~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library

The Oncoming Storm

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The Dratini Farmer: Lunarian main line, Japan ?Regiments, halt!? Toyohime shouted. ?Prepare for doctrine change!? With a company surrounding Patchouli and Koakuma, the pair were free to charge up one of the librarian?s earth spells. They were planning on creating a series of trenches that would let the Lunarians advance under cover. Patchouli shared Sakuya?s distaste of trench warfare, so she was planning to have the trenches reach to the human line. With that, the battle should stay mobile until nightfall. It was designed to be more World War II than World War I. Return fire was bouncing off of the riot shields, it was starting to get to the point that some of the Lunarians had to take a knee to brace against the impacts. The GDF antitank guns were firing as fast as they could, tearing into infantry while taking fire. The oni operators were getting hit by bullets but still kept on loading and firing. Lunarian medical personnel quickly patched them back up and let them go back to what they were doing. Even with suffering from multiple wounds, the oni crews were still moving as fast as they could. Elements of the American 2nd Infantry Division and the British Highlanders were giving some of the greener regiments a bit of trouble. Glancing down at her map, Toyohime found that the Royal Regiments had encountered a large group of dug in Germans and Italians. They were being reinforced by a large Polish and Spanish detachment, managing to check the Lunarian advance. The elder princess had a feeling that this would happen, so the trenches were even more important now. Once they were done, the biggest hurdle would be prevent themselves from getting bogged down and turning this into textbook trench warfare. Based on what she had heard from her communications officers, Yorihime could tell that the captured Regimental colors were already deep behind enemy lines. The captured weapons and gear were also there, but they were of lower priority. Eirin had already told her to ready some of the regiments for night combat, mostly for raids and some ambushes. Since Toyohime was overall commander of the deployed Lunarian forces, Yorihime was able to fill in wherever she saw fit. Remiu and Marisa were rearranging their spell cards and unused magazines. Youmu was wiping blood off of her dual blades while having a blank look on her face. It seemed that she was starting to go through the beginning stages of post-traumatic stress disorder. Yuyuko was becoming extremely concerned about her gardener, and was considering pulling her out. Alice?s Goliath doll was laying in pieces on the field, but it had taken down a lone Bradley that had tried to surprise Remiu and Marisa.  A massive formation of Bradleys came into view behind the Lunarian main line, their weapons at the ready. The formation split up and began to encircle them. Toyohime could tell what they were planning, and saw no other choice. ?All regiments, form up in a mass square around the magicians! Staff officers in the middle!? Toyohime lead her group to help shield Patchouli and Koakuma. The green regiments quickly ran to form the four sides with their riot shields. Thirty seconds later, a massive infantry square stood ready to counter the human scouts. Battalion commanders went ahead and began to trade fire with the approaching vehicles, knocking out a few of them. Lunarian grenadiers began to hurl their signature weapons, knocking out even more approaching vehicles. One of Toyohime?s staff officers got a bullet to the face and was sent flying off of his horse. Even before he hit the ground, the princess knew that he was too far gone. Another round came so close to her hair that if took a few strands with it. One of the approaching IFVs was hit by a shell from behind, leading to a catastrophic kill. Slowing moving out from behind a hill was a lone StuG III Ausf. F. It fires again, taking down another Bradley. The remaining IFVs turn to face the lone tank killer, exposing their rears to the Lunarian infantry. The 25mm chain gun rounds bounce off of the StuG?s armor, not having any effect at all. Several of the IFVs were moving to flank the lone assault gun, but oni crews concentrated on them. Another StuG III rolled up on the human vehicles, firing its 75 mm cannon as fast as it could be reloaded. Some of the humans had come to a halt and launched TOW missiles, only to have them shot down by Lunarian marksrabbits. A bright light overshadowed the battle, and the earth began to shake. Patchouli had casted a variation of her ?Emerald City?, instead of raising up pillars, she sunk parts of the ground. A massive network of trenches about 6 feet deep now stretched from the Lunarian to the human lines. Wasting no time, the Lunarians jump in and begin to fan out. Seeing them take advantage of cover, the humans follow suit. With artillery largely neutralized, both sides were moving towards each other. In the trenches, the riot shields were a hindrance, so they were left to create a command post for the staff officers. Several of the humans were focusing on creating quick fortifications, which could lead to stagnation. Lunarian grenadiers focused on destroying them, wanting to prevent slowdown. Whenever a squad of moon rabbits would encounter a particularly dense patch of resistance, they would climb out of the trench and force their way through the fire from the rear machine guns. The Lunarian artillery crews dug in and began to fire over open sights. Almost on cue, the Celestial artillery opened fire again, devastating any human vehicle foolish enough to be out in the open. In response, the human artillery tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, but were picked off one by one. NATO fighters had finally begun to wrest control of the skies from the dwindling number of tengu fighters. The SDM?s air defense grid was operating at max capacity just to keep the massive number of incoming bombers from getting in range of the battle. An A-10 Thunderbolt II was moving in for an attack run. Aya sees it and rolls to get on its tail, avoiding fire from a F-22 she was engaging. Lunarian infantry fire at the attack plane, but it manages to absorb the rounds it receives. The redundant systems kick in, allowing the pilot to still control the increasingly damaged plane. It kept on flying until a Lunarian artillery shell separated the pilot from the airframe. The falling bombs and missiles were shot before they were able to hit the ground forces. Back at the Kappa workshop, the mechanics and engineers were quickly getting a new batch of fighters that Rinnosuke and Yukari had managed to buy from an arms dealer cleaning out his stock before retirement. But most of the fighters weren?t from the current 4.5 to 5th generation. Instead, they were from World War II. Dozens of P-51 Mustangs, BF-109s, P-47 Thunderbolts and ME-262s were quickly being worked on by the kappa engineers. Some of the dismounted tengus had returned and were hastily familiarizing themselves with their replacement aircraft. Yukari knew that the vintage aircraft would most likely get swatted out of the sky by the more advanced human fighters in normal conditions. But with Patchouli?s copper jamming spell rendering long range missiles unusable, they stood a better chance. The older fighters would be able to at least face them in close combat for a little bit, at least until the thrust vector capable fighters danced behind them. Their higher speed also shortened the window for aiming. But it was only meant to be a stopgap measure, until the SDM?s defense grid finished off the mass influx of bombers. The Lunarian officers in the trenches drew their sabers and charged forward, relying on their uniforms to protect them. The lower enlisted folk were charging forward with their bayonets while their senior sergeants were using their personal weapons. Scattered artillery managed to hit some of the advancing moon rabbits, but they were instantly set upon by medical personnel. From the rear of the human formation, elements of the Lunarian cavalry were hitting isolated units. Most of the GDF units had taken cover in the trenches and were waiting for the Lunarians to advance far enough. A good number of the fairies were still in the air, firing both conventional and magical bullets. But the human forces were beginning to shoot them down without mercy. The Buddhists were doing their best to catch them before they hit the ground and administer first aid and healing spells. Every time a fairy fell, a little part of Remiu?s heart hurt.  Even though they respawned almost immediately, they still had looks of pain on their faces as they flew up again. From the rear, a regiment of Lunarian Heavy Rifles had landed and were making their way to the front. They had landed so far back due to the rebelling nobles still on the moon messing with the portal systems. But as soon as they reached the front, they begun to spread out and lay down a curtain of fire that sent everyone jumping into the trenches. Several of the human machine gun crews made the mistake of relying on dirt mounds for cover. The massive volume of fire penetrated the dirt mounds and tore up the crews behind them. The remaining personnel jumped into the relative safety of the trenches, and some of them forgot their weapons. The Heavy Rifle rabbits took turns firing while the others reloaded, keeping a solid rain of fire that forced everyone to stay in the trenches. Their fire was supported by the Lunarian artillery that were firing over open sights, making it too dangerous to even stick a hand up. Now grounded, the fairies that still had the will to fight were forced to join the massive brawl in the trenches. Both Lunarian and human soldiers crashed into each other at full speed with their bayonets out for the kill. The Lunarian troops easily cut through a majority of human troops, only finding resistance when American, Australian, and Gurkha troops became involved. Several of the wealthier Lunarian officers shouted personal challenges that were met by their opponents. In the midst of the bullets flying around, the confusion of melee combat gave both parties a more even playing field. Seeing the Lunarians respect the unspoken one on one agreement, the human forces did the same. The Heavy Rifle rabbits began to divert their fire, concentrating on taking down more squadrons of A-10s and AH-64s that were trying to provide close air support. Strykers began to appear, their heavy fire did manage to make a dent in the Heavy Rifle regiment, but they were wiped out before they could take advantage of it. With the lapse of covering fire, both sides jumped out of the trenches and charged again. Soon, the battlefield was soaked with blood and the spent shell casings of the combatants. Scattered human artillery hit the area, wounding and killing indiscriminately. Some of the human troops jumped back into the trenches and tried to work their way around the artillery. White Wolf tengus were jumping from trench to trench, preferring close combat. Royal Flare flew into sky high above the battlefield, instantly incinerating any aircraft that ran into it. Mima joined in by raining down a hailstorm of star shaped bullets at full power, sending up a storm of dust and fragments. The Katyusha launchers had finished reloading and had fired their rockets again, filling the air with their unique sound. An American squad stacked up at a corner right before a group of advancing Lunarian staff officers. One of the humans throws a grenade around the corner and starts counting. Once the grenade goes off, the squad rushes forward, ready to administer finishing shots. Before the dust could settle, two of the squad members were down with cut throats. Another three are taken down in less than a blink of an eye by throwing knives. The four remaining soldiers tried to get back behind the corner, only to be blocked by one of the staff officers jumping over them. Quickly dispatched, only one of them had time to fire any shots. Suddenly, a large explosion hits the field. The shockwave from the impact shakes the earth and hot fragments rain down on the area. It was like nothing that either side had ever encountered before. Immediately, the Lunarians dig in, and try to fire out what could have caused such an impact. The attack had hit a company in the 8th Regiment of Foot hard, knocking out about half of their total. The human forces that they were engaging weren?t spared from the attack. Even with their helmets and body armor, they still took heavy damage from the attack. ?Princess Toyohime,? Yukari?s voice came from a charm the royal had on her hat. ?What just hit your area was a projectile from one of the first ground models of the American Railgun weapon system. That?s what those blueprints from that FOB you captured were about. You have about thirty more seconds before you can expect another shot due to their power system having some unforeseen issues.? ?Reisen,? Toyohime shouted. ?Take the 4th and take out that Railgun! All other regiments stay in the trenches! Heavy rifles and artillery, dig in as much as possible!? A majority of the human troops thought that the attack came from the Lunarians and were beginning to inch themselves back. But word began to spread through the ranks that it was their own side that fire the shot. Once they figured that out, they began to rally against the advancing moon rabbits. About 45 seconds after the first shot had hit the field, another one hits. This time, it hits a more concentrated area of the Lunarian line, making it clear that human spotters were getting the hang of calling in requests. Medical personnel swarm the area, the wounded are lucky that they had taken cover or they would?ve been instantly killed. Several of the operations officers had seen a thin reddish, yellowish entail that gave them a general idea of where the shot came from. But it was too far behind cover for their spyglasses to spot. In the far distance, a single green flare was barely visible. Instantly recognizing it as a request for supporting fire, the Lunarian artillery quickly calculated the distance and began to pour fire down on the general area. Reisen grabbed two companies from her regiment and quickly cut across one of the weaken areas of the human line. Instead of trying to wipe out the defenders, Reisen?s troops were more focused on getting as close to where that green flare came from as possible. With the rest of the regiments providing covering them, they managed to get and maintain a good speed. Due to them advancing so fast, the Railgun?s spotters were spooked and miscalled the next shot. This one tears through an entrenched Italian company that was trying to engage the 2nd and 3rd Regiments of Royal Foot. It didn?t escape Reisen?s notice that they shot had come after only 30 seconds, meaning that they were fixing some of their issues. As an afterthought, Reisen fires a last round towards the retreating spotters. It hits one in the shoulder, spinning him around. She jumps back into the trench and uses a wall to stop her forward momentum. One of her lower enlisted rabbits loads a high explosive round that he fires into the wall around the corner. It detonates, blowing a hole to the next trench. Others are doing the same, avoiding most of the heavy resistance. Hearing someone coming up behind them, Reisen and the two company commanders turn around, only to find Yorihime joining up with them. Another explosion cleared the next trench and the companies rushed through the holes. A trio of Spanish riflemen had taken up firing positions, only to get hit by a shockwave from Yorihime?s katana. She then stabs the ground, sending up spikes in the trenches ahead. A trio of P-400s, the export version of the P-39 Airacobra, suddenly flew over them. The planes began to pour fire on any enemy unit that they could see. F-22s turned to engage, but the modern aircraft were too fast to engage them effectively. Any missiles that were launched were distracted by newly installed Royal Flare launchers. The green flare was slowly starting to fade away, adding a sense of urgency. Another round from the Railgun flies over their heads, hurting their ears. The artillery that the Lunarians are pouring on that area don?t seem to be doing much good, reinforcing the importance of Reisen?s objective. A mortar round hits close by, knocking most of the staff off their feet. Reisen falls forward, only to feel herself get picked up Yorihime and tucked under her arm. The moon rabbit tried to get back on her feet, but the royal wasn?t having any of it as she sprinted forward. The sight of a regimental commander being carried like a book or a package by a member of the royal family would be funny if it wasn?t in the middle of a war zone. Still, it was somewhat funny. At least the more serious princess wouldn?t let anyone laugh at it. Near the Lunarian main line, Japan Eirin takes off her service cap and wipes some dirt and sweat off of her forehead. A gap opens up next to her, with Yukari walking out right after. Some of the Special Developmental Group troops were watching her with curiosity. More of them had begun to arrive, fresh from destroying the white phosphorus artillery rounds. One last squad was making their way back from locating the Railgun and firing a flare. The doctor looks at the gap youkai with a sense of boredom. But that disappeared when she saw the look on Yukari?s face. ?Colonel, I have some matters to speak to you about.? Almost on cue, the closest troops turned around and gave the pair some space. Most of them sat down under the trees and began to adjust some settings on their weapons. Eirin removed the gloves she wore and kept her service cap off. Knowing that Yukari never played around when she got straight to the point, the doctor had a bad feeling in her stomach. ?It?s about the aftermath of the battle and the state of reality.? ?Hmm, that seems to be on a higher plane then what you usually deal with,? Eirin replied. ?Are you still trying to go against the Dragon?? ?This is higher than him. But since you heard about our conversation, do you know that warning he gave me?? ?The one about paradoxes and whatnot?? ?Yes, that one.? Yukari looked towards the exchange of artillery fire in the distance. ?The fabric of reality is being ripped apart by this conflict. None of this was ever meant to happen and is going against the rules of nature. Because of this, unnatural events are happening. The greatest threat to Gensokyo, and by extension the Lunar Capital, is this. We may be able to force the human nations to surrender and we could even live in peace after that. But what about the unnatural events? They won?t stop even with the end of the war. What if, somehow, we triggered the beginning for the end of everything? If reality itself is about to end, what point is there for anything now? But that?s only my paranoia speaking. Tell me, have you ever heard of a tulpa?? ?It sounds familiar, but refresh my memory.? ?A tulpa is a being that has been created from the thoughts of a group of people. It originates from the Tibetan sect of Buddhism. Western occult thought has a close version called a thoughtfrom. Think of it as an imaginary friend becoming real and crashing at someone?s house. They gradually become an annoyance, emptying the fridge and leaving a mess everywhere. But they are rarely that harmless.? ?Do imaginary friends still exist this day and age?? Eirin tilted her head. ?But what can an invisible dog named Fluffy do against the empire that I helped build?? ?Fluffy can?t really do anything except dig holes in the garden and leave surprises in the corner. But some of the other things that the humans believe in can.? ?Such as?? ?Slenderman, the Rake, La Llorona and even worse youkai than the ones we encountered in our younger days.? ?I haven?t heard about the first two. And wasn?t Gensokyo created to give all youkai a home where they don?t have to worry about being unjustly hurt or exterminated?? ?These youkai don?t understand the word peace, they are savage and bloodthirsty. I will not put Gensokyo in needless damage just because some savage youkai says their feelings got hurt when we stop them from causing mass destruction.? Yukari pulls out her cellphone and gave it a quick glance. ?They are urban legends that are very popular on the internet. But with the boundary of fantasy and reality breaking down, there is a chance that they could step onto our plane. Even with that, there?s something even worse happening at this very moment.? Eirin comes