King and now youin that he is actually ipetent?"
"Be careful with your words, Prime Minister." Squinting his eyes while reproaching the Minister, the ambassador says. "The Eruesean Kingdom has no maniption in the crowning of King Johann Bonaparte."
Shrugging, the Minister waves off the warning. "Whatever floats your boat, ambassador Udina. Moving on to the next matter, a response must be given to the situation regarding Spain. What''s the stance of Erusea in this."
"Sardegna is taking an increasingly hardline stance against their own tributary state for, and I quote, not being faithful enough. Can''t exactly me the Spanish on this as Sardegna basically left them to die in the Months of Demons for being neutral against Belka. This, undoubtedly, backfired and Spain is growing ever closer to Belka, receiving financial aid in the process." The ambassador analyzed. "Now, on paper, Belka hasn''t sent any army over to Spain but the presence of their mercenaries has effectively thrown a wrench into whatever n these Sardegnians have in mind. Intel suggests that Sardegna is nning an armed response to ''pacify'' Spain but it''s more than likely it''s a full-on invasion to annex the state once and for all. This is undesirable for a multitude of reasons, chiefly being the cutoff of our ess route to Africa."
Sighing, the ambassador then continues. "That being the case, however, Erusea can''t do anything, not yet when Belka is still a thorn to be picked. Our n right now, believe it or not, will be to support the Spanish Inquisition on whatever move they make against Sardegna. Spain must remain a buffer zone between Ustio and Sardegna."
"Even if you say that political and financial support won''t be enough for Spain. Sardegna is hellbent on making any sympathetic element to Belka suffer or converted violently into their doctrine." The Prime Minister added.
This leads the ambassador to extrapte more on Erusea''s n of action. "Though unconventional, the existence of Belkan mercenaries has stabilized Spain quite a lot. While unconfirmed, rumors have it that Prime Minister Churchill will be copying the Belkan, sending mercenaries over to Spain, and bolstering their military. It''s also suspected that the Prime Minister is alsomunicating with the President of the USA, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to have him do the same."
Dana and the Prime Minister both raise their eyebrows at this. "The USA is halfway across the Earth, why the hell are they being pulled over here?"
"It''s probably because of the uing election for the Presidential seat. If Roosevelt can score a few easy victories over Spain, he can easily retain the seat. This will assuage Minister Churchill''s concern about a different variable leading the USA away from the interventionist policy." The ambassador exined.
"I see, the fat man wants to drag the USA into the European war sooner orter." The Prime Minister noted and so did Dana.
The two men then move on to different matters that require further exchange between Ustio and Erusea. On the sideline, Dana writes everything down, the revtion thus far has been intriguing with Erusea nning to fortify the neutral Darscen while also intervening to aid Spain. The secret agent ns to forward the first-hand intel back to Belka as soon as possible. She doesn''t know what her leader will make off it but one thing she does know is this.
Spain will soon be a cesspool of many factions.
------------------------------------------------------------
Far away from Europe and in thend of the Rising Sun. A brown hair female, dressed in a white divine garment, is moving down a hallway connecting to aboratory. Stepping past a set of doors that is pushed open by her magical prowess, she directs her brown eyes to a talldy wearing ab coat.
"You''ve been ignoring my summons, again." With a songstress''s voice, albeit a bit cold but that''s to be expected of a person of her status, the brown hair female said. "You''ve got the guts to dismiss me, Amaterasu, the same person that summoned you and gave you this new leash in life."
Turning around while sporting a wry smile, theb coat-wearingdy responds. "What can I say, I''m a busy girl and with all the work I''ve been pulling, I can''t be distracted by politics. Heck, I can''t even pick up a newspaper with all the projects I''ve been heading."
Rolling her eyes, Amaterasu steps toward the work table, leaning over to check out the schematicsying about. "A sorry will be sufficed."
"...Sorry." Thedy said before hugging Amaterasu from behind, her blond ponytail gently swaying as she did that.
"Apology epted." Amaterasu said with a hint of a smile. "Something happened and I am angry."
Thedy is just about to pat Amaterasu''s brown hair when she stops to ask. "Who? Why? And should they be gone?" Her voice wasced with a certain venom.
Shaking her head, Amaterasu stops thedy from going on a murdering spree. "The delegation sent over to Belkamitted a serious faux pas, one that infringed on the dignity of my niece. The relevant personnel has already been punished so you need not worry. It''s just that I''m angry because they may have worsened my standing in my niece''s eyes, one that I haven''t seen in years. That and I''m worried that the hardliners won''t take this lying down."
"I... Can''t help you with that." Thedy admitted with a sigh. Even though she has been here for nearly a decade, thedy''s meaningful contacts can be counted on one hand, Amaterasu included.
"Don''t worry, I''m not counting on you for any rtionship advice. Bantering aside, something else came up on the trip. Belka is now supplying the Long Dynasty with their new armaments, ones that rival what we have in service right now." Amaterasu looks up into thedy''s gray eyes before saying. "Your prototypes better perform or my n will crash and burn."
This earns a prideful smirk from thedy. "Don''t worry, once the trials are done, the Chi-To and many other weapons will put our Japan at the forefront of military might. Even with the Belkan stuff, Long Dynasty will be annexed by us in no time at all, so long as we take a cautionary approach to the enemy. After that, with the resources mined from maind China, we will be able to make newer and better designs! In time, harnessing the power of the sun with science alone is a possibility!"
Nodding at thedy''s words, the Goddess of the Sun responds. "With your guarantee, maybe my dream won''t be too farfetched after all."
"The world needs to be united under one wise leader, me."
Unknown to Amaterasu and her summoned hero, a few Generals with a disposition for extreme fanatism and loyalty, just signed a very problematic order. One that promises to bring an untold number of troubles for the leader of Japan in the future.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 24: Section One
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 24: Section One
Deep into the night, a motorized convoy is driving deeper into a forest near Rostock, Belka. The convoy is a bit special for they''reprised of the newer generation of equipment that Belka has to offer. Ranging from lighter utility vehicles like the Enok light armored patrol vehicle, Eagle infantry mobility vehicle, HX or Helix tactical truck, to better armored and more specialized vehicles like the Fennek light armored reconnaissance vehicle and the Dingo MRAP.
Special as they are, they''re also driving in a ndestine faction to perform a special task.
"Sir, we have just past kilometer 99." A Lieutenant reported after he analyze the terrain and corresponding it to the map he was holding. Strangely enough, he is unarmed and so does everyone in the convoy.
Sitting in themanding vehicle which is a 4x4 Eagle, the Major in charge of this convoy then gives the order. "Stop the convoy!"
Per his instruction, all vehicles grind to a halt. The Major then steps off the Eagle to survey the surrounding, the same can be said for the dozens or so men and women that are dismounting their vehicles. With wary eyes, they await the arrival of their contacts to fulfill their end of the bargain.
After waiting for ten minutes and under the constant battering of the chilly night wind, the Major and the reste to see shadowy figuresnding just shy of the convoy''s headlights. Understandably, the convoy crew is rmed. With their honed instinct reaches for their weapons, the ones that they left behind before going here. Hence, they can only curse silently as they watch the shadows step closer and into the light. The bright light then reveals dozens of Tengus, dressed in ck with each Tengu sporting a white featureless mask. Seeing the contacts in all of their glory, the Major grits his teeth before addressing the Tengu''s supposed leader.
"We''re unarmed and have brought a convoy loaded with arms and munition. Now, where the hell is my family!?" The Major''s hatred for the group, though kept under a lid, could still be felt.
The convoy crew echoes the same sentiment with their gazes. Whatever these Tengus have done, they certainly didn''t garner any fans. This, however, doesn''t stop the leader of the Tengu to step forth with augh, their voice garbled into a genderless mess.
"I can see that you''ve obeyed your instructions and I am impressed that you''re able to convince your cohorts to arrive unarmed. Unfortunately, I fail to see anythingrger than those trucks you have behind you."
Scoffing, the Major replies. "You and I both know that the armored fighting vehicles are outside my jurisdiction. What you are seeing in front of you is what you will be getting, more than enough of a price for you to return them! Now, where the hell are they!?"
Shaking his head, the Tengu leader says. "A shame, it has taken us years to set up this exchange, befriending you and whatnot, and this is the best you can do?"
"Treacherous son of a bitch! Rather than continuing this pointless discussion, answer the damn question!" The Lieutenant from before cursed at the Tengu.
They''ve been betrayed, backstabbed, and quite possibly, bamboozled for years by the Tengu in front of them. Now, after kidnapping the Major''s family and using them to ckmail the Major into betraying the Reich. These Tengus have the audacity to chide the Major!? Of course, the soldiers of Belka are livid. Unfortunately, they can not do anything else as the Major''s wife and three children are in the Tengus'' hands.
Raising their hands up, the Tengu leader exasperatedly says. "Mah~... At least we can get something out of this. Sooner orter, Imperial Japan will unravel all the secrets Belka is holding, much thank your sacrifice, of course."
With a mocking tone, the Tengu then waves his hand, continuing. "As a reward for your effort, I present you your family!"
Another Tengu steps forth before throwing a hefty sack over to the Major. As the sacknds roughly, the content inside rolls out. Much to the dismay of the Belkans and the horror of the Major, the things that rolled out are the decaying heads of the Major''s family, encased in ice.
Stunned, the Major is only shaken awake when the head of his youngest child rolls to his feet. Robotically crouching down and with shaky hands, the Major lifts the ice-covered head up. Sadness, terror, disbelief, unwillingness, and regret... These emotions fight a bitter battle to show themselves on the Major''s face. Unknowingly for him, his tears are falling slowly as his brain and heart struggle to ept the devastation he has received.
When the Tengu leader takes stock of the Belkans'' horrid expressions, he let out a sickening chuckle. "Yes, yes, yes! Those are the faces I wanted to see! Hahaha!"
"Oh, man! It was such a great call to torture the living daylight out of your family before letting their rotting heads be presented before you! The look on your face when your hope was crushed was priceless!" The Tenguughed at the Major''s misery, taking pride inmitting such foul deeds.
"Motherfuckers! You are insane! Your whole nine generations are insane! Your fucking Goddess is insane for employing a ughterer!" Someone from the Belkan crew cursed out loud.
Because they all have strong bonds of camaraderie for each other, the crew steps forth to cover for their Major. The female members crouch tofort the soulless Major while the burly men stand in a protective circle around them. With the situation escted thus far, everybody knows that they will be leaving their life behind tonight.
The Tengu leader, seeing this shows brother and sisterhood, coos. "Aw... Aren''t you all sweet? Sorry to ruin your parade though, time is ticking and it''s best we get the show on the road. No witness and all that."
The leader is just about to raise his hand, signaling the other Tengus to kill the unarmed Belkans when the sound of bodies falling is heard, not from the Belkans though. Turning around with a sense of foreboding, the Tengu leader is shocked when the dozens or so subordinates he brings to secure the convoy are dead. They died either to decapacitation or a precise shot to the head, leaving behind a pool of blood that darken the dirt path.
rms are now going haywire inside the leader''s head. So, ignoring the shocked looks from the Belkans, the leader unfurls his ck wings and tries to make a hasty escape, mission be damned. Yet, right at the moment he is about to take flight, a sh of white light appears behind his back.
"Aiiieeee!!!" Apanying by a painful scream, rivaling that of a banshee, the leader''s proud pair of wings were cut off from the root.
As the pain is so intense,parable to that of having their balls crushed, the Tengu leader falls onto the ground, thrashing about mindlessly with hoarse screams. The unknown assant that made this happens reveals herself then, looking derisively down as leader as if they are nothing but a mere bug.
"A total scumbag that serves only to waste the precious oxygen of the world." d in a full-white robe, Alina spat out the venomous words hatefully.
"While I would love to end your miserable existence," Raising the silvery scythe she has in her hands, Alina continues. "It will be too easy for you."
Injecting a minuscule amount of energy into the scythe handle, its de starts glowing white hot before Alina shes downward, cutting off the legs of the Tengu leader while also cauterizing it. Though he isn''t dead, the Tengu leader falls into a painful slumber due to the sudden traumas he received. After making sure he stays that way until extraction, Alina turns to address the others.
"All hostiles eliminated. Move and secure the area for extract." Alina said.
From the dark treeline, hidden figures start appearing one after another, kitted in special gears suitable for covert ops. They are operatives under Section 1 of the Office of National Intelligence, in charge of Belka internal security. The soldiers in ck spread out to contain the site, securing all the evidence and corpses while the Captain moves to Alina.
The Captain of the team salutes Alina after slinging his integrally suppressed MP-9. "Ma''am, thank you for the assist." He then takes off his gas mask. "We would have been hard-pressed to bag them all without your help. Section Head Agent sends her regards."
Nodding her head calmly at the Captain, Alina responds. "I was in the area when I got wind of this situation. Knowing that Japan has backstabbed us like this, it''s better that we secure all the evidence we can to burn them at a stake. Sadly..." Turning to look at the now dispirited Major, Alina continues. "The Major paid the ultimate price in his service for the mothend."
They both regard the shell-shocked Major with pity as his subordinates try to rouse the man back to thend of the living. The Captain, seeing the broken man, shakes his head. "For the loyalty he showed, the man deserved better than having his family ughtered like animals. When forced to choose between the safety of his family and his loyalty to the mothend, the Major chose thetter by informing us of this transgression. Unfortunately for us, we were toote, damn Japs didn''t even honor their end of the bargain symbolically."
Hearing the regret in the Captain''s tone, Alina can only nod, not knowing how to react to this situation. She does, however, tell the Captain to ry this detail.
"If, and only if, the Major is back with us, tell him toe to Section Four. There''s a program there that will be needing a man like him, especially if he is able to transform the despondency he is feeling right now into something more... Fiery. That''s the best we can offer to him right now."
The Captain, knowing just what sort of program Alina is saying, nods. "I see, give him power and point him at his enemy, he will be dying to obey everymand we give."
"That''s right, it''s a bit cruel but it''s better than the Major choosing tomit suicide after this. In that case, Belka would lose a great soldier."
It''s unknown whether the Major is able to hear their conversation or not but deep in the man''s eyes, an ember of grim determination is morphing into something else.
Something much fiercer than a mere ember.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 25: Crusaders
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 25: Crusaders
It''s almost May of 1938. If countries elsewhere have been living in rtive peace, then that sure isn''t applied to Spain. After a period of rtive calm and stability, all thanks to the Belkan Private Military Contractor Shadow Company, Spain ushered in another rush of Demons'' assault. It''s unknown exactly when it started happening but this upsurge in the Demonic poption has been causing headaches left, right, and center for around two months now. Thankfully, the sudden increase in lesser mercenary groups from the Western world arrived just in time and at a reasonable price tag. Of course, they''re nowhere as equipped as Shadow Company although they also sport a fair share of veterans. This prompted Lord Inquisitor Camati to station them at non-critical parts of Spain, i.e. viges, towns, or waystations between major trade hubs...
Nheless, they are still being stretched very thin as is. Hence, it''s not an unusual sight for Shadow Company toons to travel day and night in motorcades, one hotspot to another. Tonight is no different as a motorized convoy of seven vehicles is RTB-ing after cleaning up a pack of Demons.
Sitting in the third vehicle in the convoy, an Sd.Kfz.247, a group of three Shadows banter with each other to kill time. The road is long and they''re wearied from the earlier engagement.
Spoiler
[copse]
"What are we having forte dinner tonight, Graves?" The Shadow that was driving the 247, asked into the radio. Even with the armored car interior lights on, it''s still somewhat hard to see.
Graves,manding officer of Shadow Company, responds over the radio wave. "If I told ya, I''d have to kill ya, Erikson."
Vance, sitting on the co-driver seat, jests. "Betcha ass he would do it too."
Dipaolo, sitting in the back of the car, leans forward and asks. "No, seriously, what are we gonna have for dinner? Anything but the meal made by the locals."
"Unless you''re willing to wait till breakfast for proper chows, not locally made, then you will be stuck with MREs." Graves replied with a smirk.
The group flinches, with Erikson saying in a tired tone. "Gazpachos and MREs, testing my steal."
Gravesughs,menting. "This''s nothing but a milk run boys, quite literally considering the vigers gifted you truckloads of fresh milk and cheese. Anyway, the delivery will be for us, the good guys, so don''t shit on the crisp white sheet. Once back at HQ, you can eat whatever the hell you like and there''ll be bonuses all around. Find me when you get back, gonna have a ss of warm milk tonight."
All three reply. "Yep, yep."
"The Marshal is on the line, not gonna leave her hanging. Graves out." With a small beep, the radio went inert, leaving the three in a moment of silence as the convoy rouse a corner.
The silence persists until the convoy resumes a straight path. Vance says. "Three trucks..."
"That''s a lotta fucking milk." Dipa finished the sentence as he turned to look at the two trucks in front and one truck behind the 247.
Erikson the driver chuckles. "Thirsty friends..." He''s just about to say something else when the lead vic and the truck in front of them slowly stop.
Seeing there''s a possible issue, Dipaolo moves to check the MG-34 mounted on the top of the 247 while Vance grabs his Mp-35. "What''s this?"
Erikson shakes his head, not knowing what to say before touching his neckpiece. "3, this is Erikson, what''s the holdup?"
A reply from the lead vehiclees. "This is 3, we got a vic blocking the road. Possible civies ahead of us."
"Standby,ing to ya." Erikson said.
Vance then operates the long-range radio, connecting it back to Graves. "Graves, Vance. Be advised, we''re held up by possible civs with a vic breakdown, sorting it out now."
"Handle it caution, you''re in the middle of nowhere." Graves replied with a hint of seriousness.
"Roger that."
After a short drive from the middle of the convoy to its front, Erikson puts the 247 to a stop as they investigate the situation. Ahead of them are two other vehicles, a Kubel and another 247, the Kubel crew has disembarked and ismunicating with the distressed civilians that crashed his truck into amp post.
After taking stock of the surrounding, Eriksonments with warinessced in his voice. "I don''t like this, we''re being nked by building with lots of darkness to hide something. Dipaolo, Vance, cover 3-1."
The pair reply. "On it."
Dipaolo turns out to man the MG-34 with a gunshield while Vance ces his Mp-35 through the slit in the 247''s armored front window. And as the Shadows ahead of them are patiently talking with the owner of the crashed truck, its tarp is pulled down and revealing multiple figures. They''re all armed.
A burst of gunfirees from the truck, catching the Shadows in front off-guarded. Not being able to react in time, the Shadows are cut down mercilessly.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Vance shouted as he gunned down the fake civ that pulled out a pistol.
"CONTACT!" Dipaolo, seeing the enemy on the truck, light''em up with his MG-34. As expected, it can''t stop an 8mm Mauser hailstorm with the flimsy protection it has. The three enemies aboard the truck are cut down as revenge for the Shadows that died.
To be honest, they really should have taken a different ambush vector than staying aboard that truck.
"There''s still more on the building! Keep lighting them up, Dipaolo!" Erikson said as he pulls out his C96E to shoot at a hostile that just peek a window.
"Who the fuck are these guys!?" Vance asked as he duck down to reload his SMG.
"Not just some agents!" Dipaolo, being the one to have a clearer view of the enemy, responded while not letting up the trigger.
Vance is about to reassume his firing position when he sees a glimpse of another truck speeding toward them. "Back up! Back up!"
Not wasting any time, Erikson steps hard on the reverse, saving them in the nick of time from being crushed by a truck loaded with enemy infantries. Erikson keeps the gas steady while reporting the situation to Graves.
"All stations, troops in contact! Taking effective fire. Multiple casualties!"
"Contact, rear!" Dipaolo warned as he heard nking from bullets hitting the rear-ting of the 247. Swiveling his turret to the back, he let it loose against any muzzle sh he can see.
During the act, he can see that the convoy is being attacked on all sides with dismounted Shadows being killed swiftly. They''re caught with their pants down and pinned at such a precarious location.
"Get out of there, Shadows!" Graves said the obvious in a grave tone. "We''re scrambling air support for you now!"
It''s at this moment that Lord Camati interjects. "We can''t! Not when they''re in the middle of a Spanish vige!"
The pair ofmanders then hastily discuss possible solutions, though the conversation falls on deaf ears as Erikson backs their car into a hot zone. The hot zone is a makeshift cover of a Kubel and an Opel Blitz where the remaining Shadows are hiding behind.
"Eyes high, watch those buildings!" Vance ducked to reload again while Dipaolo fires thest of his belt at the opened windows.
Popping up the cover of the MG-34, Dipaolo hastily removed the empty ammo box before cing a fresh one in. Pulling out the belt from the box and cing it into the feed tray, Dipaolo speedily checks the gun to see if it''sbat-ready before unleashing another burst of 8mm Mauser on anything that''s not wearing ck.
"They''re everywhere!" Vance cursed as he is running low on ammo, having been unable to refill after cleaning out the Demons earlier in the day. Vance then sees another enemy pops into view, only this time, the enemy''s weapon is glowing. Trusting his instinct, Vance shouts." AT on the roof!"
The warning arrives just in time for Dipaolo to turn his attention to, well, any roof which may or may not has an AT emcement. The split-second scan that Dipaolo makes reveals to him that the figure is conjuring a fireball spell with their handheld weapon. Though he is confused, Dipaolo wastes no time and shoots first, asks questionster.
Unfortunately, Dipaolo is still a tad too slow and therge fireball is sent barreling toward the makeshift covers of his fellow Shadows. Although the spellcaster is presumed dead after being strafed by the MG-34, the Shadows'' Kubel and Opel Blitz are sted to kingdome, killing everybody near it.
"Fuck!" Erikson cursed. "We''re moving! Hang tight!" Stepping on the gas, Erikson crashes the 247 against the burning carcass of the Kubel, pushing it away and clearing the road.
Being the one with the clearest view of the situation, Dipaolo warns. "We''re fucking surrounded here!"
Vance feels the need to reiterate a question at that. "Who the fuck are these wankers?!"
"This is Graves to all Shadows, survive no matter what! QRF is on the way!" Shadow Company''smander announced over the radio.
"We will be dead by then!" Erikson said, ducking the shots that went through the viewing slit of the armored window.
"Damn it! Lord, they need air support! The 110s are already on station!"
"Negative! We fight with the boots we have! The possibility of civilian casualties is just too great!" Lord Camati instantly refused the notion of a bomb drop.
During the heated exchange, Erikson is forced to m the brakes when their path forward is cut by two trucks carrying enemy soldiers. Before they all have to duck down, Vance is able to see a close-up view of the enemy equipment. He is just about to say something when a barrage of gunfire threatens to open another breathing hole for them. Ducking low while blindly suppressing the truck, Vance calls out to Erikson as thetter put their 247 on a hasty reverse.
"Brown uniform with blue stripes! They''re fucking Sardegnian Army!"
"The fuck are they doing out here...?" Dipaolo questioned the reality that they were being ambushed by the Sardegnian on their home turf.
Erikson wastes no time at all to report this intel while they still can. "All stations! We are engaging with Sardegnian Army out here!"
"Repeat Sardegnian?" Graves asked back, half in disbelief, half in seriousness.
"Enemy troop is Sardegnian and is able to cast spells!!"
"Goddamn it, Ricardo! You said we have no breach!"
"Shit!" With a few clicks, Dipaolo dreads to break the news to his crew. "The MG-34 is out!" Thoughcking, he can only hope the Kar98 will be enough to buy themselves more time.
Bracing the rifle next to the empty machine gun, Dipaolo tries his best to fire at the enemy under the heavy shaking of the car. Even though he keeps pulling the trigger, it''s unknown to him just how effective each shot is.
"Fuck all! There are too many! Last mag!" Vance announced and if he runs out also, they won''t have any suppressive fire left.
Erikson tries to put a few well-ced shots into the enemy near the car before saying.
"Graves, we need reinforcement since yesterday! The milk and cheese man! Milk and cheese!" Erikson shouted thetter part, hoping to stave away the hopelessness of the situation.
"Ricardo, they''re being stitched up here!"
"We can''t Graves and you already know why!"
"Fuck!" Even with the intense gunfire they were having, the guys could still hear Graves punch the table.
Though they all are wearing bvas, they know that each of them is sporting a despondent smile beneath the cloth. QRF is too far and no CAS in fear of coteral damage, it''s the end of the line.
"FUCK! GET DOWN!" Vance warned as a fireball isunched from a two-story building.
Thest thing they can remember before darkness embraces them is the weightless feeling as the 247 is flying through the air with its front was torn up.
------------------------------------------------------------
Slowly, but painfully, rousing himself up, the first thing Dipaolo sees is the bleeding and charred bodies of Erikson and Vance. The 247 was struck by a powerful fireball, sending it tumbling on its side. Goddess knows just how many times did they roll beforeing to a stop.
Trying to move his legs, Dipaolo lets out a muffled groan as his pain receptors are flooded instantly. His hands are also numb and sluggish, moving out of this spot is a no-go for now.
It looks like the poor guy has to keep looking at his dead friends for a while more. Poor bastards took the brunt of that fireball, hopefully dying instantly because Dipaolo sure as hell doesn''t want to be burned alive.
"Erikson... Vance..."
"All Shadows, report... Any station on this, this is Shadow Actual, what is your status?" The broken voice of Graves can be heard through the half-broken radio set on the 247''s dashboard.
Ok, Dipaolo sure can''t move, but he can at least crawl, right? May as well try and reach the radio for his neckpiece is busted. Yet, before he can do just that, footsteps can be heard,ing from his left.
"Fuck..." Cursing softly, Dipaolo leans his body slowly to see the Sardegnians checking out the convoy.
"Erikson, it''s Graves, what''s your location...?" This fact is unknown to Graves, however. And though the Shadow Actual failed to elicit any response, he keeps trying. "Fuck... Vance, Dipaolo, anyone copy...?"
*BANG* *BANG*
st them all! They''re not checking the convoy, they''re making sure the Shadows stay dead! At this rate, getting to that radio is impossible.
Knowing that he''s in deep shit, Dipaolo tries to look for anything useful. If he''s going to die anyway, he will be sending himself out with a bang. With his gaze darting around, he soony his eyes on Erikson''s hand, specifically, his palm that is still holding the C96.
"Oh, what the hell..." That''s the best Dipaolo can get his bruised hand on right now.
Having no better alternative, Dipaolo crawls his way toward Erikson with every five centimeters he moves causing a sharp pain to shoot through his spine. After crawling close enough, Dipaolo outstretches his right hand for the C96. Right at the moment heys his hand on the pistol, however, a heel stabs into his hand, causing him to grunt. "Argh!"
Dipaolo follows the leg wearing that heel before he sees a young female wearing a Crusader''s attire. The female Crusader eyes him with disdain and a cruel smile before twisting her heel, causing another sh of pain to assault Dipaolo.
Despite this though, Dipaolo can hear many footsteps draw closer to his location before surrounding him. It''s at this moment that Dipaolo knows that they''re all female Crusaders. As the first Crusader is having fun torturing poor Dipaolo, another then crouches down near Erikson''s body, fiddling around with the 247''s radio and turning up the volume.
"Ricardo, my men are in trouble. We need a bird''s-eye view now!" Graves demanded.
Unfortunately, the Lord Inquisitor is having none of that. "I understand your pain but what can they do aside from a flyby? I am not authorizing a strike on our own people."
As expected, the discussion between the twomanders is heard by the Crusaders. Not willing to leave any more intel to fall into the Sardegnians'' hands, Dipaolo risks his very being, hoping that the neckpieces on Erikson and Vance are still working.
"Graves! They have the radio!" Of course, his warning earned him a kick from the Crusader that was stomping his limp right hand.
Though Dipaolo is sent flying a few meters, the warning came across, thankfully.
"Damn it! Dipaolo, was that you!?" Graves asked for Dipaolo in concern.
"Tsk..." The female Crusader was annoyed, knowing that their gig was ruined by the Shadow she kicked. Pulling out her sidearm, a specially made one, the Crusader charges a fireball, fully intending to obliterate the bug in front of her.
She is, however, stops by a hand that forces her to lower her gun. "Wait!"
The interloper this time is hermanding officer, another enhanced Crusader like her but much, much stronger.
The tall girl, sporting silver hair and blue eyes, says. "We need a few of them alive for interrogation, and..." Sparing Dipaolo a nce before sighing, the girl moves to drag the Shadow slowly back to the 247. "Are you hearing me? I want to negotiate." She said to the radio.
"Commander Kallen Kana! We...!" The sadistic Crusader from before tried to protest but a stern look from Kana silenced her.
Seeing that hermanding officer has already made up her mind, the sadistic Crusader then moves to secure Dipaolo, forcing the man to lean on the 247 wrecks while another one joins to keep a close eye on the smirking Shadow.
After a moment of tense silence, Graves'' voice is heard from the radio, clearly still spying on the development via audio feed. "What do you want, Sardegnian?"
Kallen Kana ignores the pointed address she received, opting to say.
"Spain has always been a close ally to Sardegna, sharing the same religious outlook. Yet, because of the problematic era we are living in, the two countries have drifted apart with us failing to uphold our responsibilities as the parent state. With us unable to provide the needed help for Spain during its trying time, Spain is forced to seek outside intervention to deal with Demons and misfits that roam hernds."
"Get to the point,dy! You attacked my men for what!?"
Not losing her mettle, Kallen exins. "For we thought you were the bandits that have terrorized the Spanish popce."
"...Are you for real?" It''s not just Graves that asked that question, dumbfoundedly but also Dipaolo that look at Kallen like she grew a second head.
"We were tasked with uprooting any semnce of danger in Spain, your group just so happened to be misidentified as one in our intelligence reports. Though it was unfortunate, Sardegna is willing topensate and negotiate for the mercenarie-"
"Private Military Contractor." Graves interjected, annoyed.
"... Negotiate for the Military Contractors to retreat from Spain. With us Crusaders here, order and peace will be restored for Spain." Gotta hand it to Kallen for not even twitching when Graves interrupted her.
"Seriously, are you for real?" Graves asked the question, again. Feeling that the opposite party is missing the bigger picture here.
Lord Camati chooses this moment to interject.
"Correct me if I''m wrong but Sardegna left us to rot! If it weren''t for the sacrifice of the men and women you murdered in cold blood, Spain would have been burning to the ground! And please, you''re acting like a damn savior even though we were bloody fine until you lot came along. Saviors my holy ass when all Sardegna ever wanted is topletely assimte us and gain ess to Africa and its bountiful resources!"
"Oof... I can feel that burn in my soul." If it weren''t for Dipaolo chuckling, the surrounding would have been dead silent after Lord Camati''s rant.
A noticeable frown appears on Kallen''s face, she has a feeling that something is wrong but now is not the time to question it.
"I assure you, our presence here is for the betterment of Spain. Now, topensate for the breach of contract, Sardegna is willing to pay Shadow Company and its allied mercenaries group three times the amount contracted. You need only go to Portugal to receive thepensation money. We will even return you the survivors from our misguided attack so long as you agree. Details can be hashed out if you want to discuss on a personal basis."
The offer put a disgusted frown on Dipaolo''s face, he has a feeling that Graves is also doing the same on the other end. To a normal merc group, the offer would be he lucrative, yet, Shadow Company is anything but normal.
First, Shadow Company is an extension of ONI, meaning, it''s serving at the behest of the Reich Marshal. To betray this contract is to betray the Marshal and their mothend. After all, saving Spain IS their order.
Second, Shadow Company is made up of loyal and honorable individuals, unlike a standard merch group. The wholepany mirrors the 404th Ironblood Division in the fact that the Company is one close-knitted family, Graves makes sure of that. He also leads by example so the guys and gals beneath him trust him with their lives. And if there''s one thing Dipaolo likes the most about hismander...
It''s the fact that the son of a bitch takes his job seriously.
"... You fucking spaghetti-lovers just waltzed right in, acting like you own the goddamn ce. And now, you, a girl that sounded like no more than twenty of age, grew a pair of balls and tried to tempt me? Well, guess what, I refuse! Not just because you murdered my subordinates but also because Shadows never betray the person that cast them!"
"Well said, Graves!" Dipaoloughed whole-heartedly. As expected, he earns a kick to the gut because of it but boy it was worth it.
Hearing Graves'' crude deration, Kallen sighs while looking at the battered Dipaolo.
"I can respect you for your codes of honor, Sardegna sure can use people like you. Sadly..." Standing up, Kallen shakes her head. "We''re now destined to be enemies. God wills it and as the soldiers blessed by God, we will see it through."
"As a matter of fact girlie, God is with us!" Graves quipped back with a snicker, putting a frown on Kallen and the Crusaders'' faces.
"Once everything is over and if you are still alive, I hope you will be enlightened on the correct path to Heaven." Kallen said wistfully.
However, it''s not Graves or Lord Camati that answer, but someone else.
"This is Overlord Actual to all stations, I''m overridingmand from here on out. The convoy is dered lost with all hands and protocol Base Delta Zero is now in effect. Geneva convention doesn''t apply here and if there are any civies still left in the AO at this time, then that''s their fault. Eliminate everything." The calm voice, belonging to a female teen, surprised Kallen and the Crusaders.
Dipaolo, however, knows this voice. After all, it''s their Big Boss. He also knows what Base Delta Zero is, and boy, that''s such a cruel order to the survivors or survivor in this case.
The voice, dubbed by Dipaolo as the Reich Marshal''s voice, continues. "To the men and women that serve the Company, you''ve fought well. Godspeed."
And with that, the radio cut off, leaving the Crusaders confused and annoyed for being left in the dark. Of course, they don''t understand what has been said, too cryptic for them.
Utilizing the moment when his prison guards are distracted, Dipaolo chuckles before pulling on the pins of something on his vest and belt. "Well, at least I will go out with a bang."
*BAM*
Arge fiery explosion consumes Dipaolo as multiple incendiary grenades explode. Having been allowed to carry four of them, Dipaolo used them as a sent-off for himself and the fallen. The st is almost instantaneous and powerful enough to consume the 247 and the unlucky few Crusaders around him. Being in close proximity to the white phosphorous cloud and caught off-guard, the supposed supersoldiers inhaled the cloud and are now rolling on the ground, dying with their inside burned out.
Kallen, being the most sessful product of Sardegna''s supersoldier program, leaped out of harm''s way just in time. She is now standing witness to the painful deaths of her battle sisters just because she failed to warn them. This also serves as a major red g to Kallen. Supersoldiers, low-tier as they may be, are kible by a normal human being.
Themotion and death wails of the unfortunate Supersoldiers Crusaders attract the others Crusaders and the Sardegnian regr army to their location. They all watch the proceeding with mixed expressions, most are in disbelief.
"Are you kidding...? They were B-ranks..." One Crusader muttered in a daze, unable toprehend the sudden death of her sisters. They were supposed to be able to survive bullets!
Unfortunately for them, the night is far from over. With their enhanced hearing the Crusaders are soon shaken out of their stupor when the sounds of propellers are filled the night sky.
"Air raid! Run!" Kallen warned the Sardegnians into action. She too is unwilling to stay so she dashes for a gutter, jumping down for cover, not a moment too soon.
The destroyed Shadow convoy is now being strafed by abination of 30mm shells and rockets from multiple Bf-110s. After the multitude of small-ordnance was deployed, ruining already arge section of the town, more Bf-110s arrive. This time, they are carrying enough bombs to level the town back to the Stone Age. And that they did... Or not, since the drop zone is near the convoy, not covering the entire town. Either way, that section of the town is considered deleted because the Bf-110s were carrying 1000 kg bombs. To say that casualties among the Sardegnians are high would be an understatement.
Almost none of the Sardegnian Army members survive while what''s left of the Crusaders that participated in this raid can be counted on two hands. The female Crusaders lost half of their numbers in their first debut, two of them are even promising A-rank Crusaders too... Well, they couldn''t survive a direct hit from a 1000 kg bomb, just bad luck all around.
Kallen, having been covered in dirt and grime from head to toe, surveys the location with a despondent gaze. Though she is proud to serve her God, she is by no mean a cruel or emotionless killer. For the first time in her life, she dreads the prospect of war after witnessing the total destruction of the area at the hands of mere humans. Even her sisters, enhanced as they maybe died without intact corpses.
"So... This is war..." A seed of doubt was nted by the culmination of the words and actions of the Shadow Company. How it will bloom is yet to be seen.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 26: Narrow Margin
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 26: Narrow Margin
You know something is dead wrong when you''re workingte into the night, only to be pulled to the situation room in the middle of your work. That''s what happened to me and no, it''s not wrong because Bryn is eyeballing me for overworking again. What can I say, we need to get those satellites up and running pronto, but I digress.
The situation room I talked about is part of an undergroundplex beneath ONI headquarters, not the one in the Obsidian Pce mind you. That one is reserved for the Empresses in a wartime situation and the circumstance right now is not war per se.
Stepping into the room, furnished with enough electronics,puters, and intelligence officers to run the entire Reich in the shadow, I am greeted by Section Head Agent. The ck hairdy gives me a bow before giving me a rundown of the matter at hand.
"Marshal, as we expected, the Sardegnian Papacy hasunched their subjugation fleet for Spain, citing that the Spanish Inquisition has gone rogue due to foreign influences and will be put down ordingly."
"I see." After we bombed their so-called supersoldiers to death, it''s a given the Papacy would overtly react like that. "ETA andposition?"
I and Bryn take a seat at arge table with a digital map of the Mediterranean. Already there is Grand Admiral Karl Donitz that is eyeing the table with vest interest. Agent operates the instrument on the side of the table and updates the information on it.
"ording to SIGINT and HUMINT, they are sending over four corps, amounting up to 200000 men and rted equipment. Their army will be transported by a dedicated fleet of twenty auxiliary vessels and due to the amount of cargo they have to haul, we suspect it will take them twenty to thirty trips. The first trip with its apanying escorts is ten hours away from Spain." Agent reported as the map showed pictures of the Sardegnian Army deployment and boarding the transports with their gear.
"200000 men, that''s almost twice the number of the standing army the Spanish Inquisition is currently fielding, counting the military contractors also. Not to mention the fact that, albeit lesser in quality, the Sardegnian has an overwhelming number of armored fighting vehicles." Brynmented, to which I nod.
"Adding in the unknown number of supersoldiers, or should I call them Crusaders by now, they can overrun Spain in a matter of days. However, to ferry over such arge force, they will need to obtain sea dominance and a good enough deepwater port to boot. I highly doubt the Papacy military is trained in amphibious warfare."
Agent nods before highlighting a section of Eastern Spain. "It''s as you suspected, Marshal, our spies reported that they will attack Comberth Harbor, thergest and most heavily defended harbor of the Inquisition Navy. Knowing that they outnumber the Inquisition Navy, the Sardegnians are aiming to knock out the Inquisition naval assets and makendfall in one singr operation, titled Operation Judgement."
Grand Admiral Donitz whistle. "They sure dream big for an untested navy."
"That they are Grand Admiral. The Papacy assigned the Caesar fleet for this operation with theposition of 1 Aqu ss aircraft carrier, 1 Littorio ss battleship, 2 Conte di Cavour ss battleships, 3 Zara ss heavy cruisers, 7 Trento ss heavy cruisers, 8 Condottieri ss light cruisers, and 15 destroyers of different sses." Agent reported while adding the fleetposition on the screen.
"An aircraft carrier? Now that''s an interesting choice." I said.
"It''s suspected that they are mostly there only forbat air patrol with no aircraft capable of naval bombing. Intel suggests it''s carrying around 25 Re.2001 OR Serie II fighters with light armament." Agent added.
"Will the Sardegenian Air Force gets involved in this?" Donitz asked.
Shaking her head, Agent replies. "Not for the foreseeable future, the Sardegnian Navy denied the intervention of its Air Force on the ground that their aircraft are of no significance."
Grunting, the Grand Admiral nods. Bryn then speaks up, questioning the Inquisition Navy. "Are the Spanish ready to go to war?"
"Not yet I''m afraid." Agent shook her head. "While the Inquisition maintains good readiness for its Army, their Navy iscking for they are still in the middle of being refitted or are patrolling elsewhere. Knowingly or not, Sardegna Papacy picks a good time tounch an invasion. Even though they have a fleet strength of 32 ships with three capitals, the Inquisition Navy can only field 1 Littorio ss battleship, 1 Zara ss heavy cruiser, 1 Trento ss heavy cruiser, 2 Condottieri ss light cruisers, and three destroyers. However, with us sending over de-ssified technology, these ships of the Inquisition Navy should be able to go toe to toe with the Papacy''s numerical superiority. Especially when Matias Torres is the one in charge. The man holds the record of hitting a moving vessel 25000 meters for a reason and the training regime his Navy implemented reflects that."
"They''re outnumbered four to one still." Donitzmented.
"Yeah, the prospect of the Inquisition navy is not good. But if he can utilize every single asset he has at his disposal, he will cause significant damage to the Sardegnians." Bryn added.
Tapping my fingers on the table, I turn to Agent. "Do we have any naval presence in the area?"
Nodding, Agent highlights a dot on the Mediterranean, more specifically the Balear Sea. "We currently have two Nassau ss submarines conducting naval espionage in the region, Marshal. What should we do with them?"
I give a low hum, thinking up some ns that will prove helpful.
"By using abination of Shadow Company''s Bf-110s and the two Nassaus, we will conduct a torpedo attack on the enemy convoy when they''re locked inbat with the Inquisition Navy. The objective is not to defeat the Ceasar fleet but to limit their ground deployment capability, thus giving the Inquisition Army a fighting chance on the ground. It''s imperative we must sink the transports to achieve this but the point being, we won''t be sinking all of them."
"Hence you said limited..." Donitz said. "I can hazard a guess that you want the war to be an attrition war with boots on the ground. It''s just that I don''t know why."
"No matter how good Matias Torres is, he can''t win against the full might of the Sardegnian Navy and I want to remove Sardegna out of the equation for a few years. This is why I want them to be locked in bitter ground warfare with the Inquisition, one that will be a sinkhole of resources for the Papacy Army. And when the time is right, we will gather their force in one location, Crusaders and all that, and bomb them to kingdome. That will surely knock the Papacy back years of progress."
"Give them a chance of victory before squashing it, I can see this work. Although Spain will be paying a significant price if we do this. Countless civilian lives will be lost, Yuki." Brynmented.
I admit the cold truth, not hiding anything. "It''s why this discussion must never leave this room. We will be doing Spain dirty but the profit we gain from knocking out the Papacy outweighs the price. Until we can eliminate Erusea and Ustio, Sardegna must be contained in the Mediterranean."
Sometimes, hard decisions must be made for the greater good, for the V2 n, and Bryn understands this clearly. She is, after all, Brynhyldr, the first Valkyrie of Norse mythology. No one understands war as she does.
"I will see to it that this n will be a sess, Marshal." Donitz gave his words. "The two submarine Captains will also take this chance and record the soon-to-begin battle. We can analyze the footage to gain more insight into the Sardegnians'' tactics."
"Alright. With that out of the way, I think it''s high time we retire for the night. Just keep me posted if there''s a major development or when the battle is about tomence." I talked to Agent before I and Bryn headed out. The task of monitoring the situation will be left for Agent and the intel officers to handle.
On a side note, Agent is filling in the ce of Section Head Quellec since the man is still preupied in Rusviet.
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Putting down the phone, Admiral Matias Torres of the Spanish Inquisition Navy sighs aloud. The grizzled veteran is clearly unamused by the news. His XO, who is nearby, asks.
"Trouble confirmed, Admiral?"
Nodding, Torres answers. "So it would seem. Sardegna just dered war. Belkan intelligence expects the fleet to be ten hours away."
"Not too long of a time frame, but also not too short." The XO said. "We may be able to give the evacuation fleet a headstart."
Torres grunts in affirmation before he, alongside his XO, makes his way to the gship of the Inquisition Navy, the Tannager, a Littorio ss battleship. Along the trip, theye to see the whole of Comberth Harboring to life as convoys of trucks, men, and supplies are moving all over the ce to make sure the two fleets arebat-ready.
Though the truth is, only a portion of the Inquisition Navy is ready to bring the fight to the Sardegnians. The rest are stocking fuel and supplies to make their long trip to Belkan shore, unfit for battle. Had there been enough time, maybe all 32 of their ships could have gone to war after being refitted with newer Belkan technology. Sadly for the Inquisition, this is not the case.
Torres has to make do with bringing only 8 of his ships to contend with the might of 37 Sardegnian vessels in ten hours. Granted his ships have a technological edge over their Sardegian counterparts and thetter can''t bring all guns to bear without risking their convoy. It doesn''t change the fact that Torres and his fleet are outnumbered 4 to 1...
"Then it''s an even fight." Torres had the shadow of a smirk as he said that.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 27: Hero of Comberth Harbor (Part 1)
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 27: Hero of Comberth Harbor (Part 1)
Calm wind with and a clear sky, the Balear Sea will make for a fine sunny grave for an untold number of sailors today. Admiral Matias Torres has such an idle thought like that as standing tall on the bridge of the Tanager, a Littorio ss battleship. She, alongside seven other vessels, is what makes up an interception task force. Their goal is to block the advance of the Sardegnian Navy, buying time for the total evacuation of the ships stationed at Comberth Harbor.
Now that Torres has the time to think about stuff on the open sea, the situation is ironic on many levels. The Spanish Inquisition Navy was funded by the Sardegnian Papacy for a period of time. Hence both sides use the same ship sses and mostly the same tactics in the Mediterranean. The departure from those is that Torres drills his Navy to the highest standard of skills to counter the Erusea presence in Gibraltar. An action the Papacy Navy disregards, failing to see the point in a rigorous training regime and being overconfident in their naval strength of a hundred surface ships. And unlike the freshly refitted ships of his interception force, the current Sardegnian Navy still hasn''t incorporated technologies that are radar and sonar. However, these can be offset in visual range by their great optical rangefinder and fire-control system. This is why it''s imperative for Torres and his force to kite the enemy.
"Sir," Torres'' XO reported. "We received intel from the Belkan submarines. They''re tailing the enemy convoy and have updated us on their location andposition. The enemy is 70 km away from us to the Northeast."
Torres then watches as the XO sketches a few lines on the naval map of the Mediterranean, showcasing the new position of the enemy fleet. Analyzing the map, Torresments.
"They''re runningter than expected."
"It''s probably due to the fact that this is the first major conflict the Sardegnian Navy has had in a long while. Their organization is not as good as they hoped." The XO hypothesized, earning a small nod from Torres.
"Whatever the case, we now know where they are. Change course Northbound. We will cut straight into the enemy''s path before kiting them utilizing our superior range." Torres ordered, leaving the XO to handle the fleet maneuver while he headed outside.
As the Tanager gently turns to port, Torresys his eyes on the rest of his force. Trailing the stern of the Tanager are the Santiago and the Biscay. They are the Zara, and Trento ss heavy cruisers respectively. Forming a protective screening around the heavy fighters are the two Condottieri ss light cruisers, Filip and Luis, alongside the three destroyers of the group. For the uing naval engagement, the lighter vessels are mostly there to deploy smoke screens and to hunt down the fast-moving Sardegnian destroyers. If there''s one thing Torre is wary about then that is being swarmed by dozens of fast-moving torpedo ships. No matter how good their sonar is, they can''t dodge a hundred torpedoes at the same time.
"Admiral, radar spotted enemy aircraft. Most probably enemy spotters, sir." The radar officer reported. "Though it seems they still haven''t seen us yet."
"Ry their location to our CAP. I want them shot down to maintain our element of surprise." Torres said.
Though he talked about surprise and all that, it''s more like he doesn''t want the enemy to split up and block his path, while the rest goes on their merry way. He wants them to bunch up into one big family before sending them to hell.
With the request for Combat Air Patroling through, Torres soon receives the good news that all their enemy spotters are shot down. However, the enemy fighters sortie in response, and their CAP is forced to lead them on a wild goose chase, meaning no air cover for the uing battle. Torres is not afraid, however, if intel is anything to go by, the Papacy has no bombers to field. Even if that''s the case, the additional AA armament they have are more than enough to counter them. Anyway, the short time sailing till they reach radar range will be unbothered by enemy fliers. That''s a fact Torres is thankful for.
The rest of the voyage is spent in a tense calmness, saved for a few regr reports here and there. Torres is once again pleased by the professionalism his men exuded, even before a seemingly one-sided battle. The Admiral is pulled out of his musing when the XO reports that they''ve spotted their enemy.
"Sir, radar has spotted the enemy fleet. Range, 45 km, due East, North-East. As expected, the heart of the enemy formation is three battleships. We''re working on identifying the ships in the enemy formation now, sir."
Torres nods, ordering. "Fleet at half speed. Lay a course bearing 350. Gunsy bear on the bearing of the lead enemy battleship. Only fire when they are 35 km away from us."
"Yes, Admiral!"
With the XO running off to perform his task, Torres is left to his own device. "Now we wait."
As he feels the Tanager making a gentle steer to the left, the Spanish Admiral falls into contemtion. Torres decided that an opening range of 35 km is the best they can go for, even if the 381 mm guns on the Tanager have a theoretical range of 42 km. At that range and even with the addition of a radar FCS, the shells will disperse too much with less than a 5% chance to hit. 35 km, which is still beyond the visual range of the enemy, is a nice middle ground for a few early salvos on the Sardegnians.
It still has to be said that they can shorten the distance extremely fast though. Both sides use high-speed cruisers and destroyers so by sending them ahead to nk the Inquisition Navy, they can buy time for the battleships to get into visual range and retaliate. Torres does have a few tricks to deny them such a maneuver, sadly, most tricks require a few more ships to pull off. Ships he doesn''t have, unfortunately.
With both fleets getting closer and closer, the radar operator also gets a clearer picture of the enemy formation. Though he did not be a shaking mess, Torres can see thed tenses up as he rys ballistic data to the gunnery officers of the Tanager. As both sides gradually reach the promised 35 km mark, the guns on the Tanager turn to prepare the opening salvo.
Before that though, the XO updates the naval map with the ssification of the enemy ship. Surprisingly, the leading battleship is not a Littorio but a Conte di Cavour. An imperceptible frown appears on Torres'' face for a second at this information. There are pros and cons to putting a slower capital ship ahead of a quicker one, but it''s stupid when you also sandwiched the quicker ship, a Littorio, with another slow ship from behind. When the need arises for the quicker capital ship to lead the charge, it will have to break formation and the resulting act will be formation hell. Whoever is leading the enemy sure forgot his brain back in Sardegna.
Regardless, it will be an advantage Torres is willing to utilize. Aside from the battleships, it also seems like the enemy aircraft carrier is not with the battleships'' force but further behind them. Coincidentally, the enemy convoy can be separated into two fleets. The leading fleet is the capital ships fleet with the biggest guns and protected by half their smaller vessels. The trailing fleet is the transports, guarded by the aircraft carrier Aqu and the rest of their fleet.
"Alert the fleet, the Tanager is now targeting the leading enemy Conte di Cavour. Have them on standby for high-speed interception and torpedo evasion." Having gathered enough information, Torres deemed it fit to say. "Fire on my mark."
Taking a look at the deck guns, Torres'' experience allows him to have a mental countdown till the XO wille up to report that they''re in range. "5...4...3...2...1."
"Admiral! The enemy breached the 35 km line!"
With a wave of his hand, Torres gives the order with a grin on his face. "Fire!"
All nine 381 mm L/50 Ansaldo guns unleash hell per his call.
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Hidden beneath the waves, some ten kilometers away from the leading Sardegnian fleet, is a Nassau ss submarine, the Tannenberg. Thanks to the high magnification of the periscope, the Captain of the Tannenberg can even see the coffee mug on the hand of a Sardegnian sailor. Scanning the horizon, the female Captain fails to see anything amiss. Well, aside from the fact that the enemy is spooked due to their spotters being shot down. Thankfully, only the aircraftplement from the SMS Aqu was sortied, the rest of the enemy fleet performed no further action than continuing their leisurely voyage.
It''s about to change, however.
"Captain Martha." Turning over to her right-hand man, Martha awaits his report. "The Tanager has open fired on the leading Conte di Cavour. ETA 20 seconds till impact."
"I see, status on the Stuttgart?" The RMS Stuttgart is the second Nassau ss to be active in the AO.
"They''re shadowing the transport fleet. Just like us, they''re still undetected."
"Let''s keep it that way until the torpedo bombers arrive. By that time, we will have free reign on dealing out some damage." Martha said while she returned to view the enemy battleship.
"Yes ma''am. Hopefully, we will be able to affect the oue of this battle in a meaningful way." Her aide said, clearly sympathetic to the Spanish.
Martha responds with. "We''re but two subs, Mark. Deadly ones, yes, but you have to know that High Command specifically ordered us tounch all of our bow tubes and get the hell out. Meaning we won''t be hanging around to help out the Inquisition Navy, even if we wanted to." This earns a nod from Mark the aide. "It''s up to High Command to n how this war will proceed."
"The fishes are calibrated to target the transports, ma''am. The guys in the torpedo rooms are rearing to test out the torps on actual enemy vessels."
"They won''t have to wait for long..." Martha then starts a countdown. "5...4...3...2...1... Ssh."
Water columns suddenly rose amid the formation of the Papacy battleships, temporarily obstructing her vision of the leading enemy vessels. When the columns of seawater die down, Martha zooms in on the enemy ships, scanning for any damage.
"Report this to the Tanager: One shell hit on the leading Conte. Moderate damage to its port side. The rest of the shells are dispersed in a 300 meters radius around the ship. The enemy is scrambling." Martha ordered thems officer.
The man promptlymunicates with the Tanager about the effectiveness of the firing solution. A dozen secondster, he reports. "Captain, the Tanager just fired another salvo."
"Let''s see whether it strikes gold then." Martha acknowledged the report.
Even though the Conte di Cavour was struck with a surprise attack, it befuddled Martha to see that the enemy still hasn''t reacted overtly. "Why the hell are they still sticking to the same course? That''s just clearly asking for trouble."
"Take a look at this, Mark." Martha stepped away from the periscope, letting Mark takes her ce.
"What the...? And... another shellnds on the stern of the Conte. Though I think it''s an overpen, the ship may or may not have a leaking bottom." Mark said, clearly amused by the action of the Sardegnians. "Are they that stupid to not notice the fact that the enemy is beyond visual range?"
"Seems to be that way." Martha snickered. "Continues to ry the situation to the Tanager. Though they''re asleep now, they may wake up soon."
"Yes, Captain."
"Speaking of the Tanager. The first salvo hit the target somewhere around 32 to 33 km away from the Tanager. That''s gotta be a record, I reckon." Marthamented.
"That''s way past the previous record by 10 km or so, I think. That hawkeye Admiral sure is a miracle worker for the Spanish Navy." Mark added.
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On the other side of the periscope, the Sardegnians are scampering about in confusion aboard the Enrico Dandolo as they were hit two times in quick session. As the crew is working to stop the aft flooding, the Captain of the Enrico reports to his Fleet Admiral about the general situation.
"As I said, we are unable to maintain our cruising speed! We need you to take the lead in the formation!" The Captain of the Enrico almost shouted his spittle over thems. "That''s the point! We don''t know where the shells areing from! The guys on the tower are unable to see any smoke on the horizon, much less a damn ship!"
The Admiral on the other end then says something that causes the Captain to stop for a second. "... I see. We will be turning starboard and letting the Roma take point. After that, we will be falling in line with the Aqu."
Having said that, the Captain then orders the helmsman to break the formation and make way for the gship. As the battleship Enrico Dandolo starts slowing down to let the transports catch up to her, the sky starts whistling before nine 381mm shells impact its previous position.
Unwilling to endure being bombarded without seeing the enemy, the Admiral of the Sardegnian fleet sends out a detachment of six ships to scour the general direction where the shells areing from. The six vessels are steaming forth at nk speed, determined to find the Inquisition Navy as soon as possible. Trailing behind them while performing a zigzag maneuver is the battleship fleet, maintaining a speed of 19 knots due to the low top speed of the Conte di Cavour ss.
After eight minutes of being on the receiving end of four more salvos, with two hits causing moderate damage to a Trento ss cruiser, the Admiral of the Papacy receives good news. The enemy has been spotted at bearing 257 and at a distance of 29 km away from the Roma.
Ordering the main fleet to head for that bearing while telling the gunners to work on a firing solution by cooperating with the scouting ships, the Admiral has a twisted grin when he knows that the enemy is now on the run after being spotted.
"Run all you want but God wills you to sink!" A sense of overwhelming satisfaction arose in the depth of the Admiral''s psyche when the Roma retaliates with her main guns.
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"Fleet to cruise speed. Divert to bearing 340." Torres ordered.
"Aye, aye, Admiral!"
The Admiral then asks. "Status on the six ships that are on approach?"
" Two cruisers and four destroyers, sir. At the rate they''re going, they should be looking to intercept us with a torpedo run."
"Sir! The Roma has opened up on us!"
Though he is unperturbed, Torres still tenses his voice in warning. "All hands, brace for impact!"
Five secondster, harmless sshes arose around the Spanish formation.
"Good, it seems like they are still stuck working on a proper firing solution for now." Torresmented. "Cease fire on the enemy battleship, I want all guns to train on the cruiser that is leading the torpedo attack. While secondaries aim for the nearest destroyers. Have the escorts do the same with the Condottieries and the destroyers prepare to charge in and finish the job on mymand."
"I will ry the information right away!" Torres'' XO ran to thems station.
Torres then watches as the main turrets on the Tanager readjust for the new target, lowering their barrels while slightly turning to the right. He can also see a shift in his fleet formation with the escorts on the port side slowing down before reinforcing the starboard screen.
"Sir, firing solution acquire!"
"Open fire!" Torres waved his hand. The main batteries then sing,plemented by a significant amount of cruiser-level firepower from the fleet.
A multitude of shells then bombarded the six Sardegnian ships that dare to get closer than 20 km. It''s noteworthy that the Tanager manages to score two more hits on the enemy Condottieri cruiser while it''s unknown what ship hit an unlucky destroyer. The former received crippling damage to its stern while thetter seems to be better, only receiving light damage to its port bow. Not willing to be outdone, the enemy cruisers retaliate with their 152 mm guns.
Due to the great optical rangefinder aboard both sides'' vessels, acquiring a firing solution is easy enough. By the third salvos, the enemy cruisers have scored a strike on heavy cruiser Biscay. They report to Torres that the damage is moderate on the starboard side but above the waterline, still they did lose a secondary turret to the enemy. It''s not good news considering that they need all the firepower they can get against a numerically superior force. And the long-range firepower from the enemy battleships isn''t helping at all.
As the main guns on the Tanager scream vengeance again, Torres receives a report that an enemy destroyer has been sunk while another crippled. Picking up his binocrs, Torres quickly spotted the sinking vessel with the entirety of its topside burning up. He also sees another smoking destroyer falling behind the formation, turning tail and running away with a destroyed smokestack. Under the intense fire from the Inquisition Navy, the leader of the detachment has ordered for a smokescreen to be deployed but much to Torres'' delight, the Tanager strikes true on the damaged enemy cruiser.
An explosion that rocks the open sea appears as the ship is torn half from a possible ammo explosion. If there''s one weakness about a Condottieri is that it''s very lightly armored, ammo storage being cook-offed is one of the top ways to go out aboard such vessels. The sailors aboard the Tanager can''t help but whistle in good morale as a turret of the enemy Condottieri is shot high up into the sky by a pir of blueish me.
"Confirmed. Cruiser Raimondo Montecoli, sunk!" The XO reported. With one cruiser and a destroyer sunk, another destroyer limping away while thest three vessels are being battered by a plethora of shells, Torres is now confident enough to send out a clean-up crew. "Have Luis lead the destroyers out to mop them up before enemy reinforcement arrives. Thest thing we want is to be overwhelmed by a dance party."
Receiving an affirmative from the XO, Torres returns his attention to the enemy. They''re fortunate that the enemy mistakenly sent a small detachment first, this allows Torres to confidently thin out their number in advance.
Right at the moment his vessels detach themselves to clean up the enemy scouts, arge caliber shell strikes the rear battery of the Tanager. Torres frowns as a high pitch noise reverberates across the ship. "High pitch is good, it means the AP shell bounced." He then watches as the XO runs to verify the damage.
True to his words, the XO soonys down the ship inte, saying. "Sir, C turret reports minimal damage by a bouncing shell. Though they will have to clean their earster."
The jest from the crew doesn''t fail to bring a smirk on Torres'' face. "Outstanding."
The smirk is short-lived, however, the radar operator soon reports that a major enemy detachment is heading straight to them. "Inbound 11 vessels! One battleship, four heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and four destroyers! Sir, it''s the Roma!"
Torres'' face is now full of seriousness as he hears that. "ETA?"
"Ten to fifteen minutes till they reach Luis'' group at 30 knots!"
"I want them to deploy a smoke screen at five and prepare their torpedoes for the Roma and her cruiser escorts." Torres ordered as thest of the enemy scout vessels are sunk while shelling from the Romanded harmlessly around the Tanager. "Formation to full!"
With the enemy being spearheaded by the Roma at a max speed of 30 knots, Torres knows that they have to incur a reduction in uracy in exchange for a higher speed. The Sardegnians will catch up, sure, but not anytime soon. "Primaries on the Roma! Secondaries on the nearest enemy ship. All other vessels engage anything thates close! Is the Luis ready with its torpedoes?"
"They justunched, sir, but the enemy has already taken an evasive maneuver before that!"
"We don''t need them to hit, we need to buy time. Have Luis and the destroyers regroup with the Tanager. Be ready for a pincer attack by the enemy fast movers." Torres ordered. "Have the Air Force on standby with their bombers. Once we are done thinning the herd, they will be needed."
"Yes, Admiral!"
Suddenly, a shell hit the Biscay, causing a major explosion amidship. Torres snaps to the side, eyeballing a thick column of smoke and fireing from the engine deck of the Biscay. It doesn''t take a damage report to know that the Biscay''s lost its primary propulsion. "Signal the Biscay to retreat. With a knocked out propulsion like that, she will be singled out by the Sardegnian in no time."
"... Will do, sir." The XO answered subduedly.
Though they took out 6 enemy ships out of 37, they also lost 1 out of 8. With the Biscay heading out of the battle zone, a big chunk of their firepower follows it. By the time most of the enemy fleet is either sank or disabled, Torres has a feeling that only the Tanager will be left.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Chapter 28: Hero of Comberth Harbor (Part 2)
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Chapter 28: Hero of Comberth Harbor (Part 2)
"Fire!" Apanying the shout from Torres, who is now viewing the enemy battleship with a stern gaze, the 381 mm cannons send out another salvo with a sea-quaking bang. Clenching his binocrs, Torres can see the shells eithernding near the enemy battleship Roma, or bouncing and shattering due to the acute angle that the shellsnded. "Bastard is inching closer!" Torres muttered with an annoyed expression. "Have the Filip and Luis deploy a smoke screen to our starboard!"
"Yes, sir!"
In current-day naval warfare, one of the many uses of a smoke screen is to disrupt the optical aiming device and rangefinder on enemy vessels. Yet, it''s also a double-edged sword for it can also block the view of your allies. Fortunately for the Spanish, their vessels are fitted with a radar system, allowing them to range find by radar and to engage even with obstructed vision. Torres is banking on that fact to cause some meaningful damage while he still can.
"The guns are ready, sir!"
"Fire!" Once again, the sea quakes ording to Torres'' order. Only this time, due to the smoke screen, Torres can hardly see the shells impacting. "Can the cruisers confirm the effect?"
Being asked, the radio operator then transmits the inquiry post-haste and after a dozen seconds, the answeres. "Sir, three shells hit the Roma, light damage."
"Continue engaging the Roma. Secondaries keep pumping out HE on everything else." Torres said amidst the continuous booming of cannons firing.
The exchanging of shells then goes on tost for fifteen minutes with both sides scoring less than meaningful damage to the other''s capital ship. Gone are the pristine udus camouge on both battleships, now, ash and soot are painted over them alongside a number of holes and dents. Suddenly, numerous small explosions rock one of the Spanish destroyers.
"The Cavalier has been hit! God, she''s burning up!" One of the sailors manning the observation post just outside the bridge eximed. Torres and a few officers run out to the railings, only to see the Cavalier falling behind the formation, its entire deck going up in me with sailors on fire jumping off the ship.
"Goddamn, Sardegnians!" Torres, for the first time in this engagement, lost his cool. The sudden spike of rage inside him is quickly forced down by him, however. A leader shouldn''t lose hisposure when his men needed him the most. Granted, his men won''t me him for losing control, no one deserves a death like the Cavalier.
"Blood repays blood, the Cavalier shall be avenged, gentlemen. Return to your posts." Torres said, earning vehement nods from his men. They spare onest nce at the burning Cavalier before returning to duty.
Once inside the bridge, a report is brought to Torres'' attention.
"Admiral, the enemy is speeding to cut ahead of us! Wait... They''re encircling us from the rear also! Both formations consist of a Trento and two destroyers!"
"Damn it! Have the remaining destroyers cover our rear in a smoke screen, and disrupt their torpedo aiming! All other vessels, carve a path forward. Engage at will!" Torres gave a new order to the entire fleet before saying. "Have the destroyersunched their remaining torpedoes against the grouping up our rear!"
"Load HE on the next salvo! After that, train the gun on the enemy Trento cutting our front! If they''re closing in on us, let them be purified by fire!" Torres ordered right at the moment Roma''s salvo arrived. Of the nine shells, seven missed with two scoring hits. Feeling an explosion urred near the aft, Torres turns to his XO. "Status report!"
"Sir! One of the shells prated and exploded in the aft, near the magazine! There''s a fire near the C turret! The other over prated above the waterline, no flooding!" The XO reported with a hand holding the ship''s telephone.
"Damage control to the aft! Prioritizing putting out the fire!" The echo of thest AP salvo apanied Torres'' order. "The order still stands, I want that Trento blows out of the water!"
"On it, Admiral!" The XO reported while the front turrets were turning to engage. "C turret has no firing solution, sir!"
"C turret targets the Trento to our aft, support our destroyers." Torres added, letting the XO ry the instruction.
Twenty secondster, Filip and Luis report heavy iing fire from the Roma, the enemy has changed target. "It seems like they want to remove the nuisance that is our smoke screen." Torresmented.
"Have the Filip and Luis takes evasive maneuver."
The radio operator nods before sending over themand, he does turn to question. "Sir, Filip, and Luis say it will lessen the effectiveness of the smoke screen if they do that."
"Tell them to follow the order, their survival is more important right now. We can take a few more hits."
"I will forward it, Admiral."
At this moment, the XO turns around with a phone by his ear. "A and B turrets are loaded, sir!"
"Fire!" With the instruction given, the six barrels of 381 mm goodness spat me. Viewing with his binocrs, Torres can barely make out harmless shell sshes around the enemy Trento some 18 km away. "No effect! Recalcte the solution, and adds 2 more knots to the equation!"
"Command ryed, sir!" The XO reported.
The radar operator adds soon after. "They''re approaching dangerously near the 15 km warning radius, Admiral!" 15 km is the torpedo range for most of the torpedoes in the Sardegnian arsenal.
"Steady course! The gunners need stability right now!" Torres, however, opts to ignore the warning for now. Unfortunately, the radar operator screams. "Not good, thest two light cruisers areing directly towards starboard! They''re Condottieries!"
"Damn, of all time and it has to be now." Torres mutters. "Santiago and Filip move to intercept and eliminate the two light cruisers if possible! Luis stays on the lookout for torpedoesing from the front!"
"Ryed, sir!"
"Gunnery reports A and B are readied!"
"Fire!" Again, the main guns sang a perfect crescendo. Perfect because, with the remedied calction from Torres, they scores a remarkable four hits on the Trento, blowing the vessel out of the water, literally.
"Cruiser Amalfi, sunk!"
A cacophony of cheers erupts on the bridge and Torres can even feel the jubtion mood from the crew in the A and B turrets all the way up on the bridge. The good news doesn''t stoping, soon, the radio operator reports.
"Destroyer Elena reported torpedoes hitting enemy destroyer Pisa, the ship is breaking apart!"
This time, the roaring cheer raises up a notch. Torres lets them be for exactly five seconds with a small, proud smile before going on to say. "This battle is far from over, gentlemen. I want us to keep the ball going."
"Ry my instructions. Primaries and secondaries are to target the Condottieries. Keep loading HE."
"Got it, Admiral."
"Admiral!" The radar operator eximed. "The enemies on all sides are closing the distant at nk speed, all of them are breaking past 15 km!"
"All vessels, prepare for torpedo evasion!" Torres ordered while scanning the enemies surrounding them.
Ahead of the Tanager and the Luis are two destroyers, both are already in a good position to release eight torpedoes each. To the Tanager''s starboard, the two Condotieries are steaming toward the Tanager, slipping past the slower formation of the Santiago and Filip. For this pair, Torres can see they are somewhat struggling to turn to their sides tounch their fish. Most pressingly though, to the Tanager''s stern, the enemy Trento and its remaining destroyer escort are zing through the outgunned Spanish destroyers.
"Order to follow. Stern battery and secondaries to fire at the cruiser behind us!"
Although the stern gunnery crews swiftly followed through with the order, it still doesn''t stop the enemy to approach a dangerous 8 km, leaving behind a crippled Spanish destroyer. "Destroyer Julia reports catastrophic damage! All of its guns are disabled!"
"Have Julia retreated while she still can!"
"Damn it, that cruiser is turning port side alongside the destroyer! C turret, what the hell are you doing!?" The XO screamed over the internalms.
Ignoring the shout, the gunner of the C turret adopts a calm facade while working on his magic. With only one shot, he is not allowed to miss. Right at the moment when the enemy Trento crosses the 6.5 km mark with all of its torpedoes calibrated and readied, the C turret unleashes its volley. The three 381 mm shells cover the nautical distance in a span of six seconds and all of them hit true. The HE shellspletely obliterate the front half of the Trento, earning the Tanager crew another well-earned kill.
Their effort, however, doesn''t stop Trento''s apanying destroyer to release its fish. In fact...
"Not good! Luis reports torpedoes to bow!" The radio operator shouted.
"Sir, multiple torpedoes to starboard!"
"We have more to the stern, Admiral!"
"Hard to port! Speed, 1/4!" Torres instantly ordered. The helmsman is quick toply and spin the steering wheel, causing the Tanager to lean to a side and throw off a bunch of firing solutions.
While this happens, Santiago and Filip tear down a Condottieri, albeit toote. "Cruiser Archemede is flooding heavily... No! It has sunk!"
Yet, to douse cold water over the palpating heart of the Tanager''s crew, a shell from the Roma tear through the stern of the Filip, all the way to its citadel, before exploding. Being hit with a 381 mm shell in such a critical area, Filip''s hull copse internally before the entire ship spews out smoke and fires from whatever gaps they can find. In this case, the turrets, specifically the C and D turrets are shot high up into the sky.
"No! The Filip''s ammo stowage has been hit!" The XO spotted the exploding ship, his face paled for his best friend served aboard the vessel.
"Admiral, the Captain of the Filip reported that they are now abandoning ship. He also offers his apology, sir."
"The Filip fought well, may she rest in peace." Torres acknowledged the report with a stern face. The outlook of this battle is getting increasingly bleak.
But first, they must survive the torpedoes salvos before they can think of avenging the losses. Running to the starboard railings, Torres and his XO spy the ocean for wakes of torpedoes, spotting the majority of them. Counting at least 30 torpedoes being sent their way, Torres makes ast-minute instruction. "All ahead nk, hard starboard!"
Spinning the steering wheel to starboard with his right hand mming the throttle control of the Tanager forward, the helmsman sessfully squeezes the Tanager through the majority of the deadly cross-torping. The keyword is a majority.
"Brace for impact!" Torres warned before he, alongside the sailor, crouched and covered their heads.
Three torpedoes impacted near the starboard stern, rocking the entire Tanager and causing a series of flooding to take ce. The XO runs to thems to check and take in the damage report. "Damn! We lost one engine and rudders are barely responding! Moderate floodings are filling up the stern and DCP is working on stopping the water froming in!"
The helmsman adds. "Admiral, we are losing too much speed! We can''t take any more flooding or we''re sitting duck!"
"All guns, engage thest Condottieri! I want that thing being blown out of the water!" Torres ordered, partly frustrated by the inopportune torpedo hits.
After calcting the loss in stability, the Tanager is partly sinking in aft, the main guns and secondaries fire at the same time, blotting the air with shells for a few seconds. It''s unsure what shell, or shells hit thest enemy light cruiser but the cruiser cked out with smoke before being lifted a few meters above the sea as an explosion tears out its waterline.
"Cruiser Borea, sunk!"
"Don''t celebrate yet for the Roma ising in for the kill alongside the two Zaras!" The radar operator said. "They''re going for Santiago!"
The radio operator turns to Torres before he can even say anything. "The Santiago reported she is under heavy enemy and hasunched her torpedoes in retaliation. She is flooding heavily and is unable to pull back... The Santiago is staying behind, sir."
Sighing, Torres can''t help but exim. "Damn it."
Turning to view the battle, Torres can see thest destroyer to the stern has been chased away by Torres'' own destroyer, it''s just that both sides are heavily damaged. On the other side, Torres can see the Luis engaging in a knife fight with enemy destroyers while the limping Santiago is being bombarded by guns of all calibers. Taking a closer look, Torres can see the Santiago has lost its front turrets while the stern turrets are taking whatever shot they can against the enemy Zara ss, and hitting too despite the listing the Santiago has.
A part of Torres is proud while another part of him feels remorse over the loss of such fine sailors. After another short two minutes engagement, a torpedo from Santiago hits the lumbering beast that is the Roma, not before the shells from Roma tear holes below the waterline of Santiago, thus capsizing the ship. It''s unsure how effective the torpedo was for Torres can see the Roma still able to maintain its cruising speed, albeit with a bit of list to its port side.
Ignoring the sailors aboard the Santiago, the Roma and her escorts continue sailing toward the slowing Tanager. Their guns now spewing incessant shells at the Tanager.
And the bad news just keepsing in. "Sir! The enemy Conte di Cavour is approaching!"
Hearing this, even Torres has to sigh. "The Roma is angling toward us, keep slinging HE shells at her until I say otherwise. Secondaries are to engage thest Zara on the enemy side. Gentlemen, allow me to say that it has been an honor to serve with you."
"The honor is ours, Admiral." The XO replied.
"We beat them ck and blue, sir!"
"We sure carve a page on the history book for this, aren''t we?"
"Damn right we did!"
"God is with us!" It started from one.
"God is with us!" Then the other.
"GOD IS WITH US!" Finally, the entire bridge cheered along, even Torres.
"Let''s teach them a lesson they will never, ever forget!" Torres said heatedly with a wide grin.
"Yes, sir!!!"
With morale sessfully reignited, Torres turns to the radio operator. "Get the Air Force on the line. It''s about time they join the fray."
"I''m on it, Admiral!"
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Mihaly Dumitru Margareta Corneliu Leopold nca Karol Aeon Ignatius Raphael Maria Niketas A. Shge.
That''s my full name, a name that hasn''t been uttered for decades. And no, it isn''t because the name is too long to remember. It''s because I have merely discarded it for the time being. The story behind that can be retold on another asion.
Those who know me on the surface called me Mihaly A. Shge now.
"Sol 1, that''s thest Falco you''re chasing." My wingman, Sol 2, said overms, having cleaned up the airspace of the couple dozens of Falcos.
Pushing the throttle level, I opt to put my Bf-109 K hot on the tail of the remaining Falco, our distance reducing to a mere 500 meters. Noticing me trailing behind him, the pilot of the Falco utilizes its lighter airframe, performing a series of maneuvers in the hope to shake me off. That pilot sure understands his aircraft well.
Were it any other pilots, the enemy Falco may have seeded in making them overshoot before getting a bead on their tail instead. Yet, hees across me piloting, perhaps, the most advanced fighter in this quadrant of the globe. For a moment, I can even feel the desperation of the enemy pilot after failing to shake me off for what seems to be the fifth time.
Had he smartened up and tried to engage me in a turn fight, I would have been impressed andmended him for a great effort. Sadly for him, he failed to live up to the expectation. Moving my crosshair over to the left wing of the Falco, I depress my trigger before a burst of white tracers hit the wing root of the Falco. The mix of 8 mm Mauser and 20 mm shellspletely destroyed the root, cutting off the wing before the Falco starts an uncontrol spiral to the right. Circling over the falling Falco, I fail to see a chute before it tumbles into the ocean.
"A shame." I muttered before leveling my aircraft. My wingmates then join me before we resume our patrol pattern.
"You could have finished sooner, Sol 1." Sol 2 said.
"I wanted to understand my enemy." I responded.
"Does it even matter?"
"It does if you want to survive the cruel sky." I answered in a calm voice. "Take it from my experience in the Great War."
"I will keep that in mind." Sol 2 added. "We have received the signal. It''s time to escort our bombers to attack the enemy vessels."
Looking over to my right, I can see Sol 2 flying near me. "Ammo and fuel status?"
Sol 2 answers first. "Ample ammo and enough fuel for another hour ofbat."
"Same as Sol 2." My third wingman added.
"Still have half of my 20 mm shells, should be enough for whatever they throw at us." Said the fourth member of Sol squadron.
Simr replies are given after that down the line till Sol 10. The earlier engagement pitted 20 Bf-109s of Sol squadron and Luna squadron against 25 Re.2001 Falcos from the aircraft carrier Aqu. It wasn''t even a fight since both Sol nor Luna squadrons didn''t even lose a single aircraft. It goes to reveal that we trumped the Sardegnians in not just equipment but also in experience.
"Form up with Luna squadron, we will be spearheading the bomber formation just as nned." I said.
"Finally, I hope the Papacy navy will be putting much more of a fight. What happened earlier wasn''t even a challenge." Sol 7mented in high spirits.
"Even if that''s the case, it''s best to keep a cautious attitude. Against the Navy, all it takes is one good hit to knock us out." Sol 2 advised.
He isn''t wrong. Skill in a dogfight can decide life and death, yet, you can only count on your gut and luck against numerous AA guns. It takes a special kind of people to brave incessant tracers and ks.
I let Sol squadron keeps up the banter while joining Luna squadron. Together, both squads head to join with the Bf-110 Hs formation. In total, 22 Bf-110 Hs, each carrying a single torpedo, will be attacking the Sardegnian naval ships. We, flying Bf-109 Ks, will be providing cover by suppressing enemy AA guns. A part of me thought about just how many of our aircraft will survive. After all, our navy is taking while also dishing out a hell of a beating.
The rest of the trip to the enemy fleet is made in rtively tense silence since we decide to listen to thems chatters from Admiral Torres'' fleet. Though it isn''t all good news, the radio does inspire a part of me to fight harder than ever, knowing that someone else is doing the same on a different battlefield.
After some ten minutes, the collective formation of Bf-109s and Bf-110s arrive above the smoking naval battle. As both Sol and Luna squadrons start surveying the airspace, I can''t help but be amazed by the destructive sight below where smoking ships and wreckages are decorating the sea. The quakes of battleship guns and the incessant amount of small-caliber artillery tracers sure create a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
Nheless, now is not the time for sightseeing. "Our aim is to disrupt the enemy AA coordinators. Sol squadron, pick your target and engage."
"You hear Sol 1, let''s go!" Sol 2 shouted, prompting all other Bf-109s to speed up before diving down on escorts of the transport convoy. Though I can see them, the Bf-110s are also lowering their altitude for a torpedo run on the convoy.
It''s at this moment that the enemy vessels finally react and sporadic AA fires are whizzing past our aircraft. Judging from the tracers, they still haven''t targeted our torpedo bombers. It will be their undoing.
With 19 other Bf-109s strafing the convoy escorts, ranging from destroyers to cruisers with rockets and guns, I too pick a target of my own. And of all the targets I have to choose, it''s a Conte di Cavour battleship. Because why not?
This battleship has clearly seen a battle for its aft has battle damage. Ignoring the inurate ks and tracersing from the battleship by flying my ne dangerously low to the surface of the ocean, I then approached afortable distance to drop off my 500 kg bomb. The reduced weight allows me to push my ne even fast while therge bomb is skipping across the surface of the water. Pushing my throttle to the max, I then yank my aircraft up vertically, right above the enemy ship before pulling the control stick toward my body. Easing out on the throttle, I allow my 109 to stall while bullets fly past harmlessly around me. After performing a loop, I increase the throttle while aiming the nose of my aircraft at the battleship, just in time to see the bomb I dropped earlier impacts the deck of the Conte di Cavour, bursting it and fiery sh of smoke and fire. Not stopping there, thenunch all of my six rockets on top of the battleship. Four of the rockets strike and explode things like the fire director and secondary tower while thest two go in the smokestacks and straight into the boiler rooms. The two rockets then go on to explode in such a critical area that the ship is soon flooded with fire and smoke.
I pull off and level my aircraft parallel to the sea, making a quick getaway from whatever guns are aiming at me. It doesn''t take a second look for me to figure out that the battleship earlier has been critically crippled. It will take a few ships to tow it back for repair. A part of me is exhrated to pull off such an insane stun. Another is a chilling calmness that prompts me to continue with the task.
I soon regain altitude before turning around to see the Bf-110s formation on a steady approach. They are soon under fire by whatever guns the Sardegnians still have left and unfortunately, a Bf-110 is knocked out right off the bat due to a lucky hit while another is caught on fire. By the time the remaining aircraft drop their payload, another one was shot down while two more were left smoking and limping away.
I then perform a strafing run along the length of a destroyer before pulling away. In the corner of my eye, I can see the wake left behind by some thirty torpedoes... Thirty?
Taking another nce at the surface of the ocean, it''s indeed more than thirty torpedoes. An intriguing detail to take note of, that''s for sure. It would seem that only half of the torpedoes hit their targets, unfortunately. Of the twenty or so transport, only ten are in the process of sinking or already destroyed. A few escorts here and there were also struck by a few torpedoes after over-correcting but most interestingly, the Aqu took two fishes to the port side after the torpedoes corrected their course. From the look of it, the Aqu is also sinking fast for she is listing hard to the port side.
Whoever that was thatunched the additional torpedoes sure earn their paycheck.
Taking onest nce at the half-disabled convoy, I regain my altitude once again and so does Sol and Luna squadron. We''re done here.
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Numerous explosions appear on the deck of the Tanager as she is being bombarded by not just the Roma but also the remaining Conte di Cavour which is the Giulio Cesare. Both the enemy battleships and their remaining escorts have joined forces and together, have brought the Tanager down to herst leg, the Luis having retreated earlier after taking heavy damage.
As of right now, Tanager is thest obstruction in the Sardegnians'' path toward Comberth Harbor.
Coughing up smoke and some blood, Torres pulls himself up using the map table, turning to search for his XO. "Give me a report, now!"
Leaning over to one side with an arm holding a bleeding wound over his ribs, the XO answers with much difficulty, though notcking in guts and spirits. "C turret is out, sir. A shell detonated and destroyed the internal, thankfully there wasn''t an ammo explosion. A turret reported that their horizontal drive is disabled, it''s unknown whether they can bring it back up..."
Taking in a pained breath, the XO continues. "We''re taking in heavy flooding to our aft, DCP reported they can''t stop the flooding so we are sinking slowly and dead in the water."
"...So, it''s time." Torres muttered, earning a few nods around him. After being battered for the better part of the day, Not a single soul on the bridge escaped unscathed.
"Remaining guns are to continue fighting until they cannot." His words are punctuated by the B turret defiantly firing at the enemy. "They shall not pass!"
Torres'' short speech is transmitted across the ship, rekindling the fighting spirit befitting the Spanish warriors. Against the odds, the remaining guns of the Tanager stubbornlye to life, earning more hits on any vessels they can target. With the distance reduced to a mere 12 km, hitting a ship proved too easy for the crew of the Tanager. Ignoring the barraging from the smaller Sardegnian vessels, the gunnery crews of the Tanager bring everything they can to bear, even handheld machine guns are brought to the deck. It''s the spirit that counts.
That is until the Roma and Giulio Cesare decide that they have had enough. With a collective broadside from two battleships, the Tanager is hit by no less than 15 shells, all of them armed along the starboard of the Tanager, causing a chain of explosions that further decrease the ship''s structural stability. Receiving such a devastating hit, Torres has knocked to the floor once again. With his ears ringing, Torres can barely hear his XO shouting about theplete loss of starboard secondaries, the ensuing fire down the hull, and the worsening flooding. The Tanager is truly sinking to her demise now.
Feeling himself being propped up, Torres shouts words that he himself can barely hear.
"All nonbatants and DCP abandon ship!" Shrugging off the helping hand, Torres stood tall on his own two feet.
"Admiral, the Roma, and Cesare have ceased firing! They''reing across our bow!" A sailor, bruised and bloodied, reported. "One of their destroyers is also approaching us!"
Torres takes a dizzy look at the battleshipsing 10 km away and a destroyer clearly closing into appraise the sinking Tanager. At this angle, the destroyer should being along the port side.
Turning over to the XO, Torres queries with renewed intensity. "Port side secondaries still operational or not!?"
Not missing a beat, the XO replies. "Almost all of them arebat-capable, sir!"
"Good, I want them to be prepared to greet that foolish destroyer captain! Tell them to only fire when they''re sure that all of the shells can hit! After that, have them abandon the ship. The Tanager has done her best." Torres then proceed to walk unsteady steps.
"Sir, where are you going?" The XO shouted the question before he disappeared lower into the hull.
"To do what I do best!" Torres replied, quickening the pace to the B turret.
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It takes a special kind of people to hit a moving target in the middle of a storm 25 km away, and it takes an even more special kind to hit it in the second shot. Torres can confidently say that he was thetter, his record used to cause a big ssh in a not-so-small number of news outlets too. As of this moment, standing in the gunnery room of B turret, Torres is now channeling every fiber of his being to make onest shot at the sister ship of the Tanager. Slowly, the B turret is turned in the direction of the Roma.
Using the cracked optic, Torres and the remaining B turret crew work hard to make a satisfying firing solution. "No... It must be elegant!" They only have one shot at this chance, after all.
Ignoring the unsuspecting destroyer closing in on their port side bow, Torres and the crew make thest adjustments.
"Bearing 352...
"Range... 11 km now."
"Speed... 19 knots, unchanged."
"Adjusting for overall instability and elevation... Damn it! Fire control error! We can''t depress the elevation of the barrels!" The gunnery officer couldn''t help but curse out loud, his sentiment was mirrored by those still alive.
After taking in too much flooding in the aft, the Tanager''s B turret is raised too high to shoot something directly ahead of their bow. With the firing window on the eve of slipping past their hands, the B turret crew is sporting unwilling expressions on their faces.
Torres, however, makes a quick second decision. "Tell DCP to flood the fore end of the ship!"
Though an officer runs out toply with the order, a sailor can''t help but raise a concern. "Sir, the boat will sink faster with that!"
"And that will give the guns the depression they need!" Torres enlightened the foolish sailors on his dastardly n. They then scramble to double-check their firing solution while an influx of seawater is now flooding the fore end of the Tanager.
"A decorated boat, powerful guns, excellent fire control...!" Minus three degrees till optimal firing angle.
"Add to that veteran seamen...!" Two degrees till optimal firing angle.
"And a precise aim!" One degree till optimal firing angle.
"Then sprinkle death all over it and the form isplete!" Optimal firing angle reached.
*BOOM*
Thest operating 381 mm guns sing theirst huzzah, apanied by the gleefulugh of Torres who knows that he has achieved the most elegant solution he could think of. At the same time, the remaining secondaries to the port side of the Tanager open up on the enemy destroyer that has foolishly closed into a distance of 3 km. They have been hiding behind the armored covers of the Tanager, luring the unsuspecting destroyer toe closer.
Crossing the distance of 10 km in mere seconds, the three 381 mm shells prate broadsided citadel of the Roma before arming themselves in the fore magazines. The explosions generated by the three shells whenbined with the ammunition stowage of the Roma have devastated the vessel amidships. Sardegnian Naval Admiral Oscar Di Giamberardino was killed almost immediately with the ensuing magazine detonation. Eyewitnesses will go on to say that the Roma was lifted into the air for a few seconds before breaking apart with its fore endpletely separated from the hull. The shock from the sudden loss of the gship stunned the Papal fleet for minutes, letting to the subsequent destruction of the destroyer Ferrio.
It''s only ten minutes after the sinking of the Roma that Giulio Cesare finally reacts and retaliates with all of her 320 mm guns, in fact, all remaining Sardegnian vessels open up, torpedoes and all. With shells and torpedoes impacting the hull from every direction, the Tanager''s crew struggles to stay alive by diving into the water. Yet, none of the surviving Spanish hold any misgiving, they all sporting spirited smiles, borderline madness in the precarious situation.
On the Sardegnians'' side of things, they can swear an oath that the Tanager, and by extension Torres, wasughing mockingly at them till the veryst moment.
This marks the end of the biggest naval battle ever since the Great War. Though the Spanish Inquisition lost the battle, they have beaten the Sardegnian bloodied at their own game. Smearing a permanent stain on their proud navy, forever cing them at the lower rung of the totem pole. And with the rest of the Spanish fleet sessfully evacuated, the Inquisition Navy willter on be a major thorn in the Papacy''s side.
Ultimately, it will be the Spanish that prevails against their former master.
RM Vol 2: National Development – Epilogue: 31st of May
RM Vol 2: National Development ¨C Epilogue: 31st of May
"So, what happens next?" Elysia asked with a curious tone. She, alongside my family, was clearly impressed with the tale of one Admiral Matias Torres.
Unwilling to leave the expectant faces hanging, more because of Ningyo and little Mei directing puppy eyes at me, I then tell them the aftermath of the naval battle.
On a side note, it''s not just Elysia and my mothers here at this moment, there are also Bryn, Nice, Einstein, and Mobius. Ningyo is sitting alongside her new best friend hailing from the political maneuver we made with the Long Dynasty, Mei. To their side will be Rosa and Mary, her maid who are both sharing a couch. Andst but not least are Erika and L, my personal bodyguards. The only missing person here is Yggdra who is busy setting up a surprise, ording to her words.
Everybody, family, and friends of the family that is, gathered tonight to celebrate an asion that was blown out of proportion, the 31st of May, my birthday.
"After both sides have lost their gships, the conflict between them also ceased for the day. Sardegna was forced to regroup and perform a search and rescue operation for their sailors, ignoring the ones from the sinking Spanish vessels. This dyed their invasion n for a surprising two whole days until they were reinforced by vessels from the Papacy''s Romulus fleet. During that time, civilian vessels from the Spanish side also scoured the area to pick up the Inquisitor seamen that survived the battle while what was left of the Inquisition Navy made for friendly a Belkan port. Amidst the confusion, our submarines also snuck in to rescue members of the battleship Tanager, including the unconscious Hero of Comberth Harbor, Matias Torres himself. Right now, the man is receiving medical care in Belka.
As for the Sardegnian Invasion fleet, they had taken Comberth Harbor, or what''s left of it anyway. The Inquisition employed scorched earth tactics on the harbor, ruining much of it before pulling out. Sardegna can only use the harbor at full capacity when it has done rebuilding the ce. It will no doubt be a costly process though. Aside from that, small skirmishes have already urred around the vicinity of Comberth Harbor. It''s expected that the conflict will escte into a full-blown war in another month. A period of time that the Inquisition and I can use to further pull Sardegna into a sinkhole." I ended the story-telling there, earning a reverent look from Ningyo and pping from Mei, who has opened up a lot during her years in Belka.
"Sister is so cool! I like it when your ns and effortse to fruition!" Ningyo excitedly eximed while being hugged in the bosom of my mom, Hel. Coincidentally, I am being held by mama Lu while little Mei is sitting on thep of Mobius, who has taken a shine on her for the former''s brilliant mind. Mei offers me her ownpliment while blushing due to her proximity to Mobius'' assets, don''t worry little Mei, I can understand that pain. "Sister Ningyo is right, sister Yuki is just built differently! For a n to stretch across countries to go off without a hitch is a wonderful achievement. Though I think the n couldn''t be such a great sess if it weren''t for the Admiral."
"That''s right, isn''t it?" Ningyo added. "The Spanish Admiral fought so heroically."
With me being one of the ones reviewing the recorded footage of the battle, even I was impressed.
"What I said was the dumb-downed version of the story. You really can''t believe the battle he conducted unless you saw it for yourself. I''m tempted to offer him a seat in our Reichsmarine outright but that can way till we formally induct Spain into our alliance."
I then suddenly feel a pat on my head. Diverting my gaze upward, Ie to view the draconic amber orbs belonging to mama Lu. She speaks up with a small smile before pulling me closer into her bosom. It''s warm andfortable but I can feel a sense of defeat welling up inside me when I''m pressed between mama''s breasts. "Now, now... It''s okay to retell the tale of a heroicst stand but it''s another thing when you intrude upon working territory on this fine evening. Let''s enjoy your birthday in all of its spirit, Yuki."
Nodding while scratching my cheek after I realized my mistake, I then see Bryn shakes her head. Folding her arms, Bryn interjects in an as-expected tone. "Leave it to Yuki to turn her birthday into a work discussion. I dread the possibility that none of us were presented to put a stop to your workaholic tendency. Einstein and Mobius can''t be trusted with that responsibility, that''s for sure."
Suddenlying under fire, Mobius protests in an indignant tone. "In my defense, Yuki is my boss and what kind of subordinate am I if I do not uphold myself to the same standards as the boss?"
"Are you sure it''s not because Yuki giving you so much allowance that youpletely disregard everything else?" Unexpectedly for Mobius, it''s Einstein that tore off her righteous facade.
Sporting a look of betrayal while looking at the straight-face Einstein, Mobius then raises a finger at the blue-haired Doctor. "You of all people don''t have the right to say that to me, considering that you''re aplete pushover whenever Yuki drags you into her pace."
I then watch as the pair ignore everything else and dive into a sudden quarrel, not out of spite, but out of yfulness between best friends mind you. Unfortunately, little Mei is caught in the crossfire, and seeing her directing a ''help me'' look, I then open up my arms, weing the girl to hop over to me. "So bold, Yuki, never peg you to be wanting a threesome."
I almost choke on my spit when mama Lu said it only for me to hear. And because little Mei is now sitting to my right, ying with Ningyo and mommy Hel, I can''t even retort about mama Lu''s choice of words. After directing a look signifying ''I''ll get you back for this'', I then watch the ongoing quarrel between blue and green with a small grin on my face, one that is mirrored by both Elysia and Nice when we all share a look while Bryn is having just about enough with the doctors. From the corner of my eyes, I can see Erika is just about to intervene but L pulls her back onto her seat with an amused smile. While this happens, mommy Hel is performing some cool magic tricks for Ningyo and Mei, earning the rapt attention of the impressionable girls. Funnily enough, Rosa and Mary are also entranced by mommy''s performance, having never seen magic in such a rxed setting.
After my inspection, a feeling of contentment and happiness can''t help but soar in me. Yeah, this is it, this is what I''ve been fighting for. Family. All those time nning and working are spent to preserve the smile of this weird family of mine. So no matter how they advise me not to, I think I will be overworking a lot more in the future to protect my dearests.
While I am renewing my conviction, Yggdra finally blinks into existence, her hands carrying a tray that is holding a big tiramisu cake with cutely decorate words and candles. After cing down the cake, Yggdra then moves to pat my head before high-fiving mama Lu before, with a snap of her fingers, lighting up the eighteen candles with a gentle me.
Under the expectant gazes of everyone, I can''t help but smile before making my own wish. "I wish their smiles and happiness canst forever and that I can bask in their care and love." Before blowing out the candles in one go.
After a short cheer from everyone, much singing and bantering ensue while we all enjoy the delectable cake baked by Yggdra. I don''t know what time is it when, all of a sudden, mama Lu says with a finger under her chin. "Now that she is 18 and well-endowed, who will be iming her first then?" She said absentmindedly but the question also caused others to be in a trance.
All of a sudden, my danger sense keeps sending me alerts as Yggdra suddenly teleports next to me and ces her hands on my shoulders.
"Yoink!" And then I disappeared.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sudden development stunned everyone, Lu, in particr, is opening and closing her hands like she still can''t believe that Yuki just got kidnapped right under her nose, literally. "Did she just yoink Yuki?" Her shocked face must be evident for Nice is seen struggling to contain herself as she witnessed the others being one-upped by Yggdra.
"Yes, yes she did just yoink Yuki." Nice said with her palm covering her mouth. "Pfft- Hahaha! N-Not good! I can''t stand it! Hahaha! Your faces are so worth it to be here!"
As Nice is rolling on the floorughing out loud and down for the count, the others that are emotionally attached to Yuki jump to their feet, collectively shouting. "YGGDRA!" Much to the dismay of Ningyo and Mei that are covering their ears, obviously confused as to what is going on. On the side, Erika is shaking her head while L is also following Nice''s steps and is seenughing her ass off.
It''s Elysia that brings the situation under control by asking. "Follow me! We will be raiding Yggdra''s house and reattain Yuki, sisters!" And thus Yuki''s harem charges forward, willingly braving the hellish natural corridors of Yggdrasil to reim what''s theirs. Or so it would seem...
Yeah, this birthday party is confusing to even write about.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blinking into existence, above what can only be described as a grand, and I mean
GRAND, and fluffiest bed ever made, Yuki and Yggdra plop down onto maroon-colored bedding. After reorganizing her thoughts, Yuki bursts out into a fit of giggles as she can vividly imagine the confused looks on everyone''s faces.
Yggdra did mount a surprise attack and kidnapped her right under their watch, after all. The stake was also very high, considering that Yuki is now
legal and her first time is up for grabs. Yggdra was just that fast in standing up, grasping Yuki''s shoulders, refusing to borate, and then blinking them high up into her abode.
Seeing that Yuki isughing without a care in the world, Yggdra also let out a smile of her own before pulling Yuki closer.
"You know, for just a girl that''s younger than us by a multitude of ages, you''re one sinful girl for attracting such a fine group of talented maidens, obvious to the fact that you already have a devoted lover by your side." Yggdra said in a teasing tone, her sapphire eyes twinkly in mischievousness as she lightly bobbed Yuki''s nose.
Having heard Yggdra putting it that way, even Yuki can''t help but be a bit ashamed. "I''m truly sorry, you know? I know that you''ve been patiently waiting for me all this while. I have no excuse for plucking flowers left, right, and center while ignoring your feelings."
Yggdra chuckles at the honesty of her little treasure. "Now you''re sounding just like the unenlightened mortals, even if you''re being honest, which I very much appreciated." She then moves on to pat Yuki''s soft hair. "It''spletely fine, Yuki. In case you forget, we are not mortals and are unbounded by their morality. We''re entitled to pursue whichever fancy our interests and none have the right to berate us for that. Well, none but ourselves but you get the idea. Did you forget that I approved of them being worthy figures to stand alongside your journey?"
Having no other words to say at this, Yuki just chuckles before turning over to hug Yggdra. Taking a few deep breaths of her refreshing natural aroma, Yuki finally has enough courage to mutter. "Thanks again, Yggdra, your approval means a lot."
Yggdra just squeeze Yuki a bit tighter, being so huggable and all, while saying. "You know, even Vi, our mother-turned-daughter, has a harem of her own, one that treats each member well like a loving family. So I wonder just who is the trend starter here, hum?"
"Eh... Now that''s a million dors question, basically the chicken and the egg question." Yuki couldn''t help but ponder seriously at that.
They both then fell into afortable silence before both start gazing into each other''s eyes. After a few seconds of holding their gazes, they then burst out into giggles.
"Seriously, why are we having that discussion?" Yuki said amidst herughter, leading Yggdra to say. "I truly don''t know, it just feels right to have that talk at the moment."
"Yeah... How is Vi? Will she be joining us in the future?" Yuki asked, a wistful look appearing on her face. "I miss the time when she used to run around the house with Ophis chasing her."
"Vi is perfectly fine and happy, Yuki. And I think you already that she has picked up the knack of being a bartender, just like her mother a long time ago. It''s just that her bartending job now tends to involve solving some troubles... violently." Yggdra informed with a small smile.
Yuki chuckles. "Yeah, as expected of our daughter! I trust that she has been kicking ass and changing lives while she''s at it?"
Nodding, Yggdra replies. "Plenty, you have no idea how many souls she changed for the better during her bartending tenure. As for whether she will be joining us, the answer will be yes. But as you would have known, Time is rtive so it''s unknown when will Vi open a rift to visit us."
"That''s fine, I can, no, we can wait. I think our family will be quite shocked when she does pop in for a hello."
It''s now Yggdra''s turn to chuckle. "That will be an understatement."
They then proceed to catch up with each other for a bit more before Yuki asks the golden question with an embarrassed look. "So... Will we be doing that tonight? It has been quite a while and I think the others will be bursting the door any moment now."
Instead of replying, Yggdra leans in to im a deep kiss on Yuki''s lips. An exchange of bodily fluid ensues for a couple of minutes before Yggdra starts pulling out, leaving behind a blushing mesh that is Yuki. Grinning at this little spoon of hers, Yggdraments.
"Really, in one moment you''re can be such a casanova but the next, after being pressed by a subject of your love, you can be such a sloppy mess, much a kin to Vi. Like mother like daughter, I suppose."
Lightly pinching Yggdra''s cheek to no avail, Yuki pouts with a red face. "Don''t tease me! Us being like that is in our nature already! How the hell are we supposed to change that!" She is soon silenced by a pat on the head from Yggdra, however.
"There, there. Don''t get too worked up will you? You''re so cute that I may be unable to contain me from eating you up."
Rolling her eye, Yuki says. "I... guess there won''t be a, you know, that tonight."
"As much as I like to do it, it doesn''t feel like the right moment. It isn''t romantic enough." Yuki can feel the hidden desire behind Yggdra''s words, heck, she herself is also wanting this Goddess in front of her. But as Yggdra said, the atmosphere isn''t correct if they want to advance to the next step.
"So... A date?" Yuki tentatively asked, a bit of expectation seeped into her voice, one that was easily noticed by Yggdra.
Letting out a smile, Yggdra nods before pulling off the eyepatch covering Yuki''s divine construct, her clockwork eye. Gently kissing that eye, Yggdra replies. "A date it is, for each of us. I think it will be best for the family to take a vacation once troubles have settled down."
Hearing this, Yuki can''t help herself from giving out a big smile. "That''s a promise then!" She said that right at the moment when the door leading to their bedroom was kicked down.
Turning around to look at the indignant look from the rest of the family, Yuki and Yggdra can''t stop themselves fromughing at their miserable state, clearly distraught from Yggdra''s corridors of trolling. Her Goddess lover can be such a Devil sometimes.
------------------------------------------------------------
Deep into the night, when everybody is asleep, Yggdra slips off the bed after kissing Yuki before heading out to the veranda. Gazing up at the vivid constetions in the sky, Yggdra finds herself appreciating their twinkles for a short moment before saying. "Still can''t sleep?" Turning around, Yggdra sees herself gazing into purple eyes of Nice.
Nice, on her part, fixes her purple bed gown before joining the Mother Goddess. "Well, I never need sleep though I do enjoy the feeling. So, troubles keeping you awake?"
"More like she is waiting for someone." A new voice interjected from behind them.
ncing back, Nice and Yggdra see a princess-like young girl with tinum blonde hair and a white dress walking up to them. The girl''s ruby red eyes then scan Yggdra and Nice for a few moments, an envious expression appears on her face while doing that. "Seriously, just why are you people so well-endowed!? Just what have you been feeding on!?"
Instead of answering that question, Yggdra quips back. "Never thought I will hear that from the Will of Earth herself. Regardless, a fine night to you, ya."
Nice gives the girl, ya, a cursory scan before saying. "I see, you''re still growing." Patting the Will of Earth''s shoulder, Nice says with a straight face. "Give them time."
Looking at Nice like she''s just killed off the entire human race, ya says. "... You know what, I''m starting to regret being here."
Chuckling, Yggdra responds. "Now, now. It''s just some harmless bantering. Besides, it''s your idea to meet me out here."
Nice then perks up at this. "Oh! Oh! Is it possible that we will be having an affair with ya here?"
Yggdra straight up bursts out giggling while ya res at the Shoggoth, clearly displeased with the insinuation.
"None of that sort, no.'' Yggdra intervened ya decided to blow her top. "ya is here to discuss the matter that has been slipping past our Einherjar."
"I see, I see. Sorry about the misunderstanding." Nice nodded repeatedly.
Seeing the nonchnt Nice, ya decides to just ignore the Shoggoth for now. "Knowing that being here any longer will cost me my sanity, I will cut to the chase. They have stepped up their games and countless lives will be lost if they won''t be stopped soon. So you better have the n to cleanse them up otherwise a continental disaster will be the least of your concern. I won''t be pulling punches when I decide to retaliate."
"We do have the n it''s just that the Einherjar are still struggling to determine the location of the shadowy group behind Sardegna''s supersoldier program. So far, we have determined that they''re in a pocket dimension, one that has its entrance teleporting all over Sardegna to cover their tracks. Though I think that my dear Yuki has an idea on how to put a stop to their running. Am I right, Nice?"
"Yup! Though it will take some time, we will be getting the first batch of devices known as Reality Anchors. Once activated, they will do more than just lock down the spatial coordinate of that pocket dimension." The Shoggoth eagerly replied, having had hands on their making.
ya, though relieved to hear that, is still unsure about the future. "I have no doubt that they will be dealt with then, it''s just that by the time they''re removed, who knows how much blood will have to be shed for their misguided ambition."
"If I recall correctly, you did tip us that they have former Belkans under their payrolls, right?" Nice asked ya, earning a nod from the Will of Earth.
"I see, I wonder whether it''s willingly or unwillingly though."
"If it''s the former, they will find that not even Gods can escape punishment for breaking the pact between a Primordial Goddess and a Will of the. Though if it''s thetter..." ya let the words hang. Even she is having a hard time deciding on what to do if thetter is to be true, no matter how small the chance is.
It''s Yggdra that speaks up after a short silence befalls them. "We will cross that bridgeter, after all, it still doesn''t change the fact that you will still retaliate with the Counter Force against the breach of Contract. I just hope that you won''t be targeting Yuki and her associates personally as promised." Yggdra narrowed her eyes after saying this.
Understanding that she has to give a good answer lest she faces the Mother Goddess'' wrath, ya promptly waves her hand, saying. "Don''t worry too much, I know that it''s stupid to harm the sole ticket that can elevate me further than being just a Will of Earth. When Yuki and her influence reach the Stars, so too will mine. You have my word that although my warning for the entire World will be a big one, it''s not something Yuki can''t stop with her avable assets."
It''s Nice that adds in. "Not to forget that since I''m an Outer Goddess, a Shoggoth, I can also intervene without breaking the Pact if needed."
Having received their assurance, Yggdra nods, pleased. ya however, has a twitching eyebrow when Nice interjected like that.
"You know, I''m still helluva pissed when an Outer Goddess just invaded this Universe out of nowhere. And I''m peeved because there''s literally nothing I can do about her. She is literally outside the System!"
Armory 102: People of Interest and Visual Dictionary – (Updated as of the End of Volume 2)
Armory 102: People of Interest and Visual Dictionary ¨C (Updated as of the End of Volume 2)
Belkan Reich:
Spoiler
Yukia Rosetta de Venusian, otherwise known as Yuki. Titles: MC; (former, still reacquiring) Primordial Goddess of Time, Destruction, and Death; Star Yeeter; Yggdrasil''s Chosen One; Crown Princess of the Belkan Reich; Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich; Harem-seeker but is led by the nose by said Harem;...
Like: Her family and everything about them. Ningyo.
Dislike: Anything and everything that her family dislike. If there''s a person that hold an ounce of negativity about her family, they should be sent down, straight down to the boiler room of Hell.
Spoiler
Yuki:
[copse]
Brynhildr, otherwise known as Bryn. Titles: Strongest Valkyrie; Yuki''s loyal aide; Harem member;...
Like: Yuki and her family. Ningyo.
Dislike: Yuki overworking, unable to support Yuki.
Spoiler
Bryn:
[copse]
Lucifer de Venusian, otherwise known as Lu. Titles: The Devil; Doting mama; Overprotective mama; Lustful mama; Prideful mama; Harem-seeker but is a part of a Harem; Daughter-con;...
Like: Yuki, her harem, and Yuki''s harem... This is whose harem again? Ningyo.
Dislike: Those that hold ill-intent for her loved ones. Thermobaric to the face for them all.
Spoiler
Lu:
[copse]
Hel de Venusian, otherwise known as Hel. Titles: Goddess of Life and Death; Doting mom; Overprotective mom; Lustful mom; Strict mom; Harem-member; Daughter-con;...
Like: Yuki and her lovers, Ningyo.
Dislike: Yuki overworking and not taking care of herself well.
Spoiler
Hel:
[copse]
Yggdrasil, otherwise known as Yggdra. Titles: First Wife; Primordial Goddess of Space, Creation, and Life; Mother Goddess; Doting harem-member that''s always on hand to help Yuki;...
Like: Yuki and her family, which keeps getting bigger and bigger. Ningyo.
Dislike: Anything that''s bothersome to her lovers, or just in boring stuff.
Spoiler
Yggdra:
[copse]
Elysia de Venusian, otherwise known as Elysia. Her surname is recently adopted for being Yuki''s lover. Titles: Holder of the Void Archive; Mischievous High Elf; Miss Pink Elf~; Strongest Elf; Harem-member; Not a Seiso High Elf;...
Like: Her mother and father (Surprisingly, her father doesn''t have much presence, hence, little to no screen time), Yuki, and her new family, Ningyo, new and interesting things.
Dislike: Her mother''s darkside, Yuki doing dangerous stuff.
Spoiler
Elysia:
[copse]
Ningyo de Venusian, otherwise known as Ningyo. Titles: Quantum girl; Dotable hug pillow; Must-protected girl; Adopted girl with the strongest family;...
Like: Big sis Yuki! Her family and sweets.
Dislike: Anything that she dislikes... Is that even a thing?
Spoiler
Ningyo:
[copse]
Doctor Mobius, otherwise known as Mobius. Titles: Dangerous Doc; Bio-genius; Rules Breaker; Potential Harem-member (cuz it seems like fun);...
Like: Yuki the Boss (For her unlimited fundings), Nice the Shoggoth (For her unlimited adaptability and evolution), Einstein the Blue (For being her best friend), bio-tech researchs. Ningyo.
Dislike: ''Uncooperative'' subjects.
Spoiler
Mobius:
[copse]
Doctor Albertha Einstein, otherwise known as Einstein. Titles: Blue; Stoic Doc; Mech-genius; Potential Harem-member (cuz she admires Yuki);...
Like: Yuki for being an innovative and supportive boss, Mobius for being her best friend. Ningyo.
Dislike: People saying something is impossible.
Spoiler
[copse]
Nice Williams, otherwise known as Nice. Titles: Overworked Shoggoth; Strongest and most helpful Shoggoth; Cosmic cookie lover; on-paid-vacation-please-leave-a-messsage;...
Like: Anything but being overworked, Cosmic cookie, Lady Yuki. Ningyo.
Dislike: Overworking.
Spoiler
[copse]
[copse]
Ustio:
Spoiler
Rosa Bonaparte, otherwise known as Rosa. Titles: Lustful Princess; Surprisingly adept Princess (Hey!); Totally not gunning for Yuki;..
Like: Mary, Yuki, being in a position of power. Ningyo.
Dislike: Corrupted people.
Spoiler
[copse]
Mary the Princess''s loved maid, otherwise knowns as Mary. Titles: Princess''s maid; Secret lover; Supportive maid; Surprisingly not a normal maid;...
Like: Rosa and what she likes. Ningyo
Dislike: Anything Rosa dislikes.
Spoiler
[copse]
[copse]
Spanish Inquisition:
Spoiler
Lord Inquisitor Ricardo Camati
Spoiler
[copse]
Admiral Matias Torres
Spoiler
[copse]
[copse]
Visual dictionary of weapons and vehicles.
Starting with Belkan Reich''s export armaments.
Spoiler
Small arms:
Spoiler
[copse]
Sd.Kfz.247
Spoiler
[copse]
221 armored scout car family:
Spoiler
[copse]
251 half-tracks:
Spoiler
[copse]
Panzer II:
Spoiler
[copse]
Panzer III family:
Spoiler
[copse]
Anti-air:
Spoiler
[copse]
Anti-Tank:
Spoiler
[copse]
Field artillery:
Spoiler
[copse]
Self-propelled gun:
Spoiler
[copse]
Bf-109 and Bf-110:
Spoiler
[copse]
Ju-87 and Ju-52:
Spoiler
[copse]
He-111:
Spoiler
[copse]
Onto Up-to-date Belkan Armory from this point forward
Leopard family:
Spoiler
Leopard MBT without autoloader:
Leopard MBT with autoloader:
Badger Engineering vehicle:
Beaver Briding vehicle:
Buffalo Recovery vehicle:
Anti-air vehicles (
Henceforth, their names will be):
Goalkeeper CIWS
(The best possible match for the 30mm Gatling turret is this:)
Gepard SPAAG
The best possible match for the 57mm autocannon is this
Hummel self-propelled artillery:
[copse]
Yuki''s and Einstein''s Puma family:
Spoiler
Warning: The Puma family is the cross-breed of the BMD-4M and the actual IRL Puma IFV.
30mm Puma
57mm Puma
105mm Autoloader Puma, no troop-carrying capability
[copse]
Einstein''s proposed 8mm Mauser family:
Spoiler
(Henceforth their names will be:
- Battle Rifle: G1/G1SD
- Submachine Gun: MP9/MP9SD
- Marksman Rifle: PSG1/PSG1-SD
- Magazine-fed Machine Gun: MG1/MG1SD
- The SD suffix stands for integrally suppressed. These variants are primarily used by Special Operations Command.
[copse]
Various knick-knack Yuki made:
Spoiler
USP (9x25mm)/USP-SOCOM (12.7x40mm)
Panzerfaust
S-8G/S-12G
SG-8mm/SG-14.5mm/SG-20mm
MG-35
[copse]
Scharnhorst-ss battleship and her nned refit (The refit will remove the funnel, making ce for future armaments i.e. missiles, exchanging the 283mm tripple turrets for twin 380mm turrtes, exchanging old secondaries to 9 x twin 128mm dual-purpose, and revamping the AA-suite):
Spoiler
[copse]
Bismarck-ss Battleship:
Spoiler
This but Belkan and no funnels. Will be armed with dual-purpose secondaries, Gepard AA turrets, three 17-inch gun quad turrets.
[copse]
Yggdrasil-ss Aircraft Carrier:
Spoiler
Basically Enterprise but Belkan.
[copse]
Bayern-ss battlecarrier/amphibious assault ship:
Spoiler
This but Belkan, no funnel, and before the nned refit, the bow are armed with two twin 380mm turrets.
[copse]
Hindenburg-ss heavy cruiser:
Spoiler
This but no funnel and can be refitted further.
[copse]
Munchen-ss light cruiser:
Spoiler
This but Belkan, no funnel, and can be refitted further.
[copse]
Elbing-ss destroyer:
Spoiler
Best possible match is the Allen M. Summer-ss. Of course, no funnel and more room to be refitted.
[copse]
Nassau-ss submarine:
Can be refitted to have subunch missiles.
Spoiler
[copse]
Phantom, semi-stealth, carrier-capable, multirole, supersonic jet:
Spoiler
[copse]
Harrier, semi-stealth, multirole VTOL jet.
Spoiler
[copse]
Skyraider.
Spoiler
[copse]
Osprey, semi-stealth, multi-mission VTOL aircraft.
Spoiler
[copse]
As, semi-stealth (can this thing even stealth?!), multi-mission airbus.
Spoiler
[copse]
[copse]
RM Side Story 1: Ningyo’s Great Plan and Nicolae’s Epic!
RM Side Story 1: Ningyo¡¯s Great n and Nice¡¯s Epic!
Rewinding the timeline to a few years ago, right after Nice was epted into the unique family that is the Imperial Belkan family. Ningyo, being the innocent child she is, is seen dragging Nice and Elysia on a fun, exploration trip around the city of Berlin. After dedicating the better part of the morning to sightseeing and enjoying breakfast the Belkan''s way, the trio is seen meandering about in a forestry park. When they reach the center of the part, Ningyo notices somethingcking in the decorations of the ce. Stopping for a bit while glomping down on her fluffy pink cotton candy, Ningyo can''t help but tilt her head as she works out the incoherency of the area.
Noticing that their sister in anything but blood not following them, Elysia and Nice turn around to stand next to her. "Something on your mind, Ningyo?" Elysia asked as crouched down to hug Ningyo from behind, plopping her chin on thetter''s grayish hair.
Chewing lightly before swallowing down the sweetened holiness, Ningyo replies, not really sure about what''s wrong. "I don''t know, sister Ely... I think it''s because I feel like that fountain is missing something." She then points at the spot above the ivory fountain. Although you can say that therge fountainhead, alongside its decorative gold engravings, is already a worthy piece of art, Ningyo is corrected in her assumption for Elysia too can feel that something is not right.
"Huh, I wonder what''s the matter here?" Elysia muttered out loud, allowing Nice and Ningyo to hear it. The former, after enjoying a few licks of her taro-vored ice cream, answers with a curious gaze.
"Oh! I think I know why." Ningyo and Elysia turn toward Nice, not after Ningyo shared her cotton candy with Elysia, however. "It''s probably because the fountain, albeitrge and most probably expensive, is actuallycking a decorative top." And thus the pair is enlightened.
With eyes opening slightly in understanding, they''re pulled out of their thoughts when an older male voice interjected. "You all have keened eyes."
Though the owner of the voice is unknown to Ningyo and Nice, Elysia can''t mistake this voice for anyone else. "Father!" She turned around and greeted her father with a bright smile, one that is mirrored by Elysia''s father, Wilheim.
Wilheim, after taking a good look at his daughter, is d to see that she is still doing well. cing a hand on Elysia''s head and giving it a few fatherly pats, he says with a rxed smile. "Look at you being all sunshine and dandy, I hope life at the pce has been treating you well. And who are your friends here?"
Nodding, Elysia replies. "The pce has offered me everything I need and more, father. You can say that it''s my new home right now and I have made a new circle of family and friends. In fact, these here are Ningyo, one that I considered my little sister, and Nice, who is growing on me to be one of the best friends I''ve ever had if you discount her tendency to show too much enthusiasm on matters that pique her interest." Ningyo excitedly waves with a sunny smile while Nice gives Wilheim a thumbs up while enjoying her ice cream.
Performing a curtsy at them, Wilheim says with a grateful tone. "I thank you all for being thepanies that my daughter needed, you have no idea how much she has been telling me about you two. Oh, right! Where are my manners? I''m Elysia''s father, Wilheim, and I hope you can take care of my daughter in the future."
"We will, Mr. Wilheim!" Ningyo and Nice nodded while Elysia couldn''t help but smile wryly. "Father, you really don''t have to go out of your way to say that, you know?"
"Can''t a father be worried about the daughter that is living away from home?" Wilheim said back with a smirk before continuing. "Anyway, back to the topic earlier, one that I couldn''t stop myself from overhearing, there exists a matter that the fountain in this park was supposed to receive a decorative silver statue but some trouble arise and the statue never arrives."
Now that pegged the curiosity of the trio, leading Ningyo to ask." Mr. Wilheim, can you borate as to why the statue wasn''t there?"
Hearing the polite question Ningyo posed, Wilheim can''t help but be reminded of a time when Elysia was still a child, a warm smile is adorned on his face as he says. "You''re a good girl, Ningyo. As to what happened to the statue, more specifically its maker, it''s because the current war has permanently disabled a family member of the crafter. This forced the crafter to revoke the contract and devote their time to taking care of their brethren. It''s a sad story, to be honest, one that is taken kindly by the Ministry of Construction as they didn''t fine but rather help the poor crafter in getting another, but a suitable job with a good timetable. The Ministry also wanted to find a recement but sadly, no other crafters are avable due to the many projects we are undertaking."
"...I feel bad for the crafter, I think they would have liked it very much for their art to be disyed at such a high-traffic area." Ningyo said a bit dispiritedly but was soon cheered up by Nice conjuring a grape-vored lollipop before giving it to her, having noticed the little sister finishing her cotton candy.
Though the lollipop sure cheered Ningyo up, Elysia can''t help but direct a stink eye over to Nice. "You really should stop giving her sweet, not everyone has indestructible teeth."
"Alright." Nice epted the reasoning.
Wilheim, seeing Elysia acting like a mother hen for Ningyo, is proud that his daughter is growing up finely. All of a sudden, Ningyo then suggests something absurd.
"Oh, I know! Why don''t we just make our own then!"
"...Come again?"
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"Remind me again why we are doing this?" Wilheim couldn''t stop himself from asking the same question for the third time. Watching the group of workers hauling blocks of metal and crafting materials, the elven male is confused as to how the little girl Ningyo could wrap everyone around the crazy idea of making a statue in a day. Don''t get him wrong, having a statue here would be nice but that was such a fast development that left him speechless.
"Because Ningyo wants to do something interesting?" Patting her father on the shoulder, Elysia shakes her head. "You''ll get used to the shenanigans we can pull soon enough, father."
"For some reason, I really don''t want to..." Wilheim muttered as he watched Nice and Ningyo zealously discuss what to make out of all the materials. Surrounding them are also metallurgists that offer them information on the properties of the materials at hand.
Ideas are exchanged, ranging from making another monument to a miniature version of the World Tree before they finally settle down for a life-size model of the Reich Marshal herself. They then explore the idea of what pose and essory should the statue have before Elysia interjects her thoughts that the statue should be based around the Marshall''s dashing getup from the Victory Parade. The suggestion is warmly received by Ningyo for she is enamored with how cool her sister was at the time. Ningyo then proceeds to show Nice the holographic disy of Yuki''s attire, while Elysia drags Wilheim around to advertise the construction of the statue, gathering a not-so-small crowd that is excited to witness the making of one about their revered Marshal.
Nice seriously scans the image shown by Ningyo with her violet eyes, nodding a few times while also asking some questions about the general bearings that Yuki carried herself back in the day. When a sufficient crowd has gathered, with some even pulling their food carts around for a few hot sales, Nice is done gathering information and is ready to start y- I mean crafting a statue for the world to see.
Stepping forward to the fountain, Nice spreads out her hands, letting out a small smile in the process, before bringing them together for a p. On cue, purplish energy spread out with her as the center before engulfing the crafting materials, morphing them with ease without any prior heating process. Then, background music, ssical in nature, starts ying out of nowhere, leading Ningyo to shuffle around on her feet ording to the music while Elysia can''t help but hum along with the tune. Like a conductor on a solo stage, Nice waves her hands around with a confident smile while closing her eyes, letting the streams of gleaming metals and twinkling energy flow atop the fountain like a gentle vortex. And with each crescendo, a part of the shiny silver statue ispleted, starting from the base and all the way to the top. Slowly, but surely, the shape of the statue ising into existence.
Divided into three major parts which are the base, Yuki''s figure at the forefront, and finally, the towering miniatured World Tree as the background, the lifelike silver statue garners ''Wow!'' and ''Oh!'' from the onlookers. Not stopping there, Nice then morphs a nearby crate of gold into liquid before engraving the streams of liquid onto the base of the statue, creating depictions of Yuki''s victorious battles. After that, the liquid gold is used to create the medals, essories, the C96E, and the rapier that Yuki sported in the Victory Parade. Coincidentally, the statue is depicting Yuki holding out her hands, sping Earth with a confident smile. With Yuki''s figure made to a perfect standard, Nice then uses thest of the gold to form the leaves of the World Tree, creating a vibrant crown that cast a luminous halo on Yuki''s figure. When the music ends, so does Nice''s work and the final result doesn''t disappoint.
It is epic!
The spectators, Wilheim, Elysia, and Ningyo included, are enraptured by the process from the beginning to the end. When Nice turns around, her purple dress fluttering in the process, and bows, one person starts to p, then another, and another, before the entire park gives Nice a standing ovation for mightily fine work.
Unknown to them, standing on the side while pushing a wheelchair that is carrying her younger brother, is the female crafter that was supposed to make a statue on top of the fountain. The female crafter can''t help but shed a meaningful tear for she can''t help but be grateful that somebody has picked up her ck, finishing a task that she failed to aplish. It''s not until her brotherys aforting palm on the back of her hand that she is pulled out of her reverie. Directing a grateful smile at her brother, the crafter then takes onest look at the epic piece of art before turning around, and together with her brother, returning home.
She is inspired to do something, anything, the crafter thought with a smile.
RM Side Story 2: The First Ravens
RM Side Story 2: The First Ravens
*SMACK*
"Are they ready?"
*SMACK*
"Ready than they will ever be."
*SMACK*
"The sess rate?"
*SMACK*
"Eight out of ten."
*SMACK*
"And the suits?"
*SMACK*
"All are ready and are awaiting their other half."
*SMACK*
"I see."
*SMACK*
"... Are you worried?"
*SMACK*
"The better question is, are you?"
*SMACK*
"... I will be lying if I say that I''m not."
*SMACK*
"This is a major leap for you, it''s ok to be anxious."
*SMACK*
"I just hope that my preparations are enough."
*SMACK*
"You have already done what you could. All you can do now is to have faith, both in yourself and in them." Yuki pointed at the cold-faced ex-Major, right when he threw a sickening punch that knocked out the punching bag and made it hit the wall at speed.
*SMACK* *CRASH*
The impact, not just from hitting the wall but also from the extremely heavy punch, split the punching bag in half and spilled its contents all over the floor. Were this the first time Yuki and Mobius see the man in action, they would have whistled, impressed at the disy of strength. Yet, this is far from the first time the ex-Major, a Raven candidate, wrecked a heavy-duty punching bag.
"How many bags would this make?" Yuki asked as she watched the ex-Major going to a side, unwrapping the cloth around his arms.
"I believe that this would be exactly one hundred." Mobius informed, upping the respect Yuki has for the man a few notches.
"Knowing his circumstance, it''s unsurprising that he would want to vent before today."
Mobius nods at Yuki''s words before unfolding the folder containing the most promising Raven candidate up to date.
"Emile Grimm, formerly Major until the fateful day when his family was murdered by Japanese spies, after that, he signed up for the RAVEN program, always earning top rank in conditioning exercises. If there''s a person that can survive the treatment and make the best out of it, it will be him... Did we ever do anything against the Japanese for their tant vition of our sovereignty?"
Hearing the question, Yuki wastes no time replying. "Not yet since we''re still bagging thest of the spies. As of right now, Japan''s leadership has already realized that something is wrong and when they make a move, we will p them with enough evidence to call off every agreement we have with them. After that, we can be more upfront about supporting the Chinese... That''s the n, at least."
"I understand... The man and his family deserve justice for what happened."
"Being sentimental, aren''t we?"
"What has urred to them, I wouldn''t even wish for that on my worst enemy."
"Yeah..."
The conversation then falls into a lull as they watch the medical personnel streaming into the gym, performingst-minute health checks on the Raven candidates in the gym. They watch as all the candidates are given the clear before them, together with the stoic Emile Grimm, filing away to the operating room. Mobius and Yuki follow behind them before they''re joined by Einstein, who is waiting for the first candidates to suit up with her magitech armors, and Nice who is curious to see the fruit of theirbor. After all, each Raven candidate has a worth rivaling that of a naval destroyer, meaning the first batch of Ravens amounted to 50 candidates.
Even just 50 alone has already stretched the coffer for the RAVEN program.
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My hands are itching.
My soul is seething.
An endless rage is burning inside me, only to be doused by cold, hard logic. Finally strengthened and sharpened by loyalty and perseverance.
A time wille for my revenge, just like what my revered Reich Marshal has said: "A gentleman can wait ten years for vengeance."
It''s best that I survive the trials ahead and then grow stronger from them first.
Being guided to what''s called a stasis pod, a device that will perform the enhancement procedure on my body while at the same time a lifebuoy for when something goes wrong, I am then told toy inside the pod with nothing but my underwear. Finally, doctors and nurses strap me to the pod securely but not ufortably. I then spare onest nce around me, seeing men and women, with disabilities or not, being helped onto their pods, each with calmness and purpose.
We all know what we signed up for, there''s no use in holding fear in our hearts.
I then direct my gaze forward and upward, seeing a viewing room towering over us. There, I can see the leaders of this project, the RAVEN program, and the Reich Marshal herself. Behind them are notable members of the military, eyeing the procedure down here with great interest.
It would seem like our existence hold a certain weight though that is not surprising considering the investment poured into us. We would be ungrateful and dishonor ourselves if we fail to repay the trust they ce in us.
After ten minutes of prepping all of us, the Raven candidates, for the operation, we are asked by the Reich Marshal herself.
"Are all the candidates ready?" Her regal voice persuaded us to give soundless nods.
"Then steel yourself, as you have before. May Yggdrasil bless you." The marshal said while overlooking us with a steady gaze.
That gaze alone is enough to bolster the warrior spirit inside us. For if our Marshal is unppable, then why should we be distracted by uncertainty? I thought as the stasis pod closes up with only a small viewing port allowing light from outside to pour in. Momentster, the pod''s internal lighting system lit up while a set of mechanical hands start appearing and moving about with needles at their ends with white tubings leading to the containers holding the serum. Before they operate, a mixture of gas is released into the pod, my guess is they will reduce the pain and trauma that will arise from this operation.
After they position themselves along my veins, heart, and finally the two sides of my forehead, I brace myself as they start inching closer and closer to my body. Finally, after what''s probably the longest and most silent five seconds in my life, the needles puncture my body before a mixture of blue and yellow liquids are pumped along the white tubings and into my system. At first, the itch of needles piercing your skin is bearable... But the feeling when the serum mixture hit your body is something else.
It makes you wish those five longest seconds back.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ie to be after nking out for an unknown amount of time, free from the restraint of the stasis pod. However, it doesn''t mean that I will be hasty to sit upright. Slowly moving my head around the now opened pod, I ignore the medical staff measuring my health while taking a look at the other candidates. Unfortunately, the two closest pods to my side are unopened and glowing purple magic formations are activated beneath them as glowing runes run along the surface of the pods. It doesn''t take an enhanced human to figure out what happened to them.
Offering the two upants of the pods my silent respect, I am somewhat relieved to see that not many candidates sumbed to the fate of being put under stasis for an undetermined amount of time. An urate number is given by the Marshal as the speakers in the operating room ring.
"Of the fifty candidates, forty have aplished the operation without a hitch. My congrattion to you all for being the first to break past human limitations and my condolence to those that are put to sleep, for now. Those unfortunate ten will not be sleeping forever, we will get them back once we have the technique to do so."
With the short congrattion and reassurance out of the way, many, including myself, can''t help but feel a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Figuratively and metaphorically, of course.
For me, I can feel that my strength, rity... most probably all other bodily or spiritual aspects have increased substantially. And although I''ve been one of the rarer humans to be adept at the magical side of things, never have I found myself to be so attuned to the mana inside my body and externally in the atmosphere. Mana itself seems to reinvigorate me after the operation, it''s such a fascinating feeling that makes me feel like a fish in the water.
The Marshal is right to say that we have broken humankind''s limitations.
And let''s not forget to mention the fact that the disabled veterans with their lost limbs, or worst yet, a candidate thatpletely lost their sense of touch... All have been cured of their ailments, and their body reformed to their prime. It''s safe to say that a few manly ordy tears have been shed today, no offense though. Even I will be emotional after living years without being able to feel the physical world, only to have it cured today. And that''sing to a snarky and cold bastard that is me right now.
They can cry and nobody will fault them for it. If there''s a person that says the opposite, I won''t hesitate to explore my kukri through their rear.
Ok, that may not be an apt thing to imagine.
------------------------------------------------------------
Running across the trial range faster than a Kubel on a paved road, I pump another round for the S-8G, an erged, 8-gauge version of the S-12G shotgun, before sting the hefty package at the magically-made holographic target. Though the holographic enemy dissipated into motes of light, the same can''t be said for a physical enemy when being hit by the chunky pellets contained in the 8-gauge shell.
Discarding the shotgun before pulling out my secondary weapons, a kukri on my left hand and a USP-S on my right, I stab forth with the kukri as a holo enemy rounds a corner before sting another one in the head with my sidearm. Again, while the standard USP is using 9x25mm pistol cartridge, the USP-S or USP-SOCOM uses heavier and more deadly 12.7x40mm rounds with a 12-round magazine. Of course, to handle the bigger round, the frame of the USP is erged, much like the S-8G. Another notable difference of the USP-S is the addition of an integrated suppressor and muzzle brake, making it one hell of an expensive pistol that is only fielded by Ravens and special operation units.
I also don''t need to say that the pistol can cut off limbs if required. Anyway, I digress.
Storming the garrisoned building, doors, and walls inconsequential, I take the simted enemies by surprise as my pistol continues piercing their skulls until I need to reload. Before that though, I throw my kukri faster than the I can see and shatter the holographic head of an enemy holding a hostage, thus saving them. Quickly retrieving them and cing a fresh magazine into my pistol, I clear the entire building before heading outside to wee myst test.
This time, it''s not some formless enemy.
The sound of a propeller de is heard and with my improved vision, it takes me no time at all to spot a Skyraider barrelling towards me with enough bombs and rockets to strike me back to the Stone Age, enhanced and armored or not.
This is it, this is myst obstacle before active field duty.
Bracing myself and my armor for the iing attack run, I castyers uponyers of protective spells on top of the already absurd protection level of my full-body armor. To make it harder for the opposing pilot to hit me, I run straight toward the aircraft with the asional side leaps to dislodge his aim. It works, somewhat, since half of his autocannon shells and rockets miss me by a fair margin, the other half hitting and shattering my barriers but failing to do any meaningful damage. While all that is happening, I can''t stop myself from showing a wide grin for feeling the adrenaline and power pumping through my vein. It''s easy to grow arrogant from this feeling of invincibility, granted by the supersoldier serum. Yet, I am, no, we Ravens are knows better than to be drunk on power for it will be our undoing.
The Marshal has advised and counseled us personally after the treatment, she helped us open our eyes to the wider world, showing our ces in it. Though we are strong in our own right, there do exist stronger opponents, an extreme example will be the current Empresses. Hence, each Raven carries themself with dignity, caution, and most of all, loyalty to never forget ourselves. Though the Marshal jokingly said that we are allowed to have a bit of fun if the situation permits it, it doesn''t help to be too uptight, after all.
This is why I can''t help butugh out loud when the pilot of the Skyraider has had enough and proceed to dump a 1000 kg bomb directly at me. Knowing fully well that my battered shielding won''t be enough for me to survive the st from that Big Chongus, and yes the bomb is named that way on its side, I opt to do the seemingly impossible and insane.
I wee the bomb heads on with a jump.
"I''m ready! How ''bout you!?" I shouted midair before, with incredible finest, smacking the side of my kukri against the body of the bomb, diverting its impact point further behind me.
A secondter, a big explosion sweep me away as supersonic fragments bath the remaining of my barriers as they flicked in and out of existence in glimmering golden light. This will hurt like a bitch, I thought as I am forced to do a dozen rolls on the ground at high speed.
But more importantly... I SURVIVE!
Stabbing my kukri against the ground, I use it as leverage to stand up before limping forward to my destination. Though I''m not bleeding, much, the magitech armor, my personal suit, let me know that I have a few internal injuries after my barriers gave way for the shockwave. But as I said, I will live.
Reaching the end of the line, a bell tower at the end of this trial range, I sheath my kukri on my right shoulder piece before working to hold the bell rope with both of my hands and through the dusty visor. Then, with renewed strength, I swing the line with a vigorous shout, casting a resounding chime across the entire range.
This is not just to signify my victorious run, not just to prove the feasibility and importance of the RAVEN program, but to also prove that Ravens can shatter impossible odds.
After all, the Marshal did say this.
"If somebody gives you an impossible task, you best reply with ''I need a weapon.''"
RM Side Story 3: It’s a Date!
RM Side Story 3: It¡¯s a Date!
Leaning back on my padded office chair with my right fist supporting my cheek while holding a cigarette and my left hand holding up a report, my perusal is interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in." I gently said, having felt a wave of caring aura wafting through the office door.
With my permission, the ebony door is gently pushed open, thus revealing Yggdra in all of her glorious sky-blue dress. With a sing-song voice, she asks as she steps closer to my side. "Am I a bother for your work?"
"Of course not, none of you will ever be a bother to me." I said, feeling a pair of arms hugging me, a surge of calming energy spreads across my body and alleviates my fatigue.
Feelingfortable, I lean into Yggdra''s bosom, knowing that my eternal lover would very much like it. Her soft chuckle proves my action was a correct one if that''s anything to go by. With my head being smothered by her breasts and the fact that she is more than a head taller than me, it takes Yggdra no time at all to notice the still-burning cigarette that I''m holding.
"I see that you''ve reacquired your bad habit from yourst life. Was the work that stressfultely?" Yggdra asked with gentle concern. Her hand then shifts to remove the nicotine product before, with a snap of her fingers, morphing the cigarette into a small enchanted ruby.
