~Hakurei Shrine~ > Patchouli's Scarlet Library

The Oncoming Storm

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The Dratini Farmer:

 Paititi, Southeast Peru
 
For her first expedition, Sumireko Usami was happy that it was so fruitful. The honor student had passed her entrance exams and decided to pursue a degree in archology at Osaka University. For the better part of a year, she had been part of a research team that had journeyed to the jungles of South America in order to find the lost city of Paititi. She was chosen to be part of the team due to a paper she had turned in that had detailed Gensokyo and its special properties. Her underlying hope was that she could find another mystical land and that she could study it as well.
 
After two weeks of what felt like wandering around, they had found the city and set up a small camp. The first few days weren?t easy on her, but once more permanent housing with a somewhat limited source of hot water and power were set up, it was easier to bear. The only thing that bothered her about her location now was the lack of an internet connection. But all of the findings that she had made were usually enough for her to forget about it for a while.
 
Even with all of the progress she was making, she still felt something amiss. For almost eight months, she hadn?t been able to go back to Gensokyo during her dreams. No matter what she did, whether it was a different time, laying down differently, or holding the deck she had been given, none of it worked. The lack of news from the world outside the jungle also made her feel a little bit of unease. But she was a firm believer of no news was good news.
 
In her free time, she had begun to develop her powers. At the beginning, she was having trouble holding up small rocks. But once she had accepted that her powers existed outside Gensokyo, it had taken leaps and bounds. She had learned on how to boost herself to the point that she could amplify her physical abilities. During this development, she would get headaches that were so bad that she had to retire for the day. But she welcomed them due to the fact that she had gained a new power when she woke up the next morning.
 
Since the research team was small, she was forced to get to know them and develop working relationships. It was difficult for her at first, but she finally got over it and was accepted to the fold. This was for the best, as a lonely existence in the jungle would be a sad event. In order for them to relax and have exercise, one of the researchers began to instruct them in kendo and fencing. Sumireko had taken a liking to it since it helped to clear her mind and organize her thoughts.
 
One day, when the locals had brought them the weekly supplies, they had also brought a letter from the university. Word quickly spread through the camp that a group of visitors would be arriving in a week to discuss a related discovery. Sumireko was among those that cheered and eagerly awaited their arrival. She could barely sleep the night before and ended up going over her research notes until she fell asleep.
 
She had a dream about floating in deep space. She looks down and sees a disk galaxy at her feet. Looking around, she senses something wrong. Then it hits her, the stars were going out. Sumireko reaches out to one, only to have it disappear before she can close her hand around it. It continued until only the center the galaxy was left, then it started to go dim. The temperature began to drop, causing her to wrap her arms around herself.
 
That morning, she had woken up around noon and frantically gotten ready. She rushes out of the hut only to find the rest of the research team sitting around, playing cards or reading a book. Sumireko sighs in relief and slows down. She grabs lunch and sits down to eat. She barely finishes when everyone stands up and moves to the front of the settlement. Quickly throwing her trash away, she makes sure to grab her bag with her tablet and research notes. A large group of people had just entered the clearing and were making their way towards them.
 
Something was off about some of them, raising the hairs on Sumireko?s neck. Several of them were looking around, but not out of what looked like curiosity. A few of them had a look in their eyes that she couldn?t place. The others were somewhat familiar to her, having gone to lectures hosted by the archology departments of other universities. Some of them were accomplished researchers that had specialized in searching for the secrets and knowledge of mystical civilizations. She felt her heart rate increase with the possibility of finding another Genoskyo so close.
 
Just as the leaders of both groups held their hands out to shake in greeting, gunshots rang out. She watched her fellow researchers fall before she was able to get her body to move. She ran back into her hut, locking the door behind her. More gunshots rang out, and the sounds of something being poured reached her ears. The psychic looks through the crack between the door and wall and sees flames dancing around in the center of the settlement. One of the generators had been hit and burst into flames.
 
She trips when she turns around, saving her life when bullets rip thought the hut. The attackers kicked down doors and ransacked research notes before lighting the huts on fire as well. One of them kicked down the door to the hut Sumireko was in and brought his TEC DC-9 machine pistol up. Refusing to go back to the helplessness that she felt when she fell in Gensokyo for the first time and was beaten in back to back fights, she grabs the weapon with her power and rips it out of the man?s hand.
 
Taking ahold of the weapon, she riddles him with the entire magazine due to an adrenaline rush. Realizing her mistake in using up all of her ammo in one go, she throws it to the side and stands back up. Quickly searching the body, she can?t find any more magazines but takes the sword that he was strangely carrying. She takes a deep breath and knows that she has to fight if she wants to survive. Grateful for the abilities that she had developed, she steps off.
 
Now taking a look at the sword, she recognizes it as a Spanish conquistador?s sword. It had a golden hilt with ornate engraving and a blade that was like new. If it was taken from a nearby ruin in that pristine condition, it would easily fetch millions should it be genuine. This pointed towards the conclusion that the research team was close to something big. The next question would be why someone would order a hit on them. The only thing that would have brought them attention would have been the paper Sumireko had published on the possibility of more places like Gensokyo. But many that had read that paper had dismissed that chance months ago when it first came out.
 
Running into another attacker, Sumireko grabs him with her power and flings him into the sky. Another attacker falls to a slice in the abdomen, letting her stare him in the eyes as he falls. As a result of a gut feeling, she levitates a box behind her. It stops a hail of bullets from another attacker that is then crushed by the heavy metal container. Before she can move, she?s stopped by visions of lighting.
 
Following the actions in the vision, Sumireko unleashes lighting that hits an attacker hiding from her and kills him painfully. She lifts another one up and throws the sword into him. It goes all the way to the hilt and she pulls back towards her. Then she lifts another one up and charges him with electricity before throwing him into a comrade. As soon as they make contact, the stored electricity was let loosed and killed the pair.
 
The fire had spread to the jungle, drying out the humid leaves so they could be lit up. The smoke had gotten thick enough to block out the sun in the immediate area, making look like it was nighttime. The ruins nearby were right in the path of the approaching flames, which meant that much of the knowledge inside would be lost. Sumireko gritted her teeth at the realization of the loss and the setback in her overall plan.
 
Looking to the top of the radio hut, she can see two of the attackers trying to get a signal for the radio. She feels something rile up in her and clenches her fists. Gathering all of her ability and concentration, she focuses on everything in front of her. The hut and the ground nearby began to shake, worsening as she concentrated. The birds that had not fled at the first gunshots fled when they felt that shaking and the cause behind it.
 
?Grab hold of something! Quickly!? One of the attackers shouts right before the hut is crushed into a small ball. The power generator had been caught in the destruction and exploded. But right before he would have been caught in the destruction, he had jumped off and left his comrade to his death. Unbeknownst to either party, he had lost his machine pistol while escaping. He lands in front of Sumireko and pulls out a sword identical to hers. She could sense the same kind of power in the man in front of her and steeled herself for the fight.
 
He charged her, going for a straight stab. Sumireko steps to the side and bats the blade away from her. She brings her sword up to strike, only to lock her blade with his. He begins to overpower her before she uses her telekinesis to increase her strength. Then she breaks the lock and kicks him back. Jumping forward, she plunges her sword into the ground but misses since the attacker had rolled to the side.
 
Sumireko gets pushed back by a telekinetic push, confirming her gut feeling of a fellow psychic in front of her. She returns the attack, it was strong enough to deform the ground as it traveled. They step towards each other, bringing their blades over their heads. Just like a pair of cobras, they circled each other while waiting for an opening. They pass each other, trading three blows before turning towards each other again. Both of them even started to hiss at each other during their resets.
 
They continue this again and again, with neither side gaining an advantage. Sumireko was the first to break the pattern, going in for a horizontal strike at chest height. The strike is blocked, forcing her to keep delivering attacks from other angles. She presses the attack, pouring her power into the blade. It begins to glow with a faint purple tint that gets stronger as time goes by, along with a faint hum that was barely audible.
 
The attacker jumped back, giving Sumireko the opening she was looking for. She twirls to gain momentum and unleashes a diagonal slash towards his neck. He barely blocks the strike and is almost overpowered. To prevent this, the man punches her in the stomach so hard she gets the air knocked out of her. The researcher stumbles back and knows that she had to do something fast. Hastily absorbing energy, she makes it explode outward to repulse the attack.
 
He?s sent flying into the side of a hut, letting her catch her breath. She can see that the fires had spread all around them, lighting up the jungle around them. The sounds of the displeasure of the native animals were loud amongst the flames, they were annoyed at having their homes burned to the ground. Before she can concentrate, a sword flew out of the hut and barely missed her when she ducked.
 
The sword flew back into the hut and the attacker calmly stepped out. He reached out to a flame and made part of it dance in his hand. Taking hold of sword once more, he digs his feet in and throws the fire at her. Sumireko closes her eyes and sticks her hands out, creating a wind current that parted the fire before it reached her. She flings lighting at him in response, only to have him reflect it off of his sword. Her mind draws a blank at what happened, since it should have shocked him. But then she sees the blade glowing in a red hue.
 
Running forward, the pair exchange savage blows that were designed to wear down the other?s defense. With some of them, it wasn?t much different from either of them trying to hammer a stake into the ground. Both of them scored some hits, but none of them were fatal or decisive. They broke off again, with Sumireko wiping blood off of her face from a bloody nose. The man spits out blood from his mouth and sneers at her.
 
Sumireko drops into a one handed high guard, with her blade held horizontally above her and pointing to the side. She half twisted her body and swept her hand across and down. Her opponent held his sword in the low guard. It was in his strong hand and held to the side while pointed down. His feet were shoulder width apart, with the blade pointed in her direction. He ran his thumb down the length of the grip, giving him the ability to have more accurate movements.
 
Letting the rush of the battle finally take hold, Sumireko runs forward. The man easily deflects the blows, relying on his fancy footwork to get him in position for the next strike. She knew that the style that she was using would quickly wear her down, so she knew that she had to end this quickly. The psychic charges up a repulse and releases it as quickly as she can. A heavy radio case flies towards the attacker, which he slammed down to the ground.
 
A burst of speed gets the man in close enough to head-butt her and that?s exactly what he does. Sumireko staggers back while shaking her head to clear it. Before she can fully get herself together, she feels a hand grab her by the neck. Her air is instantly cut off and she feels her grip on her sword start loosening. He starts bending her back, sneering as she struggles to free herself. He grabs her right hand and tries to force her sword into her face. She throws one last kick that knocks him out of balance. She makes him fall forward, scrambling to get back on her feet.
 
The man gets up and drops kick her, knocking her sword out of her hand and sending her flying backwards. She rolls back and gets back up again. He charges her, only to get kicked so hard he flips on his back facing the other direction. She summons her sword back to her hand and swings downward with a two handed grip. He barely manages to get his own sword back in time to block. Sumireko puts all of her force into the blade, trying to break through his defense.
 
The attacker plants his foot on her left leg and pushes off while twisting his body. As an added measure, he pushes her back telekinetically. She?s sent rolling and has to collect her bearings when she lands. Her neck still hurts from almost being crushed and she feels her limbs getting heavy. Calling on her ability, she keeps going despite the pain and exhaustion. The attacker is feeling the same as her, letting her know that she has gotten a few good hits in.
 
Taking a deep breath, the man runs numbers to bring this fight to an end. A prolonged engagement would be in his favor, if he doesn?t lose his footing or grip due to exhaustion. Retreating was out of the question, she had seen his face and would come after him. Add to that the fact that he was injured, and it would become foolish to travel in the jungle like that. He had just noticed that he had lose his machine pistol, so that was out. Now there was only one alternative.
 
Jumping into the air and bringing his sword above his head, the man tries to end the fight right then and there. Sumireko waits until he passes the apex of his jump and then slams him into the ground with a psychic push. She lifts him up again, pulling him up higher and slams him down harder. The last lift is higher than any of the other ones and gets a mangled shout of pain from the victim. Then she starts to choke him from a distance, only to have him throw his sword at her.
 
She catches the sword in her psychic grip, dropping the man and throws both of the blades at him. The handles hit him in the face and he becomes dizzy. He gets further disorientated as she charges up a full strength repulse and lays him out. She recalls her blade and lifts the man by his throat. The man tries to call his sword back, but Sumireko shatters his telekinetic grip.
 
?Who. Sent. You.? Sumireko had to stop herself from outright killing him. She had to force each word out through clenched teeth.
 
?I?m?dead?anyway.? He was clutching at his throat. ?You?won?t?get?anything?from?me.?
 
?Who. Sent. You.? She repeated again. This time there was no response, just a glare.
 
?You attacked a peaceful expedition for no reason! You murdered my colleagues and professors. I saw your men taking our research. I?m only going to ask one more time. Who sent you?? Getting no response, she increases the pressure. There is no change, so she drops him. Before he can catch his breath, he gets hit with a book in the face. Sumireko had summoned a book from a hut and hit him with an overhead swing. She?s about to give him another swing when he breaks.
 
?Alright! Alright! I?ll talk.? He seemed angrier about being hit by a book than the earlier fight.
 
?Who sent you? And for what purpose??
 
?I?was hired by the Americans. They wanted us to steal research into magical topics and to make sure the researchers couldn?t spread their findings. They didn?t care about how we did it, but it had to be permanent.?
 
?Why??
 
?I don?t know, honest. My group and I were given five hundred thousand American to do this. How could we say no??
 
?Did they know you have powers like mine??
 
?They were aware. That?s why they chose us for the job.?
 
?Who was your contact??
 
?Someone in Lima, I never saw his face. He just dropped off instructions in a chicken coop behind a bar. We were told to contact him when we had killed all of you and taken all of the research notes.?
 
?How did you know it was the Americans? And why would they want something like this??
 
?You don?t know, little girl? The Americans are fighting a war on magic at this very moment. They?re attacking some place called Gensokyo.? He couldn?t continue since Sumireko had lifted him into the air by his throat again. She clenched both of her fists as he floated in front of her.
 
?How do you know about that place??
 
?Who doesn?t? They managed to beat back one attack from a combined coalition and now they?re in the middle of another one.? The man laughs weakly while clutching at his throat. ?What, don?t tell me you didn?t know.?
 
?Let?s assume I haven?t had access to the news lately. What led to this??
 
