Chapter 18: Battle at Ghirlandaio
Personnel: Kiril
GSS Lieutenant. Age 18. Born in Yugs in 1917, Kiril's father was a miner who had managed to climb up the ladder to a management position, a rare feat for a Darcsen that was possible only in the city of tolerance. Kiril also worked in the mines of Yugs for a couple years as an apprentice before deciding that he intended to support the Civil Rights Movement by embarking on a military career. Alongside his best friend Ramal Valt, he took the entrance trials for the GSS as soon as he had finished high school and the two of them passed brilliantly.
Being in the only branch of the Gallian Armed Forces that didn't discriminate his kind, Kiril was quickly acknowledged for his skills and deemed fit for active duty even when he and Ramal were still a month away from the end of the standard Service training. His goal is to become the first Darcsen high officer in Gallia's history, in order to prove to the whole world that his kin can serve their country with the same skill and determination as everyone else.
While set on his major goal, Kiril doesn't forget his closest affections: he knows that he wouldn't have gone this far so quickly without his best friend and, more importantly, he fights because he wishes for his beloved Sheila (and maybe their future children) to grow in a world where she will not be prejudiced.
September 12, 1935.
The mood at Ghirlandaio was anything but relaxed.
The decisive victory at Naggiar had not come. While it wasn't a catastrophic defeat either, the Empire had been clearly outmaneuvered and had been pushed back, but most importantly: the Gallian Valkyrias had proven to be tactically superior to their Imperial counterparts. And that was the real issue.
Despite the numerical advantage, the Gallian Valkyrur had proven to much more effective, thus destroying the morale of the Imperial soldiers, who had long believed to be the ones blessed by their divinities.
As the commanders stood in front of Maximillian's throne, in the largest hall of the two towers, Selvaria was clearly the most dejected.
"We will be honest, Master Aduin: We were expecting a different outcome from you and your warriors." the Prince sentenced.
"There are no words of apology, Your Highness. We have underestimated the determination and the preparation of our Gallian counterparts." The old Valkyrur calmly explained.
"I'd say you were on par, if we just talk about skill." Jaeger assessed. "But the other gals were much more coordinated and reactive. The difference between the training of our women and those trained by a battle genius couldn't be clearer."
"Indeed." Aduin agreed. "We will have to completely overhaul our tactics and learn from this defeat." then he allowed a moment of silence before adding: "However, we need to stay focused on the bigger picture."
While Jaeger and Selvaria were slightly confused by those words, Maximillian nodded and replied with the tone of someone who didn't seem bothered by the fact that he was losing a war. "Indeed. At the very least, your unit has succeeded in their task. Any report on the project?"
"Thanks to Major Dahau and Colonel Walz, the Marmota is now ready. Doctor Belgar and his engineers ensure that the device has been successfully installed and is working."
"Then we will depart immediately." the Prince declared as he stood up from the throne with his collected and uptight demeanor. "Jaeger, your unit must leave immediately and go wait on the Marmota."
"As you wish, Your Highness." the General promptly replied. "However, if we retreat too hastily, we risk being overrun by the Gallians."
"Your Highness, please allow me to stay in the rearguard." Selvaria offered in what seemed like an attempt to ask for forgiveness.
Maximillian walked in front of her and surprised everyone by putting a hand on her shoulder, gently and firmly at the same time. "We appreciate your dedication, dear Selvaria. However, it is not our wish that you lay down your life at this moment. As Master Aduin said, it is imperative that we reorganize the way our Valkyrias fight. That is the task that We want you to take on."
Selvaria looked up to him with a flabbergast expression. "You...you will allow me to live?"
"While We had counted on victory, We had also anticipated this scenario. This will only be a minor setback, provided that we prove to have learned the lesson."
Aduin himself was quite surprised by that declaration. While not stubborn as Gregor or other Imperial nobles, Maximillian was still quite arrogant. This level-headiness seemed a bit out of character for him, but it was still a welcomed development on his part.
"That said." the Prince then added. "Without Valkyrian support, the rearguard would last mere minutes. At least two divine warriors will be needed to keep the enemy distracted."
"We will take care of it." Aduin reassured. "You should probably ready yourself for the departure, my lord."
Maximillian nodded and then left without adding a word.
"You too, Jaeger. Grab your unit and go. We'll take care of the preparations here." Selvaria suggested.
"Got it. See you guys around."
The three all left the great hall, leaving it for the attendants to start disassembling the command center that was inside of it. While Jaeger went to fetch his armored unit, the Valkyrur reached the courtyard where their kin waited.
