บท 30: Peacemaker of the Gerhardt

"I'm seeing fewer enemies..." She whispered as she took down the last enemy soldier that has clean shot. The rest of them were inside the base, clashing with the allies with their blades. "Should I go join them? It's too risky taking any shots from this point... I might hit our soldiers..." She thinks for a second before going down from the tree. "Let's see... Running or Teleporting... What's more tiring, huh?" The distance between her and the base was quite distant. Running towards there will be a waste of time. "Teleporting, it is then... I'm tired, but at least I'm already there!" With that, Chiho teleported before the broken gate. "Kh..." As soon as she teleported, she quickly focused not to lose balance and relaxes. The shouts and the metals clashing irritated her.

After a few seconds, she was able to recover. "Alright...!" Chiho tried to replace the Peacemaker with an axe but was shocked by the energy from it and interrupted her cast. "O-Ow!" Though, the energy wasn't that strong to let her lose the gun from her hands. "Y-You don't want to? Then I'm just going to carry you then..." Chiho held the Peacemaker with her left hand and used her right to summon her long axe. "E-Eeeeh..." She immediately realized that both were heavy, and she wouldn't be able to swing her axe while carrying the gun. "Where should I- Ah!" As she was about to scan the area for the Peacemaker to place into, an enemy soldier was thrown in her direction. Chiho managed to move aside before she was hit and be on the ground like him. He looked up to Chiho and saw the Peacemaker. His eyes widen as soon as he does. "C-Cука! Дай мне это!" He said to her. "W-What?" Chiho readies herself from any attack. "Тот пистолет! You don't want to mess with the person who owns that!" The soldier started speaking Japanese. "I don't care. This is mine now!" Chiho smiled.

Surprisingly, the enemy soldier smiled along with her. "Heh. Alright then. I warned you, Chiho fuck. You'll be dead in a second you saw her, bitch!" He tried to stand up but Chiho quickly hit his neck with her axe. "Stay down!" Chiho shouted. She let go of the axe still stuck in his neck and repeatedly smashed his face with the stock of the Peacemaker. "Die! Die!" She shouted as she crushes the enemy soldier's face. "Whew..." After that, She removed her axe away from the body and looked inside the base. The defenders were still many and the soldiers were barely reducing their count. "Alright... Where to put this beast on first..." She looked around then to the gun. "Oh?" She just noticed that there's a strap attached to it. "Oooh... How convenient!" The Peacemaker now hangs from her back. "Alright... Time to kill some goddamn Prohorovkans!" Chiho charged through the clashing soldiers with her axe, looking for a target. As she got deep into the base, she felt some soldiers who hold powers. She looked for the closer and it was a female soldier. "...!" Chiho flew fast towards the enemy soldier. Having taken down a lot of soldiers, she was too exhausted to avoid Chiho, and landed on the ground. "Отвали от меня!" She punched Chiho but was too weak to get Chiho away. Chiho looked back, gritting her teeth.

She grabbed her axe by its neck and used the blade to 'punch' her. Screaming in agony, the female soldier held her slash-like wound in her left cheek while she let out the blade from her right arm. "Оставь ее в покое! (Ostav' yeye v pokoye!)" Shout by the charging male soldier. "Damn...!" Chiho didn't know who to stop. On a split second, The female soldier's arm went for her first, Chiho noticed her quickly and pinned down her arm with the blade of the axe. "Haaa-Akh!" The charging soldier suddenly got hit by something, killing him on impact. "What the...?!" Chiho tried to look at the thing that killed the enemy soldier but the soldier she was pinning down struggled. "...!" Chiho swings her axe from the girl's arm across her neck, slashing them and causing a lot of blood to burst out. Chiho quickly moved away to avoid being stained. The female soldier squirms at the ground, holding her neck to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, she wasn't carrying a painkiller to heal herself instantly. "Haah...!" Chiho finished her off by swing down her axe at the top of her head. "Oooh! Nice one, Chiho!" "That voice...!" Chiho quickly looked back and saw Mariko and Shu Fang. "What the..." Chiho was surprised to see them both. "You two?! H-How about the other base?!" She asked Shu Fang as she forcefully removed her axe from the body. "...They said they can handle it from this point. Those crazy bastards rushed in like there's no tomorrow, had the enemies panicking" Shu Fang giggled.

