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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that belong to Ranma 1/2. The Ranma 1/2 cast belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Suikoden 3 or any other characters that I put into this story except for my own OCs. Neither do I own any of the character in any of the crossovers I do. I'm just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so don't bother suing me. You'll just lose money instead of gaining any. And remember to leave a review!
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Chapter 39 – Face Off
Grimes and his friend, Bore had gotten up before dawn going down to the small pond that's in front of the stone fortress that stood in front of Brass castle serving as an outpost for the base. It was the best time to fish as the big fishes that lived in the pond only came out in the early morning. Several times, Grimes felt his eyes closing as they weren't biting today. He's been sitting at the side of the pond for over an hour now and none of the fishes were taking the bait.
"Bore why did you wake me up?" Grimes ask his friend as he was looking around lifting his lantern looking out in the darkness for something.
"Quite, I think, I hear something," he said as he aimed his light to his right as he look for something.
"There's nothing there," Grimes said as he push, Bore's arm away holding the lantern. His eyes widen as the light shined upon the ground at the back of them. The light revealed a tall, a really tall Lizard warrior in heavy armor. Then taking a closer look they saw it wasn't a lizard fighter as it was too big and too evil looking. It let out a roar as the two soldiers scream as it fell upon them.
Inside the fort the screams of the two soldiers brought the soldiers in the fort onto their feet. The captain of the base shouting orders for the archers to take their places as the iron gates was close shut and braced with wooden logs. Once the archers got to the four towers on the corners of the base they saw a vast horde of Harmonian troops marching towards them. Quickly they began firing arrows at them as they rush at the fort.
"There's too many!" one of the soldiers said as he help load the rock thrower a smaller version of a catapult. The base has two of them as all of the small forts were well arm as Ranma didn't want another base to go down so easily like last time.
"Don't talk just load them up!" the operator of the rock thrower shouted at him as he saw the archers on the walls going down from volleys of enemy fire. One of them landed near the rock thrower with an arrow in his neck.
"There!" the soldier said as he places the last rock on the basket of the catapult. The operator pulled on lever releasing the payload over the wall and onto the incoming enemy ranks followed by the second rock thrower sending its payload flying.
"Reload!" the operator shouted but his words were lost as the gate was blasted open from the Mantors flying overhead. His face paled as he saw hulking armored monsters leading the charge into the base swinging huge clubs. The archers that were still alive fired at the armored monsters one of them went down with an arrow in its neck while the others tore into the ranks of Grassland troops that are trap inside of their own base.
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Inside Bass Castle –
Salome was in his office when, Leo suddenly burst in slamming open the door. "Salome we're under attack!"
"What?" he shouted as he got up from his chair heading to the wall looking over the bridge to the grass plains.
"Yes the soldiers that got away all of the forts on the outer areas have all been attack were all looted of their equipments and supplies that were stored at the forts. From what the soldiers that got a good look at the attackers they're the same ones that attack us in the forest when we rode to save Reni."
"So they're finally making their move," Salome said as he steps outside onto the tops of the walls, "Has the order for all non-combatants to withdraw into the castle yet?"
"Yes everyone that can't use a weapon are all now retreating into the castle and our soldiers are preparing to charge out," Leo said.
"Good have messengers been sent out for aid from Windia and Lake Castle?" he ask as he could already spot the smoke and the dust that's coming from the advancing army and from what's left of the burn out forts left in their wake.
"We can't get through they're also attacking the forts to the north and are laying siege to Windia as we speak," Leo growled as Lady Chris was still there as she had took off when she heard that Reni was waking up. They still haven't heard of what happened to Chris as it been a day since she had left.
"What?" Salome burst out before regaining control over himself, "So they're trying to overwhelm us by attacking everywhere at once. We won't be able to send any troops out to help Windia as nether can they. What troops are we dealing with?"
"Mantor riders, Harmonian armor foot soldiers and those dark armored one about five-thousand in all," Leo reported.
"Have the soldier's position themselves on the bridge the only way that they'll be able to enter is for them to take control of the bridge," Salome said as they didn't have the time needed to set up for a field battle as the mantor riders would pick them off.
"We're setting up the smoke fires…" Leo began to explain when the sounds of thunder began to rumble up in the clouds above letting down a downpour, "So much for that plan."
"Looks like we're just going to have to do this the hard way than," Salome said as he could already make out the approaching army.
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At Lake Castle –
Bart hummed contentedly under his breath as he strolled through the crowded, muddy sidewalks as it had rained a few days ago. Carrying a heavy sailcloth bag over one shoulder and jostling elbows with the largest group of people that he has seen in quite awhile as it had just stop raining two days ago. Soldiers in armor haggled over the prices of knives made from the forges of the ironworks at Windia. Shrieking children darted nimbly through the crowds with the quicksilver lightning of schooling fish.
Gold-torqued royalty strolled in their silks and long woolen robes with ermine trim, with exquisite cloaks stitched from wild mink pelts or ruinously expensive, imported black sable. Noblemen and noblewomen, arrogant young princelings and their elegant, fine-boned sisters strolled serenely along in self-absorbed groupings of twos and threes, even as many as fives at once, a sight Bart had never seen in his life before since he move here. They had come here as the new school that Ms. Hinako and Ms. Jeane are opening up is almost ready to start schooling. The nobles having heard of the advance knowledge that Lake Castle and Windia have wanted their children to learn all they can at the school. Most of them think that they'll be able to buy their way into the school but they'll be in a rude surprise when they met the two headmistress's of the school.