Once again gazing on his sisters, Aduin was reminded of the heavy toll at Naggiar, as there were only three Valkyrias left: Sergeant Olizena Bardoff, 1st Lieutenant Brunhilde Kreuz and Sergeant Nadessa Haus.
The three stood up from their quite depressed mood and gathered around their two heads. There was a brief moment. Aduin felt the weight on his heart and exchanged a quick glance with Selvaria, who nodded and stepped forward. She briefly explained the situation and that she needed two of them to volunteer for the defense of Ghirlandaio. The third one would go back to the motherland with her to train a new unit of imperial Valkyrias.
Both Selvaria and Aduin had expected this request to be tough, but it turned out to be different than what they expected, because all three of them stepped forward and said: "I will." without hesitation.
The three looked at each other, slightly confused, then snickered a bit before returning to the matter at hand.
"At least I have to stay. I'm an officer." Brunhilde argued.
"If anything, that's all the more reason why you should be going back and train more of our sisters." Nadessa calmly countered.
"I'm certainly not good at being the leader." Olizena added with serenity. "I'd rather go out in a blaze of some glory." she quipped, even if Aduin could clearly tell that she was only trying to deceive herself.
"You girls are far more capable than you think." Brunhilde replied. "Either one of you would make a more than enough job."
"Sisters, please." Selvaria interrupted. "It's clear all of you are too brave to make a step back. Therefore…" she turned her head. "Lord Aduin, you will have to make your own election."
With all gazes pointed on him, Aduin made a mental sigh and quickly pondered before delivering his answer.
September 22, 1935.
After Naggiar, the Gallian armies still had to struggle as they fought several imperial units that were defending the general retreat of their forces toward the fortified citadel of Ghirlandaio. Even Erwin had been surprised by how resourceful and resolute the Imperials could be when driven by desperation of seeing their homeland again.
The Archduchess and Wilbur had been escorted back to Randgriz by the Royal Guard and the remnants of some Militia units that had suffered heavy casualties and needed to restore their strength, among which there were also some Squads of the Third Regiment.
"Kinda hard to think that our Squad came out with a single dead from that hell." Largo commented at one point as the Division was making a pause during the march.
"Poor Coby, though. I had learned so much from him." Private Melville Young commented a bit somberly.
"Well...he did always say that he would rather die from a bullet than from old age." Private Salinas Milton added, attempting to make a respectful banter to make everyone feel less sad about that remembrance.
"Tell that to his kids. Even if they're grownups, I doubt they feel the same." Private Yoko Martens, a middle-aged woman who was one of the people closest to Coby in the Squad, replied acidly.
"Sarge is right, though." Aika Thompson said. "It seems crazy that we lost just Coby after charging in the open against fortified trenches."
"Was no luck, there." Vyse Inglebard interjected. "We kicked their asses, and the Lieutenant saw us through."
"I don't wanna sound bragging, but yeah, we did good. Everyone in the army did good." Rosie said, delivering the final point of that exchange.
"And now, there's the final push to free Gallia." Ramal, who was spending time with them, added.
"That's right. Oh, Ram, do you know anything about Sheila?" Nadine asked.
"Her left foot had to be amputated by the doctors, so she won't come back to fight. But, apparently, Mr. Agusta has already hired her. I'm willing to bet any amount that she's working with Isara, wherever they are." the young man said with a relieved tone.
"Oh, thank goodness." the Darcsen replied.
"That still reminds me of the imp planes." Largo commented. "They caught up with us. Honestly, I'm a bit concerned."
"I'm sure the Marshall already has a plan for that. Don't break your head too much on that, Sarge." someone else added with more lightheartedness.
Not so far from them, inside a quickly assembled command tent, the Marshall was holding a reunion with many of his officers, among which there were Welkin and Kiril.
"Scouts and aerial reconnaissance show it very clearly: the Imperials have heavily fortified the western side of Ghirlandaio." Colonel Rowe reported. "And considering that this side is funneled through a canyon, whoever is going to attack first will be an easy target for them."
"Let's just send the Militia at the front. They can come up with something." Damon said without a care in the world.
The other Generals sighed or made a rasping sound to express their disappointment at Damon's usual lack of sensitivity or common sense, as he seemingly never cared to remember that manpower wasn't exactly a resource that Gallia could afford to just throw away.
However, everybody internally agreed that the first wave would have to be Militia. The more professional and hardcore units of the Army had to be used, if possible, to storm the interior of the citadel, so the first part of clearing the outer defense would fall on the more expendable soldiers.
