With the entire ground force focused on the Monastery, Isaac's forces were making solid time in plowing through what light fortifications had been made in the streets. Every time a Wolfpack member of Siren poked their head out from behind a building, the corner of said building was decimated by crippling gunfire.
From one of the outward windows of the monastery, Tester peeked out, seeing Isaac's forces approaching slowly, his forces crushing what remained of her bastion that had kept her safe for the previous months of her occupation.
"He's within the city. His fleet is undefended. Send the rest of the suicide boats." Tester ordered.
"It will be done." A male voice responded from her rigging.
All across the island Archipelago, the sound of motors spurring to life filled the air. Within minutes, the area surrounding the basin off Cebu was filled with hundreds of suicide boats, crewed by Explorers and Wolfpack members alike.
Alarms on board the Norfolk began to blare as her radar picked up hundreds of incoming signatures.
"What the hell?" Norfolk asked as she checked her radar screen.
"Norfolk, suicide boats are in the water. I can't get an accurate count as to how many." Zero spoke as Norfolk looked off from her bridge.
Activating her rigging, Norfolk began barking orders.
"All available hands prepare for defensive combat. More suicide boats inbound. You know the drill. Protect the carriers and battleships. Carriers, fighters in the air to try and swat some of them before they get close. Battleships, tighten up the shell that's surrounding the fleet and pour all of your energy into making every secondary gun shot count. Don't use your main cannons as it takes too long to be effective." Norfolk ordered as the fleet began to move on her command. The carriers all began filling the skies above the fleet with fighters, save for Enterprise and Richthofen who had taken off earlier to intercept the siren craft coming from the strategist class sirens in the city.
Norfolk focused further and opened a channel to Isaac.
"Isaac." Norfolk spoke.
"Norfolk, what's wrong?" Isaac asked.
"Suicide boats. Hundreds of them. I've set the fleet to high alert, but if these are just like the last ones, we may be looking at quite a hefty repair party after this is all over." Norfolk spoke.
"Fuck. Do what you can, I'll send a few of the girls back to assist." Isaac spoke.
"I have plenty of girls here, Isaac. You need what you can to take down Tester. I can sense something with her. Her energy readings are rising. She's planning something." Norfolk said.
"Thanks for the intel. Please be careful. I already have enough to answer for when this battle ends." Isaac said as he tapped his helmet, connecting him to his ground forces.
"Attention all hands, intelligence reports that Tester is preparing to make a move of some kind. Proceed with the utmost caution. We can't afford to be caught flat footed now." Isaac ordered, receiving a wave of confirmations as a reply.
"Admiral, please allow me to demolish the building. It would be safer than trying to take the compound." Musashi spoke.
"Musashi, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this isn't a military compound. Not like the airfield we destroyed earlier. This is a religious monastery. We cannot demolish it." Isaac said.
"We could always help them to rebuild." Musashi reasoned.
"No. We take the compound. I'll do it alone if I have to." Isaac spoke as he turned to face Musashi.
Musashi looked at him for a moment before smiling softly.
"So be it. We'll do it your way, Admiral." Musashi said as she aimed her rigging to fire behind him, firing a salvo that obliterated the quickly gathering group of wolfpack members.
Isaac looked behind him to see the carnage before turning back to Musashi, who was smiling innocently.
"Not being very subtle… are you?" Isaac asked as he turned and continued forward, ducking from cover to cover as bullets and plasma flared against Musashi's shield.
"Whatever do you mean?" Musashi asked as Odin's voice snapped them from their commentary.
"Kommandant, if you're done flirting with the fox, can we push ahead? I can see the wall of the Monastery, and it looks like Tester's forces are beginning to pull back within the walls for a final defensive play." Odin spoke.
"Jealous much?" Isaac muttered.
"You want to get shocked again?" Odin deadpanned as she brought up her hand, allowing arcs of lightning to flow freely between her fingers.
"R-right. Let's make our final push." Isaac said as he stood from behind cover and began moving forward towards the wall, gunning down anyone who was outside of cover.
Around them, the sounds coming from the other groups indicated that they were also making their final push on the monastery.
"Lady Tester, the walls have been breached." One of the explorers spoke.
"Hold your ground. This insect is nothing. He dies here." Tester spoke, lying to herself to grant her the courage needed to get to her feet.
"You should get to safety, Lady Tester." The explorer spoke.
Tester shook her head.
"If I leave, Empress will kill me herself. We just need to throw everything we have at him… or die trying." Tester spoke as she looked up at her rigging.
