"Power is like being a lady... if you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
- Margaret Thatcher
Chapter XLIV: Bloody Marry
Balmung Control
Volgograd, State of Azov, Eurasian Union
November 3, 2025
Unable to stifle another visibly irritated grimace, Peiper could not but keep watching with the rest of the control center as the action played out further on East, even more so than already distant Yekaterinburg. Though by now the most unexpected Battle of Krasnoyarsk was well underway, with the intruders fighting the defenders within the city itself, the colonel still could not fathom how it had all come about. Just how had Zero moved his army so discreetly? There had been no indications, no signs or warnings whatsoever that the Black Knights had even crossed the Chinese border into Far Eastern Eurasia, and yet there they were. Charging straight into Bloody Marry's den and making enough headway as to warrant direct intervention from the Ceridwen Knights, which for some reason had not been deployed to Yekaterinburg with the rest. All with a great and brazen audaciousness that Peiper actually found himself envying, especially when compared to that idiot Zhukov's plan. If moving into Krasnoyarsk was as easy as the Black Knights had just made it out to be, then why were they bothering with the so-called crucible in Yekaterinburg? They could have moved right in and mounted Marrybell's head on a pike then and there!
Well, no matter, Peiper ultimately resolved. As little as he thought of the turncoat-in-making that was General Sergei Zhukov, "Bear of the Far East" and all that pferdescheiße, it was his show that he was running due east and not Peiper's. And the whole point of said show was entirely thus; to keep Marrybell's forces occupied until the real action began, which was Peiper's own curtain raiser. And it would begin soon, very soon, upon the final adjustments to the targeting apparatus were put in…
That was when a thought occurred to Peiper, one that caused him to pause long enough to consider it. Perhaps there was more fortune to the Demon King's entry than the Stormtrooper Colonel had thought at first. Certainly he knew his orders from both President Kessler and General Heydrich, which was to fire Balmung for effect at the precise moment of readiness. What those orders had not contained however, was to what kind of effect, beyond it being in clear view of the world to witness. And though Peiper had had the original target well in mind, a certain part of him wondered more about it now. Could, perhaps, Balmung cause further shock and awe to the world than had simply been intended? Alongside, could it be used to end one particular enemy of Eurasien before following it with the one originally intended?
Needless to say, Peiper could not help but smile predatorily as he realized the opportunity that now lay before him. "Change of target," Peiper commanded, causing the whole of the control center to look up in surprise. Upon seeing that he held their full attention, the Colonel then gave the following orders. "Standby to reset firing track…"
Krasnoyarsk Railway Station
Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Britannian Empire
Stepping out of the car no sooner than when the door was opened, Marrybell's ears immediately picked up the sounds of not so distant battle, namely the titular banging of gunnery weapons and the booming of resultant explosions. She had to admit Zero and his army truly lived up to their reputation. For them to have come so close in but a short span of time, such that it sounded like they were within a stone throw's distance of the Yenisey, and despite the opposition of her Ceridwen Knights, the Britannian princess could easily see that their reputation as a "Demon Army" was as well warranted as Zero's as a "Demon King". Granted they still had to cross the Yenisey yet, toward which Marrybell had a feeling Zero had long planned out – up to and including the event she repeated Zhukov's gesture and detonated the bridges over – but that was only a minor hindrance at best for them. If things continued as they were, and Marrybell had no reason to suspect otherwise, the Black Knights would be onto the northside in a few more minutes' time.
A pity for them, Marrybell thought, as she herself would not be in Krasnoyarsk proper through the same span of time. As the escorting Sutherlands arrayed themselves around what had once been Krasnoyarsk Hauptbahnhof – as well as Krasnoyarsk-Passazhirsky in Stalin's time – the princess followed her bodyguards into the thoroughly deserted terminal, passed the ticket booths and waiting areas toward where her means of escape awaited. Even now, as she came across her impromptu transport, Marrybell could not but grin at the irony. Though trains, military or otherwise, remained well in use throughout the world, not many used the armored/artillery variety anymore, due to the obvious limitations of train track in the modern age. Yet in the ever inhospitable Far East, the Trans-Siberian Railway had remained as essential as it had been in the waning days of Tsar Nicholas, even as the nation that built it went the way of Carthage while the masters of WestEurasien laid claim to its former lands. Thus when Marrybell first entered the Far East herself from the ever distant west – another irony she could not help but smile at – it had not taken her long to appropriate one of these trains, as a strange but admitted curiosity at first, for her own personal transportation. That same armored train, which also served the roles of command post and railway artillery when such needs arose, now laid out before her. Fully furnished and prepared to take her away from her presently falling castle as her enemies battered that much more through the gates.