With a cursory nce, I easily deduce the magical scripts iid in the softly glowing ruby. Jokingly rolling my eye at her, I say. "You just have to waste that premium blend of a cigarette, don''t you? It was also not harmful to the body, unlike the cheaper one."
With her left index finger, Yggdra lightly flicks Yuki on the forehead, saying. "Regardless, healthy or not, it will create a precedent for you to indulge in other activities that are unfit for a person of your stature. Though knowing you, having you get rid of smoking is a tall order so I enchanted this ruby with a minor health enchantment." Yggdra then proceed to graft the ruby onto my Iron Cross, nestling it nicely on my left chest.
"You do realize that my entire attire is enchanted with health and endurance enchantments and many already, right?" I couldn''t stop myself from saying that since, in a way, the ruby will just be redundant.
Rolling her eyes, Yggdra replies with finality. "Mine is special."
Knowing better than to argue, I move on to exin what I was doing.
"Before your timely arrival, I was finishing up on the reports from overseas. The US''s leadership is now weing in more progressive figures, albeit at the lower rung of things while Rusviet is gearing up for a modernization of their entire armed force ording to Section Head Quellec. Japan is starting to send out their feelers to get a hold of the situation in Europe, especially Belka, while the Long Dynasty are ramping up their domestic industry to produce pretty much everything. Ustio, divided into two factions, is trying to contain an upsurge in Demons spawning all over the ce. I''ve sent Section Zero there to investigate the cause and help around if needed. Turns out it''s just a natural urrence, albeit a hard-to-handle one, leading to Alina and Adeline stepping in to remove a Demon as big as a five-story building on Reformists'' soil. As for Spain, the initialnding of Sardegna was rife with troubles and setbacks. They''re now struggling to regroup and reform their invasion force but they''re getting there, should be around a couple of months till they can make a major push."
Yggdra nods, taking in the rundown I gave. "What about us? Anything interesting?"
That question is more rhetorical, really, for Yggdra knows everything that has happened in Belkan territory but I still answer her without missing a beat.
"If you count that our military is now officially the most modern armed force in the entire world, then yes. That and the fact that Doctor von Braun has been greenlighted for his little space program. The man jumped around like a kid in a candy store once I gave him the signed documents personally. With his help, it shouldn''t be a long time before the first satellite isunched, thus kickstarting us into the information era. But anyway, I doubt that you will want me to go on and on about things you already learned about. Anything on your mind, Yggdra?"
Hearing my question, Yggdra tilts her head and shows a charming smile that surely makes my heart flutter for a few seconds. Being that she is hugging me close, Yggdra giggles seductively as she can feel my thumping heart clearly. Leaning in toy a kiss on my lips, making my face heats up in the process, Yggdra then goes on to say.
"Well, what''s on my mind right now is to spirit you away." I raise an eyebrow at this. "For a date, of course."
"Oh..."
Well, this should have happened sooner, to be honest.
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ncing down at my and Yggdra''s attire, ones that are perhaps too modern for the time we were in, I couldn''t help butment with a twitching eyebrow.
"You know, while I did hear you say that you would spirit me away, I didn''t think it will be quite literally."
Currently, I am wearing a ck sundress and a simrly colored sun hat with a red bow. To my rightys a red purse with its button being a ck miniatured Iron Cross. I still retain my eyepatch, albeit it''s ck and has a rosy pattern in design.
Sitting to my left is none other than Yggdra with an annoying smirk presented on her face for pulling a stunt I never thought would be possible... Scratch that, I know Yggdra can do it, it''s just that I never thought she would do it just for a date.
Back to the point, if my wearing a sundress is making me all girlie and cuddly, then Yggdra with her form-fitting suit will be a finedy killer. Donning her blue hair into a long ponytail, Yggdraplimented the tomboyish look by wearing a blue suit with a simrly colored tie and a white shirt beneath the unbuttoned outer vest. Coupled with her usual charming and confident smile, I would do my best to shield her from some annoying vultures.
As if hearing my thoughts, Yggdra giggles before snaking a hand over to my pearly white leg, sending a tinge of arousal across the length of my body. I blush at such a tant act, protesting. "K-Knock it off, Yggdra! Watch the road!"
Chuckling, Yggdra says. "You need not worry your pretty head with jealously, dear. My deep affection is only reserved for my family, and right now, you''re the one enrapturing its entirety." With her palm still inching closer and closer to my womanhood, teasing me for what''s about toe, Yggdra continues. "Have I everplimented you for being such a delightful sight with that dress?"
Though I keep putting on the weak struggle at her naughtiness for a while, I ultimately relent and let her hand roams around my body and dress. "Yes, yes you did for what seemed to be the tenth time already!" I said with a blushing face as Yggdra decided to cup my breast while she maneuvered our car around the highway. Oh, how d I am for the car to have one-way windows.
Laughing sonorously at my expense, Yggdra then says. "Well, let''s make this the eleventh then." Looking at me squarely and with a face full of honesty, Yggdra continues. "You''re beautiful, my love." Her dashing getup serves to boost her gantness off the chart.
"... It would be a lie if I say you didn''t make my heart skip a beat. Very well, I will dly ept yourpliment, again." I could only raise a fake front, knowing full well that I''m now at the woman''s mercy. "And it would be remiss of me not to say that you''re very handsome also." That earned me a gentle pinch to my cheek as Yggdra''s smile grows a bit wider at my words.
Yggdra has been and always will be the leading figure in this love life of ours. And with me being a whole size smaller than all of the love interests I have currently, I am very used to the fact that I am huggable and that naughty hands keep copping a feel every now and then.
And I like that despite my protests, thank you very much. After all, that''s how the women of my life shower me with their love and care, and Yggdra is no exception here. Being the one that is most intimate with my thought process, Yggdra offers a smiling "Umu." as she continues speeding our vehicle along the highway, putting its high top speed to the best of uses. I must admit that being the passenger in Yggdra''s top-tier driving is an exhrating experience of its own when youbine her teasing alongside it.
Coincidentally, Yggdra is controlling a navy blue 2024 Honda Prelude with gold rims down the streets of Japan''s countryside. Passing and leaving behind dust and the roaring of the engine for the slower cars to see and feel in the process. And in case you haven''t noticed by now, we''re in a different universe altogether for our date. More specifically, it''s Japan in October 2011, a timeline where Belka isn''t a thing.
Spoiler
[copse]
"It seems that we''re almost there." Yggdra said as she diverted the car to the right of the highway, clearly intending to take the next right turn.
ncing at the uing overhead signboard, I can see the name of the town that is our destination for our date. "Inaba?" I gently asked the word.
"A rural town surrounded by rolling hills, crops, and riverbanks, and it tends to rain quite often. A rxing and peaceful destination for the duration of our stay, far away from the overwhelming work from our home and the hustle and bustle of Berlin''s city life." Yggdra offered her reason to pick the ce.
Understanding the reasoning behind it, I offer her a nod, anticipating the uing weeklong vacation she set me up to.
"Trust me, you will enjoy it." Smiling in assurance, Yggdra said as she round the turn with a drift, still flooring the gas earlier.
Why had she done that, you ask? Well, the road was cleared and apparently, Yggdra likes to show off, I guess.
Regardless, we soon run out of thest vestige of the city and thus wee the sight of a paved path running along a river that cut across the uing town of Inaba into two halves. With the road here not wide nor safe enough for high-speed driving, Yggdra eases up on the gas to an eptable level before gaining entry into the town proper.
Funnily enough, right at that moment Yggdra slowed down and drove leisurely into the town, a police car past a corner and followed them slowly from behind. It doesn''t take a genius to know that the pair of detectives wearing red ties behind the wheels of the police car are eyeing the Honda Prelude with suspicion and wariness... Well, the middle-aged driver in a dark gray shirt is while the passenger to his right, wearing a ck suit is eyeing the car with a wistful expression.
In fact, the passerby around us is pretty much the same, clearly not used to seeing such a luxurious vehicle driving down the road of their rural town. That and the beefy engine sound is also not helping to make us go unnoticed.
Fortunately, with Yggdra being verypliant with thew after a stern reminder from mine not to harass the localw enforcement, the detectives behind us divert their course away from us, presumably going back to work. Yggdra chuckles at their attempt at investigation while I roll my eyes at her antics.
Passing a local Department Store with a signboard denouncing ''Junes'', most probably a corruption of the Ustian word, or French in this universe, "jeunesse" meaning "youth", Yggdra then follow the river road upstream till we reach a traditional onsen inn.
Stopping her proud blue car, at the parking lot to the side of the inn, Yggdra gives me a small smile before disembarking first. Themotion from our arrival attracts the attention of a small gathering at the front desk of the inn. Ignoring the curious gaze, Yggdra moves to my side of the car before opening the door with a splendid bow.
"Allow me, mdy." Yggdra offered out her hand toward me, taking the role of being the ''husband; in this rtionship of ours very seriously.
With a bit of red on my face, I hold out my right hand, letting her take it and help me out of the car. Once outside, Yggdra excuses herself with a smile for a moment, prompting me to give her a soft nod. She then goes to the back of the Honda Prelude, opening its trunk to pick up the content inside. While she''s doing that, I allow myself to take a scan of the surrounding area, taking in the cleaner air of rural Japan in the process.
At the front desk is a group of age teenagers that were talking to the receptionist, students judging from their attires. Of the eight, more than half of them are female and that is including a cross-dressing student. With our sudden entrance here, all of them are now gazing at us, half in curiosity, half in astonishment. Not to toot our own horn but our beauty is too exotic, so much so that it enraptures both genders.
Coming up to my side, Yggdra holds out her right elbow while her left hand is carrying the briefcase containing our belongings for our vacation. "Well, shall we?" She said with a dashing smile, prompting me to link arms with her as we made our way to the front desk.
I lean my head on her shoulder, acting very much like a married couple regardless of our genders. This will no doubt cause some unwanted inquiries but we honestly don''t give a damn about the prejudices of this world.
By the time we reach the reception area, the group of students and the receptionist have woken out of their trance. One of the students, wearing a red cardigan sweater with ck leggings, steps forth and together with the female receptionist, gives us weing bows.
"Wee to Amagi Inn, customers! I am Yukiko Amagi, how can we assist you today?" The girl in red with dark brown eyes and long straight ck hair that is kept neat with her red hairband, said with professionalism ingrained into her body. Behind her, her friends have taken a step back out of politeness for us, keeping in mind not to gaze at us too much. All aside from the blue hair cross-dressing girl, that is.
Though her gaze contains the inquisitiveness of a detective and hidden admiration, not one of negative intent so I let it slide.
Letting Yggdra take the reign of the conversation, I opt to stick to my lover''s side as she says. "Thank you for the wee, Ms. Amagi, I am Yggdra Venusia and this is my wife, Yuki Venusia. We''re here for our weeklong honeymoon and we would like to choose the bedroom and service you have to offer for the duration of our stay."
Understandably, my face heats up at the words ''wife'' and ''honeymoon'', though I show a content smile at Yggdra''s assertion of my bond to her.
Also understandably, the group of students exims in shock at the tant proof of a real-life Yuri couple in front of them. Yggdra, while dressed tomboyishly, still can''t hide her well-stacked asset on her upper body.
As for the students... Yukiko Amagi sports blush despite her professional look while the rest of her female friends can''t help but show a spike in their interest after Yggdra''s promation. Last but not least is a gray hair teen with a natural leader aura, presumably the center of this student group that is by far the most normal of this group, only giving us a thumbs up and a smile of approval.
The male, on the other hand, the natural blond foreigner is gushing haphazardly about our rtionship with his imagination and probably went into overdrive, only to receive a bonk on the head by aid-back teen with brown hair for being rude. Next to them is a dyed-blond punk-looking teen that is blushing while his mind going off somewhere, he is muttering something about ''Perfectly bnced, as all things should be.".
If you ignore the fact that these students carry themselves with an aura of seasoned fighters, then they are one good circle of friends.
Yggdra is having the same thought as I am so she subtly proceeds to cover me while she addresses the presumed heiress of Amagi Inn. "Wakey, wakey, Ms. Amagi."
Being pulled back to reality and remembering the request made by Yggdra, Ms. Amagi hastily says. "R-Right this way, please! We will have to sign up your names in our registry first."
Nodding, Yggdra leads me to the desk while she works on registering our stay at the inn. While doing that, another car pulls up and although it''s a civilian car, it''s manned by the middle-aged detective from before with the passenger this time being a little girl. The girl steps off before dashing towards the gray hair girl in the group while the detective follows behind.
"Big sis Yui!" The little girl goes in for a hug and the older girl, Yui, promptly returns.
"Nanako! What are you doing in here?" Yui asked with a smile.
It''s the detective that steps up to answer the question. "Ah, good thing we found you. I''ve got to make a business trip to the prefectural office, and I won''t be back tomorrow."
The detective spares me and Yggdra a sidelong nce before continuing with the talk. "Shame it had to fall during your school''s Culture Festival. Nanako and I were both looking forward to it..."
Seeing his face showing a bit of remorse, Yukiko Amagi is quick to step in. "Would you like to walk around with us, Nanako?"
"Can I?" The little girl nodded with a hopeful expression, reminding me of Ningyo, to be honest.
The detective then scratches his head in relief. "Thanks. Then I''m gonna get going."
Though he said that, the detective then turned toward us. "You two came in that monster of a car?"
I am about to reply when Yggdra gently pulls me back behind her, replying to the detective with a thin smile. "That we did, detective? Are we in trouble for wanting to enjoy a vacation?"
Knowing that he doesn''t really have the ground to ask anything, just his curiosity, the detective scratches his head, apologizing. "Sorry, it was nothing at all. It''s just that it''s rare for people to arrive here in such a high-profile manner. I do hope you enjoy your stay here, however."
Nodding at the detective, thus ending the conversation, Yggdra then gently guides me into the inn''s interior, following the steps of a server. Moving past the door, I can hear the detective addressing his daughter.
"Well then, have fun, Nanako!"
"Un! Have a safe trip!"
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Settling down by a dark wood table and on the tatami mat, having changed into our yukatas earlier, I sit in the loving arms of Yggdra while we gaze at the evening sky. With the most luxurious room that Yggdra booked being on the second floor of the inn, we have gained ourselves peace and serenity to take in the sight of another world''s nature.
Though nature here is still tainted with pollution, more so than our own world, the view offered by the inn has a charm of its own as you can watch the flowing river and swaying tree tops to the side.
"You know," I speak up., thus breaking the soothing silence. "now that I am experiencing this once again, I can''t help but want more. Maybe we should bring the entire family on a trip like this sometimes. Away from the hectic atmosphere of our world for a change of pace."
Leaning down toy a kiss on my head, Yggdra agrees. "I''m d that you see it that way. Not every day should be spent working for a greater cause. And what, it took me to send you to another world for you to see it."
Rolling my eye at Yggdra''s jab, I say. "Well, if I do worry you gals about my workload then you all are free to intervene." I stop before adding. "As long as the situation permits it, of course."
"Must you have to leave a way to retreat every time?" Yggdra deadpanned.
"Yes, yes I must."
We lock gazes for a bit before bursting out in a series of chuckles. Having had conversations like this many times before, we all know where it will head.
"Come on, let''s rx your nerves with the best tea they have." Yggdra advised, opting to pick up a cup of warm green tea for me to take a sip.
Allowing myself to be cared for by my lover, a part of me flutter about in embarrassment and happiness as Yggdra slowly coax the refreshing liquid down my throat, taking measures not to make me choke. I''ve indeed been taken care of by servants and then my family but to have this much attentiveness to each and every action? Only Yggdra can pull it off, knowing fully how to tick every single of my check box.
For a period of time, we keep ourselves hydrated and converse about lighter topics until a knock is heard from the sliding door behind us. Leaning over to one side, thus pulling me closer into her bosom, Yggdra announces. "Come in!"
Gently sliding over the door decorated with sakura embroidery, Yukiko Amagi reveals herself. Her eyes ze over for a moment after seeing our suggestive position but ultimately regains herself quickly enough.
"Fairdies, the bath will be avable for us to use in half an hour. If need be, I can exin more on onsen etiquettes should you wish?" I have to apud the girl for still being able to maintain somewhat of a straight face.
Shaking her head with a small smile, Yggdra replies. "That won''t be needed, miss heiress. We will be seeing youter then, along with your female friends?"
Nodding with a graceful smile, Yukiko performs a slight bow. "That will be correct,dy Venusia. And please, you can just call me Yukiko. I and my friends aren''t ones to be a stickler to honorifics."
"I see, then allow us to be more direct with you, Yukiko." Yggdra said with a smile, while I offered her a nod.
Bowing at us, Yukiko then closes the door before moving away, leaving us to our own devices till bath time.
For a moment, I thought that we would return to the calming atmosphere from before but Yggdra just have to throw a wrench into it.
"I am looking forward to seeing you out of this Yukata." Yggdra leaned in, blowing a hot breath in my ear, almost making me jump in shock.
Finally registering her meaning, I can''t stop myself from gulping, mostly because I am anticipating our nights together.
RM Side Story 4: First Time is the Charm! (R-18)
RM Side Story 4: First Time is the Charm! (R-18)
"Please watch your steps, the minerals in the onsen can make the floor quite slippery." Yukiko Amagi advised as she led us into the onsen after we all took a shower.
Linking arms with Yggdra as we walk with nothing but our towels to cover us, we soone to see the famous onsen in all of its glory. Abination of natural and manmade rock formations decorate the onsen,plimented by a sunsetting backdrop. Stepping onto the smooth stone flooring, moistened by the misty onsen, Yggdra helps me over to the edge of the spring, taking care of me to not slip on my feet. There, Ie to see the group of female friends that Yukiko has, resting near the edge and away from the pouring gate.
With us only using a small towel to cover our privates, Yggdra and I have garnered gazes of admiration, mixed slightly with a hint of lust as we slowly step into the onsen. Yeah, we have that effect on people, especially Yggdra. Yukiko follows soon after behind us, taking care not to make much noise in the process. We all take a moment of silent rxation, letting the warm spring water soothe our nerves before the tacit agreement is broken by the little girl from before, Nanako.
"Sisters, how are you so pretty?" Nanako asked innocently with a tilt of her head. Her demeanor really reminds me of Ningyo.
With Yggdra just pulling me closer, apanied by a smile, and showing no sign of answering, it falls to me to satisfy the curiosity of these girls. I answer, but not before sharing a look with Yggdra to determine how much I should reveal.
"Nanako, right? Will you believe me if we say that our beauty is all-natural? Cosmetic surgery can only get you so far, after all." They looked at me in surprise, clearly not expecting me to be the one that answered.
I chuckle in amusement. "Although my husband converses in my ce, it doesn''t mean that I am muted, you know?"
My words prompt them to apologize for their assumption, which I just smile and ept, no harm done.
"You may or may not have heard Yggdra''s introduction back there so allow me to make you acquaintance. I am Yuki Venusia and this person right here," I look up to Yggdra who is now holding me from behind. " is Yggdra Venusia. Though we behave like a married couple, we still haven''t held a wedding, yet. Hence there are no rings on our fingers. Yggdra is the husband in our rtionship, you can see that just from the way she acted earlier, while I am content with being the little spoon, the wife if you want to be formal."
"Aww~! You''re so cute, dear!" Yggdra cooed before giving my hair a few yful nudges with her shin. I giggle, a bit ticklish by her action.
Seeing our yful nature, the girl with twin-tail says the word that''s on everyone''s mind. "Wow..."
"I know right?" Once again, the girl with short gray hair gave us a thumbs up as she said that. Kindred spirit maybe?
Peering a closer look at her gray eyes, I can gleam that she is a kindred spirit with the same attraction to the same sex, just like me. Understandably, I must return a thumbs up at her, earning a chuckle from her while I let out one of my own.
Noticing our silentmunication, the twin-tail girl facepalms with a shake of her hand. "Seriously, Yui?"
Yui shrugs. "What? It''s not every day you can see such a beautiful, and sessful lily couple!"
Being used to the gray hair girl, Yui''s antics by now, the rest of the girls can only sigh at her words. Each of them probably got hit on by Yui a multitude of times but seeing that they have this harmonious aura around them, I can see that Yui is treading the path of a polyamorous rtionship at a steady pace. Good girl.
Suddenly, little Nanako says. "Big sis, what''s a lily couple?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
Hearing such a question, Yui puts on the face of a preacher, preparing herself to go on and enlighting Nanako on the gloriousness of Yuri. Or that was the n until the twin-tail girl bonks Yui on the head, making thetter scrunches up while holding her head.
"What was that for!?" Yui protested
"For being overzealous you idiot! We can handle you messing with us but not Nanako, damn it!" The twin-tail girl admonished Yui and the pair continued on to bicker with each other, leaving behind a confused Nanako.
The rest of the group can only shake their head at this while I and Yggdra smile at them warmly. They''re just like us, after all.
"Noisy couple aside, Nanako, a lily couple is only understandable when you grow a bit older. So be patient, ok?" The tomboyish girl with short dark blue hair and eyes said as she scooted closer to Nanako, patting her head. The little girl gives her affirmation, a bit weirded out by Yui and the other girl.
Moving the topic to something else, the tomboy proceeds to introduce herself. "I''m sorry for the other two, they''re usually at each other''s throat like cat and mouse. My name is Naoto Shirogane, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
We give affirmative nods at Naoto, prompting the rest to introduce themselves and also stopping the antics the couple is making.
"Howdy! I''m Chie Satonaka and my hobby is anything rted to martial arts. A pleasure to meet you!" Said a girl with short brown hair. Her brown eyes scan our figures beforementing. "Wow... You two have such great bodies!"
Weugh at her refreshing frankness before the others chime in.
"It will be weird if I don''t reintroduce myself here. I''m Yukiko Amagi, the current heiress of this inn. I am d to see that you''ve been enjoying our hot spring so far."
She''s not wrong, it''s a pleasurable experience so we give her our affirmative nods.
"Then up next is my turn. I''m Rise Kujikawa, an idol on hiatus, it''s nice to meetcha! And do excuse our leader, Yui for being too tant in her interest. I assure you she is usually more reliable than this... mess." Rise then motions a hand to Yui, earning a good-natured huff from thetter.
"Though I would like Rise to word it better, at the end of the day, she is corrected in her assumption. I''m Yui Narukami and this is my maternal cousin and sister, Nanako Dojima."
"Hi, big sisters." Nanako waved at us. Her innocent puts a smile on everyone''s face. And that''s about everyone.
With the introduction and name out of the way, everyone startsing closer for a chat as the stranger barrier is taken down. For a short period of time, we all talk about mundane things in life, stuff like stories from the city and the mysterious urrence of Inaba. And yes, Yggdra and I notice the otherworldy facet that this rural town seems to hide and the mastermind behind it. That doesn''t mean we will be going out own way to handle it though. Whatever the case, this group that gravitates around Yui Narukami is the center of everything. The best we can do is maybe offer some guidance and indirect help for the kids.
The conversation soon arrives at the elephant in the room, who are we to be exact? The question is asked by Naoto and we deem it safe to answer some bits and pieces about our identities, fabricated or not.
Yggdra is the one to speak up first.
"I do believe that you all should know about the Kirijo Group, even if you''re living in a rural town like Inaba."
Naoto and the rest share a look, unsure where the conversation is heading before the blue hair girl responds. "It''s hard not to with the far-reaching influence of the group."
"Well, you can say that we hail from a group with as much, if not more influential than the Kirijo. To be more specific, we are the figures behind Venus Heavy Industry." Yggdra exined, giving them a tidbit of background information about the identities she prepared for us.
Being the Primordial Goddess of Creation, she can easily mess around with a worldline to create identities of her choosing. It''s just that our current identities are world-renowned billionaires that stunned the group of teens here.
"I must admit that I expected you two to be some high-ranking figures but to be the owners of
the Venus Industry... Now that is both hard to believe but somehow I know that you aren''t lying." Naoto said while massaging her temple.
Aside from Nanako, the others are struggling to ept the truth also.
"Should we count ourselves lucky to meet the fabled couple behind the advancement of the world''s technology? Or should we be afraid of getting to know them for the trouble it may bring?" Yui jested, earning wry smiles from her friends.
I chuckle, amused by her attempt to cope. "Both. Both are good."
"Wait for a second then," Chie interjected. "can anyone exin why their identities are that important? Like, I know Venus Industry is a bigshot but why exactly?"
Rolling her eyes, Naoto says. "Right, I forget that aside from martial arts, you don''t pay attention to anything."
The admonishment from Naoto causes Chie to be sheepish. "Tehe~"
Yggdra then exins.
"Venus Heavy Industry is apany that deals in high-tech equipment of all kinds, medical, electronics, construction, and even weapons... We singlehandedly raise the technological level of Japan and any countries that contracted by ten years. Most notably, we are the ones behind cloud storage services and smartphones, and if you want to take a step further, we supplied weapons for the Americans and Russians in their spiels in Afghanistan. We actually still supplying them with modern weaponry, to be truthful. Which is why I dare say that our influence rivaled that of the Kirijo group."
Their only response to Yggdra''s exnation is. "Wow..."
Rise decides to add. "And let''s not forget the fact that yourpany also bought out my talent agency in your bid to advance your interest."
This raises eyebrows from the others.
Yggdra nods, acting out her persona while I just y along to see where this will lead. "We dabble in many things and it will do us good to have a brand ambassador. So imagine our surprise when the candidate for that position is right in front of us."
Surprise at the insinuation, Rise points at herself with her mouth agape, leaving the question unspoken.
"That''s right, we are still working on a contract that is suitable for you, Rise. Of course, the contract won''t include you advertising our weapons and tools of war. We don''t want your image to be tarnished if possible."
"...Moving on from that shocking revtion that I have no idea how to react, just how is your rtionship included in the equation?" Rise questioned, changing the topic to something more manageable.
Smiling, Yggdra pats my head, saying. "We love each other deeply, that''s for sure. As for the nature of our work, Yuki is the one doing the magic and changing lives while I''m the one that makes sure that she can y around without trouble. Simple as that."
"So you''re like a bodyguard to her? You know, judging from your possessive nature thus far. No offense, of course." Chie said before being bonked by Yukiko for being, earning a smallugh from us.
I then reply. "None taken. Yggdra acts like that whenever possible to reaffirm her hold on me. And I chose to endear myself to her whenever she does that. It makes me feel wanted and I like that, to be honest."
"But not everything is smooth sailing, isn''t it?" Naoto asked, looking at my uncovered left eye.
"I''m surprised that it took you this long to ask about my left eye." I giggled.
Yui interjects after giving Naoto a look, causing the blute to mutter a sorry. "You don''t have to say anything if that makes you two ufortable."
I dismiss the concern, however. "It''s fine, it''s not like it''s anything grave. Once you reach a high enough ce, someone is bound to be envious of your position." I point at my left eye, the others can see the slowly ticking hands of a clockwork eye as they pay attention. "This... high-grade prosthetic, is the result of someone that hated progress, to put it mildly."
They all sport crestfallen expressions and before they can offer their pity, Yggdra steps in, reassuring them with a gentle smile. "We''ve made peace with what happened in the past, you girls need not worry your cute heads over it."
I then direct the conversation elsewhere. "Our matter aside, we have told you a bit about ourselves, now it''s your turn. And considering that we can clearly see that your group has...bat experience, I trust that you won''t shy away from sharing a few facts about yourself. Who knows, maybe we can help, or invest in this case, seeing that you all are such interesting individuals."
Letting out a wry smile, Yui says. "Figured that you would notice something about us, that scanning look you gave us is awfully simr to Naoto and Uncle Dojima."
Knowing that the conversation is not suitable for Nanako, Yukiko takes the chance to lead the girl out for a swim, which is clearly against the rule by the way. Regardless, we direct thankful nods toward the heiress for setting up the stage.
Yui and Naoto then give us the truth about the mysteriousness of the town while Rise and Chie chime in whenever the topic turns to them or Yukiko. After the summary they gave, we finally have a clearer picture of their involvement in the case.
I speak up. "This may be hypocrisy from me but you all sure are ying with fire."
Stunned, Chie exims. "Wait, you believe us!?"
I snicker. "What''s not to believe when we can do this." I then conjure a privacy ward, the glowing magic circle grabs their attention as the ward expands to cover the onsen.
Squinting her eyes, Naoto asks. "That''s magic, right? Are you also a Persona user?" She and the rest can feel the power behind the spell, albeit subtle.
Shaking my head, I exin. "Although we''re deeply attached to the moonlit world, we''re not Persona users like you."
Yggdra adds. "We''re something more than that andpared to us, Personas are just toddlers, considering that they''re merely a facet of the real things."
"Should I be worried now?" Yui asked as a dryugh escape her mouth. "This is clearly way too much for a single day."
I shrug. "Well, we''ll be staying here for a week so we have all the time in the world to introduce you all to the supernatural. It will be remiss of us to leave you muddling through without knowing what you''re up against."
"And while we''re at that," Yggdra offered. "we can also discuss how we can help you in your endeavor. Though we can''t directly help you due to the nature of our work, we can offer you material aids and drag another party that used to have the same situation as yours."
Rise questions. "You''re saying that there are others like us?"
I chuckle at her. "With us being magic users and you are Persona holders, you surely don''t think that there aren''t others like you? No, there are generations before you, and the nearest generation answered to the leader of the Kirijo Group, Mitsuru Kirijo. Though the story behind them is one of bloodshed and Death, one that is better revealed by them when we invite them over."
Scratching her cheek, Chiements. "Something tells me that we''re the luckier ones here..."
"Trust me, I''m surprised that your group is still intact, given your deep involvement in the supernatural for quite some time." Yggdra gave her thoughts, earning scaredughs from the females presented.
She''s not wrong, considering that these teenagers are fighting god-level figures with no prior knowledge and experience whatsoever.
Deciding to let them cool their head, Yggdra turns the conversation to mundane topics before we call it a night. They are thankful for that and each is willing to hit the bed as soon as possible.
All but Yggdra and me.
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"Hah... Hah... Hah... S-Slow down, Y-Yggdra! Ah~!"
Amidst the flurry of kisses and caresses beneath my Yakata, I struggled to form coherent words and thoughts as Yggdra gently, but consistently assault my senses. Us two and the group headed by Yui have retired for the night and the first thing that Yggdra did is to ce a heavy privacy ward in our room. After that, the promised time, teased on multiple asions, has finally arrived.
Giving me one final deep kiss, tongues intertwined, Yggdra then pulls out, leaving me breathless. "Don''t worry, Yuki. I will be gentle with you." She said before snaking a hand beneath my dress and panties, slowly, she started ying with my private. Each stroke from her fingers causes intense pleasure to run along my spine.
My moans are muffled by her kiss though while her other hand ys around with my breast, pinching my nipple, thus forming an onught of pleasure. Gradually, I approach my first climax as my back arch under her constant but loving assault.
Stopping the hand that is fondling my breast, Yggdra then cradles my head closer to the nape of her neck with a warm smile. With a final thrust of her fingers, reaching my hymen, I lewdly moan as I cum on her fingers while giving Yggdra a love bite. My mind nk out with Yggdra resumed her teasing of my pussy, still very sensitive after my climax.
Unable to form a single word with Yggdra holding me close to her neck, thus making me still bite her, I can only let her lose on my body, now knowing what to do. A part of me is worrying about her fair skin but honestly, I am slowly losing myself, sooner orter, I will be at her mercy, begging for the pleasure she offers.
And I''m fine with that.
It''s unknown how much time has passed before Yggdra pulls out her glistening fingers for me to see. I then watched, dazed, as she gives them a few licks, smirking with glee before putting the fingers in my mouth. I am too out of sorts to care but I think my subconscious decides to lick and suck on her fingers greedily.
Seeing the sensual sight, Yggdra then lowers my body onto the bed while half opening my yukata and discing my panties. Lowering herself, Yggdra licks my breasts before giving my nipples a few bites, earning unrestrained moans from me. After satisfying herself with my bosom, Yggdra looks up at me, saying. "I think you''re ready now."
With that as the signal, something big is positioned in front of my wet slit, I can feel its eager tip giving my private a few prods before...
"Un~!" With a wet sound, the rod is thrust into me at a steady pace. Then, the rod that I soon identify with my hazy mind as Yggdra''s cock breaks past my hymen with a rush of pain.
Knowing that the act might cause me to bite my tongue, Yggdra willingly let me bite down on her fingers despite the pain it may cause. Oh, how I love her so much~!
Unconsciously, my legs and arms have draped over her body, pushing her deeper into mine. epting the invitation with open arms, Yggdra starts pistoning in and out of my pussy, her big cock''s movement is visible on my belly as each push leaves me breathless, wanting more and more.
Removing her fingers from my mouth after confirming that I''m no longer in pain, I can''t help but feel a sense of loss at that. More... I want to taste her too, just like she is having a taste of me~!
Yggdra easily reads the greediness in my eyes, augh escapes her as she leans down to say, all the while her cock pushes through my cervix. "You''re insatible~! Just the way I remember you."
cing her entire body over me, thus rushing her cock into my womb and down to its base, Yggdra allows me to be smothered by her bountiful breasts. Being shown an offer I can''t refuse, I take it by hugging her upper body closer to my face. I then open my mouth totch on to her nipple, sucking it like a baby wanting her mother''s milk.
Yggdra purrs at my naughty action. "Ara, ara~! You''re just like a child! Let mama takes care of you, my little dear."
With my action stroking her maternal instinct into overdrive, Yggdra moves her cock faster and faster, and with each stroke, milk leaks from her buds in streams that I greedily devour. The sweetness of her divine milk reinvigorates my body and as if the milk contains aphrodisiac, my body heats up more and more till all I can think of is just pleasure and nothing else.
Thus, when I reach my climax suddenly, I am forced to give Yggdra''s nipple a sharp bite, drinking her milk as my body spasm. My bite, sudden as it may be, has rushed Yggdra to cum deep into my womb uncontrobly. Thick and hot waves of semen are pumped vigorously into my belly, filling my womanhood with love as our liquid mix together into a fascinating color.
For a second, I nk out as Yggdra copses onto me, she too is overwhelmed by the pleasure that eluded her for ages. We stay like that for a few minutes, my mouth and tongue still licking and sucking out her milk while her cock is still slowly, but surely, grinding against my inner wall.
Uncontend to end the night after only one round, I control my lower muscles to contract and reaffirm their hold over the thick shaft in my body. Still sensitive from her first shot in a long time, Yggdra fails to bite back a lewd "Ahn~!" from escaping her mouth. Yet, her fighting spirit is sessfully reignited as I can feel her dick thickening, bing bigger than before. A gasp escapes between my sucking, knowing full well what''s about toe.
With my body now use to sexual acts and hungry for more, Yggdra deigns to answer my carnal desire as she resumes the attack on my pussy, relentlessly this time. As her cock is now bigger than ever, lubricated by our love juice, I soon reach my peak, mping hard on her rod, taking her deeper into my cervix and cumming directly in there this time.
So much cum is poured into my pussy that my belly can''t help but be a tad bit bigger from our fluid exchange. Oh, mother, I love her so damn much~!
Yggdra pulls out, her rod still straight and vigorous as it fires strands of milky fluid on my body, decorating it with her love.
"Stay with me, Yuki...! The night is far from over, love~!" Yggdra''s breathless words, once again, left me in a daze.
Moving away from her breasts to peer deeper into her glowing blue eyes, I wordlessly turn around,ying on my belly. Yggdra''s thick and hot baby batter flows out of my womb as I raise my butt upward, positioning my entrance at the tip of her fiery shaft with my hands spreading my pussy open in an invitation.
"Dominate me...!" My sensual mutter didn''t fail to ce a wide smile on Yggdra''s face as she licked her lips in anticipation.
Thuses bliss.
Neverending bliss.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Prologue: The fine line in the sand
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Prologue: The fine line in the sand
It''s ironic to say this as I was one of the most powerful figures in the Omniverse but... That was Divine.
That weeklong vacation with Yggdra did wonders for my wearied body. It also allowed me to have some
me time for once and did a miraculous job for my psyche. During the said week, Yggdra led me on to visit the various parts of Inaba, old and modern alike. We tried out many delicacies around the time, attended an impromptu concert, visited a beach, and even dabbled in crafting a de of our own, personally... We also hang out with that group of students that called themselves the Investigation Team. Funny bunch they were, but very driven in their cause to uncover the culprit behind the series of murders around the town. Yggdra and I left behind a substitute to sponsor them. That and hooked them up with their predecessors. It''s funny how both sides reacted when they came face to face with each other.
Though I do admit that I couldn''t help but pity the kids. None deserve the fate of picking up a weapon to sh again eldritch horrors, only to sacrifice themselves to prevent the collective subconscious of humanity from killing, well, humanity in the end. Yggdra said that our daughter wille to deal with it soon enough so I need not worry much about them.
They''re worlds apart, literally.
Anyway, I digress from our main worldline. Like I was saying, I did have some time alone for myself. Well, enough time away from either being a blushing mess due to Yggdra''s teasing or indulging in carnal desire that will leave a subus ashamed. Nevertheless, I''ve once again mulled over my n to unify the world under one banner, the V2 n. Very soon down my train of thought, I realized that more than half of the pieces for the puzzle areing together.
We, in rtive obscurity, have raised one of, if not the strongest armed force in the world currently. And unless we shaved away half of our IQ, seizing the entirety of Europe under our influence will be a cakewalk. Granted, controlling them might still be a hassle but nothing that ONI can''t handle. That said, we can extend our reach oversea more prominently now.
But first, Spain but with the silenced S. With the Spanish Civil war heating up for its climax, ONI has been gathering a treasure trove of data with Dreamer and Mobius having a field day over the corpses of Sardegnian Crusaders. Their autopsies have shed light on the Sardegnian''s production method of enhanced human and as expected, it didn''t look pretty for any of us. Excerpting from Mobius''s words.
"Their way of making supersoldier is crude, wasteful, ineffective, and may I say, inhuman. They''re using a part of the magic formations that the traitorous wood elves used to birth Ningyo and forcefully expanded the mana vessel of a female. This painful and deadly process allowed a previously magically inept female to wield spells and magecrafts at a higher level than normal. Yet, the sess rate is abysmally low, 1 out of 20 with randomized strength, not to mention the exorbitant price they have to pay to perform the said process. Failure or not, each treatment needs the sacrifice of approximately one hundred souls, and considering there were fifty Crusaders at the beginning stage of the Spanish Civil war... You can do the math."
When I first heard the report, I couldn''t help but immediately find something to vent on. This means I headed for the shooting range and unloaded countless bullets on the steel target with Benito Mussolini painted on it. If even I felt like that then imagine how livid ya, the Will of Earth, was feeling when such bloody ughters that tantly vited Divine Laws urred under her watch.
So here''s the thing, ya struck a deal with Yggdra to supervise and control the ever-spreading mana, right? Meaning non-humans and humans that were aboard Yggdra''s seed ship will have barricades hampering their ess to mana and by extension magic. Humans of Earth, on the other hand, don''t have barricades but literal dams, a hard cap on how much mana they can store and utilize at the same time. The restrictions are there due to the fact that ya wanted a non-vtile development of the human race. She is fine with guns and nukes, and a few spells here and there but is not fine when humankind askew their years of scientific progress for an outlier that is magic. And with magic being the closest thing to a miracle, you can imagine the chaos it would cause for Earth if left unchecked. Hence the restrictions in the pact between ya and Yggdra.
Nevertheless, those shackles will be lessened slowly after a few cycles of Months of Demons. Gradually, science and magic will bebined and proliferate across the entire world, not just being limited to Belka. Though I think Belka will be having the most say in when and how of thetter. Yet, rules are meant to be broken.
By forcefully expanding the mana vessel of their Crusaders, essentially breaking ya''s dams and rebuilding them further down the river, Sardegna triggered ya enough that she is actually
building a judgment force. And with the fact that the magic formations the Papacy used actually came from the basement of the burned-down Castle Itter, the judgment force will being for Belka sooner orter. Because let''s be honest, Sardegna needs to have a traitor of Belka to even dream of not just creating the enhancement process, but also has a pocket dimension that has been eluding my Einherjar. I doubt the judgment force will be open for negotiation. Thankfully, we have time, for a short period of building the judgment force in ya''s eyes is a long time for us mortals. I would rather we deal with Sardegna first before we tackle the traitor or traitors and by extension, ya''s goons.
Another piece of information that''s frankly disturbing is that the sacrificialmbs Sardegna has been using consist of Jews in the majority and various smaller ethnic groups. As ifughing at our attempt at tracking them, we learned that the pocket dimension they''re hiding in is named Auschwitz. Yeah, definitely Belkan, and I am reserving an execution of being strapped to the end of a battleship cannon for the bastard that named it that way.
Now back to Spain. Well, things haven''t changed much there, to be honest. Still some skirmishes but no major battle, yet.
Japan, however, boy oh boy, have they done fucked up now!
So before I was spirited away on a honeymoon with Yggdra, I did read up a report on ONI rounding up thest of the Japanese spies, right? What you didn''t know is that I sent out the first batch of Ravens on manhunts soon after. Trials by fire basically and theypleted them with flying colors. Apparently, they hit them so hard that the Japanese operatives failed to remove
all the incriminating evidence against a bunch of high-ranking Japanese officials, a few of them sporting the rank of General too.
As such, do you know where am I right now? Have a guess. Hints would be that I am using a telescope to gaze upon the starry night sky, managing to spotrge chunks of debris and meteorites orbiting Earth and the Moon... Ok, that''s a useless hint now that I think about it.
How about this one then? A certain Sun Goddess with brown hair and eyes will be knocking on the door, or her servant will, in five... four... three... two... one.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
I smirk before turning around, twirling my gray kimono with a blood-red me motif. "It''s showtime~!"
Spoiler
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Tenkuu no Shiro, the Castle in the Sky, is the heart of the Imperial Japanese and the Shinto Gods. Moremonly known by the name of Laputa, the castle sits dominantly atop the snowy white peak of Mount Fuji and is regrly apanied by a thinyer of mist or low-flying clouds, hence the name. Rich in natural energy, and mana, and is an important part of Japanese spirituality, it''s no wonder that what''s left of the Shinto Gods pick this ce as their home. As for the worry that Mount Fuji erupting now or in the future, being a stratovolcano and all, it''s an unnecessary worry for there''s an Asama Shrine at the foothills to ward off eruptions. Such a warding effort is left in the gentle hands of Sakuya-Hime, otherwise known as the Goddess of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes in Japanese mythology. She is also the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life.
In other words, she''s a minor Goddess directly under Yggdra''s domain. I met the motherlydy in white when I first arrived in Fuji, she''s such a darling for guiding me personally up the path to reach Laputa. Was I not here for official business, I would have loved to sit down by a tea table and chat more with her. For an Earth Goddess, she is very insightful in mortal affairs, she would no doubt be a great asset as a minister so it struck me as odd as to why she isn''t. When subtly presented with that question, Sakuya-Hime gave a thinly veiledint about the current administration of Japan, one that isprised of fanaticism and askew superiority. It''s one of the reasons why she is relegated to be a Warding Miko instead of presiding over the seat of the Heavenly Court.
It was... Interesting to hear firsthand. Sadly, our time together was short and we had to part ways once I and my retinue were weed into Laputa. Note to me, visit the boreddy with a gift package in hand, she deserves better than the out-of-sight Shrine at the bottom of the mountain.
"Something on your mind, my child?" Back to the present, now. "Are you nervous about the uing party?"
"I''m just taking in the poetic scenery, Your Majesty." I shook my head. I wasn''t lying though, the starlight peeking into the corridors created a view to behold.
The brown hair figure that''s walking to my side pulls me to a stop, she then turns around and gives me a flick on the forehead, her divine garment flutters as she says. "What did I tell you?"
I answer while massaging my forehead, directing a surrender smile toward the Sun Goddess in the process. "To discard the honorific..."
"And to call me by my name, just like what you used to do when you were still a child." She then uses the finger that flicked my head to cast a small spell, relieving me of the pain.
Though her deliberate tone would suggest a distance, I can feel the warmth and care behind her words and action. I let a smile graces my face, responding. "I will do just that then, Amaterasu."
Hearing me saying her name directly, Amaterasu allows a smile of her own to show. Pulling me closer to her side, she then guides me on till we reach a great door. "It heartened me to hear you say my name, Yuki. It has been
years since Ist meet you face to face."
The door is pushed open as she said that with the Tengus standing to the sides announcing our presence. Amaterasu leads me inward, showing off our close rtionship to everyone situated in the decorated lobby. Sparing a hidden nce, I easily identified other Shinto Gods and even members of Japan''s royalty and their affiliates standing in wee at the lower seats of the lobby. Much to the surprise of many, Amaterasu guides me to the highest seat, next to her and another that still hasn''t been seen. Just from a single action of her taking care of me, her niece, I can already feel gazes of veiled animosity right off the bat. I struggle a bit to hide a cruel smirk at that though apparently, Amaterasu notices something is off. The concerned nce she keeps sending my way makes me a bit guilty for themotion I will soon bring.
Signaling to her that I''m fine and she should address the rest, Amaterasu nods as she allows me to sit first while she stands to give a short speech for the people under her rule. In short, it''s about our respective nations and ties, me as her niece and as the Reich Marshal, the nature of my national visit, and her hopeful outlook about the future of our people and the results my trip would bring. Thatst part is highly contestable but I let Amaterasu finish her speech, pping together with the others down below.
Many offer me a toast of their sake bowl while a not-so-small-number steps forth to pay me proper respect by bowing deeply. I would be lying if I say I''m not impressed by their courage and honesty for doing that under the watchful gazes of many. Mentally tagging them as potential targets of interest, I then carry on with the weing party that Amaterasu hosted, offering a few words here and there if I must answer politely to those that greet me. After thirty minutes, Amaterasu decides that I have had enough for the night so she ps her hands twice, calling in the servants to start bringing in food and booze for the guest.
Sitting at the highest and mostvish table, Amaterasu and I are soon presented with Japan''s finest delicacy. Understandably, Amaterasu takes her role as my aunt pretty seriously by introducing and feeding me with what she thinks I would like. It''s a novel experience to have the shot caller of another nation serve you your meal. Of course, the animosity intensifies to hatred and I can''t help but chuckle when Amaterasu scrunches up her eyebrows having noticed it.
With experience in dealing with mother hens that treat their offspring like gold, I quickly take a hold of her palm beneath the table, away from prying eyes and causing her hand and cheeks to warm up at my touch. I speak in a tone that only we can hear while also casting an obfuscation spell.
"You''re the leader of a big faction, Amaterasu, surely you won''t lose your cool over the gazes of insects by the road?"
She chuckles at my dismissiveness of a few people below. "Thanks, Yuki." She offers a rare smile that even I only saw a few times in the past, radiant like the Sun. "Though I must have been out of touch to have you, a girl much younger than me lecture me over how to rule." She jested to lighten the mood, knowing that I also felt the hatred hiding in the crowd.
Smiling, I go along with her attempt to defuse the situation. "What can I say, my family is weird and I must take up the mantle of leadership at the tender age of fifteen?" I then pick up my sake bowl, savoring its taste.
She lets out a gentleugh at my wording, clearly understanding my circumstance all those years ago. "Weird? Yeah, that I can agree on due to Lucifer''s antics. Tender? Well, I''m not so sure about that. Is it wrong for me to take pride and boast about my niece, who is halfway across the, and her aplishments? And don''t get me started on the fact that you''ve lost your first time too, recently. You''re radiating so much Yang that it''s blinding my eyes just being near you."
I choke on my sake at thatst part, clearly unprepared for the conversation to take a nosedive into sex territory. Amaterasu sports a victorious smile while patting my back, sessful with her prank. That''s right, behind the cold serious facade of the Sun Goddess is a mischievous persona, much like an imp.
"...And here I thought that you''ve grown too old for sex jokes, Amaterasu." I rolled my eyes when I saw her smile.
"You know me, I may be millennial old, with a body in her teens, but my spiritual age is that of a child." Amaterasu said without a hint of shame.
"If that''s the case, I''m impressed that Japan still hasn''t imploded on itself, yet." Though I said it with a joking tone, only I knew the true meaning behind the words.
"What can I say? I''m that good." Amaterasu mimicked the way I answered earlier, earning an exasperated huff from me. She snickers before saying. "The question now, however, is who''s the lucky person that got to pluck your flower, my dear? If your answer fails to live up to my expectation, I will bring the might of the Japanese Empire against their sorry ass." She said with a confident and serious tone while patting my shoulder, locking my gaze with hers.
I raise an eyebrow at her bravado before pouring cold water over it. "Even if it''s the Mother Goddess herself?"
Understandably, Amaterasu''s brain short-circuited.
crashed.
Of all the people that I could''ve spent my first time with, I just have to pick the tipping top existent that is Yggdra. And now, my aunt is having fifty shades of expressions running across her face before finally, she stands up, swipes the sake bottle off the table, and proceeds to drink directly from it, much to my amusement. After emptying the content, Amaterasu ms the bottle on the table before reassuming her prior posture.
"Anyway, have you been wondering why there''s a third seat here, Yuki?" So we''re just gonna pretend that nothing happened, I see.
I grin at her blushing attempt at diverting the conversation but follow it through anyway. "That I did, Amaterasu. I suppose it must be a person equal to my importance that you reserved a seat for them here."
Amaterasu nods but shows a look of tired eptance. "That''s correct, though that girl seems to be taking her sweet timeing here. And I''ve advised her many times about tonight''s importance."
"What''s wrong?" I asked with understanding concern. Amaterasu seems to have a troublesome subordinate, much like me back in Belka.
"She''s very dedicated to her work behind the scene to ensure Japan''s prosperity. So much so she tends to disregard gatherings like this to the point of being unsociable. Not to mention her way with words tends to cause a person to be... Ufortable. Though I assure you she is a softie behind her thorny act."
"Now I''m interested in meeting her." I said honestly. Having read up on the profile about that girl, I must say that I''m curious about the girl that brought a wave of change to Japan, cementing the Shinto Gods'' control over the ind nation.
I don''t need to wait for long, fortunately, as the servants immediately announce the arrival of thest guest for the night.
"Presenting Lady Villia Vivianna!" Well, that''s an interesting name, don''t you think?
I deactivate the obfuscation spell after making sure that Amaterasu has fixed her garment, allowing the girl draped in a brown kimono to gaze upon us, a smile adorns her face as she waves at Amaterasu. I chuckle as Amaterasu face palms when the girl ignores everything else and strides up to our table.
With hering ever so closer, I can make out her fine features of her more clearly. A tall, hourss body with a shapely pair of breasts, bigger than me much to my chagrin, Villia''s exotic beauty is enhanced by her dirty blonde hair, gray eyes with pink irises, andstly a healthy shade of white for her skin. Her steps are confident and have a hint of arrogance as if she''s walking amongst monkeys can be felt from a nce. However, the gaze this Villia directs at my aunt is one of genuine care and love. The feeling I got from her is one of orderly contradiction, logical but aspiring to be miracles, disdainful of the world but seeking for it to understand her.
Spoiler
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When youbine them all into one person, normies will find it hard to get along with her. Though I can see myself working together with her just fine if circumstances permit.
As the girl takes her seat to the right of Amaterasu, curiously checking the quality of the sake immediately after. The Sun Goddess twitches her eyebrow before coldly admonishing Villia.
"Villia, what did I say about not greeting my niece?"
As if just remembering my existence, Villia immediately turns to wave at me with a smile. "Oh, sorry about that! I was lost in thoughts back there, was busy working on some schematics, you know? Anyway, I''m Villia but my friends can just call me Vill-V! I prefer thetter, to be honest, shorter and rolls off the tongue that way, don''t you think? Also, you seem like a girl of science! May I interest you in a tour of my workshopter? I swear it will be fun and we can shoot each other with enough scientific junk to break the facade of our lovely Amaterasu here!"
It''s Amaterasu turn to choke now, the jester way that Villia, or Vill-V, introduced herself has also plunged the lobby into silence. This girl got the guts to do that, I''ll give her that much, or it''s just that she is
that unique.
I smile, patting my aunt on her back tofort her. "You''ll get used to it. Trust me, it''s not the first time I have had to deal with girls like Vill-V. You will be hard-pressed to get her to tone it down so it''s best to just roll along with it."
"Dear Izanami, I sure hope not!" Amaterasu bite out in exasperation. As for me and Vill-V, we give each other a thumbs up behind Amaterasu''s back. Oh yeah, we will get along... Hopefully.
"Anyway, you can just call me Yuki, while I will call you Vill-V. No need for needless honorifics among families. And yes, I''m a girl of science, although I am striving to make it no different than magicter down the line. Given the chance, I would love to get a tour of your workshop, with permission from Amaterasu and you, of course. As for teasing my poor aunt here, it''s best if we cut her some ck and do it in private, don''t you think? After all, her cute expression is best seen by us only."
Smiling with her head bobs up and down many times, Vill-V replies, much to Amaterasu''s chagrin. "I see, I see! You are a woman of culture as well! I would dly give you the rundownter!"
"Yuki, not you too..." Amaterasu sighed in defeat. Fearing that our joke may have gone too far, I give my aunt a loving hug.
"Sorry about that, Amaterasu. I just wanted you to loosen up while you still can. It has been a while after all."
"Yes, yes," Vill-V mimicked my action with honesty in an attempt to cheer up my aunt. "Yuki is correct. It''s nice to take it easy since it''s a party for your niece, after all."
Fortunately, our action manages to put a smile on Amaterasu. I trade a thankful look with Vill-V before we take turns serving Amaterasu. Do remember that I am doing this while being the sole niece to Amaterasu. And while we''re taking care of Amaterasu, ignoring the party that has reacquired its liveliness, it''s increasingly harder to put aside the boiling anger and despite that are gaining traction in the middle of the crowd.
Although I''ve tried my best to put Amaterasy''s mind away from it, I''vee to understand that it''s high time the situation must be addressed. I turn to my right, seeing that even Vill-V is feeling the need to do so while showing me an apologetic look. I just smile and ept it, clearly knowing that even with the tight grasp that Amaterasu has created over Imperial Japan, there would always be something she cannot control with her current regime.
Stupidity.
"I''ve had enough!" Bellowed a thunderous voice from a table that was a step below us.
Once again, the party is plunged into dead silence as a deep-seated fear slowly surfaced among the invited guests. I, on the other hand, am calm, unfettered by the storming aura the voice possessed. Taking a look at Amaterasu and Vill-V, they''re much the same with my aunt being annoyed by the intrusion into her downtime.
"What''s the meaning of this," She turned to where the voice was, a cold facade with all of her godly aura wafted about the lobby. "Susanoo?"
Taking a look at the wild, impetuous god associated with the sea and storms, I can''t help butment the fact that the quality of Gods these have fallen by a few steps, those that are outside of Belka, at least.
Though he is stumped for a few seconds by the sharp aura Amaterasu suddenly came up with, Susanoo soon regained his wild aura, saying out loud. "I meant what I said, sister. What''s the meaning of this party anyway, huh?! To let that horrendous excuse of a hero fool around, not paying respect to her better? To curry favor with a little girl, one that suddenly arrived at our sacrednd without any notice?!"
"Watch your tongue, Susanoo! Villia is the brightest mind in our nation and that girl is my niece, and by extension, your family!" Amaterasu said sternly, disregarding the concerning hands from Vill-V and me. We both share a look but ultimately, the situation must progress before we can do anything of note.
Scoffing, Susanoo stands up, hands waving majestically as if to emphasize what he will be saying next. "That girl that was picked from a gutter will never be my family! Unless she''s proved her worth, she''s a disgrace to our lineage!" Each of his words is apanied by the shaking of his wild flowing hair and beard. His body which is reaching two meters and is packed with muscles radiates power in defiance of Amaterasu''s will.
With such a show of despite and power right in front of her niece, who is just a normal person, Amaterasu, and Vill-V step forth with the former showing a rare look of fury.
"Enough of your trap, Susanoo!" Exploding out her power, visible in the shape of a golden me coating her body, Amaterasu addresses Susanoo with spite. "I will not allow you to insult Yuki, and by extension, me with impunity any longer! You''ve dishonored our nation byshing out at a defenseless girl that is also our ally! Reign in your power and get out! Reflect on your action or I will make you regret it!" Amaterasu emphasized her threat by channeling the power she gained from her worshippers and materializing her Yata no Kagami, a divine artifact that is a major path of her mythology.
With the threat lingering in the air as the warm sun shes with an unbridled storm, the lobby is soon sparse of people as the partygoers evacuated to the sides, watching the proceeding with a variety of gazes. Finally, Susanoo is the first one to step down, clearly disappointed, rather than angry at his sister. Pulling in his power, Susanoo crouches down and picks up a big bottle of sake before speaking to Amaterasu.
"I hope you know what you''re doing, sister, and may your actions ensure the eternality of ournd."
Amaterasu, on her part, doesn''t respond, Susanoo isn''t waiting for one anyway. Rather, he directs a stealthy nce, subtly nodding at me before swaggering out while taking a major gulp of his sake.
Now sitting behind them, I allow a small grin to ster my face for a second. All is ording to n.
After taking a few deep breaths, Amaterasu turns around to offer her apology. "I have nothing else to say but sorry, Yuki. Clearly, it was a mistake to invite this unruly brother of mine."
"Don''t be, Amaterasu. I clearly understand that it''s not your fault, the situation was out of control, just like back then." Though I said it in a light tone and with an understanding smile, Amaterasu and Vill-V were weirded out by my choice of words.
"... Back then?" Vill-V tilted her head with a finger on her chin as she asked in ce of my aunt.
Rather than exining, I stand up and walk up to them, my handsing in for a single p before I say aloud. "Guards, do bring in the crates I''ve brought along, please."
Although my action confused the Hell outta them, Amaterasu and Vill-V still allow the servants to let members of my guards, led by Erika and L, bring in ten ornated crates into the middle of the lobby. As they lower each of them down with major thumbs, signifying the weight of each crate, my aunt can''t help but direct a perplexed look at me.
"What''s this, Yuki? Surely you aren''t meant to say that all of those contained gold and jewelry?" She is shocked, however, by the cold professionalism I now disy, unlike prior warm and familiar expressions.
I answer tersely. "Unfortunately, it''s much of the opposite." Before my aunt can ask anything, I tell Erika. "Kick them open."
And that she does. Having unlocked the crates prior, Erika and the rest of the guards kick hard at the crates onto their sides, thus spilling their disgusting contents on the once expensive carpet. What are they you asked?
Well, what else but the dismembered heads of
each and every single spy that Japan instilled in Belka?
As numerous gasps are heard all over the room and my guards and the Japanese Imperial Protectors raise their weapons at each other. As Amaterasu and Vill-V recoil in shock and horror and Nice materializes herself next to me as protection.
I speak up.
"So? Any question?"
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"Why?" Standing to one side with Vill-V trying to calm her down, Amaterasu demanded an exnation for this major incident. Clearly, there''s no way that both sides can sweep this under the rug when what seems to be hundreds of Japanese citizens are decapacitated and presented before themselves by members of the Belkan retinue.
Amaterasu flinches when a guest, a mother by the look of it, rushes forth to the spilled heads on the floor, shocked and crying when she identified one of them as her son.
"That is a broad question." I responded calmly while being served sake by Nice who was wearing a purple kimono.
Spoiler
[copse]
"Why indeed?"
My casual way but distant way seems to disturb Amaterasu as her fingers are now digging into her palms.
"Come on, Yuki. Don''t antagonize her any further." Vill-V advised with a forced smile. Despite the obvious disy of aggression, the girl seems to want more information first before acting out. Smart.
"That''s the thing," I point a finger at Vill-V. "You people antagonized Belka first, we just retaliated."
With a snap of my fingers, I signal Nice to pull out a recording crystal, one that is easily identifiable by Vill-V. "Familiar? Well, it''s the one made by yourpany no, Vill-V?"
Already feeling a headache and trepidation, Vill-V can only nod while Amaterasu has no idea how to react to this. I shrug before telling Nice to deploy the crystal in the middle of the lobby for all to see. What appears in the holographic recording detailed recording of numerous events, starting from the discovery of Japanese spies, the underhand action of many Tengus, the ughter of ex-Major Emile Grimm''s family, and the subsequent hunts for spies across Belka and Reformist Ustio... All the way till today with each event, evidence in the form of photos, signed letters, and ssified documents keeps piling up higher and higher in front of Amaterasu as Erika and L start cing them down, one at a time.
Gradually, Amaterasu can''t even stand straight at the increasing mountain of proof that Belka has been pulling out of three more crates. Vill-V soon guides her back to her chair while she herself doesn''t even know where to start to salvage this situation. Having no better idea than just epting the blow, Vill-V opts to move forward to verify the evidence in the vain hope of them being false. Unfortunately, much like the subtle implication that the recording is not a doctored one, the paper trails are authentic enough that Vill-V can''t help but curse the inept spies for not burning them and the monkey generals for leaving their names in the documents.
At this stage, Amaterasu is at the mercy of her niece and Vill-V can only hope that her niece will soften the blow, somehow. But then Vill-V remembers that Amaterasu said something about a Japanese envoy who disparaged Yuki''s integrity before so...
"Yup, we''re fucked." Vill-V said with a smile, her hands thrown up in the air, and along went the documents in her hands. Turning around, much to my amusement, Vill-V bows down at me, sping her hands in a praying posture. "Please, for the love and bond you share with your aunt, can you let this slide, or at least, be merciful to us?"
Seeing that my aunt is still out of sorts, I give Vill-V a response, partly to not let the silent brew. "If I do that, then those that were killed, or worst, tortured and raped by your spies will be rolling in their graves."
"...Worth a shot." Vill-V said, giving up on the emotional card. Biting her thumb, Vill-V understands that a war between Belka and Japan will be thest of their concern right now. No, she is more afraid of the economic downfall this would bring if Belka deres war. "Haha~... You really threw us a ball out of the left field."
I shrug, awaiting the official response from Amaterasu. Nice, though she is helping in protecting me, is building a castle out of dangos, much to my amazement.
The few Shinto Gods, alongside the Japanese Royalty and Generals presented, are seen huddling together to formte a response and to determine who and why the fuck ups came about. Vill-V, after her failure, just gives up and sits down next to Amaterasu, trying to bring her back to thend of the living.
I, on my part, don''t have all day for them toe about. So, with my voice amplified by Nice, I give an ultimatum.
"Due to such a severe transgression against the country that''s supposed to be your ally, your friend, Belka, we are now awaiting an official response and properpensation for the damage the spies from Imperial Japan have caused. If the response we receive is deemed inadequate, Belka will dere war right here, right now! Pick your words carefully for it may be thest statement your country will make!"
Of course, such heavy-handed words immediately prompt a protest from a no-name prince of Japanese royalty. "On whose authority you wench!?"
"On my authority!" I responded with a grin stering my face. With a snap of her fingers, Nice magically changed my attire to the one I wear as a Marshal. Now dressed properly, I fully release my authoritative aura, a trick I usually used when I was a Goddess, and force the weak-willed prince to scamper back, crashing on his butt out of fright.
I scoff at him. "Pathetic."
Suddenly, I feel a soft hand on my right shoulder. Turning around, I see Amaterasu, now despondent. Though I want tofort her, my role as the Reich Marshal is not over yet. "Hoh~? Anything to say, Sun Goddess?"
My aunt flinches at my flippant tone, though she is clearly ufortable, she steels herself to look me straight in the eyes. Good, for a Sun Goddess your conviction should be strong enough to handle such lowly mortal affairs.
Opening her mouth, Amaterasu struggles a bit before forming. "State your request," She pauses, not sure how to address me but finally decides. "Marshal."
I allow my grin to settle down before giving her the price for peace. "A formal apology and affirmation of the crimesmitted by spies of Imperial Japan, ster all over the world in all forms of media andnguage. 1814.369 kilograms in gold. And..." Like thunder to her ears, I continue. "The dissolution of all treaties and agreements that Japan and Belka have made over the years."
Amaterasu almost jumps in shock but catches herself just in time, Vill-V is much of the same but her mind is now running for a n to pull Japan out of the uing stump. The onlookers though, descend into chaos.
"Such heavypensation!"
"We can''t ept this!"
"Allow us to negotiate, Marshal!"
The peanut gallery explodes but I silence them by saying. "Non-negotiable. War," I raised a hand. "or peace." then I raised another.
"What can you do anyway!? You''re halfway across the globe!"
I chuckle at the foolish protest. "As I said, I will dere war, right here and now. And when in war..." I give Nice a few pats on her shoulder. Thedy in purple smiles before materializing des of purple light at the necks of the Japanese in the room. "you kill their leaders, first and foremost!"
Terror.
Absolute terror now rules the lobby. With me basically performing gunboat diplomacy, they have no choice but to bite down any protest or curse.
"And please, your pitiful country won''t survive without us either way so you better think of ways to save your economy." I gave them friendly advice, not sure whether they would be receptive to that though. Well, a few did, those that gave me proper respect earlier.
It''s Vill-V that speaks first after giving the purple light de a few cursory touches. "1814.369 kilograms in gold, when converted into the Imperial system, is 4000 pounds. The same amount of gold Rome was forced to pay the Visigoth King ric as a ransom to prevent him from invading their Empire."
I nod at the correct inference. "Well, you sure learned your history. Yes, it''s one of the prices in suing for peace."
"I paid attention in ss." Vill-V shrugged with a smirk.
Not pursuing that line of discussion any further. I then wait patiently for Amaterasu''s response.
"We... Will ept the terms. The papers will be drafted momentarily."
I wave her off. "No need for that, I have the papers right here." I then have Nice procured the papers.
Seeing my readiness, Amaterasu can''t help but show a sad, almost despairing smile. "You clearly nned this, aren''t you, Marshal?" Without even checking the documents seriously, Amaterasu signed away with exhaustion evident on her face.
Her country hasmitted a great sin under her watch and she is in no position to negotiate anyway. She understands it, Vill-V understands it, and so does the Marshal in front of her.
"I nned it, yes. It''s part of being the Reich Marshal, after all." I answered while giving the signature in fine ink.
And with that, Japan and Belka''s rtionship is now burned and frozen for the foreseeable future.
"Though the deadline for the gold will be a month, I will appreciate it if you give it to me in a week, the duration of my stay here in Japan. That, or if you''re ufortable, you can send it over to the Reich embassy but by no means, a single ounce of gold must be lost. We will make sure to weigh it properly and check it for impurities." I then stand up, giving a nod to Vill-V who returns it promptly with a smile.
"So, does that mean that tour is still up?" Vill-V asked her spirit still fully intact even after the fiasco.
Smirking, I answer. "I did say, as a niece, that I will take up on that offer if Amaterasu and you are fine with it, no?"
pping excitedly, Vill-V jumps up. "Great, then I wille to your ce and call for you when the tour is ready, it should be the Reich Continental, right?"
Giving her a nod and a smile, I then turn to Nice who already picked up our part of the agreement. "Come on, we''re done here. Let''s go back and rest."
Amaterasu, who has been silenced thus far to mull over what happened, perks up when she remembers my choice of words. "Yuki, wait!"
I turn around with a raised eyebrow.
Amaterasu bites her lower lip before asking, desperate. "Y-You are still my niece, my family, right? This doesn''t affect our bond, right? Please, can you answer that as a niece?"
My eyes can''t help but soften at her. As a Goddess, Amaterasu has always been emotionally weaker than most despite her cold facade and her mischievous soul. In short, Amaterasu is lonely enough that me being her niece and from the looks of it, Vill-V being her emotional pir, are damn important for her mental stability. Shinto Gods, albeit grand and all that, always have their own troubles if you dig deep enough.
I sigh, stepping toward her before crouching down to pull my aunt into a hug.
"As a Reich Marshal, I shouldn''t be doing this." I then lock gaze with my aunt, Nice aptly changes my attire back to the kimono in the process. "But right now, I''m not."
Gingerly, Amaterasu slowly returns it before tears started to drop from her eyes. Fortunately, Vill-V casts an obfuscation barrier immediately, allowing my aunt to bawl her heart out without trouble.
I mouth Vill-V a ''Thank you.'' before returning tofort the Sun Goddess. Pulling a trick from my mom, Hel, I pat Amaterasu''s back gently while humming a soft tune. Five minutester, my aunt is now deep asleep, exhausted after the emotional roller coaster that is tonight.
"Well, I must say that this is not what I have in mind." Imented after making sure Amaterasu is seatedfortably in my arms.
"Well, life is full of surprises, much like science and magic." Vill-V allowed a smile to ster her face. "Want me to show you her room?"
I nod. "That will be much appreciated."
While leading her to her room after much eyeballing and confused gazes, I can''t help but think it''s ironic.
''To first make a world without boundary, the first thing you do is to draw a fine line in the sand.''
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 1: Hypocrisy?
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 1: Hypocrisy?
"I must admit, your R&D department is pretty impressive." Yuki gave apliment after taking stock of the ventted bunker that doubled up as a scientific headquarters.
Currently, Yuki, Nice, Amaterasu, and their respective bodyguards are being guided deeper into the bunker by none other than Vill-V. Being the owner and the host, Vill-V sports a big grin as she feels a surge of pride when beingplimented by Yuki. A part of her is surprised that Yuki willingly praised her brainchild after what happened a couple of days ago.
"For a fortifiedplex, the building is a well-bnced mix of utilitarian and humanfort. The flooryout is spotless and unobtrusive while the wall and ceiling and well-lit, giving the idea that the space is bigger than it should be. Overall, a very roomy, breathable, and safe environment to work in." Yuki said with honestyced her words while being careful not to let Nice wander about, unsupervised.
With the ever-increasing grin on Vill-V''s face, Amaterasu can''t help but interject with a wry smile. If the Sun Goddess is still bothered about the event of thest two days, she isn''t showing it outwardly right now.
"If you praise her handiworks any further, I think I will have to pay money for Vill-V to undergo cosmetic surgery."
Yuki snickers, going on to say. "Credit where credit''s due, it''s hard toe across a researchplex that''s on par with those in Belka. Granted, I''m not cleared to spy on the nitty-gritty of this site, yet, so I still hold doubts that they''re anywhere near our level."
Nice, who has been trying to steer away from the group, chuckles. Both the Shoggoth and the Marshal know that even with Vill-V''s ingenuity, Japan is still decades behind Belka with thetter scheduling a space program, soon.
As for Amaterasu and Vill-V, the former has heard interest piqued, wondering just how far has Belka advancedpared to Japan. Thetter, however, fakes an offended expression.
"You did not justpare my headquarters to some rift-raft college institutes!"
Yuki deadpans. "Yes, yes I did."
Much to the amusement of Amaterasu and Nice, the pair then goes on to bicker about which of their respective country''s better than the other in terms of workce safety andfort. Arguments and counter-arguments are shot back and forth until they reach the personalb of Vill-V. By then, Yuki has shut down Vill-V by saying that, after years of implementing Yuki''s Labour Laws, working in a Belka factory is a dream job for many, unlike Japan which is stillgging behind. Vill-V''s headquarters may be good but can the same be said for factories andbs elsewhere in Japan?
That said, Vill-V concedes her defeat.
"I hate to say it but judging from what I''ve been hearing, Belka is a dreame true for those with half a brain. Amaterasu and I have been trying to enforce better work environments for the popce but the upper ss of our society has been half-hearted in their attempts to follow it through."
Vill-V then pushes open the double door, guarded by two stern soldiers, showing a wide meeting room that has been converted into a well-definedb. Their security details stay outside, opting to stare each other down warily while the VIPs take in the sight of theboratory. Sketches and instrumentsy about neatly on the many tables while calctions and illustrations are sharply inputted on the green boards by the walls and viewing ports of the bunker. Vill-V maye off as a mad scientist, judging from the short while Yuki and Nice have known her, but she is not a messy person.
Understanding that the Belkans are impressed by theyout of the room, Vill-V proudly says. "If the building is like a well-oiled machine then this, my room, is the heart of it! It''s from here that I''vee up with ns and changes that Amaterasu is trying to implement for a brighter future for Japan!"
Amaterasu chimes in as she naturally takes up a seat by a corner table, hands fiddling with a measuring instrument.
"And she has been doing a great job too." Amaterasu then sighs. "It''s just that I''ve wished my people are more receptive to change."
Yuki and Vill-V, each are about to say something when Nice tugs Yuki''s sleeve. Giving her a side nce, Yuki understand what the Shoggoth wanted and sigh, giving her permission to zip around theb, scanning everything for the sake of knowledge.
"Do excuse Nice, though she is a powerful bodyguard assigned to me for the duration of this trip, she is more of a researcher and crafter at heart." Yuki then gestured to Nice with thetter using an unused green board to make some calctions of her own.
Seeing the sight, Vill-V drylyments. "She''s... hyperactive, from what I''ve seen so far."
"You don''t say." Yuki chuckled. "This ce is literally a yground for her. As for introducing new and better things and being stumped because they''re not well-received, I think that''s because Japan, at its core, is too stubborn and passive due to its extreme nationalism and fanatism. The people look up to the Emperor while the Emperor looks up to the Heavenly Court to decide the direction of the country. Without the Heavenly Court''s explicit agreement, any and all change that affects the current power structure is frowned upon. And even with the permit given, there are individuals in Japan that, due to their limited view and ingrain excessive loyalty, can veto it if they think that their way is the ''correct'' way for Japan. An example will be the mess that your ''loyal'' subordinates made in Belkan soil."
Suddenly receiving a lecture from the younger girl, Amaterasu, and Vill-V listens with rapt attention. They flinch when Yuki reminded them of the serious infringement of Belka sovereignty by their side and the subsequent bloody business that followed. A bit impulsively, properly because Amaterasu is at her wit''s end on how to proceed, the Sun Goddess questions.
"Then how can I put a stop to their undermining my authority willy-nilly?" As soon as she asked that though, Amaterasu realized that it was the wrong thing to say, given prior events two days ago. The Sun Goddess can''t help but show a pained smile soon after.
Chuckling wryly, Vill-V offers Amaterasu a fewforting head pats. Seeing that Yuki''s looking at them with her one good eye and a raised eyebrow, Vill-V apologies in Amaterasu''s stead.
"Sorry about that, it will take her a while to get used to whatever urred earlier. You''re one of the leaders of a major world power, one that we hadmitted a serious crime against, so you shouldn''t be asked by us to offer your guidance on how to run our nation. Such a thing is not something family members should be discussing."
"Just like I won''t be asking questions about how there''s an unregistered otherworlder under the employment of Amaterasu." Yuki jested with a
impish smile, unwilling to let Amaterasu be in a slump.
"d that we can agree on that." Vill-V smiled, a bit relieved that Yuki made it clear that she wouldn''t be pursuing that line of questioning.
Amaterasu is much the same, having moved past her faux pass when Yuki diverted the conversation. "Thank you, Yuki." She lightly bowed at the younger girl.
Though she epted that, Yuki goes on to warn with seriousness. "I may not be asking questions but I do know that there must be a price to be paid. Especially when you pulled someone that is clearly in the future of a whole different universe altogether, here. Causality will get it due, one way or another, and I sincerely hope that you, and by extension, Japan, can pay it in full."
Amaterasu grimly nods while VIll-V is surprised by Yuki figuring out her background in a heartbeat. "Hold up, how the hell did you even glean that?!"
Yuki shrugs, the grin returning on her face. "Comes with being happily married to Yggdrasil herself, I get to learn many interesting things."
"Now I''m tempted to pay Belka a visit. Perhaps I and Amaterasu can go on a honeymoon there, far away from the ustrophobic court of Japan." Vill-V interlocked her fingers with Amaterasu.
The Sun Goddess rolls her eyes at the gesture but not doing much else. "Only when our works in Japan are done and thend can prosper for eternal."
"Then it''s a promise!" Vill-V cheered, already fantasizing about thend of scientific wonders that Yuki had shared tidbits about.
Moving on with their discussion, Yuki looks over to where Nice is, seeing the Shoggothparing her design of a wind turbine to Vill-V''s.
"Interesting, I see that you''re working on how to harness and create electricity using wind power. I can see the feasibility and effectiveness of such a project, what''s with Japan being an ind nation, after all."
"Cool, right?" Vill-V nodded, turning her head and a bit stunned by the wind turbine model Nice constructed from God knows when. "With uscking precious resources such as oil, electricity used to power our industries and homes is expensive and unstable. If we can harness the wind, even partly, to produce electricity then the burden on our popce will be greatly lessened. I''ve worked on a few prototypes but they failed to meet my expectation due to the quality of materials involved. All the more reasons to find better resources elsewhere."
Seeing a dejected look on Vill-V, it''s Amaterasu''s turn tofort her. "Don''t worry, we have already sent out many expeditions to mine the materials you need. Worsees to worst, we can use Manchukuo to import them."
Yuki then offers her two-cent. "Another way you can go around the issue is seeing if you can harness geothermal energy. I mean, you''re sitting on an active volcano that''s under no risk of critically exploding, thanks to Sakuya-Hime. You just have to figure out a safe way to gather the heat."
Vill-V raises a finger, about to rebut in regards to the feasibility of such an idea, before lowering it onto her chin. "That... could work! Oh dear, why haven''t I figured it out before!? Instead of making a lot of wind farms all over Japan, thus adding needlessplexity and time-consuming, we can just build one geothermal nt first to take care of our needs for the short-term future! Wow, thanks Yuki!"
Without further words, Vill-V jumps to a corner of theb, hastily drawing up the basis of a blueprint, giggling incessantly in the process. With her in such a state of mind that''s disregarding further discussion, Amaterasu can''t help but sigh while pinching her temple.
"And there she goes to the deep end, again. Must you give her a usible idea that she can''t help but act on, Yuki?" Amaterasu asked in exasperation.
Mirroring the impish smile that Amaterasu gave her two days ago, Yuki answers. "Happy to help!"
Rolling her eyes, Amaterasu also allows a smile to grace her face. "Well, with the brainiacs working on their respective projects, what should we do now?"
Pondering for a bit, Yuki finally decides to scoot a bit closer to Amaterasu, sitting next to her. "Well... I guess I can do you a favor. Seeing that you''re having trouble keeping your underlings in line, I may as well advise you as your niece. You don''t need to worry, I know what to say withoutnding Belka in another mess to clean up."
"...You have my gratitude, dear."
"Again, happy to help!" Yuki giggled. "First issue I can see is that you are way too soft on your subordinates. It may be a good trait to have but when they clearly disregard your and the Heavenly Court''s wills, you can''t allow them to leave with just a p on the wrist. Proper punishments must be handed out.
Another major problem is that words can be interpreted differently by each individual, especially ones that actively sought to bend said words to fulfill their own ends. You musty a foot down and make perfectly clear what you meant whenever passing down a degree. Why? Because people are mortals, they don''t think like you, a God. For Amaterasu, you have the wisdom, experience, and brain power of a long-living being. While mortals have greed and finite lifespans hence they will be hard-pressed to understand cryptic words that higher beings tend to expound. By that logic, your desire to make Japan and of eternity, solely under your rule, may not be well understood or shared by the people.
After all, what can eternity do to them when most of them will die a hundred yearster?"
Throughout the rest of the day, Amaterasu keenly listens as Yuki tore down her worldview, piece by piece, before building it back up on a more stable foundation. Hopefully, Yuki''s words can help prevent the reintroduction of a Japan that''s been filled with war crimes for a period of time.
Some may be askance why Yuki helped the leader of Japan, a nation that Belka has destined to be her adversary in the future but let''s face the truth here. What can they do against the ever-increasing overwhelming might of Belka? An atomic bomb? Sorry but they''re so yesterday.
And let''s not forget to mention that Japan has been squeezed dry of their gold, their reputation in shambled, and their people hopelessly outraged by the action of a stupid few. It will take a long time for Japan to get back on its feet and by that time, Belka has long left them in the dust.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 2: God wills it!
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 2: God wills it!
The Fw 200 takes off without much fanfare, only being escorted by two squads of Bf-110s and Bf-109s. Aboard the luxurious private aircraft, used solely as a cover-up for the Reich Marshal, Yuki, and Nice are being served coffee by Erika and L. Nice opted for a cup of espresso while Yuki, being the sweet girl she is, ordered iced milk coffee, a beverage otherwise known as c¨¤ ph¨º s?a, if you catch my drift.
Nursing their respective cup and chilled ss in their hands, Nice speaks up first after she takes a sip of the glorious drink.
"So, that went much better than we could''ve ever anticipated. I''m honestly impressed that we can wrangler that much of a concession from Japan without a fierce negotiation." The Shoggoth''s face mirrored the sentiment she said. Astonishment and glee, glee because they managed to pull a fast one on Japan with mere words.
Yuki drinks at that, leaving behind a coffee mustache as she gently ces the ss down. "Even I was surprised, it seems like I''ve overestimated the mental defense around Amaterasu. As much as I hate to say it, my actions starting from my maniption of the events leading up to the revtion of Japanese spies, have stoked her familial love, more than I expected."
Nodding, Nicements after savoring the aftertaste of the expresso. "From what I seem to know about her origin, the woman is fairly lonely for a Sun Goddess. Especially more so when her mother, Izanami, has been out of contact with her thus far." Having said that, Nice suddenly reaches over, a finger outstretched to wipe away the foamy mustache above Yuki''s lip. Much to the Marshal''s embarrassment, Nice then tastes the foam with a lick of her tongue. "Huh, sweeter than I expected. I can get used to the taste."
Blushing with her mouth opening and closing a few times at the seemingly innocent but promiscuous act, Yuki then coughs to regain her cool when she notices L snickering to the side. "A-Anyway! With Amaterasu craving the feeling that is love in all shapes and forms, this aunt of mine will stop at nothing to ensure those she holds dear, love her. She has already lost so much in the Previous Era so she would be damned if any misgiving her people made drove me away."
Yuki then takes another sip from her coffee, licking her lips to ensure no more foam will cause her brief embarrassment. "But just that is not enough, not for what I have in mind, at least. Having Susanoo the Storm God stand up and disparaged me under public view, further led Amaterasu down the rabbit hole of wanting to make up to me. Starting with raising her Divine Artifact against Susanoo, thus making her stance clear for all to see."
"And that stance is she will side with you, a non-blood rted niece, even if it is against her brother." Nice finished it for Yuki.
"For better or worse, yes. With Susanoo being shut down, and by extension, anyone with the same mindset as him, what would they think when I threw them a curveball alongside a hefty demand? A demand that Amaterasu so quickly decided to agree on."
"For the Heavenly Court, they will be displeased, but otherwise understanding of Amaterasu''s my set. They wille around to either support her or stay out of the way."
"But not mortals, especially humankind." Yuki added. "Human is a petty race, they may outwardly agree with that decision, being their faults and all that, but they secretly harbored resentment. After all, 4000 pounds of gold is not a small amount and Amaterasu paid it off without a second thought nor consulting the Emperor''s family and his generals."
Nodding, Nice says. "I see... For all of her utopia view, and by extension the Heavenly Court''s, Amaterasu sure lost a lot of points just from that one move. Even if she steels herself just the way you advised her a few days ago, the poor Sun Goddess will see more and more people unwilling to cooperate. But at the end of the day, it''s just that, nuisance, no?"
Taking another drink, Yuki admits. "Correct. Even if they disagree with Amaterasu on this matter alone, the shot callers of Japan still have to answer to the Heavenly Court. There''s a reason why they tout that the current Imperial family is the offshoot of the Heavenly Court. Which is why sooner orter, with the help of Vill-V and her craftiness, Amaterasu will clean up the nation."
On her part, Nice ces her now empty cup down. Her purple eyes appraise me, taking joy in seeing something that I don''t understand.
"And that''s where Susanooes in. You propped him up as someone, a symbol small as it may be right now, that stood against the questionable surrendering of Amaterasu. A figure that doesn''t bow down to your mightier-than-you act."
"That''s right." Yuki then grins. "Japan is a nation that holds the same ambition as us. Well, almost, for they want to be an evesting nation, and to do that..."
"They must be a superpower. The conditions to achieve that, however, are not presented in Japan. They may have zealots, willingly sacrificing for the cause. They may have a summoned hero, alongside her knowledge of the future. What they don''t have is..."
Yuki finishes it for her. "Resources, a whole lot of them. Even if they can get their wind farm or geothermal nt up and running, they still need rare materials to build up their country ording to their vision. Such rare materials are only avable in other resource-rich countries and if you''re too antsy to negotiate a trade deal with them, what will you do?"
Having taken a liking to their back and forth, Nice has a wide smile on her face. "They take what they kill. And I guess I don''t have to say that it will interfere with your V2 project."
"Then I guess I have to add that Susanoo, who didn''t submit to me nor the Sun Goddess, will be an attractive figure to see their ambition through. For you see, Amaterasu can''t be trusted to fulfill her wish for eternity when she bowed to me." The Marshal stops to drink thest of her coffee. "Susanoo, now with enough support, can manipte the mass, inciting them to back Japan into a phase of aggressive expansion. The hardliners and fanatics will no doubt throw their lot into this so when the voice of many calls for war, coupled with the potential benefits in doing so..."
"The Heavenly Court must ede to the demand, especially when their own coffer is running dried."
Yuki adds. "Amaterasu and Vill-V may think that they''re in control, what''s with their surprisingly modern technological advancementpared to the rest of the world, safe for Belka, but they will be hopelessly led by the nose. When Japan tries to annex its neighbors, thus weakening them in due time, we will then swoop in and clean up both sides. At least, that is the n in the far future."
Listening thus far, Nice then ps excitedly. A well-crafted n like this can also be called art so the Shoggoth has no trouble loving its creativity.
"A question though, just how did you even convince Susanoo to help you? Last I check, he tends to keep to himself."
The Marshal sports a devilish grin, akin to her Devil of a mother, while answering.
"You will be surprised to learn that Susanoo is a soft man, unlike his unruly exterior. Did you know, he has learned to bake sweets and makes surprisingly good meals and Dango? The man loves mortals, he loves them so much that he married nine outstandingdies in obscurity after Ragnarok. Day after day, he will spoil his wives rotten while fostering them up to be their better selves. Funnily enough, even Amaterasu doesn''t know about the change her brother induced when he first stepped on this world. To convince him to help me, I need only gave him a view of a potential future. Either Japan brings in its eternity, thus slowly but surely steering into the path that led to Ragnarok. Or Belka unifies the world and achieves the Everdistant Utopia, one where mortals and Gods alike work together to explore the furthest edge of the universe. The choice was elementary, really, for Susanoo is thest one to want Ragnarok, best known as the Omniversal Wipe, to ur a second time."
Nice then says with an understanding expression on her face. "He lost someone, didn''t he?"
Yuki shakes her head, a tinge of pity marring her voice. "Not just one, many. This is not the first time he had to handle a polygamy rtionship."
Suddenly, a brief moment of sleepiness ovees Yuki. Yawning, she then addresses Nice. "I guess that''s it for the day then. Care to help us back home? I really want toy on a proper bed."
Giggling, Nice answers. "Sure!" With a snap of her fingers, Nice teleports them, Erika and L included, back to Berlin. Oh, and let''s not forget the gold, all 4000 pounds.
Was it cheating? Properly. But then again, A Shoggoth is outside the natural order so it''s not cheating if there are nows about it in the first ce. In a way, Nice is more God than most others could be in this world.
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Comberth Harbor... or what''s left of it. After the Spanish Inquisition pulled out of the seaside military town, the entire ce was rigged to blow up sky-high, leaving behind naught but barely useable ship berthings and ruined dockyards. Even the residential areas are not spared, having been set on fire, burning for three days straight.
When the invasion force, what''s left of it anyway,nded and took stock of the situation, they almost thought that they were on an acid trip. Having survived the sinking of more than half of their fleet earlier, they failed to see why the Spanish would just scorch Comberth downed to thest brick. They soon understood, however, that they were stranded with their supplies and most of their high-rankingmanders being made into fish food. Until the next armed convoy could be sent from Sardegna, they would be living under a rock, literally.
Before they could despair any further, salvation arrived in the forms of Crusaders, survivors of the first batch sent to Spain. Headed by Kallen Kana, who took in the role of Acting Commander like a fish in the water, the tattered invasion force reconsolidated their position for months. Kallen had them bide their time by scavenging for supplies, fishing for food, setting up defensive positions, and refitting barely serviceable buildings into barracks and motor pools. Unfortunately, the topography of Comberth didn''t allow for an airbase, but they made do with a field airstrip for now. With a barely functional stronghold on Comberth, Kallen and her new subordinates dug in against relentless harassment from the Spanish Inquisition and their mercenary cohorts. Each time they were repelled, a chunk of their morale was chipped away also. Kallen employed rotating shifts and priority supplies to those who were wounded, even going as far as hosting church sessions thanks to the survivingbat priests amidst the invasion force.
Still, the incessant hit-and-run attacks kept making things worse by the day on Spanish soil. By the time Sardegna gathered another sizeable group to reinforce the invasion force, thetter was tethering on either mutiny or surrendering just to get out of the Hell that was Comberth. Fortunately for Kallen, news of reinforcement came just in time for her to calm down another wave of dissension. A few dayster, what''s left of the Sardegnian mercantile fleet docked with the shabbily repaired berthings of Comberth. Unfortunately, they didn''t escape unscathed even with armed escorts. Much like the invasion force, torpedo bombers sank a number of ships before making their escape, too fast for aircraft to chase and too hard to be shot down by their shipborne AA. As the actingmander, Kallen couldn''t help but feel that this would be a recurring urrence. Thankfully, that position wouldn''t be held by her for the foreseeable future, hopefully. A somewhat reputable General arrived in thest batch... If only he wouldn''t be so lecherous against her battle sisters. God wills it for she had umted enough micromanagement tost a lifetime.
Right now, Kallen Kana is back to doing what she does best, being at the forefront of things. This may or may not include jumping out of the way of a 37mm canister shell.
*BOOM*
Sparing a mere nce behind her, Kallen''s heart sinks when she witnessed the devastation brought upon by the numerous lead balls. The squad behind her has taken the full brunt of it with limbs and torsos cutting bloody curves across the air, leaving behind slopping entrails on their wakes. Biting down her bile, Kallen then dashes diagonally, dodging another st of canister shot in the process. Her enhance agility helps her shorten the distance in a blink of an eye, allowing her to befortably close to the stationary cannon. From the corner of her eyes, an A-rank Crusader also reached her nk, having the same thought process as her.
"God wills it!"
With a tacit agreement, the A-rank Crusader shores up Kallen''s nks by utilizing her guns to cast two barriers, blocking any further attacks. With her sides secured, Kallen holds up her own pistol, casting a short-range but devastating spell.
"Wind Burst!" A strong suction force appears a few meters in front of her as the magic pistol glows green. A secondter, a condensed orb of sharp wind des is formed. The orb''s suction force is so strong that it also obscured the vision of the Spanish Inquisition, a pair of unfortunate sods are also being shredded into thousands of pieces for being too close. Their blood is consumed by the orb, painting it deep red before finally, the orb burst out just like its name. Leaving behind a bloody trail, the mesh of countless wind des lunge at the AT position, reaping the life of the Inquisition squad manning it and also destroying the cannon into an unrecognizable mess. The trench system the AT position was put on is stunned at the aftermath.
Not willing to miss the chance, Kallen and the A-rank Crusader dive in for the kill, knowing that there are also machine gun emcements along the trench line. They must be cleared for the rest of the Sardegnian Army to safely break through the frontline. Going their separate ways, the two Crusaders run along the trench with Kallen constantly firing her magic pistols at any foes shees across. A shot to the head with a sharp ice arrow, a horizontal wind de to cut three soldiers in half, a fireball to clear out a room of hostiles... Kallen does everything she can to achieve her objective, the removal of the Spanish Inquisition and her allies from one of the trench lines surrounding Comberth.
Kallen is just about to clear thest stretch of her wing of the trench when a couple of grenadesnd at her feet. Faster than she could think, Kallen leaps backward while firing a controlled wind burst at the front with her left pistol, propelling her further behind. Before she even stabilizes herself, Kallen uses her right pistol to cast a spell at the ground, raising an earth wall between herself and the grenades. She barely makes the arrangement before the grenades, presumably cooked earlier, explode mightily, destroying her earth wall and obstructing her vision. Fortunately, her natural defense as an S-rank Crusader protects herself against fragments, as long as it''s not a 1000kg bomb that is. Kallen still shudders whenever she remembers her first foray into Spain when her sisters were bombed to pulps.
Shaking that stray thought away, Kallen rushes forth through the dust cloud, ducking beneath a rifle bash before shooting the unknown man in the heart. She then stands to fire three shots of ice bullets at a buff-looking man holding a machine gun. Ignoring the machine gunner dying with his torso pierced and frozen, Kallen then rounds a corner constantly firing her pistols at a barricaded intersection where a few Spanish take cover behind. Or are they mercenaries? Either way, she has them suppressed for now, allowing her to charge up a fireball at the end of her pistol''s barrel. Right when her enemies poke their heads out after her suppression, Kallen hurls the fireball at the barricade sending it off with a big bang alongside its upants. Making her way through, she spares not a single nce at the burning soldiers for her ends is insight.
Kallen hase across amand bunker of a sort.
The few remaining guards, foreigners and Spanish alike, rush at her with guns zing. Holding her left pistol close to her chest, Kallen casts a light barrier in front of her while she crouches down. The barrier performs its job admirably, tanking the incessant bursts of multiple SMGs with a few cracks here and there. Raising her right hand over the barrier, Kallen fires a wind de at the enemies, cutting limbs and heads in the process. Kallen then stands up to advance slowly with her raised barrier, she doese across a survivor but before she can say anything, the man raises his sidearm at her. The killing intent is not lost to Kallen, albeit regretful, she is forced to give the man a mercy kill.
It''s not like he would want to live with two missing legs anyway. Kallen would suffer not her current enemy with such a fate, even after what had happened to herpatriots.
Stepping inside themand bunker, Kallen is surprised to see another female, another Spanish Inquisitor. The scarred woman in front of her is busying herself with burning thest bits of intelligence Kallen was hoping to find. Turning around, the Spanish woman''s disfigured face causes a wave of pity to well in Kallen''s heart. Understanding Kallen''s feelings, the scarred Inquisitor chuckles.
"You need not waste your pity on me, Crusader. I''ve made peace with what happened to me for a long time already."
Kallen then flinches when the Inquisitor pulls out her service pistol, slowly, before cing it on the now empty table, save for a few canteens and mugs. On closer inspection, the service pistol is crooked, bent in ces that hamper its normal operation. Limping over to a wooden chair, the Inquisitor sits down with a grunt. Whatever happened to the woman has clearly left behind serious ailments, Kallen easily deduced that.
Seeing that the woman is not abatant, currently, and seemingly wants to talk, Kallen dismisses her barrier. The Crusader then moves to stand in front of the woman, unsure for the moment of how to proceed.
"Girl, you know what caused me to be like this?" The woman suddenly asked, her fingers tapping on the table.
A shake of her head is what Kallen offered.
Chuckling, the woman says. "I was punted across the ground by a bloody Chariot-ss Demon, believe it or not. It was a couple of years ago when a stray Demon spawned in a derelict outpost, going on to terrorize a nearby vige. I was visiting my family there when the bastard ughtered them, its body impervious to my pistol before smacking me with its forelimb. The other Inquisitors said that by the time reinforcement arrived and the Demon was in, I was nothing more than a husk at that point due to broken limbs and losing blood. But miraculously, I survived albeit with minor mana corruption."
"You don''t mean...?" Kallen had a feeling about where this conversation may be going, and she didn''t like it one bit.
The Inquisitor nods with a calm face. "You guessed correctly. Doctors said I only have a year to live at most but I''m approaching the third year currently. During this time, I''ve taken an oath under the Lord to ensure no others should bear my fate. The fate of being a broken survivor that can change into a walking dead any moment. Yet, imagine my surprise when this whole fiasco happened, viges and towns being ravaged by Demons, herded together by none other than the Papal State. For what reason, I may never get it nor do I think I would care to find out why. I only care about the fact that Sardegna has tried to y out as God when it shouldn''t be and innocent people have suffered. Seeing as you have a good head on your shoulders, tell me this, child. Do you know the price Sardegna paid to ensure your existence or that of your sisters?"
At first, Kallen is entranced by the experienced aura the Inquisitor possesses, yet, her sudden question stokes something in her.
"What do you mean by saying that? Sardegna has always acted on the will of the Lord. We will never suffer an ally state with the horde of Demons?" Again, it was another person that said the Holy See was behind the turmoil in Spain. "And what is the price that you speak of? Each of us has chosen this fate out of our free will, knowing full well that we will most probably lose our lives while undergoing the Trial of our Lord."
Listening to Kallen''s confident words, or not, the seasoned Inquisitor easily identified the seed of doubt in Kallen''s inner heart. She knows for she has yed mind games with a not-so-small number of Sardgena operatives. "Young girl, take this from a woman twice your age. This battle is just the beginning, you may win and break our line but it''s doubtful you will win the war. Knowing how Sardegna operates, this war will no doubt tear away at your worldview, little by little, piece by piece, until there''s nothing left in you but a cold, murderous monster. Heed my advice and know that not everything is what it seems to be. There are higher powers in y and it will do you good to figure out the truth of your existence and the reason behind this war. Do it while you still can, while your innocence is still intact."
Coughing out some blood, the Inquisitor is a bit shocked when Kallen is about to rush over to help but stops herself at thest second. "I didn''t judge you incorrectly. Even though you paved a blood path here, even though you have been indoctrinated, there exists a person worth saving behind that facade of a Crusader. I will bet my money that other Crusaders may just be the same as you but sadly..."
The Inquisitor leans back, putting on a disarming,st smile. "I don''t have time left."
rms suddenly re inside Kallen''s mind. A part of her is angry that she herself has fallen for another trap like this, but another part is greatly disappointed and distressed that she will lose her first shot at getting any useful information about this war... About herself.
Not having much time, Kallen points her pistols vertically, one at the roof and another at the ground. Casting a 360 degrees coverage light barrier, Kallen sincerely hopes that this is enough. Then...
*BOOM*
The entiremand bunker is set off in thest huzzah due to a time bomb. Unprotected, the Inquisitor breathes herst before the bomb disintegrates her body alongside everything else in the room. All but one, Kallen. Deactivating her barrier, Kallen''s left breathless for a few moments as she struggles to regain her bearing, her Crusader attire now worse for wear. It seems like the shockwave from the st affects the Crusader more than she thought, even with the barrier, for Kallen is dizzy just walking out of the almost copsing bunker.
With shaky steps, Kallen soon makes it out of the bunker before moving to the trench wall, leaning against it as she takes a deep, dusty breath. A loud rumble catches her attention and when she turns back at the former bunker, Kallen finds it has copsed and flung a wave of dust in the air, almost causing the Crusader to cough.
Understandably, Kallen can''t help but sigh, head tilting up into Heaven.
"Ma~, I have a feeling that the Spanish will be loving their explosives."
This time, the seed of doubt in her heart is watered.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 3: The Prelude
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 3: The Prelude
The rattling of a train, ten carts long, echoes throughout the night. Its destination is unclear as it rides along an undesignated train track. Aboard the cramped, poor quarters of the train, numerous souls epted their fate of being deported to and unknown to them. Women, men, and children of all ages... Seat in rtively tense, the helpless upants in the carts can''t help but be wary about the uncertain future ahead. Well, most of them, at least.
A child, younger than 10 from the looks of it, fails to acquire sleep, so, he does the only thing he can think of to stave away boredom. He sings.
"I''m going on a trip! On a trip to~... Hey, hey, mama, where are we heading again?" The boy tilted his head upward and asked innocently.
The mother, her eyescking the light they used to have, struggles to put on a smile, answering her son in a tired but kind way. "I do believe we''re heading to the city of Auschwitz, son."
Making an "Oh, right!" face, the son returns to singing, blissfully unaware of the dread that suddenly shows up on his mother''s face.
"I''m going on a trip! On a trip to Auschwitz~!"
His singsong voice, bad as it may be, doesn''t do more than put a frown on the other dozen upants in the ustrophobic quarter of the cart. A few contemte ruining the parade of the kid but ultimately decide it''s not worth the trouble. Whateveres next, they will need all the shuteye they can get.
Minutester, the kid calms down enough, having wasted the excess energy that he somehow saved, drifting into slumber. His mother absentmindedly strokes his head, his hair is the same color as that of his missing father. The pir of the house was spirited away by Sardegnian Enforcers months ago. Another tinge of pain, apanied by tears this time, appears on the face of the mother. She is banking on the far-fetched hope that maybe, just maybe, her husband is at their destination, in Auschwitz.
She is not the only one with such hope, however. Many of herpatriots, all sporting the same white armband with the blue David star, wish to reunite with their missing loved ones. The Papacy spreads words that Auschwitz would be an isted haven for their race, rounding up the Jewishmunities regrly to ship them day and night. It''s unknown just how true it may be but for most of them, they only want to meet their family and be away from persecution.
The rest of the train ride to Auschwitz urs in silence, save for a few sleepless whispers or prayers here and there. For the majority of them, this would most probably be their final destination.
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Footsteps echo amidst a corridor of a grandiose cathedral, built higher than all other buildings in its vicinity and sitting atop a spacious hill. The calm, deliberated footsteps belong to a woman in her twenties with blonde hair and green eyes. Illuminated by the fake moon shining through the grand window, the woman fixes her disheveled purple jacket, showing off her frilly white shirt that covers up her ample bosom while doing so. Additionally, she has white gloves, a pink necktie, a brown belt, gray pants, and brown boots. Her outfit reeks of nobility or the Sardegnian equivalent of it, judging from the ornated Holy Cross resting on her jacket cor.
Having juste back from a failed experiment, which resulted in a somewhat uncontrolled explosion of vapor, the elegant woman has her attention piqued by the distant sound of a train horn. Stopping before deciding to inch closer to one of the windows, a pair of green eyes then survey thend down below. A hubbub of activity can be seen at the edge of a self-contained city, another train has arrived. Having witnessed the proceeding herding of passengers many times before, the woman is unsurprised when a seemingly endless stream of people is directed to an underlit corner of the walled-in city. The so-called Jewish sector, a slum at the end of the day, in the city of Auschwitz. It can also bepared to a prison for the sector is boxed in by another set of walls and watchtowers. Allowing no escape from Auschwitz.
A part of the woman pities the fate that will soon befall the Jews, yet, she has grown numb to even attempt anything. In the end, she had and will be a conductor that will bring a fate worse than death to them. All for the sake of her foolish desire and the order of her cruel supervisors.
Taking a chilling breath, the woman then sighs, moving on from her grim thoughts. She has a meeting to attend, another human experimentation, and another batch of Crusaders must be born... What will happen to the young children when she injects the newest mana-infused solution into them? How many Crusaders will be born in this batch? Five? Three? Just one person? Or none at all and they will waste hundreds of lives for nothing? Kallen, being the blonde''s best friend and hopefully something more, barely survived the long, cruel process of creating something more than a human. Ultimately, the light of her life became the strongest S-rank up to date, the one and only Kallen of House Kana. The enhanced physical body and the ability to use magic through mediums are but a couple of many strengths that Kallen gained through blood, sweat, and tears.
The other subjects, brave women that volunteered for the enhancement process, weren''t so lucky, however. With a casualty rate fluctuating from 80 to 90%, it seems like only the will of God can help them with their chances. And of the two dozen weaker Crusaders that first apanied Kallen into Spain, the woman was shocked when she learned that half of them were taken out by mere men and women. They died even when they held the element of surprise, many didn''t even have an intact corpse to recover. The presumable noblewoman, being that she is highly involved in God''s Trial process, was rattled, knowing that even Kallen may fall under the mere schemes of man.
Again, the woman shakes her head to clear out her errant thoughts, hasting her steps to reach an ornated obsidian door, now mere steps away. There''s no use dwelling in grim thoughts, the best she can do now is hope the reinforcement Crusaders can protect Kallen. She has stressed it many times before sending them off. Grabbing a golden ring protrusion and gently bringing it down on the door, echoing low, resounding ngs, the woman speaks up.
"Lady Lyssa, I''m Ottile Apocalypse, you have summoned me?" She then awaits permission to enter.
A momentter, a drawled-out voice answers the inquiry. Had she not known better, Ottile might have pegged the voice as dignified and noble. "Come in. We have much to discuss."
"Do excuse me, Lady Lyssa." Ottile said, pushing the ck door open.
The night is far from over.
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"We''ve broken past the Spanish line, allowing us three avenues to push further ind." A haughty voice said, belonging to the new General of the corp-size invasion force. "The heathens stood no chance against the might of our army!"
Even for Kallen, the infuriated smirks are, well, infuriating. The General, under his order, had pushed many young men forward to their death, in a way not dissimr to the Great War''s bloody charges. Though the Spanish Coalitioncked the number to fill up the trenches, they still doused the fields outside Comberth in a sea of blood. Their home-field advantage nullified the overwhelming numbers Sardegna threw at them.
Kallen allows herself to bite down a remark that if it wasn''t for her and her fellow Crusaders, alongside the limited amount of armored vehicles they brought along, it''s doubtful that this fatso of a General could even get out of Comberth alive. Kallen may not want the position of a fieldmander but that doesn''t mean she is fine with an ipetent General. Sadly, at the end of the day, Kallen knows shecks the connection and expertise to lead a force that''s not her group of Crusaders.
Fortunately, another batch of battle sisters have arrived earlier and Kallen can''t wait to debrief them. Astoundingly for her, she was promoted to lead all other Crusaders that are presented in Spain. Kallen also answers only to Sardegna High Command, meaning she can veto the order of the fat General in front of her, should the need arise. Kallen feels lucky, for that directive has helped protect her sisters from the lecherous hands of the fat General.
The S-rank Crusader is pulled out of her thoughts when the General goes on to say, his belly rumbling with every breath he takes. "Three avenues, three angles of attack we can use topletely surround the enemy, forcing the heathens to sumb to the will of God! After a long time of contemtion, I havee up with a great n!"
Kallen almost rolls her eyes at this for she knows the man has been spending time eating and drinking fine wine with hismanding staff.
"We will split our force into three formations, each 15000 strong. The first formation will head North, bound for Teruel. The second formation will move West to secure Moti del Pncar. Last, but not least, the third formation will go South with the order to besiege Murcia, the Spanish''s Southern Stronghold." The General pointed at a few spots on the map. "Along the way, there are a few towns and viges that we must liberate in the name of the Lord. Use them as resupply stations if you must and restore order if you have to."
The fat General then smirks, directing his eyes across themand room. "Gentlemen, anddy, I will hereby name this n Operation Ballista." His perverted eyes repulsed Kallen, clearly roaming his eyes alongside her curves. "God has entrusted us with the task of bringing judgment down on these heretics! We, as his executioners, will stop at nothing till they all are burning in Hell! Spare no quarter and punish them in the name of the Lord! God wills it!"
Then the entire room explodes into fanatic cheers.
"GOD WILLS IT!" Kallen followed suit, albeit not as feverish, more as an obligation.
The other officers and Kallen slowly filed out of the room, only for Kallen to be stopped by the General himself. "Lady Kana!"
She and a few other officers turn around, they clearly want to see what happens next. Not minding the spectators, the General picks up a golden chalice, filled to the brim with wine, slowly caressing it while the eyes that are looking at her go lower than they should be. Much to Kallen''s hidden displeasure, the General opens up with this.
"I don''t think these heretics will be much of a trouble for our mighty army, fairdy. Surely you need not dirty your hands with the blood of these heathens?"
Shaking her head, wearing a cold face, Kallen replies. "Our duty as Crusaders is to hand out the will of the Lord, regardless of difficulty or danger. We will stain our honor if we shy away from mere dirtiness."
Frowning but not losing his fake smile, the General continues in a lower voice. "But I insist, Lady Kana! You have been an active participant ever since the start of this... conflict, to put it mildly. Isn''t it about time you settle down for a bit, taking care of your own well-being? Let us men finish what you started."
The subtle warning is not lost on Kallen though she is not sure why the fat General said it. There are many reasons why the General could feel disinclined to let her roam around. Unperturbed, however, the S-rank Crusader refuses to back down. "With all due respect, General. I do not answer to you, I answer to the Lord first and foremost. I will contemte your advice but I assure you, I''m perfectlybat-ready. My sisters and I have our own obligations to fulfill and I think you shouldplete yours too. Have a nice evening, General."
Kallen performs a light bow before heading out of themand room, the curious spectators follow suit right after. Now alone, the fat General puts on a chilling smile before snickering. "Eh, whatever. Your loss, Lady Kana." He then proceeds to empty the chalice of its delectable content.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 4: The Path to Hell is due West
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 4: The Path to Hell is due West
Smoke and soot engulf an infantry toon of the Spanish Coalition that is manning the roadblock behind the crumbling walls of Murcia. Taking a deep breath of the smog-filled air, a Spanish Inquisitor with the rank of Lieutenant turns to the mercenary Captain by his side. Both sides share a knowing look behind the safety of the sandbags before rechecking their respective weapons.
"Last chance to lead your men away or you would be hard-pressed to disengageter." The Lieutenant said while racking the bolt of his Kar98k before guiding it back home.
Smirking, the mercenary Captain responds with a thick Erusea ent. "Mate, it''s toote to convince us to retreat. The hazard pay is well worth it." The Captain then jerks his head back to the West. "Besides, we''ll be damned by whatever God you''re serving if we let those civilians get caught by those bastards." The Captain then ms the pan magazine of his Lewis machine gun down.
As the Captain is prepping his machine gun atop the sandbags, the Lieutenant turns around to him. "On behalf of all the Spanish souls you would help save, I offer you our thanks."
"Don''t sweat it mate, it''s the right thing to do at the end of the day. Only God knows what would happen to those retreating civies if they are apprehended."
"If they''re affiliated with the Inquisition in any way, a fate worse than death... Look, there are our guys." The Lieutenant gestured to the retreating Inquisitors that just rounded a corner.
The Captain nods before addressing his men. "Look alive,ds! The party''s about to begin!" A chorus of affirmation is returned.
The toon then wees the retreating group in their line after a quick security check. A Sergeant soones by the sandbags wall, crouching down to the Lieutenant''s level while resting his Kar98k by the side. "Damn Sardegnians! They pulled out their heavy artillery and then fired directly at us, copsing the walls. More than half of my echelon didn''t make it and our Captain is dead." The Sergeant then points at his battered echelon recuperating below the sandbags wall. "The rest are either injured or lost their weapons in the confusion. I have takenmand of them for now but I would rather have them sent to the backline."
"You should do that, we are more than enough to hold the Sardegnians back for a while." The Lieutenant gave the Sergeant a nod, prompting the man to shout a few orders at the echelon down below. Surprisingly, the Sergeant stay while his former affiliation retreated from the frontline.
Giving the Sergeant a look, the mercenary Captain asks. "You sure you wanna stay mate? I think you''ve earned your paycheck already."
Instead of answering, the Sergeant disces his coat, showing a hastily bandaged abdomen, the field dressing is dyed a rusty red. Seeing that both the Lieutenant and Captain understand just why this Sergeant chose to stay. "Yeah, that reason is as good as any. Wee to the stay-behind group, pick a ce you''refortable with, and then we wait."
The Sergeant nods, limping to a corner of the wall. Gradually, the distant sound of battle at the wall dies down, giving way to a constant mechanical rumble. "It seems like they are bringing along a tank or two." The Lieutenantmented.
"We''ll be ready for them." The Captain said before gesturing to the anti-tank members of the toon. "Remember, it''s good if we can knock one out permanently but it''s better if we can block the roads using their own tanks. So make your shots count!"
The toon is armed with two handheld anti-tank weapons, a Belkan-made Grenade Buster, and a Boys AT rifle. More than enough to punch through the lightly armored Sardegnian tanks if they can get a good shot off.
"Listen! Here theye!" The Lieutenant warned before readjusting his steel helmet. "Only fire when you get a clear shot! We want to drag this battle out for as long as possible!"
Rather than answering, toon members brace their weapons on the sandbags. As the rumbling of tank treads draws closer and closer, the Lieutenant performs ast-minute check of the detonation device below the wall, seeing two lines running along the street and into the buildings by their side. That''s theirst resort when they can''t hold the line.
With that out of the way, the Lieutenant returns his attention to the wide street in front of him, just in time to see the first batch of brown uniforms rounding the corner. Taking the chance when the Sardegnians are still surprised to see a well-fortified roadblock, the Lieutenant gives the word. "Rifles, engage!"
A deadly chorus, made of lead and powder, immediately greets the Sardegnians that are out in the open, cutting down eight of them in the process. The rest either dive for cover, which only consists of a few artillery holes and rubles, or retreat to bring up reinforcement. The Lieutenant and the riflemen of the toon precisely pick off those that dare to poke their heads out while waiting for the main force of the enemy to arrive. During the initial engagement, being nked by the enemy using abandoned buildings is a valid concern to have, yet, those same buildings are booby-trapped to Hell, courtesy of the Shadow Company.
After a couple of minutes of exchanging rifles fire, another batch of enemy infantry shows up, more numerous than thest this time. Without waiting for further words, the machine gunners of the toon start suppressing. The Captain, in particr, is having a st with the 97-round magazine of his Lewis gun, cutting almost a dozen men just by himself.
For the Sardegnians, the sudden raise in fire density from the Spanish side is a shock. The officer in charge of this small force has severely underestimated the firepower the Spanish still retain. Unable to advance without risking himself being sawed in half, the Sardegnianmander orders a textbook nking maneuver by using the buildings. A part of Sardegnian soldiers then breaks open doors and windows, jumping inside the buildings near them. As soon as they gain entry, however, the first series of explosions rang out across the buildings, iming the lives of two dozen infantries. As expected, implementing Shadow Company''s advice by mining every conceivable location, has paid off.
Outraged by the fact that almost half of his force nowy very dead, the Sardegnianmander requests support from a nearby tank toon. With this, he hopes to even out the odds and gives the Spanish a run for their money.
Ducking down to reload after his Lewis runs dry, thereby dodging a bullet that skimps past his helmet, the Captain jestingly said to his toon. "That went much better than I expected it!"
Firing off another shot, downing himself another Sardegnian, the Lieutenant replies while chambering another round. "What? You expect them to bring out their Crusaders right off the bat?"
Shrugging, the Captain answers while charging his Lewis. "Dying on the battlefield is one thing. Dying on a battlefield for a great cause is a good thing. Dying because a beautiful Crusader kills you on a battlefield for a great cause is perfect!" He then returns to ce his Lewis in a firing position, the sound of lead being fired and spent casings ttering on the floor are, strangely enough, rxing.
Rolling his eyes while crouching down to put a new clip in, the Lieutenant quips back. "Face it! The only reason you stay back is just to see them in action, even if it means dying to them!"
"Aren''t you the sa-! Iing!" The Captain was about to retort when he screamed, ducking down as a burst of machine gun swept across the length of the sandbags wall. Though the Captain''s warning was immediate and thus saved the lives of the Lieutenant and Sergeant, other members of the toon weren''t lucky enough. Around two dead and three incapacitated right of the bat. "Fuck! Those Triple-threes are tearing us to shred here!"
L3/35, a tankette produced by Ansaldo in 1935 and armed with a pair of 8mm machine guns, they have shown up in pairs atst. "AT teams! Let theme closer!" Regardless of the fact that they''re being suppressed this time, the Lieutenant still want the enemy tanks to get closer for a better chance at disabling them.
Spoiler
[copse]
Keeping their heads down low, the Lieutenant and Captain wait with bated breath as streams of bullets either impact their cover or are flying above it. Tensing his ears amidst the whizzing of leads, the Lieutenant can hear the engine sounds of the two L3/35 getting closer. Daring a peak before pulling his helmet-d head down, the Lieutenant manages to glimpse two L3/35s slowly advancing with contingents of infantries behind them. "Here theye in a pair! Open the firing port and engage!" The Lieutenant shouted themand to the standing-by AT teams.
Down the sandbags wall are a few hidden firing positions that are reinforced and camouged by rubles and furniture, reserved for when the enemy gets too close to the roadblock. Removing the covers of the firing position, the AT teams quickly align their weapons at the two tankettes before firing almost at the same time. The .55 Boys cartridge hits its target first, prating the driver hatch of an L3/35 and most probably blowing away the upper torso of the driver. And before the Boys rifle can follow up a shot that will kill the gunner, therge diameter anti-tank grenadeunched from the Grenade Buster blows away the other, poor tankette. The big explosion, created by the oversized HEAT grenade, knocks back the ruined L3/35 and kills a few soldiers hiding behind it. Utilizing this God''s given chance, the Spanish toon retaliates, pouring the pain on the stunned Sardegnians. Very soon, an avant-garde work of art, formed by burning tankettes carcasses and bleeding Sardegnian corpses, is now blocking the road.
Facing such a serious loss without much to show, the Sardegnianmander orders a tactical retreat. Thus, the initial attack on the heart of Murcia is repelled without many casualties on the Spanish end. After another brief exchange of sporadic fire between the two parties, the smoke-filled street soon regains its earlier calmness. That is if you ignore other battle zones.
"Take this moment to rest and rearm, people. I seriously doubt they will give up just yet. Have the wounded take the Kubel back to the rear." Mumbles of affirmation soon follow after the Lieutenant''s words. "Also, I need a pair of scouts to check the perimeters, they may just be searching for a route that wasn''t mined." Following his order, two members of his toon move away from the group, disappearing into an alley.
As they settle down by the wall, the Captain pulls out a smoke, taking a look over the Sergeant, now struggling a bit to breathe. "You alright there mate?"
Huffing, the Sergeant replies. "I will live..." He then slumps down with his back against the sandbags. "Damn tankettes almost got me."
"Those things are fast, albeit lightly armed. Still, for grunts like us, a pair of machine guns is as deadly as any." The Lieutenant said before holding out a canteen to the Sergeant. Taking ahold of it with a grateful nod, the Sergeant downs a few swigs of it before handing it back.
Pouring a bit of the content on his head, and washing his face, the Lieutenant then caps the canteen before his ears pick up a buzzing sound. "You guys hear that?" He asked the pair, struggling to ce the identity of that buzzing in the air.
"Sound like... propellers?" The Sergeant said hesitantly.
"It''s definitely aircraft, multiple. I can''t mistake that sound for anything else." The Captain replied with confidence, he had the luck to survive a few strafing runs so he knew his stuff. "Wait for a second, aren''t all of our flyboys upied elsewhere?"
"That was what they said in the briefing, yes." The Lieutenant nodded while warily scanning the gray sky. "There shouldn''t be any flyer unless..."
"They''re the enemy''s." The Captain said, casting a wave of oppression on everyone. As if punctuating his words, the multitude of propellers'' sound getsrger andrger until the visages of not one, not two, but twenty Breda Ba.65 Nibbio twin-seaterbat aircraft appear in the air. It may be hard to see from the ground but each of the attackers carries four bombs and the boys on the ground dread for the souls that will be on the receiving end of it.
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[copse]
"They are flying East..." The Sergeant said listlessly as he craned his neck up to the sky. "What''s there in the East if they aren''t bombing the city?"
It''s the Captain who replies. "Aside from the old headquarters and maybe a few empty ammo dumps, nothing... Wait, West!?" Shocked and scared of the revtion, the Captain turns toward the Lieutenant who is paling by the seconds. "Aren''t the evacuation convoy trailing West right now!?"
Nodding slowly, the Lieutenant chokes out. "I''m afraid so..." Barely had he said it when the sentries station along the wall interjects. "Contact!" Thenes a series of gunshots.
Willing themselves to ignore the airborne threats, the trio from the Spanish Coalition returns to the battle at hand, only to see a series of golden shields protecting the Sardegnians as they push ahead en masses. Daring a short burst of his Lewis at the protective shielding the Sardegnians were now sporting, only to see the 8mm Mauser rounds didn''t even leave behind a dent, the Captain turns toward the Lieutenant, saying heatedly. "Bloody Hell! It seems like those chicks are backing them up! Our small arms won''t cut it!"
"AT teams, direct fire on those shields, break them down! The others, use your rifle grenades!" The Lieutenant ordered with haste. Very soon, a different kind of gunshot is heard as .55 caliber projectiles and grenades start bombarding the enemy shielding, making the golden film of light flicker but ultimately not achieving much else. Amidst the bombardment, the Lieutenant can spot multiple Crusaders working in tandem to keep the barrier up. He highly doubts that anything short of a tank or a bomb can stop their advance right now.
"Goddamn them! They''re not hindered at all!" The Captain cursed as he reload another pan magazine.
Knowing that they will be dead meat if they let the Crusaders approach them, much less the veritable hordes of Sardegnians infantries behind them, the Lieutenant is about to give the order to scorch earth the whole ce when. "Shit! Get down, mate!" The Captain suddenly tackles the person close to him, the Lieutenant, all the way down below the sandbags wall. As the air is knocked out of his lungs, partly because of the tackle, partly because of the subsequent mming on the paved sidewalk, the Lieutenant doesn''t even get a chance at asking what the hell was the tackle for before the entire sandbags wall explodes in a mixture of fire, ice, and greenish wind.
Fuck... Did the Crusaders counter-bombarded them? Dazingly standing up with the help from the quick-witted Captain, the Lieutenant shakes his head to get back in the game. He soon realizes that most of his toon is either dead or incapacitated from the earlier barrage of magic and the only thing holding back the enemy tide is the Grenade Buster team that luckily survived. Looking to his side, he sees the Sergeant from before also made it, albeit worse for wear. The man has gone from limping to crawling toward the fortified room.
Without wasting another breath, the Lieutenant says. "The detonator!" Turning around, the Sergeant sports an understanding gazes before directing an eptance nod at the Lieutenant. Trusting the Sergeant and knowing that they''ve done everything they can, the Captain and the Lieutenant move to load the wounded onto an Opel Blitz with whatever weapons they can carry. Of the 55 men toon, seven will be staying behind to the very end, partly because they are severely injured but the major reason is that they stay back to protect their retreatingrades.
"Godspeed, my friends." The Captain said as he spared ast look at the backs of the brave Spanish Inquisitors staring Death in the face. He then steps on the gas, propelling the fully-loaded truck forward on a path to the West.
Sitting in the co-driver seat, the Lieutenant closes his eyes and offers a short prayer to therades in arms that have been following him for years. They will be sorely missed but at the end of the day, Heaven will wee them with open arms.
Far behind them, distant battle cries can be heard.
"God wills it!"
"God is with us!"
Before the whole city of Murcia shakes an entire building block is exploded, copsing a part of the city and blocking the advance of the Sardegnians. Not just that, a hidden cache of oil and fuel beneath the explosion area is also ignited, casting a veritable wall of me that deny any foot ess from the Eastern side of the city for days. Once again, the Scorched Earth tactic is employed by the Spanish, much to the dismay of their Sardegnian invaders.
Soon, the derelict houses and shops of Murcia are left behind them as they form up with a convoy of retreating Spanish Coalition force. Just like them, these men and women were also forced to scorch their position when the Crusaders attacked. Of the many Companies that are tasked with defending Murcia for two weeks, their 39th Infantry Company is tasked with protecting the civilian evacuation effort after egressing from Murcia. Luckily for them, the Captain soon spots the half-track belonging to the Major of the Company. Quickly regrouping with the rest of their Company, they are d to see that at the very least, the 39th are still at 70 percentbat strength. Yet, cold water is doused when the female Major gives them a grim rundown of a disaster that happened moments earlier.
"Gentlemen, I won''t sugarcoat this but twenty minutes earlier, the civilian convoy was attacked by enemy bombers. Even with the white gs and red cross patches on their tarps and hoods, the convoy was still targeted and annihted in a matter of minutes by the twenty or so bombers before the aircraft retreated to rearm. Perimeter patrols did try to distract the aircraft but ultimately did nothing more than cause a few scratches on their paint job. Casualties are at an all-time high so as of this moment, the 39th will switch from escort duty to search and rescue duty while the 84th and the 113th will protect our rear and nks. Buckle up boys, it will be messy."
When they heard the news, they were stunned and enraged. But when theyy their eyes upon the destroyed highway with carcasses of both vehicles, men, women, and children on a stretch of two kilometers and expanding, they''re filled with nothing but helplessness and regret. It''s not their fault that this disaster happens but it sure feels like it whenever they raise the death tallies up higher and higher. It''s even worse when a factes to their attention that they may never get an urate number as many civilians were obliterated by bombs and guns from the Sardegnian Air Force.
Spoiler
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They won''t even have time to bury the dead properly, the best they can do is create a burning pit andy down the bodies, or what''s left of them, in an orderly manner. A burning pit is required for thest thing they need is an outbreak of zombies in this messy war. Finally, it''s with grave hearts that the Company Major and her officers throw down their torches, burning their bodies and sending their souls to the afterlife.
As the smoke column rises higher up in the sky, just for a different reason than the ones before, members of the 39th Company all feel as if a part of their souls has died alongside the civilians here.
This may be the first war crime that the Sardegnian hasmitted in this world, but it probably won''t be thest.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 5: Revelation
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 5: Revtion
Ever since the fall of Murcia two months ago, advancing the battlefront has been a slog for the Sardegnian Army. Even with the help of the Crusaders and more and more reinforcement from the Papacy, the invasion progressed only as far as still contesting for Hellin with Teruel being captured a week ago. As for Moti del Pncar, they haven''t even reached Utiel, much less threatening the city itself. The Crusaders, albeit powerful, don''t have the number to help the Army on all fronts. Hence a n was devised to have the Crusaders use Murcia as a staging area and use it to threaten Spain''s southern territories, alleviating the pressure from the other two fronts. Kallen and her Crusaders, from when the n was conceived up to now, have been fighting nonstop, regardless of their injuries and losses. Only after a full month of activebat, does Kallen call off the campaign for a short downtime, letting her sisters recuperate despite a few protests.
If memory serves Natasha Ciora correctly, her words at that time were. "Rest, and live to serve the Lord for another day. Ever since we first set foot in Spain, we lost many of our sisters inbat with the most recent ones in Murcia. Thest thing we want is to see the ones next to you, or yourself, being harmed due to fatigue and carelessness."
Straight to the point, albeit her demeanor was akin to a caring mother to the rest of the Crusaders. Natasha was the first to step behind Kallen, knowing just how badly every single one of them need to cool down from their rage-filled devotion to the Lord. Soon after, the rest of Kallen''s flock follow suit, one by one, earning a kindhearted smile from Kallen and Natasha would be lying if a few of them weren''t flustered by that disy. Natasha can be counted in that number but she hid it well enough that none notice her speeding heart. Kallen does have that effect on people of both genders. Her smile is even more effective on the Crusaders for she has been a mother, a sister, and a friend that none of the girls has. Just the fact that Kallen has been protecting them from less-than-scrupulous advances is more than enough to make a few girls fantasize about her.
Now that Natasha thinks up there, a major part of the reason why the Crusaders were so devoted to their war against Spain, was that Kallen was saddened by the sisters that lost their lives under her watch. They had taken it upon themselves to meet out judgments on the Spanish Coalition alongside carrying out the will of the Lord. It''s a stupidbination to wage a Holy War, Natasha thinks.
But then again, wars have been waged over more incredulous reasonings. At least, this one is done for a noble cause, Natasha hopes.
Her mind is taken aback to reality by a nudge from Kallen, who is sitting by the co-driver seat of the truck Natasha is driving. "Watch the road, Natasha. You can daydream for the rest of the day when we get back to Murcia." Or what''s left of it at least, Natasha added mentally though she did nod and took a tighter hold on the wheel.
Murcia, after the Spanish scorched the Hell out of it, is another ghost city, not dissimr to Comberth. Yet, with an influx of Army personnel and volunteer citizens from the Papacy, the city is being rebuilt amidst the war. Funny, the war is yet to reach a conclusion and Sardegna has already treated thends it took as its own. Natasha can''t help but allow a traitorous thought to take root in a corner of her mind. ''Are we waging a Holy War to purge heretical views, or it''s just another war about borders and territories?'' Natasha knows better than to voice her concern out though, even if it''s to the imcable Kallen next to her.
Huh, Kallen is humming that tune again, the one that has been her trademark from the time when Natasha and the rest of the Crusaders were still in Auschwitz. All of them have been wondering what the tune was but none voices the question for varying reasons. They are happy enough with her humming that tunes for them to sleep.
Directing a side nce at Kallen, Natasha takes in the sight of Kallen in all of her glory beneath the sunlight. Kallen is a woman with long white hair that is tied into a singr braid. She has messy bangs and determined blue eyes. Her outfit is a heavily modified nun''s habit: which is mostly ck fading into dark purple with some sshes of white. Kallen also wears a white cloth that extends from around her neck to her front. An emblem of a cross sits on her chest. She also wears a ck veil fitted with a white seam at its hem.
This is where her outfit begins to steer away from the traditional nun, as her smock ends high on her sides and extends fully to her ankles in the front. She has ck thigh-high boots which are covered in belts as they ascend. In fact, she also has belts on her upper arms and at the end of her long sleeves. Arge purple cross is printed on the front of her habit and on her sleeves.
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It''s a mockery of a standard nun''s habit but a functional one on a battlefield. As a matter of fact, Kallen''s attire is mimicked in a variety of ways by the Crusaders with an unspoken rule. The more aplished the Crusader, the more her attire bears a resemnce to Kallen''s, bar a few identification details.
Natasha, being an A-rank Crusader and one that has been following Kallen since day one and thriving, is proud to boast that she wears an almost perfect copy of Kallen''s habit. Safe for the difference in the color scheme due to her more... ndestine nature. Instead of purple and white, Natasha opts for wine red and gray.
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[copse]
Dress code aside, Natasha soon falls into a rxed mood, coaxed by the humming from Kallen and the fact that the path they are taking is deserted for the most part. That is until they reach a vehicle graveyard.
This particr graveyard, a hundred meters to the side of the dirt road, hosts countless wrecks of unknown origin. Some are already there since two months ago and a few are recent additions from the frontline. Aside from the asional Sardegna salvaged crews that frequent the ce, the graveyard is devoided of human presence for the majority of the time. Hence it''s weird for Natasha and Kallen to see a nun praying near the wrecks, not to mention the shovel that is stabbed into a mound of dirt next to her and a few holes near it. Such a sight warrants an investigation, which is why Natasha isn''t surprised when Kallen gently asks her to pull over.
Easing the cargo truck to a stop, Natasha and Kallen step off soon after, closing the doors gently before taking stock of the surrounding. Aside from the sporadic cawing of a few crows, which unnerves Natasha for she feels that they''re looking directly at them, the vehicle graveyard is quiet. Sharing a look with Kallen, Natasha is prompted forward by a nod from the S-rank Crusader. As a precaution, Natasha moves a bit ahead of Kallen, not wanting thetter to be hit by any nasty surprises. It''s an unwanted habit she developed throughout her stay in Spain.
Very soon, the two Crusaders reach the kneeling nun, now in earshot of her Spanish prayers. Albeit rare nowadays, there still exists a smallmunity of Spanish that stayed behind. She is unsure whether Kallen knows about this or not but Natasha hase to witness the discrimination the Sardegnians have for the Spanish. The Spanish that are living in Sardegnian-controlled territories isn''t living as well as they used to. This nun is the few that chose to stay, most probably to take care of her church... Or she stays to bury the caskets that are lowered into the holes around them. Natasha can''t help but slowly lower her hand on her magic gun, readying herself for anything.
The unknown nun, having heard their approaching footsteps, said thest of her prayer before standing up, dusting away the dirt on her habit, then turns around. The Spanish sister has a cute face, pretty enough that men would have been willing to chase her if she weren''t serving the church. Natasha can''t stop herself from wondering if the men of the Army had osted her yet, they can be quite forceful at that. It takes the Crusaders patrolling the Spanish abodes to stave away any attempt at such crime.
The nun, not betraying any emotion, performs her curtsy calmly at the Crusaders. "Greetings, fairdies, what wind has brought you here to this lowly me?" Her Sardegnian is impecable.
Kallen steps up after being addressed. "We were driving back to Murcia when we saw you. We decided to check on you, knowing that the surrounding could be dangerous since the Months of Demons are still ongoing."
Kallen''s answer earns a giggle from the Spanish nun. Natasha, however, can infer a wistful tone from that smallugh. It''s unknown just why the nun canugh at Kallen''s concern.
"I do thank you for your good thoughts, though I must say that your concern would be misced. I am perfectly fine, this is where I should be." The nun said cryptically, prompting Kallen to tilt her head.
"Where you should be?" Kallen and Natasha then look around. "Are you burying them?"
It doesn''t look like she is burying though, more like digging these caskets back up. Natasha can infer it just from the state of the wooden coffins, they have scratches, dirt, and darkened spots. Such a state can only happen after the caskets have been buried for some time. Once again, Natasha chooses to leave things unsaid, opting to gather more intelligence first.
Instead of answering Kallen''s soft inquiry, the nun turns around in the direction of the graves. "My dear Crusaders, do you know the reason why there''s a graveyard of vehicles here? Just shy a hundred or so meters away from the road?"
The pair of Crusaders nod their heads at this. "It all started from a bombing of a retreating Spanish military convoy around two months ago. Much valuable equipment of the Spanish Coalition was destroyed that day."
Kallen and Natasha can see the shoulders of the nun shake for a moment before she takes a deep breath, then says. "So that''s what they have been telling you." The nun then lets out a ruefulugh. "It''s no wonder that for all of your integrity and goodwill, you remained inactive about the sins yourpatriotsmitted."
Kallen scrunches her eyebrows at this. "I''ve been told of the possible crimes that the Papacy has condoned, yet, so far the evidence of that has been eluding me. You would have to be more specific than just that."
For some reason, Natasha has a feeling she doesn''t want to hear this conversation.
"The proof eluded you, or are you being indecisive about finding the truth?" The Spanish nun asked, causing Kallen''s fingers to twitch. "For so long, you have basked in the presumed glory of Sardegna, perhaps you''re just unwilling to see the dark side of the Papal State. I don''t have much to say but I do hope you open your eyes and ears. Listen to a story from the other side of the front."
Seeing that Kallen and Natasha remain silent, the nun continues. "Two months ago, on the eve of Murcia''s falling to your hands, an evacuation convoy was organized. Led by various volunteer groups and the Red Cross, the convoy housed nothing but civilian refugees, set for a course to the East. At the height of aggression between two military forces, a bombing run conducted by one of the parties involved attacked the convoy. Showcasing aplete disregard for the neutral gs the convoy was flying, the bombers decimated everything with their bombs and guns, leaving thousands of casualties in their destructive wake." The nun then stops, taking a morose look at the caskets beneath her. "Of the many that died and injured, my fellow sisters were there... They were trying to help the sick and disabled along the way. They sumbed to their grievous wound after volunteering their helps to save the rest. Now tell me, on that very day, upon thisnd, what was the country that ordered the strike? It''s a strike that killed even innocent children, you know?"
With the nun leaving the questions hanging, the air drops a few degrees. It doesn''t take a genius to infer just what country had the nun been insinuating, it was Sardegna that dominated the sky that day. That Kallen can confirm with a nod from Natasha. A sense of revulsion raise in both Crusaders but at the end of the day, what the nun said is just that, saying. If the words are to be trusted though, it does exin why the nun is out here, mourning on her lonesome.
It still doesn''t shed light on why she is unburying the coffins though.
The nun giggles, not needing to take a look to know what thoughts are running in the minds of the Crusaders. "It''s no use convincing you with words, what''s done is done." The nun then steps forth, kneeling in front of the central grave. "Should you want to uncover-!"
Suddenly, a dark energy ray punctured the nun''s abdomen, cauterizing the wound, before a figure broke out of the central casket,nding a few steps away from the copsing nun. Shocked but ultimately used to sudden attack, Kallen''s first instinct is to rush in and secure the injured nun, only to be pulled back by Natasha. For the most part, Natasha has been keeping an eye out for any ambush and it pays off. The moment when Kallen was about to charge ahead, the assant has already charged another energy ray, ready to skewer Kallen with it. Now Natasha hasplete faith in Kallen''s ability but she sure as hell doesn''t want to take such a risk.
"Natasha, let me go save her!" Kallen protested while equipping her guns, an action already performed by Natasha.
While charging up her magic guns with both defensive and offensive spells, Natasha replies tensely, still looking warily at the enemy with a charged ray ready to set off. "No time, big sis, we''re surrounded."
Natasha isn''t wrong, now that Kallen is not tunnel vision on the enemy ahead of her. All around them, the many caskets are opening up, revealing pale females, each dressing in a maroon dress, as they raise to thend of the living. They aren''t armed at first, until swirls of pink energy gather around their right hands, coalescence into big reaper scythes. An oppressive air befalls the graveyard as Natasha realizes that they''re outnumbered ten to one. The white hair, and red eyes Zombies then start circling their prey.
