Chapter 45: Iron Blood
Ramiel was currently leading Angeal and Genesis to an expedition with just three of them. The two new recruits were quite serious and are fully equipped with armor and weapons.
"Umm, commander. You sure you really want to do this with that kind of outfit?" Angeal looked at Ramiel, wearing some khaki's and a simple dress shirt.
"What do you mean? I've got my sleeves rolled up, that's good enough." Ramiel shrugged and the two were exasperated at his nonchalance.
"I don't know, isn't that inappropriate for battle?" Genesis added and Ramiel just patted them on the back. "Don't worry, nothing will hit me anyways. Besides, if things really did get serious. All my clothes will get blown away quickly. So better use something cheaper."
Angeal and Genesis looked at each other and thought that was quite the bizarre reason, but they just ignored it and continued their march.
After walking around, they finally arrived at the front lines. Ramiel's golems were trained into human shaped masses and used firearms that surprised the two.
"Are those things using guns?" Genesis was amazed at the intricate puppets while Angeal got creeped out a bit at the emotionless golems that advanced without care.
"Umu, and I will be taking them down now. Because you two, will be the replacements for them." Ramiel smiled at them and snapped his fingers.
The golems retreated immediately, putting all the weapons they were using into a neat pile. They then returned back to the earth.
"Uhhh... Are we supposed to do all of those with just the two of us?" Angeal managed to understand what he was talking about and frowned.
"Yup, you'll be holding back Wutai. Maybe make a few advances to their territory. Pretty exciting, right?" Their commander gave them a smile, making them gulp.
"Isn't that quite the responsibility?" Genesis got cold feet as they were going to lead a war by themselves.
"Well, you are SOLDIERs. You should be leading the war in the first place, don't worry though. I'll be giving you some robots of course. Until you get used to it that is." Ramiel chuckled at their surprise.
After a few minutes, Wutai's troops crept closer already because the suppressive fire of Ramiel's golems suddenly stopped.
Genesis and Angeal could feel their presence due to their heightened senses. The training they had quickly kicked in as they brandished their weapons.
"Go get them then, I think this will be a good first battle." Ramiel slapped them on the back and the two nodded, their increased gravity got cancelled and they felt as light as a feather.
"Woah..." Genesis felt wonderful, he looked at Angeal and nodded at him. "Feels good right? Now how about you show me what Lazard taught you?" Ramiel smiled at them and Genesis put up a barrier.
Right as a lattice of magic appeared in front of them, bullets started to pepper the shield. Genesis and Angeal brandished their swords and prepared for battle.
"Genesis, throw them a nice gift." Angeal smiled at him and he nodded with amusement at his friend's idea. "Firaga!" Genesis quickly conjured fireballs and carpet bombed the trees where the Wutai troops were hiding in plain sight.
Angeal then used the chaos and distraction to run in and take out the troops of Wutai. First, he was just knocking them out. But when they started to recover from Genesis' initial attack, things got hectic.
A soldier went up behind him and was about to stab him with his gun-spear. So Angeal got forced to use his buster sword and cut him down.
Angeal frowned heavily, feeling flesh and bones get cleaved by his massive broadsword. Genesis backed him up and slapped him on the back so he could get back to the fight.
"Don't freeze up on me now." Genesis smiled at him. Angeal snorted and gave a small smirk back. "I guess director Lazard did tell us that things won't be pretty here."
"Yeah, commander also woke me up to reality. This is a war, so let's do what we should do best!" Genesis put his hand on his blade and it glowed red, imbuing it with fire.
The duo made quick work of the Wutai troops as they stuck to the basics. Their enhanced strength and speed was too much for the regular soldiers.
"Good, it seems they are quite tenacious." Ramiel nodded in satisfaction and left them behind after putting a message on a tree.
Angeal and Genesis were quite tired mentally after fighting. Trying to find where the hell their commander was.
"Look over there, it's a message." Angeal noticed a tree has markings on it and Genesis read it. "Good luck, you are the main force now... What the hell? Did he just abandon us here?"
Genesis and Angeal were shocked, but the former did a guts pose. "Alright, the commander is definitely leaving us with one of the most important jobs. Hmph, I'll definitely do better than the vice commander!"
Angeal sighed at Genesis being tricked, as he knew that Ramiel just threw the job of being at the front lines to them. But he didn't have the heart to tell Genesis otherwise.
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Back at the base on the shores, Ramiel was still in a slump and was looking at the mostly complete ship with squinted eyes.
"Hah, this is gonna drive me crazy. We can definitely start sailing. But it won't be complete if it can't float!" Ramiel started pulling his hair and was getting frustrated.
"Shouldn't you just be satisfied with that? It's basically done now anyways. You don't need to make the thing float." Alex rolled her eyes.
"Tsk, tsk. I definitely didn't raise you right, flying fortresses is true romance! It is every man's dream at one point!" Ramiel pointed at her like she was a heretic.
"Then use your powers to make it float then." Alexandra suggested. "If it was only that easy, I can't keep it afloat for a long time!" Ramiel started grumbling and Alexandra sighed at his obsession.
