"Look, I know this may sound crazy but I swear I'm telling the truth," Itami muttered as he was pulled along the gravel road leading back to the Italica's mansion.

The ringlet knight just kicked him in the ribs. "Silence, the princess will decide your fate," she said as she and the short haired knight dragged him across the floor like a piece of meat.

He was heavy but they didn't want to admit it. They suspected that his odd armour was the reason, but again they wanted to prove that they were as strong as the rest of the Imperial army. Itami was battered and bruised to the point where he was just forcing himself to stay awake. Thankfully his team told him that they got back to Italica and the two knights were in for a very big surprise.

But the look that they got from the locals didn't go unnoticed. It made the two knights curious about what they were being looked at for. However, they just ignored and dragged Itami to the mansion. As they pulled the doors open and him inside, they were greeted by the princess who stood in her amour waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. Next to her stood Verona and Kyon who just looked at the two knights.

"Princess what's going on here?" the knight with ringlets asked.

"That man, let him go now," the princess with a firmness that told the two she was not in the best of moods.

They did as she asked and Verona ran up to Itami. "Wh… what's going on?" the short haired knight asked.

"The man who you unceremoniously dragged here. Was the one who defended Italica from the bandits who were attacking!" the Princess yelled shocking the two knights.

"What?" they yelled backing up and looking at the soldier that they dragged all the way here.

Verona produced a glowing green canister and injected it into him. Everyone who wasn't apart of the EDF just watched in fascination as the wounds and bruises disappeared from his body. He gave a moan in satisfaction before standing up like nothing happened to him.

"Ahh that feels better," he said cracking his limbs.

"H…how?" the ringlet knight asked with surprise.

"Energy gems," Verona said.

"Itami," Pina said as she bowed. "I'm so sorry that my subordinate did this, we will take any punishment you wish," she said hoping for the best.

"Ah do…." he was about to say but Bear walked in.

"Sorrry about zis Lieutenant," he said. "But Alnus kommand just kalled. Zey've made decision about zis little mess. Zey vish forrr Prrrincess kome to some talks as foundation as to what zey'll use in futurrre,"

"Really?" he asked with the big Russian nodding.

"Err what did he say?" the ringlet knight asked making Itami realise that Bear was speaking Russian without his translator.

"Sorry he was speaking his native language," he said to the knight before looking to the princess. "Princess Pina, my subordinates just informed me that our leaders wish to talk with you,"

Pina just looked at him in surprise.

OOOOO

Pina and her subordinates who dragged Itami, Bozes and Panache, sat in one of the meting rooms to discuss what happened. Pina explained what had happened while the Rose order tried to get to Italica as fast as they could. The beasts she saw, the weapons they used. The bandits didn't even stand a chance. She even told them about the strange requests they made, but this request for talks made her think about their motives. Not knowing how the EDF operated made it difficult for her to decide what to do with this meeting.

"Damn it," she muttered as Hamilton walked in with some food and drinks. "What do we do?"

"It may be prudent to go to their world and talk," Bozes suggested.

"I agree princess," Hamilton said as she took a seat. "We may have seen them in battle, but seeing their culture maybe we can understand how they fight why they fight and if we can defeat them," Pina nodded but what she saw of what the EDF can do she doubted that last part.

"I agree," she eventually said. "Even if we cannot defeat them, at least we can play for time. See what they want, why they want it and more. The more I think about it the less reason we have not to go. All of us should go," she said and the others nodded.

OOOOO

The next day rolled around and Kurata was still talking to the cat girl maid as both Pina's group and 3rd recon prepared to depart. Pina and her three subordinates walked down the stairs of the mansion and onto the gravel pathway. But as they did Jack eyed the clothing they were wearing.

"Are you going to be alright in those outfits?" he asked getting their attention.

"They are Imperial dignitary uniforms," Pina said with a prideful look.

"Right…" Davies muttered. "The thing is that, where we are going through the gate, it's going to be cold. That clothing may not be enough,"

The girls looked at each other with concerned looks. "Well we don't have anything to counter that," Pina then added.

"It's fine," Itami said dismissively. "We'll have something for you when we get to Alnus," just then a loud noise met their ears. "Ah finally,"

Everyone looked up to see tilt rotor aircraft fly in. Pina and Hamilton just looked in awe while Bozes and Panache just shared look that was a combination of surprise, awe, amazement and fear. The rotors moved so that they faced upwards and the craft soon landed. This was the Black Eagle, a smaller variation of the Hawk heavy lifter with only two tilt rotors instead of four. Once it landed the back of it fell open and the pilot walked out.

"We're all good to go," he said.

Pina and her group gulped. "Come on, ladies first," Kyon smiled as she and Verona lead the group onto the craft.

3rd recon soon followed and sat down on the free chairs while the pilot showed Pina and her retinue how to strap themselves in. As for Itami and his team, they didn't need to strap in as the Eagle had ports on each of the chairs that would attach itself to their PA Gear. It would lock onto the power packs on their back and keep them secured while it flew. As for their weapons, there was a port next to the seats that kept their weapons locked next to them. once sat they just locked their weapons at the ports before relaxing.

Pina and her group however were not relaxed, they were visibly nervous as the pilot finished strapping them in.

"This is a little uncomfortable," Bozes said as she looked down at her harness.

"It's meant to keep you safe," Leiei said as she finished strapping herself in.

The pilot then checked the harnesses and locking ports. Once he was satisfied, he walked up to the cockpit and began checks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome and thank you for choosing EDF airlines," he began making 3rd recon smile if not laugh. "We pride ourselves on getting you apes to the battlefield as fast as possible. Today we'll be heading to Alnus hill. The staff will not come and serve food and drinks, there will be no movie or music and there are to tray tables. So, sit back and be prepared to be bored,"

"What are they laughing at?" Pina muttered as Hamilton grabbed her arm.

