Chapter IX:

Amidst the plumes of smoke billowing from the burning buildings, the tongues of flame that seemed to reach the Heavens and the din of battle, the two remaining sisters of the "Kanker Clan" emerged like demons from Hell itself. out of Hell itself. Dante Aligheri would be proud of that "Circle" in which they found themselves. Romagna, that which was written by St. Augustine in his book "The City of God", during the end times of the Western Empire, ravaged by the "Barbarian Invasions", the "Germanic Peoples" and with it the plundering it suffered at their hands, where many Christians believed it was the "End of the World" if Romagna fell to them. But, even so, it survived and moved on.

Erica, who was holding a wounded and unconscious Ed, turned her gaze quickly. A look of hatred was fixed on those two girls, gritting her teeth hard, while the first one looked at the young woman from Karsland with an air of coldness.

- What did you do to my Ed, damn you!.- She asked angrily, pointing her finger at him.

- Don't point at me, I didn't do anything to him: It was you, besides you attacked my home!.- Erica shouted and that aroused the astonishment of her friends.

- "I've never seen Hartmann like that before...It's like she's someone else. She's not the distracted, messy but sweet girl we know on earth, but someone else..."- Yoshika was a few meters away from the blonde, accompanied by Lynne and from there she noticed that change in her personality. It was true, she looked like someone else, someone different and even more so after having witnessed how Ed used himself as a "Human Shield" to protect her from that shot.

The wind was moving the girl's hair, under her black Officer's plate cap, her decoration around her neck and the calmness that was replaced by the nearby explosions, gave as a sign that a confrontation was going to happen at any moment.

- May and Marie Kanker, you are going to pay dearly for what you have done...attacking the countries of Eila, Sanya, Francesca and mine...I will never forgive you!.- He swore and charged at both sisters, firing a fierce hail of shells at them.

The shrapnel was traveling in a straight line towards the position of the two sisters and upon arrival, they produced a fierce deflagration that covered the area with a thick layer of black smoke. Despite having reached them, Erica did not let her guard down, she knew very well, as well as the rest of the people there, the dirty tricks and tricks of the Kanker, so she kept her vigil and from there she saw an immense battle ship "Shadow Neuroi" emerge, accompanied by others of different sizes.

- You can tell that, at first, we were fools who underestimated them and it's true, we did but from our mistakes we learn how to improve ourselves and not make them again. Only a stupid person would be able to go back to the same steps as before.- Said May, who was next to Marie and remained in command of the offensive.

- I don't care what you three have learned! I swear we will bring you to justice for your crimes. Erica is not alone, we are with her too!.- Yoshika swore an oath and jumped forward.

May and Marie accepted the challenge and from there other "Shadow" arrived, both by land and by air and with a quick movement of their hands, they started a matchless combat, taking by surprise the defenders, who had only a few seconds to get ready and start the hostilities. Double D was next to Eila and Sanya, the three of them were helping Ed, who remained unconscious but did not see that the blonde sister of the Kankers had swooped down and was about to take her boyfriend, being stopped at that moment by Erica, who reappeared and hit him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him but seeing that it had been too easy.

- You're a fool...you fell into my trap!.- Said May and from there they saw that two of the enemies' cannons shot at the blonde from Karsland.

- EERICA!.- Shouted her friends, causing her to deploy a "Magic Shield" on both fronts, protecting herself from the impact, but they were not going to resist for long. The pressure was beginning to take its toll on the defenses and when she was about to be overcome, someone pulled her out of there, breaking through the gunfire, grabbing her by the waist, just when the position ended up exploding in the air and leaving a column of smoke in the air.

For a moment she thought it was all over, the "Shield" would collapse and she would be trapped between two fronts. It wasn't, and when she looked up, she noticed that Ed had come to, pulling her out of the place, but was injured, looking at May with disappointment.

- I thought you were a person who, in spite of bothering us and your sisters, would not hurt others. But I was wrong, you are the worst, May. Even animals are not treated this way. You don't have a heart, now you're a bitch who deserves nothing but people's rejection.- He warned her, but she didn't care.

- Ohh, do you think I'm going to stop the conquest with that?.- She asked mockingly.

- Everything you are building will come down and drag you down to the end. You'll see.- The boy predicted, as he went down to solid ground next to Erica, since they were both wounded.

- Not so fast!.- Intervened Marie and with the blonde, they launched an attack against them, taking them by surprise and with their "Shadow Forces" they started a bombardment against them.

Immediately a fierce exchange of gunfire and the flights that the "Witches" carried out to protect the area developed. It was only a matter of time before one of the sides proclaimed the conquest of the aforementioned place. Casualties were beginning to mount for the Kankers, however, they took the next step in the conquest of Romagna: Flying in sync, May and Marie took the defenders by surprise, leading them to aim at them, creating the perfect distraction for their ground armies to attack with everything they had.

