Chapter 30 — Together

The Space Marines were forced back by a sudden force. They planted their feet as they used all their power to not get blown away. Ichigo's soul struggled and screamed, rapidly disappearing as he let out his rage. Suddenly, there was a white flash and his soul disappeared. The Space Marines regrouped and checked the area. The commander reflected on his actions and realised that he was slightly influenced by Ichigo's power. Despite being told to not talk with the enemy, he had done so.

[Well, the target is definitely dead. Clean up the remaining forces and wait for extraction]

[Sir!]

Every Space Marine took it for granted that Ichigo was dead. No one even thought to question it. Their thinking quickly turned to the next target. Some Space Marines walked to high points in the rubble and opened fire on the army stationed outside. Every bullet would go through dozens of soldiers before stopping. Others, out of ammunition, grabbed their weapons and dove straight into the army, leaving a trail of death and destruction as they advanced. Each Space Marine was isolated and surrounded by thousands of soldiers, but they could only get slaughtered as their weapons were ineffective against the armour of a Space Marine.

The Space Marines didn't fight with any tactics, any techniques, they just swung their chainswords around them like heavy lumps of metal, ripping apart the bodies of every soldier around them. A small hill of bodies formed around each of them, with the Space Marines showing no damage or fatigue. Ballistae bolts, the killer of the battlefield, simply splintered their armour, not even slowing down their advance. Quickly, soldiers refused to advance their deaths. Facing an unknown and invincible enemy, the army routed, despite the best efforts of their Kings and generals. The panic quickly spread through the whole army, and they fled with their back to the Space Marines. This was potentially the worst thing they could do, as the Space Marines sped forward and cut down the defenceless soldiers.

Left with no option, the ground thundered as thousands of coalition cavalry charged forward. The rulers of the country were like desperate gamblers. The only reason the alliance could be formed by Ichigo in the first place was partly because of his 'Protagonist's Halo", but mostly because the rulers were unwilling to let go of their power, even just a portion of it. They were led by Ichigo to believe that they could successfully resist the Third Reich. Now that they had already declared war on the Third Reich, there was no going back.

They hoped that if they could destroy or capture this elite force, they may be able to negotiate terms with the Third Reich. Unfortunately, they had turned out to be stronger than imagined and had killed Ichigo and their infantry. Their only option left was the cavalry.

A wave of lances lowered as the cavalry fearlessly charged forward in the dark. The Space Marines, out of ammunition, stood still as the cavalry galloped with unbreakable momentum. Their lances soon impacted the Space Marines. If they were normal soldiers, they would be instantly skewered. However, the lances just snapped, only leaving a faint mark. The Space Marines leapt forward and started slaughtering the cavalry. Each pulled out dozens of grenades from their pack and threw them into the crowd. The deafening explosions tore apart the cavalry and sent the horses in a panic. Frightened by the loud noises, the horse ran out of control, only making it easier for the Space Marines to kill them.

It was utter chaos. The cavalry were just regular humans and could not see in the dark. Unlike the infantry, they didn't carry torches. The Space Marines were like fish in a sea, weaving through the chaotic crowd unimpeded, with the cavalry not even seeing them before they died. With the Space Marines covered in blood and massacring both the cavalrymen and the cavalry in the dark, they soon routed as well.

Meanwhile, Rubia stood over the depleted magic circle and stroked the weak dormant soul of Ichigo. She had cast magic which drew Ichigo's soul to her and disguised it as his death. As her power was not sufficient to kill the harem herself, she was originally planning to lead them into an extremely powerful dungeon or trap, then draw Ichigo's soul after they all died. But she didn't mind this development. It only allowed her to be with him sooner.

[Don't worry, you are safe with me now. No one will disturb our love again. You only need me]

[Hmm… It looks like you might have some memory loss. It might be for the better]

[We can always just make new memories together]

[We will be together… Just the two of us]

[Forever]

Ichigo's soul was dormant due to the traumatic damage it had suffered. It could be predicted that it would take a long time to recover, and it would always have permanent damage. However, Rubia didn't care about that. She put the weak soul in a small alchemy jar that nourished and recovered his soul. Putting it carefully and securely right beside her body, she grabbed her backpack and donned a long black cloak. Tightly wrapping herself in all black, she jumped on a horse she had prepared and set off as fast and far away as possible. While she hated the Third Reich for injuring Ichigo, she had no thoughts of fighting them. She knew that the power displayed in the night raid tonight was only the tip of the iceberg. While others might think that the Space Marines were made with expensive magic, as an alchemist, she could see that they were purely technological and could therefore be mass produced.

Instead, she would rather spend her time with Ichigo, nourishing his soul and rebuilding a body for him. However, this time he would always be with her and her alone. She would do anything to achieve this and didn't particularly care where she was headed, she just wanted to get away to a distant country. Hell, she would even take refuge in the Third Reich, which seemed promising. All she wanted to do was be with Ichigo. Be with Ichigo. Be with Ichigo. Be with Ichigo…