Though it lacked much of the grandeur, to say nothing of the scope, of a landship, the Flora mel Britannia – originally the Anton Chekhov – was still adequate enough for Marrybell's personal level of comfort, and was certainly defensible enough despite its rather limited means of movement. Most importantly however, it was the last mode of transport anyone in Eurasien would have believed a Britannian princess would choose for herself, once again when air or open land transport were available, which made it all the more essential for Marrybell's purposes. She only hoped that Zero was just as ignorant of the possibility as she moved on, the guards, staff officers and engineer ahead coming to attention and snapping the Imperial salute as she approached her personal car.
"Set out as soon as you're ready," Marrybell commanded the engineer, who then made a more standard military salute before moving off to the locomotive as the princess and general entered the car. Door shifting open, she saw that the interior had been appropriately prepared for her arrival. The one responsible standing off to the side, to whom Marrybell nodded at. "Toto."
"Your Highness," Toto Thompson, Esq. bowed formally as her liege approached. Technically she was Oldrin's personal maid, the latest in a line that had served the House of Zevon since the time of Edinburgh and well before, but considering the personal relationship that princess and knight shared, Toto effectively and faithfully served Marrybell as well. Such was emphasized as the maid remained present as the door shifted close again, effectively removing Marrybell from the rest of the car's occupants and the rest of Krasnoyarsk proper.
Taking her seat, and then a refreshing sip of Earl Grey that had obviously been prepared quite recently, Marrybell engaged the wall monitor just across from her, which displayed an overhead tactical map of the city and the fighting therein. As she had mostly expected, the Black Knights were coming upon the river bridges, though they remained yet contested by the Ceridwens. Oldrin herself was presently fighting her twin brother and lifelong nemesis – whose presence Marrybell had not at all expected but was not surprised by – while Sokkia, Tink and Leonhardt seemed to also be fighting against other noteworthy opponents, specifically two ace colored knightmares and one of Zero Squadron's trademark Gurens. Speaking of Zero Squadron, it didn't take long for Marrybell to find the rest of them as well, trailing around their beloved Dragoness and Demon King as they themselves moved onto the riverfront.
There it is, Alfred thought as he zoomed his main camera onto the Yenisey, as well as the bridge he and the rest of Zero Squadron – and Zero himself – were about to cross. It had taken much – too much – time and effort to get that far, and it would only take that much more as the Ceridwens held the line, additional red and gold reinforcements already moving across the bridge to supplement their fellows. And as if to make the situation that much worse, it was already beginning to snow, which not only made it that much more essential to not fall into the river as they moved across, but also threatened visibility if the present snowfall intensified, which it tended to do at this time of year in the Far East. All in all, the battle had become even bleaker, despite the fact they were getting well into striking distance of the enemy headquarters.
Not that that would deter Alfred or the rest of the squadron, to say less of Zero and the Major just ahead. The latter throwing up her radiant wave shield to deflect the latest round of bullets and shell fire, the former was just as quick to supplement with pinpoint shots from his VARIS, striking down Sutherlands and Gloucesters with almost inhuman precision, all the while maintaining their speed and velocity toward the waiting bridge. Naturally neither Alfred nor his fellows were about to let themselves be left in the dust and so advanced with them, firing their own surgers – both in beam and rapid fire setting – into the fray, forcing the Ceridwens to break their formation and scatter, though not quite dissuade them from abandoning their defense. The former Glaston had to hand it to Princess Marrybell's selected few, they were not easy to force back. And they were just as keen on counterattacking, such that Alfred found himself throwing up his own shield to deflect the oncoming fire.
Fortunately Charmelle remained close enough to his position that she was able to support, firing her surger in a sweeping beam that took out three Sutherlands at least, as well as generated a trail of flame just in front of the bridge. Alfred almost felt his heart freeze as he saw how close the beam had come to actually hitting the bridge itself; again time remained a major factor, and no one in their right mind would attempt to swim the river in current weather conditions. Granted they could always call in Hayabusas if it came down to it, but that would take additional time, and there was no guarantee Marrybell would remain where she was for the foreseeable future. Suffice to say that made Alfred, and once more the rest of the squadron with him, all the more adamant toward reaching the goal line, and so the ten Gurens continued their charge behind the Mordred and their own sibling Nishiki. All the while the Britannian fire intensified as emplacements from across the river began to make their presence known, sending bullets, rockets and shells over the southern bank.
"Reis Two, Three and Four on Rei Leader and myself," Alfred heard Zero call out over the Zero Squadron push, his voice – distorted and filtered as it was through his mask and the Mordred's comm system – very much calm through the hellfire. "All others provide fire support until we complete the crossing."
