Chapter 6: Death Gods

October 9, 0079

At Hazama's tent…

"In the end we were not able to catch the perpetrators who spread those false orders, as well as the sabotaging of our communications." Lieutenant General Hazama grimly stated while seated by his desk. Lieutenant Yanagida stood before him, reviewing a data pad which showcased the names and bios of every personnel that is part of the Expeditionary Force.

"Apparently, whoever they were, they're not listed in any of our rosters." the bespectacled young Lieutenant pointed out as he adjusted his eyewear with his freehand. "And for them to go unnoticed could only mean…"

"That they have collaborators among us." General Hazama finished.

"Sir, I suspect you have an idea of who it might be?" Yanagida brings it up, giving the General a keen look.

Hazama stares at the young man, nothing escapes his aide. "It's only a suspicion, but I believe someone from the higher echelon of Command, perhaps from Jaburo HQ, is involved in all of this. But without solid evidence it will merely remain as a baseless conspiracy." The older man rests his chin on clasped hands. "Damn it! We don't have time messing around among ourselves. We should be working for a common goal here." Lifting his head, Hazama looks to Yanagida once again. "Anything from any of our deep cover reconnaissance groups?"

"None yet, sir. But with our communications now restored, and better guarded this time, it's only a matter of time when reports will be coming in."

"Is that Colonel Kerensky? Where's the rest of him?"

"Over there, I think?"

"I think I'm going to get sick…"

Fifth Recon was tasked to search for the estranged Kerensky Corps after it set forth on pretense, orders supposedly coming from Lieutenant Hazama. By the time the mix-up was sorted, the force led by Colonel Kerensky was already far off. General Hazama could not send anyone out to fetch them until he regained absolute control over the base in Alnus. Plus communications was apparently sabotaged making it hard to contact and call them back.

"This Fifth Recon. We've found the Kerensky Corps, or what's left of them. Request to send it a few meat wagons on our location. And also, lots of body bags."

"What happened?" the radio operator from Alnus inquired.

"It's a slaughter. Looks like the work of the Imperials but, man, the atrocity is too much. We've got decapitations, mutilations, body parts everywhere. This must be the Imperial way of payback for kicking their butts lately."

"Alright! Hold your positions until support arrives."

"Roger, Alnus Command."

"Hey! We've got a survivor here…I think." one soldier called out.

The majority of Fifth Recon went to check out the supposed survivor of this massacre.

"What the-"

There on the ground, sitting in a fetal pose, was man, a soldier of the Kerensky Corps, who appears to be in a catatonic state, unmoving like a statue. The only indication that he is apparently alive is his constant muttering in his native language. "Bog smerti…"

"Anybody here speaks Russian?" the team leader asked but was getting negative replies from rest of his team.

Had anyone been familiar with words one would get it as: Death god.

When Third Recon returned to Coda Village, they dispensed with the act of restraint and caution of their actual numbers and composition, coming in with their vehicles save for the mobiles suit, believing that they've earned enough of the trust of the villagers. It was Itami's call to still have the Jim stay hidden, not wanting to cause undue panic and apprehension to the people there. They are after all just going to deposit the lone surviving elf into their care and will be on their way. Unfortunately nothing goes as one expects to be, as Third Recon soon learns.

"Lieutenant Itamy. The village elder says that they can't accept her. That she is some rare type of elf. Her people's culture is completely different from theirs, she wouldn't fit in. He recommends entrusting her to an elven village." Linguine relayed.

Great. Itami expected something like this would crop up. He wonders if they knew of any such nearby communities.

"Um, Lieutenant?"

"Not now, Kurata. I'm kinda thinking here…" he said with a frustrated expression. The young Sergeant pestered on regardless.

"Didn't you mention these folk were kind of okay on your first visit? So why are they giving us these weird stares?"

Itami noticed it as well as they entered the village. At first he just dismissed it due to the fact they came in with their vehicles. Who in this fantasy world would not be awed by such wonders, like wagons that did not require beasts of burden in order to move, or that one of them can actually float and skim above the ground? Or that their numbers drastically increased since they last visited the place when it just him, Kurokawa and Linguine. Do they feel intimidated? He recognized a few faces, those his team talked to when they were here, now they seem distant, with wary looks in their eyes.

