Here we are at Chapter 52. Time for the next stage in Fuyumi's war with the empire. I do not own Code Vein or Skeleton Knight. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 52. Enjoy.
Chapter 52: Love and War
After fulling recovering with the help of a drink or two from Hikaru's blood, Fuyumi regained her strength and moved to get back into the fight. Fuyumi learned of the situation in the war and was relieved that it hadn't got any worse. Still, it hadn't gotten any better either. The Lost the empire unleashed are tenacious and fierce. The only upside is that they can't be controlled it seems. They're as much of a threat to their own soldiers as they are to Anatolia's. She was surprised by how they sent Lost after the Theodosia Conclave as well. They're supposed to be allies after all. Of course, that just makes things a little easier for them with one less enemy to deal with. The conclave will be too focused on minimizing damage from the Lost onslaught. Whatever becomes left of it anyway.
It's not long before Fuyumi is called into another meeting with the king and military personnel to discuss future operations in the war.
...
At the meeting, the first thing the king does is greet Fuyumi.
"First, allow me to welcome you back and offer my gratitude at your swift recovery, Fuyumi Kusanagi. When I read the report that you were wounded in battle, I thought it was a mistake," King Gaius notes.
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Your Majesty. Luckily, i had help from Hikaru and the others. I'm back and ready to get back in the fight," Fuyumi replies.
Some of the officers were surprised at her quick recovery. The less that know the real reason, the better for now.
"Well, as long as you're sure. The information you gave to your allies proved useful in holding back these monsters," the king looks over a map. "So far, we've managed to hold the line against them, but they're a tenacious bunch. We haven't been able to push them back to the empire's territory yet. If we are to have any chance of winning this war, then that must change, and swiftly,"
Commander Riok steps forth, "From what we've been able to gather, the majority of these monsters are located here, at the Balorra Plains. There's tens of thousands of them there. Most of our army, along with some of our allies are centered there for defense. We've managed to hold out for now, but our troops won't last much longer. We've already suffered casualties, and those that can still fight haven't had much chance to rest. Thankfully, reinforcements from the empire have arrived, and we have control of the skies now. We're preparing to launch an attack from the sky with their dragons to burn away the beasts. If you're up for it, we'd like you to join in this operation, Ser Fuyumi,"
"Yes, with Hikaru by my side, we can deal with the Lost. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve to aid in the assault," Fuyumi nods.
"Nothing that would warrant you being put out of action again correct?" Hikaru stares accusingly at her.
"No, nothing like that!" Fuyumi quickly replies.
She already had to deal with a hysterical Emilia. She doesn't want to know what Hikaru would be like in that state. She only caught a glimpse back in the Dragon Alliance and that was enough.
"Has the empire made any other moves besides the horde of Lost?" Duke Joseph asks.
"Not that we can see. Which only makes us more concerned. What are they waiting for exactly?" Commander Riok replies.
"For now, we need to focus on the enemy in front of us. Prepare to mount the assault. It's time we move from defense to offense," King Gaius declares, prompting salutes from the officers around him.
...
Meanwhile, Lady Hawke receives startling news from a messenger from Chancellor Venak.
"Commander Hawke is... dead?" Lady Hawke's hands tremble as she holds the paper.
"As sad as it is to say, it is, Milady. An assassin, most likely sent by the Kingdom of Anatolia, managed to get the jump on him. Commander Hawke is no fool, so whoever was responsible had to be equally skilled with a sword as he was. They even managed to give our troops pursuing them the slip. His Majesty the emperor sends his heartfelt sympathies," the messenger from the capital says.
Lady Hawke turns her back to him, "Thank you. You may leave now. I have much to do,"
"Understood. Just so you know, His Majesty also wishes for you to continue with the campaign against the Kingdom of Anatolia. He left instructions to make sure the experiments are focused more on our enemies than our soldiers. They will be needed for future operations," the messenger says.
"I understand. You may go now," Lady Hawke replies.
The messenger bows his head before leaving. The second he's gone, Philine knocks away almost everything on her desk. Her hand clenches the message tightly between her fingers as tears threaten to drop from her eyes.