Native townspeople hawked fine needlework and hand-dipped beeswax candles scented with herbs stirred into the heated wax – far cleaner to burn than smoky, smoldering tallow and a far steadier light, for those who wised to sew or read by candlelight. There were beautifully carved chairs, platters, and bowls with a knobby, gnarled texture, cut from the burls that disfigured many a tree in the forested hills. Jewelers displayed cloak pins, ear bobs, necklaces and bracing and curling back on themselves. Belt buckles as ornate as the brooches were displayed next to ladies' waist-clasping girdles with delicate links of silver or shining, sunny gold.
Farmers in from the countryside, having culled their herds in preparation for the long battles ahead, sold their surplus of newly slaughtered smoked and salted meats, alongside freshly plucked and roasted chickens and ducks, all of which sent mouth-watering aromas spilling into the streets. The farmers jockeyed for the best positions at the open-air markets, squeezing in cheek-by-jowl next to fishermen with their reeking barrows and baskets crammed full of gleaming, silvery blind-eyed fish, mussels and cockles, scallops, shrimp, and freshwater oysters and eels, just pulled from the sea or scoured from every lake bottom for miles around.
The fish drew appreciative and thieving attention from the town's population of cats and from the castle hungry pig dogs, Kogoro, Koichi, Koroku, Kosanji and Connie. As those five pig dogs as he likes to call them mostly slept all day and eat anything they see. But the kids of the castle love to play with them and they made good watch dogs. Looking for a free meal while the tantalizing smells of fresh-baked breads, jellied fruits, slabs of cheese coated with thin layers of protective beeswax, and wreaths of dried onions and garlic cloves mingled with the other scents of abundance, Bart mourned the inability to share.
Tradesmen's daughters in pretty lace caps, their dainty white stockings peeping out from under tucked-up skirts, laughed and chatted gaily, calling out to townsmen they knew and attracting everything male within ogling range. The girls set out finely made wares, some of them imported at great cost and danger and all of them to be had at premium prices – but made to seem a bargain when sold by those dewy-eyed, well-endowed maidens. As the new style of clothes that the girls that, Ranma brought back with him have introduced to the women living at the castle had quickly caught on with them. The tailors were all working overtime in creating the clothe styles that are being ordered from the young women around the castle.
Bart knew to keep away from them as he didn't want to be pulled into buying something that he really didn't want in the first place; as it was hard to say no to a young girl wearing a low-cut dress. Besides he needs to get these sugar-beets to his buyer. The sugar-beets that he had gotten from Ranma are really selling as he learned from one of the farming books how to make sugar out of them. In the colder areas where sugar crane don't grow the sugar beets are selling like hot cakes as they would be able to just grow their own sugar instead of buying them.
He suddenly spotted a crowd of soldiers running towards the front of the castle. He saw Fred along with Rico shouting orders to the soldiers and ran up to them, "What's happing?"
"Windia is under attack and needs reinforcements," Fred said as he shouted for the soldiers to hurry up. The clouds overhead rumbled before they release their payload sending heavy rain down upon the people down below.
"Great it's raining again," Bart said as it was good for his crops but bad for any marching army.
"We'll just have to make do," Rico said as a little rain wouldn't stop them for giving aid to their friends.
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The fields around Windia –
Tadzig checked his kit one last time and threw it on his back, the medical pack was filled to bursting with gauze, needles, silk thread, poultices, and powders and felt like it weighed a ton. He'd always had difficulty with the pack, being somewhat small for an Urukkin. In fact, he was downright weedy compared to the front line fighters. If not for his skill in medicine, he would have been abandoned in the plains when he first came out of the breeding pits. But when they were being place into fields in the army that's when he took interest in being a medic and had a steady enough hand to thread silk thread through a fine needle, something that won him instant admiration from his teacher and predecessor. Since then he'd risen through the ranks of the medical corps and became the favorite 'doc' to General Trojan and hadn't swung a sword in his life.
"Tadzig," Trojan said as he watches the Harmonian army lead, the attack on the castle drawing out the soldiers inside the walls out to meet them head on.
"Yes sir?" the medic asks.
"There's no need for you to join me on the front lines you'll be needed here and deal with the wounded," the armored general said.
"But sir what if you get injured?"
"Don't worry about me, I'm not going to die without handling an old score first," Trojan said, "Set up the medic area quickly as your team can set it up once we joined the battle there be plenty of wounded that will be needed to be treated."
"At once sir," Tadzig said as he joined the med team setting up the tents as it started raining. They moved fast as it wouldn't be long before the first waves of wounded would start pouring in.
"Now where is he?" Trojan said as he looks over the Grassland army fighting with the Harmonian soldiers. Then he spotted his target fighting in the front lines, "There he is." He lifted his arm into the air to drawing his troops attention then lowered it singling them to charge. They needed to get him away from his troops or the plan would fail.
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South of the battlefield –
All things considered, Dagakul was really starting to wonder if the scout unit she had been assigned to had even received any kind of training, let alone gained any kind of certifiable rank; the commanding officer, Padak, a large Urukkin was roughly a lieutenant-grade. He was from the first batch that came out and was more train then the others in his unit. He showed great skill in using the stander shield and sword that most of the foot-soldiers used. She on the other hand is a newly trained Urukkin fresh from the pits. Unlike most females she looks more like a dark skin powerfully built human female then other Urukkins. She was also one of those rare females that were born with flat teeth rather than sharp ones. Most of the males like Padak had tusks and most females had fangs. She was quickly picked out from the crowd as she showed great skill in using a Lightning Rune as well as using a lance in the training exercises.
In the hierarchy (as it was followed, Dagakul had a hard time keeping things straight since the scouts had no rank stripes, badges, or even uniforms to discern their place in the pecking order), Padak's second was a over nine-foot tall, female Berserker whose proper name was Unagak, but who was simply called Beast due to her sheer size and the fact she was easily the second largest member of the crew, plus the fact that her mane of pitch-black hair was frizzled and unruly, bushing out to her shoulders by the time it fell that far. It seemed that she's a mutant that appeared now and then from the birthing-pits. She was the long range attacker of the group as she carries those spike guns on each of her arms. Padak was the only one there she listened to, and the older Urukkin's orders always seemed more like requests she wordlessly granted.