Out in the courtyard, battle raged. Bullets shattered windows and tore chunks from the wall of the monastery. Those hidden within were only able to take singular pot shots before their position was riddled with bullets and low caliber rigging shells from Isaac's Kansen.
Tester smiled wide.
"All units. Maximum output. Kill them all and bring Apollyon to me!" Tester shouted as the remaining Sirens within the compound began fighting fiercer than before. Every shot they took hit harder, tearing through the available cover, revealing Isaac's forces to the gunfire coming from the monastery.
"Get down!" Isaac ordered as he watched chunks of the concrete wall covering his forces fall to the ground.
"We're taking a lot of heat, Admiral!" Baltimore spoke via radio.
Isaac looked over to the western side of the courtyard to see Baltimore, Bremerton and Taka pinned down by Peace Breaker and Explorer class sirens.
"Shit. Whatever just happened, these Sirens are hitting a lot harder than before." Isaac said as a shot rang out from beyond the courtyard. Isaac looked again and saw the lead Peace Breaker fall to the ground with a massive hole in its chest.
"Don't worry, Admiral. I'll cover them." Michael's voice spoke as Isaac heard the casing of a 20mm shell hit the ground in the background.
Isaac looked around and found the cliff that Michael had reported from earlier, noting that it was just over twenty-five hundred meters away.
"Huh… I guess you really weren't kidding. How the hell are you aiming?" Isaac asked. His question was answered shortly after.
"Michael, two feet to the left and five feet behind the previous target. Adjust and fire when ready." Eugen's voice was heard. Several seconds later another shot rang out. Isaac watched an Explorer that was hiding behind a sandbag wall slump forward, revealing a massive wound in its back.
"You use the Kansens?!" Isaac asked, quickly connecting the dots.
Isaac swore he could hear the smile on Michael's face.
"They can see a lot better than me. I'm just really good with the calculations, Admiral." Michael explained.
Isaac sighed.
"Eugen, keep an eye out for Tester. She is identified by a Manta ray styled rigging and long white hair. If you see her, instruct Michael to take her out." Isaac ordered.
"I understand, Kommandant." Eugen's voice spoke as Michael cut the line.
"Issac." Elizabeth spoke.
"Lizzy?" Isaac asked.
"I've done a quick circle of the complex. There's no easy way to get in. We will have to drag this out and turn this shootout into a battle of attrition." Elizabeth spoke.
"We can't afford attrition." Isaac said as Elizabeth pulled him into cover, narrowly avoiding his position being shot to hell by a swath of machine gun fire.
"We also can't really afford to sit idle either. Is it necessary that we keep this building intact?" Elizabeth asked.
Isaac nodded.
"Yes. This place has been ravaged by war since '41. Anything left standing will raise the morale of the locals." Isaac said.
Elizabeth sighed.
"This is when I wish I had my vessel…" Elizabeth spoke softly.
"You don't have a vessel?" Isaac asked
"The tradeoff to coming here, apparently, was losing my vessel. I will have to rebuild it here in this world." Elizabeth spoke.
"What would having your vessel help with at the moment?" Isaac asked curiously.
"Well… considering that this world is currently in 1945… shock and awe. I have access to helicopters. Something these peasants have not seen before. I also have access to jets. Planes that travel faster than most eyes can follow. It wouldn't be much, but it would distract them." Elizabeth explained.
"I see. Well, unfortunately we don't have immediate access to a matrix to help construct a vessel like that. Akashi should be bringing it with New Jersey." Isaac said as he jumped a bit, hearing another report from Michael's rifle.
"So, what's the plan?" Elizabeth asked.
Isaac thought for a moment.
"Smoke?" Isaac asked.
"Not at the moment. I usually try not to smoke in the field." Elizabeth said.
"No… not a cigarette. Smoke shells. How far are we from the port?" Isaac asked.
"Less than five miles." Elizabeth said.
"Odin!" Isaac asked.
"Kommandant?" Odin asked.
"Order Iowa to lock her main batteries on these coordinates. She should still be far enough away to get the proper trajectory." Isaac said.
"What?!" Odin cried as she stopped herself from activating the radio.
"Tell her to load smoke rounds. If we can't advance, we'll blind them." Isaac said.
"Ah. But what about Michael?" Odin asked.
"I'll have him keep watch just in case." Isaac said as Odin activated her radio.
"There's the fleet!" Iowa said excitedly.