"Father... How... How can this be? He went to the capital to see the emperor, where he should've been safe... only to die in the end?" her shoulders shake until one hand grips the desk so hard it cracks the wood. "Someone... will pay for this!" she declares, absolutely livid.
...
Out at the Balarro Plains, Fuyumi and her girls ride on top of Hikaru as they, along with a squad of dragons, fly towards the battlefield where the chaos continues. They can see the faint lines of shield formations, keeping the bloodthirsty Lost back. But, as they get closer, they can see the signs that the Lost have punctured holes in that defense a few times. Behind the line, archers and spear wielders take shots at the Lost that make cracks in the defense. Even they have suffered some losses. The king said they had at least 60,000 troops at this battlefield, with an additional 20,000 from their allies besides the Dragon Alliance. Now, that number has been reduced to 42,000, and it will only continue to fall unless something changes. Meanwhile, the Lost have lost a lot of their kind, but remain as determined to get their blood as ever. It's unclear how many they started with and how many remain, given their berserker nature and how the bodies turn to ash upon death. Hard to make accurate body counts with them. That something is Fuyumi and the dragons.
"Looks like they could really use our aid," Iris notes.
"And they'll get it. But, I'll need to make the first move, and I'll need a moment to prepare," Fuyumi says.
"What are you going to do? It better not be like that last stunt," Hikaru asks.
"Don't worry, that's not what I intend to do. Besides, that's the only technique I know with that kind of kickback," Fuyumi replies.
Once they reach a suitable position in the air, Fuyumi has Hikaru stay in position while she readies her gift. Raising a hand up in the air, Fuyumi focuses her energy. She then casts her gift: Purging Thorn. She used this a few times in the game. It was indeed powerful, but it used up quite a bit of energy, and it took a few moments to prepare, so it wasn't the most practical. However, this is the perfect situation for it. Large, white thorns start appearing in the air over the battlefield. Some of Anatolia's soldiers look up at the display and wonder if the heavens themselves are preparing to rain judgment down on the plains below. Normally, the gift would only call upon less than ten of them. Fuyumi is forcing it to create even more, enough to take out as many of the Lost below as possible. The seconds go by before she feels she has enough. Waving her arm down, she sends the thorns down on her enemies below. They rain down like a storm, skewering any Lost they hit and tearing apart the ground itself. The rain of thorns steers clear of the soldiers and they can only watch in shock and awe as Fuyumi's attack rips into the hordes of monsters. Once the initial attack is finished, next comes the second wave.
"Alright, Hikaru, now's the time," Fuyumi says.
"Dragons! Show these monsters the awesome fury of the alliance!" Hikaru roars, prompting her dragon followers to roar in kind.
They fly down, breathing fire down on the Lost still standing after Fuyumi's attack. Flames consume the land as the fires reduce the Lost to ashes. Despite the obvious destruction before them, the soldiers of Anatolia can only feel relief. They've been fighting a slowly losing battle for a while now, having made no progress against these things. Now, they can finally regroup, rest, tend to the wounded, and prepare for the next battle. But, rest first, of course. And maybe some ale to drink.
"That was easier than I thought it would be. I'm almost sad I didn't get to do anything," Iris notes.
"Fuyumi's attack did more damage than we thought. The rest was just academic. Fuyumi, how are you feeling?" Elane asks.
Fuyumi sighs, "I admit, I did push that ability a little farther than normal, so I am a bit tired, but I'll be alright... I may need something to drink to get all my strength back though,"
Anelia groans, "Oh, you almost died, and you're pushing yourself already. You need to be more careful with your wellbeing, Fuyumi!"
"She's right. Do something stupid like last time and you'll deal with Emilia on your own," Hikaru adds.
"Okay, okay, I'll be more careful. Look, there's not that many Lost left. Let's just finish them off and get a little rest afterwards. This war isn't over yet," Fuyumi concedes defeat.