"Look!" Mariko stomps with her leg, showing that she suddenly got her leg back. "How...?!" Chiho. Their conversation was interrupted by the incoming enemies. They skillfully fought them off, but the enemies continued to swarm them, leaving them no chance of talking. After a good few minutes of fighting. Both sides lost a number of troops, they took a step back to regroup their soldiers. "Эти ребята очень сильные...! (Eti rebyata ochen' sil'nyye...!)" said by the soldier in the front, looking like the head of the defenders. "Когда вы собираетесь приехать? (...)" He said something on his radio. Mariko, who got pissed off, moved to the front. "Hey! Who the fuck are you talking to?" Mariko shouted to the soldier. "Ёб твою мать! (Yob tvoyu mat'!)" The soldier shouted back at her, making Mariko even angrier. "О черт, O черт! Уходить оттуда! Oна-! (O chert, O chert! Ukhodit' ottuda! Ona-!)" The loud shout of a girl from his radio was cut from the loud distorted noise of the radio. Then all of a sudden, they were surrounded by yellow aura followed by an echoed shout from above. "L-Look!" Shu Fang saw a yellow light fast falling straight between the two sides. Before everybody else got to look, the yellow light landed before them. The intense force made them flying back, including the enemy side. And the grounds are ruined, large cracks are all over the place, making some buildings collapse.

Mariko and Shu Fang were thrown into a wall, leaving a crack into them. "Ahh...Shit..." Mariko stood up slowly. "...What...was that?" Shu Fang couldn't stand up for a while and looked from there. A blonde girl crouching replaced the spot where the light landed. "...A girl?" Shu Fang then looked at the enemies, who were also surprised at what happened. "...Who is this?" She asked. "No idea... Here" Mariko helped Shu Fang to stand. The blonde girl stood up and started looking around. "What did you just do, Sera?! You know there are-!" "Shut up!" An enemy soldier called her out and was shouted at. "Sera...?" Mariko heard her name. "Now! Where is Chiho Hasegawa?!" Sera shouted. "...Damn, she's looking for her..." Shu Fang quickly knew what's going on. "W-What now?! Who is this? Why does she know Chiho?!" Mariko panicked. "...She's also a Prohorovkan. We found a weapon back at the Trupriv and its appearance is similar to her coat..." Shu Fang told her about the Peacemaker. "Huh? What the fuck? ... Ah. So now she wanted her gun back..." Mariko quickly realized. "You're right! I want to get back what's mine!" Sera heard her and looked at her. "Though, same appearance as her dress?" Mariko looked at Sera's coat, she was amazed by the flowing powers looking like lighting. "Nice dress. How did you do that?" She asked but was ignored. "Now where's that Chiho?!" Sera shouted.

"...Where is she?" Shu Fang asked. "In a split second, I saw her flying towards th... Well, there she is..." Mariko pointed at the entrance of the base and saw Chiho walking in. "Hm...?" Sera heard her and looked. "Hey, redhead! Are you Chiho Hasegawa?!" Sera shouted at her. "R-Redhead?!" Chiho was surprised by how she was called. "Yeah, you! Is it you or what?!" Sera asked. Chiho walked a little bit before stopping. "Yeah. It is me..." She said. Sera stared at her. "You don't look so powerful, Chiho. Perhaps Shichiro's soldiers are that weak and pathetic?" "Oi..." Sera insulted the soldiers. "By the way..." Sera placed her hand on her chest in an arrogant way. "My name is Sera! The Peacemaker of the Gerhardt region of Kalhelm! And I believe that you have something of mine!" Sera introduced and quickly went back to her point. "...I can feel her heavy presence, this girl is far powerful than what we've encountered..." Shu Fang said to Mariko. "Y-You think so?" Mariko gulped. "E-Even I can feel it, despite not having any power... I feel...sick?" She said. "...Chiho wouldn't stand a chance if that Sera fought her seriously..." Shu Fang said. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Sera waited for Chiho to give her the gun back. "Then... She doesn't have any much choice but to give that shiny thing back, huh?" Mariko nervously said.