"It's good to be back." Perkins said as the radio beckoned Iowa.
"Iowa here!" Iowa replied.
"Iowa, this is Vice Commander Odin. Aim your guns on my location and offset them fifty feet to the east." Odin ordered.
"A fire order? What am I shooting, Vice Commander?" Iowa asked.
"Smoke. If you can load smoke shells, that would aid us greatly." Odin spoke.
"Hmm… I don't have many. How many do you need?" Iowa asked.
"The Kommandant has requested three shells worth. We are pinned here and need to blind the enemy." Odin explained.
Iowa looked at Perkins who nodded.
"Okay! Give me a minute to load the shells and I'll send them." Iowa said cheerfully as Perkins looked out from the bridge, watching as the massive number one turret swung around and elevated to engage.
"Okay! Firing!" Iowa's voice permeated the small foxhole where Isaac, Musashi, Elizabeth and Odin found themselves. Nimi had backed off in an attempt to find another angle of attack.
Isaac tapped his helmet.
"All hands, brace for impact! Smoke shells inbound. Get your bearings and prepare to charge!" Isaac ordered as he watched everyone within the walls with him look directly at any openings in the monastery. Several seconds later, three massive 16-inch shells slammed into the ground just outside of the eastern wall of the Monastery, releasing a cloud of smoke that immediately blanketed the complex in a dense fog.
"Charge!" Isaac yelled as numerous cries came from the fog. Most of Stefan's men began yelling as they drew their knives and ran headlong into the fog. The sound of screams and liquid hitting the ground followed as Isaac could only imagine the carnage being unleashed upon the Sirens and Wolf Packs alike.
Isaac then stood and held his rifle ahead as he walked quickly across the courtyard, sidestepping the bodies on the ground as a majority of his forces advanced on the building.
"Our forces are being slaughtered! We can't hold them back!" An explorer yelled as she was cut down by one of Stefan's men, using their knife to drive their fury into the Siren's heart.
"Para sa karangalan!" The man shouted before being gunned down by Tester's rigging, the latter now terrified that her location had been uncovered so quickly after the smokescreen.
"What?!" Tester cried as her room was quickly filled with Filipino warriors, all armed with knives and covered in blood and black liquid.
Tester prepared to attempt to open fire when a pair of shells pierced the smoke, striking her rigging square in the main gun complexes on either side of her shoulders. Left defenseless, a single figure made itself known in the smoky building. Red flashes of light in the shape of eyes shone through the mist.
"Surrender. And your death will be painless." The figure spoke.
"Apollyon." Tester snarled as she prepared to pounce towards Isaac, only for another shell to fly through the smoke and strike her arm.
"Surrender." Isaac reiterated.
Tester refused to speak, deciding, instead, to turn and jump from the window.
"After her!" Isaac ordered as several men jumped from the window to pursue Tester while the others backtracked through the monastery to re-engage her in the courtyard.
"Michael, Tester is on the run! Keep an eye open, Eugen!" Isaac radioed.
"Understood, Kommandant. This smoke is making it difficult." Eugen said.
"We needed it to break their focus and advance. I can bring in a carrier group to clear it." Isaac said as he cut the line.
"Enterprise, come in." Isaac spoke.
"Admiral." Enterprise responded.
"I need spotting. Can you see through the smoke that we laid here?" Isaac asked.
"I can try, Admiral. What am I looking for?" Enterprise asked.
"Tester escaped our trap but not the complex. I want to find her." Isaac said.
"Understood. Sweeping low for a pass now." Enterprise spoke as Isaac looked to the sky.
Through the smoke, he saw Enterprise's Super Corsair dart across the complex before banking sharply to make another pass.
"I see a massive shape moving towards the hills." Enterprise spoke.
"That'd be her." Isaac said.
"Shall I attempt a shot?" Enterprise asked as Isaac saw her form appear on the cockpit of the plane overhead.
"Go ahead and see if you can disable the rigging. We took out her guns, but she can still shield herself." Isaac said.
"I understand, Admiral." Enterprise spoke as she unleashed a single shot from her bow. The bolt of light pierced the fog, sailing true into the back of a large Manta ray shaped object moving slowly through the fog. With a painful yelp, all ears were turned to the location of Tester, despite the thick smoke cover.
"I can see her now." Eugen spoke.
"What?" Michael asked.
"Thirteen feet left and five feet back from the previous target. Adjust for smoke coverage. You may fire when ready." Eugen said. Michael followed her direction and adjusted his aim.