"You should really learn to be a bit more considerate, Damon. However, there really isn't much of a choice but to send the Militia in first. The real question is: what do we use to tear down the gate? The unique positioning makes it impossible to reach with a heavy enough howitzers."
"Even the fighters would have trouble dropping a bomb so accurately. That is not even considering that the Imperials have built an air base just a few dozen kilometers from here, so my men will likely be to occupied to intervene." such was the judgment of General Magadin, the new chief of the Gallian Air Force.
"Understood." Erwin calmly replied.
"Can't we use a Valkyria only to tear the door open?" Varrot proposed.
"I've considered it, but to destroy that gate, the Valkyria would need to get very close to it and fire a concentrated shot. That would mean facing that absurd level of bullets, and as you all saw, even our regenerative ability can only take so much."
"What if we manage to climb the walls, first?"
Everyone turned and looked at the proponent: Kiril, who was calmly waiting permission to expose his idea further, even if everybody thought it was an absurd proposal.
"What's on your mind, Lieutenant?" Erwin instead asked patiently, eager to listen any proposal available.
Kiril walked to the table, reaching the side of the large map he was interested in, then put his finger on it. "The northern hill is not impossible to climb. I'm sure that me and Ramal can accompany one of the Valkyrias on top of it. From there, she will certainly be able to destroy the central section of the wall, including the gate."
The officers looked at first as if they thought him to be crazy, but then the idea quickly started to make its way into everybody else. After all, everyone knew Kiril and Ramal as the kind of people that could always find a way to make the impossible, possible.
"Makes sense." Hasso agreed. "But to increase their likelihood of success, we will have to make sure that the Imperials will be completely focused on the outer assault."
"Leave it to us, then, sir."
Erwin turned toward the man who pronounced that, just like the other Generals. Baldren Gassenarl firmly stood on his legs and looked the Marshall in the eyes with a fierce determination to carry out his promise.
Seeing the fire in his eyes, Erwin finally acquiesced. "Understood. Then you will join the first wave."
The Colonel made a slow nod and then turned toward Kiril. "We will give you all the space and time you need, Lieutenant. See that you deliver." he said, without scorn or threat, just as a man swearing on his honor asking his interlocutor to do the same.
Kiril was honestly surprised to hear that from him: Gassenarl had always hated the Darcsens with every fiber of his being. After the events of the coronation, he had come to acknowledge them, but he was certainly far from recognizing them as worthy of anything. And now, he was willing to put his life, and that of his men, on the line for a risky plan born from the mind of a Darcsen.
The young man made a firm nod and a determined gaze when he responded.
"Yes, sir."
With that settled, Erwin proceeded to instruct the rest of the officers on the second part of the plan: once the gate would be destroyed, the Nameless would be the first to jump in to clear a bridgehead for the rest of the Army units to storm the citadel. There was no telling whether they would encounter all the enemy Valkyrias or only a fraction, so Erwin had elected to assign Freya to the infiltration strike and leave the others in reserve, ready to jump in if necessary.
"Lieutenant Gunther, your squad will be part of the first wave." Erwin said in the end. "Also, I'm assigning Sergeant Melchiott back to you."
Welkin's eyes widened, and the rest of the staff also looked quite astonished.
"B-But didn't you just say that you want to keep the Valkyrias in reserve?"
"Yes, but I believe that Melchiott may not be ready to use the transformation any time soon. In fact, I would be grateful if you could go speak with her right now."
"I...Yes, sir." the young officer replied, at first confused, then with a determination coming straight from his heart.
Welkin promptly left the tent and reached the area of the camp dedicated to the Valkyrias, which seemed just another batch of tents, except that they were larger, and as equal in number as the Valkyrias present. In fact, Welkin could not help but notice that there were two tents less than what he had grown used to.
There was also a dozen armed guards surrounding the tents to make sure no spy or intrusive fan could approach the Valkyrias inside their private spaces. Luckily, though, one of the guards immediately recognized Welkin and let him through with no opposition.
The Lieutenant saw Riela, Freya, Berthe, Ginevre and, finally, Alicia, gathered in what was undoubtedly a religious rite, as Urma was standing opposite to them, her hands gathered in front of her lowered face, in a modest but composed prayer as she was reciting a chant in the language they spoke on Reite.
It didn't take long for Welkin to understand that the women had finally found the time to properly mourn for their sisters who died at Naggiar. Their bodies had already been shipped back to the island for their ceremonial cremation, but they have all been engaged in constant skirmishes with the imperial rearguards for the last weeks.
He removed his beret and held it down in his hands, waiting for the ceremony to be over.
Once the Valkyrias were done and turned around, Alicia was definitely surprised to see Welkin, but she was quick to smile again.
