Episode 16 - Final Hours Before The Assault
[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]
"We're back here again, hm?" Rance asked himself, crossing his arms while he walked through the pathway leading to where Maria was.
Where he was going was to a building with a sign that read "Tulip Arsenal", where.... a tank is literally stationed.
"....A metal box?" Bridgette spoke with curiosity (of course, only Rance knew what it actually was), before a person blocked their path.
It was Shizuka, and she looked very impatient as she crossed her arms under her chest and stared at Rance.
"Let's talk. In private." She spoke, and for a moment, her head tilted down. "Just, please..."
"Maybe later, Shizuka. I have an important meeting with Maria to do." Was his reply, as he passed by her. "Sorry in advance."
While Shizuka became dejected, she was still very determined to find out something important that Rance knew about the present timeline's Chenezale, and maybe.... about the possibility of a younger sister existing.
Still, she stared at Rance's direction, frowning as she began to mind her other businesses.
Meanwhile....
"Ah! You've arrived, just in time for my secret weapon's debut later!" Maria spoke with a smile on her face. "As of now, all of us are now prepared to go to the Free City of Red to attack and free it, so.... come on, outside!"
And as expected, the tank outside was actually Maria's secret weapon, what she called the "World's First Battle Car/Tank", [Tulip No. 3], which surprised the ones who haven't known of such a thing.
While Maria felt very victorious, the moment she looked at Lance, who's had his arms crossed.
"I thought it would be bigger." He spoke with disappointment clearly showing on his face. "Still, it's destructive potential must be high, though it would be in trouble if it's outnumbered because of the cannon's slow rotation speed and fire rate.... still good enough though."
"Umm... yes.... right...." Maria was agreeing to his remarks, not knowing what he truly knew, but it must be the work of his totally cannot-be-underestimated observational agility.
"And now let's give it a test drive! Soon, we'll march towards Red to take it back from Helman! Everyone! I'd like you to step aside for a moment, " He declared with pure confidence, before jumping up and landing towards the hatch of the tank.
He opened the hatch and entered it, before Maria followed soon with some difficulty. Afterwards, he messed with whatever was inside the tank with Maria being really scared if something bad were to happen, yet he figured out how to start the engine all by himself.
"Hmm.... this... and this..... yeah, let's go with this, too!" Rance spoke with growing excitement, before suddenly, the [Tulip No 3] began to move forward.
"Hehehehehehe..... Hahahahaha..... GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA~!!!!"
In just merely 10 minutes, Rance safely drove the tank around Custom and learned how to use it with the help of [Reading Iris: Level 2] which gave him enough information on how to properly use it.
"This is so fun~!!! GAHAHAHAHAHA~!"
"Kyaaaa!!! Stop it, Rance! You might destroy the road and, errrr, maybe the tank, too!"
"I wonder if it would become way more fun later, when it's offensive capabilities are truly shown way later! FUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"
"I..... think I've given up.... He's suddenly become like a child who's not going to stop playing with his favorite toy.... and I like it....?"
Soon enough, he sent a message to the soldiers and volunteers that it was time to march towards Red to take it back by force.
[ ~ Line • Break ~ ]
Outside the Free City of Red, an obese man in a tight yellow suit and pants looked over the horizon.
"Hmm.... Nothing interesting is happening right now...." He spoke, rubbing his fat chin, "I might have some fun eating food, yes of course...."
The man was about to turn around, when the marching of soldiers and strange sounds were heard from a distance. From that distance, something unknown (the Tulip No 3) was in front of all the Leazas Soldiers, seemingly leading them all.
But who truly was leading them was nobody else but Rance.
"Leazas Soldiers!?"
"But we thought they were brainwashed! What the hell is happening!?"
Aside from that.... Nearby the unknown metal creature, were several hundred Helmanian Soldiers in yellow and black, and one of them was even holding a yellow flag with a massive "R" on it.
"Why are out own soldiers in there too!? This is outrageous!!!"
Back at where army was, Rance opened the hatch and showed half his body off to observe the area in front of him.
"CHAAAAARGE! ALL LEAZAS BLACK SOLDIERS TO THE RIGHT, AND THE REDS ON THE LEFT! DESTROY THEM ALL!!!!"
With that declaration, the soldiers charged forwards, and hell descended towards the Helmanian Troops, all while a certain Dark Lord watched near Fletcher Modell, the captain in charge of this Free City.
He was looking directly at Rance, narrowing his eyes just before said person returned his gesture with a cocky, confident grin.
War was now.
[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]
[ OMAKE ]
{ That day Rance entered the Mayor's House }
Sometime at his visit on Custom after a long while not being there, he had curiously entered Gazel Gode's house after knocking on the door.
Chisa had greeted him, although her hair looked a little disheveled and she looked like she had been through something. When she looked at him, hope was on the both of them when she quickly led him to Gazel's new room.
As usual, he was still bedridden, yet his condition is deemed worse than last time.
".... Ah... Long time no see.... Sir Rance..." Gazel spoke between harsh coughs and wheezes the moment he noticed him as Chisa sat down beside him.
"Yeah.... long time no see, old man."
"I must.... admit, my ondition's gotten..... worser to the point where healing.... my disease would take too long. I also admit that I would die soon, and even if you bring the cure, I'm afraid it would be too late." Gazel admitted, looking away from Rance for a moment.
There was a small smile present on the old man.
"Why don't we just have a small talk?"
They did have a small talk, with China entering the room sitting