Even stranger was her relationship with the unit's Fossil, Gnasher. The Fossil was young, lanky, small for a male Fossil just around ten-feet tall and seemed to fawn over Beast during daylight hours so he could spend the night fornicating with the tall Berserker; talk around the cooking fire was that Gnasher was the only partner that, Beast had found who could survive a night with her. The noise the two made was unnerving to say the least, since the combination of Beast's weight and libido would break at least one of Gnasher's bones each night. Thanks to his bodies fast healing abilities he's able to recover for their next round by the next night. He's the most armored member of the unit as he wore a full set of plate armor and used a huge metal mace.
From there, it was a sharp drop to the corporal, Grelk, another newly hatched Urukkin who never said much but carried out orders with a quickness and efficiency which made Dagakul wonder if he was a good soldier or had simply been beaten until he learned to act fast enough to avoid more beatings. He was the fastest member of the party as he was trained to be like those ninjas that fought with the Grassland forces. He used two short swords when he fights making good use of his speed in battle.
Below Grelk, and only marginally below Dagakul, was a Skull-Gob called Runt. It wasn't that Runt didn't have a real name of his own, quite the opposite; Runt's proper name that he gave to himself was about five syllables long and so tough for an Urukkin to pronounce, that he simply accepted being called Runt. Most notably, Runt was the most personable member of the whole mess and that was probably the only thing that kept him from becoming a meal for Gnasher or Beast. He was a lot smarter for a Skull-Gob as he unlike the others that she had seen could talk and understands what's being said to him. He was one of those Gobs with long claws on his hands so they used him as a spy as he can climb on almost any kind of surface.
And so, this disaster of a scout 'platoon' was stuck out in the wilderness just south of Windia, looking for weaknesses in the already thin defenses the Grassland forces kept in the far reaches of its territory. For the last week or so, they had been taking accounts of the assets and liabilities of a village that was literally at the end of the road as far as Zexen civilization was concerned. They kept out of sight staying in the wooded areas waiting for further orders. Then a day ago they were sent a message of the upcoming attack and for them to stay where they are so that they could be useful later in the battle.
"So how's the battle going?" Dagakul asks Padak as he used a telescope to watch the battle in the far distends.
"Our army has just joined with the Harmonian troops and they're pushing the Grasslanders back," the commander said.
"When we fight?" Gnasher said as he wanted to join the fighting as he could make out the other Fossils in the mass of fighting bodies.
"Yeah, I want to fight," Beast grunted as she check over her equipment making sure that it was loaded and ready for battle.
"We wait till we're given orders otherwise we're staying right here," Padak said, "The orders are to wait here till we're given the chance of helping the boss."
"What he's planning that far ahead?" Grelk asks.
"Well that's the boss for you," Runt hissed as he climbs up a tree for a better view of the battlefield.
"So we just wait here then?" Gnasher asks grabbing a chunk of Troll Dragon meat that they had managed to kill just a few days ago. Whenever he couldn't do anything, Gnasher ate to keep himself busy.
"Might as well enjoy the battle till we're called upon," Dagakul said as she fingered with her lance. As she wondered what was in store for her and the rest of the team.
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In the heat of the battleground –
The cries of the wounded cried out as the roar of the battle drowned them out. The soldiers of Windia fought with everything that they had to stop the advancing enemy troops. No matter what happened they couldn't let any of them in the city or it would be house to house fighting, taking back one street after another. It would take weeks of fighting to get rid of all of the enemy soldiers that managed to hide themselves in the sewers and alleyways of the city.
"Here they come!" one of the soldiers shouted out.
Sick with exhaustion, Hugo stood atop the northeast hill fort, watching as the Harmonian army back up by the host of Urukkins several hundreds strong, came forward on foot. There are three small defense bases built on hills in sight of Windia to serve as an early warning system for the castle. The outpost was taken over by the enemy force when the Harmonian first came attacking, after two hours of hard fighting they manage to take back the fort and now using it as a base of operation to relay orders to commanding soldiers.
"Hugo we could use that rune of yours to clear a path for us!" Kohran shouted as she blasted back the incoming Skull-Gobs attacking in waves.
"Come on we got to get the door back up!" Emily shouted as she along with some soldiers lifted the fallen iron door that was knock down by a Fossil. They brace it against the open doorway and held it up as the Skull-Gobs the most pervasive members of the Underworld Army began pounding on it on the other side as archers fired arrows at the ones climbing over the walls.
"On it!" Hugo shouted as he drank one of the potions that Kodachi made using those mushrooms that restore magic to a person who ate or drank them. He's been using his Rune for most of the day blasting the incoming enemies back but each time he used the rune it became harder for him to stay on his feet with each usage. He climbs on top of one of the towers that remain standing in the base and fired a wave of fire into the mass of attacking enemies driving most of them back.
"They just keep on coming," Kohran said as she blasted some of the Skull-Gobs back with her cannon, "We need some backup."
"Tell me something that, I don't know!" Emily shouted as she swung a wooden beam sending several of the Skull-Gobs flying with one mighty swing.
"We got to hold this fort!" Hugo said as he stood back up drawing his knife out joining the other soldiers in the fight to hold off the incoming enemy troops, 'If we don't hold this fort then the enemy will have a hole to pour on through straight at the castle.'
