Forever Future 1.7 PBEM game

[Eerion]

Empress ruffled her hair and looked grimly at the enormous pile of documents lying on the table. Statistics, economic predictions for next year, needs, demands and priorities. As the absolute leader she was supposed to give personal directives to every major city under her reign. Once a year, for a week or two her life was turning into bureaucratic hell. She stretched, looking at her official uniform. It might look good and be representative. She might look like a leader of a country and the head of military wearing it. Yet it was extremely uncomfortable. Maybe she should order another one? Not as tight, so she won’t take it off at slightest opportunity. Traditionally no one could enter this part of the palace at night, so wearing just a lingerie wasn’t an issue, however, thinking that the leader of the second most powerful country in the world manages one of the most important tasks almost naked made her laugh whenever she was realising it.
She sighed and looked at the document in front of her. Nagano. What should this city focus on?
Hinotebi straightened up, feeling an incoming guest. After the fall of Gandhi, he was visiting her more often. Not to mention that hiding own identity wasn’t necessary anymore.
“Seriously, just like all your ancestors. I don’t recall making Nekomimi exhibitionists” Perun spoke after entering the room.
“Don’t complain. It’s not my fault all these military uniforms are so inconvenient.” Empress answered nonchalantly.
“You used to wear almost nothing even before introducing them to military, so don’t think I will accept your lame excuse.” He laughed. “Or maybe you adjust to your newest invention?”
“Shut up.”
“Seriously. You were the only one who could come up with such idea. Sexual Revolution? Really?” Perun looked extremely amused.
“Everyone fu.cks. For some people it’s normal, for some it’s a kind of taboo. I simply turned it into a public thing and a business. What’s wrong with that concept?” Hinotebi tried to defend. “People are happy, being able to speak more open about their... adventures.”
Man laughed loudly. “Indeed. This is why the most popular book right now is “Sixty Nine ways of satisfaction.” It sold more copies last month than Haruhi’s Gospel in last ten years.”
“It’s all about how you use the invention, you know? Tesla invented Telephone? We invented sex phone. Egyptians built Hollywood? We have our own version between Kyoto and Osaka. Do you know how is it called? Boobiewood. Guess what kind of movies they are making.”
They both laughed.
“As you state very often all that matters are results. People are happy thanks to that. Citizens of Nagoya already openly celebrate and this is only a beginning. Satisfied people work faster and more efficient.”
Perun nodded. “Yet it doesn’t change the fact that you look like one of the actors of this... boobiewood. I know money is always welcome still I don’t think you have to go that far...”
Seeing her resentful expression, the ruler stopped.
“How are preparations on the invasion on Persia?” He changed topic swiftly.
Hinotebi looked at him angrily for some time. Eventually she turned her gaze away.
“We are in the process of building both the fleet, land forces for invasion and air support. It is a matter of time before we can attack them.” Empress still sounded annoyed. “I just do not understand why you became interested in them out of the sudden. It’s nothing but few meaningless isles.”
“Someone has awakened there.” Perun’s expression became serious. “He is still very weak and it may take years before he will make his first move, still we have to dispose of this person as soon as possible.”
“Is he someone you know?” Hinotebi asked.
“No. I do not sense any similarity to the rulers I knew long time ago. Still I have to talk to him. He may know something useful to us. About this... game we are playing.”
Nekomimi looked at him grimly. “I do not like this word. It’s as if the lives of all these people were meaningless.”
“I am afraid this is how it is.” He stopped for a moment. “There are no descendants of people who lived when I ruled directly. They all... disappeared? Died? I have no idea. This is what we have to figure out if we do not wish to share the same fate... regardless of the outcome.” Perun looked away. “Make sure the preparations won’t be delayed. We cannot allow other to lay their hands on him.”
“Both Egypt and France declared that they will not interfere. I do not think they will wage war even if this person is important.”
“Still be prepared for anything. In diplomacy trust is only a weakness.”
Hinotebi looked at her father and took a deep breath. “I will not repeat these old mistakes.” She claimed.

[Max_Smirnov]

Arturia's old military bike was jerking back and forth on the rough dirt road. Normally she would have pushed the throttle to the maximum, curious what will break first, the machine or her, but today she was happy with just this lazy ride, especially after crossing the whole Egyptian continent in one go (there was still no regular train service leaving Luxor, although the plans of digging a tunnel under the mountains were already drawn). The Forest of Isis, where Cleopatra's villa was situated, was still more or less pristine, in stark contrast with Luxor, overshadowed by a cloud of thick smoke belched by its countless factories and refineries. She'd been there specifically to see new airplane designs: the I-10, jet-powered ground attack plane, far more sturdy and easy to maintain than the current models, while also carrying larger payload and capable of higher speeds; and even more interesting, yet unnamed one, built especially with speed in mind. It was hoped to be capable of achieving 0.85 Mach. The speed of sound seemed almost within grasp, and Arturia was quite excited about breaking it. Maybe if the plane was constructed with less safeguards and extra boosters, someone like her who could endure such a flight, would be able to achieve that feat. But even if not, flying something that was moving much faster than anything (barring the Egyptian prototype liquid fuel rockets, which were much more often exploding than actually flying so far) was good enough. If not this plane, then the next one.

Although Arturia wasn't wearing her (in)famous outfit (changed to a leather jacket and breeches, far less ostentatious but a bit uncomfortable in the sudden wave of heat that hit the Egypt this summer), the guards at the outer perimeter just waved her to pass. She was a well-known face here, after all. There were no more guards for the next couple of miles, as Cleopatra considered overt security as a burden for everyone involved for little gain.

Cleopatra's seaside villa couldn't be called a palace, but was none the less spacious and comfortable, and built with materials and craftsmanship not really affordable to the working masses, which was not entirely in line with the official propaganda, but it was widely known and accepted that the higher ups were living in luxury. People might hate their rulers sometimes, but they always want them to be grand, as she said herself.

Arturia found the former queen of Egypt on the beach, basking her back in the sun. She was surrounded by several bottles of wine, half of them already empty.

"Oh, it's you. Be a good servant and grab some sun lotion before coming over," said Cleopatra, turning her head. "And get out of these duds before you get sun stricken."

Arturia sighed, reaching for the zipper of her jacket. "I brought you something, one of those war posters. I think you look pretty good on it."

"You want me to sign it for you?"

"You know, I said it before, but sometimes I'm still entertaining thoughts of killing you."

"Servants killing their masters? That's so last millenium," yawned Cleopatra. "Besides, that'd mean that the responsibility for Egypt would become yours. Along with all the bothersome planning. And you don't like thinking too much do you."

"Why do you think I wouldn't just wander off."

"Oh, I made sure that if I die, it is you who inherits the power. All the people would rely on you, would Arturia really let them down like some neurotic wench? Deep down, you're still a nice dutiful knight, dear."

"I hate you so much."

Having undressed, Arturia knelt down and started to put the lotion on Cleopatra's back.

"Mhm, nice... I grew to like this new luxury," said the leader of the people, before looking at Arturia again. "Oh, I see you still didn't catch up to the notion of wearing underwear."

"I wasn't planning on stripping down," shrugged Arturia. "Just don't give me that usual speech about the finer points of being a lewd person or the influence of Japanese culture. Besides you're not wearing anything yourself."

"That's the only way to sunbathe, girl. I should know, I invented it..." her bold tone died off, and she became thoughtful again. Arturia knew it was always like that when Cleopatra reached into the abyss of time she came from. She just kept silent, rubbing her back.

"...Remember Napoleon's Eight Virtues?" Continued the black haired woman after a pause. "It's obvious that the strength of the country depends on how strongly people believe in it. But it seems to be different now. Movies, books, radio, the politics, it all became global. We offered everyone the ethics for tomorrow, a hope for a new world, not only for the Egyptians, but for all the people. On the surface of it, it should have easily trump Japanese etiqette and paper houses, elegance and eroticism. It didn't. There is something appealing in their mix of ruthlessness and liberty, militarism and capitalism, the cult of personal achievement. Something really enticing is coming out of it. The more they're catching up to the modern technology, the better it gets, instead of the other way around. The technology is dangerous but they thrive on that danger. The Theban Hollywood might be the pinnacle in entertainment, we might control ninety per cent of broadcasting in the world, they might not have the means to assault us head on, but still - they might have an alternative. My instinct tells me this might be the most important battleground in the future."

"Uhh, a battleground?"

"Would the people be guided or inspired. Should they choose security or excitement. The battle for the ultimate fate of man."

"Like, should they be knights or peasants?" Arturia raised her brow, not really sure what the conversation was about anymore.

Cleopatra laughed. "The peasants were hardly secure in your empire."

"And the knights are getting little excitement in yours."

"Oh don't be upset my cute knight. Understand that the people prefer to look up to the gods, rather than knights."

"So now you see yourself as a god?"

"Not me personally. The technology is the god of the future. I've read the work that caused great Tesla to be ridiculed and pushed to the margin of the scientific community, after the Theban University recognized its chance to outdo him, that is. Adnokamyencov's Theory of Relativity. The universe is becoming a strange place, and the god of technology is nebulous, faceless, intangible now. Beyond human senses and experience."

"You seem a bit scared by it."

"I am scared that the Japanese aren't. Maybe it's too soon for them, they're a few decades behind us. Maybe it's because they're choosing a different path, as I said before."

"So what about the other ones? Do the French or British have their own path too?"

"For themselves, yes. But not for the humanity at large. Napoleon has that new version of the timeless tribal territorialism. Ifurita doesn't even have that, just some unprecise duty that justifies any oppression. Sure, it is conceivable that he could widen the borders of that tribe to the whole humanity, but he wouldn't be able to do that except by sheer brute force."

Arturia smirked. "You love to hate Napoleon, don't you? Almost like you secretly liked men more than girls."

"Oh come on. Being an ignorant immortal little girl like yourself, you might not know that there are just two types of men. The ones who like to be on top, and the ones who are boring. Sadly, since I assumed an openly prominent position, I cannot allow myself to belong to anyone. It was much different in the ancient times... before you even were born, Arturia... All these brave men, tyrants, conquerors, warriors... I was just a goddess from a pyramid, the ultimate prize, the perfect woman, and when I woke up again, they were dead from old age..."

Cleopatra's voice trailed off again.

"And the girls are cute while being non-threatening?" smirked Arturia. "Well, Azuria's been quite threatening."

"She is like me, remember. And now she's sitting in a glass cage in a museum. I liked Heliconnen, he always had great ideas. Cruel, but ingenious."

"Even burying Lia in a tomb to keep her alive and sleeping instead of just killing her was cruel enough. What you did to Azuria... I can't even comprehend what had been going through her mind during those three centuries. I've been there yesterday, she just sits in the corner, motionless, eyes open, that old royalist uniform well-fitting despite being worn out... seemingly relaxed and powerless. But the moment I looked at her, I wanted to run. That almost unbearable feeling that the moment she moves, everyone around can only hope for a quick death."

"Doubtlessly she became completely insane and more dangerous than ever. We might need such a creature someday."

"For what I wonder."

"For Armageddon maybe. So have you been to Thebes?"

"I took a little sightseeing tour across Egypt, yes."

"What have you seen?"

"The sad city of Oryx and six hundred years of merciless industrialization. There is hardly a forest without ruins of some old factory in it. And the new ones are even more numerous. Still, compared to Luxor, it's idyllic. Luxor is nothing but rock, steel, fire and noxious smoke, like the pits of Hell. And the Thebes look like a paradise of light. From a distance, at least."

"The pits of Hell... Sadly, it's unavoidable."

"Since when you're so reluctant towards the power of industry?"

"Thing is, Arturia, I am not sure... Do you remember Gandhi's death? It was an event of such power that I sensed everything that happened there... And when the master of the Japanese revealed himself, for a short while I was sure he's Thor... and that I am extremely familiar with him."

"Who's Thor?"

"The thing is, I don't know. Or at least... can't remember. Sometimes, I have such vivid recollections reaching thousands of years... and in those memories, I'm almost always a different person... I remember the green pristine hills of Thebes from eight millenia ago... Beautiful hills from the times when the winters were longer and the rains were falling for just a couple of weeks during a year... and the burning black hatred and hope of seeing them soaked in black industrial sludge. Is it possible that I've been... someone else?"

"Someone else than Cleopatra? How?"

"I'm pretty sure I was myself, or someone who behaved like I do, at the onset of the Kingdom. But the four, five millenia before that... I hardly remember them. Like a strange dream, an endless lull dotted by rare moments of clarity. Now I am Cleopatra, but where have I come from? Maybe the person who is me now started out as merely a role to be played? Have I known more about what's to come and how it all started back then? Sometimes I'm pretty sure of that..."