in closer to Yukari, lowering her voice to something lower than a whisper. ?Are you talking about the stars going out?? ?You noticed it too? I?m not surprised. But it should be impossible. There are too many stars in the galaxy for them to go off like this. I know that stars are going out all the time, but this doesn?t feel right. There should be some more being made that replace them, but it?s not happening. The sky is slowly going dark. Many of the religions that the humans follow have an event like this heralding the end of time. But that?s for another conversation. I doubt that this is the only place that it?s visible from. I?ll check the view from the moon later. If it?s the same from there, then it?ll prove my hunch about reality after all. But this means that something major is going on and the worse thing is that I can?t explain it.? ?You?re the last person that would admit something like that.? Eirin?s bad feeling got even worse. This was the one person that had ever outsmarted her in any way. The Lunarian wasn?t one to admit it, but she knew that the blonde woman had played her throughout the Second Lunar War. If Yukari couldn?t figure out why all of this was happening, there was no telling how bad it could get. ?Have you talked to anyone else about this?? ?You?re the only one. I?m not going to tell the princesses about it. It?s not because I don?t trust them, but because I don?t think that they will be able to help, no matter how much they try. You?re the only one that I can hope has a chance of helping me with this. I don?t want Yuyuko knowing about this, she?s been through enough already. Kanako doesn?t see the big picture and is too attached to Sanae to be any use. Byakuren is too peaceful for this sort of thing and it would be better to have her try to spread what peace she can.? ?I can?t very well refuse when you put it like that. But the only things I can bring to bear are medical knowledge and my personal troops.? ?That?s what I need for what I?m planning.? Yukari seemed to getting bags under her eyes. ?If you?re going to be doing this, then it would only be right if I told how we got to this point.? She paused, it looked like she was steeling herself for something big. ?It?s my fault that we?re at this point. I tried to change history to suit my needs and ended up releasing something that should have stayed locked away. Now, more innocent people will die, but I?m not worried about that. I?m still working towards my original goal, nothing will stop that. It would be a lot easier if I could wouldn?t have to deal with this interference.? ?From what you?re talking about, that interference is reality pushing back against what you have done,? Eirin?s forte was medicine, but she had some study in temporal and spatial matters. ?How do you plan on fixing this breakdown? Can your powers even affect something that big?? ?I?m not sure,? Yukari admitted without any of her trademark playfulness. ?The real priority is wiping out all of the unnatural blasphemies that are walking around right now. The more they?re hear, the more damage is made in the fabric of reality. We have to make sure that we stop it before it becomes irreversible. I?m hoping that we can have the stars wait for a little while, before someone notices.? ?Just tell me one thing,? Eirin looked directly into her eyes, almost as she was trying to spot Yukari?s soul. ?What exactly did you do to cause all of this? Who did you anger so much that they want to destroy reality to get back at you?? Yukari pulls out a small black book from a gap. ?This book contains details about every single pivotal moment in history. Everything that has happened up to this point was influenced by me. I created entire empires and destroyed them with just a suggestion. I guided the progress of math and science according to my whims. But the book is useless now.? She throws it on the ground. ?Everything past this point isn?t in there. This morning, the most powerful item on this planet was that book. Now it?s nothing more than notes for a history midterm.? ?How can you be so sure?? ?Because we should have won this battle already. A few of Marisa?s Master Sparks hitting an ammo depot should have sent the humans running by now. It never should have turned into a prolonged battle like this. In a few months, I was supposed to be sending spies to New York City. Now, I doubt we?ll have a functioning navy before the end of the year.? ?Is there any way to get it back on course?? ?Not that I know of.? Yukari shook her head. ?It?ll take time for me to come up with something that?ll leave us better off after all of this. But the unknown variables are getting too out of hand. And that?s before I even take into account all of the tulpas. As long as you completely destroy them, then I can work something out. If one at least one exists, we won?t see the end of this war.? ?So we?re turning into a paranormal hunting agency?? Eirin faintly smiles. ?This?ll be fun. We should have Hauptmann Izayoi help us, she does have experience in this sort of matters.? ?But I don?t want to put her in the positon of having to lie to Flandre and Remilia. Their relationship is more than employer and employee, they?re closer than family.? ?Are you sure that Remilia doesn?t already know. She does have the ability to control fate.? ?I?ll talk to her later. If she seems like she had handle this, I?ll see about bring Sakuya into all of this. She does have a good amount of experience in these matters after all. I wonder if she would be alright being attached to your group.? ?I have no problem with it.? Yukari reads a quick text message that she just received. ?If you?re up for it, you could start tonight. I?ve just gotten reports that something unnatural has been spotted around here. It could mean bad news for us if we don?t take care of it.? ?Which one is it?? ?The Rake. I?ll give you a quick rundown on it. It?s a humanoid beast that has pale, grayish skin with no nose. It has dull but not blunt teeth and has an appetite for meat. It?s not aggressive normally, but it?s starting to get bolder. From what we can gather, it?s taken down a group of ten Italian soldiers down during the middle of the night yesterday. American military intelligence units have taken command of the investigation and are not letting any information out. If we don?t take it out soon, who knows what its next target is.? ?So an urban legend is brought to life. Never thought I would see the day.? ?I wish we didn?t have to. But the border between reality and fantasy is too damaged. So far, this is the only confirmed one in our area. I wouldn?t be surprised if more of them popped up around the world. For now, just make sure that this is destroyed, even if you have to destroy the countryside to do it.? ?Isn?t that a bit much?? ?Not when we?ll dealing with something that savage. They have to be stopped at all costs. When you take it down, leave no trace of it. If any of the humans get in the way, wipe them out too. I?ll keep our side from interfering, so don?t worry about them. I hope you weren?t planning anything important tonight.? ?Well, I was going fox hunting later on.? ?So the Gray Foxes have showed up. What was their official again? Wasn?t it the Intelligence Support Activity? They change their name so much.? ?Well, they?re the ones that are said to have the 195th?s Regimental Colors. They?re deep behind the enemy line, so we were going to pay them a visit tonight. They made the mistake of taking custody of them from the Germans and parading them around.? Yukari paused for a second. ?I could get Narzin to lead a quick raid with the Maus and a few of the Panzer IVs. In the confusion, we could get them back for you. In the worst case, we can just whip up a dust storm or something like that. But aren?t you worried about them dissecting your technology and uniforms?? ?Those humans aren?t too bright. It?ll take them at least a few hundred years if they can?t even learn how to fight off geese. Most of them cover their heads and run away from the wing flapping and pecking. And even if by some miracle they do find the way, we can easily change to stronger and more powerful weapons.? ?I thought you had more faith in humans.? ?I?m just being rational.? Eirin shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. ?Almost everything that we use has been influenced by one of my discoveries. If I can?t have confidence in it, what would be the point? Imagine the morale hit that would happen if my troops learn that I don?t trust the equipment that I made.? ?True enough. Are you up for it?? ?I?m interested. Will our weapons be able to affect it?? The gap youkai pulls out a set of papers. ?Here are some designs for silver bullets that should have the range and power of you normal rounds. I have the feeling that conventional rounds could kill it, but I don?t want to take the chance. Bring the sky down on it if you have to.? ?Do you mind if we bring the body back for study?? ?I would rather that you not. We can?t risk it coming back and I doubt we have any place where we can keep it. Even its mere existence is enough to throw all of my plans into disarray. Hopefully, we can use this as a testing run for our hunting tactics.? ?The way you talk about it, it seems to be a mindless beast. It shouldn?t be too difficult.? Yukari shook her head. ?I doubt that it?ll be that easy. We have no way of telling which internet legend is influencing it. It could very well be a mindless beast, or it could have high intelligence and hunting instinct. Be prepared for losses in any case. My recommendation is taking some of your troops from the 1st Regiment of Royal Foot. Your personal group is too valuable for this risk.? It was Eirin?s turn to shake her head. ?You?re lucky that I respect you so much. Anyone else telling me this would usually end badly.? ?I happy to have your respect, Colonel.?  Yukari smiled. ?You?re free to stop me at any time. You are providing most of our troops, after all. We would have gotten stomped if the Royal Regiments didn?t show up.? ?Good to see that you recognize that. But I have a more pressing matter. If the fabric of reality is being torn apart, what else becomes possible?? ?I would guess natural disasters might hit soon. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms, plagues, asteroid strikes, blizzards, and droughts are going to hit all over the planet. We could use this to gain an advantage in negotiations with other nations. Once they see us faring better than they are, they?ll be wondering how. This?ll play into my plans. I?m not sure about how it?ll affect the moon. Any ideas?? ?We?ll figure it out if it comes to it.? ?No use to think about it now. Anyway, I have some of my familiars keeping an eye on the Rake. For now, it?s taking shelter in some of the deeper parts of the forest. Since it hasn?t moved for a while, it might even be asleep. Once it gets dark, it?s hunting season. This scroll has the general location, updated every ten minutes. It?s the best we can do with what we have.? ?It should be enough.? Eirin said. ?Anything else you want to talk about?? ?Well, one thing that we still have to figure out is how we?re going to control all the new territory. The GDF is way too overstretched to handle the administration and policing of more territory. We can?t leave them alone, they might rise up against us if we do. Too bad we can?t really burn them to the ground.? ?I didn?t think that this was about new land.? ?It?s not, but we can?t help it. We?re going to have to administer all the new land that we?ll capture. Most of them will be reluctant to let themselves fall under the rule of a new government, so a little bit of discipline might do some good.? ?Are you asking me to bring Lunarian martial law to the captured territories?? ?It?ll be for their own good.? ?I have no problem with it personally. How will you explain it to your allies?? ?They?re understand with time.? Yukari shrugged again. ?Everyone is talking about how the newest generation is too selfish and vain. A little Lunarian discipline will do wonders for their respect. They might even end up thanking us later on down the road. Think of it as putting the humans back on the path they should have been on since the beginning.? ?Hmm, I can?t really deny your logic. But it might spark rebellions during the meantime. I wouldn?t be surprised if it leads to a downward spiral.? ?Then just administer some of the famous Lunarian law.? Yukari?s somewhat savage smile bordering on a sneer made Eirin feel somewhat uneasy. Then once she saw the hard glint in the gap youkai?s eye, the doctor?s stomach felt even worse. ?It?s be the start of the new Lunarian Empire. Just in time for the end of reality.?

The Dratini Farmer: Cherbourg, France, May 1942 The heavy and thick fog covered every single part of the city in the dead of night. The only sounds that could be heard were the steps of the patrols and the odd vehicle going about. German occupation forces were enforcing the curfew and fighting off boredom. The port that they were guarding was an important one that guarded against a British counter invasion. A mother and her two children were behind led by a German Hauptmann in a dark blue uniform. The civilians were carrying what looked to be small suitcases with only a few changes of clothes and some pictures. They carried the suitcases in front of them, hiding the yellow star on their clothes. Several of the walking soldiers glanced at them, but the Hauptmann?s purposeful stride caused them to let them be. Maribel had given up on trying to hide after a pair of guards had walked right past her. Now that she was expecting on having another dream like this, she was more prepared to remember more details. She instantly recognized it as being during the Second World War due to the stylish uniforms worn by the Germans. She recognized the Hauptmann as Sakuya, but was confused on why she would be here. She didn?t look like she had hit her twenties yet. The psychologist didn?t miss the fact that there were a pair of black uniformed Germans looking at the group with some suspicion. Maribel was wondering who they until she noticed the red armband that they were wearing. The two SS soldiers frowned as they watched Sakuya lead the family towards the outskirts of the city. One of them pulls out a small notebook and begins to flip through it. The other grabs two walking soldiers and forces them to follow. It was obvious that the two regular soldiers had a distaste for the SS. Some members of the Milice walked by, some in awe of the SS. The normal soldiers looked at them with distaste. Sakuya was walking around the corner when two members of the Milice almost walked into her. The first time they notice was that she was a woman and one of them was about to open his mouth. His stopped when he saw her uniform, probably saving his life. ?Pig,? Sakuya?s French was perfect, with an accent that sounded like she came from the south. The pure venom in her voice froze the two collaborators. ?Do you not know how to conduct yourself in front of a German officer? Do I not deserve a salute from lowly pigs like you, or do you not even know how to that?? ?I?m sorry, Lieutenant. I?m just-? ?Lieutenant?? Sakuya poured even more hate into her voice. She steps forward and grabs the offender by the tie. ?Pay attention, I?m only going to say this once. I am a Hauptmann in the Heer. I?m not some lowly lieutenant just out of school. I didn?t buy my commission nor was I born into it. I will not let some lowly criminal like you disrespect me.? ?Hauptmann, do you know who my father is? I will-? ?Since your mother does not, I?m not too worried about it. Now get out of my sight before I kill you myself.? She throws him down while his partner steps back. ?Go on, get out of here. Cross me again and see what happens.? The two ran to the other side of the street and around the corner. The future maid adjusts her service cap and continues to walk. Unbeknownst to them, the two Milice members run across the trailing SS. Maribel began to grow worried for Sakuya. She was becoming more confident that she was helping the family escape. This realization made Maribel regard her even more highly. A checkpoint was in the group?s path. Manned by a squad of six Heer soldiers, they saluted when they saw Sakuya walk up. She returns it and hands the leader a small pamphlet. While he reads through it, one of the soldiers hears a small stomach rumbling. In response, he takes out a small candy bar and breaks it in half. Then he hands each half to the two children. They put their bags on the ground to take it, revealing the yellow stars. But none in the squad care, all they see are two children. They rummage their pockets to find more candy bars, but they were out. Even so, the mother?s heart was touched by the display from the occupiers. The leader nods, indicating that everything was in order. He hands it back but whispers to Sakuya. ?Be careful Hauptmann, there?s two SS following you.? She nods in response. Motioning the trio to follow her, she stealthy unfastens her P38?s holster and the pouches with her knives. Taking note of hiding spots, she devises multiple scenarios in case she has to have the family hide while she takes care of the SS. Her priority was getting them to where she had found a resistance cell. Even if she had taken an oath to follow the orders of the F?hrer, she still had the duty to do what was best for Germany. If it was labeled as treasonous, so be it. ?Go inside and hide in the first room on the left. Lock the door and do not open it until I come get you.? Sakuya drew one of her knives. She waited until they had gone inside before she ran down a back alley. Hearing running, the two SS and Milice chased after her. Once they reached the ally, they stopped and began to walk slowly with their weapons at the ready. A cat jumps out from behind a trashcan, scaring the group. Before the others can notice, Sakuya grabs one of the Milice from behind and covers his mouth. Then she drags him back behind the corner and snaps his neck. Once she?s sure that he?s dead, she stuffs his body into an open crate and sets to top on it. Finally noticing that his partner was missing, the remaining collaborator begins to look frantically around. Sakuya throws the ownerless rifle into the street, playing on the SS soldiers? nerves. They almost fire but begin to put more space between each other. One of them brings a whistle out but has it destroyed by a thrown knife that barely misses his hand. Before they could open fire, three more knives knock their weapons out of their hands. In the spilt second that it took from them to try to pick them back up, Sakuya had closed the distance. She punches the Frenchman in the stomach with enough force to knock the breath out of his lungs and flips him over her shoulder. One of the SS takes out a baton and throws a swing at her head. She dodges the swing and throws an uppercut that hits the attacker in the chin. Hearing the sounds of teeth breaking, Sakuya crouches and sweeps his feet out from under him. The standing one kicks out at her, missing her. In response, she grabs his leg and pulls him off balance. He falls back and hits his head on the cobbled street. Grabbing two of them, she stuffs them into a dark corner created by a group of crates. To be sure, she cuts their throats. Then she dumps the third one and does the same to him. Readjusting her tie and service cap, she wipes her knives off on one of the SS?s uniforms. Quickly looking around to make sure that no one had walked into the scene, she makes her way to the family?s hiding spot. Sakuya knocks on the door and says something that Maribel couldn?t make out from where she was standing. The door opens, revealing the terrified mother and her children. Without explaining the situation, Sakuya starts walking towards the extraction point. On her way off of the street, she glances at the crates where she stuffed the bodies. The sound of Messerschmitt BF 109s and Focke-Wulf FW 190s could be heard flying over the city. They pointed towards an incoming British bombing mission. Ever since the end of the Battle of Britain, the retaliatory bombing runs have been regular occurrences. Even though the port was an important asset, it was too heavily defended for the current bombers to hit. The British learned that the hard way two weeks ago. After the quick crushing of the group, the stillness of the street was even more surreal. At the far end of the square, another German officer was on horseback. He looked like he was suffering from insomnia and was going on a midnight stroll. He had a small pouch on the saddle that was open, revealing