It doesn't take long for the combined assault of the Dragon Alliance and Anatolia to finish off the rest of the Lost. After the battle, Fuyumi's group meet with the officers commanding the soldiers there. Just like their troops, the ones in charge look exhausted. Their commander even stated that a few tried to desert from the army once they saw the horde coming at them at its zenith. Those guys were imprisoned until they could be dealt with later on. Fuyumi can understand why they would be so afraid, but that doesn't mean she agrees. If the Lost had won and moved on, they would attack the soldiers' homes and families, and then where would they be? War can certainly be a messy business. They would spend the next day or so aiding the wounded and the cleanup. The soldiers here took a lot of losses.
...
While Fuyumi was helping with the main battle in the plains, other battles took place around the same time. Thankfully, the allied nations won those battles. What's more, with the aid of the Dragon Alliance, the Matriox Republic and the Liniark Kingdom were able to push back the empire's invading forces, even the Lost. The downside is that they took losses. At this rate, this war may end up having more casualties than the last one long ago. If this war continues into the long haul, it will turn into a war of attrition, one Anatolia and its allies may not be able to last long in. They may assume the empire is in a similar state, but they can't be sure. The conclave is no longer fighting, which gives them some breathing room, but who knows how many more Lost the empire has to throw at them. Thus, the time has come to go on the offensive. The forces here would regroup with a new army being formed by troops from all the allied nations. The mission would be to launch a counteroffensive into the heart of the Gravlon Empire. If they can take the capital and capture the emperor, they can force the empire into submission. Of course, they would have to get there, through whatever defenses they have set up waiting for them. It would take a few days to come up with a more proper plan for that. As such, the allied troops are being given a couple of days to regain their strength. They have troops on the front lines to watch for enemy attacks, but the empire became quiet after these recent Lost raids.
Due to its closeness to the border, Fuyumi and her friends were able to get a place to rest at Calipso City. This way, they can sleep on nice beds with a roof over their heads, and be close enough in case something happens and their aid is requested. However, Fuyumi's friends have other ideas besides just... resting.
...
During one evening, Fuyumi walks to her room at a nice in at Calipso City. Recent events have certainly made her tired. Thankfully, she's been keeping her blood drinks on a good schedule thanks to her lovers. Can't lose her cool in front of the troops after all. For now, though, she just wants some rest. However, as soon as she opens the door, she freezes. Inside are Anelia, Hikaru, Elane, and Iris wearing white robes with short skirts, sitting on a very large bed that wasn't there the last time she was here.
"Um, girls, what's going on?" Fuyumi asks, blushing.
"Well, you gave us quite a scare not too long ago. Add the fact you've been busy with this war, and well..." Iris says.
"Let's just say we could all use some company. And I'm sure you could use some too," Hikaru says.
"I feel bad that Emilia's not here. She may get mad," Anelia mutters.
"She'll have her turn the next time we're back in Crystalglove. For now, I think we've all earned a little reward for our hardwork. Especially you, Fuyumi. Besides, you owe us for scaring us with that stunt you pulled," Elane adds.
Fuyumi isn't quite sure how they came to this decision as their plan, but honestly... she's not complaining.
...
Moans are heard throughout the room as the four women have their way with Fuyumi. Being hit by all four at once, there's little chance of her taking control. While Iris focuses on her lips in a deep kiss, Elane and Anelia each focus on one of her boobs, and Hikaru gets the prize between her legs. She licks up the folds, flicks her bud, and teases her with the tip of her tail just entering inside, but never too deep. Iris frees her lips, moving down to nibble at her exposed neck. Fuyumi can't keep her moans back, not when she's being overwhelmed like this. The way they rub their beautiful, naked bodies up against hers makes her so hot inside. Her hands grip the bed sheets, her toes curl. It was all so wonderful. Suddenly, Hikaru picks her up and sits her on the bed while she sits behind her. One hand drifts down, spreading her lower lips.
"I think you're ready now. I'll make this extra special," Hikaru says before shoving her tail inside Fuyumi.
Fuyumi arches her back, her moans returning with greater strength. The rest of the girls watch with deep crimson faces.
"So that's how she does it. Bit of an unfair advantage if you ask me," Elane mutters.