"Acknowledged Gyoku One," Alfred responded, bringing his Guren Isshiki into fall in line with the Mordred and Nishiki alongside Charmelle and Benio's units. That effectively formed a five man team, itself a delta formation with the Mordred in the center and two Gurens flanking either side, that expanded over much of the bridge's width as they approached. The Ceridwens tried to hinder them of course, but once again Zero cleared a path through the center with his VARIS, itself supplemented by Major Kouzuki's and Benio's surgers, allowing the five to reach the bridge. From that, the remaining seven splayed out across the southern bank, their own surgers lashing out onto the other side in sequence. Much of the defensive fire faltered as a result, but more than enough remained continuing, with explosions rocking the bridge as the five sped across. Alfred could only hope it held up to the strain, and even more it wasn't set to blow with them on top of it.
Nah, the Mordred's Druid System would have seen that, Alfred thought with some reassurance as he continued down the bridge, now nearly toward the halfway point, while firing a grenade into a withdrawing but still fighting Sutherland. Yeah, that much made sense. No way Zero would bring them onto this bridge if he thought it was about to fall. Of course, that in itself made Alfred wonder, as much as he could through the battle, what exactly did Marrybell intend for them. Had they really caught her so openly as it seemed, the presence of the Ceridwen Knights notwithstanding?
As much as Alfred would have liked to believe, especially as he and his team drew closer toward the northern shore, with more explosions and projectiles obstructing their approach, there were parts of him that suspected quite otherwise.
Pulling back on his control sticks, Leonhardt narrowly reversed and evaded the reach of the Guren's surger claw, which came within centimeters of snapping down on the Preston's torso. He then flanked right and attempted to circle, but Marika was just as fast in bring about her fork knife and slashing back, once again forcing the Preston to reverse, and then dodge left upon the Zero Squadron knightmare firing a radiant wave beam. As the Preston lacked a formal gunnery weapon to counterfire with, Leonhardt responded by launching his slash harkens, which caused the Guren to shift to its own right to dodge, but otherwise did little to hinder its devicer. Marika in turn retaliated with her own harken, which Leonhardt deftly knocked aside with his polearm, only for the Guren move upon him again, claw outstretched to ensnare. Another timely dodge kept that from occurring, but Leonhardt knew his luck and endurance would only last for so long.
She's gotten better, Leonhardt reluctantly thought as he receded again, engaging his factspheres momentarily to scan over the Guren, his mind imagining the devicer therein. Indeed Marika had never challenged him this much, in the few duels they had nearly a decade ago. But then, the world had been a completely different place nearly a decade ago, well before it had been set aflame. "Why are you in the Black Knights, Marika!? Especially in the same unit as the Dragoness!?"
"The first answer should be obvious, even to you Leonhardt," Marika coldly retorted as she pressed the attack, again bringing about her fork knife as Leonhardt rebrandished his twin lance. Despite the superior reach of the conjoined lances, Marika was able to both attack and defend well enough with her blade, deflecting and redirecting the polearm when able and then attacking and countering accordingly. Again Leonhardt found himself keeping up, but only just, against his former fiancée. "And as for the second…"
Through their fighting, Leonhardt thought he sensed a brief pause in Marika's demeanor. But then the apparent Black Knight ace replied thereafter. "I have my reasons," she stated simply yet firmly, again bringing her surger about to fire a radiant wave beam, which Leonhardt had his Preston leap back and away from. Not about to give her adversary breathing room, Marika drove her Guren ahead, again veering around the Britannian knightmare's slash harkens as she advanced. A following grenade shot kept Leonhardt from being too bold in his counteroffensive, though only momentarily.
"Even if it means serving alongside the woman that killed Kewell!?" Leonhardt countered, both verbally and with his lance, which he spun to try and slash at the Guren's midsection. When that didn't work, he switched to his left needle blazer, then surged forward to again try and catch Marika in the middle, but once more his ex-fiancée was just as adept in evading. Fortunately, Leonhardt remained skilled in that area as well, again jumping back to dodge another grenade, this one nearly fired at point blank. "The one who killed your brother!?"
No verbal response came, at least at first. Instead, Marika pressed the attack, slashing with her knife one second and again attempting to grasp with her surger the next. Her opponent naturally receded again, to which the Zero Squadron pilot opened her surger claw and fired off a rapid fire beam burst, which forced the Preston to vault left to dodge.
"Once again, I have my reasons," Marika stated simply, before putting more power into her landspinners and charged again, surger raised to ensnare. "None of which I need justify to you!"
She then brought her claw downward, very nearly latching onto the Preston's head when the Britannian machine dashed right, the triple prongs of the surger snapping shut on empty air. Sneering in response, Marika was then forced to evade again as well when Leonhardt charged against her left, nearly catching her with his needle blazer. Another rapid fire beam attack kept him and the Preston at bay, at least for a little longer.