a bundle of official documents. Upon closer inspection, Sakuya noticed that the man was starting to bob his head. Motioning for the family to stay put, she noiselessly makes her way to the bag and takes one of the documents out. Noticing her, the officer doesn?t seem to recognize her but wonders why she?s so close. ?Major, you seem to be about to fall off your stead,? Sakuya uses a sleight of hand to hide the papers she took. ?Are you sleepwalking?? ?Hauptmann, good evening.? He can barely keep his eyes open. ?I was about to return to my quarters. You understand how the duties of a staff officer can interfere with sleep cycles. I trust everything is quiet in this area.? ?It is, Major. Even though some of the Milice could stand to learn some respect.? ?I?ll make a note of that. They?ll know who?s in charge tomorrow. You should get some sleep, Hauptmann. You look somewhat rough, if you don?t mind my saying so.? ?Thank you for your concern, Major.? She watches as he slowly rides away. Once he gets far enough, Sakuya pulls out the papers she had swiped. A few of them were lists for groceries while one was a pre-stamped letterhead. Taking out a pen, she quickly writes a letter of introduction and gives it to the mother. ?Keep this until you reach Allied troops. Don?t open it until then.? Without looking back, she sets off again. This time, at the end of the street that they?re on, several SS troops were at a checkpoint. They were breathing down the necks of the regular soldiers that were manning the post. This one was at a corner with a small store doubling as the guard office. Sakuya grits her teeth, it was hard enough restraining herself when she in the same room as an SS member. Now there were at least ten of them, looking for the smallest infraction. ?Halt, Hauptmann.? The Hauptsturmf?hrer had a sneer on his face when he called out. ?There?s a curfew in place for all civilians, especially for them.? ?Watch your tone, pig.? Sakuya replied. ?I don?t care if you hold Himmler?s ear, you still need to respect a superior officer.? ?Superior? Hauptmann, the SS are superior in every-? ?You look like you would be the first to run away in the face of the enemy. If it were up to me, you would be the one polishing my shoes. Anyway, pig, we have business beyond this checkpoint, so I don?t have time to deal with you.? ?You will stay where you are. This area is a controlled space. Where are these animals? papers?? ?Are you talking back to me, swine?? ?I have my orders. If you insist, I have no choice but to use deadly force. But, by all means, do try to go on ahead. After all, accidents do happen.? He cocks the ancient Luger that he has in his custom made hostler. Without a word, Sakuya walks into the small building and picks up the phone. The SS officer stomps in right after her and begins to raise his voice until Sakuya started to talk. ?Operator, connect me to Obergruppenf?hrer Heydrich at the Reich Main Security Office.? As soon as he heard Sakuya drop Heydrich?s name, the SS officer almost lost control of his bowels. Sakuya almost smiled, there was no one on the other end of the line. She waits a few more seconds and then kept on going. ?Obergruppenf?hrer Heydrich, I apologize for the late call. I?m currently on that assignment that you personally sent me on, but I?ve seem to run into some resistance here.? The SS officer began to sweat profusely and shakes his head. ?Yes, sir. I remember what you did to that captain that brought you slightly cold coffee. No, I don?t think anyone has heard from him for a while. I know his father, one of the old Prussian dinosaurs, made a fuss about it.? She acts like she just notices the terrified SS officer and holds the phone out to him. He shakes his head even more, making it look like it was about to fly off. ?It looks like it?s taken care of, sir. It was good talking to you again.? She hangs up and leaves the small office. ?Raise the gate!? The SS officer was walking stiffly, hoping to hide the fact that he had wet himself. ?Raise it NOW!? He almost jumped on the gate to open it himself. Once the gate was up, Sakuya gave the humiliated SS officer one last glare before she lead the family past them. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the regular soldiers having trouble keeping the smiles off their faces while every single SS had pale faces. Her reputation of being abrasive with the SS had warmed the regular soldiers up to her. Some distance past the gate, it began to grow darker since some street lights weren?t lit. The sounds of the calm ocean could be heard as they approached the piers. Once they got near a warehouse, Sakuya motioned for the family to go in and stay. Once they were in, she walks towards a small building that had a covered walkway. Kicking the door open, she throws a few knives that knock the weapons out of the partisans and stranded Allied soldiers. Without turning around, she kicks the door close when she walks in. ?Pay attention, I?m only to say this once. I know about your activities and your existence. As long as you attack only the SS, I?m willing to let you survive. But I do have one condition.? No one spoke up in protest yet. ?The SS and Gestapo are rounding up Jews and other minorities. This is not what I swore to uphold when I took my commission. The head of Germany is a megalomaniac fool and will lead to Germany being destroyed. He has ordered the murder of every minority that he can get his greasy little hands on. What I want this cell to do is to deliver whatever minorities you can away from this evil.? ?And if we refuse?? One of the partisans finally spoke up. ?Then I kill every single one of you and burn down the entire city.? Sakuya knew that while she had some authority, she didn?t have quite that level. Even if she did, she couldn?t give that order since it wouldn?t sit well with her conscience. But no one else knew that. ?For you it?s a winning scenario: you get to keep operating as you are and you hit the Reich in a completely unexpected direction.? ?How can we be sure you?re telling the truth?? ?I have a letter of introduction from a friend of yours in London.? She hands him a sealed letter. Her opens it and begins to read. As he gets further along, his eyes narrow and his frown deepens. Finally his crushes the letter and sighs. ?Damn it, Lady Yakumo. Why do you insist on making my life more difficult?? He gritted that out in a whisper that was barely audible. ?Very well, we?ll help. Where are they now?? ?In the warehouse. How soon can be out of France?? ?They can be in London in two days? time.? ?Good. Take this as well,? She hands him a folded letter. ?If any SS stop your group, give them this letter. It?s supposedly signed by Heydrich, so it should get you out of trouble with them.? ?But it has a Heer letterhead on it.? ?Tell them he was visiting the headquarters in Paris and ran out of paper. If they don?t believe it, threaten to call him.? Sakuya turned to leave. ?Be sure to help them reach somewhere out of our sphere of influence. I have the feeling that it?s going to get worse for all of us.? West of the Lunarian main line, Japan ?Steady, steady all of you.? Sakuya was peering out of the viewport in the Tiger (P). ?Gunner, aim for the tan tank turning to face us on the right side. Loader, put in one of the armor piercing rounds. Driver, keep on giving us constant speed and try to keep it as level as you can. Radio operator, any more updates?? ?The main Lunarian line has come under fire from a Railgun. So far, the infantry have managed to smash through the humans and are getting closer to the command staff. We?re getting close to the rear of the enemy formation. And?it seems there?s a private call for you.? The fairy disconnected Sakuya?s headset and plugged it into another jack. Sakuya heard the sound of static and then the small buzz of a secure channel. ?Hauptmann Izayoi, I?ve been trying to get a hold of you for a while. Anyway, I need a favor.? Yukari was still as carefree as sever.   ?I hope it?s nothing too big. I?m still in the middle of the last mission you sent me on.? ?We won?t need you until tonight, so you don?t have to hurry.? Sakuya paused as the gunner scored a mobility kill on a flanking M1. ?Now you peeked my interest.? ?There?s a beast that shouldn?t exist loose around the area. I?ve already spoken to Colonel Yagokoro and she?s agreed to lead a platoon against it. We would feel better if you would tag along and make sure that it?s taken out for good.? ?What do you mean by a beast that shouldn?t exist?? ?It?s a long story. I?ll fill you in later. But I should warn you, this beast is not to be played with. It could end your life in an instant if you underestimate it. It does have intelligence on the level of a human and youkai, so be mindful of that.? ?Loader, switch to Patchouli?s armor burning shells.? Sakuya had seen a group of Bradley?s getting ready to fire their TOW missiles. ?Get ready to speed up your loading. Radio operator, be ready to shoot those missiles down. Yukari, I?m in.? ?Good. I?ll let you get back to what you?re doing. When the time comes, I?ll let you know more.? Yukari?s line went dead as she disconnected, leaving Sakuya with her crew. The gunner fired the round, hitting a Bradley and caused a brew up. Patchouli had infused a few of their tank shells with St. Elmo?s fire, giving them the ability to light anything made of metal on fire. This lead to both the inside and outside of the IFV turning into one giant bonfire. As soon as the casing for the shell hit the back plate and dropped into the collection bag, the loader had another ready to go. Running numerous numbers in her mind, Sakuya was trying to break up the rest of the enemy formation. A few miles to the east, Nazrin?s Maus was tearing through the any resistance they found. Once word started to spread, even the Leopards and Challengers were hesitant to face the super heavy tank. The significantly boosted 128 mm cannon was actually flipping over the main battle tanks with relative ease. Behind them, the StuGs and Fireflies were sniping any tanks that had tried to flee. The ground shook under the Tiger (P) as a tengu piloted P-47 Thunderbolt was shot down and crashed nearby. The smoke coming from the burning wreckage hide Sakuya?s tank and gave her some more breathing room. Pangs could be heard as scattered machine gun fire found the tank. In response, the radio operator changed to armor piercing incendiary rounds for the bow mounted machine gun. ?Driver, bring us in behind that Challenger on the right side,? Sakuya just thought of an idea. ?Gunner, aim for their engine and try to start a fire. Loader, keep doing what you?re doing.? Behind them, two Panzer IV Ausf. H medium tanks had climbed over the hill and were choosing their targets. They weren?t able to one shot any of the modern tanks, but were able to knock out most of the crews that they hit. With flaming wreckages crashing into each other and the various unlucky survivors, the opposing forces were starting to waver. More scattered artillery began to hit the area, the conventional explosions revealed that they were from the human side. A far off speck caught Sakuya?s attention. Quickly grabbing a pair of binoculars, she sees a US Air Force AC-130 aiming at them. It began to perform a pylon turn, with the 105 mm cannon readjusting its aim. ?Gunner, aim for that gunship. Distance is about 4.5 miles. Loader, switch out to the beehive rounds, give it a delay of about 4 miles. Driver, find us some cover so we can steady this machine. Radio operator, are any of the tengus around?? ?Most of them are too busy with the fighters. We?re on our own for now.? ?Thought so,? Sakuya glanced back at the gunship. Fairy operated Wirbelwind antiaircraft tanks were firing but failed to hit. ?Even if they hit, they won?t be able to do much. Our beehive might have to be the one that takes it down. Too bad we don?t have a Ratte to use as bait.? A slow moving BF-109 tried to engage the gunship, only to get a hail of 30 mm Bushmaster cannon fire through the engine. The tengu that was piloting the plane managed to bail out, but was hit by a round and stopped flying. Firing another artillery round, the gunship barely misses the tank. ?Gunner, switch out with me.? Sakuya squeezed herself by the gunner as they moved. Settling herself into the seat, she took the controls and looked down the gunner?s scope. Even though it was a slow target, it was still in the air and she had to account for more. The basics were still the same: distance, speed of the target, direction of travel, ballistic drop, point of aim, and penetration. But now she had to deal with the added confusion of an air target?s movement. Without taking her eye off of the target, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out some gum. Quickly putting some into her mouth, she?s calmed by the familiar bubbly and sweet taste. Now that she was able to aim better, she decided to aim for the part of the fuselage was thinnest, right in front of the elevators. Another round hits nearby, showering more dirt around them. The sounds of some shrapnel hitting the tank could be heard. ?Loader, how many beehive rounds do we have?? ?About four more of the modified ones.? Four shots Sakuya thought. One should be enough to bring that gunship down if I hit it just right. But I can?t be sure that I have enough time to fire more than three shots. Two shots are all that I have. Sakuya aimed high above the turning airplane. She fires one shot, paying close attention to where the round went. The 88 mm high velocity round flew through the air about 300 yards behind the gunship. But that was all she needed. Adjusting for the speed and angle, she leads her target. She moves the gum to her right cheek, letting the flavor calm her down for the next shot. She waits until she feels the shot in her gut and squeezes the trigger. In the action of the cannon, an electric charge is applied to the back of the beehive shell. This charge activates the propellant and ignites it. The round is propelled forward while the shell flies out of the breech and hits a plate that causes it to drop into a collection bag. The round spins as it meets the rifling on the inside of the barrel and leaves the muzzle. As soon as the charm on the side of the round senses the change of momentum, it began the countdown. When the charm senses that it had traveled 4 miles, it activates the secondary explosion. Three feet long darts materialized, capped with Patchouli?s Dew Spear. They hit the AC-130 right in front of the elevators, easily cutting through the fuselage. Even if it didn?t cut it completely off, it was still enough for the drag to rip the tail right off. The rest of the gunship began to pull up, throwing off the cannon?s aim. It begins to pick up speed, starting a series of out of control loops that throws the crew out into the sky. A small fire was created when the darts hit, and it had spread to the ammunition. The crashing aircraft began to burn while several rounds began to cook. After making sure that her target wasn?t a threat anymore, Sakuya switched back to her original spot. Her hand was shaking a little, her shot just now was getting to her. ?Driver, bring us around the rear. Loader, switch to our armor burning rounds. Gunner, concentrate on their more dangerous tanks.? Looking to her left, Sakuya tries to find a weak point in a trio of Leopards when a P-47 showed up, let loose a salvo of unguided rockets and three bombs, and pulled up. Two of them were disabled and set on fire while the third was tracked. The Tiger (P)?s turret turned towards it and landed a shot on the cannon breech. Seeing that they were dead in the water, the crew bails out, only be hit by the same P-47 going a strafing run. Finally picking up speed, the Tiger (P) popped out from behind the hill and gunned down an armored Humvee. Another one tries to escape but gets rammed and crushed. Sakuya hears her driver chuckle a little over the radio. The sounds of breaking and crushed metal was loud even inside the tank. A British Challenger was turn to engage her when it was brewed up. The one that fired the shot was Nazrin?s Maus, slowing moving about. The radio came alive with Nazrin having to explain step by step to Shou on how to drive. It was fortunate that the gear shift was attached, otherwise it would have been lost somewhere. ?Any friendly armored units,? a voice with a hint of Lunarian posh came over the waves. ?We?ve encountered a series of tall earthen barriers with stiff resistance. Any help breaking through them would be appreciated. And here we go with the rockets again?? Squinting her eyes, Sakuya can spot a hail of rockets flying all around to their far right. Sighing, she taps the driver on the right shoulder with her foot, ordering her to turn towards it. ?Loader, use the high explosive rounds first then change to the beehive once we break through. Radio operator, are there any engineers nearby?? ?We have two kappas about a minute from our location.? ?See if they can boost our armor to somewhere to the normal range. I don?t think those rockets are for show.? ?They say they can try, but it would take a while.? ?How do they feel about doing it under fire?? ?What do you mean?? ?We break through the barrier and I dismount. While I?m mopping up the rest, the kappas can fix the tank.? ?They don?t like it, but they?ll do it.? ?Good. Driver, bring us in at top speed. Gunner, you know what to do.? Taking a hill at top speed, the crew had to hold on to something as they left the ground. Landing, Sakuya accidently swallowed the gum that she had forgotten about. The Lunarians that were pinned down by heavy fire made sure to not be in the way as the heavy tank flew past them. Before the human forces could concentrate rocket fire on them, the gunner had blown a hole with a high explosive round in the Hesco barriers and the tank came to a stop inside. A beehive round was slammed into the cannon, it had no delay set. As soon as the round left the barrel, it turned into the darts again. Even when one had hit a victim, it still kept on moving forward with little resistance. 