"And it gets worse..." Natasha couldn''t help but say that sentence when more energy swirls of pinkish light started gathering around them. Finally, they all condense into many shapes and forms, the visages of the ursed Demons. The Demons consist of a small andmon Honkai Beast type that can fly with wing-cleaving attacks, and a bigger and more robust two-limb beast.
"Archangels and Chariots, a lot of them too! Just howe we aren''t able to sense their formations prior to this? Not to mention these zombies, I can tell that they''re leagues above themon rabbles we used to defeat." Natasha tried to cheer herself up, having fallen into a precarious situation.
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[copse]
Kallen may be fine with this much but the same can''t be said for Natasha. Natasha specialized in information gathering and ndestine operations, not an all-out battle.
Kallen now stands back to back with Natasha, her guns hold high at the circling Demons and Zombies. "We may have fallen into a Demon spawning area, camouged by the fact that all the rampant mana in the air is absorbed by most probably that figure over there." Kallen motioned her head over to the first Zombie that appeared.
Unlike the scythe-wielding Zombies, this one is much different from the rest. The subject has a long white twin-tail than the bob cut the other Zombies are sporting with her hair turning blood red at the tip. Instead of the maroon dress, her attire consists of red and ck mental patient clothes, a ck blindfold over her eyes, and her twin tail is held up by red and ck ribbons. Unlike her fellow pale skin, she is floating above the ground, even if she is now kneeling next to the nun she just harmed.
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[copse]
At first, Kallen and Natasha thought that may be a trick of the light but after they triple-checking it, they notices that this Zombie is silently shedding tears through her blindfold. From an action that can only be perceived as the Zombie trying to close the gaping wound of the nun, the Crusaders are shocked to see that this Zombie may actually retain a bit of humanity.
The nun, coughing up blood yet stered a contend smile despite her pain, raises a hand and strokes the cold cheek of the Zombie looming over her. "I... See... You... Sister..." Coughing once again, the nun struggles to form her next set of words more clearly. "I love you... Sister."
Now too weak, the nun is unable to hold her hand up, only for the Zombie to desperately uses her tied hands to grasp it, her cheek leaning deeper into the nun''s palm. It would have been a very romantic sight if it weren''t for the fact that the Zombie is now pumping a copious amount of mana into the nun''s wound. As much as Kallen hates to admit it, the nun is now officially unsavable. In due time, she will be one of them.
Natasha, however, has a different thought altogether. The A-rank Valkyrie feels something stir inside as she is witnessing a love that transcends life and death. By now, she has inferred that the nun, rather than burning the corpses, has buried them under thisnd full of dead. The nun has cultivated the Zombies here in the hope that she would see her loved one, once again.
Natasha would be lying if she isn''t feeling jealous, and has a newfound conviction. As a Crusader that takes pride in her intelligence works, she will figure out just what has driven the nun mad enough to do this, and in the end, she will be able to uncover the truth about everything. Whether it would be in the best interest of Natasha and Kallen, she doesn''t know.
Kallen, on the other hand, is feeling remorse and pity. Perhaps if she wasn''t as indecisive as what the nun said, Kallen may have been able to prevent this. The truth may have been able toe to light sooner than now. It''s all wistful thoughts currently for once again, Kallen is seeing a person that rang a wake-up bell inside her head, dying. The seed of doubt is now sprouting inside her and after this, it would be unknown just what sort of decision she would make.
Who knows, maybe both Natasha and Kallen will be teaming together to, hopefully, turn things for the better.
But first, they have to stay alive. That special Zombie in front of them has now diverted her attention from them and she doesn''t seem too happy. After all, one doesn''t conjure floating coffins out of thin air and use them as bludgeoning tools and beamunchers to attack someone.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 6: Decision
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 6: Decision
Rolling over to the side to dodge a death ray, Natasha is barely able to bring up one of her guns, thus conjuring a barrier that blocks a deadly swipe from a scythe. The impacts propel her backward, her feet struggling to regain bnce on the uneven terrain. One of the scythe-wielding Zombies, a Praetorian-ss, seizes the chance and rushes in for the kill. Fortunately for Natasha, Kallen has done dealing with the non-revivable Archangels and Chariots and rushed in for a rescue.
With a mighty kick to the side of the Zombie, which it deftly blocks but is still being knocked back, Kallen has bought Natasha enough time to stabilize herself. Retaliating immediately by shooting out a hail of wind des, mostly to disable rather than kill, Natasha almost screams in frustration when the Zombie just spins her scythe, nullifying most of the projectiles. At least, with Kallen here, she wouldn''t have to dance around with Death much longer.
The battle hassted for quite a while already with Kallen going out of her way to get rid of more than fifty non-humanoid Demons while Natasha volunteered herself to keep the 21 Zombies upied. Of those 21, 20 are scythe-wielding Praetorians with impressive martial skills and physical ability. On their own, they may not amount to much but with 20? They were giving Natasha a run for her money before Kallen reunited with her.
Let''s also not forget the leader of them, from what Natasha can gather, this Zombie is not much different than a Revenant in terms of physical outlook, her abilities though are a whole nother matter. Whenever a Praetorian is killed, the leader Zombie can just revive them without any noticeable deficiency. In an attrition battle, Natasha would be the final loser due to her not having endless stamina. Not to mention the fact that if she gets nick by that death ray of that leader Zombie or her flying coffins, she would be downed instantly. Natasha almost curses the Lord for making such a troublesome foe.
"Natasha, help me distract them while I go for the Lich!" Kallen asked Natasha while she braves a dozen scythes being swung her way.
"That has been my job since the very beginning, sister!" Natasha jokinglyined with a tired smirk. Still, calling that Zombie a Lich is very fitting, what''s with her ability and the coffins.
Natasha then helps Kallen by targeting down the nking Praetorians, keeping her feet mobile while she''s at it. For each Praetorian that dareses close to her sister, Natasha either bombards them with small-scale elemental magics or when those are on cool-down, uses her stabs and kicks to get them off Kallen''s back. But of course, being a Crusader that is by no mean great in a chaotic battle like this, Natasha earns herself a few bloody nicks and close-calls, nearly losing her head when the Lich decides to surround her with coffins before firing another death ray at Natasha. "God, have I sinned for that girl to keep targetting me like this!? Kallen is the one engaging her inbat for crying out loud!"
Though Natasha keepsining under her breath, she would rather have all of them chase her than Kallen.
Suddenly, a big explosion of dust and fire swept through thendscape, knocking back a few Praetorians before all eyes fall onto Kallen and the Lich. Thetter is now sitting on the floor having taken too much damage from what could be a point-nk fireball. Kallen is not unscathed from the suicidal attack she pulled but she is the one holding her gun over the head of the Lich right now. It seems like Kallen could have ended everything then and there but instead. "Tell me... Just tell me everything." Kallen said with an exhausted tone, a trail of blood is flowing down from her forehead to the side of her left eye.
The Lich, for her part, looks a bit down before slowly turning her head towards the Spanish nun, surprisingly unharmed... Well, not being more hurt than before by the coffins from the Lich, having set them up as a barrier to protect the nun when the fireball exploded. The nun, now with half of her body turning deadly pale just like the Zombies, says with a snicker and a meaningful nce at the Lich.
"Before I was... rudely interrupted by my sister..." The Lich looks away, embarrassed. "I was saying that... If you want to uncover the truth and... nothing but the truth about what the Sardegnian Army has...mitted behind your back." The nun takes in a shaky breath as more of her skin turns paler, though it doesn''t look ufortable from what Natasha can see. "It would do you good to investigate... the ones behind the bombing here... Only then can you discover more... about the dark side of this...war. I do wonder, however,... when the two of you learn more about this conflict... What would you do...? Stay, and fight... to change the corrupted system... from the inside. Or leave, spread your wings... and let the system burns to the ground..."
Kallen, for the most part, listens with even, albeit forceful, breath. Natasha tests the water by moving a bit closer to Kallen. When she sees that the Praetorians only re but not doing much further than that, Natasha steps to the side of Kallen, standing near her to ward off any attempt from the Praetorians.
"Hey, sister, what''s your game now?" Natasha asked with a tilt of her head. "I would kill to get out of here and find myself a hot bath, won''t you agree?" She said ironically.
Surprisingly, Kallen lowers her arms before turning around. "We''re done here." Kallen said in a nd tone.
"Wait, what!?" It''s not just Natasha but even the Zombies are confused.
Kallen holsters her weapons while walking a few steps ahead of Natasha, prompting thetter to chase after her. Kallen suddenly turns her head around.
"It''s not much,ing from the ignorant me, but I offer you all my apologies and thanks. Apology for whatever sins we''vemitted on Spanish soil. Thank you, for your willingness to help show me that there is more I need to learn." Kallen stopped for a moment after saying her lines. For the first time ever, Natasha can see that Kallen is unsure, lost on how to proceed. "I... You... You all should go, and hide. As long as you stay away from any settlements, causing no harm on any side in these conflicts, you will be able to live rtively peaceful lives."
Ok... Now, this is way over the top for Natasha to not ask. "Are you sure about this, sister? They were trying to kill us mere moments ago. Heck, they nearly got the nun over there!" Natasha punctuates her point by pointing at the nun that is slowly being zombified.
"I... I''m good!" The nun interjected with a smallugh, clearly treating her experience of almost being killed by her Zombie sister as an interesting one.
"That''s not the point here you dolt!" Natasha snarked back. "Arrggh! What the hell is wrong with today!? It''s supposed to be a vacation, damn it!"
With Natasha raging without actually meaning any harm, having holstered her guns just like Kallen, the surrounding Praetorians share a look with each other before dispelling their scythes all so. An awkward stalemate between the Livings and the Deads soon follows as both sides are reassessing the situation. Shockingly, they both decide to take a leap of faith.
"Natasha, as you can see, they''re smart enough to know what to do and not to do." Kallen then nces at the nun. "And I have a feeling that the nun can keep them in check."
Scratching her head while heaving a sigh, Natasha relents. "Fine, fine! It''s your call, sister. Even though you''re not an operative like me, you''re awfully more perceptive than I am on delicate matters like this. I will trust your judgment, and by extension, trust them to stay in line. In fact..." Natasha then fumbles around her pocket, pulling out her map and a marker pen, and circling a location on the map. Much to Kallen''s pleasant surprise, Natasha then throws it at the foot of the Lich. "Marked on that map is a safe house, well, safe cave system with enough necessities to be exact. Unless you go around murdering, which I still think you just might, not a single soul will be wandering near it for the duration of this war. It''s a good ce as any for you all to stay there."
Much to Natasha''s surprise, Kallen wraps her arms around the former from behind. "Thank you, Natasha. They all deserve that much at least." Natasha blushes at the most beautiful smile she has ever seen.
"You''re... shockingly soft-hearted despite your words, Lady Natasha." The nun said,cking the difort she used to have earlier. "I thank you on behalf of them, and I assure you we won''t be falling into the habits of other Demons."
Rolling her eyes, good-naturedly this time, Natasha replies after faking a cough. "You better! I will be checking on you all regrly so don''t go aroundmitting sin!"
The Lich soon goes to the nun, on foot, while crouching down to inspect the health, and the transformation process, of thetter.
"We will go check on you." Kallen interjected. "Though we had gone off on the wrong footing, I do hope we can start anew. I sincerely wish that I can confide in you all about matters that tangled my heart." Kallen''splexion turns a shade brighter after this. Natasha can finally sigh in relief, not wanting to see a moody Kallen any time soon.
The nun, with almost all of her body turning white, gives Kallen an affirmative nod. "We will be waiting for you at the cave Lady Natasha mentioned. Since you''ve decided to ce your trust in us, we will be doing the same for you. And may the Lord above guides you on your journey for answers."
Kallen smiles at this, though Natasha can see that the Lich is rolling her eyes behind the blindfold, shooing them away from the graveyard. Kallen then giggles, pulling Natasha by the arms and back to their truck. Boarding it, the pair of Crusaders start a slow drive back to Murcia with many things running inside their mindscapes.
"You know, the others may not condone us for our action earlier, nor will they on the actions we are about to undertake." Natasha said to an absentminded Kallen.
Being pulled out of her thoughts, Kallen replies. "Aside from the Lord, nobody needs to know."
Natasha quirks an eyebrow at this, directing Kallen a side nce. "That''s not very Kallen-like."
Shaking her head, Kallen answers with a smile. "No, it isn''t. We can just say that we were forced to engage a group of stray Demons, which isn''t far from the truth. As for what we''ve learned back there, it''s best that we keep it between us and them. I am inclined to trust them, after what I''ve learned on the battlefield, but we need to verify the veracity of those ims first."
"Leave that to me then. There used to be words floating around on the Spanish front that Sardegna has been bombing civilian targets, one of them was probably the site we fought earlier too. Though our records stated otherwise. I never bother to learn much more on that but now is a good time as any." Natasha offered her expertise.
Kallen nods, grateful to have Natasha as her subordinate and sister. "I will leave it in your capable hand then. Just do be discreet and be safe."
Laughing, Natasha replies. "I highly doubt me, spying on a few persons, is more than what happened earlier, sister." She then quiets down, asking. "Say, what should we do if the ims are proven true? Do we leave, or stay?"
Pondering with a finger under her chin, an action that Natasha must admit that it''s cute, Kallen then shockingly says a thing that almost caused Natasha to crash into a stray goat. "Both. Both is good."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 7: Solid Cioara
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 7: Solid Cioara
With their convictions made clear, Kallen and Natasha didn''t waste any time digging up whatever clues and information that may pertain to the sinsmitted by the Sardegnian military. For a whole month, the pair disguised their investigation activity as moving around for sightseeing and inquiring about local attractions. Kallen, for the most part, utilizes her position as the leader of the Crusaders and obtains battle reports, documents, and maps showcasing troop movements, and even scheduling interviews with frontline soldiers. It''s thetter that Natasha ys a big part in, thanks to her ability to infer truths from lies.
Currently, Natasha is in a tavern paying the bill for the drinks she bought for a group of airmen. They were the ones flying on that fateful day above Murcia three months ago, and although they weren''t the ones thatmitted that crime perse, they did subtly point her in a direction. Natasha opens up her palm where a small paper slip was passed into her pocket mere moments ago. It seems like one of the airmen from before has a quick hand and left that note in her jacket.
"78th Bomber Squadron, Corporal Luca." Seeing the name and affiliation written on the paper, Natasha smirked before lighting a small fire atop her fingertip, burning the note.
Natasha isn''t sure what the name means to be exact but it''s a good lead as any. She seriously needs a change of pace after the monotonous task of gathering Spanish newspapers, for their view on Sardegnians war crimes, and the insufferable flirting from the men of the standard armed forces. It''s time to do what she does best, snooping around in the dark.
By nightfall, Natasha has managed to track the 78th Squadron to their home base, one of the makeshift airfields around four kilometers away from Murcia. Even though she''s a Crusader and by all rights Natasha could just waltz in through the front door, she opted not to due to the nature of her mission. Instead, Natasha jumps over the wired fence that the Engineer Corp raised and stealthily infiltrates the airbase. Her first task would be to get to know theyout of the airbase, which is why she is now raiding the basemander''s office. Usually, it''s here that they have the necessary papers that denote which squads go where. Natasha isn''t disappointed in her guess for she instantlyes across a handrawn map of the airbase on the table. Whoever made it has a great hand for she can easily spot the nametag of the 78th Squadron at the South East corner of the map.
With that out of the way and time to spare, Natasha decides to raid the cubicles and drawers, hoping to find anything else that could prove useful in the future. It''s not the first time she has done this, in fact, Natasha has also rummaged around the personal stuff of Murcia''s leading cadre. Unfortunately, her past efforts resulted in dead-end correspondents with no tell-tale sign that could lead her to the result she wanted. Yes, wanted.
Even though her past attempts at digging up usable intel have ended in failures, Natasha has been able to prove that: Yes, the military is covering up something. This is why right now, Natasha really hopes she can put an end to this finding needle in a haystack game. The Crusaders'' vacation is almost over and soon, they would have to return to the frontline. Finding any further proof at that point would be near impossible unless they just so happened to stumble across the scene of a war crime in progress. Suddenly, Natasha''s hands which have been flipping away some documents stop and pull out a folder.
It''s a list of KIA pilots and... "You''ve got to be shitting me!" Natasha cursed under her breath for the very first name on that list is none other than Corporal Luca and his rear gunner, Private Francesco. Time of death, their second sortie on Spanish airspace, a mere one week after the destruction of a ''military convoy'' near Murcia. The funny thing is, this pair of airmen was marked as ''shot down by enemy aircraft'' yet, from what Natasha and Kallen managed to uncover, there was no proof of Spanish air presence on that same day. Why? It''s because, during that very day, Natasha was tasked with supporting friendly infantries in that same Area of Operation. There wasn''t enough anti-air presence in that vige, not to mention any enemy aircraft.
It''s highly likely that these two airmen were shot down by their allies instead. Natasha has a guess as to why but anyway, with them dead, she has lost her one good lead after all this time. Unwilling to give up after sneaking this far, Natasha tries to determine where''s the belongings of these poor souls. She hopes that the Lord that, at the very least, they could have left behind something that others can use. It doesn''t take her long to fish out a manifest in the base''s warehouse that holds non-critical items. Scanning from tip to bottom of the yellowish paper, she soon spots what she''s looking for, a crate that contains the personal belongings of KIA pilots, prepped to be sent back to their homnd in a couple of days.
"Bingo!" Neatly putting the documents back where they belonged, Natasha then moves away from the office building and into a dark corner outside it. Dodging away from a pair of patrols, Natasha then makes her way to the warehouse, guarded, but if she ys her cards right, they won''t be able to notice a thing.
Silently picking up a rock that is conveniently just by her side, Natasha aims and tosses it a moderate distance from the pair of night guards. If they were drowsy before then they''re now startled awake when the tire of a truck next to them suddenly detes. The noise it makes was big enough to have one of them curse.
"God almighty! I almost thought we were about to be shelled or something!"
"You don''t say...!" The other guard replied with spite. Clearly, none of them liked what she did. "Damn these Bredas, it''s always them that cause troubles!"
The pair then makes their way to the truck with one of them kicking the deted tire. "Damn, the fucking thing is ripped, probably took too much punishment on the road, and not a single soul has serviced it."
The one that justined then sighs. "Help me grab the tool kit for this thing, won''t ya? Should be in the back. Better deal with this now while we still can, otherwise the Lieutenant will chew us out."
Begrudgingly, the guards discarded their standing duty and work on the truck. With the sound of their tools masking her steps, Natasha reaches the side of the brick warehouse with ease. The A-rank Crusader then swiftly jumps up the side of the building, hoisting herself through an open venttion window. Slowly, Natasha descends on the catwalk and makes her way down, minding not to cause any nking sound. Now, to find a crate amid a plethora of boxes and barrels. Fortunately for Natasha, being a Crusader gives her night vision so she doesn''t take much time to identify the object of her interest.
Sitting atop a pile of other unremarkable crates is a red wooden box with a lock. With finesse, Natasha reaches the top of the pile, her hand sping the rusty ck lock. Natasha doesn''t have a key, hence she slowly freezes up the lock with mean magic until it turns brittle enough for her to silently break it open. After that, Natasha gently opens the wooden crate, her eyes scanning the contents inside.
"Clothing, pocket watch, a bracelet, and a ... ring." Natasha picks up a standard silver ring, iid with two names, Luca and Imelia. "Poor bastard..." Natasha ces the ring back where it belongs, offering a silent prayer to the Corporal.
After rummaging around for a bit, Natashaes across a stack of notebooks, a bible with a faded cover, and a camera. "Hopefully you three hold something important or I would have wasted my effort on nothing."
First, Natasha investigates the notebooks, one by one. She didn''t turn up much aside from drawing of Spanishndscapes and a few lines of diary of no consequential. There''s a half-finished drawing of a devastated convoy of vehicles but it''s hard to make out the exact details for what seems to be water droplets had faded out a few areas.
Deciding that she should keep the notebooks in a satchel for further reviewing, Natasha then inspects the rugged handheld camera. Clearly, it has seen some use but the one that owned this knew how to maintain the contraption. Opening the film holder, Natasha is disappointed when she doesn''t see a roll of film there. It''s either the camera has always been empty or someone has removed it. Sighing, Natasha puts the machine back. With this, thest thing that Natasha still hasn''t checked is the old bible.
"What are the odds here?" Natasha muttered sarcastically, not believing that there would be anything useful here. Maybe she could check their previous lodging next?
Anyway, Natasha still picks up the bible, her habit kicks in to make sure no stone is left unturned. Surprisingly, the small bible is lighter than it looks. "Now that is just weird."
When officially enlisted in the military, a Sardegnian soldier is given a small, handheld bible, much like the one Natasha is currently holding. The A-rank Crusader hase across a lot of such bibles and its attributes are deeply ingrained into her mindset. Now, with this bible, in particr, being lighter than the others, that warrants a deeper look. Instantly, Natasha flips the bible open, shocked to see that the pages in it have been hollowed out, leaving room for a roll of camera film to be taped in ce.
"God blesses your soul for being such a crafty individual, Luca." Knowing better than to view the film here, Natasha deposits the hollowed bible inside her satchel. After that, Natasha rearranges the contents of the crate and closes the lid. There''s nothing she can do about the lock but thesezy guards will just chalk it up as an old, broken lock anyway.
Making her way down, Natasha is surprised to hear the sounds of a conversation and footsteps approaching the warehouse. Without hesitation, Natasha chooses to hide in the safest spot. She hides inside an upside-down cardboard box. Calming her breath, Natasha waits. Momentster, the pair of guards from before opens the gate of the warehouse and steps inside.
"You sure this is a good idea?" One of them asked while pointing hismp at a corner of the warehouse. They''re looking for something, judging from what she heard before they arrived. Fortunately, they aren''t suspecting a Crusader to be hiding here.
"Trust me, it will be fine. It''s not like they would be checking the contents of what would be sent back to the Papal State." The footsteps then move further away from her location. "Besides, don''t tell me you aren''t interested in some Spanish wine after our overtime work."
"I would be lying to the Lord if I say I''m not." The other guard chuckled. "Now, where''s the box?"
"If I recall correctly, it should be here... There, shine the light here for me, won''t ya?" The pair then works on unlocking a different crate.
Utilizing the muffled ruckus they''re making, Natasha crouches walks away from them, cardboard box and all, and heads for the still-open doorway. Very soon, Natasha is out of the warehouse, she then rounds a corner before settling down near a bush. After checking her surrounding, Natasha deems it safe enough to dash out of the cardboard box, copsing it, and disappearing into the night.
With her objective of the night aplished with none the wiser, Natasha would have to visit one of her safehouses and develop the film roll she acquired. Comes morning, Natasha should have the intel that Kallen and she need to determine their next move.
Whatever the case, it seems like it''s another sleepless night for Natasha. Praise the Lord for making her a Crusader and not just some run-of-the-mill agent.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 8: Underlying Resistance
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 8: Underlying Resistance
"As much as I hate to say this..." Kallen puts down the aerial photos that Natasha passed her. "These won''t be enough to disturb the murky water around us. They only show the before and after the act wasmitted, not during it."
Hearing such words, Natasha can''t help but slump back into her seat. "Figured that''s the case. These pictures, albeit they show the actual target was pure civilian, don''t say much aside from the fact that it got ruined in the end. In the best case scenario, the 78th Squadron would be dismissed and that''s basically it."
Natasha then sits upright, her fingers picking up and twirling a picture. "I have to admit, never thought it would be this hard to unearth something others decided to bury."
Kallen can literally see the unwillingness to give up radiating from Natasha. Chuckling, the S-rank Crusader says. "Even with us gathering falsified reports and the official respondents from Spain, we only managed to confirm that war crimes weremitted, just not anything more than that. Knowing you, I guess you have a n to give us something more concrete to work on?"
"I do, but it''s hard to say whether it''s a good n or not." Natasha replied, a bit hesitant about its feasibility.
Raising an eyebrow, Kallen urges. "Do tell, don''t keep me waiting."
Licking her lips, Natasha forms her words. "Well, you have since ordered us to maintain public security whenever we can, and helped stave off a few unfavorable attempts too. It''s just that, I think, we''re too high-profile and only act on the surface. This gives thosemitting more heinous deeds the time and chances to disguise their actions. So, my suggestion would be for you, sister, to order the Crusaders to be pulled back. Not without a logical exnation though, maybe setting up for the majority of us to go on another offensive..."
"And if we do that, they will be forced to pay attention to us on one front while lowering their guards on the others. This will make the others unable to contain themselves and act out, with them being unattentive you can easily snoof them out." Kallen finished Natasha''s train of thought, prompting the gray-haired woman to nod. Sighing, Kallen continues. "What you''re saying is that you want to create an opportunity to harm the innocents and catch them in the act. If we follow it through, many will suffer."
"Which is why it''s doubtful whether it''s a good n or not. A part of me thinks that if we follow this through, we''re no different than them by sacrificing the few." Natasha admitted while wording her words, very carefully at that.
"Yeah, we''re not going through with it. Not even if that''s the only way we can do it. Sorry, Natasha, but I would have to trouble you with continuing what you have been doing earlier." Kallen smiled wryly.
"It''s fine, sister, this is better suited to my elements. Though I would like to request a change few changes, considering that just sticking to shadow has been quite unintuitive."
"You have another ideaing up already?" Kallen chuckled, making Natasha scratch her cheek with a lightugh.
"You know me, sister, the alphabet would run out before I''m out of ns. What I want is for you to grant me full autonomy on how I conduct my business. That and you would formally send me out for an intelligence-gathering quest on the other side of the front. So far, I''ve been very passive in my ystyle and it''s time for me to change things up a little."
"... You want to go unsupported, are you sure? This task we have been undertaking may even ce you away from civilization for months." Kallen reiterated in concern. "What if something happens to you and we can''t contact you?"
Feeling warmth under the honest gaze of her sister, Natasha smiles reassuringly, interlocking the other party''s fingers with hers. "Don''t worry, sister, with us doing the right thing, the Lord will shelter us for whatever''s about toe. And it''s not like the first time I drop off the grid, only this time will take a bit longer than usual. You can trust me to keep myself safe and me bringing back actual results this time. Once we have something to move on, you can help me decide our next course of action. It''s you, however, that should be more mindful of yourself. After all, you will be fighting on the frontline very soon, sister."
Seeing the resoluteness in Natasha''s eyes, Kallen relents, closing her eyes and biting her lower lip. "...Promise me that you will ce your well-being first. With us sinking our feet in dark water, who knows what could happen if we aren''t being careful? As long as you''re safe, you can still perform your duties to the Lord..." Kallen opens her eyes, gazing at Natasha''s pink orbs before looking away, muttering low enough that the A-rank Crusader can barely catch it. "And to me."
Natasha will be lying if she said that her heart wasn''t flustered hearing Kallen''sst sentence. If Natasha was ever a bit regretful of having to partway with Kallen, she isn''t now for she is feeling inspired and determined. At least, now Natasha has a person she can, no, must return to whenever her task is done. Is this how a soldier feels when they have to part with their lover? Can''t say she does not like it.
Bringing the back of Kallen''s hand to meet her lips, Natasha then says with full confidence. "My dear sister, we may part temporarily but trust me, I will return by your side! Until then, do keep yourself safe and sound, just for me!" The gant way Natasha suddenly acted caused Kallen to blush. The S-rank Crusader then shyly nods under the intense gazeing from Natasha, prompting thetter to smile in glee.
Unbeknownst to them both at the time, their rtionship has since gone past what''s permitted between master and subordinate.
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Whenever Kallen remembers that afternoon two months ago, she can''t help but sports a light shade of blush on her cheeks. Back then, Kallen''s mind wasn''t in the right tune, having been frustrated time and time again due to theirck of progress. Hence, when Natasha volunteered herself to go even deeper and further before, Kallen was very worried and acted on impulse, thus prompting Natasha to be bolder than usual. With Kallen being aplete novice in the affair name Love, she really doesn''t know how to react after her pseudo confession to Natasha and thetter''s gant reaction to it... Surprisingly, Kallen doesn''t feel any semnce of difort against their respective actions though. After sorting through her emotion for weeks, Kallen hase to learn that she isn''t afraid of getting to know Natasha better. And from the signals she has received, Natasha should be feeling just the same.
The question is, if both parties are of the same sex, is it allow? Well, the Lord''s teaching doesn''t really specify anything so it should be fine, maybe. Whatever themon man says isn''t really suitable considering Kallen and Natasha''s identities.
Perhaps, Kallen should explore the feeling that is swelling up in her chest whenever she thought about Natashater, especially when thetter finally returns after her quest.
"Sister, the road ahead is cleared!" Said another Crusader beneath Kallen''smand. "No more Demons are blocking our path to the frontline town."
Being pulled out of her silent mulling, Kallen gently smiles and pats the blonde-haired Crusader for her job well done. "That''s great! You have worked hard for my sake."
Blushing at the directpliment and being bathed under the envious gazes of other Crusaders, the blonde-haired girl fumbles a response. "I-It wasn''t strenuous, sister! None at all! In fact, I would dly do it again!"
Seeing her hyper-activeness, Kallen chuckles, nudging her head at the truck they''re supposed to ride on. "Come, the convoy should make an entry before nightfall so let''s not waste any more time."
"Yes!"
Having said that, the Crusaders board their respective vehicles alongside the standard infantrymen. Kallen, in particr, rides in the middle truck in the co-driver seat. Without Natasha, another one of her close aidesmands the vehicle forward.
Currently, the convoy of tanks and trucks is tasked with reinforcing a frontline position, in a popted town, against possible enemy incursions. Were it only a standard probing attack, Crusaders may not be sent in droves but Natasha has sent her intelligence that it''s a full counterattack. A full Spanish Coalition division has been gearing up just behind a ridgeline, warranting an increase in manpower in the region to hold them off. At least, until other parts of the frontline can break through and finish Operation Ballista.
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Discreetly avoiding a few distracted Sardegnian patrols, a young boy, barely 13 of age, skulks about in the alleyways of his hometown. Finally, after rounding multiple corners and holes in the fences to lose whatever tail he may have, the boy arrives at a nondescript sewer cover. Standing on top of it, the boy taps his foot on the manhole a few times before dropping a folded piece of paper. Then, without waiting for a response, he makes his way out of the area. Behind him, a hand half opens the manhole and grabs the paper. After making sure it''s safe, the lid is returned to its former position, undisturbed.
In the sewer system beneath the town, a man is soon passed with the paper, his eyes scanning the content with the aid of a dimly lit oilmp.
"Little Pero has confirmed, the intel checks out. It seems like they have taken the bait, sending numerous high-value targets here." The man said to his fellow officers of the gueri cell, one that was formed with people that stayed behind.
"So, we follow through with this, boss man? Instead of them being wary of the Coalition a few klicks out, what if they''re for us? Bagging all of us in one go is a nice catch." A gruff voice asked without any hesitation, just genuine curiosity.
"Yeah boss, what if that grayishssie lied? We have been causing as much trouble as possible behind the line, if not for our discretion, we would have been taken out long ago by the Crusaders. By now, they may even stoop lower than usual if it''s just to write us off." Said another officer while stroking his beard.
Another officer next to him scoffs. "As if those dogs from the Papacy aren''t already dog shit. I will forever remember the day they tried and held my abu hostage, just to lure me out." He then sniffs. "My abu made me proud to be her grandson, crushing their balls before joining us in our cause."
They all nod at the man''s reminiscence, the Spanish Resistance is stronger with his abu, who has now be a sort of spiritual support for the growing group. After their banter, the officer in charge then says.
"Due to our special circumstances, coordinating with the Spanish Coalition is a nightmare due to the fear of capture. Hence, it''s still unconfirmed whether the Coalition will make a push for this town or not. It''s not like we, as Spanish, will be able to just go out and ask anyway. Either way, I would have given the order to relocate further behind the front due to the increase in security around this part. Yet," He then opens a folder containing the images of the destroyed Murcia all those months ago. "That meeting changes everything... My daughter was there, screaming my name in vain, you know."
They all fall silent as an oppressive atmosphere descends upon them. The man in charge then continues. "Ever since then, our resistance has witnessed more and more mistreatments and ughters of our citizens. And not just that, we''ve been collecting more and more evidence of their misdeeds. Enough that they''ve been putting a price tag on our heads, nearly seed in getting us to if not for the tip from thatdy..."
"Lady Raven..." One of the other men in the room muttered.
"Right, Lady Raven. A Crusader that is discontent with the way the so-called Soldiers of God conducted themselves. That single sentence from her has allowed us to escape unscathed with most of our resources. Ever since then, she has been discreetly helping us at different intervals. Ultimately, it resulted in our meeting a week ago to cash in the favors we owed her."
One of them grimaces. "She is asking for a lot. In a way, our safety is guaranteed due to the number of dirty papers we have on the Sardegnians. If we gave it all to her, what will keep them from cracking down even harder than before?"
"That''s the thing though, she isn''t asking for all of them. Merely copies and a few unique ones., it''s as if she''s trying to do something else with the evidence instead of getting rid of it." Another interjected.
"Perhaps she is trying to bring the war crimes to light?" Somebody else said that, causing a few others to look at him incredulously. "Think about it, guys. She is not sharing the bed with the Sardegnian Army, in fact, none of the Crusaders are from what we have seen. This could be an internal investigation that the Crusaders are conducting and they need our help to put a stop to the bloody affair."
"That... could be the case. Though I highly doubt they would like to use them overtly, this thing can burn Sardegna to the ground, given the right person to use it." They all nodded.
"Unfortunately, that person is not us. We have been quite unsessful in smuggling the evidence out. Credit where credit is due, these Sardegnian seems to know all of our smuggler routes."
Hearing theint, the man in charge responds. "That''s because they have also been using them before this war. Causing arge amount of disturbance in the process. If we weren''t quick to change our way of moving around, we wouldn''t even be here in the first ce." He then stops, shaking his head. "Let''s leave the matter of war crimes and such behind us, leave them for the Coalition and Crusaders to deal with. We must now concentrate on the inbound convoy. I''ve decided, we must seize this chance to cause a major blow to the Sardegnian, and lower their standing in the eyes of the locals, our friends, and families."
The others share a look before giving their leader resolute nods. "Your order, boss man?"
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 9: Textbook Ambush
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 9: Textbook Ambush
As the Sardegnian finally set foot into the frontline town proper, Kallen can''t help but let her gaze lingers for a few seconds longer on a small church near the main road. High up on the bell tower, Kallen can spot the figure of a priest sping his hands in prayer before performing the holy sign. The Spanish man then moves to a rope connecting to a set of copper bells before pulling it with strength, ringing a resounding chime across the entire town.
Knowing that it''s now noon, Kallen removes her gaze from the priest, focusing on the road ahead of her as the convoy slowly makes its way further inside the town. What Kallen doesn''t know is that once the bells are rung, the priest then crouches down on the bell tower before resurfacing with a metallic object in his hands. Also further ahead of the convoy, in a shadier warehouse of the town, a group of Spanish are making their final preparation.
"Abu, are you ready?" Ask a Spanish resistance member, equipped with nothing but a Kar98k and a bandolier asked an old woman, wearing a thick ck coat. Nodding with a surprising fitness for a woman past her 60s, the Abu rearranges the content inside her coat before putting her hands on the handlebar of an old stroller. She is ready to do her part for the Spanish people.
Aside from the few clicking and nking of rifle bolts and magazines being loaded into submachine guns, none other speak up a single word. The atmosphere is tense for the thing they all are about to do may just be theirst, after all. Some still have lingering fears and regrets but ultimately, they ept their fate for the greater good of Spain. A couple of minutester, they can hear the rumbling of engines in the distance. A newspaper delivery kid then runs past the warehouse, throwing a bundle of newspaper through one of its opened windows. Gazing at the rolled-up papers a few steps away, the leader of this resistance cell closes his eyes, muttering a short prayer to the Lord. Steeling his resolve, the man theny a palm on the shoulder of the venerable Abu.
"Abu, we will be counting on you." Taking his hand off her, the leader then personally pushes open the doors for Abu. Without further words, Abu pushes the stroller outside, turning left and moving down the street in the direction of the approaching convoy.
Not just her, but the rest of the resistance cell in the warehouse also moves to a favorable position. They have long set up an ambush using the many buildings on the predicted path of the convoy, they need only wait for the signal from Abu now.
Slowly, with the creaking noise from the old stroller wheels rolling atop cobblestones, Abues to see the first vehicle in the convoy, an L3 tankette. Themander of the tankette who is turning out for a smoke, alsoys his eyes on the olddy. Under the intense sunlight of high noon, pedestrians are rare on this stretch of the road with little to no green cover. This is especially true when this town is upied by Sardegna, the locals aren''t very weing of their new lord, you see. To see an old woman pushing a baby stroller at this time of day is rare, but it''s not a thing to worry about. Rather, the tankettemander knocks his fist atop the driver hatch a couple of times, signaling his driver to slow down.
For what it''s worth, the tankettemander doesn''t want the olddy to be run over by his vehicle. Too much blood has been shed over thisnd, innocent blood at that. The tankettemander can''t help but recall the few scenes of carnage and obscenity he came across before, a part of him has already given up on their so-called righteous cause because of those. To him, the only thing matter is to finish this war fast and get back home with his wife and kids. Unfortunately for this tanker, his wistful thoughts are not to be.
Abu, having closened the distance with the L3 to a mere few meters, suddenly pushes the stroller down the road, sending it careening in the direction of the tankette. With her hand holding a thin cord that is attached to the stroller, Abu then jumps to a side alley, tucking herself into cover.
The tankettemander, albeit absentminded early, is quick to react when the stroller is sent directly to the armored vehicle. He instantly shouts out a stop order to his driver. Much to his credit, the driver immediately steps on the brake, almost sending his ownmander flying in the process. Yet, the stroller maintains its course due to inertia and ms directly into the front of the L3 before tipping over. With cold sweat on his face, the tankettemander hurriedly jumps out of the vehicle, praying to the lord that the kid inside is still fine. Such are his final thoughts and prayers before an explosion consumes both him and the tankette.
The stroller was an IED trap and they fell right for it. Abu had detonated the mortar shells hidden inside the stroller, sting away the leading L3 tankette and flipping it over. The shockwave also decimated the windows and porches of the nearby houses but did not manage to harm Abu who hid nearby. Calmly, the olddy then reaches inside her pocket and pulls out a cigarette of her own before lighting it. She then takes a long drag of the good stuff while waiting for the rest of the resistance to act.
With Abu raising Hell, the priest that is standing on the bell tower of the church also deploys his grenade buster, aiming for the rearmost vehicle of the convoy which is another L3 tankette. He then pulls the trigger, creating a big thump as the anti-tank projectile travels a parabolic arc andnds squarely on the top of the tankette. This time, the tankette''s upper half is obliterated with its fuel being set on fire, spilling me everywhere. Seeing that his task is done, the priest then evacuates the bell tower and the church entirely. He carries his grenade buster and disappears into a tunnel hidden beneath the Holy Cross of the church.
Understandably, with both their lead and trailing vehicles being disabled, thus blocking their path forward and backward, the Sardegnian army descends into panic as they try to figure out what just happened. Kallen and the other Crusaders descend from their vehicles Kallen immediately tries to take control of the situation. The S-rank Crusaders instantly knows that this is an enemy attack, having seen her fair share of simr ambush tactic. Yet, Kallen doesn''t have the chance to do much aside from having her Crusaders raise protective barriers when multiple civilians, armed with guns and grenades, appear from windows, balconies, and alleyways. Then, all Hell truly breaks loose.
A multitude of leads and grenades are poured down on the heads of the Sardegnian army members. Additionally, Molotov cocktails are dropped directly on the transport trucks, burning the upants alive. Being surrounded on all sides and caught off-guard like this, the infantrymen that manage to dismount are cut down with impunity, even though these resistance members aren''t carrying much in terms of heavy armament.
Abu, after seeing that the battle is fully underway, drags another long breath of smoke before discarding her coat, thus revealing the Tommy Gun she has been carrying. Like the badass she is, Abu then steps out of the alleyway, her Tommy Gun holding high,ing face to face with a young Sardegnian that has been diving for cover. Without much ado, Abu gifts the young man a faceful of lead before turning to mow down a couple more with her .45 ACP goodies. Of course, the sight of an olddy spewing hot lead would have warranted immediate response if not for the fact that these Sardegnians are tucking their head down.
Abu, however, doesn''t risk it. The olddy fires expend all fifty rounds of her drum magazine before dashing for cover, but not before sending a grenade at a bunch of cowering Sardegnians, killing them in drove. With both an explosive entrance and getaway, Abu has left behind her bloody trademark on this ambush. Soon after, Abu''s figure fades away into a nearby sewer, out of sight of the enemy infantries.
Kallen, knowing that staying out in the open like this is not a good idea, orders her Crusaders and the nearby soldiers to make a break for the buildings around them. Her n is to bring the fight directly to the enemy, crushing the resistance with the better-equipped infantrymen and the much stronger physical ability of the Crusaders. Kallen is just about to have her sisters fire off a wave of spells to stun the opposition''s firing positions when a wave of smoke grenades engulfs the entire convoy. Effectively blinds, Kallen can''t help but clicks her tongue. To add insult to injury, Kallen hears the clicking and nking of many more grenades being dropped. Pushing her barrier to the absolute limit, Kallen manages to protect her sisters from the iing sts. Because of this, none of her sisters are injured or worse yet, dead. The same can''t be said for the army men, though. Many are now rolling on the ground, either groaning and bleeding to death or knocked unconscious and are still bleeding to death.
Fortunately or not, the Spanish resistance has already made their getaway when the smoke screen rolled out, leaving behind an explosive farewell to this group of Sardegnians. One that they can only swallow bitterly.
"... They''ve retreated." Kallen muttered she would be lying to the Lord if she said she wasn''t feeling miffed about the situation.
"Shall we pursuit, sister?" A nearby Crusader asked, prompting Kallen to shake her head. "It''s toote, they''ve gotten us good and should have been long gone by now. Even if we do give chase, we may run into another trap instead." Knowing that Kallen has a point, the Crusader backs down and doesn''t press the issue.
As the smoke cloud clears up, Kallen and her battle sisters perform a perimeter sweep for hostility. As expected, theye up with nothing but terrified civilians and spent cartridges. The Spanish Resistance didn''t even receive a single casualty from the ambush they just sprung, at least not from what Kallen can see. It was a textbook ambush.
On the other hand, not counting the dead vehicle crews, the Sardegnian Army incurred three dozen casualties from that short engagement. This will no doubt severely reduce their force projection in the area for the short term, Kallen can just see the troubles this will bring right now.
Calling off the search after fifteen fruitless minutes, Kallen tasks her sisters to head back to the ambush site. Those that know healing magics are also asked by Kallen to help the wounded. Very soon, another sort of activity is taking ce at the ruined convoy, the post-battle clean-up kind. Knowing that a convoy was ambushed, a nearby toon that is garrisoned in the town has also just arrived to help with the aftermath. A part of Kallen wants to question the Lieutenant in charge on why the Hell did he report that the area is secured, only for them to be attacked right under his nose. Yet, Kallen knows better than to throw shade at the moment. It should be done when the tension in the air has died down lest mistakes are made. Or at least that was what Kallen hoped for until she hear a feminine scream, follows soon after by a boy shouting. "Mama!"
Quickly turning around, Kallenes to see a group of battered soldiers, their faces flush due to adrenaline and anger, dragging a Spanish mother by her hair out of her house and onto the ground. With a teary face, her son is wing and biting at the hands of his mother''s captors. What shock Kallen the most, however, is the fact that the nearby soldiers aren''t moving to stop the tragedy that is about to take ce. Rather, they''re even cheering the group.
"*Whistle* Nice catch!"
"Hey! Once you guys are done ''interrogating'' her, why don''t you let us have a go, heh?"
Were it before Kallen is deployed to Spain, she may have been unable to notice the underlying meaning of these men. Yet, with the forbidden knowledge she has right now, Kallen is infuriated that these men are breaking the Laws of the Lord right in front of her eyes. Noticing Kallen''s souring mood, a Crusader steps forth andy a hand on her shoulder. "Sister Kallen, what''s wrong?"
"What''s wrong? Don''t you see that the woman is being mistreated?" Kallen almost spat thest sentence out in spite.
The Crusader''s reply stuns Kallen, however. "Isn''t that normal, sister? While their handling may be roughed, they do have full authority on interrogating these heretics." The Crusader then shrugs. "It''s best if we leave the lowly tasks to them."
It''s at this moment that Kallen, once again, is reminded that aside from herself and Natasha, the rest of the Crusaders are still blinded by the supposed just cause that the Papal State has been spouting. Scanning the Crusaders that follow her into this mess, Kallen only sees disinterest and disdain on their faces. For a fraction of a second, Kallen is immensely disappointed in her sisters, the ones that she has been painstakingly looked out for to be good servants to the Lord. They''re supposed to bepassionate and caring to the lessers, not... detached like this. Just what has changed without Kallen''s knowing.
Not having a chance to finish her train of thought, Kallen''s attention is grabbed by a pained scream from the struggling kid. He has been swatted away in anger by a Corporal due to his incessant struggle. "I''ve had enough of you, brat!"
"You should have just been the useless kid you are and let your mom go with us!" The Corporal then moves to kick the kid in his ribs. "That way, your mom would have been feeling all good and you won''t be in pain now." Before the Corporal could have brought his foot down with another sickening smirk, Kallen dashes forth.
Swiping away at the Corporal''s feet, making him fall onto the floor, Kallen then pulls out her pistol and points it at his face. The Corporal''s just about to curse when Kallen shouts. "That''s enough from you all!"
"We''re not here to terrorize the popce!" By now, themotion has attracted meandering eyes from the locals with varying expressions. "If you seek tomit any more atrocity other than what had just been done, then you will have to walk through me! Do I make myself clear!?"
Stunned by the intensity of Kallen''s aura, the surrounding doesn''t know how to react until Kallen prompts them for another time. "What are you waiting for?! Release thatdy!"
"Y-Yes, mdy!" The group of soldiers stepped back, letting thedy scamper away to her crying son.
After taking a look to make sure the pair is ok, Kallen turns to the Corporal at her feet, cold sweats marred his face. "And you! If I see you perform any further act that is unbefitting of a man, I will punish you myself! Capiche?"
"Y-Yes ma''am!" The Corporal nodded, cowering at the murderous gaze that Kallen was sporting.
"Now scram!" Kallen chased the Corporal away with his tail tucked between his legs. She then continues. "From now on, the handling of interrogation and treatment of prisoners will be supervised by us Crusaders! Any attempt of undermining our authority will be met with swift judgment, deliver at our behest! Now back to your stations, soldiers!"
Putting her foot down, Kallen forces these soldiers to act like one, begrudgingly. However, they''re civilized enforcers of God''s Will, she will not allow them to cause more harm than they already had under her watch. With a stern gaze, Kallen lets the infantrymen finish up the clean-up. True to her words, Kallen also tasks the Crusaders to oversee the information-gathering aspect, having them make sure that nothing unscrupulous ismitted in their presence.
Of course, the Crusaders, albeit feeling that the task is beneath them, still carry it out with their whole being. After all, it''s what Kallen sets out to do with a strong conviction.
Kallen can only hope that by doing this, she can improve the muddied situation she has found herself in.
"Natasha, whatever you''re doing, I hope you can put an end to this debacle for I have no idea where to start." Kallen grimaced. "They''re not treating the Spanish people as human. Even our sisters are viewing them as something lesser."
Given time, perhaps Kallen and Natasha could have figured something out. Unfortunately, time is what they both don''t have. A car is quick to pull up near Kallen''s position, stepping off is a Private that rushes over, reporting.
"Mdy! The Spanish Coalition hasunched a counterattack on all fronts! We''re requiring your assistance immediately!"
She really can''t take a break, huh?
RM Side Story 5: Good Morning! (R-18)
RM Side Story 5: Good Morning! (R-18)
Waking up in the arms of a sleeping Elysia, Yuki stifles a yawn before turning her head. It''s always a pleasure for her to know who is still in the nkets with her. Aside from Elysia, Yuki can see that Ningyo, Lu, Hel, and Bryn are cuddling next to her. The others are either already up and about or are busy with something that they couldn''t join them in sleeping on the Empress-size bed. Suddenly, Yuki feels Elysia tightening her hug. Shifting to gaze at the now awake pink elf, Yuki gives Elysia a small smile while snuggling in her arms.
"Morning, sunshine~!" Yuki said. In response, Elysia leans in to kiss her. They both share a deep kiss before Elysia reluctantly pulls away. "Good morning, Yuki! How are you feeling?"
"Well rested." Yuki answered honestly as she started stretching on the bed, being mindful not to wake the others up. "It always feels nice when I cuddle with you all. I guess the same can be said for you."
Elysia giggles. "You make for a nice body pillow, being sofy and squishy." Much to Yuki''s surprise, Elysia entuated the point by groping her perky breasts.
"Ahn~!" Yuki barely managed to contain her moan to a barely audible level. Elysia chuckles before stopping her morning molestation as Yuki lightly punches her shoulder with a shy expression.
"Must you do that every time we wake up!?" Yukiined though she wasn''t that against the act considering that Elysia''s hands were heading for her hips next.
Very soon, Yuki can feel a pair of wandering hands snaking beneath her, surprisingly, babydoll lingerie. Through the almost see-through fabric of her ck lingerie, Yuki can see and feel that Elysia''s fingers stop just outside herher region. Blushing big time for being subjected to this before the first crack of sunlight, not to mention being next to a peacefully unaware Ningyo, Yuki can''t seem to find the strength to stop Elysia, however.
Licking her lips at the sight of a quivering and non-resisting Yuki, Elysia leans in near lips, muttering with heated breath. "Gosh, you''re such a tantalizing sight." She then proceeds to capture Yuki''s lips hungrily while pushing two fingers into Yuki''s already wet slit. The smaller girl''s moan is devoured by a lustful High Elf.
With a hand fingering Yuki while another massaging her dainty butt, Elysia can''t help but get a hard-on almost immediately. Twitching at the feeling of somethingrge, hot, and pointy now touching her legs, Yuki dares a look downward and sees Elysia''srge cock making a tent through her pink lingerie. Gulping audibly at the sight, earning a giggle from Elysia as she breaks the kiss, Yuki''s vagina wall suddenly tightens on Elysia''s fingers as she imagines that cock ravaging her.
"Come on, my dear. It won''t calm itself." Elysia edged on. "Take responsibility for making me have a raging boner so early in the day." Elysia leaned in Yuki''s ear and whispered, gently biting her earlobe in the process.
Muffling a yelp, Yuki slowly reaches out her little hands whenpared to the elf''s big member. Soon, Yuki works the shaft up and down, matching the pace of Elysia pistoning her fingers in and out of her slippery slit. Softly, a lustful scent permeates the air around them as Elysia too starts leaking lewd liquid from both sexes.
Biting back a pleasant grunt, Elysia uses the hand that is groping Yuki''s butt to push her deeper into herself, recapturing those tasty lips of hers in the process. Faster and faster are her fingers, pushing a third in even, Elysia works on bringing Yuki to her climax. Lost in the rhythm created by Elysia, Yuki also returns the favor subconsciously. As her tongue starts a battle with Elysia''s, Yuki has a palm working the shaft while another rubs the tip of Elysia''s penis. Elysia''s precum coated Yuki''s hands, making them slippery and dangerously pleasurable for the elf. Approaching their peak, the pair lost sight of the world, now leaving with only each other in their eyes. To seal the deal, Elysia goes for ast, deep push of her fingers in Yuki''s pussy, thetteres almost instantly as the hands-on Elysia''s member tightens uncontrobly. With herself unable to hold on for any longer with Yuki''s grasp on her cock, Elysia moans lustfully into the girl''s lips as she shoots thick streams of white liquid into the palm that is covering her tip. With the ridiculous amount of semen that she has in store, Yuki''s little hands are coated in a lusty white liquid that is hot to the touch.
Now panting from her morning exertion, Elysia gazes warmly at daze Yuki, still out of sorts from her own climax. Moving the hand that is on Yuki''s butt, Elysia starts softly patting the girl''s soft gray hair while the other, wet with Yuki''s lewd juice, slowly moves back out of the hot vaginal walls. Yuki moans lightly as she resumes her massage of Elysia''s still-hard cock without even knowing. Suddenly, a lewd idea strikes Elysia, using the fingers that are coated with Yuki''s cum, Elysia scoops up her own cum before putting the lewd mixture into her mouth. Right after, she recaptures Yuki''s panting lips, exchanging their fluids at a rapid rate while her hands are now teasing and groping Yuki''s perking nipples. The kiss tastes oddly addictive to Elysia with her promiscuous act gives her and Yuki a much-needed boost toe for a second time in a row. The pair shoot out their respective liquids as they spasm in each other''s grasp.
By the time Elysia''s climax subsides, Yuki has fallen into another slumber, tired due to their impromptu session. Taking a look at their unkempt state and the mess they have made in a corner of the bed, staining its crisp white sheet, Elysia can''t help but chuckles. "Geez... Since when have I be this sinful?"
Elysia then cleans up the wake of their obscenity by virtue of magic, covering up their tracks. Yup, Elysia abuses the power she gains from the Void Archive and her training with Yggdra, just for this. Fight her if you dare!
After making sure their sleeping quarter is now clean and well-ventted, Elysia then carries Yuki to the bathhouse that is connected to the grand bedroom they are in. Daring a look behind her, Elysia is d that the rest are unaware of their lustful act, she then gently nudges Yuki awake before they take a dip in the warm water. The pink elf then helps Yuki refreshes herself, much like what a mother would do to a sleepy child. It''s cute moments like this that Elysia treasures the most about her new arc in life. Traveling all over the world, either singing or helping people with Eden is fun, yes. But nothing beats being close to your loved ones. This new family of hers is so precious that she weighs them above all else.
For them, she is willing to do anything.
Once they''re done cleaning themselves, Elysia helps a now-blushing Yuki, having recalled the sex earlier, to wear her Marshal attire. In return, Yuki helps Elysia get prepare for a casual day.
After another musical tour with Eden in North America, managing to meet up with an old acquaintance that is Jeffrey Iverson there, Elysia and Eden are now taking a break after their period of activity. A major reason for the hiatus is that Sardegna has been giving them trouble. A while earlier, Elysia apanied Eden to a public concert in the US. There, Elysia and Eden came across the daily lives of lower-ss citizens. Being apassionate girl, Elysia, and her power, resonates with their everyday struggles, finding beauty in the way they work for a better tomorrow for their families. When the public concert kicked off, Elysia''s power surges outward andbined with her and Eden''s singing, creating a wave of revitalizing light. Witnesses reported that a halo from Heaven opened up above the stadium where the concert was held. At first, they were just surprised but after the concert, people, including the pair from Belka, were shocked to know that sickness and injuries were healed within a kilometer radius of the concert location. After that, all Hell broke loose.
Understandably, people were moring for them to hold more and more concerts, hoping to receive the effect of a God''s given miracle. Many even petitioned the government to endorse Eden and Elysia just so that they could easily host more performances. The matter even blew up internationally, attracting unwanted eyes. It was at this moment that both the USA and Belka had to step in, much to Yuki''s exasperation and amusement.
"I sent you out with Eden to gather worldly experience, not to cause amotion by being otherwordly." Was what Yuki halfined at the time, Elysia still remembered it fondly till now.
After that, America and Belka capitalized on the chance to improve their rtionship, seeing obvious profits in doing so. Franklin D. Roosevelt smelled where the cash was and immediately proposed a trade and cultural exchange agreement with Belka, one that Yuki pleasantly epted. Of course, even with the top brass of America epting Belka as a trade partner, the people below were much harder to please. In this era, the identity as a ck man was discriminated against, much less people with non-human traits. So imagine the sudden protest that appeared right off the bat as the same Americans that had received the benefit of a miracle, rose to boycott the country behind the miracle-giver. Seeing their reaction and the bacsh that came out of nowhere, Elysia could only utter. "What the fuck?"
Immediately, both the governments of the USA and Belka dived in to investigate just what the Hell was going on. Not too soon, they turned up with a result that Sardegna was behind the mess. Unwilling to ept that a Godlike miracle was performed willy-nilly by Belka of all people, Sardegna spurred the believers of Christianity into protesters. At first, the debacle only involved Belka being inhuman and doing ck magic instead of holier ones. The debacle was soon blown out of proportion when opportunistic people took the chance to intensify the racial hate of not just humans and non-humans but also between different skin tones and racial descent.
Understandably, Belka didn''t take too kindly from this so they pulled Eden and Elysia out for every concert was a security risk. Roosevelt''s government expressed its apology due to the situation and is still trying to stem the flow of racism. Fat chance, Elysia thinks. For if theirws are still being biased against ck people then how can they stop their own people from hating non-humans? Because of this, Elysia is impressed with Jeffrey Iverson''s determination, to be a Senator from a nobody, just to change the country for the better. Having said that, even though the agreement between Belka and the US still stands. Not manypanies from the US side dare to see it through for fear of public retaliation. Those that are already giants in their own right like General Motors though,ugh in glee as they reap profits due to the current monopoly, free of lesserpanies topete with. Capitalism at its finest, was what Yukimented.
Aside from that, both countries also condemned Sardegna for being meddlesome in foreign territories, adding to the list of sins they''vemitted since the Spanish war kicked off. This gives America and Belka more reasons to intervene with America enacting sanctions alongside their allies while Belka supplies Spain with more and more weapons. Funnily enough, Erusea and Ustio turn a blind eye to this while America doesn''t even care. As long as Spain remains neutral after the war concluded, that is. Imagine their faces when Spain goes public that it''s now Belka''s vassal state.
Anyway, Elysia has heavily digressed while her light pink hair is beingbed by Yuki. "Thanks, love!" Elysia smiled while looking at the mirror in front of her, seeing Yuki smile back with a nod. Gosh, I love this girl.
Currently, Elysia is wearing a white top and ck shorts with long ck stockings, along with a little ck shawl with an off-the-shoulder style. The right sleeve she uses has purpleyered frills and a shoulder te, while her other arm has a ck glove with an ornated silver and gold bracer instead. She wears a white, ck, and lc cape at her waist, which has a fur trimming at the end.
Toplete the look, Elysia has light pink hair that is tied into a low ponytail by Yuki. Her hair curls at the tips and extends far past her shoulders. On the right side of her head, she has arge hair clip with a light blue gem on it, the same color as her eyes. Her pupils are pink like her hair while her small elf ears are cutely poking out through her flowing pink hair.
With her attire in order, Yuki sports a proud smirk as the beauty she helped create. "You''re very pretty, Elyisa. If only I could grow a body as nice as yours."
Hearing that, Elysia snickers before standing up, a head taller than Yuki, and gently strokes thetter''s hair. "Don''t worry, you''re still growing. Besides, you''re already pretty enough." She then leans in, teasing. "And delectable too~!"
Blushing, Yuki pulls away before changing the topic. "C-Come on! Let''s go get breakfast! I think it''s Nice''s turn today!" Without further exchange, Yuki pulled Elysia out of the bedroom while thetter was giggling at her shy appearance.
"Yup! I won''t change this for anything else. Not even for unlimited power." Elysia said to herself.
What use is power when you don''t use it for the love of your life? Her conviction, without her knowing, has made the Void Archive pulses a shade of pink instead of its usual resplendent gold. Something is changing inside her, a change she will need in the future.
RM Side Story 6: The Shoggoth is blasting off again
RM Side Story 6: The Shoggoth is sting off again
If you have been wondering where or what sort of ce Yuki was crashing for the night, then boy, are you in for a treat. The Obsidian Castle, the proud ck pearl of Berlin, is 898 meters, a perfect 900 meters if you count the tipping top. With it bested only by the towering body of Yggdrasil herself, the Castle is truly a marvel of Belkan engineering. It''s only made possible due to thebined effort of mortals and Gods during the founding day of the nation. Countries in the world learn to respect and fear Belka because of such a feat, with Japan constructing its Castle in the Sky, Laputa. Other nations like Ustio and Erusea, however, can onlyvishly decorate their own castles. These countries are awfullycking in technology to build something as ridiculous as Belka and Japan.
Spoiler
[copse]
That aside, the Obsidian Castle serves not only as a symbol of stability for the nation but also as a wartime Command Center and fortress. It''s also the home to the Empresses'' and Reich Marshal''s family. To be more specific, the top ten floors act as such. Only closed friends and trusted servants are allowed to enjoy the luxurious amenities or work and serve the family. Each member has their own private quarter, decorated in a style of their liking with enough necessities to rival that of a noble mansion. An example would be Elysia with her brightly lit room with a touch of nature. The color white and pink dominates the aesthetic. Another instance would be Mobius, and yes, she has her own quarter here. Hers is full ofb equipment and barely any other amenities. The mad scientist has a penchant for green hence a few of her belongings are in such color. As a side note, Einstein also has her share of the most expensivend in the world here.
Although Yuki''s love interests and family have their own room, most if not all gravitate toward Yuki''s personal floor, the 169th. Yuki''s personal floor hosts everything a Reich Marshal would ever need: A war room, a research quarter, a library, a restaurant, a supersized bedroom, and even an indoor pool... Furnished with top-of-the-line wooden furniture, ornated with luxurious knick-knacks in the color tone of ck, red, and gold. It''s there that they feel the most at home, for that is where Yuki works and lives for the time she stays in Berlin. That is if she hasn''t been staying over at the Mansion of Knowledge or Yggdra''s personal dimension. They will still apany Yuki whenever they can then, though Bryn, Mobius, Einstein, and Ningyo almost always follow her around when she is working.
Speaking of work, Yuki is just about to start a new day with a packed schedule while the others sleep in. Apanied by Elysia, Yuki moves to the floor''s private restaurant. There, the smell of freshly cooked food and coffee being filtered by a dripper permeated the air as soon as Yuki pushes open the timber door.
"It smells good!" Yuki gave herpliment to the acting chef for the day. "What you have cooking this time, Nice?" Yuki then led Elysia to the stools by the restaurant bar.
As the pair sit down, taking in the deep aroma of the coffee, Nice pokes her head out of the kitchen. "Ah~! Good morning, Yuki, and Elysia! I hope you slept well!"
"Morning~!" Yuki and Elysia responded with bright smiles. "And yes, we had a great night. I hope the same is true for you?"
Nodding, Nice answers. "Yup! Give me a few seconds and I will be right over!" Said the Shoggoth. True to her words, Nice walks out of the kitchen in all of her Shoggoth glory. Having been living with her for quite a long time already, the pair of human and High Elf are long used to her morphic nature.
Dressed in maid attire with the required headband, Nice asks them with a small smile. "So, what can I get you today?" While her hands and tentacles are prepping the food, and drink, and cleaning the cooking utensil.
Understandably, Yuki and Elysia are fascinated by the multi-tasking Nice. You see, her right hand is currently holding a frying pan, heating it with magic while tossing and turning a sunny side up and slices of bacon. Her other hand, however, is adeptly pouring a pot of coffee into a mug that is held up by one of her tentacles. Another pair of tentacles, while being careful to not create a mess and to keep proper hygiene via magic, are brushing an oily dish with a bubbling washcloth. Now you are probably wondering if Nice could just use magic to clean stuff up, then why the Hell is she washing it with... tentacles? The answer is simple, it''s Nice, she''s a Shoggoth, you don''t question a Shoggoth.
Spoiler
/sMABOam
[copse]
Seriously, don''t.
Even Yuki and Elysia find themselves unable to respond as such a ridiculous sight, seeing Nice abusing magic in such an inefficient way. It''s only until Nice conjures up another tentacle to gently bop their forehead that the pair finally react, blushing lightly. Their cute action does ce a smile on Nice''s face, however.
"I will have a cup of iced milk coffee alongside a serving of sandwich with eggs and bacon, please." Yuki demurely said. "Oh, and a portion of sd too."
Elysia then crosses her arms, pondering for a moment before shrugging. "I will take what Yuki would be having, though change out the coffee for a strawberry milkshake for me, pretty please!"
Nodding, Nice smiles. "Coming right up!" She then quickly disappears back into the kitchen. Yuki and Elysia then hear the sound of food and drinks being prepared and less than five minutester, their order arrives.
Gently, Nice presents her cooking on the bar with either her hands or tentacles. After that, she then steps to the side, her elbows on the bar with her hands supporting her chin. She is d that her customers are taking in the scent of her food with glee.
"Such a delicious smell. Thanks, Nice! We will be digging in!" Said Yuki as she and Elysia picked up their sandwich and munched on them cutely.
Because the food is cooked by a Shoggoth, it''s made to perfection, of course. Yuki and Elysia can''t help but let out pleasant moans as they bite into the tenderyers of the sandwich, not oily at all despite the content. Were they in a certain cooking world, their dresses should have been annihted into a thousand pieces by now. Seeing their pleased expression, Nice repeatedly nods, proud of herself for another task well-done. As the current acting chef, the greatestpliment for Nice are their enjoyable expressions. Hence the pair focused on the food in front of them until they finish the te clean without further words. It''s only until they wipe their hands and mouths before picking up their respective drinks that they say together.
"Thank you for the great breakfast!"
Nodding with a big smile, Nice responds with a. "Umu!"
After that, the trio enjoys their morning drinks, with Nice fishing out a ss of milk for herself. During that time, they talk about mundane topics until Yuki sucks up thest of her aromatic coffee through a ck straw. The petite Marshal then takes out a pocket watch tucked in one of her breast pockets.
Seeing her action, Nice and Elysia also finish their drinks. After that, Nice brings the empty dishes and sses away for a short clean-up before reconvening with the pair. Having discarded her maid dress for her standard violet gown, Nice asks.
"So, what''s on the agenda today, Yuki?"
Elysia adds while performing light stretching. "Right, you did say that you have a lot on your te today. What gives?"
Putting away her pocket watch, Yuki answers as she stands up alongside the pair. "Well, we will be going to Rocket Launch Site Berlin to oversee our venture into space. After we''re done dealing with the subsequent rted tasks, we will then head back to the situation room beneath the castle. It''s there that we willunch an oversea operation in the middle of the night." Yuki then ces a finger beneath her chin. "I won''t be getting much sleep tonight."
Elysia flinches. "Yikes, I can imagine Bryn and Hel will not be pleased."
Yuki then slumps her shoulders, sighing. "You and me both."
"On the bright side, it would mean that you will have to spend more time cuddling with themter. So I guess that''s a win in the end?" Nice suddenly added with a thoughtful expression.
The trio then share a look. Now that they think about it, it''s just another win for Yuki at the end of the day.
"Huh, you made a good point." Yukimented. Then, they all burst into a fit of chuckle, finding the dynamic of their family funny.
After that, it''s just a matter of hailing their cab, which is a convoy suite headed by the ever-trusty Erika. Having situated themselvesfortably in the armored limousine, the trio is then escorted to Berlin-Reinickendorf where the rocketunch is scheduled to take ce.
Berlin-Reinickendorf, a military district to the North of Berlin, used to be a quaint little town. However, due to their geographical location that is perfect for aunch site, Yuki has the town converted to further the Reich''s technological splendor. After going through a dozen checkpoints, the convoy soon drives into the walled-up district, being a small fortress on its own. On the way to theunch site, the tip of the manned rocket is visible from the window view of the limo, causing Elysia to exim in interest.
"Wow... It''s one thing to know about it in advance, it''s another thing to see it up close." As the convoy starts pulling closer to theunch center, the trio gets a close-up view of the space rocket in gray furnishing with arge shuttle strapped to it. "That''s is like what, a hundred meters tall at least? You gonna send up a crew to space in that?"
"That''s correct." Yuki smiled as Elysia marveled at the manmade object that was about to carry out a historical mission. "And not just a crew, but also the apanying little guys made by Nice. Thetter is especially important for our future space program."
"Yup! Each of theseunch vehicles is extremely expensive! We''re talking about 185 million Reichsmark perunch and before this mission, we already have five suchunches. You can imagine the gargantuan cost involve in this program of ours." Nice said as if boasting at their ludicrous expenditures to space.
Elysia gapes at this, turning to Yuki for confirmation. Smiling wryly, Yuki nods and the pink elf turns a shade paler. "I''m actually surprised that you''re even allowed tounch one, not to mention an uing six."
Stopping for a second, Elysia then asks. "There must be a reason that Lu and Hel signed a nk check for this. Though I can bring up the Void Archive and knows the reason as to why, I just want to hear the words from your mouth."
Nodding, Yuki exins. "That''s because us investing into space now, rather thanter, would allow us to create a solid foothold over unimed territories, rich with resources and holding immense strategic values. As you have known, Yggdra''s arrival on Earth is nothing short of an asteroid impact. In the wake of her trail, asteroid belts are formed over our, dense in untapped materials. Those firstunches are to ascertain the feasibility of mining the belts and to see if we can construct a space station in geosynchronous orbit with Belka. After that, the second stage of our program will beunching a work crew up to the belt and having Nice''s little ones take care of the mining and constructing an orbital habitat. Once that is done, the third stage is kicked off with the crew overseeing the little ones in constructing a fully functional orbital station with the ability to make man-made satellites. The station will also have the ability to conduct further research into space while the satellites will be used to propel our infrastructure into the information age. All of the prior investments resulted in this singr, self-sufficientunch. You can even say that the future of the Reich will be resting on this singleunch of a missile, a mere touch of the big red button away from greatness. As such, security for this event is at an all-time high. ONI has been working overtime to ensure no leak is made and any attempt at scouting or interfering will be met with extreme prejudice."
With Yuki finishing her long exnation, Elysia is in awe. She then peers into the Void Archive, too shocked to notice the subtle pink color glowing from it. Soon, Elysia easily ascertains the veracity of Yuki''s im and the audacity of it. It''s not like Elysia is doubting Yuki and Nice but. "Holy crap... You''re really pulling this fifty years early."
Both Yuki and Nice smirk at her exmation. "Better close your mouth, dear, or a fly would fly in."
Rolling her eyes, Elysia then lightly smacks Yuki on the shoulder. "You and your ambition, Yuki! If the other powerse to learn of this, they would have no choice but either bow down to you orbined their strength and put you down for good."
Yuki nods, chuckling. "Thetter is more likely. Humans are afraid of the unknown, after all."
Nice adds. "As such, we have to ensure thisunch is on a need-to-know basis. My little ones are up there to also help camouge the subsequent construction in space."
Having heard the words ''little ones'' many times before, Elysia raises an eyebrow. "You two keep saying ''little ones'', who are they?"
Nice and Yuki then share a knowing smirk before turning over to Elysia. "You wille to see themter, don''t worry."
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Stepping off from the limo, with help from the dutiful Erika, Yuki''s retinue is greeted by none other than Einstein and Wernher von Braun.
"Ladies, wee to Berlin Launch Center." Said courteously by Wernher von Braun, now manager of the Reich aerospace project. "I hope the road here didn''t cause you difort. We have beenplying with your warning and intensified our security measures."
"Ah! Manager von Braun," Yuki responded cheerfully, finding herself pleased when looking at the propped-up rocket. "It''s better to be safe than sorry. Dealing with a few checkpoints is better than cleaning up a failedunch, after all." Yuki nodded at the man understandingly, causing him to sigh in relief. Today is a big day, after all, so even the manager is tense.
Yuki then turns to Einstein. "So, how has the morning been treating you two?"
Einstein smiles lightly. "Well, the team did rest and eat well before this, following your instructions to the tee, so we''re perfectly ready to tackle the monumental task at hand."
Yuki then ps her hands in response. "Great! Then let''s get the show on the road." Turning over to Nice and Elysia. "Come on, you two, let''s head in! And Elysia, we will take this chance to show you the crew and the little ones you have been raring to see."
Escorted by well-armed Troopers, the group of five VIPs makes their way into the center. Befitting of a scientific institute, the center is brightly lit with a white tone and neatly organized. A map of the center is presented front in of the main lobby and signboards are installed on the corridor walls to allow ease of navigation. Yuki, Nice, Einstein, and von Braun are used to such a site. Elysia, however, runs around like a kid in a candy store, excited to see the marvels of engineering on disy in the center. As such, the trip to the rocket boarding area takes a bit more tie than expected.
"Sorry~!" Elysia sped her hand in a sorry posture, a bit abashed that her detour cost the group their time.
Yuki and the rest chuckle, amused by her enthusiasm earlier. "It''s fine to be curious, Elysia. We are still in the safe window so you need not worry about anything."
Currently, the group is staying on a viewing tform, looking down at the gathering medical personnel and engineering team surrounding the four chosen astronauts. "So that''s them?" Elysia asked as she gaze from above at the four men and women dressed in think orange ascent suits.
Einstein is the one who answers her. "Of the astronauts that made the cut for thisunch, two are humans while the others are an elf and a dwarf, surprisingly. Soon, they will strap themselves tight to the contraption and will be the first to travel further and longer than mankind has ever been able to achieve with flight."
Elysia nods, noticing that she is not the only one to be giddy about the uing expedition.
"Come, you should meet the little guys." Yuki then said, urging them to get a move on to the loading bay.
It''s there that Elysiaes to see the little, wobbly purple things that will soon ride along with the astronauts into space.
"Oh, my, Yggdra~!" Elysia squealed as soon as sheid her eyes on them. "They''re so cute! What the Hell!?" Under theughter of Yuki and Nice, Elysia dives forward to scoop up a bundle of purple cuteness. "What are they and can I get to keep one?!"
Hearing Elysia''s bullet-speed question as she is squeezing the octopus shape lifeform, Yuki chuckles while shaking her head at the expected reaction from Elysia.
"They are what Nice called Takodachis, a portmanteau of the Japanese "Tako" (octopus) and "Tomodachi" (friend). Takodachis are creatures of the Void who are primarily shaped like octopuses but can take other forms, much like a Shoggoth. However, Takodachis are created by Shoggoth to help them with misceneous tasks and are perfect for the missions we would have them do next. Although they are cute and small, they''re second only to the Shoggoth in terms of productivity when they are in their element. And yes, you can just ask Nice to make a few for you, though they''re sentient, they like to be treated as pets." Yuki pointed at Nice who giggled before conjuring a few more Takodachis to dance around Elysia. The Takodachis are floaty purple octopuses with short stumps for legs and two ps on their heads, acting like ears. A small, golden halo floats above their head and their faces are ever-stered with a satisfied expression with light blushing.
Nodding repeatedly whileughing at one who tries to tickle her, Elysia says. "So that''s why you''re sending a bunch of them in space! Why haven''t I seen them before though?"
Nice is the one to exin. "Well, the Takodachis are best suited in a Zero-G environment. It''s there that they can handle their tasks with maximum efficiency. Staying on Earth, they''re no different than a glorified Corgi as they''re slowed with their little stumps for feet."
"Oh, I see. Well, they''re still cute either way." Elysiamented.
Having gotten her fill of the bundle of cuteness, Elysia is then led by the rest to themand room. It''s high time they get the show on the road to space.
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"All teams, report!" Said Wernher von Braun, kicking the ground team in a flurry of action.
"External tanks, boosters, fuel pumps... Status, all greens! Fuel at 100% capacity!''
"Connection between shuttle Artemis andunch vehicle Saturn is solid!"
"This is the loading team. Thest of the Takodachis are tucked in safe and secure. Habitat modules, research equipment, and construction assets are stored and bolted down. We''re good here."
"This is the final inspection team, internal checks arepleted, and all systems report status nominal. We''re rolling back to send in the flight crew."
"This is medical. Pre-flight health check came up green on all fronts. They''re raring to make history,dies and gents."
"Crewpartment here, we''re ready for the astronauts to ingress."
"Well done, people!" Complimented von Braun. "Like what the medical lead said, they''re about to make history and so are we! So let''s keep our heads in the game till the final stretch! Yggdrasil shall bless us with her ever-presented glory!"
Von Braun then salutes, causing all others in the control room to cheer. "Hail! Hail! Hail!" After that, he then turns to nod at Einstein. The blute then turns on thems. "Sends in the astronauts, it''s time."
By her words, the four chosen astronauts are escorted through the orbital ess arm and onto the shuttle. Yuki, Nice, Elysia, and Einstein watch a video feed of the astronauts being helped with wearing the rest of their A-suits before boarding the vertically-mounted shuttle. With the safely secured to their seats and the ground crew disembarking. Von Braun can now have the astronauts start their own pre-flight inspection. After a meticulous hour of checking, the astronauts have given the go-ahead tomand.
"SRO?"
"SRO is go, you have range clear tounch..."
"And CDR?"
"Artemis is go."
"NTD, Launch Director, you''re clear tounch Artemis."
"Copy that, Launch Director."
"Go for Orbiter ess Arm retract."
With the ess Arm moving away from the rocket, it''s time for Yuki to step up and address the flight team.
"Artemis crew, this is Overlord Actual. Your team has worked hard for this very moment and it''s with great pride that we shall send the first Artemis crew to the Ragna Belt with the orbital habitat to be deployed. Yggdrasil shall watch over your trail,dies and gents. Bon Voyage!"
"Affirm, Actual. It will be a short eight-and-a-half-minute ride to orbit for us. But it''s a giant leap for mankind!"
"T-minus 2 minutes and counting."
"Vent hood removed!"
"Artemis, close and lock your visors and initiate O2."
"OTC, that is in work."
"Firing chain is armed. Sound suppression and water system activated."
"T-minus 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, go for main engine start! 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
Even from the control room that is already a kilometer away, the extreme rumbling of multiple liquid mana boosters can be felt by everyone. From the video feed, a close-up of the me trench is shown, with me and smoke spewing out of it like a gigantic methrower. The sight fascinated everyone presented till no end for it marks a moment of history that they get to witness live. Very soon, Einstein says as Artemis starts gaining altitude.
"We have a lift-off!"
Yuki then mutters for Nice to hear. "The Shoggoth is sting off again." Earning a sonorous giggle from the blonde.
"Berlin, we''re in the roll." Said the Commander of the Artemis, a female astronaut named Lily Mainy.
"Roger roll, Artemis. Berlin is now controlling."
A whileter of steady climbing, a reportes in. "Artemis is in a ''heads down'' position, on course for a 51.6 degree, 136 by 36 statute mile orbit."
"Buildingteral speed... Arching."
"This is Commander Mainy, we''ve cleared Yggdrasil''s canopy."
"Artemis, you''re GO at throttle up."
"Copy, GO at throttle up."
"Approaching staging point... Liquid mana boosters separating from the orbiter."
"Guidance system is working... Good boosters separation confirmed."
"Artemis is traveling at 6000 km/h at an altitude of 75.6 km."
"Artemis, you''re single engine, OPS-3."
"Copy, single-engine OPS-3."
"You are pressed to MECO and single-engine Zaragoza 104."
"Copy, press to MECO and single-engine Zaragoza 104."
"Scorch, I got the roll!" Came a light banter from the flight crew. "Lucky dog!"
"Artemis copies, nominal shutdown, go for the plus X, go for the pitch."
"Main engine cut off confirmed. Standing by for separation from the external fuel tank... Artemis is now flying away from the external tank after separation." Said tank is now shown to be slowly guided back to Earth, on a touch-down course in the sea controlled by Belka.
"This is Commander Lily Mainy, performing plus X burn maneuver now."
"Nominal MECO, OMS 1 not required, preliminary OMS 2 TIG will be 37:30."
"Congrattions, Artemis crew, and wee to space. You''re on a fast track to Ragna Belt."
"Copy, Berlin, 37:30. OMS 1 is not required. It''s a great view up here, Berlin. One singr, blue Earth, a world without boundary. It truly makes one wonder just why are we killing each other instead of unifying for the reach of space."
"That my friend, would be a philosophical question that is way above our pay grade." Said mission control to Artemis Commander
"Touche." Lily Maine chuckled. "Mission Specialist Lightning is checking on the Jar of Oz."
"Good copy, Artemis. Get yourselffortable and perform in-flight analysis. You will be having one interesting journey ahead of you."
"Copy that, Berlin. In-flight check is underway. How''s the visual on your end?" The Commander asked while looking at the magitech camera installed in the cockpit and many ces aboard the shuttle.
"Crystal clear with no dy. It''s safe to say that we will be able to monitor and help you in real-time from here on out."
"d to hear that, Berlin. Confirm, the Jar of Oz is intact and secured. I repeat the Jar of Oz is nominal! Specialist Lightning reports that all one hundred Takodachis are in perfect health and are raring to go. All equipment and systems are nominal. Ladies and gentlemen, we got ''em!"
As expected, the entiremand room explodes.
In a good way, of course.
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On their drive back to the Obsidian Castle, now joined by Einstein, except for Nice the group is tired, mentally. The subsequent task delegations and nk-check partying that Yuki gave out for the team behind Artemis sure drained them of their mental energy. Elysia must admit that she is in awe of Yuki''s resilience, knowing that the short Marshal would have to oversee a ck operationter in the night.
Not many words are discussed on their way back though, each of them is still handling their own thoughts and feelings about the recent rocketunch. Hugging both a Takodachi and Yuki to herself, Elysia can''t help but feel a sense of exhration. The pink elf is ady who enjoys everything, and boy was she left trembling in excitement after the rocket sessfully flew beyond the atmosphere.
Peering at the head of gray hair below her, Elysia knows just how lucky she is to meet Yuki, the person, the miracle, that has allowed her to be more than just a High Elf, more than just a mortal being, experiencing mortal things.
Gently kissing Yuki''s soft hair, causing the girl to inquisitively gazes upward with a cute tilt of her head. Elysia chuckles while signaling to Yuki that everything is fine, everything is as it should be. For the rest of the ride, the pair then cuddle with the squishy Takodachi. Getting in whatever rest they can.
Once again, the Void Archive inside Elysia changes, taking in a bright shade of pink now.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 10: Briefing
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 10: Briefing
"Marshal," Bryn, who is dressed in a white officer uniform, addressed Yuki while saluting. Prompting the other ONI officers in the underground operation center to follow suit "You''ve arrived just in time."
Returning the salute, Yuki then says. "At ease,dies and gentlemen. Give me a SITREP." Having said that, Yuki then turns to her side, taking a look at Agent wearing a custom-made maid dress. "Please get me a cup of coffee. I think I will be needing one very soon."
Lifting the hem of her maid skirt, Agent curtsies. "Yes, Master, do you have any preference?"
Showing a mischievous smile, Yuki answers. "Surprise me."
"As you wish, my Master." Swiftly, but silently, the maid steps away for the kitchen area, fully intending to fulfill her Master''s request. The sight of the notorious Section Head of ONI Section One acting as a maid doesn''t faze anybody''s presence. They''re either used to it or are true professionals, unabashed by the reality-breaking image.
With that out of the way, Yuki returns her attention to Bryn, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I need that coffee right now. It has been a long day."
Smiling understandingly, Bryn lightly says. "I understand. Let''s finish this smoothly so you can take a break."
Seeing Yuki returns a nod, Bryn then operates her handheld military tablet. Directly in front of where Yuki is sitting is arge viewing screen, divided into multiple smaller information panels. Nearer to them, however, is a long holotable where high-ranking members of the Belkan military are already situated, ready for the briefing. Bryn, then pulls up a holo-image, a three-dimension map of the airspace above the border of the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay. From that, Yuki and the rest of the VIPs see a blue holographic representation of Belkan''s 1st Carrier Strike Group. Bryn then zooms the imagery in closer, allowing them to see multiple Ospreys parked on the flight decks of the aircraft carrier Yggdrasil and the battlecarrier Mainz.
"Preparation for the first phase of the uing operation has beenpleted, Marshal. All the Ravens are cleared for op insert and the Ospreys are taking off as we speak." Having said that, the Ospreys aboard the carriers proceed to lift off from the deck, gaining altitude above 10000 meters thanks to special modification. "They will be escorted by two squadrons of Phantoms until the mission is over. As of now, the 1st Strike Group is still under the radar of any unwanted party. Our AWACS and submarines have helped steer the Strike Group away from any radar and sonar contact. The risk of the chosen flight path for the insertion group is rated to be minimal by one of our AWACS that is circling above Spain."
Yuki nods in acknowledgment. "And our timetable?"
"By 00:30, the Ravens will be performing a HALO jump above the designated drop zone. After that, the flight of Osprey will be refueled midair while waiting for the extraction signal. Once the Ravens touch the ground, they will be guided by their apanying handlers and our AWACS to avoid Sardegnian patrols. It''s expected that by 01:00 at thetest that the Ravens will encircle our target location."
Bryn then shows a detailed holo-image of the Ravens''nding zone, their predicted path toward the target, and a detailedyout of a military/prisoner camp that is unmarked on the Spanish map. It''s a forestry mountainous area, making standard parachute operation difficult but for the Ravens, this will be a cakewalk.
"ROE when uninvited guests show up?" One of the VIPs asked, a beastwoman holding the rank of General in the Army.
"Neutralize if non-hostile. Lethal force is allowed if otherwise, General Bedonna." Bryn answered calmly.
"If they are forced to go loud, our chance in sweeping them away without notifying the world of our involvement in this?" Another person questioned, it was General Jurgen of the Reich Air Force. Being one of the parties that have and will be investing heavily in this operation, he is rightfully concerned.
"Currently, the teams that are on the way hold no discernible trait that will betray their country of origin. Even the handlers are picked with their disguise and concealment ability in mind. All of our aircraft and munitions are wiped clean of any ID markers. In the off-chance that one of our ground members or aircraft is downed, specialized incendiary charges are deployed to erase any trace of their existence in Spain. A time limit for the mission timer is also enforced to reduce the chance of being spotted by unwanted parties. They have until 03:00 to bag all mission objectives before exfiltrating the AO."
Hearing the exnation, General Jurgen rests his case. "I thank you for your rification."
Bryn nods, then continues while looking at Grand Admiral Donitz. "Once the extraction flight has picked up the exfiltration group, they will then make a beeline back to the 1st Strike Group for a debrief. We are expecting that no contact will be able toy its eyes on the Strike Group during the duration of the mission. However, if the Strike Group is spotted at sea, we are expecting the Rear Admiral in charge to react ordingly to our ROE." Bryn then turns to Yuki, finishing her speech. "That is all for now, Marshal."
Nodding, Yuki smiles at Bryn. "Thanks for keeping me in the loop, Bryn." Earning herself a nod from the Valkyrie in return. Yuki then turns to Dreamer, Einstein, and Mobius that are on the other side of the holotable. Of the four people that made the Raven Program possible, excluding Nice who is off to y with the rest of the family, all are presented here for a review of the Ravens'' oversea operation. "So, what do you think of their chances to aplish the missions with flying colors?"
Smirking, Mobius says proudly. "A hundred percent, of course! They are my, no... Our proudest creation yet! They will be able to aplish all objectives with no losses, no hups!"
Dreamer chuckles when she sees the boasting Mobius. "Though I am not one for big words, I must agree with Mobius here on this one. They will perform splendidly and you will see that the investment we keep pouring into the program is not misced."
"Well, they better be, since each of them is worth a destroyer at sea!" Grand Admiral Donitzughed, cing wry smiles on the faces of everyone.
Einstein can''t stop her blue head from offering a rebuttal though. "To be fair, we are working on cost-saving measures without risking the effectiveness of our program. The first batch of Ravens has been an eye-opening experience and has allowed us to gain insight into how to better our methods of creating a Raven. We have high hope that, very soon, we will be able to create three Ravens with the cost of two. Meaning the surplus money will be used for you to have your little destroyer now, Admiral Donitz."
"Oof." For some reason, everyone can feel that thest sentence hit harder than it should. Admiral Donitz, in particr, deadpans. "Lassie, in my head, you should be thest person to offer such a biting response. Now I suddenly feel that our destroyers really aren''t big enough because of you, damn it." Donitz then grasps his head, suddenly pondering about the size of his destroyers and the fleet they form.
Einstein, however, is obvious the fact when the rest look at her with raised eyebrows. "What?"
Shaking their heads, they choose to either focus on the uing mission or talk about military-rted matters. Agent then returns with a cart of coffee and mugs for everybody. The maid soon serves the table with warm, decaf coffee, with the option between milk and sugar for them to choose from. Bryn picks ck with two spoons of sugar. Yuki, on her part, partakes in milk as per usual. The aromatic scent from the coffee instantly gives her a rush of energy for the task ahead. The others also make their choice with the rest of Yuki''s love interest mimicking her in choosing milk. Cute, Yuki thought about them while Bryn is all mature.
"Thanks, Agent. The coffee did surprise me." Yukiplimented honestly, making Agent bow.
"It''s my honor to serve you, Master."
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Operation Spaniard Freedom
- Time and Date: [REDACTED]
- Location: [REDACTED]
Operation summary:
- [REDACTED] Actual gave the green light for Operation Spaniard Freedom with Noble Team and Blue Team being the first to drop in. This is a ck op meaning all teams must operate under the radar with discretion in mind. Failure to do so will mean that the teams will be disavowed.
- The purpose of Spaniard Freedom is to support the Spanish Coalition in the dark in conjunction with the overt Shadow Company. The end goal of this operation is for Sardegna to be bogged down in a bitter battle with the Coalition. Forcing the Christian State to be locked in the Mediterranean.
- Methods to ensure this is as follows, but not limited to Espionage, Targeted Killing, Direct Action, Unconventional Warfare, Raiding, Acquisition of High-value Target, Hostage Rescue,... It''s expected that [REDACTED] Teams will be operating behind enemy lines with minimalmunication and support.
- [REDACTED] Teams will be periodically exchanged at random intervals.
Mission summary:
- [REDACTED] identified abination of a military and prisoner camp, Southwest of Murcia. The location is rural, hidden in a lush mountainous region with a singr ess path for prisoner trucks. Patrols are expected to be Sardegnian Army foot mobiles in the wood with three stationary checkpoints along the road leading up to the camp. Minimal armored presence. No possibility of enemy air assets upon touchdown.
- Op-insert via HALO. Air assets will be on standby for the extraction of mission objectives. Aerial recon is avable. Fire Support is requestable only when FUBAR.
- Find the location of Spanish hostages in the camp. Extract them via air evac.
- Teams are to stay behind for further tasking against the upation force of Sardegna once primary objectives arepleted.
- All Teams must LEAVE no trails. Maintain proper ROE at all times.
Primary objectives:
- Infiltrate the AO and scout the designated grid zone.
- Locate and extract all hostages.
- Leave no survivors.
Secondary objectives:
- Eliminate or capture HVT: [REDACTED] identified a Colonel, one Emmanuel Lucius, is on-site. Marked as responsible for the war crimes at the camp, the target is highly valuable to counter the Sardegnian war effort.
- Secure further evidence of war crimes at the camp.
End Briefing.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 11: Spaniard Freedom (Part 1)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 11: Spaniard Freedom (Part 1)
At an altitude of 10000 meters in the air, way higher than most aircraft in this era are capable of, a flight of four Fi-22 Ospreys is en route deep into the heart of Spanish air space. Off to the side of the Ospreys, barely visible thanks to the blueish glow of their engines, is a squadron of Bf-4 Phantoms. There is supposed to be one more squadron, but they''re currently flying beyond visual range, forming a secondary perimeter around the flight group.
Inside the trooppartment of an Osprey, six figures wearing state-of-the-are full-body armored suits are meandering about, killing their time by breathing in pure oxygen and bantering.
"Hey, boss," Said Raven-239, Emile, while sharpening his big kukri, causing sparks to hit the deck of the Osprey. "You reckon how many of them will be alive when daybreak?" He asked in a gruff tone with obvious grim humor.
On closer inspection, Emile''s armor now sports a Flecktarn camo coating. The man, now a Warrant Officer under the employment of ONI, then checks the de of his kukri. Satisfied with his work, Emile sheaths the kukri in its scabbard, attached to his right pauldron. After that, he hoists up the S-8G shotgun by his side before loading more 8-gauge shells into his ammo vest. The man then directs his helmet-covered head over to hismander, eager for a response. Even for hismander, the sight of Noble Four''s, helmet, etched with a skull on his visor, is unnerving.
Knowing the man''s thirst for battle, Commander Raven-259 Carter, Noble One sighs. "Mission objectives are clear, no survivor when we encounter hostilities. As for hostages, we will bring whoever''s still alive aboard. Considering that we have four Ospreys, we are expected to bring in around 80 survivors, max."
Carter then stops before adding a caution. "Keep your bloody business to yourself now." Earning augh from Emile.
"You''re afraid I will scare off thedies, sir?"
"I am afraid that they will be too scared to even board the evac." Carter added before working on checking his battle rifle. Unlike Emile with his CQC focus, Carter sports a G1SD for the uing mission. However, much like Emile and the rest of his team, Flecktarn is the camo scheme for his armor.
A new, booming voice then interjects. "Are we even sure that four Ospreys are enough for extract?" Said the tallest of the team and also the one packing the heaviest heat. His main weapon, a handheld 14.5¡Á114mm heavy machine gun taken from a Leopard MBT, rests by his feet. "For all we know, the hostages may exceed the number." The man, Chief Warrant Officer Raven-052 Jorge, also known as Noble Five, posed a valid concern.
It''s why the only female of the group, Lieutenant Commander Catherine and surprisingly used to be part of the Night Witches before her transfer, replies. "Section Two has sent in infiltrators either by hook or by crook prior to this operation. They have confirmed visually the number of prisoners being held here. It is, however, old HUMINT from two days ago. From then till now, we have only been spying on them via air, and during that time frame, six trucks have been going in and out of thepound. Visual inspection denotes that only one truck has been used to transfer four additional prisoners."
Unlike the rest of the Ravens in her team with their specialized armor, now dubbed Mjolnir to avoid confusion, Catherine uses a cheaper production version of the Mjolnir, the Semi-Powered Infiltration armor. Less powerful and less expensive than Mjolnir, the armor is outfitted for the Witches that apanied the Raven teams. The SPI has the plus that it''s extremely suitable for covert ops, being geared toward concealment magic and agility instead of protection and firepower. Catherine can still fly freely thanks to a retractablepartment that allows her to spread out her angel wings. To keep her in the theme as a member of a Raven team, Catherine has the designation Raven-320 and she is Noble Two. Her weapon of choice is a G1SD also.
"So our margin of error is five at the max." Said thest member of the team, Raven-266 Jun, Noble Three.
"That''s correct, if nothing else goes wrong, that is." Responded Catherine.
After that answer, thepartment falls silent with only the humming of rotor des and cking of weapons reverbing. It''s only until Jun, the sniper of the team, pulls out a magazine from beneath his ghillie armor and is just about to load it into his SG-14.5 that Emile speaks up.
"Whatcha got cooking today?" Knowing that the question is directed at himself if the skull is anything to go by, Jun replies with a light smirk, hidden by the helmet with the ghillie covering most of it. "14.5x114mm mana-conducted payload munition. Enough to take the upper half off a Crusader as 1000 meters. Expensive as hell so I am hoping we won''t be using it today, well, most of it at least."
Whistling, impressed, Emile then asks. "Between that and my good old grenadeuncher, which I don''t have at hand, sadly, which will be doing the most damage?"
Jun shrugs at the question. "Well, if you want crowd control then go for that fraguncher of yours. My girl sure as hell would have to pick her targets." Jun then gives Emile a side nce. "Speaking of fraguncher, I can see that you also strapped yourself with 8-gauge explosive shells. Don''t point it at something you don''t want to destroy, alright?"
Instead of answering, Emile scoffs while knocking his left fist on his chest te as a "Trust me" gesture.
Suddenly, their radioes to life. "We''re five mikes out. Prep your luggage,dies and gents."
Hearing that, Carter springs to his feet. "You hear the man. Check your supplies, we''re in this for the long haul." Per his words, the team reassesses their backpacks carrying ration, medical, and munition supplies.
While they''re at that Jorge chats a bit with the team. "I think this is the first time ever since training that we work with Blue Team."
Emile chuckles, remembering the few times he got bested by his fellow CQC specialist on Blue Team. "Good times, man. For a team of four, they''re damn good."
"They have beenpeting with us for the position of First ss Ravens for a reason." Junmented. "As former Storm Troopers, they were menaces on the field. As Ravens, they''re Death itself."
"Now that is high praiseing from you, Jun." Catherine remarked.
"One mike out! Opening cargo door!" Announced the pilot overms.
"Alright people, line up!" Carter stopped the chatter as the Osprey''s door opened up, revealing a sea of cloud below, illuminated by sparse moonlight. The sight is breathtaking that even Carter must take a second to appreciate it.
"Pretty, ain''t she?" Emilemented in an uncharacteristically soft way.
"Aye, but this ain''t no time for sightseeing, unfortunately. Ready up, Nobles!" Carter ordered. The rest of the team tenses up for the uing jump.
"10 seconds!" Carter then raises five fingers, counting down when the timer reaches the five seconds mark. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" The pilot gives the green light.
"GO! GO! GO!"
Running a few steps before stepping heavily off the ramp, Carter dives forward and falls down below. Following a mere second behind him is the rest of his team while on the Osprey, four members of Blue Team also jump out. Together, the group of nine Ravens sink into the sea of clouds, their HUDs constantly updating their fall velocity and altitude, a minimap is presented to keep them posted on their current location rtive to the ground.
Diving beneath the clouds, their shadow cast a curtain of darkness over the two teams. Turning up their night visions, the members that are trailing behind the team leaders lock on to their IR strobes. If any of them stray away from the group due to battering winds, they will be making minimal adjustments to their flight path to rejoin the formation. Less than two minutester, the diving Ravens reach 900 meters, and unlike normal paratroopers, they aren''t packing any chute. Instead, the two teams use abination of wind magic to slow down their fall. By the time they reach the ten meters mark, they''re slow enough that all of them can drop down to the ground silently even with all the gears.
"Noble Team, SITREP." Carter called out through the private channel. From an outsider''s perspective, Noble One didn''t even say anything.
A couple of secondster, Catherine checks in. "Noble Two here, all green."
"This is Noble Three, posting up on the high ground. No movement." Jun said while eyeing the terrain with his sniper rifle.
From a nearby bush next to Carter, Emile and Jorge emerge. "Noble Four, at your service."
"This is Noble Five, status nominal." Said Jorge while hefting his HMG with two hands.
Nodding, Carter taps a headpiece on his helmet, switching the channel for a line to High Command. "Overlord, this is Noble One."
"This is Actual, send it." Came the calm voice of the Reich Marshal after a beat.
"Noble Team has made touch down on Spanish soil, no deviation from intended LZ. Condition is green and we''re ready to move out, ma''am."
"Copy that, Noble Leader. We''re receiving a live feed from your team right now. Smile and wave, won''t you?" Said the Marshal with a light tone.
Nevertheless, Carter looks up into the sky, waving his right hand.
"Good, the image quality is crystal clear and we''re seeing you like it''s daytime on all spectrums. Operation Spaniard Freedom is a go." The Marshalmented before saying. "Blue Team is a kilometer out to your North East and will be taking care of a target of opportunity. Should take around twenty minutes to half an hour. In the meantime, you are to follow through with the n and move to Waypoint 1. There, you will be waiting for Blue Team before proceeding with the rest of the mission. Are we clear, over?"
"Crystal, Actual. Moving to Waypoint 1 now, over." Soon after, Carter turns to the rest of Noble Team. "You hear thedy, roll out, Nobles."
"Aye. It''s a bit sad that we aren''t the ones to pick up that target of opportunity, whatever the Hell that is." Emileined. Carter shakes his head at this while the group march on through the wood with Jun shoring up their nks.
Catherine then jokes. "What if the target was to scare a bunch of kids? I bet Emile here is like the personification of the Boogey Man for them."
Hearing that, Emile deadpans. "Booh."
"Seriously, you two?" Carter turned around, giving the pair a side nce. On their part, they just shrug. "It''s like I''m leading a bunch of kids all of a sudden."
"Yeah, but they''re your kids." Jorge added with a chuckle.
"Aww... Papa Bear is looking out for us." Emile jested with the rest of the team giggling along at the expense of Noble Leader.
Opting to notment but only sighing away, Carter soldiers on the nighttime path. The rest of the trek is like that, a banter here and there to kill the monotonous walk until they reach Waypoint 1. It''s there that they set up an overwatch position to wait for Blue Team. Of course, any discussion they make at the time is muted from public scrutiny. To outsiders, they''re no different than unfeeling machines with their armor on. If only they knew that beneath the helmets is a group discussing what is better,sagna or pasta for breakfast.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 12: Spaniard Freedom (Part 2)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 12: Spaniard Freedom (Part 2)
"So let''s go over our n onest time." Said Raven-117, Blue Team''s leader and going by the name John. On John''s opened palm is a holographic disy of the terrain surrounding the enemy camp. "Once we reach the base, we will first take out the enemy perimeter patrols and road checkpoints."
"After that," Jun added. "Kelly, and I will be setting up overwatch positions on the surrounding mountains. Lock down the entire AO together with Catherine and Linda up in the sky." Thedies in question nodded.
Carter then speaks up. "By that time, the rest of us, numbering five, will encircle the base, tightening the noose. With the help of our AWACS, they won''t be able to send any word out via radio. That still leaves a potential risk, however..."
"res." Catherine interjected. "There exists a mortar pit to the Western side of the camp, and the res they can send up will be visible to Sardegnians from Murcia. From what we know, officers also carry their own re pistols."
A member of Blue Team, Raven-104 Frederic, grunts in acknowledgment. "So we divide and conquer then? Disable the mortars and knock out the officers first."
Catherine nods. "And while you''re at it, kill the rm system. It''s best we don''t go louder than it already is, thanks to a certain big guy." She pointed at Jorge, more specifically his unsuppressed HMG.
Patting his Etika, a name Jorge lovingly blessed his HMG with, Jorge jokingly says. "Ignore her, dear Etika, she is just jealous of your beauty."
Rolling her eyes, Catherine quips back. "And of his go to the deep end. Jokes aside, Jorge will be in reserve until his firepower is needed. Intel denoted that there are a few vehicles in the camp''s motor pool, Jorge will make a good counter if a tank suddenly shows up."
"Until then," Emile smirked, twirling his kukri. "We go at it up close and personal, all the way till we can''t."
Carter reminds. "Just don''t forget. Our priority is to secure the prisoners. I would like for them to be unharmed during our scuffle, thank you very much."
Raven-058 Linda then asks. "What about the secondary HVT?"
"He''s just that, secondary." John answered. "We should focus on the elimination of dangerous elements and securing the prisoners first. If anybody sees a good chance then either seize or kill him. While we''re skulking about, make sure you transmit everything you see back to Overlord. I have a feeling what we will be seeing there won''t be pretty."
"That''s a reminder to keep yourself cool, all of you." Carter added.
"Roger." Said everyone.
"Good, now if you''ll excuse me, I have the unenviable task of conversing our n of action with Overlord." John said before switching over to themand channel.
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Props to the Sardegnians in charge of this remote corner of Spain, they may becking in other areas but they''re able to keep up a proper security perimeter, at least. The checkpoints are well-lit and well-positioned on the road that leads up to the camp. In the treelines, groups of soldiers, ranging from a pair of sentries to a fireteam, scour the mountainous terrain with the help of handheld shlights and oilmps. The Sardegnians sure as Hell don''t want unwanted eyes to approach the camp. That or they are afraid of a breakout. Either way, assaulting the ce without drawing eyes would be hard, for a standard force that is. The Ravens are anything but standard.
Having cleared out most of the forest patrols and two checkpoints stealthily, the Ravens are making their way to take out thest patrol group, a Sardegnian fireteam. Guided by the eyes on the sky, courtesy of Catherine, Linda, and their AWACS, the Ravens soon surround the unknowing Sardegnians. Living true to their CQC expertise, Frederic and Emile slowly approach a pair of enemy soldiers that are trailing behind the other two. Then, they swiftly cover the mouths of the unsuspecting enemies before stabbing their respectivemando dagger and kukri into the back of their heads. Silently, they pull the bodies back behind foliage, waiting for a chance to take out thest two.
After a minute of walking and bantering, one of the yet-to-be-killed turns around, shing his light to look for his friends. "What the Hell? Capo? Francesco? Where are you guys?"
"They''re probably going off on a tangent again, probably taking a piss and smoke in the process. Ignore them, they have their own light." The other said, annoyed. "As long as they make it back before shift change, I don''t care what kind of hole they''re banging in right now."
"Huh..." Responded the first one, before deciding. "You know what, you go back first. I should go and find these knuckleheads before they forgot why we''re out here."
"You do you, I guess. Just shout, or better yet, fire your rifle if you need something." His partner said before going ahead, the lighting from hismp soon fade behind trees and shrubbery. Unknown to them, this will be thest time they will ever see each other.
Now alone, the one staying behind slowly traverses the dark wood, searching for any sign of his teammates'' activity as a strange chill creeps up his back. "C-Capo? Francesco?" He called out to his friends, suddenly very aware that he is now alone. "Where the fuck are you guys?!"
Though he shouted, not a single living soul responded. It''s at this moment that a bad premonition washes over the man. "I swear to the Lord if this is another prank from you guys...!" In the middle of cursing out, the soldier feels a tap on his shoulder, making him jump in fright. "F-Fuck you, motherfuckers!"
"Just you wait until I stab my bay in your buttho-" Still thinking that it was his teammates ying a prank, the man turns around with a huff, only to pale in fright when a towering skull peered down at him.
Grinning wickedly behind his helmet, Emile mouths the word. "Boo."
"H-Hii-!" Before the man can scream out, his face without a shade of blood, Emile rams his kukri through the poor sod''s skull, eviscerating any semnce of life from thest patrolman.
Pulling out his knife before cleansing the brain matters and blood with water magic, Emile lets the body falls to the floor as the rest of the Ravens approach him. "You could have let the poord die a... less impactful death." Jorge chided the skull-face of the group.
Emile chuckles sadistically in response. "Now, where''s the fun in that?" Sheathing his kukri, Emilees to see that most of the Ravens are here. "You guys done with your business?"
Carter is the one that answers, a bit pointedly. "Thest checkpoint is down for the count while Fred here took out the second tost enemy ages ago while you were stalking yours." Emile shrugs nonchntly at this. Shaking his head, Carter continues while walking away. "Let''s double time to the camp, Jun and Kat already have a good eye on the enemy. It seems like they''re throwing a party quitete in the night, and haven''t caught on to our scent yet."
Whistling, Emilements while picking up his pace. "Then they must love the smell of badasserying their way!" Being the point man, Emile soon runs ahead of the formation.
John, being Carter''s fellow team leader, turns to the man with a look. "Is he always like that?"
Sighing, Carter replies. "You have no idea, John. Though the man is dependable than what he tends to express."
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At the heart of this midnight mission, the unmarked prisoner-of-war camp is bristling with activity. Cheering, catcalling, and lecherous peals ofughter, apanied by the unsavory actions of the men here, serve to bring distaste to the Belkans thaty eyes on the site.
Halfway across Europe and in the undergroundmand bunker, Yuki can''t help but frown while resting her head on a fist. For the Marshal, it''s not the scene of men and women being blown to bits and pieces that cause her difort. Rather, it''s the sight of mature women, prettydies, and cute girls of all ages being showcased as mere toys, servants, naked in front of the elements, and afraid under the perverted gazes of men. If it weren''t for thebined effort of Bryn, Einstein, Mobius, Agent, and Dreamer, Yuki would have cut loose and ruined the holotable in spite.
It''s not just Yuki that is struggling to contain her wrath, however. In fact, even experienced people like General Bedonna and Jurgen, Admiral Donitz, and the cold-blooded ONI agents, scrunched up their brows in disgust. The sight of a defenseless child being groped and manhandled by the worst of men has gone against any semnce ofws and morals. Just this singr footage alone is more than enough to make sure Sardegna will burn. But then again, it''s not the time for that just yet.
Emile, being the one to have the darkest of past in the Raven program, is barely able to contain his impulse to rush in and cause carnage. For a moment, the memories of his family''s decapacitated head resurface at the forefront of his mind. Knowing that he won''t be able to stop himself if his kukri can''t taste the blood of the enemies in front of them, Emile bypasses Carter and goes straight tomand.
"Overlord, this is Noble Four, permission to engage." His voice wasced with the deadliest of intent.
Being the one to have been keeping a close eye on this Noble Four, Yuki knows better than to stop him. "Noble Four this is Actual, standby for another minute. Noble Two and Blue Four are taking care of the mortar pit and the base''s generator as we speak. Once the light is down, you have free rein to shed blood. Friendly reminder, keep your eyes on the prize."
"This is AWACS Sky Eye, on-board analysis confirms that not all prisoners are out and about. There could be more being held in the prison and the private quarters of the camp." Said an operator aboard the Airborne Warning and Control System Osprey.
"Overlord, copy. We have verified that intel to be true. Ground team, engage with lethal force but watch out for coteral damage."
"This is Noble One, received."
"This is Blue One, roger."
Due to the bird-eye view provided by the AWACS, Yuki can see that Noble Two and Blue Four have sessfully disabled the mortars and electrical generators. Because of their actions, the debauchery at the camp has been brought to a screeching halt as everything is plunged into darkness, saved for a few fluctuating oilmps.
"This is Noble Three and Blue Three, got eyes on the camp."
"Noble Two and Blue Four, we''re able to provide support anywhere you need."
"This is Blue One and Two, we''re in position to the North of the prison area."
"This is Noble Five, posting up at the main gate. Will be knocking on the front door whenever you need me."
"Noble One and Four here, we''ve set up for an assault."
At the end of the roll call, Carter then reports. "This Noble One to Actual, we''re in ce. Awaiting your order."
"Actual to all elements," With her voiceced with cold fury, Yuki gave the words. "No mercy."
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With the sudden befall of darkness, the party is cut short as the officers give the order to restore the lighting system. Begrudgingly, the soldiers disperse as they maroon in the dark to light up their shlights andmps, a group detaches to move to the generators as the others stay to clean up the party. The officers, on the other hand, either lead the dispirited and scared women back to their bunks or shove them back to the prison area. Goes unknown to them all is the fact that the guards, posted on the surrounding towers of the camp, are killed silently with well-ced shots to the heads. These kills are the handiworks Catherine, Kelly, and Linda with their suppressed G1SDs and SG-8mm.
With the enemy overwatch taken care of by their flying Ravens, members of Blue Team and Noble Team jump over the razor-wired fence as they swiftly clear through the camp, corner by corner, building by building. Everywhere they go, blood and death are left in their wake, killed either by bloodied stab or a suppressed shot to the head.
Having found themselves approaching the officers'' quarter, Carter motions for Emile to stop before telling him to take an ambush position. Without a sound, Emile crouched running into a shadow of a nearby building, kukri and USP-SOCOM in his hands. On his part, Carter hoists himself on an empty and unlit balcony with clothes hanging on a dryer, the owner of which is lying in a pool of blood near him. Training his rifle down the road where a group of officers is approaching with a pair of hostages, Carter runs a facial check and scores a mark.
"This is Noble One, positive ID on Colonel Emmanuel Lucius. Second from my left and is crossing his arm over a hostage, confirm?"
"This is Noble Two, confirm the target is the Colonel."
"This is Blue Four, that''s the HVT."
"This is Overlord Actual, the HVT is danger-close to the primary objective, proceed at your behest with caution." Yuki interjected.
"Good copy, Actual." Carter looks down at the sight of his rifle, the helmet he wears allows him the ease to acquire the target thanks to a smart-link system with the gun. "Noble One to Noble Two and Blue Four, I need a sync shot on the Colonel''s group. I have a clear shot on the left-most target."
"Noble Two here, aiming at the rightmost guy."
"This is Blue Four, clear shot on the second from the right guy."
"This is Noble Four, boss, leave the Colonel and the pair nking him to me." Counting the Colonel, there are six enemies and Emile volunteers to take out three of them.
"Good copy, Noble Four. This Noble One, taking the shot in 5... 4... 3... 2... Firing!" With a single pull of the trigger, Carter sends a subsonic hollow point 8mm bullet with a ballistic tip at the head of an unsuspecting Sardegnian officer. At the same time, Catherine and Linda also fire at their own targets. All three bullets hit true andpletely blow away the heads of the officers.
As the headless bodies crumple to the ground, spraying fountains of blood everywhere, Emile springs into action from behind the Colonel and two other officers that are standing stock still in their drunken stupor. Quickly, Emile opens fire two times with his USP, killing the non-HVTs by shooting their heads in the back before holstering his pistol. Then, he closes the distance and uses his kukri to cut the arm tendons of the Colonel, but not before mping the bastard''s mouth shut. The sight of exploding heads and a bonafide Grim Reaper should have been a cause for the hostages to scream bloody murder but thankfully, they don''t. Of the three hostages, two are knocked out by Catherine who has flown down to secure them while one other already has her spirit broken, long ago. The girl just standing there, motionlessly as her body was bathed in fresh blood.
The sight of a child, barely 15 years in age give or take a couple due to her malnourishment, yet was broken into an unfeeling doll caused Emile to bite back his words: ''Hellodies~!''
Instead, with a renewed fury, Emile kicks the leg of the Colonel, forcing him onto his knees with his arms flinging aimlessly and powerlessly. Peering down at him with his skull visor, Emile chuckles with sadistic humor as he carves a bloody line on the forehead of the frightened Sardegnian. Oh, he would have loved it to torture this lesser dog for the crimes hemitted but Emile knows, there is a fate worse than death awaiting him in Belka. So, Emile knocks the living daylight out of this Emmanuel Lucius. ONI will be having a field day with himter.
Carter and Catherine saw his act of cruelty but ultimately move on to secure the hostages. As a matter of fact, everyone in the bunker back at Belka saw it, they''re both impressed and d that the hot-blooded Raven has such good a restrain on his impulse.
Emile moves to the kid, the girl sure has the short end of the straw. In a surprising act of kindness, Emile puts the girl to sleep with a spell before carrying her body inside a clean officer''s bedroom. Laying the naked and bloodied girl on the bed before covering her with a nket, Emile makes sure to lock the door and marks it before walking out. The Noble Four thene to see his teammates giving him a weird look. He doesn''t know it but those over at Belka are also surprised because of his action.
"What?" Asked Emile grumbly.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 13: Spaniard Freedom (Part 3)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 13: Spaniard Freedom (Part 3)
On the other side of the military encampment, Blue Team members John and Frederic are setting themselves up by a doorway. It''s here that they will force an entry into the prison area, and from the look of it, the pathway leads underground.
"This is Blue One to all elements, breaching in five, will be dropping off the scope."
"Copy that, Blue Leader. We will take care of the topside." Carter responded overms.
Taking a look at Fred who has now pulled out his USP alongside abat knife, John nods before snapping open the door like a toothpick. The sound would have been loud had they not deployed a sound suppression spell before breaching. Fred then moves in first with his pistol close to his chest te while John covers the rear with his G1SD. Through the night vision filter that allows them to see in the dark just as well as in the daytime, they scan the archaic architecture for any hostile contact. Seeing none, Fred motions for John to stack up at a stairwell leading downward. Through their enhance hearings, they can hear multiple voices below.
"Voices, five males, and an unknown number of females." Fred reported.
"Copy that, scanning." Working out a life detector spell, John deploys it. The feedback from the spell provides him with a clearer picture below. "Seven jailers in total, twenty-one prisoners, and one of them is in a critical state. No gas, we go in hot, now." Without further words, Fred and John rush down the stair with surprising swiftness for people of their stature. After all, they''re all more than two meters in height. It''s down there, however, that theye to see a very distasteful sight.
In a spacious underground dungeon, its moldy brick walls lit up by oilmps and torches, two rows of jail cells nked a singr pathway, and down that pathway is a chamber of pure obscenity. There, four jailers are gathering around a woman, bound to a cross, naked and bleeding as her captors enjoy every single moment of torturing the life out of her in front of her daughter. These sadistic beasts force the daughter to watch as her mother takes her ce on the torture cross. The mournful wails of the daughter, the pained expression of the mother, and the dreaded expression of the other captives have only served to boost their maniacal tendencies.
Just as one of the jailers, a lecherous man wearing a nted officer cap, is about to make another cut on her profusely bleeding body, the Raven intervenes. Due to the chamber being in the direct line of sight to the stairwell they just appear from, with no obstruction in the way, John and Fred open fire at the same time. The subsonic rounds from their weapons imed the lives of the four beasts-in-the-shape-of-men not a secondter. Without themand from their brains, the corpses copse onto the ground. Free from the confinement of the now-dead jailers, the frightful daughter leaps to her mother, now struggling to hold onto life. "Mum! Mum! Please, stay with me!" The daughter struggles to find anything to stop the bleeding to no avail. Her mother, on the other hand, managed to catch a glimpse of their rescuers. She, however, struggles to mouth the words. "P-Please, m-my daughter..."
They said that a mother is the strongest force on the, they are not wrong. John turns to Fred, the clock is ticking. "There were seven."
"On it, Chief." Fred then steps aside, performing his own scan to find out where the other three are. John leaves the task of killing them in Fred''s good hands, he then moves to secure the dying mother.
The sight of an armored man, built like an absolute unit and armed to the teeth, either inspires a sense of hope or fails to elicit a response from the broken captives. Some are just too broken to be saved by him. At the very least, they may be able to help them once the coast is clear. Soon, John arrives next to the torturous cross, much to the shock and apprehension of the daughter who now stands bravely in front of her mother. Knowing better than to reveal his face right now, John opts to sling his rifle at his side, raising his hands in a calming gesture. Under the inquisitive look of the daughter, John removes his backpack, leaving it on the ground before opening one of its manypartments. John then pulls out, slowly, a canister with a red cross symbol and a deployable nozzle. On John''s other hand, he sure hopes this won''t spook them, is a medical injector. Thankfully, the daughter only maintains her stance warily while the mother is fading in and out of consciousness. Time is running out for her but if John hastens the process, a panickingss would be the least of his concern.
Slowlying to full height, John takes a couple of steps forward, testing the daughter''s reaction. Seeing that she only flinches but is otherwise not very active, John dares to raise the canister, showing it to the girl. "Biomedical foam," He said in an ented Spanish but with clear pronunciation. "This will stop her bleeding."
At first, the girl is shocked that the armored man has spoken fluent Spanish, but that surprise is soon reced by the former wariness. Luckily for all parties involved, the dirtied but otherwise spirited girl has a good head on her shoulders, her expression soon morphs into a hopeful one as she sidesteps, letting John approaches the bleedingdy to help her.
"Thank you, little miss...?" John posed the question as he unfolded the nozzle.
"... ra." Said the young girl with a strong front. Her voice betrayed the anxiety in her, however.
"A beautiful name. You may call me Blue if you wish to talk." Though John offered that, he highly doubt the girl would be in a mood to talk.
True to his thinking, the girl chooses to remain silent as he starts deploying the biofoam into the wounds of her mother. This biofoam, a recent addition to the medical arsenal of the Reich, is a self-sealing, space-filling coagnt and an antimicrobial, tissue-regenerative foam polymer used as a form of medical first aid. This foam keeps damaged organs in ce and helps stop bleeding and hemorrhaging. The medicinalpound is morphophetamine in a polyethyltriphosphate liquid medium dispensed with nitrous oxide. When applied, the polyethyltriphosphate and nitrous oxide mix to create a foaming effect that can encapste, disinfect, and numb wounds. After a short duration of time, the foam applied will set and be a semi-rigid, porous mass internally, which forms a hardened skin on regions of the body exposed to air. This helps prevent further foreign elements to exacerbate the wounds of the patient. The effects of biofoam are temporary, however, and after half a day, it simply breaks down. Though this will give thisdy in front of John more than enough time to receive proper medical treatment.
Once John is done applying the biofoam, he stores away the canister and prepares his medical injector, showing it to the girl to see. "Potion, top-of-the-line medicine, will help your mother recovers from her internal trauma, lessening her suffering."
Seeing that the girl doesn''t make any attempt to stop him, John locates a patch of skin on her mother that is still rtively safe from harm before slowly injecting the needle in. Very soon, he has emptied the content of the injector and the tortureddy is now breathing with much more ease than before. "This will keep her stable until help arrives."
Without another word, John then stores the medical supplies away before putting on his backpack again. Turning to the girl, ra, John acknowledges her strong-willed in the face of such adversities. "You''re a powerful youngdy, ra. It seems like you inherited the best from your mother. Stay here and look after her, help wille once the situation topside is stable enough. I will barricade the door after we leave this dungeon, whatever you do, do not open the barricade unless you see me behind it. Are we clear?"
Instead of responding, ra looks straight at John with her red eyes before nodding. She then runs next to her mother, checking on her breathing before finding a clean nket to cover her body. A very attentive youngss, she is.
Seeing that the matter here is left in good hands, John sets off to reconvene with Fred.
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While John has been busy making friends and saving a life, Fred is doing the exact opposite of his friend. Knocking on a door leading to the jailers resting area, Fred awaits the Sardegnians behind it to respond.
Unsuspectingly, a Sardegnian jailer opens the door, almost dead drunk, so much so that he has to blink a few times to fully registered the sight of a Raven standing 216.3 centimeters tall standing in front of him. Unwilling to hear any of his deader-than-dead enemy''s spiel, Fred jams a big-ass knife into the jailer''s sternum, pushing him further inside the room. There, under the stunned gaze of the other two jailers, Fred unleashes two urate .50 cal projectiles from his USP-SOCOM on their heads. And when a part of the bunk room is decorated with brain matter and blood, Fred finishes off the half-dead-and-stabbed jailer with a shot to the head also.
Letting the body crumples down to the floor, Fred cleans his knife before stepping out of the room, his task here is done.
------------------------------------------------------------
Rejoining Fred, John and him barricade the dungeon by repositioning a few cabs. Fortunately for them, they need not waste too much time convincing the prisoners to keep their calm and hunker down for now. Most of them are too exhausted to even do anything, anyway.
Ascending the flight of stairs, John receives the taskpletion from Fred before he reports the situation to High Command, even if Command already sees his live video feed.
"Overlord, this is Blue One. We have secured twenty-one prisoners for evac. They''re in various states of injuries and sickness with one of them in critical but stabilized. The stabilized subject suffered numerous deep cuts and internal traumas. Potion and biofoam have been administered to extend the Golden Hour. We have barricaded the prison area until friendly forces arrive for extract."
"This is Actural, copy that, Blue Leader. Will have medical personnel on standby. Judging from the feeds we are receiving, Command has performed a headcount of the prisoners we have been able to identify so far. We''re sitting at the count of sixty-seven, including yours. Judging from the severity of the mission, we''re sending in two more MEDEVACs to facilitate the extraction. Continue with your mission, clear the area of hostile elements, and find the rest if you can. Over."
"Copy that, Actual, proceeding with the mission. Over." John responded, equipping his G1SD. "Let''s go, Fred. We''re burning the midnight oil."
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Hiding in the darkest of corners she can find, Natasha can''t help but bemoan the Lord for the current situation she has found herself in. Currently, Natasha is scurrying in the shadow of an unmarked prisoner camp, held by the Sardegnian Army, the same one that has been besieged by an unknown party. This group, from what she can see with a hasty look, wears full-bodied armor and stands over two meters tall, armed with weapons of unrecognizable origin and the ability to freely wield magic without any drawbacks. Natasha can hazard a guess as to who this group of veteran killers belongs to but she dreads the weight behind such a guess. If her thoughts are proven to be true and the power behind this group is involved in the Spanish situation, then Sardegna will suffer.
More than that, Natasha is deeply afraid for the fate of her sisters in theing days. Mustering all of her mana pool to fuel her camouge spell, Natasha peaks half her head out of the alley, daring a look at the sky. While she can''t really see the simrly hidden fliers, Natasha''s instinct can tell that there are two pairs of eyes overwatching the entire camp. It''s thanks to her instinct that she has managed to sneak this far into the camp, near itsmand building. Yet, Natasha sincerely doubts that she will be able to extract the evidence of war crimes here without any issue. For it seems like this unknown group is after the very same thing she has set out for. Better yet, theypleted what she couldn''t, rescuing the captive females here. She has managed to spy on their handiworks and is grateful for their timely rescue.
Though she is highly annoyed that they''re bagging evidence left, right, and center. Much faster than what she can do under the current situation. Thus, Natasha can only pray to the Lord that there are still enough crumbs behind for her to build a case of her own against Sardegna. This is the closest she has ever gotten to finalizing her evidence collection, yet, it''s bad luck she stumbles on to this group right now.
After her instinct tells her that it''s now safe to move, meaning the eyes in the sky aren''t looking at her location currently, Natasha stealthily sets out for themand building.
Although she wishes that her task will bepleted without any mishap, Natasha highly doubts it. For all she knows, the number of unknown participants will be way higher than what she could see or sense. To aid her in aplishing her own directive, perhaps a distraction will be much needed.
Natasha is wary about the loss of lives this may incur, however.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 14: Spaniard Freedom (Part 4)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 14: Spaniard Freedom (Part 4)
After thirty minutes of infiltrating, assassinating, and securing the prisoners, the Ravens have devoided the perimeter area of the camp of Sardegnian lives. In the many barracks of the camp, they have managed to secure an additional twenty-four hostages, bringing the total count up to 48. Now, they''re encircling thest hub of activity of the camp, the party area. Female prisoners are mopping up the ce while soldiers with guns overwatching them in the dim lighting. Due to theck of proper lighting, progress has been painfully slow for mostly naked women. The fact that these lecherous soldiers keep messing around with their bodies also doesn''t help.
After performing a headcount, Catherine reports the enemy''s strength. "I count thirty-three in the open. Twenty in the cantina. Five in the storage shed. No prisoners in the two buildings, yet. Almost half of them are wasted so keep that in mind."
Hearing that, Carter responds. "Good copy. Teams, do you have a visual on the target location?"
"Noble Two and Blue Four have eyes on the clearing."
"Noble Three and Blue Three have eyes on everything, we can engage the targets hidden behind the wooden walls also."
"This is Noble Five, still waiting for my turn."
"Blue One and Two are approaching the storage shed. We will be able to get the height advantage over them if we clear the shed."
"Noble One, copy all. Noble One and Four are to the South of the clearing and have a good view of most of them. Blue Leader, see if you can secure the shed before we kick things off. Noble Two, Blue Four, prioritize taking out anybody trying anything funny. Noble Three and Blue Three, you two have the punch, to take out anyone that is behind hard cover. And Five-!"
Suddenly, a major explosion cuts across the night sky, grabbing the attention of everyone in the camp perimeter. With the cracking of munitions being cooked off and fireballs raining down on a corner of the base as a background, Carter can''t help but curse out loud.
"You''ve gotten to be shitting me!"
"Well, there goes the element of surprise." Emile whistled.
"Two, report!" Carter called out to Catherine who had a bird-eye view of the situation.
"It''s the mortar pit! The ammo storage for the mortars exploded!" Eximed Noble Two as she was flying in a circle to examine ground zero.
"Damn it, Two, how the fuck did the shells got armed?! The n was to neuter the mortars, not even touching the shells!"
"We followed the n, Carter! Aside from killing the guards, we haven''t even touched an ammo crate. So unless these Sardegnians were batshit stupid in following safety rules, we may be looking at something else entirely." Catherine suggested in a wary tone.
"... Shit." Carter could just about see the heap of trouble approaching them right now.
"My point exactly." Catherine quipped back.
"Noble, Blue, SITREP!" Ordered Yuki in a grave tone. The mission was supposed to center around stealth, but that explosion sure wasn''t part of being stealthy.
"This is Blue Leader, we have secured the storage shed and from the look of it, they''re in abat state. Enemies are moving to grab the prisoners back to their cells while a majority of them a fanning out to contain the raging fire. We don''t have much time."
"Noble Three, Actual, a part of them is heading for the motor pool. From the look of it, they are intended to mount up."
"Noble One here, I have a good suspicion that we have a third-party interfering in our mission. This party should have a lot of skill to avoid the detection from not just us but our AWACS also."
"Actual copies all and is taking directmand of the situation." Yuki calmly said overms. "Noble Five, I want you to raise a ruckus, storm them from the front and attract the enemies away from the hostages. Blue Three, cover for Noble Five. Noble Three, provide anti-materiel support to the teams. All other elements, stick to mission objectives. Kill everyone and rescue these prisoners."
"Roger!" Answered the Ravens.
"Be advised. The unknown third party is probably a Crusader. She has been on ONI''s radar for quite some time and specialized in undercover ops and solo engagements. Noble Two and Blue Four, I want you two to constantly deploy your detection spells and be on patrol. This will keep her below ground until we handle the current mess." Yuki added.
"Copy that, Actual." Responded the pair of Ravens in the sky.
"This is Sky Eye," Themander of the AWACS interjected. "Detecting an increase in radio traffic from Murcia. They have been tipped off because of that explosion, and the nearby airbase is sending a flight of QRF. ETA, fifteen minutes. A detachment of ground force is expected to roll out in half an hour and it will take them an hour to get to the AO."
"Teams, you must have heard that so double time! I want the AO clean of the Sardegnian Army in less than ten!" Yuki urged the Ravens on.
"Solid copy, Actual! All teams, engage the enemy!" Per Yuki''s and Carter''s orders, Jorge is the one to open up first.
Dashing out of his cover, Jorge kicks down the steel gate acting as the sole entrance to the camp. As the gate falls heavily on the ground with a bang, Jorge raises Etika up in the direction of the motor pool where he knows that no hostages are there.
"Said hello to my little girl." Jorge then let Etika rip, the 14.5mm projectiles tearing and digging holes into the motor pool''s thin brick wall with the apanying loud reports from the HMG. A ruckus, Jorge sure caused for the Sardegnians can''t help but send a detachment to deal with an abrupt enemy attack. Though most of them are still either in disbelief or too drunk to march out like a proper army.
While Jorge is raising hell and shutting down their vehicr operation, the rest of the Ravens start assaulting those that stay behind to guard the prisoners. Jun was the first one to engage, blowing up the upper half of a high-ranking officer with his 14.5 payload munition. The shock of suddenly losing theirmanding officer is too great that most of the enemies fail to react to the appearance of the Ravens in time. John and Fred open fire from above, down at a group of soldiers manhandling a few prisoners. Up above, Catherine and Linda snipe at the Sardegnians that are out of cover. While Carter and Emile, rush into the fray, utilizing speed and surprise to take out the Sardegnians, one by one. With them going loud, Emile has now pulled out his 8-gauge shotgun to st the son-of-bitches away from the female hostages.
For the first minute, things have been going extraordinarily well for the Ravens, managing to cut down ten of the fifteen soldiers that are left behind to guard the hostages. Yet, it''s thest five that prove to be troubling. In a bid to disengage from the hunks of armor or just desperation at y, the five throw out grenades haphazardly, and a couple of them manage tond near a group of cowering females. Being the first to notice the danger, Catherine drops down, hard and fast. Landing with a heavy thump, raising a cloud of dust in the process, Catherine manages to deploy half of a barrier dome to protect the girls when the grenades explode. At that moment, Catherine is sted backward, being almost point-nk to the explosions. A sharp pain runs through her left arm and from the warning her helmet''s HUG keeps giving out, it seems like a fragment or two have punctured her undersuit. But at the very least, Catherine has been able to protect the girls.
Turning around to look at the battereddies behind her, aside from being bruised and shocked, they are still in one piece. "Better that than dying." Catherine joked to herself before standing up and reequipping her rifle.
"Noble Two, are you broken?" Yuki called out to Catherine over the radio.
"Noble Two to Actual, my left arm took a bit of a hit, however, biofoam is working on it. Otherwise, I am not broken."
"Good," Catherine can just feel Yuki nodding on the other end. "Resume your mission, you may have the MEDEVAC take a look at the woundter."
"From the look of it, the armor itself is fine." It''s at this moment that Einstein interjected. "Yet, it seems like you were unlucky enough for the fragments to bypass the armor and go for your unprotected undersuit. It seems like an upgrade for that is in order."
Stopping for a bit, Einstein adds. "The resupply Osprey should be carrying another suit for you to rece it with."
"Roger that, Doctor Einstein." Catherine replied, grateful that she wouldn''t be going for missions, naked beneath the armor.
Back to the mission at hand, while Catherine is preupied with securing the girls behind her, the rest of the Ravens have killed off the grenade-tossers, a payback for injuring their teammate. On Jorge''s end though, things aren''t ending quite yet for an L3/33 tankette suddenly drives out from the motor pool. Turning on the spot to point its 6.5mm machine gun.
As a man and a tank perform a staring contest with each other, Jorge can''t help but clench his Etika in excitement. The fact that he''s a supersoldier hasn''t been lost to him, nor is that Etika is more than capable to prate the frontal armor of that L3. So, when the L3 starts revving its engine before barrelling straight toward him gun zing, Jorge cackles before mping his feet onto the ground. Ignoring the hail of 6.5mm bullets peppering his raised barrier, Jorge points Etika at the L3, firing an entire belt of 14.5x114mm. These bullets, capable of prating 32mm of armor at 100 meters, are more than enough to perforate the 12mm armor te of the L3/33. Hence, it isn''t a surprise to see the L3 bing Swiss cheese before veering hard to the left, crashing into the base of a water tower. The water tower, with its base breaking down, copses onto the ground, spilling water everywhere. It doesn''t take Jorge long to figure out that the two crew members are simrly decimated.
"Oh baby," Jorge pats his Etika. "You''re amazing as always."
Thus, Sardegnian Army base camp, wipe out.
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Once they have confirmed that the LZ is cleared for the Ospreys, the Ravens give the go-ahead for extraction. With that said six Ospreys lower their altitude from above the cloud,pletely unimpeded by anything. The Sardegnian QRF from Murcia was swiftly taken out by their escort Phantoms. By the time the Ospreys have touched down, the Ravens have cobbled up the rescued hostages, numbering 76 in total, around the LZ. There was some trouble handling the traumatized women, but any fires were soon put out by the female members of the Ravens.
Looking at the women and girls, dressed in anything clean that they couldy a hand on, Catherine can''t help butment. "After seeing us, I doubt that they would be able to live normal lives." She then spots John, on one knee and is taking care of a pair of mother and daughter. "Heck, it''s not like any would be able to live a normal life after what happened to them."
Carter, who is next to her, responds. "The definition of a normal life, varies from person to person, you know. By rescuing them, we can at least give them a chance to live a better life."
"And that is, on Belkan soil." Yuki chimed in over the radio. "Once we''re done debriefing them, we will work on curing them of their trauma and affliction."
The Ravens nod at her words, not surprised that the Marshal already nned something for them. Having said that, Yuki addresses Catherine personally as the rescuees are loaded onto the Ospreys. The mother that John treated before and her daughter, is helped on the Osprey by John himself.
"Noble Two, have you repowered the internal broadcast system of the camp?"
Nodding, Catherine answers the Marshal. "Yes, ma''am, I''ve restored the system and linked it ording to yourmand. Just, may I ask as to why we need that, Actual?"
Instead of Yuki''s voice sounding off on theirms, her voice reverberates across the entire camp. "That''s because there''s a little Crusader still skulking about, unable to contain her own curiosity. Am I right, Lady Raven, or should I say, Natasha Ciora?"
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^4
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^4
"Do you know the definition of insanity?" Yggdra asked, looking weirdly at the slime in front of her. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That''s what Einstein told me, and you''re exhibiting just that."
The slime, hearing Yggdra''s words, turns around with a reddish glow on its otherwise blue body. It then moves one of its tentacles, pointing angrily at a PC screen, gesturing a multitude of ways. Though it doesn''t speak, Yggdra is more than capable of inferring what the little slime says. The slime isining about the process of creating AI-generated pictures, where for it to set it up, has wasted a whole lot of effort. Yggdra''s amused by the slime''s perseverance to even forcefully conscripted the program to run on a PC with a weak graphic card. Unfortunately for it, the end result was subpar for its first few creations.
"The fingers, it''s always the fingers." Yggdra chuckled at the slime''s predicament. For it to install the program, Stable Diffusion, it has wasted a lot of time to fix up instation errors, even infringing on its supposedly rest days. Even then, the images generated still have weird finger cement or an odd amount of fingers on a hand.
The slime then once again points at the hand of a recently fixed picture. Mind you, that hand still has six fingers even after ten fixes. It''s at its wit''s end.
"You can''t fault an AI though. It doesn''t have a hand, much less fingers. Hence it will be quite hard for one to draw humanoid anatomy perfectly." Yggdra then pats the slime. "Though at the end of the day, you''re slowly getting the hang of it, little friend."
Through an intense session of troubleshooting, costing up to a week, the slime hasid its tentacle on three useable pictures. Each is better than thest... Hopefully, maybe, possibly.
... Anyway!
Yggdra then hoists the slime up, hugging it close to her bosom, humming a light tune. "You''re one dedicated slime, investing that much effort just to better your writing craft. I''m impressed." Sheplimented the slime, making it blush slightly from not just the sudden physical contact.
"I''ve peered into your world, viewing your struggles in life in the hope of a better future for your little family. Fate''s a cruel mistress as always, no? Fixing you with a job, only to arrange for it to be raided and burned, thus closing it down altogether." Sighing, Yggdra then continues. "It''s unfair that you are dealt a bad hand and had to roll with it. Nheless, you still maintain your morals and y a gamble of your own. You keep on writing, word after word, sentence after sentence. Luckily for you, you are able to meet a couple more people that subscribed to be your Patrons. Not to mention the fact that your ever-so stalwart Patrons from your good old time are still sticking with you through thick and thin."