"And what of you Leonhardt!?" Marika called back in accusation as she and her ex-fiancée once more crossed blades, the Guren's dual amber eyes glaring deeply into the Preston's one sapphire. "I never thought you would lower yourself into serving one such as Bloody Marry!"
"Like you, I have my reasons Marika," Leonhardt shot back as he spun his lances, and then the Preston itself, attempting to catch Marika in her unguarded flank. He failed – again Marika was far more adept than he had known her originally – but that didn't stop the Ceridwen from pressing the attack. "And also like you, I need not justify them to a traitor and a terrorist!"
"Better such than 'butcher' and 'mass murderer'!" Marika shouted as she banked around the following lance thrusts, then throwing up her radiant wave shield to deflect the last impalement attempt. From that did the fork knife and lance again become interlocked, with both knightmares, and their devicers, glaring into their respective adversary's eyes. The fury and contempt that the latter held for each other, and their chosen allegiances, was as evident between them as the flickering of their blades.
Yet another thunderous clash erupted as the Byakuen and Urien converged, their respective blades slamming against the other with a ringing blare, right before both knightmares separated once more to repeat the process. Running down the avenue of the city, evading the outlying combatants as the Zevons focused on the other, neither Orpheus nor Oldrin held anything back, bringing about the full breadth of their respective powers and skills, as well as the capabilities of their machines, against their opposite. Abruptly did the Urien launch its sword harken, almost skewing the white Chawla knightmare through the center, only for Orpheus to lunge out of harm's way and then quickly shift to and counterfire with his arm cannon. Like her brother, Oldrin all too neatly dodged the medium ranged grenade shot, then moved up close once more, both schroetter steel swords angled to behead her adversary. To this, Orpheus reversed to evade the initial slash, and then parried the next two with his double blade, right before attempting to behead the Urien himself with a quick snip of his scissor blades. Oldrin reversed and then banked right from this as well, causing the two opposing knightmares and their devicers to circle.
"First Peace Mark, now the Black Knights!" Oldrin hissed with disdain toward her twin, her eyes filled with ire as she charged once more, again bringing her swords against the Byakuen's principle weapon. "Do you have some sort of insurgent complex, Orpheus!? Or have you quite possibly fallen even farther!?"
"And I see you're still playing dame in shining armor to Bloody Marry, Oldrin!" Orpheus seethed in return as he knocked aside both swords, and then counterslashed with his double blade. "How proudly you bear the name of Zevon, especially over the likes of Kansk and Nazarovo!"
"As though your own hands are clean, terrorist!" Oldrin shot back as she flanked right and then launched both sword harkens, only for the Byakuen to evade both sets of blades as they impaled into the building just behind. Another grenade shot then followed, which the Urien accomplished much the same, putting on a sudden burst of speed that caused the explosive round to miss relatively wide. "How many towns and villages did your former organization decimate before their end!?"
"Not nearly as many as the number of nations your empire has!" Orpheus responded with equal indignation, right before launching his own harken to catch his sister off guard. He failed unfortunately, as Oldrin anticipated the attack and banked left, right before charging straight in to execute a spin slash that forced her twin brother back. Once again, Orpheus could only marvel at how, for all their disdain and opposition toward the other, they could remain so evenly matched. "And is still decimating, as my newfound comrades can more than attest to!"
Once more did Oldrin force back those corresponding emotions, which the indirect referencing toward the Devastation held an even greater effect over. As loyal as she was to her liege, she, like many others, had never been comfortable with the factors behind Marry's infamous epithet. Having said that, even if she put aside the fact it was not her place to question her princess' will, she and her nation were at war all the same. Very much opposed to the self-righteous and utterly belligerent rabble that Orpheus once fought alongside, who had killed and destroyed much in their proclaimed mission to bring about "world peace"!
"But no matter," Orpheus resounded as he drove his double blade against the Urien's dual schroetter steel swords, which Oldrin crossed to parry. The three blades held together for a time as their wielders both glowered against the other. "We have never seen eye to eye before, dear sister, so why should we now?"
Again did the Byakuen fire its harken, this time at near point blank, and yet again did Oldrin anticipate the attack and evade. Just as Orpheus foresaw her response through her sword harkens, which shot out one after the other, forcing him to reverse and then dodge left.
"Really, the only thing that matters between us…" Orpheus surmised as he fired three more grenade shots, keeping Oldrin from drawing in close again. From that, he reextended his drill and surged after the red and gold Lancelot derivative, which Oldrin dodged but only barely this time. "Is how this all ends!"