"This weapon..." Chiho took the Peacemaker from her back. "Yes! That weapon! That's a very powerful gun that-" "-Is mine now!" Sera's eyes widen, can't believe what Chiho just said. "Ch...Chiho! What the fuck are you doing?! Can't you feel her power around us?! Just give up the goddamn gun!" Mariko shouted. "...It's not worth fighting for!" Shu Fang shouted after her. "You... You're quite confident about the little power you have, huh?" Sera gave her Chiho a cold stare. "Unlike that Mark guy's troops with stupid childish ideas. I can kill you right now, guns, powers or by my bare hands" She added. "Hey! Chiho! Just give it up goddamn it!" Mariko shouted. "...You! If you get your weapon back, will you let us go?!" "Don't ask such ridiculous questions, Shu Fang!" Shu Fang asked Sera and Chiho got mad and shouted. "Of course. I wouldn't waste my time on weaklings like you. I get my gun back and I will leave you alone" Sera answered.

Before anybody could speak, enemy reinforcements have arrived. They came storming in, almost running over their own allies. "Что происходит здесь?! (...)" The driver shouted as they all disembark and point their weapons at them. They were confused. "Sera..." One of the soldier talked to them. "Sera хочет- (Sera khochet-)" "Aaah! Shut up with that language!" Sera turned back and shouted at the enemy soldiers. "We all have this same language that we all can speak and understand, so use it! No need to be so goddamn selfish!" She added. "But shut up for a while, yeah? This Chiho here is so stubborn" Sera turned back to Chiho. "You heard your friends over here. I'm far powerful than you are! You won't stand a chance against me, little girl..." She said. The enemy soldiers started to whisper in Russian. "...Chiho! Just- Ah!" Shu Fang called her out but Chiho glared at her. "...D-Damn it... If this is what she want, then let's help her!" Shu Fang clenched her fists. "Y-You do it! I won't stand a cha-" "...Just think of something!" Mariko tried to step back but Shu Fang shouted at her. "Something that will distract her or something!" She shouted. Mariko noticed how serious she was. "F-Fine. I will do whatever I can..." Mariko sighed. "We will, too!" The Commander said. "So you won't just give up, huh?" Sera's eyes flashed yellow. "Fine... You guys stay out of this. I won't be holding back just because you're around!" Sera shouted at the enemies. "Y-You got it, Sera! Don't bring the whole base down, alright?! Let's go!" With that, the enemy soldiers left the base in a hurry, leaving Sera alone with Chiho and their army.

"Oh fuuuuuck..." Mariko whimpered as she watches Sera. "Chiho, I will hit you, I swear..." She said. "...Where's that Northern charm?" "Shut up! We're like fighting a fucking god or some shit!" Shu Fang teased her and Mariko burst out. "I'm not even a god..." Sera shrugged. "Shut up! Soldiers! Get her!" The Commander shouted to charge. "Geez..." Sera felt annoyed seeing their hopeless charge. "Raa...!" The first soldier who got close thrusts his sword to her chest, Sera slaps his sword away and took him and throws at the charging soldiers, disrupting them. "You...!" The Commander couldn't stand the scene and charged ahead, Sera watched him. "Eat this!" He swings his sword against Sera, but she moved to her left. Her right hands lit up yellow and hit his sword down. The sword got pushed into the ground with a strong force, stuck on the ground with cracks around it. "Ah...!" It happened quickly that the Commander couldn't react in time. "G...Grr...!" He desperately tried to remove his sword. "Hm..." Sera aimed to grab his neck but a magic projectile came and hit her hand before it reaches the Commander. Sera looked to her left and saw Chiho with her powered long axe. Sera was angered but held it in and ignored her. She tried getting the Commander again but she was hit by the same magic again. "AAAAHH!!!" As soon as she was hit, Sera shouted and quickly surrounded herself with yellow energy and went flying towards Chiho with insane speed, leaving a yellow trace for a second. The two dropped on the ground, Sera's energy burst out as they hit the ground.