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Inside the walls of Windia –
Reni laid on her father's bed as stared at the window from her vantage point she could make out the smoke raising from the battlefield outside the castle walls. She hasn't been able to say anything since she woke up. She reaches down to the spot where her moth… Chris's sword had stabbed through her. The sword wound had disappeared leaving nothing more than a slight scar on her chest on the spot below her developing breasts. Shampoo was holding her to her body letting her body warmth along with her soft fur against her trying to comfort her. Anne was along with them in the room with her as she came with a pot of soup from, Mamie. The soup was thick not only with grated potatoes but also with chopped onion. Chicken fat added rich flavor and sat in little golden globules on the surface of the soup. Anne and Shampoo have been trying to get her to eat something as she hasn't eaten anything in days. Mio sat next to the bed as she was worried about, Reni's health. She's been treating, Reni as she knew that she was going through a deep shock since she woke up. The only time she had any sleep was when she was being held by her father. Jillia and Joey had told her about, Pilika of what happened to her when, Blight had scared her so much that she had lost her voice. They saw that Reni was going through the same thing and only time would be able to heal that kind of wound.
In the other room next to Ranma's, Chris sat on the bed with Iris and Yun in the room with her. Emma and Wendy the two bodyguards that Chris had assigned to guard Reni stood guard in the room. Shizu and Ukyo who made themselves Ranma's two personal maids watch over the two girls. Ranma didn't want anything to happen to them while he's out on the battlefield. Chris was being help by, Shizu into her armor as she's going to help with the castle's defense. Taking her sword in hand Chris looks over it as she hasn't pulled it out of its sheath since… that day that change everything.
Getting up from the bed Chris made her way to the door, "I'm going to help the troops on the walls. You stay here where it's safe."
"Come back okay mama Chris," Iris said as she didn't want to lose anyone else.
"I will," Chris turn to Wendy and Emma, "Don't let anything get to her or Yun alright."
"Yes ma," both of them said. Chris left as she recalls the events that happened before the battle had gotten started.
A sword has always been a prestigious weapon; it has been a symbol of rank because there's something special about a sword. It's designed only for warfare; whereas a spear or a bow can be used for hunting, the sword is one of the few weapons designed purely to kill. Anyone who owned a sword had demonstrated that they had the money to spend on a weapon that had no real secondary function. While not a utility weapon, it was a very efficient combat weapon; the very fact that you had to draw one meant that you were already in close combat – not an ideal situation – so it needed to have been forged and shaped to the highest possible standard, and well cared for. If your sword failed you for any reason during this stage of combat you would be dead. For this reason, a warrior treated their sword with the same with the same love and respect that they showed to one of their family.
Even with the very best of care, a blade would still become marked, so no matter how well it was cared for and kept oiled, little sports of hard black corrosion would appear, a form of rust but harder to get out. So over time you would get patches of slight pitting and little grayed areas where this rusting had started; despite being cleaned, it would still be there, like a shadow in the metal. And these areas would keep growing; a blade could be completely covered with gray areas even while being looked after. If the warrior was involved in battle for an extended period they might not be able to look after their blade as they should, so it would succumb to rusting; and if the rain got into their scabbard this might actually produce whole patches of rust on the blade. No doubt these would be cleaned off when possible, but they would still start to chew in. Another enemy of the sword is blood, which was very bad for the blade because it contains iron. If you had dried blood on your blade and then a little moisture got into it, it would start to rust very quickly. They would have to clean any blood off your sword fight away right if you wished to protect the metal. And that harder type of black rust would have been cutting into the blade anyway, so it was a constant battle against a most difficult enemy. There was the same problem with steel hilt fittings; the blade would spend most if its life protected by the scabbard, which might have oil in it, but the hilt fittings would be knocked and scratched, and exposed to the elements, leaving them constantly open to attack from rust. The scabbards also needed to fit the sword it held and also it mustn't have any metal inside it as it would dull the blade down.
The other major threat to a sword was the physical damage that it suffered when it was drawn and used in battle. Every time the metal blade was brought down upon a hard surface, whether metal armor or shield, or even bone, tiny dents and chips would very likely appear in the sharp yet narrow blade edge. Similarly, if two swords came into contact they would not – as it is commonly thought – slide smoothly over each other but instead snag, creating further jagged edges that had to be beveled out with a whetstone, gradually reducing the width, strength and ultimately the effectiveness of the blade. Then the warrior would have to return to the blacksmith and the whole process of making a sword would begin again.
But then again she did have her old Damascus steel sword melted down and reforged by, Jura the female blacksmith who remade Ranma's sword back in his homeworld. Her new sword was much stronger and sharper then her old one as Jura had mix stronger alloys into the metal of her blade. The alloys that are in Ranma's world while she didn't know much about metals but could tell that the alloys were much better then the ones she's use to. Her new blade was harder to break and didn't get dull as quickly so that it didn't needed to be sharpen as much after use. And the alloy is also rust proof that the blade wouldn't start rusting for years if it was maintain in good condition that is. She had scrubbed her sword down many times but she still sees the blood of Reni on her blade. The blood dripping down its length tainting the metal red as the iron in the blood mixed with the alloys of the blade. Even now after countless cleanings she still could see the taint of crimson on the sword that only she could see.
Her father who had reviled himself to be Jimba had tried to help her with what she was going through. They had a long talk with each other and the reason why he left his family behind him was reviled to her. Her father was the bearer of the True Rune of Water one of the two companions of the late, Kanin the Flame Champion. Harmonian agents were still after him and when they learned that he was in Zexen he had to leave before he put his family in danger. She understands the reason why he had to leave but she couldn't deal with the fact that he's been so near her and didn't try to contact her all of the time that their two forces join together. And then there was, Piccolo and, Geddoe both of them knew that her father was nearby but didn't say a word to her. But she couldn't think about that now as she needed to keep her mind force on the matter what's at hand.
Stepping onto the top of the outer wall Chris felt like she had step into another world one which she knows well. The roar of the battlefield rose to the wall as the sounds of battle and the cries of the wounded filled the air. The guards that remained in the city lined the walls firing the mounted weapons on the wall in the mass of enemy troops that were in their range. Those small Skull-Gobs have managed to climb the wall and fights were breaking out everywhere along the wall top.