"Welkin!" she said as if she hadn't seen him in ages and walked up to him.
The Lieutenant made a modest grin and delivered the news. "The Marshall is putting you back with the Squad for the next battle. Just figured I would tell you."
Alicia's face and eyes were surprised, but somehow relieved, or at least that was what Welkin perceived. Though it seemed to be a valid impression, since she made a quite happy huff before answering: "Really?! That's great! I'll go grab my gear." and then she immediately rushed inside her tent.
Welkin was honestly baffled by how quickly and eagerly she had accepted that change, so much that he stared without a clue in her direction.
"It's a good thing that she is going back."
Startled, Welkin lost his composure for a second before turning and realizing that it was Riela talking to him with a compassionate tone and a sad smile.
"Oh, Riela...what do you mean?"
"Alicia has been quite silent since our fight with the other Valkyrias. I can't tell at what point, but something has scarred her. Maybe going back to be a...well, a 'normal' person for some time will make her good."
"Take care of her, Lieutenant." Freya, who was passing by and heard everything, recommended from a distance before walking back to her own tent.
"Uh, sure...Freya, you might want to get ready: they will call you soon enough."
"Understood. Thanks." the young woman replied.
Riela patted Welkin on his shoulder one last time and she also left. Just a few seconds later, Alicia came out with a large military bag over her shoulder. "Shall we?" she asked merrily...to much merrily considering she had just stood at the funeral of two people that she cared about.
As they walked through the camp toward Squad 7's section, noticing how the girl always kept herto head lowered, at one point Welkin decided to take the matter into his own hands and gently pushed her into a more secluded corner they happened to stumble upon.
"W-what are we doing?" she asked a little confused.
Welkin sighed his tension out and posed his question. "Alicia...please tell me...how do you feel? I mean really. You have been quite distant ever since Naggiar."
Forced with that question, Alicia's expression became one clearly caused by a shock of some kind. Yet, she also came to the conclusion that she couldn't just keep everything bottled up anymore.
"During the fight...I don't know if you saw it from up there, but...my last fight in that battle was very close."
Welkin was reminded of it. "Yes. I was following you as much as I could."
"Then you saw it. That girl, Keller, was raging because I had killed one of her comrades. And then I just...took her life. I saw it as my hands just tore it from her!"
Alicia left her bag fall as her hands started to shake and she looked at them.
"And you know what?...a part of me liked it." she added, her eyes widened and starting to become teary. "I know I shot people so far, but this...this felt different...Welkin, what am I becoming?!" she asked with a desperate tone.
Welkin suddenly realized that he had no answer. He himself was taken aback by how deeply shaken Alicia was and that he had not noticed that until then.
"I don't want to do this anymore!" Alicia added on the verge of yelling. "I don't want to be a Valkyria! I don't want to be a weapon!"
She just stood there, her eyes pleading for him to say something...to save her.
But Welkin hesitated. Faced with such an overwhelming desperation from the woman he cared so much about, he just didn't know how to reply. He tried to raise his hand, he tried to talk, but any word died before coming out, making him exhale what sounded like a choked gulp.
Seeing that, Alicia seemed to snap out of her state. She straightened her back, wiped away her tears and reclaimed a smile as if nothing just happened.
"Sorry, I...this is my problem, I shouldn't push it on you. I'm fine!" she said almost frantically, then made the salute. "Sergeant Alicia Melchiott, ready for duty."
Then she bent to retake her bag and noticed something on the ground. A flower that reminded her of their hometown.
"Welkin, look!" she said excitedly. "A Lion's Paw! Just like the ones in Bruhl!"
She took a single flower from the batch, stood up and nonchalantly put it inside Welkin's breast pocket, leaving him quite astonished.
"Yup. I knew it! You look like a real gentleman!" she said radiantly.
Welkin, though, could say nothing. It was clear that she was just deflecting and he, more than anything, only felt shame, for he was unable to support his subordinate and precious friend. As Alicia grabbed her bag and said: "Come on. The others are waiting." cheerily while walking away, the Lieutenant was left there, frustrated.
September 23, 1935.
After a brief routine control at the entrance, Wilbur and the Minister of Defense, Kowak, were allowed inside Amatrian. They found no honor guard, but after all, they hadn't announced their arrival. They were just there to meet with the survivors of Naggiar, and there was a following of reporters with their cameras ready to shoot both movies and photos.
Still, when the soldiers noticed him, they particularly cheered for the Prime Minister. He was then quickly reached by the first officers who spotted him: Landzaat and Windsong.