The slime bounces its body up and down, agreeing and showing its gratitude to its supporter. "Remember, little slime, there are people with more unfortunate lives. Yet, they never give up their love for their crafts. As long as you persevere, I have no doubt you will soon be able to make a well-deserved living out of being an author." Yggdra advised, smiling, and prompting the slime to make a fists pump, empowering its fighting spirit.
She then turns to look at the readers, a knowing smirk now adorning her face. "Well, well, well... If you have read up until here, you will probably know what wille next then. Say, it''s been a while since I''ve done this so I hope you won''t mind."
"Now, why don''t you be a good and generous reader and support our slime author here? I can even show you how."
Yggdra then uses a finger, writing a line of blueish light in the air. The line said:
/Heartbreak117
"There, just head over there and donate for your friendly and cuddly author, I''m sure they will appreciate it." Yggdra smiled, resuming her act of patting the slime like a pet cat.
"Oh! Before I forget!" Yggdra suddenly eximed." Little slime has two goals, one of which is only 4 dors short! As long as they meet that goal, they can ensure a warm roof for shelter! Do help him achieve that for now, won''t you?"
Yggdra then waves a hand at the PC the slime was using earlier. "There are, of course, benefits to bing their supporter. You will find that this is not just a mere money-grabbing trick. For now, though, enjoy these few pictures the slime and its AI managed to create."
V1
Spoiler
[copse]
V2
Spoiler
[copse]
V3
Spoiler
[copse]
"Well then, we''ve kept you here for long enough. It''s time to carry on with your life. As for me, I will be helping the slime earn itself a good, actual rest this time." Yggdra and the slime then wave at the readers.
"Remember to support our little slime! Cheers!"
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 15: Spaniard Freedom (End?)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 15: Spaniard Freedom (End?)
"That''s because there''s a little Crusader still skulking about, unable to contain her own curiosity. Am I right, Lady Raven, or should I say, Natasha Ciora?" Natasha almost tripped upon the wooden floorboard when she heard her name being sted on speakers.
Natasha isn''t one for cursing but this is one of the few times she has to make an exception. "Motherfucker!" That young female voice gave her the chill for Natasha knows, this camp is far from empty. From a window of themand building, Natasha can catch a glimpse of the strange aircraft that are picking up the rescued females. And if her luck is bad enough, those unknown armored soldiers are just around the corner.
"Oh, right! Don''t worry about my friends there, they''re just about done with mopping up the area with anything useful." The voice, Natasha may or may not have an inkling from whom it belongs, jestingly said that. And she is right, themand building and almost everywhere else was wiped clean of any incriminating evidence. Although there is still something left for Natasha to work on in her case, what''s left behind seems to be intentional.
"That''s right, my dear Natasha. I''ve ordered them to leave a small gift for you, should be more than enough to set you up." Called it. The intel she picked up was just leftover, but at what cost?
The young voice responds almost instantly as if reading her mind, Natasha is a bit annoyed that this is a one-way conversation. "Don''t mind the cost, don''t mind it! It won''t be anything you can''t handle, my dear, consider this an equivalent exchange instead."
Stepping away from the window as she has seen the aircraft taking off, Natasha contemtes just getting the hell out of Dodge but ultimately, she chooses not to. Call her curious instead. "Ok, say your terms." Though Natasha said it aloud, she doubts the girl on the other end can hear her.
"For starter," The girl answered anyway. "This little ndestine meeting between us. It never happens." Well, that''s understandable. Besides, Natasha highly doubt anyone except Kallen would believe her retelling of this event.
"After that, hum... How about you give me a good show instead? It won''t be that hard, right? What''s with all the bloody evidence you have on hand." I''m sorry, but what the fuck!?
"You must be wondering why we even need you to condemn your own country, right? As a matter of fact, we don''t. However, you have, so far, proven yourself to be of sound mind and good morale, much like the subject of your interest, Kallen Kana. It will be a shame if you two never get anywhere, no? This is why I am giving you a chance to change the current status quo in Sardegna, a chance for you to uncover the ugly truths about Sardegna on your own terms. And while you''re at it, perhaps you will be able to bring out a happy ending not just for yourself, but also for Miss Kana and the rest of your sisters."
... Natasha''s interest was caught the moment Kallen was involved. Natasha is loyal to the Lord, yes, but more than that, she is loyal to the Saint that is Kallen. A tangible presence inspires her more than a never-present God, after all. Still, more than anything, how can Natasha even trust the voice in the first ce?
"You don''t trust me, just as we don''t trust you. We don''t even care about what you will be doing with the evidence. Granted, we will be more than capable of hunting you and your sisters down if our existence is revealed." The voice chuckled. "You may have escaped the notice of our soldiers for now, but can you do the same in your next encounter? Can your sisters hold their grounds against supersoldiers that have decades of experience ahead of them? If anything, my soldiers standmitted to excellence in warfighting, the integrity of character, and respect for the heritage received in their path to bing something more than human. They will improvise, adapt and ovee any obstacle, hidden or not. Those are their creed."
The way the voice said it, with such confidence in her troops, does bring a chill to Natasha. Natasha wouldn''t have believed what she spouted if she hadn''t seen their ways ofbat, firsthand. Unlike the Crusaders that almost always be the tip-of-the-spear and dislike subterfuge, these armored individuals are better in every way, intangible, unstoppable, and infallible. Natasha doesn''t have to see witness a live engagement to know that the Crusaders will lose 8 times out of 10.
"Fine..." Natasha breathed out. "Have it your way then."
"Good. You stay on your own path, we stay on ours. So long as you keep that in mind, we can even work together when the situation calls for it." What does she mean by that? "You may address me as Overlord in the future. Should the need arise, I will have my way of reaching you. Have a good day, dear Natasha." Before the speakers go silent, Overlord says something that ticks Natasha off. "Oh, I would vacate the area if I were you. See youter~!"
"Goddamn it, woman!" Natasha shouted as she made a break for it while holding to the photos and documentary evidence tightly. Crashing through a window of the three-storiesmand building, Natasha then rolls onto the dirt floor before assuming a sprint stance. Dashing out the way shees from, a stealthily cut segment of the barbed-wire fence, Natasha barely makes it into a treeline when her instinct screams at her to create ice, lots and lots of ice. This is the second time in the day that Natasha sincerely feels afraid for her lowly life.
"This intel better be fucking worth it!" Jumping over arge root of an oak, Natasha immediately goes for a slide down here. It''s when she reaches the foot of the hill that she ttens her body onto a soggy patch of dirt while freezing her surrounding with as much ice from spells as she can, even putting up.
No sooner had she done that than a cacophony of eerie roars rush over the air. Barely managing to catch a glimpse of a pair of fiery blue trails cutting across the night, Natasha''s attention is soon rudely grabbed by multitudes of booming and bright lights that torch the sky. An intense heat wave rushes over her frozen trench as Natasha gazes up in a daze at the top of the hill. There, a veritable sea of me engulfed everything but where she''s at. With heat waves pushing 1200 degrees Celsius, Natasha finds it hard to breathe, and it''s not because of the vaporizing ice around her, no. It''s because the me rapidly deoxygenates the avable air and generatesrge amounts of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Knowing that it will be a fool''s endeavor for her to stay here and the fact that the molten-hot me is encroaching on her, Natasha encases herself in a makeshift ice barrier. Wading her way through the hot steam around her, Natasha keeps on moving, running as fast as she can and as far as she must. Thest thing she wants is to die in literal Hell on Earth.
"These Belkans are bloody crazy!" And Natasha thinks she has just rolled herself up into it.
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"This is Rigel 1. Confirmed, the target is up in me. All napalm hit with 100% uracy." The Captain of Rigel Squadron reported over thems wave. Over on the live feed provided by the AWACS, Yuki, andpany, can see just the same where an entire debauchery camp is obliterated in a sea of fire.
"Good copy, Rigel 1. Start egressing and rejoin with the formation. Fleet departs in an hour." Yuki said to the Captain. Aside from a few hups along the way, the opening mission for Spaniard Freedom is a resounding sess.
All hostages have been rescued, Ravens have taken negligible damage, and all required evidence secured. It goes without saying that thepliments from the Generals and Admiral bring not-so-small smiles to the faces of the people behind the Raven program. With the mission done, the Ravens have been tasked with relocating to a hideout, deep behind enemy line.
Now that the aftermath of the battle is on the way to being processed, Yuki can now breathe easy, handing the fourth cup of coffee over to Agent. Even so, Yuki struggles to contain a yawn. Knowing that Yuki is dead tired right now, Bryn gently pats the girl on the head. "Hey, just a little bit more before we can all head home."
Leaning over to Bryn, Yuki draws out her words. "I know~, I need to witness them touch down before I can rest assuredly."
"Yeah, so hang on for just a bit... Yuki, are you sure it''s wise to pull that wildcard?" Hearing Bryn asked that question, everybody at the holotable perked up.
Mobius raises her hand. "Yeah, yeah! Tell us, Yuki! I, for once, would like to see a match between my Ravens and their Crusaders." She said excitedly, earning a bonk on the head from Einstein. Dreamer, on the other hand, just smiles lightly, fully trusting Yuki''s decision.
Taking another breath, Yuki exins. "It''s just me fishing in troubled water. If I y my card right, we will be able to have a powerful hand in the Sardegna situation. Further than that, we will be able to glean more intel in the uncertain Auschwitz. I know Natasha Ciora''s type, once she broke off her restrain that is the indoctrination of Sardegna, she will stop at nothing to ensure a good ending for herself. Cooperating with us, right now and in the future, will increase her sess chance by a lot."
Stopping for a bit, Yuki taps her fingers on the table. "From this point onward, we will be engaging the Crusaders on a limited basis or not at all. Partly because I want to see if we can turn the Crusaders around, partly because I don''t want to reveal our hands early. Natasha is the only one other than us that knows about the Ravens, it''s best if we keep it that way."
"Other than that, I want to see how one Crusader, or two in this case, can bring chaos to Sardegna. Will they seed and bring the Papacy to its knees, or will they fail and be stabbed in the back instead? Either way, we will still go on with our own n and make the life of the Sardegnian Army as hellish as possible. Don''t forget, our ultimate goal is to put a stop to Sardegna''s current and future expansion, once and for all, one way or another."
Sharing a look, everyone at the table then turns toward Yuki.
"Yes, Marshal!"
Returning a nod at them, Yuki redirects her attention, and with it, everyone''s, back at the holotable. Half an hourter, all of the Ospreys touch down on the Yggdrasil, and the debriefing and treating of the rescuees follow soon after. Ten minutester, most of the aircraft are recovered, bare a squadron of Phantoms and AWACS for early warning. After five more minutes, the fleet begins their departure back to Belkan Sea. Only then does everyone heaves a soft sigh.
"That''s that. Congrattion, everyone, the mission is aplete sess." Yuki said, prompting the room to explode into a resounding cheer.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 16: Aftereffects
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 16: Aftereffects
With the sessful extraction of the female prisoners, ONI soon takes control of the situation and deposits them in a ck site. It''s there that ONI starts a round of treatments, helping the new arrivals to recover from their injuries and traumatic experiences. The few that are quick enough to recover, are handed over to an information acquisition team. Thanks to them and the intelligence extracted from the prisoners'' camp ONI haspiled a list of incriminating evidence. Yuki soon has it forwarded to Shadow Company in Spain. Using them as a proxy, she publishes everything she has for the whole world to see.
Understandably, the photographic and recorded evidence of what happened in Spain caught the world by storm. Public outrage about the hypocritical actions the Sardegnian Army has undertaken in Spain is at an all-time high. The effects of this are almost immediate,ing from the major superpowers of the world.
The USA, having been under duress due to a wave of racial discrimination instigated by Sardegna, capitalizes on this chance to denounce the Papal State with everything they have. This put out the wind blowing the racially discriminatory sail and when coupled with intensive propaganda and bribery, American citizens soon make a 180 degrees turn with their attitude. It has taken a bit of work but America has put down the fire in a matter of weeks. And with that, the capitalist regime can now focus on expanding its influence and enjoying the benefit it brings. Almost immediately after they''ve secured their home turf, the USA kickstarts a campaign of sanctions against Sardegna with enough just causes to make the Sardegnian ambassadors flee in shame. Not stopping there, America intensifies its material support for Spain. This ensures that while the US is still at peace on paper, the factories are put under wartime production and creating more job offers for its popce. A win-win situation for the capitalists and the people. Rumor has it that President Roosevelt is contemting forming a volunteer division of mixed racial traits to be sent to Spain. Partly for a publicity stunt for his uing election, partly to foster a camaraderie spirit among the American citizens. Thest wave of racial hate was annoying to deal with so Mr. Roosevelt wants it gone for good. It''s totally not because he is being petty with Sardegna.
On another interesting note. Once the racial hate has died down, the USA formally extends the most esteem of invitation for the Belkan idols Eden and Elysia.
Following the footstep of the giant that is America, the neighboring superpowers of Sardegna start their own campaign against the Papacy. Being the one closest to Spain, Ustio, Loyalist and Reformist alike, cuts their ties with Sardegna. They go as far as alerting the garrisons in their African colonies in the advent of possible Sardegnian foul ys. ying by the rulebook about war crimes, Ustio deploys her own embargoes on Sardegna. However, Ustio merely stops there as they''re still in the middle of their civil war.
Erusea, on the other hand, goes much further than that. In a move that shocks everyone but Belka, Eruesea starts a recruitment drive. Under their own propaganda program, young men sign up to fight against the false Papal State. While women join the industrial districts to support the kingdom with materials, Belka knows that these young men and weapons will not be pointed at Sardegna. Rather, Belka will have to face these young soldiers in the near future. Still, Erusea does follow the ybook and enforce sanctions on Sardegna. However, Erusea does this by deploying her Royal Navy. A troubling move considering that they can also use the Navy to limit the movement area of the Reichsmarine. The Royal Navy is also tasked with hindering Belkan merchantmen in secret. Inspection, as they would call it. Erusea may even use the Royal Navy to turn on Belka once the war in Ustio is back in full swing.
This, however, matters not for Belka. Having employed herself with the most advanced navy in the world, Belka can easily circumvent the Royal Navy. Unless Belka wants it to happen, the Royal Navy will return to the dockyard, utterly fruitless in their endeavors.
Speaking of Belka, she has exerted her influence on the world stage, once again. Now openly denouncing Sardegna, and thus creating an irreconcble hatred between each other. In a move that is no different than splurging money, the Reich Marshal of Belka has signed an express order, allowing for the official endorsement of the Spanish Coalition. Very soon, the first major shipment of army-grade firearms, supplies, and even medics, and healers, will reach the Spanish shore. Regardless of their identity, be it foreign mercenary, Ustian, or Erusean, the Belkan Volunteer Triage Corp will help them recover all the same. This publicity move earns a lot of brownies points from the worldwide spectators for the Marshal and Belka. Going even further, Belka will be offering unconditional support for victims of war crimesmitted by Sardegna. Subtly, themon popce has viewed Belka to be dissimr to the propaganda they have consumed. They have grown to be more noble and knightly in the eye of the masses.
All of this happened in the span of less than a month, Sardegna suddenly finds herself on the back foot. Due to the blockade of the Erusean Royal Navy, Sardegna also lost her trade routes with her African Colonies. The sessive economic sanctions have ced a noticeable burden on the Sardegnian economy. Right now, they''re struggling just to resupply their Army in Spain. Nheless, they only punish the war criminals in names and enforce bypassablews to cate the world. Despite the protest of the superpowers, Pope Mussolini still stubbornly hold onto the notion of a sessful war with Spain. To do that, the Pope needs the veterans in Spain to function normally, somewhat. And because of his ambition for an Empire of God, Mussolini invests heavily in the Spanish situation, once more.
The moment he did so, however, a fire is lit under his ass. All of a sudden, a press conference is called in the Sardegnian-held territory, by none other than the leader of the Crusaders herself.
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Murmurs fill the room where the war reporters are gathered. Ignoring the ufortable res from the female Crusaders, these men and women with cameras and notebooks discuss vehemently daily matters.
"Damn, can''t believe we miss such a big scoop! The camp that has been stered all over the news? It was right under our noses! Howe we never notice the obvious breadcrumbs!?" One of the famous reporters on the battlefield eximed to his co-workers. "Better yet, howe Shadow Company snuck this far in and raided the ce for everything it had?"
"They''re miracle makers, I will give them that." A female reporter with a scar beneath her chin responded. "They''ve gone in unnoticed and extracted unseen. A smooth operation like that is unheard of in the conventional military world. Much less that came from a mercenarypany at that."
A bespectacled old man, smoking a pipe reminds them. "You must''ve forgotten then. Shadow Company is not a mere mercenarypany. Time and time again, they have touted themselves as a Private Military Contractor. Get it, Military? It means that all of them received formal military training or are ex-military personnel. Hailing from a country that is Belka, it will be no surprise if they have a damn prestigious line-up. Even their equipment is military-grade, not just mere surplus which is unheard of in the mercenary world."
"Long story short," Another man chimed in." They''re just as effective as a proper standing army of a nation. Heck, if you go with a conspiracy theory, Shadow Company is probably just the Belkan Army in disguise." Though the man said it jokingly, he has no idea what he said was basically the truth. Nheless, they all nod along as they''re reporters, finding it to be a reasonable guess.
"Shadow Company asides, what do you think will be announced today?" The woman with the scar asked.
"Who knows, rifying about their war crimes?" The famous reporter gave a reply.
"That would be a bit too far-fetched, don''t you think?" The old reporter asked back.
"Yeah, the Crusaders have been doubled up as a police force whenever they can. I highly doubt they will condone such an act. It''s more than likely that the Army went behind their back to perform their dirty deeds." The man said his conjecture.
"But what if the Pope ordered them, you know, to ignore the situation?" The female reporter asked back.
They all fall into deep thought until the famous reporter speaks up. "Whatever the case, we will soon know the reason why the Crusaders call for this conference."
Opting to just sit by and wait, the reporters bide their time till the promised hour.
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Standing backstage, Kallen fiddles with the stack of documents. She breathes deeply once again for she is about to make a major decision. One that may as well be selfish for her battle sisters. Kallen knows she shouldn''t be deciding this on her own. Yet, she really doesn''t want her sisters to be dragged into this muddied water. They, for all of their battle prowess, can''t handle the political battlefield. Hence, Kallen will brave everything, alone, for her sisters, for the innocent souls...
Suddenly, a pair of delicate arms hug her from behind. "Sister... Kallen, are you sure about this? Doing this will make you a sinner in the eyes of the Papal State." And there won''t be any telling what will happen to you, Natasha left that unsaid.
Instead of answering, Kallen slowly raises a hand, resting her fingers on the arms that are hugging her. Though it''sfortable, Kallen leaves that out of her speech. "You know, I somewhat envy you, Natasha. You have always been one to do whatever you want and at your own pace."
Kallen then chuckles before turning around, pulling Natasha into a warm hug. "It''s easy to notice the obvious intention you have for me." Natasha blushes at this while trying to fumble a response. Kallen beats her to it though. "Still, that is what I also like about you. Once you have set on something, for example, me, you will not stop until you get it."
Laying a kiss on Natasha''s forehead, Kallen then rests her chin on thetter''s soft dark hair. "I won''t lie to you. I am not repulsed by your desire or your feelings. As a matter of fact, I am giddy for this is the first time I''ve ever felt truly wanted by someone in a romantic way. Though I won''t be able to answer your feeling, just yet. I may be able to in the future."
Pulling away, Kallen gazes Natasha in the eyes. "That is as long as you put your effort into courting me." She ended it with a bright smile.
Being empowered by Kallen''s eptance of her subtle advance, Natasha strongly nods. "Just you wait, Kallen. I will do whatever it takes to get to you. Mark my words you will fall for me, just as I did for you."
Kallen giggles. "Then I guess you will have to work hard, my dear."
Turning around, Kallen says. "It''s time. Natasha, do help me maintain order. And thank you for giving me this chance."
Nodding before fading into the dark, Natasha leaves her parting words. "You can count on me, Kallen. Perhaps a date after this will be a suitable payment for my service?"
"Going at it fast, huh? Can''t say I dislike it. Sure, I will give you the chance." Kallen smiled before stepping onto the stage.
Bathing in the curious gazes of many reporters, Kallen takes a deep breath before announcing.
"Here, on my hands, is thepiled evidence of war crimesmitted by the Sardegnian Army ever since this conflict. I havee here to present you all with such and to make an official announcement."
"From this point onward, the Crusaders will be pulling out of this war! We will not stoop so low to serve the beasts that harm the innocents. From now onward, without my explicit other stating otherwise, the Crusaders will act as a full-time police force, enforcing internationalws on their own terms. We will not serve a side in this pointless war. No, we serve only the Will of the Lord and the innocents. God is with us!"
At first, there is muted silence. Five secondster, the conference room explodes into abination of shing lights and relentless questioning directed at Kallen. After a long wait, the S-rank Crusader has made her choice.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 17: Explosion is an art!
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 17: Explosion is an art!
"Master, permission to enter?" a couple of knocks pulled Yuki out of her trance. Looking up from a stack of blueprints, Yuki calls out to whoever''s outside the door. "Door''s not locked,e in."
"Excuse me for intruding." With a slight opening sound, the door is pushed inward, revealing to Yuki that Dreamer has arrived. "Ah! Just the one I wanted to see right now." Yuki happily greeted her long-time subordinate. "How has the day been treating you?"
Moving closer to Yuki''s desk with a stack of reports, Dreamer nods while letting out a small smile. "Considering that I was staying up all night to analyze the data, I am surprisingly energetic, Master." The Einheri, with a simr height to Yuki, then ce the papers on a corner of her desk.
"Much appreciated. Can you give me a short rundown of what you have gotten for me?" Yuki asked while triple-checking the numbers on her blueprints. After all, just a single misced dot can prove to be costly. "Oh, right! Just make yourself at home. I think Agent made a new set of drinks earlier."
"I will take up on that offer then, Master." Dreamer proceeds to sit on a nearby sofa, pouring herself and Yuki two cups of a milky liquid. "London Fog, huh? She is tasteful today." Dreamermented before taking a small sip. "Agent made the correct choice in making this drink. I think you will be needing it, Master."
cing down a cup for Yuki, Dreamer then says. "After verifying the sensors'' data andparing it to the footage from the Ravens and Sky Eye, I''ve figured out the possible reason for Natasha Ciora''s astounding stealth."
Yuki stops when she hears that. "Do tell, to fool our technologies and the keen sense of the Ravens required more than just skill."
"That''s because Natasha Ciora has utilized the Helm of Hades, or at the very least, has a fragment of it bound to her soul. However, I think that she doesn''t know about the Helm, otherwise, the effect will be much harder to detect by our current means." Dreamer exined, making Yuki freeze at the implication.
"And you''re saying that this is possible?" Yuki asked immediately.
"Without a closer inspection of Natasha Ciora, I can only say conjectures, Master. I would like to-." Yuki cut in with a raise of her hand. "No, we will not capture her for invasive research. Natasha has her uses, especially when Kallen Kana dropped a bomb in Spain."
Looking at Dreamer in the eyes, Yuki added. "And that means she is to be left untouched by Section Four."
Bowing, Dreamer responds. "As you wish, Master."
Sighing, Yuki continues. "Nevertheless, your conjectures are highly possible. If what you''re saying about Natasha is true, it does answer the question as to why we have a hard time triangting Auschwitz. Hades is perfectly capable of creating a pocket dimension and hiding it from our search parties. However..."
Dreamer finishes the sentence. "Hades is dead, at least the original one is dead."
Yuki nods while crossing her hands, pondering. "Yes, the original Hades is dead, hunted down by Zeus for disapproving of his corrupted ambition. Finally, she performed a kamikaze attack, killing off both Zeus and herself. And since there aren''t any Gods in this universe, being a nk one to escape the Omniversal Wipe, we can rule out a Hades here."
"Is it possible for a Hades from a different universe to interfere in the matters here?" Dreamer posed a valid question. Yuki instantly shoots it down though. "Impossible, Yggdra is here for a reason and not to mention the fact that Vi is still out there. Any and all invasion into this universe will have to go through both of them first. Even if the target is the Concept of Stealth itself, they still can''t bypass the Primordials. So it leaves us with one answer."
"An inheritor?"
"Correct, an inheritor of the first Hades. Perhaps in a way not dissimr to Elysia too." Yuki turned thoughtful. "Huhm... It exins a lot, with a possible inheritor of the first Hades in the mix, Sardegna can safely advance their Crusaders project. Natasha having a potential fragment of the Helm can be chalked up as a blessing from the inheritor. Whether this is intentional or not is still to be seen. I am more interested in the identities of this inheritor though. To gain the legacy of the first Hades means that they must have been aboard the seed ship during Ragnarok. This, by itself, is already a major lead."
Looking at Dreamer, Yuki adds. "You know what to do."
"I will investigate the passengers of the seed ship right away." Dreamer replied.
"No need for that just yet. Tell me, have you formted a countermeasure for the Ravens on the ground." Yuki asked, not wanting any mishaps to ur with her Ravens.
Dreamer smiles, answering with confidence. "You will be d to hear that I''ve formted upgrades for our detection suites and spell. The former needs only a software update while thetter is a revision of one of our scanning spells. They can be implemented in no time."
Dreamer then smiles smugly. Seeing that, Yuki chuckles before raising a hand to pat the Einheri''s head. "Thank you, Dreamer, I know I can count on you to work out solutions smoothly. Sorry that you have to lose your sleep over this."
Not expecting Yuki topliment herself like this, Dreamer blushes before nodding. "You don''t have to be sorry, Master, I am perfectly fine without any sleep! I''m an Einheri for a reason!"
Smiling, Yuki says. "I know, but I would like for you to take a rest after this. Just send the new spell to the Ravens in the next transmission."
"I will do just that, Master." The pair then resumes their normal work ethics. "Having said that, do you require anything else from me on my out, Master?"
"Oh, right! Perhaps you can hand these blueprints to Einstein. She will know what to do with these." Yuki then put the blueprints in a leather bag before handing it over to Dreamer.
Receiving the bag, Dreamer smiles at Yuki. "Then allow me, Master. I hope you have a nice evening."
"You too, Dreamer."
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"So?" Carter asked Catherine who is their handler.
"Overlord sent over a data package, as per usual. An update, a mission, and a bonus of a new detection spell." Catherine said before mentally sending over the new spell for the rest of Noble. "It''s both passive and active just like the old ones. However, we can detect that Crusader now instead of being caught off guard."
Emile chimes in. "I''m not sure about you guys but that''s a load off my shoulders. I need not fear about being stabbed in the back now."
Jun chuckles sarcastically at Emile''s words. "And here I thought that''s more your things."
Emile gives a mock bow after that. "While I do give out that impression, I am more of a dishing-out participant than receiving it. Thank you very much."
"Back to the point, people." Carter stopped the banter before turning back to Catherine. "Alright Kat, what''s the mission today?" They''re currently hiding in a cave system, rarely going out in full force unless the mission requires all of them.
"A surprisingly easy one for this guy." Catherine points at Jun who then raises an eyebrow at her. "Infiltration and assasination."
Chuckling, Jun says. "Now that''s more of my style. Pay up, scrub." Jun holds out a hand to Emile who then deadpans at Jun with his skeletal mask. "I owe you a bear."
Jorge can''t help but interjects. "Hold on, you guys are betting over this?"
They shrug. "It''s a good way to kill time. And maybe earning some chummy changes."
Looking at them, Carter can''t help but sigh. Catherine just snickers. "Alright big boys, listen up!" She pped her hands. "Even with the Crusaders pulling out of the game, the Coalition still fail to regain half of the territory they lost. Being too outnumbered, they will soon be pushed back by the growing number of Sardegnians. That''s where this next mission for Jun wille in."
Catherine then exins. "With the increase in troop cements, there must be an increase in the number ofmanding officers. ONI identified a Sardegnian transport ne will be carrying a batch of high-ranking COs. Jun will be tasked with assassinating all of them to disrupt the enemy army. Without the officers, the Sardegnians will have no choice but to dig in and hold the stalemate."
Jun hums. "Interesting task. Do we have all the required information?"
"All of them, I will send it to you shortly. If you time it well, you may need only a single shot." Catherinemented, earning a nod from Jun.
"Got it in one, that''s my n." Jun said.
Emile chimes in. "Remember to take a picture mate. I wanna see the big boom."
"Aye. Gonna make it as spectacr as possible."
------------------------------------------------------------
Stealth op is fun, Jun thought. Alone, calm, and in his environment, Jun performs best when he''s allowed to roam free. Just a man and his rifle against the world. Though in this case, Jun is needed only to kill ignorant officers, soldiers that serve a country for whatever reason it may be.
Laying prone in a camouge position atop a deserted mountain, Jun overlooks the airstrip that is a kilometer away. It''s twilight with breezy wind, there''s no moon currently so the airstrip is lit brightly for the iing aircraft tond. This is just making it too easy though. Especially, when Jun is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The SG-14.5 packs ridiculous firepower for a sniper rifle, capable of disabling a tank with a well-ced shot. On its own, it''s already absurd enough, yet, the non-human certified version is enhanced with runes. Even the bullet, a mana-conducted payload munition, can be used as a catalyst to send a high-power spell down range. In short, Jun has a mini thermobaricuncher at his fingertips.
Spotting the transport ne from afar, Jun isn''t hasty, not making the shot just yet. To maintain his 100% kill-confirm ratio, Jun bides his time until the aircraft is on final approach. While waiting, Jun recalctes the firing data with his excellent mental gymnast. Ever so slowly, the Sardegnian ne reduces its speed and altitude. When Jun sees thending gears deploy, he starts injecting mana into the gun, and by extension, the payload munition.
Once the ne is less than 200 meters off the ground, Jun pulls the trigger. Though the rifle''s report is silenced by noise-canceling magic, the supersonic 14.5 bullet leaves behind an audible crack wherever it travels. A secondter, the red trace impacts the fusge of the aircraft, and then...
"Kaboom, baby." Jun muttered. It wasn''t a joke that Jun is holding a mini thermobaricuncher.
The payload bullet he just sent out, engraved with programmable runes and miniaturized spell circles, has two primary effects. One is that it gathers the mmable gases behind it mid-flight and condenses them. The second one is the bullet will detonate powerfully upon sessful pration of the target, and along with it, the umted gases will be ignited. As the ming gases expand rapidly, anything in its way will be consumed to fuel the fire. In this case, the onboard oxygen and fuel of the aircraft. It''s no wonder that the whole transport ne is engulfed in burning hellfire, breaking apart near instantly as the piecese crashing down on the airstrip. It''s such a beautiful sight, the blooming thermobaric fireball, the burning fuel, all of it... Explosion is an art!
The dozens of lives aboard were gone with a press of a trigger. Due to the split-second expansion of the fireball, it''s doubtful that anyone aboard would realize that they''re already dead. Understandably, with such happenstance suddenly urring in the evening hours, the whole of Murcia sounds the rm. The entire city is mobilized to investigate and perform damage control for the airfield. Losing its airstrips due to the wreckage of the aircraft, that airbase will be out of action for a few days. An unintentional benefit for the Spanish Coalition that is still fighting out there.
Oh, and before Emile says that he has forgotten, Jun just need to snap another picture as a souvenir.
RM Side Story 7: 8492nd (Part 1)
RM Side Story 7: 8492nd (Part 1)
Usually, Bryn would be the first to wake in the household, rarely beaten by the ever-dedicated Einstein. Yet, this morning, Bryn''s surprised to see Yuki peering down at her with a small smile right when she opens her eyes.
"Ok... Now that''s surprising." Bryn said dryly, earning herself a smirk from her lover.
"What? Never saw me wake up before five in the morning?"
"Kinda, unless you are on the field or something importantes up, you rarely wake up this early." Bryn answered before slowly sitting up with a gentle aid from Yuki. "Thanks." Smiling, Bryn leans in for a kiss, hugging the smaller girl closer. It''s at this moment that her hands feel the strange fabric that Yuki is wearing right now.
After sharing a loving morning kiss, Bryn pulls back, wiping her eyes to get a closer look at Yuki''s attire. Unimpeded by the dim lighting of the bedroom, Bryn can see that Yuki is wearing a flight suit, a next-gen one if she remembers correctly. Yuki snickers when she sees Bryn''s inquisitive look, with her usual crossed arms and fingers under her chin.
"Ok," Bryn breathed out. She could just feel whates next would be troubling. "Enlighten me, won''t you? Though I doubt I would like it, much."
Yuki chuckles. "Trust me, it will be fun." Without saying anything more, Yuki pats a corner of the bed. Bryn then notices an additional flight suitying there, clearly fitted for her size.
Bryn gives a deadpan gaze at Yuki, saying. "Yuki, no."
Smirking, the girl answers. "Yuki, yes!" Yuki then hugs Bryn''s waist, looking up at her from below with her puppy eyes. "Come on, Bryn! I promised it will be fun, no? Besides, the others have secured us a few days off. They can hold the fort while we go out and have some nice, rxing fun!"
Bryn groans, the way Yuki delivered her speech has made it very hard to refuse. Especially more so when the girl feels so damn huggable right now. Giving up, Bryn allows herself to fall back onto thefy bed alongside Yuki, whom she pulled down with her. Patting the girl''s gray hair, Bryn asks. "Fine, what''s on the itinerary?"
Only to earn a shock. "I don''t know!"
Leveling an ''Are you serious right now?'' gaze at Yuki, Bryn briefly wonders if she was still sleeping and in a dream right now.
Acting sheepish, Yuki answers." I know for sure that we will be testing out a prototype aircraft. The rest of our vacation, well, I haven''t really thought that far yet. However, I do have a few ideas. Gonna be a surprise for you though."
Hearing that, Bryn sighs. "Have it your way then. As long as it''s not something over the top." Although a part of Bryn is raring to see what Yuki has in store. It has been a little while since they have had a few days, just for each other.
Smiling, Yuki pats the flight suit that is to her side. "Well then, my Valkyrie, better suit up."
"Oh, you are so gonna love this."
------------------------------------------------------------
Unsurprisingly, Yuki wasn''t wrong. The moment sheid her eyes on the metallic beauty in front of her, Bryn has fallen in love. Turning around to see Yuki with a knowing smirk, Bryn exims. "Can I keep her?!" There''s a sort of intensity in her voice that make it hard for people to refuse. Yuki doesn''t mind it, however.
"My lovely Bryn, the reason we''re here on this fine morning is for you to have a go at her. Of course, you''re allowed to keep her. And besides, Yuki moves in closer, tiptoeing toy a kiss on her lips. "Happy birthday, love."
Smiling with a bit of a blush, Bryn responds while looking down at her lover. "Thanks, dear. Never thought I will be receiving a jet fighter as a birthday gift though."
Yuki chuckles as she hugs Bryn''s left arm, they then take a closer look at a pair of aircraft, parked in the hangar they''re in. "There''s a first for everything." Yuki chuckled. "Knowing that you would have forgotten your own birthday, as per usual, the family banded together to organize the gift for you."
Yuki suddenly works up a blush though, earning a raised eyebrow from Bryn. "The aircraft are one thing but well... They also explicitly stated that the uing days off will be a honeymoon for you and me. So..." Yuki turns toward Bryn, shyly saying. "Take good care of me, alright?"
Smiling in understanding, Bryn pats Yuki on the head. "If you guys haven''t nned for this, I really would have forgotten. Once again, thank you, all of you, from the bottom of my heart. And..." Bryn leans into Yuki''s ear. "I will make sure that you''re well cared for." She then blows hot air into Yuki''s ear, causing the younger girl to shoot up, red like a tomato.
"A-Anyway! Let''s get familiar with the aircraft! They will be the proud jewels of our air wings in the future so you won''t be disappointed in their specs!"
Yuki then dashes forward, running away from the chuckling Bryn. Finally, the pair then works on interfacings with the aircraft with the help of a ground team who has been on standby outside the hangar.
Spoiler
[copse]
Of the two, Bryn is gifted an aircraft with a ck, sapphire blue, and white color scheme. While Yuki will be controlling another with the same design but recing the blue color with ruby red. Befitting an aircraft that will be recing the Phantoms in the future, the nes are gigantic in design. Just a single engine of this new jet is twice as big as the two engines of the Phantoms. And the new airframe mounted two such engines.
The surprise didn''t end there, however. For Bryn is impressed by the very intuitive avionic and electronic systems of the aircraft. Fiddling with the control surfaces of the aircraft, Bryn feels no dy whatsoever and the actions are smooth as silk. In addition, tworge MFD disys are situated in front of her, giving her clear readings of any and all information she requires in the blink of an eye. Of course, Bryn can also customize the disy as she sees fit. Another interesting feature is that the cockpit is not entirely made of ss, rather, it''s a fully protected cockpit with armor tes and 360 degrees camera coverage. Should the armor tes and camera arepromised, there''s a purge option that allows the pilot to eject the ruined ting, recovering the lost field of view they may have incurred. Of course, this is only possible when the cockpit integrity is at an eptable value. If not, it would have been better to just eject straight away.
Moving on, Bryn checks the system interface and soon learns that the aircraft is fully capable of interfacing with the flight suit and helmet. With the readings they provide, the ne, fitted with bleeding-edge technologies, can calibrate the weaponry and flight interface instantly to aid the pilot in maintaining peak performance in high-intensitybat. An example will be that Bryn can even lock onto an aircraft that is beyond visual range behind her and engage it with a missile without having to turn around.
Speaking of weapons, this ne is armed with a nose-mounted 30mm Mk103 four-barrel Gatling. On its ventral side are onerge internal weapon bay and two secondary bays in front of the engine blocks. The secondary bays are also mirrored on the dorsal side of the airframe. When counting the external wings'' hard points, the total payload this aircraft can carry is a ridiculous number. This ne has 24 internal hard points, with each secondary bay holding four hard points. While each wing can have four hard points, bringing the number to 32 in total. That''s not to mention you can carry more ordnance than what the number 24 may suggest. There exist weapon trays for a reason and Bryn can only smile wryly at the sheer devastation this metallic beauty can bring. Modrity is also a thing. This prototype jet can handle almost every single ordnance out there with proper interface adjustment.
Last but not least, Bryn is stunned to see that the aircraft has almost indefinite air time. The ne has an extremely efficient mana reactor and collector. So much so that at cruising speed, the mana collector can passively regenerate the mana consumed. While inbat mode, the collector can ensure the ne oust pretty much anything but its own. If used correctly, the only reason why Bryn would have tond is to either rearm or that the mission is over.
Feeling dizzy with the absurdity that is the aircraft, Bryn called out to her lover who is in the red ne''s cockpit. "Yuki, what''s the name of this jet again? I don''t believe I''ve ever seen or heard of the name, much less seeing the blueprints."
"Oh! That''s because this is another in-house design of mine and Dreamer. The aircraft''s name is Aria, a multirole supersonic stealth fighter jet. And although it''s only capable of atmospheric flight right now, we intend for future derivative designs to be capable of exo-atmospheric flight. This is important considering that we already have a space station up and running." Yuki exined with a chippy tone.
"No wonder... Just this ne alone is able to win wars, Yuki. This is like cracking a nut with a sledgehammer in the current era." Bryn eximed, partly out of exasperation, partly out of glee for being gifted with such a magnificentdy. "I promise you, I will take good care of her."
Chuckling on the other end, Yuki responds. "You better, Bryn! The Aria is he expensive. Like, the Raven-kind of expensive! Granted, we can easily cut down on the cost in the future, unlike the Raven program. We just need to bring the rest of our industrial capability up to snuff. Right now, ONI is building this in their in-house factory with a rate of two aircraft per year!"
Bryn flinches heavily at that. "Dear Yggdra! Are you sure that I should have one of these!?" That''s an extremely high price even for the current Belka!
Laughing, Yuki replies. "It''s fine, dear. We already have eight prototypes working perfectly, these two are actually the first production runs of the Aria. Technically, we will be the first to experience the beauties from a hundred years into the future! After hearing that, aren''t you excited?!"
"When you put it that way... You know what, screw this, I''m too emotionally invested in the Aria now." Bryn decided to ept her new attachment. Besides, Bryn will be doing her family a disservice for not epting their loving prepared gift.
"Good!" Yuki said with obvious glee. She then continues. "Though the Aria is capable of VTOL, we will be using the runway today. This will give you a feel of her power."
With a snicker, Yuki adds while closing her cockpit. "Careful though, she is like a dragoness. Do treat her kindly and so shall she treats you."
Giggling, Bryn responds. "I wouldn''t treat Aria otherwise, Yuki."
"I know. By the way, your aircraft''s name is Aria. Mine is Morgan. Together, we will be forming the 8492nd Squadron, Avalon. Though I will leave the matter of who will be 1 and 2 to you. This is your honeymoon gift, after all." Yuki said that on a private channel.
Smirking, Bryn closes her own cockpit while quipping back. "You will be Avalon One then. However, we all know who will be number One in bed."
Though Bryn can''t see or hear what Yuki''s doing on the other end. She can know that Yuki is coughing in embarrassment.
"Anyway, enough dallying around." With pre-flight check A-ok, Bryn is raring to put Aria to her pace. "Come on, Yuki, I wouldn''t want to keep thedies waiting."
This time, Yuki does respond. "Let''s go dance with the Angels!"
8492nd Squadron, Avalon,unch!
RM Side Story 8: 8492nd (Part 2)
RM Side Story 8: 8492nd (Part 2)
Currently the cutting edge of fighter design, the Arias are characterized by being designed from the start to operate in awork-centricbat environment and to feature extremely low, all-aspect, multi-spectral signatures employing advanced materials and shaping techniques.
They have multifunction AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radars with high-bandwidth, low-probability of intercept (LPI) data transmission capabilities. The infra-red search and track sensors incorporated for air-to-airbat as well as for air-to-ground weapons delivery in the active-service aircraft (Phantoms and Harriers) are now fused in with other sensors for Situational Awareness IRST or SAIRST, which constantly tracks all targets of interest around the aircraft so the pilots need not guess when they nce. These sensors, along with advanced avionics, protective ss cockpits, helmet-mounted sights (not currently on the Phantoms and Harrier), and improved secure, jamming-resistant LPI datalinks are highly integrated to provide multi-tform, multi-sensor data fusion for vastly improved situational awareness while easing the pilot''s workload. Avionics suites rely on extensive use of very high-speed integrated circuit (VHSIC) technology,mon modules, and high-speed data buses. Overall, the integration of all these elements is to provide the Arias with a "first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability".
A key attribute of the Arias is their small radar cross-section (For their sizes, at least). Great care has been taken in designing itsyout and internal structure to minimize RCS over a broad bandwidth of detection and tracking radar frequencies; furthermore, to maintain its VLO signature duringbat operations, primary weapons are often carried in internal weapon bays that are only briefly opened to permit weaponunch. Furthermore, stealth technology has advanced to the point where it can be employed without a tradeoff with aerodynamic performance, in contrast to previous stealth efforts. Some attention has also been paid to reducing IR signatures on the Arias due to their capability of supercruising at Mach 2 with the "Beast Mode" loadout.
Detailed information on these signature-reduction techniques is not yet clear to Bryn, but in general includes special shaping approaches, thermoset, and thermostic materials, extensive use of advancedposites for the body structure, conformal sensors, heat-resistant coatings, low-observable wire meshes to cover intake and cooling vents, heat ating tiles on the exhaust troughs, and coating internal and external metal areas with radar-absorbent materials and paint (RAM/RAP). Bryn also notices that a series of runic enhancements are added beneath the armor of the aircraft. From what she can infer, they passively consume the mana to keep up a signal-jammer field, masking the signature of the Arias, even though they are gigantic in size. There should be more magical enhancements and utilities onboard, but Bryn still hasn''t gotten the chance to test them out yet.
The AESA radar offers unique capabilities for fighters (and will also quickly be essential for next-gen aircraft designs, as well as being retrofitted onto some Phantoms and Harriers). In addition to its high resistance to ECM and LPI features, it enables the fighter to function as a sort of "mini-AWACS", providing high-gain electronic support measures (ESM) and electronic warfare (EW) jamming functions. Other technologies include integrated electronic warfare system (INEWS) technology, integratedmunications, navigation, and identification (CNI) avionics technology, centralized "vehicle health monitoring" systems for ease of maintenance, fiber optics data transmission, stealth technology, and even hovering capabilities. There''s also a suite dedicated to dealing with magical threats, Bryn can''t help but wonder what Yuki will be fighting when she ces the Aria in active service.
Maneuver performance remains important and is enhanced by thrust-vectoring, which also helps reduce takeoff andnding distances. The Arias, though, has the added VTOL capability and is capable of reaching Mach 4 in Beast Mode. Without equipping external payload, the Arias can reach the top speed of Mach 5. And due to the exceptional control surfaces, the Arias can maintain good agility while in supersonic. It will, however, requires the pilots to be able to handle the ludicrous amount of Gs. Yuki and Bryn have performed a simted dogfight while supersonic. After that, the instrument has shown that they have hit numbers higher than 10 Gs regrly for a long period of time. If it wasn''t for the specialized G-suit that she is wearing, even Bryn will be hard-pressed to maintain that amount of G-force, much less Yuki.
On a side note, Yuki lost that engagement due to her body being unable to keep up with the strain. Bryn is quick tofort her though, Yuki is still young and not even a formal pilot, yet, she has regrly gotten Bryn on the backfoot. Bryn only won because Valkyrie ousted Yuki. Although Yuki pouted for a bit, she soon get over it and flies closer to Bryn''s Aria.
"So Valkyrie," Yuki, callsign Empress, addressed Bryn with her callsign." How are you liking Aria? Better than a cup of coffee in the morning, no?"
Chuckling at theparison, Bryn replies. "Empress, that is not even a fairparison by arge margin. Never have I piloted an aircraft that is as pleasant to fly and fight in as Aria. I am honestly surprised with her maneuverability, even with all the wing-mounted weapons." Bryn spares no effort inplimenting Aria, the name-giver of her ss.
Though Bryn can''t see her, she has a feeling that Yuki is shrugging in her Morgan, the personal name of her aircraft. "What can I say, Dreamer and I may have been a bit too crazy to design something as ridiculous as the Arias. Just one aircraft alone is enough to wipe out a fleet of warships. Though currently, these girls are money guzzlers. It will take a while to outfit our air fleet with them. For now, we should be content with refitting our existing Phantoms and Harriers with the technological breakthroughs we have thanks to the Arias."
"s, it all boils down to money. I wonder, will we ever be able to get a good dogfight with us already achieving aerial supremacy by technologies alone?" Bryn pondered aloud, prompting Yuki to answer.
"Maybe in the future, who knows? Japan has Vill-V, when she knows of our military technological advantage, she will have a fire lit beneath her ass. That girl may be a thorn in our side, sooner orter."
"Language, youngdy." Bryn chuckled, making Yuki rolls her eye. "Though if Vill-V is trouble incarnated, why don''t you make ns to deal with her?"
"I have ns, yes, but I would rather not resort to underhand means. For what it''s worth, Vill-V is still an emotional pir for Amaterasu. I am not ready to burn the bridge with her unless it''s absolutely necessary. In a way, Amaterasu is just like me, starving for affection that only Vill-V can provide. I have inferred that much during my stay in Japan." Yuki exined with a sigh, earning herself a nod from Bryn.
"I understand. Let''s not discuss this matter anymore." Bryn suggested a change in their topic.
"Yeah," Now sounding chippier, Yuki says. "This is supposed to be a time of fun in the sky, free of the burdens of the ground. Let''s make the most out of it."
Bryn smiles at the words she heard. "Great! From what I can see in the loaded bearings, you seem to have organized a live-firing range for us. Care to put the ground-pounding ability of the Arias to the test?"
"With pleasure!"
Bryn and Yuki are just about to change their heading when their chatter is interrupted by a new voice.
"Sorry to ruin your fun, but may I render your service for the moment?"
"Yggdra?!" Yuki eximed, surprised that she and Bryn were addressed telepathically by Yggdra. "What happened?"
"Yeah," Bryn chimed in, amazed that Yggdra suddenly requested their help. "Is there something wrong on your end? Do you need us to return?" If Yggdra needs them personally, then a thing of major importance has cropped up.
The pair of pilots then hear Yggdra chuckles, amused by their reactions. "My dears, something dide up but it''s not as bad as you think. It''s more a... Otherworldly kind of trouble."
Hearing that, Bryn is not sure how to respond so Yuki beats her to it. "Otherwordly...?" Yuki then takes on an admonishing tone. "Yggdra... What the Hell did you do this time?"
"This time?" Bryn caught on to the wording of that question. "Wait, Yuki, what did you mean by saying ''this time''?"
Sighing, Yuki rifies. "Ever since that week-long date with me in another universe, Yggdra now has the habit of spying and messing around with other realities. I can hazard a guess that she has done something troublesome and is now requiring us to fix it."
Listening to that, Bryn can''t help but twitch her eyebrow and direct a ming look at the towering Tree of Life behind their aircraft. As if feeling her gaze, Yggdra proceeds to tap a knuckle atop her hair, saying. "Tehe~!"
"Damn it, Yggdra! You''re too old for that!" Bryn said in annoyance. It''s basically confirmed that Yggdra has fucked up something.
"Urgh..." Yuki gave up reprimanding her lover, instead, she went straight to the point. "Talk to us, Yggdra. What sort of help do you want from us?"
Smirking, Yggdra replies. "The explosive kind."
"... Hah?" Bryn could just about see Yuki with her mouth gaping right now. "What, you want us to bomb something now? That''s not helping that''s literally erasing your wrongdoings then!"
Even though Yuki said it in exasperation, Yggdra justugh due to getting a rile out of her smaller lover. "Fly to the tip of the World Tree. I will be presenting the circumstance while you''re at it. Once you''re ready, I will be opening a portal to another world for you two."
"Ugh... Fine. This diversion better be worth it." Though Yuki and Brynined, they still change course for the top of Yggdrasil.
Yggdra does follow up with a sentence though. "Don''t worry, there will be no better honeymoon than this for Bryn and you, Yuki."
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You know, something is seriously wrong when instead of a weing party for your first day at the new workce, you''re forced to pick up arms and mounted a desperate defensive operation against a numerically and technologically superior enemy instead. Well, it''s not like she is the one on the frontline right now but still, getting your building shot at is also not a very pleasant experience.
Feeling hermand center rocked by another explosion, losing track of the number of times it has been already, Gentiane quickly barks at the wireless radio headpiece she has near her head.
"Goddamn it, Echelon 1, I thought you said you already took care of the Jaguars!"
"W-We just did!" Came a flustered voice, unbefitting of her WWIII veteran status, drowned out by the numerous impact sounds left behind by sma bolts. To be fair, the situation is too damn precarious to even keep a semnce of calm. "H-Hey, Commander, we need some help over here! They''re sending a line of Strikers to flush us out!"
"Goddamn it, I will see what I can do!" Aside from sending in Echelon 4, which is her bodyguard, Gentiane has no one else to send over to the frontline. Well, technically she can send over her human subordinates but they are barely trained and ill-equipped in the face of armored T-Dolls armed with sma rifles. Still, Echelon 1''s firing position is slowly being encircled on the tactical map, and if she loses both the Echelon and the position, Gentiane will soon lose Base S09.
Spoiler
[copse]
Without any choice, she must send in herst Echelon which has been acting as a reserve unit to alleviate the heat off the frontline. Doing this has the risk of the enemy nking and just hitting the unprotectedmand center but it''s a risk she has to take now. She is armed with an FN Five-seven and the humans at the base can mount a desperate resistance if need be. Gentiane is just about to give an express order Centaureissi for her Echelon 4 to be deployed when suddenly, a majority of the enemy markers on the tactical map are wiped out. This phenomenon is followed soon after by a rumbling of sonic booming and cascading explosions. The shockwave from those explosions can even be felt in themand room.
Without wasting any time, Gentiane immediately hails Echelon 1 who is holding the high ground. "SCAR-L, SITREP on those explosions!"
Spoiler
[copse]
It takes a few seconds filled with nothing but statics but thankfully, SCAR-L responds with a shaky voice. "Hey, Gentiane, did you call for CAS by any chance?"
"... Hah?" Understandably, Gentiane was dumbfounded by SCAR-L''s sudden question.
"I will take that as a no then. Regardless, we have just been saved by two unidentified aircraft. They just bombed the living crap out of the Strikers that had been suppressing us. And from the look of it, they''re going for anoth-! Fuck, danger is close!"
SCAR-L''s report is cut short by a relentless thumping of smaller explosions on her end. Soon after, Gentiane can hear the ''Brrrrttt'' sound of a Gatling and the screeching of a high-speed jet flying overhead of Echelon 1.
"What the fuck is going on out there?!" Gentiane scratched her solid pastel pink hair in frustration. Her exasperated question is immediately replied to by SCAR-L. "Well, the fucker in the air just strafe a line of Rippers near us, that''s what! The bastard saved our hide though. Whoever they belonged to, the aircraft are supporting us by bombing Sangvis scums to pieces! Warn the rest not to engage them, Gentiane!"
"Arggh...! Fine! Continue holding Hill Foxtrot until you''re out of ammo or are unable to! Do not let them nk the main gate!" Gentiane then stops to warn the other elements of the new development. "And somebody gives me a damn visual on the unknown fliers!"
SCAR-L is the one to respond immediately. "Oi, SCAR-H! Tracks those aircraft, now!"
Spoiler
[copse]
"Yeah, yeah. Transmitting data now, though I hope you can make head and tail from this Gentiane for I sure as hell can''t." Said a nonchnt voice before a video feed is opened in a corner of the electronicmand table.
"...Seriously, what the fuck is going on?" Gentiane asked again, earning a snarky response from SCAR-L. "Should have bargained for a higher paycheck when I was reactivated.
Even though SCAR-H is looking at one of the aircraft, her advanced electronic eyes can''t seem to maintain a proper lock onto the target. The red aircraft, while can be seen visually as a blur, barely register in their scanners even at close range and low altitude. The only visual identification Gentiane can infer from is that they are armed to the teeth and their ck, red, and white color scheme. Switching to another, probably of the same type but different in color scheme, Gentiane can''t help but think that these two pilots are experts at their work. When one goes in for an attack, the other hangs back to provide coverage. The pair regrly switch ces, never missing a beat and never hitting her Echelons. Though "Danger close!" warnings are given out regrly by her dolls.
"What sort of war Angels have rendered us aid now?" Gentiane asked a question, not really expecting an answer.
RM Side Story 9: 8492nd (Part 3)
RM Side Story 9: 8492nd (Part 3)
"That was..." Bryn tried to get the word on her tongue but fail to bring forth any.
Yuki, hearing the confusion in her voice, giggles. "Swift? Smooth? Anti-climatic? Be honest, you had expected more bells and whistles when Yggdra said she would open a portal to another universe for us, no?"
Sighing, Bryn replies. "Well, you''re not wrong. Instead of an instantaneous traverse portal, I thought there would be much more mystifying magical jargon to it. Granted, the amount of energy I felt was absurd, but still... My disappointment was immeasurable."
Yuki, nowughing aloud, flies over Bryn''s Aria while flipping her ne upside down. "At least your days aren''t ruined yet! Anyway, it''s time to put our game faces on. I am picking up a lot of blips on the radar, exactly like the intel Yggdra provided."
Bryn nods on her end. "So we fly in, provide CAS, and help take out the anomaly in this universe?"
"Yup," Yuki emphasized the P. "To reiterate, do not target the colorful bunch. While I''m not sure what sort of instruction was that, let''s just keep our eyes peeled. The best bet will be for us to do a flyby at high altitude, using the targeting camera to scout the AO, before proceeding to bomb what''s down there."
"Copy that, Morgan. What did you say again?" Bryn asked overms, prompting Yuki to reply. "Let''s go dance with the Angels!"
Yuki then flies the Morgan ahead of Bryn, leading the formation. They are five kilometers above sea level and are supercruising at Mach 2, less than a minuteter, they have arrived at the designated AO.
"Ok, looking through my targeting pod now." Yuki, now temporarily dubbed as Morgan, announced. Bryn, taking up the callsign Aria, flies coverage for Yuki while she''s analyzing the battlefield raging below them.
Yuki then whistles. "Now that''s a lot of automatons and androids. The majority of them, in the color of dark purple and anything near that color spectrum, are assaulting what seems to be a military base. I also spot the colorful bunch, hard to miss them considering that they''re using antiques and wearing pop clothing. Colorful females are young, simr to the androids on the other side. I wouldn''t be surprised if they''re androids too. On closer inspection, OPFOR is mostly using energy weapons and high-tech kic armaments. While I''m not seeing any dedicated AA or Radar equipment, best be careful as I see what seems to be biped railguns. Pay attention to your energy warning receiver, I have a feeling we will be tagged a lot. Pinging non-hostile party''s locations on your feed now."
Having said that, Aria''s targeting data is updated by Morgan with thetest intelligence. Picking her targets and choice of weapon, Bryn nods to herself while calling out to Morgan. "Enemy Infantries has encircled a fighting position atop a hill. I''m heading for a dumb bomb drop to clear out the majority of them."
"Copy that, I will deal with the leftover. Happy hunting, Aria."
Without any further exchange, Aria breaks off from the formation. Currently, each aircraft has the same loadout consisting of:
- Primary internal weapon bay: F-3 Fenix Long-range Active radar homing, electro-optical, AA missile x 8.
- Dorsal secondary weapon bays: F-2 Iris Short-to-medium-range all-aspect heat-seeking AA missile x 4.
- Ventral secondary weapon bays: Joint Air-to-Ground Missile Medium-range, JAGM-MR, with semi-activeser, electro-optical, and millimeter-wave radar guidance x 4.
- External hardpoint 1-2: Mk500 Snake Eye, 500kg dumb bomb with Tail Retarding Device x 6.
- External hardpoint 3-4: Joint Standoff Weapon, JSOW, 500kg bomb with infrared-seeker, millimeter-wave radar,ser, Inertial Navigation System coupled with Global Positioning System, as guidance x 4.
- External hardpoint 5-6: DAGR, Direct Attack Guided Rocket, with semi-activeser guidance in 19-tube rocket pod x 6.
- External hardpoint 7-8: F-2 Iris x 4, JAGM-MR x 2.
- Internal gun: 30mm Mk103 four-barrel Gatling. Electrically controlled, hydraulic-driven, with 800-round in a linkless feed system.
Armed and dangerous, the experimental Arias will be dishing out judgment onto cold-blooded machines today.
Aria breaks past the cloud, flying in supersonic and dropping off her Snake Eyes at the base of the ally fighting position. The Snake Eye tails perform their jobs, slowing down the falling 500kg bombs and giving Aria enough time to egress out of the impact line. Aria may have been unable to see the explosion but Morgan sure as Hell does not.
"Good bombs, good bombs. Numerous infantries are wiped at the base of the hill. Stragglers are stunned but are recovering. Going in for a follow-up."
"Copy that, Morgan, will cover you." Aria responded. She then circles her ne around, overlooking Morgan drops her altitude for a close-up of the enemy.
"Gun. Gun. Gun." Aria then watches Morgan paints a line of red 30mm tracers damn near the flustered non-hostile females. The HEDP shells carve another line of smaller craters near their position, proving to be extremely effective on soft-skin enemies as mechanical body parts are flying everywhere.
"Good effect on targets, Morgan." Aria then scans for additional hotspots. "Heads up, spotting a sizeable group of foot mobiles charging the main gate. Coming in for a rocket strike."
"It seems like our sudden arrival has made them desperate." Morgan said as she leveled her aircraft. "They''re disregarding their losses, charging under a crossfire."
Aria lowers the nose of her aircraft whilesing the most concentrated swath of enemy, she''s just aboutunching a portion of her rockets when Morgan and her sensors warn. "E-warning! Break! Break!"
Twirling her aircraft to the side while dumping chaffs, Aria avoids the iing hypersonic projectiles by a fair margin. Still, she can feel the shockwave left behind by the high-speed dart washing over her ne. "Close call! What the Hell was that!?" Aria huffed out while gaining altitude at the best speed.
Morgan, doing the same thing as her, replies. "It''s their mobile railguns. Though they don''t have radar, they probably can still track us visually even with our EW suite." She then adds. "Locking onto the Triple-As, JSOW off the rack."
Aria turns, barely in time to see the glide bomb colliding with a dense formation of biped railguns. "Good hit. Good hit." She reported before scanning the AO for anything else like that. Scrolling through the blips on her sensors, Aria fails toe up with any target of the same visual identifications. "Unable toy eyes on additional railguns. They either have them in reserve or you just wiped them all out, Morgan."
Hearing that, Morgan replies. "My money is on the former. Either way, scratch one danger for us. Though it seems like our girls below are in a bit of a pickle at the main gate."
Aria then takes in the situation of the gate, once again. "Was about to go in for a rocket run before I was rudely interrupted." Aria pouted, she would have loved to try out the DAGR.
Morgan chuckles. "Well, it''s free real estate currently. Best make good use of it."
Smirking, Aria replies. "With pleasure." Once again, Aria flies a course for a danger-close rocket run near the main gate. Lining up theser designator with the rockets, Ariaunches a salvo of 14 rockets, guided to hit the enemy android clusters while steering clear of the colorfully dressed girls. The explosions caused by the guided rockets, while smaller than the bombs are bigger than the 30mm HEDP shells, causing a significant amount of debilitating damage in the midst of the enemy.
Having earned herself a close-up view of the girls, Aria can''t help but befuddledin. "What sort of era have we traversed to again? There''s ass using a bolt-action while wearing a Great War-era dress, fighting against railgun-equipped androids?"
Morganughs. "Well, they sure as hell not regr army, that''s for sure. Both our so-called ally and enemy. No traditional army will allow them to wear revealing clothing or very, very fashionable attire. Though we are basically in the same boat as them. I highly doubt we can give them a slip without proper IDs."
"Touche." Aria acknowledged that.
Suddenly, their conversation is cut off by amunication request, broadcasted on an open channel.
"This is Commander Gentiane of Sector 09, Griffin-Kryuger PMC. Unidentified aircraft, please respond."
"Now that''s interesting." Morganmented. "The signal ising from the base being attacked right now. Due to the situation, they probably decide to screw away with Opsec."
Hearing that, Aria asks. "Can you get us an encrypted link with them?"
"Should be easy enough, I just need to trace the data package... There, we are in." Morgan said, surprising Aria. "That was fast."
"Each Aria is equipped with an EW suiteparable to that of an AWACS, peace of cake." Morgan exined in pride. Their baby aircraft can do many, many things.
"This is Commander Gentiane of Sector 09, Griffin-Kryuger PMC. Unidentified aircraft, please respond." The female voice belonging to the Base Commander sounded overms, once again.
This time, Morgann confidently replies. "This is callsign Morgan of the Belkan Reich 8492nd, Avalon Squadron, we read you. Go ahead, Commander."
"B-Belkan Reich...?" Gentiane sounded surprised. That is understandable, after all, there exists no country that is Belka in this universe.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Never mind that!" Shaking herself out of her stupor. Gentiane decides to ignore the out-of-ce squadron and say this instead. "I don''t know who you are but I''m sure as Hell grateful for your support! Now, I know this is not my ce to say this but I would like to employ your help for the duration of this battle, seeing as you have already poked the Sangvis in their butthole!"
"Pfft!" The young female voice, Morgan,
bit down augh at her crude choice of words. "I assume that the price for this will be negotiable as we don''t have enough time for bargaining. Regardless, we will be helping you until this Sangvis is driven off. However, with the current state of battle, we will be needing coordination from an observer. Otherwise, we risk miscing our ordnances. Also, we will be taking over your tactical map for the duration of this battle."
Gentiane sighs in relief at their eptance, yet quickly catches on to her word. "Observer? Give me a few seconds!"
Changing the channel with a direct line to Echelon 1, the only Echelon with a good line-of-sight of the entire battlezone, Gentiane is quick to call out. "SCAR-L,e in!"
"Hear!" SCAR-L responded over the sound of exchanging gunfire. "What is it this time, girlie?!"
Gentiane ignores her tant address. "Do you have aser designator? Our CAS needssing to hit HVTs!"
Instead of replying to Gentiane, SCAR-L turns to SCAR-H. "Oi, H! Do you have that designator with you?" A few secondster, SCAR-L answers. "I have it right here!"
Gentiane is just about to say something when Morgan cuts into theirms. "Pulse repetition frequency, 5-0-0, set it up, Miss SCAR-L."
A secondter, SCAR-L says. "Done!"
Morgan then follow-up by saying. "Echelon 1, this is Avalon 1-1 checking in as fragged. Flight of two Arias holding South, 15km at angels five five. Avable precision call-ins: 7 guided bombs, 12 AGMs, 20 rocket salvos. Unguided: 6 bombs and 1300 rounds for the section. Abort code Delta. Ready for your work."
Hearing that, Gentiane directs SCAR-L. "You heard thedy. I''m temporarily giving you the ability to coordinate fire support. Point them where it hurt!"
"On it, Commander!" SCAR-L answered with an audible big grin. She then quickly directs Avalon. "Avalon 1-1, this is Echelon 1. Type 1 is in effect, advise when ready for 9-line."
"Ready."
"Hasty IP, Kilo Mike two-two-three-four. Two two zero - right. Nine point one. Elevation two three zero. Twenty army green individuals. Kilo Mike seven eight one¡ seven zero four. Laser. Friendlies West three five zero. Egress West. Advise when ready for remarks."
"Avalon 1-1 to Echelon 1, ready for remarks."
"Final attack heading 180-270. Immediate time on target. One guided bomb. Report IP inbound and heading."
"220, KM 781704. Final attack heading 180-270."
"Read back correct. Advise when ready forsing."
"Ready forsing."
"Do you see theser?"
"Tally on thatse."
"Avalon 1-1, push when ready."
"Roger, push when ready."
Avalon 1-1, Morgan, then positions her aircraft to turn in at the Initial Point. "Avalon 1-1, in with heading 220."
SCAR-L responds. "Avalon 1-1, Cleared hot!"
Flying overhead of Echelon 1, Morgan announces. "Off, one away."
A few secondster, theser-guided bomb impact the middle of the towering Aegises formation, reducing the twenty heavily armored automatons into scrapped heaps that fly everywhere. The shockwave from the JSOW can be felt even at Echelon 1''s fighting position.
"Avalon 1-1, good hit, targets destroyed."
"1-1 to observer, reassuming holding pattern. 1-2 is ready for immediate tasking." Morgan reported. SCAR-L is quick to follow up on another request, this time to Aria, Avalon 1-2. "Avalon 1-2, advise for 9-line..."
Finally, Gentiane can sigh in relief. With the sudden avability of CAS, the situation has turned aplete 180 in favor of Griffin&Kryuger PMC. At this point, most of Sangvis'' offensive force is either routed or destroyed. Air support has clipped of the half of Sangvis'' attack when they first bombed near the fighting position.
Slumping down on hermander''s chair, the pink-hairdy can''t help but slump down, massaging her tired eyes. Trusting that Echelon 1 and the rest can clean up the remaining rogue T-Dolls, Gentiane calls out for her adjutant.
"G36, is it an opportune time to request a cup of coffee? I have a feeling that today will be a long day."
After all, Gentiane still has to deal with foreign pilots.
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^5: Happy birthday to Yuki~!
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^5: Happy birthday to Yuki~!
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you...! Happy birthday, happy birthday! Happy birthday to Yuki!" Sang by a chorus of melodious voices to celebrate a certain Marshal''s day of birth. Yuki, influenced by the celebrative mood created by her big family, is almost brought to tears. Even after all this time, Yuki is still surprised by the birthday party they tend to organize behind her back. After all, Yuki never pays any thought to her birthday.
"On this day altogether will be, will all sing for your happy birthday~! One, two, three, we''ll blow out the candles~! Happy birthday, happy birthday to you~! Happy birthday, happy birthday to you~!"
"T-Thank you so much, everyone!" Yuki''s emotional response earns her a collective hug from everyone present. The youngest of them all, Ningyo, cheers Yuki up by saying. "Big sis, there''s no need for courtesy! We, your family, will always be around to remind you of your birthday! And that we all love you to an unimaginable degree! This is the very least we can do for you when you''re the one hosting our birthday parties. You see big sis," Ningyo then gestures to everyone. "We''re all here for you so you should just kick back and rx on this big holiday we''re made for you!"
Having said her piece, Ningyo then pokes her chest out, taking pride in the fact she has shown her maturity to her big sis, for once. Seeing Ningyo like that, Yuki is both touched and grateful that her little sister has gone out of her way to improve her mood. Yuki chuckles, patting Ningyou on her head the way she likes it. "Look at you know, all growing up without me noticing. I dread the moment you spread your wings and I am left behind."
Hearing that, Ningyo pouts while diving for another hug. "No! I will not leave you, big sis! We''re family and family never separate!"
Smiling gently at her words, Yuki continues stroking her head while looking around to see other members of her big family looking at them warmly. If you need a list then starting from the very first is Yggdra in her trademark Goddess attire. Next to her are Lu and Hel who are dressing up in a more homeworthy version of their regalias. Bryn is standing next to Lu in a white dress while Elysia is apanying Hel while dressed in a light pink gown.
Near arge table full of drinks are Mobius and Einstein. Mobius wearing a light green party dress while Einstein is wearing a blue one. Also next to them is one Nice, who is waving at Yuki with a small smile and is wearing a purple gown for tonight. Coincidentally, Ningyo is wearing a gray skirt and white shite shirt, being all cute and cuddly right now, much like her big sister, funnily enough.
Interestingly, there''s also the presence of a certain slime, being held in the hands of Yggdra. Said slime is blue in color and is wearing a party hat for whatever reason. "Hey, it''s you again!" Yuki can''t help but point a finger at the slime, who just popping up a tentacle to wave back at her slowly in greeting. With their attention grabbed by Yuki''s action, the others divert their sight to the slime, a bit surprised that it''s here, once again.
"Oh, it''s Slime-san!" Ningyo poked her head out from the hug, waving at the slime with a sunny smile. "Hey, Slime-san, you also here for the party?"
The Slime, now designated Slime-san by Ningyo, wobbles up and down in affirmation. By the side, Mobius is a bit weirded out that she can interpret the slime''s action perfectly. In fact, everyone can and this is not the first time Slime-san has decided to grace them with their present. More often than not, Slime-san has been brought to their family outing by Yggdra. The slime is made an instant friend by Ningyo due to its cuteness, hence it was christened with the moniker Slime-san by the young girl. Apparently, it''s thest of its kind, if Yggdra''s words are to be believed.
Holding up Slime-san and cing them at an empty table with a white cloth covering it, Yggdra says with a smile. "Slime-san will be joining us in tonight''s celebration. After all, they''re the storyteller and didn''t we promise them to help answer a few questions to the best of our ability?"
Yuki makes a fist bump, finally remembering her promise to the Slime a few months back. "Oh, right! We did agree to that, didn''t we?"
Lu nods. "That''s right, now I''m curious as to what the questions are?" The rest nod along, they too will like to know more about this matter.
Yggdra then snaps her fingers, materializing a set offy chairs for all of them, and on the seats are papers with unanswered questions. "Make yourselvesfortable, girls. This may take a while to finish, or not, depending on how fast we can read through all of them." Yggdra said with a smile as she too join them, leaving Slime-san on the table with a pen and a notebook already in their ''hands''.
"Let me start with the most obvious question then." Yggdra decided to take the lead, highlighting the question on the others'' papers.
-Hello there! Does Yuki''s family know about Yggdra''s and her past?
Lu whistles, obviously intrigued by the question but she then goes on to answer. "The answer will be yes and no for all of us, if that makes sense? After all, we have the suspicion that Yuki''s past is not simple. If you still remember then Aponia said something about Yuki''s fate was not a single, previously determined line by someone or something anymore. She is now the master of her own fate, able to carve her own path."
Hel adds. "And as far as we know, there''s only one person in the world that could interfere with Yuki''s fate."
"Me!" Yggdra raised her hand up with a bright smile.
Shaking her head at the sudden childishness, Hel continues. "Yuki is the one directly chosen by Yggdra as her champion, the one that is to carry out her will. Before that, she is just a girl that was adopted by us because of our karmic ties. While her importance in the eyes of everyone is elevated through the roof, Lu and I have our suspicions. Because of this, I have taken it upon myself to keep track of Yuki in the dark. Asking Aponia to investigate Yuki''s fate was only the first step. But you have no idea how much it pained us when Aponia said that Yuki''s life was predetermined like a movie slide." Hel sighs ruefully at the end. Yuki can''t help but reach out to her. "Mom! Mama!"
Hel pats Yuki''s head with a smile. "It''s fine, my dear. Everything ended well, did it not? Now where was I? While our hearts ached at the fact that Yuki was a ve to her destiny, we knew at the time that things exist for a reason. And like Yggdra has so helpfully admitted, she was the only one that couldy out a singr path for Yuki. This wasn''t done on a whim, however, there must be arger reason at y. It''s why we decided to keep our suspicions to ourselves, biding our time... So imagine our surprise when Yuki decided to flip the table and give us a scare on the battlefield. Imagine our helplessness when she suddenly summoned Yggdra''s Einherjar to do her bidding. Imagine our stupor when Yuki singlehandedly united the Reich into a brighter future... The list can go on and on, but I think you all get the idea. It''s also at this time that Aponia confirmed that Yuki''s fate is now her own with countless branching paths for her to choose from. It''s as if the Yuki of now was fully liberated from her shackles through a trial by fire. Understandably, we have our questions for both Yuki and Yggdra."
Lu interjects with soft giggles. "Especially on my part, I was dying to get to the bottom of this matter but ultimately, we decided to rest our case. At the end of the day, Yuki, unburdened or not, is still our precious daughter regardless of the reason for her existence. We won''t ask anything, we won''t pry into where we shouldn''t, Yuki only needs to know that we will always ept her with open arms no matter who or what she is. Someday, when the time is right, Yuki will exin to us the past, of her own volition. Until then, we will continue showering her with our love and care. Isn''t that right, Hel, Bryn?" The pair in question nods with warm gazes directed at Yuki, with Hel pulling her into a hug, wiping away a trail of a tear in the process. It''s not just them that is showing their trust for Yuki, but the others too.
Feeling that Yuki can''t help but choke out. "Mom... Mama... Everyone! I promise that I will tell you everything without withholding a single word! It''s just that I am not ready yet, not even close. But when the timees, I will give you my word that I will always be the lovely daughter of our family!"
All of them nod with Slime-san pping their ''hands'' together, signaling for a five minutes break. Yuki takes this time to sort through her emotion while almost everyone gives Yggdra the stink eyes. The Primordial Goddess though, just calmly whistle. Once the break is over, Yuki takes the lead to word out the question for everyone to hear.
[The medicinalpound is morphophetamine in a polyethyltriphosphate liquid medium dispensed with nitrous oxide]
-Dayum author, how much did you research for this part?
Also question please, will there be a mech-type armor in the seriester on?
Both Yuki and Slime-san sport their thousand-yard stares at the questions, much to the amusement of everyone present. After a few seconds, Yuki shakes her head and replies. "Too much... Too many brain cells were sacrificed in order to further the Reich''s technological level. Both Einstein and Mobius can attest to that." Yuki pointed a finger at the pair, who nod with difficulty.
Mobius even adds. "You have no idea how many work hours were poured into R&D. Yuki was even worse than me when ites to losing her sleep and meals, just so that she could get the job done at the best of speed. And because of her, we were constantly put into overdrive! If not for Bryn''s being on constant reminder duty, Yuki would have run the Mansion of Knowledge dry!"
"Hey! It''s not my fault I tend to lose track of time, ok!?" Yuki protested but all she got from that was exasperated nods. Einstein decides to offer her a lifeline, however. "Moving on."
-Will there be mech-type armor in the future?
"Well, technically a Raven''s armor can be counted as a mechanized armor unit due to it having its own power supply, and offensive, defensive, and motor capability." Einstein answered.
Yuki interjects, a bit too quickly if I may add. "Yes, but I don''t think that''s the point of that question. They''re asking about the equivalent of a manned war golem. A walker fills to the brim with absolute firepower, capable of raining death on the battlefield."
Einstein nods, saying. "I understand. Technically, the Reich can make such mechs right now, however, the cost will be astronomical, much higher than building an Aria, which by itself is already more expensive than making a Raven."
Yuki then smiles, turning to the slime which is already scribbling down the conversation. "There you have it, Slime-san. While we can''t make a full-size mech right now, we can in the future. Most probably when our industrial capability already reaches the level where mass-producing mechs can be achieved at a reasonable price. Also, I named my supersoldiers as Ravens for a reason, if you catch my drift." Yuki winked, earning a thumb up from Slime-san.
Elysia decides that now it''s her turn to show them another question, seeing as the others are looking at Yuki and Slime-san weirdly. "Next question, gals!"
-Will Yuki get horns at some point? I am pretty sure that Elysia will love it.
"Oh my." Elysia and Yuki both blush at the implication behind the words.
Lu sensually licks her lips at this. "Oh my, indeed! Why, I can just about imagine Elysia, holding Yuki by her horns and ramming her cock into Yuki''s mouth."
"Mama/Lu!" Both Yuki and Elysia protest that suggestion. Though they all can see Elysia is eyeing Yuki with a peculiar look and heavy breathing while thetter isn''t aware. ''Hook, line, sinker, the whole fishing pole.'' They thought in their heads.
"N-Next!" Yuki shouted, forcefully changing the topic. It was not very effective.
-Is there a certain cat girl called Pardofelis in your roster and does the name Fu Hua ring any bell?
Yuki immediately answers. "There''s indeed a Pardofelis in our roster. She''s actually a member of ONI Section Three, acting under Eden as a logistical officer, and is the one in charge of most, if not, all of Section Three''s funding. Pardofelis is praised to be adept at her job but is a bit of a troublemaker due to her cat-like personality as she is a Nekomata. As for this Fu Hua, Section Two has a small file on her, saying that she is a martial prodigy living in a Buddhist temple and that she is an orphan. Other than that, there isn''t much else to speak about her."
Bryn nods along, havinge across that particr file by coincidence. "There wasn''t anything of note, at least. Though her status as a prodigy is interesting to take a look at in the future. With that out of the way, this is a question about Yuki''s power."
-What will Yuki do with her current power? Especially when her left eye is looking very simr to the clockwork eye of a certain Spirit.
Yuki smirks, pointing a finger at Slime-san. "That''s the neat part, I don''t. At least, not anything worthwhile for the time being, I guess? I am horribly weak when youpare me to the girls here. Heck, even Mobius is stronger than me physically and that is saying something."
Mobius doesn''t take that jab lying down. "Was that supposed to be apliment or a diss, Yuki!?" The Marshal just shrugs before patting Ningyo''s hair. "But of course, our Ningyo is the strongest girl out there." The little sister grins, nodding repeatedly as if wanting to be praised more. "There, there, Ningyo is the best!"
Yuki, of course, spoils Ningyo with more head pats, receiving warm gazes from everyone in the process. After a short while, Nice then says thest question of the day with an expression as if holding back herughter.
"S-Say, this sure is a good question, no?"
-Between Slime-san and a Takodachi, who will win in a 1v1.
Everybody''s expression turns strange at that, even Slime-san''s. Nice then chuckles, bringing out a Takodachi from who-knows-where. "Well, care to find out?"
She then throws the Takodachi onto Slime-san''s table before both sides proceed to have a staring contest.
''Slime-san...!'' Said the Takodachi.
''Takodachi...!'' Slime-san grumbled as the Takodachi coolly approached them. ''Hoh... You''re approaching me? Instead of running away, you''re approaching me?''
Takodachi replies. ''I can''t beat the shit out of you without getting closer!''
''Hoho! Thene as close as you''d like!'' And then both sides start a brawl, much to the amusement of everyone else.
Yggdra though, while trying to stem down herughter, struggles to say. "D-Do support our Slime-san, won''t you!? They deserve that much! Haha~!" Said Yggdra before a mug missed her hair by a breadth due to the brawl.
RM Side Story 10: 8492nd (Part 4)
RM Side Story 10: 8492nd (Part 4)
Once the sounds of battle die down, Gentiane has deemed it safe enough to peak out from the securedmand center. Not just her but many of the human staff also dare a look, all flinching at the debilitated state of the base they have called home. sma burns are dotted along the broken perimeter walls while their singr airstrip is filled with craters. The only things that are still rtively intact are the base''s inner area. Even that though, is notpletely unscathed from mortar shells. Gentiane coughs ufortably, the air quality has taken a turn for the worse after the conflict.
Suddenly, the sounds of jet engines are heard overhead. Gentiane looks up, seeing their saviors of the day circling like protective angels. That description is fitting, considering their aircraft design and paint scheme appear to be dissimr to the current mainstream fighter jets. Gentiane then hears footsteps approaching her, turning around, she spots her adjutant Centaureissi, G36 for ease of address.
Spoiler
[copse]
"Master, all Echelons have reported no further Sangvis activity. The battle is over." The stern maid gives her a small bow while still holding her imprinted weapon close to herself. Hearing that confirmation, Gentiane allows herself a smile of relief. "That was good to hear, G36, thanks. How''s the status of our girls out there?"
G36 nods, answering. "We have taken nine casualties, thankfully, their cores are recoverable. While the rest of Echelon 1 to 3 sports a variety of light injuries. My Echelon 4 is still at 100%bat effectiveness, however." G36 then levels her re at Gentiane. "Master, I must advise you to send Echelon 4 to the frontline next time. We would like to do our part in protecting this base too."
Though the re from G36 is harsh for most people, Gentiane knows that it contains no negative feelings behind it. Rather G36 is designed with poor eyesight, one of the reasons why her imprinted rifle is the G36.
"I understand," Gentiane answers with a smile, though a part of her fret the moment G36 will be sent back into the field. You can''t me her to be a bit protective of her lover, ok? "The next time a field missiones up, Echelon 4 will be spearheading the job."
Hearing that, a shadow of a smile appears on G36''s pearly face before she performs a curtsy. Gentiane can only shake her head at the ever-so-dutiful maid in front of her. Their short moment is interrupted when another girl joins them, it''s their logistics officer, Kalina. Due to the hastiness of their situation, Kalina has nothing on her but a brown jacket and a blue skirt. She is armed with an AKS-74U, however, and she passes Gentiane a headpiece. Though tired, Kalina''s voice still contains a trace of upbeatness in it. "Commander, Avalon Squadron just called in. They reported that Sangvis'' signatures are minimal, we''re in the clear for now, I think. They do request to speak with you though."
Spoiler
[copse]
Smiling, Gentiane takes the headpiece. "Thanks, Kalina, can you help me organize the recovery effort while I talk to them?"
"On it, Commander! Hey, G36, help me out with this." Kalina turned to the maid, prompting the maid to nod and follow her, not without leaving a few words behind though. "If you would excuse me, Master."
Gentiane nods at G36 before putting on the headpiece. After making sure that it''s connected to the pilots, Gentiane speaks. "Avalon Squadron, this is Commander Gentiane, do you read?"
A beatter, Morgan''s confident voicees in from the other end. "This is Morgan, we read you five-by-five." She then stops for a second before saying. "Not gonna lie, the situation back there wasn''t pretty for you, no? The whole base is basically shot up and knowing that you''re a PMC, it will take a pretty penny from yourpany''s pocket."
With that joke hitting straight at home, Gentiane can only smile wryly. "Fortunately, we held off with your support. Otherwise, more important things would be lost. I can''t thank you enough for that."
Gentiane then hears a chuckle from the other end. "Say, if you want to express your attitude, how about you give us clearance tond? Not gonna lie, while the Arias is a joy to fly in, we still need to stretch out legs sometime."
After Morgan said her intention, Gentiane immediately gives her approval. "You will be weed warmly here then. I have no doubt the girls will be wanting to greet the heroes." However, the smoking battlefield brings her back to reality. "That said, the airstrip is a mess right now. I''m not even sure we will be able to bring it back online in a day. Are you bingo on fuel? How about I divert you to another sector?"
Gentiane thought that Morgan and her wingman are running out of air time. A logical deduction for who knows for how long Avalon Squadron has been staying in the air. Much less performingbat maneuvers on their behalf. Surprisingly, Morgan says this. "Ah! That won''t be needed, Gentiane. I can see that you still have a few helipads operational, Aria and I can just touch down there."
Wait, what? "Hold up, Morgan, aren''t you using a jet? The runway is busted, how can you even taxi to the helipads!"
Morgan just giggles at that exmation. Not offering much exnation, Morgan announces overms. "This is Morgan and Aria, we''reing in fornding. May want to clear the helipads for ut, Gentiane."
"Damn it, girlie!" Gentiane shouted before running back into themand center, spotting Kalina who is directing the clean-up crew with the tactical map. "Oi, Kalin! Avalon is going for anding pattern, I want a reception party at the helipads stat!"
"Wait, what!? The runway is scrap!" Kalina responded, befuddled due to the strange situation.
"I know! My thought is that the aircraft a VTOL-capable. No time, I can just hear their engines right now. Send an Echelon my way!" Gentiane said before disappearing behind a doorway. Thest thing she can hear is Kalina shouting. "Echelon 1 is avable so they will be helping you out!"
"Ok!"
--------------------------------------------------------
Despite thete notice, Gentiane manages to set up a perimeter around helipads with the aid of Echelon 1. Together with the five-girl fireteam, Gentiane watches as the pair of supersized fighter jets lower their altitude and speed. From the corner of her eyes, she can see members of Echelon 1 chatting excitedly about the arrival of the heroic pilots. This is especially true for FN SCAR-H, who is nonchntly chattering off with FN SCAR-SC, the younger sister of both SCAR-H and SCAR-L. FN SCAR-L, their leader, can only shake her head at the antics of her older and younger sister, while she herself sps her assault rifle tightly, just in case. Thest two members of the team, FN HiPer and FN P90 can only smile wryly at the team''s usual atmosphere even after a hard-fought battle. They too soon join the fervent talk about the pilots, much to SCAR-L''s chagrin.
A gust of screeching wind stops their discussion, however. The two aircraft have reached a low enough altitude that theirbined swivel nozzles and lift fans have created a whirlwind that almost sends the lighter SCAR-SC and HiPer flying. Luckily for them, SCAR-H and P90 hold them back while SCAR-L rushes over to cover Gentiane with her coat. She is honestly thankful for the action as the wind is a bit too strong for her liking.
Once the wind st has settled down, the bodies of the aircraft revealed themselves as they perform their shutdown procedure. Having stand up close, Gentiane can''t help but whistle at the payloads these things are packing, even if half of them are expended. Unlike Gentiane though, SCAR-L is a bit more wary of the neers, even though she is sporting a light smile.
Finally, after a long thirty seconds, the cockpits open up with their armor panels retracting first. Then, from the confine of their cockpits, two women, dressed in their ck pilot suits with foreign markings, jumps out from their aircraft. Their helmets, being high-end and fully encasing their heads with a protectiveyer and arge prized visor, offer nothing in terms of identification, judging from a shake of SCAR-L''s head.
It''s only at this moment that Gentiane realizes that something is missing. While they did nail thending perfectly, Gentiane can''t help but facepalm at herck of oversight.
"Hey, Commander, I think we forgot to bring adder for them." SCAR-L took a jab at hermander, unhelpfully so, but still paying attention to the women. Gentiane rolls her eyes at the yful way SCAR-L put it.
Detecting that the pilots have safely vacated the aircraft, the Arias close the cockpit on their own. They will only be essible through the use of an encryption key that only Morgan and Aria know. Now with their boots on the ground, Morgan stretches her back, pointing her arms upward while Aria steps closer to her, patting the shorter girl on her shoulder.
With them dismounted, Gentiane is surprised to see that one of the pilots is of a shorter stature than the other with both clearly females. Usually, in an air force, a minimum height limit is put in ce to recruit due to health reasons. Wherever they''re from, that restriction must have been very different than the one in Neo-Soviet. Whatever the case, Gentiane must now step up and have a chat with her guests.
Here''s hoping that they''re as amiable as they were in the air.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through the privatems channels established by our flight helmets, Bryn, AKA Aria, asks a good question. "Say, how should we introduce ourselves to them?" She points her thumb at a group of girls that are approaching them, headed by a girl with pastel pink shoulder-length hair that is wearing a maroon trenchcoat. That girl is probably Commander Gentiane that had been talking with us.
"While it''s possible for us to give them our real names, I doubt we will be staying here long enough for it to matter. I say we just give them our callsigns and see how it goes from there." I shrugged, earning a nod from Aria before we both deprize our visors.
The group of six soon approach us with four of them staying at afortable distance, no doubt not wanting to spook us. This leaves Gentiane and a girl with dirty blonde hair that is wearing a coat of simr color, toe to us.
Raising a hand, Gentiane greets us with a weing smile, one that is mirrored by the armed girl next to her though there exists a trace of wariness behind it. That''s a good thing to have for I will be disappointed if they trust us too easily.
"Hello there!"
"Commander Gentiane!" With Aria giving me a tap on the shoulder, thus signaling that they hold no ill will, I remove my helmet and gloves before grabbing Gentiane''s offer palm for a handshake. "I must admit, you look just as nice as your voice!" I said with a sincere smile. That was the truth for Gentiane has a sort of battle-hardened beauty in her, not losing to the obvious androids or even thosedies back home. Without even looking, I am sure that Aria is analyzing Gentiane for her worth, her being silent means that she is showing her approval of Gentiane.
The suddenpliment seems to knock the wind out of Gentiane''s sail, however, her cheeks flush and she has to force out a cough to cover up her blunder. The android girl that is next to Gentiane and I can''t help but snicker at Gentiane''s expense. Though Gentiane is quick to recover and shakes my hand with a confident grasp. Interestingly enough, her palm has obvious calluses, she seems to have held a firearm for an extended period of time. "Since you have already known of me, I dare guess that you are Morgan, the one who has been raising Hell on Sangvis." Gentiane then turns to look at Bryn. "And that is probably your flight buddy, Aria?"
Aria nods with a small smile but leaves the talking to me. "Right, callsign Morgan and Aria, and you may address us as such. Although you will have to excuse us for not giving you our real names. For us, this is uncharted territory, after all."
Hearing that, Gentiane nods without a change in her expression. "I will not poke my nose into others'' business then. It''s the least I can do to you two for saving the girls'' and our collective asses'' back there."
Giggling at the blunt way she put it, I respond. "Hearing you said it that way, I have a feeling we will be getting along just fine." Gentiane offers me a knowing smile in return before turning to the android girl next to her. "Right, and this is..."
"SCAR-L, I presume? My guess is that your name is tied to the weapon you''re holding?" My interjection seems to have caught the android off-guard as she is now turning to look at Gentiane.
Gentiane nods, exining. "You''re not wrong, Miss Morgan. She is a T-Doll, and with her imprinted weapon being a SCAR-L, she is named as such. She is a World War 3 veteran and is the leader of my first Echelon, fireteam FN." SCAR-L gives us a nod at the introduction, to which we return.
Though we understand what her meaning is, Aria and I can''t help but raise our eyebrows, sharing a look. "T-Doll? A sort of Android then, though they feel a bit more advanced than what I know of." Aria said, clearly referring to the Previous Era. "Speaking of feeling, Morgan, we will be having a chatter about our... abilities."
I nod understandingly, havinge up with an idea as to what she wants to talk about. Gentiane and SCAR-L, while confuse, are polite enough to let us finish our short chat. Knowing that our attention is redirected back at them, SCAR-L steps forward to add. "Miss Morgan, Miss Aria, on behalf of Echelon 1 and the entire base, I offer you our gratitude for saving us in our time of need." SCAR-L is just about to make a bow when I step in, holding her hands to stop the gesture.
"I understand, Miss SCAR-L, and please, no need for a suffix, all of you. I doubt I can stand much of the stiffy talks for long unless it''s required." I nch at the thought of being treated with too much respect again.
SCAR-L chuckles at that, now with her suspicion dispelled at we really don''t have ill intent. "Then you can just call me by my name, SCAR-L. As for my real name, I think we will have to get a bit closer to share that." SCAR-L gives me a wink, to which I return with another before we both share augh. Oh, Aria I sure will get along with the people here. They''ve been nice so far and their aura of veteran is hard to miss.
Gentiane, who is standing near Aria, sighs in relief. "Thankfully, you guys are much more amicable than I expected."
Aria just smiles, saying. "Oh, you really have no idea. Morgan is seeing herself in the two of you, being leaders inbat but retaining ay back attitude and all. You three will hit it off in no time."
Gentiane raises an eyebrow at this. "So she is the same as us, amander of sorts?"
Aria exins. "Marshal of the Belkan Reich, meaning she is the second-inmand of our nation with the right to overrule our two Empresses'' decision if need be."
As soon as Gentiane hears that, her head swivels over to me, looking as if I had grown a second head. "... You and I will need to talk about your identities very soon."
I snicker at this, saying. "Soon, yes, but for now, why don''t you introduce me to the rest of the girls? While I do know their weapons, I need to get to know them on a more... personal level."
My jesting sure grabs more than just the attention of SCAR-L. Sheys a hand on my shoulder, looking at me straight in the eye. "Please take it moderately." She advised with a no-nonsense attitude.
I chuckle, prompting both Aria and SCAR-L to sigh. "No promise."
Soon after, I am introduced to the rest of the team.
The very nonchnt and cryptic older sister of SCAR-L, sharing her trademark blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. SCAR-H''s hair is tied into a ponytail, unlike her sister who let it flows freely a bit past her shoulders. She also has a coat, white in color, and is draped to her waist.
Being SCAR-H''s battle buddy and spotter for the sniper rifle T-Doll, FN HiPer is a pistol T-Doll with ck hair, tied into a left-sided ponytail. She is wearing a white business skirt and a ck shirt with white arm sleeves. Atop her head is a white beret and a graybat harness is her choice for carrying additional supplies for her team. She is soft-spoken and her golden eyes betray her obvious interest in our aircraft.
Spoiler
[copse]
Up next is the youngest of the SCAR family, SCAR-SC. Sharing her bigger sisters'' hair and eye colors, SCAR-SC differs in being shorter and petite. Yet, she seems to be very swift on her feet, running around us with surprising quietness to her steps. Not surprising when her weapon is a suppressed supact carbine using .300 ckout. Aside from that, she discards her sister''s coat for a low-profile gray jacket and a blue-tintedbat visor for intelligence gathering. Using thetter, she is analyzing us with a childish curiosity.
Spoiler
[copse]
Last but not least is FN P90. If SCAR-SC is an expert in infiltrating and gathering intel, then P90 is the go-to for distraction duty. Like a squirrel, this brown hair girl runs around while trying to trick us with her realistic holographic disys. Sadly, P90''s opponents are Aria and I, we easily beat her in her rigged guessing game, much to her annoyance. Seeing P90 being defeated, so much so that she sulks and pouts in a corner, the rest of her teamughs at her expense. Regardless, we soon move tofort her, not wanting to upset the squirrel of team FN.
Spoiler
[copse]
After that, Gentiane sorts us out with two empty hangars that are rtively intact. We then momentarily taxi our aircraft beneath the roof of the hangars before securing it for possible tampering. Like I said, this is uncharted territory so we have to make sure nothing can go wrong. Aria has been helpful in this for she has secretly deployed a few barriers, which should be more than enough to provide us with forewarning.
Once done, Gentiane and Echelon 1 lead us inside theirmand center. The day is still long and it''s there that she will be giving us a briefing about the state of this world. I have brought along a military tablet so hopefully, we can get our tech to work with them. If not, then it''s just make it a bit more annoying, that''s all.
RM Side Story 11: 8492nd (Part 5)
RM Side Story 11: 8492nd (Part 5)
"Do excuse the mess," Gentiane said as she walked through the door to themand center, motioning for us to follow after her. " It will take us a while to recover from the attack."
With a cursory scan, I can see that the center has a few documents strewing on the floor while the ceiling has a crack running to a corner of the wall. Ayer of dust covers the digital instruments, probably from the said crack that urred due to a bombardment.
Kalina, my logistical officer, over there, is the one responsible for our procurements. I have a feeling you will have to talk with her a lotter so may as well introduce you all."
Being called out by Gentiane, Kalina slings her AK on her back, excitedly taking our hands and shaking them. "Wee to Sector 09! I saw your work back there and you two rocked them Sangvis good! Thanks for the save, you two!" Her cheery attitude put smiles on our faces. "And please, call me Kalina or Kalin!
"It was no trouble at all, Kalina, we only did what''s required of us. But of course, it would be a lie if we say we wouldn''t be expecting any return." I said, prompting her to nod. "Well, as long as it''s possible in our budget, I doubt Commander Gentiane and our bossdy will be stingy with your reward. You did just save a crucial sector from falling into enemy hands."
Nodding along, Gentiane adds. "Kalin is corrected. Even if we''re just a PMC, we value our morals code pretty seriously. While we can''t give you anything right now, the least we can do is offer a ce for you to settle down for a short while. Fortunately, the dorms weren''t hit by anything major."
"We will take you on that offer then, preferably a shared room with good soundproofing if you can." I added a minor request, to which Gentiane turned to Kalina who then gave us a thumbs up. I then turn to Aria. "Any additional request, dear?"
Hearing that question, Aria replies. "Perhaps an additional change of clothes or two. We didn''t pack anything of that sort due to Yggdra''s sudden tasking, remember?"
"Oh, yeah!" Ipletely missed that. "It will be quite annoying to wear this flight dress all the time."
Gentiane helpfully adds. "Due to the... uniqueness of our T-Dolls, we have clothes of various shapes and sizes. Kalina can lead you to pick out a few that are suitable for you two, and maybe daily necessities too. If there''s none there then the nearby town should offer a few more selections."
A town, she said, perhaps it will be a good ce for a tourter.
Aria thanks Gentiane for the suggestion. "That would be great, thank you, Commander."
Smiling, Gentiane replies. "No problem." She then turns to Kalina. "Say, do we have an ETA on the reinforcement that was sent out earlier?"
Aria and I perk up at that. It''s understandable that they would have requested support when shit hit the fan. I am curious about the reaction of that supposed reinforcement when we had already hogged all the glory, however.
Kalina turns to take a look at her pocket watch. "They should be ten minutes to fifteen minutes out. Though boss Helian will be annoyed that she will bete for the party."
Gentiane and Kalina both flinch at the namedrop. "Yeah... And I would have to be the one that talk her down. Fun..."
Aria and I share a look before I address Gentiane. "Say, did wend you in trouble?"
Gentiane wryly smiles. "Nah, it''s just that Boss Helian is a bit strict. Though the moment she heard our SOS, she prepped her personal elite Echelon on a ck Hawk toe and help us out. Yet, we would have already fallen by the time they touch down. Fortunately, you intervened, if not Helian would be arriving with body bags."
"I see, I think I have an idea of how to deal with her type. Don''t worry, Gentiane, Kalina, we won''t implicate you or anything of the sort. So far, you have been a great host." I smiled in aforting way, earning a sigh of relief from Gentiane.
"Thanks, Morgan. May I suggest we wait until Helian arrives? That way, you won''t be needing to exin anything for the second time." Gentiane suggested.
I shrug at that. "Fine by us. Though a bit of advice, it will be great if you can keep an open mind for what''s about toe."
Hearing that, Kalina grows confused, turning to look at Gentiane. The Commander though, just smirks. "Don''t look at me, I only have guesses but nothing concrete."
It''s at this moment that Team FN files into themand center, followed by a maid that''s pushing a beverage tray and slinging a G36 on her back. The most excitable of Echelon 1, P90, strides up to us and says. "Did we miss anything?"
"Nothing too important, Boss Helian will be arriving in ten though." Kalina answered, earning a grudging nod from the SMG Doll. "Yikes, I hope she won''t be running us against her Echelon again."
SCAR-H, who is now folding her rifle and putting it in a case, adds. "What''s the score again?"
"Tied at 7, I think." HiPer answered softly.
P90 scoffs. "If it wasn''t for that suicide, speaker st by Spitfire that disoriented me, I would have won us ourst engagement."
"Just remember not to underestimate their resourcefulness next time." SCAR-L chimed in with a piece of advice. "Like us, they''re veterans from thest war."
Nodding repeatedly, SCAR-SC swears. "I promise that next time, I won''t be falling into another trap they make!"
The Echelon then descends into a bout of fervent discussion, ignoring the weird looks that Aria, Gentiane, Kalina, and I are giving them. Turning around to Gentiane, I can''t help but ask. "Are they, to be more specific, all T-Dolls, are this active after a life-or-death battle?"
Gentiane deadpans. "You have no idea."
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Upright and calm, Helian is methodical and a little stubborn, but she has a good temper and takes good care of the people around her, though she''s highly particr about her principles. Her stern and efficient way of doing things, along with her absolute loyalty to Griffin, has won her Berezovich Kryuger''splete trust. Yet, the Helian right now is in a bit of a stump for she truly has no idea how to treat the twodies in front of her.
On one hand, G&K is in debt for the saving of Sector 09 by these twodies. On the other hand, such an act is highly suspicious due to the timely wait they arrived. However, with a cursory scan, the girls in front of her don''t fit any outfit whatsoever. And from the look of it, their aircraft betrays nothing about their origin. In fact, Helian is anxious that she, being a former intelligence officer, couldn''t even recognize any of the markings on both the aircraft and their pilots. The best she cane up with is that they''re both Europeans and are veterans with the subtle aura they have. Subtly ncing at her adjutant, Bren, who shakes her head lightly. Helian sighs, knowing that a facial scan also fails toe up with anything.
Although from what she can infer, the foreign pilots aren''t holding any ill intent, at least not yet. If they had any then Gentiane and her Echelon 1 wouldn''t have weed them warmly. They''re good at many things and being able to judge a person''s character is one of them. With that said, should any trouble arise in the future, that''s the job of the Helian of then, not now.
Scanning the female pilots once again, Helian still can''t get over their otherwordly beauty. And from the look of it, the subtle way the taller of the pilots seem to hover around the shorter one literally screams out that they''re in a rtionship. Helian thought that there is a joke somewhere about being both a wingman in the air and in bed. It''s just that she can''t quite put a finger on what the joke is to be exact. For now, both parties seem to be content with conversing among themselves. That is until Gentiane returns with Kalina in tow. Team FN is also presented for their standing duty has been filled in by members of Helian''s elite echelon. It''s a good time as any for them to have some downtime, Helian thought to herself. Besides, Gentiane''s first echelon was the one to act as a forward observer for the 8492nd Squadron in front of her. Their input about how things were handled could be useful. Before that though,es the formal talk.
"My apology for the tardiness, Chief Helianthus." Gentiane said before she and Kalinaid a few documents and tablets on the meeting room table.
Helian nods at that, epting the apology for she knows quite well the effort one has to put in to handle a battlefield clean-up. "You need not feel sorry about a bit of a dy right now. I understand your task as it''s my own for some time."
"Thank you, Chief." Gentiane smiled a bit brighter at that before moving straight to the main topic, knowing that Helian isn''t one to beat around the bush. "Now that everyone''s here, a short introduction is in order."
Turning around to meet Morgan''s and Aria''s gazes, Gentiane performs a snappy salute, fluttering her gray and pink-tipped hair, saying. "I''m Commander Gentiane Camus, a member of the Griffin & Kryuger PMC, and is in charge of Forward Operating Base 794 of Sector 9, which is where we''re currently. A pleasure to make you acquaintance, once again." Ending it with a light smile, Gentiane is pleased when Morgan and Aria epted her official introduction with respect. The youngmander then goes on to gesture a hand at Helian. "This is Chief Helianthus, she''s the second-inmand of G&K and is my go-to boss. It''s with her help that I was able to request additional firepower before I arrived here, having learned that this FOB is crucial for the entire sector but a bitcking in its defense."
Morgan nods at that, saying with a grin. "So it''s her that we would have to give our thanks to, for if it weren''t for her signing off that request, this base would have fallen long ago and we would have no ce tond. Much appreciated, Chief Helianthus. It would have been annoying to find a better host than G&K is right now." The sudden sincerity Morgan showed was enough to catch Helian by surprise.
Fixing her monocle, Helian replies. "You have given me too much credit, Miss..." The faded ck-hairdy of ''significant'' age is not sure how to address them just yet.
Morgan smiles, gesturing to Aria while saying. "Please, you can just me Morgan, and this, right here, is Aria. Our apologies but we still haven''t found a good reason to reveal our real names, yet. I also understand that the tandy over there has looked up our identities ande up short of anything you haven''t seen. You have good subtlety just like the agents under me, I''ll give you that much. But I have dealt with objectively better spooks than you."
Bren, Helian''s trusted adjutant, tenses up at the sudden inclusion to the talk. Helian is quick to dismiss her concern, reaffirming to herself that this Morgan in front of her is not just a normal pilot. "Pardon me for the cloak and dagger y, you must understand that for a person in my seat, I must make sure just what sort of thing mypany is running into. I''ll also take that as apliment, knowing that while I am rusty, I still managed to impress you." Helian decided to go along with Morgan, jotting another bit of knowledge about the pilots in her mental notebook.
Morgan chuckles, nodding at Helian''s words. "I reckon that back in your heyday, you must be a menace at your job for calling what you did earlier, rusty."
"That aside," Morgan then leans back on her office chair, a hand supporting her chin. "I see no further reason to continue the polite discussion. Perhaps Gentiane, Kalina, and team FN can give you their reports first? Only with those will you know how to start the Q&A session, am I correct to assume that?"
Thinking over it for a few seconds, Helian finds herself agreeing with Morgan''s assessment. A short conversation over a battered tarmac wasn''t enough to get her up to speed, only by gaining firsthand intelligence can Helian work out the matter with them. Hence, it doesn''t surprise anyone when Helian nods, saying. "You''re correct with your assumption, Miss Morgan. If you don''t mind them giving their reports to me, that will be much appreciated. After all, it can take a bit of time."
Morgan smiles, waving off her concern. "That''s perfectly fine with us. Rather, we will also use this chance to learn more about the matters before our intervention and your views on the things after that. It''s a good way to ascertain our position in this world so we should be thanking you."
Helian nods, letting out a small smile and appreciating their honest intention. She does, however, jot down another line of notes. After all, needing to ascertain their position in this world, is a peculiar reason to have. In a way, that sentence serves only to boost their otherworldliness, Helian thought to herself.
RM Side Story 12: 8492nd (Part 6)
RM Side Story 12: 8492nd (Part 6)
Debriefing Echelon 1 was quick thanks to them sharing theirbat footage and Gentiane was lucky enough to have an intact UAF overseeing the area at that time. Thanks to that, Helian and the members of Avalon Squadron are able to understand the events earlier today. Having learned of the required detail, Helian is quick to question SCAR-L and Gentiane.
"And throughout the entire engagement, you never did see a Sangvis Ringleader?"
SCAR-L shakes her head. "No sign of them, ma''am Helianthus. If there''s any, they must have been staying in the shadow or are not presented in the AO."
Gentiane does add something, however. "Oh, there''s at least one of them alright. Here, take a look at this clip."
Gentiane then operates a tablet, bringing a cut of the drone footage up on the big screen. The clip hence shows the biped railguns that had been giving Aria a bit of trouble.
Watching that, Helian raises an eyebrow at the way they were employed. "They used the Nemeums as anti-air units?" She then turns to look at the pilots that experienced their attack first-handed.
Morgan and Aria nod, with Morgan saying. "In the event of them not having any dedicated AA unit, a railgun can be used against low-flying aircraft. After all, just a nick from the shockwave of the hypersonic dart traveling, much less the dart itself, can severely damage an aircraft. Thankfully, our nes have built-in energy-warning receivers. It''s why we were able to detect the energy build-up of the railguns beforehand and maneuvered out of their line of fire."
"And here''s the kicker," Gentiane interjected. "I highly doubt the Nemeums have enough processing power or the codings to calcte a firing solution to engage a jet."
Helian finishes it for her. "This means that a Ringleader must have been nearby to fill in the required calctions. If that''s the case, then it''s safe to say that Base 794 will have it rough in theing days."
Hearing that, Gentiane and Kalina sigh. The harrowing experience from before is still very vivid, after all.
"Alright, I will see to it that 794 and the rest of Sector 9 will be reinforced. After all, this is the QRF sector with Base 794 serving as the air-assault base. We can''t have either fall under Sangvis'' siege or the frontline will copse." Helian''s words brought about smiles in the 794 personnel.
"Thank you, Chief." Gentiane mouthed her appreciation, earning herself a nod from Helian. "Having said that, that lurking Sangvis Ringleader presented us with a pressing issue. If she sticks in the dark and keeps sending dispensable units to us, we will break eventually. We must track her down and neutralize her."
Gentiane frown, cing a finger under her chin. "But Chief, Echelon 1 has been on overwatch all the time and they couldn''t find anything amiss. So where do we even start?"
Morgan raises a hand. "Perhaps we can help you with that."
Everybody turns at Morgan, prompting her to exin. "While we were flying over the AO, our sensors pick up major clusters of activity. Perhaps once the talk is over, I can send over the data and have you allb over it. After all, you should know what you''re looking for and it may help you out."
Helian and Gentiane nod at Morgan, grateful for her offer. "That would be much appreciated, Miss Morgan. It''s hard for us to scout Sangvis territory and your data may fill in the missing intelligence."
"Don''t sweat it, and please, just call me Morgan." Helian can only nod at the request before they proceed with the discussion.
It''s time for the 8492nd Squadron to talk.
"I guess it''s our turn?" Morgan posed a rhetorical question, to which both Helian and Gentiane acknowledge while the rest perked up, visibly interested. "Ok then Gentiane, can you show us the world map and the current time of day?"
Without saying anything, Gentiane operates the tablet and puts the map, with a few descriptions, and a digital clock on the big screen. The map shows the current habitable living zones and the Copse Zones while the timer shows that they''re just shy of a month away from weing the year 2062. Seeing the state of this Earth, having been scarred by Copse Fluid and Radiation, Morgan can''t help but sport a frown. Aria too, is also ufortable seeing the state of this with half of the world being wasted.
The G&K members note their reactions but opt to notment on them. Sighing, Morgan pulls out her own tablet before swiftly hacking a connection into the big screen, much to the stupor of Helian and Gentiane. The pilot then brings up her version of the world map, in 3D, and timer,plemented by a list of active wars and conflicts that are being fought all over the world. Understandably, everyone aside from Morgan and Aria are shocked at just how different their version of Earth is.
"Wow, this is cracked up, huh?" P90 was the first to exim, sweating with a forced smile at Morgan''s and Aria''s Earth.
SCAR-H whistles at the images on the screen while SCAR-SC deadpans. "Good lord, that''s a whole lot of wars being fought. And the date? It''s literally an earlier World War II!"
Kalina chimes in. "The hell? Pn is named Pnia while Soviet Russia is Rusviet Union!? Germany is now the Belkan Reich and French is the Kingdom of Ustio?! What''s with the naming sense?"
FN HiPer adds with a curious glint and a tinge of excitement in her voice. "As a matter of fact, most major superpowers in the world have a name and regime change. Even the geographical depiction of the map is weird. It''s like an alternate Earth altogether!"
"That''s because it is." SCAR-L sighs, crossing her arms as she scans the map. "This is not the map of Earth, am I right, Morgan?"
Nodding, Morgan replies. "That''s right, where we came from, our is not called Earth, rather, it''s Gaia. HiPer''s correct that this is an alternate version of your Earth, one where history has taken a different turn than yours. Granted, there are still a few simrities between the USA and Japan."
SCAR-Hments. "I see, the dead giveaway would be the tree that''s poking the stratosphere."
Smiling, Morgan says. "Yup, the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. The World Tree''s a major reason why our history is so different. After all, she dide in hot as arge meteorite that almost destroyed Gaia if she didn''t slow down at thest second."
"Wait, she?" SCAR-L couldn''t help but interject.
"Yup. Long story short, the personification of the World Tree is a she. Though we should leave this forter if you want to learn more about our history. I can send over a data package for you all to peruse after this meeting."
"Uh... Ok? To be honest, I am now both damn curious and scared at the same time." SCAR-L said that with a wry smile. It''s not just SCAR-L but rather everyone else is showing the same expression as her. It''s like Pandora''s Box, in a way.
"Now then, if there''s doubt about us being literal aliens," Morgan said with a giggle. "Then now is a good time to voice it."
"Say!" Understandably, P90 jumped at the opportunity to query the so-called ''aliens'' in front of her. "Any otherwordly trick you can do?"
SCAR-SC nods repeatedly at that. "Yup, yup! Just that map won''t be enough to convince us!"
Kalina rolls her eyes at the pair. "You do remember that they have a pair of aircraft that is years ahead of us, right?"
Gentiane justugh. "Come on, Kalina, don''t tell me you aren''t curious. Besides, SCAR-SC has a point, even if they don''t have any reason to lie to us in such a ridiculous way, we still need more concrete proof."
"Trust, but verify," Helian added with a nod. "I hope you understand our reasoning."
Morgan lightly smiles, responding. "Don''t fret it, it will be a piece of cake for us to prove that we are otherworlders. However, I must request that you all keep the knowledge that you will soon learn on a need-to-know basis."
Helian nods in affirmation. "That is a given. Though I highly doubt anybody will trust us if what you said turns out to be real."
Gentiane raises an eyebrow at that. "Chief, you do realize that Copse Technology is still an enigma to us, being actual alien relics and all that. What will stop us from discovering more about the world if the scientists keep poking at the relics?"
"...Fair point." Helian relented. Morgan also interjects. "Say, I think we should do an information tradeter. An equivalent exchange, if you catch my drift."
"But of course." Helian agreed easily to that.
"Ok then!" Morgan then pped her hands, turning to Aria. "Aria, would you kindly perform the opening act?"
"With pleasure, Morgan." Standing up and stepping behind Morgan, Aria unfolds her Valkyrie wings, much to the shock of everyone in the room. Aria''s majestic white wings mesmerized the people present as she pulls Morgan into a protective embrace. The warm hug created by the pair of wings earns Aria a soft giggle from Morgan. The shorter girl clearly enjoyed being cuddled while basking under the astonishing gazes of everyone.
Bren, who has been staying silent for most of the time, moves to secure herself a cup of water before using it to wash her eyes, hoping what she is seeing right now is an optical illusion. Much to her dismay, it isn''t. "... Well I''ll be damned."
Gentiane gulps, watching the living proof of an angel in front of her. "No wonder you have such a mystifying beauty to you, Aria. You''re literally an Angel." Even Helian finds herself nodding along at that assessment, her logical side decided to just give up and watch the situation unfolds.
Morgan justugh at their stunned response. "To be exact, Aria is a Valkyrie, a warrior of Norse Mythology. Herbat prowess is not to be trifled with and I can confidently say that she can solo all the T-Dolls without breaking a sweat currently."
Gentiane sweatdrops at that. "Morgan, a Valkyrie is a magical war machine ording to the myths, I highly doubt she will find my echelons to be a challenge."
Hearing that, all the T-Dolls presented can only show their wry smiles.
"UmU. My Aria can be ssified as the strongest in this world due to itcking a few restrictions. As for me, while not nearly as strong as Aria, I can do this."
Still being hugged by Aria, Morgan holds out her hands and conjures a magical spellposed of varying elements. From the condensing light above her outstretched palm, multiple colorful butterflies are spawned, flying gently and slowly around the meeting room. "These are magical constructs with their elements being determined by their colors. A nifty little trick which cane in handy in a group fight." Morgan exined while a few butterfliesnded on the table.
Unable to contain their curiosity, they slowly extend their fingers to touch the butterflies, only to showcase their shock soon after.
SCAR-H''s jaws dropped. "No way, this one is solid and ice-cold to the touch! How the hell can it even fly?!"
"Eh?" Kalina expressed her surprise. "This one is warm though, so maybe what I''m holding is a fire elemental like in those fantasy games?"
HiPer, being one to show the most intense curiosity, scoop up a green butterfly. "Guys, I think I can even smell the aromas from these butterflies."
That prompts everyone to take a deep breath, only to be surprised once again. SCAR-L is the one to voice it out. "What the hell?! Howe the room now smells like we''re in a lush vineyard?!"
Morgan smiles at their dying curiosity. "Mind you, the butterflies don''t have any smell on their own. Rather, I use illusions to trick your sense of smell, pretty neat no?"
Helian is quick to voice her doubt at the exnation. "Illusion is just illusion at the end of the day. Affecting humans, I can understand, but even T-Dolls?" She asked with a polite tone, really wanting to know the answer herself.
Not shying from the question, Morgan replies. "Normal illusion spells only work on living beings, not a digital construct like SCAR-L over here, is a correct assumption. However, employing the Concept of Illusion is a whole other ball game. As a concept, Illusion can affect anyone and everything, even rewriting reality if you can fulfill the prerequisites. Meaning, tricking the simted sense of a T-Doll is easy enough for me."
"... I rest my case." Helian said with a sigh. While the others don''t have anything else to add.
So, while the butterflies are still decorating the space, Morgan moves on to exin their purpose here.
"With you not doubting our identities, allow me to formally introduce ourselves. I am Morgan, the current Reich Marshal of Belka, meaning I am the second-inmand of the entire state. Aria here, is my adjutant and personal bodyguard for the duration of our stay here on Earth."
Gentiane folds her arms at the title drop. "No wonder you have that veteran aura around you. You''re basically the head honcho of a military superpower from what I can see."
Morgan and Aria nod their head at that before the former continues. "As for how we got here and why, the former is ssified but thetter we can exin. We have been entrusted to go to this world to identify an anomaly, secure, contain, and destroy it. Said anomaly is still an elusive subject to us but what we do know is that without dealing with it, this world will soon head to a bad end. As in apocalyptic bad end so you may take this information as you wish."
Stopping for a bit to let that piece of important news sink in, Morgan then says. "Whether you like it or not, we will be sticking around to remove this threat for you. However, it will be much appreciated if we can have your cooperation. I have a feeling G&K will be roped into this, willing participant or not."
After listening to Morgan''s speech, all of them sport grave expressions. Dealing with a world-ending threat was thest thing they expected toe out of this conversation. And understandably, they''re not taking such a matter easy.
As each member of G&K ys around with their own thought, Gentiane suddenly poses a question. "Hey, do you think that Sangvis'' sudden ferocity has anything to do with this apocalyptic threat?"
Morgan ponders for a few seconds before replying. "It''s possible, after all, world-enderse in all forms. It could be through a madman''s action or the military build-up of a rogue-AI faction. It can also ur instantly or slowly over a period of years. Although I highly doubt it will take years for the threat to manifest. If that''s the case, we wouldn''t have been sent here expressly. But if you think that Sangvis has been acting out of the norm, then it''s best we look into them first. It''s entirely possible that they may have stumbled on a piece of Copse Technology that you have been talking about."
Helian deeply frowned at that, for she, of all people, knows the pain and grief Copse Technology has brought upon this world. She really can''t rule that daunting possibility out now that their conjectures havee this far. "I will speak with a few people I trust. This matter has gone farther than what a singr base can handle."
Morgan nods, understanding Helian''s reasoning. "Then I guess we can end this talk for now. If you have a need for us then juste and ask Gentiane, she should be the one to allocate our lodging. But before that," Morgan suddenly smirked. "Anyone here cares for a drink?"
RM Side Story 13: 8492nd (Part 7)
RM Side Story 13: 8492nd (Part 7)
Arriving at Base 794''s cafeteria, the group of T-Dolls and humans with a singr non-human immediately picks their seats at arge dining table, though Bren has excused herself to go support her battle sisters. Fortunately for Gentiane and Kalina, the dining area doesn''t need many touch-ups as they only need to rece a few cracked windows. It''s why Morgan will soon be able to flex her craft in an attempt to awe the plebeians.
Going behind the counter, Morgan takes stock of what''s avable in the cabs before turning around, asking.
"Say, you girls have any preference? But of course, alcohol is out of the question." Kalina instantly and SCAR-H instantly dete at that, earning stern gazes from SCAR-L and Helian. "Don''t be shy, I am confident in my skill in handling drinks."
Gentiane turns to Aria, raising an eyebrow. Her unvoiced question earns a soft chuckle from Aria. "Trust me, you will be impressed by Morgan''s ability. Morgan is responsible for cooking and mixing drinks for our family back home whenever she''s free of her duty."
P90 whistles. "Wow, is there anything she can''t do?" That question reflected what''s on everyone''s mind currently. Even Helian mutters something about learning to cook to impress somebody at a mixer... To each their own, I guess.
"Dying, apparently. I have my dance with Lady Death more than enough time that I have known her on a personal level." Though Morgan said that in a joking manner, they couldn''t help but think that there must be a semnce of truth in it.
"Anyway," Morgan grins. "Order up, girls!"
----------------------------------------------------------
Were a third party intruded into the cafeteria, the first smells that would assault their nose are that of coffee and tea. Though Morgan has brewed her drinks in haste to serve her newfound guests, she totally didn''t skimp on the quality. Hence, not even Helian is spared from moaning aloud after sipping a cup of brown coffee before hastily covering her mouth. Thankfully, the others aren''t faring any better after tasting their respective drinks so what happened to Helian has gone unnoticed. Well, aside from Morgan and Aria, that is. The pair of pilots are sporting knowing smirks directed at Helian, making the maturedy blush before trying to pass it away by finishing the rest of her cup as calmly as she can. Though she is falling at that task miserably.
It''s only after around ten minutes after all of their cups are empty that they recover from their trance. T-Dolls and humans alike can only gaze confusedly at Morgan, wondering what the hell she put in those drinks.
SCAR-H raises a finger. "Forgive me for my bluntness and correct me if I''m wrong, but I don''t think even Springfield can make a T-Doll orgasm by just drinking."
Gentiane peers at her empty cup, shaking her head. "I forgive you and you''re not wrong. Though thatparison is a bit too specific, don''t you think?" Everyone gives SCAR-H odd stares at that. The girl in question though, just smirked. "You don''t need a Wombforce to feel that rush of pure bliss, no? Had I not checked the content before drinking, I would have thought that Morgan spiked the drinks or something. No offense, Morgan."
Morgan just chuckles, fully understanding her reasoning. Though she can''t help but wonder what the Hell is a Wombforce and why everyone aside from Aria is giving SCAR-H a dirty look. "None taken. I take it that all of you have enjoyed your respective drinks?"
SCAR-SC shakes her head with a bit of pity. "Saying that will be an understatement of the century! And I am not one for coffee in the first ce!"
HiPer nods, chiming in. "The tea was splendid, thank you, Morgan."
"Say, can I hire you to be my personal barista?" SCAR-L jested. "I think even G36 and Springfield will have to wave the white g at this."
"Sorry, but I don''t think you can afford my sry." Morgan went along with the joke. The group then proceeds to have a light chat to ease them off the drinks.
"Ms. Helianthus, is it possible for you to produce additional munitions for our warnes? While we''re no slouch on the ground, we would still prefer to have additional firepower to support the girl." Aria asked, prompting Helian to ponder for a few moments.
"... It''s not impossible to supply you with ordnances through a back channel we have. However, are they evenpatible with your airframes? Not to mention the issue of maintenance parts."
Morgan interjects with a smile. "I designed the Arias with modrity in mind. I can easily outfit our nes to amodate your weapons with the right tools which you can help me procure. As for maintenance, it can''t be helped but the Arias will have to fly with minimum servicing for the time being. Though I doubt we will be staying here long enough for it to matter."
Helian nods in understanding. "I see, I will see what I can do when I talk to Mr. Kryuger. Kalina will notify you when the supplies are ready."
"Just leave it to me! I''m the one in charge of logistics around here so you can rest assured that I won''t fail any order you ced!" Kalina reassured with a big grin and a V-sign. "But Chief Helian, is it ok for them to fly around fully armed? Won''t the government interfere with them? When ites to that, it will be hard to exin their origin."
"You raised a reasonable argument, Kalina. But the Arias are stealth aircraft, they will be unlikely to detect without them getting a radar site near our AO. And if any inspection arrives, it''s not something a little magic can''t help. In fact, if any party dares to cause trouble for you, allow us to intervene with our... Magical means." Morgan offered with a smile, earning wry smiles from the G&K officers.
Helian sighs. "I will keep that in mind, Morgan."
SCAR-SC suddenly harrumphs. "Enough with the business talk, geez! Can''t you all take a break for a moment?!" This earns her a knock on the head by SCAR-L, but she does get her point across.
"While I would like for my sister to word it in a better way, I understand what she meant. Let''s have a proper R&R before we go back to our duty, what say you all?" SCAR-L asked the group, earning nods and smiles.
So, doing away with the formal talks, the girls exchange a variety of topics. Morgan and Aria regale tales of battle and anecdotes from their world while Gentiane and the others help the pilots familiarize themselves with the Earth of 2061. Understandably, the group is shocked to know that Morgan is only 18 years old and that she tookmand of the frontline at the tender age of 15.
Of course, both Helian and Gentiane can''t stop themselves from giving Aria sidences at the mention of Morgan''s age. Noticing that Morgan is quick to offer an exnation.
"I know what you two are thinking right now and I will say that you have been mistaken. The Reich does not condone child soldiers, however, I am an exception. I was a cadet that studied beyond her grades at the time. During one of the Academy''s field excursions, the flight that was carrying me was shot down and we crashed in the middle of an active warzone. With no other choice and to avoid the total copse of our frontline, Aria and I had to takemand of the situation using my status as a Princess. After all, themanding officers of the particrpany that rescued us were killed by artillery shells. After that, well, I rued enough achievements until I was dered Reich Marshal."
SCAR-H deadpans while the T-Dolls and Kalina just give them the look. "That''s a damn short version of what happened, no?"
Morgan chuckles while Aria smiles lightly. "Please, if I tell everything by mouth, it willst an entire day. It will be faster for you to peruse the data package which I already sent over to Gentiane''s tablet,ter."
Gentiane gives them a nod as she really did receive the information package, cating their curiosity for now. P90 suddenly leads the conversation by asking a question. "Hey, Morgan. If you don''t mind me asking, what happened to your eye?"
The moment that question dropped, Helian, Gentiane, SCAR-L, and HiPer are about to reprimand P90''sck of tact when Morgan answers, not seeing anything wrong with it. "Ah, this eyepatch is a dead giveaway, huh? And I don''t mind answering your curiosity." Though Morgan is fine with it, Aria herself can''t help but tense up and pulls Morgan closer. Such action doesn''t escape the other''s notice.
SCAR-SCments on this. "I smell a story the moment I see that."
Morgan giggles, seeing their interest piqued. "Before I took the seat of Marshal, I led an ambitious operation behind enemy line and captured a major port city with one division. I was injured during the time but it was a necessary sacrifice in my opinion. Aria here though, still hasn''t quite gotten over that just yet." Morgan pokes Aria in the cheek a few times.
Rolling her eyes yfully, Aria responds. "Said the one that gave me the scare of my life." Aria then messes up Morgan''s hair by ruffling her head. "The next time you decided to put me in charge, don''t do that by getting yourself shot up. I''ve had enough of putting your skull back together."
"Hey! Not my hair, you!" Morgan duck away from the mischievous hand. Although their banter isced with obvious amusement, the others can''t help but have their eyes twitched.
Kalina cleans her ear with a finger, saying with an unsure tone. "Correct me if I''m wrong, but are they joking about Morgan almost having her brain stered?"
Gentiane then shows a wry smile. "Apparently so, Kalin. In any case, if they''re in the mood to joke about it then it''s fine?"
P90 chuckles. "I''m not sure about you but having your head being shot up is simr to T-Doll''s core being hit, even I won''t be joking about that though."
The other T-Dolls nod in agreement with Helian massaging the bridge of her nose. Morgan and Ariaugh, seeing their reactions. "I can assure you it''s not as bad as it seems. When I transferred back home, Yggdra has given my left eye an upgrade. Even if I am wearing an eyepatch currently, my vision isn''t impaired whatsoever. We basically made peace with it a long time ago."
"I will just take your word for it then, considering that you''re able to pilot an aircraft and all." Helian says before checking her pocket watch. "Although it was fun, I must go and make my report to my employer, Mr. Kryuger."
Helian then stands up, giving Morgan and Aria a nod before turning to Gentiane. "For the time being, please amodate them, Commander."
Standing up to give Helian a salute, Gentiane replies. "We will treat them well, Chief."
Giving a nod, Helian says. "I know you will. You stay here with them, I will see myself out." Looking at the rest of the girls, Helian adds. "Ladies."
Kalina and the T-Dolls either stand and salute or wave Helian goodbye. Aria pays a nod of respect at Helian while Morgan smiles, saying. "Have a nice afternoon, Ms. Helianthus."
With Helian excusing herself, the others also deem it a good time to pack up and reassume their duties. Gentiane is quick to delegate Kalina with a task. "Kalin, please take them to the storage and have them choose their necessities. As for lodgings, I hope you two don''t mind staying in the officers'' quarter of our dorm. Understanding the rtionship you guys are having, I think it will suit you best." Gentiane said while looking at the possessive way Aria is holding Morgan with an amusing glint. If she can notice that then the T-Dolls sure as Hell can, judging from the interesting looks they''re sporting.
Aria is the one to answer while Morgan can only wryly smile. "That will be much appreciated, thank you very much."
Everyone is just about to stand up and disperse when HiPer hastily speaks up in a meek tone. "H-Hey, Morgan!"
Turning around while being hugged by Bryn, Morgan responds with a tilt of her head. "Yes? Anything you need of me, HiPer?"
Twirling her fingers with a bit of blush on her face, HiPer voices her request with puppy eyes. "Uhm... You''re leaving after the anomaly is taken care of, right?"
That brings about a pause to everyone, it''s only now that they register that Morgan and Aria staying here are only temporarily. Returning a smile, Morgan answers. "That would be correct. We have unfinished businesses in our world, it will be unwise to stay here longer than we should."
SCAR-H pats HiPer on the shoulder. "Morgan is basically the equivalent of a Vice-President, she has a country to run. Why, do you want them to stay or something?"
Waving her hands frantically, HiPer replies. "O-Oh no! It''s not that I want them to stay here permanently and discard their duties! I-I''m just curious about their aircraft and I wish to inspect them a lot closer with their blessings!"
SCAR-L facepalms. "Damn it, HiPer. That''s their military secrets you asking to get a hold of!"
The rest of team FN chuckles at this though. "Should have known that HiPer will be asking for ess, she is basically the mechanic and inventor of our team. Which is why she is unable to contain her curiosity in the face of your aircraft."
Morganughs with even Aria letting out a small smile at the when face with HiPer''s desire for knowledge. "How about this," Morgan turns to HiPer. "We will conduct a trade. You can gather data about our Arias while we inspect how T-Dolls work, how does that sound? Of course, it won''t be anything invasive or cause you difort. That I can give you my word."
Though HiPer wants to agree immediately to the exchange, she knows that it''s not her decision to make. Turning to look at SCAR-L and Gentiane who both have pondering expressions on their faces, HiPer awaits their response.
In a way, G&K doesn''t benefit from this deal whatsoever. After all, what use is the data they gather from an otherwordly aircraft as a PMC group? That said, there''s also no drawback in taking it. If it can earn brownies points from Morgan and Aria so that they can help themter on, Gentiane doesn''t see a reason to refuse. SCAR-L also reaches the same conclusion from the look of it, giving Gentiane the signal to ept the offer.
"I can permit it as long as the Dolls you inspect are in agreement with whatever procedure you perform. G&K treats the T-Dolls as friends and family so it''s their calls to make at the end of the day."
Morgan gives a nod of approval. "I can respect yourpany''s work ethic, Gentiane. It''s rare to see people like you, regardless of which world we''re in. The deal will be kept transparent for you to supervise so I hope we have a fruitful coboration."
"The sentiment is shared between us, Morgan." Gentiane responded with a smile and a nod before the group truly parted ways for the day.
Kalina, who has been silent for the most part, chimes in with a sunny smile. "Follow me,dies! We have a lot of selections in stock so you will surely be able to pick whatever suits you the most!"
"Sorry to trouble you then, Kalina." Aria said politely with a smile.
Kalina waves the concern off, eager to show them around. "It''s no trouble at all, Aria! This is just me doing my job and besides, I can''t ever repay enough from saving our hides."
Without further words, Kalina then leads Morgan and Aria to the storage area. They are then helped by Kalina in picking out additional clothing, daily necessities, and even rations. Finally, they''re then led to their room, a fully furnished quarter withfort in mind.
"The girls also have their own living areas with a simr design at this." Kalina exined. "After all, they''re our family and family is important."
Morgan chuckles, fully agreeing with that sentiment. "You''re making it hard to hate G&K at this rate!" Morgan jested as they share augh before calling it a day.
RM Side Story 14: 8492nd (Part 8) – R-18
RM Side Story 14: 8492nd (Part 8) ¨C R-18
After sending off Kalina, Morgan, and Aria make sure that the room is truly secured by casting privacy barriers and checking for any bugs. For thetter, thankfully there wasn''t any, Morgan confirms that after scouring the ce. With the preliminary tasks done, Aria and Morgan set to unpack their supplies while talking between themselves.
"Since we have ensured our privacy, I guess it''s time to talk about that?" Morgan said while she is taking out a bundle of clothing, prepping them to be hung in a closet.
Aria, who is neatly putting away their food supplies in the kitchen area, responds. "It''s a good time as any." Aria pokes her head out of the kitchen doorway. "After performing that light show in themand center, you should have felt that there''s no restriction on mana and magic in this world, unlike Gaia."
Morgan nods, knowing that if she is to do what she did earlier on Gaia, she will burn out her mana reserve instantly. After all, Morgan doesn''t have the time to train herself in her power, having dedicated most of her time to her family or the empowerment of Belka. Meaning after three whole years, Morgan is barely stronger due to her age. But that is if you go by Gaia''s metrics. Here on Earth, Morgan can be a menace with her magic. And that''s not mentioning Aria, who is a Valkyrie, the race closest to bing a War Goddess. "I stand by my words. We shouldn''t use our magical abilities willy-nilly. There''s no telling about the effects if words get out about us. For the record, I don''t want our newfound friends to be implicated because of us. G&K will be destroyed in the face of a nation''s power if we''re too overt."
"That''s an understandable concern." Aria agreed. "Though I will not be polite with my power if it means protecting you from harm, Morgan." Having done organizing the kitchen area, Ariaes out to help Morgan. "One time seeing you injured is more than enough of a scare."
Feeling the warmth behind the words, Morgan smiles, saying. "And I won''t stop you from doing what you must, my trusty knight in shining armor." Morgan then leans in,ying a kiss on Aria''s cheek before hanging the clothes into the closet. She then steps aside, allowing Aria to put away the empty suitcases while showing her a light smile.
"Will you help me prepare the bath water while I make a light meal for us? I will like to take a dip before having dinner with you." Morgan asked of Aria, prompting the Valkyrie to nod, still keeping her smile. Aria then watches as Morgan skips into the kitchen area, no doubt prepping a delectable dinner for themter.
While a bit curious about tonight''s dinner, Aria moves to the bathroom and starts drawing warm water into the tub. With the water hose running at a moderate pace, Aria takes the time to prepare towels and bathrobes for both Morgan and herself. She too will like to have her body cleaned after a tense day.
In the kitchen, Morgan is preparing the cooking utensils. She has requested Kalina for ingredients to make firecracker salmon and Fasda. Truly keeping it light, fast, easy to eat, and digest after a day full of activities and having skipped lunch. Better yet, she has managed to squeeze Kalina for a bottle of red wine. Apparently, the wine cache was for weing Gentiane and the new Dolls for their first day at Base 794. Regretfully, the party that was intended, was never meant to be due to Sangvis. Hence, Morgan negotiated for a bottle, hoping to have a romantic dinner with Ariater. While the branding is not one that she is familiar with, Morgan can see that the luxurious liquid inside is of high quality.
Here''s hoping the taste will be just as good.
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After preparation for dinner is done, Morgan joins Aria in the bathtub. It''s there that Morgan is rested in between Aria''s loving arms, and bosom, of course. Knowing that the girl in her arms is tired, having taken up the task of preparing dinner for them, Aria adorns a lovely smile before massaging Morgan''s body in a caring way. Morgan can''t help but moanfortably at this, partly because of the warmth of the water and of Aria''s body, mostly because Aria uses Eastern techniques to alleviate her fatigue.
"Wow... Since when did you learn acupuncture?" Morgan closed her eyes, basking in thefort Aria had to offer.
"I learned it from little Mei''s mother, Consort Ling of the Long Dynasty. She has been very generous in answering my curiosity." Aria offered her exnation with a tinge of pride.
Morgan chuckles at this. "Well, if you wanted to impress me, then you have sessfully done so, Aria. I feel like melting in your hands right now."
Aria nods, pleased that the effort she put in secretly has paid off. "I aim to please, Morgan. After all, I know just how exhausted your body bes at the end of a day. With this technique, it''s my hope that your physique can recover better from the stress it incurs."
Morgan smiles, feeling warm and fluffy inside, knowing that Aria has sacrificed her free time just to learn from Consort Ling. "I am pleasantly surprised that I didn''t know about this before. Sorry that you have to do this for me, I know that your tasks as my adjutant are already strenuous enough." Turning up to look Aria in the eyes, Morgan sincerely says with her whole heart. "Thank you, my dearest Valkyrie."
Returning a caring smile of her own, Aria leans down andys a gentle kiss on Morgan''s lips. "It''s an honor to serve you, my little Marshal."
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Though there''s ack of candle stands topliment the romantic atmosphere, Morgan substitutes it by conjuring asting miniature moon in the room, casting a mystifying light in the dining area. Aria giggles good-naturedly at the theatrics, finding it very cute of Morgan to go above and beyond for dinner.
Pulling out a chair for Aria, Morgan then hops over to the kitchen and brings out the food and wine. She then presents them to Aria with trained professionalism, making the Valkyrie wonders just how can Morgan be good at pretty much everything. "Dinner is served, mdy." Morgan performed a mock bow, earning another giggle from Aria. She then takes in the aroma of the salmon, the colorful soup, and the glistening wine, painted over by the moonlight above, Aria finds herself smiling wholeheartedly and feeling a bit bashful at the measures Morgan has gone to for this particr evening.
"Well, if you wanted to impress me, then you have sessfully done so, Morgan." Aria found herself returning the same words that Morgan had said earlier in the bathroom. Morgan smiles cheekily, going along with Aria by saying. "It''s an honor to serve, my dear Valkyrie."
Sharing a shortugh, the pair then takes their seats before dispensing away all the formal and stuffy talk. Rather, they choose to relish the moment, merely enjoying the food and savoring the surprisingly tasty wine. Kalina sure has outdone herself in sourcing this particr bottle.
First, the salmon tes are finished cleanly. Thenes the bean soup that exists only as a lingering aroma. After a while, the wine bottle ispletely empty with the empty sses resting by its side. Yet, it seems to Morgan and Aria that they never run out of topics to discuss. One moment, Morgan is retelling a tale of Ningyo and her friend, Mei, managing to make a little robot pet out of boredom. Said pet then ran around the Mansion of Knowledge, causing terror for the scientists by ruining their experiments. In the next minute, it''s Aria''s turn to regal a moment in the private lives of the Empresses. Of how they used to bicker over whose turn it was to feed Morgan when she was little. They still fight over who gets to spend time, alone, with Morgan nowadays. But it''s not a thing that Morgan needs to know, yet.
Their impromptu date, fueled by delectable food, a great drink, and the perfect conversation partner, goes deep into midnight. It''s only then that Morgan, intoxicated by the wine, is forced to drowsily wipe tired eyelids. Not wanting to ruin the mood, Morgan lightly ps her cheeks to stay awake. Nheless, Aria is having none of that, not wanting Morgan to force herself. Standing up to approach Morgan, Aria lowers herself before hoisting Morgan up in a, quite literally, princess carry. Aria then chuckles at Morgan, who has let out a surprised yelp.
"Come on, my cute Marshal, I think it''s about time we hit the bed." Aria then leans in, whispering hot breaths into Morgan''s ear. "After all, I still have an unfinished dish, right here." Morgan, who has been rosy due to the alcohol, turns even redder at that sensual suggestion. Not fighting it, Morgan wraps her arms around Aria like a ko, earning a snicker from the Valkyrie.
Carrying the huggable girl to their bed, Aria gently lowers Morgan down before slowly mounting her. With her being on top, Aria has a magnificent view of Morgan''s petite hourss body in a red nightgown. Incidentally, Aria is wearing a white gown.
Aria trails her eyes from Morgan''s bright golden left eye with a ticking clock face down to the lustrous lips that are quivering in anticipation. Then her wandering gaze rested on Morgan''s perky breasts with her hands traveling to open up the girl''s nightgown, revealing the white melons beneath. Finally, Aria disces the skirt of the red gown, her blue eyes then reflect the pink pasture that Morgan subconsciously tries to hide away by pulling her legs closer to no avail. After all, Aria is the one on the top.
Finding herself smiling at the shy Morgan, Aria leans down, roaming her palms along the flustered skin of Morgan''s body. Laying a hungry yet tender kiss on the nape of Morgan''s neck, Aria slowly trails her lips upward to capture Morgan''s. At first, it''s just a slow and gentle exchange of fluid. However, the exchange turns heated and rapidly as if they''re seeking to devour and enrapture the other party. Surprisingly for Aria, this is initiated by Morgan who acted like a switch in her was flipped. The way Morgan reciprocates Aria''s caress and kiss is also more aggressive, going as far as removing Aria''s nightwear, her hands searching for a familiar object that she is so lusting for.
Of course, Aria knows just what is Morgan seeking right now. However, this is one of the rare times that Aria will have to say no. Pulling away from the kiss, Aria leans in, saying. "Sorry, my love, but I''m afraid that impaling the currently exhausted you will be detrimental to your health."
Despite her hazy mind, Morgan understands a rejection when she sees one. "B-But-!" Aria is quick to hush Morgan with a quick kiss before saying. "Don''t worry, soon you will be feeling bliss without a rod twirling your inside." Even so, Morgan still directs a misty, puppy gaze at Aria, almost causing the Valkyrie''s reasonings to copse.
To be perfectly honest, the warrior side of Aria is banging at the door, shouting at her to fulfill Morgan''s wants, filling her with Aria''s unfiltered carnal desire. The other, motherly side of Aria, however, advises her to take it easy, take it slow, and cherish her lover, savoring her and filling her with care and love. Fortunately for both Aria and Morgan, Aria''s motherly side wins out in the end.
So instead of manifesting a big phallus, Aria sinks her fingers into Morgan''s wet slit, slowly massaging her inside and earning cute but sensual moans in return. Under the influence of the loving pleasure that Aria provides, Morgan finds herself pulling closer, her mouth finding purchase andtching on to Aria''s erected nipple. Understanding her lover''s need, Aria changes their position to have Morgan sitting on herp. With her left hand, Aria supports Morgan''s back, allowing her to suck on her breast like a baby. Using a little magic trick Yggdra taught her, Aria causes her breasts toctate sweet milk, one that Morgan greedily suckles on, much to Aria''s growing pleasure. In response to Morgan''s puppy-like action, Aria pistons her fingers in and out of Morgan''s vagina walls faster and faster. Very soon, Aria finds both Morgan and herself are approaching the peak.
Pushing Morgan closer into her bosom, Ariays a kiss on her silky gray hair, saying repeatedly in a lust-induced trance. "I love you! I love you! I love you! Yuki, I love you so much!" With a deeper, more forceful plunge of her fingers, Aria makes Morgan arches her back as she climax.
Unable to control herself, her rationality clouded by lust, Morgan bites hard on Aria''s nipple, causing it to shoot another stream of milk and bringing the Valkyrie to her orgasm also. For the next minute or so, the pair of lovers relish in the afterglow of their sexual activity, letting out soft moans and grunts as their bodies are recovering from the aftermath. Once Aria manages to recover her sense, she finds herself lying down next to Morgan. The girl that is the subject of her eternal love is now soundly asleep, clinging to Aria''s breasts like a kid with her mouth still sucking Aria''s nipple.
Adorning a gentle smile, Aria caresses Morgan''s hair like a mother would. For tonight, Morgan is Aria''s child, and if all it takes for her to sleep well is to breastfeed her, then Aria will dly do so. With great care, Aria then hugs Morgan. offering her the warmth that only she can provide right now. Gradually, Aria too falls into slumber, a content smile now present on her face.
"Sweet dream, my love..."
RM Side Story 15: 8492nd (Part 9)
RM Side Story 15: 8492nd (Part 9)
Morgan wakes up to the smell of freshly cooked breakfast and fragrant coffee. Sitting up with a slight but not ufortable aching in her lower body, Morgan blushes as she hazily remembered what happenedst night. Touching her lips with a finger, Morgan can just about taste the milk that Ariactated inst night''s carnal activity. Growing a shade redder, Morgan shakes her head as she steps off the bed. Scanning the room, Morgan finds that whatever mess they made yesternight was cleaned up by Aria.
Finding herself smiling at Aria''s attentiveness, Morgan makes her way to the kitchen area. There, she is greeted with a splendorous view of an apron-wearing Aria. Like a dutiful husband in their rtionship, Aria is making a healthy portion of Farmer''s Omelet and dripped coffee to kickstart their day. Stepping closer, Morgan drapes her arms alongside Aria''s waist, taking in the sweet morning scent of Aria''s body, moaningfortably at the Valkyrie''s body temperature. Softly chuckling at Morgan''s childish behavior, Aria bids her good morning. "Good morning, Morgan. I hope you slept well enough?"
Nodding her head, Morgan peaks out from behind Aria, gazing intently at her blue eyes with a sunny smile. "Un~! I slept like a log! Only to wake up at the smell of your delicious breakfast! Say, how about you? Have you rested well?"
Returning a nod of her own, Aria answers. "I did, Morgan. After all, you''re toofortable as a sleeping pillow. What a great thing it was for me to have you all for myself." Aria then ruffles Morgan''s hair, earning a giggle from her. "Good, good! Praise my cuddliness more!" Morgan ys along with Aria, puffing her chest out in pride with the pride of being huggable.
Aria can only shake her head with a smile at Morgan''s morning antics. "Ok, ok. You''re the best plushie in the world, Morgan. Now go and refresh yourself. Breakfast will be done shortly." Aria advised gently, earning a nod and another hug from Morgan before she skips away. Ariaughs softly at the energetic way Morgan''s acting afterst night. She then finishes up the preparation for breakfast, carrying the omelet pan and utensils out to the table. After that, Aria proceeds to pour two cups of coffee, cing them neatly next to arranged dishes.
Aria then heads over to the kitchen sink, to wash her hands. It''s at this moment that Aria hears a knock on the door. While wondering who it''s that is knocking, she hears Morgan calling out. "Let me get the door!" Thenes the pitter-patter of her footsteps and after a few seconds, the door is opened with Morgan saying.
"Oh! Good morning, SCAR-L, SCAR-H! Do you two want toe in?"
"Morning, Morgan! And excuse us for intruding."
Ariaes out of the kitchen after wiping
her hands clean to see that Morgan has invited the older SCAR sisters in. "A good morning to you two.
SCAR-H raises a hand and smiles in return while SCAR-L greets the Valkyrie. "Morning, Aria! We were thinking about inviting you two for breakfast with the rest of the team." SCAR-L then looks at the source of a delicious smell that has been gging her nose. "But seeing that you''ve already had it handled, I guess we can leave it for another time."
Morgan nods. "That''s a bit unfortunate, how about we join you for lunch or dinner?"
SCAR-L turns to look at Morgan, though she works up a blush when she notices the girl''s nightgown. "Y-Yes! That will be good! The team will like to know more about you two. Especially when we have browsed the data packages you sent. P90 and HiPer have been very vocal about their curiosity about your magical technology."
Morgan nods understandingly. "There will be enough time for me to answer the questions you may have. Maybe when we''re servicing our aircraft and analyzing our flight data after breakfast? If your team is off-duty then, you''re wee to join us." SCAR-L nods, finding that her echelon''s schedule is free at the time. Morgan then smiles, offering. "Do you want some coffee before going, at least? Aria makes nice coffee and it will be a shame to miss out."
Aria beams at thepliment. SCAR-L takes up on the offer, pulling out a thermo sk from her pocket. "Then can you fill me up? I am a sucker for good coffee and if you have milk, that will be even better." Aria takes the sk with grace, though she notices that SCAR-L and SCAR-H are stealing nces at Morgan''s revealing form while they''re making light talks. It''s funny to see how fast Morgan''s charm can affect a person.
Once Aria fills the ss with milk coffee, she returns it to SCAR-L, who thanks her with a grateful smile. "Thanks a lot, Aria. Just from the aroma alone, I know that it''s good."
"You''re wee." Aria replied kindly.
SCAR-L then taps SCAR-H on the shoulder. "Come on, sis, let''s join the rest in the cafeteria. Be seeing you two in a short while!" SCAR-L waves goodbye with SCAR-H offering a few parting words with a finger gun. "Nice form you have there, Morgan. Very sexy, me likey."
Understandably, SCAR-L bonks her big sis with a blush. "Hey, that''s not a thing you should say in front of another''s girlfriend."
SCAR-H rolls her eyes in protest while she rubs her head. "I''m saying that as a sincerepliment! Besides, they don''t seem to mind that!"
SCAR-H speaks correctly for Morgan and Aria are chuckling at thepliment, taking it at face value. "Don''t chide her too much, SCAR-L. It''s just SCAR-H being SCAR-H, very nonchnt which I don''t find it diforting. Rather, it''s a nice change of pace." Morganmented with a light smile.
This earns a smirk from SCAR-H. "See?"
It''s now SCAR-L''s turn to roll her eyes. "Please, don''t indulge her, Morgan. I''ve had enough trouble keeping her in check on the field already." She then moves to push SCAR-H by the shoulders and out of the room. "Now move yourzy butt and leave them alone! Let them have their breakfast in peace!"
"Hey! I can walk on my own!" SCAR-H protested before the door was closed.
Morgan and Aria share a look with Morgan saying. "Well, that''s an interesting way to start a morning. Beingplimented that you''re sexy by T-Dolls ofparable beauty."
Aria chuckles at her words. "I know, right? Whoever designed the T-Dolls sure have a peculiar mindset to make them as rowdy as that."
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With their respective morning routines out of the way, the humans and Dolls of Base 794 resume the task of rebuilding the battle-stricken base. The progress is faster than what Morgan and Aria predicted for it seems like they''ve recovered more than half of the battle damage in the span of a day. Most notable are that the perimeter defenses are fixed and reinforced and the airstrip is repaved for additional supplies to be airlifted over. The pilots are also surprised to see a construction mech being operated by an Ushanka-wearing T-Doll. They almostugh when the girl tripped over and nearly crashed into a minty-delivered server rack. Thankfully, the girl controls the machine in time, otherwise, they would have seen Gentiane''s sour face right now.
Moving on from the busting activities, the pilots then move to the hangar that is storing their aircraft. There, a set of electronics and basic toolings have been delivered, allowing Morgan and Aria to perform basic servicing of their nes. Aria volunteers herself for the menial tasks that require muscr strength with Morgan working out the aircraft''s software and flight performance. They then review thebat data of yesterday''s flight, debugging any issue that they had before the next sortie.
While Morgan and Aria are working, Gentiane, Helian, team FN and a few unfamiliar girls, T-Dolls most probably, join them. Seeing the opened cockpits and the removed ordnances, Gentianements. "You guys sure work fast. Need any help over there?"
Morgan, who is sitting in the cockpit of Aria''s aircraft with Aria herself perching on the fusge, turns around with a wave. "And a nice morning to you too, Gentiane. Thanks for the offer but I don''t think any of you know how to interface with an aircraft, much less one this advance."
Gentiane shrugs, knowing what she said is true. "But the offer still stands if you ever need it. I, for once, think that HiPer will be very quick to pick up anything you are willing to show her." Gentiane points at the ck-hair girl who is already skipping all over the ce to marvel at the Arias. Not just her but most of the T-Dolls also. Sighing at their antics, she turns to SCAR-L. "Please, help me keep them in line. Those are live ordnances they''re running around and thest thing we need is for someone to drop a Molotov in front of a heat-seeker." SCAR-L flinches at this but takes up the unenviable task nheless.
Leaving the Dolls out of their mind for now, Gentiane and Helian move closer to an opened PC that is connected to the mainframe of an Aria. While they can''t understand most of the data shown, nor can they even keep up with the flickering streams of data, they can understand the Belkan version of the Germannguage just fine. And from a single nce, the information they can glean proves that the Arias are unmatchable for the current Earth''s air force. Seeing their inquisitive look from the corner of her eye, Morgan smiles before saying. "It will be great if we can rearm our nes. At the end of the day, we don''t have unlimited munitions to throw around. If we expend everything then the best we can do is unarmed recon and electronic warfare assistance for the girls on the ground."
Helian raises an eyebrow at this. "You can even function as an AWACS?" Gentiane is also interested in this. Depending on abat scenario, an electronic warfare suit can be a hundred times more effective than fire support.
Morgan nods with pride. "I designed the Arias with a massive bulk for a good reason, you know. These girls are equipped with the best of the best the Reich has to offer. Serving as a mini-AWACS is just the tip of the iceberg for them." Having said that, Morgan then glides her palm along the gleaming fusge of the Aria lovingly.
While they''re surprised that it was Morgan who made these crazy machines of war. They''re even more impressed that Morgan treats the aircraft like her babies from the warm gaze that she is showering them with. In fact, it''s not just the Arias that receive the motherly treatment from Morgan. Rather, all of the machines that are ever born from Morgan''s blueprints have received her love at some point. After the amount of effort she put into them, it will be out of ce if Morgan didn''t take pride in her creations. Seeing Morgan like that, Gentiane and Helian once again affirm that she will be treating the T-Dolls right. Their looks of approval sure do not escape Aria''s notice, however, she chooses not toment on this.
Morgan then controls the PC from afar, showing them the sensor data from yesterday''sbat. "I''vepiled a 3D map base on the readings we have gotten. Have a look at it and see if you cane up with something of interest, you two."
Hearing that, Gentiane and Helian are quick to get to work. Gentiane operates theputer, scrolling over to the highlighted portions of the map. After a couple of minutes, Helian gives herment after an in-depth scanning. "Outposts, radar sites,munication rys, jammers... Just the locations of those alone would have aided us big times had we known about them earlier. Most of the time we have to rely on risky recon ops deep in Sangvis'' territory just to get a portion of this force deployment map you sent over, Morgan." Gentiane flinches at the seemingly effortless reward just from a single flyby with their aircraft.
Smiling, Morgan says. "Took a hefty investment to get such clear data though. Anyway, I highly doubt those are all you can gather from the map?"
Helian nods in response. "You''re correct to say that." Helian then operates theputer, sharing a portion of the map with Morgan. "Here, right at the edge of your sensor range and deep inside the Carpathians. There''s arge build-up of Sangvis'' structures. That spot is new, for documents of Sangvis'' infrastructures before they went rogue has never listed it. From the look of it, Sangvis clearly wants nobody to notice that instation, hence they carved out a mountain range just to house whatever is hidden there. And with them being that far in Sangvis'' territory, we can''t even mount an aerial recon with our UAVs without them disconnected for unknown reasons."
Morgan and Aria look at the ce Helian has shown, with Ariamenting. "Whatever it is, the energy reading is abnormally high, even by our standards. You think that they''re running a jamming field, Morgan?"
Morgan nods. "It''s only logical to have a jamming field around to cover up whatever they''re doing there." Thinking up something, Morgan turns to Helian. "Say, do you have essed to SATINT?"
Shaking her head, Helian replies. "Unfortunately, we don''t. There is too much orbital debris for any satellites to orbit Sangvis-controlled territory. Not to mention that most of their logistics are based underground, we won''t even be getting much from satellites anyway."
Morgan nods. "Yeah, that will be an issue then. So, how do you want to tackle this problem? We can probably perform aerial recon for you but we will be flying in blind. There''s no telling what sort of detection and triple-As Sangvis has deployed there."
Helian shakes her head, looking at Gentiane. "Using aircraft will be too risky if we don''t know what we''re dealing with. With the location being so deep in their heart of operations, they won''t leave it open for air incursion like what you did yesterday. So, Gentiane, it will be a ground game for you then."
Raising an eyebrow, Gentiane replies. "While I do trust in my Echelons, they will be conducting recon with additional ground support in a ce that is further than everywhere we''ve been to. No doubt they will also run into a Ringleader or two. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Don''t get Gentiane wrong, she is willing to carry out the order. It''s just that the price of failure will be the annihtion of the Echelon that is sent behind the enemy line.
Helian sighs, fully empathizing with the youngmander''s concern. "I understand this is a troubling order for you, Commander. But unfortunately, such a military build-up can''t be ignored. We need visuals on the ground to figure out what we''re dealing with here. With my experience as an intelligence officer, I have a feeling that whatever is hidden there will be beyond our capability to deal with if we stay idle."
Sighing ruefully at words that can''t be truer, Gentiane can only turn her eyes to SCAR-L, the girl who has approached them during their tense conversation. SCAR-L, knowing what''s about to be asked by Gentiane, smiles confidently. "Leave it to us, Commander. I will get the team sorted and ready to move out at a moment''s notice. We will get that intel back for you!" She asserted with a conviction befitting of a WW3 veteran.
SCAR-H, who overhears their talk, shrugs. "Great... Another stressful task is assigned to us. Can''t say I hate it though."
P90ughs while throwing her arms in the air. "Of course, you can''t hate it, this is our chance at being heroes again!"
"Don''t worry," SCAR-SC deploys her blue visor. "I will make sure to extract everything of note!"
HiPer nods along, putting a hand on her chest. "I am confident that I can keep the team at maximum efficiency, Commander. You can trust us to return with splendorous results."
Hearing their assertations personally, Gentiane decides toy her worries to rest, putting on a smile instead. "I understand." Turning to Helian, Gentiane asks. "Chief, is it ok for the mission to be carried out in three days? I would like the team to get some R&R while they still can."
"Granted. Until that day, Echelon 1 can request whatever thing they need, as long as the request is reasonable and doesn''t hamper theirbat readiness three dayster." Helian''s generosity sure ced smiles on team FN''s faces. They can just about feel whatever cool toys they will be able to requisition now.
The other T-Dolls look at them with envy, one of them even saying. "I am jealous, of your group. Better make good use of the chance and make sure toe back alive, yeah?"
SCAR-L smiles, nodding at the girl wearing a ck skirt with a WW2 rifleman jacket. "We will, BAR. You will be seeing using back victorious in no time."
BAR nods with a smile before she returns to her own Echelon, leaving team FN to continue their discussions with themanding officers. Morgan picks this moment to interject.
"Before you deploy though, I will see if I can improve your gears and if at all possible, your bodies. That is if you are ok with me inspecting you."
SCAR-L tilts her head before going through the few scenarios she can think of before shrugging. "Sure. It''s not that different from what we promised you yesterday anyway."
Morgan nods, pleased. "Great! I will see to it that you will have the best chance of survival! As for further support, without sufficient air-to-ground munitions, we can only offer up ourselves with the roles of air superiority, recon, and electronic warfare whenever you need us. Maybe a few precision attacks with our remaining AGMs? Unless..." Morgan turns to Helian.
Knowing what she''s asking for, Helian shakes her head with a rueful sigh. "Unfortunately, additional ordnances won''t arrive in time for this mission. You will have to make do with whatever you have."
SCAR-L nods, not dishearted from theck of constant CAS overwatch. "That''s fine by us, ma''am, it''s not like this is the first time we operate without sufficient support. We will deliver results all the same."
"I will take your word for it, SCAR-L." Helian nodded, pleased with her confidence.
Gentiane also nods before putting on a brighter smile than before. "With that out of the way, why don''t we talk about something else? For example, what sort of powernts fuel our two Guardian Angels here?"
Predictably, HiPer immediately swivels her head over to Morgan, eagerly awaiting a response like a puppy. The sudden change of atmosphere easily gets augh from Morgan. She has a feeling that their stay here will be filled with situations like this in the future.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 18: Meanwhile
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 18: Meanwhile
While Yuki and Bryn are off on a vacation in another universe altogether, the situation back home is progressing at a different pace than theirs. Above Gaia and staying in a geosynchronous orbit is a hidden space station. One that is recently constructed by members of the Belka Space Agency, BSA for short. It''s there that an ambitious project is taking ce without the rest of the world being privy to it.
Commander Lily Maine, a human leader of this very first crewed space expedition, presses a button on the inte, speaking. "Oy! Specialist Lightning, Ray! You there?"
After a couple of seconds, a young female voice answers. "I''m here, Commander! What do you need, boss?"
"Status on the Jar of Oz, Ray?" Lily asked, switching the internal camera feed to view the station''s special activity room. It''s there that Lily sees a dwarven girl floating in Zero-G, performing an operational check on the equipment of the room while holding a military tablet.
"Airlocks are good, concealment system is ok, the oxygen level is nominal, the temperature is normal, dispensers are at full capacity... All systems are A-ok on my end, boss." The dwarven astronaut, Ray, looked at the security camera while saying that.
"Good copy, Ray. Standby for the acquisition of the Takodachis on mining duty. ETA ten minutes." Having said that, Lily then sees Ray giving her half a salute through the camera. "You got it, boss. What''s the progress on the construction party?"
"The next set of GPS satellites is almost ready, soon, we will have constant coverage for the entirety of Europe and the Antic. Currently, Tannen and Duponne are loading up the OS for them." Lili answered, earning a nod from Ray on the screen.
"Great! That means that I won''t have to learn how to read a map when I return!" Ray said with a cheeky smile, causing Lily to roll her eyes. "For the life of me, I have no idea how you passed as an astronaut despite being awfully inept at reading a map on the ground."
Ray quips back with a smirk. "Well I never fail when it matters, that''s all!"
"Ok, enough talk, prepare to cycle the airlocks. Thest thing we need is a pack of hungry Takodachis on a road of mischief." Lily reminded Ray of the task at hand. The dwarven girl shudders at the mention of hungry Takodachis. "Yeah... I will never forget refilling the food canisters ever again. Being forced to sport an afro for a week was a nightmare."
Lily chuckled, being reminded of an image of a dwarf having an afro haircut. But at least, the space expedition is progressing as nned, minus a few hrious details that nearly caused Berlin to topple over inughter.
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Speaking of Berlin, there exists a peculiar test in one of the many basements of the Mansion of Knowledge. A certain younger sister of the Reich marshal hasmandeered a fortified room to construct a personal project of her. While it''s unknown to many in the Mansion what the purpose of this project is, they allow Ningyo to have free reign and funding. After all, Ningyo is Yuki''s little sister and the girl is a certified genius, having already worked on many, many big projects. But more importantly, Ningyo is cute, and her being cute means she is doted on by everyone, especially Mobius. And no one in the Mansion wants to cross Mobius by being rude to Ningyo. Absolutely no one.
Currently dragging her bestie Mei along the hallway of the Mansion, Ningyo greets whoever says hi to her with an excited expression. She can''t wait to show Mei what she has been working on in her free time. It''s like a kid trying to show off her pet project... Wait, Ningyo is still a kid. Anyway!
"Ningyo, slow down! I''m not going anywhere, you know!" Mei chuckled, feeling giddy as well when she saw Ningyo excited. Her words cause Ningyo slow to a crawl, however, the gray hair girl is suddenly conscious of her dragging Mei by the hand, perhaps a bit too tight in her excitement.
Scratching her cheek sheepishly with a light blush while releasing her hold on Mei, Ningyo apologizes. "Sorry, Mei! I was too anxious to show you my very own masterpiece. Did it hurt?"
Mei giggles, seeing the concerned expression stered all over Ningyo. Grabbing the girl''s hand, Mei says. "I''m fine, Ningyo! Just do be more mindful of your surrounding. Otherwise, we will bump into somebody and ruin their time."
Being reprimanded by her friend, Ningyo nods, epting her fault for being inattentive. Ningyo is a good girl and she doesn''t want others'' work to be interrupted rudely by her hastiness. What if that person is carrying their own pride and joy? Won''t it be bad if she bumps into them? "Ok, I will reign in my anxiety! Haste makes waste, after all!" Ningyo said with conviction clear in her voice, prompting Mei to giggle once again. "Come on! You still have to show me what''s gotten you to be this excited in the first ce."
Nodding, Ningyo then leads Mei to her personal workshop, more calmly this time, however. Arriving at the entrance to her workce, Ningyo gives a cheery greeting to a pair of female guards there before swiping her ess key over a scanner, thus opening a sliding bulkhead that''s been sealing the ce. Once inside, Ningyo turns to Mei. "Make yourselffortable, Mei! I will present you my project in just a minute!" Ningyou then runs off to grab protective equipment for both her and Mei.
This leaves Mei alone to take in the ever-changing state of Ningyo''sb. Whenever Mei arrives here, she is bound to see something new being worked on or that theyout of the room is changed to facilitate better equipment. To Mei, visiting Ningyo''s little underground hideout always seems to spark her curiosity. Every time she has the chance, it has been a joy to explore and learn more about how Ningyo views the world.
Mei used to be a very reclusive girl, her impressive mindset and ingenuity had been her undoing in making friends with her peers. And her intellect soon outssed the tutors offered by Long Dynasty at the time. It took no time at all for people to feelcking to interact with her, barring her family and close servants. That''s until her father and mother sent her to Belka. It''s here that Mei was opened to a brand new world of intellectuals. It''s here that she was soon befriended by a very abrupt Ningyo at a party. Never had Mei thought that there was still much to learn about the world nor had she thought that she woulde across a girl her age that trumped her in terms of knowledge and experience. It was a very, very humbling and exciting experience.
Thanks to her interactions with Ningyo, who Mei can confidently say is her best buddy nowadays, and the higher education offered by the Reich, Mei has soon moved on from her sadness over not being able to see her father, Cao Long, in person. In fact, under the pleased gaze of her mother, Consort Ling, Mei is maturing at a rapid but stable pace having found her true calling in the way of science. Her childish curiosity, quenched by the boring confined of her previous home, is now relighted and turned into a thirst for knowledge. Mei now seeks exhrating solutions to unanswered questions.
Having known of her daughter''s resolution long ago, Consort Ling has advised Mei that her road will be long and arduous, but if she persists, the returns will be worth all the blood and tears she sheds. The fruit of herbors will even be sweeter if she has someone to share it with. And while it''s not a conversation that should be understood by a normal thirteen years old girl, Mei is anything but normal. Paraphrasing Ningyo''s many enlightening quotes, Mei usually reminds herself each morning. "Science! Science is the answer to everything! And if that''s not the answer, then you simply aren''t using enough science!"
Mei, the little girl from the Far East, has now set her sight to be brighter and grander than the normies! Inspired by the figures of Ningyo''s big sister, Yuki, the mechanical genius Einstein, and the miraculous biologist Mobius, Mei will carve out a page for herself in the history book! Maybe not now, but in the future, surely! And who else better than Ningyo for Mei to share it with? Nobody! Ningyo is her bestie!
Unknowingly to Mei, her name being stered on a history page wille much sooner than she thinks. Ningyo has returned with two sets ofb coats and protective visors for both Mei and herself. With practiced ease, the two young teens put on their specialized equipment, enhanced to the very brink by a very zealous Yuki, much to Mei''s gratefulness. Mei won''t lie and will say it straight that there have been many, many times before that Ningyo and her have messed up an experiment big time. Theb coats and visors have saved them more time than even Mei isfortable with. Though she persists every time Ningyo repeatedly shouts in a childish voice. "Science! Everything is for science! Now that we have identified that this solution will result in our equipment exploding, we can move on to the next one!" Wait a minute, just how many times did she hear that sentence again?
Meh.
Back to the present, Ningyo is now skipping away to a contraption, covered by a thick cloth. Turning to Mei with both her hands on the cloth, Ningyo announces with mock professionalism. Though her struggle to contain her grin is in for Mei to see. "I present to you, the Boomstick!" Ningyo then pulls the cloth away, revealing to Mei a set of two long rails that are connected to a stationary tform and a power source.
Rather than saying anything, Mei steps closer to inspect the hulking machinery, instantly identifying the rails as conductive rails. The way they''re hooked to a generator suggests that they will be running energy currents through the rail, with one rail running a positive one while the other is running the negative. But what for?
From the look of it, the rails are positioned horizontally to the ground, fixed in ce, and aimed at the far-off set of thick steel tes stacking behind each other. The whole area surrounding the tes is vacated and sealed off from them by a thick protective ss panel. Even the Ningyo''s contraption is encased in protective coverages for the most part. By the side, there''re also multiple cameras set up at different angles. Mei knows that those cameras are expensive high-speed cameras for viewing a slow-motion video of particrly important tests. So whatever the test Ningyo is about to perform, it must be nigh invisible for the naked eye to analyze. Now let''s add up the details: A stationary tform that is anchored to the floor, a set of probable targets stacking like dominos, high-speed cameras, and the likeness to that of a firing range that Mei was lucky enough to visit with Ningyo...
Slowly turning toward Ningyo with her eyes twitching, Mei speaks up in a very sweet voice. "Ningyo, my very, very good friend, mind telling me why have you built a gun inside your basement?"
Without a hint of remorse, Ningyo excitedly replies. "Well, technically it''s not a gun, it''s a Gauss cannon! More specifically, it''s what I called a railgun! The rails-"
"Are made out of conductive metals such as copper, which are fed with whopping amounts of energy from a generator ¡ª one side positive, the other negative ¡ª to propel an armature containing a projectile at great speed and distance via maic force! I know! Ningyo! But why is it that we''re testing out this thing in your basement in the first ce!? I can just about done with my mental calction and the force this thing generates is no joke!" Mei threw her little hands up in the air in exasperation.
"Oh... Right." Finally noticing a hole in her thought process, Ningyo has the gal to act sheepish. "Eh... Tehe?" She lightly bonks her head while putting out her tongue, prompting Mei to shout. "Don''t ''Tehe'' me!"
Mei then copses onto the ground, hugging her head. "It''s over, it''s so over...! Ningyo has finally built a weapon in her free time! Big sis Yuki is sure to reprimand us when she''s back from her vacation!"
With the fault in her logic now truly sinking in, Ningyo is now being very afraid for the first time in her life. She truly doesn''t want to disappoint her sister at all! "W-What should I do now!? I never thought that big sis might be disappointed in me for doing this! S-Should I just scrap this and apologize to her!?"
Before Ningyo can run around like a headless chicken, however, Mei suddenly springs up and mp Ningyo on her shoulders. "Stop! Breathe, Ningyo! Breathe! Remember what you''ve been saying to me! Science! Science is the answer to everything! And if that''s not the answer, then you simply aren''t using enough science! Come on, Ningyo! Repeat it after me! Science! Science is the answer to everything! And if that''s not the answer, then you simply aren''t using enough science!"
Being shaken back to reality by Mei, Ningyo struggles to form her words but ultimately, she is able to. "S-Science! Science is the answer to everything! And if that''s not the answer, then you simply aren''t using enough science!" A bit of life return to her expression, having escaped from the rabbit hole she dug herself.
"Good girl!" Mei nodded in relief. Thest thing she needs is for Ningyo to have a mental crisis. To be honest, Mei herself is also dreading the fact that big sis Yuki will be reprimanding themter. Nheless, Ningyo has gone too far to just put everything away. "Ningyo, listen to me. I know you have painstakingly built this cannon, sacrificing your free time. While this is no doubt a folly on your part for not thinking this through. It''s also my fault for not noticing this in the first ce. Had I been a better friend, I would have contributed to this effort for it to bear sweaty fruits! The least we can do right now is to gather the necessary data to justify this being built in your basement. With the data, we can at least offset any punishment. However, this is not a good mentality to practice in the future! Hence, next time, you must discuss with someone else before you make something major like a cannon, alright?"
With teary eyes, Ningyo nods repeatedly. "I promise! I will consult with everyone before I do something drastic!" Ningyo then shakes her head. "Mei, you''re the best friend I could have ever asked! Please don''t belittle yourself like that!"
Mei lets out a wry smile when she is suddenly pulled into a hug by Ningyo. Wrapping her arms around Ningyo in return, Mei responds. "Gosh, what would I ever do with you?"
The pair then stays in afortable hug for a few minutes before pulling away. Looking at each other in the eyes with seriousness they both nod before dashing to their workstations, preparing the railgun for activation.
"Turning on the power supply unit!" Ningyo said as she raised a red lever slowly to the max.
"Power linkages are stable, the capacitors are charging!" Mei said as she was monitoring the readings.
"Loading the armature now!" Ningyo announced as a mechanical arm installed a case containing a strong, high melting point and good conductivity alloy into the rail chamber. "It''spleted!"
"Capacitors are reaching nominal capacity! Armature willunch in five, four, three," Ningyo steps closer to Mei, both girls waiting in muted excitement as the countdown goes lower. "Two, one!"
*BANG*
Before they can even register the hypersonic booming of the solid prator leaving the rails, the projectile has already pierced through eight thick steel tes and even crumbled the reinforced ballistic wall behind the targets. The shocking impact left behind by the Mach 8 kic rod causes the very foundation of the Mansion of Knowledge to shake, not dissimr to an abrupt earthquake. As the walls and floors start cracking because of the underground testing, Ningyo and Mei are given the scare of their lives as they hastily turn off the power unit at risk of idental fire. The test was a sess, yes, but now they have to deal with a potentially copsing Mansion! Who would have ever thought that the damage is much more than anticipated? Scratch that, the upper floor has copsed on the other side of the protective ss!
"The railgun worked too well!" Mei and Ningyo both screamed out in fright as a wave of dust hit the ss. Thankfully, the shaking subsides after a partial copse of the Mansion. With bated breath, Ningyo and Mei then peer through the now dissipating dust cloud on the other side. Very much hoping that this will be the end of a nightmare of their own making. Unfortunately for the girls, this won''t be ending just yet.
With the dust cloud settled, they''re greeted with a very interesting sight of a stunned Mobius who is still standing on the copsed flooring with a stunned expression. Her face is covered with dust, her hair is unkempt, her pristineb coat is ruined, and her crisp whiteboratory is destroyed! Both Mei and Ningyo can see that Mobius'' face is struggling to retain a semnce of calm, twitching very fiercely, but ultimately, she fails.
"Motherfucker!" Mobius threw her already broken test tube onto the ground, raging at the fact that her experiment was so rudely interrupted by whatever Yggdra be damned intervention.
Understandably, both Mei and Ningyo know. They''ve fucked up.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 19: Improvement on both sides?
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 19: Improvement on both sides?
"We are sorry!" Said both Ningyo and Mei while kneeling on the floor with tears in their eyes. In front of them are members of Ningyo''s family and Mei''s mother, Consort Ling, with each of them sporting varying degrees of exasperation and reproach.
After learning of the partial copse of the Mansion with their basement built of a Gauss cannon, the mothers of the group had hastily taken off to the site, fearing for their daughters'' well-being. Thankfully, both Ningyo and Mei were ok while the people of the Mansion were rtively unscathed, bar a worker that fell down a scaffolding, thus breaking his leg. As for Mobius, even though she literally got sent two floors below ground unwillingly, she is safe from physical harm. Though a portion of her equipment will be needing recements. And that extends to the Mansion itself, needing to be rebuilt due to its foundation being highly unstable currently. Einstein had immediately ordered a shutdown of the void reactor of the Mansion when the copse happened. For the near future, any R&D must be conducted elsewhere.
Understandably, the responsible adults, which may or may not include Mobius, berated the two younguns for an hour, with them going around apologizing for those that were affected. Although no major harm was done in their childish endeavor, they are forced to learn the consequences of their action. Both Ningyo and Mei are ashamed of the troubles they had brought to everyone. They''re smart enough to recognize their faults so the girls give the adults their words that this won''t be happening ever again, that they will be more responsible from now on. And although their family would like to educate the girls more, Lu decides that the girls already have an eventful enough day, thus having Hel and Consort Ling lead them back to their respective abode.
After they''re gone, however, Lu orders the brainiacs to give her their reports. While Yuki and Bryn are off in their own world, Lu has taken it upon herself to hold the fort for Yuki. Regardless, she truly doesn''t expect a pair of young, albeit genius, girls to cause an upheaval right off the bat.
Per Lu''s words, Einstein and Mobius give her a detailed damage report. While the damage to the building itself is intensive enough to cause it to be highly unsafe, the actual damage to any ongoing experiment or project is kept at a minimum. To avoid further mishaps, Mobius has given the words to relocate everything and Einstein will be having people reinforcing the Mansion''s structure while they move stuff around. The sudden disruption has also forced them to take special care of the Mansion''s void reactor. The machine is too valuable for a casual migration.
"But it will be an interesting learning experience." Einstein noted. "Of all the possible safety scenarios we have ever thought of, this particr case isn''t in any of them. We''re making up ns as we go to remove the reactor from the building and have it installed elsewhere."
Lu nods at this, she trusts that the doctors will have it sorted eventually. "If you need more manpower, I can delegate the Reichsguards to you."
"That will be much appreciated, Your Majesty. We also need the added security." Einstein responded favorably, to which Lu made a hand signal to a member of her guard. At this, the woman excuses herself to request additional reinforcement for Einstein.
Lu then asks Einstein. "What about the machine that caused this mess? From what I can see, it packed quite a punch."
Einstein then turns to an old scientist, one that was lucky enough to receive a personalmendation from Yuki a long time ago. "Doctor Martin Johnsen, do you have anything to add from your inspection of that room?"
Stroking his impressive beard, Martin says in a deliberate tone with a hint of excitement. "There is much to be said about the machine, but to put it short, it''s a weapon that uses electromaic force tounch high-velocity projectiles. A cumbersome one currently, minds you, but extremely powerful even as a prototype. This kind of design was proposed by the Marshal a couple of years back but it was shelved due to ourcking industrial capability back then. It''s ted to be revived in the future but even the Marshal doesn''t have an exact timeframe for that. After all, our current military has just been overhauled and it will be another mess altogether in trying to incorporate newer weaponry into the mix."
Doctor Johnsen then pulls out a piece of degraded metal. "Obviously, there are benefits to the design, of the Gauss cannon. The first is firepower and the second is the cost to operate one. In fact, they can be around five to ten times as cheap as our precision missiles but still retain the same effectiveness. Nheless, a Gauss cannon, and in this particr case the basement railgun that Lady Ningyo and Lady Mei built, are very hard to make with the barrel having little life expectancy. The drawbacks are precisely why it was impractical to further develop this program then, and now. We simply haven''t reached a scientific era where we can eliminate the drawbacks. But I do have a few ideas, if I may say it, Your Majesty?"
"Go ahead, Doctor." After hearing what he had said, Lu is interested in exploring more about this program that Yuki put aside for the most part. The old doctor nods, saying. "While it''s not possible, yet, to simplify the production of a Gauss cannon, we can employ runes engraving to increase the longevity of the barrel of thedies'' railgun design, thus allowing it to fire more shots before being turned into molten g. With this, we can gather more data at a reduced cost for the program. It''s my hope that in the future, we will be able to mass-produce the design and employ them in field usage. Starting with the naval branch."
While Lu is interested in a future like that, she turns to Einstein who is the mechanical genius here. Einstein gives her a nod, saying. "It''s possible, Your Majesty. We can invest in it now that we have a good method to seed, rather than waiting longer in the future. Yuki will have done the same now that it hase to this. I can also supervise this project to make sure it proceeds smoothly as I have enough time off from the sess of my recent program."
Hearing Einstein''s reassurance, Lu makes up her mind. "I hereby give you two the permission to explore the potentials of the Gauss cannon. I already have an idea as to how this will be the king off the battlefield in the future but both Yuki and I will be expecting good results to further funding this project."
Receiving their nods in return, Lu also calls it a day. While this decision is made without Yuki''s knowledge, Lu isn''t afraid of her being any bit upset over this. After all, both of them are no doubt of the same mind in this matter and Lu is not an Empress for no reason. Lu sees a potential for profit when shees across one.
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"Achoo!" Morgan cutely sneezed in Base 794''s armory, much to her weirdness since she usually doesn''t sneeze unless she''s very sick.
FN HiPer, who is nearby, steps closer to her in concern. "Are you alright, Morgan?"
Shaking her head with a small smile, Morgan replies. "I''m fine, thank you for asking. I have a feeling that it was one of my family members that spoke about me."
HiPer then nods, epting her answer. She then lies on the table a few items that Morgan has requested from Kalina. "These are our auxiliary equipment," HiPer then gestures toward the armor tes, camouge capes, and exoskeletons. "Depending on the task, our loadout will be modified ordingly. And in the case of our uing deep-recon mission in a few days, we will be bringing along our exoskeletons and capes. The tes, due to their cumbersome nature, will be taking the backseat."
Morganes closer to the equipment on the table. "The tes are hefty alright," Morganmented as she picked up an armor te with a bit of a struggle. "I can imagine why even a T-Doll will say that this thing is cumbersome. The thing is probably two to three times heavier than a level IV body armor."
HiPer nod while helping Morgan put away the armor tes. "But it does offer reliable protection against Sangvis'' energy weapons, not most of them but better have that and nothing. Nheless, their weight means only high-end T-Doll chassis or specialized shotgun T-Dolls are able to go inbat with them. Though rare, we do use them in high-intensity, directbat scenarios."
Morgans adds. "Which is not the case in the near future. I can imagine trying to conceal yourself with a hard vest will be quite annoying." HiPer smiles lightly at that while Morgan goes to unfold a neatly bundled camouge cape.
"These are our thermoptic camouge cape. They can adapt their patterns to the surrounding environment, aiding us in concealment against Sangvis'' detection suite." HiPer exined, earning a nod from Morgan.
"Yes, I can see why this will be useful for you. From the look of it, a cape is powered by a battery system, presumably rechargeable and there''s a passive scanner that takes in the ambient lighting to modify the camo. Highly interesting." Morganmented, surprising HiPer that she could analyze that much from a nce.
"You''re correct, Morgan, but the cape''s camo system only works when we''re moving very slowly or are stationary. If we want to perform any hasty maneuver, the camouge system will bug out, casting weird artifacts instead. As for the battery time, it''s rechargeable by using sr energy or by directly connecting with ourbat frame."
Morgan smiles, now having an understanding of the capes. Moving on, Morgan analyzes an exoskeleton that is undeployed. HiPer then demonstrates the exo by attaching it to herself, Morgan can hear the motorse to life as HiPer maneuvers around the ce for her to see. "Aside from SCAR-H, the rest of our echelon intensively used the exoskeletons as we tend to favor maneuver warfare and subtlebat. The exos provide us with increased mobility and physical prowess should the need arrive. But understandably, battery lives for exoskeletons run out quickly in proportion to how active we are on the field. There''s also the issue that there are quite delicate pieces of machinery beneath the exos, and while they can take some hits, exoskeletons will most certainly fail if a single motor is damaged. This is offset by their modrity, meaning we can easily rece a part out ofbat, but if you''re P90 with her tendency to run around at Mach 5, you most certainly don''t want it to fail in the heat of battle."
Morgan chuckles at the sudden jab toward Echelon 1''s squirrel. "I figure that this happens quite often?"
HiPer dryly says. "You have no idea, Morgan. Thankfully, there''s a quick-purge function on an Exo, allowing you to quickly discard it when damaged. Nevertheless, I was forced to take the unenviable task of patching up P90''s broken exo so many times that I can just do it with my eyes close." HiPer sighed before adding. "But in my opinion, the ring issue about an exo is that power management for it is a pain. P90 and SCAR-SC tend to purge them frequently in maneuverbat just because they run out of juice. And if they power an exo by their own frame, their staying power inbat will be drastically reduced."
Morgon nods, seeing the obvious limitations. "What''s the percentage of power increase for an exo?"
HiPer answers with a thoughtful expression. "This is depending on the model and type of exoskeleton. Generalist models improve the all-around physical ability of us Dolls by 13-20%. While mobility models like what SCAR-SC and P90 use can improve their overall agility by 35-60%. There are even more specialized versions that are used by shotgun T-Dolls. These focus on increasing the wearers'' strength, have slots for additional armor tes, supplies, and shields, turning them shotgun T-Dolls into walking tanks at the trade-off of mobility. On a side note, there are humanpatible exo but they''re more simplistic in design and only improve the wearer''s ability by around 5%."
Morgan nods, having received the run-down versions of the gears. In a way, they''re like the first few prototypes of the Raven armor. Cheaper, and more easily mass-produced, but have harsh drawbacks. Still, Morgan can learn a few things from them all the same. "Alright, I have a generalyout on what to do with your equipment. I will have to trouble you to get me the schematics for these gears so that I can work my magic on them with precision. Heck, if I have the time, I will try to work on the armor tes too, and see if I can slim them down withoutpromising the protection. By the end of this morning, I should be able to fit you all with the improved gears. By then, just tell me if anything needs a bit of tweaking. If we work fast on the auxiliary stuff, you will have more time to familiarise yourself with them." Morgan finished her speech with an excited smile, eager to get to work.
Being a mechanical expert herself, HiPer is also sporting an exciting grin as she skips away to grab the blueprints for Morgan. The pair then immediately dives headfirst into upgrading, at first, just a few pieces of equipment of Echelon 1. But then somewhere along the way, they go on an upgrading spree and try to improve everything, and I mean everything that Echelon 1 will use in the field. Even SCAR-SC''s spare tactical visor isn''t spared from their meddling.
At the very least, all of them turn out better than before... Maybe?
RM Side Story 16: 8492nd (Part 10)
RM Side Story 16: 8492nd (Part 10)
"Eh... Wow?" SCAR-H found herself at a loss for words when she saw SCAR-SC seemingly blend into the background. The carbine T-Doll is currently checking herself out while wearing Morgan''s improved thermoptic camouge cape. With an excited grin on her face, SCAR-SC suddenly dash around the firing range. Surprising the other T-Dolls and Gentiane, the new cape is still able to adapt to the fastly changing environment around the range instantly, not breaking into weird and noticeable artifacts. Being a sniper herself, SCAR-H is most impressed by the upgrade. Swiveling around on her feet, SCAR-H mps her hands on Morgan''s shoulders with a heated expression.
"How much is it and when can I get one!?"
Being stared at hungrily by SCAR-H, Morgan just chuckled, not surprising that the rifle T-Doll would react this way. pping her hand a few times on a strong box, Morgan answers with a cheeky smile. "I have enough for all of you."
SCAR-H shouts in a jubnt tone before rushing to the box, opening it, and iming a cape as her own, eager to test it out for herself. The other T-Dolls of Echelon 1 also approach, checking the capes out while offering their thanks. But seeing her older sister losing herself in the mood SCAR-L just sighs,ing closer to Morgan and apologizes. "Sorry about SCAR-H, Morgan, she tends to lose herself sometimes."
Morgan smiles, not displeased in the slightest. "It''s fine, her being casual like that is a breath of fresh air for me."
SCAR-L sighs in relief. Gentiane then takes the chance to ask, clearly impressed now that she is seeing more of Team FN testing them out. "Say, what did you do with the capes?"
"Magic, I added a bit of magic." Morgan answered jokingly, making Gentiane roll her eyes good-naturedly. "To put it short, I revamped the OS for the capes, and the exoskeletons too, in fact. Added on top of that, I imbued the equipment with sets of runes. For the capes, I give them present concealment and durability runes. The former to lower the chance of them being detected and thetter to improve the protection level the capes themselves offered. They should be able to take multiple hits from the energy weapons equivalent of 9mm and .45 ACP, and a few hits from .357 Magnum."
Morgan then motions for SCAR-L to help her open another big box. Hold inside the box is a general-purpose exo. "Try wearing it, SCAR-L, see how it feels in motion." As Morgan and Gentiane watch SCAR-L putting on the exo, the former adds. "I have experienced working on mechanized armor suits and exos before, but not one that is this barebone and basic. Due to its skeletal design, it''s very hard for me to engrave runes onto an exo. Aside from the fact that the durability is enhanced, there''s not much I can add. I did, however, change the OS to a better one, making the movement smoother and responsive and lessening the energy consumption. Other than that, I was barely able to squeeze in a passive energy conversion rune. It''s not much but the rune should passively recharge the exo by converting kic energy and sunlight. The efficiency is a bit bad for my taste, however."
With Morgan finishing her exnation, both Gentiane and SCAR-L turn at her, clearly impressed. "You clearly did a ster job, Morgan. The exo feels very natural to me and is not hampering me from doing precise movements." SCAR-L gave apliment after moving about with the exo equipped.
Nodding with a light smile, Morgan then pulls out a modified armor te from a carrier. "Hey, Gentiane! Catch!" Suddenly being tossed a supposedly heavy armor te, the pink-haired Commander caught it on reflex, only to almost drop it because she remembered about the weight of these things. However, Gentiane stops herself in time, having noticed the easier-to-handle weight of the te in her hands.
"Morgan, did you lighten the te?" Gentiane asked, impressed that she could actually toss the te in the air and catch it with visible ease. SCAR-L also approaches and lifts a te to see what''s going on. "From the look of it, the te''s protection level and density are still the same but now it''s very lightpared to before."
Morgan nods, exining. "Weight reduction rune should help lessen the strain on your body should you want to equip it. Can''t add much else, however, as the materialposition is not very conducive to mana and I will be needing specialized equipment, which you don''t have."
Both SCAR-L and Gentiane nod. "We''re already mightily grateful that you have been able to do this. Asking you to do the impossible will be a disservice. Thank you so much, Morgan."
Smiling, Morgan replies. "Don''t sweat it, girls. I will hate to see you girls without proper gear against the odds you will be facing. Adding to that, HiPer helped me a lot and you should also show your gratitude to her. On a side note, the runes are running semi-permanently as I have included in them self-repair and self-recharge functions. As long as the critical runes are not destroyed or the whole chassis they''re on is lost altogether, they will be able to run without maintenance thanks to the ambient mana in the air."
They all let out a smile, but hearing Morgan mentioning mana once again, Gentiane is curious and asks. "You''re saying that this world has mana? Does that mean we can use magic also?"
Nodding, Morgan answers. "Technically, yes. The mana of this is particrly dense and plentiful, meaning you, as a being with a soul, should have the necessary requirements to cast magic already. Yet, it surprised me that magic as a whole exists only in media for you. I have an inkling as to why but it will be needing further research on my part if I have the time for that."
Both SCAR-L and Gentiane share a look before shrugging. While it''s interesting information to learn, it changes nothing for them as of now. In the future, maybe, but definitely not now. After that talk, the group then continue testing the effectiveness of the upgraded equipment and ironing out any bugs. This persists until Aria appears with Kalina in tow. As for Helian, the Chief has gone back to G&K headquarters to handle administrative duties. She did leave behind a note that she will be back regrly to check up on Base 794.
Waving at Aria and Kalina, Morgan greets them with a smile. "Hey! I see that you''ve been able to join us atst. Inventory check gave you trouble or something?"
Aria smiles at Morgan, moving to a table and depositing two duffel bags on it. "Somewhere along that line, the influx of materials and supplies held up Kalina more than she expected."
Kalina nods, slumping her shoulders as she pushes a cart carrying ammo boxes to the side. Kalinains with a groan. "Urgh... You gals have no idea how bad it was to handle the logs with nothing but a crappy fifty years old PC. If it weren''t for Aria helping me out with sorting through the supplies, I wouldn''t be able to join you guys at all!"
Hearing theint, Aria and the T-Dolls that are gathering around them sport a wry smile, having seen Kalina''s shoddy workstation. Seeing that, Morgan can''t help but turn to Gentiane, raising an eyebrow in silent questioning. Facing that, Gentiane can only let out a wry chuckle before trying to exin. "Well, our funding is actually not much. Most of them are pooled into maintaining our currentbat force and important equipment such as our data storage. We have little surplus to get Kalina the PC she has wanted so much."
Kalina can only mourn her fate. "That I know too. We have been saving up but trouble keeps propping up left, right, and center, so we have to regrly expend our savings."
Gentiane moves to pat Kalina on the shoulder,forting her by saying. "But at the very least, with thepany raising Base 794''s important, we can request more funding to get Kalina a newputer atst."
At this, Kalina throws her arms in the air, visibly excited and grateful. "Hallelujah!" Her action earns exasperated smiles from everyone, though they''re d that Kalina won''t be experiencing blue-screen hell in the near future.
Moving on to that, the group then disperse to the shooting stations. With the ammo brought over by Kalina, everyone will be having a go at a live-firing exercise. As the T-Dolls start loading up their namesake weapons with Gentiane and Kalina picking up their favorite primaries, Morgan and Aria start pulling out their own SMGs too. Standing by the sides, the others eye their weapons with obvious interest.
"Is that an MP5 I am seeing?" P90 asked but HiPer shook her head, saying. "While it''s visually simr, the dimensions are different."
Operating her new and improved visor, SCAR-SC scans the gun Morgan is holding. "HiPer is corrected on that, the gun is chambered in 9mm, yes, but the cartridge itself has a longer length. It''s also integrally suppressed too, unlike the MP5 we''re used to."
Morgan nods, smiling. "I see that you''re already putting your tac-visor to work, SCAR-SC. Yes, this is not the MP5 you''re familiar with. On Gaia, this is designated MP9 and is chambering in the more powerful 9x25mm. This particr variant is the SD variant and is outfitted for Special Operation teams and pilots in their survival package."
Gentiane whistles, eyeing the workmanship of the familiar yet, foreign SMG. Featuring a low-profile design with night sight, the matte ck design of the MP9 evokes a sense of novelty in others. They''re eager to see how it performs. After all, 9x25mm is a rare caliber, even by their standard.
Seeing their inquisitiveness, Morgan just smiles and switches the gun to semi-auto. pping the charging handle in a patent maneuver, Morgan aims down the steel target a hundred meters away. Quickly pulling the trigger five times, Morgan sends the supersonic projectiles with an adept aim, hitting squarely in the ten-point circle of the target. Not finishing yet, Morgan flicks the lever to full-auto before firing control bursts at the steel target. Even with the more powerful 9x25mm bullets being fired at 700 rounds/min, Morgan can still easily manage the recoil pattern of the MP9, causing SCAR-H and SCAR-SC to be wowed at the surprisingly tight groupings. After finishing her mag, Morgan changes the setting to safe, pulls the charging handle back into its recess, and pulls out the empty magazine. She turns around, saying.
"Due to the power packing in the 9x25 cartridge, we have taken special measures in the fabrication process to ensure the reliability and ease of handling of the gun, starting with the magazine itself. There''s also a neat little feature we added for the SD variant." Morgan turns to Aria. "Your turn."
Without further words, Aria fires a few bullets at the steel target. Only this time, the astute T-Dolls notice a key difference. "Wait a second... There''s no supersonic cracking?"
Morgan nods, smiling. "A keen observation, and before you say anything, the 9x25mm we''re packing is supersonic-loaded. The trick lies in the MP9 itself." Morgan then points at a feature near beneath the front sight post. "There is a knob here that controls the 2-position gas setting of the SMG. The first one is suppressed supersonic and the second is suppressed subsonic. To achieve thetter, you can just turn the nob and the propent gas will be vented, lowering the velocity to subsonic and around 300 m/s."
HiPer interjects softly with an excited undertone. "Oh, that is so cool!"
"It''s one of the major reasons why our Special Forces greatly favor the SD variants of our arms, as we have made sure that they''re practical and reliable. Of course, if a pilot is stranded behind an enemy line, the MP9-SD will give him a better survival chance until rescue. Though I sincerely hope that none of my flyers will face that situation on their own."
Gentiane nods, adding from the side. "Right, you still have a war to fight over there." The other nods as well, not sure what to say while Aria moves to pat Morgan on her head,forting her.
Smiling, Morgan says. "With any bit of luck, we can just decimate our enemy with our technological advantage alone. But before then," Morgan smirked before loading a new magazine in her MP9. "Let''s just have some fun on the range."
The othersugh before they ready their weapons also. For now, they can just have fun sting unmoving targets before the big mission in two days.
RM Side Story 17: 8492nd (Part 11)
RM Side Story 17: 8492nd (Part 11)
Two days beforemencing their deep-infiltration mission, members of Echelon 1 and Morgan are standing around a makeshiftb. Gentiane and Aria are seen standing on the side, watching on curiously as Morgan trades information with HiPer at a rapid pace.
"Exin to me, what is a Neural Cloud?" Morgan asked while reviewing the stream of data shown on aputer screen. Saidputer is hooked to the spine of HiPer, who is sitting on a bench. The girl herself seems a bit flustered by the fact that her Neural Cloud, her ''soul'', is exposed under Morgan''s inquisitive eyes. Nheless, HiPer volunteered to be inspected, she has to muster on if she wants to fulfill her end of the bargain.
"Neural Cloud is the AI system serving as the mind of T-Dolls." HiPer said softly as she winced when an embarrassing memory was turned into a data format for Morgan to see. Thankfully, Morgan didn''t make it weird bymentating, but rather analyzing with a calm gaze. "It can bepared to our ''soul'', or our operating system. And because it''s data at the end of the day, Neural Cloud can be transferable to and from a mainframe to protect a T-Doll''s memories from being lost if they are destroyed during operations. Meaning the doll''s memory can then be downloaded into a new body. However, Neural Cloud backups are usually made outside ofbat since they require massive data transfer, so the Doll will lose their memories from events after the backup. On-the-field backup to portable hardware is a possibility but the storage must be recovered."
Morgan stops looking at the screen when she hears the exnation. "If a Neural Cloud is equal to a soul, a digitalized one but is still one nheless, then do I need to say that it''s a very, very bad idea to interfere with a soul."
Instinctively, all the T-Dolls and even Gentiane flinch at that, their reactions haven''t gone unnoticed by Morgan and Aria. Frowning, both pilots turn to HiPer with Morgan goes on to urge in a stern voice. "HiPer..."
HiPer proceeds to scratch her cheeks, chuckling wryly. "Well... Much like ordinary humans, dolls can gain experience inbat, the longer they spend in sorties the better bonded they are with their weapon, on top of tactical knowledge, thus making them more effective atbat. This is why preserving their Neural Cloud is important. But the average service life of a Doll is only 20 years, and this is because of their Neural Cloud degrading. Degradation happens whenever a doll''s body has to be constantly repaired and or downloaded to a new frame. So in a way... every time a doll dies... it does actually ''kill'' them."
While Aria sighs at this, not sure what to say about the fate of the Dolls, Morgan coldly says. "They lost their sense of self."
HiPer and the other Dolls nod, with HiPer going on to say. "While Neural Cloud degradation is not preventable, a T-Doll that has begun to show symptoms rted to degradation is usually retired to the civilian sector. This does extend their life expectancy by years, not needing to be constantly serviced afterbat."
Shaking her head, Morgan adds. "It still doesn''t change the fact that Dolls are made to die in the ce of humans, no?"
HiPer goes silent at this as a stifling atmosphere sets in, apanied by a sigh from Gentiane that basically acknowledged what Morgan said. Gentiane then says. "Dolls, even with personality traits and are acting no different than humans, aren''t subjected to the samews as us humans. Most ces still treat them as disposable tools, unlike G&K where we wee them asrades and family. Of course, there are bad apples here and there but we try our best to discard those. Here in G&K, even though it''s mostly the Dolls that are fighting in the frontline, we never, ever, treat them as disposable."
SCAR-L nods, adding. "Gentiane spoke the truth, Morgan. Echelon 1 had experienced war and we had seen enough Dolls being blown up. Serving in G&K is a vacationpared to the time back then. Whenever possible, G&K will even go out of the way to rescue abandoned Dolls in hostile territories."
SCAR-H, who is leaning on an equipment rack, smirks. "The shining beacon in a brave new world. That''s G&K''s motto and what better way to show it than to sessfully field a never before seen paramilitary group?"
P90 smiles, swinging her legs while sitting on a chair. "You may not know this, but in territories that we controlled, the civilian popce does treat us better due to our daily interaction with them. So I can say that G&K is slowly but surely changing the way the world works."
SCAR-SC adds. "Yeah! And we will keep on supporting G&K, so long as they fight the good battles!"
Both Morgan and Aria share a look at their reassuring words. Ultimately, the pilots can only smile wryly, feeling that their situation is simr to their home in another world. Morgan then shrugs. "What can I say? If you''re fine with what you''re doing then who are we to judge? The best we can do is aid you when we''re able to."
"Having said that," Morgan then returns her attention to theputer, typing rapidly at the keyboard. This also prompts the other Dolls to peer in closer to see what she''s doing. "Let me start by saying that your Neural Cloud, well, calling it your soul is not a figurative way of speaking."
"What do you mean by that?" HiPer tilted her head in question. The others are also interested, with Gentiane and Aria stepping closer to Morgan''s workstation.
Ruffling her hair with a rueful sigh, Morgan exins. "I reacted badly when youpared your Neural Cloud to a ''soul'' for a reason, you know? And I will try to put this in the easiest way to understand but I do apologize if this goes way above your heads."
Taking a breather, Morgan then says. "For a soul to be regarded as one, then it must have one''s identity, personality, and memories. A soul must also be able to transcend physical death, surviving as immaterial until rebirth. Another thing is that a soul is a concept and it can exist in everything."
Morgant then gives the Dolls a look. "Now answer me. Do you have an identity?"
Hearing the seriousness in Morgan''s tone, the Dolls can only nod obediently. Each of them, even if they''re artificial, they know that they''re real and they carry their given name proudly. They became unique when they set out for the world.
A hint of a smile is presented on Morgan''s lips while Gentiane and Aria take the spectator seats. Thetter two feel that whatever''s going to happen next is too important for sidementators. Morgan goes on to ask another question. "Then, do you have a personality?"
The Dolls return another nod. Each of them favors different things and has their own dislikes, but share a solid bond with each other all the same. They have their moments of tears, their moments of happiness, and even a moment of love for some... Such things aren''t possible if they''re just standard mass-produced automatons.
Nodding positively at their assertion, Morgan continues with a full smile. "Now, do you have memories?"
It''s at this moment that all of the Dolls share a look, confirming something non-verbally. After that, they turn back to Morgan, each sporting a smile of their own. SCAR-L represents them to say. "Of course, we all have our memories, precious ones that we will never, ever want to forget." SCAR-L gestures to herself and her team. "We are a family and we will never leave behind one another or discard the precious times we have together."
Echelon 1 expresses the bond they have in different ways. SCAR-H jumps and hugs SCAR-L from behind while SCAR-SC drapes an arm around HiPer while fist-bumping P90. Their show of camaraderie earns them warm gazes from the pilots and Gentiane, with thetter feeling very proud of her Echelon. Morgan then ps her hands together. "Then let me finish the rest for you. With your neural backups, you can''t truly die on a battlefield, being able to revive by using another simr vessel. This is like a dumb-down version of a rebirth cycle but is one nheless, and it''s for you only. And with the soul being able to exist not just in inanimate objects, do I need to say more?"
The Dolls chuckle with Gentiane and Aria letting out smiles also. "No, you don''t, Morgan. We do have souls." Unknowingly to the Dolls, the conversation has removed a weight from their hearts. Perhaps in the future, this very talk will do more than just ease their spirits.
Morgan nods, going on to say. "Good, it will do you great to keep that in mind. You''re unique, you''re not just mere machines. Even when the time''s through, your journey won''t end. It''s merely a beginning."
Though they acknowledge what Morgan said, HiPer can''t help but raise a question. "But Morgan, what is the meaning behind you saying those words?"
Morgan smiles before pulling up a visual representation of HiPer''s Neural Cloud for them to see. And it was beautiful. "Why, huh? It''s because there''s no better way to treat your degradation than to reinforce your sense of self."
Others may not know but HiPer knows her Neural Cloud better than anyone. She is dumbfounded when she notices that her Neural Cloud is a lot more active than before. "J-Just a single talk can improve my Neural efficiency that much!?" HiPer eximed in shock. "Then does that mean that the other-!?"
Morganughs. "That''s right! I haven''t checked them but I do think that their Neural Cloud will be much more active than before. From what I can gather, you all have fought many battles, and have seen things normal people shouldn''t. Your Neural Clouds are all tired. I will hazard a guess that sooner orter, your team will start to experience the symptoms." Morgan then turns to Gentiane, suggesting with a serious voice. "It''s why I will advise G&K to set up regr meetings with expert psychologists for the Dolls. I have no idea why you people haven''t thought about this to improve the mental healthcare of the Dolls despite your saying that you treat them as family. As a human, it''s possible for one to suffer PTSD, much less a Doll fighting constant battles for you. Need I say out loud that you are hypocrites, failing to even notice the ring issue in your modus operandi?"
Hearing the sudden cold tone directed at herpany, Gentiane is just about to protest when she catches herself in time. Mulling over Morgan''s criticism, Gentiane must agree that they have sorely overlooked an important aspect in taking care of the Dolls. So instead of refuting, Gentiane decides to take responsibility by turning to team FN. "I am sorry! I have failed as yourmander for not taking care of you properly!" Gentiane apologized sincerely. "I give you my words that I will be bringing this matter up to Boss Kryuger himself. For a long while we have disyed utter ipetency in handling our own side of the deal. And I hope you can give thepany a chance to make amends to all of you."
Seeing Gentiane bows in apology, Echelon 1 is flustered and tries to stop her. But ultimately, they have to ept it so that Gentiane can straighten herself out. They won''t lie, they feel grateful that both Morgan and Gentiane have taken a step further to promote what they themselves haven''t thought of. Directing thankful gazes at Morgan, the T-Dolls sure thank their lucky stars for giving them this awesome new friend.
Morgan smiles, seeing that a pressing matter for the future has been resolved. "Good to see that this world has people like Gentiane to keep it running. You have no idea how disappointed I was when the humans of this Earth decided to kill half of the world in their petter struggle."
Hearing Morgan''s jab at WW3, the residents of Earth can only chuckle wryly, unable to refute her words.
"Moving on." Morgan shrugs. "Now that we confirmed that you all have souls, I must give mypliment to whoever makes the basis for your Neural Clouds. This is literally a digital way to represent how a soul. Whoever they are, they have touched on the domain of Gods, even if it''s just baby steps."
Though they all are impressed at the sudden high praiseing from Morgan, Aris is the one to say. "Is it even possible for one to even touch upon that domain? Our time here is short but there''s no evidence thus far about them even being able to use magic."
Morgan raises two fingers up, mouthing. "There are two possibilities, one is that they aren''t even human in the first ce. The second, but I believe this is to be the most probable, is that they''re an existent that rivals even geniuses. In fact, I will say that they will be able to outsmart our Einstein as they have created T-Dolls with souls. In a way, they''re the mother figure of a whole synthetic race!"
Morgan turns to look at Gentiane with a passionate gaze, a burning will know more is presented in her eye but Gentiane helplessly smiles. "Don''t look at me. I only know that Neural Cloud hailed from a subsidiary division of IOP, the makers of the Dolls. Other than that, I have no idea about the identities of the maker."
Morgan can only sigh at this. "Then let''s leave this talk for another time then. Though I will like to take a look at other Neural Clouds if you girls are fine with it. Partly to check the state of your Neural Clouds, and partly to see if I can further minimize degradation. And to be honest, I will like to learn more about you all. There''s no telling when knowledge about your making will be useful down the line."
Representing everyone, SCAR-L lightly smiles, responding. "We will be d to answer your curiosity, Morgan."
Nodding thankfully, Morgan then adds. "And to be honest, I am curious about Sangvis Ferri''s Dolls also. I do know that they''re different OS altogether but do they have souls like you girls?"
At that question, the T-Dolls fall into ponder. They admit that they are curious about their current adversaries. SCAR-SC replies. "Though there are attempts at figuring learning more about the currently rogue SF, most have ended in failures with the sessful onesing up with nothing of use. So it''s hard to say whether you can learn anything from them but you''ve proven yourself to be an expert at analyzing our Neural Cloud so..." SCAR-SC then turns to Gentianew. "Maybe?"
As all eyes fall onto her, Gentiane can''t help but sigh once more. "Fine... I will see what I can do. Perhaps Kalina hasn''t disposed of everything just yet."
Morgan directs a thumb-up at Gentiane in gratefulness, earning an exasperated huff from the basemander. Gentiane has a feeling that her normalcy will be subverted at this rate... Wait for a second, it already was subverted when Morgan confirmed that T-Dolls have souls.
Meh. All the more reason to treat them right, Gentiane thought to herself, very willing to be themander that her charges can trust.
RM Side Story 18: 8492nd (Part 12)
RM Side Story 18: 8492nd (Part 12)
Although it was lucky that Kalina still hadn''t been able to process all of the wrecks that Sangvis left behind, Morgan felt that the profit she gained from analyzing them was minimal. While she had been able to confirm that Sangvis Ferri''s operating system, OGAS, is capable of growing a soul. Morgan was disappointed that the soul would be highly restrained, muted by the base codings of the system. You can even say that the OGAS system was optimized for war and war only as there''s little to no room for a soul to be developed. Though it''s unknown whether the so-called Ringleaders will be any different.
As for the weaponry used by Sangvis, all of them are either inert due to their built-in security measure or are destroyed. Nheless, Morgan was able to bypass the security lock and extract the valuable data of the energy weapons and mechanical walkers. With this new knowledge, Morgan will be able to further energy-based weaponry development by a few years back in her homeworld. Interestingly enough, Morgan offered to share her newly discovered data with Gentiane and Helian. And even though they epted it with gratefulness, they expressed that they would have to be careful about how to handle the data. For their PMC group, the set of data is like a hot potato. It''s better to transfer this to the manufacturer of their T-Dolls instead. Whatever they do with that information, however, is not their business to handle.
Now back to the present. Morgan and the friends she has made at Base 794 are now filing out of the briefing room. Tomorrow will be the big day for Echelon 1, otherwise known as Team FN. It''s the day when they will be going behind the enemy line for approximately one week with minimal contact with home. Skipping closer to Morgan and Aria, P90 drapes an arm over Morgan''s shoulders, saying in a cheery tone.
"Before the break of dawn, you will be flying ahead to sound out the LZ for us. We will be counting on you two to be our guardian angels, alright?"
Patting P90''s hand, Morgan reassures with a confident smile. "We won''t leave you girls hanging, don''t worry. With us in the air, no one will be able to locate you by anything but visually."
"Sweet!" P90 smiled.
The exact n for tomorrow is that G&K will be conducting a retaliation strike on known Sangvis outposts as a cover-up to deploy Team FN for infiltration. This involves not just Base 794 of Sector 09 but even the bases of the adjacent Sectors. At first, Morgan and Aria will be flying spearhead, scouting the way and acting as AWACS for the T-Dolls, utilizing their electronic warfare capability to the max. And when the other Dolls are busy raising Hell on Sangvis territories, Team FN will be moving undetected to the new mountainous base of Sangvis Ferri. This will be a long and arduous endeavor so both the pilots and the T-Dolls will be logging a lot ofbat hourster on.
Hence it''s a no-brainer when Morgan leads the party of humans, a non-human, and T-Dolls alike to the cafeteria. There, a certain Miss Springfield is already waiting with enough ingredients for her and Morgan to cook up avish feast for everyone. Before an important operation, it''s a must to raise the morale to the very max.
----------------------------------------------------
"This is the 8492nd Squadron to 794 ATC, requesting permission to take off." Morgan requested overms as both Aria and she was situated in the cockpit of the Arias, prepping for their recon run.
After a couple of seconds, the familiar voice of Kalina is heard over the radio wave. "This is 794 ATC, Avalon Squadron, permission granted, please taxi to the runway. Do be mindful of the ck Hawks at the helipads, won''t you? They cost us a hefty penny." Kalina jokingly added at the end., prompting Morgan to respond. "Oops, I identally hit the boosters."
"... Seriously, don''t." Kalina deadpanned at Morgan when she heard that jest. Giggling at their logistical friend, both Morgan, and Aria begin taxing out of their hangar.
Currently, it''s half an hour away from 4 AM and the stars are still very visible. Nheless, Base 794 is far from being quiet as the sound of prebat preparations can be heard from all corners of the base. Though as the airframes of the Ariase into view with their rings jet enginesing to life, thus drowning out the othermotions, most drop whatever stuff they are doing to view the lean behemoths in all of their glory. Through the cockpit cameras, both Morgan and Aria can see humans and T-Dolls alike discussing vehemently on their aircraft. That is until their supervisorse to disband the onlookers, still, they keep ncing at the Arias out of the corner of their eyes.
Their reaction is understandable though. For these past few days, their hangar is restricted ess only, guarded by the more serious of the T-Dolls at the base. But finally, the mysterious aircraft have revealed themselves, some even pull out their phones to record the strange nes. An action that''s put to a stop by the Arias turning their EW suite on, scrambling the digital phones, much to the annoyance of a few spectators. If even Morgan and Aria can notice this in their seats, then the T-Dolls outside sure as Hell can. Gentiane will have a word with these ever-so-curious ground crewter. After all, the less news about the Arias floating about, the better.
After a minute, Morgan and Aria reach the runway uneventfully. Coincidentally, the runway is serviceable for light cargo aircraft and helicopters only, being too small and short for an actual fighter jet. Fortunately for them all, the Arias are VTOL-capable, hence those in the known aren''t surprised when the Arias deploy their lift fans and point their jet nozzles straight down, and slowly raise themselves off the ground. Reaching a safe altitude, Morgan turns to Aria''s aircraft, watching through the hexagonal camera view. "First one to reach the AO win!"
Without waiting for Aria to even react, Morgan switches off the lift fan and turns the engines back to flight mode. With experienced control, Morgan swiftly pushes her ne to top speed, enjoying the eleration and the fact that she has left Aria behind in the dust. Morganughs wholeheartedly over thems when Aria shouts at her. "Yggdra damn it, Morgan! That''s cheating." To catch up with Morgan, Aria doesn''t hesitate to use the afterburner, leaving behind a wave of hot air and stunned spectators. Mere secondster, the Arias disappear from the visual range with 794 ATC being the only one in the know about their location right now.
Inside the Air Traffic Control tower, however, the officers of G&K can only smile wryly at the abrupt departure of their friendly pilots.
"Had I not known better, I would have doubted the efficiency of those two." Helian shook her head, not sure whether tough or cry at the early morning antic of Avalon Squad.
Kalina adds with a soft giggle. "Look on the bright side though, them flying away like that would have woken up even the heaviest sleepers of the Dolls."
Gentiane adds, nursing her coffee mug. "One less trouble to deal with, eh? At least, this way, the first wave will arrive on time."
Both Helian and Kalina nod at that. The uing overt operation will be carried out in waves, with the first waves being rotated out by sessive ones. This ensures that G&K will always have fresh T-Dolls on the field and extend the operation time long enough for Team FN to secure and extract the required intel. A mixture of helicopters and ground vehicles will be required to coordinate seamlessly in this endeavor, however. It''s why Morgan and Aria will be acting as flyingmand centers for the T-Dolls. This is the first time that G&K has conducted an operation of this magnitude and suffice to say, there are many things on the line right now. Failure is not an option.
On a side note, Helian informed them earlier that there will be spectators of IOP, thepany that produced their T-Dolls, to oversee and gatherbat data. Hence, it''s imperative that the operation must go smoothly, after all, IOP promises to sponsor them in return.
After a few minutes of waiting in rtive silence, a data link from the jets to Base 794 is established by Morgan. When the announcementes, the officers rush to the digitalmand table, eyeing the updated tactical map of the AO with serious gazes. Thanks to the Arias'' powerful sensors, the rity and uracy of the map are undisputable, allowing Helian and Gentiane to quickly adjust the nning of the attack that is a mere hour away.
They also remind themselves that no n survives first contact with the enemy. It''s their hope that with Morgan and Aria in the air, they will be able to react ordingly to the developing situation.
----------------------------------------------------------
"Commence Operation Linebacker!" With the order given by Helian, a never-before-seen assault by G&K wasmenced over the Carpathians outposts of Sangvis Ferri.
In a bold move that will no doubt ce both thebat and logistical forces of G&K under a fiery test, the PMCpany mounts attack upon attack on any Sangvis outpost that is adjacent to their territories. With the real-time data provides by their eyes in the sky, the T-Dolls of G&K easily bypassed the enemy perimeter security, storming the surprised Sangvis Ferri troops with everything they have. Notably, Base 794 is the most active in this endeavor.
As one of the few bases of G&K equipped for heliborne assault, Base 794 is the firefighter and stalemate breaker of this operation. And due to the fact that its echelons regrly seebat, the veterans of Base 794 can handle any unexpected situation that arises. Under thebined force of both ground and heliborne assault, outpost after outpost of Sangvis Ferri is taken out, forcing the rogue androids to deploy more and more units to retake lost ground in a hurry. The sudden ferocious assault by G&K has sent the thinkers of Sangvis Ferri under a train of confusion. They have no idea why G&K hasunched an all-out attack this abruptly and methodically.
Is this a retaliation strike because Base 794 almost fell a few days back? If that''s the case then why attack all of their outposts at the same time, rather than just one or two? G&K, at the end of the day, is a PMC. For them to field this many units at the same time will be hurting their budgets way more than what they can get in return. It just doesn''t make sense, not to mention the fact that they''re so well-coordinated. A few Ringleaders have been deployed to intercept the enemy, yet as if knowing exactly when and where they will arrive, G&K will retreat the force in that area before the Ringleaders even show up. They move as if with foresight that allows them to perform hit-and-run attacks with extreme efficiency and minimal losses. This has upended the previous notion of G&K being more barks than bites for Sangvis Ferri. Thus, Sangvis Ferri Ringleaders immediately scramble to learn of the reason why G&K has up their game to an astounding degree. Very soon, they review the only major engagement that urred a few days back, one that was interrupted by an unknown third party. And if they expound on the idea the third party is working in tandem with the current G&K, they can conclude that it won''t be farfetched if G&K or the Neo-Soviets hired them to be their eyes in the sky...
Regardless, the current relentless attacks need to be stopped, theorizing about the reasons behind these can be der. Deep in a hidden stronghold of Sangvis Ferri, a maid can be seen moving down a metallic hallway with a dark finish. Stopping in front of a sliding door, which automatically opened, the maid then steps inside the heart of Sangvis'' operations. It''s here that the maid performs a curtsy to the short, chocte skin girl in front of her, greeting. "Master, the situation at the front is being stabilized. But at this rate, both sides will reach a stalemate that will not be favorable to us."
The brown skin girl, who has been standing motionlessly while watching the live battle feeds on the many, manyputer screens in front of her, turns around. The little girl is what one will ssify as a cute loli with silver hair and brown eyes. On her forehead is a red inverted V symbol and she is seen looking at the maid with a face that betrays no emotion. Don''t forget, for her to be at the center of Sangvis Ferri, means she is not normal by any means. With a singsong voice, the Mastermind of Sangvis Ferri announces.
Spoiler
[copse]
"Deploy our anti-air units. Search and destroy the unknown aircraft. Their identities can be investigatedter..." Turning around to look at the screen once again, the Mastermind finishes her sentence. "Agent."
The maid, Agent, bows at Mastermind. "As you wish, my Master."
Spoiler
[copse]
RM Side Story 19: 8492nd (Part 13)
RM Side Story 19: 8492nd (Part 13)
"This is Super 6-4 to Magic, off-loading Team FN at LZ November. LZ is clear with no sign of contact." Said the female pilot of Team FN''s Pave Hawk as it performed a smooth touchdown. A beatter, the voice of Gentianees over the radio wave. "Copy that, 6-4. Once Echelon 1 is on the prow, divert to support Echelon 3. They''re bogged down by an old parking garage and are requesting for covering fire."
"Solid copy, Magic. Team FN is loose, heading over to support Echelon 3 now." Super 6-4 then lift off, flying to North-East, while Team FN crouches low to the ground, scanning the perimeter of the LZ. After making sure that there aren''t any surprises waiting for them, SCAR-L motions for the team to move deeper into a nearby tree line. Taking cover by a creek, SCAR-L has the team stopped while she contacts the Angels above them.
"FN 1-1 to Avalon Squadron, do you read?"
"This is Avalon 1-1, read you five-by-five. It''s good to see you all arrived safely." Morgan replied and despite the electronic interference by Sangvis, her voice is loud and clear. "Give us a wave, won''t you?"
Though Morgan said that jokingly, SCAR-L still sports a wry smile, looking up past the foges, and waves.
"Good, the camo capes are working wondrously. Had I not known where to look, you would pass as scenic objects." Morganmented on the effectiveness of their thermoptic camouge. "Team FN, scanning of your AO shows that the nearest enemy patrol is two klicks out, due West, and is oblivious to your presence. As a result of your low-altitude insertion and my interference, Sangvis has no idea that you girls are here. I suggest you make good use of this leeway and go further South to an abandoned vige. No sign of Sangvis or scavengers, the ce is clean. It should be a one-hour trek and is a good ce to hunker down and assess your situation. After that, it''s your call whether to move during the day or the night."
SCAR-L nods at that. "Good copy, 1-1. Proceeding as your suggestion. Happy hunting up there, over." SCAR-L then gives the pilots in the sky a half-salute before signaling her team to move out.
"Watch yourself down there, Team FN. We will be on station most of the time so just call us if you have a need for something. Avalon 1-1, out."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"While I trust them to be able to handle the lower rungs of Sangvis, what will happen when they cross paths with the Ringleaders?" Aria asked Morgan overms as she was trailing to the right of Morgan. "From what we know about the Ringleaders, their capabilities are unknown but what we do know is that they''re of much higher specs than the T-Dolls."
"So you fear that they will have no choice but to engage one, or worse, multiple Ringleaders." Morganmented while still keeping most of her attention on the scanner. "It will be worrisome if things are to head in that direction."
"They will be in the thick of it, possibly where we won''t be able to support them... It''s a bit odd, our time with them has been short, yet, I feel like I won''t be able to stand by and watch them die, even if they can be revivedter." Aria said in a confused tone, prompting Morgan to reply. "That''s because they exist, not as machines, but as living, breathing beings, no matter how mechanical it may be. They have hobbies, they know how to enjoy delicious food, and they cry,ugh, and bond with others... In short, they have be our friends because of how human they are. It''s why we are worrying over them right now." Morgan then chuckles. "And need I remind you that you SCAR-H has been gunning for you ever since she saw you in that gown?"
Though Morgan can''t see it, she can feel that Aria is rolling her eyes yfully right now. "Said the one who is awfully chummy with SCAR-L and HiPer. HiPer is a sweet girl but SCAR-L, she has been eyeing you like you''re her long-time crush. It''s only a matter of time before she loses it and takes you into her arms."
Morganughs. "Well, what can I say? I am just adorable, girls love me!"
Though they joke around Morgan and Aria never lose their focus on the battles below. Noticing the IFF signature of one of Base 794''s Pave Hawks, Morgan focuses on that as it''s about to fly into abat zone.
"Super 6-4, this is Avalon 1-1, you''re about to arrive in Echelon 3''s AO, advises heading in from the East for your attack run. Enemies are gathered around the West, South-West of Echelon 3''s parking garage. A cluster of them is setting up a fighting position in a broken-down building direct West of Echelon 3. Happy hunting, 6-4." Morgan informed the crew of the Pave Hawk.
"This is Super 6-4, we copy all and is ingressing from the East. Thanks for the heads-up, Avalon."
While circling high above, Morgan and Aria see Super 6-4 approach Echelon 3''s garage from behind. And from their targeting pods, they see that Echelon 3 is still ferociously fighting back against an enemy three times their number. Headed by a veteran Doll, Kar98k, Echelon 3 is using everything they have at their disposal, even environmental elements, to cut down Sangvis left, right, and center. Though they''re slowly losing ground, their savior arrives in the form of a Pave Hawk. Armed with two GAU-21 .50 cal machine guns, Super 6-4 flies their Pave Hawk in a circr pattern above Echelon 3''s location while the door gunners start suppressing the Sangvis below with abined 2200 rounds per minute cyclic rate of fire.
Through the camera, Morgan can see the port side gunner of Super 6-4 strafes the enemy building with impunity, no doubt shredding the Sangvis behind the deteriorating walls with ease. Knowing that the GAU-21 is using 12.7mm bullets, Morgan won''t be surprised if they load it with armor-piercing incendiary instead of the standard ball. Whoever is on the receiving end of a GAU-21 will have a colorful way of dying, that''s for sure.
Under the aerial coverage of Super 6-4, Kar98k''s echelon sessfully repels the Sangvis attack without losing a single girl. She then radios for evac, her echelon had already aplished their raiding mission before Sangvis encircled them. "This is Kar98k, Super 6-4, you''re clear tond on the rooftop. The building is stable enough to hold your weight."
Tapping into theirms, Morgan and Aria can hear 6-4''s pilot quips back. "Heyss, is that your way of telling me that I''m fat? Do you really want me to leave you hanging for another wave? I won''t mind if that''s the case."
Through the targeting pod, Morgan can see Kar98k appear on the rooftop, shrugging. "I didn''t say anything. It''s you who jumps to a conclusion, 6-4." The rest of her echelon soon appears behind her.
"But you implied! That''s literally the same thing!" Super 6-4''s pilot deadpanned while bringing her aircraft over. "Watch your head girls,ing in for a pick-up. We will continue this conversation back at home base."
A sonorous chuckle can be heard from Kar98k, and while Echelon 3 is gathering for exfil. Morgan and Aria both notice something amiss from Sangvis'' blips on the sensors. "This is...? Morgan!"
"I see it!" Morgan replied in haste before contacting Super 6-4 and Echelon 3. "LZ is hot, 6-4! Wave off! Wave off!"
Though the sudden warning came out of nowhere, Super 6-4 decides to bank on their training and immediately pull away from the building, narrowly escaping a particle beam with their cockpit as its address. However, they''re still a tad too slow as another beam strikes the tail rotor of the Pave Hawk, causing significant damage to the stability of the helicopter as the rotor is knocked halfway out of its gears.
"Damn it, I''m hit!" Announced Super 6-4 as the tail end of the helicopter starts spewing smoke. Even with the rotor still somehow attached to the airframe and spinning despite the damage, the Pave Hawk starts exhibiting uncontroble yaw. "We''re losing anti-torque! Damn it, we can''tnd anymore, 98! I think we''ll be needing an extraction instead!" The Pave Hawk then tries its best to head away from Echelon 3, trying to find a suitable clearing. Thest thing they need is for it to crash onto the Dolls.
"6-4! Head North if you can! There''s a small football stadium there and it will be your LZ!" Morgan informed Super 6-4 before contacting Kar98k. "6-4 was engaged by hidden Jaegers to your South, more than 1.5 km away, and that is now the least of your worry. They''ve alerted that 6-4 is going down and a major cluster is moving in to finish you off! Reconvene with 6-4 and I will see what I can do to help!" Morgan advised Kar-98k of the new development.
Her warning prompts Kar98k to say. "I understand, we''re relocating to the stadium. Can you keep feeding us with intel on enemy movements, Avalon 1-1?"
"I can. Now move, 6-4 is at herst leg." Morgan said.
"Roger. Negev, pack up, we''re leaving!"
Morgan then contacts Aria. "Aria, I want you to take up my ce and organize the rest of this operation. I will be overseeing the rescue effort for Echelon 3 and Super 6-4. Gentiane, are you fine with this arrangement?"
"Copy that, Morgan. We''re scrambling for a ground team to recover them. Please, help them hold out for twenty minutes!" Gentiane replied in a frantic voice.
"You can count on us. From now on, Aria will be fulfilling my role. Contact me only when something importantes up." Morgan then turns to Aria''s aircraft. "I will be heading to cover them. See you soon."
"Yeah... You stay safe, Morgan. Remember, I am but a call away." Aria implored Morgan to be careful.
"Yes, you too, love."
The pair then part way for now, with Morgan soon arriving above the stadium. By now, Super 6-4 is barely limping, ferrying itself slowly above the stadium when all of a sudden, its tail rotor flies off somewhere, causing the Pave Hawk to descend in a spiraling manner. "Mayday! Mayday! Super 6-4 is going down! We are going down!"
The Pave Hawk crashes heavily into the ground, kicking up dust and debris everywhere. Its main rotor, which still spins wildly, carves deep into the ground, throwing up metallic fragments everywhere and destroying what''s left of the football field. The heavy crash must have knocked out either the radio or the crew themselves for Morgan can''t pick up any response from Super 6-4.
"Super 6-4, this is Avalon 1-1, do you read?" Morgan tried hailing the crew. "Super 6-4, this is Morgan, do you read me? 6-4, response!"
With all she gets in the return being static, Morgan expects the worst from that crash. "Kar98k, you better double time or we will be toote. Theynded hard and have been unresponsive so far. Thest thing we need is for something to catch fire."
"We''re on it, Morgan! ETA on enemy foot mobiles?" Kar98k responded. Morgan can see the friendly IDs zipping around the ruined streets with impressive speed.
"Eight to ten minutes. There will be not much time for you to get them out so it''s your call on how to proceed." Morgan replied.
"Copy that, give us thirty seconds to get to the stadium."
"This is Gentiane to Morgan, CSAR group is prepping to move by ground convoy. We will be sending three reserve echelons alongside humvees. They will be fifteen to twenty minutes out from the crash site. Be advised, the map for the area is not updated. You will have to guide them in manually when the timees."
"I understand. Tell them to make it quick because Sangvis is probably desperate for a win for I am seeing at least apany of units being funneled their way." Morgan announced for both Kar98k and Gentiane to hear.
"Damn it...!" Gentiane cursed at the sudden conundrum that befell them.
Reaching the stadium, Kar98k finds herself asking. "I don''t suppose you have any ordnance that can blunt the iing storm for us?"
Morgan chuckles wryly. "Unfortunately, you can only call in gun runs. We expended all the others during our first day here."
Kar98k justughs slightly. "Worth a shot! My dear Commander, once this is over, I think we really need to outfit them with something better."
Gentiane can only shake her head at this. "Already working on it, Kar98k."
RM Side Story 20: 8492nd (Part 14)
RM Side Story 20: 8492nd (Part 14)
*BOOM*
*RUMBLE*
An explosion knocks Kar98k backward as her cover is blown up by a mortar shell from a Jaguar. Thankfully, instead of tumbling down the steps of the stadium, Kar98k is pulled to safety by a hand. Her timely helper is none other than Contender. "Are you alright, leader?"
Nodding while fixing her cap, Kar98k racks her namesake''s bolt backward before taking out five 8mm Mauser rounds into her palm. "Seeing that I am still alive, then yes." Loading the rounds into the internal magazine one by one, Kar98k then brings the bolt home, readying herself for action. "What''s your ammo situation?"
Contender shrugs before loading a single .45-70 Government into her breach-loading pistol. Then, she swiftly peaks out of her cover, firing down a single, hefty shot at a Ripper rushing their defense line. The powerful, supersonic bullet, shatters the torso of the lightly protected Ripper, thus destroying her core. Contender then returns to her former position, pulling out another bullet to load her namesake. "After that shot, I''m down to exactly half."
"Then that means the other must have less than half by now." Due to her pistol being single-shot only, Contender is very frugal with her shot, opting for maximum effectiveness per bullet instead. If even she has already expended half of her ammo, Kar98k expects the others to not do so hot on their ammo supplies. "One thing at a time, then."
Kar98k then braces her rifle atop the concrete railing of the stadium, aiming down the sight picture of her PM 5-25x56 scope, Kar98k acquires her target which is a Guard, holding a big metallic shield. Breathing out calmly, Kar98k squeezes her trigger.
*BANG*
With a loud report, an 8mm Mauser is delivered straight into the skull of the Guard despite the shield covering most of her body. Keyword being most here. Quickly cycling her bolt for a new round, Kar98k then aims at another target, a Vespid that is engaging her teammates from behind an old BTR wreckage. With practiced ease, she pops out another shot at the target, the bullet travels through the small gaps of the old BTR and plunges into the skull of the Vespid, sending her careening onto the floor. Before Kar98k can chamber a new round in, however, she notices strange movements in the corner of her eyes. Trusting her years of experience, Kar98k immediately ducks down while racking her bolt, narrowly dodging a particle beam that was aiming for her head. It doesn''t have to say that Kar98k is royally pissed that her beautiful, well-kept hair is singed by the edge.
Having learned of the enemy Jaeger''s location by triangting the direction of the beam earlier, Kar98k peaks above her cover, aims, and pulls the trigger, all in 1.5 seconds. As for the bullet, it prates through the Jaeger''s scope before traveling all the way through her head, making her body lifelessly slumps onto the floor. Taking cover once again, Kar98k turns to Contender who has just killed off another Ripper. "We can''t keep on being stationary like this, their Jaguars will be reced any moment now and we will lose our cover advantage."
Opening her breech and loading another .45-70 bullet in, Contender asks. "You have a n, leader?"
Kar98k turns to the wreckage of the Pave Hawk in the center of the football field. Using the Zener Network, Kar98kmunicates with her teammates. "6P62, SITREP."
A grunt is heard through theirmswork while sounds of metals scraping against one another echo through thems. "I got good news and bad news." 6P62 replied, trying to sound nonchnt. "Of the crew of four, the co-pilot is dead while the door gunners survived with a few bruises and bumps. Laura the pilot, however, is critical and needs immediate assistance. I am trying to stabilize her but no promise."
Keeping her voice level at, Kar98k then asks. "And the good news?"
"That was the good news." 6P62 answered immediately. "The bad news is, Laura is punctured through her belly by metal debris. If we move her without proper toolings, which I don''t have on hand, she will bleed out and die. And I need not say that this crash site is a mortar team''s wet dream. Luckily enough, Super 6-4 dumps all of their fuel prior to the crashnding, meaning we won''t have to worry about things being set alight."
"Oh, well that''s still bad news at the end of the day." Contender, who is by Kar98k''s side,mented dryly on their situation.
"You don''t say." Kar98k deadpanned before continuing on. "6P62, is the machine gun on the Pave Hawk still operational?"
An immediate racking of a heavy bolt is heard from the other end. 6P62 then replies. "Surprisingly, all two machine guns are. The gunners volunteer to man the weapons for us if need be."
Kar98k nods, mostly to herself, as it''s an actual piece of good news. "My my, give them my thanks, and 6P62? I want you to form a makeshift barricade around the Pave Hawk, leaving just enough room for us and the gunner to engage the enemy trying to breach into the stadium. We will have to pull back soon and they will be storming us by then."
6P62 replies affirmatively. "I will see what I can do, leader."
"Good." Kar98k then looks down in the direction of the main entrance into their deserted stadium. "You girls caught that?"
A subdued voice replies, apanied by the tearing sound of a .338 Norma Magnum belt being fired to suppress and even kill the Sangvis behind their covers. "We heard all of it, leader. Just tell us when to relocate." Said LWMMG, otherwise addressed as Lam. "FMG, I''m almost out of this belt!"
"Just tuck down and reload, I won''t let them get close!" Answered FMG-9 before short, controlled bursts were heard from her pair of 9mm SMGs.
It''s at this time that Contender chimes in. "Leader, even if we can funnel Sangvis into one location, we still risk ourselves being opened to indirect artillery."
Rather than answering her, Kar98k looks upward. "Avalon 1-1, Morgan, do you have eyes on the enemy mortars?"
Without missing a beat, a strangely charming voice amidst the battlefield replies. "I have eyes on the Jaguars sitting far behind the encirclement. They''re moving to a firing position, right now. When they''re done gathering, I will get in and destroy them in one run."
Sighing in relief at that assertion, Kar98k replies. "I will have to trouble you then. Do we have an ETA on the rescue convoy, Morgan?"
This time, the replyes only after a couple of seconds. "I''ve just checked, they''re speeding through the suburban terrain now. ETA ten minutes, more if they''re blocked by Sangvis. And you better relocate now as I am seeing them sending out Strikers and Nemeums to obliterate your high ground."
Despite the tense situation, Kar98k still finds herself smiling confidently. "Fufu, thank you for the tip, Morgan. You heard thedy, start retreating, Lam, FMG-9! We will cover you!"
"Copy that, leader!" Answered both LWMMG and FMG while Kar98k and Contender took turns and killed off the approaching Sangvis troops, one by one. Though without the whittling fire from LWMMG and FMG-9, Kar98k and Contender take increased return fires, forcing them to relocate constantly.
Fortunately for them, they don''t have to hold the location for long as 6P62 reports back. "We''re set, fall back, you two!"
Morgan also interjects over the local Zener Network. "I got eyes on their siege position, going for a gun run."
Patting Contender on her shoulder as she fires onest shot, Kar98k says. "Come on, they''re waiting for us down there."
Returning a nod, Contender and Kar98k then run down the spectators'' stairs and straight into the crash site, now covered by scavenged steel tes and dirt walls. The makeshift fighting position is no doubt the handiwork of 6P62 and her powerful-than-normal exoskeleton. While running, both Kar98k and Contender can hear the echoes of multiple explosions outside the stadium. After that, the reverbing of an Aria''s 30mm rotary cannon firing is drowned out by the supersonic booming of the low-flying jet.
"This is Morgan, confirmed the destruction of the enemy mortar group. Will-!"
Suddenly, both members of Echelon 3 hear a warninging off from Morgan''s end "Caution! E-Warning! Caution! E-Warning!" Running up and taking position behind the makeshift cover, Kar98k looks up at the sky as trails left behind by hypersonic projectiles cut across the air. Thenes Morgan''s replies, apanied by a whistling sound. "Sangvis sure don''t like their heavy equipment destroyed, huh? They''re using railguns to target me again which might have gotten me already if I didn''t have the Aria''s sensor suite. And I highly doubt that''s the end of that as I''m seeing new units on the radar."
"Thank goodness you''re ok." Kar98k lets out a sigh that she hasn''t noticed she has been holding. "And new units?"
"Looks like it''s using the same chassis as those Jaguar and Prowler, though I''m picking up something which is damn simr to missile tubes on its back." Though Kar98k can''t see what Morgan is seeing right now, she can confirm that the new units aren''t anything good as Morgan goes on to warn. "Well, what did you know? Those are heat-seeking missiles! Deploying chaffs and res!"
A portion of the sky is lit up by not just the countermeasures Morgan deployed, but also AA missiles and additional railgun projectiles from the Sangvis below. Echelon 3 then watches on with bated breath as their guardian angel is dancing with Lady Death above them. For a period of time, the entire battlezone is focused entirely on the Aria gracefully flying in the air, unimpeded by whatever munitionunches at its way.
"Woohoo~! That was fun!" Said Morgan when Sangvis''s AA fire died down, presumably to reload or out of ammo. "Now listen here, Kar98k. I won''t be able to support you much unless I take out those triple-As. Until then, you will have to hold off against iing Guards, Rippers, Strikers, and even a few Dragoons. I will try to limit their ess route to the main entrance only but after that, it''s a ground game for you."
"Whateveres next, we are very grateful that you''ve been able to direct us thus far. Thank you, Morgan." Kar98k offered their gratitude.
"Don''t sweat it. Better hang on to your cap, mdy." Warned Morgan as both T-Dolls and humans alike crouch down low. A momentter, precise gun runs are conducted, thus copsing the two secondary entrances to the center of the stadium. "Good luck,dies. Will be off-station until the AA is cleared."
"Roger that. Stay safe up there." Kar98k gave her well-wish before the long-range Zener Network went inactive for now. Kar98k then turns to her teammates. "Ok,ds andssies. Check your ammo and weapons. There''s a storm iing and I will like for us to make it out in one piece."
Everyone nods at her words. The human gunners go to recheck their GAU-21s while the T-Dolls count their mags and rack the bolts of their guns. Finally, 6P62 and LWMMG set up their heavy weapons at the corners of their barrier while Contender and Kar98k set up in the middle. FMG-9, being the swiftest Doll around, will be the firefighter to cover whoever is reloading. As for the humans, they are tasked with selectively taking out swaths of armored units. Their hail of .50 caliber rounds will be a godsend in the absence of additional support.
Their final preparation is done just in time for the first set of Sangvis Dolls to appear. Unsurprisingly, they send out the shield-equipped Guards first to cover the rest''s advance. Unfortunately for the Guards, armed with only an energy pistol, they''re woefully underequipped against the API belt that is fired from a GAU-21. Even with the shields protecting most of their bodies, the Guards still find themselves losing limbs and torsos under the punishment of a .50 caliber machine gun on steroids.
Sangvis is fast to respond, however, sending out Dolls riding on bipedal walkers. These units, Dragoons, are heavily armed and have impressive protection and mobility to boot. They''re deadly adversaries should they''re allowed to bring their high-power, assault energy machine gun to bear. It''s why the gunner of the GAU-21 immediately swivels the turret to engage a Dragoon, leaving the others Sangvis for the T-Dolls to deal with.
Due to their role as heavy gunners, both 6P62 and LWMMG focus onrger packs of Sangvis units like Guards, Rippers, and Vespids. asionally, robots and drones like Prowler and Scouts also rush in front of their muzzles. Fortunately for the team, their heavy gunners pack enough firepower to deal with them in a timely manner. In this case, LWMMG has her belt of .338 Norma Magnum while 6P62 has her 14-round of 12.7x108mm magazine. Thetter, in particr, is a monster of a weapon when firing on full-auto. Even for a T-Doll, the recoil impulse of 6P62''s assault rifle is too much. Hence, the girl has a stabilizer module mounted behind her exoskeleton, significantly aiding her in controlling her elegant but monstrous namesake.
While their heavy weapons are tasked with thinning out the Sangvis herds, Kar98k and Contender precisely snipe out high-risk targets. These included the pilots of the Dragoons and the asional Guards or Strikers with their tower shields and machine guns. And if the heavy gunners are reloading, FMG-9 will sure to step in with her dual-wielding her namesake. Pouring out an unhealthy amount of precise 9x19 Parabellum, FMG-9 deters any Sangvis from approaching anywhere near their location.
But of course, despite them holding off their enemy for now, the same can''t be said for their cover. Due to its hastily constructed nature, their covers are falling and when that happens, they are sitting ducks. The situation is made worse by a Dragoon rushing directly at them, and despite concentrated fire from everyone, its pilot is still able to chuck a sma grenade at them before going down. Landing only two meters short from their position, Kar98k can''t help but move and tackle Contender onto the floor as the sma grenade explodes, thus obliterating their cover in the process. A tinge of pain also assaults Kar98k as she quickly realizes that molten shrapnel has struck her in the back. Despite her ears ringing wildly like the beating of jungle drums, Kar98k is still able to ascertain that she has lost her mobility. The hot shrapnel seems to have severed the nerves that control her legs.
Contender, despite being shocked by Kar98k''s sacrifice and the explosion itself, is quick to drag Kar98k behind 6P62, with the AR T-Doll using her more armored chassis to protect the two of them. "Leader! Leader! Say something!"
Though Kar98k''s ears are not back at operational capacity just yet, she can read the wordsing out of Contender''s lips. "I''m fine, girl. Just help me up, I can''t feel my legs."
Contender nods shakily with a pale face, propping Kar98k''s body and her rifle next to 6P62. Without further words, Kar98k proceeds to reengage with her enemy. Contender, seeing that, also picks up her namesake once more. The pistol T-Doll swears that she will repay the favor one day.
But with their cover reduced, Echelon 3 is receiving more and more injuries. Even one of the Pave Hawk''s gunners got hit in the shoulder by a stray kic projectile. Fortunately for him, it''s not fatal and his post is taken up by the other gunner while he slowly bandaged himself. Nheless, they almost curse aloud when a rumbling of footfall reverberates across the battlefield. Not just that, Sangvis Dolls also retreat, leaving behind the bare amount of robots and drones to keep them upied. Thanks to their powered scopes, Kar98k and LWMMG spot the new threat that''s slowly approaching them. Identifying what that threat is, both of them can''t help but chuckle wryly.
"Though this is unbing of ady such as myself, allow me to say this just one." Kar98k suddenly takes a deep breath. "Motherfucker!"
It''s not just Kar98k that wanted to curse out but rather, it''s everyone. The new threat that is slowly closing the distance to the entrance of the stadium is none other than a heavily armored Manticore, the gleam of its optical sensor seems to cast a wave of chill on all of them. If that thing gets into itsfortable firing range, all of them will be screwed sideways.
But as if Heaven still favors them, which is literally the case if you think about it, the Manticore is assaulted by an incessant amount of high-explosive dual-purpose projectiles. Tracing the line of red tracers, Echelon 3 spots Morgan''s aircraft strafing the Manticore''s weak top armor, turning the towering walker into a heap of g. And not just that, the screeching of tires can be heard outside the stadium. More helps have arrived in the form of armed Humvees with their M2HB machine guns mopping up what''s left of Sangvis'' presence in the area.
When Kar98k confirms that it''s friendly T-Dolls dismounting the transport vehicles and rushing to secure the area, she allows herself toy her rifle to rest. Finally, the battle is over. And for another day, her Echelon is allowed the sweet privilege of surviving another day without losing their precious memories. While 6P62 and Contender help Kar98k to sit down and lean on the crashed helicopter''s side, the rifle T-Doll looks up into the sky. She searches for the barely visible figure of an Aria before spotting it and opening the previously inactive channel on the Zener Network.
"Morgan, are you there?" Despite her... less than pleasant dress code currently, Kar98k still maintains a level and calm voice, bereft of any exhaustion.
"I''m here, Kar98k. It''s good to see you all still ok, well, somewhat. But at least most of you down there get to RTB and takes a well-deserved bath." Morgan replied, her upbeat voice bringing up the spirits of everyone. It''s a good way to confirm that they''re still alive, after all.
Kar98k is an elegantdy so she has many ways to show her gratitude to the person that just saved them. But in the end, she opts for short and concise words rather than flowery ones. "Truly, thank you for everything, Morgan. As a leader to another, you have my utmost respect."
Morgan giggles sonorously on the other end, pleased. "It will be impolite of me to not ept your gratitude then. So how about this, you treat me to something back at 794, surprise me."
"Challenge epted." Kar98k smirked. It''s been a long day so perhaps getting to know this angel of theirs won''t be a bad way to end the day.
RM Side Story 21: 8492nd (Part 15)
RM Side Story 21: 8492nd (Part 15)
During the whole Pave Hawk down fiasco, Echelon 1 otherwise known as Team FN is making headway deep into uncharted Sangvis territory. Due to the overpowered advantage offered by their improved camouge capes, Team FN has been able to cover a lot of ground undetected by Sangvis patrols and QRFs. Some may even say that the capes make it too easy for the team that prided itself on infiltration and recon. But for the girls of Echelon 1, the capes are worth more than just their ability to conceal them. To them, the capes are a gift from their otherwordly friend, one that gives them the confidence to brave the arduous task ahead. Thinking thus far, SCAR-L can''t stop herself from smiling lightly, still finding it unbelievable that they''ve been able to befriend Aria and... Morgan.
SCAR-L finds herself blushing beneath the hood of her cape, an action that, much to her chagrin, is easily noticed by her surprisingly attentive elder sister, SCAR-H. Hence, SCAR-L can only woefully sigh when SCAR-H creeps up to her during their jog in the forest of Eastern Europe. And under the curious eyes of her battle sisters, SCAR-L juts her index finger at SCAR-H. "Don''t you dare say it!"
Sadly for SCAR-L, SCAR-H ignores her warning and smirks. "So, what''s gotten under your pants, dear sister?" She asked in a teasing tone. And despite her hood obscuring most of her facial features, SCAR-L can just about see the mischievous glint in her sister''s blue eyes. Knowing that it''s pointless to deny any usation, lest she lengthens her time on SCAR-H''s chopping block, SCAR-Les clean.
"Alright, fine! I was thinking about Morgan!"
SCAR-H whistles knowingly. "Judging from that blush on your face, you must be thinking about her ever-so-radiant body in a nightgown a few days back." SCAR-H then pats her shoulder a few times. "Don''t worry sis, I totally get it. Heck, I even saved the scene on my personal devices just so that it won''t ever be lost. I can also share with you the data reconstruction of her body on Level II if you want it?"
SCAR-L almost loses her footing when she heard that. "Since when did you have the time to scan her figure!?"
SCAR-H smirks, boasting. "I''m a sniper for a reason, sis. So, what will it be? I reckon it will be more than enough for you to, well, fantasize about, despite not being the real one." She then hums. "Or do you want more? I can throw in Aria''s scan too if you''re up for the good stuff. But of course, that means you will be owning me a favor."
SCAr-H then makes a money sign, saying her piece like a shady merchant. "I guarantee that the products I offer are 99% true to form and the favor will be something that you can handle, for sure."
... Surprisingly, SCAR-L finds herself willing to take up the trade. She''s just about to answer SCAR-H''s offer when the others have been unable to contain their curiosity and jump the line.
"Hold up just one minute here! Why am I hearing about SCAR-H selling SCAR-L holo-recreations of Morgan and Aria right now?! What the Hell did we miss?!" P90 was the one to scream over the Zener Network.
"And why did SCAR-H put it that the holograms will be extra spicy?" SCAR-SC added, eyeing SCAR-L in particr. "And why do my sisters seem to be head-over-heel over our pilots? What did you guys see?"
Even HiPer is repeatedly nodding up and down while looking at the older SCARs. SCAR-L then directs a hateful look at SCAR-H, who shrugs nonchntly without remorse. If they don''t exin this now, they will be pestered constantly by the other girls whenever they''re on a break. "This is your fault so you better exin, big sis."
Despite the usation thrown her way, SCAR-H just snickers before transmitting the memory of when the pair of older SCARs stumbled upon Morgan and Aria in their nightwear. Understandably, the sensual curves of their otherworldly pilots elicit stunning responses from their previous in-the-dark sisters. SCAR-SC can''t help but whistle inpliment at the images being shown while P90 breaths in and out with more effort than before. It doesn''t have to be said that thetter is having her digimind going haywire at the provocative pictures. Just imagine the possibilities of what lies beneath that thin cloth of attire!
HiPer''s reaction, in particr, shocks everyone. SCAR-L can''t help but clean her synthetic eyes a few times when she notices something red is leaking from the nose of their mechanically-adept pistol T-Doll. "HiPer, why are you leaking cont?" She asked in befuddlement while SCAR-H almost keel over, trying to stop herughter. "Oh, my god! It seems like it''s true that the quiet one is always the most dangerous. Tell me, HiPer, are you imagining yourself with Morgan, doing..." SCAR-H then goes to make a circle with her fingers before pushing an index finger in and out of it.
HiPer blushes another shade of red when SCAR-H called out her perversive thoughts. That reaction doesn''t escape the notice of the others and now they''re looking at HiPer in both surprise and awe. Thetter is due to how deadly Morgan''s charm is, even managing to subdue their usually gentle and shy member in a matter of days. But then again, just with another cursory scan of their echelon, SCAR-L can see that all of them are harboring budding feelings for the devilishly charming but surprisingly caring Morgan. There''s a saying that T-Dolls are made to imprint themselves not just on their namesake weapons, but also on humans they judge as good characters. This seems to be holding true right now for Team FN.
But before they can discuss anything else though, SCAR-L holds up a fist, prompting them all to crouch low to the ground with their chosen weapons at the ready. Their leader then signals for SCAR-H and HiPer to head to the side, taking up a position atop a hill with excellent concealment and line of sight. Without needing further order, both SCAR-H and HiPer report what they see for the rest of the team.
"500 meters ahead of us is the abandoned town Morgan called out earlier. The buildings and roads are still in surprisingly good condition but there''s no sign of human lives, obviously deserted as the report said." SCAR-H said without any of her previous mischievousnesses.
"However, I can see that someone or something has been keeping the roads in the town clear and without any obstruction. All the abandoned cars are pushed to the side." HiPer, SCAR-H''s spotter, added. "And from the look of it, the town''s train station is well-maintained. If this is abandoned, then howe that singr building seems to be brand new whenpared to the rest?"
SCAR-L immediately responds. "That''s because it''s not quite abandoned. We have known Sangvis to be using a railroad system to funnel troops, resources, and supplies everywhere in their territory. And I think we havee across one such terminal that fuels their whole defensive operation against us."
P90 then asks. "If so, howe SCAR-H hasn''t reported any contact, yet?"
SCAR-SC replies. "It could be that we have either drawn out the defenders of this ce due to the ongoing operation. Or, they are trying to keep this node hidden by being in in sight with no obvious guards."
SCAR-H adds her own hypothesis. "Or they never even bother setting up a permanent defense here in the first ce. G&K has never been able to go this far in, so it makes sense that they will ce their manpower elsewhere instead. To put it directly, they''re underestimating us."
They all roll their eyes at that, but understanding what SCAR-H meant. After all, a bar girl wielding a bolt-action rifle from a century ago fighting against sma minigun-wielding terminators? The odds usually go against the former unless she has the skill to back it up.
"So, what''s the n, sis?" SCAR-H addressed SCAR-L. "We still upy the town and set up a base of operation or divert elsewhere?
"We will first recon the area before deciding. If there''s a railroad funneling pain and misery towards our allies, we need to know if we can take it out." SCAR-L answered in all seriousness. Earning a chuckle from SCAR-H. "I like the way you think, sis. Third sis, I reckon it''s the time for you to show off. Defended or not, that train station should still have an automated security system."
Hearing that, SCAR-SC nods, tapping her enhanced augmented reality visor a few times as a habit. "If they''re still running the same system of their perimeter outposts, I can get in and out, no sweat, in five or less even. But if they upgraded it, I should still be able to get in without being detected. I''m very eager to try out the upgrades HiPer and Morgan have made on my visor.
P90 then smiles. "So, we have a game n?"
"Infiltrate, recon, secure, and protect SCAR-SC till she''s done, then get out before anyone even raises an eyebrow at us." SCAR-L confirmed. "SCAR-H and HiPer will be providing overwatch and early warning."
SCAR-Hments. "Basically same old. You girls good to go?"
A subdued chorus of affirmation is heard over their local Zener Network.
"Then we''re off, watch over us, big sis." SCAR-Lmunicated, earning a soft giggle from SCAR-H. "Since when have I not?"
With two of their own setting up a camouged sniper position behind them, the rest of Echelon cautiously made their way over to the town, taking note of where to go so that SCAR-H has a good view to cover them. While fording their path to the inner town, SCAR-L reports. "Aside from sporadic wildlife, not a single soul is here, human or Doll alike. If the train station is only brought online whenever it''s used, it''s understandable why Avalon Squadron missed it in their recon sweep."
"Makes sense," P90mented. "Sangvis tries to hide the deployment of their armored trains whenever possible, lest they incur heavy retaliation from us to disable their logistics."
SCAR-SC adds. "That and they don''t want the Soviets to raise their threat level. If they bring out anything heavier than a Manticore, say an armored train with cannons, the Soviets will have no choice but to immediately intervene. It''s stupendously hard to cover up a train than a singr walker."
"I second that." SCAR-H said over thework.
HiPer has a question of her own for SCAR-SC also. "SC, aside from regr data extraction, can we pull any information about their armed train?"
SCAR-SC replies positively, much to HiPer''s delight. "I get what you mean, aside from map intel, I will see if I can fetch you a schematic or two."
"Thank you, SCAR-SC!" HiPer beamed. Laying by her side, SCAR-H is immediately assaulted by the positive energying from the pistol T-Doll.
"I swear if the data extraction about the train leads us to hijack one for a livingter, I''m gonna be seen questioning my choice of career soon." SCAR-H jested, not thinking too much about it.
A few minutes of banteringter, they reach the obviously Sangvis-tampered train station. As expected, hidden security measures in the form of motion, infrared, and electrooptical sensors, are encountered the moment a person tries to trespass into the main hub. And if they trigger the rm, machine gun turrets installed in the ceiling and walls of the train station will pop out and light up the intruder like a Christmas tree. Such obstacles, however, prove to be a none issue for SCAR-SC, the infiltrator of Team FN. As a Special Operations and Electronic Warfare model, SCAR-SC is the most powerful of Team FN when ites to dealing with anything rted to the digital domain. Utilizing her impressive hacking ability, SCAR-SC fools the sensors and scanners of the main hub, making her way inside through otherwise locked doors and restricted ess terminals. Outwardly, the train hub is just another bog standard pre-WW3 design, yet internally, Sangvis has given it a revamped by adding their iconic metallic dark walls and having the inoperable lighting system reced by a low-power, low-lumen one. Thetter is very typical of Sangvis for they don''t care about human or Dollfort.
When SCAR-SC starts pulling out the required data, shees across a notification of an iing train, prompting the autonomous station to immediately ept its entry. "Well, that''s awfully great timing!" SCAR-SCined before extracting thest of the data and rushing out. Being mindful to cover up any trace of intrusion, SCAR-SC reports the new development to her echelon.
"Girls! We have an iing train inbound! ETA 3 mikes!"
SCAR-L wastes no time and replies. "They sure picked an awfully good time then! Anything we need to know?"
"If you''re talking about the train then I know, for sure, two things about it." SCAR-SC rejoined SCAR-L and P90 outside before they all make a break for an unimpressionable office building for cover. "The first is that we have nowhere near the firepower nor time to take out or even derail the train."
"And the second?" P90 asked while they dive into the shadow of the building, making their way upward to higher ground for clear vision.
SCAR-SC replies while running up the stairs. "The second is that the train will be making a one-hour pitstop, right here, to deploy additional units to the frontline. And guess where they will be heading soon after?"
SCAR-L questions immediately. "Where?" This earns a smirk from SCAR-SC. "None other than smack dab in the center of our location of interest. The train will be bypassing all known security checkpoints belonging to Sangvis, so if you all are feeling daring..."
SCAR-L finishes up the sentence for her younger sister. "Then we hijack it, riding it all the way into the heart of Sangvis''s operations." SCAR-L finds herself smiling at the proposition. "Hey big sis, I know what we''re gonna do today."
SCAR-H, who is being addressed, can only respond dumbly at the insinuation behind SCAR-L''s tone. "You do realize that what I said earlier was a joke, right? Right? And for the love of God, we''re not Phineas and Ferb!" Lying next to her side, HiPer can only giggle nervously, though a part of her is very curious about Sangvis'' autonomous armored train. Truly a motorhead.
When P90 hears SCAR-H''s stupify reply, sheughs at the sniper''s folly. "You better starts thinking about alternative careers, SCAR-H, because we''re going to rob a train!"
RM Side Story 22: 8492nd (Part 16)
RM Side Story 22: 8492nd (Part 16)
Knowing that a Sangvis train is just about to arrive at any moment now, the whole of Echelon 1 has set up a sort of hidey-hole in one of the many ruined buildings. It''s close, but not too close, to the train station. When the chance arrives, Echelon 1 will try and board the train, hopefully without encountering any resistance on Sangvis'' part. SCAR-SC has managed to download the security protocols of the train and the rest of Team FN is counting on her to pull them through.
A minuteter, the sound of a barrelling train can be heard reverberating from one end of the railroad. Team FN pops their heads over a nearby window to see a dark purple behemoth bursting through a dark tunnel. The train is ten carts long, but it takes almost no time at all for it to break into a perfect stop at the Sangvis terminal. When it''s perfectly aligned with the station, ramparts are deployed from a few carts, off-loading rows of Sangvis drones and infantries. Most notably, the train appears to carry modified Jaguars. Instead of having a mortar system on their back, they now sport a four-tube short-range AA missile system.
SCAR-H, utilizing aser designator as her binocrs, asks her leader. "You reckon we should call this in? From the look of it, Sangvis is catching on to the fact that we now have air support and is responding ordingly."
SCAR-L shakes her head. "Let''s not break radio silence just yet. Morgan briefed us on the ability of their Arias, I highly doubt a few heatseekers will throw them off. Better yet, they will actually enjoy the challenge."
P90 muffled a giggle that escape her lips. "I can just about imagine Morgan''s excited expression, dancing under ks right now."
SCAR-SC adds. "What you said reflects the sentiment of everybody here, P90."
The rest of them nod while scanning for a leak in Sangvis'' newly deployed formation. During such, Sangvis troops start to march to the front with impable movement, courtesy of their hive-mind. Said hive-mind, however, has the tendency to treat these units as cannon-fodders. Theirbat capability can only be boosted if a Ringleader is nearby. And from the look of it, there isn''t any right now, much to the delight of Team FN.
Very soon, Sangvis units have already marched out of the terminal, prompting Team FN to start their approach and onto the train. Before that, however, HiPer spots weird movements on half of the train carts. "Wait, what''s going on with the train?" HiPer alerted her team through the local Zener Network.
Taking cover in an alley with a good line of sight to the lotive, Team FN watches as a dozen containers angled upward to 45 degrees. "What are those they''re deploying?" P90 questioned, prompting SCAR-SC to analyze the containers with her tactical visor.
"At first nce, they''re just material containers. Yet, we haven''t seen Sangvis unload anything of such from those things." After a few seconds, her visor returns the analysis results. "So my guess is that these things are not containers. They''reunchers, but for what I have yet to understand. Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to pull the listed cargo of the train to cross-reference it. Never thought we will be needing it in the first ce. Either way, I guess we''re about to find out soon enough."
They all fell silent at that, awaiting the next development from the train carts. A few secondster, the covers for the containers are opened, allowing Team FN to catch the pointy tips of the objects hidden inside. "Are those... Missiles?" HiPer said with dread.
Fortunately or unfortunately, SCAR-SC is quick to refute that initial assessment. "No, most fortunately not cruise missiles. But in a way, this is much worse."
SCAR-L nods, identifying what''s inside. "Those are drones. To be more specific, the MQ-99 Barracudas. It seems like Sangvis has been developing and producing these without us knowing."
Suddenly, with multiple bursts of me, the drones areunched from the container with speed, their engines operating at full capacity to gain altitude. Seeing that, SCAR-L bites back a curse. "I''m breaking radio silence!" She then signals the rest to immediately board the train while she reports. "This is FN 1-1 to Avalon Squadron, you have UCAVsing in hot for a dogfight, twelve in total! Over!"
"This is Avalon 1-2,ms link is secured. 1-1 is overseeing a CSAR op and is unavable. 1-2 is tasked with overseeing the AO as of now. I''ve received your report and will be dealing with the drones momentarily. Thanks for the head-up, over." Aria''s voice was heard over the long-range Zener Network. She seems non-flush about a small swarm of dark purple dronesing her way with murderous intent.
"Good copy, 1-2. Echelon 1 will be boarding a Sangvis train to infiltrate the enemy base. Will be radio silence till further notice. Over." SCAR-L reported, d that Aria sounded confident.
"1-2, copy all. Bon voyage, Team FN. Over and out." Thems link went silent with SCAR-L immediately terminated the line for fear of detection. By the time the talk is over, they have reached the autonomous train and are now boarding a cart. SCAR-H helps her SCAR-L up and together, they lend their hands to the rest of their sisters. Once safely on board, SCAR-SC immediately operates her EW suite at full capacity, fooling the built-in security measures of the train with the aid of the stolen protocols.
Turning to her teammates, SCAR-SC says. "As long as we don''t get spotted by the patrols on the train, we should be in the clear till we reach our destination. Once we''re there, this train will be docking at a mostly unguarded terminal and will be departing at 9 pm. This should give us ample time to get what we need, hopefully."
SCAR-L nods. "On the off-chance that we encounter a patrol, can we take them out without raising an rm?"
"It should be ok? But when we reach Sangvis'' base, our cover will be blown for they will do a headcount of the Rippers stationed here." SCAR-SC answered, prompting SCAR-L to nod. "Ok then, let''s pick a room and hunker down, girls. It will be much preferred if we pick a ce we can hide."
"In that case, I now just the ce." SCAR-SC then points at the empty drone containers, earning raised eyebrows from the rest of her team.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Even before SCAR-L warns Aria of the iing bandits, Aria has already detected the train when it came out of the tunnel. Aria is surprised, however, to see that Sangvis has been able tounch drones from containers. To say that the ability to deploy armed drones with minimal setups like that is an Air Force''s wet dream will be an understatement. Aria will need to have a talk with Morganter, the potential to have air support piggy-backing of an army truck is too good to pass up on.
Having thought of that though, Aria takes her aircraft very low to the ground, operating its electronic warfare suite at maximum setting. Thus, in the eyes of the drones, Aria is virtually invisible. And when the drones start flying in one big group on a search pattern for her, Aria is swiftly sneaking up on their behind. Funnily enough, by sending out drones to counter Aria, Sangvis has literally given her free kills. The prototype aircraft she is using has such an impressive EW suite that Aria can even seize control of the mindless drones. Yet, Aria has chosen not to do that, well, at least she won''t take all of them. This is because Aria will like to have a bit of a challenge, for once. She has been awfully bored flying in circles, it''s about time she puts her missiles to good use.
With a few taps on her MFD, Aria usurps the ownership of four drones, sending them out to support Morgan. As for thest eight, Aria disables the safety of her missiles, locking onto four targets with her Iris SMRM. As a matter of fact, Aria can lock on to more than four targets, however, she will like to see the capability of these drones up close and personal first. It''s why when she hears a good tone, only four Iris areunched at supersonic speed, destroying half of the enemy drones without much warning.
Now noticing that eight of their allies are now destroyed or subverted, the other four drones dispersed in a fan shape, surrounding and locking on to Aria''s aircraft at all angles. Byunching her missiles, Aria has given her location away. Yet, she is not flustered one bit even if her rm keeps giving out warnings. Preemptively deploying chaffs and res to scramble their lock-on, Aria flies head-on into an iing drone, forcing it to go in for a gun attack after its failed attempt to get a lock.
Maneuvering her ailerons and rudders, Aria dodges the autocannon tracers from the purple drone. She then retaliates by sending out a short but urate burst of 30mm shells at the target. An unknown number of HEDP shells impacted the drone''s fusge, obliterating the fragile UCAV. Her taking one of them out in a head-on dogfight, however, leaves the other three to swiftly chase her tail at full thrust.
Noticing that one of the three drones isgging behind the other two, Aria suddenly banks her aircraft to the right, using her helmet-mounted disy to cue the missile seeker at a high angle off-boresight. Getting a good lock, Ariaunches another Iris. The missile performs a sharp, half-moon turn and, ignoring the deployed chaffs and res from its target, detonates beneath the drone''s left wing. The numerous fragments from the Iris shred through the Barracuda UCAV''s wing and fusge with impunity, causing a big explosion as its internal munitions are detonated.
Now down to two drones, Aria breaks left, deploying another burst of chaffs and res to scramble the sensor of a missile that is sent her way. Due to the nature of the Aria as a stealth aircraft, the heatseekerunched from the drone is unable to maintain a good lock and chase the res instead. The evasive maneuver does cost Aria a bit of speed, however, and because of this, one of the drones rushes in while the other trails behind it.
With them gaining on her and soon getting a good lock, Aria, instead of running away, slows her aircraft down by lowering the thrust output, letting the first drone to closing the distance. And just before the drone is able to fire its missile, Aria deploys her airbrake while pointing the nose of her ne upward, forcing the drone to shoot past her with its maximum thrust. Not letting this chance goes to waste, Aria lets loose another Iris in an off-boresight manner. Though the missile easily hit the engine of the UCAV, destroying it entirely.
With that one down, Aria only needs to deal with thest one. Unlike its predecessors, this drone engages Aria with its autocannon while trying to acquire a missile lock. Aria, of course, doesn''t want a scratch on her beloved warne and starts doing evasive horizontal maneuvers. And as the twobatants draw closer, the UCAV is able to get a lock, thusunching a missile. As the enemy missile leaves the rail, Aria also deploys her countermeasure while pulling her control stick back, performing an extremely tight loop. Due to Aria''s sudden post-stall maneuver and the deployed chaffs and res, the missile harmlessly flies past below her aircraft while the drone itself is directly ced in the crosshair of Aria''s Gatling.
*Brrrrrrrrrtttttt*
*BOOM*
With a short trigger pull, thest drone is decimated from head to toe, dying without an intact corpse. Through the residue smoke cloud left behind by the drone''s detonation, Aria flies back up to afortable altitude. The sudden encounter in the air has been a short one, merely five minutes at best, but it does alleviate the boredom of Aria dancing solo in the air. The Valkyrie can focus on leading the ground war now, and she intends to fully focus on her task until Morgan has returned.
And speaking of her lover, it appears that the drones Aria sent over are put to good use. Morgan has ved them to her aircraft, sending over a heart emoticon on her multi-function disy. Understandably, they will make the extraction effort of Super 6-4 much easier thanks to their ability to strafe enemy ground troops.
Aria can''t help but smile when she sees the emoticon, wondering just how was Morgan able to send one over in the first ce. There''s no way the Arias are installed with a chat app, right?
RM Side Story 23: 8492nd (Part 17)
RM Side Story 23: 8492nd (Part 17)
"Avalon squadron, you''re cleared fornding on our sole runway." Kalina announced for both Morgan and Aria. "Speaking ofnding, can the drones evennd here? Is it safe to do so?" Thatst question was said with a clear hesitation in her tone.
Understanding her concern, Morgan reassures the Polish girl. "They''ll make thending with a fair margin of error. As for the risk they may pose to our OPSEC, I have subverted themand structure, the drones answer to me now and I will work on revamping their OS once we touch down. With these four drones, you will be able to field air support even without us."
Hearing that, Kalina chuckles wryly. "Haha~, thanks for the thoughts, Morgan. Though I doubt the military will be kind enough to allow us the use of heavy ordnances any time soon."
"Trust me, if the situation develops the way I think it is, the Soviets will grant you the necessary papers soon enough." Morgan added.
Having listened to theirms, Gentiane can''t help but interject. "Do you know something, Morgan?"
"Just a hunch of mine, Commander. A hunch based on my experience in the field." Morgan borated, causing the other end to fall into a contemtive mood. Changing the subject, Morgan announces. "I am ordering the drones to perform thending procedure. Have the spectators stand clear of Hangar 1 now."
"I am notifying them right now." Kalina responded. She reports back after a few seconds. "They''re notified and are discing, you''re good fornding, Avalon."
"Good copy. I''ll see you on the ground."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Stepping off her aircraft, Morgan stretches her back before eyeing Aria who is just about dismounting her ne. Skipping over to help her Valkyrie down, Morgan giggles when Aria gives her a light kiss as a thank you. Their lovey-dovey moment is witnessed by a few T-Dolls and they whistles at the pair of lovers in appreciation. Chuckling at the attention they''re getting, the pair directs their attention to a T-Doll that has just run up to them. Despite her winter coat and Ushanka having a few burn marks, the Doll wielding an SMG with a drum magazine is otherwise still very spry on her feet.
"Lady Morgan,dy Aria! Wee back!" The girl slung her SMG to the side. "I see that you have returned with new additions. Is there anything I need to keep in mind,dies?"
Smiling at the very helpful girl that is assigned to aiding them with menial physical stats, Morgan replies. "There isn''t much you have to keep note of, Papasha. Just tow the drones under a roof and we''ll see if we can do anything about themter. As for the Arias, any words about that munition procurement of ours?"
Papasha nods, answering. "I think I heard Lady Kalina say that it will arriveter tonight. I''m just not sure when to be exact."
Patting the girl on her shoulder, Morgan thanks her. "That is just fine in my book, thanks, Papasha. I think we must trouble you to help us when we receive those ordinances."
"It''s my pleasure to be of help to you two! Oh, right! The Commander is requesting your presence in themand center! But it''s nothing too pressing, I think." Papasha added.
"Thanks for the head-up, Papasha. Will head over right now." The pair of otherworlders and T-Doll part way after that. Thetter, in particr, heads away to man her personal mech to taxi the aircraft and UCAVs into empty hangars. Morgan and Aria though, are strolling to themand building while talking about their recent adventure in the air.
"To think that they would hijack a train, thus speeding things up by a fair margin... After hearing that, I can see that Team FN is anything but conventional. They know how to get their job done." Morganplimented SCAR-L''s team with a light smile.
Aria sports a smile also, but one that isced with a tinge of uncertainty. "Though they can lessen the risk of running into patrols by trekking normally, haste makes waste. We can''t support them as we are without any ground-striking capability if they''re engaged in the middle of enemy territory. Not to mention, we can not raise them onms, it will be very hard to even find them if they don''t contact us first."
Hugging her lover by the waist, Morgan looks up at her,forting. "One thing at a time, Aria. They''re confident enough to fullymit themselves to that n, so we shall trust our new friends, yeah? They have a grace period of a few days and until then, we have a job to do. Now, regal me with the fun you had back there. Were the drones any good?"
Feeling her spirit livened up by Morgan, Aria pulls her closer as they walk and discuss. Momentster, they arrive at themand center,ing across G36 who is pushing an empty food cart outside.
"Heya, G36! How has the frontline duty been treating you?" Morgan and Aria greeted the German maid. Even though she has been one of the more active participants in Operation Linebacker, she is still very much spotless.
Performing her curtsy, G36 replies while opening the door to the room for them. "It''s a liberating feeling to finally be of use on the field again, Lady Morgan. Please,e inside, the Commander will like to chat with you."
Nodding, both Morgan and Aria step inside themand center. There, they see Gentiane and Kalina, alongside the blue-tinted holographic image of Helian. Kalina raises a hand at them in greeting. "Wee back, you two!" Her words brought the attention of the two officers in red to them.
Gentiane goes on topliment. "Nice flying up there, you two. And Morgan, thank you for helping me with Echelon 3 and Super 6-4. The pilot of Super 6-4 sent her regards to you despite falling in and out of aa. Kar98k herself though, has been very vocal in rewarding you personally with things from her own pocket. And trust me, her pocket is deep."
Morgan chuckles. "I can infer that from just seeing her battle dress." She goes on to say somberly. "Unfortunately, we did lose the co-pilot in the crash."
Aria pats her shoulder while Helian interjects. "Losses are to be expected in a war like this. If we need somebody to me, then me it on the Sangvis Ringleader that hadmitted that ambush. Things would have ended way worse if you two weren''t in the air, Avalon Squadron. All of us should be d that casualties were kept at the minimum back then."