"I couldn't agree with you more, dear brother," Oldrin growled as she reversed, and then took a brief moment to slip her swords into their forearm placements. Barely a second later did her Sword Blazers engage, both emanating in familiar prismatic green. "And it will end, one way or the other!"
With that declaration, both knightmares put all power to their landspinners and charged on, their respective blades again clashing with booming reverberance. Indeed, for all of their supposed similarities, there was no common ground, no mutuality between the Zevon twins. Only complete and utter opposition to the other, and the corresponding will to see their respective sibling dead alongside those they fought alongside. The latter the only shared resolution between the brother and sister, which would indeed see to its end. One way or the other.
Yekaterinburg, State of Ural, Eurasian Union
Is this ever going to end? Andrei thought as he jetted around the oncoming fire, heat saber drawn and engaged as he closed in on the latest team of Sutherlands to cross him. The Eurasian Major was beginning to think the Britannians actually thrived in the chaos and destruction around them, such that rather than weathering them down with attrition as his Operation Tiegel was meant to, the enemy was drawing it all in the way any normal human being would consume meat and drink, strengthening them instead. Certainly the Imperials before him were not about to break, even as Andrei drove his Baer into the first unit, bifurcating it at the waistline with a running slash, and then twisting about and cutting down its nearest comrade. A third unit attempted to catch him on the flank with a rifle grenade, but yet again did the superior mobility of his machine came into play, the Baer effectively side-skating the explosive before launching its slash harkens in reprisal, forcing the Britannian knightmare to eject its cockpit. And as for the fourth, Andrei quickly stowed his heat saber and redrew the assault rifle, firing a string of bullets into the enemy frame's center. The Sutherland fell, its cockpit not ejecting.
No sooner than the last did fall did Andrei's sensors suddenly light up, right as an entirely different, far more monstrous knightmare frame from what he had been fighting emerge from the background, its MVS poised to strike. Sneering at the eighth generation unit's approach, Andrei put all power into his "ground effect" thrusters and reversed, just managing to evade the intended strike, but far from evading the enemy entirely, its dual factsphere sensors extending outward and rippling. He didn't know how any of Marrybell's forces outside the Ceridwens could have procured an Exeter – this one painted in the standard Britannian blue coat – but that hardly mattered in the present as the higher end knightmare charged once again, both maser vibration swords poised to slash Andrei across the middle. Again the Eurasian devicer maneuvered, parrying with his heat saber each stroke that he could not entirely dodge, but the enemy was relentless in its attack, throwing everything it had into a full on offensive that Andrei struggled to keep back. Only when he launched his slash harkens in a surprise attack did the Exeter reverse itself and then circled around, firing its own forearm slash harkens in equal measure, which Andrei did well to dodge as well. From that it launched after him once again, the Baer deflecting the following two strikes and then counterslashing as well, only for the higher end machine to dodge left.
From that, Andrei moved to strike back, but the Exeter, at such a speed that Andrei barely comprehended it, suddenly withdrew rearward as he slashed and then flanked right, all the while switching from its MVS to its VARIS. In that split-moment, Andrei knew the enemy knightmare had him dead to rights, and though his reflexes made him skate his Baer to his own right, he knew he would not be able to dodge that killshot. Which was why when the next moment came, surprise dawned over the Baer pilot as a sudden burst of machine gun fire erupted from directly behind the Exeter, striking it right in the cockpit before it could pull its own trigger. From that, the enemy machine fell forward in a similar manner as the Sutherland before, its cockpit also not ejecting. Another Baer standing right behind with a smoking assault rifle raised.
"That was pretty sloppy Unsullied One," Louise beamed over the commlink as she slid her Baer up next to her fiancée's, the former's mono-eye gleaming as it swiveled toward. "Don't tell me you're falling under the strain already."
Feeling sudden elation come over him, it was all Andrei could do to chuckle lightly. "No more than you Whirlwind One," Andrei proclaimed, taking full note that Louise's Baer was marked and weathered, much as his machine undoubtedly was.
Both of their sensors lit up with additional enemies closing in before further banter could be made. Thus sighing together in unison, Andrei watched as Louise stored her rifle and drew her own saber, the blade lighting upon activation. From there, both nodded to one another before they brought their machines into the next advance, once again wading through bullets and explosives as they launched after the next wave of Britannians.
Eurasian Charlemagne-class land battleship Friedrich Paulus
State of Volga, Eurasian Union
Not much longer now, Zhukov found himself repeating once again, it couldn't be much longer now. The fighting had only become more intense since the Britannians had crossed into the western sectors of Yekaterinburg, with the Eurasian forces doing well in holding the line and drawing Imperial blood, all but halting the enemy advance entirely. Surely the Britannians were feeling the strain and exhaustion now, yes? The toll that days spent fighting in a siege, especially in the age of the blitzkrieg as exemplified by the knightmare frame, would have inflicted upon any nominal force. The mental, spiritual and physical corrosion of battle upon continuous battle, attempting to wrestle away a city from an enemy that was deadest toward not giving up. Zhukov knew his soldiers were feeling it, even if they doggedly stood their ground and attacked and/or defended to the point of agony. Were Marrybell's feeling the exact same?