Grabbing the shoulder of a passing soldier a lieutenant by the uniform that he wore, "What's the conation of the castle defensives?" she asks him.
"Ma they're all over the place they're relentless they just keep on climbing the walls no matter how many were shot down," he said as a scream from a nearby soldier as he fell off of the wall as several arrows pierced the spaces between his armor. A group of those Skull-Gobs sprang up on the wall carrying those short composite bows that they used. Once they were on their feet they began firing those small black dart like arrows at Chris and the lieutenant making the drive for cover behind a wooden barrier set up to protect against arrows.
"Damn it at this rate they'll have all of our positions on the walls overrun," the lieutenant said as he reloaded his crossbow as he's armed with and took a pot shot at one of the Skull-Gobs before ducking back for cover as the rest of them fired back at him.
"They're making us spread out our forces on the walls thin," Chris growled, "They're making sure that we can't force on any one spot and hoping that their numbers will eventually overwhelm one of the spots on the wall."
From one of the towers on the walls a fury of arrows struck the attacking Skull-Gobs taking them down as their crossbows have the power to punch through their armor easily. Yumi with a group of her fellow Alma Kinan fighters waved down to them before firing at the other Skull-Gobs in their range. Yuiri came out from one of the doors of the tower running over to Chris stopping to firer an arrow at a Skull-Gob that pop up onto the wall the force knocking him off.
"We're being swamp at all sides," Yuiri said as she reloaded her weapon, "My units are doing all they can but they just keep on coming there's no end to them."
"They must be using those phantoms soldiers again," Chris said as those phantoms may not be real but they still felt real and could kill.
"Guys they're bringing up a siege tower!" Yumi shouted down to them. Looking out in front of them they saw a tall tower coming closer to them.
The wooden tower stood at twenty-one stories tall, likely built to overlook the wall of the city, and Chris had the feeling that it had enemy troops waiting to pour forth. The tower was being propelled by teams of Fossils with their great strengths easily push the huge tower at a steady speed. These Fossils wore heavy, thick plates of armor strapped to their torsos and forearms. Also they're fitted with wide-brimmed iron helmets that had a spike on top, a visor and leather flaps that protected the Fossil's eyes from flying missile debris. The front of the tower was covered in iron plates to deflect enemy arrows. And once the tower reach the wall the ramp would drop and they would pour onto the wall.
Looking up Chris saw Yumi and the archers with her firing at the tower with fire arrows trying to light the wooden tower before it got close to the wall but thanks to the rain that been going on for most of the day the tower outer layer was too wet to catch on fire, "Aim for the Fossils!" she shouted up to them as it was the only way to stop it from coming any closer. They fired down at the Fossils pushing the tower but the thick armor they're wearing made it hard even for their powerful crossbows to pierces through the metal plates they wore.
"There's two more!" Yumi shouted as two more towers appeared on either side of the first one.
"They're trying to break through here," the lieutenant shouted out firing at the Fossils while fighting off the Skull-Gobs that continued to climb up the wall, "We can't stop all of them in time."
"Just take out the Fossils on the first tower!" Chris shouted as she took off heading for the stairs.
"Where you going!" Yuiri shouted out to her.
"Getting some heavy fire power over here," she shouted back. She race down the stairs running towards the sounds of the loud booming sounds the erupted every now and then ringing throughout the city telling her where to go. The streets were in chaos as soldiers ran from one position to the next carrying some new supplies of arrows to the archers on the walls. Crews of sappers work the trebuchets firing chunks of rubble into the mass of enemy troops from behind the wall. Maria took charge of the trebuchet units using her flare rounds to tell the work crews where to aim the trebuchet at since she didn't want to hit their own people in the battlefield. Chris wasn't going to asks Maria to turn her trebuchet units to firer at the approaching towers as they were too close for them to hit she was running to get someone with a lot more firepower.
In front of the newly built school she found what she was looking for as Jeane sat on the seat fitted on the back of Mr. Green Turtle firing the Rune cannon that's was harness onto his back. Ms. Hinako stood near protecting Jeane from any Skull-Gobs that had made their way into the streets of the city but as long as there were only a few of them inside they could still be hunted down later. Gadget Z was reloading the cannon each time after it was fired as the Rune Shells are heavy as the need for speed was required in keeping a continues rate of firer.
"Chris what are you doing here?" Hinako shouted over the roar of the cannon firer.
"Three siege towers are coming up to the wall at number eight guard tower," Chris shouted glad that Ranma had given each of the guard towers number names to make it easy for people to locate where to go during a battle like this.
"Right on it!" Jeane shouted as she got Mr. Green Turtle to start walking towards the guard tower where the siege towers were coming at.
Chris and Hinako fought off the Skull-Gobs that tried to attack them as they made their way there. They jump at Mr. Green Turtle but he caught them in his huge gasping mouth and tore through their armor quite easily before throwing their bodies away as he didn't like eating armored foes. Once they got near to the wall one of the siege towers had already dock onto the wall and Urukkins are pouring onto the wall hacking away at the defenders as they fought them off. The other two towers were quickly approaching the wall.
Chris saw Jeane aiming the cannon at the tower that was already docked, "Jeane aim for the other two!" she shouted as if the other two towers dock onto the wall the combine forces would quickly overrun the guards on the wall as they were already spread out thin already.
"Gottah! Jeane shouted as she fired at the tower on the left causing it to burst into flames as she used a fire rune on the rune shell. Gadget Z quickly reloaded the cannon as Jeane fired again getting the other tower as it was about to dock. Burning, Urukkins leaped from the tower as the flame shells turned their siege weapon were engulfed in fire. Jeane was about to firer another when a loud hissing sound came from the cannon, "It's overheated can't firer until it cools down!"