"Hey there, remember me?" Mari Kurokawa knelt and offered a friendly hand towards the girl see met when she and the Lieutenant first came here to Coda. To the female field medic's surprise the mother of the girl came and dragged her little daughter away from her while giving Mari a reserved stare. She could only wordlessly stare back, wondering why the cold treatment now, when they made progress with their first friendly contact with this place.

The elder seems to continue conversing with the Italian translator. At some point the old man's eyes went wide with fear. Linguine turns to Itami.

"Lieutenant. He says, he intends to the have whole village evacuate, all because of mentioning about the dragon we saw."

"Heh, but why?" Itami wondered about that.

Linguine further imparted after following up with the elder. "He says, once the flame dragon tastes elf or human flesh there's no way to stop its rampage. Coda and the surrounding lands are at risk, sir. Also," The Italian looked gravely at the Lieutenant. "There is another reason why they wish to leave…"

At the village elder's house

"What?"

Itami looked flabbergasted in disbelief. According to the village elder, a couple of travelers came and shared a grim tale of villages being burned to the ground by Empire soldiers, slaughtering those that would oppose them. They also relate on why the Empire is doing all this, and that is to stop the advance of the Soldiers of the Underworld, these men in brown, like Itami and his unit, from reaching the heart of their Empire.

"If the flame dragon doesn't get us, the Empire surely will. So he said." Linguine finished translating the elder's words.

"I'm so sorry village elder. I've never realized it would come to this" Itami lamented, feeling inept and somewhat responsible for the whole mess.

"Don't be. I don't blame you nor your people" he said, lightly clasping the Federation officer's shoulder. "But I must see to the safety of my people. If you would excuse me, I would be making the preparations now."

"Where would you go?" Kurokawa asked the elder, worried over health implications such a large and tedious exodus would entail, especially for the young and sickly.

"To communities far away from the Empire, and your army, for we're caught in the thick of things it seems."

Itami clenched his teeth. "Village elder" Itami began, causing the old man's attention to back to him. "What if we, my team, offer our services as your protectors and escort, until you reach your destination? What do you say?"

Kurokawa smiled and looked proudly at her squad leader, while Linguine could not believe what the Lieutenant just said but deep down he admired Itami's intentions. The thing is will the villagers accept such an offer from a group which they hold great suspicion over, and what would Command say when they learn of this.

"I don't know," the villager elder started. "The people don't seem to appreciate your presence right now."

"It doesn't matter. The Empire will be after you whether we're with you or not. Who will protect you from them? Also, like what you said, there is the matter of the flame dragon. We can protect you from it."

"You and your small band?"

"You'll be surprise what we're capable of."

"Listen up everyone. These people here have decided to accompany us and serve as our protectors on our journey, so please get along with them. I personally vouch them." The village elder reassured to the crowd gather at the village square. Many were doubtful over this, while others were displeased.

"Elder! How could you? They'll bring the Empire soldiers upon us!" angrily pointed out one.

"What if they turn on us? Make us into their slaves?" A woman expressed her apprehension which many murmured in agreement.

"People of Coda!" Linguine interjected, acting as the spokesperson for his team, since he is the language expert present. " I assure you that we, of the Earth Federation, do not practice slavery! In fact we abhor it and punish those who exercise it! As for your worries of the Empire, we will defend you from them should it come to that. And we will protect you as well from the flame dragon!"

The village seemed uncertain about this.

"Protect us from the Empire? From the flame dragon? Are you going to call your army to help us?" A young man inquired.

"No…it is just us, as you see it." the Italian answered.

"What can you're ragtag band do against the might of the Imperial Army, much less from a flame dragon?"

The people wanted to know, wanted some reassure. At that point, everyone came to hear a whirring rumbling sound that was getting louder. A woman screams.

"Look!" A man called out and pointed at something approaching the village, something large and tall.

"It's a giant!" someone said in abject fear.

"No it's the titan, the titan of these Soldiers of the Underworld!"

"Please, please! Everybody calm down!" Although the village elder was trying to reassure his people he too was taken by appearance of this metal giant lumbering towards their village.