Anelia's face is the reddest of all; she's so awestruck that she can't utter a single word. While Hikaru has her fun with Fuyumi, Iris crawls over to take one of Fuyumi's nipples into her mouth, folding the breast. Elane joins in, going to kiss Fuyumi. Anelia finally grows the courage and goes low, flicking Fuyumi's bud with her tongue and licking up her leaking juices. Fuyumi turns into putty from their combined assault. She can do nothing but let them do whatever they want to her. Honestly, she doesn't want to stop them. Hikaru leans in to nibble on her left ear, adding to the pleasure, while her hands fondle the breast Iris isn't currently focused on. Her tail goes deep inside Fuyumi, pumping her hard.
Elane separates their lips after a moment, "Enjoying yourself, Fuyumi? I can only assume you are, moaning from the fact that you're being pleasure by four beautiful women," she smirks.
Fuyumi can barely make a reply, only moaning from the sex. While the other three switch positions, with Anelia taking her lips while Iris goes low between her legs, and Hikaru continues what she's doing. With the combined assault, it's not long before Fuyumi reaches her limit and has her first climax. She screams into Anelia's lips, her body shaking. They let her calm down and Hikaru pulls out of her, taking the chance to lick her tail that's covered in Fuyumi's essence. She lays Fuyumi down on the bed. Taking a few breaths, she looks up as her four lovers loom over her.
"We hope you enjoyed that, Fuyumi. Of course, don't think we're done. The others haven't had a turn yet," Hikaru says.
Fuyumi would continue to make love with her lovers throughout the night. By the time they were finally done, Fuyumi couldn't stay awake. The next morning, Fuyumi's eyes flutter open as sunlight sneaks through the curtains and hits her face. She moves her head, finding her girls sound asleep. Anelia was sleeping on her left, Iris on her right, with Elane and Hikaru on their respective sides at her hips. They're all still sound asleep. Fuyumi lays her head back down. No point in waking them up just yet. Who knows when the next battle will be. Might as well rest while they can.
...
"The empire has... what?" Fuyumi asks Commander Riok.
The next day, a meeting was quickly called in when the king received starling news. Everyone of import was called to the meeting.
"We don't understand it either. But, we received this news recently. The emperor abdicated the throne to his chancellor, Venak, and made him the new emperor. It was so sudden that it's still hard to believe," King Gaius replies.
"But, that doesn't make any sense. Why abdicate to the chancellor when the war is still ongoing. Changing the command structure like this, short of the leader dying from battle, illness, or old age, would cause ripples in said command structure, and that may hurt their military's momentum," Fuyumi says.
"It is as you say. That's why this is so strange. We can't make heads or tails of this. What's more, the 'new' emperor, Venak, made a declaration. The message was simple: 'kneel to the new emperor or die by my army of monsters that will never fall'. The recent attacks with these monsters were merely a demonstration of his army's power. Trying to coax the rest of the continent to submit through fear," Commander Riok explains.
"What are the other nations' verdicts?" Duke Joseph asks.
"We vehemently refuse to bend the knee. The emperor of the Dragon Alliance has made the same refusal. That seemed to get our allies in the Matriox Republic and the Liniark Kingdom to still make the call to fight, but the conclave has submitted to the empire. They can't suffer anymore damage from their horde. They lost too many soldiers in this war to fight back anyway," King Gaius explains.
"So what's the plan?" Fuyumi asks.
"We need to find out exactly what's going on in the empire, and if possible, put a stop to it. That's why while the main army keeps those beasts busy, Ser Fuyumi, you will lead a small strike force into the heart of the empire. Your mission is to gather intelligence, find out what's really going on, and above all else, capture or kill the new emperor, Venak," King Gaius issues his command.
"Me? Going into the empire itself?" Fuyumi certainly wasn't expecting that.
And that's the chapter. After battles in the plains, and in the bedroom, Fuyumi now has a new dangerous mission awaiting her. Will she be able to take down this new emperor in the heart of the empire, filled with who knows what awaiting her? Until then, please Read and review.