Disclaimer: I own nothing of touhou and familiar of zero, all character belongs to their respected creator.

"When dealing with eldritch powers, a word of advice, don't do it." – Tiandao

Henrietta POV

Time flies, it was something that Henrietta didn't really give much thought to before now. The happy time always seemed so short, a dream that you don't want to wake up from, a time you wish that could become infinite. But reality was cruel and so is war, they don't have much time left, and the enemy would not have mercy on them.

The day was dream like, she and Wales spend the morning talking about things that were pleasant, small things like how they spend their days usually, or funny things like how one of the maids back in her home played pranks on each other. They just talked and sat together, and it made them forget about the war raging outside, like it was all a bad dream.

In truth it was the opposite, the peaceful time they had then was the dream, the present is the truth. Night has fallen and the enemy had gathered outside, they have surrounded the inner wall of the castle and their torch lighted up the street. It was like a river of fire, under the starry night, extending for kilometers now stop, a serpent of destruction. Henrietta could feel her gripe on her wand tightening, and the armor on her was feeling even heavier. She had joined the main force with Wales, who stood beside her in his own armor looking at the same view as her.

They have prepared for combat; Wales had ordered his forces to gather at the center castle, the plan was to focus their force at one point while forcing the enemy to fight from the streets so that they don't get over run in an instant. After that, it is a test of endurance until one side falls. Whether it is the serpent that kills the king, or the king who slews the serpent, is all up to which side can maintain longer.

"Henrietta, remember what I said, you stay with the back group, and if my man and I fall, flee and save yourself." Wales said to her, she had understood what he had meant; it is now the time to say good bye. Henrietta nodded her head, seeing this; Wales let out a smile and walked towards the front line. His back is imprinted into Henrietta's eyes; she wonders whether she would see him alive again, but she quickly shook off this thought, there is no room for such thought on a battlefield.

Seconds passed, minutes passed, Henrietta prepared her willpower and brought up all the spells from her memory, she waited for the inevitable moment. And as she dreaded, the sound had come, the signaling horn had been blown, the loud low sound ripped through the heavens and torn through the silence. Their enemy had begun their advance, and soon shouts of thousands of enemy soldiers rang through the night.

"Man I'm proud to stand along with you all, the founder is on our side, let us defeat these rebels! For Albion!" Wales yelled, and in response, the hundreds of soldiers who followed Wales loyally cheered as well, they were outnumbered, at a ratio of about 70 to 1, but they believe in the royal family. And then the first group of enemy and reached the base of the wall.

"Fire!" Wales shouted, and then the mages and archers all open fire on the enemies below. It was effective, though some risked their lives in a fatal charge, others had slowed down a bit. The frontline of the enemy appears to be just regular soldiers carrying ladders and with the narrow streets, only a few of them could come at a time. It seemed like the battle is under control, when suddenly a soldier on the left of Wales was struck by a fireball and badly burned.

"Careful, they have mages on the roofs!" One of their comrades shouted, Henrietta saw the enemy who shoot the fireball and with one blast of water, she shoot him off the roof. But enemies were climbing onto the roof of the buildings and open firing, most of them were mages but others carried bows.

"More of them are coming onto the roofs! We have to stop them or we'll be destroyed!" Henrietta shouted, it seems that the enemy had caught on to their plan fast and is now planning to suppress them with greater fire power. The soldiers with ladders were still few, but if they aren't stopped they will quickly break through their defense, but it is becoming harder and harder to attack the soldiers with the enemy mages and archers shooting at you.

Fireballs, wind blasts, water blasts, arrows all flew through the sky. It was like a firework show if it weren't for the clear killing intent. More and more enemies were climbing on to the roof of buildings and the firework of death was getting more intense. Henrietta could feel that she is sweating from the heat, her nerves are in a tense mode, and she is starting to feel tired from all the spells she cast. This is bad, if this contains it would only be a matter of time before they are overwhelmed!

"The wines are here!" Suddenly hope arrived; some of the other soldiers had brought out barrels of wine from the cellars. The wind mages know very well what they need to do, and in an instant the barrels were cast on to the roofs and smashed. Shouts of pain ran from the roofs as the soldiers who couldn't escape got knocked down by the barrels and drenched in alcohol. But it was not over yet, with a single fireball, the roof erupted in to flames, agonizing screams rang through the battlefield as the enemy was turned into human torches. The sweet smell of cooked meat floated around the battlefield, Henrietta could almost feel her stomach turning upside down, holding back the instinct to puke, she focused more on the living enemy rather than the dead.