Cleopatra turned on her back and put a hand on Arturia's shoulder.

"Akademogorodok. The small town filled with improbably extensive scientific installations. Even the parts that weren't burned puzzled our scientists. More efficient than even our best technology, by far superior to anything we've seen anywhere else in Russia. There must be something to it, this is just too suspicious. We have to find Stalin. You have to do it. First his impossibly fast scientific advancement, seemingly out of nothing surpassing fivefold the Theban University, now this. I have no idea what is going on, I can only hope that by conquering most of Russia we have stopped his plans. However, there has to be some explanation. I must know what Stalin knows. And you must find it. Understand?"

"Yes, I... understand," said Arturia. "Don't look at me like that, you're scary..." She sighed, then lowered herself to embrace her master. "You idiot, you really need me, don't you."

[Solarius Scorch]

*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beeeeeeeeeeeep*

It's seven p.m. Good evening, citizens. This is Radio Paris and my name is Jean Auguste Hérold. We present you the latest news from France and the rest of the world.

*jingle*

The Secretary of State Jeanne d'Arc has triumphantly returned from a meeting with Stalin in a secret Russian location last night. As relayed by the Ministry of Information, the Russian confirmed French supremacy as the leading nation of the world by agreeing to a number or concessions regarding international cooperation with France. As explained by the Secretary, this will give us access to the Russian data regarding management of resources developed in their most famous secret base, Akademgorodok. This political victory marks yet another step to world domination of the French State.

*jingle*

In a statement released last week, President and Military Commander Bonaparte confirmed the rumours regarding a new type of sea vessel to be completed soon. This powerful weapon of war, named "the Carrier", will be nothing short of a mobile air base, able to carry French airforce to any point of the globe imaginable. Coupled with our outstanding aircraft design by Dassault Aviation, the Carrier will ensure our sea and air superiority in the remote territories of France, as well as mitigate slanderous comments coming from the obvious sources regarding apparent gaps in our air defense.

*jingle*

According to the folk of the north-eastern Forêt d'Hexagone, and especially doctors, there is a large spike in premature deaths in an area just to the nort east of Paris. Some local superstitions attribute this unusual phenomena to the new chemical plant that was opened a decade ago. Curiously, the initial research by a group of geologists from Sorbonne shows that there is a possibility of contamination of nearby ground water sources by the chemicals stored at the manufacturing plant released into the local river. Further research will be conducted on the local fauna and flora, as well as farmer products, to determine if these unusual claims may be accurate. For the time being, citizens are advised to avoid any products and water coming from the affected area.

*jingle*

Our intrepid police department here in Paris have captured a large shipment of illegal films from Egypt. Initial investigation shows that the gang was working closely with the underground communist movement, planning to disturb social order in the name of their foreign masters. Let the following trial become a clear warning to all enemies of the state that no evil deed will go unpunished.

*jingle*

That would be all for tonight. Thank you for your attention and let us meet again tomorrow, same time. Good night from Jean Auguste Hérold, Radio Paris.

[Eerion]

The city of Dahae was burning. Being the last bastion of Indians, they did not hold back to keep off the enemy. Walls were torn down to give a protection against enemy bullets, roads were dug up so riflemen were unable to maintain their formation. Yet it was all for nothing. Obsolete weapons, starvation and being greatly outnumbered allowed Gandhi’s followers to hold off for only several hours. Before the sun set, the battle was over.

“The weird sphere surrounds the palace of local nobility. We could not verify the material it is made of, but when touched it feels like a rock, except the fact its neither hot or cold. It blocks the view so we do not know how many defenders took a shelter there.” Takeda explained the situation to the others. “Except that zone, rest of the city is under our complete control. Our armies are right now disposing of their reinforcements. Or the remains of them actually, as seeing the fall of their last city majority of their forces surrendered or deserter.”
“About that barrier. We tried to destroy it with various weapons, yet everything proved ineffective. It also digs deep into the earth, as we could not make an underground tunnel to avoid it. We keep the heavy garrisons around it, as enemy may strike from there at any possible moment.” Shimazu Yoshihiro added. The time may have removed some hair from his head, but his strength remained superhuman, as he kept on fighting with the oversized sword of his. He leaned on it slightly, tired of the battle.
“There is no enemy there.” A coated man stated. “It is just him.”
“So this is Gandhi’s last stand. Is this the reason you came to this remote place?” Shingen asked a question looking at Hinotebi. Her dress looked out of the picture, comparing it to the environment. White and red revealing clothes seemed absolutely unnatural in a place grey from the gunpowder. A katana and two guns she kept made her wear look even weirder.
“You are correct. We came here to dispose of the leader of India.” She spoke seriously. Empress looked nervous. Or excited. “How are we going to get inside Father?”
“He will let us in. This whole zone was made to invite us. He wants to talk.”
“Could it be a trap to lure you out?” Takeda looked carefully at his guests. “If he would want to live he could hid for eternity in Himalayas. He may simply wish to take someone with himself.”
“No.” The man interrupted him. “He do not care about death or revenge. But you do not need an explanation. Maybe afterwards she can tell you something about it.” He looked at his daughter. “Are you ready?”
“I am.” Hinotebi answered shortly.
“Let us go then. Shimazu, Takeda. You did a good job here in India. Proceed as planned and let’s finish it as soon as possible.”
Both general saluted as the Royal family left the tent.


Empress Hinotebi


“It’s huge.” Hinotebi looked it awe at the sphere. From afar it looked mighty, yet when standing just next to it, the impression was overwhelming.
“It is his specialty. This way he protected Calcutta from Celts for hundreds of years. But why did he came here? I suppose we will learn that soon enough.” Coated man explained peacefully. “Gandhi!” He yelled. His voice, loud as a thunder, echoed from nearby mountains. Hinotebi covered her ears and looked at her father angrily.
“You could have warned me.” She muttered.
“We have arrived as you wanted. Now let us pass!”
They looked at the barrier in front of them.
“Are you sure he could hear you?”
“Yes.” A man nodded. “Look it is already changing.”
The part of a barrier in front of them slowly begin molding. Like a clay formed an Indian styled gate. Big enough for few people to enter simultaneously.
Hinotebi looked at the passage suspiciously, yet seeing as her father enters the zone, she followed him.

They were standing in front of huge Palace. Tens of oriental styled towers peaked toward the sky. The main building was almost as large as the Royal Palace in Kyoto, making the complex look gigantic. It felt out of the place when compared to the small city. Nekomimi looked behind her, but the gates closed down already.
“Was it always this big?” She asked.
“No. This is a part of the Gandhi’s magic. Emperor’s Land. It creates a palace worthy of the mightiest of rulers, completely separated from the outside world. No one can enter or leave if the ruler does not wish to.”
“You know a lot about it.”
“I spend much time gathering information, while I was hiding. Let’s go. He awaits us.”
“Do you know where he might be?” Girl looked at the palace. “We could easily get lost here.”
“There is only one place where he could be. Throne room.”
The gates opened as they approached. They walked slowly on the marble floors passing hundreds of statues made of silver and gold. With gems as eyes, they were reflecting the light of the torches burning on the walls. The light guided them, as other corridors were dark.
“Now you know why he could afford anything.” Coated man spoke. “I suppose the riches he used to build Haga Sophia in Calcutta came from there. The fastest wonder built for centuries... until Kyoto Exchange.”
“With this much gold we would be richer than other countries combined!”
“Do not bother. I don’t think it can leave this place... until Emperor wishes it to happen.”
They walked in silence, until the throne room could be seen.
“Be prepared for anything the moment we step in.” He warned her.
Hinotebi nodded.


“Welcome to my palace!” Gandhi yelled loudly. „I hope you enjoyed looking at the riches of this place!”
“Only few in the whole world suit to such place. It shall become an outstanding tomb of yours.” Coated man answered. “You look pretty happy for a dying ruler of a dead empire.”
Gandhi laughed again. It was pure, as if a finest joke was spoken moment ago. Without any hatred or anger. He corrected his glasses.
“It does not really matter. I came here to talk. I’m glad it is you, as you are the only interesting ruler around. You do not fit in here. Would you mind explaining to me how all of this happened... Perun?”
“Oh so you know my name? I guess this is no longer needed than.” The man removed his coat. Long hair and beard of the colour of rust covered most of his face. His eyes, as if made from gold, radiated with a gentle light. His white clothing was coated with golden patterns and a animal skin covered his torso. He had a war hammer attached to his belt. “This coat can be very annoying sometimes.” He looked at the Indian ruler. “But before I tell you my story... answer me how did you learn about me.”
“I am the one who asks questions here.” Gandhi answered with somewhat annoyed voice.”
Hinotebi kept on looking at Gandhi. Her tails were risen up, like the one of animal ready to attack.
“You wish to gather information. So do I. We have time for everything. But if you tell me how did you learn about me I will explain how these notes reached you in the first place.” Perun’s spoke calmly.
“Heh. Let it be this way.” Gandhi waved his hand with resignation. „As everyone knows, there were bound to be eight eternal beings. Other fools mistook the Jamaican abomination as the last one, but I knew it wasn’t him. He was a mistake. An error and should not be counted as one of us.”
“Yes I am quite grateful to him.” Perun interrupted. “Thanks to him I was able to maintain my anonymity for very long time.”
“Every nation needs his ruler. This is a law far greater than everything that happens on these lands.” Indian continued. So I searched. Conquered the local tribes and looked for an anything about the last one. After long time I found a ruins. Deep into Himalayas we have discovered a remains of old library. Many documents were already destroyed by the time, yet I was paying with gold for any important information about the past, and my scientists could not let such offer pass by. It took years, however, I eventually received what I wanted. Information about past nations, wars and... leaders.”
Perun was listening in silence.
“It wasn’t complete, as some details could not be retrieved. Yet at this time I was sure that one of the people that weren’t confirmed killed before the library fell was a leader of Japan. I knew it was either you, Alexander or Hannibal. I kept on collecting data about you and when you showed up during the fall of Kyoto I had no problem with distinguishing who you are.”
“I did not hear these names for really long time. It brings back memories.” Perun sighted. “Still you kept these informations to yourself. Why?”
„I had no reason why I should share them with others. Enemies? Friends? It all does not matter. Only the victory is important. Having an advantage is crucial and data is worth a lot. Tell me now... why you, a Slavic ruler supervise a nation you have absolutely no connection to?”
“I do not know how much do you have learned about the past.” The ruler of Japan spoke. “But I was a leader of a country before. My people were Slavic. Mighty and fierce. Our history was a continuous story about a war. Against Macedonia, Cartage, Sioux and Aztec. We were conquering and progressing. Slowly, but slowly, my kingdom grew more and more powerful. I was a leader and commanded hundreds of thousands to war. An eternal being, killing enemies with fire and lightning. But as time passed, technology was slowly becoming more and more dangerous. Eventually I was still more powerful than any mortal being, but fighting was even more risky, so I withdrew from first lines. This is when everything began to crumble. My nation was already tired from war and without a leader in front ranks began to oppose me. They claimed that we fought for long enough, even my actions proved that. Wars were not worth the lives as we kept on sacrificing. Eventually more than half of my country openly rebelled. This is when I forsake everything. At night I left the Capitol and traveled to a place where I woke up thousands of years ago. I fall back into the slumber. When I eventually woke up, lands and seas changed. Jungles turned into frozen wastes, where mountains once stood an ocean now lie. There I found a nation without a ruler. It was strange. I considered it another chance for me, but this time I wanted to organise everything differently. And here we are now.”
“Now everything makes sense. This is why you remained here.” Gandhi spoke enthusiastely. „I do not have any other information about such thing happening anywhere else! Truly wonderul! You are the first ruler who took part in this game twice!”
“Anywhere else? Game?” Hinotebi looked surprised.
“You see, my dear servant. This is just one planet. One of hundreds of thousands in the universe. Wars like ours are happening everywhere. And in most of such places my copies exist.” Indian stopped for a moment. “Yes. There are thousands Gandhis spread everywhere, conquering and destroying the worlds the very moment we speak. This is but a game, one of the countless one happening in the vast universe. Outcome of our local battles matters as little as a speck of dust on a desert.” Gandhi burst out with laughter. “We are a legion. You are alone! He can be victorious today, but what about next time?” He kept on laughing.
„This is why you are gathering informations.” Perun spoke loudly. His voice become tubal and overwhelmed the laughter of emperor. “When you die, your data will be collected and processed. This way, the Gandhi’s that comes afterward will be more intelligent and skillful.”
“You do not look surprised. Unlike your minion.” Indian ruler looked slightly surprised. „Barely anyone ever believed these words.”
„I have lived far longer than anyone. Other rulers may be ancient, but I am prehistoric. I had a lot of things to think about. What is happening looks too organised to be natural. As you said, this is but a game. All we can do is to take a part of it. Victory or death. This is the only rule.”
“Wonderful! I am really happy I could meet something beyond these old fools! These wars are boring, you know? Soldiers keep on fighting all the time, slaughter each other, conquer cities. Breed and kill. Conquer and rape. Meeting someone who could understand and entertain me after such long time... is something beyond comprehension.
“Glad I could entertain you. Now would you mind... leaving this world?” Perun spoke. He pointed his hand at the enemy. A lightning stroke towards the throne, but instead of hitting Gandhi it was redirected aside and struck a nearby statue.
“You seem to underestimate me.” The ruler stood up. “Your magic or hammer cannot pierce my barrier.”
In responce the flames surrounded Mahatma. At the very same moment, he materialised several meters on the left.
“Still, I do not wish to be roasted.” He stated angrily raising his hand. The air around him twirled and a dozen of tigers appeared. The Slavic ruler clenched his fist and the beasts fell dead on the floor.
“I am a master of lightning and electricity.” He spoke. “Destroying the nerves of mortal being is like a child’s play to me.”
The statues in the room moved. “I am a man of many talents, you know?” Gandhi asked and without waiting for an answer added „There were cases that my copies killed the ruler and took over the country. As I mentioned earlier... all that matters is a victory.”
“It’s not a bad idea.” Perun spoke calmly. “It might have worked if you would fight with someone else. Or made your statues from different material.” He pulled out a golden apple in his hand and shattered it. “Hinotebi. Assimilate with it if you want to live!” He yelled. His voice resonated with the area. Empress set her tails on fire as the whole room erupted. Huge blue fire covered the whole room. Slowly marching silver and gold statues began to melt. Gems fell out of their eyes, and with every step parts of their bodies detached and dropped on the floor making a silvery or gold puddle.
“I know a little bit of your powers.” Perun spoke. „Mostly about your barriers, as you gave me plenty of time to analyse it. Your defence of Calcutta was like a gift for me.”
Gandhi opened his eyes. He was standing behind the throne. Or actually the remains of it, as it looked now like a failed experiment of a novice potter now. Blue fire was eating it, turning it rapidly into a formless pool. The floor around the Indian wasn’t burning. A circle of peace surrounded him. Filled with soft pink light, similar to the one the great barrier of his emancipated, it provided him with a shelter from the surrounding hell.
“This complicates things. I cannot kill you, you cannot kill...” He stopped in mid sentence and vanished. Where he once stood a blue ball of energy appeared.
“Tsk” Hinotebi, standing just behind the zone, pulled the ball to herself. Her body was on fire and tails were emitting blue flame as well. She looked at fire reclaiming the zone where barrier once was.
Gandhi appeared in the opposite part of the room. His trousers were partially burned. A white steam was flowing out of his feet as the remains of burns were vanishing rapidly.
“You see.” Perun spoke. „It may be true that I cannot kill you. Or it is very hard for me to do so. I knew about it for long time. That’s what Hinotebi is for. I trained her to be a perfect weapon against you.”
“Impossible. How can she breach my barrier? It stops everything!” Gandhi yelled out with anger, looking carefully at Japanese servant.
“It stops many things, but not all of them. As you know magic is a materialisation of thought and energy. This is what your power blocks. Bullets, spells, lightnings. Existing things. Yet it does not stop energy itself. This is why you feel heat and need to make a large zone not to die from fire. And this is what my daughter uses.” Perun explained slowly. He did not move, simply maintaining the fire with his raised hand.
“Pure and concentrated energy can be fired. And ethereal bulled destroyint only the things that emit energy as well. Cells. Of human, animals...”
Hinotebi did not wait for her father to finish the sentence. She dashed forward, vanishing inside the flame. As she got as close as the barrier allowed her, she pointed her palm toward Indian and released another energy bullet.
But Gandhi wasn’t there anymore. He stood in another corner looking at his enemies.
“You learned her to teleport? I thought no one except me is capable of doing that.”
“No” Perun answered. “She is simply faster than any human being. Not only that, being part of such fire she has enough energy to be faster than your eyes can actually see.” He stated proudly. He raised his fist high into the air. In responce the fire became even bigger.
Gandhi teleported behind his throne again. As he raised his hand to reestablish the barrier he felt a delicate fragrance of perfume.