"Tell the devil I said hello, you Siren whore." Michael whispered as he squeezed the trigger, sending a 20mm projectile through the air. With a small puff, the bullet penetrated the fog before striking true, albeit a bit lower than expected. A sharp, primal scream permeated the smoke as Tester fell to the ground, clutching her left knee… or the stub where it used to be. Laying a few feet back, was her disembodied leg, still actively twitching as if it were connected to her body.
"Good hit. She's on the ground two feet forward of your last shot. Adjust… and fire when ready." Eugen said.
Michael shook his head to clear any growing doubt.
"Let's try this again." Michael said as he slowly racked a round into his rifle.
Another crack as the 20mm monster spat another round into the smoke. Another primal scream emitted.
"Eugen…" Michael said as he turned to see a sadistic smile on Eugen's face.
"She will feel my pain." Eugen whispered repeatedly as Michael realized what she had done.
"Admiral." Michael said.
"Michael, what's wrong?" Isaac asked as he and his forces made their way towards the sounds of a woman crying in pain.
"Eugen and I will be withdrawing… Tester has been neutralized as a threat." Michael spoke in a concerned tone.
"Explain." Isaac requested.
"I only fired under the assumption that she was feeding me kill shots… but based on the screams and the multiple shots… I fear she is using me to torture Tester… as revenge for what they did to her." Michael explained.
"I understand. We'll handle it. Get back to the beaches. Be careful, there may be some stragglers left in the town." Isaac said.
"I apologize, Admiral. I just don't wish for her to make a choice that she'll regret." Michael spoke.
"I get it, Michael. Your request to retreat is accepted unconditionally. We'll talk when I return to the fleet." Isaac said as he cut the line.
Isaac approached Tester. True to Michael's word, Tester was there, laying in a pool of her own blood, whimpering in pain. Laying nearby, torn off at the kneecaps, were her legs, still twitching slightly as the last of the electrical impulses left the muscles.
"Just fucking kill me already!" Tester screamed in pain as what was left of her rigging tried to turn towards Isaac, only to be shot to hell by Musashi.
Isaac wordlessly took aim with his rifle and pulled the trigger, sending a .30 caliber bullet through Tester's skull.
"I'm sorry you died in such a state… but I will not apologize for killing you." Isaac spoke as the smoke around him began to dissipate slowly.
"All kansen return to your vessels to aid in the defense of the fleet. There are still suicide boats bearing down on us and if we're not careful, we'll be here for months trying to repair the damage done." Isaac said as every kansen in the area confirmed his orders before making a beeline for the port, save for Musashi.
"Something wrong, Musashi?" Isaac asked as he turned to her, removing his helmet.
"What you said. You apologize for killing her in such a state, but not for killing her. I'm not sure I comprehend." Musashi spoke as she looked at the dead Siren before them.
"After what I did to Oceana back in New Guinea… I promised some of the members of my fleet that I would execute Sirens as we crossed them. Torture is off the table in my books… so long as I can help it. But due to one of my charges, this Siren was tortured before death. Hence… breaking my promise not only to myself, but I guess one made to them as well." Isaac said as Musashi contorted her face in confusion.
"I'm not sure I understand, but basically you wish to kill them, but not torture them?" Musashi asked.
"That's more or less the gist of it. I would have preferred to put Tester down clean. But it is also painfully obvious that the Sirens hurt the Kansens too. This was Eugen's handiwork. She told Michael where to shoot. Only she knew that she was aiming for the legs. Michael was expecting a clean kill." Isaac explained.
"Prinz Eugen of Ironblood. Escort to the famous Bismarck. One in the same?" Musashi asked.
"Yup." Isaac spoke.
"What happened to her?" Musashi asked.
"Eugen was tortured for years, both by the sirens and by the personal trauma endured after the loss of Bismarck.I guess this was her way of trying to get some kind of closure." Isaac said as he looked out from the walls of the Monastery.
"It's been less than half a year since I woke Akashi, and we began this grand quest. I know we are nowhere close to done, yet… I find myself wishing it was over. I have a massive family with this fleet. Is it wrong to wish to settle down?" Isaac lamented softly as Musashi joined him, poking his palm with her finger.
"Not at all. But just think, Admiral. We have just taken another big step towards the peace you desire. The Philippines are no longer under Siren control. And we are a stone's throw away from my homeland." Musashi said.
"And what of you? What will you do?" Isaac asked.