?Some political games by the Americans. They claimed that Gensokyo was responsible for a string of bombings on embassies all over the world. Russia and China withdrew territorial claims on islands in the Pacific in exchange for Japan to open borders to help blockade the area.?
 
?Gensokyo was supposed to be hidden, how did they find it??
 
?Your guess is as good as mine.?
 
 ?Then what should-? She?s interrupted by the sounds of a helicopter getting closer. Her heart drops when rockets begin to hit the settlement. The Mil Mi-26 was painted in Peruvian Army colors, but had no insignia, meaning that someone had done a sloppy job covering their tracks or didn?t care. Gunfire ripped into the burning settlement, hoping to erase all signs of occupation. Sumireko grabs her bag and runs for the cover of the least burning section of jungle. Even if her colleagues were alive, there was no way she would be able to help them with the helicopter above them now.
 
As she runs, the area is filled with bullets. A rocket barely missiles her, going on to explode when it went through a hut. She turns around and reaches both of her hands out. Grabbing all of the rockets that were launched in a psychic grip, she struggles to flip them around. Once she does, she releases them. The pilot dodges most of them, but one hits the tail and lights the remaining part on fire.
 
Sumireko grabs the falling aircraft and slams it into the ground, sending storage boxes and other debris flying. One of them hits a surviving newcomer and sends him in a burning hut. The psychic turns around but sharply breathes in when another vision hits her. She was lucky that she had stopped where she did, or she would have been cooking where she stood. She was also lucky that she had wiped out all of the attackers or she would have been an easy target.
 
This one was of a large naval battle in clear blue water. A Zumwalt class destroyer had made the mistake of cutting in between two Takao class heavy cruisers and paid the price. An Iowa class battleship was engaged in a knife fight with a Nagato class, both ships trading broadsides at extremely close range. Torpedoes were everywhere in the water, striking countless ships. Aircraft carriers were swerving from side to side to dodge anything that came at them.
 
Heavy cruisers were dropping shells on each other, igniting fires that the damage control teams struggled to fight. Frigates and destroyers were blown out of the water, their crews flying into the air and landing on the wreckage. Submarines were engaging each other under the water, with their weapons creating splashes on the surface. Destroyer escorts were dropping depth charges, hoping to get rid of them before getting hit.
 
Bombers were flying extremely low, with flak clouds of all colors around them. Fighters from all eras were trapped in a furball of epic proportions. Tracer rounds filled the skies, sometimes leading to friendly fire. More and more ships were joining the battle, overwhelming her. Entire battleships exploded as their magazine compartments were hit by lucky (or unlucky) high explosive rounds.
 
Then the vision changes to one of a large city on fire. Tall buildings were collapsing all around, with large explosions filling the landscape. She spots herself locked in a fight with a shadow. The first time she notices is that she was losing ground by being forced into a retreating defense. Whoever she was fighting was taking advantage of an aggressive advance and wasn?t worried about defense.
 
What really struck her was that she seemed to be holding back during the retreat. Then she notices the look of betrayal and sorrow on her face. Even when the shadow got punches and kicks in, she refused to strike back. At this point, she was bruised and had tears flowing down her face. Even when she had an obvious chance to strike at the shadow, she refused to take advantage of it.
 
There were only two people that the Sumireko of the present would never strike against, but neither of them would ever strike against her. Especially with the ferocity and power behind the strikes she was seeing. Sumireko did see a great amount of skill in both of the combatants, which lead to the assumption that it was in the future. To the pair of them, the fighting and destruction around them didn?t matter at all.
 
Then she saw the floor of the American House of Representatives during a joint session of Congress. She couldn?t recognize any of the faces there since she had no prior interest in politics, but she knew something was going down. Applause rang out every so often, letting the orator absorb the atmosphere. Sumireko noticed that several of the politicians seemed displeased and were muttering amongst themselves.
 
?To ensure our security and continued stability, the American democracy will be reorganized into the first American empire, for a safe and secure society!? What felt like the entire room stood up and applauded loud enough to shake the walls of the chamber. Some of the critics of the move left the chamber in disgust, setting themselves up to be forced to disappear. She realized that she was watching the death of the world?s strongest democracy.
 
One of the politicians walks close to where Sumireko was standing. ?So this is how liberty dies?with thunderous applause.? Near them, a member of the Defense Intelligence Agency took note of the pair and scratched his ear. The first signs of a New World Order were becoming apparent fast, giving Sumireko a chill down her spine. This development combined with what she had just found out were too much for her to digest. She had to pause in order to keep from being overwhelmed.
 
Bracing herself against a tree, she tries to catch her breath. Even with everything that had happened, she smiles. She realized that her gut feeling of being special was right all along. That she was meant for something bigger than anyone else. A book that she had read a long time ago had said that everything happened for a reason, and now she felt that she finally fully understood it. Her abilities had evolved to help her change the tide of history. She was right to separate herself from normal people, those that wouldn?t or couldn?t understand.
 
The psychic knew what she had to do now. Sumireko had to get out of the jungle and get back to Gensokyo. She had to get in touch with Yukari Yakumo and lead her abilities to the land she had found. If she could prove to them that she was the key, then she would be able to study Genoskyo even more. She would be hailed as a heroine and wouldn?t have to worry about being fought at every encounter. She would finally find somewhere that she belonged.
 
Noticing that the fire around the settlement was spreading, she knew that her time there was short. She finds a scabbard and belt that she sheaths her sword in. Grabbing her bag, she finds her hat and dusts it off. Sighing, she puts it on and pulls out her cell phone. The signal was too weak for internet access, but it was enough for the GPS. She was surprised that she could take to the air, and looked for the closest city. Sumireko had to move quickly in case of more unwelcomed guests on their way.
 
If she remembered right, and if the GPS is good, there was a river that marked the boundary of Peru and Brazil. Staying in Peru for long wouldn?t be such a good idea since who knows how many other groups were ordered to continue the hit. If she could make it to Iberia, she could see about getting a flight to a random city and lay low while figuring out what next. She groaned when she remembered her Spanish wasn?t the best and hoped that someone there could speak English or Japanese.
 
Then she remembered something important. How was she going to get out of the country without her passport or papers? Looking back, the settlement was fully engulfed in flames. She groans, frustrated at forgetting something important. And how was she going to travel with a sword strapped on her belt? She kicks herself for not thinking things through. In theory, she could fly under her own power, but it would be extremely difficult over that long of a distance. Her overall goal was to get back to Japan after all.
 
She checks her bag, confirming that she has her pocketbook with her bank cards. She doubted that it would be good outside a large city, but it was worth a try if she could find an ATM. First, she needed to get to a large city in either Brazil or Bolivia and find a hotel. Then she needed to clean up and get a new set of clothes. She tried to remember how much she had, especially since she hadn?t been able to buy anything since she had entered the jungle.
 
Shaking her head, Sumireko starts from the top. She had a feeling that she could use a mind trick to bluff her way on a plane. After all, it wasn?t a large airport. Worst case, she would just fly straight there and hope their air force wouldn?t see her. A small single engine plane would be the least likely to be as secure, so that would be her primary goal. She would have to hide her sword in a box and pass it off as something.
 
Absentmindedly tapping the side of her phone, it rings and startles her. The psychic looks at the number but can?t recognize it. She slows down and then brings the phone to her ear.
 
?About time you answered,? a smooth and refined voice spoke to her.
 
?Who is this??
 
?Did you really think I wouldn?t know the Secret Sealing Club?s First President??
 
?How did you know-?
 
?My, my, I already have two of you members working for me. Of course I would know a little about you, Sumireko. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Yukari Yakumo. You may recognize me as the one responsible for everything that goes on in Genoskyo. I must apologize for not being able to meet you when you visited, but I was tied up with other matters.?
 
?Then you?re one of them??
 
?A youkai? Of course, I?m not just some pitiable human. Several of my sources have just recounted what you have been through. It would be in your best interest if you worked together with us.?
 
?How can you be sure that I won?t be able to solve all of this myself,? Sumireko puffed out her chest in pride.
 
?Because you?re powers are still undeveloped,? instead of Yukari?s voice coming from the phone, it came directly from behind her. The youkai had opened a gap and was speaking to her directly. The psychic almost dropped her phone in shock and back away from her. ?I?m afraid I must make this quick. The Diet is taking a short break from negotiations and will be getting back to business soon. As I was saying, I have an offer you can?t refuse.?
 

The Dratini Farmer:

 Lunarian/NATO line of battle, Japan
 
What was happening between the human and Lunarian forces couldn?t be really called a battle. The term battle had the connotation of organized lines. This was anything but that. For an unexplained reason, the Lunarian line had disappeared into a large mess with human forces sprinkled in between. Both sides were standing and firing at each other, disregarding conventional tactics. The aircraft fighting for control of the skies above them reflected the ground combat as well.
 
The main conflict in this area was for control of a series of trenches that would split the Lunarian advance in half if lost. Reisen II had taken her regiment and relived the 228th Foot that had taken the blunt of a combined American, British, Australian, and New Zealander counterattack. The 228th had almost been broken but were saved by a P-47 bombing run. Quickly returning to the rear, they were sent back to garrison to recoup their losses.
 
?The Americans have activated the uplink station,? Yorihime called over the communication system. ?We must shut it down.?
 
As Yorihime had explained to Reisen before news of the US taking command of all NATO ground forces had arrived, the Americans had rolled out their new on the move communications systems and were using them to call in support and bombing runs. The Project Manager Warfighter Information Network-Tactical had just begun its third increment and was getting a baptism by fire. By force of habit, many of the relay vehicles had come to a stop in order to provide a better signal between subscribers, making them prime targets for the Lunarians. This was a result of several units skipping an increment due to funding issues. The first increment had required them to stop before they could transmit. Sometimes, an unlucky soul had to take a metal clothes hanger and hold it just right for a signal to come in. 
 
Reisen brought up her rifle and fired eight shots into an American sergeant?s center mass while heading for a small radio tower in the distance. Beside her, an American corporal had tackled a moon rabbit into a trench and the two were trading blows. Loading another magazine on the run, Reisen does a long bunny hop that takes her over the trenches, narrowly avoiding a friendly P-51, and lands right in front of a surprised American 1st lieutenant. He has a look of surprise on his face and doesn?t even try bringing his rifle up.
 
Not missing a step, she runs past him while slamming her rifle into his face. Return fire started to fly towards her, forcing the moon rabbit to jump back in nearby trench. But instead of staying in the same spot, she ran down the trench. Any human that tried to shoot down at her was met with a hail of bullets that took them down for good. She started to reload, only to find that she had no rounds left. Slinging her rifle across her shoulder, she draws her commander?s saber and keeps going.
 
?American A-10s are beginning their attack run,? the younger princess said.
 
Her warning came a few seconds before the familiar brrrt of the 30 mm Gatling opened up the 4th. Without organic air troops, the ground forces were highly vulnerable to armored attack planes. They simply didn?t have the weapons heavy enough to take down the armored plane. On its way out, the plane dropped delayed fuse cluster bombs that inflicted heavy casualties against the Lunarian forces.
 
Spotting an uparmored Humvee with a shelter on the back, the regimental commander bunny hops again. She easily covers the 200 feet and lands on top of the shelter. Plunging her saber into the roof, she cuts the hinges of the hatch before the operator inside could close it. The rabbit drops a spell card and jumps off before the Humvee was flattened by the explosion. She stumbles as the shockwave hits her but kept running towards another trench.
 
?The Americans have lost an uplink station,? Yorihime?s voice was all business. ?Artillery strike inbound.?
 
The area east of Resien came under heavy fire, killing anyone that was close enough. Two Panzer Is zoomed past her, firing a constant stream of tracer rounds. Coming up behind them, a King Tiger was deflecting rockets from all sides. Resien waited until the launchers were taken out before jumping on that tank and knocking on the turret. The fairy commander opens up and pulls out a map when she sees Resien?s cord.
 
?Human forces are trying to build up on the flanks here and here,? the fairy pointed at the ends of the mass. ?If we can push through the center, we can surround them and finish them off.?
 
?How much armor do we have left??
 
?We have 15 tanks in the immediate area. Five Panzer IVs, two King Tigers, three Tiger Is, two M1 Abrams, one Sherman Firefly, the Maus, and a Churchill. I?m not counting the Panzer Is since they wouldn?t be of any use in this attack. The Sturmtiger would be too powerful for an attack like this.?
 
?Where?s the weak points??
 
?There and there,? the fairy pointed at a group of five Humvees that were in complete disarray. ?We can break right through them. Once we do, keep up with us.?
 
?Alright.? Reisen pointed at them with her saber and shouted. ?Concentrate all fire!?
 
Three of the Humvees exploded during the initial exchange. Two heavy troopers opened fire on the remaining vehicles with their repeating rifles, punching clear holes in them. The tanks plow the husks out of the way, firing their main cannons at the retreating armor. One of the surviving humans dropped his weapon and fled from the Panzers. This prompted several others to look around and consider doing the same.
 
Katyusha launchers rained their rockets down on the area, breaking the human forces. An F-22 flew over them, using its sonic boom to disrupt the advance. It tried to turn around for another pass, but was interrupted by a SU-47 shooting it down.
 
?American B-1B bombers have locked on to our armor,? Yorihime called out. ?Take out those uplink stations.?
 
?Companies three and eight, over there,? Reisen pointed at an antenna. ?Do not allow them to escape!?
 
She ran, drawing her sidearm and shooting down a Private First Class. More and more moon rabbits were bunny hopping, looking like fleas. Human forces were becoming even more disorganized, leading to the rejection of doctrine. The ones with 5.56 NATO rounds quickly fell since they did little damage, leaving their heavier counterparts to pick up their slack. Youkai had discarded their modified weapons and went into close combat.
 
Human bodies flew through the air, courtesy of the oni forces that treated the battle like a game. Then a large explosion ripped through a group of Abrams tanks, leaving no trace of them. A Sturmtiger had fired a 380 mm rocket and was being reloaded by a single oni. The shock from the blast broke more troops and started a small retreat. With the confusion causes by this recent development, the Lunarian forces were able to push through.
 
Reisen had reloaded her rifle with rounds she had gotten from the tank commander and led the charge. In the midst of the advance, she wondered where her namesake was. Her skills would come in handy right now, even if she was originally infantry.
 