"How about Materia? Isn't there something out there that could make it fly? Maybe use gravity?" Alexandra decided to genuinely try and help. Or she'll go crazy too with him spending all his time on his project.
"That won't work, it will look tacky. Imagine little gems on the bottom of the ship, that defeats the aesthetic!" Ramiel refused immediately and Alex gave up.
"Wait a minute... You're on to something." Ramiel suddenly had an idea and began concentrating. "Of course I'm onto something, I'm a genius." Alex puffed her chest, but he ignored her.
She was about to mess with him by pinching his cheeks. But a massive amount of Mako started to get concentrated on his hands.
"Hey, can you give me some help here? I'm going to make something." Ramiel requested and she helped by giving her own share of Mako.
Ramiel had an easier time with her reserves as support. He quickly compressed their energy to the maximum.
After a few seconds, a Materia was starting to form. "A Materia? Why'd you need my help with this in the first place?" Alex knew that he could make them by himself, so she was confused. But she suddenly felt a massive drain to her Mako.
The Materia he was creating started to get bigger and denser. Mako crystals even began to form from the large amounts of Mako that he was putting out.
Alex quickly shut up and started concentrating as well. Giving him a lot of energy for making the Materia. After a few minutes, the relatively small gem turned into a huge sphere.
The two of them sighed at the huge amount of Mako they used and Alex looked at the Materia. "You trying to use this for something?" Alexandra tried to get a feel for it. But it was a neutral Materia.
"Yeah, thanks for the idea. I think I've got it." Ramiel gave a pleased laugh and thought about using neutral Materia to act as massive amplifiers and energy sources. It will be supplemented with the nuclear reactors and they'll solve the problem with the intense magic consumption of the ship.
"So, how many more of these things are you gonna need?" Alexandra groaned as one of those will definitely not be enough.
"Ugh, probably 20 more. Ten for the ship itself and another ten for the armaments and defenses." Ramiel was also apprehensive in making more of them. As it needed tons of control and concentration. Just a small misstep will make a huge explosion that will definitely erase a part of Wutai.
The twins groaned and they just accepted the fact that making more would complete the ship. "Let's get down and dirty then. I'll test if this would work in the first place."
They then went to do their own things, with Alexandra overseeing Genesis and Angeal in the front lines. Ramiel knew that they'll definitely reach SOLDIER 1st class due to being unwilling participants in project G. And having another 2 side kicks is a no brainer.
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After some time, Ramiel was successful with the tests and expedited the completion of the ship with his excitement.
He was installing the huge Materias and connected them to everything. Marvelling at the battleship that is in its complete state.
"Hanz! Start the music!" Ramiel shouted out to the lead engineer and the guy saluted, absolutely satisfied with the work they have done.
"From the mist, a shape, a ship, is taking form
And the silence of the sea is about to drift into a storm. Sign of power, show of force. Raise the anchor, battleship's plotting its course." The engineers and mechanics started singing.
Alexandra looked at them funny and thought that they're too emotional. Genesis and Angeal saw the complete form of the ship and was gobsmacked.
It had ten turrets with three 40 inch guns at each turret. With ammunitions weighing 10 tons each shell. And super armor piercing rounds made of solid tungsten that will be enhanced with gravity once shot out. With a calculated weight of 1000 metric tons of pure metal flying at targets travelling dozens of kilometers a second.
"I-It's beautiful..." Ramiel shed tears for the beauty that was in front of him. And it was fully functional too.
"You look at that thing like it's your wife or something." Alexandra squinted her eyes and was a bit jealous.
Ramiel ignored her little quip and put on the symbol of the ship at the sides. (pic)
"Commander... What the hell is that thing? You trying to go to war against the entire world or something?" Genesis looked at it one more time and gulped upon seeing the massive turrets. It was only a few sizes smaller than Junon's sister ray cannon that is almost the size of a whole city. And it had ten of them.
"That thing, boy. It is one of my greatest creations, she will be the first super dreadnought class. KMS Bismarck of the Iron Blood." Ramiel nodded in satisfaction and was proud of it.
"Hanz! Broadside on that shitty island over there! Let's show em who's boss!" Ramiel wanted to test the turrets and all of them faced the island, loading the armor piercing shells.
The ship's cannons concentrated electricity that could rival Midgar's consumption. The mithril circuits creating an absurdly strong electromagnet.
With a resounding explosion that was heard all over Wutai the shells hit the island in an instant. The island then exploded. "Those firaga Materia inside sure is wild~" Ramiel whistled and deemed the rounds as a massive success.
With him able to create Materia at will, he loaded the insides with potent firaga Materia that were cushioned really well. But the impact of the shells would then make it go critical and cue the massive explosions.
"We will rule the world, Hanz! Every nation will fear the ship that will conquer the seven seas!" Ramiel hugged definitely not Hanz and they shared a merry laugh.
"Hah, you're definitely making it hard to love you." Alexandra sighed and gave a small smile, happy that he was finally done with his project and was overjoyed because of it.
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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone