The first soldier charged at Scarlett with his sword, but Scarlett dodges his attacks and she kills him with the slash from her katana. The second soldier fires his arrow from his crossbow. Scarlett deflects the arrow and she rushes to him as she threw her slashing combos at him before finishing him off.

"Scarlett!" Sofia shouted as she and Lyria rushes to Scarlett.

"Scarlett." Lyria said in relief.

"Don't worry. You're safe with us." Scarlett said to Lyria. Lyria gasped as she smiles at her.

"Thank you." Lyria thanked Scarlett.

"You don't have to worry about her. She is the greatest warrior there is in the whole world." Sofia said happily. Scarlett laughed lightly of Sofia's compliment as she sheathed her katana.

"Now come on. We're still have to look for Katalina. But we had to let everyone in the village know what's going on here." Scarlett said.

They see the soldier turned as he pulls out a gun, pointing at them. Scarlett stood in front of both Sofia and Lyria as she was about to draw her katana. The soldier points his gun up as he fires a flare in the sky.

Not far away from the forests, Katalina gasp as she saw a flare in the sky. She runs into the forests to find out. Back in the forests, Sofia, Scarlett and Lyria were running through the woods.

"What was that thing?" Sofia asked.

"It's the flare gun." Scarlett said. "Which means he's signaling the others."

"I really don't like the sound of that." Sofia said as she looked at Lyria. "Lyria. Where those armored soldiers come from?"

"Well you see, they're from the Empire." Lyria answered.

"The Empire?" Scarlett asked.

"What's the Empire?" Sofia asked Scarlett.

"I don't know, but whatever they are, we have get out of here as soon as possible." Scarlett answered. They turned to see another soldiers as they have spotted them.

"There they are!" The soldier said as they began to chase them. Sofia, Lyria and Scarlett were kept running as far away from the soldiers. They stopped as they saw another soldiers heading straight to our heroes. unknown to them, a woman was running straight to the soldiers with her rapier. Before the soldiers react, she attacks them with ease.

"Katalina!" Lyria smiled in joy, seeing her friend again.

"So that girl in armor is Katalina?" Sofia asked.

"I think it is." Scarlett replied.

Katalina rushes to the other soldiers as she jumps high. She lands on the ground as she slays the soldiers down. After that, our heroes runs into Katalina.

"Katalina." Lyria said as Katalina turned to her as she sighed in relief.

"Lyria. Are you all right?" Katalina asked Lyria.

"Yes!" Lyria replied.

"Let's go while we still have a chance." Katalina said before turning to Sofia and Scarlett. "You two as well."

"Right!" Scarlett said as she and Sofia follows the two.

In the few moments later, the four were stopped at their tracks. They are panting as they take a deep breaths. Katalina looks around to see if there's no soldiers following behind.

"Lyria. Are you all right?" Katalina asked.

Lyria sighed. "Yes. Thank you, I'm fine."

"Good." Katalina said in relief. "I'm really glad you're not injured."

"That's because I was saved by these two." Lyria said, showing Katalina her two new friends. "This is Scarlett and her friend Sofia."

"It's our pleasure to meet you." Scarlett greeted.

"For all that you did, thank you." Katalina thanked the two before introducing herself. "My name is Lieutenant Katalina of the Empire."

"You're with the Empire?" Sofia asked.

"Oh yeah, but not anymore." Katalina said. "Anyway, you have my sincere gratitude for taking care of Lyria." Katalina and Lyria bowed to the two.

"So Katalina. Can you tell us what's going on here?" Scarlett asked.

"And why is the Empire chasing the both of you?" Sofia also asked.

"I can't give you details, but Lyria is, um... really special girl." Katalina explained as Lyria looked down with worried look on her face.

"A special girl?" Sofia said in question.

"Is that the reason those guys were chasing her?" Scarlett asked Katalina.

"Yes." Katalina answered. "For a very long time, the Empire had kept Lyria in confinement. I couldn't bare to see that, so I took her."

"So you two escaped and they were after the both of you?" Sofia asked.

"That's right." Katalina said.

"That's so horrible for the two of you." Sofia said.

"Katalina. We can take you and Lyria to the kingdom that's close by, so we can help you avoid any soldier encounters." Scarlett said.

"A kingdom close by?" Katalina asked Scarlett who nodded. "Are you sure you can help us?"

"Of course." Sofia said. "It's the fastest way if you'll follow us there. We'll do everything we can to help the both of you escape."

"Katalina." Lyria begged as Katalina sighed.

"So be it." Katalina said before facing at the two. "Sofia. Scarlett. Will you two follow my orders when we're together?"

"Yes." Both Sofia and Scarlett said in unison.

"Thank you." Katalina thanked them as Lyria smiled. "Take point. It's your territory."

"All right, let's go." Scarlett said as they began to make their move.

Sofia and Scarlett were running through the forests along with Katalina who is holding Lyria's hand while following the girls. While they running, Katalina turned and gasp as they saw a group of Empire soldiers having a interrogations with the farmer and his daughter.

"Scum. Are you sure you haven't seen a girl with blue hair?" The soldier asked while pointing his sword at the farmer.

"I just told you I haven't seen anyone." The farmer said while his daughter is behind him.

"Okay, fine, but you're going to take us to your village." Another soldier said. Unknown to them, the four heroes where hiding on the ground while peeking at them.

"What are these men doing to the farmer and his girl?" Sofia asked.

"These two are just civilians." Katalina said.

"But why?" The farmer asked.

"You and your people are going to help us with the search." The soldier said, still pointing his sword.

"Go to hell." The farmer said. "No one is going to..." One of the soldiers grabs the farmer's daughter by hand while the other soldier points the sword at the girl who is frightened.