Hornets and Falcons circle above the battlefield, trying to get a hit on a Berkut to no avail. An F-35 flew in and let loose a missile, only to have it come back and shoot it down. Every so often, a tengu was hit by something and fell to the ground. Several of them somehow managed to be lit on fire and left craters when they landed. Even as more of them were swatted from the sky, they still took down a greater amount of aircraft with them.
 
The lead tank, a King Tiger, was moving forward when an airburst round exploded right in front of it. Reisen had to knock her head to get the ringing out of her ears. The crew of the tank climbed out and had to lean on the side of the tank. Each of them was breathing heavily and were unsteady on their feet.
 
?What happened?? Resien knelt down beside one of the fairies.
 
?An airburst round. They?re lucky to be alive.? One of the nearby senior sergeants said. ?If they were breathing in when it hit, they would be dead.?
 
Climbing up on the tank, Reisen is followed by four more Lunarians. They situate themselves while the regular crew is dragged to the rear by medical personnel. The King Tiger?s 88 mm cannon rotates to where the airburst round came from and fires one round. It rips through a hidden mortar nest and detonates other airburst rounds. The explosion spreads to other mortar pits, creating a chain reaction.
 
?Driver, forward,? Reisen saw an Oshkosh L-ATV light vehicle firing at them. ?Fire on that vehicle.?
 
?Which shell do I use?? The loader called out.
 
?Just grab one and put it in,? the gunner called out. ?I don?t think they would keep going with a gaping hole in their side.?
 
?The Americans have activated another uplink station. Move on that position.? Yorihime?s voice came through the radio.
 
The radio operator handed Reisen an updated map that had the uplink marked by a flashing circle. The moon rabbit flinches when she hears the sounds of small arms fire bounce off of the turret. Unrolling the map, she can see a trio of infantry companies providing security for the uplink station. The map didn?t tell her if they had anti-tank weapons, so she would have to rely heavily on infantry support. The last thing she needed was for an AT4 to get fired point blank into the rear armor or for infantry to knock on her hatch and hand her a grenade.
 
Coming up beside her, the Sturmtiger fired again. Using the shock and awe from the round, the King Tiger moved to exploit the gap in the line. Under the cover of the armor charge, the Lunarian infantry fanned out and began to hop as a unit. Heavy troopers stayed on the ground and unloaded hundreds of rounds as they smoothly walked forward. They had heavier hitting weapons than their lighter counterparts and shot through all kinds of cover.
 
Popping her head out of the commander?s cupola, Reisen took ahold of the MG42 and opened fire on the infantry in front of her. The American infantry dropped to the ground and tried to low crawl away from the tank, but it was useless with all of the fire suppressing them. With the tank moving forward, the suppressive fire turned into effective fire and wiped out entire squads. Reisen started moving her head around as bullets started to find their way towards her.
 
Then a large impact rang through the area, grabbing everyone?s attention. Coming towards the line, Sakuya?s Tiger (P) was still locked in the knife fight with the railgun equipped Abrams. Both tanks fired, and both tanks missed their targets. The Abrams had a rebooting targeting computer, so they had to rely on the gunner?s skill, if it existed. The Tiger (P) landed a glancing hit that left a small dent on the side of the turret. The round flew off into sky, landing miles away.
 
Noticing a paper taped on the hatch next to her, Reisen sees a cheat sheet for shells. ?Load APCR, wait for my signal.?
 
?Which one is that one??
 
?It says?PzGr. 40/43.?
 
?Found it. Round loaded.?
 
?Gunner, aim for the rear. Try to take out that engine.?
 
?Shot fired.? The round had impacted the side of the tank and went into the engine. The American tank instantly lost speed and slowed down to a halt.
 
?It?s good.? Reisen paused when she saw the turret towards them. ?Everybody out, now!?
 
The entire crew opened their hatches and were halfway out when the railgun projectile hit the tank. All five of them were launched out of the tank, but due to being almost out, they were more hurt by landing on their faces than the tank brewing up. The turret flew up and landed next to the short haired moon rabbit while she struggled with ringing in her ears again. She was afraid that it was going to become a permanent problem. She rolled on her back and stayed there to catch her breath.
 
Bailing out, the railgun crew was cut down by machine gun fire from the Tiger (P). The generators in the railgun tank became overloaded and ended up taking the remains of the tank with them. Sakuya grinded her teeth since she was extremely interested in studying the vehicle. Before she took her attention away, she noticed a pair of blinking lights inside the tank.
 
?Driver, reverse at full speed, now,? she called out. Then she snatches the radio from the operator and switches to an open channel. ?Everybody get back, they?re going to destroy the tank!?
 
Her shout caused the recovering Lunarians to get over their own problems and take to the air. The driver shifted the transmission to its highest reverse gear, hitting at least 90 kmph. It was a struggle to keep from banging her head in the confined space, but she managed to do so while keeping an eye on the wreckage. Then something orange in the air caught her eye. A Tomahawk cruise missile was heading for the pair of blinking lights, obviously sent to keep the technology from falling into enemy hands.
 
The impact and the explosion rocked the tank, but that was really the worst that happened. Her warning had given the infantry time to get clear, leaving only minor injuries that were quickly healed by medical personnel. If Sakuya remembered the dossier that Yukari gave her right, cruise missiles were only launched from ships or at least that?s what they were told, and the nearest ocean was a good distance away. That meant that someone either had great timing or was going to blow up the tank anyway. She looked to the sky to make sure that there weren?t any more of them coming and sighed in relief when she was sure.
 
Reisen II had finally caught her breath and stood back up. Having to run from a cruise missile didn?t help with getting herself back together. As soon as she felt that she was far enough way, she just let herself fall on the ground to rest her eyes for a bit. At that point, she really didn?t care since another regiment had arrived to continue the push.
 
National Diet Building, Tokyo, Japan
 
When Sumireko had walked through the gap that Yukari had made, she hadn?t expected to be back in Japan so quickly. Recognizing that she was at the soon to be moved seat of government, she looked down to see that her clothes were tattered and stained with blood. The twin pigtailed college student felt a little embarrassed about her outfit when Yukari gave her a bag and told her to go change in the restroom. Once she was in a stall, she opened the bag and saw what looked like her old high school uniform. Frowning, she pulls out only to see a few changes to it. A gut feeling makes her poke her head out of the stall where she sees a shower. Looking through the bag again, she finds shampoo, soap, and a towel. She frowns again when she doesn?t find a rubber duck. Taking a quick shower, she feels unbelievably better. The only changes to the school uniform that she now wore was the lack of the vest and the bolo tie. She missed the tie since she felt like a gunslinger when she had her 3D printed gun.
 
Checking her appearance in the mirror, she rubs her neck. It still hurt a little from almost getting choked to death, but she was sure a good night of sleep would help out a lot. Clipping the belt that held her sword back on, she carries the backpack with one strap and walks out of the restroom. Looking around, she notices that she was in the office area of the building. That would explain why there was a shower here and why it was extremely quiet. She walks into one of the offices and looks out of the window.
 
Outside, Lunarian heavy repeating rifles were steadied on bipods behind clear riot shields, deterring the token JSDF units from pushing forward. Enlisting the support of a few American units that were picking up supplies at Sagami General Depot, the line knew they couldn?t break the Lunarians in a head to head fight. But instead of the situation becoming a tense standoff, it was closer to awkward than anything else. A two way video feed allowed the JGSDF and their elected representatives to keep in touch. The Lunarian promise of no harm being done also went a long way to counter hostilities between the two.
 
Looking at the time, she?s surprised that it was only a little bit until four in the morning. She grimaces when she realizes that she won?t get any sleep for a while, but then remembers that she had just woken up a little while before. Many of the members of the Diet were still sleeping in their offices, so Sumireko made her way to the food court quietly. Seeing Yukari and Eirin sitting at a table, she sits down when the blonde waves her towards a chair.
 
?You want to know everything, don?t you?? Yukari took a sip from the tea cup in front of her.
 
?That would be much appreciated,? Sumireko knew that she had to distinguish herself, so why not impress them with sophisticated vocabulary.
 
?Where to begin?? Yukari paused while a Lunarian placed plates of pancakes in front of the trio. ?Well, we?ll start with you telling us what you know.?
 
?I heard that the United States has declared war on Gensokyo, even though the barrier should have kept it hidden.?
 
?Anything else?? Sumireko shook her head. ?The short version is that the barrier began to fail, and the Americans made up an excuse to try and move in. We learned that someone or something has been pulling strings behind the scenes to take us down. So far, we?ve fought them back in one battle and now we?re on the third day of the second battle. I would give you more details, but I doubt you would like to be bored.?
 
?No, that?s fine,? Sumireko shook her head. ?I want to hear everything.?
 
?Then I?ll let Colonel Yagokoro explain.?
 
The Colonel scowled as she was forced to pause eating her pancakes. ?We?ve captured all three of their FOBs and have broken their offensive. Then when they rolled out their new communications system, we broke that as well. By the end of the day, we should have completely routed them. Lunarian troops are completely outclassing their soldiers. ? She had to laugh. ?Now that I?ve seen what they call training, I really can?t be surprised. Letting politics dictate what they need to learn and develop? That?s just asking for a superior force to wipe them out in battle.?
 
?What do you mean by that, Colonel??
 
?They spend most of their time standing around and watching presentations on sensitivity and other useless topics. Many of the lower ranks are either dissatisfied and want out or they are deluded that they can make something out of themselves. The recent budget reductions have also reduced the number of experienced troops that they can call upon. The failure of the F-35 did take a lot of their funding that could have been used against us. Their top ranks have also become swollen, so they can?t even fight at their own peak efficiency. I could go on and on about their foolish mistakes, but that would take time that we don?t have.?
 
Eirin pauses as she holds her hand out. A moon rabbit hands her a scroll that it then placed on the table. With a snap of her fingers, it creates a hologram of the battle in real time.
 
?In a few more hours, night troops will switch out with their daytime counterparts. We are about 15 miles from their last line of defense and their main command post. The Tengu air units have been very helpful in covering our advance along with the rest of the GDF. NATO has been fragmenting and withdrawing all over the place. As long as nuclear weapons aren?t brought in, we should be on time for the overall goal.?
 
?Overall goal??
 
?The reason we?re eating breakfast in the Diet. It took us all day yesterday to convince them to even negotiate with us. Now that they are willing to talk with us free from American influence, we can hammer out a deal that will have everyone somewhat happy.?
 
?Why not have them surrender and become a colony?? Sumireko didn?t really mean that, but wanted to be sure.
 
?Because Yukari wants us to have them as an ally if possible,? Eirin shrugged. ?It makes sense from a political point of view, but it does take some of my troops off of the field. I rather have my troops get ready to crew the new battleships we?re about to set loose.?
 
?Gensokyo has a navy?!?? Sumireko sat up straight.
 
?They had their first sortie yesterday,? Yukari mixed a few teaspoons of sugar and a bit of honey into her tea. ?We?re planning on having five fleets of ten capital ships, each as a base for power projection. One thing that the kappas are doing right now is coming up with designs for more classes of battleships. We?re hoping to get something that would match the Montana?-class. If we get enough time, we can easily match the United States Navy in a conventional battle.?
 
Sumireko had to sit back in her chair and let that information sink in. She had never expected a conflict that would eclipse the Second World War in sheer firepower. ?But?won?t doing that?make them desperate to use?nuclear weapons??
 
?We have our own counters that are almost complete. As soon as the battle ends today, we can put the finishing touches on them. We also have somewhat of an orbital bombardment system in the early stages.? Yukari places another scroll on the table. This one shows a globe that was covered in multiple circles. ?The entire planet will be covered, so anywhere they wish to challenge us will be in our range.?
 
?Why are you telling me all of this?? 
?Because you will be one of our ace in the holes.? Yukari nods at the sword next to the pigtailed girl. ?You were able to fight off an abnormal attack by focusing your ability through that sword. I understand that it was the only thing near you, but you could have chosen a weapon with much more quality.? The gap youkai then takes possession of the weapon and regarded it with a critical eye. She hands it to Eirin where the Lunarian officer easily breaks it in half. The look on Sumireko?s face was of a young girl that was about to cry.
 
In order to keep Sumireko from bursting into tears, Eirin gave her a sword that was just handed to her by an assistant. ?Based on what Yukari had told me, this is much better for your fighting style. I bet no other sword on this planet can ever hope to match up against it. Lunarian steel with unrivaled flexibility and strength, an edge that rarely dulls. A straight blade that can easily switch from defense to attack and back again.?
 
Yukari pointed at a trio of crystals that were embedded in the handle. ?I had several of my contacts watch how you focused your power in the blade.  We?re get to those in a little bit. Colonel Yagokoro was able to get a record of your fight and would be happy to go over it right now.?
 
Eirin rolled yet another scroll on the table. ?For someone that has such a short time using a bladed weapon, you have a more than average amount of skill. But there were some mistakes that would have ended the fight earlier if you weren?t lucky. First, let me see you hand.? Sumireko obliges and allows Eirin to poke and prod at her strong hand. ?The way that you were holding you weapon is somewhat unsteady. Hold your knife in a reverse grip.? When she did it, the doctor nodded. ?Feels better, doesn?t it??
 
She taps the scroll to pause the recording. ?Next, the way that you were standing. It?s refreshing to see that they?re still teaching proper posture in schools. But this posture is not that suited for combat. Whenever you are at a standstill or getting ready, lower your center of gravity. Spread your feet and bend your knees. Lean forward a little, like you?re slouching some.? Three taps isolate the image of Sumireko and then changed it to match the instructions that Eirin had given. ?See how it looks more aggressive? It?ll decrease your reaction time and make it easier to move. Once you have more experience, you should be to decide which grip works best for you. Switching grips during a fight would also be an advantage.?
 
?Now it?s time to talk about your abilities,? Yukari waited a second as her cup was refilled by a moon rabbit. ?You used them at random, which was good enough to keep your opponent from setting the pace against you. Against a trained opponent, they would turn that against you. You must learn how to spot the right time and select the right power with the proper force. Take a good look at those crystals in the handle, there are three of them. If I were to break the handle of your original sword, I bet that I would find three of them as well. The one closest to the handle determines the color of the energy that glows when you focus on the blade. The one in the middle determines the additional properties of the blade when energy is focused through it. The crystal that is in it right now allows the blade to radiate and contain a large amount of heat around the blade. The crystal closest to the pommel determines the composition of the energy. This one is a concentrated and defined blade.?
 