In all honesty the general could not tell from his position, as again the battle, at least from what he was observing from the tacscreen, continued to be fought regardless. There was a breaking point out there, Zhukov knew and reminded himself once again, and the armies in Yekaterinburg were fast approaching it. It was simply a question of who broke first, which Zhukov would have given his proverbial kingdom for an answer. And it helped far less that, even now, there were still too many unknown variables for Zhukov's liking. Up to and including the fact that while the Knight of Ten had been sent out, with the Vampire of Britannia still doing battle against Hannibal's Ghost, Marrybell had still not sent her elite Ceridwen Knights into the fold. Despite the fact that the opportune time to do so had long since passed, and for the life of him Zhukov could not understand why it had been missed.
What are you up to Marrybell? Zhukov thought as his face, worn from a similar strain to what those fighting were experiencing, folded into an uncertain frown. Surely there had to be a reason for this, and not one as simple as Marrybell not considering Yekaterinburg with her time, which she obviously didn't. Perhaps something had happened in Krasnoyarsk or elsewhere that had drawn the Ceridwens away? If so, Zhukov had heard nothing about it, as the Nebel des Krieges remained well over Krasnoyarsk from his perspective. That was most certainly irksome, but unlike his comrade General Rommel, Zhukov had no direct contacts in the Abwehr, and if the Sturmtruppen knew anything, they were obviously keeping it to themselves. Either way, that was the most logical, and therefore the most likely in the present circumstances, explanation. Otherwise Zhukov would have been receiving reports of red and gold tinted knightmare entering the city not too long ago…
So fast that he barely comprehend it did Zhukov's eyes register the sudden flash on the main monitor, specifically from the live feeds of the battle. In that short moment, it appeared to the General that the darkened, overcast skies over Yekaterinburg had lit up in white and blue, before dissipating but a few moments later. And as Zhukov saw from the various operators and the other occupants within the Paulus' CIC, he had not been the only one that had seen it. "Report."
"High energy discharge in the upper atmosphere," one of the operators dutifully explained, trying to get a fix on what he had just seen but was unable to. "Composition and point of origin unknown…"
It happened again not but a few moments later, and again just after, validating to Zhukov that said discharges were not natural. Which was precisely when he recalled Volgograd, his eyes widening marginally. Especially as he realized that the discharges were simply occurring over Yekaterinburg, and not into the city itself.
Could it be? Zhukov thought as he suddenly found himself with another, far more perilous variable before him. One that caused a great chill to run down his spine when the Paulus' sensors isolated the vectoring of said discharges.
Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Britannian Empire
In all too familiar fashion, and suddenness, did Kallen's Geass light up in warning. In what could have only occurred in the span of a split-second, the Red Dragoness "saw" lightning erupt from the west, zigzagging through the sky at specific intervals as it extended out into the Far East toward its target. The latter but a few meters away from her own position, much to Kallen's horror. "Gyoku One, evade!"
Spurred by the alarm in his knight's voice, Lelouch reversed the Mordred, managing to withdraw some distance before the sky fell. Within another seconds long span, a pillar of blue-white light fell from above, sundering the ground in which Lelouch had originally been standing on, then sweeping outward following its initial miss. This time Lelouch dodged right, just managing to dodge the beam as it splayed, eventually "slicing" into a nearby building before diminishing out. Said building exploded instantly upon impact, reduced to a flaming ruin at ground level.
"Kisama…!" Kallen hissed as she realized what had just happened, and who was now attacking Zero. Even worse, despite the origin point being well out of her Geass' immediate range, she knew that this would not be the only attack. "Rei Two, take command!"
Not bothering to acknowledge Alfred's response or to see Zero Squadron continue on with their mission, Kallen Kouzuki put her own Guren into overdrive as she moved upon the Mordred, extending her surger claw to grasp the black and gold knightmare and move it further left. Sure enough, another beam launched down from above, generating another flaming crater and following line from which Lelouch had originally been positioned before cancelling out. Even more of Krasnoyarsk ended up on fire as a result, but such had little bearing on either the Dragoness or the Demon King.
"Move!" Lelouch commanded as he brought the Mordred about and sped toward the western side of the city, somehow managing not to curse the Eurasians as he went. Right before cursing himself, as he should have known this would happen now. He should have known his secondary enemy would have done something so stupid!