Turning to Helian, Aria questions her about her choice of using a holograph tomunicate. "Is there trouble on your end that you have to take care of it in person? I thought you''re supposed to stay here and oversee the operation."
Helian nods, adjusting her monocle. "I do, actually. However, I am needed to oversee the arrival of your requisition order, Aria. I must ensure there must be noplication that can befall us at this critical juncture."
"Thank you for your service, Helian." Aria gave her respect in return. Helian lightly smiles at the appreciation. "Speaking of your squadron, am I correct to assume that you have captured four UCAVs, still loaded with weapons, Morgan?"
"Aria was the one who did the hacking, yes. I have subverted the routines of the drones and they''re now inactive in one of 794''s hangars. I am thinking about researching the drones and seeing if I can convert them fully to support Gentiane here."
Pointing a finger at herself due to the sudden mentioning of her name, Gentiane queries in confusion. "Me?"
Smiling, Morgan replies. "Yes, you, Gentiane. You''re an air assault base, the UCAVs willplement your arsenal nicely if I can integrate them with your software. As for whether this is legal or not in your rule book, I have a feeling that the book will need some heavy revision soon." Morgan directs a nce at Helian, earning a nod from thedy.
"There''s a very high chance for that to happen." Massaging the bridge of her nose, Helian sighs. "The fact that Sangvis is sporting an unmanned Air Force is sure to blow the top off a few senior officials. Not to mention the enigma of the structure that is deep in the Carpathians."
Hearing thus far, Gentiane can onlyugh dryly. "If that''s the case, do you think we can request a Tunguska or a Shilka to bolster our force here?"
"While I am intrigued by the prospect, I highly doubt they will give us anything bigger than what we already have." Helian''s holographic image shrugged. "Now if you all will excuse me, I need to deal with a few papers. Thankfully the money spent on these munitions is sponsored by IOP." Helian''s image faded away soon after.
Knowing that it''s now their free time, Aria taps Morgan on her shoulder. "I will be over at the hangar to service our nes if you need me."
Kalina also skips over. "Can I join you too? I need to specify where to store the iing ordinances for Papasha to set everything up."
"Ok." Morgan waved at them. "See you two at dinner!" The pair replied affirmatively before they stepped outside themand room.
This leaves Gentiane, who is gazing at the digital map of the sector, and Morgan, who is stepping closer to the Commander, behind. Using the side of themand table as a support, Morgan leans her figure a bit closer to Gentiane. "So? Any thoughts about this operation of ours, Gentiane?"
Instead of replying immediately, Gentiane gives the map a few flicks, changing its setting. Sighing, the youngmander replies. "I think I could have done better. At the very least, I could have minimized the injuries my girls had taken. Sangvis is starting to adapt and I am afraid that our losses will be mounting to the point of irrecoverable if this drags on. An example will be the organizing of that CSAR mission earlier. It was a grueling ten minutes just to set up a ground convoy as I had never done that before. And before that, Echelon 3 was singled out without proper support linkage. Had I been paying more attention, the whole fiasco about Super 6-4 could have been prevented."
Smiling, Morgan says. "I think you''ve done a great job already. You''re a natural-born leader, Gentiane, so don''t sell yourself short, alright? Understandably, there''re better ways to fight this battle, but you will get there with enough time and experience in your pocket. You treat the girls well and they trust you and your cause with their lives. Thest thing they need is for you to punch yourself over matters that you can''t control. Nheless, a little bit of introspection every now and then is required to improve yourself, do keep that in mind."
Hearing the sincere appraisal of herself from Morgan, Gentiane finds herself smiling gratefully at the younger girl. "Thank you, Morgan... Wow, I think this is one of the few times where I am deeply touched by an assessment of myself. It''s oddly nice." Gentiane wasn''t lying. She is feeling warm and fuzzy when she gazes at their reassuring smile of Morgan. "Of course, I will take your advice under serious contemtion, Morgan. Perhaps one day, I can boldly announce that I am a worthy friend of the Reich Marshal, yeah?"
Though Gentiane intended thatst part as a jest, she is surprised when Morgan leans in closer, looking up at her in the eyes. "No, not perhaps, rather, you will be. That I can guarantee, Gentiane."
Gentiane blushes at that, taking Morgan''s words as very high praiseing from the most sessful female she has ever seen. The way she emphasizes it, the trust she shows in Gentianes''s ability, and that confident smile she is sporting on that pair of dainty lips... It has Gentiane feelings flustered inside like she is a girl meeting her lover for the very first time. It doesn''t help her case when Morgan has also been very supportive in the short time Gentiane has known her. And let''s not ignore the fact that Gentiane finds Morgan to be sexually attractive with a good personality to boot. Beating even the girls Gentiane''s in charge of in terms of, well, pretty much everything.
In short, Morgan is the perfect wife material a military could have ever wished for. Knowing that Morgan is in a polyamorous rtionship though, seems to have sealed the deal for Gentiane. Surprising both Morgan and even herself, Gentiane leans in capturing the pilot''s lips. It tastes, sweet. Sweeter than even the desserts that Springfield is very proud of.
That is until Gentiane''s logices crashing down and she realizes that she has overstepped her bounds, by a whole mile. Themander is just about to recoil back into an apologetic mess when Morgan disallows her from doing so by pulling Gentiane closer. The pilot''s tongue then invades Gentiane, forcing the girl to meekly fight back in a losing battle. Moans escape Gentiane''s lips as she struggles to amodate Morgan and the youngmander is reduced into a panting mess when they pull away.
Breathing in and out hot air, Gentiane can''t help but gaze dazedly at Morgan, lingering the longest in the glistening lips that defeated her in seconds. "That was..." Gentiane struggled to find words, letting Morgan finish the sentence for her.
"Divine?"
Nodding meekly with a heavy blush, Gentiane just lets Morgan takes the lead, herself still out of sort from their shared kiss. Morgan smirks while caressing Gentiane''s cheek. "Consider this an upfront reward for your effort thus far. If you continue to perform, well, there are more of that toe down the line."
"B-But...!" Gentiane suddenly protested. "I-I am sorry, but G36 and I... I can not fail her, nor the girls that look up to me by doing this. I am sorry..."
Understanding what Gentiane means, Morgan just giggles and points to the side. "I don''t have to worry about that if I were you."
Tentatively, Gentiane follows Morgan''s finger, only to nearly copse out of sheer embarrassment when she sees not one, not two, but multiple curious heads poking out the doorway to themand room. To name a few, there''s Aria with an understanding smile, a giggling Kalina, and worst of all, a G36 that is holding a smartphone. And despite thetter''s stern gaze, Gentiane can infer that G36 is very, very much enjoying what she has just seen.
Feeling a sudden sense of dread, themander in danger speaks up in a deliberate tone. "Uhm... G36, what are you doing with that phone?"
Instead of answering directly, the maid shows Gentiane the screen... It was a video of her kissing Morgan.
"... My social life is so dead, aren''t I?" Gentiane said dryly.
Surprisingly, G36 smirks. "Not quite, I do know a few girls, me included, will be d to see this. After all, you basically just confirmed that you''re open to polygamy. Now I won''t have to deal with keeping them at bay or waiting for you to take responsibility for the hearts you have stolen, Gentiane."
Looking up at G36, Gentiane questions. "Y-You''re fine with this, Centaureissi?! Isn''t this like cheating?"
Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, G36 answers. "It''s not cheating if the girl you Oathed approves of it, you know? Just continues to be you, and treats us well. That''s all we can ever ask of you."
G36 then pulls Gentiane into a hug, reassuring themander that she is, in fact, free to take in more wives. A weird circumstance to read on but that is, in all seriousness, the GFL universe in a nutshell. Unknowing to Gentiane, who is being smothered by her maid lover, both G36 and Morgan share a knowing wink at each other, saying in their mind.
RM Side Story 24: 8492nd (Part 18-1)
RM Side Story 24: 8492nd (Part 18-1)
Cutting away a small slice of ck Forest cake, Morgan brings it into her mouth, savoring its texture and taste before giving her honestment with a delighted expression. "This is marvelous! The texture and taste are truly exquisite! I must have the recipe, Kar98k!"
Sitting across the table, Kar98k sports a proud smile while nursing her coffee cup. She is visibly pleased that her baking skill has earned her a point from Morgan. "Thank you for your kind words, Morgan. And I will share my recipe through your tablet. While I may not be as well-versed in international cuisine as Springfield, I am very proud of my skill in German dishes. I did surprise you, have I not?"
Morgan giggles. "That you have, my fairdy." The pilot then takes another bite of the cake, clearly enjoying the soft, moist chocte sponge cakeyers with homemade whipped cream frosting and a sweet-sour cherry topping. While Morgan is having the time of her life, Kar98k diverts her attention to the side, seeing the parked Arias being serviced by Aria herself, Kalina, and a few T-Dolls led by Papasha.
After Kar98k was fixed up, she immediately borrowed Springfield''s cafeteria to whip up her ck Forest cake. Knowing that Morgan and her lover were hard at work in the hangar, Kar98k brought the cake there, sharing it with both the pilots and T-Dolls alike. All of them gave her their sincerepliments and smiles but once their slices were finished, Aria immediately set them back to work. Funnily enough, Morgan was booted out by her lover despite the former''s protest. Apparently, Aria didn''t take too kindly of Morgan trying to join in doingborious work. In this case, it''s the work of mounting new weapons onto Base 794''s air fleet. It''s why Kar98k and Morgan are sitting on the sideline right now. Morgan was pouting at first, wanting to help the others, but Kar98k''s shared with her thest of the cake, easily pacifying the young pilot.
To be honest, it''s a heartwarming sight for Kar98k to see her savior enjoying her baking. It''s to such an extent that Morgan even let out a very beautiful smile, one that nearly causes Kar98k''s Neural Cloud to freeze up. Of course, Kar98k has saved and stored that particr smile for future reference. Like the soldiers of old and now are still doing, Kar98k will print out a picture with that smile, tucking it in the breast pocket of her uniform. Morgan''s smile will be her personal good luck charm on the field. On a side note, Kar98k must admit that the pilot''s charm is extremely lethal in close proximity. It''s no wonder that the more, promiscuous girls of 794 are in a rut due to her. The sadomasochistic PPK is an extreme example but is a good one nheless. Kar98k wonder just how girls like PPK will react if she shows Morgan''s smile to them.
Will their Neural Clouds just crash and burn like she almost did?
Thinking that far, Kar98k can''t help but let out a soft chuckle, getting a raise of her eyebrow from Morgan. Kar98k shakes her head, reassuring Morgan that there''s nothing of note. The rifle-wieldingdy can''t exactly say her n out loud now, can''t she?
All of a sudden, the base internal broadcast system is activated. Through the speakers installed in the hangar, Gentiane''s grave voice can be heard.
"Kalina, Avalon Squadron, and Echelon 4, please report to themand center immediately. We have a situation."
Both Morgan and Kar98k share a look, with Kar98k nodding. "You should go, I will clean this up for you."
Offering an apologetic smile, Morgan stands up. "Thank you for everything, Kar98k! See youter!"
And with that, the pilots and the base''s logistical officer vacate the hangar. Kar98k thinks to herself that something big is happening, making Gentiane''s voice deadly serious.
"I wish you luck, Avalon Squadron." Kar98k prayed. She herself was not even sure to whom, however.
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"Commander, video connection with Echelon 1 is re-established." The first thing that Morgan, Aria, and member of Echelon 4 see is Kalina calling out to Gentiane the moment they arrive at themand center.
"On screen!" Gentiane said, prompting Kalina to pull up a video feed on arge disy.
On therge screen, they can see SCAR-L looking back at them with a metallic Sangvis backdrop. "This is Echelon 1 requesting immediate extraction from Sangvis territory! LZ Alpha and Bravo arepromised and are too far away! We''vemandeered a train to get us as far away from the Carpathians as possible but we''re being pursued by an unknown number of enemy units! Be advised, we have crucial intelligence that necessitates a physical handover. I repeat we need an evac out to secure vital intelligence against a possible WMD!"
Everyone, including Morgan and Aria, are surprised at that revtion. Thest thing everyone expected to hear is that Sangvis has ess to WMD. Helian, who has now returned to Base 794 after doing her paperwork, immediately interjects with a stern voice. "This is Chief Helianthus, repeat yourst, Echelon 1, WMD?"
Suddenly, the train SCAR-L and her team are in is hit by something, causing a metallic groan and explosion to be heard as the team stabilizes themselves due to the subsequent shock. While the others take up a position to secure the integrity of the train and to prevent any boarding party, SCAR-L continues with her report. "We pulled the data package in their main hub, which include simtions and schematics of a weapon. Though to do that, we were forced to trigger Sangvis'' rm, inadvertently painting a target on our backs. Nheless, from what we could infer during our grace period, it''s a giant instation that is hidden inside a mountain! HiPer theorized that this is probably a reactivated Relic, intending to be used as a weapon instation by Sangvis. Chief, it''s unlike any weapon we have ever seen so far, but the devastation it can bring will be enough to bring a city back to the stone age!"
Helian lets out a rare, low curse. "Damn it! That''s truly thest thing we need right now... Hang tight, we''re extrapting good extraction LZ for your team."
Morgan, who has been making herself useful while they''re talking, instantly highlighted a location. "Judging from the speed they''re going and how hot the pursuit is already, I say we pick this clearing just outside a forest due North of their position. In case they have to abandon the train, the route leading to that LZ has enough cover for a fight and retreat maneuver."
"Good choice of an LZ, now to actually send a helo to them..." Helian said, leading Gentiane to add. "That location is still very close to the heart of Sangvis, even with the cover of the night, trying to extract them is no different than suicide for our pilots!"
Morgan interjects in a joking manner though her expression clearly says otherwise. "Then is it a bad idea for me to say that only one Aria is fully loaded with munition? The other is not even armed due to the untimeliness of this situation. Though we can also send the drones topensate."
Helian pinches the bridge of her nose at that. "Gosh, what I wouldn''t give for a normal operation for once. Even if we have everything in the air, there''s no telling whether our helos will be safe."
Something else evidentially has stricken SCAR-L''s train again, only this time she is almost knocked off her feet. "I sincerely wish that the evac n can be decided soon because they are bringing out the big guns from the look of it."
"There''s not much time for them left. Regardless of the risk, we will have to deploy our birds. We need to learn everything we can on that WMD." Gentianemented.
Morgan takes another look at the map before saying. "I think we can pull this off, however, I will need two Pave Hawks for this. One piloted by me and another with immacte control over another. Aria here and her drones will be providing us with overwatch and CAS while we pick up Echelon 1. Echelon 4 will be for ground security. How does that sound?"
"This is your base, Gentiane." Helian deferred the choice to Gentiane with respect to her authority as the basemander.
"On such short notice, that''s the best we can do. As for the other pilot, I can transfer BM59 to be under yourmand Morgan. She is actually the best heli pilot we have despite her field experience."
"Good to know. Aria and I will prep for takeoff while the girls get ready. SCAR-L, good luck." SCAR-L nods as the train is shaken once again. "Same goes for you, Morgan."
Morgan turns and shares a nod with Aria before the pair leaves themand room with haste.
"G36, you and your echelon prep for sortie also. I have a feeling we won''t be getting any wink of sleep tonight." Gentiane wryly smiled at G36 who return it before performing a curtsy. The maid then leads her echelon out to grab theirbat gears. Turning back to SCAR-L who is turned around to give an order to SCAR-H, Gentiane then says. "SCAR-L, help is on the way so you need to double-time to the new LZ. Disconnect for now and focus on getting you and your team out, alive! If any of you dare to die on me, I will kill you myself the next time you reboot. Capiche?"
Snapping out a salute, SCAR-L replies. "Understood, Commander. Over and out."
The screen then goes dark, showing a shing video feed terminated font.
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With thems link cut, SCAR-L immediately turns around and snaps a few shots with her namesake rifle out a hole in the train cart''s wall, hitting the head of a Dragoon and killing her in the process. The armed walker, having lost its rider, stumbles, and crashes on the ground before SCAR-L loses sight of it. All along the length of the train, many such holes are presented due to iing fire from Sangvis'' forces. Having been alerted that Team FN has stolen ssified intelligence, Sangvis will stop at nothing to ensure their destruction.
Running along the length of the train and to the sound of gunfire, SCAR-L regroups with the rest of her team that is manning their makeshift firing ports. Sliding to a hole, melted by Sangvis'' energy weapon butrge enough for her to rest her rifle on, SCAR-L takes aim and engages another pair of Dragoons. Only this time, the Dragoons expected the retaliation and swiftly maneuver their walkers out of the way. Not just that, they return fire with their sma machine guns, sshing against what''s left of the armored on the cart but enough to cause SCAR-L to pull back.
While the attention of the Dragoons is pulled by SCAR-L, SCAR-H peaks out from another firing port and engages them at a different angle. Scoring squarely in the heads of the Dragoons, exploding their heads and eliminating the source of suppression on SCAR-L.
"Thanks!" SCAR-L turned to her sister who was changing for a fresh magazine. "You alright?" SCAR-L noticed that her elder sister had lost the white cap she tucked beneath her hood, letting her blond hair flow freely.
"Bitches singed my favorite cap." SCAR_Hined while pulling the charging handle on her sniper rifle.
Seeing that her sister is still able to joke about being shot at, SCAR-L breathes out in relief. "Yeah well, your wardrobe has like five other of the same design. It''s no big deal losing one."
Instead of replying, SCAR-H rolls her eyes before mounting her rifle on the firing port, unleashing a few suppressed shots at the chasing them. From the look of it, her shots are doing God''s work too for SCAR-L can vaguely hear more crashes and burns. Utilizing this chance, SCAR-L searches for the rest of her team.
HiPer is in the samepartment with SCAR-H and her, loading up SCAR-L''s expended magazines with new rounds with deft fingers. The others, P90 and SCAR-SC, are probably running all over the train to put out either fires or pursuers. Activating the Zener Network, SCAR-L says. "P90, SCAR-SC, SITREP!"
"This is P90! Sangvis is boarding the rear carts! SCAR-SC and I are working on disconnecting them to hold them off!" P90 hastily responded over her own suppressive fire at a doorway leading to the lead carts.
"SCAR-SC here, maic locks are disengaging... Done! The rear carts are disconnected and are falling behind." Her younger sister said excitedly. "Come on, P90! We need to get to a more defensible location!"
"Ammo status, you two?" SCAR-L interjected.
"Not doing so hot on that front." P90 replied. "We''re just about going to semi-auto just to conserve our ammo. And that''s a nightmarish prospect for us SMGs."
"All members, conserve your ammo." SCAR-L said to everyone. "Command has given us a new exfil with two birds to pick us up. Rejoice, for one of the birds is flown by Morgan while Aria is our CAS. Standby for map update."
SCAR-L then shares the exfiltration vector with the team. Prompting HiPer, who is passing the refilled mags to SCAR-H, speaks aloud. "Isn''t that LZ only 10 minutes out from our current position? We will be getting there in no time and there''s still a lot of Sangvis chasing us!"
SCAr-H chimes in. "She is right. I''ve never seen this many Dragoons and Scouts before. If we dismount the train, we risk being run over due to us being on foot while they have walkers and hover drones."
"That''s what I am worried about too." SCAR-L sighed before speaking over Zener. "However, I think I have an idea."
The pair sharing her cart raises their eyebrows at SCAR-L. The girl in question just speaks over Zener. "SC, you said that we have a cart full of those Dragoon walkers. Do we still have it?"
What she hears in return is the sound of sma impacts and suppressed gunfire before SC replies after a few seconds. "A bit busy here sis, but yes! We still have that cart and it''s the cart next to you, why?"
"I want us to ride them to get the Hell out of Dodge!" SCAR-L gave her reason, leading SC to shout. "What, are you insane?! Have any of us ever been certified to pilot an armed walker?!"
"It''s either that or we risk going on foot and being surrounded! Can you do it or not?" SCAR-L fired back, both words and guns at Scout trying to approach their train.
"NO...! Maybe!? YES!!! I need HiPer to help me though!" SCAR-SC''s Digimind ran a thousand miles a minute to formte that response.
SCAR-L turns to HiPer. "Go help that sister of mine, HiPer! We don''t have much time!"
The girl nods before dashing down the metallic hallway. Along the way, a Dragoon decides to jump onto an opening in the wall that was created by sma fire, finding purchase on an extended piece of railings. Unfortunately for her, HiPer is nearby and she has pulled out one of her pistols and vibrode. With the de held in a reverse grip in her left hand, HiPer stabs the de into the shoulder of the Dragoon, forcing her to drop her sma pistol. Not finishing just yet, HiPer brings up her pistol in between the dted optical pupils of the Dragoon, and with an executioner''s expression, she pulls the trigger.
As the corpse of the Dragoon is now rolling hard on the ground like a tumbleweed, HiPer has rejoined with SCAR-SC in the cargo cart. There, the pair goes to work on bringing the walkers online. SCAR-SC takes up an operational terminal to disable the software restriction while HiPer starts removing the physical locks on the walkers'' legs. While they''re trying to break the restrictions as fast as they can, P90 suddenly runs into the cart, hastily closing the metallic door behind her after tossing something behind it. A muffled bang can be heard on the other end.
Though she looks a bit worse for wear, P90 isn''t sporting any visible injury from what HiPer can see. "Hi!" The squirrel of the team waved at them before moving to a corner to reload her SMG with another 50-round magazine. "I tried to hold them off but whenever I reload, they kept gaining ground. A few of them have already boarded the train so I sealed off the corridor with EMP and incendiary grenades. It will only buy us a couple of minutes or so, however." Chambering a new bullet for her namesake gun, P90 stands guard while the others are at work.
"This is SCAR-L, we''re less than five mikes away from the dismount point. You girls done yet?"
SCAR-SC replies immediately. "HiPer has removed the physical locks. I will be needing another minute to crack the software, however. But now will be a good time to get back here, sisters."
"Copy that, we''re moving." Half a minuteter, SCAR-H opens the door to the cargo while being covered by SCAR-L. Thetter suppresses the Sangvis boarding party until she is tapped on the shoulder by her big sis. Firing thest of her magazine before retreating under the covering fire from SCAR-H, SCAR-L then starts to close the door when they''re in the clear, not forgetting to chuck another incendiary at Sangvis for good measure.
With Team FN all ounted for, SCAR-SC seals the entrances into this cart before making the train go way above the safety limit. The sudden speed increase causes the carts to shake and the others to inquisitively look at the SCAR-SC.
The carbine-wielding girl just smirks. "Just something for Sangvis to clean up after us. Now get yourself on a walker, should be like a kid''s ride, hopefully." All of them then proceed to pull the hoods of their cloaks up and mount a walker of their own. After making sure that everything is set, SCAR-SC turns to her team. "Once the ramp is lowered, we will be seeing a lot of Sangvis movement so use the walkers'' machine guns to clear a path. They''re set to aim at wherever you look so just fire away. Ready?"
All of them nod in return so SCAR-SC triggers the ramp mechanism, lowering it and allowing them to see the speeding terrain and a group of Scouts that is inbound on an intercept path. SCAR-L doesn''t waste a second and order. "Engage!"
Commanding their walkers, Team FN unleashes a withering hail of sma projectiles at the Scouts while jumping out of the moving train. True to their concepts, the Scouts are lightly armored so they stand no chance against the heavy armaments aboard the walkers. With their way forward clear, Team FN starts moving away from the train as it''s moving too fast to perform that sharp turn that''s ahead of it. The echelon watches as the train they were on derailed, crashing and tumbling into a gigantic heap of metals while they were making their way into the forest. SCAR-H evenughs at the sight, swearing that she can see the dumbfounded look on a few Dragoons unlucky enough to be caught in the crash.
The sudden change from a railroad to a crash-and-burn scenic trip seems to have caught Sangvis off-guard as Team FN isn''t spotting any pursuer. Utilizing the unexpected breather and the walkers'' extreme all-terrain maneuverability, SCAR-L''s echelon is quickly approaching the LZ. Possibly even ahead of schedule, SCAR-L thought to herself wistfully.
Suddenly, something explodes right in the middle of Team FN''s formation. Thest thing SCAR-L remembers is her being knocked off the walker as it''s sent flying into the air. After that, everything just fades to ck.
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It''s a weird feeling, to be able to feel that someone is moving you, trying to help you, yet, you aren''t really awake. Your consciousness is stuck in a weird sort of limbo that while it''s registering external inputs, your mind can''t process most of it due to sudden traumas. SCAR-L is experiencing just the same, only that she is also feeling tired and drowsy and is unable to formte any response to the stimulus. She can''t quite put a finger on why she is stuck in this state of fluctuating level of consciousness, but she does know that her body has taken severe damage. It''s the only logical exnation for this peculiar state.
Fortunately for SCAR-L, whoever is helping her is doing a good job of bringing back her consciousness from that limbo. And as more and more of her focus is brought back, SCAR-L is slowly regaining control of her body. A gasp escapes her lips as her olfactory module struggles to process the ashen air, polluted with the smell of ozone and leaked cont fluids. SCAR-L tries to stand up in reflex but immediately falters. She is supported by someone when before hitting the dirt, however. And when her optical sensors, her eyes, have adjusted their focus, SCAR-L realized that the person that has been patching her up is HiPer. Team FN''s spotter and medic.
"You need to stay down, SCAR-L! Let me finish patching your wounds first!" HiPer has clearly seen better days. A horrendous scorch mark scarred her face while her left arm, from the elbow down, is burned away and revealing the mechanical body beneath the artificial skin. Fortunately or not, she still retains some semnce of motor capability with the injured hand. SCAR-L''s heart bleeds, however, at the sight of one of her sisters being damaged this badly. She struggles a bit but is finally able to form a few words. "W-Where... are the others?" SCAR-L''s voice came off as much more synthetic and less natural than before. If she can even trust her hearing to not be messed up in the first ce.
Though HiPer can''t really form an expression due to the scar that marred her face, her eyes are still able to convey the relief she is feeling. "Aside from the both of us, the others escaped that missile st with minor injuries. You, however, are the one hit the hardest due to your close proximity to the explosion. As much as it pained me to inform you, you have lost your legs, SCAR-L. I''ve taken the liberty to disable your pain receptor altogether as it has taken damage too. It''s why you aren''t feeling any pain when you should have. I was afraid the errors the pain receptor returned would do more harm than good."
Raising her head to look at the stumps that are what''s left of her legs, SCAR-L can only lower her head down with an annoyed, mechanical sigh. "And I was liking my cape... sted Sangvis scums!"
HiPer chuckles at the notion that SCAR-L is more frustrated about the camouge cape that Morgan gave her than the fact that she just lost her legs. "I''m d that you feel the same as I do then. My cape burned up pretty bad but it saved me from most of the st fragments."
SCAR-L tries to smile. "Can we ask her to make more for us? Say, a daytime and a night-time cape?"
Trying to keep the conversation going while fixing up whatever she can, HiPer replies. "We can submit an order for her..." Going on to reworking SCAR-L''s cont system, HiPer continues. "When we get back alive. There, this is the best I can do."
HiPer appears apologetic for not being able to help SCAR-L much. Nheless, the leader of Echelon 1 is still very grateful. Hence, she returns a smile and takes in the intact hand of HiPer, squeezing it reassuringly. HiPer eyes twinkle in glee despite the grim situation they''re in. The medic of the team then crouches walks to a corner of their hiding ce, an old cabin in the woods, and retrieves something for SCAR-L. The girl is surprised and happy to see that her namesake assault rifle is still intact, minus the blemishes on the paint job.
"I''ve checked the integrity of your rifle," HiPer said while handing over the gun to SCAR-L''s outstretched hands. "She''s a bit banged up..."
SCAR-L finishes up the sentence for HiPer. "But she will get the job done." Both girls share a smile before they''re rudely interrupted by the door mming open.
HiPer turns into a swirl and dashes at the intruder with her vibrode in hand while SCAR-L aims her rifle at the unexpected guest. And as HiPer raises her de to the neck of the intruder while diverting their weapon away from them, the intruder shouts in a feminine voice with a surrendering gesture. "Friendly! Friendly!"
The air in the cabin seems to still as both HiPer and SCAR-L take a closer look at the new arrival. Now that they focus their attention on the girl, there''s an IFF tag that denotes her as SCAR-H. Lowering her rifle with a heavy sigh, SCAR-L can''t help but admonish her big sister. "Aren''t you taught how to knock before youe in a house, sis?"
SCAR-H pulls down the hood of her cape while rolling her eyes. "Well excuse me when I don''t have the time to knock! We need to relocate, now! SC and P90 are holding them back for now but not for long as they''re very low on their primaries. If we linger here any longer than we should, we risk being cut off from the LZ altogether."
HiPer adds. "The LZ is only a kilometer away, we can make it in time for the rendezvous if we move now."
"And of course, we won''t be leaving you behind, SCAR-L. So don''t even think about it!" SCAR-H cut off the words that SCAR-L was just about to say. Smiling wryly, SCAR-L can only helplessly shrugs. "One of you will have to either drag me or carry me out then."
Surprisingly, it''s HiPer that answers. "Considering that you''re half of the girl you used to be right now, I have fashioned a strap that allows me to carry you on my back!" Having said that, HiPer shows them the strap she made from the materialsying around while SCAR-H fails to muffle her giggle at that side jab HiPer made.
"Haha... Very funny you two." The pair justugh at SCAR-L''s expense before SCAR-H helps situate her sister on HiPer''s back. The strap is made so that SCAR-L is looking in the opposite way of HiPer, allowing her to use her rifle to engage hostilesing at them from behind. They finish fixing SCAR-L in ce not a moment too soon as SCAR-SC and P90 bust into the cabin.
"Come on, girls! We don''t have all day!" P90 said while discarding her namesake SMG for her sidearm, an FN 5.7. Coincidentally, Team FN''s sidearms are either the FN 5.7 or the FN HiPer for bullet and magazinepatibility. SCAR-SC seems to have a magazine or two left for her namesake carbine so she hasn''t switched out yet.
The team shares a nod before both SCAR-H and SCAR-SC toss out smoke grenades on the way to the LZ. When the smoke cloud growsrge enough, the team dashes out of the cabin in a triangle formation with HiPer and SCAR-L in the center with SCAR-H taking point and P90 and SCAR-SC shoring up the rear. The moment they run out of the cabin, however, it''s lit up by multiple sma bolts, decimating and setting the whole ce on fire. It''s only when a few Prowlers spot Team FNing out of the smoke cloud and alert the rest of Sangvis that they stop firing at the log cabin.
SCAR-H curses when she notices that some Prowlers and Scouts are moving to cut off their retreat. It''s impertinent that they must be stopped so she raises her namesake rifle and engages the ground drones while running. Despite the suppressive fire from the machine guns of the Prowlers, SCAR-H is still able to engage the drones with deadly uracy, shutting down either their central processing unit or the gun itself. Behind her, SCAR-L, SCAR-SC, and P90 are busied with removing the T-Dolls pursuers. Rippers and Vespids chase them with restless abandon and it takes thebined firepower of an assault rifle, a carbine, a pistol, and a few grenades of different types, just to hold them back, barely.
HiPer, being the only one who hasn''t engaged yet, reports. "100 meters to the LZ!"
Despite the good news, the team is just too upied to formte a response. Suddenly, SCAR-L detects a hazard and is quick to warn the rest. "Nemeum!"
Just a single word is quick to force the team to immediately jump and disperse in every direction. Unfortunately, HiPer, with SCAR-L on her back, is a tad too slow to fully escape the shockwave of the biped railgun''s attack. The pair isunched forward into the air as the strap HiPer fabricated is broken, sending both HiPer and SCAR-L in different directions. SCAR-H, who has recovered from her ducking movement, lies on her back and opens fire at the Nemeum. Her armor-piercing rounds make short work of the major threat before she stands up, providing covering fire for the others to regroup.
"Quickly! Pick them up!" entuated by the suppressed return fires from SCAR-H, P90, and SCAR-SC hurriedly move to help HiPer get back up on her feet. P90 then moves off to hold SCAR-L up, dragging her back with one hand while the other is used to shoot at Sangvis scums with her pistol. HiPer and SCAR-SC assume a defensive posture with SCAR-SC moving to tap SCAR-H''s shoulder, thus exchanging their position. SCAR-H goes to reload her rifle while SCAR-SC takes the rear, using herst magazine to urately engage the Rippers that are rushing at them.
HiPer supports her team by using two of her namesake pistols and conservatively engaging the nearest enemy, always going for the heads or the more obvious weapons they''re holding. If she can''t kill them, then it''s best to disable their means of attack.
SCAR-L fares the worse in her team though. That railgun round did a number on her left arm, making it unserviceable. Thus, the team leader is engaging the fast-moving Sangvis with nothing but one hand, holding up a full-sized assault rifle. And trust SCAR-L when she says that it''s a pain to reload her rifle with nothing but one hand while she''s injured. When she used up herst mag, SCAR-L discards her namesake and pulls out a HiPer pistol instead, immediately donking a Ripper that breaks past their line of fire in the head. SCAR-L is not the only one forced to discard her primary for SCAR-SC is also out, bringing out an FN 5.7 instead.
With only SCAR-H as the only viable rifle wielder to still have ammo, the five-girl echelon now has a remarkedly reduction in firepower. A matter that Sangvis is quick to capitalize on and their ferocious assault is intensified. By the time they make it to the clearing outside the forest which is their LZ, Sangvis is just about to run them over when rockets rain down from the sky, exploding in the middle of the enemy formations. Limbs and heads get sent sky high as Team FN can''t help but look up to see an armed Pave Hawk flying overhead afterpleting its rocket run, the door gunners on the Pave Hawk use their GAU-21s toy down suppressive fire while they''re flying over the enemy.
Then, from behind them, another two bright streams of .50 caliber tracers nket the tree line. It''s another Pave Hawk that is going down for anding approach. The pilot of said Pave Hawk is none other than BM59, a girl they''re familiar with back in Base 794. Knowing that it''s their chance, Team FN quickly makes their way to thended Pave Hawk. Three passengers of the Pave Hawk also dismounted, and led by G36, the group moves to secure both the LZ and the extractees.
While thended Pave Hawk is securing Team FN, the one that strafed Sangvis earlier is lowering its altitude after circling back,ing in for another attack run. It''s a surprise to Echelon 1 when the IFF designated the attack helo as Morgan. It sure brings smiles to their faces when Morgan lights up the forest by unleashing a relentless hail of 30mm HEDP shells from the two outer pylon-mounted M230 Chain Guns. The incessant thumping of autocannon fires and explosions going off is no different than a revitalizing orchestra for Team FN. Very soon, Team FN has boarded their extraction ride and BM59 announces that she is gaining altitude. And together with Morgan''s helo, they make for a hasty evac with Aria providing a protective umbre with her captured UCAVs.
Being secured into a seat by G36, SCAR-L is quick to offer her thanks to the maid, the rest of Echelon 4, and BM59 that have taken up the dangerous task of pulling them out of Sangvis''. She then connects to Morgan''s flight, speaking to the daring mortal pilot that has no doubt volunteered herself to lead this CASEVAC operation.
"Morgan?" SCAR-L asked over the Zener Network. Despite her battle-worn body, she sounds spirited. "I''m not sure that simple thank you will suffice..."
Giggling amidst the sound of rotor des, Morgan replies. "I''m not picky about my remuneration, SCAR-L. Since we''re friends here, just your sincere gratefulness is enough for me."
"Aliana." SCAR-L suddenly said, surprising herself and her teammates.
"Yes?" Morgan asked back, not sure what she meant by that.
"... Aliana. That''s my real name." SCAR-L let out a smile.
"... Aliana, huh? Noble. Gracious. Bright. Beautiful... It''s a fitting name for you." Morgan said sincerely, making Aliana break into a sunny smile despite everything that happened to her earlier.
"Thank you..." Aliana leans back in her seat. "Sorry that we ruined your capes, Morgan."
The pilot justugh, not minding the fact that her works were destroyed or damaged. "Don''t worry about that. They''ve served their purpose and getting you all out, alive. That''s what matters here. Now get some rest, all of you. You have been through a lot so thest thing we need at debrief is for someone to shut down due to battle fatigue.
Aliana giggles but ultimatelyplies and closes her eyes. The others of the team seem to be doing the same while Echelon 4 maintain a close eye on their surrounding.
The flight home is uneventful, much to the relief of everyone involved.
RM Side Story 24: 8492nd (Part 18-2)
RM Side Story 24: 8492nd (Part 18-2)
"That so call WMD of yours," Morgan, together with Aria, the officers of G&K, and members of Echelon 1, are gathering next to the repair bay designated for SCAR-L, otherwise known as Aliana. "Is not a true weapon per se. Rather, it''s a derelict terraforming device that was haphazardly reactivated and weaponized into a ground-based,ary bombardment instation of sorts."
After Echelon 1 has been safely extracted back to Base 794, they dropped off the captured data onto Morgan. The pilot has been quick to analyze it and is now disseminating the information to the parties involved in the mission earlier. Even Aliana, whose legs are being worked on by HiPer, tunes in to the briefing.
"Terraforming device?" Helian perked up at that. "As in the hypothetical machine that can help transforms to be more suited for human beings?"
Morgan then makes a finger gun at Helian. "You got that one half-correct, Helian. The terraforming device is coded for an alien species. Its terraforming process, when finished, will make Earth unhabitable for humankind. Hence it took Sangvis almost no trouble at all to convert it to suit their more sinister needs. From what I can see, however, the origin of this device is unknown. As in it bears no resemnce to the architecture of the Relics of your world. As for what its effects are when deploy..."
Morgan then inputs amand, running the holographic simtion of the instation in action for all to see. She then exins further for the rest. "To put it inyman''s terms, the weapon will fire a beam of energy into the atmosphere, thus generating a powerful lightning storm in the targeted area. There is an approximately 12-second dy before the lightning storm cloud is visible. 2 seconds after that, the lightning boltsmence. The duration of the strike is proportional to how much energy has been discharged from the instation. Due to the nature of the highly energetic storm, it''s safe to say that all technologies in the affected area will be disabled. You can even make the argument that just a single rain droplet in the storm is enough to short-circuit most handheld devices as it''s that vtile. I need not exin how much devastation this will bring upon an army group or a popted city, no?"
The others frown, seeing the holographic projection of a storm cloud striking thunders on a hypothetical city. Helian, on her part, has a grave expression. "Just this alone is enough to cripple a nation. If Sangvis is able to get this thing online, then the war is lost before it even started."
Morgan scratches her cheek with a wry smile at that. Aria, who is the most intimate with Morgan, knows that she isn''t done with the news train. "There''s more to this, right?"
The others turn to Morgan at the question. Sighing, Morgan helplessly nods. "In a way, a terraforming device is a God''s toy. Sangvis is basically holding a gun at humanity''s head by retrofitting such a device for a more sinister purpose. And the thing is, it''s alreadypleted. The only thing left is for Sangvis to test-fire it a month from now. A timeframe that is no doubt has been moved up ahead of schedule after the shenanigan we pulledst night."
"Well, this is just great." Gentiane sighed, suddenly being confronted with the fact that there was a timer on their heads.
"So... What does this mean to us?" P90 asked with an unsure smile.
HiPer answers while attaching a new leg for Aliana. "It means that we have to destroy it as soon as possible, regardless of the cost."
"Yikes... And we just barely got out of that alive." P90 copsed onto a spare bed with a thud. It''s not just her but also the other members of Team FN who are sporting various degrees of battle fatigues.
Kalina, who is helping HiPer pass her the necessary toolings, asks Helian. "Chief, can''t we bring the Army in since this is obviously way above our paycheck."
Helian nods, saying. "I am nning to right after this. However, there''s still the matter that Sangvis will be able to detect the Army''s response force from miles away. Sending in the Army may just force Sangvis to act even faster now."
"But at least we will be able to get whatever help we can. The government may even be willing to loosen the equipment restriction on ourpany." Gentiane added. "But then again, it may not amount to much when Sangvis literally has the biggest gun. I am deeply afraid for my girls when they decide to unleash a storm of lightning above their heads."
SCAR-SC chimes in. "If the Army isn''t the way then why can''t the Soviets use their Air Force? I reckon they can bomb everything if they invest enough."
Morgan shakes her head, pulling out theyout of the instation hosting the weapon. "A bombing mission won''t be enough. Sangvis literally hollowed out a mountain to hide the weapon. They also set up defensive AA positions and CIWSs all over the mountain range and I doubt this map you gave me showed the full picture of what to be expected. Short of nuking the area, which I highly doubt they will choose to do due to the fallout, the only option left is to mount a major,bined-arms operation to flush Sangvis out of the Carpathians. The only downside is just like what Helian said, they will see thising."
Aliana, who is already on a bed, sighs mncholy. "If only we didn''t need to spring that rm to get that data package. Perhaps we would have time to formte a better response."
SCAR-H, who is leaning by her sister''s headrest, pats Aliana on the shoulder in silentfort. Aliana responds by bringing grasping SCAR-H''s hand with her refurbished arm. The members of G&K aren''t sure about how to proceed. Seeing them in deep thought like that, Morgan and Aria share a knowing look.
It seems like their time hase.
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Despite brainstorming for ideas from early daybreak tillte evening, the G&K staff all agree that with the limited options they have avable, it''s better to warn the government first. As such, Helian has forwarded everything they have to the man-in-charge of G&K, Berezovich Kryuger himself. And using his connection as a retired military officer and formermander of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Neo-Soviet, Kryuger is quick to alert the top brass of the Neo-USSR of the new development. Words fly around that they are appalled and a fire is lit under their seats while they hastily discussed countermeasures to this new threat. A threat that may blow up in their face as it can invoke WW4 and the world as they know it will end.
Kryuger has ordered that all sectors are to be on alert and standby for further directives, Base 794 is also not an exception to this order. As such, it''s shocked both Gentiane and Helian, who are resting for the night in their quarters, when Kalina barges into their rooms, screaming the question. "Why is it that the 8492nd Squadron is taking off!? Avalon is not responding to any of my hail and is taxing on the runway right now!"
"WHAT!?" Both Helian and Gentiane hastily put on their coats before dashing for the ATC tower. Something is wrong and they need to know what.
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"This is Commander Gentiane to the 8492nd Avalon Squadron! You better give me a damn good reason why the hell you woke me up to an unauthorized take-off procedure! In the middle of the night no less!" Gentiane nearly screamed over the openedms channel when she saw the Arias performing their vertical takeoff maneuver. Turning to Kalina, Gentiane questions. "You were thest to talk with them. What were they doing then?"
Kalina scratches her head. "Well, Papasha and I were helping them rearm their nes ording to their specification. Back then, they didn''t seem like they will do something like this!"
Suddenly, a charmingugh is heard from the other end of thems channel. "Don''t me Kalina or Papasha, Gentiane. It''s not our intention to let you girls know about what we will be doing soon. Had you known about our intention, I doubt you would let us sortie."
Gentiane looks outside, seeing the Arias already hovering above the air, leveling their altitude to that of the height of the ATC tower. While Gentiane and Helian can''t see the pilots due to the armor ting on the cockpit, they have a feeling that both Morgan and Aria are staring right back at them. "You say you''re sortieing, but for what? There''s no ongoing mission nor is there any distress call. Unless..."
Helian finishes that sentence. "You want to deal with the weapon, alone."
Morgan chuckles. "Technically not alone as I have Aria with me, mind you. And in case you''ve forgotten, both of us are here to deal with an anomaly, one that does not belong in this world''s destiny. By now, you should have guessed what I mean."
Gentiane frows, replying with clear frustration in her voice. "That terraforming device is the anomaly, isn''t it?" She breathes out. "Even so! You two can''t just go at this without support! That''s no different than suicide!"
It''s Aria that answers Gentiane''s exmation. "We are more than enough, Gentiane. If that instation is not of this world, then we just deal with it on our own terms."
"In other terms, fight fire with fire." Morgan added with a patience and kind tone. "I know you''re worried, about us. But you must understand that we are tasked with a mission, one that revolves around the fate of your world. We can''t just sit on oururels now that we learned those new information. And if this world is unfit to defend itself, then we will pick up the ck, alone if we have to. I am not gonna let the friends I''ve made along the way, perish due to some godforsaken reasons." Aria also hums in acknowledgment of thest sentence.
The others in the tower feel their heart sink at the assertion. They also feel ted that the pilots once again confirmed the new bonds they''ve helped create. Yet, what they''re feeling the most right now is none other than frustration. One that''s born out of theircking strength and not being able to support theirrades in defending the world that''s not theirs to begin with. And while they''re not sure what to say in return to Morgan''s assertion, the door to the ATC tower is swung open as familiar faces pour in.
"Morgan!" Aliana shouted while running toward the viewing windows. She is followed by the rest of Team FN and even Kar98k. Kar98k looks at the G&K officers and nods with a wry smile. "Sorry, madams, I tried to advise them but, as you can see..." Kar98k gestures toward Echelon 1, earning knowing nods from the human officers.
"Morgan! Aria! You don''t need to do this on your own!" Aliana shouted at the hovering aircraft. "Surely we can work out something together, one that doesn''t involve you two flying in the dark!"
A brief silence follows after Aliana''s intrusion before a mncholy sigh is heard. "You girls should be in bed right now... But I guess it would be impossible for you to not wake up after this upheaval movement." Morgan jested.
The young pilot then continues. "As I have said, we are here to fulfill our mission, securing a future for this world, for you. And during our short stay here, we have managed to befriend and even fight together with you, the shining beacons in a brave new world." Morgan then stops before chuckling. "We managed to even snag a love interest or two! I am looking at you, Gentiane, and a few others who are being very vague in their feelings. Hence I can speak for both myself and Aria that this world, while not exactly our home, is worth fighting for due to the experiences we have along the way."
Gentiane, though she blushes at being called out, smiles sadly. "But didn''t you two say that you will return to your homeworld when you''re done here? That will give me-, us no chance at all to confirm our feelings."
Morgan giggles. "I did say that, yes. And it''s true that we will need to return almost immediately."
That confirmation pained the heart of Gentiane and Echelon 1 while the others presented can only sigh forlornly. "But I never said anything about not returning, no?" Morgan suddenly asked in a cheeky manner. "Or I did and I forgot about it?"
It takes a whole five seconds for the group to register and react. "No, you surely did not say anything about not returning." Helian said while massaging her temple, already feeling a headacheing.
"Ah, right." Morgan shrugged inside her cockpit. "Then I guess it''s a good time as any to rify that we will be able to return to this world in the future. I can''t give you an exact timeframe but I assure you, we will return, and this time with a bit of fanfare. Earth has made a good impression on us, it will be a shame not to revisit, right?"
Aliana jumps at that question. "So you will return! Gosh, you scared me! Scared us into thinking that you will be gone for good!"
Gentiane also chimes in. "I seconded that."
SCAR-H follows. "Me three."
P90 joins in. "Make that four!"
HiPerys a head on her chest, breathing out in relief. "I am d that this won''t be ourst meeting."
Kalina smiles but adds. "Yeah, but it will still be goodbye, no?"
Morgan replies with a grin. "Indeed it is. But I give you my words that we will return, so don''t go dying on us when we get back here. Otherwise, Aria and I will make a petition to bring the ones that die back into thend of the living and gives them a scold of a lifetime."
Theyugh at the absurdity of what Morgan said, but somehow, they believe that Morgan can and will follow through word by word. Hence Gentiane, on behalf of everyone, promises. "I swear to you two that no matter how dangerous it may be, we will not go and perish in a corner somewhere. We''re here to stay and will patiently await your return, and when you do, we will like to hear the tales of your conquest of your world in full."
Morganughs cheeringly before answering. "Won''t miss out on it. After all, I will have to impress my potential wives, no?"
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"So how do you suggest we do this, Morgan?" Aria asked while flying parallel to Morgan. If the Valkyrie is feeling any bit of remorse or regret over the sudden parting with the girls of Base 794, her voice betrayed none of those.
And frankly, even Morgan doesn''t show any negative emotion when she speaks. "With the scannings, we have made these past few days, I identified a flight route that will take us into the belly of the beast." She says with a light tone, very familiar with sudden partings to even feel bad about it for a long time. "We will be flying through and beneath a canyon, all the way to the AO. This will keep us off their radars and our stealth and jammers will cover the rest. The fact that it''s nighttime and raining where we are going will also help suppress the noise of our engines when we dive low. Once we prate into the AO, we will go weapons-free and cause as much damage as we can. Highlighting the HVTs for you now..."
"Fabricators, UCAV factories, munition ns, Doll assembly lines, train station... This ce is a logistic base beneath a mountain." Ariamented as she scrolled through the list of targets and its schematics.
"And let''s not forget the periphery defenses. SCAR-SC was able to pull out some locations of Sangvis'' AA instations, but not all of them. And it''s expected that they will have UGVs armed with SAMs, Dolls with MANPADS, and those slumbering biped railguns. Whateveres next will be a light show and a half." Morgan added. "Prioritize the easier-to-reach logistical buildings and high-risked targets first. As we don''t have enough ordnances to blow up the weapon tucked inside a mountain itself, I will deploy on foot when the chaos reaches a certain threshold."
Aria is quick to refute. "That won''t be necessary, much less even dangerous for yourself, Morgan. I can just pull on my power and obliterate the weapon and the mountain in one go. There''s no need to risk yourself."
Morgan giggles, warming up at the length that Aria will go to ensure she stays unharmed. Nheless, Morgan goes on to say. "But then where''s the fun in that? Aria, there''s no restriction on my power, here, in this world. Before we go home, I want to glimpse at what the future me will be capable of. This is nothing if not a suitable battleground to do that. And besides, if danger befalls me, which I highly doubt there exists such a thing here, are you not my personal Valkyrie? It would be a great chance to save a damsel in distress, don''t you think?"
Knowing that she can''t stop her lover, Aria sighs, relenting. "Fine, but at the first sight of danger, I am pulling the plug. And trust me, I am perfectly capable of discerning whatever will happen down there so don''t push your luck, Morgan. Thest thing you need is for Hel to hear of your bad deeds."
"Ehehehe... I won''t do anything of the sort. I promise! So let this venture of mine be our little secret, pretty please~!" Morgan cooed, making Aria roll her eyes on the other side.
"You''ll be fine if I don''t have to bail you out." Aria said before announcing. "We''re reaching the canyon."
"Then it''s time to skim across the terrain. You reckon we will buzz the heads of a patrol or two?" Morgan asked jokingly as the both of them lowered their altitude to just a few meters above any terrain obstruction.
"Logically speaking, it''s possible. But I doubt they will be able to make head and tail of it with us flying at supersonic speed." Aria yed along.
"Heh~, you''re probably right. I think they only have a second or two to catch a glimpse of us before we''re gone." Morgan concluded. And she is correct on that assumption.
When viewed from the ground, the two Arias are nothing but dark shadows that cut across the rainy night atmosphere. Very hard to spot, much less identify. The sound of their howling engines, while can still be heard, is easily mistaken for the blowing of winds and rain going through the canyon. One can even say that Yggdra herself has blessed them with such perfect weather to conduct their sneak attack.
Spoiler
Picture is courtesy of C_Yukimaru aka Ryxsen1421 on Pixiv: https://.pixiv/en/users/8100087/illustrations
[copse]
"Head-up, we''re emerging out of the canyon in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... And we''re out!" Morgan did a countdown before their aircraft flew out of the canyon, buzzing the metallic instations belonging to Sangvis at low altitude.
As they''re both regaining altitude to conduct their attack, Aria reports. "No response from any triple-AA, it appears that they''re still in the dark that we''re here. I expect anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes for them to activate."
Morgan smirks at that. "Then let''s make good use of that grace period. Avalon Squadron, engage!"
Morgan and Aria split off, with Aria heading out to destroy targets like the UCAV factories and theuncher for the aerial drones themselves. As they''re propped up in a perfect line, Aria activates the targeting system for her GB-6 Air-Launched Standoff Submunition Dispenser Precision Guided Weapon, and lock-on to the target area. Her HMD then shows the calcted impact areas of the submunition before she presses the trigger, deploying the submunition from its outer rack. When the GB-6 flies above the designated area, it opens its deployment bay and drop-off 240 submunitions of two different types: bomblets and mines. The numerous amount of HE-ordnances promises aplete mission-kill of the targeted area if not outright destroy it. In this case, Aria is in luck as one or a few submunitions have detonated the power cells and munition storages for the UCAVs, causing a chain of cascading explosions that bring the area to ruin if the bomblets haven''t done so already. Seeing the destruction of her own making, Aria cooly swings back, readying for another run on a different set of targets.
And while Aria is breaking havoc on stationary structures, Morgan has taken upon the task of dealing with threats that will threaten both her and Aria''s safety. Pulling up her targeting scanner, Morgan ces weapon locks onto two Sangvis radar sites. When a good tone is heard across the board, Morgan hits theunch button and sends out two Advanced Antiradiation Guided Missiles, AARGM in short. The missiles burn streaks across the air before impacting and destroying the delicate radar buildings, cutting off the situational awareness of the rogue dolls. Not done yet, Morgan then performed a rocket run on a set of CIWS turrets. On the ground, you can just about see meteor-like projectiles crashing onto the anti-air weaponry, destroying and causing their munitions to cook off.
As the sound of destruction and devastation can be heard over a long distance despite the ongoing rain, Sangvis has finally woken up and is deploying a reactionary to less than noticeable effect. The fact that their radars are destroyed in the opening of the attack doesn''t help them in detecting the aircraft. Granted, theck of radar doesn''t keep them from trying to use heat-seeking missiles and hail marys to try and shoot them down. One such instance is a pack of missiles-equipped Jaguars appearing out of a tunnel. They are trying to get a lock on Aria''s ne that is bombing their facility when Morgan swoops in, dropping off four Mk. 82 Snake Eye retarded bombs. After the supersonic booming of Morgan''s aircraft flying above their heads is dissipated, the Jaguars are obliterated by the 920kg of explosive power.
And while Morgan is egressing to prep for another run, Aria switches to gun and strafe a line of Nemeum railguns and Vespids armed with MANPADS. Aria''s 30mm HEDP shells paint a red line in the air, casting numerous detonations and sending the firing line back to the Stone Age. They won''t even dare to think about scratching Morgan''s paint job while Aria''s in the air.
Now that the ground below is well-lit with fire and exploding ammo like it''s early Christmas, Morgan knows that they are sure to have gotten the attention of Sangvis Ferri now. With them focusing their attention on the air, Morgan deems that the time is ripe for boots on the ground. "Aria, I am ving my ne to yours. It''s time for me to drop off."
"Roger that, Morgan. Be careful down there." Aria responded, watching as Morgan''s ne trailed to her starboard. Morgan''s aircraft then invert before the cockpit is opened, and from it, Morgan''s figure starts freefalling to the ground.
With her passenger exited, the Aria returns to normal flight mode, awaiting furthermands from Aria herself. Not letting Morgan jump into a hot zone, Aria controls both her and Morgan''s aircraft to burn a zing trail for Morgan to follow into the mountainousplex.
Anything that stands in Morgan''s way must be destroyed.
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There''s something liberating about freefalling without any safety. It just feels... Free. In a way, it''s the closest thing a human can have to flying like a bird. Only that, in the end, a human will stter if they don''t pull a chute if they even have one in the first ce. On Morgan''s part though, she is sorelycking off a parachute while diving at terminal velocity into the ground. It may have been a bit troubling for someone else but Morgan is anything but normal, now that she doesn''t have any magical limitations. So, just before Morgan is a bit redder than Aria would like, she disappears some three meters above the floor. She then materializes into existence right next to an unsuspecting Ripper, her momentum from freefalling allows her to drop kick the Sangvis Doll horizontally and into a wall, cracking it. Morgan then ces a hand on the ground, arresting her leftover momentum and spinning herself into a standing position. The young pilot then watch with macabre amusement as the extremely broken Ripper slowly slid down to the floor, leaving behind a humanoid hole in the concrete wall.
Stepping closer to inspect the Doll, which is now jerking nonstop in errors due to the critical damages she suddenly sustained, Morgan ces her fingers beneath the Ripper''s chin. Pushing the Doll''s face up so that she can see her clearly, Morgan is once again surprised by how such a delicate face can be made into a somewhat perfect killing machine. Out of morbid curiosity, Morgan wipes clean of the Ripper''s lips before surprisingly interlocking their lips together. An action that seems to clean up the errors of the rogue T-Doll as her purple eyes widen behind her visor. Smirking at the dumbfounded and very much alive expression the Sangvis girl is making, Morgan dances her tongue around the Ripper''s own before pulling back. Looking at the stunned Ripper, Morgan chuckles. "You know, I am usually a bit shy about romantic and lewd matters, being the little spoon and all that in my rtionships. But somehow," Morgan then boldly presses her palms onto the Ripper''s right breast anddy parts. "You girls seem to entice my wilder side."
Morgan then gets her hands underneath the Ripper''s purple one-piece armored bikini, checking out a hypothesis for herself. Finding what she is looking for, Morgan smirks. "I must admit, it''s a pleasant surprise to know that you have what it''s needed to perform sexual activity. Though I doubt you will be able to have a kid though that doesn''t matter much in my book." Pushing her fingers inside the Ripper''s vagina while fondling her nipple, Morganments. "Good sticity and tightness too, you girls sure know how to tick my checkboxes."
Suddenly, Morgan ceases her activity and stands up, looking down at a breathless Ripper with her face reddish not because of her damage. "But sadly, I must vacate the area, my dear. I have ces to see and destructions to be~! If Yggdra will have it, we will be seeing each other again!"
Morgan then walks away with a smile. She makes a few steps before turning around, flicking an object at the shocked Ripper before saying. "Though I have a feeling you will meet my daughter first. For that, you will be needing a little something, a good luck charm."
Leaving behind an anticipating smile, which the Ripper manages to record with her optical scanners, Morgan walks into the shadow of a building and disappears for good. On the Ripper''s part, she slowly looks down at the object that Morgan left behind. Despite her logic warning her against it, the Ripper picks up the peculiar object, only to see that it''s a mechanical pocket watch,posed of obsidian casing and a golden clock face.
''Just what is the meaning of this...? Of that earlier?'' The Ripper wondered, not knowing that she shouldn''t have been able to ask those questions in the first ce.
Though she doesn''t know the answers, if there are any, the Ripper still deposits her pocket watch in a storagepartment. For some reason, she has a feeling that it''s best to keep the watch safe and secure by her side.
Now, to wait for a retrieval party.
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Confused.
Truly and utterly confused.
What brings about this change?
What sort of logical developments have urred?
What kinds of neuroticputer virus has she contracted for her to be serving coffee to an unknown individual?!
Just what the fuck is wrong with her mainframe right now!?
Agent has so many questions!? Questions that she doesn''t know whether it''s safe to get the answer for!
And why the fuck is Mastermind being fed Red Velvet in the arms of this intruder!!!
And will someone please shoot down those aircraft already!!! Her head is already aching from the absurdity of the sight before her! It doesn''t need the constant bombing to serve as the backdrop!
"Come on Elisa, say ''Ah~''"
"Ah~!" Elisa opened her mouth like a good little girl, letting Morgan feed her with the delicious Red Velvet that Agent, somehow, was able to make despite the short notice.
... Agent.exe has stopped working.
Snickering at the cracking poker face of Agent, Morgan then cooed. "Aww~! You''re so cute, Elisa! Here, have another slice. Or do you want to taste the coffee that Agent made? I assure you, Agent makes tasty drinks!"
Tilting her head, the white-haired loli replies with an even tone. "I pick coffee... With milk."
Morgan then lightly pinches Elisa''s cheek. "An excellent choice! Come now Agent, serves your Mastermind a cup."
Robotically, well, even more robotically than before, Agent pours and presents Elisa with a cup of milk coffee. The maid is acting on full autopilot right now, much to Morgan''s amusement. And despite the oddity of the situation, the trio maintains their current... stalemate? Morgan continues to dote on Elisa the Mastermind while the loli herself seems to enjoy the motherly attention. Agent, on the other hand, seems to keep rebooting herself only to fail in keeping a straight face, and ultimately, she crashes over and over.
Thisughable circumstance is only broken by the sound of a notification,ing from argeputer behind them. The three turn their heads at the source to see that a program is ready to be executed. Morgan is the first to speak up. "Seems like we will have to cut out fun time short, Elisa. I still have a job to do and you may need to vacate this base soon."
Elisa, on her part, nods, but Agent has woken up and is quick to demand. "What is the meaning of all this?! How could you walk in on us and immediately seized ourmand status?!"
Morgan just chuckles while patting Elisa''s hair, making the Mastermind close her eyes, pleased. Agent nearly has a heart attack at that cute expression but she endures in the end. Morgan exins, but not much. "Well, let''s just say that your creator was inspired by someone to make you. And now, you''vee to see that inspiration in the flesh. But I assure you, I am here, meaning you no bodily harm. In fact, I will even protect you from what''s about toe."
Agent frowns before gesturing to the side. "Protect us, but you did all of this?" Morgan just shrugged at the absolute carnage that she had created before getting here. Drones werepletely decimated in the most insane ways Agent had ever seen while the Dolls were incapacitated whenever possible by iprehensible means! Even Agent herself was incapacitated the moment she tried to raise her four underskirt energy machine guns. Morgan was swift in reversing Agent''s gravity, making her fly into the air before disabling her machine guns by encasing them in ice and breaking them.
"Even if I have themand authorization, I still need you to respect my authority. A disy of force was needed to ensure that. I apologize if it rattled your mentality for a few moments." Morgan said with a smile. "But it got my point across, no? That if I were serious, we wouldn''t be here chatting and enjoying confectionaries."
"... It is as you said." Agent relented, having learned of the difference in power and the apparentck of resistance from her Mastermind.
Elisa, who has been silenced thus far, chimes in with a singsong voice. "There''s no logical reason to resist her. It will be an overwhelming defeat."
"I understand, Master." Agent bowed. "I will not raise the subject again."
"Good, well then... Computer, activates the Bur cannon at the designated coordinates! Maximum fire rate! Continuous fire until the reactor is overloaded!" Morgan said out loud with a grin, leading Agent to sigh but unable to do anything.
All their work here will soon be gone, encased in me and rocks.
"Warning! The possibility of friendly fire is detected! The risk of reactor meltdown is detected!"
"Computer, authorization code: Yuki-Victor-0-0-1-1-7." Morgan inputted vocally.
"Authorization code confirmed. Removing safety restrictions of Bur. The Bur is firing. Target location, here."
Morgan then picks up Elisa in a princess carry before motioning Agent to follow her. "You may want to have the Dolls evacuate also." Agent sighs but nods and gives out themand through the Sangvis hivemind.
Elisa snuggles into the arms of Morgan, asking. "Where are we going?"
Morgan smiles down at the innocent-looking Elisa, saying. "To see the firework, of course!" She thenughs. "Let''s make this first meeting between us more memorable, shall we? Andugh at the world that is ignorantly in upheaval due to what we did."
RM Omake: Wrapping up (R-18)
RM Omake: Wrapping up (R-18)
Gentiane rolls all over the bed, unwilling and unable to fall asleep after everything that happened earlier today. Sitting up with a huff, she reaches to grab her phone, left on the bedside drawer, and checks the time.
"1 in the morning..." Gentiane said slowly before stepping off the bed, finding no difort in getting away from it. The girl then turns on themp in the restroom, proceeding to wash her face before taking a look at herself in the mirror.
Gentiane won''t lie, rather, she will admit that she has beenparing herself to Morgan. Themander with a few years under her belt finds herselfcking against a figure that is both younger but somehow is better than her in every single way. Morgan is just... perfect. Aside from the fact that she is pleasing to the eyes and easy to approach. The temporarybat pilot of Base 794 had a veteran aura, and a wisdom befitting such, yet, still retain a hint of mischievousness to keep herself fresh in the eyes of others. Her talents extended far beyond what I girl her age should have. She was also very resourceful and brave, willing to do tasks that most would find themselves hesitating. And that confidence of hers, Gentiane can''t help but guess where she gained that trait from. Morgan always seems to be sure about what she''s doing, never faze in front of any surprise. In the face of an ever-changing battlefield, the pilot had shown to be extremely urate in her judgment calls. Making it so that Gentiane even learned a few things during the days they spent near each other.
Seeing the less-than-spirited expression of herself staring back at her, Gentiane sighs. "Yeah, you have no energy at all, huh?" She then wipes her face with a towel before heading out to put on the pants she discarded... somewhere.
Finally, after five minutes of searching around, Gentiane finds what she is looking for. Themander then alights from her quarter, intending on taking a nightly stroll.
The more Gentianepares herself to Morgan, the more she is invested in getting to know the younger girl. The wandering gaze she kept directed at the pilot didn''t escape her current lover and adjutant, G36. It was why G36 and a few others, including Morgan herself, had sprung a trap at Gentiane, one that she should have been able to see from miles away. But what the trap did, ultimately, is confirm that Gentiane feels more than just tonic curiosity about Morgan. It was in for all to see that Gentiane had fallen in love, and even Gentiane couldn''t me herself for this one. Morgan was the embodiment of everything she aspired to be. The fact that it''s G36 herself that egged Gentiane on to confirm that feeling also didn''t help.
But when Gentiane had settled down and admitted to it, Morgan had gone to farawaynds, her homeworld. Her sudden departure, even with their brief farewell, left a bittersweet taste in Gentiane''s mouth. It''s why she is now wandering, intending to find something or someone, to distract herself. Or perhaps, just a powerful knockout drink will suffice. Finding nothing that needs her attention, Gentiane has no other choice but to head to the base cafeteria. That drink is ultimately needed, huh?
"So it would seem..." Gentiane muttered to her own thought while going down a hallway.
Earlier yesterday, even before daybreak, weather instations from all over the world had recorded a freak superstorm. Appearing over the Carpathians, the superstorm proceeded to cast countless lightning bolts, obliterating anything beneath the storm cloud and seconds. Nobody knows how many bolts of electricity were released, but they know that what happened is nothing short of a localized apocalyptic event. The energy readings they got were off the chart and had this urred over a popted area, it would be total annihtion. The freak superstorm only dissipated after an hour of non-stop destruction, and only after a whole mountain range exploded into an unrecognizable mess. Many theorists proimed that it could have been a mysterious Copse radiation phenomenon but only the top brasses of both Neo-Soviet and G&K know just what sort of adversity have mankind evaded. To get the full picture, however, only members of Base 794 and G&Kmanders in chief are privileged to that.
Safe to say, the existence of the 8492nd Avalon Squadron has been kept on a need-to-know basis. The world isn''t ready yet to hear about another world. The only good thing toe out of this mess is that G&K is approved of increasing their military budget and the removal of firepower restrictions to counter the new Sangvis threat. But somehow, Gentiane doesn''t find it''s enough of a tradeoff for her missing pilots. She would rather have Morgan and Aria hanging around the base like the past few days.
So imagine her surprise when Gentiane pushes open the doors to the cafeteria, only to see Morgan in a bartending outfit, prepping a drink nonchntly while only the light of the bar provided her with illumination. Turning to see Gentiane with her one good ruby red eye, Morgan greets her. "I was thinking whether you woulde here or I should bring this to your room. How are you feeling right now?"
Bring her fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose, Gentiane says aloud. "I must be damn stressed to hallucinate right now..."
Morgan chuckles softly at the exmation but ultimately beckons Gentiane toe closer, an invitation that Gentiane doesn''t refuse. No matter how many times she has rubbed her eyes, themander of the base must finally admit that the Morgan in front of her is the real one. She is just about to speak something when Morgan presents her drink to her. It''s a bubbly bluish drink that looks very refreshing in her eyes right now.
"Cobalt Velvet. Bubbly, ssy, and burning, on the rocks and mixed." Morgan exined with a smile. "Come on, savor it. You deserve it after everything we put you through."
Gingerly, Gentiane picks up the stemless wine ss containing the glistening blue liquid. Gentiane takes a sip of the drink and is immediately wowed by the vor and feel it offers. "W-Wow... It''s like-!"
"Like Champagne that is served in a cup that had a bit of c left?" Morgan giggled, earning the same from Gentiane. "Yeah, the drink receives that impression a lot."
"But it''s a good one~!" Gentiane said before happily enjoying the content of the ss. Morgan, on the other hand, rest her upper half on the bar counter, enjoying Gentiane''s content expression. Surprisingly, none say anything, pleased with the current quiet but soft atmosphere. It isn''t long before Gentiane finishes her ss, a forlorn look is seen on her face as themander caresses the rim of the ss while looking at Morgan. Seeing a thousand thoughts running behind Gentiane''s eyes at a thousand kilometers an hour, Morgan smiles softly before putting away the empty ss. Then, much to Gentiane''s shock, Morgan reaches over and pulls on the white shirt Gentiane''s wearing, bringing themander in for a deep kiss.
At first, Gentiane isn''t sure how to reciprocate the sudden advance but when Morgan''s tongue starts dominating her own, themander fights back. A tug of war is fought with their lips and tongues as strands of saliva appear whenever one makes a tactical retreat. But after a couple of minutes, Morgan is clearly losing the fight, partly because her switch is flipped, partly because Gentiane is now towering over herself as she presses the advantage. Finally, in one adept movement, Gentiane pulls Morgan over the table and into her arms, with one of her hands groping Morgan''s bum as she rests it on the bar. At such an aggressive move, Morgan can''t stop herself from leaking out a cute yelp, serving only to fuel the inner beast of Gentiane. Understandably, Morgan lost the battle the moment she was taken into the arms of the beautiful beast. Gentiane only relents when Morgan is struggling to regain her breath.
Themander of the base seems proud that she has bested Morgan in something, at least. "Consider this as payback for the kissst time. Morgan~!" Gentiane drawled out her words while leaning into Morgan''s nape, leaving behind kisses and hickeys as she worked her way to unbutton the bartender''s attire.
Imagine the glee Gentiane feels when she hears soft gasps and moans from Morgan as sheys her hands on thetter''s pretty bunnies. Soon, Gentiane finds herself pressing her face into Morgan''s bosom, inhaling her aromatic body scent, and teasing and sucking on her nipples. Droplets of lewd fluids have soaked through Morgan''s pants and Gentiane can imagine she too is having the same reaction right now. And while it may be a bit of trouble to clean up the messter, Gentiane has already thrown caution out the window and Morgan is very much the same when she hugs Gentiane''s head, pressing her closer.
While it''s an enjoyable experience to fondle Morgan''s breasts, Gentiane wants to see more of her. As such, Morgan lets out a short gasp as Gentiane pulls both her pants and underwear down in one smooth motion, themander clearly has experience in adult matters thanks to her maid. Seeing the hungry slit, dripping wet onto the floor, Gentiane smirks beforeying another kiss on Morgan''s lips, saying. "You''re so precious, Morgan." She then eyes Morgan''s body in all of her glory, thetter blushes at the attention but it only seems to excite her lower half more and more.
And with her needy flip switched on, Morgan dives into Gentiane''s embrace, surprising themander as she is forced down onto her bar stool. Draping her arms and legs over Gentiane, Morgan works her hands to remove themander''s shirt, getting as much bare-skinned contact as she can. Understanding the unvoiced needs of her smaller lover, Gentiane is quick to help discard her clothes. She manages to remove her pants halfway when Morgan stuns her by creating a pink magic circle on her hand. Morgan then pushes it to Gentiane''s lower body, forcing a change in her physiology. A change that makes Gentiane gasps in wonder as it reces her clit and turns it into something else, something much, much better in Gentiane''s opinion.
I guess we all know where this is going at this point in time.
Lowering her arms to cup Morgan''s stic behind, Gentiane spreads them out slowly, earning a heated exhale from Morgan. Laying another gentle kiss to nullify any potential difort Morgan may have, Gentiane slowly position Morgan''s important ce above her newly erected meat rod. Then, stick her dick into crazy she goes.
Gentiane feels her mind nks out at first, being bombarded with never feel before sensations. The tip of her cock was enveloped slowly, making her grunt out in low growls. Thenes the vagina walls, slowly embracing her rod with wet, pulsating warmth. Such fresh pleasure makes Gentiane cums in a heartbeat the moment Morgan''s pussy swallows her cock to the base. The youngmander almost falls out of her stool as her back arch, firing thick streams of semen deep into Morgan''s vagina while her own female sex excretes its own lewd fluid. The hot baby batter seems to push Morgan into a sudden climax also, having been teased by Gentiane earlier.
After a whole minute of basking in her first-ever post-nut rity, Gentiane can''t help but think that every life choices she has made thus far are correct. She is truly blessed to have this opportunity.
Themander is shaken out of her thoughts when Morgan''s pussy tightens as a reminder for her to move her still very enthusiastic member. Gentiane chuckles when she gazes at the dazed and needing expression that belongs to none other than Morgan. Nheless, sheplies, utilizing both her hips and arms to move herrge cock in and out of Morgan''s vagina. Wet, slopping sounds can be heard in the cafeteria as their fluids mix together, being pushed out onto the floor by the pistoning movement of Gentiane''s magical dick. Their panting grows louder, lewder, with each thrust from Gentiane''s hip, and just before themander cum for the second time, Morgan subconsciously locks their lips together, blocking out any excessive sensual screams they will make. And when Morgan''s walls mp down hard, Gentiane has no other choice but to go deep into her cervix, pumping the next full load that Gentiane has to offer. The semenpletely paints Morgan''s inside white, eliciting hot gasps from the younger girl as she hungrily sucks on Gentiane''s lips while extracting all the baby batter from her meat rod.
Suffice it to say, Gentiane receives a sensory overload. Enough to make her ck out after her double ejactions, four, if you count her vagina climaxes too. Thest thing Gentiane can hear is the sensual giggles from Morgan and her apanying words.
"Yuki, my name is Yuki, my dear~!"
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Morninges, and Gentiane finds herself back on her bed, very refreshed and well-tucked beneath a nket. For a second, Gentiane thinks thatst night is nothing but a sexually wet dream. That is until she feels a phantom ache in her lower back, it''s when she fully remembers everything and blushes heavily at that. More than that, she warms up at the thought that Morgan had caringly carried her back to her bed.
Suddenly, Gentiane notices a few crates at a corner of her quarter, crates that weren''t therest night. So, like the goodmander she is, Gentiane pulls herself together and investigates despite the lingering pleasure and pain. Opening them one by one, Gentiane is surprised to see ten sets of Morgan''s enchanted thermoptic camouge capes and exoskeletons. On thest crate she opens, more like an ornate wooden box, Gentiane is amazed to see a beautifully ornated silver Mauser C96 and a simrly colored drinking sk. She picks up a letter, attached to the inneryer of the box, and reads.
"Last night was a very memorable experience, not just for me, but hopefully for you also. Nheless, I must apologize for leaving on such short notice, my world needs a person to conquer, and that one is me. Though I hope that the gifts I left behind can soothe your longing for me for a while. These are the improved versions of what I made for Team FN, you can handle them however you see fit.
I will make sure to give you all a visit whenever I can. From your beloved, Yuki.
P.S: Don''t freak out but I just remember something. It''s possible that the anomaly while taken care of by Aria and me, will still have a lingering effect on your world. As such, there''s a high likelihood that my daughter, who is going by the name Vi, will be paying you a visit in the near future. She is a good girl and can be entrusted with the fate of your world should the situation calls for it. Take care of her for me, alright? I love you, Gentiane~! :D"
Reading to the end of the neatly written letter, Gentiane doesn''t know whether to cry orugh or should she just freak out as the letter has advised her not to. But ultimately, Gentiane only chose to hold the letter to her heart, silently shedding a drop of tear while smiling with a mncholic expression.
"See youter, Yuki." Gentiane hoped her words could reach the girl full of magical surprise.
After a few moments, Gentiane prepares herself for a new day. Her stature exudes a never before seen vigor. "Now then, to put these magical gears away and find more about that daughter of hers, Vi. Though she seems too young to have a daughter, who am I to judge with all the magical mumbo-jumbo being a thing nowadays." Gentiane chuckled at thatst sentence.
It''s a very memorable experience indeed.
Chapter delayed due to health issue
Chapter dyed due to health issue
By now, all of you must have known about my mom''s health situation. After all, I regrly talked about it in the author notes of each chapter, but I do try to keep it short. Well, with the bad change of weather these days in Nam, she has gotten a bad cold. As such, I will not be able to work on the next chapter just yet. It''s why I have been silent thesest two days also. I have to keep an eye on her health first of all.
I sincerely apologize for the dy and will try to resume my work as soon as possible. Thank you for reading thus far!
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 20: Building their powerbases (Part 1)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 20: Building their powerbases (Part 1)
"You know," Standing up from thefort of her chair, Yuki sidesteps her Bocoty wood desk. She then stops in front of the desk, leaning her lower body onto it while looking down at the naughty little sisters of hers. "I''ve sometimes thought of myself as a loose cannon. Never had I thought that the literal same can be said for you two though, Ningyo, Mei. Excuse my harsh wording but who, in their right mind, will test a Gauss cannon underneath the basement of a scienceplex?"
"We''re sorry~!" The two gals bowed apologetically. Knowing that they had been scolded already by other members of her family and were able to realize their folly, Yuki can''t find the strength to be stern with them for long.
"Look, you two are both brilliant and energetic for your age, which is a good thing most of the time. However, there are stuff you should and shouldn''t do, proper oversight or not. You two are smart enough to understand what I mean by that so I expect no repetition of that testing incident. Thest thing I need is for you two to hurt others, or worse, yourself." Yuki lightly admonished them, earning repetitive assuring nods from her younger sister and her best friend, before resting the case for good. "Mama and Mom have already said the things I wanted to say, so let''s end this discussion here. Now, give me a hug, both of you!"
Seeing, Yuki beckoning them with a gentle smile, the two girls immediately dive into her outstretched arms with wide grins. Hugging them closer, Yuki pats their heads lovingly while saying. "You two girls will one day make it to the grand stage, which is the world. Before that, you''re wee to help here and there but enjoy your own childhoods first and foremost. I don''t want to see you remember this period in time as a time when you only dived headfirst into research."
"Yes! Big sis Yuki!" They both voiced their agreement while directing their eyes upward.
Yuki chuckles at the cute sight before patting their back. "Now go along you two. Fine something interesting to do. I need to work on a few reports before I can join the family."
They nod before skipping out of the room, waving back at Yuki before opening and closing the door of her office. Shaking her head at the pair of non-blood-rted sisters of hers, Yuki returns to her workstation, nning to finish work early. And while she is busying herself, a knock is heard on the door, prompting Yuki to say "Come in!" while still looking at a document in her hand. Smelling the aromatic scent of coffee, Yuki can''t stop herself from letting out a small smile, saying. "Ah~! Agent, you''re bringing me just what I need to finish up today''s papers." Due to her attention being upied by the document, Yuki doesn''t notice that Agent has not responded to her greeting. It''s only when a hand, wearing a ckced glove that goes up to her elbow, putting down Yuki''s coffee cup that she notices a detail. "Agent never wears such long gloves before..." Yumi raised an eyebrow while muttering aloud.
A bewitching giggle answers her query. "Very observant, my daughter."
Hearing the familiar tone, Yuki smiles while filing away the stack of documents. "Mama, I see that you''re up to some mischiefs again." Turning her head, Yuki basks in the glimmering sight of her Mama, Lu, wearing a somewhat revealing maid dress that shows off her side boobs and shoulders. Yuki won''t lie, the sight turns her on and she doubts that she can finish her work without dealing with the pleasant distraction first.
As a powerful Dragon and the holder of the infamous Devil title herself, Lu can easily infer the raising lust of her beloved daughter. Licking her lips bewitchingly, Lu steps to sit on thep of Yuki while crossing her arms around her. The fact that her body seems to tower over Yuki only serves to make the atmosphere hotter for the both of them. Gazing hotly at Yuki, Lu wonders. "Don''t you still have work to do? The coffee will go cold if we continue with our... Bodilybor." She said that with a tempting smirk on her face.
Yuki rolls her uncovered red eye before nuzzling at Lu''s sideboob. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out that her Mama is not wearing any underwear right now. And that turns on Yuki very much as she can just about see the erect nipples of her Mama. Yuki goes on to say while letting out hot breaths. "It''s just a few reports, they can wait."
Tilting her head at the answer, Lu then says. "Well then, bon appetit~!"
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Standing on a podium and basking under a wave of thunderous apuse from thousands of people, Senator Jeffrey Iverson feels rejuvenated for the people have weed his speech like a moth to me. He would like to continue to be here, keeping on sharing his vision of America, a good America, for them to hear, but s, he has a timetable to keep. As such, the Senator goes on to say.
"My fellow citizens, please, please~! While I am ttered by your sonorous apuse, it''s time for us to move on to the next andst question of the day. As usual, let''s see who''s the fastest draw in the West from our dutiful reporters, yeah?" His words garnered cheers from the multi-ethnicities gathering below. The Senator idly wonders just how many votes will he gets after this public meeting before performing a countdown. And when the timer reaches zero, more than a dozen of hands are raised, but the Senator''s quick kic vision allows him to identify the quickest one among the reporters. Said the quickest draw of the West has just barely arrived in time for the countdown after passing the security check.
The sight of that newsboy in a mess after running all the way from the gate to his podium makes Senator Iverson smirks good-naturedly. Taking another breath of his cigar, the Senator points at the chosen reporter. "Well if it ain''t saucy Jack?" By now, people have started to see a pattern of Jack being the regr newsboy to interview the Senator for hisst question. The interviews are always good whenever this Jack boyes up so the citizens treat him with proper respect as the one that brings them entertainment and knowledge.
The Senator then looks at his pocket watch, nodding when he gazes at the time hands. "Just a little toote, as usual..." A moderate amount of people, citizens, and other reporters, chuckle good-naturedly at the boy, even the boy himself can''t help but scratch his head, responding. "Yeah, well, the damn bike got a t tired and I''m not certified for a car, yet."
Senator Iversonughs at the reply, motioning to Jack. "Come on, boy! Hit me with your best shot! I am waiting for a challenge!" Iverson won''t lie, he likes the boy for the kid makes damn good analytical papers for someone only twenty years of age.
"No beating around the bush as usual." Jack nods before pulling out his writing materials. "Ok then, you''re asking for this... Typical, run-of-the-mill politicians, big promises, but all talk: ''Jump-start the economy...'', ''Revitalizing the national will...''. Well, what a load of bullshit! All they care about is lining their own pocket! That, and their approval ratings!"
The daring way Jack burned the politicians wouldn''t garner him brownie points from them, but the people sure like his ballsy attitude. He has always been very vocal about cutting corrupted politicians apart, revealing their true color for all. Jack knows that he has made enemies, but that''s why it''s exhrating when he finally beats them at their own game. With the up-anding Senator of Jewish descent gathering people''s support, Jack needs to learn how many of his speeches are true and how many are false. Though the Senator seems genuine enough after his earlier interview. This Senator is still a gig too good to pass up whether he crashes and burns or not. "So, any ideas about how you can distinguish yourself from the rest, Senator?"
Senator Iverson smirks while the citizens await his response eagerly. "You''re right about one thing, Jack. That politicians do need capital, and vote, myself included! Wanna know why?" Iverson then raises a fist into the air. "I have a dream!" His shout echoed across the meeting square.
Jack responds dumbly at the suddenness of that sentence, stopping his pen. "What...?"
Senator Iverson continues. "That one day, every person in this nation will control their OWN destiny. And of the TRULY free, damn it!" Iverson emphasized his point by waving his fist in the air. "A nation of ACTION, not words. Ruled by WISDOM, not well-to-do. Where every individual can change America, not the other way around. Where power and justice are back where they belong: in the hands of the people! Where every man and woman is free to live, to work, for themselves, for their families, for their nation, under the oversight of fairness, equality, and freedom! The people will live for what they believe in! Not for money, not for oil!"
Having grabbed their attention, Iverson continues. "So trust me when I say, I will stop at nothing to ensure my, no, our visiones to pass! Fuck these limp-dickwyers and chicken-shit bureaucrats! Fuck this 24/7 spews of moguls'' trivia and celebrity bullshits! They will not stop me from implementing the changes that will save America from the disease that has infected it. The changes that will have every member of this society, regardless of ethnicity, pulling out the rotten parts by the roots and burning them down!"
Senator Iverson then opens his arms wide. "And from the ashes, a new America will be born! And of true opportunity for all! Its citizens will make it great again!"
Hearing the Senator''s bold deration, the spectators explode into a standing ovation, cheering, and whistling, for Iverson has shown them what America should truly be and how they can achieve it, together. The expressive and explosive way that Iverson described his dream also helped to tuck the heartstrings of the numerous low-to-middle-ss citizens of America. With Iverson at the helm and with their backing, America will one day be steered into the right track.
Once the wave of apuse dies down, Senator Iverson turns to Jack, who is madly scribbling in his notebook. "So... What do you think?"
Jack has interviewed a fair share of politicians, but it''s a first for him to see one that is as bold as Iverson. "How the hell did you get elected?" Jack quipped with a smirk, surprised by the ease that Iverson had earned the popce''s support.
The Senator goes along, replying. "Well, I don''t write my own speeches. Though I am impressed by myself foring up with that spiel on the spot!" The peanut gallery chuckled at that. Iverson then goes on to say. "But I am not all barks and no bites! By now, you all have seen my friends, my family of all shades of skin, working together for the betterment of this city! Together, we have cracked down on criminal activities, drugs, and smugglers! Hell, we have even gotten amendation from the Chief of Police himself! You can even walk at night, unafraid of being osted by unsavory individuals for we are patrolling the streets! Thus, we ensure that each and every one of you can focus on what matters to you most! What you believe in! In no time at all, you will see this city change. The quality of life of each person improves. And more and more smiles greet you as you walk out the door! That, my fellow Americans, is us getting one step closer to making the US of fucking A great again!"
"Iverson for Presidency!" It''s unknown who started it first, but soon, the peanut gallery echoed the sentiment aloud for the entire city block to hear.
Jack has passionately written down what has urred, even going as far as sketching the proceeding with good artistic value, unlike his co-workers who take pictures instead. The newsboy is surprisingly brilliant in just using a pen and a notebook to get the juiciest of details for the newspaperpany he works for. And with each good painting and report, he gives to his editor, Jack is one step closer to achieving his very own American dream. That of getting a nice car and a house, perhaps a lovely wife even, and continuing to work for hispany in thefort of his home. It isn''t big of a dream albeit one that is a bit hard, but Jack finds himself can aplish just that if people like Senator Iverson are at the helm of the country.
Perhaps it''s not impossible to write good words about the Jewish man every now and then.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 20-2: Building their powerbases (Part 2)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 20-2: Building their powerbases (Part 2)
With her breath slightly out of order after their... intimate workout, Yuki is now filing thest of the reports while only wearing an unbuttoned dark navy blue shirt. Suddenly, a pair of arms drapes over her shoulders from behind.
"Why don''t you take the rest of the day off?" Lu asked in a bewitching tone. Her fingers trailed Yuki''s glistening skin after their lovemaking. "And we can rejoin the others for rxation or more... passionated activities."
Having said that, Lu leans over and peers down, seeing Yuki''s pussy still leaking their love juice from earlier, staining her chair. With a smirk, Lu snakes her draconic tail around the length of Yuki''s leg, pointing its tip a mere five centimeters away from the drenched slit.
Chuckling at the fact that she''s been held at sexual gunpoint, the Reich Marshal responds. "I am just about to, mama. I just need to read up on the spies'' intelligence." Yuki''sughter failed to cover up her anticipating blush and moistening pussy.
Seeing that her daughter is growing more restless and promiscuous, Lu licks her lips in glee. In many ways than one, Lu has made the right choice by adopting Yuki into the family. After all, not many can confidently keep up with the sex drive of a dragon such as her.
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Emperor Cao Long has been invited with little to fanfare to a secret testing ground by his trusted friend, General Liu. After many months of research and development, with the helpful aid from Belkan experts, the Long Dynasty is now ready to unveil itstest, homegrown, armored fighting vehicle for their Emperor to witness in action. Somewhat taller than the Belkan-purchased Panzer III M, the new prototype bares few simrities to its older cousin. Albeit, the prototype does share as many parts it can with the Panzer III M. Time and time again the Belkan officers have hammered their Chinese counterparts on the matter of simplified logistics. As such, while the prototype is developed to be better than the Panzer III M in every way, it shares a noticeable root with the imported predecessor.
"Now tell me, what''s the name of the Army''s newest steed?" Emperor Cao Long asked General Liu while crossing his arms. The Emperor can be seen directing a gaze of approval at the general aesthetic of the prototype.
General Liu, having been recalled from Belka to oversee the development of this program, answers. "As it stands, the prototypes are called Panzer III/IV. And these prototypes are transitional test tforms that we will use to iron out any faults in the design. After that, the finalized design will receive the designation of Panzer IV ording to the Belkan naming convention. This should be thest field trial for the prototypes, your Majesty. The prototypes have performed exceedingly well aside from the few breakdowns due to manufacturing mishaps. "
Emperor Cao Long nods, pleased to hear that the money they poured into this project is finally bearing fruit. The Emperor does note, however. "Make sure that the factories are up to speed with thetest manufacturing process. I do not want to hear that they''re cutting corners, thus, hampering the effectiveness of our newest war machine. Japan is expanding its military with new tanks, warships, and aircraft... And since we can''t match them in the open sea, we must focus on holding our own in the air and on thend."
General Liu nods. "After Your Majesty''s crackdown on the troublesome parties to the Dynasty, we have been able to install a supervision systemprised of both military personnel and Belkan liaisons in our industrial facilities. Any and all corruption has been rooted out and the few mismanagements we encountered were either purely idental or due to the unfamiliarity with the newest manufacturing process. Nheless, the system is working under wartime conditions and will continue to remain vignt for any unwanted elements."
Stroking his beard, Emperor Cao Long nods. "Good, it will be unwise to let down our guard. It''s not just internal misfits we have to worry about but also foreign spies, especially the Japanese ones."
And while the two men-in-power are discussing matters of the state, the crew of the Panzer III/IV prototype in front of them mounts up on the vehicle. A rumbling of the tank engine can be heard as the Chinese crew performs their step-by-step appraising of the tank''s condition.
The Panzer III/IV, soon to be Panzer IV, is a well-rounded tank for the era it''s in. If not for the Belkan''s Leopard, it would have be the world''s first MBT, built with nothing but contemporary technologies albeit with an advanced doctrine in mind. The vehicle is designed to be equipped with 50mm armor all-round, with 60mm thick armor tes on the front part of the body having a 60-degree vertical inclination on the top and 45 degrees vertical inclination at the bottom. Additional side skirts are presented alongside the length of the tank. Driving wheels of the PzKpfw III are used with the addition of reinforced output shafts, along with 540mm wide symmetrical tracks with a central ridge. The chassis has six semi-detached rollers 660mm in diameter on the leaf springs. The turret installed is basically an erged Panzer III M turret with spaced turret armor and used flexible electrical cables instead of using rotary electrical contacts at the base.
Spoiler
[copse]
Powered by a 600-horsepower engine, it''s fast, agile, and properly armored with a mean punch to boot. Armed with a 75mm L/48 cannon and three MG-34 machine guns, one mounted in the hull, one coaxially mounted, and thest as an anti-aircraft mounted for the tankmander, the Panzer III/IV embodies the Chinese''s respectable craftsmanship and the Belkan''s refined intellectual thought process. Currently, it''s the most advanced tank of the Asia maind and is expected to be outfitted for elite and spearhead divisions of the Long Dynasty.
But in a country surrounded by ocean, a rival of the Panzer III/IV is being given proper shape and form.
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Vill-V is taking a walk along the shabbily lit construction line of one of her creations, the Type 4 Chi-To medium tank. It has taken her some time to push forward the production of this vehicle. A major part of the dy was due to the arrogance of the Imperial Family. Vill-V thinks that it would have taken another year of lobbying if not for Susanoo stepping in and personally approved of the new tank design. Surprising, she knows.
After disparaging her good intellectual friend, Yuki, on a public basis, Susanoo has been quick to form a new, and more militarist faction in the court of the Japanese Empire. With Vill-V being the best person to develop newer and better weaponry for the aging Imperial military, Susanoo and his cohorts approve of her every need, albeit begrudgingly and only for the military side of things. Other matters like constructing powernts and improving the quality of civilian life have taken a backseat, despite Amaterasu''s best efforts to help her. After all, those things need resources and capital, the things that Japan is severelycking after angering the Belkan Reich. As such, many see it fit to divert most of their budget into military expansion, in the hope of seizing richernds instead. And as much as Vill-V and Amaterasu hate to admit it, the warmongers are right for the time being.
Japan needs a bigger stick to coerce more resources into them.
Stopping at one of the few Chi-to tanks that have made it out of the production line, Vill-V is honestly not sure whether this is enough to fulfill Amaterasu''s ambition. After all, her dream had been dealt a crushing blow when Belka publicly rescinded their alliance. It''s literally Japan against the world and if they don''t y their cards right, everything will go down in me.
Shaking away the unnecessary thoughts about the future, Vill-Vys a palm on the front armor te of a Chi-to, recalling its specification.
Spoiler
[copse]
The Type 4 Chi-To is a thirty-ton medium tank of all-welded construction and had a maximum armor thickness of 75 mm on the frontal tes. The main armament is a turret-mounted long-barreled Type 5 75 mm tank gun. And it has a Type 97 heavy tank machine gun mounted in the hull and a ball mount on the side of the turret for a second machine gun. The Type 4''s 400 hp diesel engine is significantly more powerful than the engine of the Chi-ha, an infantry support tank that also recently entered production, giving it a top speed of 45 km/h on tracks supported by seven road wheels on each side. The tank has a range of 250 km and has adequate cross-country performance.
Giving the armor ting a few pats, Vill-V then vacates the factory with an entourage of protection that''s vetted by Amaterasu herself. She then makes way for an aircraft factory on the other side of the city, all the while hypothesizing about how her Chi-to will fare against the Panzer III M with its 57mm long-barreled cannon.
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In and colder than that of China and Japan, a party for only the most influential of the Rusviet Union is being held in the city of Moscow. A meet and greet of sorts for one to expand their connection, and to boast about theirtest achievements. It''s at such a party that an undercovered Quellec is paying a visit, alongside his trusted aide of the night, Rusk.
When asked for an invitation, Quellec pulls one out from the inner pocket of his vest, showing it to the armed guard with two fingers. After checking it, the guard salutes the pair with the utmost respect while slinging his M37 semi-automatic rifle, a guard designed by Quellec as per his longsting undercover identity.
"Sir Quellec Gagarin, Lady Ruskiya Sovetska, this way please!" The pair were then led inside arge ballroom. Quellec''spany for the day, the simrly undercovered dark elf Rusk, politely thanks the guard with a charming smile. It doesn''t take a genius to see that the guard is smitten by Rusk, but it''smendable that he manages to retain his professionalism.
A matter that Rusk soonments on while they walk to mingle with the important guests of the Union. "As expected of the famed Red Guard, very hard to imprint an impression on them." Rusk said in a small tone while scanning the proceeding discussions and gatherings. "Remind me of why we''re here again? After what, two, three years?"
Quellec lets out a smile of exasperation at that. "Not long enough. What, you''re tired of putting our infamous or famous, depending on how you look at it, spy skill to good use? The Rusk hates dusting off her rust or something?"
Rusk rolls her eyes at the bad jab. "Please tell me you didn''t just make that pun."
Quellec shrugs. "Apparently, I did."
"That pun is so bad that I am dead due to coteral." Rusk massaged the bridge of her nose at the unrepentance Quellec. "Even our Elders will soon kill themselves before listening to your stale attempts at making a joke."
"I will take that as apliment." Quellec nonchntly said before nudging hispanion. "There, our person of interest."
Rusk subtly nces in the direction Quellec gestured his chin at. "Mikhail Koshkin, the man has seen better days." Ruskmented. "Sleep deprivation and now needing to deal with these hyenas? I sure not envying his position."
Quellec nods before leading Rusk to an unupied table. A server thenes to serve them their chosen drinks, vodka, and wine. When the server leaves, Quellec twirls wine in his ss while saying. "Koshkin started out as a confectioner before finding his true calling in engineering. In 1937, the Red Army assigned him to lead Design Bureau KB-190 to design a recement for the BT tanks at the Kharkiv Komintern Lotive nt in Kharkiv. He is responsible for improving the BT series of tanks and is one of the few persons to be ordered with finding a recement for them."
Rusk nods, drinking her vodka with practiced ease. "And apparently, you''re one of them too."
"Correct. And I must win this contract. We are slowly dominating the small arms industry of the Union, it''s high time we step into the big league. Of the five producers to be contracted, Mikhail Koshkin is a threat to us as he has the best design to offer the Red Army." Quellec added while keeping half a mind upied with raising an obfuscation ward, cloaking their ndestine discussion.
"Red pill, or the blue pill?" Rusk asked while motioning to the server for another ss of vodka.
"Blue pill. The mothend already has a n, one that doesn''t necessarily involve his death. He will be taken out of thepetition before things develop too far. By then, our designs for the T-28 and T-35 will have the greatest chance of victory. If not us, thenckluster designs will still be handed over to the Red Army."
Spoiler
T-28
T-35
[copse]
When the serveres and refills the vodka for Rusk, she only smiles, waiting for him to leave. She then raises a toast to Quellec. "Well then, to an unwinnable scenario for the Rusviet Union."
"Cheers." The two spies clink their sses together before downing them all. Quellec and Rusk then both stand up, linking their arms again. "Now then, let''s make a favorable impression on this Mikhail Koshkin."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 20-3: Building their powerbases (Part 3)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 20-3: Building their powerbases (Part 3)
"... And I am telling you that the war n is fucking ludicrous! Even a five-year-old retard cane up with a better response than that!" The Ustian Prime Minister screamed into the phone, his frustration was clear for Dana Elvidge to hear. "We already lost Arash to the Belkans, and by not willing to reinforce the Ardennes, we''re leaving the entirety of Northern Ustio wide open!"
Though Dana knocks on the door before stepping in, the Minister only offers a beckoning hand, still busy exchanging k with the person on the line to care about much else. "Unfavorable terrains? Never favoredrge operations? Largely imprable? Are you daft!? We are not the only countries to have advancements in technology in the span of a few years! Who the fuck knows what sort of witchcraft the Belkans developed now, huh!?"
Shaking her head at the flushed Prime Minister, Dana can only smile wryly at that question. Even she, as an undercover agent, doesn''t know just how far has Belkan developed in her years of absence.
"The Maginot Line will be imprable as long as special provisions were taken to destroy an invasion force as it emerged from the Ardennes by a pincer attack...?" The Prime Minister suddenly asked back in a subdued voice. It seems that the one on the line is trying to make a counterargument. "Just what the fuck had your mother breastfed you with you piece of numbskull?!"
And apparently, it failed miserably.
"If I don''t receive a contingency n, on my table, in three days, you can consider yourself relive of your duty, shithead!" The Minister then mmed the phone hard, hanging it up before taking a deep breath.
After ten seconds, he turns to Dana, his secretary. "Now with that out of the way, you have something to give me?" His tone is surprisingly mellow unlike before.
Dana nods before stepping forth and handing over a stack of letters with seals. "Everyone on the list has offered their response to your correspondence. I haven''t checked the content of specific letters yet but otherwise, they''re safe for your eyes only."
The Prime Minister smirks before deftly breaking the seal of one. "Spoken like a spy now. Your skill in shadowy matters is improving day by day." The Minister jested, making Dana roll her eyes. "I need to be, otherwise, it''s my head that rolls on the floor. If I recall correctly, my post as a secretary isn''t supposed to include any underhanded assignment?"
The Prime Minister responds. "What? Getting cold feet on the brink of greatness?"
Dana answers. "I would had it not been for the pay and insurance package apanying the job."
The Prime Minister chuckles. "Good! Because we are one step closer to vision!" The Minister then put away the first letter, taking up another one. "Marks my words, Belka is on the rise and everything will crumble beneath its wake."
Seeing the cruel, meaningful smile on the Ustian Prime Minister''s face, Dana can only shake her head. "You know, I''ve worked with you for years already and I still don''t know just what the hell is driving your actions. Yet, I work my butt off any day every day for unknown reasons."
The Minsterughs aloud at that. "Would you still stick with me had you know, my friend?"
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"Ram that bastard!" Shouted an Ustian Reformist tankmander before he felt the tank jerk forth, hard. Then, theplete weight of a multi-ton Panzer III Mes crashing down on a Chariot-ss Demon, crushing it beneath the mighty Belkan-made treads.
Not stopping there, the tankmander gives the gunner a target to engage. "Gunner, Chariot, 200 meters, traverse left!"
"Identified!" The gunner controlling the 57mm cannon of the tank responded. The man can see that whitish freak of nature barreling toward the walls of the town they''re defending.
"Fire!"
"On the way!" The gunner shouted as the turret rocked back due to the cannon firing. An empty shell casing is ejected out of the breach while themander calls out to the loader of the tank. "Load AP!"
Without missing a beat, the loader hoists an APCBC shell and slides it into the breach, saying. "Ammo up!"
But there''s no target, yet. Despite the ongoing sporadic sounds of gunfire andbat elsewhere, the crew of the Panzer III M suddenly finds themselves without any nearby enemy to engage.
Noticing the lull around them, the radio operator of the crew asks back. "Did we kill all the Demons around the plot?"
Hearing that stupid question, the tankmander, gunner, and driver direct their collective re at the radio operator. "Shit... I just jinxed us, didn''t I?"
As if on cue, a loud roar can be heard, shaking even the steel hull of the tank itself. The primal roar that promises untold cruelty sends a wave of chill down the spine of the Panzer III''s crew, prompting the tankmander to quickly say. "That you sure did! Driver, get us moving! Radio, hail the others, and figure out what the hell was that! The entire town must have heard it!"
With a loud grumbling, the Panzer III M is directed off from its perching atop the corpse of a pancaked Chariot. Its turret swivels from left to right to scan for the obvious threat that just announced its presence.
The driver makes the right call on his own judgment, saying. "Hey, I am taking us somewhere close to our nearest holdout. I have a bad feeling and I don''t think we can tackle whatever that was alone."
"Good idea, take there nice and steady in case we need to engage anything." The tankmander nodded while using hismander periscope to help spot any target.
Suddenly, movement from a tree line is identified by themander. At first, he isn''t sure what he is seeing is correct. But by the time the fifth tree is broken in half by a colossal hunk of a quadrupedal beast, themander knows for sure that they''re in for a mess. "Gunner, 400 meters, traverse left!"
Swinging the turret around, the gunner pales at the impossible-to-miss target barreling at them in his scope. "Sweet mother of Jesus!? What the Hell is that thing?"
"Just fire!" Themander screamed while turning out of the tank and taking hold of the anti-aircraft MG-34 mounted on themander''s cup. The 57mm cannon of the Panzer III screams to life while themander is seen racking the charging handle for the machine gun.
Taking aim at the humongous Demoning straight at them, the tankmander sweats at the fact that an armor-piercing shell just bounces off the curving protectiveyer of the beast. "Lord have mercy..." Pushing through his fear, themander just squeezes the trigger, not even letting it up for a second. As a hail of 8mm bullets tickling the thick hide of the Demon, the main gun of the Panzer III announces its presence once more. And although the second shell leaves more than a mark, scoring a shallow pration on its skin, the Demon hase too close for another attack.
Themander hastily ducks back into the turretpartment, barely able to close the hatch when the whole tank suddenly rocks heavily before the world turns upside down. Thest thing he can remember before cking out is him saying.
"Lord... Why is my tank being tossed again?"
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Waking up with a start, the loader tries to scramble back on his feet in fright, only for a hand to rest on his shoulder, stopping him. "Easy there son." The familiar voice of hismander makes the loader stop and looks around. Seeing thest person he is expecting to see right now, the loader can''t help but ask. "... Am I in Heaven?"
Looking at where the loader of the crew is gazing, themander can''t help but let knowing hums. "Princess Rosa Bonaparte herself and her entourage of finest of maids... Yeah, I would have mistaken that this was Heaven too if I was in your boots."
As part of her n to gain military and popce support, Rosa and her maid, Mary, are going around the frontline regions to bolster morale. It''s working as intended as the townspeople love her very much while the soldiers maintain dutiful overwatch around the Princess.
Patting the loader on the shoulder a few times, themander continues. "If previous records are to be trusted, then she wille to visit our medical station, here, very soon. You may just have the chance to see her up close, Private."
The loader flinches. "I was hoping that I will be more presentable than, well, this..." He gestured to his broken leg and bandaged head, making themander chuckle. "First time?"
Turning to look at hismander, the loader asks. "Of what exactly?"
"Of getting your tank flung away by something above your tonnage." Themander smirked.
"... So the rumor is true?"
Shrugging, themander responds. "Pretty much. In the beginning, there were only three of us, and our tank was totaled in pretty much the same manner as now. Meaning, it was crashed by something and thrown into the air, rolling a few times here and there. Only back then, it was the ne that was carrying the current Reich Marshal of Belka that kicked us away, not a literal Demon boar or something along the line. But Heaven blessed us on both asions, aside from taking a few bruises and some broken bones, all of us got out alive. The others are up and are examining our Panzer III wreck with us being the most injured of the bunch. Hence, us being here in the med station." Themander then gestures to his broken arm in a cast.
"... Damn, now that''s one thing to tell your kids about." The loadermented before resting his head on the pillow while themanderughs in agreement.
"Well, that''s one positive thing to take out from that mess!"
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Elsewhere, in an extravagantly ornate room. A plump man, garbed in the most luxurious of robes and golden crosses, can be seen spitting out his spits as his words berate the high-ranking officers across his table. "Say it! Say it to the hand of Christ!" The man, easily identified as the Pope of Christianity due to his hard-to-not-notice attire, shouted.
And before the Sardegnian Generals can even fathom the idea of responding, Pope Mussolini of the Sardegnian Papacy has already waved his hands around like il. "My hand is a rotor de and your opinion means nothing! I want more units to be funneled into Spain! The heretics must be decimated! And the betrayers to God''s Will must be destroyed! Now begone from my sight!"
Leaving behind naught but a short bow, the military men file out of the room, leaving Mussolini to huff a heavy, frustrated breath.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance." Said the voice from a darker corner of the room, unseen by any others prior to her speaking up. Mussolini, however, isn''t surprised by the sudden intrusion. "Go on." The Pope said before sitting down heavily, pouring himself arge goblet of wine.
The hidden voice then says. "With the first batch of Crusaders making their stance clear, a new and growing faction has appeared in the Spanishnds. One that upholds the use of neutrality very well, only participating in defensive maneuvers at most. Those mundane Generals won''t be able to utilize or dislodge this faction, not if they want their fragile defense line to hold against the Spanish Coalition''s counterattack."
"Suggestion?" Mussolini asked after taking a healthy gulp of wine and cing the goblet on the table.
"We wait. At least, until my next batch of Crusaders is ready. Only this time, they''re perfectly servile to us. I''ve taken... precautions to prevent another happenstance of rebellious Saint."
"Good."
The voice then continues. "With the second batch ready, we will then send them to dismantle the third faction and retrieve Kallen Kana. As an S-rank Crusader, she still has her uses. With her being dealt with, the Crusaders will fall into line and the operation to conquer Spain will resume, back on its proper track."
"Then we do as your say, Lady Lyssa." The Pope said before suddenly copsing on the table like a puppet with its strings cut. Ignoring the sleeping Pope, an ominous chuckle can be heard before fading out of existence.
"No ns survive first contact. But it doesn''t mean I can''t adapt to sudden changes. Kallen Kana, you will support me in my endeavor, by hook or by crook. Ufufufu..."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-1: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 1)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-1: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 1)
The war for ownership of Spain, while localized in a singr country, still consume an exorbitant amount of supplies on both sides of the front. As such, the logistical capability of not just the Spanish Coalition but also the Sardegnian Papacy is tested and strained to its very limit. Fueling their war machine, feeding their soldiers, boosting morale... All of these are performed while the harassment and threats of Demons attacking the supply lines are very much still there. Reports of supply convoys being ravaged by Demonic ambushes are presented on the officers'' desks now and then as the two warring parties try to deal with the headache that is these supernatural beasts. Some may even say that Sardegna has shot itself in the foot by artificially driving the numbers of Demons up in Spain all those months earlier. And let''s not mention the naval blockades that the Papal Navy is struggling to bypass most of the time. If not for their destroyers being the quickest blockade runners in the Med, the Army would have started surrendering a long time ago.
But what Sardegna struggles to cope with due to the unified movement of the superpowers against war crimes, the Spanish Coalition finds a helping hand in the form of the Reichsmarine. Convoys under armed escorts, flying the proud g of Belka and her blue water fleet, are regr tourist attractions whenever theye to dock in the port city of La Coruna. Each time the cargo ships dock, you can bet that much-needed food, medicine, munition, and even manpower can be seen offloading from the many ramps along the pier. Many nations have offered their support to the Spanish people, but none has been regrly pumping war material weekly as Belka. Hence, the people of Spain will most certainly throw out weing parties whenever Belkan sailors set foot on Spanish soil. Safe to say, many love couples are during each supply run.
Strangely enough, despite being escorted by Belkan warships, none have ever heard, much less seen these warshipsing to dock. Even the battle-hardened vessels of the Spanish Inquisition Navy, led by the war hero Matias Torres himself, periodicallyes to port on a rotation basis. On a side note, the return of the Hero of Comberth Harbor has been viral news for the popce. The tale of hisst stand before overwhelming odds is still regaled months after the battle had taken ce. Now leading the Inquisition Navy on his new retrofitted gship of the Littorio-ss battleship, the INS Alicorn, Torres has been a major participant in thwarting the expansion of the Sardegnian Navy''s force projection in the sea. Currently, said Admiral Torres is still out there, picking off the false tiger that is the Navy of the Papacy one by one.
But I digress.
Not many can boldly im that they''ve seen the vessels of the revived Reichsmarine in all of their glory. Even if they can, most will just chalk it up as the boasting of drunken seamen. And while many have tried to get the Belkan sailors that do make it ashore to talk, most are tightlipped and what they offer in return is often inconclusive of the Reichsmarine''s true capability. The fact that their vessels are designed to reduce their radar cross-section and that ONI is still hard at work keeping things under wrap helps a lot.
But leave it to a man, or a very frustrated Navy, to find a way to shed light on the fog surrounding the Reichsmarine. The Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Erusea has had enough and is determined in getting a showdown with this elusive naval rival of theirs. And before you forget, Erusea is effectively already at war with the Reich by heavily reinforcing Ustio with their Expeditionary Force and war materials. It''s just that not a single shot is exchanged between the two countries, yet. Though if this goes the way the Royal Navy wants, then the first engagement between both Navies is just around the corner.
It''s the evening of the 22nd of August, on the Conning tower of the Bismarck, the name-giver of her ss of battleship, Captain Ernst Lindemann can be seen scanning the sunset. The chilly wind of the Antic is surprisingly refreshing.
"Still trying to be a philosopher?" The question is asked by a soft female voice. Lindemann can swear that it could have been lost to the wind had he not heard the earlier footsteps. "You''re very much more in love with the sea than many of my people."
"Admiral." The Captain greeted without looking back, still pensively appraising the sinking sun.
"Captain." The female said, stepping to the side of Lindemann. From the corner of his eyes, Lindemann analyzes the new arrival.
Wearing the standard dark navy blue uniform with two lines of golden buttons and the apanying essories, Lindemann must admit that the woman looks awfully fitting in the attire. The Admiral then directs her dark blue eyes, of the same color as her shoulder-length hair, at the ocean, gazing at it with a profound gaze. "You know, the sea has always been my home, regardless of which world I am in. And my people have always strived to maintain it, not just for ourselves, but also for others to enjoy. Us mermaids are hopelessly in love with the ocean like that, wanting to share its beauty with all. As a result, most of us are pacifists by nature."
Lindemann gives the Admiral a side nce. Inferring the unvoiced question, Admiral Nerina Tallh just smirks. "Most of us." She emphasized. "A few of us know that just words alone won''t be able to protect our home, you know?"
"So that''s why you join the Reichsmarine, Admiral?" Captain Lindemann asked, earning a nod in return.
"There aren''t many of my people left, we''re a part of a dying race. So it''s ironic that I would sign up in the armed force, no?" Admiral Tallh asked in a sarcastic manner in exchange for an analyzing gaze from Lindemann. She then continues. "Though the Reich has dedicated a portion of its coastal area for my people to thrive, the state of the world doesn''t allow us to rest on oururel. While most of my peaceful brethren aid the Reich in the civilian sector, I lead the more daring, albeit lesser number of my people to dedicate our seaworthy skills to the Reichsmarine. It doesn''t have to say that we st through the ranks due to our traits and experience. Does that make you envious?"
At that question, Lindemann shrugs. "Not when you''re just an Admiral." The straight-faced jab caused the Admiral to chuckle.
"Grand Admiral Karl Donitz is a predator in a man''s clothing. As a human man, he bested us at our own game. He has our deep respect for that. But I digress. A major part of my joining the Reichsmarine is to help expand the sea of the country we havee to call home when our old one came crashing down. We owe much to the Reich and I am willing to work in my people''s stead to return it."
"A noble sentiment, Admiral. The Reich is lucky to have you as one of her officers." Lindemann let out the barest hint of a smile, which Admiral Tallh detected.
"Now, now, don''t you go soft on me. I still need you as my advisor when things go South." Admiral Tallh patted Captain Lindemann on his shoulder. She then brings out a vacuum bottle that she carries in her satchel before opening it and pouring the content into the apanying stainless steel cup. Offering the cup to Lindemann, she asks. "Coffee?"
A true Belkan will never dismiss a gift of coffee, hence, Lindemann epts the cup with both hands and a thankful nod. Tallh smiles before she drinks the aromatic blend directly from the bottle while Lindemann takes a sip from the cup. The surprisingly strong and bold vor of the coffee makes Lindemann''s brows shoot up in shock. "... Such a powerful blend." Hemented, pleasantly surprised by the taste, before taking another sip.
Seeing that Lindemann is in eptance of the unusually strong coffee, Tallh smiles and exins. "Robusta coffee beans. Generally stronger, nuttier, and darker than that made from arabica. It''s the best blend when you''re about to pull an all-nighter."
Lindemann nods while savoring the dark blend. "Can I get the brand?"
"It hails from the Duchy of Indochina, the brand name is literally Duke of Coffee, created by an Ustian Duke who is obsessed over the way the Vietnamese make their wake-up drinks." Tallh said with a small smile. "The Princess of the Ustian Reformists gave a tribute to our Marshal with a fewrge packs of these Robusta beans. When the Marshal tried it, she was impressed with the energetic vor and distributed a portion of the beans around the military highmand, me included."
Tallh suddenly sighs. "Sadly, trying to import more of the beans may prove to be an issue. The region is under political turmoil as the Duke of Indochina himself has fallen gravely ill. His so-called sons and daughters are now waging a war of intrigue to determine who will seed him. As such, the productivity and general security of Indochina have plummeted. Intelligence suggested that if the Ustian Civil War isn''t concluded in two to three years, the region will fall into absolute anarchy as the undercurrent of that area runs deep."
"What a shame..." Lindemannmented, genuinely regretful.
Giving the man a few pats on the back, Tallh adds. "Don''t worry, I can give you a portion of the beanster."
"Thank you, Admiral." Lindemann gave a grateful nod to Tallh. The pair of officers then move on to take in the evening view aboard the Bismarck.
"Beautiful, isn''t she?" Lindemann said while watching the dwindling daylight reflected off the surface of one of the mightiest vessels in the Reichsmarine.
"She is your ship, Captain, of course, you will find her lovely." Tallh smirked.
"I will admit that I am biased toward the fairdy that is Bismarck." Lindemann said, making Tallh chuckle.
"Well, if five years earlier, somebody told me that we would field a 60000 tons with a tumblehome design, I would immediately send that person to the mental ward. Such a discement was practically unheard of, much less apanied by an untested hull form." Tallmented while gazing at the inverted bow of the Bismarck, designed to pierce through waves rather than ride over them. "Now that we have put the tumblehome wave-piercing hull through many trials in heavy storm conditions, I am now a believer in that design philosophy."
Lindemann nods, adding. "And let''s not forget the angrposite deckhouse of the ship. The whole vessel is built around stealth and reducing radar and acoustic signature in mind. To say that the shape of the battleship is groundbreaking would be an understatement."
"She is not the only vessel of the fleet receiving that treatment though." Tallh added. "The entire Reichsmarine haspletely departed from conventional naval architecture, venturing into a whole new era of warfare."
"That being said," Lindemann interjected. "This will be thest sortie of the Bismarck for a while. She is pending a third refit in the mothend and I have heard that it will be an extensive one. In fact, her sister ships, the Tirpitz and the Agir, have already been upgraded to the BLOCK III standard."
"Ah yes. The naval dockyards still have this girl on their list." Tallh said. "The BLOCK III upgrade will be overhauling the primary weapon system of the Bismarck, adding the long-awaited VLS tubes to her arsenal and the apanying electronics and long-range SAM capability. It''s because of the BLOCK III upgrade that the Reichsmarine will have to ressify her as a Dreadnought. With that said, even just her current BLOCK II configuration is more than enough to blow any surfacebatant out of the water. BLOCK III is just overkill."
The first iteration of the Bismarck-ss, the BLOCK I, was made to be the most advance, but still contemporary, ss of battleships. The ship ss in its BLOCK I configuration has a discement of 60000 tons, armored heavily in an All-or-nothing scheme, it has eight reactors and four shafts, giving it a top speed of 33 knots. The main armament isprised of 3 x quad 432mm 57 caliber gun turrets, positioned in an A, B, X format. While the secondary armament is 8 x twin 150mm L/55 dual-purpose turrets, 48 Goalkeeper 57mm, 6 Gepard 30mm, and numerous smaller 20mm autocannons. Complimentary weapons include 10 x 533mm torpedo tubes and two anti-submarine rocketunchers. And not just that, state-of-the-art radar FCS and the inclusion of a fleetwidework of CIC ensure the Bismarck-ss to always be multiple steps ahead of the enemy.
With Bismarck''s current BLOCK II configuration, however, there''s a drastic change in its anti-air armaments. The number of its 57mm Goalkeepers has reduced to 26 while the amount of 30mm Gepard has increased to 8. And despite the lowered amount of AA turrets, their actual firepower and effectiveness have been increased due to the inclusion of individual radar guidance systems and FLIR. Meaning, each anti-air turret can independently track and engage an aerial threat, even if the host vessel''s radar array is unavable. The BLOCK II also introduces the use of surface-to-air missiles in the form of short-to-medium-range, radar/infrared-guided, Sea Iris missiles. These missiles, a Navy development of the Air Force''s brainchild, are mounted in a reloadable pod of five on the side of a Gepard CIWS turret, with each turret holding up to two pods for ten missiles in total. The reload process is automated and allows a vessel equipped with a single BLOCK II Gepard to rapidly decimated the entire air wing if it has to. The BLOCK II configuration also exchanges the aging seanes of the Bismarck-ss for more modern tiltrotors UCAVs, capable of long-range scouting or multirole fleet support operation.
With the BLOCK III upgrade, however, Bismarck is ted to receive 20 ¡Á VLS modules, 4 cells per module, 80unch cells total in her amidship, the section that is usually relegated to the boiler rooms and funnels of a warship. But as the Reichsmarine has no need for such an antiquated design, the amidship is designed to hole VLS tubes instead. Each cell of the system can contain:
- 4 x Sea Fenix Long-range dual semi-active/active radar homing, electro-optical missiles. Also a Navy procurement of the Air Force''s missile design.
- 1 x Exoscar multipurpose, long-range, all-weather, jet-powered cruise missile.
- 1 x Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Missile (VLASROC)
So when Tallh said that the BLOCK III upgrade is overkill, she really mean it.
"The Bismarck-ss is the perfect Aegis for our Carrier Strike Group." Lindemannmented with pride clear in his tone. "Not once have a country been this close to total sea domination. The Reich owes a lot to the Marshal who had designed these vessels and the men and women that constructed them."
"That''s a sentiment you and I both share. Just wait until the nned fleet review before the end of the Months of Demons. High Command ted that day to be the day when the Reichsmarine bares its full might on the fleets of its enemy. If they aren''t cowered into surrendering, then they better pray for a salvation that will nevere." Tallh said with a predatory smile, the anticipatory glint in her eyes was share by Lindemann.
Though the Reichsmarine have been biding their time in the shadow to build up their force, many of the naval personnel are anxious deep inside. They''re raring to fly their new banner, designed by the Marshal herself, across the Seven Seas. It''s but a worthy gift in return for the trust and faith the Belkan Reich has shown to the once young branch of service. Little do Tallh and Lindemann know, that chance arrives sooner than anybody has expected.
An XO rushes to the viewing port that they''re upying, asking for their attention almost immediately. "Ma''am! Sir! You two need to see this."
Sharing a knowing look, Tallh and Lindemann know that trouble is on the horizon.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-2: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 2)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-2: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 2)
In the newly rebuilt Mansion of Knowledge, Yuki is showing the brainiac group the fruits of her otherwordly adventure with Bryn. Dreamer, Einstein, Mobius, and even Nice are gathering around aputer terminal, fascinated by the miraculous software architecture from another world.
Dreamer is the first to speak up, being the quicker one to assimte the ocean of data running on the screen. "I must admit, Master, that I have had my doubt when you said that someone, a mere human, had managed to artificially create stable souls. But now that I am looking at it, I am honestly impressed by the sheer ingenuity of their work. Truly, despite all of their shorings, humans are regr miracle makers." Dreamer then let out a dangerous smirk. "Though I must say that I am surprised to learn that there''s a lesser version of me in that universe. I wonder just how powerful she truly is?"
Yuki giggles. "With you being unrestricted by any means, you can singlehandedly eliminate that entire world. It will be too much of an overkill."
Nice, who is nearby and in her usual purple dress but with an added touch of a whiteb coat, chimes in. "But to think that humans of another world can achieve something that many Gods find hard to do."
Yuki and Dreamer share a nod. "It goes to say that there''s always something out there that can surprise us all."
Waking up from staring at the digital representation of a nascent soul, both Einstein, and Mobius can''t stop themselves from massaging their eyes. To say that they''re overwhelmed would be an understatement. "This will take a long while for us to dig through." Einstein admitted before sitting down on a swivel chair.
"As much as I hate topliment another person''s genuineness, I must concede on this asion." Mobius sighed, picking up a bottle of milk tea and chugging it in spite. "Just imagine how much work that can be done if I could have a few of those T-Dolls that you spoke of, Yuki."
Yukies to pat Mobius''s shoulder. "Look at it this way, when you all are able to decipher the Neural Cloud technology, you can make as many sentient helpers as you like. All the more reason to work hard, eh?"
Nice giggles. "Just try not to overwork yourselves. We still have many, many projects that require your supervision." The pair nodded calmly at that.
Dreamer then says. "Speaking of projects," She then pull out the schematics of other mechanical technologies Yuki extracted from the other world. "I''ve scoured through the data in my free time. And from the look of it, we can easily adapt these technologies into our fold."
Dreamer highlights the rudimentary exoskeleton design that the T-Dolls use. "These, in particr, can be cheaply mass-produced to be used in both industrial and military applications, even if they''re are weaker than our dedicated Raven armors or the SPI suits. Of course, the physical amplification is not as strong as either of them but it''s still a noticeable increase."
"Then there''s this," Dreamer shows them the specifications of a thermoptic camouge cape. "This is, in my opinion, the greatest haul that Master got out of that journey, drone architecture be damn."
Einstein nods, chiming in. "Just imagine, an entire infantry division can just disappear in broad daylight, do excuse the exaggeration but I think we can all get the idea. This cape is an infiltrator''s wet dream."
"And not just that," Nice smiled. "What if the base technology can be supersized and installed on an armored vehicle, or Yggdra forbids a battleship? One moment, we aren''t there, then the next, it''s raining tanks and warships behind the enemy line."
Yuki snickers, having just imagined the ridiculous scenario Nice painted. "AFVs I get it, but a battleship may be a bit of a stretch... It could be possible in the future, I guess? As for the UCAV design, it''s interesting, yes, but it''s the software that is of much desire. If we can, we should assimte the programs of these Barracuda UCAVs into our own. After we make sure that it wouldn''t go destroy all humans, of course."
They all nod at that, having been briefed regrly about the double-edged sword that is creating digital and artificial lifeforms. There''s a subsection of the Belkanws book about this sensitive matter so Yuki hopes that it will act as a foundation for the future.
As they''re just about to move on to discuss more scientific pursuits, Agentes into theb, grabbing the attention of Yuki when she moves close to her. ncing at the dutiful maid with a small smile, Yuki asks. "Is there something wrong, Agent?"
Bowing, Agent replies. "I''m afraid so, Master. You''re needed in the situation room. The matter involves our interests in Spain and pretty much the rest of Europe."
Hearing the report, Yuki frowns before turning to the brainiacs. "If you''ll excuse me, duty calls."
The group nods, wishing Yuki good luck. Yuki then looks at Agent. "Brief me while we''re on the way."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the situation room beneath the Obsidian Castle, Yuki is receiving the newest report from Agent.
"At 18:00 hour, the floti spotted another group of Erusean vessels, five ships in total, to their North-West. This brings the enemy ships count to fifteen vessels, scattered in smaller groups in the Celtic Sea and the Gulf of Biscay. We''re expecting more to arrive in the area shortly, effectively cutting off all avenues of maneuver for the convoy."
Yuki nods while looking down at the digital tactical map, showing theposition of their armed convoy and that of the enemy patrol groups. By the look of how they''re slowly circling around the convoy''s position, Yuki can easily infer what they''re intending to do. "It seems like Erusea has lost its patience, they''re forcing a close encounter with our navy. My guess is that this is their way of obtaining concrete information when other, more elegant attempts have failed."
Hearing that, Grand Admiral Karl Donitz interjects. He''s not actually anywhere near Berlin right now, rather, he''s on the aircraft carrier Yggdrasil, the man is connected to the emergency meeting through an encrypted video feed. "Marshal, my 1st Strike Group is the nearest to their location. I have taken the liberty to send out my air wings, armed with anti-ship weaponry. In a few minutes, they will be in range with the Northern Erusean naval group."
Yuki just nods at that, eyeing the information shown on the map. Just the air wings from the carriers of the 1st Strike Group alone are more than enough to sink the entire Erusean Royal Navy. Nheless, Yuki expects by doing such, the profit they will gain from it is actually lesser than what she has in mind. People can''t exactly talk about what they couldn''t see being destroyed, right? As such, Yuki formtes a different course of action, based on what she has avable at the moment.
The convoy, of ten cargo vessels, is being escorted by a floti consisting of:
- The escort gship: Battleship RMS Bismarck.
- The Sub-Commander: Battlecruiser RMS Gneisenau.
- Heavy Cruiser: RMS Prinz Eugen.
- Light Cruiser: RMS Koln, RMS Lubeck
- Destroyer: Z19, Z22, Z39, Z45
A total of 9 vessels.
Only 9 ships will be facing a force of 15, maybe more... It''s actually more of an even fight than she expected, Yuki thought to herself. By splitting up their fleet into small groups, the Erusean Royal Navy has cast a big enough to ensure the spotting of their convoy. What they don''t know is that by doing this, they''ve presented themselves to be easy picking for the Reichsmarine. If one group is under attack, the others won''t be able to save them in time. As such, Yuki determines the location of the closest Erusean group, one consisting of only four destroyers, and is on a path that blocks the convoy from going forward to La Coruna. Having learned what she needs to do, Yuki turns to the Grand Admiral.
"By attack order for those air wings, Admiral." The suddenmand turned heads, with Karl Donitz appearing confused. "Marshal? Don''t we need to break the encirclement?"
"Just do what I say first, Grand Admiral. I, of course, have my intention in ordering such." Yuki emphasized, prompting Karl Donitz to nod and giving a stand-down order to the deployed air wings of the Yggdrasil and Bayern.
Yuki smiles when she sees the friendly aircraft markers on the map turning around. "Now let me exin my thought process."
Agent and Karl Donitz perk up at that, with thetter leaning closer to the video screen. The staff of the situation room also divert a part of their attention to the conversation of the top brass. "Because of theircking military intelligence, the Royal Navy is forced to pull off this ruse in preparation for when the Months of Demons are finished. While the n, casting a wide enough to encircle a small detachment of our navy, is sound on paper. It''sughably stupid in reality. Theircking information, and the fact that they still think that their navy is the mightiest, will be their own undoing. Tell me, Admiral Donitz, just with the currently avable vessels of Admiral Tallh alone, do you think we can achieve victory under these circumstances? And please, try to think outside of the contemporary naval mindsets."
Yuki''s words put a thoughtful frown on the Grand Admiral''s face. As he is stroking his chin, the man seems to achieve an epiphany beforeughing aloud while smacking his knee. Yuki also smiles, knowing that she has gotten her point across. Once Admiral Donitz calms down, he then says. "It seems like I''ve been overestimating our enemy too much, Marshal. Our fleet outmatch them by at least half a century! Tallh''s floti alone is more than enough to break the current blockade!"
Yuki nods. "That''s correct. As such, I am hereby giving the order for the convoy to continue its path Southward, breaking past this group of four destroyers. If they refuse to move out of the way, sink them all. That will no doubt give these Eruseans a wake-up call and converge all of their naval assets around these water into one singr location. In response to that, Bismarck and a singr escort will break off with the convoy, intercept the approaching enemy fleet, and cover the withdrawal of the convoy into La Coruna. Bismarck and her escort will no doubt be ced under heavy ks but can you imagine this? Two lone vessels against an entire fleet, being outnumbered seven to one, and still manage to beat the enemy ck and blue, ultimately achieving victory with minimal losses. I am not sure about you but that will be a story and a half to tell your grandchildren."
Grand Admiral Donitz smirks while pping his hands together. "Great! Very wonderful! Such a dastardly and daring n! If we can safely pull this off, the entire world will no taut the Reichsmarine as brave heroes while the Royal Navy will lose any shed of dignity they have!"
Yuki shares the same evil smile that Karl Donitz is having. "I share your enthusiasm, Admiral, but we must also take the necessary caution. Have the air wings on standby and be ready to intervene at the first sight of disadvantage to Admiral Tallh. This is war, not a chess game, and war allows us to cheat with our technological advantage. I want my pride battleship and her escort to be in one piece, you hear me? That fleet of theirs will sink either way."
Karl Donitz nods before saluting. "Consider it done, Marshal! If you''ll excuse me, I will disseminate the next set of actions with Admiral Tallh herself."
Yuki gives a salute back, letting the Grand Admiral disconnect his video call. Turning to Agent, Yuki then questions. "Mind telling me why we didn''t infer their move any sooner?"
Agent bows. "Apology, Master, it''s our inadequacy that resulted in this situation developing thus far."
Looking at Agent with a raised eyebrow, Yuki sighs. "Let me guess, their orders are disseminated word-by-word and on a need-to-know basis. Each set of orders is cryptic, dyed, and isn''t showing the full story until all the cards are on the table."
"It''s as you said, Master. Our spies weren''t fast enough in piecing the pieces together. But I assure you, they''ve been doing their best. The fault should lie in me for noting up with a contingency against such a development." Again closed her eyes, expecting punishment for her inattentiveness.
She is shocked when Yuki moves to lift her chin up. "Straighten your back, Agent, you have nothing to apologize for. I believe the fault lies in us both."
Yuki then smiles, cing a hand on Agent''s shoulder. "Despite what the Grand Admiral said about overestimating our enemy, I believe we had been underestimating them instead. Just this matter alone has shown us that Erusea is worthy of its longsting reputation as a world power for a reason. They''re not stupid and have no doubt taken precautions for every major move they make. Let this be a learning experience, for all of us, and expect the unexpected from not just Erusea but other countries too."
Despite not showing much emotion on her face, Agent is feeling very touched deep inside. Performing a splendid maid curtsy, Agent replies with. "Yes, my Master."
Yuki smiles before standing up. "Now then, untilbat is ready to be initiated, I will retire for the day. The family dinner tonight will wee action-pack navalbat footage for a change of pace."
"I will forward you the video feed as soon as it''s avable, Master." Agent responded while escorting Yuki out of the situation room.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-3: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 3)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-3: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 3)
cing down the headphone with a direct line to Grand Admiral Karl Donitz, Admiral Tallh still can''t quite believe that their first naval action will be happening soon. Much less it will be one of the most ambitious maneuvers of history. Don''t get Tallh wrong, she is more than able and is not disheartened by the prospect of leading a handful of ships. Rather, she wees the uing challenge. Tallh is smart enough to understand just what kind of mind game is the upper echelon ying. Hence she is eager to contribute her effort to bring about the copse of the Erusean Navy.
Turning around to Captain Lindemann, Tallh says. "We have our orders. Maintain present heading and formation. Make contact with that Royal Navy intercept party ahead of us and if they ignore our warning, we are to initiatebat and punch a hole through their blockade. The convoy must get to La Coruna on schedule." Tallh then smirks. "Battle stations."
Lindemann snaps a salute before saying on the fleetwidemunication line. "This is floti leader to all elements, battle stations. I repeat, battle stations! Prepare for the interception of enemy high-speed destroyers and possible torpedo attacks. All elements are to report theirbat readiness."
The announcementes as a somewhat of a surprise, but ultimately a wee one by the crew of the Bismarck. Tallh and Lindemann take their spot on the bridge, gazing approvingly at the men and women making sure that all the stations aboard the battleship are up to snuff for the eventual conflicts.
"The Bismarck is green across the board with our guns loaded with high explosive shells, ma''am, sir." Lindemann''s XO gave the report.
"Yes, I can very much see that. Standby for the deployment of a spotter drone. Once the destroyers are gone, we will need an additional eye in the sky to search for the other Royal Navy ships." Tallhmanded, letting the XO salute, and is just about to return to his post at the CIC when she calls out. "Wait!"
The XO returns to his former posture. "Yes, ma''am?"
"Once we''ve made contact with the destroyers, make very sure that their outboundms are jammed. We only need to let them report their status as alive and in contact with our vessels, once. Anything after that is not allowed to be transmitted, let''s keep them guessing about the fate of their ships, yeah?"
The XO nods, his lips parting into a smile. "Yes, ma''am!"
"Good. And when we face any other group like one, we will be doing just the same." Tallh then dismissed the XO, turning around to see an impressed Lindemann.
"You''re gonna y them like a fiddle." The Captain of the Bismarckmented, making the Admiral in charge of the floti chuckle. "Our Royal Navy peers are in this to gain knowledge about our capability. As such, I will use our very ships as bait to lure them in. What happens after that will just be the hunters be the hunted."
"A bold, but risky move, in normal circumstances. But our Reichsmarine is anything but normal so I will happily see this through." Lindemann acknowledged the idea, confident that the floti can tide through anything the Erusean Royal Navy can throw at them.
Tallh pats him on the shoulder. "Can''t word it any better myself. Now then, radar, ETA till they''re in visual range?"
"Ma''am, the Royal Navy destroyer squadron will break past and approach our 40km radius in thirty minutes."
"ssification?"
"Four E-ss destroyers, ma''am."
Tallh nods "I need gunnery to work on a firing solution for the lead vessel. If they ignore us and continue to proceed to the 30km mark, I want to be able to engage them as soon as possible." She looks at Lindemann. "Have the other elements pick their targets, I want all vessels to engage the destroyers as soon as Bismark does."
"You got it, Admiral." Lindemann replied before disseminating themand to the rest of the convoy escorts.
Very soon, Tallh notes that the timer of thirty minutes has run out. This is signified by the turning of the two quadruple 431mm cannon turrets of the bow of the Bismarck. Tallh doesn''t have to take a look to know that the C-turret of the battleship is alsoying on the lead Erusean destroyer.
Lindemann checks aputer terminal and reports. "Gunnery station reports that all guns are trained on the lead enemy vessel, the destroyer Electra."
"Good, adjust the course of the floti so that all our guns have a firing solution on those destroyers. And broadcast my message to those destroyers only."
An Ensign that''s in charge of ship-to-shipmunication speaks up after a few seconds. "We''re ready, ma''am."
Before Tallh can pick up the radio to address the approaching destroyers, Lindemann leans in and adds. "The destroyers belong to the Fifth Squadron of the Erusean Navy."
Tallh rolls her eyes at the reminder but goes on to say in fluent Erusean. "This is Admiral Tallh of Reichsmarine Battleship Bismarck escorting the convoy Fur Spaniard. Approaching destroyers of the Fifth Squadron belonging to the Erusean Royal Navy, you''re to change your heading. Further continuation of your interception course will be judged as an act of attempted piracy and will be fired upon."