"Now you feel like cooperating?" The soldier asked.

"Those monsters." Katalina growled as she stands up and walks up to them with her rapier drawn.

"Katalina." Lyria said.

"Where are you doing?" Scarlett asked.

"Bastards!" Katalina yelled as the soldiers turned to see her coming with her rapier in her hand.

"What?! Lieutenant Katalina!" The soldier said as he was about to attack, but Katalina strikes him in the chest with her rapier before attacking another soldier.

The other soldiers were about to charge at Katalina, but Scarlett kills one soldier behind and finishes the other soldier off with her katana. The girl whimpers as she ran to the farmer as she hugs him.

"It's okay. You're safe now." The farmer said before looking at the two. "My thanks to the two of you. You both saved us."

"Actually, what happened to you two is only because of us. We're very sorry." Katalina apologized as she bows to the two. Sofia and Lyria came to Scarlett and Sofia.

"You two should head back to the village before more of them are coming back." Scarlett said before turned to Katalina. "We got to go, Katalina."

"Right." Katalina said as the four began to leave.

"I really hate those guys. They don't care what's right or wrong." Sofia said while running.

"I'm so sorry." Katalina apologized as the two looked at the other two. "Now the people in your kingdom are in great danger because of us."

"And I'm really sorry too." Lyria apologized as well.

"It's not your guy's fault." Scarlett said. "It's the Empire that started this mess. You and Lyria have nothing to blame."

Unknown to them, the soldiers were hiding in the behind the trees, armed with crossbows. They point their crossbows at them. Katalina sees this as she went in front the three.

"Look out!" Katalina shouted as they fire the arrows at them but Katalina uses her rapier to deflect them. As then, a clapping and a chuckling laugh was heard as our heroes saw a man that was nothing more than Malcolm along with the rest of the Empire soldiers.

"I do say I admire your mastery swordplay, Lieutenant." Malcolm said. "Although, your skills has a highly prowess of your distinctive lineage."

"What do you know?" Katalina asked.

"Who's that man?" Sofia asked Katalina.

"That is Malcolm. The Minister of the Empire." Katalina answered.

"However, I can't give you my praise as a soldier. You're were once useful to watch over the girl, but then you took an advantage to help her escape." Malcolm said as Lyria shivers in fear.

"Look here, mister." Scarlett started as she unsheathes her katana. "I don't care if you're the judge or not, but if I were you, I would tell your men to stand down and let us pass."

"Oh, I'm afraid that won't happen, my friend." Malcolm said as he pulls out a purple crystal. The same one that hurts Lyria in pain. Katalina gasps of that crystal Malcolm was holding. "I'm afraid this entire affair has become the matter of honor to us. And that honor must be satisfied!"

As then, a great ferocious roar was heard. Our four heroes were looking to figure out what's making that roar as they heard a rumbling footsteps coming. They looked to see what's coming and to their shock, was a giant dark silver mechanical creature. It resembles of the giant lizard with metal spikes, red eyes, metal claws, metal legs and a tail. The metal lizard roars as it swings it claws at the four, only to dodge it just in time.

"What kind of monster is this?!" Katalina asked in shocked.

"That my dear lieutenant is my rightful tool of judgement. I called it Devastator." Malcolm said as Devastator turns around and roars at the four girls. Devastator used his giant metal claws to swipe both Scarlett and Katalina to the ground.

"Scarlett!" Sofia shouted.

"Katalina!" Lyria also shouted.

"RUN NOW!" Scarlett shouted as the two girls ran through the forests. Devastator roars as it began to chase them through the woods.

Sofia and Lyria have kept running through the woods. They turn to see that Devastator is still chasing them. The girls then stopped as they hide behind the tree. They peek to see Devastator was looking around before proceeding to the other side of the forests.

"That was close." Sofia sighed as she leans back, only she leans back. She turns around, only to see a short sword that was stabbed on the ground. The sword has a golden handle and a cross guard with a star symbol in the middle. The blade of the sword was colored pink. "Hey, there's a sword."

"Oh yes, a sword." Lyria replied. "Perhaps you should get that in case that metal creature comes back."

"Good idea." Sofia said as she walks up to the sword and pulls it out. "Now let's get out of here before that metal monster returns."

"Right." Lyria agreed as they continue to run. In the few moments, they stopped at the grassy fields in the middle of the forests.

"I hope Katalina and Scarlett are okay." Lyria hoped.

"Me too, Lyria." Sofia agreed. As then, they heard a familiar roar as they turned to see Devastator came through the woods. Devastator roars at the two.

"Go. Hide!" Sofia said as Lyria hides behind the tree.

Sofia readies her sword as Devastator began to charge at her. Devastator swings his metal claws at Sofia, but she dodges it as she jumps and swings her sword at the machine's face. Devastator roars as it hits Sofia, sending her to the ground. She gets back up, only to dodge the machine's tail attacks as she threw her slashing attacks at it. Had enough, Devastator swipes Sofia with it's claws, sending her flying. Lyria's eyes wide open as she gasps in shock, seeing Sofia landed on the ground, unconscious. Sofia's sword was dropped to the ground from her hand.

Scarlett and Katalina came to the scene and gasped as they see Sofia unconscious on the ground.

"SOFIAAAAAAAAAAA!" Scarlett screamed in shocked.

And that's the second chapter.

Now here's the thing. Devastator was a mechanical lizard monster created by me and it was inspired by the 2021 version of Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs Kong.

And the scene where Sofia found the sword was the idea by me and my friend Niagara14301. I thanked him for this idea.

What do you think of this chapter. I'll be checking back in, making another chapter soon. Kurotoa89 out!