The fight had once again turned in their favor, with the alcohol idea; they had stopped the enemy from acquiring high ground and wiped out some numbers. The battles once again turned into a test of endurance, as the enemy soldiers, now under the guard to enemy mages and archers from the ground, kept trying to set up ladders. Repelling one wave after another, Henrietta could see that the enemy is not making progress. We could actually hold out! She thought with joy, perhaps the enemy would give up and retreat if this continues. But this thought is quickly shattered as loud sounds rang through the battleground, and the source of it was obvious, a house had just been reduced to rubble.

The enemies were not dim witted it seems, though the streets of the city is full of houses, the enemy had decided to use additional effort to tear down the houses one by one. Golems, created by triangle mages, were tearing down the houses one after another. In response, the enemy ladder troops had ceased their attack.

"Oh no." Wales mumbled under his breath, the worst case scenario that they all fear had happened; they were going to lose their field advantage.

"If this continues, an all out attack would happen in an hour or so!" The soldiers after hearing their prince's words all realized one thing; the countdown to their death had begun. There is no way they could hold out on an all out attack, the enemies were just too many, and without the narrow streets, far more powerful weapons and troops could be sent.

"Look!" Shouted one of the soldiers, as everyone looked towards the horizon, more dreaded news had arrived. Dragon knights and other flying ships were in the horizon, the enemy is indeed fully prepared to make the next attack the last one. There is no way they could hold off all the dragon knights while stopping the ground army. It was hopeless, this battle is already lost. The first round of attacks existed only to gave them a false sense of hope, and now this fragile hope is easily shattered in the face of reality.

"Henrietta, you have to go now!" Wales shouted towards Henrietta, "This is the end of me, we'll be here to distract them, you need to escape from this place now! There is no time!"

"Wales…"

"Now go! Don't look back!" Wales said as he pushed Henrietta towards the stairs off the castle wall, but Henrietta felt as if her legs were made of lead and properly move. No she won't move!

"No more running away, we face this together." Henrietta said as she prepared her wand, no more running away, this is the path she chooses and she won't back off.

"…"

"No matter where you go, I'll accompany you." And as she said that, she stood next to Wales. Seeing this, Wales nodded his head and held her empty hand. Love makes one strong, love makes one foolish, but one would never regret their love. And as the final countdown tick away, the lovers and their loyal comrades stood in the face of the storm. Buildings after buildings fell and the dust gathered in the weak wind and clouded the sky, it was like the end of the world, the city becoming a complete ruin.

"Henrietta, if there is a next life, I swear I would marry you. I'm sorry we had to face our end like this."

"We'll be together no matter what."

Time ticked away, as the soldiers on the wall made their last stand; everything that could still be used in defending had been taken out. And finally with the loudest sound yet, the last row of houses had fallen, there were no longer any protection left. With the loudest sound yet, the enemy shouted and charged.

"Fire!" Wales shouted as the soldiers on the wall open fired on the army below and at the enemies in the sky. But the effect was far not enough, there were too many this time, and those that are in the sky were hard to hit. And like that, the first groups of ladders were set up below the wall, as the enemy began climbing.

"Push them down!" Wales ordered as the soldiers scrambled to push down the ladders, but there were too many, and this distraction made them the perfect target for the dragon knights as they shoot at the soldiers running for the ladders. One by one the soldiers fell, some shot back at the dragon knight but they flew too fast. Their line of defense crumbled as the enemies began to swarm the wall.

"hah..hah…" Henrietta panted as she shout spell after spell at the enemy on the walls, but there were always more, she was being overwhelmed when suddenly she was blasted to the side by an enemy water mage.

"Ahhhh!" She screamed in pain as cuts and bruises were inflicted, she was not used to this degree of pain, so it had caused her unable to react. But the enemy mage had no mercy, as he pointed the wand at her head, but then before he could deal the killing blow, a wind blast had strike him from behind.

"Henrietta are you okay!" Wales said as he quickly pulled her up, the enemy mage is already dead.

"Watch out!" Henrietta said as she shoots a powerful blast of water at two enemy soldiers approaching behind, sending them over the wall. She and Wales stood back to back, but they were gathering more and more bruises on their body. The small wounds were draining their strength, and it was becoming harder and harder to cast spells. Miraculously as they fought on the enemy number on the wall is decreasing, and then all of a sudden, there were no more.