Having said that, Tallh turns to thems officer, who shakes his head. Lindemannments. "No response? I reckon that your smooth words would have ruffled a feather or two but-"
"This is Captain Laponfey of the Destroyer Electra, Fifth Squadron. Convoy Fur Spaniard, you''re hereby given the order to stand down and prepare for a military inspection on the authority of the Erusean Admiralty. Any attempt to resist will be met with deadly force from the nearby Royal Navy fleet!" From the loudspeaker of thems officer''s station, a very haughty voice came out. The manner of speaking makes Tallh raises an eyebrow while the rest of the bridge crew is dumbfounded by the absurdity of the Erusean''s request.
"Stand down? What part of Bismarck being a battleship did they not understand?" One of the Ensign on the bridge said aloud, followed by Lindemannmenting. "Whoever is sending these Eruseans out with an order, obviously didn''t pack any brain with them."
The XO in the CIC reports. "Enemy vessels approaching 30 km on bearing 57."
Tallh sighs exasperatedly before saying over the radio wave. "Now you listen here, Captain Tomfoolery, you''re stating to an Admiral, who is clearly outranking you and of the Belkan Navy no less, to peacefullyply with your shoddy request out of nowhere? An order of giving up without any resistance whatsoever, no less? Gosh, if the rest of the Erusean Navy is anything like you then the Ustian Navy is a much more worthy foe. Damn, tea must have gotten your head all mushy-washy."
"You bloody so-!"
"Enough!" Tallh cut the Captain of the Electra, going on to say. "Our nations are at war with each other, Captain. And I will be a sorry excuse of an Admiral if I didn''t retaliate to an obvious undermining of the Reich''s authority. Bon Voyage to Neptune, Eruseans."
Tallh then gestures to the Ensign by thems station, making him end the transmission. Understanding that the moment hase, Lindemann opens a line to the rest of the floti. "All vessels, pick your target and engage after Bismarck. Gunnery crew, half salvo... Fire!"
Per order and with the firing solution already calcted, six out of twelve primary cannons aboard the Bismarck fire. In a collective burst of air, smoke, and water vapor that ckened out the sun for a second, six super heavy high explosive shells areunched skyward. And were it any other battleship of the era, engaging a fast-moving destroyer at a distance of 30 km would have been nothing more than a pipe dream. Yet, for Bismarck with her state-of-the-artputational facility and fire control system, the hit rate for those six shells is 50%. Truly a ster number that would no doubt cause the Captain of the Electra a run for his money... That is if he lived to learn about it.
The whistling of heavy artillerying down atop them has been a shock to the Erusean sailors. As prophesized by both the gunnery chief of the Bismarck and the staff of the ship''s CIC, three 431mm HE shells impact along the length of the Electra. The first shell, but of course,nds directly on the thinly armored conning tower of the E-ss destroyer. Suffice it to say, the super heavy shell eviscerates the tower in the blink of an eye, going so far as topletely knock the B-turret of the destroyer off its hinge and making it copses onto the A-Turret. Not stopping there, the second shell touches tip with the aft of the Electra, right at the location where the depth charges rack is located. The ensuingbined explosion of both the shell and the anti-submarine weapon would have pushed the destroyer forth like a rock skipping on water if not for the third HE shellnding. Thest 431mm shell to impact the poor destroyer has torn through the anti-air turret amidship before hitting the base of the second funnel of the vessel. The catastrophic explosion of the third shell shatters the thin hull ting of the deck, allowing the st to travel below the ship and into the boiler room, wreaking havoc as the steam boilers and fuel tanks rupture, adding more to the final kaboom. One that goes on to effectively snap the Electra in half in seconds with the fore end of the ship pointing directly up in the air, the B-Turret being dislodged and falling into the ocean due to gravity. The aft section of the ship, however, is pushed forward, skimping the surface of the water due to the second HE shellbined explosion with the depth charges. Both ends of the ship ultimately meet their demise, sinking at record speed due to the total annihtion of its structural integrity. It still has to be said, however, that the missing shells from the Bismarck, while sshing all over the Electra, still cause some damage below the waterline in the form of hull cracks and aided the quick sinking of the vessel.
The total destruction of the Electra in the span of five seconds caught members of the Erusean destroyer squadron byplete surprise. Most can only dumbly gaze at the sinking corpse of the Electra, lost with all hands, with the sub-leader and second in the line of the destroyer squadron, the Encounter, to immediately pull starboard. They risk a collision with the debris had they maintained their old heading. The prompted evasive action has luckily spared them another swift death as the sky itself starts whistling. Stradling the Encounter, causing the rupturing of her hull below the waterline, and hitting the two destroyers behind her. This time, it''s not just the remaining 431mm cannons that fired, but also the six 380mm guns of the Gneisenau and the eight 203mm guns of the Prinz Eugen that gave their shocking reports. Bybining their firing data together, these vessels of the Belkan floti timed their shots perfectly so that their shells wouldnd at the same time, casting not just devastating damage but also striking absolute terror on their enemy.
It''s unknown just what shells havended near the Encounter, but she is taking in seawater into the boiler room, effectively killing off her mobility at sea. And while the Encounter is struggling to restore her choking boilers, thest two destroyers of her squadron aren''t so lucky. Hit by a major explosion, but not to a devastating effect as the 431mm, followed by smaller ones, presumably from Eugen''s 203mm, the destroyer Esk is eeking out herst breath as the ship is slowly tipping to port, her entire port side is ripped apart all across her length. The other, the destroyer Express, is sinking head first... Well, though I said that, you have to realize that there''s not even a head left from that destroyer in particr. The front section of the Express is gone, reduced to atoms by well-ced shots from Bismarck''s main guns. The most powerful battleship of the era is milking that 50% uracy for all of its worth.
And when the Captain of the Encounter gazes at the utter annihtion of his squadron, paled face and ttering teeth, he tries to hail for other Erusean ships. His action is made out of fear and duty, he needs to warn the maind of the preposterous capability of the Bismarck and her cohorts. Unfortunately for him, his goodwill is returned with nothing but heavy static no matter how hisms officer tries to contact the rest of the fleet. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Captain of the Encounter orders the deployment of all of their smoke canisters. He hopes to God that it will be enough to obscure the targeting of the enemy''s vessels. Unfortunately for him, the existence of radars aboard even the smallest ship of the Reichsmarine has rendered his effort null. Much to his absolute horror, the Captain of the Encounter hears the whistles of Deathing for him. So, as any sensible man will do, he immediately orders to abandon ship. And before his crew even registers the order, the Captain has already ditched his heavy coat before running out of the conning tower and diving overboard. Two secondster, a shell of unknown caliber tears through the bridge of the Encounter, bearing swift death to the remaining sailors as it explodes, engulfing the upper portion of the destroyer in a ball of fire.
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"CIC has confirmed, destroyers Electra, Encounter, Esk, and Express, have been eliminated. Our path forward to La Coruna is clear. Do we send out a recovery team for the survivors?" Lindemann reported sinctly. His even tone, however, doesn''t tell the whole story. Until now, he is still feeling goosebumps due to the mighty shockwaves of the 431mm cannons of the Bismarcks. Though they only fired two full salvos, the result was devastating to the point that he''s d to have been born Belkan.
Tallh, who heard the report, crosses her arms while gazing with reverence at the turrets of the Bismarck. "Bitches love cannons..." She muttered to herself before turning to Lindemann. "Give the coordinates to the Spanish Coalition, let them deal with the Eruseans. I reckon the Inquisition would like to have a word with the Royal Navy as to why they''re intercepting their supplies in the first ce. As for us, we can''t detach any of our vessels to help them, lest they''re sprunged upon with any Erusean surprise. Maintain present heading."
Lindemann nods, replying. "That can be arranged. This will no doubt make the Royal Navy loses a lot of face in the end. I will also take the chance to report the result of our firstbat with the Erusean navy... If you can even call it that."
Tallh smiles, gazing ahead. "Convoy to full. Let''s escort our cargo out of this engagement zone first before we proceed as nned. Bismarck and Prinz Eugen will split off to deter any pursuer."
"Aye aye, Admiral."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-4: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 4)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-4: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 4)
"Vice Admiral!" The ensign in charge of fleetmunication reported. "I''ve tried establishing contact with the Fifth Destroyer Squadron, even going as far as broadcasting on an open channel, but all I get was statics, sir. And it''s not ourms that were on the fritz, the Prince of Wales had also been unable to reach any vessel of the Fifth Squadron."
Vice Admiral John Hond frowns,ing up with many possibilities as to why their scouting destroyers were out of contact. It''s either the entire fleet''sms were bloody scraps, or the Fifth Squadron was gone. Either way, it''s bad news. "What''s theirst transmission?"
"They reporteding into contact with the Belkan convoy and theirst known coordinates, sir."
"Signal the Prince of Wales, Suffolk, and Norfolk, all vessels are to set a course to thest known position of the Fifth Destroyers Squadron, going at a full, with Suffolk and Norfolk going ahead at a 15 km distance, acting as screening parties. And inform the rest of the Home Fleet of the newest development." The Erusean Vice Admiral shot out a string of orders. "Is there any allied scout ne in the area?"
The gship''s Captain overlooks a war table and shakes his head. "There isn''t any sir. Ark Royal and Hermes called off their aircraft for the night."
Smacking his lips, the Vice Admiral says. "Such unfortunate timing. By the time we reach their location, it would have been noon of tomorrow with the Prince of Walesgging behind us. The Hood and our escorts could have sailed at 30 knots if it weren''t for the limiting speed of the Wales."
The Captain adds. "At the first ray of sunlight, we can either send out a spotter first, sir. That will at least help us in locating the Fifth Squadron faster."
"I just hope we still have a Squadron left to locate by then." Vice Admiral Hond said before turning around. "I will be in my quarter if you have a need of me. You have the con."
"Have a good evening, Admiral."
By the dawn of the next day, they never find any sign of the Fifth Destroyer Squadron. Rather, they find their very own Moby Dick. A great whale that is in the shape of the Bismarck herself.
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At the break of dawn in the open sea, the Bismarck and her escort, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, are sailing at a deliberate cruising speed. With their long-range radars already picking up the signatures of iing Erusean warships, the high-ranking officers in charge of the two Belkan vessels waste no time whipping their crew in tip-top shape. Each member of the dayshift crew is given a healthy breakfast and only the finest of coffee to ensure their rity in the uing engagement. And while the mess hall is working up a storm of delicious food that makes the nightshift crew go green in envy, all sectors of the ships are given astbat check. Officers go from quarters to stations, making sure that all mechanical instruments and the rted personnel are green and ounted for. Admiral Tallh and Captain Lindemann of the Bismarck belong to one such inspection party. Having taken a trip to CIC and the gunnery stations in Bismarck''s main turrets, they end their vessel-length trip bying up on the bridge.
"Admiral and Captain are on the bridge!" Lindemann''s XO announced, making sure that the bridge crew was at attention before turning over to the pair of officers. "I hope the morning has been treating you well, ma''am, sir."
"If you mean by waking up at 4 am and having to walk the length of the Bismarck as your daily exercise is a good thing then yes, the morning has been treating me well, Commander." Admiral Tallh replied jokingly, making Captain Lindemann chime in. "At least the pancakes were great."
Tallh and Bismarck''s XO nod. "Yeah, can''t go wrong with that in the morning."
The trio of officers-inmand then make a few small talks, before easing themselves into their working groove. With the Fur Spaniard convoy arriving in safe Spanish water, Bismarck and Eugen had detached themselves from the convoy in the middle of the night. Now, they''re sailing North, awaiting the arrival of the Erusean''s pride Home Fleet with its closest detachment consisting of four vessels.
"What''s the ETA of that Capital Squadron?" Tallh asked while idly gazing at the morning ocean with a low-hanging mist. Though the sea is calm for the moment, the weather forecast had informed them of an iing Antic storm.
The XO, being the one to have the con prior to Tallh''s and Lindemann''s arrival, answers. "By 07:00 hour, the heavy cruiser Norfolk and Suffolk will being into the range of our main gun, 42 km away with their capital ships trailing behind them at a distance of about 5 km."
Lindemann asks. "Theirposition hasn''t changed?"
"None whatsoever, Captain. That squadron still only has the battlecruiser Hood as the gship, the battleship Prince of Wales, and the cruisers Norfolk and Suffolk. But the rest of the Home Fleet that has been scattered across the Antic is now reconvening. And it should be noted that ONI has picked up new force deployment from the Erusean maind. It appears that they''re prepping to reinforce the Home Fleet. The ETA on that front is still muddied though, I''m afraid."
Hearing that Tallh nods beforementing with a confident tone. "They''re like sharks that smelled blood, they won''t stop until the Bismarck is sunk. It doesn''t have to be said that they will do anything to stop us in open water, then, they will encircle an entire fleet around us, effectively making a trap room. Unfortunately for them, technologies make for wonderful power multipliers. Say, have they sent out their scout nes, yet?"
"That they have, Admiral, and per your order, we allowed them to get close enough to spot us, rying our location to the Erusean. Once it''s done, we knocked them right out of the sky. Though they know of our heading, they won''t know what will hit them, ma''am."
Tallh smirks at the XO''s answer. "Good, and let''s keep it that way before the main course. I''m intending on only engaging the iing squadron in visual range, thus limiting our capability, giving them a false chance and for them to make a report to the Home Fleet."
"So by the time the rest of their fleet arrives, we will go all-out, catching them by surprise and hopefully sink a majority of them before they escape." Captain Lindemann added. "And if any does escape from our reach, our naval air wings will no doubt swoop in for the finishing blow. Boom goes the proud Home Fleet."
Tallh nods. "If all goes to n, we can achieve both naval supremacy of the Antic and the desired oue that the Reich Marshal required from us."
"I will have tactical prepare for a close-range engagement at under 30 km and less." The XO said. "Shall we wee them with a salvo of our finest 432mm AP shells?"
"That will be quite a weing fanfare. Proceeds." Tallh nodded, letting the XO excuse himself.
Now left alone, Lindemann speaks in a small tone. "Radar or not, there''s still a risk that they will scratch Bismarck''s paint job."
Tallh smiles, replying. "I doubt they could even hit our broadside unless we let them get as close as 20 km or less. And I highly doubt that both of us would allow them that chance. We still have an entire fleet to sink, after all."
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Per the predicted hour of 7 am, Bismarck has sighted the squadron led by the HMS Hood. Knowing that an engagement between both parties is mere minutes away, action station alerts are sounded on all vessels. And despite Bismarck has range advantage over the Erusean warships, her guns are silenced, awaiting the order from her Admiral inmand. Around three minutester, HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk spot the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen. They then start shadowing her at the hypothesize maximum engagement range of the Bismarck. It''s only ten minutester that the HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales join them, by then, both parties can spot each other''s vessel through the use of high-magnification optics.
HMS Hood then radios in a report for her fleetmand as both sides sail parallel to each other. They''ve managed to report their coordinate and heading before a barrage of radio static sts through theirms, causing the total copse of theirmunication structure. The sudden disabling of their radios doesn''t bold well for Vice Admiral Hond of the Royal Navy. However, he knows that they have gone too far to be deterred by the failure of theirmunication equipment. As such, he is quick to utilize the backup signal intelligent system, using floodlight and Morse code. That said, it will only be useable for vessels close to each other, and thebat at hand won''t allow them such luxury.
"Signal the Norfolk, she is to lead the Suffolk ahead and cut across the enemy battleship at afortable distance. We don''t know the capability of their vessels so advise them to proceed with caution. And until ourms system is fixed, they''re to engage at their discretion until the enemy''s sunk. After that, tell the Prince of Wales to follow us in. The Hood has a weak topside protection, it will serve us well to close the distance as soon as possible. As such, Hood and Wales will cut straight into their formation to around 15 km if possible. All guns are to be loaded with armor piercing and aim at the enemy battleship. Expect toe under heavy enemy fire."
"GOD SAVE THE KING!"
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-5: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 5)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-5: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 5)
The second battle between the Reichsmarine and the Royal Navy starts with the HMS Suffolk and HMS Norfolk sailing ahead at nk speed, their intention is clear in that they are trying to create a crossfire, cutting off the path forward of the RMS Bismarck and RMS Prinz Eugen. And as the pair of County-ss heavy cruiser is making headway, the capital ships of the Royal Navy squadron, the HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales, immediately steers hard starboard, sailing at best speed towards the Bismarck herself.
While this maneuver is generally frowned upon, it makes it so that only the front turrets of their capital ships can fire, Vice Admiral Hond doesn''t have much of a choice. The capability of the newer Reichsmarine vessels has beenrgely unconfirmed, words floated around that they''re paper tigers but with no concrete evidence, the Royal Navy has given Home Fleet the explicit order to force them to show their hands. For all intents and purposes, getting to know your enemy firsthand is a good thing. But it''s also ill-advised when you only have word-of-mouth and unconfirmed spy reports as your baseline to act on. The missing Fifth Destroyer Squadron could act as a consequence of carrying out this nonsensical order and the total copse of their radio system is nothing but an ill-omen. The state of the sea is also a troubling matter, a storm is approaching and the waves aren''t as calm as they used to be. It will no doubt hamper their ability to score urate hits.
Nheless, orders are orders, and as a Vice Admiral of the Erusean Royal Navy, Hond will see it through. This means that Hond has no choice but to seize this chance when Bismarck is left with only a singr escort, and to engage in openbat, even though the fear of the unknown is biting at his ankle. To minimize the risk, Hond can only bank on closing the gap, making it so that Bismarck can''t perform plunging fire with its 380mm guns (If you believe what the Royal Navy intelligence said). Even if the report about her caliber is false, the Bismarck is still confirmed to have 12 guns in three quadruple turrets. That''s an obscene amount of firepower nheless and the Hood and Prince of Wales are sailing straight into it.
After the first maneuver was done by vessels of the Royal Navy, more specifically those of Hond''s Capital Squadron, Admiral Tallh responds by ordering Bismarck''s CIC to work on firing solutions for not one, not two, but three vessels at the same time. Havingplete faith in the technological advantage and the honed experience of months, even years, at sea of Bismarck''s crew, Tallh believes that they can achieve a feat that will go down into history.
To hit, and even sink three sea-faring targets,ing at them in three different directions, at a distance of roughly 20 km away.
"CIC reporting: A-turret is aiming at the heavy cruiser Suffolk, bearing 290, range of 21 km and slowly increasing. B-turret is aiming at the battlecruiser Hood, bearing 189, range of 19 km and closing. C-turret is aiming at the battleship Prince of Wales, bearing 180, range of 20 km and closing. All main guns are locked on targets, secondary turrets are locked onto the heavy cruiser Norfolk. Prinz Eugen reportedying her guns on battlecruiser Hood... All stations reportingbat is a go." The XO stationed in Bismarck''s CIC reported.
Smirking dangerously while crossing her arms, standing close to the viewing port of the bridge just so that she can see the 17-inch, 432mm gun turrets of the Bismarck in action, Admiral Tallh says charmingly with her bewitching mermaiden voice. "Didn''t you say something about weing our peers with a salvo? Well, let''s not keep them waiting any longer, shall we?"
With a confident shout, Tallhmences another reckoning period for the Royal Navy. "FIRE!"
Per the Lady Admiral''smand, turrets A to C unleash Hell in the middle of the ocean. The shockwaves from the collective firing of all twelve 432mm gun barrels warp the visual signature of the Bismarck along her length as plumes of smoke and waves of water are sted outward of her hull. Each gun in the three 4-gun turrets of the Bismarckunched a superheavy Armor Piercing, Capped, Ballistic Capped shell, weighing 1400 kg a piece, and at a muzzle velocity of 840 m/s thanks to the 57 calibers long barrel. Thebination of these impressive numbers has given birth to an astounding kic force behind each of Bismarck''s AP shells. And as a result, at a distance that can only be described as the point-nk range for the Belkan battleship, the superheavy shells easily overmatched the fore-end armor tings of the battlecruiser Hood and battleship Prince of Wales, which mind you, is 26mm of protective casing made by the leading naval experts of the Royal Navy.
Of the eight shells that were fired at the Erusean capital ships, five hits true with the other three sshing fragments onto their hulls when hitting the water. The HMS Hood is the first to receive major damages, having her bow prated, with the 432mm shell armed and exploded internally, thus eviscerating the upper portion of her bow. A second shell punched through her thinner starboard superstructure armor from the front before making contact with the vessel''s deck armor. The ballistic cap of the 17-inch superheavy shell prevented deflection at an otherwise acute angle, making it so that the round prated the deck ting and exploded near the enginepartment. The subsequent damaging st knocked out half of Hood''s propulsion and almost copsed the ship''s second funnel as the anti-air rocketuncher turret of the Hood was sent sky-high, having been in the unfortunate position of being above where the shell detonated. A serious fire outbreak was then confirmed below deck, with Hood taking in water to her bow as she was sailing through the waves with her nose literally peeled open like a banana. Sailors in the affected areas were either outright dead or were dying due to being set alight as a consequence of the superheavy shells exploding. Casualties were numerous and Vice Admiral Hond had no choice but to order the Hood toe to a crawling speed, lest they take in more water than they should be. And it''s not like they could keep their speed of 28 knots either, a preliminary report from the enginepartment hadn''t painted a pretty picture for them all.
As for herpatriot, the Prince of Wales, therger ship took 3 hits, with each causing a set of debilitating effects. The first superheavy shellpletely ignored the protection of Wales'' B-turret, prating squarely through the front turret te and in the middle of the turret''s two 356mm guns. After that, the shell detonated inside the gunpartment, knocking out the B-turret outright, copsing a gun barrel onto the roof of the A-turret, and damaging its targeting system. The second shell punched through the observation post, snapping it in half, before hitting and over-prating the second funnel. It was, however, armed sessfully and detonated in an airburst manner just behind the secondary tower with its firing directors. The explosion destroyed the delicate machinery and also the life vessels moored atop the superstructure. Thest shellnded in between the two secondary 133mm turrets off to the port side of the ship, bypassing the barbette armor and going straight in for the ammo stowage of the dual-purpose guns. The ensuing ammo detonation, secondary as they might be, was serious enough that the smaller turrets wereunched into the sky by two pirs of blueish me. The spread of the fire was so fast that some of the crew were set ame in mere seconds, a few of them elected to jump overboard in a vain attempt to put out the fire, not even thinking about how they would even live with the consequences of such an actionter. But perhaps the most devastating damage of all for the Prince of Wales was the fact that her Captain and XO were killed when the first shell eliminated the B-turret. The pair and a few others were unlucky enough to stand outside the protective casing of the conning tower, much too slow to escape the shelling from the Bismarck. In a way, they died a stupid death just so that they could get a clearer look at Bismarck through the usage of a long-range telescope, mounted outwardly of the conning tower.
And when you thought the situation of this Royal Navy Capital Squadron couldn''t get any worse, well, that''s where you''re wrong. HMS Suffolk, in her attempt to cut across Bismarck in a T-bone maneuver, had shed the Bismarck with her perfect broadside. Had it been any other vessel, scoring a perfect hit on a cruiser at a distance of 21 km, and in her first salvo at that, would have been nigh impossible. Yet, RMS Bismarck is anything but normal for anything short of the 30 km range is target practice in front of her guns. That''s the blessing of a modern fire control system for you. But of course, Bismarck can still use her guns to engage targets past 30 km, though the efficiency of such is known only to Yggdrasil herself. On a side note, an uracy test was conducted with Bismarck''s main guns engaging a battleship-sized target at extreme range and in calm weather. Over five days, with an extremely low hit rate, Bismarck fails to sink the target ship, demonstrating that a ship, armed with the most powerful guns and the best possible technology, could not fire urately at an enemy ship while remaining out of range of an enemy with a simr technological level (This enemy is hypothesized to be the Imperial Japanese Navy). The Reichsmarine soon learned that shell dispersion was not something fire control, no matter how advanced, could solve.
Back to the topic at hand, Suffolk is gone, reduced to atoms. The four 432mm superheavy shells scored direct hits on her beautiful broadside, served on a silver te. The hits to the citadelpletely eliminated her structural integrity as the shells exploded center mass. Thebined st of not just the four shells, but also the fuel to run the Suffolk and her stowed munitions, was nothing short of a volcanic eruption in the middle of the ocean. ck smoke and me billowing out into the sky as what''s left of her hull sink beneath the surface in less than a minute. The Suffolk is lost with all hands. Many have tried to find her wreck yearster, but to be honest with you all, what''s even left to find?
And while Vice-Admiral Hond''s squadron is still rearing from the devasting opening move of the Bismarck, the Belkan vessels aren''t about to let it up just yet. Bismarck starts unleashing a withering hail of shells from her secondary 150mm turrets on the hastily evading Norfolk. And despite the long travel times measuring in seconds for the smaller calibers, the sheer amount of rounds in the air, thanks to the autoloading systems, ensure that many High Capacity explosive shells hit true despite the ongoing maneuver of the Norfolk. Despite her supposed protection against light cruiser caliber guns, Norfolk is being pummeled into a smothering mess as her superstructure is set on fire. Hell, the entire ship is ckened due to the obscene amount of hits the Bismarck''s secondaries are scoring on her. With her sister ship all but disappeared into the bottom of the ocean and Norfolk herselfing under threat of being burned to death, her Captain is stuck between a rock and a hard ce. Either trying to attack a beast of a battleship in vain or saving what''s left of his vessel. The Norfolk''s Captain makes the only sound decision at the moment, to abandon his task and get the Hell out of Dodge. He is willing to face court martial for his dereliction of duty but the lives of his men are much more important.
With the Norfolk slowly limping out of range, Admiral Tallh chooses not to beat the battered dog, at least not yet. Instead, she orders the secondaries to target the Hood. And together with the eight 203mm aboard the Prinz Eugen, they start setting off fires and incapacitating the weakly protected secondary armaments of the Hood. Slowly but surely, they''re overwhelming the damage control party of the Royal Navy gship.
Left with no other choice now that closing the distance has backfired on him so badly, Vice Admiral Hond orders the front turrets to fire at will. That they have but the oue left much to be desired as all four 381mm fall short of the Bismarck. The damage to Hood''s stability has been severed, causing her guns to go off the rail by at least a kilometer. The gunnery station will try topensate for the dispersion but Hond isn''t hopeful that they will be able to do that in time. The fact that the Prince of Wales has also been silent all the while doesn''t contribute much confidence to Hond. The Royal Navy battleship is still reorganizing itsmand structure while fighting off the growing internal fire. Hond has instructed his XO to help coordinate the firefighting effort aboard Wales from the Hood with little to no obvious effect. At this rate, Wales will be lost due to intensive fire rather than being struck again by Bismarck.
Suffice to say, the situation is very, very dire for the Royal Navy Squadron. And withmunication gone, they''re on their own with the beast that is the Belkan Reichsmarine.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-6: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 6)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-6: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 6)
It''s not even five minutes after the first salvo was fired from the RMS Bismarck, yet, what''s left of the Royal Navy Squadron led by Vice Admiral Hond is now hanging on by a thread. During that short period, Hood''s A and B turrets had been disabled a couple of minutes ago while her entire bow section was stripped bare of her former visage due to the relentless pounding of Bismarck''s secondaries and Prinz Eugen''s 203mm guns. With her frontal firepower gone, Hood is deadweight if she can''t reposition herself to use her C and D turrets. It''s a fact that Hond knows quite well but is sadly unable to remedy, not when Hood''s limping at 8 knots due to flooding and a damaged engine room.
Suddenly, a shell hit the conning tower of the Hood and caused a medium explosion to rock the bridge. It destroys the ss of the viewing port and knocks Hond onto his back. The Vice Admiral can feel a stream of warm liquid flowing down his face, he feels someone moving to help him get back on his feet before rity returns to his concussed mind. He is shocked to see that a me is raging on the port side of the conning tower, there, part of the superstructure has already copsed, and had he been standing where the Captain of the Hood was, he would have been very much dead on impact. Nheless, it''s clear that it''s not Bismarck that caused the partial copse of Hood''s conning tower, the explosive power wasn''t big enough. It must have been 203mm or 150mm instead. Either way, the point is, Bismarck could have ended the battle sooner, no battleship crew worth their salt only fired a single salvo and still hasn''t reloaded after five minutes. No, this is the Belkans mocking the futility of Hood and Prince of Wales'' effort in picking a fight way above their weight ss.
A hand removes Hond''s officer cap before wrapping a bandage over his forehead, apparently, a shard of ss or two have cut a nasty gash, making him bleed quite badly. Hond is just about regretting ever following through with themand of pissing off the Belkans when a sailor, with his attire in a sorry state, shouts and grabs everyone''s attention.
"Look! It''s the Prince of Wales!" Following the pointed finger and out of the exposed conning tower, the bridge crew can see the damaged visage of the Prince of Wales overtaking them before cutting across the Hood and slowing down, thus presenting a defensive posture that is sure to cover the Hood.
"They''re buying us time..." Much needed time, Hond thought grimly as he stands up to see the A and C turrets of Wales turning to engage the Bismarck. Only by doing this, Wales will be receiving the brunt of both Bismarck''s and Prinz Eugen''s retaliation. Their sacrifice will not be in vain.
"... I want all capable hands to fix the engine, and our guns, now!" Hond ordered with frustration clear in his tone. He just wished that God will at least give his men a fighting chance rather than beingmbs waiting to be ughtered.
As the Hood is struggling to regain any semnce of mobility and firepower, the Prince of Wales proceeds to grab the attention of the Belkans by firing the rest of her operational guns.
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"Inbound projectiles!" A CIC operator aboard the Bismarck warned. "High risk in five seconds!"
"Commence interception!" The XO ordered, letting the battleship''s Gepard CIWS systems start firing at the iing 356mm shells.
*BRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTT*
Four streams of 30mm, consisting of tungsten armor-piercing rounds and high-explosive incendiary tracer munitions, light up the sky at a rate of 4200 rounds/minute per turret. The port side Gepards quickly makes short work of seven 356 shells. However, as if Lady Luck was giving the Prince of Wales a chance to at least earn a noteworthy spot in the annal of history, thest shelles down pretty close to the Bismarck before it''s destroyed by a Gepard turret. The shell explodes in an airburst manner, raining shrapnels down onto the port side hull. The screeching of metals on metals can be heard all the way on the bridge, prompting Admiral Tallh to ask.
"Report!"
Captain Lindemann immediately goes to check Bismarck''s status by a terminal. All sectors still report full functionality, however, a report is quickly made apparent that metallic fragments in the air had injured six crew members manning the auxiliary 20mm autocannons.
"Admiral," Captain Lindemann reported. "The Gepards perform splendidly. However, a lucky airburst incapacitated six of our sailors. Nothing fatal, thankfully."
Tallh freezes before asking. "Say what?"
Lindemann huffs annoyed that of all the things, a lucky shot was all it takes. "They scratched our paint job, ma''am."
With a twitching eyebrow, Tallh and Lindemann share a look with each other. They both know that this could have been prevented if they had not decided to y with their food. And now, Tallh will have to make a bad report because of her negligence. But until then. "... All weapons, focus on the Prince of Wales, I don''t care if we have to cut the fun short for the Eugen and our secondary stations, I want that vessel on the bottom of the ocean, now!"
"Aye aye, Admiral!" Lindemann replied before giving the order for the main guns to reengage. Having already been trained on Wales, all twelve of Bismarck''s 432mm guns immediately open fire.
The Prince of Wales is one of the most modern surfacebatants of the Erusean navy (Modern as in being constructed in the early 1930s). However, with her B-turret destroyed prior to her first salvo, Prince of Wales had to show a generous amount of broadside to bring her rear quadruple turret to bear. This is no doubt a major weakness in her design, one that is now proving to be her undoing.
The shells from Bismarck cross the distance measuring in kilometers in seconds before mming heavily onto the broadside of Wales. Of the twelve shells, eleven sessfully make contact with the port side hull with only two ricochets at the lower armor belt. This still leaves nine warheads to prate the armor ting of Wales'' citadel and other critical areas alongside the amidship. The world seems to rock, with a shockwave reaching as far as 5 km, as the Prince of Wales is torn apart from the inside out in a burst of me, burning metal, and charred body parts. The damage is so intense that the conning tower of Wales and her first funnel copse under their own weight, and casualties are too high to even count.
With her structural integrity failing, Prince of Wales is now listing heavily on her port side, now dead in the water. The 432mm shells from Bismarck has caused so much havoc that many of the bulkhead doors are destroyed, blown off their hinge, while the generators powering the water pumps are now inoperable. What''s left of the damage control party aboard Wales soon deems her to be unsavable, but with the total loss of their new chain ofmand, they aren''t sure how to break the bad news to everyone aboard. Although that will be thest of their concern as Bismarck isn''t quite done yet with their slight against her.
While the Prince of Wales is struggling to stay afloat, the 150mm turrets on Bismarck start bombarding the poor vessel with HE rounds, fanning the me aboard the Prince of Wales even more. Not just that, Bismarck is also equipped with two, quintuple torpedoesunchers with one on each side. As such, the port side torpedoesuncher is nowunching five acoustic-guidance, electrically-driven pump-jet torpedoes at the Prince of Wales. These torpedoes areunched with the intention of finishing off Wales for good, leaving Bismarck''s main battery free to aim at the stunned HMS Hood.
Hood, having been behind the Prince of Wales the entire time of her sudden catastrophic damages, is forced to turn away lest she runs into herpanion. The situation is most unfortunate for the Prince of Wales and Admiral Hond knows that she is officially out of the fight. Being on the vessel closest to the Prince of Wales, Hond can just about see and hear the crippling effect that Bismarck has inflicted upon the Royal Navy battleship. Suddenly, the Prince of Wales shakes, hard to the point that she seems to right herself up for a moment, as five pirs of water shoot up into the sky. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out that the Belkans aren''t feeling merciful,unching a wave of fish to sink the battleship for good. Hond, however, watches in muted shock as the Prince of Wales falls back onto the water after the torpedo sts subside, taking in so much water too fast to even struggle afloat. The crew and Hond aboard the Hood watch as survivors, injured and battered, jump off from the starboard side of Wales, grabbing whatever floating debris they can before swimming away. They have to get clear or risk being sucked into the whirlpool generated by the sinking of the battleship.
HMS Prince of Wales, scratched off the record.
While there''s a lingering question about the range of the Belkan torpedoes, Hond elects to ignore that futile train of thought, ordering in a grim voice. "Turn the ship around and go at the best possible speed away from here."
"Sir?"
"Get her toe around, let the rear turrets engage the enemy warship at will!" Vice Admiral Hond said the order again, leaving the XO to dumbly respond.
"But the survivors from-!"
"If we sink now, there won''t be any vessel left to save someone! Unless you''re telling me that we can radio for help now?" Hond asked with a frustrated tone. His hands can be seen holding his personal binocrs in a dead grip.
"...No, sir. Helms, turn the ship around. I will go give the gunners a heads-up." The XO relented with a defeated expression. After witnessing everything from start to finish, morale is low on the bridge and the rest of the HMS Hood atrge.
The recement helmsman of the Hood is just about spinning the control wheel around when the whistling of artillery shells can be heard before a secondter, Hood is struck multiple times. Only this time, things ended much more destructive for her as one of the shells hit the worst ce possible, her fore magazine, the ce which had been stripped bare of any armor under the Belkans'' onught. Safe to say, it''s very effective.
The mighty battlecruiser Hood, though a vessel much outdated for Belkan standard, is still arge surfacebatant. Said surfacebatant though, is now split into two parts as her entire bow magazine is detonated by the Bismarck''s shell. After the major st that throws even the heavy turrets overboard and tears the conning tower of the Hood a new scar, the subsequent ammunition cook-off ensures that the survivors give the detached bow of the Hood a wide berth as the detonating ammo bathing the area in fragments. Gazing at the burning and exploding husks of the Hood, Admiral Tallh offhandedlyments, very much impressed, aboard the Bismarck.
"Now that''s a lotta damage." The sentiment is shared by the crew of the Bismarck. The same, however, can''t be said for Vice Admiral Hond who seems like has aged significantly, staring in disbelief as the ocean start swallowing Hood whole. The sea is engulfing everything that he hase to love about the battlecruiser while the men under his lead scramble toy out the lifeboats. One such sailor, still hanging on to his duty-bound honor, is quick to run next to the Vice Admiral as the ship is slowly listing at an angle that makes standing upright a chore.
"Admiral, sir, we have to go! The Hood is sinking!"
In response to the urging of his subordinate, Hond only takes shaky steps toward an elevated chair in the middle of the ruined bridge, reserved only for the Captain of the ship. Sitting on the chair with a tired disposition, Hond says without looking at what''s left of the bridge crew. "It wasn''t supposed to end like this..." They''re only two vessels, Hond left the sentence unfinished.
His squadron entire squadron, wiped out.
Seeing that they won''t be able to get a word out from the Vice Admiral, the crew springs into action, mostly to save their own skin. "Abandon ship! Abandon ship!"
Soon, the rest of the bridge crew, and by extension, the sailors that are lucky enough to be topside vacate the sinking warship. Those that are still stuck below deck or are too injured to even move a finger, all go down with the Hood, just like the Vice Admiral in charge of her. As the cold Antic water pours into the openings in the bridge, Hond tightens his vice grip on the handrest of his chair. Countless thoughts and a variety of expressions go past his face, but ultimately, he settles on a single word and a frustrated rage when the ocean wet his feet.
"BELKANS!!!"
His rage-fueled scream is soon drowned by the ruthless ocean.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-7: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 7)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-7: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 7)
"Temper, temper." Said Captain Lindemann, putting down his binocrs after gazing at the signalmp from Prinz Eugen. His inferring of the coded signal from the heavy cruiser prompts a giggle from Admiral Tallh.
"Heh, we did just obliterate two of the most powerful contemporary capital ships of the era in the span of minutes." Tallh said with a smirk. "Gone are the mighty Royal Navy of the Seven Seas. It''s us that hold the helms now."
As the bridge crew is basking in the afterglow of their astounding victory over their arch nemesis which is the Royal Navy, the XOmunicates from the CIC to the bridge, saying. "Ma''am, sir, we are being hailed by the Inquisition Navy."
Tallh raises an eyebrow at the suddenms request but ultimately says. "Patch it to the bridge."
"Aye, ma''am." Said the XO while Tallh moves to the bridge''sms station, picking up a microphone in the process.
A few secondster, the gruff voice can be heard speaking in ented Belkan.
"This is Captain Giraud of the Inquisition Cruiser Reina Regente. Fellow skippers of the Reichsmarine, I saw that you scored great sess over your long-time nemesis. I offer both my congrattion to you and to render any aid if you do need it, my friends."
"This is Admiral Tallh aboard the RMS Bismarck, it''s good to hear a friendly voice after a firefight, Captain Giraud. Our recent run-in with the Royal Navy was a great victory indeed. However, we didn''t receive any substantial damage and are operating at 100%bat effectiveness." Tallh responded in a positive tone.
"Hahaha, that''s good to hear! Your warships are true masterpieces, I see, and I have no doubt that the men and women serving aboard your vessels are of wonderful skill. Though are you sure you''re not gonna need any help from us? From what we can see, you''re about to run into another majorbat soon. At least, let us repay you for escorting the convoy carrying our much-needed supplies to safety."
Tallh smiles, hearing the sincerity of the Spanish Captain. "Then who am I to keep saying no to your goodwill? If you''re fine with it, can you help us recover the Erusean survivors likest time? As you would''ve known by now, we''re very secretive about the capabilities of our warships. Having to watch over the prisoners in the heat of a chaotic battle is not an advisable act. And we would like to get a move on to intercept thest of the Erusean Home Fleet."
Captain Giraud chuckles. "That won''t be much trouble at all! In fact, our governing body would like to have a chat with them. After all, messing with you Belkans, the biggest supporter of our cause, is a no-no. We will be in the area in an hour or so to recover the survivors. You can confidently brave your next battle without anyone pulling your leg, Admiral."
"That will be much appreciated, Captain. We will be deploying intable life rafts for the survivors and rying the information about your arrival. A beacon will be deployed to mark their precise location, which my XO will be coordinating with you for search and rescue. Hopefully, that will keep the Eruseans in one ce for easy retrieval." Tallh informed.
"Such a thing will be extremely helpful, thank you, Admiral."
"No, we should be the one thanking you, Captain Giraud."
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After Bismarck and Prinz Eugen finish deploying additional life rafts and medical supplies for the Erusean sailors. The two Reichsmarine warships steam Northward, ready to face another wave of enemy. Before that though, urate statistics of the two vessels after the recent battle are put on Admiral Tallh''s desk. And with that, Tallh makes the call to Berlin.
"So let me get this straight," Tallh flinches when she sees the Reich Marshal massaging the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "You intentionally dragged on the battle, even though the prerequisite objective of luring them in had already been achieved, and allowing your secondary guns and the Prinz Eugen to use them as target practices. This lengthened the engagement time and allowed the Prince of Wales to get a lucky shot at you, injuring a few sailors with an airburst?"
"... That is exactly what happened, ma''am. I had been overconfident and also underestimated the resourcefulness of my enemy. I take full responsibility for the consequences of my action and I give you my word that it won''t happen again." Tallh stood upright whilst saying that in all seriousness. It''s not just the Wales that was lucky, but also her too. Had the shell wasn''t intercepted midair, the damage would have been way more intensive.
Yuki sighs on the other end of the video call. "My order was to put up a false front, thus entrapping the enemy into a close engagement with your battleship. Once they''re in the, you would have used your superior firepower and uracy topletely demolish them as fast as you can and not allow them neither a chance to retreat or react. Yet, you intentionally extended the conflict and leading to unnecessary damage and allowing a vessel to escape, giving them a chance to report back to their High Command about the danger you possess. Had it not been for your electronic warfare capability, that heavy cruiser would have been able to radio in with the Royal Navy Admiralty by now."
Leaning backward into her maroon cushioned chair, Yuki interlocks her fingers, saying in an even tone. "The arrogance, of not just you but also the rest of your crew, and by extension, the entire Reichsmarine is an institutional problem. For the past few years, you have been trained in the newest technologies and hammered with the best tactics. So much so that a sense of superiority is ingrained deep into your veins, clouding your judgment when it matters most, allowing you the gal to bend the instruction of your superiors. Granted, this matter should have been worded moreprehensively by both Karl Donitz and me. Yet, you, as a full-fledged Admiral, can''t expect us to hold your hand like a damn child, right? What''s the point of your training and our investment in you then?"
The heavy wording from Yuki makes Tallh''s heart sink. Despite the fact that Yuki is much younger than her, Tallh still feels like a little girl being scolded for her misdeed by her teacher.
Yuki goes on to reprimand. "You''re allowed the ability to act on your own volition in the field, as long your action benefits the Reich and is true to your heart. But tell me this, would taking such unnecessary risks benefit either of us in any way aside from Bismarck almost making the headline for being blown up with a singr shell from a battleship that''s outdated by a decade? This ruse is to make sure you raise the spirit and unity of the Belkan people, a show of force for the entire world. It''s not for you or any of your subordinates to turn this into your personal yground, leaving us to deal with the mess should you fall into a grave of your own making."
The more Yuki speaks, the more Tallh wishes there was a watery grave she could jump in now to save her the embarrassment. Tallh wilts under the judgemental gaze of Yuki, and the Reich Marshal knows that well. Nheless, Yuki knows that Tallh is a good seed that was rmended by Karl Donitz himself as a recement for the Grand Admiral position when he eventually retired. It won''t be good for Yuki and the Reich if she tears the mermaid Admiral down to nothing, thus ruining the confidence of the woman. Hence Yuki decides to give the Admiral an out while also giving her a lesson that will improve her mentality as an officer of the future.
"Admiral Tallh, you best consider yourself extremely lucky that the Gepards intercepted the shells in time, otherwise, the penalty won''t end at just cutting your wage. Henceforth, you will be docked six months of sry, the money of which will be used as remuneration for the injuries your subordinates sustained due to your own doing. Once your sortie in the Antic is over and Bismarck is sent home for her refit, you and your crew will also be sent back to the Academy for a revamp of your training and mentality. Your names will be used as a wake-up call and a lesson for the Reichsmarine. I will not allow confidence without proper precautions to be the Achilles of the military under mymand! Have I made myself clear?"
Having been given the chance, Tallh knows that she is allowed to keep her job, for now. Feeling both thankful and relieved, fully knowing that it''s a light punishment considering the potential for a catastrophic end that it could have been, Tallh snaps into a perfect salute. "Crystal clear, Marshal! I won''t let you down for a second time, ma''am!" Though she dreads that her co-workers will make fun of her about her retraining punishment, it''s a thing she will have to get used to in the end. At the very least, she can use the chance to work out a regiment for her own betterment. But perhaps most important of all, she canwork with the next generation of sailors, thus finding a way to break the mentality that plunged her into deep trouble with the Reich Marshal.
It may be uncalled for by the Marshal herself, but she would like to redeem herself by helping the young Marshal with whatever she can.
Yuki maintains an inquisitive gaze on the Admiral for a few moments without saying anything. She then lets out a subtle smile, having figured out the thought process of Tallh. Rather thanmenting on that, Yuki says. "I will hold you on that, Admiral Tallh. Now, I want you to prepare yourself for the uing major battle. I will not understate anything, this one will determine who has the most sway in the Seven Seas. As such, I want you to stick to the overall n, and be prepared to unleash everything you have, pull no punch, you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, Marshal." Tallh nodded. "What about the Norfolk, we can easily chase her down right now, ma''am."
Yuki shakes her head in dismissal. "That won''t be necessary. An air wing from the Yggdrasil will deal with her. You''re to focus on ensuring peak performance."
"I understand, Marshal."
"On a lighter note," Yuki then continues. "The Fur Spaniard convoy is once again met with a weing reception, as you would have learned from your conversation with one Captain Giraud. The Spanish have been keen on making their displeasure well-known, and whenbined with the fact that they had been fighting with the Royal Navy a few years back, bad blood has resurfaced and you can expect Erusean vessels are not to be weed unless it''s a necessity."
Tallh allows herself to nod, adding to the discussion. "Both sides have had regr skirmishes over Gibraltar for a long while before the Spanish war. It''s not surprising for the Spanish Inquisition to take up the chance and bite them on an international scale."
Yuki smirks. "They are Hellbent on pping the face of the Royal Navy with this matter. After all, Fur Spaniard is a convoy to fuel their defensive war effort. By interfering with us, the Royal Navy has made a very bad move and is now risking global condemnation. And we''re about to plunge them 10000 feet below the sea."
Tallh lets out a smile of her own, with Yuki then goes on to say. "Speaking of that matter, news of your victory over Hood and Prince of Wales is receiving preliminary coverage on all news stations of the Reich. Very soon, it will be broadcasted globally via various forms of media. Of course, we would have to cut out the... troubling decision of yours but expected to be weed as war heroes back home, Admiral."
Seeing that the Marshal is smiling in a teasing manner, obviously deciding to be easy on Tallh for now, the Admiral allows herself to show a sheepish smile while scratching her cheek. "I will never live this down, won''t I?"
Yuki giggles sonorously. "I''m afraid you won''t. Be happy that your tale is only told in a closed circle."
Tallh slumps her shoulders, epting her fate for real this time. "At the very least, the Eruseans are dragged down with me."
"Just imagine the faces of their Admiralty when it''s our new stations that report the sinking of the Hood and not their intelligence gathering branch. That should give you some confidence in dealing with the teasing of your peers." Yuki advised with a cheeky smirk, prompting Tallh to do the same.
"I will take that advice to heart, Marshal. I am sure that their faces will be ones of stupid disbelief." Tallh said before they proceed to move onto small talks, having done with the official reports earlier.
Once the video call ended with Yuki offering her blessing and a reminder of air support if need be, Tallh can''t stop herself from crashing down into her office chair. Tallh lets her officer cap falls onto the floor while she stares up at the white ceiling of her quarter.
"Dear Yggdra that was so nerve-wracking..." Tallhmented to no one in particr before drifting into a short power sleep to refresh her state of mind.
It''s not until an hourter that the door to her quarter is knocked on by Lindemann, prompting her to get up and prepare herself for a tactical meeting. Making sure she is presentable, Tallh answers the door, saying to Lindemann to go ahead without her. Before she gets out of the room though, Tallh grabs her vacuum sk containing rich coffee inside. She has a feeling she will be needing it a lot.
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50 km away from the Bismarck and her escort is the still limping HMS Norfolk. Despite being lucky enough to avoid being hunted down by the monstrous Belkan battleship, the vessel still hasn''t been able to contact any of her allied vessels. Rumors aboard the cruiser have it that the entire Home Fleet is wiped out by Bismarck and her cohorts, plunging the already crestfallen crew into a pit of despair. Making it so that the Captain of the Norfolk finds himself unable to salvage it, not when they just received an ass-whooping from two, whole Belkan warships, and not being able to hail any Erusean vessel. The crippled morale and ship have made it so that Norfolk is now setting a course to the nearest Erusean port instead of trying to rejoin Home Fleet. Even if they wanted to do thetter, they don''t even know where the Home Fleet is anyway.
And as the devastated cruiser is sailing home, she has done so unknowing of the predators circling above her head.
"This is Rigel 1, we have the Norfolk on radar." Scanning his instrument aboard his Phantom, Captain Milosz Sulejmani says. "Any of you want to do the honor? On my part, sinking a half-dead vessel is not interesting enough."
"Nah ah, not me." Rigell 2 said, flying leveled to Rigel''s 1 left. The rest of his flight also rescind their participation in killing the damaged cruiser, leaving the task on the other, less experienced flight trailing behind them.
It''s a good chance for them to score a kill on their record so Sulejmani allows them the opportunity. "Alright Antares Squadron, you''re up. Take this chance to earn yourself a mark. Sooner orter, you would be a frontline squadron so get yourself in the grove."
"This is Antares 1, on behalf of the rest of Antares Squadron, thank you, Captain Sulejmani." A young voice in his twenties responded. "We will be handing off the chance to our youngest, Gamer Spiele, Antares 4."
"Not sure how much enjoyment you will get from that, but happy hunting nheless." Sulejmani said before cutting off thems link for now. He then watches as Antares Squadron, all flying Fw 152 Skyraiders geared for anti-ship duty, escort the youngest member of their squad up ahead. The Skyraiders are either equipped with Barracuda homing torpedoes or Exoscar anti-ship cruise missiles. Thetter, in particr, is set for IR-seeker and active-radar homing as the Skyraider doesn''t have a built-in radar system, only a radar warning receiver. As such, when, Antares 4unches his pair of underbelly-mounted Exoscars, the missiles start tracking the Norfolk using their own sensors at a range of over 150 km. "Missiles away and are boosting toward its target." The young Antares 4, Gamer Spiele, announced.
The air group then tracks the missiles as they fly at Mach 0.8, closing the gap in seconds at sea-skimming altitude. The missiles apparently go unnoticed by the crew aboard the Norfolk as they make no effort in shooting them down or even perform evasive maneuvers. Unimpeded, the pair of Exoscars m into the broadside of the Norfolk, almost causing the heavy cruiser to roll over due to the simultaneous impact before it starts listing heavily to the port side. Now fitted with two giant holes, Norfolk takes in seawater at an astounding rate, flooding the engine room and secondary generators in less than 30 seconds, thus cutting off any attempt of pumping the water out. The explosions also killed off a lot of Norfolk''s crew, leaving damage control to be too slow to respond to the onset of the heavy flooding. Knowing that Norfolk is a lost cause, the Captain hastily orders an abandoned ship. Less than five minutester, HMS Norfolk disappears beneath the waves and her signature is now gone on radar.
Over half of the Norfolk''s crew made it out alive, bundling up with whatever debris and lifeboats they managed to cobble together before the cruiser sank beneath the wave. Sulejmani makes note of that when he performs a flyby over the area. If they''re lucky, the sailors will be rescued by Captain Giraud and his cruiser by the end of the day.
"Congrattion on earning your first blood, Antares 4. Good effect and a good kill on a cruiser at that." Antares 1plemented the recipient of the kill.
Antares 4 humbly replies. "It''s nothing though. The cruiser is already half-dead due to the effort of Bismarck. I''m just allowed an easy score that you guys gave me."
"But it''s a start. Hopefully, from here on out, you will be earning proper victories and be a certified veteran like the rest of us."
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The weather of the Antic worsen half a dayter as an incessant shower is peppering both sides of the sudden naval conflict. Over on the Royal Navy side of things, the disappearance of HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales has garnered worries from the Erusean Admiralty. As such, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Hermes have deployed search parties in the form of their air wings, alongside all avable aerial spotters of the Home Fleet. They hope to regain contact with Vice Admiral Hond''s squadron, still in the dark about its destruction in the morning. Their secondary objective is to track the RMS Bismarck and RMS Prinz Eugen down and if given the chance, to stop them from breaking past the Home Fleet by any means necessary. The Royal Navy is now needing not just intelligence, but also a victory when they learned from Hond that the Bismarck is escorted by only a single ship.
As such, despite being battered by cold wind and rain, nes of the 810th Naval Air Squadron belonging to HMS Ark Royal brave forth, keeping their eyes peeled for any target near thest known position of HMS Hood. After patrolling the airspace for an hour and losing daylight quickly due to the rain clouds above, the Squadron Leader of the 810th is just about to call off the search when his squadron member inform them that they spotted funnel smoke to the East, North-East.
Deciding to give the call-out a shot, he directed the squadron to the location where the smoke was spotted. Very soon, despite the fuzzy visual thanks to the rain, they indeed see two vessels, onerge and one small sailing in a formation. With their proximity to Vice Admiral Hond''sst known location, and the fact that the formation size matched what was described by Hond himself, the Squadron Leader of the 810th identifies these are Belkan vessel Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.
The order is clear for all of them. If they spot these two warships and are armed with torpedoes, they are to attack and cripple the Belkans until Home Fleet arrives. Hence, the Squadron Leader signals the 810th Squadron to form in for a torpedo attack. All ten Swordfishes, each armed with a torpedo, then dive in for the leading, and also therger, vessel. They consider it to be a powerful battleship, hence the Squadron Leader decides to go all-in.
Unsurprisingly, they receive immediate anti-aircraft fire from the two warships the moment they get to the approximate distance of less than 6 km. Given that these vessels are armed with Belkan weaponry, the ks are much more intense than the 810th expected nheless. The sheer amount of tracers firing at them unnerves even the Squadron Leader himself, and it takes them everything ounce of willpower they have to not veer off course.
As a standard response to a torpedo attack, the warships relentlessly fill the sky with anti-air fire while performing evasive maneuvers. By filling up the sky with incessant ks, the evading vessels managed to shoot down a Swordfish while damaging another and making it abandon its attack. That said, the rest of the Swordfishes manage to drop their payloads and the fishes are now swimming in the water.
Now flying above and passing the warships that are still maneuvering and trying to light the nes on fire, the Squadron Leader leans himself over to take a look at the lead vessel. He is shocked when he sees the warship is not flying the Belkan color, however. Instead, the broadsides of the two vessels are painted with the Spanish Navy gs, signifying their allegiance to the Spanish Inquisition.
And in his haste, thinking it''s a good opportunity to aplish his order, the Squadron Leader has ordered an attack on the wrong faction altogether. A matter of which that will no doubt trigger the Spanish into a forceful retaliation, no doubt. After all, both sides have been at each other''s throats a few years back.
Nevertheless, it''s toote to change things now. The torpedoes are in the water and the Erusean pilot can only hope these Spanish can dodge out of the way perfectly. With bated breath, he ignores the anti-air ks and circles around despite his rear gunner questioning his sanity. A regretful look appears on his face when the lead vessel dodges everything but one singr torpedo that struck her aft. The ensuing explosion forces her to abandon her maneuver, now going in a slow clockwise circle. Her rudder and propulsion seem to be damaged by that strike.
Despite the fact that the Spanish shot down one of his squadron members earlier, the Leader of the 810th feelspelled to signal the now identify Spanish Cruiser with this line.
"Sorry for the kipper, Captain. We mistook you for Belkan warships."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-8: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 8)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-8: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 8)
A man can be seen waking up on his bed as the early morning daylight is shining through the window frame of his two-story home. Removing the nket, the man in his fifties sits up with his feet lowering onto the wooden floor. Looking over his shoulder after rubbing his eyes, the man is unsurprised to see his long-time wife is already up and about. Most probably already cooking breakfast downstairs.
Nodding to no one in particr, the man then goes to the washroom to freshen up, rehearsing the daily routine he has so used to whenever on shore leave or is posted in the vicinity of their capital Farbanti. This ends with him putting on his navy coat and attaching the necessary essory and themendations on it. After that, he makes sure his appearance is up to a proper Admiral standard before he joins his wife down below. He walks across a neatly organized cab, atop which is a case containing battle awards and medals he received in his tenure for the Royal Navy. Sparing it a nce, he gently rearranges a badge to be in line with the rest, then, he resumes his walk.
By this point, the man''s wife has alreadyid down a carefully wrapped breakfast for her husband to take to work. Seeing the package on the dining room table, he smiles. "Aida Rowe, my love, what have you cooked up on this lovely morning?"
Hearing the voice of her husband, Aida, who has been washing the cooking utensils, turns around with a gentle smile while wiping her hands dry. "I packed you some nice and crunchy fish and chips for you to enjoy whenever you''re free."
The pair thenes closer for a hug and a morning kiss. "Just make sure to find some time to finish it before lunch, John."
The man, full name John Tovey, chuckles. "Fish and Chips, made by my wife, of course, I will devour it as soon as possible."
Rolling her eyes, Aida replies. "Not soon enough for a homely breakfast, as per usual." She said it in a fakeint.
"You know me, love, can never get myself to wake up in time for breakfast at home these days." John said with a wry smile.
Smiling understandingly, Aida rests a hand on her husband''s chest, tracing the ribbons he earned in battles. "I understand, dear, you have your duty to uphold and I will be a bad wife to stop you from fighting the good fight. I just wish that you would have taken that cushy desk job."
Johnughs before saying. "And risk a mutiny from my men again? Please, I have had enough tost a lifetime."
Aida giggles along. "I still can''t believe Lucas managed to orchestrate a parade to convince you to stay and lead the Home Fleet personally."
Nodding with a nostalgic smile, John says. "It''s unconventional, but it worked. And now," He then reaffixes his officer cap before picking up the food package on the table. "I have to go and lead the men at sea."
Frowning worryingly, Aida replies. "If only you would have to deal with only the Sardegnians like usual. But now, with Erusea joining the war against Belka, I can''t help but think about your safety."
Laying a kiss on Aida''s cheek, John confidently answers. "Aida, I have fought with the Belkans before, and me in a destroyer back then couldn''t be killed by them, much less me with an entire fleet at his disposal right now. Don''t you worry, the Belkans won''t be able toy a scratch on my battleship as right now, King George V is the best in the Royal Navy."
Suddenly, a car can be heard honking outside their home. Peaking out the window, John can see his chauffeur and personal aide, Lucas waving at him in the personal car allotted to him by the Admiralty. Smiling apologetically at Aida, John is about to say something when Aida beats him to it. "Go, dear, you don''t wanna let the men tease you for beingte after a long vacation. Hell, they would soon be sending me flowers if you allow them the chance once again."
Hugging his wife, John says gratefully. "I will wrap up my sortie in a jiffy, after that, I will request the resuming of my vacation. Baby making is more important than being a skipper in my book."
Giggling with a blush on her face, Aida smacks her husband in the chest before pushing him out to the door. "Just go, you bloody buffon!"
Laughing all the way, John says over his shoulder. "With any bit of luck, this mission will be no trouble whatsoever, honey! Remember to keep my bed warm!"
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*RATATATATATATATATA*
"FUCK YOU, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" A very enraged voice could be heard shouting amidst the sonorous orchestra of anti-air armaments being fired into the sky. The person behind that voice is, shockingly to anybody but the crew of the Reina Regente, the Captain of the Spanish cruiser, Captain Giraud.
After his cruiser and her escort, the destroyer Espaina, have picked up survivors of the HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales. The pair of vessels have been sailing a fair distance behind the Bismarck, namely 60 km away just in case they have to pick up any more sinking sailors. Admiral Torres has explicitly assigned them to aid the Belkan warships in rescuing any sailors and that''s what they fully intended on doing. If they weren''t suddenly targeted by a flight of Swordfishes all of a sudden.
*RATATATATATATATATA- CLICK*
The clicking of an empty ammo belt frustrated Captain Giraud, having been firing his Belkan-make 20mm anti-air autocannon nonstop. But nheless, he did score a few good hits on one of the bombers that snuck a torpedo into the aft of his cruiser. He then watches as the Swordfishes fly away outside of their effective range, very pissed about the uncalled-for attack. Though the feeling is vindicated when one of the more heavily damaged Swordfishes seems to have a dead engine before losing enough to plow into the ocean.
"Hell yeah! Take that you Erusean scum!" *PTUI* Captain Giraud shouted victoriously, alongside the rest of his men, before spatting his spit over the deck. They don''t know why they were attacked by these Erusean pilots, especially when the Kingdom of Erusea has started to support the Spanish Inquisition''s cause, putting behind old blood debt ording to their diplomats. But that''s the least of their concern right now. What matter now is to report this up the chain ofmand. The Erusean''s arrogance must be made clear!
Suddenly, an Ensign in charge ofmunication runs up to Giraud before handing over a slip of paper. Ignoring the look of utter disbelief on the Ensign''s face, Giraud takes a look a the paper before he too sports the same look.
"Sorry for the kipper, Captain. We mistook you for Belkan warships..." Giraud repeated the words, two, then three times, even his men look at each other in shock at the sheer audacity of the message. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF GOD IS THIS!?"
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"The mission is filled with trouble, dear Aida." Admiral John Tovey said to himself in amentable tone. He is now using his binocrs to see a squadron of beaten Swordfishesnding on HMS Ark Royal. The news they brought back has been disheartening to the officers of the Home Fleet, and ludicrous to the lower-rung seamen. The Swordfishes did not find a single trace of Vice Admiral Hond''s squadron, much less any Belkan vessel, but instead, they torpedo-attacked a neutral Spanish patrol to a crippling effect. And now, John Tovey can just about imagine the pilots to be grilled by not just the officers of the Ark Royal, but also the court of the Admiralty when theye home.
After all, despite both Erusea and Spain having been enemies a couple of years back, the bad blood was pushed aside with Sardegna came crashing. So, the King and Prime Minister Churchill endorsed the Spanish, letting them fight with their former master. Hoping to gain not just influence in the region but also an ally of sorts. In other words, Erusea can mobilize its force against the threat that is Belka when Spain and Sardegna duke it out. But now, they risk pushing the Spanish away altogether due to this mishap. Apparently, the Spanish have been very vocal in their condemnation of their acts of interfering with the Belkan supply convoy. This will probably be the droplet that overflows the chalice for the Spanish.
Sighing, John reassesses his situation, walking back to the tactical map of the regional sea. After repeated search attempts, as much as it pains him to do so, he and the rest of his peers must ept the truth that Vice-Admiral Hond''s Capital Squadron is lost at sea, most probably with all hands. As such, they''re now left with whatever the vessel that Home Fleet has in the region to go and intercept the Belkan battleship of unknown capability and her escort.
Right now, the Home Fleet of John Tovey has:
- 2 aircraft carriers: HMS Ark Royal, HMS Hermes
- 2 battleships: HMS King George V, HMS Rodney
- 1 battlecruiser: HMS Repulse
- 1 heavy cruiser: HMS London
- 2 light cruisers: HMS Sheffield, HMS Edinburgh
- 4 destroyers: HMS Cossack, HMS Maori, HMS Zulu, and HMS Sikh
With smaller detachments spreading out across the open sea to scour the area for any Belkan vessel. However, the dwindling daylight and stormy condition of the Antic have rendered any search attempt void. Meaning, they risk losing track of the Belkan warships by tomorrow evening. By that time, they could have been anywhere.
Nheless, John is unwilling to give up just yet. They have presumably paid a steep price in lives out there to stage this fiasco. And John ispelled to force this mysterious warship into the light. As such, John spends most of the night brainstorming with his officers, even calling for the pilots from Ark Royal and Hermes onto his ship to be interviewed. By extrapting andpiling the data from previous search attempts, Johnes up with locations where the two Belkan warships could be and their hypothetical routes, based on the premise that they''re sailing for Belkan water. Hopefully, by morning, they can send in aircraft to verify the sites. John even makes a sort of handshake patrol pattern, one that allows a vessel in distress to immediately be reinforced by another nearby. John hase to the conclusion their radio is being tampered with, hence it''s imperative that each perimeter vessel must be able to carry out a search without being isted from the rest of the fleet, just in case of anothermunication ckout.
Interestingly enough, John did think up one strange possible route that the Belkans could have taken. The route that leads directly to him, and by extension, the Home Fleet. But surely, there''s no way in Hell things would develop in such an easy manner for John, no? If they do that, then they will be trapped in the middle of the Antic with the finest of the Royal Navy. As such, he only sends a token of aerial scout to survey the route. Regardless of where the Belkans will go though, John is full of confidence that they will be able to find where the enemy is. And then, things will be finally put into motion.
If not, John can kiss his baby-making vacation goodbye.
What John and the rest of the Home Fleet don''t know at the time though, is that it''s not Bismarck that is locked with them in the Antic. It''s them that are locked with Bismarck with no way out.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-9: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 9)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-9: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 9)
The 26th of August features an atrocious weather conditions. Nheless, despite being battered by the bone-chilling Antic storm, aircraft belonging to Admiral John Tovey''s Home Fleet sortie in a daring effort to find the elusive Belkan battleship, now identified as the RMS Bismarck. Frustratingly, the only reason why they were able to figure out the name of Belkan warship was due to the early morning propaganda, broadcasted by the Belkans themselves across the world. Just this alone is more than enough to demoralize the servicemen of the Home Fleet as many are friends with the men in thete Vice Admiral Hond''s squadron.
It''s not just the Royal Navy that was in total disbelief at the front-page news, but also the rest of the world. Japan, China, Rusviet... All eyes are now gathered in this hunt across the Antic, with the Royal Navy being called foolish sailors that dared to hunt for the Moby Dick that is the Bismarck. It''s unknown how the Belkans managed to attain the news, but they ridiculed the pilots of the Ark Royal in their wrongful attack on the Spanish cruiser yesterday. As such, coupled with the official condemnation from the Spanish Inquisition, the reputation of the Royal Navy is at an all-time low, having also lost their proud HMS Hood and Prince of Wales due to two vessels that they tried to ambush.
They sorely need a victory, and now, all hope is pinned on the prowling Home Fleet. It''s not just the deployed aircraft from the carriers that joined the hunt, however, but also long-range recon in the form of Catalina flying boats and a few other destroyers and cruisers that the Royal Navy could spare. In total, there are currently more than thirty Erusean vessels that are searching for the battleship Bismarck and her escort. Nheless, many of these ships are low on fuel, having been called in from the middle of their other tasks. As such, only those that serve in the Home Fleet can effectively pursue and engage the enemy should the alert is given. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the extremely low visibility means that if theye across the Bismarck, it will be near the point-nk range. As such, Admiral Tovey has explicitly stated all elements of the task force not to engage the enemy battleship on their own. They need only shadow the Belkans until help can arrive or if they have the greatest chance to slow the Bismarck down.
For an entire morning of nketed search at the locations Admiral Tovey markedst night, the Eruseans fail toe up with any trace of the Bismarck. That is until 10:30, RMS Bismarck and RMS Prinz Eugen are detected by a Coastal Command Catalina reconnaissance aircraft from 209 Squadron RAF that had flown over the Antic from its base on Lough Erne in Northern Nornds. Their current coordinates shocked the officers in charge of Home Fleet, John Tovey included, for the pair of Belkan vessels are steaming forth leisurely on an intercept course for the Home Fleet. A course that Admiral Tovey hasn''t ordered for any surface patrol.
Contact with the Catalina is soon lost, with other attempts at directing an aerial scout to survey the Bismarck ending up dead silent after they report the updated coordinates of the Reichsmarine battleship. At least, with the sacrifices of the airmen, the Home Fleet knows what''s about toe down, giving them enough time to n ahead.
Now then, although Tovey knows that the Royal Navy severely outnumbered the Reichsmarine detachment, he is extremely wary about the unknown firepower the Bismarck possesses. If the words of the Belkan propaganda are to be trusted, then Bismarck had gone out of sinking an entire squadronpletely unscathed. There could be other factors in y but withcking intelligence, Tovey chooses to err on the side of caution, a fact that his subordinates also agree on. Hence, he starts diverting a sizeable force of fast-moving vessels, consisting of two light cruisers and five destroyers:
- The light cruisers HMS Sheffield (Town-ss cruiser detaching off from the Home Fleet formation) and HMS Arethusa (Arethusa-ss cruiser detaching off from a trans-Antic convoy mission).
- Destroyers HMS Cossack, HMS Maori (Tribal-ss destroyers detaching off from the Home Fleet formation), HMS Icarus, HMS Imogen, HMS Isis (I-ss destroyers detaching from a trans-Antic convoy mission and from patrolling duty).
Forming up in a squadron, led by the HMS Sheffield, Admiral Tovey tasks them with shadowing and constant harassment of the Belkan ships, and mostly to test the water. They''re to do whatever is necessary to buy enough time for Home Fleet to get into a favorable position. An aerial observer will be circling them to help ry battlefield data to the rest of the Home Fleet. By 15:00, Sheffield''s squadron hase to the edge of the visual range of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. They report the coordinates of the battleship to Admiral Tovey and give him an ETA until the Bismarck crosses paths with the Home Fleet.
By the time the two Erusean battleships HMS Rodney and King George V locate Bismarck, they will have the setting sun silhouetting them while Bismarck remains in the evening gloom. Tovey observes this and, to the surprise of his staff, orders that the final action will further be dyed until the following morning. In so doing, he ensured that the benefits of the light will be reversed to the Royal Navy''s advantage and that the Belkan crews would be fatigued by constant harassment by Sheffield''s squadron. He even tasks the air wings from Ark Royal and Hermes to constantly attack Bismarck on a rotational basis. The risk is that Bismarck would, somehow, escape but Tovey epts this.
There''s a problem with extending the engagement time, however, and that is fuel. Most of the patrols spreading around the Antic won''t have enough fuel toe and reinforce the Home Fleet if things go South. This means that John Tovey will only have his Home Fleet and no chance of reinforcement. The Home Fleet themselves is also facing draining their fuel supply at a dangerous rate. Leaving only enough for one engagement before they have to call off the pursuit. Understanding the problem, Tovey ns for Ark Royal and Hermes to stay out of the eventual battlezone, having them escorted by the low-fuel patrol and only sending out air wings to attack Bismarck. He, aboard his gship, will be sailing out with the rest of the fleet to meet with the enemy by tomorrow morning.
The final closebat engagement will only feature:
- HMS King George V and HMS Rodney
- HMS Repulse
- HMS London
- HMS Sheffield and HMS Edinburgh
- HMS Cossack, HMS Maori, HMS Zulu, and HMS Sikh
- HMS Icarus, HMS Imogen, and HMS Isis
Thirteen vessels in total and air attacks from the two aircraft carriers. This will be the most ambitious attack on a single battleship to date if you also included the lost HMS Hood and her escorts.
Until then, however, it rests upon Sheffield and her squadron to dy the Bismarck long enough. Care also must be taken to avoid losing a single vessel until the destined hour. Let''s just hope Bismarck will be merciful to her harassers.
Before Tovey can rest his tired mind though, a signal arrives from the Erusean maind. "Bismarck must be sunk at all costs, even if it means towing the entire Home Fleet back to Farbanti."
The signal initially caused amusement amongst Tovey and his staff, but its risks and implications almost immediately angered them.
"It was the stupidest and most ill-considered signal ever made!" Tovey eximed his frustration, one that was shared by his staff. "If the situation makes it so that only by leaving the entire fleet stranded in the middle of the Antic just to sink a single vessel, I would dly be court-martialed instead!"
In that circumstance, it would have been highly likely that Home Fleet would have been lost to either the Reichsmarine U-boats or the returning warships of convoy Fur Spaniard.
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Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, of course, have long picked up the radar signatures of the entire Home Fleet, even intercepting their radio transmission to extrapte Admiral Tovey''s n. As such, when Sheffield''s squadrones into range in a vain attempt of harassing the battleship, Bismarck and Prinz Eugen have already trained their guns and fire at the leading destroyers. But by proceeding with cautious evasive maneuvers all the while approaching the Belkan warships, the destroyers dodge the iing shells with minimal damage. Nheless, the sheer uracy of almost hitting the evading destroyers at a range of 25 km does give the Eruseans a fright. After a few more near-hits on the destroyers group, with HMS Cossack receiving moderate flooding when a 432mm shell detonated near her, Sheffield forbids a torpedo attack which requires them to close into a range of less than 8 km. It will be nothing short of a one-way trip and they still have to conserve their firepower.
They then try again in closing the gap, intending on bringing their guns into firing range. This time, the destroyers are to deploy a smoke screen to cover their approaches. The Belkans, however, seemingly scoff at their futile attempt. Despite a thick smoke screen and erratic evasive maneuver, the shelling from Bismarck and Prinz Eugen keepnding too close forfort. When a shell from Bismarck over-prating the D-turret of HMS Sheffield before exploding midair on the other end, thus still disabling the turret altogether alongside carving a sizeable chunk of the cruiser, the entire squadron immediately pulls back. HMS Cossack and HMS Sheffield then have to take the back seat, with Cossack pumping out seawater while Sheffield works on putting out the fire on her stern.
When advised by the aerial spotter above Sheffield of the new development, Admiral Tovey has no choice but to stop Sheffield''s squadron from getting into the effective firing range of the Bismarck. He now realizes just how good the uracy of the Bismarck is to hit warships maneuvering in smoke. It''s unheard of and to have that happened on multiple asions? That''s no mere fluke, that''s the Belkans upgrading their technology to an unseen level. One that has proven to be way above what the Royal Navy has to offer. Admiral Tovey doesn''t know how they have done that. Frankly, the situation doesn''t bode well for them.
With Sheffield Squadron unable to employ themselves, Tovey and his staff can only watch on with their hands tied behind their back as the air wings from Ark Royal and Hermes try to achieve what the warships have failed. In total, the two Royal Navy aircraft carriers have 70 aircraft, with Ark Royal carrying 50 and Hermes fielding 20. Theirplement of aircraft consisted of two types:
- 38 x Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber
- 32 x ckburn Skua dive bomber
They have nobat air patrol aircraft whatsoever, having thought that they''re safely outside of the range Belkan air wings.
Sending out ten Swordfishes and eight Skuas as the first attack wave, the officers are still of the mind that it will be enough to slow the Bismarck down while saving the rest forter use.
What they don''t know is that by sending only a small air wave each time, they''re serving the airmen on a silver tter for the anti-air crew of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. They would have a much better chance of scoring a crippling hit on the Bismarck had they gone all in, sending out all 70 bombers to try and overwhelm the air defense. Even that, however, won''t be enough considering the Belkan warships can thin out the herd by using their Sea Iris and 150mm dual-purpose turrets (with Eugen having 128mm guns instead) at long range. By the time any surviving aircraft gets into short-to-medium-range, the 57mm Goalkeepers and 30mm Gepard turrets aboard the two vessels will swath them out of the sky thanks to their fire-control radars.
Funnily enough, there was a consideration by a few naval architects to outfit the main guns of the Bismarck-ss with anti-air shells. However, such development was canned by Yuki herself, finding it to be woefully superfluous and useless when their smaller anti-air equipment can achieve much higher efficiency while not sacrificing the main guns'' firepower.
The two bomber wings from Ark Royal and Hermes fly above the watchful gazes of Sheffield''s harassment squadron and the Erusean spotter aircraft. Shockingly for them, eight streaks of barely visible me crash into the Skuas dive bombers, having been flying higher than the torpedo-carrying Swordfishes. The ensuing explosions leave no survivor from the dive bombing formation, only falling carcasses and fragments. The Skuas were destroyed by none other than the Sea Iris missilesunched by the Gepard turrets aboard RMS Bismarck.
Traveling at a lower altitude than the Skuas, the Swordfish pilots look up in astonishment as they see their peers exploding out of nowhere. A few scream out whether there are Belkan fighters in the air, only toe up with almost nothing. Almost because multiple k bursts suddenly appear in the middle of the formation of Swordfishes. The sudden anti-air ks knock out two aircraft immediately, one taking a direct hit while another having its pilot decapacitated with a sizeable shell fragment. The leading Swordfish reacts quickly and immediately orders a dispersion and all remaining aircraft are to lower their altitude while flying at their best speed to the target. This happens all the while taking increasingly urate and dense k bursts around them. The aerial spotter in a Supermarine Walrus flying boat coldly sweats as he idly wonders why is he still up in the air when the others are being shot down like a duck hunt.
The Erusean observers, both in the air and on the sea, watch on with hopelessness on their features as the Swordfishes are clipped one by one. By the time they reach the distance of 15 km, the number of Swordfishes is reduced to a measly three. And when those three reach the 10 km mark, their path forward is literally nketed in ks as the Goalkeepers on the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen open up, sending multiple proximity-fuze 57mm shells downrange. By the time the k screen dissipates, there''s nothing left remaining of the two bomber wings from the Ark Royal and Hermes. RMS Bismarck and RMS Prinz Eugen proceedpletely undeterred.
A feeling of utter worthlessness can be heard over the radio as the spotter aircraft rys what just happened to Admiral Tovey and his staff. By the time he''s done, the entire bridge of King George V is dead silent. Nobody knows what to say in response to the absurdity that is Bismarck. Ultimately, it''s the sound of running from the Ensign manning the radio station that dispels the silence.
"Sir, long-rangemunication with the Admiralty is cut-off. Also, you need to see this." The Ensign then hands over a paper, showing Tovey thetest transmission he suddenly received from an unknown source.
Tovey gives the paper a look, frowning with a grim face before throwing it on the map table for the rest of his posse to see. The men-in-charge give the message a one-over before looking at Tovey with grim eptance.
"What do you need us to do, Admiral?" One of them asked, to which Tovey replied. "Call back Sheffield''s group and have them rejoin the formation. It''s high time we do what we are told to do."
"Sink the Bismarck!" Tovey said before gesturing for the radio operator toe with him for a try at getting through to the Admiralty for a report. With him gone, the rest of his staff also spring into action, preparing the entire Home Fleet for the eventual naval battle. On the now vacated map table is the discarded paper with lines of message, saying.
"This is Admiral Tallh,manding the RMS Bismarck, to Admiral John Tovey of the Erusean Home Fleet. Admiral, you have seen what my warship can do against your petty attempts of attacking my fleet unprovoked. The world is up at arms against your Royal Navy because of that. I also know of your n to stall for time, thus giving you a more favorable engagement opportunity by the morning. As such, I hereby challenge you to a duel, here, in the middle of the Antic. My battleship and her escort, the Prinz Eugen, against you with your entire Home Fleet, in the oh-so-favorable conditions that you so desired. A final battle to determine whether the Royal Navy will get triumph over its nemesis, or will this relic of a bygone era will fall from grace, having crossed an insurmountable foe. Regardless of whatever choice you make, Admiral Tovey, your Home Fleet will sink. For that, I can assure you. End transmission."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-10: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 10)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-10: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 10)
Despite nning to utilize the morning sun against the Bismarck, Admiral John Tovey is frustrated to see that the effect is not as pronounced as he has hoped. Currently, Tovey and his Home Fleet are positioned in the early morning gloom. This position is supposed to tilt the scale in Tovey''s favor, knowing that the direction the Bismarck wille from will have the sunrise silhouetting them. Yet, an annoyingly dense, low-hanging mist has permeated this arena in the middle of the Antic, an aftereffect of yesterday''s storm. The mist reduces the vision range to less than 18 km, and that is from the watch post on top of the King George V. Tovey can only guess just how bad the visual range is of the destroyers on screening duty right now. As such, all avable spotters areunched into the air in a tight patrol formation. Hopefully, they will give him a better edge in the uing engagement... Scratch that, it''s a bonafide duel now.
Tovey''s only regret right now is not being able to send words back home. By now, he is fully aware that the Belkans have somehow mastered the technology to render their long-rangems useless. Admiral Tovey can hazard a guess that when the conflict is in full swing, their short-range radio will cease to work too. As such, the entire Home Fleet has dusted off the old ship-to-ship visual signals table. It may not be a foolproof system on the chaotic battlefield, but it''s better than nothing.
As for the rest of the naval air wings that Admiral Tovey has ess to, they''re all on standby 30 km away from his position. HMS Ark Royal and HMS Hermes will be ready to send them up in the air as soon as a location of the Bismarck is given. Despite the supposedlyrge number of aircraft still left avable, Tovey doesn''t have much faith in their ability to influence the oue of the engagement. Not after two whole wings were scrapped in mere seconds back then. Tovey would have dly traded the mostly useless aircraft carriers for an additional two battleships or even battlecruisers if he could. Truly, the story of aircraft carriers being a waste of money has proven itself to be quite true in the earlier engagement.
Nheless, Admiral Tovey would have to make do with what he has at hand. It will be an arduous task, but he is hoping to coordinate with the aircraft from the carriers to perform a synchronized strike on the enemy warships. By having the Home Fleet engage the Bismarck at the same time the naval air wings strike, it''s Tovey''s hope that they would be able to overwhelm the Belkans. It''s a long shot, yes, but it can be an Ace that deals a crippling blow. At the very least, it may course the Belkans to make a stupid mistake or two in their evasive maneuvers.
Regardless, this Ace of his operates under the premise that theirmunication system won''t be tampered with. If they are to be disrupted, then he can only ask the pilots to proceed at their own discretion if they think it''s the most opportune time to strike. They have only one shot at this, considering the anti-air system that Bismarck and Prinz Eugen sported, so Tovey hopes the flyboys make it count.
With every proper pre-battle nning made, Admiral Tovey crosses his arms. The only thing he can do right now is wait. Wait for either the screening party to have spotted the Bismarck approaching them under the cover of the Antic fog, or the scout nes to sight the Belkans a fair distance away. Either way, the absence of smoking funnel aboard the Belkan warships doesn''t aid them in any way. While it''s a grave concern to see a navy fielding funnel-less ships, as such technology would greatly revolutionize naval warfare, Tovey decides to ce that intel on the back burner for now.
After all, there''s still a duel to be fought.
"Aida, honey, pray for me to emerge victorious." Tovey said, knowing well that his wife wouldn''t be able to hear him.
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Unlike the Royal Navy vessels that are waiting in the arena, looking around for the Reichsmarine warships blindly, the Bismarck and her escort, the Prinz Eugen, are having no trouble at all identifying the enemy fleet. Thanks to their powerful radar, the CICs aboard the two vessels analyze the acquired data, getting the enemyposition, range, speed, and heading rtive to their location, and optimal firing solution and tactical advice, before feeding that intelligence to the required departments. The CIC is even capable of intercepting the radio transmissions of the Eruseans, and soon, the entire data set is avable for the officers to peruse. As the one in charge of the two warships, Admiral Tallh must pour over the information to acquire and determine the best course of action. Going over it with Captain Lindemann, Tallh notices a few interesting details about Admiral John Tovey''s fleet.
"So once again, they brought another battlecruiser to the mix."
"The HMS Repulse, a Renown-ss. And despite receiving hertest refit in 1936, she is only noteworthy for her excellent speed. Her armament is even weaker than that of the Hood, with only six 381mm guns." Captain Lindemannmented.
"If anything, it will be another sight to behold when that thing is easily blown up. Though it appears the Eruseans learn their lesson this time and will be positioning the Repulse at the back of the formation, acting as a base of fire for the rest of the fleet to move in on us." Tallh said, earning a nod from Lindemann.
"It''s a good n. Despite our autoloader and fire control, we will still find it hard to intercept a rush of evading destroyers, cruisers, and battleships. Sure, we can sink them all eventually, but not before they''re able to fire off a few salvos of guns and torpedoes. With their numerous guns, they will overwhelm our CIWS eventually."
"They will rush in, yes, but not in a synchronous maneuver. Apparently, HMS Rodney is running on fume, she won''t have enough fuel for a high-speed chase by 8:00 the following day. Even with ample fuel, Rodney only has a maximum speed of 23 knots, making it so that the King George V must conform to that speed if Tovey wants maximum firepower. As such, they will have to be sending their cruisers and destroyers way ahead of the formation at best evasion speed. Tovey''s intention is clear, under the covering fire from the Repulse, he wants to use the smaller ships as a distraction while he slowly inches into that 14,000 meters range for a broadside attack." Tallh exined the thought process behind Tovey''s n. "To add more chaos to the mix, he will also be going all-in on the aircraft. The man is hell-bent on scoring a good enough hit so he can capitalize on it."
Lindemann drylyments. "I am wondering just how many souls will die today?"
Tallh smacks her lips distastefully. "Too many to count." She then goes on to say. "Knowing that he will be using quantity against quality, we can''t just rush into the trap despite our technological advantage. That''s no different than inviting a disaster. Instead, we will start by shutting down theirms system. The moment we have them on scope, we will begin kiting away at cruising speed with Prinz Eugen shoring up our rear. This will give both of us a stable tform to engage the speeding enemy. The fog has limited the vision range to around 18 km, as such, I want us to always be at least 20 km away from their capital ships. This will give our gunners a field day thanks to our radar while the enemy can only blindly fire due to the thick fog. Our main priority will be the destruction of their capital ships, especially the Rodney and the Repulse for they are using bigger guns than the King George V. Prinz Eugen will be tasked with intercepting the rushing destroyers while our secondaries pepper the cruisers. With the amount of torpedoes those cruisers and destroyers are carrying, it would be smart of us to be 10 km ahead of them at all times. However, I may have a n for us to deal with most of them in one go."
"You''re saying, Admiral...?"
"How many of those Orkan torpedoes do we still have in the inventory?" Tallh suddenly asked.
"You mean those supercavitating torpedoes from that live-fire trial two weeks back? We haven''t unloaded the remaining two if you''re asking." Lindemann replied, not sure why Tallh asked that. Though judging from the sudden, predatory glint in her eyes, it won''t be anything good for the Eruseans, he hopes.
Smirking while licking her lips like a shark that has tasted blood, Tallh answers. "My dear Captain, I believe I have a solution to severely hamper, if not destroy, the torpedo threat the enemy destroyers pose to us in one go. You still remember the characteristics of an Orkan?"
Lindemann thinks for two seconds before replying in a deliberate tone. "An Orkan is a 533mm torpedo. A mana-powered rocket elerates it to cavitation speed, with abined-cycle gas turbine in the nose creating the required gas bubble. Once elerated, speed is maintained by an underwater ramjet fueled by hydro-reactive metals using seawater as both reactant and the source of oxidizer, making it so that the torpedo can travel at 200 knots. The high speed is made possible by supercavitation, whereby a gas bubble surrounding the torpedo is created by the outward deflection of water by its specially-shaped nose cone and the expansion of gases from its engine and the gas generator in the nose. This minimizes water contact with the torpedo, significantly reducing drag. They''re developed not just as a conventional torpedo but also intended as a countermeasure against torpedoesunched by undetected enemy submarines. As such, they have top-of-the-line guidance systems. However, they''re also powerful payload carrying tools in fleet-to-fleet action..." Having said thus far, Lindemann smacks his forehead for not thinking of this sooner. "And it''s just so that thest two Orkans in our arsenal are fitted with 30-kiloton warheads."
"It seems like you still remember your homework after all. Indeed, the Orkan is the brainchild of both science and magic working in tandem. Unlike conventional chemical-based high-explosive warheads, the Orkan is fitted with a mana-powered warhead, engraved with numerous explosive runes. The amount and efficiency of modern runes are such that we have achieved never before seen firepower in a singr, unstoppable package. But of course, the price tag for this tactical weapon is not small. And unfortunately, as prototypes, they only have a firing range of 15 km. Though I think I can convince the brass for a live-firing trial on actual enemy vessels nheless. They will surely be interested in free data gathering in field conditions." Tallh ended the sentence while rubbing her palms together. "Oh, we should send all of our drones in the air, armed all of them. They will not just be acting as our spotters but also recorders for the uing surface action. The footage will no doubt be needed by those back home."
Seeing that Tallh''s mind is made up and the chance for them to use the Orkan is nothing but a certainty, Captain Lindemann can''t help but offers a silent prayer for their enemy."May Yggdra saves the poor destroyer crews'' souls for they won''t have any idea what will hit them."
After all, an explosion of that magnitude beneath the waves is no different than a death sentence for any vessel in a radius of 1000 meters. The lighter destroyers would have no doubt capsized due to the shockwave beneath their hulls, if not disintegrate outright. Hell, with any bit of luck, they will even affect the enemy cruisers so badly that they will be a non-issue for the rest of the battle.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-11: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 11)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-11: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 11)
When first contact is made, it''s made when a good old Walrus seane literally flies into the 5 km range of the Bismarck, a distance that is no doubt a point-nk range for any shipborne AA. As such, the crew of the Walrus immediately goes into full panic mode, having wandered into a dead zone unknowingly due to poor vision. And despite flying away at full throttle, the crew of the Walrus still dutifully report the sighting of the Belkan warships, albeit in a shaky tone, having heard of the deadly tales involving the Bismarck.
Admiral Tovey can''t really me them for being bloody frightened. He too would be the same if he''s flying that coffin right now. Regardless, the updated intel gives him the location of the Bismarck, some 45 km away from them due South West. A sortie order has already been given to the air wings aboard HMS Ark Royal and HMS Hermes, and now, the rest of the Home Fleet is setting out on an intercept course. And despite what many would think about duking it out at sea, ship-to-ship fighting is actually lessplex than one would think. For all intents and purposes, ns can be made, and implemented in the middle of a firefight, yet, it alles down to the men manning the stations and perhaps the most important of all, luck. That''s the general consensus of the current era of naval warfare. Hence, Admiral Tovey having his fleeting directly at the Bismarck before trying to engage her in a chaotic CQC isn''t that bad of a n, especially when he knows what the Belkan battleship is capable of. He has been acting as an Admiral long enough to know that, even with the gun of a destroyer, a single lucky shot can still cripple a battleship. Nheless, it doesn''t make him any more hopeful than praying to whatever God handles the dice roll to bless the Home Fleet today.
Tovey silently dreads how many ships will be sunk in theing engagement, and by extension, how many young men are doomed because of his order. Still, as the old adage has said:
"In for a penny, in for a pound."
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With the n alreadymunicated to the rest of the Home Fleet, it doesn''t hamper them at all in deploying their formation when their short-rangemunication goes down. The destroyers and cruisers will go in first, leading the charge, and will be attacking the Bismarck from many angles. While the HMS Repulse provides long-range gunnery with HMS King George V and HMS Rodney running close the distance. Since the enemy force consists of only two vessels, Tovey expects that no matter how good Bismarck''s fire control is, she can''t effectively engage numerous targets in all directions. If Bismarck chooses to attack the capital ships, it will leave her open for the swarm of destroyers and cruisers and vice versa.
With the fleet steaming at their best speed while being separated into two detachments, each going at 30 knots and 22 knots respectively, Tovey eyes the sky, seeing the flight of numerous bombers circling above the fleet. An exchange of light signals between the aircraft and the King George V ensues, with Toveymanding them to stay a bit behind the formation. They are allowed the freedom to attack when the Bismarck shows an opening in their maneuver.
With the detachment of destroyers and cruisers going at 30 knots, Tovey expects them toe in the visual range of 18 km with the Bismarck soon. Orders have been given explicitly for them to encircle the battleship and attack it with everything they have while rying the Bismarck''s firing data back to Tovey. Thetter is for the Home Fleet''s capital ships to calcte and engage with their guns, even though they can''t get a lock on visually with the Bismarck thanks to the mist. The uracy, of course, will leave much to be desired but it''s the best they can do to keep the pressure on the enemy until they can get into effective range.
What Tovey hasn''t expected though, is for the spotters on the crow''s nest to alert.
"Skipper! The Edinburgh is taking fire!"
"What!?" Tovey and themanding staff rushed out to the viewing port. Peering down on his binocr, Tovey can barely see the glimpse of water columns falling down as the visage of the light cruiser Edinburgh maneuvers further into the mist. "Bloody Hell Just how can they see us with this damn fog in the way!? Do they have a spotter in the air too?" Tovey cursed. Either way, it doesn''t matter how the Bismarck got the beat on them. They''re being shot at and unable to retaliate.
Withms unavable, Tovey can''t raise the Edinburgh, now acting as detachment leader instead of the damaged Sheffield, for a status report. And with her going deeper into the fog, they have to ry the request visually through a Walrus before it even reaches the light cruiser. He will still ask for a report, yes, but the best he can do is to order them to take evasive actions. Until a firing solution is provided to him, or until the King George V can spot the Bismarck. His hands are tied.
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"Ma''am, the enemy destroyers are almost in visual range, 8 minutes top. Their cruisers are right behind them." The XO in Bismark''s CIC reported. "As we suspected, they will be dividing into two formations to nk us. Leaving the center for their capital ships to handle. Meanwhile, their air wings seem to be circling in a holding pattern, ready to be called in."
"Show me their current formations." With that said, Admiral Tallh and Captain Lindemann move to aputer terminal showing the real-time feed of what their radar is getting. "Helm, starboard 15 degrees."
"Aye aye, ma''am Starboard 15 degrees!" The helmsman announced while gently swiveling the control wheel of Bismarck.
Tallh then says. "By the time they get here, I would like a full broadside to target the Repulse. And have the port torpedouncher ready to send out the Orkans. It seems like the Royal Navy makes our job a whole lot easier than it should have been." Tallh smirks as she eyes the radar screen.
Like what the XO said earlier, the cruisers and destroyers divided into two smaller groups, each attempting to nk to the West and East of the Bismarck. The Western group is led by the heavy cruiser HMS London with destroyers HMS Icarus, HMS Imogen, and HMS Isis acting as her supports. While the Eastern group consists of light cruisers HMS Sheffield and HMS Edinburgh, destroyers HMS Cossack, HMS Maori, HMS Zulu, and HMS Sikh, with Edinburgh as the group leader. As of now, both groups are already moving to their nking positions. Tallh knows that the moment when visual contact is made, the destroyers will start firing their main guns, followed by the cruisers. A few minutester will be that of the Erusean capital ships. With so many shellsing their way, their CIWS will be overwhelmed eventually, it''s why Tallh orders her vessels to gently sail at an angle that is facing away from the Erusean ships.
While it can be argued it''s her running away, as a matter of fact, it isn''t. With Bismarck''s current heading rtive to the enemy warships, Bismarck has ample firing angle for her full broadside, and better yet, her port side torpedouncher, loaded with two Orkan torpedoes. Thetter has enough leeway to aim andunch at the densely packed Eastern enemy group, before turning around to do the same with the Western group led by HMS London. They just need to soften up the targets while luring them into the 15 km distance.
"CIC, I want all stations to start peppering them with High Explosive shells, prioritize the cruisers." Tallh ordered while pressing a button on the terminal to connect her voice to the Combat Intelligence Center.
"It will be done, Admiral." The XO said back, leaving Lindemann to add.
"HE or not, our shells can still one-shot a heavy cruiser. They may die so fast that sooner orter, the Orkan won''t even have a target left to engage."
"In that case, we can just dump the two of them in at the King George V." Tallh shrugged, not caring much about how this battle will end. "High Command has given us full autonomy on utilizing the Orkan, as long as we get results."
Lindemann lightly smiles, saying. "Not sure about you, but I would rather clean the floor with two big bangs than one."
Tallhughs, replying. "Then let''s just hope that their high-speed squadrons have both the skill and the luck required to survive our guns." Her sentence is apanied by the reverberation of Bismarck''s main and secondary guns firing at the same time.
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Over on the side of the desperately rushing Royal Navy, they''re truly not doing so hot despite being in the middle of the chilling Antic.
"Hard to port!"
"I can''t, the rudder is jammed!"
"Fire in the mess hall! Someone get DCP down there!"
"Fragmentations knocked out the turret drive! C-turret is disabled!"
"Medic! We need a medic down the hallway!"
"It''s no use, half of his brain is gone!"
Shouts like these are just the new normal for the sailors aboard the cruisers and destroyers of the Home Fleet. Despite the best attempts at evasive maneuvering by the helmsmen, the cruisers belonging two the two high-speed nking groups still take heavy casualties. Thebined firepower of three different calibers from both Bismarck and Prinz Eugen proves too much for them to dodge effectively, especially when they are getting ever so closer to the point-nk range of the Bismarck. So believe them when the Erusean sailors say that it''s not a good thing to finally make visual contact with the notorious Belkan battleship. In a way, this is like a rodeo that has gone so horribly wrong that thest thing they wanted is to hang on for dear life. But s, orders are orders, and they''ll be damned in many ways if they run away.
Hence, when thest vessels of the two groups have cleared the fog, all vessels immediately turn their guns at the Bismarck before collectively firing at her. The destroyers, leading ahead of the two formations and being the closest to the battleship, sail at nk speed in a mad dash to close the gap to less than 8 km. That''s their torpedo range but it''s no different than a one-way ticket in the hearts of many sailors. Their allied cruisers, not leaving them hanging, relentlessly pound their guns at the Belkan warship, all the while conveying the vessel''s coordinate and heading for Admiral Tovey''s ships. In a hot minute, more than a dozen shells have already been fired at the Bismarck, yet, much to the dismay and utter confusion of the squadrons, beams of red tracers split the misty sky, hitting and exploding whatever shells thate near the battleship. The origin of said beams are as such, four from the Bismarck herself with thest two chimed in by the Prinz Eugen. Theirbined CIWS coverage makes it so that a repeat ofst time''s mishap won''t happen ever again.
Due to the fact that Bismarck and Prinz Eugen are sailing away, the two Royal Navy squadrons have two steams directly ahead if they want to reduce the distance. As such, they effectively lose half of their firepower since their rear turrets don''t have a firing angle. And as they''re going at nk speed, their uracy is also piss-poor as a result of ack of stable firing tforms. Suffice to say, not many of their shells find the correct flight paths, any that are lucky enough to be on course to the Bismarck are promptly intercepted too. The Erusean sailors can only chalk their unfortunate results to Belkan voodoo, once again.
Things seem hopeless for the high-speed squadrons when the first crippling casualty has urred. HMS Cossack has, once again, been unfortunate enough to be targeted and hit by the 203mm shells from the Prinz Eugen and the 150mm shells from the Bismarck. There have been at least four explosions on the Cossack, all centered around her fore deck. When the ck smoke subsides, herpatriot destroyers can swear that the entire bridge is gone alongside her front turrets, yet despite so, the Cossack is still steaming ahead. Only this time, she doesn''t have any way of maneuvering or even a proper chain ofmand. Hence, it isn''t a surprise when another barragees down atop her, easily ripping what''s left of her hull to shred.
HMS Cossack, sink with all hands, circa 27th of August, 1938.
Yet, it appears help has arrived. Well, not just yet, but the capital shipsmanded by John Tovey have opened fire after receiving the firing data from the cruisers. It sure does uplift the Erusean spirit when they also hear the sound of more than two dozens propeller beating the air. Looking up, 52 bomber nes fly in a spread-out formation at different altitudes, all baring their fangs to the Bismarck.
But as if mocking their attempts at counterattacking, Bismarck shrugs. Firstly, she and Prinz Eugen make short work of the multi-caliber shelling from King George V, Rodney, and Repulse. Their 30mm Gepard turrets swiftly turn and engage the airborne threats with deadly precision as beams of tracers light up the sky once more. Neutralizing the capital ships'' salvo in mere seconds. Against the Royal Navy air wings, however, all avable AA weaponry aboard Bismarck and Prinz Eugen fire at the same time, having linked their defense grid together thanks to their CICs. The dual-purpose 150mm and 128mm aboard Bismarck and Prinz Eugen fire first. This is followed by the 57mm Goalkeeper turret that starts sending a withering barrage of HE-VT shells. Lastly, the Gepard turrets, having intercepted the Home Fleet''s shelling, open up their Sea Iris missile pods andunch 1/3 of theirplement into the sky, leaving behind trails of white smoke. The ensuing explosions in the air are nothing sort of splendorous fireworks in the middle of the Antic Sea. Without giving the Erusean naval pilots a chance to react, k bursts ur all around them, leaving them with no room or time to dodge the hail of fragments that punctured their lightly-protected airframe. The damage from the k rounds alone has destroyed almost forty bombers in one go, most having their crew killed instantly, leaving the rest easy picking for the Sea Iris missiles that detonate near the survivors'' airframes. More explosions appear in the sky, this time, thebination of exploding ordnance and fuel making it so that the st doesn''t lose out to the prior k barrage. Five secondster, the sky is clear of any aircraft, save for a few burning debris that is on course to sink into the ocean.
After witnessing such a grandiose disy of Belkan firepower, members of the Home Fleet''s high-speed squadrons feel their blood run cold. To them, Bismarck is not just a battleship anymore, not after the previous disys. Bismarck is now a beast, a beast made of steel and Belkan witchcraft. One that shouldn''t be existed, not in this day and age!
The two warship squadrons have their guns fall silent, not sure how to react in front of such a dangerous threat. From the bottom of the bucket crewman to the tipping top officers, not one Erusean knows what to do at the moment. The best they can do is look at each other, silently urging the others to do something about the situation in their stead.
The Belkans seem to realize the utter confusion and dismay that are running over the heads of the Eruseans. And seems to allow them a moment of respite, stopping their guns from firing also. Yet, this is not an act of mercy by any means. By now, the Erusean vessels are squarely in the distance of 15 km, a prize target for something that is obviously more dangerous than a 432mm shell.
"Unleash the Orkans!"
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The suddenunching of a pair of 200 knots torpedoes hasn''t caught the eyes of the Eruseans. How can they, when they''re still kilometers apart? Yet despite no visual contact being made, the first to receive a warning is the hydrophone operators aboard the destroyers at what''s basically point-nk range for the Orkans. Nheless, what they are getting is just seconds of being bathed in weird audio signaturesing their way, and very fast signatures at that. A few operators with swift mindsets immediately set off to warn the officers while most are still stuck in their chairs, hands still holding the headphones tight to decipher the signatures. But even if they knew what was about to hit them, they wouldn''t even have the time to take any action before the Orkans detonate beneath the two Home Fleet squadrons.
When the 30 kilotons warheads explode, the underwater fireballs took the form of rapidly expanding hot gas bubbles that pushes against the water, generating supersonic hydraulic shockwaves that crush the hulls of the cruisers and destroyers above as they spread out. Eventually, they slow to the speed of sound in water, which is 1600 m/s, five times faster than that of sound in air. On the surface, the shockwaves, from where the two squadrons are, are visible as the leading edge of rapidly expanding rings of dark water, resembling that of an oil slick. Close behind the slicks is a visually more dramatic, but less destructive whitening of the water surface that Belkan scientists dubbed as the "crack". At the top, the gas bubbles push the water above them into a "spray dome", which burst through the surface like geysers.
During the first full second, the expanding bubbles remove all the water within a 152 meters radius of their detonation zone and lift approximately two million tons of spray into the air. As the bubbles rose at 800 m/s, they stretch the spray domes into hollow cylinders, almost 2000 meters tall and 650 meters wide, with walls around 100 meters thick.
As soon as the bubbles reach the air, they start a pair of supersonic atmospheric shockwaves which, like the "crack", are more visually dramatic than destructive. Brief low pressure behind the shockwaves causes instant fog which shrouds the developing columns in "condensation clouds", obscuring it from view for two seconds. The clouds start out hemispherical, expand into disks that lift from the water revealing the fully developed spray columns, then change into doughnuts and vanish. By the time the condensation clouds vanish, the top of the columns have be "cauliflowers", and all the spray in the columns and their cauliflowers are moving down, back into the ocean surface. Although cloudlike in shape, the cauliflowers are more like the top of a geyser where water stops moving up and starts to fall.
Meanwhile, the seawater rushing back into the space vacated by the rising gas bubbles starts a tsunami that lifts the Royal Navy ships as it passes under them. At 11 seconds after detonation, the first waves are 350 meters from surface zero and 35 meters high.
Twelve seconds after detonation, falling water from the columns start to create 300 meters tall "base surges" resembling the mist at the bottom of arge waterfall. Unlike the water waves, the base surges roll over rather than under the ships. Of all the Orkans'' effects, the base surges have the greatest consequence for the surviving Erusean warships (those that weren''t in ground zero and weren''t crushed immediately by the initial underwater shockwaves), due to the physical property of tons upon tons of watere crashing down on their head. The surviving ships, cruisers and destroyers alike, are quite literally, ttened indiscriminately by something akin to a battleship rolling over them. And when the base surge subsides, there''s nothing left recognizable floating on the surface in a one-kilometer radius of the detonation sites.
- HMS London
- HMS Sheffield and HMS Edinburgh
- HMS Cossack, HMS Maori, HMS Zulu, and HMS Sikh
- HMS Icarus, HMS Imogen, and HMS Isis
- Lost with all hands, circa 27th of August, 1938
Despite the sudden loss of thousands of lives in literal seconds, Admiral Tallh can''t stop herself from smiling ears to ears. She knows quite well just what sort of destructive weapons she has unleashed, and as expected, they haven''t failed to meet her expectations. "Utterly outstanding!"
After all, the Orkan is designed to harness not just the power of its payload, but to also utilize the destructivity of the sea to devastate the enemy. For a militaristic mermaid like Admiral Tallh, an Orkan is a dreame true.
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Unlike the excited state of the Belkan sailors that witnessed such destructiveness firsthand, Admiral Tovey and what''s left of the Home Fleet barely got a glimpse of what happened when they made it past the thick mist of the Antic. For a moment, the heavy cruiser London was still there, the next, she just... disappeared. When the base surges subsided, the part of the sea where the cruisers and destroyers are is nowpletely empty. The explosions that seem to touch Heaven have also changed the weather almost immediately. Now, an onset of heavy rain has befallen the battle zone as ifmenting for the lives lost in this Antic conflict.
It takes Tovey every single fiber of his being not to scream out his bottled-up emotions, and it takes every ounce of his spirit to say these breathless words. "Prepare for a close-quarter gunfight. This is not over yet."
With muted silence, the crew of King George V takes a full five seconds to get themselves back into working order, barely. The day is only over when one side ispletely sunk.
And Tovey doesn''t like his odds.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-12: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 12)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-12: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 12)
The whole battle, from the bravely foolish charge of the Royal Navy cruisers and destroyers to the twin weather-changing eruptions, is recorded from the air in multiple angles by the UAVsunched by Bismarck. Knowing that this battle is too important to hear it as a second-hand report, Yuki drags the relevant scientists, chiefly Einstein, Mobius, Nice, and even Dreamer, down to ONI''s undergroundmand bunker. Together, they watch, analyze, andment on the real-time footage of the Hunt for Bismarck, showing on the manyrge screens of themand room they''re in.
"To think that with two of them going off, we had changed the local weather forecast in a mere minute." Einstein said, fiddling with her red-frame sses. "And the damage was even more devastating than the earlier stationary tests."
The mechanical genius then looks at a rey of the two underwater explosions, looping at a 0.5-time speed. Einstein''s words grabbed the attention of Dreamer, who is pouring over the recorded data on her military tablet. Swiping the tablet to remove the data screen before turning it off, Dreamer stretches her arms and back, saying. "The weather there was already misty enough due to the recent storm. With the two Orkans sending up even more vapor in the air, it wasn''t a surprise for it to start raining again. But it''s as you say, no one expected it to pour in a minute at most."
Nice chimes in. "It goes to say that high-yield weapons like the Orkan can have unexpected side effects on the environment atrge, even with all of usbining our heads together." She then pauses the screen reying explosions, right when the base surges start falling down on the Erusean warships. "Just imagine what could have been when we went for the nuclear warheads route instead of runes. The aquatic environment there would have been contaminated in radioactive waste for a century at the very least." Despite her cautious words, Nice seems to be more captivated by the destructions shown on screen than anything else. She has a sort of childish proud grin on her face while looking at the paused frame of the HMS London being crushed by tons of seawater.
The others, however, know that Nice is just feeling giddy over their collective brainchild, the Orkan. Nheless, Nice''s caution is taken seriously by them all. Especially more so when Yuki has explicitly stated to never, ever, think about touching the topic of developing CBRN weaponry. What Yuki needs is a clean world to rule over, not a dead one. Nuclear fallout can be a bitch to clean up.
Mobius, despite leaning more toward biological miracles, actually contributed a lot to the development of the Orkan torpedo. Yuki, who has been watching the disys of the still ongoing naval action, suddenly raises her hand and pats the mad scientist on her green hair. Her action prompts Mobius to groanfortably at the head pat Yuki is administering before looking up from her half-finished data sheets in mild confusion.
"A clean, and swift, tactical warhead. The Orkan wouldn''t have existed and performed this well if it weren''t for Mobius'' hand in its development." Yuki wholeheartedly praised the woman, still caressing her hair despite Mobius'' blush.
Mobius though, preens at the attention given to her by Yuki. "It wasn''t much for a scientist of my caliber. I was only inspired by how those Demon squids move underwater so swiftly, despite their unconventional shapes."
Yuki giggles before teasingly pinching Mobius'' right cheek. "A very Mobius response."
Annoyed by the sudden, albeit heartwarmingly pain, Mobius takes a bite at Yuki''s mischievous finger, to which thetter justugh, not feeling any pain. Directing a demanding look at Yuki, Mobius says while still holding Yuki''s index finger in her mouth. "We demand a reward!"
"Haha~! But of course! Though for now, let''s focus on seeing this battle through without any mishap, alright?" Though Yuki said it with a smile, she was soon turned into a blushing mess when Mobius did something unexpected.
The green hairdy starts suckling on Yuki''s finger, sensually, like one would do delicious ice cream. With a surprised yelp, Yuki pulls her finger away, leaving behind a trail of saliva connecting to Mobius'' lips. "W-Where the Hell did you learn to do that!?"
Mobius smirks before pulling out a box of wet tissues to wipe Yuki''s finger and her mouth. "Living with you all is sure to introduce me to new horizons. Never would have thought you could be yed into suchpromising positions." Though Mobius said it cryptically, Yuki had the mind to know that her sexual escapees sure didn''t escape any of the brainiacs here.
Groaning into her palms at the sudden reminder of her submissive lustful tendency, Yuki doesn''t know that the others are looking at her with heartwarming gazes. It''s always fun to see Yuki delve into the shy gal that is so far apart from her usual confidence when they tease her by pressing the right buttons.
Desperately trying to change the subject, Yuki points at the big screens. "C-Come on! Let''s see if Admiral Tallh can pull through this without breaking a sweat.
They all let out a smile at the obvious attempt, yet they stop, for now. There is still work to be done, after all.
The live footage from the UAVs, still running all the while, is now showing an exchange of cannon fires between Bismarck and Prinz Eugen against their Royal Navy aggressors.
At a range of 18 km and steadily closing deliberately by Bismarck going at cruising speed, the Royal Navy capital ships are now akin to a bull seeing red. Per their n, HMS Repulse hangs back behind therger King George V and Rodney, turning her hull broadside to allow her six 381mm guns the needed firing angle. In a vain attempt at covering for herrgerpatriots, the battlecruiser''s guns start a resounding report amidst the raining Antic. Her first salvo is soon followed by two others after two seconds, fired by King George V and Rodney with their A and B turrets. Ranging from dangerous to negligible, a mixture of 406mm, 381mm, and 356mm shells start their descent onto the Bismarck...
To no visible effect whatsoever.
*BRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTT*
Still set on their mission to counter rockets, artillery, and any missile thate close to Bismarck, the Gepard turrets dutifully intercept the salvos from the Home Fleet midair, prioritizing the 406mm shells from the Rodney first and foremost. The aerial detonations make it so that they''re bigger, multicolored k bursts if it isn''t for the tracer beams left behind by the 30mm shells. Apparently, the Royal Navy is still using colorful dye in its shellposition. Appreciating the beautiful light show despite the increasingly awful weather, Nice and Mobius share an appraising whistle before both look at each other with a snicker.
Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, not leaving that slight against the appointed gship slide, retaliate almost immediately. The heavy cruiser fires first, surprisingly, and scores direct hits on the bow of the Rodney with her 203mm High Capacity High Explosive shells. Despite not doing much in terms of armor prations, the HE shells cause a fire to break out on the bow of the Home Fleet battleship. In a way, the damage is light all things considered. Yet, Prinz Eugen is not stopping there and is already sending her second salvo out. Yuki knows that as the heavy cruiser is attacking a bow-in battleship with nothing but 203mm guns, Prinz Eugen is resorting to stacking enough fires on the Rodney to cripple her damage control and equipment. And seeing that even Eugen''s secondary turrets are chiming in, firing at the Rodney at a ridiculous rate of fire, Yuki''s guess is affirmed almost immediately when another fire appears just shy of a secondary turret of the Rodney. This burning situation is exacerbated by the secondaries from Bismarck joining in the arsonist effort. Very soon, Rodney will be too busy coughing up smoke to even do anything.
Bismarck, on the other hand, isn''t having any reservations about how to engage her current target, the broadsiding HMS Repulse. As if waving away a mere bug that caught her windshield, Bismarck retaliates with a full salvo of her twelve 432mm guns. Once again, the water in the vicinity of her broadside seems to evaporate as the shockwave pushes outward, left behind by the super-heavy shells that streak across the air. Despite knowing the danger the Bismarck possess, vessels of the Home Fleet, or any other naval power in this era, do not have any sort of defense against iing projectiles. As such, the antiquated hull of Repulse now bears the full brunt of five shells biting into her thin broadside armor, while the othersnded and exploded either below her water line, causing water leaks, or fragmented into a metallic shower above the surface. Whatever the damaging effect may be, however, doesn''t change the fact that HMS Repulse has been pped, hard, much like what Admiral John Tovey of the Home Fleet has feared.
Of the five shells that prated Repulse''s armor, one over-prated the aft of the vessel,ing through to the other end before exploding. The other fours are more fortunate, to Bismarck''s gunnery stations, and unlucky, for the Repulse''s crew. Of the four, one blows up at the foundation of the conning tower, the excessive st immediately causes a cave-in of the bridge, killing almost everyone in it. Those that are most unfortunate to survive the copse though, face the fate of being roasted alive due to the ensuing fire from the shell after falling down heavily into the lower deck. The other three shells go off alongside the length of Repulse''s broadside. One literally blows the top off the C-turret while another detonates the magazine of the rear secondary turret of Repulse. Apanied by the ammo cook-off from the rear turret, thest shell, having prated the main armor belt and into the enginepartment, explodes. The stpletely tears up the armor belt of Repulse by her waterline, creating a gaping hole more than ten meters in length from the look of it. With therge wound, seawater is now rushing in to fill the void, choking the heavily injured battlecruiser in her literal beating heart.
Seeing that Repulse is dead in the water with no hope of retaliating, Bismarck swiftly swings its turrets about, her slowly raise up one by one to signify their loaded status.
Trudging on despite the catastrophic losses they incurred so far, a testament of will and loyalty, not to the Admiralty, but the Admiral Tovey inmand of them, Rodney and King George V unleash their next volley. This time, their shells travel at a slightly shallower arc than before, having closed the distance in the time Bismarck crippled the Repulse. Going at nk speed, King George V approaches the 14 km distance while Rodney is slower, sitting around 16 km.
This doesn''t help them at all as six more tracer beams spring into the air, batting away the shells before they even reach a harmful distance. And because they are dealing with a lesser barrage than before, with the Repulse out of the picture, the Gepards have an easier time catching them all despite the reduced reaction time.
King George V, though, having reached the fabled 14 km range, starts turning broadside despite every fiber of Admiral Tovey''s being said otherwise. In a vain attempt of doing whatever damage he can, Tovey has every single gun on King George V to fire at will. Has he been able to wade past the suffocating hopelessness that they''re all feeling right now, Tovey would have been able to figure out a potential vulnerability in the Belkan defense grid. That is to simultaneously attack with all guns at the same time and make it so that the shells are tond at the same exact moment. A single, overwhelming assault in a split second that can overwhelm the CIWS system the Belkan employ... maybe.
Yet, reality is far different than fiction and what-ifs. Tovey, and by extension the entire Home Fleet, have lost every possible chance to remedy their mistakes. And now, they are forced to pay the price.
HMS Repulse has sounded the evacuation notice due to the flooding and fires she received. The crew is now more busy with deploying lifeboats instead of trying to counteract the heavy listed of the ship to her starboard. HMS Rodney, on the other hand, is not doing so hot. Well, figuratively speaking, of course. She is being lit up like a Christmas tree despite the heavy rain. Her fore fire director has been knocked out by Prinz Eugen a few minutes ago and all stations below deck report fire and smokeing up everywhere on the ship. Due to the nature of her rushed design when the Royal Navy built her, Rodney is every bit wed in almost every aspect in an attempt to have a battleship with 406mm guns as her primary. Her speed and protection arepromised, but most important of all, her damage control is woefullycking against deliberated arson by the Belkan warships. By putting all of her main turrets so closely together in the bow, and their apanying magazines, Rodney has made it so that when an unstoppable me engulfs her fore-end, everything will pop up.
When the me overtakes the damaged bulkheads and armor tes protecting the magazine, it happens. A sh fire appears, then one more, then another, until the entire three magazines for Rodney''s 406mm go up in a fiery burst thatunches all three of her bow turrets in the air, leaving the holes where they used to be spatting out blue fire columns. It has made for a spectacr sight as momentarily, the entire bow of the Rodney seems to expand outward before fire and smoke seem to spew out of every possible breach in her armor. It''s as if she is being cooked alive internally. It doesn''t have to be said that at this point in time, Rodney is a lost cause.
Bismarck, as if shocked by the fiery end of an adversary she has just about to end herself, stays stunned for a whole ten seconds with her main guns, loaded, still trained on the burning wreckage of Rodney. Only after that ten seconds does she wakes up and points her turrets at the still bitterly fighting King George V. In utter madness at this point, King George V throws everything they have at Bismarck. This range from the main 356mm guns to the 113mm secondaries, smaller than the formers are the 40mm pom-poms and even infantry firearms. Thetter two, of course, are hopelessly outranged and their rounds do not evennd anywhere near Bismarck''s zip code. To be honest, it''s both amendable and pitiful attempt at ast hurrah performed by Admiral Tovey and his sailors.
Opting to put her defeated nemesis out of her misery, Bismarck fires her main guns, all at once, onest time.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 21-13: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 13)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 21-13: The Hunt for Bismarck (Part 13)
*GASP*
With a startled intake of air, Admiral John Tovey is just about to jump up whatever thing he is using to rest his back on, only to find out that he just can''t as a rush of pain assaults his senses. Fighting back the sudden bout of fear, anxiety, and frustration thates out of the woodwork, Tovey swivels his head around to examine his situation. He is shocked to see that his left leg and right arm are bounded in casts while gauze and bandages can be seen and felt all along his body.
His first instinct is to figure out how did he get himself in this tough spot, but then he gives up when a migraine attacks his mind instead of the answer he seeks. "Bloody Hell..." Tovey allowed himself a curse before resting his head on a surprisingly soft pillow. Knowing that he is not in the best of health to think too hard on matters, Tovey opts to scan the foreign quarter he is in instead.
He dares a one-second look and knows almost immediately that the quarter he''s situated in does not conform to an Erusean vessel. Too roomy and too luxurious even by officer standards. The full-sized bed, carpeted flooring, wooden decors, a small kitchen with a table and a few chairs, and even curtains by the viewing ports? The amenities here will make the entire Royal Navy goes green in envy. Thinking thus far, Tovey knows that he has most probably been captured by his enemy, the Belkan Reichsmarine...
Wait a second? Capture?
It''s alling back to him now, scattered pieces but enough for him to get the gists of his conundrum. Tovey remembers the duel, the preparation, and the eventual decimation of the entire Home Fleet. He also sparsely remembers being knocked back, burned by something. Though judging from the look of it, he survived somehow, only going unconscious and being rescued by his men. And after that, they were pulled aboard by the Belkans when thebat was truly over.
Now then, Tovey has the fortunate ability to choose the emotion he will like to feel now that his mind is back in working order. You know, whether to be downtrodden at the loss of lives or to express anger and hatred at the enemy that sank them. He ponders, mulling deeply about the circumstances that led to this point before eventually settling on this particr feeling. Relief. Relief that, despite everything that happened, he is still alive, banged up, but alive nheless. This means that whateveres next, there''s still a chance for him to return home, back to Aida, back to his loving wife.
What follows next, however, is the emotion called guilt. Survivor''s guilt, to be exact. Tovey has been in this line of naval military business long enough to move past that feeling though. Nheless, a part of him can''t stop wondering whether things could have progressed differently. Maybe a different tactic? Or, God forbids, had he just turned away and waited for another opportunity? But even when going all over again what he had avable at the time of before and up to the destined duel, Tovey knew that he himself wouldn''t have done anything different than what had happened. They were truly and utterly outssed, bested at their own game.
Perhaps it''s only by Divine intervention that the oue would have been much different than now. Although if what the Belkan propaganda had to say anything about then they have literal Divines on their side. That''s not an odd Tovey would have liked to face again now that he is in this awkward position. He wonders, aside from him, who else has made it out alive from that ughter.
But most important of all, just what will he say to Aida when they meet again? He can just imagine how Aida would react to the news that her husband is MIA on his mission. And he fears that the Association of Sailor''s Wives, headed by Aida herself, would literally burn the Admiralty building to the ground if words get back home that he is in Belkan custody. They will stop at nothing to get their husbands and sons back.
Tovey allows himself a smirk at that. If things develop thus far, then those bastards Pound and Churchill deserve it for sending them on a wild goose chase, which ended in the hunters bing the hunted. Too much crucial information was missing, with military intelligence being woefully inept at giving any credible intel to act on. An example would be the Belkans capable of crippling theirms system at will. Or that they need not a visual identification of the targets to engage. Other than those, there was also that devastating weapon that wiped out their cruisers and destroyers in one go. Tovey would have never touched them with a ten-meter stick from the get-go had he known of this.
Heck, he would dly resign and be a farmer instead of getting involved in this mess had he known the things he needed to know. But it''s toote to regret any of that now.
*Knock* *Knock*
Hearing the knockings, Tovey instantly assumes it must be his captors. Tovey can hazard a guess as to why they need to knock on their own vessel, and the guess he has pleased him. He can at least hope to be able to hold a civilized conversation with the other party if they could learn how to knock.
"Come in." Tovey squeezed out the two words a bit painfully, surprised that it had taken him an effort to do so. It appears he also has internal injuries to be worried about.
Having heard his acknowledgment, the door is pushed open, revealing four figures standing outside the quarter. They''re two guards, a medic from the look of it, and a female officer with the epaulets and markings of a Belkan Admiral. Thetter of which is no doubt Admiral Tallh that challenged him to that duel.
Said Admiral Tallh though, smiling politely at him. "It seems that you''ve been awake for a while, Admiral Tovey." The smile is pretty, and so does thedy speaking, but Tovey only has one true love and that is his wife Aida.
Tallh then turns to the medic. "I hope that you can check him now that he''s awake, doc. The man was badly injured in our scuffle earlier."
The doc nods before moving closer to Tovey''s bed. "With what I''ve been allowed to give him, he will be able to make a steady recovery if he is allowed quality meals and rest." Once the doc pulls a seat to sit next to him. "Would you kindly allow me to examine you, good sir?"
Hearing the polite request, Tovey gives an acknowledging nod, letting the doc take readings of his health. After a few minutes of nobody talking, the doc puts away his instruments and turns to Tallh. "Well then Admiral, he is good enough for a chat. Though I would advise against triggering any intense emotion, lest the patient worsen his recovering health."
Tallh nods. "I will try not to doc."
The doc returns a nod before standing up and heading outside, passing the standing guards before closing the door behind him. Now left alone with the Belkan Admiral in the room, Tovey opens his mouth to say.
"So..." Ok, maybe he has no way to start a conversation like this one. He has no ns in mind for situations like this.
As if learning of his conundrum, Tallh giggles before saying. "Perhaps you should let me do the talking then, at least until you know what to say or ask?"
Sighing at that, Tovey replies. "Fine by me then."
Nodding at that, Tallh takes out a metallic case she has been holding by her side. Now that Tovey is allowed a closer look, it appears to be a mechanical device of some sort. Tallh then pulls the chair the doc used earlier to sit on, sitting a bit farther away from Tovey, however. With deft flicks of her fingers on the strange instrument, Tallh says. "By now, you should have inferred that I am Admiral Tallh, the one that challenged you into a duel. And yes, I am a finedy, in case you haven''t known." Tallh said that partly to test how Tovey would react.
She is pleased when Tovey makes no obvious expression of ridicule or negativity. "I am not sure how the battle has affected your memory but I dare guess that you aren''t having a perfect recollection. As such, I will be starting from when we started engaging your gship, King George V, at full force."
Tallh then turns the device, her military tablet around, to show Tovey a high-definition picture of a heavily damaged King George V, taken by a drone flying unseen. At first, Tovey is surprised to see the quality colored image, but his face grows grim when he sees the gship being beaten that badly. "Just how much munition did you waste on her for her to be like that?"
"That''s the result of the first salvo by the way." Tallh rified.
"... Why am I not surprised. With what happened to the other vessels, I am pleased she was still floating in this picture then." Tovey admitted with a grimace.
Smiling lightly, enough to not cause any difort to her fellow Admiral, Tallh adds. "For better, or for worse, King George V is still pretty much floating, Admiral Tovey."
"Say what?" Tovey was pleasantly shocked at the information.
Tallh exins. "The first salvo, fortunately enough, only disabled the A and B turrets of King George V. It did, however, put you down until the rest of the battle. The sts from our shelling did a number on your bridge with most of your men stationed there perished. And while you''re unconscious, the men aboard still continued their attempts in engaging us with whatever they still had left. As such, we fire another salvo. This time, it crippled your C-turret and the secondaries on your starboard side. Effectively, your vessel is defanged."
Tallh stops for a moment to let the new information sink in before continuing to show Tovey the next picture. This one shows the evacuation of King George V. "That second salvo also knocked out your engines. At that point, it appears your surviving officers decided that it was enough of a fight and gave the order to abandon the ship. They found and put you on a life raft alongside the non-essential and wounded personnel. The remainders stayed aboard King George V to help with evacuation before they too bailed out from the battleship. We fished you and the survivors all up after two hours or so. Gave them all the treatment befitting of their status, unlike what your propaganda would have of us, and you, one of our officer''s quarters. We patched you all up and those that were able to are given a proper meal. On your part, you''re knocked out for the day. With our medical expertise, however, it seems that you are well on the road to recovery despite your external and internal injuries."
After listening to the exnation, Tovey closes his eyes, mulling over the information he heard. Thinking it over, Tovey notices something. "How many survivors did you rescue?"
"I am just about getting to that part, Admiral." Tallh smiled. "You see, I did say that King George V is still afloat, no?" Tovey nods at that, still surprise even now. "Turned out that your DCP sealed just enough of the bulkheads and put out enough fire that she can be towed back to maind Europe. Or in this case, act as a temporary site to hold the able-bodied survivors until the Fur Spaniard convoy can rendezvous with us. After all, there are more than 937 of your men that survived and that is not mentioning the survivors from Rodney and Repulse. We could only hold the injured and high-ranking personnel on our vessels. Don''t worry, before we cleared the King George V to receive the survivors, I sent a crew over to make sure the battleship wouldn''t sink all of a sudden. Alongside them were the necessary supplies to keep your men healthy on the cold Antic. I assure you that when the transports arrive, they will also be well-taken care of. Like I''ve said before, we treat our prisoners of war well, unlike what most propaganda has painted us otherwise."
"That was... both a relief and enlightening to hear. I am d that you''re as civilized as I have hoped to be. I just have a question, with us soon being relocated to that convoy of yours, what will happen to King George V?" Tovey couldn''t stop himself from asking that. Despite her rushed design, King George V was still a finer ship than the Rodney in his book.
Tallh lets out a smile. "I sure hope you will excuse me for saying this but, as the victor, we are entitled to the gains of our victory. And despite King George V being ackluster vessel, no offense..."
"None taken, because your Bismarck easily triumphed over her."
"...We intend to tow her back to our home port as proof of our conquest. After all, this is a big opportunity to bring down the Admiralty a notch. That is if they even still have a face left after the internationalmunity is done ridiculing them." Tallh said her piece.
"As the loser in this duel of ours, Admiral Tallh, I ept that... I just wish you can treat her right." Tovey said wistfully, earning an understanding nod from Tallh.
"I will see what I can do, Admiral." Tallh could only offer that much. The decision ultimately rests in the hands of the top brass.
"Moving on from that," Tallh said. "You all will be allocated Belka prisoners of war status once we''re docked. We will treat you for injuries sustained in battle before you will be moved to a camp. There, you will be screened and vetted for intelligence before settling down there for the foreseeable future, at least until an agreement with Erusea can be made for your freedom. At the camp, you''re given the opportunity to work voluntarily alongside other prisoners, chiefly the Ustians, to earn credits that can be exchanged for specific amenities. Even without working, you''re still given enough supplies to make your stay in Belka a wee one. However, credits can be used for many things, and it''s my opinion that you should get them whenever you can. The works don''t allow any illegal activities, and mostly only involvemunity services so I think you won''t have any reservations about doing them. That''s the short rundown I can give you. The people back home can fill you more on that."
"That sounded way too good to be true." Toveymented on that immediately.
Tallh shrugs. "Compared to the rest of the world, yeah. But in Belka, we have the luxury to be better, more civilized than whoever painted us as vile. You can thank our Marshal for that though, for without her, you and I won''t be having this conversation right now."
"I have been hearing more and more about this fabled Marshal of yours. And I admit not knowing enough about this figure... But I guess I will soon be having more than enough time to learn moreter. That is if what you described to me is true." Tovey added.
"I can swear on my rank as an Admiral and my six-month sry that I haven''t lied to you a single word, Admiral Tovey." Tallh immediately said.
Tovey, however, catches on to a part of her statement. "What happened to your sry for you to say that?"
Tallh visibly groans, much to Tovey''s confusion. "Let''s just say that I made a stupid mistake and that cost me half a year''s worth of sry in one go."
"... I won''t pretend to understand your pain because I haven''t run into that trouble in my entire life." Tovey admitted, causing Tallh to smack her face in an attempt to cover her embarrassment. "Damn it, me."
"Say," Tovey speaks up to change the subject. "Is it possible for me to contact my wife?"
"When we finish registering you all, each of you will be given an offer to mail your families, if you have any. Other than that, a small allocation of credits, enough to buy you more chances to write letters or save up for something else, will be given each month. Of course, all the letters will be checked for their contents for the reason that I am sure you will understand." Tallh answered.
"That in itself is already generous enough of a treatment in my book. To be honest, to have such a polite and pleasant conversation with your enemy like this, surprised me." Tovey sincerely said that. The situation is quite surreal.
"You and me both, Admiral. You and me both." Tallh chuckled.
"So what''s next on your agenda, if you don''t mind me asking? "Tovey asked in genuine curiosity. He can''t imagine just what Tallh, and by extension, the Bismarck battleship would do after multiple battles back to back.
Tallh crosses her arms, pondering what she is allowed to say. Ultimately, she settles for this. "As I''ve said, we will guard this location until our convoy can get here to both handle the survivors and tow the King George V back. We would have been the one to chase your aircraft carriers, now barely able to defend themselves, had headquarters not assigned other elements to do the deed for us. With the Home Fleet gone in this area, our Reichsmarine has free reign on this part of the sea. I think you can understand that."
Hearing that, Tovey sighs, epting his defeat with grace. "You said in that message if I run or fight, I would be destroyed either way, it seems that wasn''t a bluff at all."
"That is correct. Despite the abruptness of the situation, our Marshal was still able to devise a daring n to make the most out of it with minimal risk. Nheless, you and your men put up a damn good fight regardless of the bad hands you were dealt with. I can''t think of any fleet that could do what you did." Tallh gave her sincerepliment with the due respect Tovey deserved.
Toveyughs good-naturedly at that. "And you,ssy, were a worthy adversary. I sure hope our duel was legendary enough to be written in the history book for years toe." And that is Tovey putting it lightly.
Disregarding any misgiving between them, the two Admirals join each other in a fit of giggles. It''s not every day you can amiably chat with your enemy. As such, despite both parties skirting around a few issues here and there, they can be seen talking as if they''re best of friends until it''s time for lunch. By then, the Fur Spaniard convoy has arrived and duty has spirited away Tallh for the rest of the day. But not without her leaving behind these words.
"Well then Admiral, I sure hope that this will be the start of a wonderful friendship, or rivalry, depending on how one may look at it."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 22: Among Us
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 22: Among Us
In this day and age, mankind is contending not just against themselves but also against the enigmatic threats that are the Demons. In some ces, Demons seem to materialize out of thin air, preferring locations with little to no sentient lifeform to spawn into existence. There are rarer cases, however, in that Demons are induced, herded from elsewhere, to lessen the infestation of one area but worsen another. An example would be Spain, which has revolted against the Sardegnian Papacy for their underhand y of fostering the Demonic threat on Spanish soil.
Yet, how do these Demons appear in the first ce?
Funnily enough, whatever knowledge the world knows about these Demons is released publically by the Belkans themselves. At first, not many countries were keen on listening to Belka''s warning about the Demonic spawning period, the first Months of Demons. After all, who in their right mind would waste their money on a magical threat that only exists ording to a singr, upstart of a country? Especially one that they just fought a whole World War against. Oh boy, if only they had heeded the warning then.
When the first Months of Demons arrived, many nations, world superpowers included, were caughtpletely off-guard. Demons, in all shapes and with their now feared ghastly white bodies with glowy pink lines, suddenly tore through the sparsely popted countryside and suburbs that were still struggling to recover from World War 1. Nobody knew when or where exactly did they start to appear, but what they knew at the time was that Demons were nigh unkible short of overwhelming firepower. To make matters worse, lives were lost to Demons either directly or indirectly, were reanimated, and malformed into threats against the living. The males turned to mindless beasts akin to the Demons that killed them while the females woke up as zombies with special abilities. Together with the naturally spawned Demons, they reign terror on small settlements and towns, causing a degree ofmunication ckout and chaos as nobody knew what the Hell was going on. The status quo was maintained like that for at least a month until countries start sending out their armies to squash the Demonic threats. It was a slow process, however, as aside from Belka, nobody knew how to effectively repel the borderline supernatural enemy. But they would rather endure than allow themselves to be indebted to their former enemy.
Other, smaller countries though, have no choice but to request Belka''s expertise in staving off the threat. A matter that Belka had been very proactive in giving out their advice while requesting little returns. In the eyes of a few, Belka was seen as a timely savior back then.
Regardless of whether they asked for Belkan intervention or not, humanity still went through the first Months of Demons somewhat intact. Lives were lost, most regrettably, but at least they had recovered the lost farnds and saved their industrialplexes. With those, they could at least try to stabilize their nations'' economies. At this point in time, the money flow that made the world goes round was in shamble. The sudden Demonic assault worsened that situation by arge margin, making it so that World War II would ur in the future.
So while capitalists and bankers tried to save what was left of the world''s economy, researchers worked their brains on this new threat to humanity. Despite many autopsies, humanity only went as far as recognizing these Demons as silicon-based lifeforms and ssified them into many sses. With the publicized information from Belkan, however, they learned that these lifeforms were formed naturally when the so-called ''mana concentration'' in the air was thick enough and the spawning point was remotely inhabited or was filled with ''negativities''. Thetter could be expanded into ces like dreary graveyards, mass burial sites, and even popted slums sometimes. The probability of Demon spawning increased when there was already another living Demon in the area and Demons tended to go in herds, further exacerbating the spawning process.
Note that even without the Months of Demons, the period in which mana in the air is at its densest, Demonic threat can still spawn but at a much lesser rate.
But what about those female Zombies? It''s unknown to this day why a distinction, determining what gender is turned into either a Demon or a Zombie, is presented. What the scientists knew though, was that the Zombies were often time the deadliest due to their wide range of inhuman abilities and attack patterns. Many could be seen wielding weapons with instinctual ease like masters and could perform feats that were only possible by the Belkan and their witchcraft. Noticing this point, politicians were quick to grab onto this straw to point fingers at the Belkans, who were pretty much in the same boat as them, albeit more prepared. But did they care about that, no. What the world needed right now was amon enemy, that way, they could save their own hide for their struggle in revitalizing the economy. This was one of, if not the biggest reason why the discrimination against Belkans and inhuman beings exists.
Back to the matter at hand. Knowing that these Zombies could wield supernatural powers and that their bodies seem to possess an ethereal beauty to them, it didn''t take long at all for attempts to be made to incorporate a Zombie''s traits into a human. Needless to say, the world herself didn''t take too kindly to that, and she retaliated hard. Many, if not all attempts, ended in an explosion of energy that spawned a horde of Demons, killing the scientists and researchers involved. After the loss of many bright minds and especially the funding, research into acquiring supersoldiers using Demonic corpses effectively ceased. What came after was more normal research on how to counter these beings effectively using nothing but conventional means. A matter that was crucial enough for the scientists of the world to band together, even Belkan ones, and disregarded their heritages to protect the foundation of mankind.