Perun

The barrier was in place, but Hinotebi entered it. She looked into the eyes of Gandhi. He seemed completely dumbfounded. Simply staring at the Hinotebi. Just like an average man his eyes wandered between her face, breasts and thighs.
“Farewell my dear.” She took out a gun and pointed it at his head, but he did not react. She pulled the trigger. A body fell on the ground, into the flames that momentarily reclaimed the ground. She pointed it at the lying body and shoot few more times aiming at the head.
“We’re out!” Perun yelled at her. Nekomimi pulled out a sword of her and pierced an enemy’s heart. She turned around and dashed to the exit. The Emperor’s Land that Gandhi created began to crumble.

As they got outside they noticed the soldiers running toward the disappearing barrier.
“Get away from it!” A tubal voice of Perun stopped them in their tracks. “It’s going to explode!” He yelled an obvious for a soldiers command. Everyone fell on the ground and covered their heads. The rulers passed through the barrier as if it was some kind of unnatural smoke. After getting several meters away they stopped and turned away to see the last towers crumbling and falling on the palace. When the last one fell down, everything inside the barrier shrunk to the size of a small ball. It levitated in air for few seconds only to disappear with a quiet sound afterwards. Where the zone once stood, an empty crater was left.
“Officer!” Perun yelled. Few soldiers, slowly raised their heads, unsure what is going to happen. There was no explosion, but was it supposed to be like this?
“Officer! Get everyone five kilometers from this area! Now!” Hearing this command, soldiers stood up quickly. They started to run without regrouping only to get away from this place. It was too much for them.


They looked at the hole. Sitting on the ground, they breathed heavily. “I knew it is going to vanish, but not with everything around.” Perun spoke. “But this make sense. They collect everything either when one of them win or die.”
“Who collects it?”
“I do not know. Someone for sure. There are too many questions we cannot answer. Did you aim at his head?”
„Yes. After what you said I thought that destroying the brain may prevent them from getting any informations on us.”
“Maybe... If what he was speaking was true and there are hundreds of thousands worlds like ours, they are more developed than we can imagine.”
“So was it... futile?” Hinotebi looked sadly at her father.
“Hopefully not. We shall know if we meet Gandhi once again. What I hope is not going to happen.”
She nodded. They stood up and moved to be able to lean on the wall of a nearby building while sitting.
“Why did it take you so long to attack him, after I created the flames?” Her father asked.
“Looks like I scratched the rune on one of the guns while traveling. It was not protected from your fire anymore and began to melt. So I had to cut it off since it was too hot to touch it. I burned myself badly because of that.” She complained.
“I can take care of that later. What about the way you disarmed him? I did not teach you that.”
“Oh. I invented it during my stay in Kyoto. A charm. With the exact same rule like with my spiritual bullets. Just an energy filled with unconditional love and trust towards me.
Perun looked at her surprised. “This explains a lot. But now I have to be careful around you. I do not wish to die the same way.”
Hinotebi laughed. „You think I am going to charm my own father? How perverted can you get?”
He looked at her unsure if it was a joke or she wanted to check something out.
“One ruler died already because he trusted his servant too much.” He spoke coldly.
“Merlin was a fool. He created a doll, which was unable to live normally. So he ended like this. Without you I would be too weak. Not to mention you are my actual father.” She leaned toward him.
“Like a damn fox...” He sighed. „Let’s go. We must get back to Kyoto to recover.”
They stood up, when Hinotebi asked. “So now... everyone knows, right? What does it change?”
Perun looked at her. „They have learnt what I am capable of. This is another reason why our country has to be stronger than the other ones. If we show any sign of weakness we are going to meet the same kind of fate like Gandhi and India.”
“I will not let that happen.” Hinotebi clenched her fists.
“Hope so. We are doing well. All that’s left are 3 Eternal beings and a British abomination. Two actually if you include this Jamaican... creature”
“Still, does it mean you are moving to Kyoto, now that they know who you really are?”
Perun looked at her.
“No. I am not a Japanese. I do not fit there. You are the empress and people listen to you, not me.”
“Roger that.” Nekomimi tried to salute with a smile, but she bended catching her burned side.
“I will take care of that as soon as we get back to camp. Hold on for now.”
Girl nodded. They started walking slowly toward Takeda’s camp.
After few meters Perun turned around and looked at the crater.
“Farewell Gandhi. The strongest servant in the world.” He said loudly.

[Max_Smirnov]

Operation Desert Devil, 1582 AD

Vyzhennaya Strana was a sun-schorched wasteland of dry valleys, rocky flats and eroded mountains stretching for more than 2000 miles, from Kiev in the west all the way to Taganrog peninsula, the easternmost tip of the Russian continent. The ill-reputed region, where the giant dust storms were gaining momentum before hitting the Russian heartland, was almost completely devoid of life. Yet, there was a city right in the middle of it. Legend has it that Chelabyinsk was founded by a clan banished by Stalin in the ancient times. They were supposed to die in the desert, but they somehow survived. This remote location didn't thwart the Red Army, though. Landing on the shores of the Western Ocean and riding their horses along an old desert road linking Chelabyinsk with fishing villages, they endured the hellish conditions and conquered this city as well. It all happened more than 30 years ago, one more episode in this great war with Russia which was grinding on for more than a century now. Nowadays, Chelabyinsk, with its extremely hostile climate and equally hostile local population, resisting the best efforts of Commissars to indoctrinate them to the light of communism, was yet another of the far-flung outposts of the Socialist Union. Yet, the might of the Union was about to reach even this remote hellhole.

With a low whistle, a heavy cargo plane came from the south-east and landed on the desert airstrip prepared near the city, raising great clouds of dust.



L-76 landing on Chelabyinsk's desert

Several of these planes were coming and going each day, carrying moutains of supplies, soldiers, tanks and other vehicles. Week by week, Chelabyinsk was turning into a bustling operational base.

"Damn, it's awfully hot here," cursed Colonel Ceres Heliconnen, disembarking the plane. During the course of the war, her cavalry unit took part in countless battles. Due to her superhumanly long lifespan, she was one of the most experienced field commanders of this war. Leaving her old cavalry division behind, she was relocated here to take command of a local one. Her division was to spearhead the assault south, across over two hundred miles of scorched, rocky hills, towards the city of Ekaterinburg, the last major harbour on shores of the Caspian sea remaining in the Russian hands. The remote location of that town made any attack almost unthinkable. Until now.

"Welcome, Colonel! How was your trip?" greeted her a local staff officer, pulling over in a jeep.

"Damn noisy," She answered loudly, trying to be heard despite the whistle of still-running engines. "Ships were much more comfortable." She hopped inside the vehicle.

"Maybe so," said the officer, quickly driving away from the plane. "But we wouldn't be able to orchestrate such a rapid relocation of two armored divisions to this god-forsaken land. And even if we did, they'd be stuck here."

"Or having a tea in Thebes in the middle of a military operation in Russia."

"Were you in Thebes, Colonel?"

"Nah. There isn't much for me there. But Arturia seems to be visiting her lovey-dovey quite regularly, once it had became a matter of a single day trip." She snorted then smiled, putting hands behind her neck.



Colonel Ceres Heliconnen

The officer laughed a bit nervously. "I guess being a war hero means you can say such stuff about Cleopatra with impunity."

"I guess."

She looked back at the giant plane. They were saying that the immense size of the Union, enlarged by the whole Russian theatre, was its main weakness. But with these planes, it had suddenly become much smaller. While the British, despite being far more advanced in aviation than either Japan or France, were barely cobbling together their first jet engines, Egypt had already deployed a whole fleet of jet-powered aircraft capable of swiftly transporting whole divisions of tanks across the globe. The success of the Union was not in its science alone; it wasn't that much more advanced than in the rest of the world. It was in application and engineering. Sure, everyone knew how to make tanks, machineguns and aircraft now. But no other power was producing them in such huge numbers, and they didn't have the engineering experience earned during this war.

"Is there anything to do here to relax?" she asked.

"You're lucky. The last airplane was chock-full of reels of tape. We have all the latest Theban movies, including the ones with sound. And even a few French ones, but they're not that good, obviously."