"What?" Wales said in astonishment, Henrietta could see that their remaining soldiers were amazed too, but then they realized the enemy had retreated off the walls. The reason came soon after the realization, as the flying ships opened fire and swallowed the wall in a massive group of explosion.

…Ugh

Henrietta could feel her head hurt, she couldn't move her body properly, intense pain came from her chest and legs. It feels like her ribs and left leg were fractured. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but what she saw was hell. Their fellow soldiers corpses littered all over the rubbles that use to be the wall of the castle, sounds of battle were still coming from all around her, as the remaining few soldiers were killed.

Where's Wales! She quickly looked around scanning for traces of her lover, and there she saw him. Blood had stained his face with his right arm dangled at an odd direction, 4 arrows stuck on his left arm and legs. Surrounded by enemies the last member of Albion's royalty struggled to fight, even as life is slowly leaving his body.

Henrietta reached out her hand towards Wales's direction, but she had lost her wand. She wanted to yell his name, but she could not produce any sound, it is then she realized that her vocal cord is crushed. She is now crippled as she watches her lover die before her.

Tears of anger and despair flowed to her eyes and her vision clouded. Never before had she felt like this, she cursed the enemy for attacking them, she cursed the founder for not helping them in their moment of need, and she cursed herself for being too weak to change it all. She hated it, she loathed it, she cursed the world in her anger and despair, all the teaching she had when she was young was meaningless, there is no founder when she need him. Pain and despair consumed her, and she wondered is this how she would die, knowing she was not able to change anything, and die with the sight of her lover being slain forever burned into her mind! No, I don't want this! She shouted in her mind, I'll do anything! I don't care what I have to sacrifice; please don't let it end like this! Take my soul! Take my body! I beg of anyone, please grant my wish!

Suddenly a glow came next to her, and she saw what it is, the stone mill given to her by Otohime. It will give you power, Otohime's words surfaced in her mind. Using the last of her strength, she grabbed the stone mill. It doesn't matter what the price is, if it would save them it was worth it.

…Pull it.

Pull it. Pull it.

Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it.

Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it. Pull it.

PULL IT!

Henrietta felt as if there were voices coming from all around her; they were like a chant, dragging her into insanity. And then using all of her strength, she pulled the stone mill and it began to spin. Small grinding sound was coming from it as if it was grinding salt, and nothing else happened. And then she felt it.

Intense pain erupted from her body and because of her crushed vocal cord she couldn't scream. No, the pain was so intense that even if she could scream she couldn't make out a sound. It felt like having red hot steel rods inserted into your head and back, then the rod is melted and flow through your blood vessels. Every inch of her screams in pain, it felt as if she is being burned alive, her heart began to rapidly beating. As the sound resonates in her head she felt as if her heart was being replaced with a new one, a feeling of power began to flow through her.

And then, the world was consumed by a light.

Wardes POV

Things were going good, Wardes thought to himself. Though the princess disappeared, using the excuse of searching for her, Wardes was able to sneak to the country of Albion anyway. Even though he couldn't assassinate the prince, they were going to take over very soon; the prince's faction is almost dead and the man himself is half dead. At this point it was like crushing a bug. Cormwell will be pleased; they are a hair's length from ruling this country.

But suddenly a white light erupted from the front line, it had blown the soldiers and mages in the front line away. Wales was surprised at what had caused that light, was this some secret weapon that the Albion royal family had prepared!

He hopped on to his griffin and flew towards the sky to get a better look. And then after the light disappeared, he began to have a bad feeling. At this point something seemed to have seriously his griffin as it began to shout loudly and began to panic, desperately trying to fly away.

"Stop girl, stop!" Wards shouted towards his pet griffin, but his familiar doesn't seem to listen to him. But he wasn't the only one, around him he could see that the dragons that the knights were riding are panicking as well. This is not normal at all! These beasts were trained to be calm in any situation, even in the middle of a war or facing other monsters, these beasts never panicked before.

This is bad! Wardes didn't know what was going on, but he sure as hell doesn't want to know. Life experience had taught him to trust his instinct and it's telling him now is the time to flee. So he allowed his griffin to turn and ran, whatever is happening he have to report to Cormwell.

Author's word: Next chapter, god versus human army.