?Always remember to never touch the blade when it?s activated,? Eirin warned. ?Most sword styles that are taught on Earth require grabbing the blade at some point, so it would be best if you learned some Lunarian styles. Once the negotiations and the battle are over, you?ll be taught by myself on how to survive a fight.?
 
?Note that it?s only for a short time,? Yukari finished her pancakes. ?Once you?re done with that, you?ll join the rest of your club in the outside. Right now, they?re doing some errands for me over in the United Kingdom involving procurement and contracting.?
 
?Procurement and contracting??
 
?Like I said earlier, we?re building our own ships. The Lunarians are just beginning to tool their shipyards, which is going to take a while. Since they?re providing ground troops, the least we can do is provide ships. We?ll need even bigger shipyards when we get to the Rejuvenator, Viscount, and Atago classes.? Sumireko just stared at her with a blank look on her face. ?The Rejuvenator is planned to be a hybrid aircraft carrier and battleship. The Viscount will be our second most heavily armored and defended ship, which would be able to easily shrug off point blank rounds from the Americans? largest guns. The Atago will be our largest ship, and will serve as the overall flagship for all of our forces. I?ll leave the specifics a surprise for now, but once it?s complete, it?ll be a mobile Gensokyo.?
 
?Does that mean the battle will be soon??
 
?It?ll be on our terms since we?ll have to jump our fleet in,? Eirin replied. ?I?m advocating for an all or nothing approach for the first battle, while my students want to take it by parts. If we can get at least half of their aircraft carriers, then we?ve won.?
 
Yukari cut in, ?I?m sure you want to know everything about that, but that?s for another time. Right now, I have an assignment for you.?
 
Sumireko sat up straight when she heard that.
 
?I have Maribel and Renko in the United Kingdom doing some errands. Your part is to go into more dangerous areas and make them ripe for our taking. This can include sowing discontent to removing roadblocks, permanently.?
 
 ?Do you really think I could do that?? Sumireko shifted uncomfortably in her chair. ?They might be below me, but I only killed those attackers out of anger.?
 
?If you don?t take care of them, what happens if they catch Maribel and Renko?? Yukari countered. ?On the first night of the battle, Colonel Yagokoro and Hauptmann Izaoyi ran into what could only be called a beast. This was right outside of Gensokyo. From what my sources tell me, it just appeared and started to attack. Lunarian medicine was no use against the wounds that it inflicted. It canceled out the Hauptmann?s ability to control time, which has never happened before. Do you want something like that after your fellow members??
 
Sumireko could only shake her head.
 
?Good. I don?t want to make it seem like I?m strong arming you, I really don?t. I just want you to realize the importance of what we?re asking you to do. I know that you don?t want to ever kill anyone else, I completely understand that. If I had done my job, none of this would have had to happen. All of the blood spilled in this war is on my hands. You?ll be part of the solution.?
 

The Dratini Farmer:

 DSEI, ExCeL, London, United Kingdom
 
The largest weapons and technology expo in the world was taking place in London. Maribel and Renko had arrived and were signed in as representatives of a small kingdom known as Cagliostro that was interested in acquiring defensive hardware. Yukari had originally told them they would be working for a procurement department for the British Army, but changed it on their way into the country. After a few looks from the check in staff, they were given their badges and a bag filled with maps and commemorative items such as water bottles and stress balls. Renko was busy looking through a small slide viewer that had pictures of a Mig 1.44 doing tricks at an air show, courtesy of the Mikoyan Corporation. She was impressed by the quality of  he image coming from a toy that might have well came out of a cereal box.
 
A majority of the attendees were military personnel from influential states from around the world, with the notable exception of the Lunarians. One of the objectives that Yukari had given the pair was to convince the organizers to declare their subsequent expos as neutral ground so that both sides could benefit. To Maribel, it sounded like Yukari had wanted to extend the war, but Yukari justified it by saying their equipment would make some nations think twice about taking up arms.
 
The pair were grateful that food vendors were in abundance, with foods from around the world. Once they had grabbed a to-go plate of sesame chicken and fried rice, they make their way to one of the presentation rooms and sat in the back row. The next five minutes consisted of them eating and watching as others wondered into the room as well. According to the program that they were given, General Dynamics was set to unveil a set of new products that were set to revolutionize the arms industry.
 
Once all the seats were filled, the lights were dimmed and the projector threw the logo of the defense contractor on the wall of the stage. A man dressed in a professional looking suit and tie walked onto the stage while adjusting the microphone on his lapel.
?As everyone in this room knows, there is a war going.? The man started. ?NATO forces have finally found a conventional enemy that has matched them on the battlefield. But they are equipped with the wrong equipment at the present state. As history has soon time and time again, wars and conflicts have a tendency to spread beyond their original lines. Globalization has only managed to speed up the spread of the fires of war. It is the responsibility of nations to protect their citizens and allies from those that wish to do them harm or spread chaos.?
 
The spokesman clicks the remote that he has in his hand. ?We at General Dynamics are proud to present two of our newest offerings to the defense community. The first is a new type of missile that can lock on to extremely small heat signatures. I will be the first to admit that we have had extreme problems with such a small heat source, but our sense of perseverance saw to us figuring out the secret. Our factories are working around the clock, with our workers receiving a generous amount of overtime.? He paused to allow scattered applause. ?The missiles will be smaller than past missiles, perfect for those situations were space is at a premium.?
 
Clicking the remote changed the slide to a size comparison between a human and a tank. ?As many of you may already know, the way infrared missiles work is by locking on to a heat source and following it. Most other missiles needed something on the level of a tank engine in order to get a good lock. Missiles like ours are easier to use since they can be more precise. For our new Hawkeye missile, which is patent pending, all that is needed is 98.6 degrees of a concentrated heat source. Drones on the market right now can easily see and identify humans on the battlefield, so we used that same principle for our missiles. This also allows for a more precise strike since you aim at your actual target instead of having to rely on a nearby heat signature.? The man had to pause to take a sip of water. ?The missile system is also modular. The beauty of this is that larger missiles and smart bombs can be converted to Hawkeyes for even more power projection.?
 
The room instantly erupted into a furry of murmurs. The ability to turn any missile into an extremely precise missile was a game changer for any nation with drones or other advanced aircraft. Maribel and Renko shared a look, knowing that this would be a formidable weapon against the flight capable GDF infantry.
 
?The second is something that we have been working on since the 60s.?
 
Another press of the button started a video on the screen. The camera focused on the skyline of a large city, a challenging battleground for any armed force. But the serene view was broken by the flames of battle. Then the camera view changed to one from the ground, showing a group of soldiers running with backpacks. When they reached the edge of a building, they jumped over the ledge and were lifted up into the air. The backpack had created thrust and lifted them to another roof top.
 
?While jetpack technology is nothing new, we at General Dynamics have developed a practical, tactical, and dynamic propulsion system. With a rated time of 1 hour worth of flight, it will change the way operators view combat situations. Controlled by the operator through the use of timed blinks, it will expand the range of the modern warfighter. The control scheme is set up to free up both hands, allowing the warfighter to concentrate on the mission at hand. The standard package will be able to carry 250 pounds with maximum flight time. Our base package includes the jetpack system themselves along with a year worth of advising services.?
 
 A chart detailing bronze, silver, and gold packages appeared next. ?The three packages reflect the features and accessories that are included with the jetpacks. The bronze can be considered the bare bones package, with the necessary equipment to maintain and do light repairs. The silver package includes a missile launcher built into the jetpack. Using our propriety missiles, the operator has anti-armor capability. The gold package offers anti-air missiles in addition to anti-armor. All three come with a special half skirt that protects against the backdraft from the engines. ?
 
The next chart showed two options. ?Our warranty comes in two increments. The standard package is the same as I said before. The premier package extends the one year advising period to five. Our fuel is ready to go into production, with a diluted alternative being geared for a patent free release. We recognize that many operators may find themselves out of range of our fueling stations, so we have made sure to alleviate that pain.?
 
With a smile, the spokesman took off his glasses. ?Since we love to keep our customers guessing about our next range of services, we purposely left off one more new branch that General Dynamics has just created. Ladies and gentlemen of the world, it brings me the highest pride and pleasure to announce the opening of the General Dynamics Crusader Bank!?
 
Again the room erupted into a buzz of excitement and surprise. Renko sat back as she realized the implications of this development.
 
?We intend to be to the military forces of the world what The World Bank is to developing countries.? The next slide detailed the official goal of the new financial institution. ?Our goal is the proliferation of equal military standing for all legitimate states. We intend to unite all nations in collective security and promote world peace by balanced firepower. The Crusader bank will be a worldwide operation, dealing with all currency from the dollar or euro to even the chicken or goat.?
 
On the next screen, a chart with interest rates appeared. ?Even though this chart looks intimidating, don?t worry too much about it. What I want to talk about now is how we are already becoming a world leader in lending and finance. As of this morning, we have secured charters from every nation that we use their currency as a reserve. This list includes the United States, the whole of the European Union, the British pound sterling, the Japanese yen, and the Chinese yuan. We are currently in talks with each of the five countries in order to decide on a single worldwide reserve. It is our hope that by choosing one reserve currency, we can make it into a worldwide currency.?
 
More murmurs came from the various representatives in the crowd, knowing that economic power was as important as force projection. Many from non-NATO nations, and even some from the organization, were wary of allowing the Americans to gain even more power and influence. Even though the United States was suffering from a bit of a recession, they were still formidable in their own right.
 
?We will be happy to provide more details, but the process is still in the preliminary stages.? The spokesman wagged his finger. ?Money is as important as bullets and vehicles on the battlefield. Our aim is to make sure that it is available to those that need it. I would like to announce more of the exciting projects that we are working for, but I believe that I have gone on long enough. If any of you are interested, we have an informational packet that is available at our booth.?
 
With the presentation over, everyone got up and began to exit the presentation room. As Maribel and Renko passed a trashcan beside the entrance, they threw away the takeout plates they had finished. Now that they were in a large hall, they saw and heard the expo in full swing. Stands were everywhere, with their personnel giving impassioned sales pitches. There were seven zones, each dedicated to a specific theme. The pair decided to go to the Land Zone, since Yukari told them that holding ground would be the main goal.
 
With the large group that was moving towards the stands, the pair decided to go around using the outer walkway. The sun had risen into the morning sky and made the River Thames glisten in that early morning tone. The sea gulls flew above everything, with their distinct calls coming from everywhere. A light breeze that carried the sea salt from the Atlantic, reminding them of Tokyo a little bit.
 
Maribel pulled out the catalog that they had been given and began to thumb through it. She notices an envelope near the back end of the book and pulls it out. Inside were two tickets to a gathering at The Savory Hotel, which was the place that Yukari had arranged for them to stay. Maribel looked around but saw nothing suspicious, which only served to set her more on edge. But then she remembered that whoever would be hunting them couldn?t risk a move with such a large group around them.
 
?The story of Dragon Skin is well known in the defense industry,? a representative from the nearest stand called out. The pair joined the small group that served as an impromptu audience. ?We?ll be the first to admit that our earlier generations did have issues her and there. But our fifth generation body armor has solved all of those problems and improved on all of our advantages.?
 
The salesman holds up the body armor. ?Lightweight, breathable, flexible, and durable, it is the next step in the evolution of body armor! Rated against the infamous 7.62 x 54r round at a distance of 5 meters, it can withstand multiple uses at an affordable price. I?m not one to brag, but it puts existing armor around the world to shame! No trauma plate is required, it truly is a plug and play protection system.?
 
Making a note of the armor in a small book, Renko follows her friend as they moved to another stand. This one was for a helmet that used augmented reality glasses over both eyes to spread information quickly.
 
?After a few upgrades to the base R-6 glasses, we have unlocked all of the advancements that we needed to go into the future. Waterproof, shatterproof, jamproof, and secure, it can survive and thrive in any battlefield. Since we have focused on augmented reality instead of hiding everything with virtual reality, we let the warfighter have the information they need with the situational awareness that they depend on.?
 
?I see that you?ve received the tickets,? Maribel flinched when she heard the voice behind her. Renko tenses up as she slowly turns around. A burnet woman with shoulder length hair and glasses wearing a blue skirt suit was smiling at them. ?My, you do look a lot like Sumireko.?
 
?Wait, how do you know her?? Renko feared the worst.
 
?She?s the one that gave me a tour of the Outside World after I tricked her during the Lunar Orb incident. When she went on and got herself stuck in Genoskyo, I was the one that kept an eye on her.?
 
?So, you?re from Gensokyo?? Maribel started to feel better.
 
?I was originally from Sado, but after the UFO incident, I?ve started calling Genoskyo home.? She held her hand out for the pair to shake. ?My name is Mamizou Futatsuiwa, but I would prefer if you call me Inspector Lee of Interpol.? Mamizou pointed at the badge hanging from her pocket. Under the nationality field, it listed Hong Kong. ?I?ve been sent to make sure that weapons smuggling and trafficking doesn?t happen. Even though I don?t have any arresting authority, I can still act as a liaison between the various police forces that are watching this event.?
 
?Are we on that watch list?? Maribel asked.
 
?At the start, but that notice never got past my desk,? Mamizou shrugged. ?Since I?m considered the most senior Interpol member that happened to have the most contracts here in the United Kingdom, I tend to get away with a lot of things. Yukari has asked me to keep an eye out over both of you and to help you make some connections with the industries that are in attendance. Those tickets that I snuck into your catalog are a result of that.?
 
?But they?re for a reception at the hotel ballroom.?
 
?Many of the industry leaders will be in attendance. I?ve managed to talk a few of them into talking with both of you about some contracts.? The bake-danuki gave the stand near them a disinterested glance. ?Yukari was wanting to see if they would be interested in holding another expo in a neutral location. If you can manage that, I?m sure that she would be very happy.?
 
They were interrupted by the sounds of cheering and applause created by the crowd watching a mini-UAV doing tricks. Maribel felt better that they weren?t alone
 
NATO Final Line, Japan
 
With the news about the Lunarians getting close starting to spread, the more intelligent leaders were advocating a retreat to salvage the situation. Since they were in the minority, the remaining troops were quickly working to build up any defenses they could. The area that could now rightfully be called a redoubt could hold off an equivalent force, but they all knew the Lunarians were more than equivalent.
 
