Chapter 1
First Contact
Chapter soundtrack: watch?v=iJaUbJMq8lk
As Grunbeld was aiming his shield cannon ready to finish Guts once and for all, a sudden explosion occured near his shield only temporarily scratching his armor and shield but stopping him dead in his tracks at finishing Guts.
„OLYAAA that did nothing load Armor Piercing"
„Already on it Sir"
Grunbeld turned his attention to the point of where the shell came from seeing what for him can only be described as a Metal box with a tube streching out its body.
„What the hell is that" Grunbeld thought to himself.
„He is looking directly at us"
„FIREE"
In a moment the shell left the barrel leaving only evaporating smoke from the barell.
It hit Grunbelds right arm piercing his armor and leaving through the other side, tho leaving a massive wound the giant commander seem to be unphased of what happened.
„Well fuck, deploy smoke"
As the tank popped it launchers and dissapeared in a cloud of smoke, Grunbeld left Guts on the floor and started marching towards the smoke.
„What is that, is that some sort of magic?, a metal box spewing darts smoke and moving on it's own" asked Farnese
„No, it looks to much man made" Serpico answered
Tank slowly reversed towards the position of Farnese, Serpico Isidro and Casca who were waiting on the outskirts of the Flora's domain.
„I see him on my thermals"
„You got a shot Igor?" Tank commander asked
„Yes"
„Fireee"
The smoke that was layed by the tanks launchers dissipated for a brief second from the force of tank's shooting and shells trajectory.
The dart from the fin stabilized shell hit grunbeld directly in the chest part of his armor seamingly staggering him and stopping his movement.
„Did we kill him"
„God I hope so"
Back at the outskirts Isidro and Serpico were desperately trying to fend of the incoming apostles but to no avail, there were just to many of them.
From deep within the forest their backs were turned faint rifle shots could be heard, bullets whizing past both Isidro and Serpico killing one of the apostles right in front of Isidro by hitting him dead right in the head.
From behind them men appeared,
„Soldiers?, But they do not wear armor"
„The color of their uniforms represented color of leaves and deep lush forests, they had two rectangular pieces sticking to their left arms one piece had a blue color with an unrecognizable white symbol in the center and the other right below it had three stripes in order from top to bottom colored white blue and red"
Serpico readied again to fight but the men only hastily passed him shouting shooting and moving towards Grunbeld, Guts and the mansion
The whole party reeling from shock still does not have a slightest clue what is happening but they have no time to think for all it's worth their lives have been saved.
„Hey!" a figure shouted from the forest.
Again Serpico readied his weapons
„No need for that, not here to harm you" out of the shadows of the forest two figures appeared.
One a fairly old man moustached, Serpico could see he has been through a lot yers of strees of fighting perhaps left a mark on his face, he seemed to have some seniority in this ordeal since he was commanding the person beside him
„Any of you wounded, come on Grisha check if they need help"
Noticeably a younger man seemed unarmed only carrying a pouch and the same rectangular pieces as the others but now additionaly on the right arm had a white piece of cloth with a red cross stamped on it
„I have no time to explain myself but I assure you that you need to come with us if you want to live another day"
„Why should we trust you?" Farnese screamed
„Look out there my men are putting themselves in harms way to save your friends left at the mansion and that big guy, we know who you are people, trust me you need us as much as we need you"
Grunbeld was in the meantime transforming into his apostle form a dragonic beast lethered with crystals.
„Drive us out of here!" Tank commander shouted
Driver quickly rotated the tank while gunner still has his aim sharply at Grunbeld not even sure he is believing his eyes
„FIREEEE"
Almost robotically the gunner pressed the button on the fire control system not even thinking about it his mind completely in mist of what he is seeing.
The shell struck one of the crystals on the apostles body only getting stuck like an arrow
„We are not killing this thing, but we need to buy time for our boys to extract everyone"
Near were Guts fell one group of soldiers already approached him pushing back the apostle servants back, the other sweeped the mansion for any survivors finding both Flora and Schierke
„You I knew you would come"
„Come with us" one of the soldiers spoke
„Schierke go, I will buy you time my destiny is fullfiled keep an eye on Guts and the Armor"
„No Flora"
Not even a breath was spared between what Schierke muttered and the subsequent reveal of Floras final form being entirely composed of flame burning everything around her.
Soldiers immediately brought both Guts and Schierke to the tank, the T72 now earily galloping towards the forest exit.
Grunbeld had his entire focus on the Tank at hand, now fully transformed he spewed fire across the tank, but in an instant Schierke casted a protective spell saving in process her, the tank crew and Guts who was unconcious laying between the driver and gunner.
Flora then gathered all her strenght and blasted Grunbeld away from the retreating tank, simustaniously enveloping the whole forest along with the mansion in fire.
Looking back the company commander muttered to himself
„Shame, it was a pretty forest"
On the exit of the forest a wide open field hosted a few BTRs and a UH-60 helicopter bellonging to the American Navy.
From the closest seat a black man clad in a green uniform shouted towards the boarding party.
„I thougt you would not make it"
„Don't annoy me Daniels we could have lost good men this was dangerous"
„Tell that to the high command they planned this, still good job"
The party was boarded on the helicopter, enamoured that the soldiers are not coming on.
„Our friends are gonna take good care of you we have more work to do here"
„Thank you" - Farnese muttered still trying to collect her thoughts on what happened
While the helicopter was slowly gaining alltitude and the column of BTRs and the tank left on their own path, from afar both Skull Knight and Zodd watched with quiet amazement.