None of them was able to react to her speed and just saw her on top of Chiho. "...!" Sera prepares to punch her, her right hand lit up with yellow energy. As she was about to land her fist, A black shade forcibly pushed her away from Chiho. "The hell?!" Sera quickly looked and saw Shu Fang standing in front of Chiho. "That was quite fast..." Sera was impressed. "I wasn't able to see you coming... What's your name?" She asked. "...I'm just a Chu-Yuan assassin..." Shu Fang answered. Sera gave a disgusted look. "Oh pshh... Don't give me that hero, protagonistic-ass line. That's so annoying... Yeah, I know you, you fuck. You're Shu Fang Chen from that Chu village. You were told to get rid of Chiho but sided with her instead. You were given such a beautiful opportunity for you and your kind to be one of our allies. Why have you ignored it?" Sera asked. "...I decided that I don't want to betray my neighbors to some strangers..." Shu Fang looked at Chiho in the corner of her eyes. "Oh? YOU Decided?" Sera was a little bit curious. "...Yes, I decided it. And my fellow assassins agreed with me..." Shu Fang nodded. "Huh? Isn't it supposed to be your country's decisions?" Sera asked. "...We Assassins act and decide separately from our leader. We do things our own..." Shu Fang asked. "Hah. Wow" Sera was amazed.

"Alright, enough talk!" Sera focused on the battle. "Why don't you come at me? Shu Fang Chen?" She taunted. "Maybe I wasn't really serious before. So let's see who's faster now..." Sera eagerly looked at Shu Fang. "Shu Fang..." Chiho whispered. "...?" Shu Fang remained her gaze at Sera, not moving an inch. "Distract her... Make an opening for me... I'll use this powerful gun..." Chiho whispered. "...Roger" Shu Fang acknowledged and turned her self into a black shade and charged at Sera with speed of the light. "Here we go!" Sera surrounded herself with yellow energy and flew away to avoid Shu Fang. But Shu Fang kept going after her. They were too fast to be seen normally, Sera was swiftly evading and Shu Fang kept chasing her. It was only the black shade and the yellow energy circling around in the same spot. "T-They're fast...!" Mariko shouted. "It's time for me to-!" Chiho quickly took the Peacemaker and enabled its energies. "-Form the Peace!" Thinking of the Peacemaker's capability, that certain line was randomly put into Chiho's thought. She looked through the scope with strong determination to take down her target, causing her eyes to turn yellow with a burst. The texts in the scope flashed along and they changed into new different texts. Chiho aimed at the center of their circle.

Shu Fang quickly noticed her, She made a different direction of her flight, to catch Sera from behind. Sera quickly noticed her sudden change of pace and countered her, but Shu Fang still got a hold of her hand. "...Now!" Shu Fang returned to her human form and shouted. She took Sera's other hands and remained in one spot. Sera's energy burst out and remained motionless under Shu Fang's restrain. "You're quite fast..." Sera looked behind her. "...Hm..." Shu Fang smiled along with her. "What...?" Sera wondered why she was smiling. "Anyways, My time messing around is finished. I will take my Peacemaker from...Chiho..." Sera looked at Chiho and her eyes widen. "DIE!!!" Chiho shouted and fired the Peacemaker. It's shot was so fast even Sera couldn't trace it.