She smiled again. It was refreshing to know that this war wasn't everything there was. Thebes started to regain its image as one of the cultural capitols of the world, the moving pictures sweeping aside age-long dominance of the Japanese books as the leading source of entertainment. Osaka had been the Word Factory; Thebes became the Dream Factory. Years had passed since the Revolution and the city once again started to resemble that colourful, vivid place she remembered from her youth. Maybe it was worth a visit after all. But right now, right here, there was only war.



Red Army's mechanized forces arrayed for the operation

[Eerion]

“The world seems to be changing more then we wish it to.”
Words once spoken by Uesugi Kenshin during the siege of Ahmed proved to be incredibly accurate. In past decades, world has changed more than dramatically. Where swift and wooden ships once sailed, now great ones made of iron ruled. Moving with electric engines instead of sails, grey vessels traveled fast. On the surface on under the water. In the sky, the airplanes ruled. Moving faster than anything before, they were capable of deeds beyond the wildest imaginations even hundred years ago. Swift and deadly they proved to be a perfect tool of war. Land infantry was still used, but they were reduced to support and defence, as the armored vehicles, tanks and artillery were capable of much more. And were several times faster. Electricity revolutionised even everyday life, providing average citizen with many incredible luxuries. The voice was transmitted for thousands of kilometers in the matter of seconds through the wires. Images could be recorded and displayed in distance land on a single tape. No longer actors had to travel to show their act. There was no aspect of life left untouched.


Heavy Industry changed the world greatly.

The room was filled with static light coming from the massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The command room was rebuilt. Once small it was now capable of fitting several dozens of people. Any important meeting was happening here now, however, it was used in old fashioned way.
“The democracy was abandoned. People were incapable of ruling themselves, therefore France is united once again under the ultimate ruler, just like Japan. Brittania and Russia made the exactly same move. Even in Socialist Egypt, Cleopatra controls everything, even though she does it from the shadows. Despite Gandhi being still alive, India can be considered extinct.”
The girl, wearing a traditional spy clothing stopped reading. She looked at the empress. Hinotebi seemed absent minded, looking at the ceiling.
“Continue.” She commanded shortly.
“Yes ma’am.” Ninja nodded. “No longer Japan is the mightiest country in the world. Due to the successful assault on Russia, Egypt has become the greatest known nation. Surpassing anyone else with science, production capabilities, military power and population, they are continuing their conquest. Now, that the Stalin forces do not pose any threat anymore the Socialist Union may soon begin the great industrialisation of their new terrains. After that happens, Cleopatra superiority may be big enough to take on everyone else. It is unknown why France and Brittania allowed such thing to happen, making themselves nothing more than pawns dancing on the palm of Egypt, yet it is irrelevant anymore. Even united, they barely pose threat to their neighbour anymore and soon they will lose even that glimpse of hope. Only by clinging to their alliance they have a chance to survive. Of course if Cleopatra will wish to maintain such diplomatic relations.
On the other hand we are still the richest country in the world, thanks to Kyoto Stock Exchange. Also, being the only country that has waged war with Egypt in the past, we are most likely to become next target to their attacks, once they devour Stalin completely.”
Hinotebi looked at the huge table she was sitting next to. Few notes could be seen every now and then. Military orders, political analysis or whatever was considered important at the moment.
“Their relationship with Brittania is pretty bad right now. We are not the only ones who can expect their visit in the future to be honest.” She stated coldly. She stood up, scratching her revealed belly. “The best way to maintain peace is to show them that we can negate their advantage. They are far more spread than we are. Their weakness lies in there. Displaying forces capable of both solid defence and swift strike should keep them in check even slightly. How are our preparations proceeding?”
“We are almost ready. Heavy battleships, tanks, specialised infantry – on your order massive militarisation shall begin.”
“Good. What about war planes?”
“Hopefully our spies should bring their plans from Russian battlefields soon.”
“This would prove very useful to our cause. Anyway Chiyome, what else did he write?”
Girl looked at the letter. “Takeda showed a tactical masterpiece during the siege of Jalandahar. His hit and run maneuvers made them spread their forces and before they regrouped he claimed the city. Instead of bloody siege, the fort was claimed within a day with minimal losses. Now the Indians are more reluctant from moving anywhere and Shingen forces have to go round in order to reach the last enemy city in the region, still it is only a matter of time before it falls. If Gandhi is within a city it is currently unknown. If he is, he shall meet his end there.
This is end of my report my lady. I hope my student will be more helpful to you more than my old body was. I was proud servant of your grandmother, mother and now you. Sadly, my time is almost over, as I can feel the death reaching her hand towards me. May the fate be on your side, Hinotebi Nekomimi the fifth.

Hattori Hanzo.”



Mochizuki Chiyome

“Do you think he was also sent by my Father?” Hinotebi asked the female ninja.
“Excuse me?” Mochizuki Chiyome, the successor of the Hattori Hanzo looked surprised.
“He lived far more than any mortal being. Actually almost like an eternal being. He might be a servant of my father to be honest. It would explain a lot.”
“I shall investigate this case if this is your wish my lady.”
“No. Let it be.” Empress waved her hand. “It won’t change anything. Hanzo is gone. Father called my mother to himself several years ago, but Haruhi still did not come back. I am the last one of his creations in this country right now.” She took a deep breath. “I must ensure the safety of Japan if I do not wish to be killed by him.”
“Do you think that your mother and Suzumiya were... killed?”
“No. I don’t think so. But if I fail it will be my fate for sure. He stated so several times.”
“Understood. I may not be an eternal being as my master was, but... I will do everything to help you reach your goals.” Mochizuki saluted.
“I’m counting on you.” Nekomimi smiled gently. “Tell me what do you think about all of that.”
“Yes ma’am.” she stopped for a second “I agree that we should militarise our country as soon as possible. Focusing on air warfare and means to defend against it should be our top priority. Our navy may be outnumbered as it is now, but with quality we are capable of fighting on any terms. Machine guns are almost ready for mass production and our factories has already begun the assembling of massive artillery. Combining it with the fact, that Mountains protect our borders this should not be the case. So as long as we manage to control what happens in the surrounding seas and find a way to take down their planes we should be fine. Our technology is catching up, so no longer our forces should be obsolete. I am referring to Egyptians obviously, as we are already capable of defending from any invasion coming from Brittania or French Italia. Unless we make a terrible mistake, they should not be able to do anything to our lands.”
“This is a good summarisation. What about economy?”
“It is split between militarisation of Nippon and modernisation of our mines. Everything is advancing at the satisfactory rate. There is still much to be done, but every advanced mine we build, the closer we are to reclaiming our rightful place on the top of the world.”
“It won’t be enough. Still it is an important step in our march towards victory. But you only kept on talking about Japan and Egypt. What about France and Brittania?”
“France is trying to reestablish their power after the fall of democracy. They still have much to do, yet their progress is pretty impressive. The only thing is that their colonies are not worthy looking at compared to the new terrains of Egypt, that’s why they have fallen behind so badly. They still are extremely wealthy country with high science capabilities, but for now they are not suitable for war.
Brittania on the other hand... seems to suffer from their inferiority complex. After millennia of being underdeveloped right now they focus so much on science that they economy is actually suffering. They may be competitive on the field of science but if such situation prolongs, they will lose their chance of becoming a nation that can actually change something.”
“The question is... will they become servants of Egypt? It almost happened recently. But they still serve under them, even if just unofficially. Like a young brother, they have to listen.” Hinotebi looked at the world map again. “They have vast and resourceful terrains. It would be a waste to... waste them just for some science. There is no point in having best technology around if you cannot mass produce it.”
“It is true. Even though they begin great industrialisation now they will need some time before they pose a major threat to us or Egyptians.”
“So only Egyptians are extremely dangerous to Nippon right now... They have always been a pain.”
“And the only way to maintain the peace is reinforcing our borders.” Chiyome added.
“So if we wish to live in peace, we must prepare for war. There is no other way.”
“The country is at your command my Empress. Just one word and the massive militarisation shall begin.” Ninja bowed again.
“Then do so. And I have another project for you after you return.”
“Yes my lady?” Girl looked slightly surprised.
“I will describe it to you later. I have a project. I named it Kunoichi.”
“I like that name.”
“So do I. Go now. We have no time to waste.” Hinotebi smiled.
“Understood.” Mochizuki bowed deeply then turned away and runned out of the room.
Hinotebi picked up the small bell from the table. It sound was deep, almost piercing, what made it easy to hear. In a matter of seconds a servant came running to the command room. He opened the doors and bowed deeply without saying a word.
“I want you to call few generals for me. Make them depart to Kyoto as soon as possible.”
“Understood my lady.”
“Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Three of them. Tell them that empress calls.”
“Should I give them the reason of this sudden call?”
“Tell them that Nippon needs to be defended.”
“Understood.”
When he closed the door, Hinotebi looked at her hand. She clenched her teeth. Her dark tails started burning. “Our enemies shall fall.” She stated loudly, looking at her hand where a ball of pure energy was slowly emancipating. It was giving a blue aura, contrasting with the one given by her fiery tails. “Let us begin with Gandhi.”


Enraged Hinotebi.

[Max_Smirnov]

The Odessa Noose



Arturia's new airplane, I-2 Onslaught, was slowly circling over Odessa's harbour. As the threat from Russian airforce was next to non-existent, the Egyptians were deploying more and more of custom-tailored ground attack planes like this one, speed traded for increased payload an armor. The latter allowed for more daring strafing runs, lower altitude increasing their accuracy; the planes could take some hits, and bullet marks on this I-2's fuselage were quite numerous. But now it was all over. The only area of any real resistance, the harbour, was laying in ruins, gun batteries and the few impromtu armed merchant ships quickly put out of action by waves of Egyptian aircraft. The last means of evacuation ceased to exist. The whole northern highlands, the heartland of Russia, belonged now to the Egypt. Whatever vestiges of Russian forces remained there, were no longer of consequence, trapped and doomed. Five Red Army divisions landed near Odessa, cutting off the only route of retreat. They were now in the process of securing the city, what amounted to hauling isolated and demoralised Corporate Guard units out of their hiding holes. Hardly any real firefights could be heard.

Arturia leaned back in her chair. So far, the liberation of Russia had been a staggering success. So great of a success that the Red Army found itself stretched over a huge territory, from the northern beaches all the way to the Black Sea, from the western steppes past Smolensk to the eastern deserts of Chelabyinsk. With the lack of any reliable road network, even the cavalry was struggling with keeping up with the pace of the offensive. Still, the eventual fall of Russia was inevitable. Meanwhile, India was already in its death throes. The last defenders of Moradabad finally surrendered, after the British forces have seized Darjerling, their only source of supplies. In the south, the implacable Japanese advance was slowly making its way towards the last major Indian manufacturing and population centres of Jalandhar and Dahae.

The real question was, what then... Was it what Cleo feared? The destruction of all civilization? Yeah, she had that tendency to be overtly melancholic. The darkness within the unfathomable depths of her soul. Maybe it was understandable. Even for Arturia, who lived for almost 30 centuries now, Cleopatra was an immensely old creature who emerged from an abyss of time. And, unlike Arturia, she wasn't remade, she didn't forget anything. She knew more. Perhaps too much. And even Arturia had to admit, the world became a place much easier to destroy. And much more volatile. One British spy was caught on the Japanese soil while stealing sensitive data and the Japanese razed one of the Celtic border towns in revenge. Thankfully, this incident ended then and there, but who knew, any of such sparks could escalate into a major war...

[Max_Smirnov]

Brittania, the waning days of the XVth Century. Another commission for Daniel. Enjoy!

Never before Sarutobi had so much work on his hands. In the last years of Eucliwood's rule, he finally received enough money to create a large spy network. The initial results surpassed his wildest expectations. Numantia's military labs have already received an impressive crop of the latest Russian technologies. But it was getting more difficult now. When the war started, all Russian forces have been put on high alert. Infiltrating their installations was nowhere as easy as it had been before...

What's worse, Eucliwood was gone now, and the new government was in constant turmoil, difficult to work with. At least he anticipated that in advance and created alternative sources of funding.

He understood that further actions against Russia were unlikely to yield any substantial results.
"I have to start spying elsewhere..." he thought. A new spy network was being constructed, and he had no time to relax.

---

After the major victory of the Communist party in the latest elections, they're finally able to form a new government all by themselves. It is already known that for the post of the Prime Minister, they choose Comrade Balalaika, a revolutionary from Russia, veteran military officer with an impressive track of successful operations against Stalin's government. She immigrated to our country ten years ago, after being seriously wounded in...

Touma dropped today's newspaper. He couldn't shake off the sudden feeling that something went really, really wrong. He of course had the general idea what to expect of these elections, but the course of events surpassed his worst fears. The communists weren't even trying to keep the appearances. This woman wasn't a politician, she was a revolutionary and a master tactician. Some were saying that the years of battle took her sanity away. So this is where the democracy, so celebrated in the beginning, had finally led them? It didn't bode well. At all.