50 caliber machine gun fire found the tank, forcing Sakuya to exit through the bottom hatch. Hitting the ground, she turns her G36 to the side and starts firing. The noise created by the cannon and bow mounted machine gun hid her shots. A few of her rounds hit some legs, but it wasn?t enough for her. Spotting a series of trees that happened to be the right angle to deflect her shots towards a fire team that was trying to flank them. Throwing a set of her knives, they hit the tree and bury themselves in the hapless humans. But throwing those knives had the disadvantage of revealing her hiding space. Crawling back, she manages to get herself out from under the tank at the rear. The ground shook as the Tiger (P) fired off another beehive round. An AT-4 rocket hits the left thread near the front, tracking the tank. From behind them, the Lunarians were beginning to pour through the gap. The standard bearer was busy stabbing any human that got close with the metal tip on the bottom of the colors. Rifle rabbits were unloading entire magazines into any human they could find. Even when a wounded human fell, they still kept pumping shots into the dying body. The sheer ferocity of the assault caused some platoons to become broken and flee. Once the firefight had gotten some distance from the tank, the kappas showed up and started to repair the tracked tank. One of the kappas shook her head when she saw the damage. ?You?re lucky that you had such a good base to start with. I bet any other tank would have been a flaming wreck by now.? ?That?s German engineering for you,? Sakuya felt a sense of pride for her tank. ?How?s she looking?? ?You got tracked again. How long has it been since we repaired your treads? If I didn?t know better, I would say that you were a Jagdpanther commander back in your day.? ?I was never late for anything important.? ?Anyway, we can repair the track quickly since it?s not bad. I?m not comfortable with letting you go on with the armor like this. You need to get back to the SDM and let Patchouli and Nitori repair it. Once we can get her moving, head back.? ?I can?t argue with that.? Sakuya could see deep impacts in the armor. Another cannon round would penetrate easily and hit them inside. ?Are there any quick fixes that would give us a better chance of making it back? I rather not brew up today.? ?I can boost the side armor, but a head on shot would more than likely break through. Your front armor looks like a fairy could punch through it.? The kappa gave the tank a quick glance. ?I heard something about the Lunarians capturing a truck with something important inside. It?s too heavy to fly it out, so they?re stuck with driving it. It would make sense if we got you to escort it back to the library.? ?Can?t argue with that logic. Where?s the truck?? ?About a quarter of a mile from here. We tied a small blue flag to the antenna so we can tell who it is. From what we?re hearing, it?s really important that we keep it safe.? A squad of Lunarians were walking by when the kappa grabbed their attention by waving her arms. ?We need you to help us repair this track. Hauptmann, go ahead and tell your crew what I told you and come up with a plan.? Ten minutes later, Sakuya was guiding the Tiger (P) out of the breach and scanning the area through binoculars. About a tenth of a mile from the point, a loud impact could be heard. Quickly coming to a halt, the tank stabilized and the gunner lined up the shot. The opposing M1 Abrams slammed on the brakes just as the round left the barrel. It hits the stabilizer but doesn?t cause damage anywhere else. Both tanks turned to go down the hill, with the truck moving to use the Tiger (P) as cover. The two tanks start to fire at each other on the move, missing due to the rocking and swaying of the tanks. Sakuya braces herself using the walls near her, she can feel the tank leave the ground a few times. The two gunners make the mistake of aiming for the turrets, ensuring that their shots would miss. Keeping an eye on the enemy, Sakuya quickly tires to plot a path that would give them an advantage. The situation was a head to head battle and she had a lightly armored truck that needed to be protected. Her gunner lands a hit in front of the tank, showering rocks and dirt on the Abrams. The return shot doesn?t even hit the ground anywhere the Tiger (P). ?Porsche Tiger,? the Lunarian driver?s voice came over the radio. ?We don?t have anything that can hurt it, so you?re on your own for this.? ?Keep us between you and that Abrams,? Sakuya instructed. ?That 120 mm cannon will tear right through you. Just follow our lead.? She looked down at her driver. ?We?re hitting some level ground soon, keep swerving and get ready to turn to the left. Loader, go as fast as you can.? Once they had gotten on the level land, the shots became faster. The Abrams fired a round that grazed the front side of the tank. The fairy gunner fired a return shot that missed completely. Even inside of the tank, Sakuya could hear the difference between the conventional 120 mm cannon and her own 88 mm. Even with a smaller caliber, it still had a deeper sound due to the added power from the youkai engineering and magic. One solid hit would still finish either of them off. Neither side had bothered to use their machine guns, they were recognized as being useless in this fight. With a clear road coming up, the driver make a sharp turn to the left. The truck took care to keep covered since the Abrams made a sharp turn to the right. When both of them were at close blank range, they fired and missed. Once they passed each other, they began to place more distance between themselves. The gunner rotated the turret to face the rear and fired another shot. It flies within three feet of the turret, but still misses. ?That tank commander knows his art,? Sakuya observed. ?We have to end this before any more of them show up. If I remember right, there?s a ridge somewhere around here. If we bait them, one shot from the front would be good enough. Lunarian, how do you feel about playing bait?? ?As long as we don?t get hit, we?re fine with that.? ?Good. There?s a ridgeline about half a mile from here. Lead them towards it and we?ll finish them off.? ?Alright.? Another round flew past them, close enough for Sakuya to see the distortion of the air around it. ?Driver, get to the ridgeline over there. The truck will lure them to our kill zone, but we need to hurry. Gunner, hold your fire until we?re in position. Loader, make sure we have an armor piercing round ready. We?ll going to have one shot for this.? Separating in the middle of the forest, the truck went to lure the M1 towards the ridge. The assistant driver poked his rifle out of the window and fired at the Abrams, getting their attention. The tank fired a shot, but missed. Another rifle round hit the turret, serving only to annoy the occupants. With the trees covering them, they were somewhat safe from aerial attack. But that didn?t keep them from seeing random bombs and rockets from hitting the area. The human commander started to smell a trap, but didn?t have any other choice but to follow. Their priority was to take out the captured truck, even if it meant that they were taken out by the Tiger (P). One more round flies right above the truck, resulting in the assistant driver firing back again. The two Lunarians could be seen having an argument, probably about who ate the last cinnamon bun at breakfast. The driver kept zigzagging while she waved her fist at her partner. In response, he kept on slamming the roof while pouring rounds at their pursuer. Sakuya had the radio operator change the station when the argument went to some embarrassingly personal matters. The ridgeline came into view in front of Porsche Tiger, along with two German Leopards that were under quick field repair. The driver came to a halt, narrowly dodging an incoming shot. One shot from the 88 tore a hole through the front armor of the more mobile enemy. While another round was getting loaded, the turret was turning to aim at the slowly retreating tank. The Tiger (P) moved forward, not wanting to be a sitting target. The remaining Leopard?s movement was stopped when another 88 mm shell cut right through the armor and the crew. Now with the ridgeline clear, the Tiger moved to angle itself and provide a clear shot. As soon as the tank had stopped rocking, the truck exited the brush, followed by the M1. The humans fire one shot that misses and then see the German built tank aiming right at them. They start to back up slowly, but they know they were done for. The fired round slams head first into the front armor, killing the crew instantly. Sakuya pokes her upper half out of the tank. The surrounding area was quiet, they were safe for the time being. The truck began to work its way to join up with the tank. From what Sakuya had heard, the truck was called a ground mobility vehicle. Whether that affected anything was up to debate though. Now that they were safe, all that they needed to do was to get back to the SDM.

The Dratini Farmer: Lunarian command post, Japan Behind the command post, Yukari was watching the sun as it started to slowly set in the distance. They had only about thirty minutes until they were in darkness. More than likely, the battle would calm down, with only the occasional attack here and there. That would give them the chance to concentrate on taking down the monster walking around. As long as they took it out, the rest of battle would fall into place. A trio of P-51s flew over the command post, reflecting some of the orange sunlight from the setting sun with their chipping paint. The Lunarian artillery was flinging shells downrange at a slower pace that could be sustained for a while. With the story of Eirin crushing the rebelling nobles getting around, the portals from the moon had begun to work again. Now they were getting steady shipments of ammo and personnel. ?It?s a downward spiral, isn?t it?? Yukari recognized Yuyuko?s voice instantly. ?You could say that.? Yukari shrugged her shoulders. ?No matter what I do, it always ends up getting worse. You did tell me to leave this alone, but I didn?t listen.? ?That?s the first time that you ever admitted that you were wrong. I don?t know whether to celebrate or to start worrying.? ?Did you?figure out what?s happening?? ?It took me a while to piece it together. I couldn?t believe how bad this will become if we let it happen.? Yukari watched the Lunarian artillery crews switch out some overheated barrels. ?I really can?t find any path that will bring us to a better outcome. If we win this battle, we start down on the path of conquest. If we lose, we get wiped off the face of the Earth. Even if we make it to Makai, they would still follow us to the end.? ?What about the so-called new Lunarian Empire?? Stiffening, Yukari avoided her gaze. ?I had to make a judgment call. It would be better if the Lunarians handled the administration of any captured territories. They have the personnel that would make it go a lot smoother. And that was just stroking her ego to get her to agree.? ?Sounds more like you meant it. Even with reality breaking down.? ?I have to do what I think is best. This isn?t like any of my other plans or schemes. I can?t afford to make any mistakes that will cost anyone else their life.? ?Dying?s not so bad.? Yukari didn?t know how to respond to that, so she kept silent. Yuyuko could tell that even after almost a millennia, she still carried guilt.  ?It did hurt for a little, but it got better after a while.? ?It wasn?t supposed to happen like that.? ?I know you saw the whole thing. But don?t worry about it now.? Yuyuko tucked some of her hair behind her ear. ?What I really came here to tell you is that the situation outside has deteriorated even more.? ?What do you mean?? ?Numerous riots have broken out all around the world. Some countries have also started to declare martial law and have replaced their police with troops. And signs of snow in desert areas, tornados in urban areas and randomly appearing volcanoes have been rumored to been found. From what little information that the kappas have gathered, several organized crime groups have come out and taken control of some regions. Also, the situation in the Middle East is becoming worse.? ?So the embers of war and chaos are spreading and growing. I didn?t expect the climate to start changing so fast. It should have started after we landed in Australia.? ?You?ll need to move whatever plans you have up. Have you talked to Maribel about what?s going to happen?? ?She?s got too much to worry about now. It would be wrong for me to burden her with this when she has to worry about being in England.? Yukari sighed. ?She?s such a pure and innocent soul, I don?t want her to bear what I have to.? ?She?s going to, eventually. You might not be there to help her.? Yukari didn?t have an answer for that. Near the command post, a moon rabbit had laid out in the prone and was aiming at a target about six miles away. The rifle she had was longer than the normal rifles that the line infantry had, leading to an even higher muzzle velocity. A shot this far out required an intense amount of calculations that involved high math. She ended up placing one shot in a Humvee driver?s neck, causing it to crash into a tree. ?I?ve been doing some thinking lately,? Yuyuko watched a volley of Katyusha rockets fly towards the frontline. ?You know my stance on killing.? ?Are you backing out?? ?In a way.? Yuyuko looked her in the eyes. ?I want you to have whatever forces I have. I?m not comfortable with fighting in this conflict. I think I can do better in other matters.? ?Such as?? ?Maybe?opening an orphanage.? ?That does sound like you. I remember how you looked after Remiu and Marisa when they were younger. They loved when you spent time with them. But where would you open it?? ?I?m not sure. Maybe once we expand, I can decide where it would be best.? Yuyuko replied thoughtfully. ?There?s going to be a lot of lives ruined due to this conflict, the least that I can do is help with the fallout.? ?I?m sure that those children will be happy to have someone like you looking after them. But until then, it would help us if you could help with negotiations.? ?With who?? ?Once this battle is over, Eirin and I will take a regiment and move on Tokyo. We?ll do our best to force them to pull out.? ?Are you going to threaten them with destruction if they refuse?? ?Not unless I have to. I would prefer to just have them agree to stop hostilities and then leave them alone. I don?t want to infringe on their sovereignty unless I have to. If they refuse, maybe Lunarian military law would make them learn.? Before Yuyuko could respond, a tengu piloted P-47 started an attack run with a forward American AH-64. The tengu fired off three unguided rockets that hit the rotor and downed the helicopter. But before it went down, it managed to hit the pilot with three 30 mm rounds. The tengu didn?t bail out before the Thunderbolt plowed into the ground. Yukari gritted her teeth. Another youkai had fallen right in front of her. It seemed that seeing this broken something inside of her. What worried Yuyuko most about this was the fact that Yukari had the ability and willingness to get her revenge at any cost. Without a word and with a farrowed brow, she dialed a number on her phone. ?Marisa, I need you to do something for me.? Yuyuko couldn?t hear the witch?s response ?Can your transfer your Master Spark into a remotely activated spellcard?? Yuyuko?s eyes narrowed once she began to understand. ?We?ll need more than one. Make as many as you can and be sure that they are at full power.? With that she hung up. ?Seeing that P-47 crash like that gave me an idea.? ?Are you going to elaborate on it?? ?Not at the moment.? Yukari hid her smile behind her fan. ?But it?ll be a blast to see.? Another volley of Katyusha rockets flew in the air, leaving a large cloud of smoke to slowly dissipate. The sounds of distant gunfire were overpowered by the constant Lunarian artillery. But none of this reached Yuyuko. The only thing that she was concentrating on what Yukari was doing. It was as if nothing else existed. A slight breeze swept through the area, making the cloth backing of Yuyuko?s cap waver. ?You don?t mean?the MAHEM?? ?A version of it.? Yukari wasn?t surprised that she figured it out so fast. ?If we can harness long range power, then we won?t have to risk so many. Add to that the fact that humans still tell legends of Zeus and Thor, we can force some of them to surrender. Fire from the sky after all.? ?Isn?t that against that space agreement?? ?We didn?t sign it. But by the time that it?s ready, it won?t matter.? The gap youkai laughed. ?After all, good always wins. I started this game, so now I have somewhat of an idea on how to end it.? As soon as the words left her mouth, a loud horn could be heard. The signal was for the Lunarians to switch their troops. Even though all LDC forces were qualified for nocturnal combat, only a few were able to bring their full power to bear. First to switch were the line infantry regiments. When the human forces saw them move back, they thought that they were retreating. But that notion was quickly squashed when the fresh replacements brought their rifles up. The difference between the day and night troops was more evident in the ammunition they used. While the daytime troops used rounds that had more smoke, the nighttime ones were all tracers. To some of the enemy, it looked like lasers. Any that were hit by these rounds had their wounds burned shut painfully. The next to switch out were the artillery. They left the cannons but turned over the individual aiming records so the replacement crews could handle the individual characteristics of the weapons. The shells were also switched to wider spread chemical rounds, some which included quicklime and Lunarian formulas. The flare rounds would also serve to destroy the humans? night vision.     One of the first shells to be fired opened up right above a M1 Abrams. The mixture inside the shell lands on the tank and begins to instantly burn through the armor. It reaches the engine and kills the tank. Before the crew could bail out, they were deep fried. With the darkness creeping in more and more, the danmaku being fired became more and more eye catching. All of the night troops wore shakos instead of the wheel caps of their daytime brethren. The bright red plumes served to mock the human forces since it challenged them. The Italian Bersaglieri took it as a personal challenge and were the first to engage them in hand to hand combat. A lucky Lunarian artillery round hit a retreating Spanish artillery shell truck, creating a massive explosion. In the darkening sky, the explosion looked more like fireworks than a mass of destruction. Yukari smiled a little when she saw it. A little bit of chaos would help conceal her rapidly changing plans. Lunarian Ministry of Justice, Lunar Capital, Dark Side of the Moon In the highest court of the Lunarian civilization, a large scroll was framed on the wall behind the judge?s bench. Only the most serious cases were heard in this room, in front of a royally designated official. The set of laws that Lord Tsukuyomi and Eirin Yagokoro had drafted served as the supreme code of the moon. It was considered by many Lunarians to be superior to anything ever drafted on the earth. This set of laws are to be in effect at all times and will serve as the foundation of Lunarian society. Only in the event of an emergency that threatens the wellbeing of the state can these laws be suspended. All members of the Lunarian state are subject to the rights and responsibilities set forth by this document. Any territories captured or under the administration of the Lunarian Defense Corps are subject to this document and the power of the monarchy by way of their respective regional governors. Title 1 Persons All members of Lunarian society have the right to live their lives without fear from outside intervention. The Royal Family will perform their duties as overall commanders of the LDC in order to maintain state security. Interior security will be administered by the Gendarmerie in towns and cities outside the Capital. The Gendarmerie will be composed of regular infantry units from tested regiments of the LDC. They will answer only to the Royal Family on all matters. In order to maintain public order and to provide all with the chance to advance, admission to the LDC will be open to all. All children born to those with noble titles will be required to serve in any capacity if they wish to hold any position in the court. Those that do not will be barred from any position in the court. This requirement will not be waived for any reason or by any authority, including the Royal Family.     No civilian will be allowed to serve in any of the organizations responsible for public safety. If they wish to do so, they must serve in the LDC. This extends to positions in the judicial ministry. This will serve to ensure that those serving will have the proper experience and judgment to carry out their duties. The normal military law will apply to all in the cases that it is applicable. Any civilian masquerading as a member of the armed forces will be subject to immediate punishment. Conviction in a Lunarian court will result in the forfeiture of all rights. Any particularly heinous crime will result in summarily execution by a Royal Inspector or Royal Officer upon conviction or committing of the crime. In the case of execution right after the crime, the Royal Inspector or Royal Officer must have witnessed the crime personally and submit a full report immediately afterwards. All other convicts may regain their rights after serving honorably in a penal regiment in direct combat. The time to be served will be dependent on the crime and circumstances. Should they fall in battle, they will regain their rights postmortem. In cases with wronging a fellow Lunarian outside of the LDC, trial by combat will be an acceptable method of ruling. Both parties must agree to drops their claims and accept the turnout of the battle. In the interest of fair and impartial rulings, both parties must agree on the weapons, locations, and terms of the trail. Both parties must have a witness of their choosing. In cases involving the monarchy, the Royal Family may designate a Royal Officer to fight in their place. Royal Inspectors will have the right and authority to use any means required to bring justice to the victims of crime. They will be required to exercise sound judgment before they receive their title and authority. Any that overstep their judgment and power will be subject to action based on the Royal Family?s decision. Royal Officers may temporarily halt a Royal Inspector?s actions based on clear and irrefutable evidence. If a conflict of interest occurs, the intervening authority must transfer the case to an uninvolved party. Royal Inspectors will answer to the Royal Family through the chain of command, starting with the Gendarmerie. Royal Officers will be appointed based on their merit and abilities. To be considered, they must hold a commission from the legislative body and have reached the LDC rank of Colonel or above. Upon the granting of a commission from the Royal Family, they will be promoted to Royal Second Lieutenant. They will serve at the behest and pleasure of the Royal Family. All Royal Officers will have overall control of any area they are in, to exclude whenever the Royal Family is present. Only the Royal Family will be responsible for the remediation of a Royal Officer, should the need arise. Any that oppose a Royal Officer in their duties will be subject to the said Officer?s discretion. Royal Researchers will advise and develop new technologies and doctrines that will aid the LDC and Lunarian people. Any member of the LDC that shows high aptitude in a critical field will be eligible to receive a commission from the Royal Family. Royal Researchers will operate outside the conventional chain of command, answering directly to regimental commanders and the Royal Family. In the pursuit of the advancement of science, they will be given priority of funding based on useful and proven results. Royal Researchers will have the option to conduct research in a rear area or on the front lines. However, they will be required to maintain qualification with a suitable weapon at all times. Should a nonmember of the LDC show enough aptitude, a Royal Officer may recommend their commissioning.    