Chris was about to shout something when a huge figure came out of the tower that's already docked on the wall. It knock aside the defenders near it as it leaped down from the wall landing in front of them joined by five Skull-Gobs. Getting a good look at it they saw that it was a Fossil armed with… drums?
Much as for intimidating as for keeping a beat to march to, the Fossil carried two large kettle drums hanging from his shoulders, which he beat with large heavy wooden mallets. The boom from those horsehide-covered drums would reverberated around the battlefield, its steady beat serving to inspire the army as it distressed the defenders of the castle. It wasn't armored, merely fitted with layers of leather, shoulder straps of fur and hide and a leather loincloth. The Fossil began drumming its drums as it began glowing with power, letting out a low growl it cried out as it summon forth a blast of lightning from its drums casting a 'Furious Blow' spell. Hinako leap in front of them using her draining powers to absorb the magical attack before it hit. (1)
"Just great a magic using Fossil!" Chris shouted as she hacks away at the Skull-Gobs as Jeane leaped off of Mr. Green Turtle to face off with the magic using Fossil.
"So using those drums to power your spells before releasing the spell," Jeane said to the Fossil, "Its been a long time since, I seen this kind of spell casting." That kind of spell casting was used by magic users that are mute using the sounds of the instruments that they played for the chant for using spells.
The Fossil roared as it began drumming again calling forth a massive fireball for an 'Explosion' spell hovering over its head the ball flew at Jeane who cast a pillar of water in front of her shielding her from the attack. Two Skull-Gobs leap at her but she quickly defended herself with her staff swinging it knocking one of them in the face then quickly twisted her staff around slamming it on the other one in one quick motion. She raised an open palm hand at the Fossil as it began beating its drums again powering up to cast another spell. A ball of magic appeared on her hand growing bigger before she threw it at the Fossil as he cast a lightning spell on her. Her magic attack canceled out the lightning spell as it ate it up using its power to make itself stronger before slamming into the chest of the Fossil ripping a hole right through its massive body. Then she powered up her Thunder Rune casting the powerful lightning spell 'Thunder Storm' sending a massive bolt of lightning at the tower striking it down with one blow.
"Wow," Hinako said as she saw her girlfriend displaying her magic like that, "If you could have done that why bother using the Rune Cannon?"
"Simple really," Jeane said wiping her brow, "It doesn't drain me that much."
"Chris thanks for the help!" Yuiri shouted as she and the guards on the walls mopped up the Urukkins on the walls.
"Welcome!" Chris shouted then she noticed a strange look on Jeane's face.
"It can't be, I thought all of them were destroyed," Jeane whispered as she felt a magic that she hadn't felt in a long time one that she thought and hoped that she wouldn't ever feel again, "I must hurry!" she quickly cast the magic cloud spell jumping on it racing off into the battlefield hoping that she could still stop it in time.
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In the battlefield –
Ranma cried out as he hack and slash his way through the enemy ranks. He's been fighting for quite awhile now as he made his way through the battlefield. Cuts covered his body as the Urukkins he's been fighting gotten in some hits. Several arrows covered his body but couldn't pierce through his armor, one had punch its way through the weak spot where his arm connected with his shoulder but he quickly pulled it out before the wound start to get to him in the latter part of the battle.
He parried against a lance wielding Urukkin taking its head off in one quick blow then dispatched a Skull-Gob leaping at him with its claws. "Now where is she?" Ranma said to himself as he looks around the battlefield. He had spotted that girl with those spike shields that Chris had describe him how she looks like the one that trick her into kill Reni, Puppet. Once he had spotted her he gave chase and been chasing her around the battlefield for awhile now. Each time he spotted her one of the attacking soldiers would attack him making him lose sight of her in the ever moving mass.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted her to his left and gave chase after her. He was going to make her pay for what she had done to Reni, to Chris and the bond that they had shared with him before she cause it to be broken. She had rolled up into a spike ball heading out of the battle with him following close behind her. Now and then he helped out one of his people as he cut through one of the enemy soldiers as he ran by the fights between the two forces.
Ranma found himself away from the battlefield at the south end of the field. Puppet was waiting for him at the foot from the lightly wooden area and she was smiling. 'It's a trap,' he realized but he couldn't let her get away from him when she was this close. Once he was in striking range Ranma leaped at her his sword over his head for a downward blow.
"It's not going to be that easy!" Puppet said as she blocks his sword with her shields by rolling into a ball again then unleashed a fury of arrows at him making Ranma back away from her blocking the spikes, "Sorry but my shields are unbreakable."
"We'll see about that," Ranma said as he chanted the twilight blade spell making his sword glow an eerie purple. But before he could strike at her a wall of flame block his path.
"Thanks for the save!" Puppet said to a young woman who was half dragon. She jump into the air rolling into a ball and took off into the woods leaving Ranma to face off with the newcomer.
"Who are you?" Ranma shouted, "One of Zomba's creations?"
"Yes, I am," she said as she pulled out a massive golden sword from her back it began to glow as it surrounded the area with a strange light, "Names Starfire."
Ranma tried to use the Chaos Rune but found that he couldn't use it as if something was blocking him from using his rune, "What happen?" He knew that the effects of the 'Silent Lake' spell would stop him from using magic but he couldn't use his Gale Rune that works even when the high Water Rune spell was cast.
"The Rune embedded in this sword is the Sovereign Rune, it grants its bearers complete immunity to all runes and it allows me to stop anyone in its effected area from using any kind of rune," Starfire said as she stared coldly at him.
"So you want to do this the old fashion way?" Ranma said as he readied himself for battle.