"Your Excellency. We didn't expect you here." Faldio said a bit excited.
"It was the least I could do to thank you all, for everything you have done until now." the Prime Minister replied humbly.
After meeting with the acting commander of the base, one Major Therry, the Head of Government and his staff went to the hospital to visit the wounded and deliver some medals, always followed by the media as they captured the image of Wilbur talking and joking with the soldiers to cheer them up.
After that, on top of a very improvised stage, he was surrounded by the troops and he delivered a speech.
"Brothers and Sisters. I stand here today with a profound sense of gratitude. Without your bravery, and that of many other children of Gallia, today our nation may not even exist anymore.
"As I speak, your comrades are now bringing the fight to the last Imperial force invading our homeland. I am confident that, by tonight, we will be celebrating our complete liberation!"
A round of cheers erupted. Wilbur waited until it subsided.
"However a joyous occasion, it is my duty to remind you that the war is far from over: as you witnessed for yourselves, the Empire has entered the race for the skies, and its leadership is still set on conquering the whole of Europa as their ability to bring death and destruction presses on.
"We can not rest until the current Emperor sits on the throne of Schwartzgrad, or until they, too, will possess the power of the Valkyrur. Even if we free our homeland, we will still have to keep up the fight alongside our Europan allies.
"For the moment, once our borders will be relatively safe, we will start to demobilize the Militia, so that all of you can go back home and continue giving your contribution to the war effort and the reconstruction in any way you can. Nonetheless, I'd like to remind you that the Army is opening up contracts for two years, with triple the wages you normally get in the Militia. If you feel like keep up the fight to the end, please consider it.
"We may have overcome one of the greatest obstacles, but we still don't know what we will see from the summit. I'm sure all of you understand this, and I impatiently await to know how you decide to live your lives from this point on."
Wilbur was a bit surprised to hear quite a heartfelt clap from the troops. He was sure that he would be met with dead silence, at the very best. However, as he stepped down, some of the less battered soldiers clearly told him that they would be glad to fight, so long as he was still in charge.
"I'm already part of the Army in all but name, anyway." Lieutenant Windsong said quite proudly.
"Right, Erwin mentioned that to him. I'm sure you will have your time to shine, Lieutenant." the Prime Minister replied friendly. "What about you, Landzaat?"
Faldio made a polite smile and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but I've been asked by the University to go and talk with the Valkyrur on Reite. They want me to uncover their whole history."
Wilbur laughed amused. "That's one lifetime of work. I don't envy you in the slightest."
Faldio returned with a chuckle. "Sure, but I'm confident that the truth will further help to close the wounds between the Europans and the Darcsen communities. If you ask me, that's a vital stepping stone toward building a new continent of peace."
"Amen, young man." the PM replied quite amazed at the keen perception of the young man in front of him. "Well, then. Let's hope Erwin brings us some good news, quickly."
At midday, the operation could finally being, as Kiril, Ramal and Freya had signaled that they were in position through a heliograph. With their bellies laying on top of the hill, the three had a perfect visual on the valley and onto the inner wall of the citadel.
"Barbed wire, mines, mortars, heavy tanks...you name it, they got it." Ramal whispered with a tone that stated the difficult reality.
"All the more reason why we have to make sure this plan succeeds." Kiril somberly replied.
Seemingly in response to his flashing, the Gallian side finally made its first move. The Edelweiss was at the front of Gassenarl's storm tank battalion, which by this point had all been equipped with the updated version of the tank. Yet the honor to be the point had been given to Welkin. Behind them, the combined force of Militia and Army launched the assault, being welcomed soon enough by a hail of bullets from the first imperial line.
Meanwhile, a wave of Gallian fighters also showed up and delivered an explosive payload onto the imperial second line, to weaken it, but it was soon met with anti-air turrets firing with the speed of a machine-gun. One of the planes was caught up in flames and crashed against the outer wall, another one was damaged and forced to retreat.
And not long after, imperial planes also showed up and started contending the control of the air, giving place to a terrifying show of what the war had become.
Now, there really was no place safe from it, if not beyond the boundaries of the planet.
The artillery on both sides started roaring and the ground was shaken. The Gallians took some losses, but they kept advancing as they overcame the first line. In particular, the trio could see Alicia flowing on the battlefield even without her transformation.
"She really wants to end this, uh?" Ramal commented.
"I think Miss Melchiott wants to protect what it's important to her, but she has yet to fully realize it." Freya said calmly.
"What about you, Freya?" Kiril asked, assessing her resolve. "This mission is extremely risky even for a Valkyria. Are you ready for it?"