Some of the Japanese forces withdrew from the battle while others had moved to the rearmost area. They were split between staying and moving towards Tokyo due to the Lunarians having surrounded the Diet building. The aircraft being held in the reserve were being rushed to the front in order to help blunt the enemy advance. A-10 Warthogs were performing more and more attack runs in the past three days than they did in training the past ten years.
 
Back at a refuel and rearming point behind the Lunarian line, Sakuya and Nazrin were taking a count of how many tanks they had left. After multiple counts, they were forced to accept the fact that they only had twenty tanks total. One Maus, one Porsche Tiger, three Panzer IVs, one Sherman Firefly, one Panzer I, two M1 Abrams, one King Tiger, three StuG IIIs, two Ferdinands, and five Panthers.
 
With what the White Wolf tengus have been spotting during the scouting, the pair knew that not all of them were going to come out of this in one piece. Sakuya knew that their armor would be instrumental in breaking though this entrenched line and resigned herself to leading that charge. They were about ready to go since they were rearmed and refueled. The Lunarians had made the point next to a large lake, so the crews were using the water to wake themselves up.
 
An explosion interrupted their planning, and announced a surprise attack. Sakuya climbed on top of her Tiger (P) as it shook during the engine?s ignition. She takes hold of the MG 42 and opens fire while putting on the throat microphone. The StuG III beside her took a round though the driver?s viewport and fried the crew that had just jumped in.
 
Rapidly approaching the base was a combined air and armored thrust, one made out of desperation. Hornets and Raptors dropped bombs and launched weak strafing runs. Sakuya gritted her teeth as the last King Tiger went up in flames due to its high explosive rounds getting hit. If they fell below twelve tanks, there would be no way that they would be able to break the redoubt?s defenses. The Panzer I tried to take a turn too fast and ended up flipping on its side and then got a rocket through its exposed bottom.
 
An American Abrams showed itself and fired a round that had just missed the maid. The fairy gunner tuned the 88 mm cannon towards the approaching tank and landed a hit through the turret. Then a lucky shot tracked the Maus, leaving it with only the ability to go in circles. With the super heavy tank basically immobilized, it attracted fire from everyone in the area.
 
The token Lunarian infantry was getting overwhelmed, but still inflicted heavy damage on the enemy forces. The Sherman Firefly went up in flames since it wasn?t suited for the close fighting it was destroyed in. The three Panzer IVs had closed the distance and were fighting the approaching Abrams at a range of meters.
 
A click from the MG 42 made Sakuya?s stomach drop, and signaled the end of the weapon?s firing. A 120 mm shell hits the engine, bringing the tank to a halt. The only good thing about the hit was the fact that it failed to set anything on fire, meaning that replacing the engine would bring the tank back to working order. Pulling out her Walther P38 and a set of silver knives, Sakuya stomps her foot to get her crew to dismount.
 
As soon as she lands, she throws three of the four knives, taking down a fire team that was wanting to capture the disabled tank. She bounces the last knife off of the Tiger (P) and hits an American sergeant running towards one of the heavy rifles used for perimeter defense. Three quick rounds from her P38 give her more breathing room as she surveys the chaos around her.
 
Artillery began to fall all around the fight, showering the area with dirt. Sakuya?s peaked cap protected her eyes, letting her concentrate. The American forces began to throw smoke canisters, highlighting targets for the A-10s. One of the anti-tank missiles they launched hit the Maus and started a fire. The crew bailed out with Nazrin realizing that she left her pack of crackers and peanut butter inside. Before she could jump back in, the fire reached the ammo rack and caused a brew up.
 
Kokoro grabbed her naginata that was hanging from the side of the burning Maus and cut down a human that tried to shoot the group. Shou threw her spear and skewered two British soldiers that were moving a light machine gun into place. One of the fairy crew members took to the air, only to be brought down by a hail of bullets.
 
?Get on that radio and see where they came from,? Nazrin shouted as she ducked behind the Maus. ?Momjij should have seen them coming!?
 
?Nitori, why didn?t you warn us about this push,? one of the fairies shouted into the radio box they pulled out a disabled tank.
 
?The map didn?t show anything near there,? Nitori replied back. ?Momiji and the rest of the White Wolves aren?t close, can you hold out until we can get you help??
 
Sakuya grabbed the radio from the fairy. ?We just lost the Maus and the Porsche Tiger. Even if we don?t lose any more tanks, we can?t break their last line now. We?re about to get wiped out-?. She was interrupted by the radio being shot through.
 
Dropping the useless box, the maid empties her magazine and quickly reloads. Kokoro gracefully keeps her momentum steady with sweeping movements and spins, only to be stopped by a bullet to the left shoulder. Before she falls on her face due to her losing her balance, Nazrin and Shou drag her behind an ammo crate. Then Nazrin turns around and shoots the soldier with a palm pistol that send the man flying backwards onto his face. The power of the round was hidden by the chirp of a cricket that the pistol made.
 
Looking around her, Sakuya sees that they were completely overwhelmed with only a fraction of what they had just a few minutes ago. Peeking out from behind the large rock she had taken cover behind, she can only see waves of more troops joining the fight against them. Then something over the lake catches her eye. She wasn?t the only one to see it, as some from both sides tried to make out what it was. Once she recognized what it was, she felt a surge of pure joy and relief come over her.
 
Over the lake, three full squadrons of the most mismatched aircraft were heading towards them. The formation was only about twenty feet above the lake, leaving trails in the water below them. Leading the charge was an SU-47 that had the Black Crow emblem on its wings.
 
?Get ready,? Aya said to her fellow pilots. ?That?s our people down there and they need our help. Don?t let all of those fighters scare you. Lock flaps in combat position.?
 
The NATO aircraft stopped their attack runs and turned to face the new threat bearing down on them. As soon as the two groups made contact, the formations broke apart. Aya instantly turned on an American F-18, chasing it down until it fell to her cannon. Before the explosion of the fighter died down, she was chasing a French Typhoon and ripping its wings off. On the ground the NATO forces were torn between wiping out the rest of the rearming station or firing into the giant dogfight.
 
?Anyone that can,? Sakuya shouted out. ?Make a wheel around the Maus!?
 
Grabbing whatever they could, they piled debris to create cover. They were helped out by the new debris that was raining down on them due to the NATO planes dropping like flies. The A-10s had stopped making attack runs, wary of becoming Berkut food. Nazrin popped out from behind the wreckage and killed another human. Kicking the lid off an ammo box next to her, Sakuya gets an idea.
 
The maid grabs the closest gunner and drags her back into the Tiger (P). Grabbing a battery out of the storage compartment next to the radio operator?s spot, she opens a panel and cuts two wires. She twists the positive cable into one of the wires she cut and flinches when it starts to spark. Then she twists the negative into the remaining cable and tapes the battery onto the panel.
 
?Gunner, you?re stuck on manual but the cannon should work now,? Sakuya slams a HE round into the chamber. ?Thin out that charge.?
 
Aya had finished shooting down her tenth plane and decided to gain some altitude. She goes into a loop that brings her behind a Typhoon and chases it. It falls apart in a hail of gunfire and Aya pulls into a loop. The tengu then goes down to ground level to avoid a squadron coming at her and takes a few shots at the ground forces firing at her. Sakuya slams another round into the cannon and pokes her head out of the turret. The air support was helping to dent the attack, but they were still in trouble.
 
Coming out of another loop, Aya chases a Hornet at lake level. It dodges her attacks with a surprising degree of skill, and manages to get a kill with the Tengu on its tail. Before she can shoot it down, an alarm starts beeping in the cockpit. Out of sheer instinct, she broke to the left and dodged a pair of Patriot missiles coming at her.
 
The Hornet next to her wasn?t as lucky, getting hit in the nose and disappearing into a ball of flame. The air then became full of the smoke trails from more missiles, hitting any aircraft that ran into them. Seeing the trails from the ground, Sakuya can only load the Tiger (P)?s cannon as the waves continue to arrive.
 
?Remains of the Panzer Division,? Yukari?s voice came over the radio. ?Hold your ground for a little longer, our new weapon has arrived.?
 
A gap opens in the middle of the circle and a girl got pushed out. She looks back at Yukari, who hands her a backpack. ?Keep this on at all times, or you might ended getting shot. A lot. Good luck!?
 
?A girl?? Sakuya poked her head out of the tank. ?We?re getting attacked by a majority of the humans and Yukari sends a little girl??
 
?The name?s Sumireko Usami,? the girl responded sharply. She pulls out the sword that seemed to be out of place on her belt and school uniform. Then she turns a knob and puts the backpack on. The hail of gunfire that was hitting the circle from all sides slowed down considerably.
 
Taking the sword into a two handed grip, Sumireko jumps on top of the Tiger (P). She takes a practice swing while some of the humans just stared at her. Then one of the Americans yells out, ?Shoot this fool!?
 
 Deflecting gunfire with lighting fast reflexes, she heads straight for a machine gun emplacement. She lifts up the machine gunner and saturates him with electricity before throwing him into an ammo crate. A tingling behind her ear makes her lift her hand up and catch a 120 mm tank shell only three feet away from her.
 
She throws it to the side and grabs the M1 Abrams in her ranged grip. Squeezing her hand, she bends the barrel all the way around. Then she crushes all of the hatches closed and lifts the tank up into the air. The humans that were watching her were too dumbfounded to do anything, giving her the opportunity to crush the tank into a ball of debris. Once she was done, she slammed the ball into a Challenger that was aiming for the burning Maus.
 
Before the humans could be shaken out of their daze, Sumireko brings up both of her hands and unleashes a storm of lighting that spreads with each victim. Then she charges a massive push and blows away anything in front of her. With the rest of the line starting to waver from the sudden assault, the battered tankers were able to push back. Sakuya uses a time stop to grab a MG 42 from a Panzer IV and helps cover Sumireko?s advance. They had ran out of HE shells, so staying inside the tank would have been useless.
 
An American sergeant tried to hit Sumireko with his rifle, only for the girl to spin around and plant her blade into his stomach. She lifts him up slightly and spins him around to throw him off the blade. She lifts another one into the air with a mind grip and impales him by throwing her sword into him. Dropping the body, she calls the blade back and charges a quick repulse that gives her space.
 
An F-22 Raptor flies over the area and ends up getting seized in midair by the psychic. Overpowering the engine, she slams it into a group of mortars. Using the flames as a cover, Sumireko sprints forward and cuts off the barrel of a Challenger. Before the crew could understand what was going on, the pig tailed girl stabbed the driver through the armor. Pulling the blade out, she follows that up with lighting and then jumps back.
 
Jumping back, she lifts it up into the air and crushes it. The act of slamming the debris into the ground struck sheer panic into the closest soldiers and caused them to retreat. Sumireko charges up a bubble around her that starts to attract debris from around her. Then she charges it with lightning and sends it flying all around her. Anyone within 100 meters of her is killed instantly and the rest of the attacking force to turn tail.
 
Trying to catch her breath, she?s surprised to see them run away in such numbers. She slows down her breathing and let?s lightning flow from her fingertips. Even with the fact that the closest target was outside of her range, it still bought her more time to recover. Once she feels better, she looks up to see the dogfight reach a frenzy. A P-51 with Tengu markings shut off its engine to flip around and shoot down a pursuer.
 
Reloading her Karabiner 98k, Sakuya was forced to discard her MG-42 since it ran out of ammo. Reverting back into her old mindset, she drops five Americans without coming out of her sprint. Just as she?s putting in her third round, an American Butter Bar tries to tackle her. Stepping to the side, she brings her knee into his stomach, breaking the ceramic plate in his body armor. Then she spins the rifle and plunges the bayonet into his back, causing the rifle to go off when it hits the ground.
 
Sumireko narrows her eyes as she ran towards a small hill in front of her. She can hear explosions and the sounds of gunfire even louder from that direction. Just as soon as she reaches the top, she feels herself get caught in a telekinetic grip and thrown sideways. She managed to get a split second look at her attack, but could only see a black shape standing there. Then she hit a crate and disappeared behind it.
 

The Dratini Farmer:

 Situation Room, White House, Washington, DC
 
?All vital signs are within normal parameters.?
 
?All troops within range of Shadow 1 are to hold their fire.?
 
?Sensors are indicating powers in estimated ranges.?
 
The god of disaster that had taken over the surviving global superpower was sitting at the head of the table with a satisfied smirk plastered on his face. One of his pet projects from his days as director of the CIA was getting a field test and was performing much better than he expected. If it kept up like this, they would have a real chance of turning the tide and wiping out the GDF and LDC in conventional combat.
 
?Target has been slung behind a crate,? one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. ?She looks to be between the ages of 18 and 20 and matches the description of a researcher targeted by our allies in Peru.?
 
?Hmm, either we had bad intel, or that old hag helped her escape.? Xingun sighed. ?Either way, give Shadow One the go ahead. And make sure that he experiments as much as he can.?
 
?Shadow One, you are cleared to engage. Orders from Big Bird are to test all skills. Shadow Two is to remain on standby until needed.?
 
?Roger.?
 
Lunarian-NATO line, Japan
 
Sumireko jumped back over the crate and twirled her sword as she lowered her center of gravity. She rotated her shoulders to loosen her joints and brought her sword up into a horizontal block. Her opponent carried a pike with he kept at a ready position, no other weapons were visible. The man wore a set of black fatigues with body armor and a full face helmet that had an antenna poking up.
 
She feels her feet getting lifting up of the ground and then she begins to spin in midair. She breaks the hold with a hastily charged repulse and falls back to her feet. Deciding that letting him get another attack like that in would be foolish, she gets in range for her blade. She tries for a stab at center mass, only for the man to twirl around the attack and plant an elbow into her face and draw blood.
 
Staggering back, she barely brings up her sword in time to block. Then she feels a foot connect with her chest and send her flying back. She loses her footing and falls forward a bit, ending up with the pike?s shaft connecting with the side of her head. If she hadn?t stumbled, the blade would have been lodged in her skull and the fight would be over.
 
The pig tailed girl flies even more, wondering how much she would get sent through the air today. Stabbing his pike point down into the ground, the man punches her in the stomach and lifts her up. An elbow on her back sends her into the ground, leaving her gasping for air. Not quite finished, her opponent kicks her fifteen feet away.
 