"No, I'm just making sure that you won't be using that rune of yours against my master," she said in a tone that Ranma knew from how the girls talk to him that she has deep feelings for her master.
"Where's this master of yours?" he asks her then felt a battle aura flared behind him twisting around fast he found that someone had sneaked up on him.
From the shape of the body Ranma knew it had to be a man. His body was covered with a skintight black fabric that showed off all of his muscles, reaching from head to toe. He wore a silver chest plate with a red trim that matched the silver wristbands going up from his wrists to his elbows with the black fabric still covering his hands. The same black fabric went down his legs where it was covered by sliver, knee high, metal boots that curved around his leg muscles. His feet were connected to the armored boots that made a metallic sound with each step he took. Which Ranma realized how good he was since he didn't hear a sound from behind him till he was face-to-face with this armored man. He wore a metal belt buckle with a crooked A with a jagged look to the letter. The black fabric went up his neck ending at the start of his head, which was a skintight metal facemask covering his head that's colored differently. Half of the mask is painted dark red while the other half is solid black. The black part of the mask is so dark that Ranma couldn't even see the breathing or eyehole on that half. The red part on the right side he could see the breathing holes (which are really just vertical rectangles) and the eye hole with a scar running across its surface, showing an eye underneath that was the mirrored color of his own eyes.
"We finally met face to face at last," the man said placing his hands behind his back, "Where are my manners I go by the name Anarchy leader of the Underworld Army."
"So you're the one that's been causing all of this trouble for us," Ranma said as if this guy hadn't shown up when he did this war would be ending sooner then how it was going on now, "What's the story with you anyways? Got a God issue and want to rule this world?"
Anarchy simply shook his head in response, "No nothing like that."
"Then why build up an army like this!" Ranma said pointing his finger at the two armies fighting against each other.
"Oh yes this is that part where, I the villain of the story starts ranting about my plan so that you be able to plan a counter plan to mine," Anarchy said in a calm voice, "Unlike other villains, I'm not going to be making those kinds of mistakes not with someone like you against me."
"Thanks for considering me like that," Ranma said as most bad guys would have just toyed with a hero in a situation like this one.
"You should know that Lexx along with the Zero Army have joined the battle raging now at Brass Castle once they fight off the forces there they will drive my forces away with their numbers. As Thomas that friend of yours has just arrived giving aid to the soldiers near the castle," his voice showed no hint of what he was feeling.
"You're taking this defeat rather well," Ranma said to him.
"It's not a defeat unless my plan for this battle doesn't work," Anarchy said.
"So we're going to fight then," Ranma said pointing his sword at him.
"Might as well," Anarchy said as he pulled out a long metal rod out with a metal weight at one end of it. It made a metallic sliding sound as a long double bladed sword came out of the other end its about the length of the rod it came out off, "Starfire don't interfere with this fight."
"Of course my master," Starfire said as she hovered about them.
They stood facing each other for sometime as both of them knew that the first strike against the other would leave themselves open for a counter move. Ranma wondered what kind of man is Anarchy as he stood his ground waiting for an opening to strike. There was something about him that was familiar let alien at the same time. It was if he knows him from somewhere but can't place where they had met. He was like a faded memory the lingered in the back of his mind that wasn't quite all there but wasn't all that gone either. There was also a powerful force that's coming from him that felt like something that he came across before it felt like the power of his Chaos Rune, but was much darker power then the one that he uses.
"Ahhh!" Starfire scream as she was knocked down from the air as Rody fell on top of her spending both of them falling from the air. Making the dragon girls magic canceling spell to be canceled out thanks to having Rody now flying broom to lose its flying magic and ending up falling on her when he flew into the affected area of the spell.
Estella appeared riding her pink colored magic cloud of hers, "Ranma need a hand?"
"I was hoping to face you in a fight. But looks like we're going to have to do this another time," Anarchy said as he pressed a switch on his weapon drawing the blade back in. Rody gave out a yell as Starfire threw him off of her and was about to attack him but was stop by Anarchy as he wave at her to come over to him which she quickly did, "Scout unit hold them here and make sure you don't get caught up in the blast range." Starfire grab onto Anarchy flying off with him into the woods.
Out from the forest bursting out were three Urukkins a female and two males stopping Ranma and the other from following Anarchy as the Urukkins were quickly joined by the rest of their teammates. The female is armed with a lance another with a sword and shield and one with two swords, an armored Fossil holding a huge mace, a female Berserker equipped with those arm guns, and a Skull-Gob with claws burst out of the woods. The Berserker fired her spike guns at Estella making her fall off of her cloud as she duck the spikes shot at her. Ranma charge forward but was knocked back as the Fossil lashed out with its mace which, Ranma blocked with his sword throwing him backwards. Rody cast a 'Dancing Flames' spell but was stopped by the female Urukkin as it cast a 'Breath of Ice' spell stopping his attack.
'This is bad,' Ranma thought to himself as he fought off the two male Urukkins. While he wouldn't say it all of the fights that he's been in have taken a toll on him. If Estella and Rody hadn't stepped on it like that he didn't know if he could have taken on Anarchy as he could tell that he could back up his words when he needs to. The Fossil join in as it swung its mace at him. He duck under its blow and tripped the duel wielding Urukkin as he attacked him sending him falling into the path of the Fossil making the dino falling onto its face. The other Urukkin rush him swinging both his sword and shield wildly forcing Ranma back. Rolling backwards onto his back then forwards between the Urukkins legs Ranma leaped up pulling at the Urukkin legs sending him falling. The Skull-Gob leaped at him but was sent flying back with a kick to its guts.
Looking around Estella cast a magic shield spell protecting her from the spikes being shot at her by the Berserker. She couldn't fight back as she couldn't attack without casting off her shield and she didn't dare to not with those spikes pounding away at her shield. Rody was using his broom to fight off the female Urukkin as she swung her lance at him he was barely holding his own against her as he wasn't much as a fighter. She made a downward blow that he blocked raising his broom she quickly kicked, Rody in his stomach sending him flying several feet away from the fighting ground.