Later that day, he mustered all his courage and visited Sarutobi's office. Surprisingly, the spymaster found time for him.

"There are indeed reports that the elections might have been rigged. The intelligence, however, cannot yet officially confirm or deny these notions. Still, she has some really influential sponsors, and the people are quite desperate due to the economical crisis. They want to be saved, even by a devil. Anything is possible."

Touma felt only worse. Was this Eucliwood plan all along? To plunge the country into chaos? How could she have abandoned them? And who could save them now, as they couldn't save themselves?

---

The parliament in Numantia was in chaos. In the midst of a heated meeting, as Balalaika was laying out her plans for Brittania to join the communist block, the doors were kicked in, and an unit of soldiers, armed in automatic weapons, marched in. Anyone who tried to stop them was wrestled to the ground and manacled. After the soldiers, Ifurita arrived, her face severe. She ordered to arrest the leadership of the Communist party, before stepping onto the podium. Most of the politicians were cowering under their tables, but a dozen or so representatives of the Nationalist party gave her an encouraging applause. Then she started to speak, her words transmitted over the radio.

"Throughout the years of my willing exile, I've been watching closely those, who took the power over the people of Brittania. And year by year, I was becoming more and more disappointed. Corruption, petty thievery, concern only for the private gain... not the well-being of the people! But if the people were choosing themselves, who was I to judge? So I stayed on the sidelines. Up until now. Incompetence can be forgiven, but treason cannot. So, with the cooperation of the military, I am forced to step in and put an end to this. Economical disaster, mass poverty, and now - outright notions that the Brittania shall become a province of the Egyptian communist empire? Never! We are a proud nation who can stand on its own! All it takes is to believe in Brittania! But mere words are insufficient to avert the disaster and restore order. Enemies of our nation have mastered the art of honeyed words, but they respect only strength. So this is a message to them. Our people will stand on their own. Whoever dares to raise their hand against the common cause of Brittania, shall be annihilated. Therefore, I have no other choice than to declare that the communist party is hereby delegalized, and I'm putting the country under a temporary martial law, until the order and justice can be restored. It is every citizen's duty to protect their county, and, however painful it might be to impose such harsh laws, I am not intending to abandon mine."

[Eerion]

It was a chaos. At least it looked like one. Massive movements of armies looked to the Indians absolutely random. Thousands of riflemen approached Indian cities only to retreat without engaging weeks later and fortify somewhere else. Armies did not stack, even opposite - they were scattering in random directions like only to regroup months later. Indians were left confused. They tried to reinforce the cities towards which an enemy army marched, only to be intercepted by it or the second one stationing nearby. Loses of the Indians were counted in tens of thousands already, while the Japanese ones were minimal. The armies were not mounted, yet somehow they were mobile.
Shimazu was sitting in the Pasargadae overseeing the militarisation of the city as well as gathering reports sent by Takeda and his officers. From the Tiger of Kai, this is how the Shingen was called by his soldiers. An image of majestic beast seemed strange to Yoshihiro at first, but the more time he spent with him, the more he thought it actually suits him well. Active, mighty, versatile. He supervised every single movement and never spent too much time with one army. Few times he was even sleeping in his saddle to catch up with another battalion to command it directly during an operation.
After the Pasargadae Issue Hinotebi made an official proclamation that every discrimination of citizen of Nippon will be punished by death. Country must be strong and focus on external issues, not struggle with internal distrust and betrayal. When it happened Takeda swiftly began execution of racists in his army. Until that moment they were just being tracking dow. With official backup it was a swift operation, like the one made by a doctor in hospital. It gave the general full support in Northern Japan. From Tochigi to Yuureishi, next to the flag of Nippon, the red flags were displayed. Not communist ones, but the Red flags with four black diamonds. The symbol of Takeda clan. While the once peaceful motherland struggled with the concept of militarisation of the country and the primacy of the state, the Persian and Indian provinces remained perfectly peaceful. If it was his wish, Takeda could separate whole north from Nippon and create new country without any inner rebellion. This is how great support to his cause was.
Shimazu looked at the red flag.
“Fast like the wind.
Silent like a forest.
Intrusive like the fire
Immobile like a mountain.”
This is what every diamond stood for. This is what Shingen armies were doing right now. When Indians were expecting an assault, he fortified. When they thought they can regroup their forces he stroke swiftly, even if enemy moved through Himalayas to remain secure.
“My lord! I bring the news!” An officer entered the room, interrupting the Yoshihiro’s reflections.
“What is it boy?” He answered with his tubal voice.
“The supreme general engaged enemy reinforcements close to Dahae. It was a slaughter! More than seven thousands of Indians were killed before reaching the city. Our losses did not surpass five hundred men!”
Shimazu looked at the tactical map. He removed another figurine representing Indian forces. There were more models on the table than on the map.
“Anything else?”
“No sir! Takeda is retreating toward the Euphrates as planned.”
“Good. You’re dismissed.”
When the subordinate left, Yoshihiro looked again at the map. Everything was almost complete to claim the last Indian fortresses in this part of the world. He remembered the words of one of Takeda’s soldiers before they separated. When he explained the meaning of the four diamonds, he said one more thing describing Shingen.
“Under heaven and earth, I alone am feared.”
For Indians, these words couldn’t be more true.

[Max_Smirnov]

Attack on Sevastopol



A field airstrip on the outskirts of Moscow was bustling with activity. A wave of planes, several dozens, just returned from their missions over the Russian Highlands, and were being quickly resupplied, ground crews pumping fresh fuel into their tanks and resupplying their magazines with long belts of machinegun ammo. The Socialist Union managed to make its first heavier-than-air flight several years after Russia and France, and had been initially completely dependant on importing French engines and aerial fuel. But now, few decades later, everything had changed. The Red Army was the first force in the world to deploy large numbers of aircraft, and the Socialist Union engineers were providing it with the most advanced designs in the world. The old biplanes were being already phased out, replaced by new models, fully made of metal.
Another airplane approached, over ten minutes late. Its pilot was well known for her reluctance to leave combat, and as to make sure her identity was obvious, she made a few barrel flips and landed at high speed. Only from close up her airplane was recognizable, machineguns replaced with Tesla coils to enhance her innate abilities and allow them to be used in long-range combat.
"It's the Red Saber!" yelled someone. The ground crew, mostly female, ran towards the pilot, who just jumped out of her cockpit, straightening her coat.
"Man, I'm never going to tire of this! These new airplanes are awesome!"
It was widely known that Arturia fell in love with airplanes the first time she tried to fly one (and crashed it). As the airplanes were getting faster and more agile, this love only seemed to grow. Seeing a huge potential in her popularity, the high command allowed her to be moved to airforce. Her potential as a warrior with superhuman reflexes and endurance was obvious; and her skill at airforce tactics had shown itself pretty soon as well.
An officer made his way through the small crowd of women, swooning over this celebrity.
"Qiet! Silence! Comrade Arturia, here are new orders for your wing. You are to drop current operations and immediately support ground forces assaulting Sevastopol. We are now throwing at the city every airplane we have, the Russian defenses turned out to be much more powerful than we anticipated."
Arturia smiled.
"This is going to be a long day, then!"
The ground crew were already fastening bombs under the wings of her machine.

---

The city of Sevastopol was one of the largest in Russia, its citizens numbering over half a million. The sheer size of it would be a problem for the five infrantry divisions sent to assault it, but yet again, the numbers of the Corporate Guard, a force not very popular with the civilian population and suffering high desertion rates, coupled with their low morale, turned insufficient to turn this city into a hell for the invading army. The forces of the Socialist Union earned a lot of experience in this prolonged campaign, and were now being equipped in vast numbers of submachine guns, an ideal weapon for house-to-house fighting. However, they were lacking heavy support, and the attack faltered at the river, which was dividing the city in two. The Red Army lacked any effective means of defeating the Russian cannon batteries, concentrated on the other bank. They also lacked effective means of countering the Russian armored vehicles, which were becoming better and better armed and armored.
But the Russians lacked any serious airforce. What little they had, had been already swept from the sky by the first waves of Egyptian craft. Now, the main force had arrived, more than two hundred airplanes, armed with bombs, cannons and machineguns.
Arturia looked around. Seen from above the city resembled a huge arena, criss-crossed by the anti-aircraft fire and numerous trails of smoke.
"This is the Red Leader," she said over the radio. "Our targets are the gun batteries at the river bank, near the church, azimuth 015. Everyone, follow my lead."
She pulled the throttle, and the engine buzzed louder, her machine accelerating for the attack run.

[Solarius Scorch]

"Eucliwood died tonight."

"What are you saying, Monsieur?" Madamme D'Arc, the former Minister of Education, gave her former President a surprised glance. "How? I mean, how do you know?"

Bonaparte continued looking outside the window, into the night. It was his favourite residence at the time, a large but tastefully simple villa overlooking the Hexagon Forest. Not very far from Paris, but nearly unreachable by politicians, journalists and bankers. Virtually inaccessible to anyone except his servants and guests, and naturally Josephine, it was quite perfect for his needs. He hardly ever left it these days.

"I saw her burst into flame, as one could put it. Figuratively, of course. Such an event is hard to miss, if you have eyes like mine."

"I see", answered Madamme D'Arc wistfully. She wasn't the type to desire immortality, but she was quite prone to drama, which sometimes tended to permeate the world of Immortals. "Was it an assassination...?"

"No. She seems to have left us behind, bored of our..." He almost said 'grand game', but decided against it, "Our vale of tears. It must have tired her out."

The woman nodded slowly. Despite being in her early sixties, she was still rather handsome, with straight, blond hair and eyes of blue steel that would better fit a winter soldier than a teacher. Frankly, she vaguely reminded Napoleon of Arthuria, whom he always found quite appealing. Had she been born a couple hundred years ago, she could well become a knight too, and probably meet an ultimely end due to her combination of moral purity and will of action. "I guess I should give you my condolences."

"Thank you, Jeanne," he responded without turning to her. "Although I never liked Eucliwood much - honestly, she was downright creepy - I can't deny that her death made me a little melancholic. Philosophical, even."

Silence fell upon the two, filled with ticking of a grandfather's clock. Napoleon continued gazing into the night, while Joanne was still sitting on a sofa, looking at his back.

"Is there anything on your mind, Monsieur?" finally asked Jeanne, unwilling to endure this awkward silence any longer.

Napoleon actually gave it a moment of thought. "No, not really. Nothing important, anyway." His voice was hollow, like of a person who either lost their emotions or suppressed them.

"If you forgive me, this demeanour doesn't suit you at all", said Madamme D'Arc with as much conviction as she could muster. Frankly, looking at Bonaparte these days was a little frightening. He seemed either annoyed or troubled, she couldn't really say; either way, it didn't bode well. "You should cheer up... or..."

She never finished, because Bonaparte abruptly turned toward her. "Why?" he asked; his voice was calm, but his eyes hinted of some deep, suppressed anger. "Why the hell should I cheer up, when things are going to hell faster than an aeroplane? When was the last time you were in Paris, or any other French town? Do you even read newspapers? Do you have any idea of what's going on around us?" Although his body remained at ease, one of his fists was slightly raised, like he was thinking of punching someone - which was probably true.

"Monsieur, I know that we are in a bit of a crisis and that our party fell out of favour of the public. I'm sure it's temporary though, and in a few years-"

"In a few years it will be the same, dammit!" Napoleon raised his voice. "Can't you see, Jeanne? It doesn't matter whether we win or lose, the country isn't going to get any better in the long run." He started pacing the room back and forth. "It's not just a political crisis, it's a complete failure. The economy is in tatters, the army couldn't even defend us from Persian if they decided to attack us, and the people only care about money and silly soap operas on the radio! And all we can do about it - we, the elites - is to make sure the country doesn't collapse on us all." He stopped in front of an old mirror and gave himself an almost wistful look. "It's not what I had in mind back then..."

For a few seconds Jeanne wondered about what to say and, as usual, decided to approach the problem directly. "Do you regret putting the power in voters' hands, Monsieur? Was it a bad decision?"

Napoleon shook his head. "Not as such, no. I believed in the French nation back then and I still do now. They can and they will use their strength, their force of will, their best judgement. I haven't cultivated their spirits for over eight millenia for nothing. France is mature and strong, Jeanne. However, it is also in bad health. Infested."

"Infested? You mean, by political movements? Like the communists?"

"I mean infested with foreign element. We can hardly remember who we are any more. Half the world is controlled by the Japanese, from underwear design to political thought, and the other half by communists. France today is merely a reflection of this, with very little substance of its own. Without this substance, we cannot exist; no nation could. Sooner or later, we'll be done for, just like the Romans."