Grabbing her in a telekinetic grip, he lifts her up by the throat. Gathering her power, Sumreko uses another repulse and catches him off guard. They both cast lighting at each other, getting stuck in a loop. She manages to overpower the opposing lighting and sends him thirty feet.
 
?Sumireko, if you keep this up, you?re going to get yourself killed,? Eirin?s voice sounded like it was right next to her. The pigtailed girl looked around her, but saw nothing. ?I?ve implanted your hat with a charm that keeps you in contact with me. But the point is that you need to concentrate. I may not have the kinds of powers that you do, but I know the possibilities of them due to research I done.?
 
Focusing on her pain, she uses her power to give her strength. She grips her sword tightly, and moves closer to control the distance.
 
?The first thing that you need to remember about the pike, or any other long weapon, is that space is key.? Eirin explained. ?As long as they control the distance, they control the fight. Their extended range comes at a price, getting in close takes advantage of their weak point. They also have a harder time defending, so aggression is helpful here.?
 
Sumireko blocks a horizontal strike by holding her blade straight up and manages to shove the man back. She gets payback from earlier by punching him in the faceplate so hard he staggers.
 
?In order to take advantage of your aggression, you must adopt a style that lets you create momentum and force. Since you can?t create that force naturally, you must rely on your power. Focus on beating through an enemy instead of beating at them. Once you force his defense away, then you can strike the final blow.?
 
Even augmented by her power, she still found it difficult to beat his defense away. Catching her blade, the man manages to send it flying out of her hand. Before he could strike her down, she punches him in the wrist and forces him to drop the pike.
 
?Against an armored opponent, you are at a disadvantage. Using your ability to guide and protect your hands until you get your sword back. Analyze his armor and strike at unprotected joints and vital spots. If you want to survive this next part, you must move quickly.?
 
Dodging a one-two combo, she strikes at the unprotected armpit. Then she lands a hard hit on the inside of his elbow and watches his arm go limp. Sumireko barely dodges a reflexive elbow and lands a hit on at the base of his neck. Using the time she was given, she summons her blade back to her hand. Her opponent summons his weapon back and swings it back in preparation for a strike. Focusing all of her power on her blade, she manages to cut the pike in half and lands a kick on his chest that knocks him straight down.
 
Jumping over him with slashing down, her attack is parried and the man jumps back up. He quickly spins his blade around while moving away from her 
 
?Wielding one blade against a paired weapon places you at a severe disadvantage. Only the most experienced fighter can hold their own against someone skilled in duel wielding. Your sword has the property of being made up of two swords. Pull them apart and counter his two weapons.?
 
She pulls the swords apart, surprising her opponent. She is forced to change her style into something a little bit more reckless. Dragging both blades through the ground while moving easier and faster, she spins to keep her momentum and force up. The man could only give ground as he adjusted to her attacks. He swings a low strike, forcing her into a butterfly spin to avoid it. She lands with her back to him and blocks the approaching strike.
 
Turning to face him, she uses both blades in tandem in order to tie up his own. A kick to his left hand knocks that half of the pike, but the man recovers by changing to a two handed grip. Leaning forward, he tries to batter away her left blade, forcing her to stand her ground. She?s knocked back by his third blow and is forced to give ground. She side steps his next strike and kicks him in the chest.
 
She jumps and spins to gain momentum for a strike, locking the blades together. She struggles as the blades come closer to her face.
 
?With two blades, it becomes difficult to apply your strength to break locks and deliver physical strikes,? Eirin sounded like she was remembering something as she spoke. ?It is in this situation that the sharpness of your blades would be important. Which brings us to your powers. Unlike most other powers, yours are based on scientific principles. The law of conservation of mass states that energy can only be changed, not created. The most likely reaction would be a chilling in the air around you whenever you use a strenuous power. Redirecting a small percentage of that power would allow you to make yourself immune to the effect, for a short time.?
 
Deciding that trying to limit the power of her attacks would be the worst possible thing to do at the moment, she feels that she can deal with the cold for a little while. Finally overpowering the lock, she jumps over and kicks him away with both feet. She handstands back on her feet and sends a quick bolt of lightning that makes him spasm. Realizing a new weakness, she charges her blades up and lands a good hit. The only downside to the attack was she couldn?t physically punch him without getting shocked as well at her skill level.
 
A tingle runs down Sumireko?s spine, forcing her to break her attack and spin around with her blades up. She catches a strike from a second attacker in black, identical to the first in everything but weapon. This one had an electric baton that sparked randomly with sinister electricity. The pair strike out at the same time, forcing Sumireko to divide her attention.
 
?Two opponents attacking in tandem opens up more possibilities for their attacks. In a fight like this, it would be a wise course to stack your opponents, but an open space like this makes it difficult to keep. The best course is to disable one so you can focus on the other. You must move quickly to avoid being cornered by the pair.?
 
Taking the advice to disable one of them to heart, she changes the target of her attacks to their legs. The pair were forced to stay light on their feet, not an easy task with amount of body armor that they were wearing. Realizing that they were trying to lure her into a trap, she backflips away from them and crouches down. As one of them tries to tackle her, she stands back up and rolls him over her shoulder.
 
Before he can land on the ground, the pig tailed girl launches a back kick that catches him in the stomach and cracks his armor. She attacks the remaining man, trying to get behind him. She focuses on attack with her right blade, saving the left for an opening that she knows will soon appear. The man kicks at her, connecting with her side. Hissing at the pain, the girl keeps her defense up as blows rain down.
 
An idea strikes at that moment and she throws lighting at him. She stops that attack and turns around quickly. Taking three steps back, she twirls the blades and stabs straight back. Both of them go through his armor and chest, coming out of his back. She pulls them out and faces him to deliver a punch augmented with her ability. The body flies off into the distance and she turns to face the second attacker.
 
Putting her swords back into one, she adopts a horizontal guard stance as the pair circle each other. The man twirls his baton in his hand as he inches closer. Their first strike results in a lock, which Sumireko quickly overpowers. She lifts him up into the air and strikes him twice with his own weapon before calling it into her hand. Once she throws him on the ground, she tosses the baton back at him in a gesture saturated with contempt.
 
The man picks himself back up and goes back into a fighting stance. Dropping his hand to his hip, he pulls out a Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight revolver. The extremely concealable revolver fires five shots, which are all deflected by Sumireko?s sword. Knowing that it would be next to impossible to reload in time, he throws the weapon at her face. She ducks, feeling a surge of annoyance at the perceived insult.
 
?Now that you are back to one opponent, you can control the fight. Choose a course of action and commit to it until the end. Do not stray your final blow.?
 
Taking a step forward, she raises her blade up above her head. She strikes out three times, with her attacks getting blocked each time. Before she can reset, she gets tapped with the baton in her stomach. Electricity flows through her body, causing her to spasm with excruciating pain. The man pulls the baton back and rears back for a hit to her head. She gets him back by casting her own lightning and knocks him off of his feet.
 
She doesn?t ease off the lightning, making him flop around like a fish. Not satisfied by the amount of pain that she was inflicting, she ramped up the amount she created. The man starts screaming as the increased power goes straight to his nervous system. Sumireko grits her teeth as she starts stepping forward. She stops the attack and lifts him up to slam him into the ground. Picking him up again, she delivers a precise blow with the pommel of her sword that cracks his helmet in half.
 
Sensing an A-10 Thunderbolt flying above her, she decides to kill two birds with one stone. Throwing the man a good distance away, she then turns her attention to gripping the plane. Overpowering the engines, her grip holds the plane in a vertical position. With a brief and intense effort, she slams the plane into her defeated opponent.  She hears a sparking coming from behind her, and notices that the box Yukari had given her had taken damage and was dying.
 
Groaning, she can only hope that Yukari wasn?t about to make her pay that back because she had already earmarked money for a new hat. Planting the sword in the ground, she drops the backpack since it was useless now. With the copper expanding signal weaken to the point it was almost gone, the Americans were able to increase their firepower. Turning her head to her side and raising her arm, she stops a hail of bullets that were coming towards her.
 
With a shout, she punches the ground and send a large shockwave towards them. As they were knocked into the air, she electrocuted them without mercy. She charges up a maelstrom and watches as more humans scatter. Then she pitches forward as she holds the sides of her head. A series of images suddenly appeared in her mind, shutting her off from everything. She saw herself creating fire from her hands and using it to burn down everything.
 
Once she could move again she brings up her left hand with the palm up. Focusing herself, she creates a small flame that dances in her hand. She makes it jump, shrink, and do flips as she tests it out.
 
?So you have the power of pyrokinesis as well,? Eirin noted. ?This is a power that is dependent on your discipline. Too much power and you risk burning yourself, too little will result in wasted energy. You must also keep the three requirements for combustion in mind and control each of them. In time, you will be able to control oxygen levels to create flames of different properties and to create heat to slow down the chilling effect from using your powers. But you must be mindful of your powers and abilities. Allowing yourself to have dreams and illusions of grandeur will only serve to hurt you.?
 
Lunarian Training and Staging Facility, Dark Side of the Moon
 
A rare spectacle in the Capital was mirroring the atmosphere of the events on the staging grounds. Eighteen regiments from the colonies and the Moon were in formation amidst a thunderstorm and howling winds. After the attack and temporary eviction of the Lunarians from the moon, it became obvious to those in charge that more living space was needed. Using the same principles of probability that allowed them to get to the Moon, they were able to create colonies on the other planets in the solar system.
 
The colonies had prospered and were expanding quickly. With more living space, the population also increased. As the population increased the need for more troops did as well. At the projected rate, living space would be available for a few more generations at the very least. Many had scoffed at colonizing other planets, but they were being proved wrong by the wealth and advancement that many were seeing now.
 
As a result of the increase of population and land, the LDC had to have more troops in order to keep the peace in the expanding Lunarian Kingdom. Projections by the high ranks maintained that at least eighty full time regiments would be needed to keep the peace. Of course, with a war starting to ramp up, twice that would be needed for all purposes. For the battered regimetns that were already in battle, more regiments were called up. But with such a high amount of units, it took a bit of time to mobilize and move them to staging areas. But now, they all standing out in the rain while waiting to move out.
 
Three figures were off to the side, waiting for their orders. The three were part of the Royal Commandos, and were going to be sent in individually. Since they answered to the Royal Family and their closest advisors, they were able to do as they pleased until they got their orders. Before Ringo could truly get comfortable in the rain, a horn could be heard throughout the staging ground. Regimental commanders instantly turned and ran towards the pole where the standard of the Lunarian Defense Corps flew in the wind.
 
Battalion commanders began to give preparatory commanders the company commanders. As word spread, the troops began to double check their equipment and steel themselves for what was coming. Horses began to grow restless, they could sense what was going to happen. Seiran had laid her hammer down and was going through her deck of Spell Cards. A whine from a propeller driven engine grabbed her attention, she looks up to see a trio of P-51s fly from the aircraft carriers in the lake next to the grounds.
 
?Form up by squads and prepare to board the cruisers,? one of the Regimental commanders yelled out as they ran back to their original spots. Sagume could be seen rolling up a scroll and wiping rain off of her brow.
 
?RC-1138, 1501, and 7889,? an advisor to Princess Yorihime called out. ?You are to insert separately and link up back on the surface. The NATO forces have created a series of trenches and caves in the middle of a heavily wooded area. Colonel Yagokoro has been called away to negotiate with the Japanese to pull out of the war, so her troops have pulled back for now. I?ve been assigned as your advisor, and will be your eye in the sky until further notice?or we all get killed.?
 
Medium sized dragons landed on the staging ground and knelt down. Company commanders began directing their troops to load their equipment and themselves. It was no easy feat to move eighteen regiments at the same time, but they managed somehow without any confusion.
 
?Act like you have some life in you! Our troops are waiting for our help!?
 
?Get that equipment on there! Let?s go! Let?s go! Let?s go!?
 
?Sergeant, make sure they are ready to go before we take off!?
 
?Don?t feed the dragons!?
 
?New dragon! Group B, get on there!?
 
?Load that ordnance and move that wing forward!?
 
?Get those heavy rifles on their first! Check straps and pouches!?
 
?Ready for lift up! Here we go!?
 
?Lock down those crates! We are not turning back for anything!?
 
?You can throw up once we?re in the air!?
 
?So help me, if any of you left the stove on??
 
?I will be issuing further orders as you go. Good luck, moon rabbits.? The advisor turned around and walked to the command center.
 
A dragon landed in front of the trio. A quick game of rock-paper-scissors saw to it that Seiran went first. The third member of their team was the next to go. And finally Ringo jumped on her dragon. As the reptile took to the air, she looks down She sees the formations quickly grabbing their gear and getting ready. She hears the sound of singing coming from the troops around her and remembers the song.
 
Kote! (Glory!)
Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an. (One indomitable heart, Brothers all.)
Prudii a'den mhi, Vode an. (We, the wrath of the shadow, Brothers all.)
Bal kote, darasuum kote, (And glory, eternal glory.)
Jorso'ran kando a tome. (We shall bear its weight together.)
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an. (Forged like the saber in the fires of death. Brothers all.)

Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an. (One indomitable heart, Brothers all.)
Prudii a?den a'den mhi, Vode an. (We, the wrath of the shadow, Brothers all.)
Bal...(And?)
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. (Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.)
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. (Our vengeance burns brighter still)
Aruetyc talyc runi'la solus cet o'r. (Every last traitorous soul shall kneel)
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. (Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame)
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. (Our vengeance burns brother still)
Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o. (Every last traitorous soul shall fall)
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an! (Forged like the saber in the fires of death. Brothers all!)
 
A beautiful yet haunting song, it was a remembrance of all that came before them. Said to be the marching song of the great fighting force of any state, it was a favorite for the LDC to sing before an engagement. Especially with the current weather since it matched the legend that accompanied it.
 
The Yuudachi came into view, waiting for her to dismount. Once she had gotten off and the transport dragon had flown off, the destroyer moved forward. Atago, Fubuki, Akagi, Kongou, Maya, Chokoi, Furutaka, Yamato, and Nagato stood ready to depart. Each flew the colors of the GDF, meaning that they were not under the direct control of the Lunarians.
 
Ringo loaded a magazine in her interchangeable rifle and waited. A giant portal opened in front of the flotilla, which signaled them to move forward. She adjusted the helmet she had on her head, waiting to take to the sky. The destroyer is the first one out of the portal and is in a large lake. Jumping on the dragon that was waiting for her on the ship, she nods at a fellow moon rabbit as the reptile took off.
 