Any disrespect shown to the Royal Family will result in summarily execution. This applies to both internal and external parties. Should an outside party show disrespect to the crown, the LDC will be required to move against them to remedy the situation. The only acceptable outcome is for one side to be wiped out or to hand over complete control. Only a member of the Royal Family may overrule a decision of disrespect. Royal Officers may belay execution if they see merit in the occasion. Royal Officers, Royal Inspectors and Royal Researchers are to be free from any form of disrespect. In the case of a Royal Officer feeling slighting by one of lower status or rank, they will be authorized to use up to and including death to immediately remedy the situation. In the case of a Royal Officer being slighted by another Royal Officer, a trail by combat can be used to restore honor to both parties. The same will apply to Royal Inspectors and Royal Researchers. Title 2 Civil Powers Any member of the Lunarian society has the right to better themselves in every way. In no way can a Lunarian be barred from any civilian facility of education due to their class or social standing. LDC facilities will only be open to current members of the LDC. Medical facilities will fall under the jurisdiction of the Royal Medical Board. Inability to pay will not be sufficient grounds to refuse treatment. Any outstanding medical debts can be covered with service rendered to the LDC. Marriages will be a protected institution and will enjoy protection from outside interference. If both parties are in agreement, then it will be allowed. Both parties will enjoy the same rights and responsibilities of the others. They will also be responsible for all debts that the other acquires. Marriages can be annulled once one party wishes for it. Only a Royal Inspector or above can step in when enough evidence is found against letting the marriage continue. Private property will be respected by the government. The Royal Family will only step into matters of economic significance if there is a danger to the wellbeing of the state. Royal Inspectors will conduct random inspections to ensure that working conditions are suitable for Lunarian standards. Any organization that repeatedly defies this ruling will be placed under command of the LDC. Only the Royal Family has the authority to order the minting of currency. Counterfeiting will be punished by death. Interception of Lunarian goods or materials will be grounds for retribution. This will apply for both internal and external matters. Privateering will be punished by the fullest extent of the power invested in the Royal Officer responsible for capture. Attempting to interfere with any official duties will result in immediate retribution, up to and including death. Newspapers and the press will be free from interference, provided that they do not purposely spread misinformation or ill will. Should they be accused of vilifying an upstanding citizen, they will have the option of using trail by combat to solve their differences. Should a newspaper willingly continue to disrespect upstanding citizens, they will be placed under the command of the LDC. The Royal Family is to be free from disrespect or ill will from the press. If a newspaper wishes to challenge the Royal Family on an issue, they may do so by trial by combat. Title 3 Structure All power will be invested in the Royal Family. The creation of a legislative body will be allowed to aid the Royal Family in the discharge of their duties. The judicial ministry will be responsible for administering the laws and decrees set forth by the Royal Family. LDC service will be required prior to the discharge of any of these duties. The Royal Family will be identified by their bloodline. The crown will be passed on the eldest child, regardless of gender. Any other siblings will be granted positions in the LDC in which ever branch they desire, once they complete the prescribe training and examinations. They will have the choice to undergo this path on either the enlisted or commissioned officer path. There will be no restriction on who can marry into the bloodline, as long as both parties agree. The Royal Family will conduct themselves based on the examples outline by Lord Tsukuyomi and Royal Colonel Yagokoro. Noble level persons are allowed to head regiments that can be offered to the Royal Family as troops. Should any noble wish to challenge the Royal Family for the crown, they must have an equal number of regiments and defeat the oldest reigning member in singular combat. Should the noble win, they will have the right to the crown. Otherwise, they have committed treason, punishable by summary execution. The legislative body will be a unicameral chamber that will be composed of representatives from the noble families that provide troops to the Royal Family. To be eligible to participate, the family must provide at least one full strength regiment that adheres to the regulations set forth by the LDC. They will be responsible for performing duties as assigned by the Royal Family or their representative. Under no circumstances will they be allowed to deploy or mobilize troops without the expressed permission of either the Royal Family or a Royal Officer that will accompany them into that area. Otherwise, they will be guilty of moving against the crown and dealt with as needed. The Royal Family will be the only authority to set taxes for the Lunarian people. Any captured territories are subject to their LDC governor?s wishes. Taxes will be paid by all members of the Lunarian society, including the Royal Family. Should any Lunarian have difficulty in paying, they may substitute special service to the monarchy instead. This service may be in the LDC or as a civilian. They will have the option to choose a local assignment to decrease difficultly. Tax evasion will result in the forfeiture of all assets, including those belonging to immediate family. In the event of a state emergency, the Royal Family may dissolve the legislative body, should the need arise. If the Royal Guard must leave the Capital, security of the Capital will be left in the Gendarmerie under a Royal Officer. At no time can the image of instability be allowed to form itself. Seven distinct branches will be created in the LDC. Infantry will be responsible for attacking and holding the enemy in direct combat. The Gendarmerie will fall under the infantry branch. Calvary will be responsible for long range scouting and operations where infantry would be at a disadvantage. Engineering will be responsible for the infrastructure of both the military and civilians. Artillery will be responsible for the long range weapons that rule the battlefield. The Capital Guard will be responsible for the security and order of the capital. Security and order of other towns will be handled by the Gendarmerie. Royal Forces will be responsible for any other situations that arise under direction of the Royal Family. Medical personnel will operate with a commission and license from the Royal Family and a recommendation from a proven hospital. Regional governors will serve at the pleasure of the Royal Family. They will hold the LDC rank of Major or above. Senior sergeants will serve as advisors and be responsible for day to day operations. Regional governors will be held accountable for any problems that may arise from their regions. They will be authorized to use reasonable methods to keep peace. In the event of an uprising, Gendarmerie units will be the first to attempt to restore peace. Should they fail, LDC regiments may be called in with the recommendation of the Royal Family. The Royal Family will be the head of the only administration allowed in Lunarian territory. Any other organizations wishing to project power over Lunarian subjects will be met with the full force of the LDC. Any Lunarian subject that willingly submits to this outside power is guilty of treason and will be dealt with accordingly. Organized crime will be crushed as soon as possible with overwhelming force. The Lunarian court system will be the only judicial judgment system to operate in Lunarian territory. No other forms of arbitration will be recognized or allowed. This overrides any prior existing contracts. Guilds and similar organizations will only be classified as such, under no circumstances will they be afforded the rights and privileges of individuals. Any that are found to be guilty of bribery of a LDC official will have their assets seized and their responsible personnel brought in front of a Royal Inspector. The only party that can override the Royal Family will be Lord Tsukuyomi, should he see it fit. In a crisis that threatens the Lunarian society and even realty itself, Lord Tsukuyomi will have the authority to override this document and use any means necessary to ensure the continued survival of the Lunarian people. Royal Colonel Yagokoro will also be authorized to take command of the entire LDC as Supreme Commander of the Army of the Moon. As soon as the crisis is resolved, they may both step down and return any and all emergency powers to the Royal Family. Any actions taken during that go against common conventions may be pardoned at either Lord Tsukuyomi or Royal Colonel Yagokoro?s discretion. Conclusion The rights and responsibilities outlined above are in effect for all members of Lunarian society. In the interest of state security, captured territories may have their rights suspended by the military governor. The Royal Family will be the cornerstone for all governmental operations. All three titles are essential for the continued stability of the state. There will be no civilian control of state agencies. Due to this, it is the LDC?s most important duty to groom leaders and advisors that will have the interests of the state and the proper judgment to follow them. This document is designed to solidify the basic law of the Lunarian society. Any rights or responsibilities not explicably given to the Royal Family belong to the regional governors in the understanding that they will not interfere with the Royal Family. Signed, Lord Tsukuyomi Royal Colonel Eirin Yagokoro

The Dratini Farmer:  Center of the Lunarian main line, Japan   With the normal line regiments done switching out with their replacements, the battle became even more of a frenzy. Both personnel and armored combat had gotten so close that they were ramming and tackling each other. Several of the oni operated anti-tank guns were firing on exposed infantry. For the oni crews that had their weapons destroyed, they were content with ripping the humans and light vehicles apart with their bare hands. Several of the later human victims were beaten over their heads with the ripped arms of their dead comrades. The advantage of the Gensokyo and Lunarian troops became even more apparent with nightfall.   Remiu was surrounded by a small group of oni lead by Suika and Yuugi. Her lack of night vision was well-known and Yukari had arranged for her to be looked after. To compensate, Remiu was bombarding any enemy troops she could see with Purification needles and Yin Yang orbs. Marisa was casting Stardust Reverie, raining down more destruction than any human artillery round. She concentrated mostly on keeping up the barrage, but still had the foresight to constantly arrange her spell card to make sure that she wasn?t out at a bad time. They were to fight for only a little longer, then Yukari would make them rest at the SDM.   Youmu had been dragged off the frontline after a close hit by an artillery shell had caused a squad she was in close combat with to explode. Reisen had seen her stagger back with a familiar thousand yard stare and grabbed her by the collar. While under fire, the moon rabbit had dragged her back into a trench and stayed with her while under another barrage. She had the foresight to separate the gardener from her weapons.   Two GDF Panzer IVs had flanked a column of M1 Abrams and Leopards and were unloading armor piercing composite rounds into their rears. They managed to knock out five of the seven before the two Panzers brewed up from return fire. Even after that, as soon as the fairy gunners resurrected, they tried to keep shooting. They only stopped when all of their other rounds had exploded and they kept falling unconscious due to the pain. The drivers did manage to ram the last two before they met the same fate.   The bright red glare of Katyusha rockets flew over the main line, casting a red hue all over the field. The troops that remained from the beginning of the battle were beginning to develop a phobia from hearing those rockets. Eventually, the fresh replacements would develop the same fear. The amount of equipment that they were losing was staggering, but what surprised them more was the fact that the Lunarians didn?t even care enough to pick them up. If a rifle or crew serviced weapon got in their way, it got kicked to the side.   A group of moon rabbits flying in a wedge began to bombard concentrated positions with explosive tracer rounds. But since the information of their uniform?s weakness to medium and higher sized rounds had spread, the Lunarians were starting to face more and more 7.62x51 mm rounds and larger. The silver shouldered explosive specialists brought out their incendiary cards, igniting even more fires that darkened the starry night with thick smoke.    One of the two StuG III?s had ran across a platoon of infantry and was chasing them down. The secondary machine gun had run out of rounds, so the alternative was to run them over. It got tracked by a grenade that got wedged between the front right drive wheel and the idler and blew off the track. The tank was saved by a Sherman Firefly landing a high explosive shell near the advancing platoon from the American 10th Mountain Division. Since they couldn?t tell where it came from, they wisely decided to give ground.   Behind the enemy?s main line, the detachment that was under Reisen II and Yorihime had reached the railgun and were engaging the defending forces. Supporting them was a lone Panzer II that was giving the human infantry panic attacks. The fragmentary rounds ripped into the humans, opening the way for the moon rabbits. In the first ten seconds that the Panzer II attacked, it had taken out two platoons and was causing the third to start thinking about retreating. The most dangerous part of the attack started now. If the operators decided to fire, the Lunarians would be hit before they realized it.   To prevent a close shot, Yorihime stabbed her blade into the ground. Multiple blades shot forth from the ground under the trailer that the railgun was on, cutting straight through the axels. Without the support from the axels, the railgun pitched forward just as the operator fired another shot. It hits the ground with so much force that everyone within a five hundred meter area lost their footing.   An explosive specialist hits the barrel with a volley of rockets and leaves it looking like a banana peel. With the cannon barrel damaged to that extend, the railgun was put out of commission. To be sure that the weapon couldn?t be used again, the Lunarians start to fire on every piece of equipment that they could find. Eventually, all that remained were flaming husks. Reisen II was suspicious of how easy it was when an AT4 rocket flew over their heads.   About five hundred meters away, a battalion of American Marine infantry was advancing towards them. The 4th Regiment of Royal Foot had spread themselves out to draw reinforcements away from the main advancing force. Yorihime had heard about the Marine?s reputation as shock troops and knew that the 4th had overextended themselves. The Panzer II was starting to run low on rounds and was starting to retreat back to the main line. A volley of even more AT4 rockets flew towards them and hit in their midst.   A company of the 4th that had broken through the defensive line began to trade fire with the closest Marines. They managed to check that part of the advance, but it was quickly becoming obvious that they would get flanked soon. In the distance, another column of M1 Abrams had climbed over a hill and were spreading out. Their loaders were slamming white phosphorous rounds into the actions of their 120 mm smoothbore cannon.   Before the gunners could fire, Lunarian artillery fell between them and their targets. The drivers instantly threw the tanks into reverse, getting them out of the kill zone. The chemlights that the Marines wore on the back of their assault packs disappeared as they sprinted behind cover. Some of the Lunarians were starting to run low on their own rounds, Reisen II was hoping that the replacements would reach them soon. Almost as if in response, her communications officer shouted out, ?Our regiment?s been ordered back! The 18th Regiment of Night?s supposed to be replacing us.?   ?They do know that we?re busy at the moment, right??   ?They?re already moving towards us. If we can hold out for ten minutes, they?ll relive us.?   ?Princess Yorihime, I don?t think we can last that long.?   The Royal ducked her head when a few rounds hit the ground in front of the crater she was in. ?We might be able to if the rest of the regiment can catch up.?   Reisen II looks at her map. ?Half of the regiment?s picking up speed. As long as they don?t run into anything too bad, we should have support in about two minutes.?   The column of M1 Abrams that had retreated showed back up, readying for a salvo of white phosphorous. Before they could fire, a long range shot from the other Firefly slammed into the centermost tank. Even though it was a direct hit, the HE round did little damage. But it still did what the gunner wanted. The rest of the tanks readjusted their aim, wanting to swat the Firefly out of existence.   The fairy driver slammed the gear shift and lurched forward, narrowly dodging the incoming rounds. White smoke began to spread from the impacts, along with a fire that was resistant to water. One more flying wedge flew over the 4th, providing them with much needed support. One platoon from the Heavy Rifles had followed the 4th in and had finished setting up. Now, they were pouring fire down at any human they could see. But their barrels were showing signs of overheating.   The Marines that had reached grenade throwing distance wasted no time in tossing the small explosives. Some of the moon rabbits kicked and threw them back, turning it into a game of catch. In the confusion, some of the Lunarian squads rushed forward with their bayonets. Yorihime wasn?t too far behind, ripping into three of the humans with her first strike. Not wanting to be left behind, Reisen II orders a complete charge.   Gunshots rang out from the distance, letting the battered Lunarians know that they had more support. More of the 4th had finally gotten into firing range and were still advancing. Another flare flew up to the air, hurting everyone?s eyes with the intensity. With the flare showing the location of where support was needed, more flying wedges arrived to launch strafing runs. As the fight dragged on, the rest of the 4th arrived and were pushing the Marines back. By the time the 18th had shown up, the 4th had pushed the Marine battalion back.   