The Romans. Their fall was also France's last moment of glory. Neither of the two mentioned it, so obvious it was to them.

"...So, is there no hope for France?" Jeanne D'Arc asked tentatively. "Is that it?"

"You know, Jeanne, for a moment I thought so", answered Bonaparte unexpectedly calmly. "But it's not quite true. I'd say we have just one more chance to turn the tides. Just one chance, no more."

"Then... then we must act, don't we?" Jeanne felt something was eluding her, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it; talking to an Immortal, her Maitre, was frustrating at times. "Taking action against this infestation you mentioned would certainly justify a coup d'etat", she stated bluntly.

Napoleon sighed. "You're not listening to me, Jeanne. Haven't I told you that I put the fate of France in the hands of its citizens? Did you think I was being figurative? Why do you think I never created any Servants except Josephine?"

It only struck Jeanne now, leaving her almost speechless for a moment. "So... So it means... You blessed us all....?"

Napoleon nodded. "Strange as it may be, I have always been an egalitarian. Empowering one person more than others is wrong on many levels, being unjust, wasteful and dysfunctional. I believe in equal chances, so that the best could prevail over the slightly less good. This is the only true power a nation may attain and remain as honourable as in the old days." He paused for a few seconds, then added, "But obviously, I miscalculated. Nevertheless, millions of shards of my power are still out there, with my people. Without them, I cannot do a damn thing."

"And you do not intend to take them back by force, do you?"

"That would not only go against my principles, but also ruin my entire plan. I am not interested in ruling over mere slaves. Even if I wanted to, I simply don't know how. I am not Cleopatra", he stated simply.

"Then, the only way to win is if they return this power back to you willingly", answered Jeanne.

Napoleon gave her an approving glance. "See, Jeanne, now you're starting thinking. That's why I chose you for the cabinet, not because of your pretty eyes. The problem is, how to make people give us not just their votes, but their souls?" He sat down in a chair and poured himself a glass of wine. "And to think that winning allies used to be my forte."

"Monsieur, I do not really know much about such things", said Jeanne slowly, "but I certainly know enough to believe your words. And haven't you said yourselves, not long ago, that the French nation still strong and mature enough to decide for itself?"

"The ultimate trial, eh?" Bonaparte smirked. "That's a nice way of putting it. Please write it down, it'll become our slogan."

Madamme D'Arc obediently produced a notepad and a pen from her bag. "You mean, of our party?"

"Yes, at first. Then, of our nation." Napoleon's eyes were intense now; calculating, cold. The change from just ten minutes ago was quite impressive.

"Our nation..." Jeanne echoed, trying to picture such a change.

"I see you're as loyal to our cause as I suspected when I invited you, Jeanne. Tomorrow morning you will go to Paris and contact the Radiola broadcasting company, tell them I would like to give an, umm, interview. The CEO owes me a favour, plus my appearance will hardly be harmful to his business."

"An interview, yes." Madamme D'Arc stood up. "With your permission, Monsieur, I would like to leave tonight to get to Paris on time."

"Permission granted. But first, come here."

"...Monsieur?" She approached Bonaparte, not quite understanding. Was he flirting with her? Impossible, she was much too old for this, wasn't she? Also, he was said to be surprisingly faithful to Josephine...

"Don't be afraid. I simply decided to make a small exception to my principles. You will not regret this."

Jeanne's speculations were swept away when she looked in Bonaparte's eyes. His gaze was hard and far, and something seemed to burn deep inside his eye sockets, like a purplish radiance hidden within his body. When he raised his palm, it also glowed; the light started to seep from his body and illuminate the room better than any electrical light, but somehow it didn't hurt Jeanne's eyes.

Jeanne was not one to kneel before a man, not even Napoleon. This time, however, she didn't hesitate. It wasn't fear, not even submission; it was simply the right thing to do.

"I will need your help", he said. "You represent all that France has been striving for since forever. Therefore, I need your spirit to become a symbol. A bridge between me and them."

Jeanne's eyes went wide. She couldn't tell what exactly was about to happen, but she felt it was something not quite meant for a human to see. Not for a mortal anyway.

Napoleon's body was already surrounded with a white-purple aura. In his open palm there was a... ball of light? No, that wouldn't do it justice. It was like a living creature woven from light, a creature much wiser and braver than herself.

"BEHOLD THE STAR OF THE WEST", said Napoleon Bonaparte with a voice that shook the windows and sent a strange, ecstatic shiver down Jeanne's spine. "IT WILL GUIDE YOU, LIKE IT DID SO MANY OTHERS BEFORE."

Then he extended his arm and the Star touched Jeanne's forehead, accompanied by the sound of exploding windows and falling furniture. And then everything changed, beginning with her almost forgotten feeling of youthfulness returning to her.

[Max_Smirnov]

Another post commissioned by Daniel. Enjoy!



Despite the very late hour, fireworks were still lighting up the night sky over Numantia. The people were cheering, as something that so many of them hoped for, something long argued by the intellectuals, including the British Queen herself had finally come to pass in the spring of 1463: the first free, universal, democratic elections. Shocking many of the old nobility, the Queen had abdicated. There were already voices of outrage, coming from the warlike, southern provinces, but here, in the heart of the British empire, the collective mind of the people was shaped by modern thoughts and modern inventions, and the rule of law and justice held sway for so long it was considered natural. There were signs of danger, too, the powerful Communist Worker's Party was using the freedom of speech to convey messages of directly joining Brittania with the Egyptian Socialist Union. But the taller of the two seemingly-young women, sitting at the forested edge of a glade, was blind to such subtleties, and the other one didn't feel the need to waste her remaining time on discussing them. She had already said (or rather, wrote) almost all that there was for her to be said.

"Such a perfect day," mused Ifurita, observing the sky. "Are you happy now, Eucliwood? Everything you've told me about is coming to pass. The age of tyranny is ending. Of many tyrannies, not only the human one, but the tyranny of ilness, of gruelling work, even the one of the night itself... U-uh?"

Ifurita suddenly felt Eucliwood's hand going under her arm, pulling her closer. She blushed. She loved her queen, her... mother, that mysterious, wise, brilliant, selfless gentle woman, more than anything else in the world, but such displays of affection, physical proximity were extremely rare.

"HAVE YOU ENJOYED YOURSELF TODAY?" appeared on Eucliwood's notepad. It was being dark, but not to Ifurita's eyes, which could spot a man from many miles away.

She recalled the events of the day. The long-promised day which Eucliwood, finally freed of the burdens of governance, could fully dedicate to her pupil. They've spent long hours in the library, reading together Ifurita's favourite books. They were walking around the town's parks and shopping districts, Eucliwood showering her with small, subtle presents. They visited Numantia's Great Arena, which once held brutal gladiatorial games for Arturia's amusement, now being a place of cheerful sports competitions. And there were good meals, cotton candy, and a photo taken together. And even a bit of alcohol which Eucliwood practically forced Ifurita to drink. Most importantly of all, the former Queen was smiling a lot throughout the whole day, seemingly carefree, with no usual worries gnawing on her soul, and nothing could be more precious to Ifurita than seeing her mother happy.

She just smiled, and nodded. "Yes."

"PROMISE ME YOU WON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS."

This was surprising. But how to refuse? Eucliwood seemed suddenly serious.

"Sure... I won't..."



"IT IS TIME."

Eucliwood dropped her notepad and gotten up, looking at the glade.

"Hey, your notepa..."

Ifurita's words died out when Eucliwood started to slowly remove her armor. The tall woman quickly turned her head away, blushing.

"What-what are you doing?" she managed. She fully realized the true purpose that armor was serving. Arturia's mail was supposed to be highly resistant to magic, and Eucliwood was wearing it to dampen her powers, so they won't go out of control. She never, ever was taking it off, even while bathing, unless in complete wilderness, dozens of miles away from any human settlement.
With a corner of her eye, Ifurita could see the dropped notepad. The next page became revealed as it fell.

"YOU KNOW WELL WHAT IT MEANS. PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR FEELINGS TO GET IN THE WAY."

Ifurita's heart almost stopped, and her spine froze. As she heard parts of armor and clothing falling to the ground, she frantically started to turn the pages.

"EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE FOR YOU WAS LEADING UP TO THIS POINT."
"MY WORK IN THIS WORLD IS NEARLY DONE."

Ifurita's reason knew exactly what Eucliwood meant but her heart was still refusing to accept it.

"N-no, not now, not today..."

"DON'T BE SAD. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF A CURSE AN ETERNAL LIFE IS."
"I AM HAPPY TO BE FINALLY FREE."

Ifurita heard a sound of splashing water, and she finally dared to look at Eucliwood. The woman... looking more like a girl now, without her armor, was standing in the lake, looking at her, water covering her pale skin almost to her bare shoulders.

"I-I understand. But why now, why tonight, why not to live at least a few more years, now, when we have all the time for ourselves? What about Arturia? Or Cleopatra, for that matter? They lived far longer than you did!"

"DO NOT THINK OF THE OTHERS. THEY'RE DEMONS, NOT HUMANS. AND SO ARTURIA WAS RESHAPED INTO ONE."
"AS YOU WELL UNDERSTAND, THIS IS A WORSE FATE THAN DEATH ITSELF."
"EVEN MERLIN FINALLY UNDERSTOOD, AND I FREED HIM FROM THE PAIN OF EXISTENCE."
"MOMENTS ARE PRECIOUS EXACLTY BECAUSE THEY'RE FLEETING."
"FAR MORE IMPORTANT IS HOW DO YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE, THAN HOW LONG IT IS."
"THERE IS BUT ONE MORE THING FOR YOU TO LEARN."
"THE MOST POWERFUL WORD OF ALL."

Ifurita stood up, tears swelling in her eyes.
"Eucliwood! I'm sorry! I don't want to betray your teachings! B-but I... I... I LOVE YOU! And I don't want you to..."

"DIE."

The world immediately went deadly silent, as the quietly uttered word exploded from Eucliwood's mouth. Her unfettered power made Ifurita's vision to twist and blur, colors and shapes losing their coherence. Immediately, the grass surrounding the glade turned brown, then crumbled to dust. Trees withered and died within seconds, before their blackened leaves even managed to fell to the ground like a dry rain. Ifurita felt the magic ravaging her own body as well, telling each limb, each cell, to just give up and die, die, die, what is the purpose of fighting this, everything dies, immortals die, worlds die, suns die, even the universe itself is going to die someday, why to prolong this, why to suffer, why not submit to the final silence, just die, die, don't be silly and die, die, like a final command that couldn't, wouldn't be disobeyed, thrown from impossible heights at this puny speck of dust that dared to call herself a conscious being. Her behaviour, her clothing, her skin, her memories, her will, everything mere decorum, a laughable mask to hide the flesh, which had been rotting since the day of her birth, eager to return to the dust it arose from. Ifurita felt her mind breaking, and she accepted the command to die.

Then, something else happened. Something inside her body turned, twisted and suddenly a coat of golden light surrounded her. The outside world faded, and suddenly, Ifurita felt elated, dreamy vistas opening before her eyes, a state of joy without want, without need, an absolute peace of mind beyond life or death. It might have lasted a split second or a billion years. It was impossible to tell.

But when it passed, Ifurita was standing there, alive and untouched. Eucliwood's eyes were piercing her. She picked up the notepad once again.

"IT IS THE AVALON. THE LOST SHEATH OF THE EXCALIBUR."
"IT IS INSIDE OF YOU. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WORTHY OF IT. BE PROUD."
"NOW YOU KNOW THE FINAL WORD."
"PLEASE, USE IT ON ME."

Ifurita clenched her fists. She understood, Eucliwood was preparing her for this moment for years, but she refused to accept it. How she could kill the only person she loved?

Then Eucliwood looked at her. Ifurita had never seen that expression on her face before. A pleading, pitiful look of those vulnerable eyes. Eyes pleading her to grant the final release in the only really dignified way possible. And then, the tall woman remembered something else. True love cannot impose its feelings on others. To truly love, was to truly respect.



She nodded. If her heart was crying, she was going to silence it by her force of will. Crush her feelings. Nobody said it was going to be easy. But it was the only way. It was the only way of showing respect to Eucliwood. If she walked away now, she'd betray all love and trust placed in her.

Killing in itself never was something difficult. Not once her mind was made up. After all, it was the very nature of her being. Eucliwood tried to make her a human, but deep down, Ifurita knew the truth. She was a living weapon, first and foremost, an impure, sinful, pitiful creature. What she was about to do now, was just a realization of her original purpose.