Goddamn you Kessler! Lelouch inwardly rambled as his Druid System, having since accumulated the necessary data, forewarned of the next attack. Even I didn't think you could make such a blunder!
Once more did the sky light up, and once more did the ground erupt in flame and cinder. Fast as they were, the Mordred and the Guren did well in keeping ahead of that deadly light, but only just, such that both Lelouch and Kallen felt it as much through their armor of their machines as they saw it. Despite that however, they were obviously more mobile than the enemy's targeting track, and so that would buy them much needed room to maneuver. And much more, with the Eurasians concentrating on them, or at least him, the other Black Knights could continue despite.
As a result, the Mordred and the Guren moved further westward through the city streets and avenues. The light falling downward again but a few moments later in rampant pursuit.
Britannian armored train Flora mel Britannia
Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Britannian Empire
In spite of her rather villainous reputation, Marrybell was not one that usually give into fits of domineering laughter, even at her enemy's expense. For this particular occasion however, even she could not keep herself from bellowing with delight as she watched the sky above seemingly split open, the wrath of Heaven itself falling upon the Demon King and his Dragoness minion as the latter two fled from its light, all but entirely helpless to defend. Oh what a fortuitous turn of events this was! And she hadn't even done anything to influence it!
Indeed, not only did the Eurasians' unexpected intervention not only remove Zero and Kallen Kouzuki from the battle proper, but it effectively wasted their ace in the hole! Such fools, Marrybell felt a voice within proclaim with sheer glee. She had heard murmurings of the Balmung, Nikola Tesla's near mythical wunderwaffe, but until now she had had no means of verifying its existence, while its shrouded nature also precluded any attempt at a defense. It had been one of the many "boogeymen" rumors that had haunted her side since the initial landings, claims that the Eurasians had completed Tesla's legendary Death Ray and were well intending to use it against Britannia when the ideal conditions were met. All the while every attempt to gain intelligence, or once more verification, of the apparatus was met with only dead ends and incomplete data.
But now, through the enemy's ineptness, she had both verification and the means necessary to mount a proper defense. And even worse, through Kessler's sheer paranoia, Balmung was now effectively wasted as a weapon. Yes it could still be used, as it was at this very moment, but its primary advantage up to the present was that Eurasia's primary enemy in the Far East had been marginally aware of it. The Eurasians could have taken gross advantage of that fact and targeted her specifically, whether at her headquarters before or on the Flora mel Britannia, and with that first strike, ended the entire Far Eastern Front in a swift and deadly blow. The war, at least that portion of it, could have been decided then and there, and there would have been nothing Marrybell could have done about it!
But no, the fools had decided to try and take Zero out first. And through that one decision, that one momentary lapse in judgment, they had lost it all. Their single opportunity toward victory, and with it the entirety of the Far East. All of which was now set to become her Euro Britannia, and through that…
"Your Highness," Toto spoke up, causing Marrybell to pause in her thoughts. "General Blackman and staff are now aboard."
The Princess and General nodded in understanding. Now that Blackman was with her, it was fair to say that her original headquarters was now fully evacuated. Thus there was no further reason to remain in Krasnoyarsk. And even less to allow things to continue as they were.
"Very well," Marrybell answered with only minor resignation. "We depart immediately."
Nodding in return acknowledgment, Toto quickly echoed her liege's orders to the train's engineer. A few moments later, both the princess and maid felt the cabin lurch as the Flora at last began to move. Taking its occupants well out of Krasnoyarsk and toward the west. Where the promised land, her promised land, awaited them all.
Having thought that however, Marrybell knew better than to leave loose ends, which caused her attention to shift from Zero's newfound plight to the tacscreen that depicted Yekaterinburg. In lieu of laughter, she couldn't help but smirk at what she saw. Though it was only marginal at this point, such that anyone with an untrained eye would have easily missed it, it remained a fixture still. Little by little, her forces' advance through the western half of the city was beginning to falter. After days of intense, high-speed battle through knightmare frame, armor and infantry, the Bear of the Far East was at last turning the tide against her and her beleaguered soldiers. Their hard fought victory well within sight as a result.
At least, it would have been in any other field of battle. Unfortunately for them, Bloody Marry had not only anticipated such an outcome, but had long since prepared for it. In fact, she had been prepared for it since the very beginning of Operation Batu, as the invasion of Far Eastern Eurasia itself had been designated.
Even so, much to Marrybell's inner melancholy, she had well and truly hoped to keep her own ace in reserve until reaching Moscow. Alas, it was not to be. The Bear was just far too good of an opponent, even for her. Much as Rommel had been to her brother Lelouch in North Africa, she dared believe.