"I want to get off," she said. "No human should fly,"

"Bear with it," the princess muttered as she shared the same feelings.

The engines started up and within moments the Eagle took off and flew towards Alnus hill. Pina looked outside in amazement. They were flying, they were actually flying, she could hardly believe it. Everything below looked like ants and the fields looked peaceful. Far from the battle she saw the other day. Her retinue also looked out with a sense of amazement hardly believing it themselves.

"Such magic," Hamilton muttered, but Pina realised that whatever this was it wasn't magic.

"Hey boss," Davies then spoke up. "I've been meaning to ask, why didn't you try to escape from the knights? I mean you have the ranger badge and all,"

"Well I didn…." Itami tried to say but Kyon just yelled.

"What?" she asked looking at Davies. "He..." she pointed at Itami. "…has a ranger badge?!"

"Yeah," Davies muttered. "I thought you knew," as he said that Kyon slumped in her seat with wide eyes.

"I don't understand," Leiei then said. "What's so special about having this badge?"

"It's not about the badge itself, it's how you go about getting it," Kyon answered. "EDF training is hard enough that about 40% of applicants pass. But having a ranger badge? Take the most brutal training you can think of and times it by 10. Rangers are some of the most elite soldiers in the EDF. You go up against them, you won't live long enough to regret it,"

"I see," Leiei said in her deadpan tone but Rory looked to Itami with an interested eye.

Before anyone else could say anything, else Panache yelled out and pointed to Bear. "What's what with his hand?" she practically yelled.

Bear looked down to hand which was slowly tuning in a clockwise direction. After swearing in Russian, he held his arm out Jack who opened up his sleeve to show a metal skeletal arm. Pina and her retinue just shared in a combination of shock and horror. Jack pulled the sleeve back until he reached the elbow. The metal arm began just before the elbow. Bear then reached over with his other arm and twisted something with a grunt and the arm came away. Jack now held the metal arm before handing it back to Bear.

"W… what is that," Chuka asked.

"It's bionic arrrm," Bear said calmly. "When EDF soldierrrs get vounded to zis degrrree, ve arrren't disposed of. Ve get choice, kontinue to fight orrr sit back. I chose to fight and got zis …" he held up the arm. "…to fight again,"

That made Pina and her group think. Hamilton had heard what some of the EDF soldiers talked about and informed the Princess. They talked about a war that sounded so devastating, that what they just witnessed with the arm made some kind of sense. But the questioned remained in her mind. What happened in this other world?

Soon they reached Alnus hill and the Eagle landed. As the motors died down the passengers unstrapped their harnesses. The door opened up as they stood 3rd recon exited fist followed by Pina and her group. As she and her retinue walked out onto the floor of the EDF compound they looked around in awe. The place seemed like a city with the way it was constructed. High walls, defence towers and more. The beasts that they saw at Italcia were also here but there was more. Pina looked over to Leiei, she seemed like the best with information.

OOOOO

After arriving at Alnus, Pina and her group were given temporary accommodation for the night. According to the EDF general, the other side wasn't quite ready for talks. So, they were to spend the night at one of buildings made for refugees as they weren't prepared for VIP guess. But she wasn't interested in that, she was more interested in what the blue haired mage had in that pretty little mind of hers.

Leiei soon walked in with a tray of food and drinks for Pina and her group. "Leiei," Pina said as the mage walked in. "Thank you for coming,"

"I brought some food," she said setting the tray down on the table. "The food here is strange but nice," as she spoke, she took a seat opposite the Princess and picked up one of the bowls. "This is called miso, it's quite nice if a little salty,"

Pina looked at the watery substance before picking it up and taking a sip. A wave of heat pulsed though her body. She gave a soft moan as she drank a bit more then set it down on the table.

"So, I've asked you up here because I need to talk," she said. "I want to ask you about the EDF, who they are that sort of thing,"

"I will tell you what I know, but what I know is very little," Leiei said. "Ask away,"

Pina nodded before she began to ask. "Are all soldiers in the EDF mages?"

"No, the weapons they use care called guns. They use something that propels a rock at speed. But this is just one method," as she said that the shock on Pina's face became very clear. "They also use magnets to throw these disks that decimate a mountain,"

"That's impossible," Pina muttered.

"I've seen it myself, when they took down the flame dragon," Leiei said as she remembered what happened with the dragon.

Pina just nodded as she remembered the disk from Duran's room. "How many families are we dealing with?"

"If you are referring to noble families, none," Leiei said as she took a sip from her miso.

"But the flags…" Pina stuttered.

"Are nations, not noble houses. You are facing a united army, not single force. There are too many languages, cultural quirks for them to be from a noble family territory," Leiei stated as a matter of fact.

"How many?" Pina then asked. "How many nations?"

"25," the mage answered. "But from what I heard there's something close to 78 or more," The princesses' eyes could only widen in horror.

'78 nations or more?' she asked herself. 'We don't stand a chance,'

OOOOO

As the next day rolled around, Pina and her group met up with Rory, Leiei and Chuka, Itami, Davies and Kyon waited outside of the main HQ building for the vehicle that they were going to take. As they waited Pina eyed the EDF soldiers. They had exchanged their armour for some form of dress uniform. The way that the uniforms were maintained showed a great deal of discipline from the soldiers who wore it. She gulped wondering what to expect. They had been given coats due to the onset of winder in the other world, but it seemed to be unbelievable. A long black machine soon arrived and the doors opened.

The inside of the machine was large with leather seats laid around the side. Pina and her group claimed in first, then Rory, Leiei and Chuka then the three members from 3rd recon climbed in. Once in the door closed and the machine rode off into the direction of the gate.