"Listen to your elder, people of Coda! The giant will not harm you! In fact it is under our power, for we hold its heart! Behold!" Linguine then whispered to his commlink. "That's your que, Lieutenant Itamy…"

Once the Jim reached the village entrance it stopped. The chest hatch opens and out comes Itami, all smiles and waving at the crowd below rather awkwardly. "Hey everyone, it's me! Nothing to fear here, for I've got this gentle baby in the palm of my hand. So don't you worry a thing. It will help protect you from the Imperials, and from the flame dragon!"

"Hurry Master! We must leave real quick!"

Lelei was hurriedly packing their stuff onto a waiting wagon, a single donkey standing at the ready at the reins.

"Lelei, have pity on your old Master. My bones are not what they used to be. What's the rush? Has the flame dragon really appeared?" A stumpy old man in robes and with a pointy hat, hobbled with the aid of a staff towards the parked vehicle.

"Sorry Master. But I think you will be ok, in spite of your looks. No the flame dragon is not here yet. As for the haste, I heard that the men in brown have returned, and I wish to take this opportunity to speak with them more fully."

"So that it, huh? You want see their horseless wagons and the metal giant that is with them? While a wagon that doesn't need horses to move sounds useful right about now, and is not really that impossible with the aid of magic, the thing about a huge metal golem sounds a bit farfetched if you ask me. Have you been sniffing with some exotic herbs lately my apprentice?" Cato El Altestan, Lelei's master said while stroking his long grey beard.

"Master knows that I don't do such things. I simply don't. You will believe me once we get to the village."

"Hmph! Whatever. You just finish loading up the stuff, while I just wai-" The old fell asleep while standing, snoring as he did.

Lelei dismissively shakes her head at her Master's antics. His age was definitely catching up with. A little while later.

"Master. Wake up! Time to go!"

"Huh? Wa?" Cato snorted with a start.

"Master, mount up!" Lelei called from the driver's seat of their wagon.

"Huh? I'm no pedophile…" the old coot mischievously smirked.

Itami sighed. Slumped in the relative comfort of the Jim's cockpit, the Lieutenant of Third Recon reviewed the progress of the evacuation of Coda village through the mobile suit's cameras. Somehow the villager came to accept their offer of being escorted out of the danger zone.

While it occurred to him that the people of Coda could have chosen to stay, and that they, Third Recon, acted as the village's defenders from anything that came, just like in some old samurai movie, he will never see the end of it should ever Command finds out. Plus it would go against the promise he made to have Coda stay out of the conflict, which is now completely moot no thanks to the Empire's apparent draconian measures. If the village elder is correct, the new places they would migrate to would be far away from the Empire's aggression.

"Commander! We have a situation at the exit of the village."

"What is it, pops?"

"An overloaded cart just broke its axle and is now blocking the way out for the rest of the convoy. We could use your help over here!"

"I'll be right there!"

Itami maneuvered his Jim towards the after mentioned location. Once there he had a clearer picture of the situation. A cart has indeed broken down and has somehow flipped to its side along with its horse which lays on the ground, still strapped in its harness which is connected to the wagon. The beast of burden was neighing in obvious agony due to its precarious position, while the cart's contents have spilled all over the side of the road.

"We've got injured here, Lieutenant! Kurokawa is taking care of it." Kuwahara relayed to Itami through the comms.

Itami could see Third Recon's medic seeing to a little girl lying near the incident. He hopes it is not too serious. They are just in the starting stages of the evacuation and this happens, Itami fretted. His eye catches a familiar face that comes in into the scene. It is that cute blue-haired girl he found fancy with and personally met from back then. She must be eager in wanting to know more about them now that they have returned.

"What was her name again? Leia? Leila?"

Kuwahara interrupted Itami's musings. "Can you use your Jim to get the cart onto the side, so as to clear the traffic?" the old soldier asked, looking directly at Itami, his image visible on screen.

Itami focused back to the task at hand. "Sure! Once you get that poor horse out of there first!" he replied, thinking of a number of ways to go about it, a few not going to be pleasant for the suffering animal.

"Roger that! Hey, miss, stay out of the way! It's too dangerous here!"