As a result of the international partnership that exists to this day, albeit on a smaller scale due to the ongoing war, it has be the norm to see cities and settlements surrounded by tall walls. This is a drastic measure undertaken by governments around the world to control poption density and reduce the risk of Demons spawning. Land management has also been reformed to fit the current tumultuous period, making it so that the nation would have all rights to that plot ofnd when a Demonic threat is spotted. For the betterment of society as a whole, more heavily armed police forces can be seen patrolling and stopping crimes more effectively with their weapons. Even the armies of the world are allowed to step in with wartime firepower if the Demonic threats escte. And while they can not remove the slums, regr cleansing of the areas to remove unsavory individuals and improve the hygiene there have kept the possibility of mass-spawning lower than before. Other cultural methods are also implemented by countries, either spiritually or through regr nationwide broadcasts to uplift the national spirits. Mostmonly, and perhaps the most drastic of them all, would be the government directives that encourage cremating the deceased instead of burying, some countries outright enforce the act of cremating. It''s an understandable precaution to take, however, as one less body is one less Demon or Zombie when the next Months of Demon hit.
But with all that said and done, there''s still something missing here.
If there are Demons and Zombies on the ground, and sometimes even ones capable of flying, then would there be Demons in the sea? The answer would be an astounding yes for every single scientist worthy of their degree.
But much to their collective confusion, Sea Demons have never raised as many waves as the ones onnd, despite the underwater environment being the perfect spawning location for many, many hordes. There exist sightings of seaborne Demons, yes, it''s why there are contingencies for such to ensure maritime integrity but never to the extent ofndborne Demon attacks. In fact, the most recent Sea Demons assault was one on a Long Dynasty cruiser a few years back. Of course, each of the sightings almost always devolved into the deaths of a few people no matter how rare they were. But humanity truly has limited capability against Demons already, much less seaborn ones. The best they can do, however, is to treat the underwater threats like any submarine. This means convoy escorts, hydrophones, and depth charges... And if Demons sessfully board a vessel, then the lost art of anti-boardingbat will be revived. The greatest example of this is the Chinese sailors and army men defending their ship against squid-like Demons.
Despite the world being befuddled as to why Sea Demons are a rarity, they are nheless thankful that they have one less threat to worry about. But although the rest of the world is in the dark about this matter, the same can''t be said for one particr group of people.
They are the protectors in the dark, keeping the Demonic threat from bumping into you in the night. They can be everywhere, anytime, all at once.
They can be among us.
And they are ONI Section Zero.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 23-1: Under the Sea (Part 1)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 23-1: Under the Sea (Part 1)
300 meters below the sea of the Antic, far away from the hustle and bustle of a naval battle still raging above, lies a strange sight. A group of four Nassau-ss submarines, apanied by three girls swimming in front of them, are slowly surrounding a dark shape beneath the ocean. These girls, calmly moving about in the water without any diving gears, helps the submarines deploy a few underwater objects, with one of them saying.
"Finally we can get to the shooting part," The girl with long ck hair, dressed in a long ck robe with orange inner that covers her mechanical arms and legs, said. "I would lose my mind having to wait for these subs to catch up." Her hands continue pushing the spherical device to its designated position whileining. "Seriously, why have we made our submarines this slow again?"
The elder sister of the girl in a ck robe tucks away a floating strand of her white hair before admonishing. "It would be better if you work more and talk less, Adeline. As for the submarines, they are of a transitional design, much like our current fleet of destroyers. Their capability is thus limited, hence the speed of only 18 knots beneath the waves." Unlike her younger sister, the girl chose the white palette instead of ck. And as they are twins, they are easily differentiated by their color choices.
"Then what''s the point of bringing them with us then? We belonged to Section Zero, we would have taken out this nest much earlier without them, Alina." Adelineined after setting up her device, making sure it was stationary by deploying its fins and miniaturized propellers. "For all we know, their slow speed will be the death of them."
Rolling her amber-colored eyes, with her right one hidden by a mechanical eyepiece, Alina replies with a tinge of exasperation. "They''re here to help us field testing the Reality Anchors. Need I remind you that it would have been a pain to set bring all of the Anchors here and set them up ourselves?"
Suddenly, a new voice joins them by literally swimming in the middle of their work. "Woo~!" Though it''s better to say that she is riding a translucent Megalodon instead of swimming. "And let''s not forget we''re here to supervise their anti-Demon training!"
Alina and Adeline direct their eyes at the ck hair girl, wearing nothing but a ck bikini, doing barrel rolls with her Megalodon, with Alina saying. "What she said. You can either suck it up and work patiently till we can get to the shooting part. Or I will treat you to a nice round of sparring when we get back." Letting out a sweet smile, Alina directs it at her younger sister floating 3 kilometers away.
Even though it''s a far distance and it''s very dark 300 meters beneath the surface, Adeline can see that sweet smile very clearly. She can feel her goosebumps raising while she replies. "No, no~! I am just fine and dandy with working out here. I wouldn''t like to trouble my sis for a spar back home, right?" You would literally lop my head off, was left unsaid.
Alina allows a smirk on her face before addressing the girl still riding her shark. "Architect, I assume that you''re done with your quota?"
Stopping her Megalodon before patting its translucent nose, the girl named Architect grins with amusement dancing in her pink eyes. "Already done like ages ago! It''s why I bring Sharky here for a spin! You should give it a try sometime, Alina!"
"Maybe I will, maybe I won''t. We''ll see." Alina shrugged before making sure that all the sphere-shaped Reality Anchors were in ce. Alina then addresses the girls while pulling out her silvery white scythe behind her back. "You girls ready?"
Adeline gives Alina a thumbs up with her right hand unholstering her a ck rifle that''s as long as her body. While above them, Architect unstraps her gununcher with a big grin and loads it up with a warhead she took from a gear pack on her Megalodon''s back. Seeing that her fellow Einheri are all good to go, Alina nods to herself while radioing the submarine force.
"This is Alina to U-569, we''re good to go here."
"This is U-569, all U-boats are in ce. Connections to Reality Anchors are green. Suppression script uploaded to all Anchors, IFF is working perfectly. Weapon bays are hot and ready. We''re good tomence with the operation, ma''am."
"Good." Alina said while swimming, with her magic it''s more like flying though. "The opening move will be left for you. I want to see how the torpedoes fair against the target. Start the countdown, Commander."
"Aye aye, ma''am. All elements, standby for activation of Reality Anchors in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Activate!"
With thatmand, the previously deployed Anchors light up in a soft, golden hue due to a halo surrounding each and every one of them. And then, nothing happens.
Adeline cracks a line at the quietness of everything. "I''m tempted to say that line..." She stopped when notice the side re Alina was directing her way. Adeline sweatdrops when Alina angles her scythe, daring her to finish the sentence. "But I still very much prefer to live so not gonna do it. Hehe~!"
Alina lowers her weapon while mouthing. "Good girl."
As soon as that little banter is done, however, the dark shape below their encirclement twists and turns before arge rumble echoes underwater. That audio attack almost ruptures the eardrums of the sonar operators if not for their protective earpads. Then, the three Einheri girls see as the shape growsrger andrger beneath them. It then unfurls into a mass of tentacles connecting to a giant diamond-shaped body that starts floating upwards to meet the ones that dare disturb its rest. That white and pink body is a telltale sign of its being a Demonic threat, a veryrge Sea Demon to be exact, nesting right beneath the Antic.
And to that monstrosity that is 400 meters in length, Architect says with a tilt of her head. "Hot damn, you''re the most uncute aquatic lifeform I have evere across."
Adeline sweatdrops at the casual disparaging of the Demon that Architect just pulled. And had the Demon had a vein, it would have popped one right now because that''s not something one expected to hear right off the bat. Instead, it opts to level its tworge, pink glowing veins on its diamond head that act as its sensory organ at Architect. Without a doubt, it acts with a certain intelligence to it, and boy it''s pissed.
Alina calmlyments on that fact. "Great, so now it''s not just mad that we woke it up, it''s also enraged that Architect calling it ugly."
Rather than feeling sheepish, however, Architect just raises a palm up. "Oopsie."
That also signals the start of a torpedo attack on the Sea Demon as twelve torpedoes rush past the stationary Einheri. The torpedoes m into the Demon, exploding into a dozen underwater sts that cover half of its body in clouds of vapor, bubbles, and light. The pained scream of the Demon that echoed for kilometers, signified that the attack has been very effective. For a monster of 400 meters in length, torpedoes shouldn''t have been an issue for it as this particr Sea Demon can instinctively cast a protective membrane of Mana around its body and tentacles. Yet, for whatever reason, the Sea Demon''s proud defensive measure failed it today, and with it, it tasted the might of mankind firsthand.
Its scream, mixed with anger and pain, and even a bit of shock, continue for a while as it thrashes its limbs everywhere. The Demon''s maddening action prompts Alina to signal Architect and Adeline with one single word.
"Attack."
Without further ado, Alina swoops into the mess of tentacles that are thrice her size, using a mixture of water magic and her extremely sharp scythe to cut away the frenzied mass. Whenever any tentacle dares to reach out to either squash or grab her, Adeline dissects each and every single one of them with ruthless efficiency. Each of her cuts, either with her treasured scythe or water de, made for fine cubes or slices of milky parts, reminiscing of a masterful sushi chef at work.
Unlike her sister that sped herself for meleebat, however, Adeline chooses to hang back, supporting herrge beam rifle with two hands. With the aid of her eyepiece mounted on her left iris, Adeline calctes the parts where her attack will deal the most damage on the Sea Demon. Having finalized her option, Adeline presses the trigger and unleashes a contained beam that superheated the nearby water. Thanks to her stabilizing spells she automatically deployed, Adeline is allowed the freedom of not exploding due to superheated vapor but the Demon is not so lucky. The beam cuts through almost half of its tentacles, rendering it in more pain and gutting its close-range offensive capability. This, in turn, allows Alina more leeway in further cutting the Demon apart.
Architect, on the other hand, utilizes her Sharky to literally y Ring Around the Rosie with the Sea Demon''s head. With each circle around the beast, Architect deposits two of her warheads on it, leaving behind explosions that stun it and cratering its thick, silicon head. Architect never loses her grin while controlling Sharky to duck and dive the Demon''s attempts to swat the nuisance of its face.
And since the Einheri has explicitly stated that they need not worry about friendly fire, the nearby Belkan Wolfpack unhesitantly dumps more torpedoes at the Sea Demon, much to its pain and dismay. The attack of the 533mm torpedoes leaves more than just physical damage, it also heavily impairs the Demon from casting any spell, if it could even at that.
After being pummeled for three minutes straight to the point of its being on death''s door, the Demon realizes that something is debuffing it, suppressing it from utilizing any sort of mana. Had it not been in relentless pain, courtesy of the relentless assault conducted by the Einheri girls, the Sea Demon could have been able to forcefully cast a spell at a much lower efficiency. But as its stands right now, the Sea Demon knows full well that it won''t be able to get out of this alive.
But maybe its offsprings can.
With an unwilling rumble beneath the waves, the Sea Demon spins in ce, using whatever momentum its giant body has to dissuade the sharks in the water. It doesn''t help much, considering that two of the Einheri are ranged attackers while thest one is just too damn good in a melee to be affected by the sudden dramatic change. Nheless, the Sea Demon isn''t deterred from its duty. Making use of its momentum, it shoots out a wave of teardrop projectiles at high speed in a circr radius. Coming out of hidden crevices beneath its thick silicon armor, these eggs rush through the water in desperate attempts to get out of thebat zone.
Due to the attacks earlier, some of the Sea Demon''s eggs were destroyed, much to its dismay. The Sea Demon mournfully wails when two of the Einheri use their long-range weapon to intercept most of the remaining eggs before they can escape. By the time thest eggs reach the perimeter guarded by the Nassau-ss submarines, what''s left of them are intercepted by countermeasure torpedoes from the Nassau. The veryst egg managed to break past the interception, only to unfortunately bump itself into the hull of a Nassau at high speed, breaking it apart while denting the nose of the submarine.
With its attempt at leaving behind a generation of progeny utterly destroyed, the Sea Demon goes insane, screaming bloody murder at the pesky sharks around it. Yet, before it can act any more than that, Alina has already arrived atop its diamond-shaped head. Her scythe is held high while glowing the holiest of light at the edge of the de.
"In the name of my master, the burial squad will recite prayers for you after you die~!"
Then, the executioner befalls her de.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 23-2: Under the Sea (Part 2)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 23-2: Under the Sea (Part 2)
"The fog is thickening, skipper." Said Hinsch''s XO, Anders Moegreen. The man was seen scanning the horizon with his binocrs. "You reckon the Bismarck will use the forecasted fog to wrap everything up in one go?"
Hinsch, now a bonafide Captain after receiving his new Nassau-ss submarine, replies. "That''s the n, no? I will beughing my ass off if Bismarck fails to sink the Home Fleet with this Yggdrasil''s given chance."
"The chance is slim, but it still exists." Said Anders. "If they drop the ball at thest second, maybe we can take dibs before the air wings step in." The XO smirked, clearly knowing that it would have been impossible.
Hinsch still opts to say while taking in the sight of the Antic sea. "We''re halfway across the Antic, and our U-boats can go 18 knots max underwater, it will either be a miracle or a serious fuck up if we are to be called in to finish the job. I am very much leaned on thetter, but it''s a thing I sincerely hope to never happen."
"With that said," Hinsch discarded his half-burned cigarette. "We can still sink a few ships at the end of the day. A west-bound convoy carrying precious trade goods of the Erusean Kingdom..."
Anders finishes the sentence for Hinsch. "One that iscking defensive strength when the Royal Navy pulled out almost all of their escorts."
"Just to search for our Bismarck." Hinsch added. "They practically serve that convoy to us on a silver tter. Seriously, only two destroyers to guard a convoy of thirty ships?"
Andersughs at that information while cing down his binocrs. "If they''re that desperate right now, gods know what they will do when 1940 rounds the corner."
Hinsch smirks. "Probably sending all of their golds out to Canada or something. By that time, Erusean may already be falling to even think about holding onto their treasury."
Anders licks his lips. "Then at that time, we will be on for a feast."
The pair of officers then turns the conversation to something else. "Say, what do you think about earlier?" Anders asked suddenly. Hinsch doesn''t take long to know what Anders is going on about.
"You mean our foray with Section Zero."
Anders nods. "Those that didn''t exist, yeah."
Hinsch shrugs. "Well, it was an experience and a half, to say the least. I mean, did you ever wake up in the morning, go to work, only to realize that said work involves blowing up a damn Kraken of all things?"
"Touche. Now we know just what lurks beneath us and who has been keeping us from meeting Neptune too early."
"I can drink to that." Hinsch said humorously.
Anders raises a knuckle at Hinsch. "Drink''s on me when dock."
The Captain of the vessel fistbumps his XO. "Amen."
Hinsch then says. "Let''s go down under, it''s about time we lie in wait for that convoy."
The pair then get down thedder leading below the deck of U-569, second bearer of her name, while closing the hatch above them. On the way to theirmand station, Hinsch asks Anders. "You think 406 has fixed their error yet?"
Anders replies while nodding at an Ensign walking past them. "With the damage they have taken to their bow? Maybe two, or four tubes at the maximum."
Hinsch snickers. "That was one tough eggshell to knock the wind out of 406''s sail. Can you imagine your ship is disabled by an egg of all things?"
"Not a story I would tell my kid, I''ll give you that much... Or I would tell it anyway because it''s so stupid."
When they make it into themand center of the submarine, Hinsch immediately says. "Take us under, helms."
"Aye aye, boss. Going down~!" Apanying the sudden shift of the submarine is an announcement to the entire vessel.
"Attention all crew, we''re diving."
Hinsch and Anders then gather around the digital disy of the surrounding water and their underwater topography. "So, how should we do this?"
Hinsch says his mind. "We have more than enough time to set up a multi-fronts attack by the time the convoy gets here. Naval intelligence prospects that our ambush site will be far away from their anti-sub aircraft. Nheless, I want the entire pack to stay under from this moment onward."
Hinsch then takes a moment to add. "We are going to do this loosely, improvising as we go as 406 has unreliable firepower value at the moment. For starters, we, U-569, and U-124 will take care of the escorting pair of destroyers. After that, it''s a free buffet. If 406 can, then she will be able to join in the all-you-can-eat. If additional threats arise, we retreat back and reassess the risk and reward while sounding off tomand. Though from what ONI has given us, enemy reinforcement is highly unlikely."
Anders speaks up. "ying it safe, I can respect that."
Hinsch nods. "Better safe than sorry, you may never know if they can get a lucky shot on us. And speaking of shots, if my fellow Captain Jesse isn''t able to bring 406''s torpedo room online, we may not have enough torpedoes to sink the entire convoy."
Anders sighs. "Yeah, due to this convoy being a target of opportunity, Naval HQ was pressed for a task group nearby to engage it without pulling assets around Bismarck. And that means us, with a half-depleted arsenal and a submarine with wonky fire control."
"The top brass knows about this so they are expecting us to cause as much damage as we can before getting out. Knowing this, I am more inclined for us to cross-reference the actual convoy ships with our database so that we can determine the most valuable targets. And after that, sink them."
Anders then asks. "Ok, then you want us to save a few torps as insurance per usual right?"
Hinsch nods. "Always. You have no idea what you will run into on the return trip after all."
Anders smiles, pping his hands together. "Then that sounds like a good enough of a n to me!"
"Then transmit this to U-94, U-124, and U-406... Tell them to start setting up and run silently ording to the general n. Whenbat is started, be ready to sync their targeting data to us when I say so. Just so that we won''t be wasting our fishes onto a single target."
Anders salutes. "You got it, skipper."
------------------------------------------------------------
Convoy OA 12, carrying precious exported goods from the Erusean Colonies, is sailing at a calm pace. This is much unlike their armed brethren merely half a sea away from there. Even though 2/3 of their escorts were called away on short notice, vessels of the OA 12 are confident that they''re in safe water. They have traversed this water many times before, and knowing that Belkan U-Boats have never reached this far out to intercept both Ustian or Erusean shipping has boosted their confidence by a huge margin.
It was why the head honchos of the Erusean Admiralty deemed it fit to strip OA 12 off their guards. In their heads, Belkan U-Boats apparently didn''t have the range to operate far West. Hence, it was more important to have more vessels in hunting down Bismarck than guarding against a non-existent threat. The current Head of the Admiralty even considering permanently reducing the number of convoy escorts in the future if no harm has befallen the OA 12 convoy. In typical Erusean hubris, they still think that their navy is still the best in the world. That Belka can''t possibly have the mightiest of battleships and the stealthiest of long-range submarines already avable.
They will be proven wrong.
It''s 18:00 hour. Convoy OA 12, consisting of thirty Erusean and Canadian merchantmen and escorted by destroyers Griffin and Hyperion, reports possible unknown contacts. Destroyers Griffin and Hyperion divert to intercept, believing it to be a U-Boat and eager to score first blood. Their chase continues until 23:00 due to constant failed attempts at gaining any identification of the target.
Then, all contacts cease.
At 23:49 hour, themodore in charge of OA 12 orders evasive maneuvers, just to be on the safe side while Griffin and Hyperion steam back directly for the convoy after their failed venture. Exactly midnight, themodore''s ship is in visual range with Griffin and Hyperion, with both vessels still sailing straight without any preemptive evasive attempt. It''s noted that themodore is just about to raise a cautious warning to the leader of the escort vessels but the sudden explosions of both Griffin and Hyperion cancel any thought of such.
The bright shes of fire,ing from the detonation of U-569 and U-124 torpedoes hitting the two destroyers, immediately catch the attention of every single sailor of convoy OA 12. A swath of the ocean seems to be burning brightly due to the detonation of oil and munition stored on the destroyers as crew members of both Griffin and Hyperion struggle to keep their ship afloat or stay alive. Though since destroyers are rarely built to tank modern 533mm torpedoes, Griffin and Hyperion are quickly deemed lost causes as the sailors start jumping ships. This prompts themodore to instantly dispatch the rescue ship Bury and sound a general alert across the entire convoy of an impending threat that is, by now, confirmed to be a submarine attack.
Despite their prior evasive maneuvering, convoy OA 12 proper is still struck by two big explosions. At 24:08, U-94 sinks the convoy ship Empire Dell and heavily damages nover. And U-569 joins her shortly for a second attack, employing all six of her bow tubes hitting Clear Pool, Crystales, and British Power while sinking Elisabeth Lensen, Dorcasia, and Gazcon.
Not willing to be outdone by her sister, U-124 swoops in,unching three of her bow tubes at the most valuable targets in the convoy, the Portsea, Selvistan, and Southern Princess. Each of these vessels supposedly carried expensive jewelry and mary objects that the Erusean Kingdom would use to expand its influence on the American continent. Understandably, two of the attacked vessels are sunk immediately while thest one is struggling to stay afloat like the others.
Empowering the leaders of the pack, U-94 reengages with two more of her bow tubes, sinking convoy ships Alex and Fort Binger.
At this point in time, themodore''s vessel, Errington Court, can only watch helplessly as the entire fleet of merchantmen is dismantled one by one. Even without the star shells in the air, the burning transports provide more than enough illumination to see the disastrous state of OA 12. Despite an obvious cry for help having been made, not a single word has been heard from the Admiralty nor any nearby Erusean naval presence. Themodore curses the Belkan submarine crews for this textbook attack. With their escorts sank minutes ago, what can these convoy ships do? At this point in time, couldn''t the Belkans have surfaced and engaged them in a gun duel or something? At least that way, the few merchantmen armed with defensive cannons can retaliate and not just wait for their death.
But unfortunately for the Erusean sailors, the wolfpack isn''t stupid to do that. This is not World War 1, after all.
U-406, although suffering from a bad stroke of luck earlier in their hunt for the Kraken, has finally made her presence known on the battlefield. Due to the dented bow tings, 406 failed to make two attacks prior, having been unable to open her front tubes. Instead, Captain Jesse of U-406 opts to use the pair of aftunchers, sending out two fish in the middle of the burning convoy. One scored squarely on themodore''s vessel, Errington Court, while the other hit Empire Antelope. Both vessels immediately take seriously damages that cause them to start sinking immediately. Despite constant attempts at saving both his vessel and the convoy, themodore can only begrudgingly admit that all hope in keeping OA 12 afloat is lost at this point. Giving out the order for the remaining vessels to survive and rescue the bailing survivors if they can, themodore also makes a break for the lifeboat alongside his crew. It''s a bit too stuffy and soggy for his liking but it would have to make do.
He just hopes that the Belkans are feeling merciful and let them have a ship to chart home with.
At 24:30 hours, the wolfpack has ceased its attack. Of the 30 convoy ships, 7 are spared watery graves. After picking up the survivors including themodore himself, what''s left of OA 12 is to immediately sail full ahead to the North American continent as themodore has a damn good reason not to do otherwise.
"Going back the way we came from is no different than suicide!"
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 24: Operation Siren’s Song
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 24: Operation Siren¡¯s Song
Operation Siren''s Song
- Operation start: 22nd of August
- Location: Antic Ocean, near the Celtic Sea
Operation summary:
- In a bid to gain crucial military intelligence on Reichsmarine assets, the Erusean Royal Navy has conducted a force-recon maneuver in the Antic on friendly Convoy Fur Spaniard. Naval Command has thus taken orders from the Reich Marshal herself to send out RMS Bismarck and RMS Prinz Eugen to intercept the Home Fleet.
- This operation is to create a scenario where Bismarck and Prinz Eugen will singlehandedly triumph over overwhelming odds with minimal losses. High Command wants more than just a strategic victory in the Antic. They want an international sensation, one that will be sung for years toe.
- Effective immediately, all Reichsmarine assets in the region are to be put on a standing alert order. While a clean victory for Operation Siren''s Song is preferable, it doesn''t necessitate the heavy damage of either Bismarck or Prinz Eugen, or worse, the loss of them both.
- Naval vessels are to prepare to intercept possible reinforcement from either Erusea or Ustio. Naval Air Wings are to provide uninterrupted air cover for Bismarck and Prinz Eugen and to aid the two vessels when such is required.
- The ultimate conclusion to Operation Siren''s Song will be theplete decimation of the Royal Navy''s Home Fleet. Not one Erusean vessel is allowed safe passage out of the AO.
Mission summary:
- As of the 27th of August, the majority of the Home Fleet is down under. Aplete curb-stomped if you asked me. What''s left of the enemy fleet is making a beeline back to their home port, already low on fuel. Naval Command has given us salty flyboys, and gals if that''s what you are, the go-ahead to sink the remainders of Home Fleet as per operational directives.
- We have identified that the enemy has ten vessels in total: 1 carrier, 1 escort carrier, 1 heavy cruiser, 1 light cruiser, and 6 destroyers. The capital vessel is the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, the main target for the day. The enemy has no CAP, and they''re too far away fromnd-based air cover. k is still an issue if you get close enough.
- Antares and Phoenix squadrons, you will be going in with your Skyraiders carrying Exoscars.
- Knight Squadron with their Harriers will be packing bombs and rockets.
- Rigel Squadron will be providing aerial cover and acting as backup.
- AWACS Long Caster, me, will be AWACK-ing.
- The Marshal herself has deemed it fit to give us an R&R after constant flying for the past few days. Meaning, we''re in tip-top shape so I don''t want to hear anyints. Let''s make her proud by sinking these booties for good and being home by dinner.
Primary objectives:
- Ensure the destruction of Home Fleet remnants.
- Get back home and eat a burger.
Secondary objectives:
- Do it fast, I''m hungry already.
End Briefing.
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"Knight Squadron, you''re cleared for takeoff. Happy hunting out there." Battlecarrier Mainz''s ATC said overms to the five Harriers parked on the flight deck.
The lead aircraft, bearing the emblem of a chibi Harrier wearing a Knight helmet, responds jokingly. "This is Toyjet, keep the deck clean and the cantina pack for our return, won''t you?"
The ATC operator smirks. "Then make sure to sink your targets so we have something to celebrate. Don''t let the rookies hog all the limelight now."
"Good copy, Knight 1, taking off." With the four nozzles of the Harrier set for a short take-off, Toyjet''s Harrier starts sliding the length of the Mainz before lifting off above the moving 1st Carrier Strike Group. This is soon followed by the rest of Knight Squadron and before long, the Harriers start ascending the airspace above the fleet. With all of them packed full load, the Harriers are for sure slower than the Phantoms but still faster than the Skyraiders at their lightest configuration.
"This is Toyjet, all elements, sound off." Toyjet turned to his sides, taking a look at his approaching squadmates.
Flying nearest to his left is his second-inmand after himself. The particr Harrier sporting a steampunk knight figure holding a shotgun as an insignia on its tail. "This is Sir Hellington to Sir Toyjet, my loyal stead reports an all-green." Knight 2, Hellington, said in an overdramatic voice. Funnily enough, members of this squadron tend to roley as actual Knights, befitting of their squadron name, whenever they can.
Following Knight 2''s example, for the most part, are Knight 3 to 5, all giving Toyjet a green across the board. Knight 1 hums a pleased tone at that, another sessful takeoff with the Harriers is always a wee one. Even though Toyjet has flown many aircraft before, even the blinkingly fast Phantom and the lumbering Skyraider, none of theme as close of an experience to the Harrier. The aircraft takes true mettle and skill to even take off andnd. Yet, once you get her in the air, she is surprisingly snappy and packing a powerful engine for such a small ne. In a good hand, a Harrier can perform insane maneuvers that even the Phantoms can''t. But that also means that she is wild.
On the very first page of the instruction manual of the Harrier, there exists a funny, if not cautious excerpt from the designer of the Harrier, the Reich Marshal herself. "Flying the Harrier can be very challenging. There are four types of takeoffs and four types ofndings. If you confuse the procedures between them then expect to do a barrel roll onto a deck instead."
As such, only the most qualified of the bunch dare to sign up as a Harrier pilot, and even then, only half make the cut to be one. Toyjet and the rest of Knight Squadron are part of the half, having aced all known tests and simtions of VTOL aircraft known to mankind. And boy, they won''t trade the Harriers for anything, they are a joy to fly.
"Ok, squad,mand task us with taking out the carriers first and foremost, but the opening move will be left for the Skyraiders with the Exoscars. Do keep that in mind." Toyjet reiterated the orders they got.
"Say," Hellington speaks up. "What if the Antares and Phoenix take out the Ark Royal and Hermes in our stead?"
Toyjet calmly says while controlling his aircraft into a holding pattern above the 1st Strike Group. "Then we go for the others. There are ten of those Erusean vessels out there and we carry 8 tons of ordnance each."
"But it''s not like Antares and Phoenix haven''t received their orders." Knight 5 interjected. "They''re tasked with using their Exoscar missiles to deal with the destroyer screen, allowing us free reign on the carriers, and after that, the cruisers."
Toyjet nods, mostly to himself. "What he said. Now hold off on the chatters, we wait for the Skyraiders to join us. Rigel Squadron is already up in the air."
Looking down below, Knight Squadron can see the renowned Rigel Phantoms kicking up their throttles and flying near vertically to join them. One the two squads are flying side-by-side, Toyjet salutes Rigel 1 respectfully, Major Milosz Sulejmani. The Rigel leader salutes back before opening a channel.
"This is Rigel 1 to Knight leader, we will be your FastCAP for the day and will be taking up a spot on Angel 15. As Long Caster has said, do it hard and fast so we will make it before dinner."
"Copy that, Rigel lead. d to have you watching our back."
Then, the channel is linked up by a third party. "This is AWACS Long Caster," Said the aerial controller in his EFi-22 Osprey. "Antares and Phoenix are in the air and are climbing to meet you. Start making your way to the AO when you''re done forming up. I will start the jamming when you approach 30 km away from the enemy floti. Before that though..."
They then hear the sound of unwrapping, causing Sir Hellington to say aloud. "Yo, you''re eating something?"
"A bacon and eggs sandwich, yeah." Thenes the sound of chewing.
"Gosh, what I should have picked that for my lunch man." Hellingtonined.
"You can always go for one when we get back." Toyjet spoke up.
"Not sure what will be served on the Mainz but on the Yggdrasil, the cooks will give out pizzas tonight." Sulejmani added.
"Damn. As much as I like a good sandwich, pizza rules man." Hellington said in envy.
And until the Skyraiders rise up to more than 10 km in the air, the group of airmen and women continue their banter like that. To these grizzled pilots, casual chatters in the cockpits are a charm you can''t get anywhere else.
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"This is Phoenix 1, Rampant, Exoscars are in the air."
"Antares Squadron, payload deployed and RTB-ing."
More than a dozen streaks appeared in the sky as the Exoscars were unleashed onto the unknowing Erusean ships ahead of them.
"This is Long Caster, data links established with the cruise missiles. Guiding them in on the destroyers now." The Mission Crew Commander on the EFi-22 Osprey announced. "After that is a free-for-all buffet for Knight Squadron."
Having said that, the pilots still in the AO watch their radars, sighting the missiles rapidly gaining on the Home Fleet remnants. The enemy is running a standard capital escort formation with HMS Ark Royal as the center. Trailing behind her is the Hermes while the pair are nked by the two cruisers. All around them are the six destroyers acting as the AA and ASW screen. And up until the veryst second, these destroyers fail to notice the Exoscars diving on top of them. Suffice to say, a contemporary destroyer-sized target stands no chance of surviving a hit from an Exoscar cruise missile, much less multiple.
Most of the missiles hit their targets'' center mass, while a fewpletely saw off the bow or the stern of the vessels. Almost immediately, the crippling and sinking of the screening force alert the Home Fleet remnants. But unlike the Reichsmarine which takes aerial threats very seriously, these Royal Navy ships have pitiful anti-air armament to save them from what''s about toe.
"Got a visual on the target vessels," Knight 1 said as he circled the Harrier above the burning ship formation. "I can confirm devastating effects on the destroyer screen. Send my regards to the Skyraiders, won''t you?"
"This is Long Caster, I will forward that to the younglings. They will be pleased to hear that. Now go, the enemy has been tenderized enough." Their AWACS advised.
"Alright, Knight 2, you''re with me. We will each pick a carrier to engage. 3 to 5, be prepared to go for a second run."
"Copy that, Knight leader. I reckon that you will be going for the main prize?" Hellington asked before forming up behind Toyjet.
"I have six 500 kg bombs and I''m not afraid to use them." Toyjet replied before pulling his Harrier control lever left. "That''s it,ing in for a dive... Laser designator hot."
"This is Knight 2, going in right after you. I will break left once I''m done."
"Good copy, Knight 2, I will take right-side egress. There we go, DAGR armed. I''m going to deposit the entire load across the length of the carrier."
"*Whistle* With the amount of ordnance we''re about to drop, they will be well-cooked by the time we pull up." Hellington jested. He too is armed to the bear with bombs and rockets for use on the HMS Hermes.
The two Harriers continue their dives, reaching 8 km above the targets. Then, in a period of five seconds, dump their entire payload of Direct Attack Guided Rocket on the unfortunate carriers'' flight decks. Each Harrier in Knight Squadron is outfitted with six DAGRunchers, with a singleuncher holding 19 rockets. This means that at this point, 228 rockets areing down fast and dangerously, and their HEDP warheads will do more than just soften up the carriers.
In the blink of an eye, a cacophony of death and destruction is yed on the flight decks of Ark Royal and Hermes. The two unfortunate carriers are nketed in clouds of explosions, smoke, and fire, as their entire decks are turned unrecognizable. Those who have been standing on the decks or are manning the external weapon stations are most certainly dead, either to shrapnels or overpressure from countless explosions. Sailors that survive the initial onught, however, face the fate of losing limbs or being burned alive as countless fires are now raging in the top decks of the two carriers. Aboard HMS Hermes, the conning tower is basically reduced to molten gs of metals. HMS Ark Royal fairs a bit better though, only losing the top half of her bridge, exposing the burning internal to the elements.
Despite the destruction, some survivors on the carriers are quick to notice the Harriersing down at them. Before any can think about bringing their AA to bear, however, the Harriers have achieved a suitable altitude for urate bomb drops. Knights 1 and 2 cut their 500 kg bombs, allowing them to free-fall before pulling up and away. The two Knight Squadron Harriers fly at the best speed, only letting the Erusean AA gunners catch a glimpse of their exhaust. In merely two seconds, the bombsnd on the gutted top of the Ark Royal and Hermes. Without an intact flight deck acting as additional armor, these 500 kg death devices basically explode right in the hearts of every aircraft carrier worth its salt. Where else but their aviation facilities?
The total explosive power from 3 tons of bombs from each Harrier, whenbined with whatever aviation fuel, airdrop torpedoes, and bomb racks that were still left in the hangars, proved to be extremely ruinous for the Royal Navy carriers. At first, the bombs detonate and set off the mmable materials, quite literally quaking their surrounding water. Then, the aircraft carriers breathe out fire and smoke from every single viewing port and opening of their hulls.
The smaller Hermes is the first to sumb to her wound, the bombs havepletely wrecked her lower decks, adding excessive flooding to the already overwhelmed DCP aboard her. An evacuation order is given almost instantaneously after the aviation supplies go up in mes. Unfortunately, not many sailors are seen jumping off the Hermes. Her tight quarters prove to be a death trap for her crew. Most of the survivors from the explosions die due to theck of oxygen in the burning confined space.
Ark Royal fares better thanks to her bigger size. Nheless, she is still dead in the water with raging fires on all decks and with major floodings below. The good aircraft carrier is also listing quite heavily on her starboard side after a bomb blew a waterline hole in her engineering. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out that she will be going down without external help.
Knight 1 and 2 are pleased with their attack run, despite the overwhelming loss of lives the Erusean has incurred so far. This is war, after all, you only feel bad and show mercy for the enemy when they''re really, really dead, or wave the white g. It appears thetter is what the Home Fleet remnants are going for though.
Before Knight Squadron can go in for another attack to finish off the apanying cruisers altogether, their AWACS puts a stop to their n. "This is AWACS Long Caster, all stations on this, cease action immediately! We have intercepted their surrender transmission! I repeat the Home Fleet is surrendering! Do not engage the surviving cruisers! Wave off!"
"Operation Siren''s Song is over! We won!"
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 25-1: Reactions (Part 1)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 25-1: Reactions (Part 1)
"Operation Siren''s Song is over! We won!"
"DAMN RIGHT, WE DID~!" The entire War Room broke into a well-deserved cheer. Finally, after an intense, multi-day operation, featuring both day and night monitoring, the skirmishes at the Antic are brought to a close. Bismarck and Prinz Eugen have prevailed and the 1st Carrier Strike Group has mobbed up the rest. The impromptu operation is a resounding sess that will no doubt be going into history books.
"All right, all right! Settle down,dies and gents!" Yuki, with a big grin and her uncovered red eye lighting up in amusement, pped her hands together. "You all have done well so far, let''s not let the news of victory make you inattentive now, yeah? Continue with yourmand and control duty, they will need all the help they can get to tow our trophies back. Once we''re done, I am authorizing you all for a three-day paid leave with a bonus. That''s the only fitting reward after I asked all of you to spend days and nights away from your family."
Understandably, the staff manning the War Room give Yuki a prim and proper salute over the generous reward. "Hail, Marshal!"
Yuki chuckles before waving them off back to work. She too sits down and gazes at a live video feed from a drone. The screen shows a splendorous view of the King George V being towed away by the Fur Spaniard convoy. And very soon, an Erusean Aircraft Carrier and two cruisers will be joining her. Though Yuki is feeling very pleased, she can''t stop her fingers from massaging her temple. Like her staff in this War Room beneath the Obsidian Castle, Yuki has been sleeping minimally for days. Suddenly, a pair of handsy on Yuki''s shoulders, massaging and alleviating her fatigue. Yuki moans softly for the owner of those miraculous hands to hear. The tired Marshal knows just who is administering the fatigue relief for her.
"Ah~, Bryn, what would I do without you by my side?" Yuki said while closing her eye.
"Maybe keeling over unconscious?" Bryn responded with a small smile. "You''re awfully more tense than usual. I guess it''s the result of bad eating habits andck of rest these past few days."
Yuki helplessly shrugs at that. "What can I say? It''s one thing for me to personally lead an army, it''s another thing to leave such a vtile mission in the hands of someone else to execute. Many things could go wrong, and that''s why I have to work in the background to ensure it doesn''t blow up in our face."
"And you have done well enough already. I think it''s high time you take a break. The war isn''t going anywhere and I think our boys and girls here are more than capable of pulling their weights."
"Yeah, that''s right. It''s just that I am a," Yuki makes an airquote gesture with a smile. "''Workaholic''."
Bryn chuckles at the sudden childishness of her lover.
They then fall into their own little world with the staff in the War Room being mindful not to disturb them. The pair don''t talk much but rather enjoy their silence until Yuki finds the strength to say.
"Admiral Donitz must be giddy as Hell right now."
"The man receives the windfall of capturing not one, but four enemy vessels. That will no doubt be a major propaganda victory for him. Knowing him, he will try to boost the Reichsmarine''s recruitment with this." Brynmented on the situation.
"And I will allow that. It''s his men and women that brought us the win. And with our future naval expansion n, I reckon the Reichsmarine will be needing that recruitment drive more than ever." Yuki added with a smile. "I will have to work with himter to bring about a concrete n to present to my mothers."
Bryn nods, already chalking it up as another important task to aid Yuki with. "Then what about the warships we captured?"
"Both King George V and Ark Royal are heavily damaged, with thetter still being worked on by the surrendered Eruseans, although things seem to be good on that front. Regardless, They are capital vessels in their own right, if we can bring them to our home port and patch them up, we can disy them grandly in either Wilhelmshaven or Hamburg or both. As for the two cruisers, I honestly don''t know what to do with them. I can package them together with the captured capitals but it doesn''t matter all that much in terms of impact. I reckon there are better uses of them but I can''t think of one yet." Yuki answered with a pondering expression.
Bryn hums, brainstorming up an idea quickly to keep the conversation going. "With our current naval power, these cruisers are worthless junk. However, to other factions, these cruisers may just be what they need to get them going."
Yuki raises an eyebrow at the suggestion, knowing what Bryn is talking about. "You want to hand them out as political gifts? Well, it''s not a bad idea, but it will be like a hot potato so not many will want these vessels. This means only factions that are against Erusea will think about taking them in... And only those that are aligned with us or on friendly terms with us dare to ept them."
"I can name a couple right now, the Long Dynasty with their ever-increasing need to solidify their territorial water. Or the Ustian Reformists, who will no doubt ept such gifts with open arms, if only to piss off the Erusean rather than getting a surfacebatant. And if we really want to stretch it, the Rusviets would love toy their grubby hands on these cruisers." Brynid down a few options.
Yuki chuckles at thest one. "We both know Rusviet is out the window. And despite the Chinese seeking to expand their Navy, I highly doubt the cruisers will be as effective as the next batch of vessels we will be selling at a symbolic price. No, I think our dear Bonaparte would love to have two cruisers on her payroll. Despite her growing faction, Rosa has little to no bluewater presence. What ships she has are busied guarding Indochina water and under the directmand of the Duke there. Having these two cruisers will serve her well in coastal operations."
Bryn smiles. "Knowing that princess, she will love a gift of war material more than any jewelry."
Yukiughs. "Well, she is in love with her maid, after all. In a way, she is a weirdo, just like me."
Yuki then says. "Hey, you reckon how we should celebrate the return of our brave sailors? Maybe a concert?"
"In that case," Bryn replied. "You can''t leave Elysia out of this. She will throw a tantrum if she and Eden aren''t invited."
Yukiughs. "I would never not get her help for this. Rather, I have a few ideas for a new song. It will be great to have Elysia''s and Eden''s input. Say, how do you like this line..."
"From the mist, a shape, a ship, is taking form..."
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"Admiral, what do you see?" The XO asked Admiral Matias Torres, who was viewing the Fur Spaniard convoy through arge telescope. To be more specific, he is taking in the details of the RMS Bismarck. The cutting-edge wave-piercing tumblehome design and stealth features of the Bismarck transcend every knowledge Admiral Torres has about naval warfare and design.
Ultimately, the Spanish Admiral can only reply with this. "The future, Mr. Rango. Just quite literally, the future."
"You reckon our Navy will be modernized to what we are seeing right now, sir?"
Torres replies while scanning the others, more contemporary designs in the Belkan fleet formation. "When the war is over, and it will with us being the victor, our first concern is to rebuild the country. Trying to regain our former glory is but a pipe dream for the first few years. After that, and with us growing closer to Belka, it''s possible that they will aid in reconstructing our fleet. But only to the extent that it''s somewhat better than what their enemy is fielding. Until then, we will have to make do with what vessels we have, which I believe is more than enough to contend with the task at hand."
"Nheless, a man can still dream." Admiral Torres ended the conversation with a smirk.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vill-V closes the door, no, she ms it shut behind her. Despite her usual positivity keeping her afloat, Vill-V can''t find the strength to stop herself from letting out a tired sigh while walking down the hallway of Nagazora Naval Base. The earlier meeting has proven itself to be a total bust on most fronts thanks to a recent development. RMS Bismarck wiped out the entire Erusean Home Fleet. Just a battleship and a cruiser managed to clean up a force many times their strength and without any losses at that.
"Just how outmatched are our IJNpared to the Reichsmarine?" Vill-V knows that despite her and Amaterasu''s best attempt at modernizing the aging IJN, they wouldn''t survive going against the Home Fleet with just two vessels. "It could be an borate exaggeration." Vill-v snickered before swatting that idea away. "If not for the presence of the footage the Belkan embassy released. And I am not sure whether I would like to know how Belka managed to film them in the first ce."
"On the bright side," Vill-V continued her idle walk with thoughts running across her mind. "The Royal Navy got a well-deserved p to the face. And I can''t believe they even torpedoed the Spanish. So much for the best navy in the world..."
Vill-V stops her walk when shees across a good acquaintance of hers who just rounded the corner. "Admiral Isoroku, how nice of you to see you here."
The man being addressed turns to the voice before showing a kind smile to the summoned heroine. "Lady Vill-V, seeing you here must mean that the meeting is over?" Yamamoto Isoroku extended a hand over to Vill-V.
Vill-V smiles wryly, taking the offered palm in a handshake. "A meeting without you, as expected."
Admiral Isoroku nods. "As expected."
Hearing that, VIll-V sighs. "Walk with me."
The pair then move to an indoor Japanese garden, knowing it''s a section only reserved for high-ranking personnel. Vill-V then says. "I am conflicted right now. A part of me is happy that my good friend is winning halfway across the world, another part is frustrated that she is making my job harder than it already is."
The Admiral just chuckles good-naturedly at that. "I advise you to feel happy for the moment. It will motivate you then, to finish what you started."
"I know, but it''s just damn hard when those antique buffoons failed to see reasons. They are trying to sideline you in our naval development by keeping you out of these meetings. I would be in your shoes right now had I am not a close aide to Amaterasu." Vill-V exhaled frustratingly. "Belka, more specifically the Reich Marshal, has been going against every single forecast I made. Her Reichsmarine has time and time again trampled on the aircraft carriers, despite it should be the opposite that happened. The first time with the Bearn could be a fluke, but then the Aqu happened, and now not just the Hermes but also the Ark Royal fell by their hands. Granted, the second time was attributed to the Spanish but they were advised and equipped by Belka all the same."
"And now, because of their sessive victories, our naval air superiority doctrine is being called into question." Yamamoto Isoroku said. "I sure wish you didn''t have to resort to saying that the Western countries fail to utilize the carriers properly?"
"I even threw in the fact that they are using obsolete nes if that''s what you were asking." Vill-V jested, causing the both of them to chuckle.
"In that case, our n is in peril." Admiral Isorokymented lightly.
"Pretty much, but I managed to salvage what I can. We just have to make do until we can battle-test our new aircraft carriers." Vill-V said before handing over a thick folder to the Admiral.
The man skims the papers and then says. "So they approved of the construction of the Taihou-ss, and three of them at that, alongside the cheaper Unryu-ss with five nned? What kind of sorcery did you pull this time?"
Vill-V grimaces heavily, as if about to puke. "The first dip in modernizing their Yamatos, and their surfacebatants, with the best armament the world has to offer. Can you imagine that monstrosity now equipped with missiles and radars at the earliest of opportunity?"
Admiral Isorokuughs aloud. "Hahaha! Well, her curves are truly marvelous." The Admiral paraphrased. "But at least we are getting somewhere. Thank you, for your tireless effort."
"Perhaps one day, we can prove to them that battles aren''t fought with dreadnoughts anymore, but by the men and women behind a stick."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 25-2: Reactions (Part 2)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 25-2: Reactions (Part 2)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt frowns as he looks at his Chief of Staff, William D. Leahy. "Are you pulling my disabled leg here, William?" Roosevelt asked with clear disbelief. "You''re telling me that despite all of the resources we have poured into the region so far, we''re still hopelessly in the dark about what the fuck happened in the Antic? Battleships didn''t just sink out of the blue, William, there''s an expensive process for that to happen and you''re here, saying that your best intelligence is in the form of news channels?"
Acting non-flustered, the Chief of Staff replies. "They''re what we have readily avable."
The POTUS just stares at him for a long time before saying. "Seriously, William, what the fuck? Not a single soul turned out to be useful. We couldn''t even get a shred of credible military intel of that supposedly Bismarck?"
"At much as I wanted to say otherwise, Frank, you''re asking for the damn impossible from my staff. To put it mildly, anything involving Belka is information Hell, and from the races we have over there? That''s Hell quite literally." William stated with his hands raised.
Roosevelt scoffed. "Surely it couldn''t be worse than the sinkhole that is Japan." He then added. "At the very least, you could have gotten a snapshot of a blueprint or something?"
The Chief of Staff just shrugs. It''s at this point that Roosevelt further reinforces the notion that the military is ipetent. Pulling out a bottle of whisky from a storage container, Roosevelt pours both himself and William a ss. "That bad, huh?"
William nods while taking the offered ss. "That bad, Frank. Truthfully, I''ve even reached out to the farthest depth I could possibly reach. And do you want to know what I''ve seen there? Absolute terror whenever a private agent, talented or not, was offered the job of spying on Belka. Apparently, spies of other powers, including our own, just mysteriously disappear whenever Belka is their objective. And I won''t lie, I''ve lost good men and women over there without knowing as to why."
Roosevelt nods grimly. "If people just keep disappearing like that, I guess it''s understandable why they''re scared."
William downs his ss before saying with a smack of his lips. "Frankly, I don''t see how I can offer more for you with the means I have avable. If you want me to get you what''s next on the Royal Navy''s schedule, sure, I would probably be able to do that. But Belka? That''s way over my head. It will just be a deeper grave if we keep digging."
"Damn it, and here I am awfully curious." Roosevelt drinks from his ss before saying. "I guess we have more to improve than just building more carriers and warships."
"I''m surprised you still going through with getting more carriers down the slipway." Williammented on the POTUS'' words.
"It means that I am very convinced by your words on their power projection capability and cost-to-result." Roosevelt nodded.
"Then I guess you can trust me on this next one." The Chief of Staff said. "As you have seen from my recent failed venture with Belka, it hase to my attention that I''ve met my match in the military intelligence department. Hence, I must ask you to aid me in the endeavor if we are to ever get a lead on this elusive nation. More funding, more manpower... Whatever I need to help me get the answers you need. I need something to handle their counter-intelligence." William emphasized thest sentence.
Roosevelt mulls over the words of the Chief of Staff for a bit. Currently, the United States doesn''t have a dedicated intelligence-gathering branch, weirdly enough, despite evidence that Erusean and Belka have their respective agency. This is all because of one word, money. Due to his priority in recovering from recent economic downfalls and restructuring the US military, Roosevelt paid little attention to understanding his overseas counterparts. Hence the subsequent minimal resource allocation to the intelligence team under the Chief of Staff, and even that was formed over a dining table instead of an office room.
But from the recent development in the Antic, Roosevelt hase to a dreadful and sudden realization: Information warfare. A new type of warfare that is dominated solely by none other than the Belkan Reich. Now the POTUS is not savvy enough to delve into the matter of intrigues, but he is politically knowledgeable enough to know that you can''t contend against an opponent you don''t understand. Belka is one such opponent.
For all he knows, Roosevelt is wasting money on fitting his military for a threat that is perfectly able to counter their upgrades. It''s why they need to learn what cards Belka is holding to n ahead, and unfortunately, have failed to do so. There''s also the fact that if the Reich already had such a powerful counter-intelligence capability, what say they couldn''t spy on other countries with their skillset? It''s such a chilling notion that he may have to check his back every now and then.
Understandably, Rooseveltes to the conclusion that he must turn the situation around. America can''t stay passive forever. "William, I will see to it that you will get the money, the resources, and the team you need. That I can guarantee so better think up a good name because I will be needing more than just answers when everything is said and done."
The Chief of Staff nods, thinking up a name nearly instantly. "How does the Office of Strategic Services sound?"
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"Utterly outstanding!" Emperor Cao Long gleefullyughed while watching an unredacted recording of the Hunt for Bismarck in the Belkan Embassy in Beijing. Cao Long, alongside his retinue of only General Liu, is one of the very few overseas partners that Belka is keen on sharing this information with. This is mainly to further reinforce Belka''s position in their foreign partners, an under-the-table way to say: ''You stick with us and we all win, or else.''
This dissemination of unredacted military intelligence cane in many shapes and forms, but currently, it''s nothing more than an exciting naval action recap that Cao Long is showing a vested interest. "Can you believe that, old friend? Just a single, mighty salvo from the Bismarck is enough to bring the Royal Navy''s newest battleship to her knee! Imagine what the Reichsmarine would be able to achieve with an entire fleet of them! They would no doubt dominate the Seven Seas in a heartbeat!"
General Liu, although his demeanor doesn''t show it much, he too is feeling both impressed and scared by the firepower the Belkan vessel possesses. "Emperor, if I dare a presumption, I don''t think the Belkan is fielding 380mm. I may not be a proper seaman, but I have watched enough 380mm guns fired to know that the Bismarck is fielding something much more powerful."
Emperor Cao Long just waves his hand. "Bah! So what if they have a bigger gun than our fielded battlecruisers and uing battleships? While it''s envious that we don''t have the biggest guns purchased, I am more than content with what they''re willing to give us at a dirt-cheap price. And they''re the ones dedicating their shipyards to craft us new vessels too. You can''t, in good conscience, ask more than that."
"Best maintain and improve on our already ster rtionship and not asking too much. I see your wisdom, Emperor." General Liu agreed wholeheartedly.
Cao Long nods, slinking back into thefiest chair he has ever sat on. He even goes out a limb and says that it''s even better than the throne room. "Gotta ask the embassy here to give me one of these." He muttered while dining on a snack bowl the embassy staff prepared for them.
Heck, they furnished this specific room to be even grander than the Forbidden Pce and Cao Long can swear that there, by the corner, is an authentic military sword from the Warring States period on a disy pedestal, backed by a set of armor his old army used to wear. Granted, Cao Long knows where to get them himself, though it''s just surprising to see a European country somitted to amodating their clearly lesser ally. Hell, Cao Long would find it weird doing the same, even though he would do it anyway if it serves his purposes. But from what he can see, Belka treats their allies with proper respect. As long as both sides respect each other that is.
Cao Long can very much get behind that without any issues. He has seen the world enough to treasure this precious ally he has in this tumultuous time. Thus, Cao Long speaks. "Three years ago, I wouldn''t even dare to dream that our fledgling Navy would be able to do anything more than guarding a few fishing boats. But now, look at us, an Army and Air Force strong enough to keep the Japs in their ce. And up-anding fleets strong enough to maintain our sovereignty on the sea. It''s not just the Japanese, but even the Rusviets are wary of us now."
"And Emperor, please don''t forget the fact that you have been able to clean out your court of unwanted elements. We have also been able to kick the threat disyed by the Republicans a notch. We will soon be able to eliminate their influence on the popce." General Liu added.
Emperor Cao Long smiles, all too pleased with the direction China is developing. "Military, diplomatically, economically... Belka, or to be more specific, the Reich Marshal herself has aided us at every turn. All so that one day, we, the Chinese people, will be able to stand against the foe that is the Japanese on our own two feet. It will be remiss of us if we stumble on the way to ensure that possibility turns into a reality."
Hearing that, General Liu can''t help but ask. "Emperor, must I reiterate to you that the end result of this confrontation will be detrimental, not just to Japan, but also to your Dynasty?"
Cao Long just nods while linking his fingers with his elbows resting on the armrest. "I very well know that, old friend. And while the old me would have been crossed with that notion, the current me isn''t aversed by such a development. After all," Cao Long smirks. "I heard that my daughter has taken a liking to the younger sister of the Marshal. From what my dear wife has told me, Mei is obviously taken by her best friend, Ningyo, romantically, she just doesn''t know it yet. Ah... Young love is precious indeed."
Stopping for a bit, as if mulling over his choices of words, Cao Long then says. "Although I have... questions about such delicate matters apparently, it isn''t umon for two females in Belka to birth biologically-rted children thanks to magic."
General Liu immediately looks at Cao Long as if he has grown a second head. In a breach of conduct, Liuments. "I don''t think we are drunk enough to talk about this matter, Cao Cao."
Cao Long barks out augh. "Hahaha~! That''s true, isn''t it? But my mind is clear. Between the Japs and the Belkans, I will obviously pick thetter to one day unite both our people into one singr whole. With their policies, Belka will treat our citizens right. And I know that the Reich Marshal will ensure such a possibility wille to pass. Just consider it an evolution from the Long Dynasty, a relic of an age long gone, into a United Belkan Reich, the next step towards the stars."
General Liu sighs but eventually replies. "It saddens me to hear it from the Emperor himself, but I can see where you''reing from. One can say that we''re very lucky that our Dynasty is even given the chance for such a transition. A bit forceful though, with Belka assimting us ever so slowly so far, but it''s not an unwee one at the end of the day, huh?"
Cao Long nods, suddenly finding himself eating a mouthful of fries. Swallowing just enough, the Emperor adds. "What can I say, our Ancestors are smiling down on us. Quite literally considering that some of the deities are still alive in Belka. But none of that would matter if our country can''t stand against the Japanese tyranny."
"Belka needs time, old friend. Time toplete their revolution in the West before they ever dared to make big waves in the East. The time that we will, no, we must buy for them or we risk losing our very roots in the hands of the Japanese." Cao Long ended on a serious note.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 25-3: Reactions (Part 3)
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 25-3: Reactions (Part 3)
Inside a fortified meeting room in the Kremlin, the most powerful and brightest minds of the Rusviet Union are gathering around a single man, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. Usually, they would stay in this room, talking at length on end every week about Rusviet''s development progress. But this time, it''s different. Belka, perhaps their closest ally up to date, has made quite a major wave. And despite their closeness, being important trade partners for years already, the Rusviet Union is frazzled by the degree of Belkan''s achievement on the High Sea.
"Allegedly, they sank three battleships and two battlecruisers without a loss of their own."
"This is baffling news."
"It proves that Belka''s naval might has advanced by leaps and bounds."
"We will need to reassess our intel, they are obsoleted."
"Of course, they''re obsoleted! Our spies have never been able to make a report since years ago!"
"If only the intelligence branch ispetent enough to update our files."
"The funding for that department is better off invested elsewhere."
"That''s not the point here people, we need to react ordingly to Belka''s recent victory. As an ally, a major win is a worthy cause for celebration. But this is not just major, it''s andslide."
"Are we sure that it''s not a clever ruse?"
"The Erusean losses are true, that it''s certain. Our embassy confirmed the information with them, much to their chagrin."
"Our officials in Belka also confirmed, albeit with more details and pictures. However, none shed light on the Bismarck, we are still in the dark about its appearance. We assumed it to be an improved Scharnhorst-ss, but even then, it''s highly impossible for them to ovee the Erusean Home Fleet like that."
"Assuming the tale of Bismarck is true, how will our Gangut-ss battleships fare against it?"
"Pfft! Ganguts are relics that are barely afloat. They won''t stand a chance against older Belkan vessels, much less the newer ones that we don''t know anything about. Our Sinop-ss, though, will be a different matter. With them still being constructed, we can outfit them with better technology than whatever Bismarck is using. Soon, we will have the most modern fleet in the region."
"Or we can make a whole different ss altogether. Sinop is made with the Baltic Sea in mind, but soon, we will need something to traverse the Antic and even the Pacific."
"It''s a matter for a different time then,rades!" Suddenly, amidst the incessant discussion, a voice interjected. It''s Stalin, who has been silently smoking his cigar, that demands their attention. "We can discuss modernizing our fleet only when our current Five-year Fleetbuilding n is finished. Currently. the Union can''t afford to waste the money our gracious citizens have contributed. Thus we will react only when we have credible information about Bismarck."
Taking another drag of his cigar, Stalin sweeps his eyes across the room. "The elephant in the room right now is not the Belkan''s victory. And while that is still a matter worth offering our sincere congrattions for, it''s not as important as the fact that we arepletely blind to the inner workings of the Reich."
"General Secretary, ever since the attempts at assassinating the current Reich Marshal came to light, our agents can''t exist for any longer than a week. No matter their skill sets or how loyal they were, they all ended up disappearing."
Stalin nods, he himself knows just how much of a loss the intelligence department incurred these past few years. "I know full well of your predicament,rade. I had personally picked a few spies of my own too but regrettably, they are to never be found again. At this point, it''s all but confirmed that Belka has reced its old intelligence agency with something far more formidable."
"It''s why I hereby give these directives." Stalin leans back, discarding the ashes in a tray. "We will cut back in trying to infiltrate the inner workings of Belka. Instead, let''s see if we can seed our agents among the popce. They won''t be as useful, but it''s something. The next will be to set up another technological exchange. Despite their recent minor reduction in procuring minerals from us, the treaty between us and them still stands. It has been a while since we visited their arms factory, let''s use Bismarck as a cause for us to pay a visit. Of course, I won''t be going there in person, but I trust you all can decide between yourselves who is the most qualified."
"That''s all for the day., Dismiss."
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Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill is not just mad, he is absolutely livid. "My good friend Pound, tell me, justy it to me straight, how did we bloody lose 1/5th of our power projection in a single week? And what will be your attempt at regaining your Navy''s loss honor?"
Churchill almost ms his tea cup onto the te when he says. "We are still recovering from that embarrassing blunder you menmitted on the Spanish. And now, we can''t even hold a single person in that mess ountable because they''re either disintegrated or seventy miles beneath the sea! You have no idea how many strings I have to pull to keep our seats!"
Laying his cap on a corner of the table while smoothing his half-bald head, Admiral Dudley Pound struggles to keep his voice level. "You already know the answer to your first question, Churchill. We don''t know, not when MI6 keeps flopping at their jobs. And clearly not when our scouts are either shot down or missing whenever theye close to a Belkan ship. Frankly, none of our airmen are willing to fly and take a picture of the Belkans. The brave ones are all gone in the first waves."
Sighing, Pound continues. "Patrols are intensified. We are pulling whatever vessels we have to uphold prior directives before the Hunt for Bismarck. However, I have given strict orders not to antagonize the Belkans anymore. I reckon it will be the smart move considering that those wankers somehow recorded everything that is implicating us right now."
Squinting his eyes at the Admiral, Churchill contemtes a scalding sentence about bravery and such but ultimately relents. "So we can''t fight them right now, not militarily nor diplomatically. The entire world is asking for the Royal Navy to be hanged and I for me to exin about the need to antagonize Belka. I need something, something concrete, something that can reinforce the trust of the people in you salty sailors, and by extension, me."
"It''s not ideal, Churchill, but we have decided to expedite the construction of our Vanguard-ss battleships."
Raising an eyebrow, Churchill replies. "Are you sure?"
Nodding, Pound borates. "It''s the only way we can regain our naval projection in the short term. The Vanguard-ss battleships wereid down in response to the US and Japan going ahead with constructing theirrge warships with 406mm guns. This means a Vanguard is supposed to receive the same armament. Yet, recent events have forced us to react ordingly. Instead of 406mm, we will be fitting them with 381mm guns and contemporary equipment and armor. I would have hoped for a better fire control system to be developed but at least with this setup, we can cut down on construction time by a lot. At least a year can be saved. I have also taken the liberty to halt the construction of the aircraft carriers. Their recent failures have highlighted theck of returns from fielding these vessels, especially when we don''t have much of a capital presence at sea."
Hearing that, Churchill nods. "Good, we need a proven idea to bank on right now. Not some underdeveloped concept. I presume the resources will be allocated to the Vanguards?"
"That''s correct."
Sipping his tea, Churchill then says. "Do what you must, but I need a Vanguard to be sailing by the first quarter of next year. The people need something and the most modern battleship that can triumph over the Bismarck will be a great headline. We can think about retrofitting the Vanguardster when the storm dies down."
"What about the Spanish and Sardegna?"
"Appropriate remuneration has been given to the Spanish. Continue on the embargoes of Sardegna but I have no doubt that we will be short-handed. This will no doubt lower our already abysmal influence in the region even further."
"st those pilots! If only those Swordfishes weren''t so blind, things would have been much easier by now."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Lady Lyssa." Pope Mussolini said while dismissing his serving nuns. "As the matter stands, the Meds are wide open for us to retake. The Royal Navy is scrambling their ships around, vulnerable to a surprise attack. If a single Belkan warship could take the enemy fleet out, then what''s say our finest fleet? We will soon be able to dominate the region!
"I would advise not jumping the gun, my dear Pope." Said a disembodied voice. The mysterious Lady Lyssa is unavable in person today, it seems. "Need I remind you that a major part of the Papal Navy is still in the process of being rebuilt? Furthermore, most of our active ships are being retrofitted with better anti-air equipment due to the regr Spanish air raids. The best we can do right now is to focus on getting supplies to our army on Spanish soil."
Lady Lyssa then says. "To ensure proper delivery, we will be needing blockade runners, very fast ones to be exact. And preferably those that are armed with good AA suites."
Pope Mussolini crosses his arms, posing in front of a vanity mirror while replying. "I think I remember signing for the construction of fast destroyers and light cruisers with anti-air artillery and only fitted with the finest God''s Navy has to offer. They will be a fine addition to our cause against the heretics very soon. For now, though, we can use our avable ships, utilizing the opening in the blockade, to reinforce our troops."
Lady Lyssa exims. "Good! Good!" She then chuckles ominously. "But before that, my dear Pope, I will be needing more materials, preferably fresh and active materials."
"The recent batch of Jews isn''t enough?"
"Not quite, I need more materials that are... Lively. The Jews are more subdued than usual, much to my dismay. Efficiency has thus been reduced. Maybe the unruly Spanish will be fine specimens?"
"Then I will arrange for their transfer. Their sacrifice will serve the Will of the Lord."
"Deus Vult." Lady Lyssa smirked.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 26: Luxembourg Croissants
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 26: Luxembourg Croissants
The Principality of Darscen is a nation arising out of the ashes of the Roman Empire. Like many of her neighbors at the time, the Principality grew by absorbing the remnants of the old Empire, thus establishing her sovereignty in the European Low Lands. Despite sporting fertilends and riverways with ess to bustling maritime tradings, Darscen had been one of many countries that fell short when the Industrial Era kicked in. Easily left behind in terms of both economic and military power, thus pulling her diplomatic presence down the drain, the Principality had been the one to eye Ustio with envy. Thetter was one of the first to industrialize their economy, pulling in untold riches from her overseas colony in the process.
Unable to ept being left behind on the world stage, Darscenmitted herself to a period of modernization and to carve out and of her own overseas. The Principality hoped that given time, the Low Lands country would be a power rivaling that of her neighbors. For a while, Darscen seeded on the former, but as for thetter? Let''s just say that the colonial pie already had its slices distributed back then. Much like Old Belka''s failed attempt at establishing a colony pre-WW1, Darscen failed too due to the machination of countries like Ustio. But unlike the Old Belka who had been unable to retaliate and eventually changed into a new regime, Darscen was livid and she had the power to strike back.
Hence, at the turn of the twentieth century, the Principality of Darscen dered war on the Kingdom of Ustio. At the time, Darscen had a small, but modernly equipped and highly trained military. However, the same couldn''t fully be applied to Ustio. Much of their military was geared for colonial security and not expecting the smaller country to outright stage a war, Ustio was caught with her skirt down. For three months, Darscen armies steamrolled through the regions around Dunkirk and Nancy in a pincer attack, thus threatening to advance into Paris by the fourth month. Prior to that and in a dastardly move, the Principality''s Navy heavilyid down mines along major Ustian harbors, crippling and dying any fleet response from Ustianmand. When the fourth month was almost over, with Darscen armies right on Paris'' doorsteps, something changed on the battlefield. The introduction of Ustian machine guns, housed in fortified emcements around the outskirts of Paris, had effectively halted the advance of swaths of elite but unarmored Darcsen infantries.
With the recent introduction of machine guns in the colonized states a couple of years back, Darscen, despite recent modernization, had elected to ignore the machine guns, having deemed them as only a fluke against uncivilized poptions. Apparently, the Principality''s top brass failed to get the memo. So, imagine the shock of Darcsen soldiers when the Ustian''s Hotchkiss machine guns never stop cutting them down like cutting weed. In just a single day of trying to break into Paris, even with help from towed artillery, the Principality of Darscen lost 10000 men without taking a single mile forward. The loss to the Principality was so staggering that the entire regionalmand chain was thrown into chaos, effectively halting their offensive. In the end, Ustio had bought enough time to counterattack, and they did so with a righteous fury.
Utilizing the hesitation of the Darcscen military, Ustio breaks their Navy out from the minefields, even going as far as bringing their battle-hardened colonial military back for arge-scale naval invasion of Darscen''s homnd. The Darscen Navy amounted to nothing whenpared to the old fox that is Ustio. Not stopping there, a major counteroffensive was sprung to recapture lost Ustian territories. In a manner reminiscence of the start of this war, Ustio staged a two-pronged assault,pletely overwhelming the Principality''s military. From the Northernmost port city of Arash to the forestry gorges of Luxembourg, Ustian army men rolled through the terrains before reconvening for a siege on the capital city of Darcscen, Brussels.
The war was poised to end in its eight-month despite stubborn Dardscen defenders stalwartly keeping their capital standing. Unbelievably, however, this short, but bloody war ended in an abrupt way. The Kingdom of Erusea stepped in, calling for a ceasefire between both parties. It''s unknown why Erusea was the one to stand out and negotiate peace between both sides but ultimately, the guns stopped firing, but only at a grave disservice to the Principality of Darscen. All captured Ustiannds were to be returned to their former owner, and the majority of Darscen territories taken by the Ustian military were retained by the Kingdom of Ustio. Notable cities and towns that were transferred to Ustio control were Arash and Luxembourg among many others. In the end, around 1/3rd of Darscen was ceded to Ustio. A major stretch ofnd to the East of Brussels would be flying the Ustian g for years. This effectively allowed Ustio to surround the Principality in all three cardinal directions onnds, leaving just the Northern Ocean approach as Darscen''s only way to connect with the rest of the world.
In a way, Ustio was the clear victor in this short conflict. Darscen lost everything in the span of eight months, crippling any further expansion effort. And thus, the feud between the two countries'' citizens was born, one thatsted till today. Darscens hate Ustians for having everything and Ustians hate Darscens for invading their home. Thetter even goes as far as belittling the Darscens as the butt of Europe due to their current geopolitical status.
There will be consequences in doing so, however. But that is a story for another day.
In the mostly rural, with dense Ardennes forest and nature parks in the north, rocky gorges of the Mullerthal region in the east, and the Moselle river valley in the southeast, lies the city of Luxembourg. In the heart of this fortified city with medieval heritage is the former Principality Grand Ducal Pce, now named Grand Reformist Pce. The Pce, with its prime geological position, serves as both a home and a base of operation for the leader of the Ustian Reformist faction, Princess Rosa Bonaparte. After seizing control of this Pce from the Darscens all those years ago, the Pce and its many quarters currently sport luxurious Ustian furniture, and even Belkan ones thanks to the Princess'' close ties with the Reich Marshal. One such well-furnished area of the Pce is the kitchen, which is upied by the very owner of the building and her love-maid.
"Slowly, Rosa, you don''t want to drop those croissants now, do you?" Mary, Rosa Bonaparte''s lover and her current teacher in the art of baking, gently advised. The girl is crossing her arms beneath her bust, unintentionally emphasizing her feminine asset and causing Rosa a troubling time concentrating on pulling out a tray of baked croissants. When Rosays down the tray on a kitchen table and removes her oven gloves, Mary steps in to take in the smell and test the texture of the baked goodies.
Picking up a croissant, Mary nibbles on it beforementing on its taste. "Impressive. This batch is a clear improvement over the previous ones. Buttery vor with kyyered, finely made indeed." Mary smiles before handing over another croissant to Rosa who takes it with a smile.
"Thanks~!"
"You''re the one that has been putting in the hard work. Why thank me?" Mary chuckled as the pair started enjoying the fluffy treats. While they''re finishing up their second croissant, Rosa can''t help but say wistfully.
"If only Yuki was here to taste these, it has been quite a while since we''ve met face to face."
Mary nods while nibbling on the croissant. "It has been what, 6 months? You have been busied with managing our ever-growing faction and God knows just how bad the workload is on the Marshal''s end."
Rosa nches. "Ugh... Whatever free time I have I either devote it to rest or improving myself, or I learn baking to destress." The Princess then directs a heartwarming smile at Mary. "Thanks for teaching me to bake, by the way. It did wonders for my staunched nerves."
"You''re wee, Rosa. Say, we still have a bit of time left, want to go and boast the fruit of yourbor to Yuki? I reckon she is also taking a rest at this point in time."
Rosa is just about to answer yes when a knock is here at the doorway to the kitchen. "Perhaps you can put a hold on that thought for now."
The pair of Princess and maid look over to the door, seeing a woman, draped in a Belkan officer attire with the rank of Brigadier General. Said Brigadier has a killer body, befitting of her race which is that of a subus. Rosa smiles, recognizing the female. "Alexa, what brings you here? And is there something you want to tell us?"
Alexa steps in, breathing in the aroma of the baked goods. "Smell delicious. May I?"
Rosa nods while Mary pushes the tray closer to Brigadier Alexa. The subus picks one croissant up for a bite. "Umu, simply scrumptious. And to answer your question, the 404th has done their quota of supervising the training of your recruits. They can use a bit of a touch-up, considering that many of them used to be forced conscripts, but they''re improving. I have to admit that despite we used to kill them in droves, they''re surprisingly tenacious. Especially so when they now have a cause to believe in, and that is you." Alexa pointed at Rosa with her half-eaten treat, a gesture that could have been considered rude to royalty if not for the friendship they built over the years.
Given their status as a Panzer Elite Division, words about the 404th rarely ever reached the news these days. Despite dropping off the grid for most of the time since the Months of Demons started, the 404th Ironblood Division has taken an active role in testing new weapons, developing new doctrines, and training members of the Ustian Reformists Army in the art ofbined arms. So far, Brigadier Alexa has been the actingmander of the 404th for about two years give or take a couple of months. In that duration, Alexa has worked closely with Princess Rosa to get her army up to snuff.
"I take that as apliment." Rosa smirked before saying. "So? That''s not all right?"
"Yup," Alexa nods. "Just got words from Berlin. Yuki is inviting you gals over for some fun, what''s with the Hunt for Bismarck fiascoing to a close and all that... She said something about a pleasant surprise too so you better keep your help on a swivel."
"Wait, an invite? As in an official invitation for me to go there?" Rosa asked back.
"Based on her words, it''s both official and unofficial, somewhat leaned toward thetter, in my opinion." Alexa replied with a shrug. "There''s already a Condor prepped for your departure."
Hearing the answer, Rosa jumps up in glee. "Yatta!" Before she runs out of the kitchen, presumably going back to her private quarter to prepare for the trip.
Seeing Rosa''s sudden hyperactiveness, Alexa raises an eyebrow at Mary. The maid just wryly smile. "As you would have known by now, Rosa desperately needs a break from her work. And it has been a long time since she sees the Marshal in person."
Alexa hums. "I supposed I could understand her glee. Once you get to know the Marshal properly, she''s a person that can easily capture your heart. It doesn''t take being a subus to see that Rosa is head over heels for her." The Brigadier then smirks. "But I guess the same can be said for you too, Mary."
The maid smiles before bowing gracefully. "Any person that can bring happiness to my Rosa is a dear friend of mine... Or something more altogether."
Mary then excuses herself, leaving Alexa behind, smiling to herself. "Geez, Yuki sure is a charmingdy to enrapture the hearts of these girls so effortlessly." She then finishes thest piece of her croissant. "And here I thought I''m the subus here."
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 27: Wilhelmshaven Pretzel
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 27: Wilhelmshaven Pretzel
Rosa and Mary arrived in Wilhelmshaven with enough fanfare befitting a well-regarded ally of their stature. Yuki was there to wee them before extending an official invitation for them. One that pertained for them to join the award ceremony for the crews of RMS Bismarck and RMS Prinz Eugen. Of course, they epted without hesitation. After all, they were briefed on the asion while they were still in the air. What the Reformist envoy hadn''t ounted for though was that just how grand the whole ceremony was.
The ceremony attracted thousands upon thousands of spectators with even many more watching the asion live from elsewhere. Banners, gs, and coats of arms were hung everywhere with streams of people watching the procession of military bands and units parading all over the coastal city. Proudly on disy along Wilhelmshaven''s coast were the Reichsmarine''s major spoils of war, the HMS King George V and HMS Ark Royal, attracting most of the curious and excited Belkan citizens. And when it''s time to award the men and women who made the capture of these warships possible, you better believe that a window or two had been cracked due to the citizens'' shout full of fervor.
The atmosphere back then was like it had been ignited by a spiritual me. But with Yuki feeling mischievous, she kicked it up a notch, adding fuel to the fire. When the ceremony was over, Yuki announced an impromptu festival with free food and drinks. She even went as far as coborating with "The Brightest Star" and "Miss Pink Elf?" to make amemorative song about Bismarck for the military band to y. It''s being performed on the stage right now, enrapturing the spectators in the beats as they bob their heads up and down.
Currently, Rosa and Mary are boarding the HMS Devonshire, the heavy cruiser that had been captured alongside HMS Fiji when the attack on Ark Royal happened. Right now, the two cruisers are berthed in a restricted area of Wilhelmshaven, far away from the bustling activities but still offer a good view of the entire proceeding. Soon, Rosa and Mary are guided to the bow of the Devonshire where a coffee table has already beenid out. There, the pair are weed by Yuki personally as she steps in, hooking her arms with Rosa and Mary. With a cheery smile on her face, Yuki says.
"I hope you two have been enjoying the day as much as I do." The trio then heads for the table. "The music surely was a bit of a surprise but it seems fitting, don''t you think?" Yuki pointed at the city from which Rosa could hear the music sting.
"From the mist, a shape, a ship, is taking form
And the silence of the sea is about to drift into a storm
Sign of power, show of force!
Raise the anchor, battleship''s plotting its course..."
Rosa giggles as she and Yuki take a seat, with Mary taking the chance to pour them coffee. "Believe me, each trip to Belka has always been an experience, Yuki. I would dare say that Belka, as a country, is changing day by day. Thus keeping it fresh for Mary and I who are toiling away in Luxembourg."
Hearing that, Yuki raises an eyebrow at Mary who is putting down a coffee pot. The maid in question just chuckles. "She is just jesting, Yuki. With all the funds you provided for us, we are living a lifestyle befitting of a royalty." The maid then presents the coffee for the two princesses, with milk of course. "But it hase to my mind that despite all the amenities Luxembourg has to offer, it''s still not as glorious as Berlin. A matter that Rosa has been hard at work to remedy."
Rosa raises her mug at that. "But of course, I can''t fall behind Belka now. That would make me lose all face as an ally, no?"
Yuki smiles, nodding at that assertion before turning over behind her shoulder. "Hey Erika, L! Want to join us?"
Yuki''s bodyguards for this trip, and also her friends for years now, shake their heads. "Maybe another time, Yuki. This space is a bit too open for our liking."
Yuki nods understandingly. "Just give me a shout if you want a coffee." Ever since what happened in Arash, Yuki''s guards are much stricter with her protection whenever they can. It''s why Yuki always treats them well.
Facing Rosa and Mary, who is standing behind her Ustian counterpart, Yuki gestures to the snacks on the table while sipping her iced milk coffee. "You should try some pretzels, there are many vors to choose from. Oh, and I heard from a little birdie that Rosa here knows how to bake now. I reckon that it had been an endeavor to teach her the way of a pastry chef, Mary?"
While Rosa flinches, Mary justughs much to her chagrin. "You have no idea, Yuki. I am surprised that she hasn''t blown up her fourth oven yet."
"Can we please move on to something else?" Rosa interjected, not wanting to lose her dignity in front of Yuki.
"Well then, what can you give us to buy our silence on the matter?" Yuki asked back with a smirk.
"How about I make you all and Ningyo something when I get to the kitchen?" Rosa offered.
"Sold." Mary and Yuki nod, smiling at the promise of free sweets. Well, they''re also morbidly curious whether Rosa will fail at any step of the way. It will be good ckmail materials if nothing else, they share the thought amusedly through their eyes.
"Oh right Yuki, I have been meaning to ask this. Despite you presenting a medal to Admiral Tallh, why was she so... frightened? It''s as if she was heading for a gallow instead." Rosa asked while taking a bite of a chocte pretzel before holding it over her shoulder for Mary to try too.
Yuki, hearing the honest question, giggles. "Well, let''s just say that although she racked enough merits to warrant an award, Tallh alsomitted one of the taboos in an officer''s career. Her being a scared kitten was due to her remembering my punishment for such a failing. I docked her six months of sry and guaranteed her a seat back in the Naval Academy."
Both Rosa and Mary drop their jaws at the answer. "Wow... I pity the Admiral now."
"You shouldn''t be," Yuki added with a small smile. "The Admiral considers the punishments as an opportunity to better herself."
"I see. With you having underlings with that mindset, no wonder Belka is growing strong." Rosamented
"Oh? Is that ttering that I see?" Yuki smirked before saying. "Having said that though, it''s about time I address the main topic for this little outing."
"Oh? Do say, Yuki." Rosa urged, her curiosity piqued as she leaned forward while sipping her mug with two hands.
Yuki reaches down, pulling out some documents from a briefcase resting by the legs of her chair. Holding them up, Yuki says. "These are the documents about the eventual transfer of ownership of the cruiser Fiji," Yuki hands over the paperwork to Mary before patting the steel ting of the A-turret behind her. "And the cruiser Devonshire to the Ustian Reformists."
Rosa, who is receiving the papers from Mary, freezes up. "Wait, what?"
Nodding, Yuki reiterates. "You heard that right, I am authorizing the procedure of giving you these warships, for free. Soon enough, Rosa, you will have a proper Navy under your name. It will no doubt give you much more weight on any negotiation table."
Rosa looks at Yuki as if she has grown a second head with her jaws dropping. Mary, with a giggle, closes it, prompting Rosa to act sheepish, bowing her head at Yuki. "Sorry about that. I was just pleasantly stunned. Yuki... I don''t know what to say. Thanks, truly. By having a Navy, I can do more than just negotiate, you know?"
Yuki smiles. "I know, with a Navy, you can pull more support from the Colonies. They will treat your words with the necessary gravitas and all that. As an addendum, we also have custody of a few Ustian destroyers. They will also be given to you to form a proper floti."
Smiling, Rosa stands up before walking over to Yuki, leaning down into a hug. "Thank you, my Marshal." The Ustian princess then lightly pecks Yuki''s lips, casting a smile on the Marshal. Mary just watches the proceeding with a heartwarming smile.
Yuki, on her part, chuckles with a rosy tint on her cheeks. "You''re Belka''s ally, it would be unsightly if our ally is not up to par."
Rosaughs, following along. "Figured there''s another motive for gifting me with free stuff. You''re just slowly tightening your hold over me, hah."
Yuki smiles before kissing Rosa lightly. "Aren''t I always? Sooner orter, our two nations will be one big family. And that also includes you and Mary."
"Well, I sure like the sound of that." Mary interjected from the side, causing Rosa and Yuki to chuckle.
Rosa then moves back to her seat and Yuki lets her and Mary take an overview of the documents she handed over. Around ten minutes and two emptied mugster, Rosa puts down the documents, massaging the bridge of her nose, and is dizzied by the paperwork. "OK, as much as I am enthusiasted by the new toys. This is clearly above my know-how."
Yuki giggles, offering a way out for Rosa. "I can help you with some advice now. After that, the matter should be left for your Minister Francis and my people to iron out."
Yuki wipes her fingers clean with a tablecloth before raising two fingers. "Right now, you have two options in how to outfit your budding Navy. One is to immediatelymission them and sail them around whenever you need. I reckon that there are a few coastal towns that would love some friendly faces protecting them. But in my opinion, this is ill-advised."
"How so?" Rosa straightened up, taking Yuki''s words very seriously.
"The issue is that you will be facing logistical problems down the line. Without modification, your fleet, which consumed materials sourced from Ustian and Erusean shipyards, will be falling apart in a year. Sailing in this day and age is resource-consuming, and while you can reap the immediate benefits now in the Months of Demons, you will be left without a ship once we''re done with it." Yuki exined concisely.
"I see now why that would be unwanted for the both of us." Rosa nodded.
"Good, then we will no doubt go with the second option. It will involve our spared naval yards taking in the cruisers and destroyers, and refitting them to our export specifications, much like what we are doing for the Long Dynasty. While we''re doing that, we will start training the ship crews that you pick on how to operate these new vessels. Since when we''re done, you will have to rethink your naval doctrine. I have put forth the name of the one to be in charge of training your sailors. It will no doubt be a familiar face, with you having just seen him on the stage earlier." Yuki gestured at the documents.
"Really?" Rosa raised an eyebrow while skimming the papers once again. She thenes across a name and a picture. "Oh! I see! It''s Captain Raymond of the Prinz Eugen! No wonder you asked me to award him the medal instead of you."
Yuki nods. "Considering that you will soon be working together, it''s better for you to know the man first. He''s a talented cruiser Captain and one that specializes in fleet coordination. As you would have seen from his effort alongside the Bismarck. The man will no doubt bring the few vessels that you have into a force to be reckoned with. Especially with the upgrade package we are considering installing on your ships."
Rosa smiles, d that the trip here has borne her unexpected fruits. "While I would like to know more, I don''t think I will understand most of them. I will just leave that in your capable hands, Yuki."
"In fact, why don''t we just enjoy the rest of the day? I would like to show you my baking skillster with the rest of your family."
Interlude: Ich Liebe Dich
Interlude: Ich Liebe Dich
I slowly wake up to the sound of rustling leaves as a cool breeze caresses my face... Or was it?
Opening my eyes, I register in the sight of a girl... Perhaps it would be more apt to call her a youngdy. A fine, youngdy at that. Nheless, it''s a person that I know very well, supposedly, and her fingers are tracing a line on my cheek lovingly. I can ascertain that much, as per usual. With practiced ease, I focus my sight on thedy''s face. Such a charming beauty she is.
The youngdy, both familiar and unfamiliar, has short gray hair. Despite being in the shade of a tall tree, her hair and white skin seem to glisten a healthy shade of pale, unlike mine. Her eyes, heterochromia in the color of ruby and gold, with her left being an odd golden iris with a ticking clock face, shower me with her poisonous yet addicting affection. Poisonous, because my heart wrenches in despair, in anger, in jealousy, for I may never be able to experience it when I wake up again. Addicting because every time I go to sleep, she is the only person to apany me, giving me the strength to toil for another, utterly hopeless day.
But I digress.
Going by the usual pattern, she will say... "The others are still ying. Do you want to join them?" Right about now.
And then I will respond with... "I don''t wanna. Being here is enough." That''s right, right now, just being with you is enough. "Sister, can you pat my head again?"
The gray-haired sister giggles. Her voice, oh her voice is everything I need to keep on going. "Well, you''re always partial to ap pillow and head pats." Feeling her hand on my hair, I smile before my vision is shifted outward.
There, in the yground of this verdant park, are my best friends... sisters in anything but blood even. Without them, I would have withered away... For it''s because of them that I must endure.
A shy young girl with dark blue hair that fades into purple at the tip and blue eyes is watching a pair of twins ying around. Next to her is another girl with an even shorter height with her grey hair tied into two short drills. The short girl''s gray eyes twinkle in delight despite her otherwise expressionless face while hugging the shy girl''s arm.
The twins, one with sky blue hair and purple eyes while the other has pink hair with light blue eyes, are performing a two-personedy skit. Despite the deadpanning of the blue-haired twin, the pink-haired twin just carried on exaggeratedly, bringing out a soft giggle from the shy young girl spectating.
Supervising the girls in the park, is their senior by a year of age, a girl with long gray hair and ocean-blue eyes. And although she is crossing her arms while heaving an audible sigh at the pink-haired twin''s antics, a smile can be seen gracing her face. She is then joined by another pair of girls, the first one sports a simr gray hair, only cut short, with yellow eyes. Thest girl has her dark purple hair flowing freely to her waist as she darts her purple eyes to search for us.
"They are having fun." The sister stroking my hair said.
I nod, feeling the edge of my lips lift up. "That they are."
As if hearing our discussion or finally noticing us, the purple-haired girl looks over to us, waving with a smile.
I can''t stop myself from responding back with a wave of my own. "I wish days like this could carry on forever." That was my heartfelt wish too...
But that is never meant to be.
As if punishing me for ever being so hopeful, the surrounding fades into sparks of amber and mes as my vision ckout. Once I manage to regain my sight, like many times before, I am greeted with pure destruction, and absolute anarchy all around me as creatures that I''vee to learn as Demons and Zombies ravage every which way I look. And as much as I would like for those not to be here, I know that there are many, many deceased all around me.
I simply refuse to acknowledge their existents, that''s all.
Instead, a gruesome, heart-breaking scene has etched itself in my retinas, my very soul.
Lies ahead of me, a mere step away, and leaning on a broken wall is the sister that has been giving me those precious head pats andp pillows all those while back. What have I done... Again?
My sister, my dear sister... I can feel my body crouch down, not due to grief, not for mourning. Rather, to finish the job.
With a flick of my fingers, a whitence materializes and pierces my sister in the stomach, further pinning her into the wall. "Ack...! Hah!" She breathed out sharply, struggling as a foreign object was lodged into her body.
"Hoh~!" I can hear it, my voice. My hateful voice has taken in a tone of superiority, one that is built on suffering. "For an annoying cheater, you''re surprisingly resilient. To not scream out in pain nor for mercy, I think you have just earned the opportunity to die by my very hand."
I can feel a sickening smirk appear on my face as I lean in, saying in a mocking tone despite my incessant struggles. Every single time... "Anyst word, insect?" I can feel my palm grasping thence. No, not again!
"Three words..." With a weak voice, my sister muttered.
"Heh? Have you given into your fear?" I said with a mocking tone. No more, why must I keep treating her like this? This is not how it should be!
I lean forward, knowing that my sister is living on borrowed time.
Those three words, those hurtful, but touching three words will grow to define my very being. "Ich... liebe dich."
I love you... Sister. I love you, the sister I have nevere to see. And I am sorry... For I can''t stop myself, once again.
"Tsk! All lies!" With a sharp shout, I twist thence, causing thest shred of life my sister still has to fade away from her. Her hand, one that she has struggled to raise to pat my hair, now falls limply on her bloodiedp.
I am sorry! I am sorry! I am sorry!
Why!? Why!? Why!?
She doesn''t deserve to die this way! So why, God!?
"YOU!" A rage-filled scream came from my right. Ah... It seems like I have reached this part once more.
My body turns, allowing me to see a familiar girl, one with short gray hair and yellow eyes. "You ruined everything!" Her body, despite her small stature, exudes an oppressive aura that makes me take a step back. From her back, a pair of golden wings of light sprouted, then, the color gold was mixed with an obsidian ck. Her wings,bined with her dark gold halo that has been broken into four symmetrical parts, denounce her heritage, or at the very least her abilities that are rted to the divines.
Despite my body being dissuaded by the intensity of her aura, I still speak up, still maintaining that holier-than-thou tone. "I merely took care of the trash, my dear. Soon, all obstacles will be gone and we will achieve our happily ever after. Don''t you find that a worthy cause for me to flex my muscles? You should be d, dear."
The girl, hearing that nonsensical exnation, trembles not in glee but in obvious fury. "Be d...? You have taken away our sister...! My sister! My honor! My pride! My life! I was an experimental reject! Doomed to waste away in a dungeon! Yet they brought me into their fold, treated me like I was their own kin! They were my everything! My sister was my everything..." Tears can be seen falling from the heartbroken angel''s face as she gazes at her older sister''s corpse. s, she passed away with a small smile and her eyes closed peacefully.
I am sorry... I am so sorry...
"For you to deprive me of everything I''ve evere to cherish... Allow me the opportunity to take yours." The gray-haired angel said, and with a glint of hatred in her golden eyes, she charged with des of light.
Before I can react, or scream, I am shaken.
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I feel a sense of vertigo before I snap awake, my throat burns, trying to take as much air as I can get. Withbor breaths, I slowly regain my bearings. I am now in the bunk room I share with my bonded sisters, my real sisters in reality.
"That dream again... God, why are you showing me that dream?" But as much as I hate the ending, I''vee to cling to its beginning like a fish in the water.
Expanding my spatial sense, a... perk that I''vee to ept as a part of me. One of many that have been acquired by surviving many, many inhuman experiments. One of many that I have hidden from the ''orphanage workers'', as she and her sisters have called them. But I must focus...
Concentrating on my spatial sense, I can see that in this bunk room, my sisters are still resting soundly. Bronya and Seele, are cuddling with each other, hugging a weathered teddy bear given to them by the orphanage''s mother... One of the few to treat us like their own. Liliya and Rozaliya, the twins, are also on their own bed, with Rozaliya drooling on Liliya''s chest.
And Be... She is in my bed, still sleeping soundly, thankfully. I was afraid she would be woken up by my scared intake of air. "I never can get used to the dream."
"So, let''s see what''s on the agenda today."
I expand my spatial sense even further, epassing this pocket dimension that Seele hase to call it. Though I think it''s the second personality inside Seele that named it so first.
With my sense expanded to its maximum, I can glimpse inside each room, locked behind keys or not. I can review each scientific research paper, hidden in their warded cab. I can see the ''coffins'' that the Sardegnians use. The ones that drain the life from hundreds of souls just to have a chance at creating a superhuman, a Crusader. I can even hear the discussion, the nning, and the rumors from every corner of this dimension. The information overload was jarring at first, but I''vee to learn to filter them out. Soon, I have been able to spy on the ''orphanage workers'' in charge of our itinerary for the day.
"So another relocation of this dimension... Bronya will be used to calcte the numbers. Seele will be used to keep up the camouge. And I will be the one to move the entire pocket elsewhere, again. At the end of the day..." I then look at the sleeping Be, my fist clenching subconsciously. "They will be injecting Be, Liliya, and Rozaliya with those hateful things again. Can''t they see that their bodies are breaking down? Or that is their intention in the first ce? Is it possible for me to take on their quota again?"
After a few moments, I then sigh. "Still no news on Sister Kallen and Sister Natasha. Are they ok out there?"
I sigh, slowly closing my eyes. "Every day, the dream brings me both hope and despair. Their prity is slowly tearing me apart at the seam... And with each living day being this bleak, I am not sure how long I can hold out, God. I am not sure how long I can stay strong for my sisters."
"My sister... Hah." I wistfully said. "Ich liebe dich."
May we meet again in our next dream, sister.
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 28: NOBLE uses Landslide… It was super effective
RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary ¨C Chapter 28: NOBLE uses Landslide¡ It was super effective
"Alright team, forms up." Noble 1, Carter, said while motioning for the rest of his team to gather around a visual representation of the mission, created by using sticks, rocks, and sand. They could have used a holographic spell or an illusion one but the team isn''t too keen on being detected by a Crusader, no matter how unlikely the chances are.
"Here," Carter pointed at what corrted to the entrance leading further into a small, cramped valley that leads to higher elevation and is nked by two mountain tops. "AWACS said the Sardegnian convoy is close. They will approach the passage in 60 mikes, give or take a few. Noble 2, I want you to be in the air and concealed in ten. Despite the information obtained being deemed trustworthy by our bird in the sky, it''s better to have another set of eyes that have a direct line of sight to the ground."
Kat, being the one addressed by Carter, nods. "That is easy enough. I will inform you if anything appears outside of our expectations."
Carter returns the nod before saying. "The Spanish Coalition is pushing their counterattack harder than before, especially when the recent Fur Spaniard convoy supplied them with more than enough arms and medical stuff. This means that Sardegna is feeling the heat even more now when their Crusaders are sitting on the sideline. That said, with RMS Bismarck and RMS Prinz Eugen wiping the floor with the Erusean Royal Navy, the naval blockade on Sardegna has been loosened. As such, the Papacy has managed to use their blockade runners and reinforce their army in Spain, bringing about our mission for the day."
Carter then says as the rest of them look at him. "Sardegna is going to conduct an ambitious nking maneuver by dedicating arge, mixed force of mechanized and motorized. Whoever is in charge of the Sardegnian army right now got a good head on their shoulders, having noticed a weakness in the Coalition''s formation. As of now, the battle-hardened Inquisitors and Shadow Company are sitting on the frontline, taking on the brunt of Sardegna resistance. Guarding the formers'' sides are volunteer divisions from overseas that are tasked with handling the weaker outcrops of Sardgenian troops. Most of these volunteer divisions are new to battle, safe to say a weakness Sardegna can exploit. If the Sardegnian nking force catches these divisions by surprise, thetter will be wiped and Sardegna will have a straight shot at threatening the supply line of the bulk of the Coalition''s army. Even worse, the counterattack force of the Coalition may even be surrounded, cut off from friendly territory."
Emile smirks. "Let me guess, that''s a no-no from Command?"
Carter levels a stare at the skull-faced Emile for being interrupted. "What else? ONI sees this move as a threat to the Operation''s integrity, with us and Blue Team tasked with eliminating that threat. The passage below us is the alleyway for Sardegna to rush a knife straight into those volunteer divisions on the other side. And that''s not ounting for the fact that the high grounds advantage by the end of the passage will allow Sardegnian artillery to rain Hell on the frontline. We need to stop them here, and now, preferably denying the passage for future use altogether. After discussions with Overlord and Blue Leader, thetter is decided on and will be conducted by both teams on the ground."
Jorge, who is kneeling by the side with his HMG resting nearby, asks. "Asset denial. But what if the Coalition can use the passage in the future? Though it''s still in Sardegnian-controlled territory, once the Coalition pushes here, they can use it to head deep into the heart of the Papal''s holdout in Spain."
Hearing that it''s not Carter but Kat that exins. "Probably too much trouble for little returns. Given time, the Coalition will reach the edge of Eastern Spain at a steady pace. If they use this passage here with a dedicated force, what to say that Sardegna doesn''t wise up and copse it on top of them as we will."
"What she said." Carter added. "We will station here, on the Eastern end of this passage while Blue Team will take the other end. Now, I want you all to take these." Carter then reaches behind him, pulling over a bag containing explosive charges and detonation devices. "Courtesy of thest supply drop, nt these where you think can cause arge enoughndslide."
Jun, peering into the pack, whistles. "This is more than enough to have them buried deeper than six feet." He then grabs a few charges and a detonator for his own, prompting the others to do the same.
After the team members armed up, Carter says. "Blue Team will be doing much of the same thing as us. Given that they''re on the other side, we will wait for their go, meaning we will only detonate after they do. Overlord wants as many Sardegnian war materials inside the passage as possible, so we can''t get jumpy."
"Let''s say we trap box them in, what''s next?" Emile asked, not too surprising given his aggressive nature.
Carter responds calmly. "Kat will be up in the sky to call out target. Jun and Jorge will take the high ground, pouring on the survivors. Emile, you and I will go down and take care of them up close and personal. I reckon you won''t find any issue in that order?"
On his part, Emile just pumps his shotgun. But everyone present knows that behind the skull visor is a bloodthirsty.
Carter disbands the team, letting them move out to set the explosives. He hangs back for a moment, kicking away the impromptu sand table before heading out behind them.
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It''s a chilly September evening when the newly formed Sardegnian army corp starts traversing the passage in their ambitious nking maneuver. The way ahead is a bit of a narrow one, and an uneven one at that. Fortunately for the Sardegnian force, their Generals allot them with arge mechanized force, a majority of which are L3 tankettes. Despite theirckluster performance in tank-on-tankbat, these tankettes can traverse mountainous terrain without any issue at all, even going as far as pulling stuck supply trucks or containers out of a pothole. Truly the little tankette that could.
Further behind the formation of men and tankettes climbing the terrain is a line of towed artillery and older light tank models. Thetter consists of Fiat 3000 variants, the L5/21 and L5/30. The former is armed with twin 6.5mm machine guns while thetter is armed with a 37/40 gun. It''s this particr group of heavy equipment that stalls the Sardegnians as they aren''t made to travel such a difficultndscape. But at least the Sardegnians don''t have to worry about Spanish scouts, not this deep in their territory at least. Their own perimeter patrols also report nothing out of the ordinary, putting the suspicion of the officers to rest.
They will wish they hadn''t done that.
As high-profile targets, these officers are sitting in the middle of the formation, protected by the more crack shooters of the corps as the rest of the troops move along. Knowing that it''s almost time for supper, these officers start ordering around to bring them their dinners, setting up shop on a t rocky outcrop. Overlooking their soldiers like overlords, with foods presented hot on their tables, these officers are just about to dine with smiles on their faces when thend shakes. A few of them curse, looking ahead of the convoy as a majorndslide descends on their vanguards. The tons of mud, dirt, and rocks roll through the infantrymen and tankettes effortlessly, crushing them while kicking up a major dust cloud, obfuscating the vision in their entire passage. The firstndslide is still in progress when the second one and a third one happen. Only this time, these ur in the middle and rear of the Sardegnian formation. Seeing thendslides bearing down at them from all sides, the Sardegnians panic.
To escape the rumbling earth, everyone starts ditching everything they have on their person just to run away. Some tankers try to turn around and flee in their metal caskets, while others opt to abandon their trapped vehicles and run. Infantrymen, on the other hand, throw their guns, their backpacks, and even their helmets in desperation. Officers, gone are the high-and-mighty attitude, scampers over the food tables, their chairs fall over haphazardly as they push each other away to save their skin. Overall, it''s a chaotic sight. But try as they all are, they can''t just outrun tons of debris.
Some are sttered on the ground by stray falling rocks while others are rolled under, consumed by thendslide with their screams drowned by the trembling atmosphere. Soon, the majority of the corps are buried deep, never to see the light of day again. Thenes the dust cloud, it''s thick enough to be seen from kilometers away and casts arge shadow over the entire passage. Once the tremors stop fully, there''s only silence at first. But such a silence doesn''tst long before weak cries for help can be heard. Even though the damage dealt has been unimaginable for an army, there exist lucky survivors, battered and broken as they may be. There''s also the fact those that who were buried don''t present the entirety of the Sardegnian corps. Some of their rearguards and logisticponents were lucky enough to be stationed outside the passageway. Moving on from their dumbstruck, these elements scramble to perform search and rescue in the now almost impassable terrain. Their progress will be heavily hampered when all they can bring out is pure manpower and without being able to utilize heavy equipment. That is if something else doesn''t get to them first.
As it''s already evening, the dust cloud offers little to no visibility even with fog lights. Because of that, the soldiers that are trying to pull the casualties to safety never see theming, the humanoid demons in the shape of armored men. Faster than their eyes can see, swifter than their ears can register, the visages of metallic humanoids dash down the rubbles of the mountainsides. Their guns, if the Sardegnians can even call it that, spat out projectiles with only suppressed sounds while one, in particr, boomed like the Doomsday bell. Yet before their Sardegnian brains cane to an understanding, they''re already falling down on the ground, dead with their vitals struck.
Carter, favoring his G1SD, pulls his trigger sessively, sending precise 8mm bullets into the heads of Sardegnians armed with heavy weapons. Jumping over a bloodied rock, Carternds on a half-buried L5/30, using it as a tform to engage the enemy running for cover.
Emile, favoring a personal approach. Rush like a mad bull with his shotgun wielded in two hands. The bulk of the Raven body-checked an unfortunate Sardegnian, snapping the young man''s spine in half. Emile then turns to the side, firing his 8-gauge shotgun at a group of four enemy infantries. Due to the size of the Raven-issued shotgun, the pellets it fires are much bigger and more numerous than the standard-issued Belkan S-12G shotgun. As such, it only excites Emile more when one buckshot from his trusty primary decimates the four souls. With a sharpugh, Emile pumps his weapon, unloading another shot onto the back of a few Sardegnians. The man then unsheaths his kukri, stabbing the head of a foolish soldier who charges his side. Emile doesn''t even bother a look at the fool, now with his arms limply hanging down.
Kat, on her part, flies interception. Any enemy retreating from the AO will be for her to deal with. Her PSG1-SD snipes them from above at afortable distance of 600 meters above ground. With the onset of promising death, they should be lucky that Kat is the one to kill them swiftly with a bullet to the head. That way, they can avoid staring their death in the face. In a way, Kat''s execution is a cut more elegant than the others by a mile.
Jun though, isn''t as subtle as Kat, though he could be if he chose to do so. His choice of sniper rifle is obviously bigger than Kat''s marksman version of the G1 rifle. Jun has picked the SG-14.5 as his rifle of choice, in fact, it''s an anti-materiel sniper rifle in one hefty package. And while it''s a bolt-action, thus can only engage a target at a slower pace than Kat''s rifle, Jun picks targets that are sticking in a cluster to deal coterals due to his payload bullet''s fragmentation effects. Trumping over Emile''s shotgun reports, Jun''s rifle fires like the ticks of a well-oiled clock, with each tick leaving behind severed torsos and strewn body parts.
But perhaps the one to have the biggest fun of them all is none other than Jorge. The man with the hulking body bigger than a bear holds his Etika HMG with two hands, aiming her down onto a swath of panicking Sardegnians. With the press of a trigger, the rhythmic thumping of his HMG can be heard across the entire passage. The 14.5mm bullets tear holes in the dust clouds before impacting and detonating in the midst of the enemy, delivering chaos, death, and destruction to the soldiers of the Lord. With both Jorge and Jun using the same ammo, it doesn''t take long for the two men to bond over their usage of express death delivery. Jorge points Etika to the right, the cowering troops explode alongside their covers. Jorge aims Etika to the left, and the enemy that is firing aimlessly at the shadows of his teammates is destroyed with impunity. Finally, when his entire 200-round belt is expended, Jorge stops to survey the situation on the ground.
Given that the enemy is caught by surprise in a no-visibility situation, the Sardegnians die without even as muchying a scratch on the shielding of their Raven armors. After many revisions by Einstein, some kinks on their armor were worked out, and now, their enemy won''t be able to sneak a lucky shot under the shielding. The best they can do is toy it thick on a Raven and hope for the best, a notion that any sane Raven won''t allow to happen... Unless it''s Emile, the mad may allow it for the fun of it, knowing that the man ran the Shoothouse and pped a big-ass bomb away with his kukri. Such a record is still unbeatable to this day and will remain so for a long time. The Marshal considers that as a point-proven and a one-off thing unless proper care is given for one to try and beat the Shoothouse the way Emile did.
Jorge surveys Emile''s location, seeing him chuck a nade down the hatch of thest pocket of resistance that somehowmandeered a tank. The skeletal visor is then seen jumping off the vehicle, dusting his hands off like nobody''s business before the tank explodes in a cluster of me and burning metals. Jorge almost lets out a snicker when he remembers Emile on a gurney,ughing the blood out of his body while being carried away on a gurney. Oh, the madman of the team is tough work, but it''s their tough work alright. Whenpared to Blue Team, Noble Team is the more colorful one, in fact, they''re the most unique of the entire Raven batch as every single one of them can be a troublemaker on their own. If not for the Marshal mysteriously intervening, Noble Team would have changed their roster many times. But the Marshal seems to see something in this bunch of misfits and allows them the time to bond with each other. The end result is a gratifying one, with thempeting with the more Blue Team in being the best Ravens out there. Granted, it''s not that big of a leaderboard but it''s something.
Jorge is then pulled out of his calm mulling when Jun says over the radio. "Hey, boss, it seems that Blue Team is just about done on their end. But Kat, are you seeing what I''m seeing?"
"If you''re talking about that distortion on your HUD, yeah. You''re not the only one." Kat replied. It takes Jorge only a second to check for the distortion they''re talking about before seeing it too.
"This is Jorge, I also got it on my end."
Their team leader interjects. "Kat, SITREP."
"Noble Leader, it seems that we have gotten ourselves an unexpected guest. One that we may know."
Jun smirks. "And here I thought today has been too easy."
Carter replies, hearing Jun''sment. "Wouldn''t be a Noble mission if it''s easy. Report to ONI, Overlord may want to hear this."
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^6: Just Chilling
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^6: Just Chilling
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Door''s not locked!" Mobius shoutedzily to the person on the other side. Having been working on perfecting the serum used to make Ravens for days, Mobius is tired and is now resting by lying haphazardly on a bouncy object. Near her spot is a well-kempt Einstein who is sitting behind a desk, her fingers typing away at aputer while reaching out for her coffee at the same time.
With permission granted, the person behind the door opens it, revealing to be Yuki who has arrived, bearing snacks and drinks. The Marshal of an entire nation raises an eyebrow at the sight of a very nonchnt Mobius, still draping in herb coat and her trademark green shirt, back skirt, and ck tie. Currently, the green-haired doctor is lying on her back, her legs rocking in the air while her head is situated lower than her waist, eyes staring shiftlessly at the stylized ceiling above. The only thing out of ce is the thing Mobius chose to lie on... It''s a damn slime and a big one at that.
To be more specific, it''s Slime-san, the friend of the family that is now made into a bed by an unenergetic Mobius. Yuki can''t help but ask. "So, how''s the bed?"
Mobius listlessly replies. "Comfy, cool, alleviate my ache."
"Great." Yukimented before raising the two bags she was carrying. "Pizza and milk tea?"
Mobius immediately rolls over on her belly, ignoring the state of her attire. "Yes, please!" Mobius said with audible anticipation, eyeing Yuki''s bags hungrily like a predator, a snake if you will.
Yuki smiles at her eagerness before stepping to the kitchen area on this floor, greeting Einstein in the process. "Afternoon, Einstein. You wanna take a break with us?" And before you ask, yes, this is one of the floors that are reserved for Yuki''s family, Mobius''s, and Einstein''s personal floor/home nowadays to be exact.
Einstein looks at Yuki, smiling warmingly, and nods. "Sure, my work is just about done anyway." Einstein then stands up to join Yuki in the kitchen. "Here, let me help you with that." The bespectacled doctor helped Yuki in carrying the bags, directing her smile at the Marshal.
Yuki, being cared for like that, giggles. "Feeling gant today, aren''t we." With a grin, Yuki leans in and pecks Einstein on her lips. "Thanks."
The good doctor blushes at that but otherwise expresses her giddiness by aiding Yuki in getting out the food and drinks with zeal. Momentster, Yuki and Einsteine out with trays of aromatic pizzas and glossy milk tea. Stopping just in front of Slime-san who is gazing at the trays with curiosity, Yuki taps her sole on the floor once, thus conjuring an ice table. She then coats it with an enchantment, preventing the cold from dissipating into the air and thus melting the table. Finally, Yuki and Einstein ce the tray on the newly created table, with the former saying.
"Pizzas fresh from Hepahaestus'' Oven." Yuki''s words prompted Mobius to perk up instantly, a shine in her emerald eyes. "You got them from that legendary pizzeria!? That ce takes an entire year before they can handle your order!"
Yuki chuckles while Einstein pulls out a couple of chairs for Yuki and herself to sit on. "Thanks, Einstein." Yuki turns to Mobius with a smile. "I was actually visiting the restaurant belonging to Hephaestus''s descendants. But then the old God decided to wee me into his establishment instead. Though I tried to say otherwise, the citizens had been very forting in letting the Greek God make my orders first before theirs. I couldn''t exactly refuse against that kind of peer pressure, you know."
Mobius nods a bit absentmindedly as she gazes at the hunger-inducing pizza. "May I?"
"Go ahead, cheese pizza for you and pepperoni for Einstein and me. Milk tea with or without boba depending on your fine taste." Yuki then points at a dish on the table. "And seeing that we are now hosting Slime-san, I have brought out a tray of cookies."
Slime-san, despite being made a bed by Mobius, forms a thumbs up at Yuki. The small group then starts dining, with Mobius picking up the cheesy slices with glee while Einstein starts feeding Yuki a bit too naturally. Seeing thetters'' action, Mobius rolls her eyes, feeling a bit envious herself. Hence, Mobius picks up the cookies and brings them close to Slime-san too. The slime bed epts them, tossing the cookies inside its translucent blueish body while fist-bumping Mobius as a thank-you. They then continue on into light chats, light being they discuss the topics that ONI agents will kill to make sure they stay hidden. Midway into their meal, Yuki asks while sporting a healthy blush on her cheeks. "Say, how long have Slime-san been here? I can''t help but notice that our slime has been awfullyfortable being a bed." Yuki is blushing because Einstein is using her fingers to clean the pizza crumbs on the former''s lips. Einstein then proceeds to eat it, quite sensually natural at that, if you could even put her manner that way.
Mobius, who ispping up the cheese from her pizza, stops to look down at Slime-san. Thetter also stops turning the cookies into nutrients, seemingly looking to Mobius before shrugging their body. Mobius mimics the action, saying. "Long enough and frequent enough that they are used to be my assistant. Though most of the time I request for Slime-san to let me rest on their floaty body, it helps me think." Slime-san forms a tentacle, waving it up and down in agreement.
Yuki, not sure how to respond, just says. "Ok... You''ve been treating Slime-san right, I presume? Thest thing we want is for Ningyo and Mei to bring a gauss cannon to bear."
Mobius twitches an eyebrow at the mention of a Gauss cannon, nheless, she replies while ignoring the image of a copsed mansion flooring. "Don''t worry, I''ve got it covered. We just need to answer a few questions from our good friend, right here." Mobius pats Slime-san''s body, prompting them to jiggle a few times.
Yuki and Einstein share a look, with thetter saying. "I don''t see anything wrong with that. Slime-san has been very helpful around here. A nice distraction, if you know what I mean." Einstein smiles meaningfully, causing Yuki to roll her eyes good-naturedly before nodding.
Mobius finishes her pizza before wiping her hands clean with a napkin. "Alright then! Slime-san, you suggested something about a list of sorts, am I correct?" Mobius pats Slime-san before reaching out for her boba milk tea. Coincidentally, Yuki and Einstein are enjoying their milk tea without the floaty treats inside. Their loss, Mobius thought.
Slime-san, on their part, somehow reaches inside their jelly body and pulls out a sheet of paper, filled with neat writings and even color-coded for ease of reading. Mobius smiles, saying. "There we go! Now let''s see if anything is interesting." Mobius grabs the paper, skimming over it before taking a gulp from her boba tea. Tasting the sweet and chewy drink, Mobius stops before shrugging and holding the tea out for Slime-san. "Want some?"
Slime-san seems to look at the boba before slowly extending a tentacle at the big straw, sucking a bit of the drink up. Surprisingly, Slime-san''s body turns a milky white, and floating inside the not-so-translucent body are pearls-like objects. Mobius, and also Yuki, and Einstein, stare at Slime-san in utter confusion at the transformation. On their part, Slime-san seems to investigate their body before making a face-palm gesture with a tentacle. Slime-san then points at the boba in Mobius'' hand. A Marshal and two doctors look at it before simultaneously saying. "Yeah, I me the Boba."
Slime-san sighs, acting exasperated with their jiggling body but ultimately epting their recent change. Mobius shrugs before reading aloud the first few lines on the paper.
"First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have helped my mother and me through a period of tough time." Mobius and the other two look down at Slime-san. "Hey, it''s not a big deal for us at all. However as I said before, it would have been easier if we could just bring her over on this side. If that was possible, you wouldn''t be in such a bind every now and then."
Slime-san shrugs, expressing that it can''t be helped. Yuki sighs, adding. "As much as it pained me to say this even with Yggdra''s help, getting them toe here is nigh impossible, not without upsetting some serious bnce in the Omniverse... But that would be a story for another, preferably a long time in the future." Einstein grabs Yuki''s hand in an attempt atfort. The Marshal smiles before squeezing Einstein''s palm.
"Moving along then, no offense, Slime-san." Mobius said, leading to the Slime giving a thumbs up. "First question..."
- We know that Nice is an important part of the cast due to her being on vacation by the ''Boss of Bosses''. Her power and intellect, whenbined with others, have elevated Belka to an unimaginable degree. but what about the Duke of Indochina? Just what is the n for this particr Duke going forward?
"Oh, we are starting with a big one right off the bat, eh?" Mobiusmented while Yuki ced her fingers beneath her chin, answering.
"Well, Duke of Indochina is... Blessed, to say the least. The Duke himself is not just an important chess piece but also a few key people under him. They''re needed to bolster the Ustian Reformists, more specifically Princess Rosa Bonaparte''s power. They will be integral in not just Rosa''s faction but also in Belka''s n to pacify Southeast Asia and develop that region. Quite frankly, they are a crucial piece in my long set-in-stone V2 n. So yes, you will be seeing their namesing up now and then."
Einstein adds helpfully. "In short, Yuki has ns for them but she just doesn''t want to spoil it for others just yet."
Yuki chuckles. "My point exactly. The best I can say is that the man supplies us with good coffee. That''s what he builds his entire duchy on, now that I think about it. Other than that, his descendants should prove to be useful in the long future. There''s always a need for good figureheads."
Mobius smirks before moving on. "Next question then... And this one belongs to a patron of Slime-san, Dan."
- So once WW2 is over, what''s next for Belka and maybe, the entire world atrge?
"Now that''s an interesting question." Yuki grinned, obviously invested in the question. "So what will happen when Belka rules the world, eh? Einstein, my dear, do you want to take a shot at this? Obviously, I can''t say everything so I would rather have you answered the question than me leaving things hanging."
Einstein hums while nodding. "Sure. If n V2 is made for Belka to take control of the world and eliminate all borders via any means necessary, then there''s also another n concocted. One that is only in effect when V2''s criteria arepleted. This n will focus more on blurring the lines of ethnicities and previously ingrained nationalities. Once the unity of all races and identities is achieved, thus stamping out any attempt of insurrection, a new Golden Age will be ushered in. An age of economic and military development on aary scale. After that, a sr-wise expansion before, eventually, the Reich will be a universal spanning entity. There are ces to be and things to explore."
"And things to kill." Yuki added with a smirk.
Einstein follows soon after. "Suffice to say, Yuki ns big."
Mobius interjects. "That would be an understatement. We all know just how bad Yuki can be once she''s in the groove. She even has my trademarked maniacal grin whenever she ns someone or something''s downfall."
Yuki rolls her eyes. "Pot, meet kettle. Also, trademark, seriously?"
Mobius shrugs. "What, my smile is fabulous."
Even Einstein rolls her eyes at that narcissisticment. "Next!"
With a perpetual grin on her face, Mobius reads the next question.
- What does Nice do on a daily basis?
"Well, I think I can take this question on." Mobius spoke up.
"Over to you, Mobius." Yuki said while sipping on her milk tea.
Mobius takes a sip from her boba before saying. "Iterating what was said before, Nice is on vacation. Hence, most of the time, unless we ask her for help on, let''s say, improving the Reality Anchor technology, Nice is off doing whatever the Hell she wants. Sometimes, she would take Ningyo and Mei out to y, other times, Nice would strap jet engines into a Leopard MBT just so she could take it for a drift game. And I shit you not, she actually did it without flipping the fucking thing."
Einstein frowns. "Language, Mobius."
Pursing her lips, Mobius replies. "Yes, mum! Anyway, the point is, Nice is just being Nice. She is just a bundle of fun and surprise and I would like to see what''s cooking up next in her mind. Other than that, she is attentive and a dear friend of this family... What the fuck are you two doing?" Mobius stopped as she watched Einstein handing over Yuki a 20-Reichsmark bill.
Yuki and Einstein shrug after sharing a look. "We had a running bet whether you would acknowledge this family as, well, your family. Einstein lost, obviously."
With a twitching eyebrow, Mobius asks. "I would ignore that there''s a bet I didn''t know of... What did Einstein bet on?"
"That you wouldn''t say it aloud." Einstein exined.
Mobius res at Einstein. "I find yourck of faith most disturbing."
Einstein doesn''t react to that but Slime-san facepalms while Yuki has a weird look on her face. Nheless, Mobius carries on with the next inquiry.
- Will there ever be a 501st Yuki''s Fist?
"Yggdra damn it!" Yuki nted her face into her palms while Slime-san ran their tentacles along their ''face''. " My only division is the 404th Ironblood and I am not narcissistic enough! Next!" Yukimanded, leading Mobius to shrug but abiding by her will.
- How did Rosa manage to blow up three ovens?
"She did what now?" Yuki asked, looking up and utterly confused.
Einstein raises a hand. "Oh, that I can exin. I managed to hear the wordsing from Mary''s mouth. Rosa used too much flour in baking her croissants, then identally overheated the ovens, and lost track of time when she osted Mary for kisses. The end results, three wrecked ovens."
"..." Yuki brings her fingers up, massaging the bridge of her nose. "Why the Hell did nobody report this to me?"
"Probably because it wasn''t important enough?" Mobius hypothesized. Yuki then waves a hand, signaling Mobius to continue with the questioning.
- Is it nned for the Raven program to growrger than it currently is?
"I thought we went over this before?" Yuki asked, not very sure. Mobius helpfully answers the question in her stead. "Not yet in full, I think. Either way, Whenever we have enough funding, we convert or induct disabled veterans and experienced volunteers into the next batch of Ravens. Other than that, Yuki has ONI run a few orphanages, rearing gifted children to be potential seedlings for the next generation of Ravens. Of course, everything is done on a voluntary basis and it will be a while till the second-gen will make an appearance."
Mobius then says. "On that note..."
- What is the supersoldier serum, to be exact?
Mobius takes the lead on answering this, her pride is evidenced in her voice. "My greatest aplishment, of course! The serum is ayman''s term for a magical potion that I invented. Its original intent was to unlock humankind''s unlimited potential, allowing humans to achieve limitless growth in physical, mental, magical, and astral departments, much like other magical races. Gone will be disease and illness, and their aging will be virtually non-existent, given the right condition. s, I am still very far from attaining the perfected potion. I can only settle for the imperfect serum and help Yuki create an army of superhumans. But mark my word, I will perfect my baby! The rules of nature are never meant for me!" Mobius ended it with zeal.
Of all the reactions she was expecting, Mobius never guessed that Slime-san would be pping their ''hands''. "... Moving on."
- When is the next ''dates''? And what are the next destinations?
Yuki blushes heavily after hearing the questions. Coughing into her fist, she speaks up with a shy tone. "I should have expected this line of query considering my romantic escapee tends to involve... Carnal acts."
Even Mobius and Einstein are stealing nces at Yuki, waiting for her response.
Sighing, Yuki answers while crossing her arms. "The next date is yet to be determined as thest one was a bit impromptu. Nevertheless, my next" Yuki makes air quotes gestures. "''partners'' will be my mom and mama, Lu and Hel to be exact. After that..."
Yuki links hands with Einstein while directing a meaningful, albeit boastful nce at Mobius. "I would love to have a journey with Einstein and Mobius."
The pair of doctors share a look before simultaneously saying. "That would be our pleasure!" Yuki nods at them with an indicative grin.
After that, Mobius says. "Oh, we are reaching the end now. This is thest question. And it''s right up Einstein''s alley."
- Will there be big bada-boom mechs? The finest development in badassery warfare?
Einstein flinches. "Was that how it was worded?"
Mobius shows Einstein the paper before chucking it back inside Slime-san''s body. The slime, on the other hand, forms a thumbs up as a thank you. "Down to every single letter, Blue."
"Fine." Einstein moves on to say. "Yuki said that there''s always a reason why she insisted on sticking with the name of Raven for our supersoldiers program. Apparently, Yuki would like it very much for these exceptional talents to be paired with a Magitech mech to further boost their operational capacity. In short, overkill for everything out there in the wilderness. But then again, consider all the threats out there, having more firepower is always a good thing."
Yuki follows up on that train of thought. "Keep in mind that the restriction on mana will be gradually lifted. This means that a Japanese God would go from being to create a pond to forming a localized tsunami. A Kraken would not just stop at being a sea menace but would go on to be a deadly scourge among the sky... Many things could go wrong if we do not prepare sufficiently."
Mobius interjects. "I still want my sentient zombies."
"Bad Mobius, no!" Yuki shut her down immediately, causing her to pout.
"But that''s it for the Q&A. To be honest, I didn''t expect we would be doing one after so long." Yukimented.
"Last time around was fun though, more chaotic with Slime-san and a Takodachi duking it out." Mobius added with a smirk.
"Ended in a stalemate, if I recall correctly." Einstein remembered.
"But let''s not do that any time soon. Thest thing we need is another temporal mess to clean up." Yuki sighed. "Other than that, Slime-san has been a very good friend to us. So why don''t you click or copy-paste the link down below to support them, yeah? Supporting their little family of two would aid them in transcribing this little slice of the omniverse for you all, did you know that?"
"We hope to see you soon!" All of them said at the same time, while Slime-san saluted.
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^6: Just Chilling
Chapter ???:@$#%^!%^6: Just Chilling
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Door''s not locked!" Mobius shoutedzily to the person on the other side. Having been working on perfecting the serum used to make Ravens for days, Mobius is tired and is now resting by lying haphazardly on a bouncy object. Near her spot is a well-kempt Einstein who is sitting behind a desk, her fingers typing away at aputer while reaching out for her coffee at the same time.
With permission granted, the person behind the door opens it, revealing to be Yuki who has arrived, bearing snacks and drinks. The Marshal of an entire nation raises an eyebrow at the sight of a very nonchnt Mobius, still draping in herb coat and her trademark green shirt, back skirt, and ck tie. Currently, the green-haired doctor is lying on her back, her legs rocking in the air while her head is situated lower than her waist, eyes staring shiftlessly at the stylized ceiling above. The only thing out of ce is the thing Mobius chose to lie on... It''s a damn slime and a big one at that.
To be more specific, it''s Slime-san, the friend of the family that is now made into a bed by an unenergetic Mobius. Yuki can''t help but ask. "So, how''s the bed?"
Mobius listlessly replies. "Comfy, cool, alleviate my ache."
"Great." Yukimented before raising the two bags she was carrying. "Pizza and milk tea?"
Mobius immediately rolls over on her belly, ignoring the state of her attire. "Yes, please!" Mobius said with audible anticipation, eyeing Yuki''s bags hungrily like a predator, a snake if you will.
Yuki smiles at her eagerness before stepping to the kitchen area on this floor, greeting Einstein in the process. "Afternoon, Einstein. You wanna take a break with us?" And before you ask, yes, this is one of the floors that are reserved for Yuki''s family, Mobius''s, and Einstein''s personal floor/home nowadays to be exact.
Einstein looks at Yuki, smiling warmingly, and nods. "Sure, my work is just about done anyway." Einstein then stands up to join Yuki in the kitchen. "Here, let me help you with that." The bespectacled doctor helped Yuki in carrying the bags, directing her smile at the Marshal.
Yuki, being cared for like that, giggles. "Feeling gant today, aren''t we." With a grin, Yuki leans in and pecks Einstein on her lips. "Thanks."
The good doctor blushes at that but otherwise expresses her giddiness by aiding Yuki in getting out the food and drinks with zeal. Momentster, Yuki and Einsteine out with trays of aromatic pizzas and glossy milk tea. Stopping just in front of Slime-san who is gazing at the trays with curiosity, Yuki taps her sole on the floor once, thus conjuring an ice table. She then coats it with an enchantment, preventing the cold from dissipating into the air and thus melting the table. Finally, Yuki and Einstein ce the tray on the newly created table, with the former saying.
"Pizzas fresh from Hepahaestus'' Oven." Yuki''s words prompted Mobius to perk up instantly, a shine in her emerald eyes. "You got them from that legendary pizzeria!? That ce takes an entire year before they can handle your order!"
Yuki chuckles while Einstein pulls out a couple of chairs for Yuki and herself to sit on. "Thanks, Einstein." Yuki turns to Mobius with a smile. "I was actually visiting the restaurant belonging to Hephaestus''s descendants. But then the old God decided to wee me into his establishment instead. Though I tried to say otherwise, the citizens had been very forting in letting the Greek God make my orders first before theirs. I couldn''t exactly refuse against that kind of peer pressure, you know."
Mobius nods a bit absentmindedly as she gazes at the hunger-inducing pizza. "May I?"
"Go ahead, cheese pizza for you and pepperoni for Einstein and me. Milk tea with or without boba depending on your fine taste." Yuki then points at a dish on the table. "And seeing that we are now hosting Slime-san, I have brought out a tray of cookies."
Slime-san, despite being made a bed by Mobius, forms a thumbs up at Yuki. The small group then starts dining, with Mobius picking up the cheesy slices with glee while Einstein starts feeding Yuki a bit too naturally. Seeing thetters'' action, Mobius rolls her eyes, feeling a bit envious herself. Hence, Mobius picks up the cookies and brings them close to Slime-san too. The slime bed epts them, tossing the cookies inside its translucent blueish body while fist-bumping Mobius as a thank-you. They then continue on into light chats, light being they discuss the topics that ONI agents will kill to make sure they stay hidden. Midway into their meal, Yuki asks while sporting a healthy blush on her cheeks. "Say, how long have Slime-san been here? I can''t help but notice that our slime has been awfullyfortable being a bed." Yuki is blushing because Einstein is using her fingers to clean the pizza crumbs on the former''s lips. Einstein then proceeds to eat it, quite sensually natural at that, if you could even put her manner that way.
Mobius, who ispping up the cheese from her pizza, stops to look down at Slime-san. Thetter also stops turning the cookies into nutrients, seemingly looking to Mobius before shrugging their body. Mobius mimics the action, saying. "Long enough and frequent enough that they are used to be my assistant. Though most of the time I request for Slime-san to let me rest on their floaty body, it helps me think." Slime-san forms a tentacle, waving it up and down in agreement.
Yuki, not sure how to respond, just says. "Ok... You''ve been treating Slime-san right, I presume? Thest thing we want is for Ningyo and Mei to bring a gauss cannon to bear."
Mobius twitches an eyebrow at the mention of a Gauss cannon, nheless, she replies while ignoring the image of a copsed mansion flooring. "Don''t worry, I''ve got it covered. We just need to answer a few questions from our good friend, right here." Mobius pats Slime-san''s body, prompting them to jiggle a few times.
Yuki and Einstein share a look, with thetter saying. "I don''t see anything wrong with that. Slime-san has been very helpful around here. A nice distraction, if you know what I mean." Einstein smiles meaningfully, causing Yuki to roll her eyes good-naturedly before nodding.
Mobius finishes her pizza before wiping her hands clean with a napkin. "Alright then! Slime-san, you suggested something about a list of sorts, am I correct?" Mobius pats Slime-san before reaching out for her boba milk tea. Coincidentally, Yuki and Einstein are enjoying their milk tea without the floaty treats inside. Their loss, Mobius thought.
Slime-san, on their part, somehow reaches inside their jelly body and pulls out a sheet of paper, filled with neat writings and even color-coded for ease of reading. Mobius smiles, saying. "There we go! Now let''s see if anything is interesting." Mobius grabs the paper, skimming over it before taking a gulp from her boba tea. Tasting the sweet and chewy drink, Mobius stops before shrugging and holding the tea out for Slime-san. "Want some?"
Slime-san seems to look at the boba before slowly extending a tentacle at the big straw, sucking a bit of the drink up. Surprisingly, Slime-san''s body turns a milky white, and floating inside the not-so-translucent body are pearls-like objects. Mobius, and also Yuki, and Einstein, stare at Slime-san in utter confusion at the transformation. On their part, Slime-san seems to investigate their body before making a face-palm gesture with a tentacle. Slime-san then points at the boba in Mobius'' hand. A Marshal and two doctors look at it before simultaneously saying. "Yeah, I me the Boba."
Slime-san sighs, acting exasperated with their jiggling body but ultimately epting their recent change. Mobius shrugs before reading aloud the first few lines on the paper.
"First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have helped my mother and me through a period of tough time." Mobius and the other two look down at Slime-san. "Hey, it''s not a big deal for us at all. However as I said before, it would have been easier if we could just bring her over on this side. If that was possible, you wouldn''t be in such a bind every now and then."
Slime-san shrugs, expressing that it can''t be helped. Yuki sighs, adding. "As much as it pained me to say this even with Yggdra''s help, getting them toe here is nigh impossible, not without upsetting some serious bnce in the Omniverse... But that would be a story for another, preferably a long time in the future." Einstein grabs Yuki''s hand in an attempt atfort. The Marshal smiles before squeezing Einstein''s palm.
"Moving along then, no offense, Slime-san." Mobius said, leading to the Slime giving a thumbs up. "First question..."
- We know that Nice is an important part of the cast due to her being on vacation by the ''Boss of Bosses''. Her power and intellect, whenbined with others, have elevated Belka to an unimaginable degree. but what about the Duke of Indochina? Just what is the n for this particr Duke going forward?
"Oh, we are starting with a big one right off the bat, eh?" Mobiusmented while Yuki ced her fingers beneath her chin, answering.
"Well, Duke of Indochina is... Blessed, to say the least. The Duke himself is not just an important chess piece but also a few key people under him. They''re needed to bolster the Ustian Reformists, more specifically Princess Rosa Bonaparte''s power. They will be integral in not just Rosa''s faction but also in Belka''s n to pacify Southeast Asia and develop that region. Quite frankly, they are a crucial piece in my long set-in-stone V2 n. So yes, you will be seeing their namesing up now and then."
Einstein adds helpfully. "In short, Yuki has ns for them but she just doesn''t want to spoil it for others just yet."
Yuki chuckles. "My point exactly. The best I can say is that the man supplies us with good coffee. That''s what he builds his entire duchy on, now that I think about it. Other than that, his descendants should prove to be useful in the long future. There''s always a need for good figureheads."
Mobius smirks before moving on. "Next question then... And this one belongs to a patron of Slime-san, Dan."
- So once WW2 is over, what''s next for Belka and maybe, the entire world atrge?
"Now that''s an interesting question." Yuki grinned, obviously invested in the question. "So what will happen when Belka rules the world, eh? Einstein, my dear, do you want to take a shot at this? Obviously, I can''t say everything so I would rather have you answered the question than me leaving things hanging."
Einstein hums while nodding. "Sure. If n V2 is made for Belka to take control of the world and eliminate all borders via any means necessary, then there''s also another n concocted. One that is only in effect when V2''s criteria arepleted. This n will focus more on blurring the lines of ethnicities and previously ingrained nationalities. Once the unity of all races and identities is achieved, thus stamping out any attempt of insurrection, a new Golden Age will be ushered in. An age of economic and military development on aary scale. After that, a sr-wise expansion before, eventually, the Reich will be a universal spanning entity. There are ces to be and things to explore."
"And things to kill." Yuki added with a smirk.
Einstein follows soon after. "Suffice to say, Yuki ns big."
Mobius interjects. "That would be an understatement. We all know just how bad Yuki can be once she''s in the groove. She even has my trademarked maniacal grin whenever she ns someone or something''s downfall."
Yuki rolls her eyes. "Pot, meet kettle. Also, trademark, seriously?"
Mobius shrugs. "What, my smile is fabulous."
Even Einstein rolls her eyes at that narcissisticment. "Next!"
With a perpetual grin on her face, Mobius reads the next question.
- What does Nice do on a daily basis?
"Well, I think I can take this question on." Mobius spoke up.
"Over to you, Mobius." Yuki said while sipping on her milk tea.
Mobius takes a sip from her boba before saying. "Iterating what was said before, Nice is on vacation. Hence, most of the time, unless we ask her for help on, let''s say, improving the Reality Anchor technology, Nice is off doing whatever the Hell she wants. Sometimes, she would take Ningyo and Mei out to y, other times, Nice would strap jet engines into a Leopard MBT just so she could take it for a drift game. And I shit you not, she actually did it without flipping the fucking thing."
Einstein frowns. "Language, Mobius."
Pursing her lips, Mobius replies. "Yes, mum! Anyway, the point is, Nice is just being Nice. She is just a bundle of fun and surprise and I would like to see what''s cooking up next in her mind. Other than that, she is attentive and a dear friend of this family... What the fuck are you two doing?" Mobius stopped as she watched Einstein handing over Yuki a 20-Reichsmark bill.
Yuki and Einstein shrug after sharing a look. "We had a running bet whether you would acknowledge this family as, well, your family. Einstein lost, obviously."
With a twitching eyebrow, Mobius asks. "I would ignore that there''s a bet I didn''t know of... What did Einstein bet on?"
"That you wouldn''t say it aloud." Einstein exined.
Mobius res at Einstein. "I find yourck of faith most disturbing."
Einstein doesn''t react to that but Slime-san facepalms while Yuki has a weird look on her face. Nheless, Mobius carries on with the next inquiry.
- Will there ever be a 501st Yuki''s Fist?
"Yggdra damn it!" Yuki nted her face into her palms while Slime-san ran their tentacles along their ''face''. " My only division is the 404th Ironblood and I am not narcissistic enough! Next!" Yukimanded, leading Mobius to shrug but abiding by her will.
- How did Rosa manage to blow up three ovens?
"She did what now?" Yuki asked, looking up and utterly confused.
Einstein raises a hand. "Oh, that I can exin. I managed to hear the wordsing from Mary''s mouth. Rosa used too much flour in baking her croissants, then identally overheated the ovens, and lost track of time when she osted Mary for kisses. The end results, three wrecked ovens."
"..." Yuki brings her fingers up, massaging the bridge of her nose. "Why the Hell did nobody report this to me?"
"Probably because it wasn''t important enough?" Mobius hypothesized. Yuki then waves a hand, signaling Mobius to continue with the questioning.
- Is it nned for the Raven program to growrger than it currently is?
"I thought we went over this before?" Yuki asked, not very sure. Mobius helpfully answers the question in her stead. "Not yet in full, I think. Either way, Whenever we have enough funding, we convert or induct disabled veterans and experienced volunteers into the next batch of Ravens. Other than that, Yuki has ONI run a few orphanages, rearing gifted children to be potential seedlings for the next generation of Ravens. Of course, everything is done on a voluntary basis and it will be a while till the second-gen will make an appearance."
Mobius then says. "On that note..."