She closed her eyes and focused the power. Unlike Eucliwood, she didn't need to speak anything aloud. The intent was enough. Eucliwood's body flashed and disappeared, her frail bones visible for a split-second, before they evaporated as well, leaving no trace of her existence on the surface of the dead lake.

Ifurita sank to her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked at the final words, written in the notepad.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, IFURITA. AND SO I LOVE BRITTANIA. PLEASE TAKE A GOOD CARE OF IT."
"NOW I AM GONE, BUT I WILL REMAIN FOREVER WITH YOU."
"KEEP THIS AS MY FINAL GIFT."

The next page was empty. Ifurita felt her stomach clenching again, as she realized these were the very last words she was going to ever hear from the one she loved. Suddenly, something new happened. Eucliwood's pen, which was laying nearby, a pen which had been with the Queen for as long as anybody could remember, started to quickly grow, shifting its shape. It finally transformed into a white quarterstaff-like device. Ifurita picked it up, and when she did, tendrils of white substance shot out of it, tearing her clothing away and replacing them with a tight-fitting suit.

"I won't... let you down," she whispered. "I promise."

She gathered her powers again and shoot up into the night sky. She indeed was finally ready for the new world. More than Eucliwood could ever be. And she knew that. If Eucliwood wanted her heart to turn to steel, so be it.

[Max_Smirnov]

The Battle of Moscow, 7 June 1461


A mortar shell exploded, showering the whole unit with earth. Lieutnant Ceres Heliconnen instinctively threw herself to the ground, then crawled towards the rocks that were their cover, to take a look at the vast plain where the battle was taking place. Her once pristine uniform was now completely covered in grime and dust, that infamous Russian dust that was getting everywhere, causing skin to itch and weapons to jam.
The massive curtain wall, surrounding the Russian capitol was looming in a distance, miles long, hundred feet tall and dividing the river valley in two. That was their ultimate target, but first, they had to breach the loose line of small forts and earthworks that protected the big city's outer perimeter. Ceres' unit, like many others, was dispatched to a forward position, to supress the Russian defenders at key locations with concentrated machinegun and light cannon fire. The whole army was mounted, and the speed was the key to success, so they couldn't take any of the really heavy weapons with them.
The air was filled with lines of tracer bullets, the incessant rattling of machineguns punctuated by discharges of cannons and mortars. In the midst of all the chaos, it was impossible to tell if the plan was working, but the Red Army seemed to be dishing out far more firepower than it was taking in return. The Russian Corporate Guard forces, stretched along the very wide front, despite being dug in pretty well, seemed to simply lack the numbers to repel this multiple pincer attacks. Still, another mortar shell landed nearby, hitting one of machineguns directly, killing its crew and wounding several riflemen. Their screams merged with the hellish symphony of the battlefield.

---

It all started on a day very different from this one, amidst the cold, Egyptian spring rains, that tended to fall for weeks. The sky was weeping, even if Ceres herself was unable to. Dressed in her new Lieutnant's uniform, she was watching the casket being lowered into the earth. So far away from the long-lost city of Assak on the Persian coast, where Feyd Heliconnen was born. It wasn't like Ceres was indifferent to her father. She was more shocked than anything, not even really noticing the rain, which had thoroughly soaked her by now. Despite former Baron's wealth and power, he wasn't exactly held in high regard in the new communist Egypt. The ceremony was thus a small, private one, with hardly anyone attending at all. Not even Raul showed his face, not really wishing to 'undermine' his high office. The more surprising was the appearance of Arturia among the few guests. Dressed in black, with her face concealed behind a veil, she said some solemn words to Ceres, but the girl couldn't even remember what those were.

And then, the next night, the orders to embark arrived. Ceres remembered endless columns of cavalrymen, slowly making their way through Memphis towards the harbor. Everyone seemed hopeful and in high spirits, the inhabitants of the city crowding on the pavements, throwing flowers and cheering on the soldiers like they already were heroes. Still, deep down everyone knew they were going to war, and there was a slight air of sadness in the midst of all this cheering.
Ceres also remembered the ships, one of the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen. Twenty huge steamers, endless windows glowing with electric light, dark smoke rising from their chimneys into the air. Still having not fully recovered after the funeral, riding her horse amidst thousands of other soldiers, it was almost like a revelation. She wasn't sure what was exactly revealed back then, what kind of a religious experience it had been, but it had changed her in subtle ways. The world was both a beautiful and a horrible place. Whatever it had in store for her, she was going to take.

---

The huge battlecry rising from tens of thousands of throats momentarily drowned even the sounds of gunfire. The hills on the northern side of the valley turned dark, as an endless tide of cavalry rode down, red banners flowing, hooves raising clouds of dust. The sea of riders slowly parted into six huge wedges, one full division thrown against each weakened point of the Russian perimeter. The steppe was trembling under thousands of hooves.



The Corporate Guard shifted their targets, machineguns and snipers, mortars and cannons, but it was of no use against such mass. The perimeter was quickly overrun and the mass of cavalry continued towards the walls, not even slowed down by Russian stragglers, waiting for them in the suburbs. They could be taken care of later.
Ceres jumped to her feet. "Everyone! Unlumber the guns! Mount the horses!"
Her fire support was no longer needed here, her unit had to join the attack on the city itself. The curtain wall was imposing, but again, it would take many thousands of soldiers and hundreds of guns to fully man it. The Russians had maybe a tenth of those numbers. Not enough to thwart such a massive army, to stop them from blowing up the massive iron gates with explosives or precise shots fired by their 1.5 inch anti-armor cannons.

---

Many generals were doubting Cleopatra's idea of not using any heavy artillery for this invasion, to keep the Red Army a fully mounted, highly mobile force. For one, so far this allowed them to avoid any serious problems during the landing in a coastal town of Kaluga. The Egyptian infiltrators, aided by the local resistance against the capitalist oppression, had taken over the town prior to the invasion, but still, the local harbor was quite small and not really prepared to receive a whole fleet of steamers. There were some ships of uncertain allegiance sailing around, too.
Ceres even remembered overhearing a conversation on her ship's bridge, where she was sent to receive landing directives.
"What the hell? What kind of ships are those? Russian? Are they insane? We're having a war here! First, you're a Russian, who are they?"
"Hard to say... Pirates, smugglers, corporate traders... This is a scum of villainy, you know. I reckon about two out of five are Russian military..."
"Have you heard that, comrade?" the captain of the troop ship addressed the submarine fleet commander over the radio. "Do something, I can't execute my orders with these ships around... but what if we hit some neutral ships?"
"No worries, Comrade," answered the radio. "I'll order my men to set the torpedoes to destroy just two fifths of the target."
A massive pillar of water shoot into the sky, an explosion tearing a nearby sailed ship to pieces.
"Oh well. I think my torpedoes are a bit overzealous."

Both Egyptian armies, 15 divisions amounting to more than 40,000 men in total, armed with thousands of cannons, machineguns and mortars, amassed around the small town, before one of them marching off down the Volga Valley towards the Russian capitol, while the other one launching itself against the second target, city of Kiev, famous for its gold mines. Soon before the battle of Moscow started, radio news from Kiev came, stating that the city was taken with only minimal losses, five thousand defenders surrendering after mounting only a brief resistance. Moscow, however, was supposed to be a much harder target. Especially since nobody knew what Stalin is really capable of, and this city had been his lair for thousands of years.

---

They were proceeding along one of the eight wide, empty streets converging radially towards Kremlin. The resistance within the city limits stiffened, but was still episodic, Russians waiting in ambushes and opening up from close range to kill as many cavalrymen as possible, before escaping. Or trying to. Ceres' unit was in the process of clearing one of such ambush sites with hand grenades, before storming in to kill or capture any survivors, when the young Lieutnant heard sudden bursts of machinegun fire coming from the street, followed by screams of men and desperate neighs of horses.
Ceres rushed to the window. So did some of her men. She was only blinking, as they started to curse.
"Sh*t! The Russian armored cars! They were holding them in reserve up to this moment!"
The cavalrymen were desperately firing upon the oncoming vehicles, but the bullets only ricocheted off their armored hulls. Those Egyptians who didn't quickly take cover in the neighbouring buildings were being mowed down by automatic gunfire. The vehicles were advancing slowly, their engines droning ominously. A couple of them were disabled by some courageous men, managing to get close enough to throw a well-timed grenade under their wheels, but the remaining armored cars were easily shrugging off any attempt to destroy them. A disaster was unfolding.
"Lieutnant! Your orders, Lieutnant!"

---

It was becoming a common practice in the Red Army for the officers to carry the same weaponry as their men. The art of swordfighting was becoming outdated, and the officers were ditching their sabres in favour of rifles to fight shoulder-to-shoulder alongside their men; at the same time, the famous Egyptian handguns became so plentiful that almost any private could afford them, and the combat doctrine, shaped in the times of the civil war, didn't forbid non-standard weaponry. Ceres Heliconnen followed this trend. First she intended to use a standard carbine, or maybe even one of the unreliable submachineguns, but then, her attention was drawn by new kind of specialist weapon, developed particularly with this campaign in mind.
"Girl, you won't be even able to lift it!" laughed the quartermaster. Then his jaw dropped as Ceres casually grabbed the oversized, anti-armor rifle with one hand.



"Y-yeah, I think I'll be taking this," she said.

---

Breaking out of stupor, Lieutnant Heliconnen braced her rifle against the window frame, took careful aim at the leading vehicle and pulled the trigger. A deafening discharge followed, but despite the appearances, Ceres wasn't an ordinary human. She hardly flinched at the massive recoil.



The steel-tipped bullet hit the frontal plate protecting the driver, easily penetrating it and unleashing a hail of red-hot pieces of broken armor inside the vehicle, killing and maiming the crew. The car rolled to the side, as Ceres drew the bolt back, spent cartridge clattering on the floor, before loading fresh .6 inch round into the chamber, aiming, and firing again. Another car was disabled, quickly catching fire.
"Radio Operator!" she shouted. "Call the command! We need a full unit of anti-armor rifles on this location!"

---

By the evening, the Egyptian cavalrymen hoisted a red banner over the Kremlin. In the furious cityfighting, they suffered almost 5000 casualties, mostly due to the sudden appearance of Russian armored cars. Russian losses were similar, the whole garrison killed or taken prisoner. About the Russian leader, there was no word. Nobody had seen him, his chambers in Kremlin empty. It seemed like he suspected the Moscow was going to fall. Not only he was missing, but also any and all important documents have been burned.
The Red Army was to stand down and recover. With the imminent arrival of 10 fresh divisions, they were to resume the offensive soon and push further into the Russian mainland, along the Volga Valley, towards Novosibirsk and Smolensk, to capture them before the coming of the infamous dust storm season. It was widely recognized that if they don't make it in that time, the whole offensive might be bogged down by massive Russian mobilization, which was sure to start soon.

[Eerion]

Two generals were sitting in a tent over a tactical map. It was more than a week since the Japanese army began its march towards the Pasargadae. Now, at the outskirts of town they were preparing for the decisive attack.
“The enemy has reinforced the city very recently.” Shimazu Yoshihiro explained the situation. “Not only, they made sure the defenders replaced the forces unsuitable for city fighting, but also they adjusted the city itself. Many buildings were destroyed to widen the roads and, especially in the southern part, the roads were crushed, so horses won’t slide on them. They plan on effectively using the knights within the city boundaries.”
Takeda Shingen looked at the map. The Pasargadae became a trap for unsuspecting attack once. It was his duty not to repeat the same mistake.
“So they focus on the defence of inner city completely ignoring the rest, is that correct?”
Shimazu nodded. “It is true, however, we have spotted huge reinforcements north and east from the Pasargadae. If we won’t capture and reinforce it quickly, an army of 11 000 men will make our task harder.”
“No it’s not going to happen. Listen. Prepare our first and second army to storm the city. Make the army including the garrisons from the Bist attack from the west, while the Kyushu army will assault from the south. With double sided attack they should be suppressed successfully. And since the enemy want to focus on the city fights, breaching the walls should be easy.”
“Indeed. Our scouts reported that only the inner walls are occupied. They intentionally want to lure us in.”
“So let them think we will fall for their plan. Swift deployment with suppressive fire should prevent their knights from charging and hold the rest in check as well. Call the commanders of these two armies to us. We must instruct them personally. But before that... Get the second Kyushu army to block their reinforcements. We must ensure their army will not advance too smoothly. Eight thousands riflemen should pose a threat big enough to give us time to claim and reinforce the Pasargadae before they make their move.”