"I have decided to serve you, even if my Emperor disapproves. You took in my baby sister, but also saved my older sister. You have given me a niece, something I never thought possible. So, to that end… I will stick close to you and follow you. Come hell or high water." Musashi said as Isaac felt a soothing calm waft over him as a singular cherry blossom petal fell into his open hand, next to her finger.
Isaac smiled.
"The family gets bigger every day." Isaac said as he looked to the sky.
"Keep firing! We're tearing them apart!" Norfolk shouted over the radio. As soon as the carriers had launched their fighters, the suicide boats began falling quickly.
It didn't take long for Norfolk to notice that these boats were in worse shape than the ones they had originally faced.
"A last-ditch effort?" Norfolk asked as Zero appeared next to her.
"More of our forces are returning to the beach. We can safely assume that the fighting has subsided within the town." Zero explained.
Norfolk focused slightly.
"You're right. I can't sense Tester's energy signature at all." Norfolk spoke as she broadened her search.
"She's nowhere. Her energy is completely gone." Norfolk spoke as Isaac's voice caused her to jump.
"Well of course her signature is gone. The bullet through her skull should have been enough to kill her and put her out of her misery." Isaac spoke.
"So… we won?" Norfolk asked.
"We did. The invasion was a success. How's the situation with the suicide boats?" Isaac asked.
"They're run down. Nowhere near the level of the last ones we faced. Our fighters and battleships are keeping them a fair distance away. The fleet is currently being dealt no damage." Norfolk replied.
"Good. Get ready to begin landing the medical staff and the engineer corps. We've got work to do if we wish to establish a bulwark here in the southern Pacific. With the destruction of the Niue Base months back, we need a new Nexus for those who will be left to patrol the southern Pacific." Isaac said.
"Understood. Commencing the rebuilding operation." Norfolk spoke as she took to the main fleet radio.
"All non-combat personnel. Please prepare to disembark your vessels and begin landing. Meet up with patrol squads and await orders from the Admiral." Norfolk spoke as she saw Kansen and Isaac emerging on the beach, along with a long line of wounded men.
"What are our losses, Admiral?" Norfolk asked.
"Of the nearly two battalions we went in with, we suffered a quarter in terms of casualties. And inside that quarter, only about twenty percent are classed as fatalities." Isaac reported.
"100 dead men to take this city. 400 wounded." Norfolk broke it down.
"That seems to be the case." Isaac said solemnly.
"We shall lay them to rest at sea… if that is what you desire." Norfolk said.
"Many of the dead were those who fought under Stefan. We shall conduct a search to find families… if Tester hasn't slaughtered them. They will be given to their families, along with any support we can offer. These men and women died to free their country. We need to allow their country to relish that fact. These men and women are heroes. Both to their country… and to us. Without them, we may have met our end the moment we landed here." Isaac explained.
Norfolk remained silent, aside from a soft sniffle on her end.
"Understood, Isaac. Please return to the ship when you are ready." Norfolk spoke as she cut the line.
"Everything alright?" Zero asked as she appeared next to Norfolk.
"Yeah. Just glad that he's back. And it's finally over… this siege that is." Norfolk said.
"You truly do love him, don't you?" Zero asked.
"You don't have a say… but yes. He gave me a form. He built me a ship. He provided me with a flesh and blood body. He showed me the same compassion he showed Nimi, and Friedrich, and all the others. He's also brave to a fault. He's willing to throw himself into danger with no regard for himself… to protect us. We're stronger than he is, yet he feels the need to face the danger in our stead. I think there are varied levels of falling for someone when it comes to humans and love. And it's not a stretch to say I've fallen for him whole heartedly." Norfolk said as Zero sat with her chin on her fist.
"Hmm. This timeline gets weirder by the day." Zero said as Norfolk turned to her.
"Yes. Yes, it does." Norfolk spoke as she looked out from the bridge.
"Alright. I'll go first. Jean, you're behind me. Akashi, you fall in behind Jean Bart. Massachusetts, you fall in behind Akashi. We're going to pass through the Suez Canal. The trip should only take about an hour. After that, sensors and radar need to be raised to full capacity. According to Minnie, these enforcers are hard to track. If we can avoid them entirely, then that would be the best way to do this." New Jersey spoke as the vessels behind her fell in.
"Any word from Shikikan, nyaa?" Akashi asked.
"Not yet. But I remember him saying that he was saving Yamato with my sister. Hopefully we can get there quickly." New Jersey said as the four vessels entered the inlet for the canal.