Episode 18 - Battle in the Free City of Red (Part 2)

[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]

Rance with the Leazas Liberation Force are now inside the Free City of Red, and he was still watching at [Tulip 3]'s hatch.

"The city is empty, though...." Rance scratched his head, and sighed out. ".... so I guess we have to look around everywhere for the remaining Helmanian Soldiers! Move out!"

With that command several groups of soldiers split up and moved to different roadways aside from where [Tulip 3] was going. Those who kept following the tank were Shizuka, Sill, and Milli along with a small group of soldiers.

And then, in a distance, they saw a group of Helmanian Soldiers blocking their road with barricades.

Seeing how futile it was, Rance pointed at the group.

"Maria! Aim and fire at will!"

"Yes, sir~!" Maria responded, before a shell of Hirara Ore was fired towards the Helmanian Soldiers.

After an explosion that killed many, his soldiers cheered at the recent small victory. The engine of the [Tulip No 3] revved up, and they continued moving forward, until they passed by a cathedral was when Rance made the entire group under him halt, before staring at it.

"We haven't visited

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"Buuhh..... That was tiring...." Fletcher Modell breathed out a sigh of relief when they entered at the cathedral in the Free City of Red. "Make everyone a hostage that we can use against them, and.... also... haah..."

Fletcher glanced at a scared nun that was inside the cathedral, before gaining a smile.

"Hey... you!"

"Me?"

"Make sure.... nobody enters this cathedral! We have completely noble intentions in capturing Free Cities through Goddess ALICE's guidance. Please, stop those vile, unrighteous people from entering this sacred place." Fletcher lied through his teeth, hoping to make the nun believe what he said.

"But...." The nun looked at the Helmanian Soldiers who had recently hid their weapons just to make her believe.

She sighed in relief, thinking if their intentions were noble, then why not do so?

But, the moment she was near the doors of the cathedral to exit it, she heard something from beyond the door.

"Dramatic Entrance, Go!!!!"

Suddenly, the doors were covered in a light red glow, and without anybody actually pushing it, they opened to reveal several people outside.

There was one man who she recognized in a magazine known as Rance, a puffy pink haired girl, a green haired witch, and several Helman Soldiers and Knights in yellow and black. There was a purple-haired girl somewhere, though that might be a hallucination.

"Forgive us for intruding." Rance began to speak with a reserved smile, "We have... business with one of the Third Army's generals."

The man began to move forwards, still minding the fact that there are hostages inside the cathedral. A nun had stopped him by his tracks, too. Though it might be too late.

"Umm.... master, should we do something to the hostages right now?" Sill asked, and Rance merely raised his extended palm, showing the back of it to whoever was in front of him, before gesturing them to come at him.

Naturally, it seemed to agitate the Helman Soldiers that didn't hold any hostages until said hostages were pulled towards Rance before they were safely placed before him.

The other Helmanian Soldiers took their stances, yet Rance gestured them to no do anything else.

"I shall be taking care of hum. Stand back." He said, stepping forward to approach Fletcher Modell who actually began to look serious, not before pushing the nun aside.

The Rebel Soldiers were scared, because Fletcher Modell was formerly the greatest fighter of the continent, feared of his immense skills. But, where was the Fletcher Modell they knew?

Ithere was now watching the two of them, intent on seeing Rance's fighting abilities and how he was able to even do something to his apostle.

"Uhm..... what is a Ham Barbara doing there? And why is one leading soldiers from Helman? Hm, maybe one of them is a subordinate of a Dark Lord, I guess?" Sill innocently asked out loud, and the entire room inside the cathedral became.... silent (*1).

Until soft chuckling came from the Rebel Soldiers and Milli.

"Holy shit! They really look the same!" Was what Milli had said, her chuckle becoming laughter. Even if he were the greatest fighter of the continent, who was said to have defeated a legendary Dark Lord. she knew Rance would win anyways.

"What-!? What are you talking about?! I'm not a Ham Barbara!" Fletcher yelled, losing his focus as he clenched his fists.

"I'm sorry!" Sill replied, yet an apology didn't at all calm Fletcher down as he began to take up a stance.

"Prepare to face the Iron Leg of Modell!" He yelled, but then several runes began to appear in thin air and surround Modell before preventing him from moving.

"Thanks for being distracted. Aside from that, I'm not really in the mood to fight something that I could absolutely win any moment." He said, raising his palm towards him. "And goodbye to you too, Fletcher Modell."

When he made a grabbing gesture, the runes around Fletcher began to glow. And after a moment he was.... gone.

No fight ensued, as the Helmanian soldiers became scared out of their minds.

"M-Monster.... those Leazas bastards have a monster on their own- GHAAAK?!" One of the soldiers suddenly had a sword pierce his heart.

Honestly, a betrayal was completely unexpected, to their eyes as they were immediately killed with several skilled slashes coming from someone.

A red haired woman in golden armor had then shown herself to everyone's eyes, and her eyes were completely empty, devoid of any light. This woman was somebody Rance had known as the one who recovered Apostle Sapphire from his grasp.

The moment she appeared, was when Kanami decided to stop hiding and land on the cathedral's floor, staring at her with regret on her eyes.

The Rebel Soldiers immediately felt that something bad might happen, so they were ready to fight.

And Ithere had begun to finally speak.

"I must say, that was pretty disappointing. However, I truly don't have any sort of interest doing anything with these humans, but my dear Leila here has something to do with you. Aside from that, this is where we part ways, and meet again, later or perhaps.... sooner."

[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]

Extra Notes:

*1: Ham Barbara - One of the types of guy monsters that were born from one of the four Holy Gal Monsters, Bezeleye due to a mad scientist named Bambara.