“Jinbo Goro. For disobeying the general orders, betraying your brethren, the Nippon itself and allowing thousands of people to die I, Takeda Shingen sentence you to die. Do you have any last wish?” Takeda looked into the eyes of the officer. There was no repentance in them. Kneeled and bounded he looked at his general with hatred.
“They were not Japanese. It was better to let these Persian fools die rather than Japanese.” Jinbo spoke angrily.
“They were fighting for Nippon and proved to be more useful to our country this day than you were for your whole miserable life.” The Shingen spoke completely emotionless. “Die in disgrace you deserve.” He pulled the trigger and shoot him in the head. The dead body fell on the ground only to be carried away to the small pile of others. Hundreds of soldiers around looked at the mass execution silently. Both generals were killing those who refused to attack simultaneously. In result, the Indian army managed to surround and crush the invaders. Due to the obsolete equipment the Gandhi’s forces paid a great price for this attack, yet they succeeded. Only after the heavy fights were over, the Kyushu army entered and literally executed the remaining enemies.
And now every officer and warrant officer, responsible for this decision lied dead, killed for the betrayal of the country. Instead of smooth action the Japanese army suffered great losses and even though only every third soldier of the first army died, the majority were heavily wounded and in no position to continue fighting. Whole army had to be disbanded.
It all started in with Hinotebi. This woman began promoting the idea of absolute superiority of Nippon over others. The Japan was clearly better and foreign products were always worse than local ones. It did not take long for some people to use this policy to people as well. What greatly backfired in the multicultural lands of Northern Nippon. Before, neither the empress not her daughter cared about this extreme faction, yet now it resulted in slaughter of whole army and for sure is going to slow the whole campaign in India.
“Soldiers!” He shouted. „Today, due to the betrayal of your brethren, the forces of Nippon lost an many people! Thousands of soldiers were killed or gravely injured! All because of a foolish opinions that one race is better than another! But the people who died together were no other than the citizens of our Empire! Even if not since their birth, they lived, fought and died for Japan! In order to make it stronger!” Kenshin stopped for the moment. „And were betrayed! These foolish officers not only killed their own allies, but also harmed the bond we have as soldiers! The bond which let us trust in each other and protect each other lives during this war! We must stay strong! This is why from now on any racist, as they call this ideology, concept is forbidden! Those who shall even speak about it will be executed and their entire families forced to commit suicide! Soldiers on Nippon! It is not your origin that matters, but how greatly you care about our country! Do not let anyone tell you it is the other way around! Together we shall win! Divided we are bound to fall!”
As he finished, the soldiers began shouting. Most of them, as Takeda saw few that obviously did not appreciate his speech. He have to get rid of them of them. Extremists, religious or political were extremely dangerous and he knew that well enough.
“It is going to be tough.” He thought to himself. “I must write to Ahri as soon as possible. They must do something or it will go completely out of control.”

The image of Takeda Shingen.

[Max_Smirnov]

Operation Hammer

The tropical Moradabad, built on sturdy granite cliffs overlooking the Celtic Sea, had been a fortress town for longer than anybody could remember. At first, Indians were using it as a forward base supporting forces besieging the nearby town of Hawara; as the balance shifted, it was becoming more and more of a defensive bulwark against possible Egyptian attacks. The mountainous area between the two cities became riddled with fortifications. Moradabad could have fallen long time ago if a large Egyptian army was sent to capture it, but the Egyptians were unwilling to commit too many forces to this comparatively insignificant area, and even less willing to cope with resulting heavy casaulties. So they resorted to their cannons, hoping to crush the defenses to the point when their local forces could capture it. Those attempts have been performed every couple of years, after stockpiling enough ammunition. Yet, the attack plans had always been cancelled. The Egyptian firing positions were half a mile away from the forward Indian earthworks, which were far too sturdy for the cannons to do any real damage to them. The city itself was high up on the mountains, and the shells had little power left after flying up there. What's more, Indians became well accustomed to the bombardments, and in addition to building their structures sturdy, they have riddled the granite rock under the city with endless tunnels, where the civilians and soldiers were evacuated the moment Egyptian preparations were spotted.
The Indian garrison was fifteen thousand strong, and another fifteen thousand stationed in a fortress sitting beyond the Egyptian reach and overlooking the supply routes that linked Moradabad with the rest of India (or, more precisely, the provincial capitol of Darjeerling), which the Egyptians lacked manpower to cut off. Should the Egyptian bombardment cause any serious casaulties, the soldiers could quickly be moved to reinforce the city via an underground tunnel. Those soldiers were poorly armed in comparison to the Egyptians, but the fortifications, coupled with numerical superiority, were more than enough to make up for the difference. And so the siege churned on for centuries, countless Egyptian bombardments being unable to cause any lasting damage; as their cannons were getting better and more numerous, so were the Indian fortifications.
It seemed like another repeat of this routine was drawing close. The Indians have spotted increased enemy activity and put the city on an alert. But, unbeknowst to them, this time was going to be different.

The Egyptian command staff, untypically including several high-ranking officials and scientists, gathered in a squat tower, constructed from large stone blocks and situated on a high ground, providing a breathtaking view of the whole area, from the white Himalayan ranges to the south, across the huge, forested basin of the Mora Valley, the multiple defensive lines surrounding Moradabad, to the endless, sunlit expanse of the Celtic Sea to the north. A tall woman in a revealing red coat was observing the area through a pair of binoculars. Despite formally being just a Colonel without a set assignment, Arturia was in supreme command over the operation.

"To think of it. As a knight, I've always disliked the idea of ranged weaponry. I can't say I'm not excited today, though!"

"The knights were misled lapdogs of the nobility, assisting those leeches in exploting the working masses," grumbled General Nefer, not exactly happy with this blonde freak of nature taking over his command. But she was impossible to get rid of other than through an assassination. Despite her foreign, shady origins she had already racked up an impressive account of military victories for the Revolution, thus gaining popularity amongst the people. Despite her outrageous choice of clothing, her morals and political views seemed otherwise pure. And most importantly, she enjoyed protection and support of Cleopatra. Still, it was irking to think this annoying person was probably the most experienced military commander in the world.

"Yeah, yeah," said Arturia. "I was being misled allright..." She shifted her gaze to the sea. A slab of grey steel was floating there, perfectly visible due to its size despite being anchored almost ten miles off the coast. The Indians were unlikely to even know what the Dreadnought was, but, judging by the activity within Moradabad, they preferred to stay on the safe side. The civilian activity ceased, and the military posts were strenghtened. She cleared her throat. "Contact the Dreadnought. They're clear to fire at will."

"Roger that!" said the radio operator. "This is the HQ. Dreadnought, you're clear to fire at will."

"Understood. Firing the main guns," came an answer.

Because of the distances involved, it was all happening in an eerie silence, interrupted only by the clattering of a movie camera. Puffs of smoke appeared over the battleship, as it fired full broadside, four out of five turrets, two 12-inch guns each, by far the most powerful guns ever produced. Arturia wasn't sure, but she thought she could see small black dots of projectiles quickly climbing into the air. Several seconds have passed in silence.

"Have they missed?" asked someone.

"At such ranges, a shell travelling at almost 3000 feet per second still needs over fifteen seconds to arrive at the target," explained one of the scientists.

Few more seconds passed and suddenly, eight huge pillars of water erupted from the Moradabad harbour area, each of them dwarfing the harbour buildings.

"Twelve hundred feet short. Adjust the aim," relayed the radio operator.

The guns of the Dreadnought were already being reloaded and she was able to fire another salvo within just twenty seconds. This time, the shells landed perfectly on target, right in the middle of the town. The scale of the immediate destruction was enormous. While the cannons the Egyptians were using up to this point struggled to crush even a single rock-made structure, the explosions caused by Dreadnought's guns completely annihilated a part of the city in an instant, shattered rock flying hundreds feet in the air. The exact scale of the damage was impossible to tell, though, as everything became covered with smoke and dust.

"Time to make things more interesting!" said Arturia. "Tell the artillery batteries to start firing as well."



Far behind the command post, a frantic activity started, as the Egyptian cannoneers were tending to massive, 9-inch callibre siege mortars, which were to be tested today as well. Over a hundred of those mortars had been amassed for this operation, and now they started firing from a distance once thought impossible, lobbing heavy shells over five miles of defensive lines and straight into the enemy town. While they were far less destructive than Dreadnought's guns, they were far more numerous and better supplied with ammunition. Their shells had armored tips, designed to fall almost vertically and explode only after burying themselves several feet deep into the rock, causing the ground to shake and structures to topple. Even the tunnels, as it turned out, failed to provide protection in many cases, many of them dug too shallow caved in after first direct hits. Soon the whole town of Moradabad was covered by the constant barrage of smoke and fire.

"Impossible... I'm sure nothing can survive this," gasped one of the politicians.

"Hardly impossible," smirked the scientist from before. "The satanic science of destruction, as Comrade Tesla once put it. The Egypt might had been outdone on some fields, but not when it comes to this."

"I'm sure this kind of firepower would've killed even an Immortal," said General Nefer, looking sideways at the Red Saber.

"Oh yeah, I would love to test these guns against Gandhi's Sanctuary Field," said the scientist. "Too bad no-one knows where he is."

"What about the Japanese superweapon? One that eradicated several hundred of Celtic crossbowmen in one shot?" asked the politican.

"They're just rumors. And we're already deploying similar super-heavy mortars and units of machinegunners on the Japanese border," said Nefer. "In reinforced bunkers. I'd like to see them try attacking us."

"That is, unless they build airplanes and fly right over them," smiled the scientist sourly. "True, they lack the technological base to conceive an airplane of their own, but with the extent of their intelligence in Russia, it's only a question of time before they'll procure the blueprints."

"Hah, I've seen those flimsy contraptions in Pergamon," answered the general. "I don't think the airplane is ever going to become a serious weapon of war."

"I don't know about the airplanes," said the politician, "But I'm not doubting the power of the technology. I believe the propaganda value of these new moving pictures," he pointed at the camera, "is going to be immense."

"Indeed," nodded the scientist. "It's funny how the accidental results of Tesla's researches are at least equally amazing as what he intends to develop. Maybe because his goals are such ambitious. Some even say, unrealistic. He's completely ignoring the latest discoveries about the nature of light, for example, as they don't fit with his vision of the universe..."

Arturia was just smiling, paying more attention to the bombarded city than the discussion. "Somewhat impersonal, but beautiful, isn't it? Hmm?"

The guns kept their steady barrage for over two hours, methodically pounding Moradabad into dust. Then, finally, sudden silence fell over the mountains. People, used to the steady, thundering noise were shaking their heads. Within another hour, the smoke and dust slowly cleared, revealing a cratered hell stretching where the town once stood. Hardly any building was left standing. Even the mighty earthworks laid largely demolished.

"Now, let's send our forces and capture the city!" General Nefer raised his fist. But Arturia shook her head, assessing the damage through her binoculars, her expression serious and focused.

"No. Too much risk and there is little to gain. When the darkness falls, we're going to send in a small force of infiltrators to assess the damage."

"What? We must seize the moment! I'm starting to think the stories about your boldness, Colonel, are greatly exaggerated!"

"Shoving your hand into a nest of cornered rats is stupidity, not boldness," said Arturia, putting a chocolate candy in her mouth.

---

Next morning the staff gathered in the same tower again.

"These are the reports from the infiltrators... Seems we were overenthusiastic," said a staff officer, shifting through the papers, Arturia and Nefer listening intently. "The extent of damage is enormous, but hardly decisive. The city is levelled, but the deeper parts of the tunnel network are untouched. Estimated 40,000 of civilians and 7,000 soldiers killed. The infiltrators were able to plant explosives in one of the caves, burrying another thousand of Indian soldiers beneath the rocks, before they were intercepted by their reinforcements, already flooding through the tunnel connecting Moradabad to the neighbouring fortress. Out of 150 men, only 35 made it alive."

"So there is still ten thousands or so Indian soldiers inside. And assaulting the ruins is as difficult as assaulting an intact city. Damn," said Nefer. "We can't do that with just two infantry divisions. Still, in just a couple of hours, we caused nearly as much damage as the Japanese managed to cause to Ahmedabad in half-year-long siege."

"We have expended well over a thousand tons of ammunition," the officer looked at another paper. "Any serious bombardment now is out of question. The closest heavy munitions factory is in Pergamon, and we're unlikely to receive more, as everything is being stockpiled for the incoming invasion against Russia."

"That's it, then. The operation is cancelled. Soldiers are to return to defensive positions," decided Arturia. "Prepare my airship for takeoff, I'm going back to Thebes."

"So nothing changes on the Western Front..." sighed one of the generals. "This siege failed like every previous one. Except we have never killed so many civilians before. Is this really how the wars are going to look in the future?"