Thus tapping a key on her monitor, she opened wide-band communications. From which she began her own point of no return.
"All men... are not created equal!"
"Some are born swifter afoot, some with greater beauty, some are born into poverty and others born sick and feeble…!"
What the…? Lelouch managed to question before the Druid System again lit up in alarm, causing him to all but fling the Mordred aside as Balmung again erupted from above. Through his maneuvering around the beam, he listened in as Marrybell's voice broadcasted out well into the open, seemingly for all of Krasnoyarsk and Yekaterinburg to here. In the Guren, Kallen also listened in, and despite her still active Geass, was just as confused as Lelouch himself.
"Both in birth and upbringing, in sheer scope of ability every human is inherently different…!"
What are you up to Blood Marry!? Jeremiah rambled as he himself heard the broadcast, all the while dodging the Kirkwall's next missile barrage. He responded just as promptly, firing another rifle grenade into the Hector wannabe, but the explosive round only did marginal damage against the assault unit's armor. From that, the Kirkwall's shoulders folded over, producing its twin hadron cannons, which both fired in a sweeping beam. Jeremiah evaded this as well, and then responded with further bursts from his rifle, all the while Marrybell's echo of her father's (in)famous speech continued in the background.
"That is why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition and the unfaltering march of progress. Inequality is not wrong, equality is!"
Yekaterinburg, State of Ural, Eurasian Union
"What of you Eurasians, who made equality a right? You, for all of your proclamations of Freiheit, Gleichheit and Brüderlichkeit, are now equally enslaved to a motley collection of weaklings and cowards, who dare not set foot outside their prettied estates in Berlin!"
You don't have to remind us, Andrei thought disparagingly as he executed another running slash with his Baer, cutting down another Sutherland at the waistline. As much as he tried to ignore Marry's prattle and concentrate on the fighting however, her feminine yet strangely triumphant voice bellowed well over his cockpit speakers, ensuring that Andrei would hear the princess' words regardless of whether he wanted to or not. All the while, well within his gut, the Eurasian Major felt something begin to give way toward.
"…Or the Chinese and their equal distribution of wealth? A nation of lazy dullards that prostrate themselves to a false Son of Heaven, begging for scraps from her table in Luoyang."
"Well, this is a strange turn of events," Luciano proclaimed before reversing and dodging the Wolfen's blade attack. From there, the Vampire of Britannia countered, charging back with the Maleagant's vice claw extended and ready to shred, only for Akito to dodge as well. Dual slash harkens from the latter easily dissuaded the Knight of Ten from further pursuit, at least momentarily, while Hannibal's Ghost proceeded to circle. Marrybell's staunch yet deceptively angelic voice booming between them, as though coming down from on high.
Britannian armored train Flora mel Britannia
Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Britannian Empire
"But not we proud and noble Britannians," Marrybell proclaimed with all the force of her will, managing not to smile toward what would soon come about. "It is by our inequality, our superiority, that we are truly free!"
No doubt the whole of the battlefields, up to and including with Zero himself, were reeling from her "plagiarized" speech. Some of them were likely wondering if Bloody Marry had lost her mind in fact. Not that it really mattered of course.
"Through our fighting, our competing, is our evolution continuous. And through that evolution, Britannia alone moves forward, advancing steadily into her greater future!" the Princess of Britannia went on, her voice taking on more and more power with each word. "For that we shall fight on. We shall struggle, compete, plunder and dominate all that is before us!"
Pausing briefly for all too dramatic effect, Marrybell closed her eyes in apparent solemnity. "For in the end, the future shall be ours," she declared at last, her eyes then snapping open once more. "And ours alone!"
From her left did the Sigil gleam in full.
"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"
Once more did Balmung descend, and once more did Lelouch and Kallen both dodge as the pillar obliterated all within its wake. Yet, despite the intensity, not to mention the difficulty, that the wunderwaffe presented, such was no longer their shared concern. Rather, it was what their knightmares' sensors now depicted across the whole of Krasnoyarsk, and undoubtedly Yeketarinburg further west. Seemingly spurred by their princess' words, the Britannian forces, from the Ceridwens to the lesser ranks, were rallying in a near frenzied manner. Chatter from other units repeatedly warned of Sutherlands and Gloucesters charging into the fray, seemingly with no semblance of self-defense or preservation. Several Black Knights, and even more Peace Mark units, were destroyed as a result, and while their comrades did well in holding their respective lines, the Britannian forces only continued their charge. Wholly driven to overrun, and overwhelm.
All the while Lelouch and Kallen heard something more in the background. The last three words Marrybell had spoken, only now chanted throughout her ranks. Openly and repeatedly.
"All Hail Britannia… All Hail Britannia… All Hail Britannia…"