Itami witnessed on screen on how the Sergeant Major mildly scolded the young girl for being in the way of a delicate situation. Suddenly he noticed movement directly from below him. It was the horse. It managed to somehow to rear itself up from its trapped state and is now enraged, threatening to club anyone in the way with its upraised hooves. Itami seem to move on reflex with the Jim's controls and makes the mobile suit executes the desired action he wanted it to do, that is to pin the horse to the ground with its huge hand.

Morgan, the Papua New Guinean, quickly rushes in to the struggling beast's side. "So sorry…" He places the muzzle of his rifle to the horse's head, ending its life with one shot.

"Hey, are you alright?" Rodriguez asked Lelei. She had fallen on her backside when the horse threatened her and was now being helped up by the young Filipino soldier.

"I'm fine. Thank you." she replied, still somewhat shaken by the incident.

Rodriguez thought highly of himself when he recognized the words "thank you" coming from the blue-haired girl, whom he takes fancy of, having learned a smarting of the Special Region's language which is required for those part of the expeditionary force.

"They've save me. These men in brown." she quietly said. She then looks up at the towering metal giant which was instrumental in her saving.

Itami sighed, glad that the girl was safe from harm. "That was close." He looks at her as she seems to stare directly at him. He wonders if he will be able to talk to her since he will be very busy from here on.

October 10, 0079

The journey has been long, slow, and fraught with problems, lots of them. The number of wagons breaking down has been increasing, and while some of the folks were wise enough to leave their belongings behind others were too adamant in going on without them, forcing them stay with their hard earned earthly possessions and letting the convoy continue on moving without them.

"How could they, leaving their own just like that?" Rodriguez stated, looking out from enclosed cargo space located at the back of the Bloodhound, at the long, trudging column of wagons and carts and people behind them. An oppressive air of misery hanged over the entire convoy.

"Why can't we just request for Command to send in additional help for these people?" He turns to Shino, who has been grimly quiet for this entire time. She shared Rodriguez's sentiments and was tempted to radio for help, but then realized that communications with base might be still down. So even she wanted to, against orders, it would be futile.

October 11, 0079

The next day turned out to be worse, as a heavy downpour turned the dirt paved road into a muddy hell, slowing the caravan almost to a halt. Several of the wagons got bogged down and were not going anywhere unless freed from the trapping muck. One family was pleading with their fellows to help them out but were ignored. The dismal conditions and low spirits of many made even the most altruistic tepid towards their fellow neighbors. The family was about give up all hope and share the fate of those abandoned when the metal giant came to them and decided to give a helping hand.

Itami tried his hardest to make sure he does not damage the cart. Having the Jim to do intricate work by using its hand and finger controls is something he has not fully had the hang of yet. Somehow he manages to pull off the feat, helping in pulling out the cart out of the mud to the joy and gratitude of the family concerned but the effort has left him strained and beat.

"This isn't easy as I thought…" he sighed. He then noticed Rodriguez, Morgan, and Linguine rush towards the next wagon in need.

"We mustn't let the Lieutenant do all the work, and get all the glory. We have to do our part too!" Rodriguez said as the three started working on an entrapped wagon.

"These guys, they're nice people actually." a driver of a nearby wagon said to his family.

"Wait till the Empire or the Flame Dragon show up. Then we'll see if their intentions are worth their actions." one who is a pessimist muttered.

After the rainy quagmire the group had to endure a new toil–a humid landscape, resulting from the moisture being dispersed by the scorching sun beating over their heads. This caused new problems like heat exhaustion from a number of people within the caravan, forcing frequent stops for rest. Things got a little cooler in the later part of the day, giving a steady course for the convoy.

Taking point, well away for the caravan, Itami's Jim was the ideal scout for this situation. It had long distance optic sensors, capable of catching anything on visual for a couple of miles. Add to that a built-in radar system that is able pick up both land and air targets several miles further. Itami checked the radar but nothing large or significant registered on the tactical screen. Switching his attention to the main monitor he notices something peculiar up ahead by the road. He magnifies the image, causing the screen to shift and flicker with each increment. At first he notices the birds, crows and ravens milling about over something. Closer examination reveals that something happens to be a she.

"What? It can't be…" he muttered in amazement.