The woman with silver blonde hair strengthened her expression. "After Naggiar, I won't stop just at the end. We will take this fortress and free Gallia."
Kiril made a confident smirk. "That's what I wanted to hear."
They waited and watched as the Gallians reached the second line and then the bunkers that the Imperials had built on the outer wall started firing with their heavy machine-guns and their mortars. But that was exactly the signal they needed.
"Let's go!" the young Darcsen ordered, donning the mask down and standing up. Ramal did the same while Freya grabbed her lance.
Quickly enough, her eyes turned crimson and the aura around it changed. However, it wasn't the usual pillar of azure flame.
Erwin had chosen Freya, because she was capable to limit the usage of her power, which allowed her to launch a stealth strike even when transformed.
"Hold on to me." she said with her voice reverberating.
The two GSS made sure to hold to their weapons tightly with a hand, while they reached her shoulders or her waist with the other one.
"I'm gonna regret this…" Ramal regretfully commented.
"Hey, we jumped from an airplane. What are you afraid of?" Kiril joked.
"Here we go!"
Freya jumped. With her powers, even with the two men and their gear heaving on her, they still rained down with the speed of a meteor. Only seconds before they touched the top of the walls, the Valkyria unleashed her full potential and slowed down just enough for her to land on her legs with a loud thud, then the boys could use her body to swing over and annul the force of the fall, instead touching down as if they had simply taken a step.
Before anybody could notice what had just happened, the three were all set to start their assault.
They sprang forward, aiming at the first bunker, which was one with a large caliber mortar inside of it. And since there was a battle going on, the crew had left the reinforced door open, so they could get out and grab more ammo, if needed.
Kiril promptly used that opportunity to throw a plastic pack of explosive inside, close the door and then he made it detonate as they kept running toward the second bunker.
The explosion sent the bunker sky-high, the shockwave almost knocked down the Gallians, who instead kept rushing forward as the Imperials on the walls finally took notice of them.
Yet there was barely any trooper on it. Most of them were down on the ground, since only the snipers had the range to fire from up there and be somewhat effective.
As a result, the few that managed to turn around and fire were quickly evaded by the two special forces and gunned down, while the Valkyria relentlessly pressed, all the way until the center of the walls. And while another large bunker was blown up by Kiril, Freya reached her objective at an astonishing speed, charging up a blow in her lance.
Then she jumped, and as she fell down she stabbed the floor with her weapon. As her flame raged, a massive explosion demolished the section with the gate and made the whole citadel tremble. Soldiers on both sides watched with awe and shock as the sturdy walls crumbled after a single blow.
But after the shock passed, the battle resumed, and the Imperials went into a panicked retreat inside the citadel. In less than half-an-hour, the Gallians had broken through.
Freya went and sat down against another section of the wall she and the two men had taken.
"Are you all right?" Ramal asked as he knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder.
Freya was panting tiredly and sweating, but she raised a thumb. "I'm okay. I just need to catch my breath."
"You did great, Corporal Odsund." Kiril said proudly. "Take your time. Ram, with me."
The two then reached the opposite parapet of the walls, the one that gave them a view inside the fortress. The imperials were scrambling to man the breach in the gate, which, given the fact that there weren't many rocks that could go up in a million pieces, was actually mostly free from the rubble, as only the two heavy doors had been blown away.
The two GSS quickly fired down on their enemies, immediately killing two of them and forcing the others to take cover, delaying them for just a handful of seconds that turned out to be essential, as the Edelweiss was the first to roll inside the citadel, guns blazing, quickly followed by Gassenarl and then the infantry.
Sitting inside the Edelweiss, Erwin ordered a halt and then peeked out of the turret. It had become strangely silent (though relatively, since some shots could still be heard in a few corners of the fortress), but it looked like the Imperials had retreated on the upper levels of the fortress or behind a few barricades that separated the large courtyard into two evenly split halves. Right now, the Edelweiss and the Backbreaker, Gassenarl's modified tank, had found some kind of cover behind a mixture of charred imperial tanks and some other barricades previously set up by the defenders.
While the infantry on both sides was shuffling around, Erwin felt a sudden tingle in his neck, the kind that warned him about the presence of other Valkyrur.
As soon as he turned toward the enemy side, on top of the external walls, opposite to the Gallians, two azure flames rose menacingly.
Without losing a second, Erwin jumped out of the tank and grabbed the miniaturized sword he had brought with him, soon transforming it and himself into his powered form.
That was just in time, because the two Valkyrias on the other side both fired an energy beam each...targeting the two tanks.