A beep comes from the medallion on her belt. She throws the coin in front of her and an image of the advisor appears.
 
?Good to see that you?re already on the field.? A dragon next to them gets shot in the face by a missile and spins into the ground. ?The Royal Regiments have already ran into desperate resistance at the last point and are being dealt heavy damage. We?re also doing a supply drop for the artillery regiments, but nothing will change unless we can open up a section of their defenses. The allied armor charge that was supposed to do that had all of their tanks damaged, so it?s fallen to you, 1501, and 7889 to do so. As per Colonel Yagokoro?s orders, this section that is being highlighted is quarantined to all personnel under the rank of Royal Captain.? A large area in front of the redoubt began to flash red. ?Rumors from the ground suggest someone with an extraordinary amount of power going on a rampage in that area. Your drop zone will be to the east of that area at the far edge of the forest. 1501 and 7889 will land north and south of your positions, respectively. Intelligence reports a group of officers, ranging from the ranks of Major to full Colonel, are the ones organizing the defense. If you can take them out, our brothers and sisters should have an easier time breaking that perimeter.?
 
Feeling nervous since this was her first real battle, Ringo quietly sings to herself as she picks the medallion back up.
 
?Kandosii sa ka?rat, Vode an,? She stands up as the dragon?s master gave her a hand signal.
 
?Prudii a?den mhi, Vode an,? She crouches down and waits for the hand to fall.
 
?Bal kote, darasuum kote,? The hand falls and she backflips off of the dragon.
 
?Sa kyr?am nau tracyn kad, vode an.? Landing, she brings her rifle up and drops three Americans that fired at her. One of them managed to hit her, but her uniform caught the bullet and the force behind it. She had been ordered to change into the normal uniform of the LDC and was now understanding why. .50 caliber bullets hit the ground next to her, forcing to take cover behind a large tree.
 
She sees the wreckage of a Black Hawk a few hundred feet away with the M134 Minigun pointing towards the troops firing at her. Throwing a spell card grenade, she flies towards the weapon and fires at anything she can see moving. It runs out of ammo, forcing her to move forward. Sneaking up behind a Private First class, she guts him and throws the body into a bush. That last move attracted their attention and their bullets.
 
Taking refuge behind a rock, she attaches the explosive kit to her rifle and pokes her head out. Pulling it back down almost instantly, she still had enough time to choose a target. Stepping out, she quickly fires off three rounds and jumps back. The bullets flying towards her are reduced in number while she takes the kit off and reverts to her regular weapon. Jogging forward, she drops the reminder of the defenders and moves deeper into the forest.
 
Before she can go much further, she runs into a Bradley. Quickly attaching the explosive kit again, she aims for the top of the vehicle. Two shots are enough to set it on fire, and she feels someone come up behind her. Ducking, she avoids a bayonet to the back of the head. Ringo slams her rifle into his exposed chin and then pulls out her sidearm and shoots him in the face.
 
?You humans need to learn that I?m a lot scarier than you are,? Ringo quipped.
 
Five miles from Ringo?s current position, Seiran had entered melee combat with a group of British soldiers. She was taking pleasure in breaking their body armor with every swing of her giant mallet and watching them fly into the distance. A Humvee tried to run her down, only to have her jump up and crush the engine with a downward swing. Before the occupants could get out, they were crushed in the vehicle by more swings.
 
?1501, 7889 has fallen. It?s up to you and 1138 to break through the defensive line now.? The advisor?s voice came from the medallion on her belt. ?Reinforcements have arrived at the front line, but we?re still having trouble breaking through. There should be an anti-air battery near your location. Find it and destroy it so we can bring in air support. Yamato reports that all cannon batteries are ready to go, so find the coordinates and we can take it from there.?
 
Lightning rained down from the sky west of her position, making every pause to look in that direction. A rumbling travel through the ground, hinting at some intense power close by. Seiran was glad that Eirin had declared that area a quarantine zone, since she had no intention of dealing with whatever was causing that. A 5.56 round catches her in the shoulder, but the LDC uniform renders it useless.
 
She pulls out her sidearm, a curious looking pistol that used bunny ears as iron sights, and shot the contractor that landed the hit multiple times. It breaks through his plate carrier and steel plates, both sides. The moon rabbit laughs in contempt when she notices the tan colored baseball cap and scarf that he was wearing. She almost drops to the ground in laughter when she notices the sheer amount of equipment that he was lugging around on his carrier. She had heard stories of humans that believed that equipment could overcome anything on the battlefield. But she hadn?t expected to run into one of those here, usually those kinds of people never served on the ground.
 
Seiran was happy with her rifle, sidearm and hammer. She preferred to travel light with proven weapons and needed no extra equipment to make up for anything. She walks by the wounded man, not even pausing when she shoots him in the face. Just like a large majority of the Lunarians, she believed that civilians should never play in the realm of soldiers. When the stories of contractors fighting on the front lines made it to the moon, it only served to sow contempt for the human forces. At least the Royal Researchers had a rank that existed in the line.
 
As a matter of the LDC?s doctrine, the only equipment they brought were bare bones. Each technician was expected to be able to repair it or improvise in times of need, unlike the human forces, who had to wait for representatives from their suppliers to arrive with the right part. She shook her head as she thought about that, it was almost as if they wanted to pawn off important duties on someone else.
 
A pair of Patriot missiles flies up into the air about two miles north of her. If she had been able to fly, she would be easily able to spot where they came from. But going above the trees would be the same as jumping up and down with an orange vest while asking to be shot. Taking out a scroll that mapped the area, she frowns when everything in the area she needed to go to was grayed out.
 
Without good information about what to expect, it felt like a usual training mission. But she knew that one of their own had already fallen, and that more lives depended on her spotting those anti-air batteries. All she could really hope for was to link up with Ringo and hopefully survive long enough to get the Yamato a good firing solution before the rest of the regiments were ground down.
 

The Dratini Farmer:

 Viole, Scarlet Devil Mansion, Gensokyo
 
The transport truck that was the subject of an intense fight the day before had been off loaded and its contents were sitting in the library. Twenty wooden crates were arranged in piles around the desk that Patchouli usually studied at. Ran had been sent by Yukari to help analyze the new technology they had captured. Lunarian researchers had brought their equipment and were set up. The librarian that called the room home had put on her glasses and was waiting for the first box to be opened.
 
Once the first box was open, everyone present frowned when it was just normal looking Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. The one thing that was different was a sphere on the top of the tube. One of the researchers picked one up and looked through the scope on it. Nothing happened until a moon rabbit flew near it and the targeting computer began to emit loud beeps. The ones with a small amount of familiarization with the weapon had a bit of alarm, since they knew that something as small as a person shouldn?t have triggered the targeting system.
 
Hearing the beeping, the moon rabbit being targeted dropped like a rock and broke the lock. She waited until the last second and then flew off to the side. The computer locked on her again. Taking a look though the scope, she could see the bright outline of the moon rabbit flying. But when she let gravity take over, the outline became dim.
 
?It?s based on the magic of flight,? Patchouli picked a tube up and looked through the scope. ?But I didn?t think that they had anything that could sense magic.?
 
The librarian breaks open one of the orbs on the computer and finds a square gem attached to a chip. She rips it off and holds it to the light. It shines with a dull green sheen, making her frown as she turns it slowly. She had read about a type of jewel that would glow when in close proximity to magic, but had never seen one in person until now.
 
?If these things can lock on to our airborne troops, this could be bad news for our push.?
 
?Attention all commanders, ground all airborne troops,? one of the researchers talked into a spell card.
 
?Wish you would have told us earlier.?
 
Lunarian and NATO line, Japan
 
What seemed like a good idea at first turned out to be exactly what the humans wanted them to do. Three waves of airborne troops had been shot down by the magic seeking missiles. This was the last chance for air support until the anti-air emplacements were taken out. The airborne troops that were left were pressed into a ground role and were angry at being stuck in the dirt.
 
A massive trench encircled the wooded area, with artillery just behind it. Everything pointed towards a siege, but the goal was to break the defense before the sun had completely set. For such a disorganized force, Toyohime mused, they could hold their ground very well. She uses a spyglass to look for a weak point in the line, but still couldn?t find anything.
 
She grits her teeth, an armored charge would still only have a fifty percent chance of breaking through. But it would have been a lot better than just waiting for them to collapse. Yorihime was sitting in one of the forward trenches, with her back against the front wall. She had her katana sheathed and rested on her shoulder with her arms crossed. With the amount of dirt stains on her clothes and the messy hair, she looked more like a normal soldier than a member of the Royal Family.
 
A strand of hair that was getting on her last nerves decided to jump in front of her face again, forcing her to keep herself from cutting it off right then and there. One of her attendants tosses her a new canteen of water, which she chugs gratefully. At that point, she doesn?t care who sees her like this. If her husband saw her like this, he would probably laugh at her while cleaning her face off with a rag he always carried around. She always felt a little embarrassed whenever he did it in public, but she still liked it a little bit.
 
Reisen II pokes her head up from the trench and immediately drops back down before all the bullets find her. Sliding down into a sitting position, she looks around and sees some of her troops waiting for an opening. Even with the massive wave of reinforcements, they couldn?t just walk up to the line. If Colonel Yagokoro found out that they wasted lives when there was a better way, heads would roll.
 
Back at the Kappa workshop, Nitori and a few other kappas were messing around with a radio that they had picked up and were trying to see if they could break into the NATO communications. One of the kappas got frustrated to the point that they picked up the radio and threw it against the wall. It fell to the floor and then came alive with radio chatter. Presently surprised, Nitori uses a cable to hook it up with the GDF/LDC network.
 
The map in front of Toyohime updated to show a wing of B-52s that were heading towards them. She didn?t even have to look up the amount of ordnance that they each carried to know they were in trouble.
 
?What?s this button for??
 
?Shit, Carl! Not yet!?
 
The lead dot flashes, signaling the dropping of the entire bomb bay complement. Seeing the lead bomber drop their bombs, the others follow suit. Toyohime giggles as she hears the chaos from the American bomber wing, watching them as they broke their formation. Without a payload, there was no purpose to exposing themselves to enemy fire, so turning around was a natural choice.
 
?Atago is reporting a heavy concentration of aircraft heading towards the fleet,? one of her advisors called out. ?They doubt that their anti-air compliment would be enough to fight them off.?
 
?RC-1138 requests fire support from Yamato, she says she?s spotted the batteries.?
 
?Give her support request more priority,? Toyohime narrowed her eyes behind her fan. ?We need our air support.?
 
On the bridge of the Yamato, Kaguya was watching the 460 mm guns turn to aim at the requested target. Yuudachi opened fire with her AA mounts, getting a lucky shot on an F/A-18 Hornet. One of the triple turrets on Yamato fired a Sanshiki anti-aircraft shell that wiped out three entire squadrons of A-10s. Heat seeking rounds flew from Atago, chasing down any aircraft it could see.
 
?Torpedoes to starboard,? Yuyuko was surprised when she heard one of the crew members shout it out.
 
?Reduce speed to three quarters and turn hard to starboard,? the ghost braced herself as the heavy cruiser lurched to the right. She kept herself from correcting the crew member, even though he was right from a certain point of view. Missiles could be called ?air torpedoes? if looked at a certain way. The missiles that had been spotted sensed the change, but were prevented from following on it due to the disruption field being emitted by the ships. Once it hit that field, it reverted to a rocket and made it easier to dodge. The missiles flies by the bridge close enough for Yuyuko to read some of the writing on them.
 
?We don?t have enough space to keep doing this,? the First Officer said. ?If we collide, we?ll be sitting ducks.?
 
?Have the destroyers return to the docks,? Yuyuko watched as an F-22 crashed into the water while on fire. ?What is the Yamato doing??
 
The ship in question fired a volley at that exact moment, raining long ranged destruction down on the batteries. The red squares on the map disappear, showing that the batteries had disappeared.
 
?Get a message to the tengus,? Yuyuko ordered. ?We need them here, now!?
 
?Tengu fighters are two minutes away. Akagi is launching her fighters now.?
 
?Will one carrier be enough to turn the tide,? Yuyuko saw another Raptor get shot down. ?Divert all power to the forward guns.?
 
?Atago, we have a fire request that we can?t fulfil at the moment,? Yamato?s radio operator?s voice reached her ears.
 
?Where??
 
?Here and here,? two circles appeared on the map. ?The ground forces are ready to start a final push, but that wall is in the way.?
 
?Fire when ready,? Yuyuko frowned when she saw the blue rectangles had stopped.
 
Ten 203 mm high explosive rounds flew into a high arc, with the targeting computer accounting for all variables. Toyohime saw the rounds rain down on the wall. The entire area disappeared in a bright light that was strong enough to hurt everyone?s eyes. Once her eyes had recovered, the elder princess saw that there was a large hole in the wall. Gesturing at flame troops that were waiting in the trenches, she shouts.
 
?Are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Get cooking!?
 
Loading their weapons, the flame troops stacked up beside the gaping hole and then stepped out. As soon as they had a clear line, they unleashed long jets of fire that burned anything and anyone it hit. Seizing the opportunity, the rest of the regiments charged into the breach, hoping to do as much damage as possible before the humans could recover.
 
The British and American Marines were the first to recover, taking renewed defensive positions. A large fireball popped up at the far end of the redoubt, no doubt the work of the two moon rabbits over there. A lone A-10 tried to set up on an attack run, only for an airborne rabbit to land in front of the cockpit and break it open with an axe. Then she grabbed the pilot and threw him into the left engine.
 
Just as the rest of the airborne rabbits reached the center of the compound, the seeker missiles flew up for a meet and greet. Yorihime gritted her teeth as she saw the rabbits fall out of the sky like houseflies. Even though they had taken out the larger batteries, the shoulder fired missiles were still a big problem. She was hoping that they weren?t reloadable, because that would make her day even worse.
 
Sumireko saw a P-47 fly near her and decided to catch a lift. Landing next to the cockpit, she nods in greeting to the surprised human at the joystick.
 
?I need a better view of the battle, mind getting some altitude??
 