"What is it son?" Kuwahara's voice came in.

"It's a dark magic girl…"

"What? Really Lieutenant?" Kurata piped in, causing Itami to cringe from the overenthusiastic shrill of the young Sergeant's voice. "How can you tell?"

Recovering from the earful, Itami took a closer look at the girl. "She appears to be in her early teens, with long black straight hair with a black bow on top; wears a black mini-skirted outfit with garters holding her black knee socks; and wears a pair of short red boots. Oh, and she has big-ass weapon that looks like an oversized pole-axe over her shoulders." he finishes the girl's description.

"So she's basically a lolita-based magic girl, am I right, Lieutenant?" Kurata inquired.

"Yeah, basically…" Itami answered; his voice trailing as he senses something not right about this picture besides encountering a strange little girl dressed like Victorian doll and carrying a weapon meant to do serious damage to whoever is unlucky enough to be at its receiving end.

The dark-haired girl, who sat and appears to have been waiting, stood up and began striding in fast towards the towering Jim.

Itami's eyes went wide at the speed the black dressed lolita was moving, for it reminiscent of those anime characters who possessed great speed and agility. But for Itami to actually witness such a thing is just surreal.

When the girl was nearing the mobile suit, she "pause-step", pulled back her halberd and threw it with a mighty swing. Her weapon crashes to ground at the foot of the Jim causing earthen debris to fly about; a purple electrical pulse seems to emanate from the impact that snakes and engulfs the entire height of the Jim.

"What the-" Itami sees all the instruments going haywire, flashing, blinking, and showing warning signs, all for just a moment. "What the hell was that?" With everything normalizing, he went back in tracking the girl. He was surprised to see her wielding a Federation standard issue assault rifle with just one hand and shooting him with it, shooting at the Jim. The girl seems to be aiming for the Jim's head, particularly its visor. Was she trying to blind him, Itami wondered, knowing that it would take more than that to damage it.

The girl tosses the empty firearm. Upon reaching the base of the Jim, she makes a quick grab for her halberd, easily pulling it out of the ground and swinging it freely. She then races up and behind the metal giant's knee and gives it a good slash, cutting through the softer joint area, causing it to lurch slightly

"Are you kidding me?" Itami said in surprise.

Warning signs flashed indicating the actuators of the Jim's left leg have been damaged and are malfunctioning, thus the listing motion Itami feels. He attempts to compensate and manages to stay steady, but the sprightly girl was not finished with his machine yet. She nimbly springs up and around until she is beside the Jim's head, proceeding in whacking it with her huge axe.

"Shit! She took out the camera!" Itami muttered in dismay as his main feed went offline. He could still hear her bashing from above. "Does she plan to chop the head off too?" He switched to auxiliary cameras, unfortunately there were none on when he suspects her to be. Itami made a couple of manipulations and adjustments with the controls, causing the Jim to execute an action akin to swatting insects from its head, hoping to shoo the girl off at least. It seems to have worked for he catches her in one of the backup cameras, where she is now on the ground.

"How does she do it?" he said with amazement. The girl must have jump from a height of forty-feet, and is standing on the ground without a hitch. "She must be the real deal…"

The girl seems to sense him looking at her and stares directly at the appropriate camera. Itami did not know how, but he suspects she must be taunting and challenging him. Their stare down was interrupted by rapid gun bursts, aimed at her which she easily hop-dodged.

Itami swiveled his mobile suit towards the source of the gunfire. It was the Lakota; it was making a flanking run on the sides while providing suppressive fire.

"Get away from here you idiots! She's extremely dangerous!" Itami shouted through the comms.

Kuwahara's voice was heard in reply. "We know! We saw her jump off the Jim like a human flea. She's no ordinary girl!"

"She's a dark magic girl!" Kurata interjected his input.

"Then you know how great a threat she is Kurata! You guys have no chance against her!"

"What about you Lieutenant? We can't just let her do as she pleases." Kurata was of course referring to on how the girl was making short work of the Lieutenant's mobile suit. "Also, she's danger to the whole caravan if we don't stop her!"

He is right, Itami thought. Once she is through with Third Recon, there is no stopping her from going after the villagers. But still. "I'll…think of something…" Itamis sounded hesitant.