- Open fire, now!.- Lynne ordered and they turned their guns on both sisters.

The shrapnel took the stage again, tearing the air, making its way as if it were an invisible Army in search of its target. Just a few centimeters away from hitting May and Marie, they deployed a powerful "Shield" that reflected the bullets, destroying themselves and the defense, leaving intact and continuing their offensive.


The explosion that had shaken that floor of the building ended, leaving Francesca and Eddy stunned, amid a cloud of dust, debris covering the floor and smoke billowing outward. Coughing with difficulty, the couple tried to get out of there but it was Lee who got in the way, blocking the way and directing a blow at the Italian. The latter reacted in time and grabbed his arm, tightly, preventing them from reaching their destination. In the middle of the struggle, the redhead prepared to attack again, but it was Eddy who intervened, grabbing her other arm with force, preventing her from carrying out that action.

- What are you doing, Eddy?. This is not your fight!.- The redhead shouted.

- Shut up!. Yes, it is and I already told you: You'll never hurt Francesca, damn you!.- Swore the short boy, who disarmed the opponent and threw her towards his girlfriend, who threw her to the floor, leaving her stunned and hitting her head against it.

- Excellent, this is our chance, let's go and we'll take care of that "Shadow" ship outside!.- The black-haired girl asked and they started the descent down the stairs. It was not advisable for them to go outside, since, from that position, the enemy had their "Anti-Aircraft Artillery" weapons emplaced and used the smoke columns to attack by surprise, in addition to the fact that the elevators did not work after the explosions caused by the bombing.


Once they went outside, finding the debris, the dust, that "cloud" of the same element that covered the air, the glass that had exploded on the facade and the alarms that kept ringing, both noticed that the "Fire and Rescue Corps" had fulfilled their mission, thanks to the "Witch", to evacuate the population of those areas. Making their way through the fighting, they noticed that their friends were engaged in an all-out battle.

Explosions and gunfire followed one after the other and exchanged like money going from hand to hand, sheltered and protected in a series of "fortifications", the "Witches" and the Peach Creek boys resisted as best they could. A new wave of missiles, coming from Sanya, fell on the enemy lines, causing casualties but these were recovered with the arrival of new reinforcements in an eternal cycle.

- Francesca, Eddy!.- Called Yoshika, while reloading her weapon.- This way!

- Let's go, they need us!.- Asked the Italian, her boyfriend nodded but, at that moment, a strange sensation invaded him inside.

A figure was making its way through the dust and smoke, like a demon emerging from the depths of Hell, moving fast and ready to make his blow, make it official and cause as much damage as possible to his prey, Lee Kanker was there, going to where the couple was. Francesca reacted but Eddy saw the danger, as she was carrying some kind of laser cannon with which she aimed and fired at them. There was no time, they only had a few seconds and it was then that the young man from Peach Creek pushed his girlfriend away from danger. The latter fell and rolled on the ground, while the other deployed a "Shield", hoping to be able to defend himself and thus allow a quick attack.

The impact hit the defenses squarely, Eddy's position shook and he was thrown backwards, crashing into an abandoned car, which set off an alarm. When Lee was able to take a closer look at the results of her offensive, she was stunned to see that the boy she wanted by her side had been shot. The barrel was still vibrating and hot inside her, but, for a few seconds, her soul fell to the ground as Francesca was the one assisting Eddy, returning to that fury that consumed her little by little.

- FUCKING BITCH!.- Shouted Lee and charged the gun towards her.

- Francesca! Eddy!.- They heard the voice of Yoshika, who fired at her opponent, calling her attention.

A hail of bullets fell on top of Eddy, the ground was filled with holes, the bullet impacts hit the "Shadow Neuroi Ship" that was protecting her, while Sanya's missiles knocked down the others, opening a "Corridor" so that they could assist the short boy and the Italian. One of the bullets hit the red-haired Kanker girl in the right shoulder, she gritted her teeth, the blood was coming out hot from the inside but she didn't care: she was going to fulfill her onslaught, she would destroy the "thief" who had conquered her boyfriend's heart. Holding the pain, that wound opened by the projectile, Lee aimed the cannon, concentrating a good amount of energy inside him and from there he prepared to shoot.

- Say good night, "Little Witch".- She gave her that farewell.

- I WILL NOT LET YOU!.- Like a hawk swooping down on its prey, Eddy had reappeared, taking her by surprise, firing a series of "Magic Bullets" that pierced the metal of the cannon and caused, as a consequence, an overload, without giving the redhead time to shake him off.