Erwin quickly realized that he could only save one, unless…
With a stunt that could only be called crazy, he jumped straight toward the beam directed at the Edelweiss, then as he reached it he slammed his sword as if it was a bat and deviated the beam to intercept the other ones with extreme precision.
Surprising everyone, even himself, Erwin the touched ground and turned around.
"Spread out! Don't give them a major target!" he yelled, and his voice resonated loudly on the whole battlefield.
Luckily for him, Riela, who was part of the second wave, caught the gist and transformed herself, jumping in front to distract the enemy.
And just like at Naggiar and on the bridge, the fight assumed another dimension: other than the usual soldiers and tanks clashing on land, and the airplanes fighting for the heavens, there entered the Valkyrur, with the power of tilting the scales of the world itself with their mere presence.
As the Gallians and the Imperials fought a desperate battle for different reasons, the Valkyrur engaged in their deadly combat. Like mythological figures of the ancient epics, with the battle raging all around them, those fought on the threads of fate.
To his surprise, Erwin found out that his two opponents were much more proficient that he anticipated. Even if weaker than him, they put up a solid defense and neither him nor Riela managed to deliver a decisive blow.
"All Imperial forces, retreat! You have done enough." one of them said all of a sudden.
There was no denying that the Imperial line was quickly folding under the relentless stream of the Gallian assault. So, acknowledging the defeat, the imperials started to flee in a rush aboard their trucks as they kept firing back as much as they could.
And all the while, the two Valkyrias placed themselves in front of the gate used by their comrades and kept fighting with a vigor that seemed to increase instead of running out. A desperation that Erwin could not understand.
Still, it didn't take long for his brain to realize that they were buying time. But for what?
The fight kept going for a whole hour. The Gallians, unable to pass through the enemy Valkyrias who kept protecting the door even when Erwin started to break down their defenses and wound them. Even Riela was starting to become tired, both from the fatigue and because she just couldn't understand why those two were not fleeing.
Erwin just kept wondering what they trying to accomplish. If they simply wanted to cover the retreat of their comrades, by that point they had certainly achieved that.
Unless…
Just as the idea started forming in his mind, as both sides drew their breath, the enemy Valkyrias assumed a strangely relaxed and peaceful expression. Erwin gasped in surprise as he realized it.
Then the two Valkyrias suddenly increased their flame output. It was so strong that it caused a strong gust of wind and the light of the flames started to become nearly blinding.
"Heavens, no!" he said terrorized.
"What's happening?" Riela asked, paralyzed from a primordial fear.
The wind and the light increased, to the point where it became almost impossible to react. Erwin yelled: "Riela, your lance!" and extended his right hand.
Confused, Riela promptly threw her lance over. Erwin then quickly twisted his body and hurled it at the Valkyria that would be in front of Riela. The lance caught her right in the head, smashing half of it. The flame immediately dispelled and her body fell completely lifeless on the ground.
The second Valkyria kept increasing her output. The sheer force that was unleashed now was starting to even push the tanks themselves and even Riela didn't manage to keep herself balanced. Only Erwin had the mental clarity to prepare a thrust with his sword, keeping his pose firmly and increasing his own output.
Letting out a long yell of rage and fear, the Marshall then dashed forward with the speed of a bullet. His sword entered into the foe's stomach, yet she kept increasing the flame despite vomiting blood. In his mind, Erwin begged her to stop, so he could stop as well, but there was nothing to do.
That woman intended to ignite the Flame of the Valkyrur and bring down the citadel and everyone in a twenty km radius.
With no other chance but to significantly cut her life, Erwin yelled once again and swung his sword. The Valkyria was literally split in two and the flame vanished.
While everyone else had no strength left to be even astonished and ask for explanations, Erwin looked in shock at what he had just done.
He had just brutally cut down two young women. Forced by the events, and by the cynical plans of other men.
He muttered in shock, then that shock morphed into anger.
As the sun shone over a retaken Ghirlandaio, the eerie silence that had befallen on the battlefield was broke by a single word, pronounced with the force of a thunder.
September 25, 1935.
Right in the middle of the Midwestern desert, there was a whole makeshift city constructed in the span of a few months to host Project Cygnus. Hilde had been surprised to find out that the facility she and her sisters had stayed for the last eight months was only dedicated to study their powers, but the real research was going on here, as far from civilization one could find in the USV.
Now, with Doctor Obwehl directing it, the final test to confirm the validity of Operation Cygnus was about to begin, and it might as well be considered a turning point in human history.