But the 18th wasn?t alone. They had brought a pair of 75 mm Pak 40s with their oni crews. The high velocity rounds created their trademark whistle as they flew towards the tanks. One was knocked out before the rest fired back. With their infantry support failing, the tanks were unable to effectively fight back against the 18th?s charge. The mounted machine guns were destroyed by the advancing Lunarians to make it easier for them. Some of the moon rabbits had switched to axes and were trying to break into the interiors.   The Pak 40s turned their attention towards another Marine battalion coming to support the first one. Scattered artillery hit the area again, taking down Lunarian and human alike. With the area heating up again, there was no chance that the 4th could fall back now. Another lone M1 Abrams tried to join the party, only to be rendered combat ineffective by a low flying P-47. But the P-47 didn?t make it out since it had the misfortune to get hit in the cockpit by a random AT4.   At that exact moment, artillery units from both sides just happened to decide to start shelling the same exact place this was all taking place with more vigor. Reisen II was about to crawl under a disabled tank when Yorihime grabbed her by the collar and dragged her along. A few feet away, an artillery shell hits and knocks them down. Neither of them were injured but they instantly became sluggish and had ringing in their ears.   Reisen II looks up while dragging herself to her feet. Everything had slowed down and now she was able to see what was really happening. One of her senior sergeants had his rifle destroyed, so he detached his bayonet and was stabbing a Marine Lance Corporal multiple times in the face. Another grabbed and threw a lower enlisted moon rabbit out of the path of a burning Bradley but wasn?t able to get herself out in time. A junior officer took fourteen 7.62 NATO rounds to the chest but still took five Marines with him as he slowly fell to the ground.                                                                                                                                       More and more fires started to spread through the area, claiming the various wrecks everywhere. It wreaked havoc with what remained of the humans? night vision. Before they could try to respond, a hail of magical stars tore straight through a company. Everyone?s favorite evil spirit had joined the fight in this area and was bringing out her best spells. This time, Mima added a randomizing charm to the stars. Victims had the chance to be burned, electrocuted, poisoned, stabbed, or crushed with each star that hit them.   The ammo wheelbarrow was hit by an HE round, resulting in a large explosion that severely burned the oni gun crews. The explosion reached part of the Heavy Rifles, taking down a few of them. Most of the officers had ran out of ammo, leaving them to fight with their sabers and fists. Lunarian medical personnel were being pushed to the limit with all the casualties around them.   A supporting T-34 tried to ride up on the human flank, only to be greeted by a trio of rockets that hit the ammo rack. The unfortunate Soviet tank brewed up with so much force that the fairy crew was knocked out each time they resurrected. The husk only came to a stop when they rolled into a crater. Reisen?s communication officer threw an updated map at her. She opened it and paled when she saw the arrangement of red and blue squares.   ?Princess, we?re about be get cut off,? Reisen shot a private that was trying to sneak up on her. ?Two American Marine divisions are about to hit our flanks and surround us! If we let them do that, we?re finished!?   ?Lunarians don?t let the enemy see their back, Reisen!? Yorihime shouted. ?Hold our ground and wait for support. They?ll get here!?   ?We have a battalion of armor heading towards us. And it looks like they sending in their reserves.?   ?Get our engineers to build some fortifications. We can?t survive if we?re out in the open.?   ?Engineers, you heard her! Get to work!? Reisen flinched when a bullet flew by her ear. The surviving engineers began to build quick trenches that improved the 4th and 18th?s chances of staying alive. More human forces started to show up, adding to the pressure. Another P-47 had its pilot knocked out and crashed landed in the middle of the fight.   The way the plane had done a belly landing gave Reisen an idea. She grabbed a squad next to her and ran to it. The tengu pilot was already dead, so two of the moon rabbits moved her out of the cockpit and laid her behind a small hill nearby. The pilot had used up the rockets and bombs, leaving only the eight machine guns with an unknown amount of rounds left. They were lucky that the wings hadn?t been ripped off in the landing.   Reisen hopped in and checked the trigger. It looked like it was undamaged, but that wasn?t saying much coming from someone that?s never been in a Thunderbolt before.   ?Rotate me to the left a little bit and tip me up,? Reisen ordered. Half the squad pushed while the other pulled. Once they were where she wanted, she pulled the trigger. The eight .50 caliber machine guns roared to life, tearing through a bounding over watch squad heading towards them. The tracers showed an excessive amount of rounds were bouncing, but they did manage to find more targets even after that. ?Start turning it a little more, but do it slowly!?   Once the humans figured out where the rain of fire was coming from, the P-47 became an even bigger target. The first part to go were the bent propeller blades, then the windshield started to break even more. One of the eight machine guns jams from being fired too much, prompting Reisen to change to bursts.   ?Tilt me up more!? Reisen engages the landing gear, letting her reach farther targets. With the wings a little tilted, it gave the squad a little cover. ?Rotate to the right slowly! There?s a platoon heading towards us!?   The stream of bullets cut through the platoon, forcing a supporting squad to fall back. She could hear the screams from the wounded as she kept on holding the trigger down. But the only one she could really make out was one screaming about his leg. For some reason, she imagined him as having been named Fred.   ?4th Regiment of Royal Foot, we haven?t forgotten about you.? The radio in the cockpit was still working. ?Hold off for about five minutes more. Lady Yakumo has just landed a large group of Tigers, Tiger IIs, Panzer IIIs, Jagdtigers, Jagdpanthers, Ferdinands, and Panthers. They?re on their way to you now. Just hold on.?   The left wing had taken enough damage to be unable to support itself, reducing her firepower to a little under half. The rate of artillery exploding all around picked up, it got to the point to where the only thing most could see was dirt flying. A rocket hits the ground in front of the plane, knocking the other wing off. Since the P-47 was done for, Reisen scrambled out of the cockpit as bullets deflected off the windshield.   She almost lost her footing as the ground started to shake. Trenches were formed to supplement the ones being dug by the engineers. The radio spoke again, ?Some of the SDM magicians have sent a series of trenches to your location. We?ve also received reports of even more enemy units heading towards you. You?ve picked a great time to create a bulge in their line.?   ?Maybe I should have kept on pounding mochi,? Reisen mutters to herself as she rolled into a trench. Princess Yorihime hopped in next to her, she was breathing heavily and had a few bruises and cuts.   ?Don?t be like that, Reisen,? she wipes some blood from her mouth. ?I haven?t had this much fun in a long time. I wonder how Sis is holding up.?   ?As soon as that support comes, we can go find out.?   ?They?re here!? One of the rifle rabbits shouted. True enough, a legit Panzerkeil was heading towards them. Twenty late World War II era German tanks had loaded HE rounds and fired them into the middle of the enemy infantry. The loaders worked quickly to have another round ready. Rockets deflected off of their front armor, doing nothing to slow them down.   Behind the wedge, another regiment was marching in formation. This regiment was the 73rd Regiment of Night, and was spoiling for a fight. Their commander released them and flew over to Reisen and Yorihime. He looked them from head to toe, noting their condition. He hands them some rags to wipe themselves off.   ?Sorry we?re late. We?re here to relive you.?   ?About time.? Yorihime said. ?Are you prepared for this??   ?I?m confident that we can push them back. Both of you look like you?ve taken a good amount of abuse.?   ?Be warned, Colonel.? Yorihime waved at the craters in front of them. ?The humans have finally started to bring their best to the table. Two regiments might have problems with all the forces looking to plug this gap. Come, Reisen. We need to get the 4th to the rear.?   Behind the Lunarian main line, Japan   A platoon of the 1st Regiment of Royal Foot were filling up on ammo and other equipment. They had been grabbed by Eirin before the rest had exited the field. All that, she told them was that they were needed for a hunt that was vital for their side. Naturally, the rumor mill kicked into high gear and was creating every kind of rumor known to moon rabbit. But what sobered many of them was that Eirin had got them herself. Usually they would have heard about it from their platoon commander, not the regimental commander that happened to hold a royal commission.   Once they were ready, the platoon sat down and waited for their new commander. Even the officers from the richer families had held their tongue. They knew that Eirin didn?t suffer fools lightly. The story of how she had sent a tenured two star packing and on his way in less than ten minutes played in their minds. His family had been angry until she paid them a visit and half of their mansion mysteriously burned down during a fight.   The Colonel walks out from behind the riot shields that were protecting the impromptu command post while tossing a box of rations at one of the senior sergeants. He catches it and looks inside, only to have a look of disgust appear on his face. He waves his fist at Eirin, only to have her wave him off with a grin. Another sergeant started to laugh at the first, only to have a cup of coffee thrown on him.   A few seconds after that, Sakuya exits the command post as well. She takes a bite out of a large cracker and puts the rest back into her pocket. A junior officer raises a new canteen towards her, which she gratefully accepts. Her gloves are covered with oil, grease, and gunpowder, showing everyone that she had gotten hands on with her tank. The Tiger (P) was back at the SDM, undergoing repair and her crew had been ordered to sleep in preparation for tomorrow.   Eirin walks to be in front of the seated platoon and takes her service cap off. She runs her hand through her hair and sighs. ?I?m sure that most of you have some sort of an idea of why I called you here. This is an important matter, but the Special Developmental Group isn?t available to deal with it. They?re on their way to recapture the colors from the 195th. Hauptmann Izayoi and I will be leading this operation.?   She throws a scroll on the ground, activating the projecting feature of the paper. What could only be described as a beast was made visible to all.   ?This is called a rake. We have very limited information due to the fact that it shouldn?t exist.? Eirin paused to let that fact sink in. ?According to the information that we do have, it is a very aggressive and dangerous beast. Our mission is to eliminate it before it can escape the area. Any that wish to back out now can do so.?   To the credit of her old regiment, none did so. Even though were nervous, they kept their mouths shut.   ?Good. We have a rough description: about 6 feet tall when standing, looks vaguely humanoid, pale, grayish skin, no nose and large eyes. It is a confirmed carnivore, and according to Lady Yakumo, has begun to attack any moving thing it sees. It has taken down an entire company of enemy infantry and eaten half of them before it escaped. American military intelligence has locked down the scene and are keeping a tight lid on it. But rumors and speculation have spread and the entire force is now in a state of unrest. I wouldn?t doubt that they would have one hundred percent security all night and no one gets a lick of sleep.?   ?Colonel,? a young lieutenant raised his hand. ?If this beast has killed just human forces, why are we going to hunt it down??   ?It might develop an appetite for Lunarian flesh if we leave it alone. There is also another reason, but that is only for Hauptmann Izayoi, myself, the princesses, and Lady Yakumo to know at this time. Perhaps even Lord Tsukuyomi might have to step in.?   At the mention of the founder of the Lunarian civilization, nervous murmurs could be heard. Even though the 1st were the closest to the Royal Family as a whole, they still never met Lord Tsukuyomi. The last time he had taken direct command of a regiment, it was during the worst civil war that the moon had seen. About half of the population had been wiped out and something had to be done. It was the only time so far in the history of the Lunarians that the preservation clause had been put into effect.   ?So far, we have no data on its weaknesses. What we are planning is to destroy it with everything we have. There will be no capturing or trying to reason with it. If you see it, you shoot at it. We?ll chase it to the end of time if we have to. I cannot guarantee that we will get out of this unharmed. If what Lady Yakumo had told us is right, there is a high risk of danger for everyone involved. Since that is the case, I will be leading you in this operation myself. ?   She threw another scroll down. This one showed an updated view of the entire battlefield.   ?The first attack took place in a rear staging area. It was close to a command post, so the staff are easily on edge. The area is now under extremely heavy security, so I doubt the monster?s still there. So far, we haven?t received word of another attack but-?, she was interrupted by another shaded area popping up beside a separate command post. ?Called it. This one seems to be in the British area.?   Eirin frowned when the expected text didn?t show up. ?Operations, where?s the text??  ?That?s all we know right now, Colonel,? a moon rabbit poked her head out from the command post. ?It?s an attack, but we haven?t gotten any more information. The scouts were taken down as soon as it started.?   ?Hmmm,? Eirin tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear. ?I don?t like this at all. It was the British that got to Tenshi on her home turf. There should be no way that they know about the scouts. They?re hiding something, and I don?t like it.?   ?Colonel, could it have been the beast that took it out?? Another young moon rabbit spoke up.   ?That seems to be the more likely explanation. But Lady Yakumo assured me that her scouts were well hidden. Operations, what do you mean they were taken out as soon as the attack started??   ?It had taken down one of the humans and then we stopped getting information. The weird thing is that the beast wasn?t anywhere close to them and all of the scouts were taken out at nearly the same time.?   ?A synchronized attack that found and took out her scouts.? Eirin shook her head. ?The British know something after all. I hate being wrong. Anyway, we?ll be moving out in a few minutes. Our first objective is to reach the site of this new attack before it gets locked down. Once we get there, look for anything that can give us any idea of how to kill it. If we run into any intelligence units, wipe them out and see if they have anything on them. I doubt there?ll be any survivors there, so we won?t worry about it. At least, for now. I assume you are all loaded with armored piercing rounds.?   The platoon nodded. Eirin inspected her own rounds. She had an equal number of armor piercing, incendiary, and fragmenting rounds for her sidearm. Her gut feeling, however, told her that her saber would most likely be what kills it.   ?Once we find the beast, fire a flare and try to restrict its movement. All we have are our weapons for this, the GDF won?t be able to support us with their armor or artillery. Avoid close combat at all costs, if what I?ve heard is true, you?ll get ripped apart in seconds. If we don?t find anything, we?ll turn back. Any questions??   A moon rabbit raises her hand, ?Colonel, what if we meet enemy forces on the way? Do we engage??   ?Depends on the size and makeup of the enemy. It also depends on how time we have left, this is a time critical operation.?   ?Colonel, what?s the lowest percentage for continuation?? One of the young officers asks.   ?We require at least seventy five percent of our force to continue. I would like to have at least ninety percent left when we make initial contact. Any more questions??   Everyone shook their heads and began to stand up. Eirin loads her sidearm and draws her saber. The platoon loads their weapons and attaches cleaned and sharpened bayonets. The junior officers draw their sabers and follow Eirin. To save time, they fly towards the objective while staying extremely close to the ground. To their sides, they can see the night regiments pushing forward against artillery. They kept flying until they passed a weaken part of the enemy line and continued on while working to keep themselves unnoticed.   "You know, there is someone that could kill it with one glance,? Sakuya was flying next to Eirin.   ?If you?re talking about Flandre, Yukari doesn?t want her using her power unless she has to.? Eirin sighed. ?It would be a lot easier, but I?ve got a feeling that doing that would make it worse in the long run.?   ?That?s preferable.? Sakuya felt a sense of relief that her younger charge wouldn?t have to deal with something like this. ?But won?t things like this spread? Yukari made it sound like it was only the beginning.?   ?I?m sure that we?ll get paired up again. I don?t mind it, I have to provide an example for my troops after all.? Eirin shrugged. ?I heard about how you repelled an attack with one of our companies.?   ?I hope I didn?t overstep my bounds.?   ?Quite the opposite, I was impressed. Lunarians don?t tend to follow commanders that they don?t trust. Should the need arise, would you be open to leading another Lunarian formation??   ?I would, but I don?t want to make any of the commanders feel that I?m taking their job.?   Eirin smiled. ?Don?t worry about that. I?ll make them see the light. Let me ask you one thing, do you know what one of a Royal Officer?s duties are??   ?To serve as commanders of the Royal Regiments??    ?That?s one, but an even more important one is deciding who sits on the throne.? Sakuya tilted her head in confusion. ?The human equivalent would be the Praetorian Guard of the Roman Empire. Should a monarch not live up to the expectations of the Royal Officers, we could make them go away. It?s always been the unofficial duty of the Royal Officers to make sure that only the best candidate sits on the throne.?   ?Is it as bloody and treacherous as the human version??   ?Not when my former students were involved.? Eirin frowned as she thought about her answer. ?It seems that the monarchs that I served as tutor for tend to fare better than the others. None of them have had problems with keeping the Royal Officers from drawing their blades. It might have something to do with the fact that I would take exception if they tried. Especially if Toyohime and Yorihime were concerned.?   Once they reached the outskirts of the objective, they touched down. The platoon separated into several groups that began to spread out. They had their rifles up, alert for any signs of movement. The young officers were visibly nervous, with death grips on their sabers. Eirin frowned as she heard nothing except the distant sounds of battle. The map indicated that they were near a staging area. There should have been signs of machinery and vehicles, but all they met was relative silence.   They move slowly, keeping an ear out for any sounds. Behind a group of trees, a damaged Humvee could be seen with a broken windshield. Eirin moves to inspect it and can see claw marks all over the vehicle. Fresh blood stains could be seen all over the seats and the steering wheel, along with bullet casings. She moves to the rear of the vehicle, finding two bodies with deep slash marks through their body armor. The doctor lays two fingers against the side of their neck, checking for a pulse.   