"Ranma!" Jeane shouted came in flying overhead, "We got to get out of here now!"
"Jeane what's the matter?" Ranma shouted up to her.
"No time we got to leave now!" Jeane shouted than felt the build up of a spell that she thought that she would never feel again. She thought that all of those accursed orbs were destroyed since they were deemed too dangerous to be used as if one was used on a person holding a True Rune then the balance of this world would be destroyed. They were lucky that when the Seven Star Dragon Sword had been teleported to Ranma's world that nothing happened since she was very sure that Dark Hat had made sure that everything n this world had reminded balance while the Night Rune was gone from it. But unlike last time coming back to this world was going to be a whole lot harder then last time.
Up on a nearby hill, Sasarai finished chanting the spell to active the green orb given to him by Anarchy. The orb he found out is a Banishing Orb that would banish anyone in the effected area from this world completely. No one has ever came back to the world they were banish from form the records that he manage to find in the oldest of the liberties of Harmonian. They were all destroyed as the danger of banishing someone with a True Rune would be too great and once a True Rune leaves this world then the balance would then be broken. But this was the easiest way to get rid of Ranma from the picture as he was too powerful to fight head on without losing to many soldiers to kill him. He chanted the last words the orb lifting up into the air and glowed brightly then flew off faster then an eye could follow.
Ranma look up as a green glowing ball suddenly appeared overhead. Everyone stop what they were doing staring at the ball. The Urukkins tried to make a run for it as Jeane started screaming as the ball flew down upon them. Estella tried casting a spell to stop it but the ball was coming in too fast. The ball hit engulfing all of them in a green light; Ranma felt his body being ripped apart just like last time as his body broke apart disappearing in thin air.
Rody finally pulled himself free from the bush he was struck in running back to the fight. He saw a strange green light awhile ago but thought little of it as he was caught in the branches of the bush. He got to the spot where he left the others but all he found was a large gapping hole where they had once stood.
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In the woods –
"Master the plan work," Starfire said as she saw the hole first hand after flying over it, "Ranma is finally gone."
"Yes but that scouting was caught up in the blast. And you know how, I hate losing good troops like that," Anarchy said to the dragon girl, "And this has only given us the time that's needed for my plan to take its full shape."
"You're talking like he's coming back," she said to her master.
"Of course he's coming back," he said looking into her eyes, "I know him too well. Ranma will find a way to come back to this world its only when he's coming back is the only factor in this. Once we're back at the base prepare for the Arsenal project."
"This soon?" she asks.
"There's no telling when he's coming back so unlike other villains, I'm not going to relax my guard just because my foe is gone," he said as he opened a portal back to the base, "Signal the troops to withdraw now we're done here."
"At once master," Starfire said as she spat out a fireball that exploded in the air telling the army to retreat for now as horns started blowing throughout the battlefield. She turned and walked with her master who waited for her to finish as they both walk into the portal together. (2)
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In the gem room of a goddess –
The Goddess Tyr smiled as she watches her pawns doing her dirty work for her even if she needed to give that new player a magical relic to get rid of the center of chaos in her world. He's up to something but she didn't bother into what he's doing as far as she has seen he's the classical villain wanting to take over the world type. He even taken that key of hers that she had used to first entered this world. The key could open up doorways into other world's even ones that are sealed away that only gods could enter. But she didn't have to worry as the key would only work for a 1st class god or goddess no mortal can use it.
"Now to get everything back on track," Tyr smiled as it was time for her to reform her plan to fit into the plans that have taken shape while Ranma was here, "But Anarchy is right Ranma does have the habit of doing things that most would thought couldn't be done. Better make sure that he's ban on the mainframe from ever entering my world ever again."
"Oh really now?"
"Who dares….?" Tyr shouted angry for someone entering her domain but lost her voice and rage as she saw who it was that had stepped into her home.
"Giving that magic item to your pawns to banish my sister's love wasn't a smart thing to do," Dark Hat said as he walks over to her, "Now what am, I going to do to you for this?"
Tyr's face lost all color as she could feel the heat in his voice. Every god and high demons knew that when one can feel heat in Dark Hat's voice meant that he was angry something that was hard to do. He was mostly indifferent when dealing with anyone outside of his family he does raise his voice time to time but never let his anger to interfere with what needed to be done. To hear or feel any kind of heat in his voice even this little of it meant that he was tricked off. She made a muffled scream as he lifted her into the air by her neck with one arm all of the while retaining his calm composer.
"Now you listen and do what, I say," Tyr nodded the best she could as she tried to break free from his iron grip on her neck, "I have already made it clear to the other gods that this world is off limits for now on for any kind of godly action so you are on your own from now on. You won't give any kind of magic objects that banishes again. You will step out of the shadows if you want to interfere in mortal affairs from now on, no longer will you pull strings from the shadows do you hear me."
He loosens his grip enough to let her to talk, "I do what you want," she choked out. As there was no way she's powerful enough to take someone like him on.
"Good," Dark Hat said but continued holding onto her neck, "Now to make sure you remember to keep your word." His glaze stared down into the depths of her soul as she could only see her death in his eyes she wanted to scream to cry out but she was too scared to say anything as he simply stared at her, "This is the part where you start screaming." Tyr's eyes widen as she finally manage to start screaming. (3)
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Next Time – What's happing in Ranma's homeworld while he's been gone. I know a sidestory but its going to be a good Halloween base story!
Author's Notes
1 – Like the drummer trolls in LOTR: The Third Age.
2 – Has anyone guess who Anarchy is yet?
3 – What happened to Tyr well you really don't want to know.
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