With Forseti always by her side, Hilde had just used her powers to ignite the huge bomb that had been placed in a large, sandy plain some 40 km from the research town. The two were just entering the premises of the control tower that was about to make the detonation happen through a long cable connecting all the way to the device's tower.
There were not only the scientists, but Andy and Bethany, the ones who supervised the factories of AN in Vinland and who had deeply involved themselves with the project. Bethany in particular had made sure to meet with the Valkyrias regularly to ensure that they were being treated correctly and to help them feel less isolated. The woman smiled at the young Valkyria as she passed next to her to reach the spot assigned to her.
Said spot was among her two sisters and a group of high officers not just from Vinland, but also the Captains and First Mates of the three ships constructed for Operation Cygnus. Those were now sitting at a Vinlandian naval base, where the crews of the Federation were free to accustom themselves and train with the new ships in relative secrecy thanks to the cooperation of the Vinlandian government.
And among these officers, Hilde went to stand in front of the ones that, apparently, were to command the ship she was going to serve on.
One Captain Roland Morgen and Junior Lieutenant Brian Haddock. The first was an old man, way too old to think he would still serve on a battleship, however he exuded an aura of both serenity and steel nerves, even Hilde could not help but feel respect for him. Haddock so far had barely spoken to her, seemingly only staying on the Captain's shoulder all the time.
"Gentlemen." the voice of Obwehl suddenly rang through a speaker. "Today, we are about to witness the beginning of a new chapter in human history. Now, allow me to remind you that is necessary to wear the glasses we have given you and, once the countdown reaches zero, it will be all the better that you stay with your bellies on the ground and facing away from the explosion."
Such was the power that the A2 bomb was expected to unleash. So much that even looking at the detonation directly could blind someone, and some even doubted that they were at a safety distance.
Hilde started to feel a crushing weight on her heart. She had heard about the Flame of Valkyria and its destructive potential. This bomb was supposed to amplify that by at least double the amount.
Was that really the kind of power that she and the others possessed? And that they planned to release on the imperial capital?
She pondered on those questions as she put on the glasses. While they waited for the signal to lay on the ground, she sought Forseti's hand next to her and the Captain took her, holding it with a gentle grip as he smiled to reassure her. She smiled back, albeit full of doubts, her whole body shaking on the edge of panic.
Then the countdown started. "Detonation in 30 seconds."
Everyone started to lay on the floor. Some had even brought some small carpet to avoid soiling their uniforms or elegant clothing. Morgen had surprisingly not, though Hilde found it slightly comical that he managed to lay down given his...roundness.
"10 seconds...9...8…"
Hilde could feel her breathing against the ground, and as she never let Forseti go, it seemed like between every number there was an eternity.
"...1...Begin."
Everyone covered their ears, as well.
Even with her eyes having just the barren rock in her whole vision, and with the sun almost already gone down, Hilde thought that it was suddenly midday again as a flash illuminated everything of a white that was extremely annoying even if reflected or saw indirectly.
She could feel a chill running through her whole body. Her heart seemed to explode.
Then a shockwave hit the area with the force of a hurricane, if not worse. It lasted only a couple seconds, but it was enough to gain panicked yells from several of the people present.
Just as the wind disappeared, a rumble that not even a hundred thunders together could have achieved roared. It almost felt like even if you had ear plugs it would make no difference.
With a burning need to see what was going on, as soon as it seemed safe to stand back up, Hilde was the first to jump.
What she saw was a column of blue fire expanding up to the skies, the shape similar to a mushroom. The sky had turned from orange red to a dark crimson.
"It...it worked?" Vurne asked, meekly.
"Yes. That's the flame of the old tales." Thereia added somberly.
"It's like...as if it was a new sun." Haddock commented, surprising everyone.
"We...we did it!" one of the scientists cheered instead.
The team was indeed excited, and even the military and the politicians started clapping, amazed and satisfied at the results of the project.
"With this, our victory on the Empire is assured." another Navy Captain commented optimistically.
There were other comments, but Hilde's mind shutting them all off.
Because she was too busy trying to imagine that thing going off in the middle of one of Europa's and the world's largest cities.
She could see the center of Schwartzgrad completely erased, and the rest of the city engulfed in azure flames. And most importantly, she saw the people living in it.
Men, women and children. Their flesh melting as they shrieked and turned into skeletons before their bones turned to dust, as well.
She started to shiver and tremble uncontrollably. Her throat sending out choked hiccups. Her face turned pale as she started to sweat.
She felt Forseti calling her, but it was a faint voice quickly overwhelmed by the screams of death.
"No...no…" she muttered, holding her head. She panted a few times, her heartbeat rising at alarming rates.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
Then she started running