"Son you've got a mobile suit! Use what you have in hand!" cracked Kuwahara.

"Yeah, but my main camera is broken! I can't aim well with my weapon!" It was excuse. Itmai could not bring himself shooting her. In his eyes she is still a girl.

"Sergeant Major! She coming around and heading for us, fast!"

"Well quit yapping and let her have it Tomita!"

Just like Lieutenant Itami, Sergeant Akira Tomita had reservations at shooting at a girl, even if she is an enemy, for she was little more than a child. But unlike his squad's CO he had to follow orders, even if it conflicts with is principles. He cranked up the 556.

"Sorry…"

He renewed his machinegun fire, trying his best to score a hit at the dashing girl, but she is just too swift with her feet that she practically outruns the bullets tracing for her. When he was out that is when the girl close in for the kill, gleefully giggling all the while.

"Look out!" Kuwahara cried out as the girl launched herself into the air, ready to bear down her weapon on the Lakota and its passengers.

"Hang on!" Kurata hollered, as he strained for an evasive maneuver with the jeep. There was a massive of explosion of earth and dirt.

"Pops! Kurata!" Itami called out, fearing the worst.

The Lakota emerges out of the cloud. Itami breathes a sigh of relief.

"Lieutenant! Pops just fell off!" Kurata cried out over the comm.

Itami's heart raced, he scanned for any sign of the old guy. The cloud dust was now settling and there materialized two forms.

Itami saw Kuwahara sprawled on his back on the ground but otherwise appears unhurt. Looming towards him, pacing was the black-clad lolita, great axe leaning over her shoulders.

"Pops!" Itami cried out again.

"Forget about me!" the old man's strained voice came in. "Shoot her!"

"But…" Itami knew he might hit Kuwahara as well.

"No buts, mister! If you care about your men, and the people of Coda, you will shoot!"

Itami felt helplessly undecided. He could not do something like that; even if that is the only choice he had for the sake of many. He had the Jim propped the 100mm gun, leveling it at both targets, but his finger could not go for the trigger.

"Do it, now!" Kuwahara cried out, almost pleading.

The girl was already before him as she raises her weapon for the killing blow. Itami cried out for it to stop. A gun shot resounded over the field. The girl's attention shifted from the prone man towards at the head of the caravan. Kuribayashi was the one who made the shot.

"Did I get her?" she loudly mused. The muzzle of her rifle was still smoking while she maintained her aim at the mark that is the girl in black.

With girl's back to him, Kuwahawa gaped at the sight of the rifle round that emerging out of a wound on her back, which fell out onto the ground. The bullet wound healed itself completely to his astonishment.

Seemingly having forgotten about the old man, the girl rushes for her new target–Kuribayashi.

"Shit! She's coming this way!" the spunky female Sergeant cursed, following up her attack on the incoming girl with her rifle.

Rodriguez and Linguine joined her by her side. "We'll assist you, Sarge!" the young Filipino said, as he and the Italian translator shared in their fire support.

Morgan too pinched in. The Papua New Guinean bringing to bear the Bloodhound's 20mm Vulcan cannon to join in with the concentrated fire.

Even if she tried her best the girl could not dodge all the bullets coming at her, especially if they are coming from different sources. She cursed when she found out that Lakota had join in the firefight and was shooting at her from behind.

"Kuribayashi! The children!" Kurokawas suddenly called out, her pretty head having emerged from the back of the hover truck.

By the corner of her eye, Shino noticed two small scurrying forms, that of boy and girl, and they were heading towards their weapon's line of fire. Rodriquez noticed it too and made the call.

"Shit! Cease fire! Cease fire! Children in the way!"

Even the Lokata complied, with Kurata signaling Tomita to stop his barrage.

The girl was still some distance away from Kuribayashi and the rest but was quickly closing the gap. She then notices that they have stopped shooting at her, the reason becoming apparent up ahead. Two little children were coming in between her and the soldiers, both making wide and waving gestures and calling out to her to stop her assault. She came to an abrupt stop, taken aback at the sudden development, and that is when the 100mm shells came raining down on her. She remembered flying but not on her own accord before everything became black.