- You have been brainwashed, Eddy, you must come back with me, I will make you happy, so will my sisters with your two friends!.- She asked but he turned around, he was wounded, those explosions had caused several cuts on his body, one of them was a bit deep and the blood was falling against the floor, soaking him but, even so, he put up a good fight.

- You are wrong, Lee: I never loved you. None of us loved them, we just wanted to live quietly, do our own thing, hustle, enjoy the Summer, nothing more than that. You guys created a fantasy where you were going to marry us, without even knowing if we were going to accept or not. I already have someone who is my "Soul Mate", someone who would never hurt me nor have me as a Servant".- He threw those icy and serious words to the girl, while he walked away from there, being helped by Francesca.

Shortly after, the cannon exploded, throwing Lee backwards, until she crashed against the doors of another building, which bent and its glass fell on top of her.


- Lee!.- Shouted Marie and May, as they went after their sister.

- You win this match, "Witch", but the next one won't be so easy.- Said the blonde Kanker, walking away with the dark blue hair and her strength to help the redhead.

Both helped the redhead to stand up. She noticed that a trickle of blood was running down her forehead until it touched her mouth, she felt around and saw that she had a wound in that place, still warm. She could not say anything, the words were frozen inside her, she only directed a look of hatred to Francesca and her friends, while they left the place.


They had touched the retreat, the combat was finished but with an uncertain result. No one had managed to win it, they could only cause casualties to the enemy but the area where they were was still in dispute, so, at the latest, another combat could break out in that place at any time. Yoshika and Lynne checked the wounds of their "Protected Ones". The most complicated were Ed and Eddy. The former had received a fierce discharge from that weapon the Kankers had, Erica having been the target, but he had gotten in her way.

On the other hand, Eddy had protected Francesca from the sudden attacks that Lee and that ship launched against her, having a couple of his shirt scorched by the heat of that machine and cutting wounds along with burns on his back, abdomen and other regions of his body. Kevin, who had a couple of bleeding cuts, was looking for Nazz, the blonde girl had disappeared from the battlefield when he faced the "Shadow Neuroi Ground Forces". Wherever he advanced, he only found the remains of those defeated Armies scattered everywhere. She wanted to raise her voice, for him to hear her, but she could not, as she felt weak and at any moment she was going to faint against the floor.

- Kevin, my friend, stay here, you can't take it anymore.- Rolf ran to assist him but he pushed him aside.

Mio ran to where Kevin was.

- She couldn't have gone far. Don't worry, we'll find her.- The black-haired Major promised him.- Rolf, Yoshika, give me a hand.- She asked and they both came to her aid, leaning Kevin against the base of a water fountain.

- Let me go, I have to go get her!.- Insisted the boy but, as he stood up, his body staggered backwards and was grabbed by Yoshika.

- You are very hurt, besides you lost a lot of blood, you must not move or the cuts will open up even more. You need to go to a hospital urgently.- Ordered the brunette from the Fuso Empire, but the red-haired man had a blank stare.

- But...She...She is there, missing...- He pointed but ended up fainting.

- Bring a stretcher, hurry!.- The Japanese woman asked and two nurses arrived just in time, placing Kevin on the stretcher and taking him to the nearest hospital.

Suddenly, moving from a pile of rubble of the "Shadow Neuroi", a blonde girl emerged alive, despite being wounded, holding her katana in the air, in victory.

- Wait, it's Nazz!.- Said Kevin, using all his strength and aiming at the girl.

- She did it, that's my apprentice!.- Celebrated Mio, as she went with Lynne, Yoshika and Charlotte to help her.- You'll be fine, don't worry.

- I appreciate it, but what about Kevin, what happened with the Kankers?.- Asked the American blonde, who was exhausted.

- Don't worry, we'll tell you everything at the hospital. For now, I will tell you that, by Minna and Trudie's orders, we will install ourselves here, in the government building, which we will use as our headquarters and from there we will explain what we are going to do later on.- Promised Mio to Nazz, while they were leaving that area with their wounded and going towards the territory they controlled.

That encounter, as it had been said, had remained in a "Dead Point", both the Kanker and the "Witch" would fight again for the City of Romagna, but, for now, they needed to recover from the wounds, to heal and to be able to be, once again, operative to face the situation. Soon, the group left for the North of the Capital, where the installation of the Headquarters was being completed.

They were going to have to develop a new plan if they wanted to reverse the current situation.


[First of all, I apologize again if I didn't upload this chapter but I am very busy with other things. Secondly, I warn you that there are only four of the above mentioned chapters left and from there we will move on to the next Saga of this story.

Again I send thanks to Matfix, Franco M. Romano and the rest of the Fanfiction and Wattpad followers.

Take care, friends and I'll see you in the next chapter.

I wish you a good Sunday from me, Comrades and see you next time].