Standing back up, she can see more vehicles in disarray. More bodies were in various states of mutilation. Eirin started to feel a sort of pressure on her temples. She hadn?t felt something like that since she had seen a rip in reality during one of the Lunarian civil wars. Gripping her saber even more, she looks over the bodies closely. One of them moves slightly, causing her to jump a little.   She plants her saber and takes a knee next to the dying soldier. Taking a pack out of her pocket, she places one of her bandages against one of the larger wounds. But to her confusion, it doesn?t stick. The soldier groans when he feels the pressure from her bandage. Eirin grits her teeth when she realizes that she can?t save him.   ?Soldier,? the doctor tries to reassure him. ?You?re going to be alright. What happened here??   ?Uh?it popped out of?nowhere. It cut right through?the armor,? He started to cough up blood. ?It took?out the commander?s?heart and ate it. I shot it?and it still kept on attacking. What was?that thing??   ?It?s called a rake. Don?t worry, we?ll here to kill it.?   ?But?we?re fighting against you?why are??   ?Because it?s not the lower ranks? fault that this war happened. There is a puppet master pulling strings and sending all of us to the battlefield. For that, we hold no ill will towards you. Don?t worry yourself, you?ll be alright with a night?s rest. Take it easy and go to sleep.? Eirin stayed with him until he stopped breathing a few moments later. She stood back up and pulled her saber out of the ground. Without a word, she motions for the Lunarians to follow. Sakuya averts her gaze as she walks by the bodies.   The question of why there were American troops in supposedly British area was placed on the backburner for now. As long as they didn?t run into a Scottish regiment, they didn?t have that much to worry about. Eirin pulls her bow and holds an arrow at the ready. She kept sweeping her eyes around the area as she quietly moved forward. Sakuya had her Karabiner 98k at the low ready, she was worried about having the power needed to kill the rake.   A chilling roar called out to the night sky, raising hairs on everyone?s necks. Eirin switches to her flare gun and fires a shot. The bright green light illuminates the area, causing the trees and damaged vehicles to cast long shadows. The doctor picks up her bow and arrow, pulls the arrow back and releases. The arrow flies about thirty feet before it splits off into pieces. The pieces glow with a faint blue light and disappear into a bush.   Before anyone could respond, the rake had jumped out and bit a junior officer in the throat. He couldn?t scream before the beast had dragged him into another bush. The rest of the Lunarians open fire, but nothing was there. They start to look around, listening for any sounds. The body of the dead officer flies out from behind a tree and slams into a squad. From the other side of the clearing, the rake charges out and cuts down two moon rabbits.   ?Form a square and hold your ground!? Eirin shouted out. ?Try to concentrate your fire on the beast!?   Sakuya lands a round that rolls the beast, but it keeps moving. Eirin switches to her sidearm and lights an arm on fire. The rake doesn?t even notice, but the fire serves to give the square a way to aim. More and more rounds hit it, but several of them deflect off. Even the heavier rounds from the designated breakers bounced off. The fact that it reminded Sakuya of armor plating gave her an idea. She grabs a round that Patchouli had made for her and loads it into her rifle. This round had the property of weakening any protective material with one hit at the cost of not being able to inflict death. Sakuya?s about to pull the trigger when the rake jumps into the middle of the square and kills the rest of the junior officers. The innermost rank of moon rabbits turns around and pins the monster to the ground with their rifles. They light it up with their entire load of rounds, hoping to take it down now.   The rounds inflict a good amount of damage, but the rake wasn?t about to give up. It breaks some of the rifles in half and rips out the throats of some of the moon rabbits. One of the survivors tackles it, only to be greeted with a claw across her face. With the number of Lunarians down to twelve out of thirty, the rest were starting to waver. They had never fought an enemy that could move and kill so fast and easy. Only about a quarter of their rounds had gotten through the tough skin and done damage. With only one shot, Sakuya had to hit it on the first go. Knowing full well that doing so was suicide, a moon rabbit stabs the rake and pins it down. Taking the chance, Sakuya lands the round and can tell that it took effect. The rake instantly begins to go into a frenzy, tearing the moon rabbit apart and going for the rest.   Ten more had fallen before Eirin and Sakuya landed another hit. The remaining moon rabbit kept firing rounds at it, but couldn?t land another hit. With the fall of the last moon rabbit, only Eirin and Sakuya were left. The rake jumps towards Eirin, only to have Sakuya land a knee and send it rolling. The doctor fires off a quick arrow that hits its right arm. Falling down, it bites and pulls the arrow out before biting through it. Sakuya doesn?t give it much time to recover as she jumps in front of it and attacks with her knife. The pair trade blows while Eirin circles around for a clear shot. It tries to overpower Sakuya?s defense, but seems weaker. Trying to intimidate her, it rises to its full height at about 6 feet tall.   Seeing the opening she needs, Eirin fires another arrow that hits the lower left part of the chest. It instantly doubles down while jumping back and throwing a punch to buy time. Eirin notices that the wound from the arrow strike earlier was healing at an extreme rate. Sakuya notices it as well and presses on the attack. The rake jumps straight up, using the flare to hide itself. Half a second before it would had rammed into Sakuya, she manages to lock her knife with its claws.   The rake jumps up and rams its feet into Sakuya, sending her backwards. She flips back on her feet only to lock again with an incoming attack. It head butts her, causing her to lose more ground. Her grip on her knife is weakened, letting it get swatted out of her hand. Before the monster could take advantage of that, Eirin had closed the distance and driven her elbow into its throat.   It staggers back, coughing as it struggled for air. Eirin draws an arrow and steps forward. She stabs it in the chest and quickly draws her saber for another strike. Sakuya lands a kick from the side, knocking it off balance. It responds by failing and knocks her to the ground. The doctor launches a strike, only to have it parried away. Using the momentum from the parry, she spins and lands a kick of her own.   Out of nowhere, a large cannon round flies close by. The rake drops to a crouch and snarls at them, trying to figure out what happened. Eirin?s communicator charm lights up faintly as she receives a message.   ?Colonel, there?s a platoon from the 15th Night nearby. They?ve gotten eyes on that thing and have a wall puncher ready to go.?   Eirin shot another arrow that hit the rake in the leg. ?This thing is too fast for a cannon to hit. It?s already taken out my support and its holding its own against Hauptmann Izayoi and myself. If you do want to take it down, you have to do it in one shot. It has shown to have a very high rate of regeneration.?   ?Colonel, it?ll be difficult to land a shot. If you can slow it down, we?ll have a better chance.?   ?Don?t you think we?re trying to do that?? Eirin couldn?t help but let a little sarcasm drip into her voice. ?Damn, I just thought of something. Wait for my signal.?   She chastises herself for not thinking about it soon. The fact that she had let an entire platoon fall while under her command added to that weight. Infusing one of her arrow with her ?Galaxy in a Pot? spell card, the doctor draws back the string. She has to be careful to make sure that Sakuya wouldn?t be caught in the trap. Eirin releases the arrow and hopes that she choose the right time.

The Dratini Farmer:  Lunarian Main Line, Japan   ?Ready up!? Nazrin?s loader shouted as she slammed a round into the breech of the Maus? cannon. Both the 128 and 75 mm cannons were loaded and ready to go. All over the super heavy tank, members of Eirin?s personal unit were seating and enjoying the slow ride to their objective. Nazrin had her upper half out of the turret and was conferring with the temporary group leader. Behind them, a column of Panzer IVs, Panzer VIs, StuG IIs and a lone Sherman Firefly were moving along with infantry sitting on top of them.   The LDC and GDF personnel were mingling in together, trading packs of food and candy. A high ranking officer from the human military would have a heart attack if they saw this scene. The amount of Risk Assessments and Safety Briefings being disregarded with this action would have senior officers foaming at the mouth. If the moon rabbits had worn at least three reflective belts and had ground guides, then it would be different and everyone would be happy.   Shou was humming a tuneless song as she shifted gears. She had finally gotten the hang of a manual transmission and was having a bit of fun with it. As long as the gear shift didn?t detach, there was no chance of her losing anything.   ?So far, the 56th Night?s cleared a lane for us.? The Lunarian physicist that had been appointed as the group leader in Eirin?s absence pointed at a line on the map. ?They?re pushing forward to give us more room, so we have to hurry.?   ?What have they pushed back?? Nazrin?s ears wiggled as she thought. ?I would hate to run into surprises.?   ?It looks like just infantry and mechanized infantry. I doubt they have anything that would pose a threat to your armor.?   ?Then what?s that over there?? Nazrin pointed at an American and British pair of companies that were set up. ?Go ahead and have your troops hop off. Stay behind us and we?ll take care of the rest.?   The infantry jumped off with a fair amount of fake complaining. All of the tanks in the column closed their hatches and started to spread out. The Panzer IVs were faster in getting in their spots and opened up with their machine guns. High explosive rounds also started to cut through the dug in enemy. The crew service weapons make prime targets for the cannons while the scattering foot soldiers are cut down as they tried to move to cover farther away. One of them had an AT4 rocket that succeeded in bouncing off of the Maus? front armor.   Once everything goes quiet, the Lunarians move forward and confirm that they?re all dead. They checked the unit patches to make sure that they hadn?t already jumped the target. After they?re done, they hopped back on the tanks and kept on their trip.   ?Have they told you the biggest drawback of the Maus?? Nazrin asked the group leader.   ?Isn?t it a big target??   ?That makes it easier for air units to hit it. Just like a hawk?s always on the lookout for field mice, airplanes are on the hunt for a Maus. So far, the tengu have managed to clear the sky enough for us to poke our heads out of the hole. But I?m more worried about those planes that fly by themselves.?   ?Don?t worry too much about them. We have a lot of fun shooting those things down. It wouldn?t do for us to skip target practice. Anyway, how far are we from the point??   ?We should be coming up to it in a few minutes. From what I?m getting from this map, they?re on the move and are separated from any support. Once we get close enough, we?ll be set.? Nazrin petted the field mouse that climbed on her shoulder. For some reason, the pair had a craving for some cheese or peanut butter. Almost on cue, the gunner threw up a pouch of peanut butter.   The Lunarian sitting next to the hatch pulled out a pack of crackers and helped her spread some on them. Feeling philosophic, the Lunarian calls out to their resident thinker, Eirin?s senior enlisted advisor.   ?Hey, top. What do you think about this here war??   ?You sure you want to do this, doc?? The battle worn Lunarian smiled slightly. ?Alright, here?s my thoughts on it. I don?t mind ripping some poor grunt?s throat out, but would that really change the overall situation? I mean that there are three criteria for a just war: someone has to be threaten the normal balance, that the war has to have a clear directive, and it should only last as long as needed. I can?t tell you how many times I?ve had this discussion while shooting a traitor to the crown in the face. But would shooting enough people in the face really change things or would it lead to more? If you look at it from the nobility?s point of view, they like pointless wars. They don?t have to be out here in the thick of it, they just send their troops and claim the credit for their work. I know the Constitution says that they have to serve, but it doesn?t say that they have to fight. If they saw the elephant, I?m sure they wouldn?t have their heads stuck up their asses.?   ?I?ve always thought that you Lunarians had a paradise up there,? Nazrin says as she hands him another peanut butter cracker and then hands some to her crew.   ?A paradise?? He laughs, along with every other Lunarian in earshot. ?We?ve had more wars than this planet will ever see. The way our government is set up is always asking for a civil war. Especially with the trouble that popped up when Colonel Yagokoro left. Every few years, some battle tested noble wants to take the crown for themselves and moves against the Royal Family. Most of the time, the Royal Regiments are enough, and sometimes the Royal Guards have to do something. If we get called in, something?s going down. We might look like a paradise, but there?s a large military machine keeping the unsteady piece. The majority of the people love the Royal Family, but you always have that one.?   ?So, how big is Colonel Yagokoro over there?? Nazrin felt a little behind asking something she felt was so simple.   ?Well, where do I start?? Top ate another cracker. ?She?s one of the founders of our civilization, the most decorated person in the LDC, she?s served as the personal tutor for most of the Royal Family, she?s punched Death in its face and threw him out of her lab, she?s shown disregard for the natural laws of nature and medicine by bending them to her will, and she won?t shy away from a fight. To many of us Lunarians and moon rabbits, she?s a hero that we would follow into hell and anywhere else. She?s spent many of her early years traveling around the moon to stomp out every disease we could think of. The people love her. It wouldn?t be an understatement to say that she holds more power than the Royal Family. I?m sure our political master would agree.? A Lunarian carrying a hunting rifle behind them nodded.   ?So, she could be the leader of an entire civilization and ends up being happy making medicine in the Bamboo Forest.? The mouse youkai couldn?t understand it.   ?Once you seen some of the things she?s seen, you would want the same thing.? The temporary leader jumped in. ?I was at the court once, and I?ll say one thing: never again. It was the most toxic environment I?ve ever had the misfortune to be in. I was a hair away from choking some teenage noble, if I didn?t get dragged away. But I still got that fool back later that night. I heard they?re still finding teeth across the town they found him knocked out in.?   ?His father did try to get you canned,? the Lunarian called Top said. ?He might still be to this day.?   ?Let him try. He might fall down the stairs in a mysterious accident and land on a bullet.?   The pair kept on going back and forth while Nazrin nibbled on her cracker. This continued on for about fifteen minutes until sporadic pings could be heard from the lead tank. Recognizing the sounds as deflecting small arms fire, the lead tank opens up with its machine guns.   Stuffing one last peanut butter cracker into his mouth, the Lunarian motions for the rest of jump off of the tanks. Nazrin drops down into the Maus and closes her hatch, just in time to hear the number of pings increase. Unbeknownst to the Lunarian, she had grabbed the crackers before she dropped down. Then one loud ping shook the tank a little, making Nazrin frown.   She looks through her viewport and sees a trio of M1 Abrams that were expertly hidden right in front of them. In response, Nazrin has the driver angle the tank and gives the gunner the liberty of free fire. First, the gunner tracks the leading opponent with the coaxial 75 mm and then lands the main round through the turret. The Firefly blows the cannon of another and a StuG tracks the last one.   Something waving captures Nazrin?s attention. Paying attention, she makes out the faint shape of a flag being carried away. She wasn?t the only one to see it, the Lunarians had saw it and were advancing. Instead of forming up in line infantry formation as normal units, the Lunarians instead rushed the ISA operators en masse. The main difference between the two groups were the makeup of the weaponry used. The Special Developmental Group had no issued weapons, they all fought using their personal weapons. This gave them an advantage in that they were more comfortable and unpredictable. Several Lunarians were dual wielding sidearms while some were using custom built rifles that were more suited for hunting game. Many of the older members were content with using their sabers to cut the humans apart.   Five JSGDF Type 10s and three Type 90s had rolled up in the confusion and were unloading rounds at the Maus. Two Panzer IVs advance forward, trying to rush one of the Type 90s. The targeted MBT shifts into reverse, outrunning the two old school tanks. Nazrin?s radio came alive with some of the fairies? complaining that they were only slow because they had overeaten on candy. One shot from the 128 mm cannon tracks two of the Type 90s and damages the horizontal drive on the turret of a Type 10.   One of the Panzer IVs gets tracked, resulting in three of the idle wheels being destroyed. It slides to a halt, barely missing another round. Before a Type 90 could finish off the German tank, the Maus had slammed a round through its barrel. The Maus rams the nearest Type 10 and knocks its next shot off target. But this resulted in the enemy tank getting under the barrel. This was solved by a StuG ramming a round through the smaller tank?s engine.   On the ground, the Gray Foxes were trying to flank the advancing Lunarians. But the moon people weren?t having any of it. They kept on trying to engage them in close combat, negating the heavy firepower that the humans were bringing up. Grenades were flying in every direction, some of the Lunarians were swinging their rifles like bats to send them back. One Lunarian shoved his sidearm into a sergeant?s mouth and kept on pulling the trigger.   ?Third squad,? one of the senior members shouted. ?Form up on a firing line! Load armor piercing fragmenting rounds! Fire until they don?t move anymore!?   A squad of five positioned themselves in a line and opened fire. Without having to speak, they concentrated their fire on the leading personnel of the Gray Foxes, trying to throw them into disarray. But that didn?t matter since the human trying to escape with the captured Regimental Colors was impaled and knocked to the side. The moon rabbit that did this lifts them into the air and waves them in triumph. Even though there were crates with captured weapons, the Lunarians paid them no heed.   With their main mission accomplished, all that remained was to withdraw. Even though this area was a good distance away from the main body of the fight, more and more units were moving towards them. Shou throws the Maus into reverse while the gunner picks off the remaining JGSDF tanks. She could almost hear the enemy tankers calling shenanigans on getting taken down by an antique that never saw battle before being canned.   One of the Lunarians fires up a flare that triggers artillery to rain down. Without armored support, the counterattack slowed down when they caught sight of the Maus. In the midst of the fighting, some of the Lunarians had hooked up the tracked Panzer IV to another one and were helping to pull it away. With the Maus attracting most of the incoming fire, the rest of the tanks were free to move back.   Nazrin looks down at the gunner.   ?Kokoro, how are you doing down there? Are you feeling alright??   She was wearing her Fox mask, meaning that her emotions were bottled up for the time being. The general idea was to have her serious side do most of the fighting and hope that it wouldn?t affect her as much. So Byakuren and Miko had asked Nazrin to keep an eye on her and make sure that she was alright.   ?I?m alright.? Kokoro said in a controlled voice. ?I can?t seem to get a clean hit on any of the enemy tanks anymore.?    ?What?s your kill rate??    ?It seems like I have killed about eight of them. One of them caught on fire and I saw the crew burn.?   Nazrin?s stomach was caught in the grip of guilt. ?Hey, switch out with me.? She should have seen it sooner. Even though Kokoro?s emotions had stabilized after the events of the religious wars, she was still at the risk of suffering from traumatic stress. Byakuren had asked Yukari to make sure that she wasn?t about to suffer irreparable harm.   ?Loading complete,? the loader snapped Nazrin out of thought.   Ramming a round down the throat of a Type 10, the Maus continued its retreat. The autoloaders gave the JGSDF tanks the advantage in firing speed, but the rounds were unable to penetrate the German super heavy tank. A trio of rockets hit the front armor, only to be deflected like others before. High above them, a Predator drone was trying to get a lock on the slow moving Maus. But due to Patchouli?s spell, it couldn?t get a clear picture. In frustration, the remote operator fires a pair of Hellfires and prays they hit.   They land a few feet from the tank, sending fragments into the armor. The explosive force was partly absorbed by countermeasures that Yukari had mandated be applied to the outer shell. One of the Lunarians sees the missiles lands and spots the drone. Three shots send it falling to the ground in pieces amid flames. Another round from the Maus flips a Type 10 on its back like a turtle.   "Heads up, there's three Warthogs heading towards us.? The radio fairy called up.   Everyone in the tank groans when they hear. Nazrin knew that even with the upgraded armor they had, the Warthog would finish them off. But then the radio came alive again.   ?Don?t worry about that, little field mice.? Yukari?s voice sang. ?I?ve sent some crows to watch over you all.?   A pack of five SU-47s flew over the tanks, dropping a series of bombs on the advancing humans before pulling up to face the Warthogs. Even to Nazrin?s untrained eyes, she could tell that they were suffering from damage. They fire a pair of missiles and break their formation, leading to a dogfight that the A-10s were outclassed in. Since the human pilots were concentrating on staying alive, they were unable to focus on the withdrawing armor.   Nazrin looks at Kokoro, only to find her staring off to the distance. Another shell hit the Maus, rocking it more. The mouse grits her teeth and places a shell through the enemy?s driver hatch. The coaxial round destroys the vertical drive, causing the next round to fly over them. The two shots were followed by a shot from the StuG that blew the turret off. Since the humans? tanks? brew up countermeasures were useless, it made for interesting fireworks.   A lonely AT4 rocket misses the mammoth tank, eliciting disbelief from the human forces. Switching to HE shells, the withdrawing tanks let loose on the approaching infantry. This new volley made them reconsider their advance, especially after the ease the shells had in penetrating vehicles. Propping down behind the Maus? turret, two Lunarians set up a heavy machine gun and were lighting up the front with solid streams of tracer rounds.   One of the hunting Lunarians crawls up to a 2nd lieutenant and slices his neck open. Then he rips the rank off of his IBA but scoffs when he sees the West Point ring. The military academy was well known to the Lunarians, and not many of them had high regard for it. The LDC didn?t believe in just giving anyone a commission just because they went to a special school. They either had to be born into it or earn it on the battlefield. And even then, it was a tough road unless a family member pulled strings.    The Maus had put a good amount of distance from the human reinforcements, so the Lunarians fired smoke rounds that obscured the area and let them escape. Once the smoke cleared, the only combatants left in the area were the battered American and British forces. The Gray Foxes had taken heavy losses and were trying to figure out what to do. Even though they still had the bodies and equipment of the fallen Lunarians, they were more focused on the captured colors. Several of them were wondering how they could use the story at the local watering hole.   Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gensokyo   Remiu and Marisa were forced by Yukari to return to the mansion to rest up for the next day. As soon as the pair had plopped down on the first available bed, they were out. Many of the humans had returned to the village to rest and leave the night combat to the youkai and Lunarians. The drivers of the Katyusha launchers had driven into the forest and decided to fall asleep in the cabs. Many of the daytime staff that stayed back had gone to sleep in the rear while a reserve regiment was guarding several locations past the shrine.   Yukari walked out of a gap in Voile and sat down across from Patchouli. The witch pours some sake that Remilia had brought back from the shrine for the both of them. The gap youkai accepts the glass gratefully and takes a sip. The pair sit in silence until Yukari breaks the fragile state.   ?How much do you know about medicine??   Patchy raises an eyebrow. ?I don?t think breaking a nail counts as a medical emergency.?   Yukari sighs. ?You?re sharp tongued as always.?    ?I have to have something to keep me going through everything that happens in this house.? To emphasize her point, the witch chugs her glass in one shot. ?Hand me the bottle, I need some more.?   ?Anyway, you still haven?t answer my original question.?   Wiping off some sake from her face, Patchouli frowns. ?I know some, but if you need medical advice, wouldn?t Eirin be a better choice??  ?She?ll figure it out on her own.? Yukari tucked a loose hair behind her ear. ?But let me ask you one thing. What do you think is worse: a cold or the body?s response to the cold??   ?Don?t tell me you have a cold. Remember, I have asthma. Even if it?s under control.?   Shaking her head, Yukari smiles. ?I?m just using that as an example.?   ?I would say the body?s response.?   ?How so??   ?Most of the time, the body overreacts whenever it senses something off.? Patchouli pours herself yet another glass. ?In my case, just a little bit of wolf hair was enough to knock me off of my feet. Momiji probably still feels bad about that, but it?s not her fault.?   "One more example. Whenever a person gets cut by a blade, what?s one of the first things to converge around the wound??   ?Wouldn?t it be white blood cells, clotting agents and antibodies??   ?Exactly. What I would like to concentrate on are the antibodies. What are their purpose??   ?To prevent infection in the wound.? One more glass was chugged. ?You keep on like this and I?ll finish this bottle.?   ?We?ve already established that reality is being ripped apart by this conflict. But did I explain why we?re facing the things we are??   ?Since you put it like that, those unnatural beasts that you told me about are reality?s immune system. But like in most cases, they?re overreacting.?   ?You left out one important part.? Yukari frowned. ?The antibodies. From what I?ve figured out, they?re emitting some sort of field that negates magic creation. It works by suppressing the creation of magic around it, however, magic created outside the area of effect can still hit them. For some reason, magic doesn?t seem to be natural.  But not being able to use our abilities close up does put us at a disadvantage. At least until it starts to affect all magic everywhere, then we?re straight up screwed.?   ?I?m surprised you haven?t figured out something to counter it.?   ?If I did, do you think that I would be here talking to you about it??   Patchouli smiled, already feeling a little tipsy. ?So it?s hurting you that you haven?t figured it out. It must be a new feeling to have all of your plans thrown into disarray.?   ?Keep on, bean sprout.?   ?I?m not a bean sprout,? Patchouli is interrupted by a hiccup. ?I?m purple, how can I be a bean sprout??   ?You need to go to bed, you?re drunk.?   ?I?m fine.? The witch pulled out another bottle. ?In exchange for my asthma, my body goes through alcohol quickly. I?ve be back to normal in the morning. Even with Eirin?s medicine keeping my asthma in check. It?s not like I?m a drunk, not at all. All these empty bottles around here just happen to show up around me.?   ?You would get along well with the oni.?   For the first time in a while, Patchouli paled. ?Don?t say things like that. I?m nothing like them.?   ?You get worked up so easily.? Yukari smiled. ?Do you want to hear how the battle is going??   ?Sure.?   ?So far, the Lunarians have pushed back the humans from the new barrier. We?ve managed to field out newest arm, the armored units. Russian and Chinese troops were withdrawing when the battle was starting. I?ve got the feeling that they?re going to strike at whoever looks the weakest at the end of the battle. Since the Lunarians are finally getting on their war footing, I doubt we?ll be the ones having to worry about the next attack. Iku was taken down by a sniper and caused Tenshi to go on a rampage. I managed to knock some sense into her and she went back to oversee the Celestial artillery. With Eirin taking out the joint force commander, the NATO forces are splitting apart. But that doesn?t mean that this battle is over. The Lunarians have switched from line of battle to mobile warfare and tend to wipe out any human that even looks at them. From what I?m hearing, our tanks are taking some good hits. Still, even though they?re tanks from almost seventy years ago, they?re still matching the modern tanks.?   ?I?m happy to hear that my charms and spells are working so well.?   ?You did a good job with the Tiger (P) and Maus. They?re serving as the foundations of our advance.?   ?Good. I would hate for Sakuya to command a deathtrap that I could?ve helped.?   ?How are the repairs going??   The witch downs yet another glass. ?We?ve replaced the damaged armor with stronger parts and the kappas have tweaked the engine some more. Koakuma has added another layer of a water charm to the cannon to increase the firing rate. There?s a chance we could up the round, but I doubt that we can.?   ?I think that the cannon it has now is fine. We can leave the heavy stuff to Nazrin. Our tengu friends have been burning through the modern fighters, so we?re stuck with having a majority of propeller driven aircraft and our own power.?   ?The mansion?s defense grid should be enough to pick up the slack.?   ?Hopefully. I rather not have the mansion blown up since I don?t feel like letting the human bombers have free reign. Anyway, the Lunarians have pushed about fifty miles at the farthest point since the start of the battle. From what Yuyuko has told me, our little skirmish has tipped the scales of the global stage. We can use it to our advantage.? Yukari stopped when one of her crows landed on her shoulder and offered a rolled up scroll to her. ?Hmm, this is interesting.?   Patchouli didn?t respond since she was chugging the bottle. Koakuma had come in from working on the tanks and made herself some tea. She looked exhausted and was nodding her head due to sleepiness. Eventually, she made her way to a nearby couch and knocked out. Her snores could be heard throughout the entire library.   ?The states of Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan have just been united under a single government.?   Patchouli stopped drinking. ?I thought that the region was going to be stuck fighting forever. How did that happen??   ?From what I?m seeing, Iranian forces have overwhelmed the vanishing Iraqi security forces. There?s even rumors of them throwing their weapons and equipment down as they ran away. The same happened in Afghanistan.  But I doubt they?ll hold it for long. Word is that some in the Pakistani government are uncomfortable with them on a larger part of their border. The thing is that those are in a minority. And if they don?t do anything, the insurgents in the captured territories will have something to say to their new overlords.?   ?What about China, since there?s a strip of their land now bordering them??   ?No idea, but I?m sure that they?re still mad about the UN sanctions a few years back. It would be good to bolster their small feud, but I don?t think it would amount to anything useful. But you never know.?   ?Is this connected to the damaged reality??   ?I think so. In most cases, people?s common sense would stop them from trying to upstage the status quo. If this really is the tear?s doing, we could be at risk ourselves.?   ?Aren?t we all crazy in Gensokyo anyway?? The witch threw her head back with another glass.   ?I rather not have any of us go off the deep end.? Yukari frowned. ?Reimu has enough on her plate right now to be worrying about keeping the peace.?   ?How are you planning on ending this battle??   The gap youkai paused. ?I could end the battle anytime I want, but if we don?t show the humans that we can make them pay for every time they even imagine of attacking, it?ll be useless.?   ?Is this why we?re having this protracted battle??   ?This is the best way to get them to understand. I?ll be pulling our forces from the front while letting the Lunarians have the lead. Their nobles prefer this method since they can get glory for themselves.?   ?Playing their political games too, aren?t you??   ?I?ve visited their court before, so I know how they work.? Yukari remembered some of the nobles that had tried to flirt with her, only to be shot down mercilessly. ?If I can?t keep the Lunarians where I want them, there might be a third war.?   ?Another war with us out of position could end us.?   ?Especially if it?s with the Dragon God.?   Patchouli dropped her glass in mid chug. ?How can you even imagine going against him? You?ll be wiped out in an instant.?   ?Don?t underestimate me. I still have some surprises still hidden.? Yukari?s eyes got a hard glint. ?If I have to bring down reality on his head to get what I want, I will.?   The witch could only sit in silence after hearing that. But that silence was cut short when a few strands of Yukari?s hair were cut out of thin air. Patchouli scrambled up, pulling out a few of her spellcards. The gap youkai just smiled and spoke into her phone.   ?So, you?re still listening to me. Why not go ahead and get rid of me now instead of just cutting my hair? You?re panicking, I can tell it for sure.? She smiled again. ?How does it feel? You?ve probably never had your plans derailed this much before.?   Paying close attention, Patchouli could feel a faint presence in the library. Then it suddenly disappeared, leaving only emptiness. The slowly falling strands of hair were the only evidence of the confrontation. He?s not sure what to do now. As long as he?s like this, I can take him down. Even if he takes me down at the same time, at least Remiu and Marisa will be able to have peaceful lives after this.   Still with the smile on her face, Yukari taps the map on the table. The purple box that indicated the Lunarian command post started to flash, indicating a line to them was activated.   ?Princess Toyohime, could I ask a favor??   The princess sighed from the other end of the line. ?It depends on what it is.?   ?I just want to borrow three of your regular regiments tomorrow morning.?   ?Why would you need three regiments, we can handle the human attack.?   Yukari still kept her smile. ?I?m going to go ahead and march on Tokyo. Once we get them to surrender, the JSDF will have to pull out. That?s about ten percent of the attacking forces and thirty percent of the supporting ones. And the rest of the human forces won?t be able to resupply or reinforce.?   ?It makes sense, but what does Master Yagokoro think about it??   ?She?s still busy, but I?m sure she would agree with me. I?ll make sure to ask her when she?s free.?   ?I suppose I can put three of the daytime regiments on standby for now. But will they see reason and surrender??    ?If I have Colonel Yagokoro with me, it?ll be a sure thing.?   ?Alright. The 1st Royal Regiment of Foot, 44th Regiment of Foot, and 66th Regiment of Light Foot will be standing ready for you in the morning.? The line cut off after that.   Yukari sat back down and drank from her glass. Patchouli took one last look around and sat down as well. The pair sat in silence and watched the blue squares advance. The most heated areas of the battle were expanded in and showed every single person taking part. One of the Lunarian regiments had arranged themselves into formation and were firing by rank. A company from the 4th Infantry Division tried to flank the regiment, only to cause the regimental commander to order a pivot. The entire formation kept in perfect form as the over 5,000 Lunarians performed the movement smoothly while under fire, firing back and reloading.   Across the field, a certain Hourai immortal was burning entire platoons alive. Even vehicles weren?t safe from her wrath since she cooked the crew inside. The sheer heat distorted the light around her and created air drafts that affected incoming bullets. Yukari was distracted by the loud snores that started to come from Patchouli. Taking a sip from her glass, she closes her eyes.   ?I know your there, Rin.?   ???   ?I know you shouldn?t be here, but you could at least try to make conversation.?   ???   ?Did I strike a nerve? I wonder how the Scarlet Mist Incident would?ve turned out if you actually showed up.?   ??? A figure appeared behind Yukari. The girl had blonde hair and yellow eyes that complimented her white blouse and red skirt. She held an erhu and bow that seemed to be an afterthought. But as before, she kept her peace.   ?I know what you?re thinking. But shouldn?t you stop by and visit Remiu and Marisa. I?m sure they would be happy to see you for the first time.?   ?You know the exact reason I?m here and yet you still play around??   ?Now she speaks.? Yukari offered her a glass that the other youkai ignored. ?I had hoped that I would never have to see you again.?   ?I see that you?re still mad about not being able to play me like you do everyone else.?   ?I?m not so arrogant that I can?t admit that I found a match in the game.?   ?Someone has made a grave mistake.?   Yukari stiffened. ?You can tell from over there??  ?I can tell from the atmosphere.? Rin Satsuki absentmindedly inspected her instrument. ?This land was never meant to see war like this. The damage caused by this war brought me back. But you should know all of this already.?   ?I do, so do you have any advice. Or are you here to gloat??   ?I rather not call it gloating, but I did have my suspicions.?   ?So, how does it feel like being back on this side??   ?How does it feel being older than civilization itself??  Yukari had to make a concentrated effort to keep from bursting the glass in her grip. ?It?s not polite to insult a Lady?s age.?   ?The only Lady I see here is passed out drunk on the table over there. The thing talking to me is nothing more than a honey worded monster that only thinks of herself.?   As soon as the words registered to Yukari, she tried to open a gap. But the youkai froze when her power didn?t work.   Rin smiled. ?It?s always disheartening to have the power you rely on so much fail to work, isn?t it??   ?So, you?re part of them as well.?   ?Don?t worry, I?m not here for a fight. I just stopped by to give you a friendly warning. It?s happening faster than you?re expecting. If you don?t figure out something soon, then your last go around will be for nothing.?   ?Then what do you suggest that I do??   ?It would make things easier for you if I did, so I?m letting you figure it yourself. But if I see some use in giving you a hint, I hope you?ll listen.? With that said, she turn and began to walk away. Before she had taken three steps, she had completely disappeared. Yukari waited some more before she tried to use her gaps. She drew a knife that she had taken off of a certain dictator she had poisoned during the Cold War and planted it in the table.   She remembered every single person that she had killed to get events to converge at this point. Of how many empires and kingdoms she had built and destroyed on a whim. Of how many fortunes she had ruined and taken for herself. Of how many armies she had destroyed with her own hands and all the blood she had spilled. She had done too much to hope for a peaceful life.

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