The human nods and pulls back on the joystick. The Thunderbolt rises above the battle, letting the girl take it all in. A glint of light high above them catches her attention and she squints her eyes to see what it is. A 60s era satellite was heading towards the battle, mostly likely as a last ditch effort. Dividing her focus between keeping a grip on the wing and redirecting the satellite, she starts to break a little bit of a sweat.
 
She?s broken out of her focus by the Thunderbolt juking wildly. An F-16 had followed them up and was intent on destroying them. Sumireko gives her taxi driver a wave and dives off of the wing. She had timed it so she would be close enough to strike the Falcon as she fell. With her blade, she cuts off the right wing and send the plane into an uncontrolled spin. Struggling to keep her eyes open as she freefalls, the girl begins to charge up a repulse.
 
Several of the smarter humans on the ground brought up their rifles and seeker missiles, trying to get a good bead on her. Sumireko spreads her arms to control her direction, since she knew that using flight magic would result in an instant lock on her. The .50 caliber machine guns open up on her, filling the air around her with tracer rounds. She was grateful that the belief that the shockwave of a .50 bullet flying near her would kill her was false.
 
Before she hits the ground, she lets it go and cancels out all of her momentum. The attack leaves a deep crater around her and she lands lightly on her feet. She feels a strong chill around her, letting her know that she had just used a lot of energy. With a shiver she walks forward and raises both of her hands. Millions of volts of lightning flew towards the humans that poked their heads out of cover.
 
Stacking up behind a wall, Reisen II and a squad she had linked up with were readying their weapons. One of the moon rabbits brings up a stick grenade and tosses it like a boomerang. Before it explodes, the lead moon rabbit throws himself on the ground and starts to unload his magazine. As soon as the shockwave from the grenade hit them, the rest of the squad moves up. Reisen flinched when a bullet hit the wall next to her head.
 
?Human forces are withdrawing to the center of the compound,? Toyohime?s advisor told her. ?Even though our troops are gaining ground, they?re still facing extremely stiff resistance.?
 
?Give the order for the rest of the regiments to move in. Overwhelm the rest of the smaller anti-air launchers.?
 
?Yamato reports that they have finished reloading.?
 
?Akagi reports that the first wave has returned and the second wave is being launched.?
 
?Pack it up, we need to get closer to the fight,? Toyohime closes her fan and begins to walk. Her guards join her as she looks for a suitable place to make her entrance. 
 
Due to the efforts of a few Oni, the Tiger (P) had been pushed to the front line. Sakuya, the gunner, and the loader were in the tank, helping to break through the inner defenses. The maid had taken control of the commander?s machine gun and was mowing down enemy troops. The top of the tank was covered in the empty shell cases from the weapon, which would make enemy infantry fall if they tried to climb up on it.
 
At one of the STT communications terminals in the center of the post, the crew were opening the back panel and grabbing the laptop that served as the control terminal. They tried to run towards the fortified command post, only to stop short because of Ringo blocking their path. They get shot and the rabbit picks up the laptop. Looking it over, she decides that it?s useless and drops it. She stomps it before continuing on her way.
 
Diet Building, Tokyo, Japan
 
?ORDER, WE SHALL HAVE ORDER!? The voice of the Speaker of the Representatives shouted as the chamber descended into a roar of conflict. ?The next outburst, and I will throw whatever I have next to me!?
 
?There is no way that we should have to even think about our strongest ally betraying us!?
 
?The Americans have already proven that they meddle in our internal affairs!?
 
?They aren?t strong enough to fight the Lunarians in a head to head battle!?
 
?That line of thinking smells of high treason!?
 
That triggered another round of conflict, which helped to give Yukari the time to organize her thoughts. She stands up and taps her fan on the desk in front of her to gain their attention.
 
?Honored Representatives and Councilors, you have heard the same information that I have straight from the head of the Swiss government. May I remind this body of the reputation and respect that the Swiss command due to their long history of even headed policy and wise judgment?? She tapped the map in front of her. ?As of a few minutes ago, joint Lunarian and GDF units have broken through the last line of defense and are hitting the NATO forces hard. By the end of the day, the enemy forces will be surrendered to us, or wiped out. Once that happens, the only problem left would be their retaliation.?
 
?Japan has already seen enough war! We cannot let it spread more!?
 
?The war has already spread here,? Eirin sat back. ?Right now, you have the choice of either stopping it now or letting it spread all over the country. The nobles that control the lower levels of government are eager to gain prestige for their advancement, so we?re not done yet. Our government has already entered war footing and can easily outlast the Americans in any situation.?
 
?But even an advanced nation can?t cross from the moon to the Earth fast enough for a war.?
 
?We?ve just fielded even more regiments, so your argument is invalid,? Eirin sneered. ?All the moon has to do is shine on a place, and we can be there in hours.?
 
?The combined Lunarian and GDF forces can either lay waste to Japan, or become its best allies,? Yukari spoke. ?So the main question that you should be asking is who would you rather have next to you, us or them??
 
The Emperor spoke before anyone else could interject. ?Lady Yakumo, you must realize how difficult it is for us to break from our allies. Even more so when we?re still trying to atone for the mistakes that we made during the Second World War.?
 
?I understand, since I saw the war firsthand,? Yukari sighed. ?But it?s plainly obvious that the state of world affairs is not the same as it was after the war. As I have told this body many times, the United States of America is not the beacon of justice and liberty that it makes itself out to be. They are the ones that have provoked this and numerous other wars. They have played with international law like a game and used their power to intimidate other nations into submission.?
 
?While some of those accusations are true, the United States has never acted against us.?
 
?What about the excursion that started the first battle??
 
?They were operating under the assumption that they had the proper clearance.?
 
?Even when that proper clearance came from minions under their control? I would say that this counts as meddling in internal affairs.?
 
?That is a very serious charge to make.?
 
?If it fits properly.? Yukari took in a deep breath, ?What would it take to show you that the American government is planning to betray you??
 
?Solid proof.?
 
The gap youkai holds her hand out and a moon rabbit places a binder in it. ?What I hold in my hands is a contingency plan for a nuclear strike on the Japanese homeland in the event of an immediate threat to American interests.?
 
?Won?t they have them for any possible situations??
 
?We have reason to believe that the initial conditions are being put into place as we speak. Once they figure out that they?ve lost the ground battle, there is a good chance that they will launch a nuclear weapon.?
 
?They wouldn?t dare.?
 
?Perhaps not,? Yukari conceded. ?But I, for one, wouldn?t put it past them. They still have one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, and are ready to drop them at a moment?s notice.?
 
?Doing so would turn the international community against them. Even the British and the Canadians would turn against them.?
 
?If that were true, why are they on the ground here??
 
The Emperor shook his head. ?You must know that I?m only saying this due to the fact that I need the entire story.?
 
?I understand, but the time to make a decision of your own free will is quickly running out.?
 
?It seems that you have inherited some of your ancestor?s wisdom.? Everyone turned to look at the speaker and were stunned by the beauty and regality of the woman walking into the chamber. Straight out of the first science fiction story of the world, Princess Kaguya was flanked by Royal Guards.
 
Eirin stood, even though she could have been considered an equal to any member of the Royal Family, she still deferred to tradition as a habit. Kaguya took the seat that was offered to her and Eirin stood slightly behind her to the right. While the officer had played an important part in the talks, she knew enough to know that Kaguya was much more suited for this.
 
?I will introduce myself now. I am Princess Kaguya Houraisan, third in line for the Lunarian crown. I knew your ancestor, Mikado, when he still had the throne. I was privileged to have the chance to correspond with him, and if things were different, I may have ended up becoming your grandmother down the line.?
 
Resting her elbow on the armrest of the chair and holding her face with the hand, she taps the desk with her right hand. ?Ever since I left the Earth and that kind couple that adopted me, I?ve kept an eye on Japan. I?ve seen it grow from a small collection of isolated islands to a world power that had the most powerful navy on the planet. I saw the fire rain down from of the sky that ended the last great war. I saw how Japan has vowed to never go down that path again. The Japanese and Lunarians have much in common. We just want to be left alone. That is why we study war and politics, so our children can study music and art. Mikado understood and wanted that, he always asked me if the Moon was a utopia.?
 
Kaguya raised her head up. ?I hated having to tell him the truth about my people. No matter how much we fought, no matter how hard the wars were, it was never final. That is why the Lunarian Defense Corps still exists to this day. Children, both Lunarian and moon rabbit, can sleep soundly at night knowing that someone is out there watching over them. Those that wish to harm innocent souls are checked by those that are willing to chase them into the depths of hell and back. If our enemies would march into our territory, we would not have to explain our self-defense. But not all of our enemies are honorable in that aspect. It is the duty of the watchman to move towards a threat, even if it?s not close. When done out of love and compassion for those that we protect, it is a good action. But when it is done out of greed and pure hostility, it turns into warmongering. That is the main difference between us and the United States. They have tried to invade the moon before, only for us to fight them back. We have met them on the field of battle and found them wanting. As a superior civilization, we can either stand back and watch, or we can become the caretaker of this planet.?
 
?Princess Kaguya, the Japanese are able to take care of themselves. We have done this for hundreds of years.?
 
?Do you believe that you can muster the same power you had during the Second World War?? Kaguya narrowed her eyes. ?I have read the Constitution that the Americans placed on Japan after their surrender. Article 9 of your Constitution renounced your right to wage war and limits your options to self-defense.  Wouldn?t the American incursion be considered an attack on your sovereignty??
 
Pausing to gather his thoughts, the Emperor knew that he was being backed into a corner. Part of him refused to believe the claims of magic and weird science that were the cause of this. But the Emperor of Japan was not raised a fool. He had been shown proof and now his nation was waiting for his advice. He never expected to have to choose between two powerful states that could wipe them out.
 
?Will Lunarian law apply to us??
 
?As long as there is no resistance, you?ll only see Lunarian troops whenever they?re on liberty. I can guarantee that our troops are less harmful to the environment than Americans on liberty.?
 
Yukari felt that they were going in circles. This was about as far as they got yesterday, but she had a feeling that a breakthrough was at hand. The map that she had brought out began to flash as another group of red squares shrank in size. Just a little bit from the command post, a large yellow circle flashed as well. Seconds later, lines fell from the sky, tracing the paths of naval artillery. She decides to add something else to help change their opinion.
 
?Watch that surface fire!?
 
?We just lost another fighter.?
 
Everyone in the room looked on in confusion until they realized that they were listening in on chatter from the battle. Yukari tapped the map in order to focus on a few blue triangles flying around.
 
?Black Crow, there?s a new crater where those heavy guns were.?
 
?We?ll have one shot, but only if we can get someone with enough attack power to get that command post.?
 
?This is the first President of the Sealing Club. Did someone ring for me??
 
?You think you can handle this, little girl??
 
?Get me a clear lane, and I?ll take care of the rest.?
 
Joined by a new blue triangle, the group dove to tree top level and zoomed towards the fortified building. Lines from the surface surrounded the group, showing that the ground troops saw what was coming.
 
?I need some help here!?
 
?Loosen up!?
 
?I?m hit!? One of the blue triangles got intersected by a red line and disappeared.
 
?Incoming from the front!? A group of A-10s flew at them, trying to deter them.
 
?I can?t get a good shot on them!?
 
?We?re not going to be able to stay with you for long! Make sure you hit that post with everything you got!?
 
?Got it. Get clear!?
 
?Good luck, kid!?
 
All but one blue triangle pulled up, luring some of the fire away. The lone triangle sped up, weaving in and out to dodge anything coming. Then it disappeared into the red square. Seconds turned into minutes, with nothing else happening. The chatter died down, adding to the suspense.
 
Eirin clenched her teeth, she knew who was flying in that command post. She tried to use the charm that was built into Sumireko?s hat, but got no response. Then the blue triangle flew out of the post into an upward loop. The sounds of coughing came over the communication line, but it was the dry kind. The doctor sighed in relief, as long as smoke was the worst of her worries, the psychic was fine.
 
The red square began to flash frantically and then disappeared. Energy readings popped up, showing signs of a massive explosion taking place.
 
?At least I wasn?t wearing my cape,? Sumireko finished coughing.
 
?You did it, kid!?
 
?Looks like they got the message.?
 
Several of the representatives began to shift in their seats. Yukari allowed herself to smile a little, without their command post, the Americans had no chance now. Without the Americans to anchor the defense, the rest of the NATO forces would have to sue for peace if they didn?t escape now.
 
Out of the corner of her eye, the gap youkai noticed a Lunarian frown as she tapped her scroll. She turns to confer with another Lunarian, with both of them sharing a concerned look. Both of them turn to speak with a superior.
 
?The battle is as good as won,? Yukari said as she focused on the Emperor. ?If the Americans surrender now, there would be a lot less deaths. If they don?t, the Lunarians are experts in taking advantage of routs.?
 
The Prime Minister and both Speakers leaned in to listen to the Emperor as he spoke quietly to them. The two speakers looked dismayed by what he said and offered respectful rebuttal. Eventually, they both agreed with what he said, leaving only the Prime Minister as dissent. Taking a quick drink from the glass next to him, the Prime Minister tapped on the desk every so often to emphasize his point.
 
Eirin felt a tap from an aide behind her and took a scroll that was offered to her. Opening it up, the map is of an area of the Pacific Ocean near the battlefield. Three American ships were gathered there, a Spruance class destroyer, a Virginia class crusier, and the recently reactivated USS Wisconsin. An unknown energy reading was coming from the destroyer, which caused the colonel to frown. Somewhere, she had seen an energy level like that.
 
Even though Kaguya was still facing forward, she could tell when Eirin was troubled by something. Ever the dutiful officer, Eirin leaned forward and handed the royal the map. The princess frowns as she tries to make sense of what she was looking at. Something in her gut was telling her that what she was looking at wasn?t right. The side of the map then indicated that three separate messages were sent to the ships.
 
Yukari watched as the Prime Minister stood fast in his opposition to the Emperor?s suggestion. She had done almost everything she could think of. If they couldn?t get Japan to at least withdraw from the war, then the odds would turn against them. Before she could continue on her train of thought, a loud alarm rang through the chamber. Every scroll began to flash with an urgent message that repeated itself again and again.
 
Looking at each other, Yukari and Eirin shared a concerned looked that became outright worry when the alarm became accompanied by a voice. Everyone in the room felt their stomach drop and their hearts turn to ice when they heard what the voice had to say.
 
?Nuclear launch detected.?
 

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