40 The Siege of Saiju (1/2)

The Prohorovka, An entire army led by another Commander marches ahead towards the Saiju. The beautiful green fields being droved and stomped onto, leaving tracks traces and footprints. Their numbers countless, as if they are like a wave of the ocean about to hit the village. Their march strikes fear to the soldiers on the walls, lowering morales and losing courage. Tanks' paces slowed down for their foot soldiers. Their air force flying above them with haste, from fighter planes to heavy bombers. The usually quiet and empty lands, the natural blow of wind, the natures of untouched lands, colored by the greens of wild grasses, are now filled and stained by the raging machines of the modern world. Polluting the air, covering the surroundings with the smokes of the vehicles. Birds are diverting from the plane's direction, gathering together in the air and on the ground, making noises together as if they are giving hints of a natural disaster.

”Who are leading these guys, I wonder?” Tanaka broke their silence. ”Either Setogawa or Liliya...” Nagami responded. ”Nami doesn't bring out that much” Tanaka looked behind to them. ”Then the whole Red Mosin then?” Takumi asked as she walks forward. ”I bet it's not just Saiju. They are also after us. Liliya doesn't want traitors unlike Shichiro” She said then she summoned a binocular, which got their attention. ”You can even spawn a thing... Just how long have you been learning them? I'm really surprised” Nagami said. Takumi just smiled as she looks for the ground troops. ”Hold on...” Her tone suggested that she saw something. ”Что? (What?)” Nagami looked ahead despite not clearly seeing anything. ”Я вижу Тiger I... (I see Tiger I)” Takumi responded. ”Huh? О чем вы? (Huh? What are you talking about?)” Nagami looked again with squinted eyes. ”Здесь... (Here...)” Takumi throws the binocular at the T-26 and Nagami caught it and quickly looked ahead. ”Что немцы здесь делают? Tо не может быть... (What are the Germans doing here? It can't be...)” She saw a Tiger I that is seemed leading the pack. ”That's definitely Heidemarie. They're the only one using Tigers on the field...” Tanaka said. ”Aren't they doing that 'gathering the storm' bullshit? Why would they join the assault?!” Takumi sounded annoyed. ”Who knows. She might have taken interest in this world too” He answered. ”Like, 'it's our time' kind of stuff... You see any of their uniforms?” He asked.

Nagami takes a look again. ”I only see our uniforms, no jerry uniforms yet...” She said. ”They could be behind them, no way Heidemarie could be joining the assault by herself” He said. ”Heidemarie. Heidemarie. Just call her with her own name! Himari! That nickname is way too obnoxious” Takumi was mad for that reason. ” I think that name is beautiful! But... Her real name is Himari Chinen, right?” Sagiri asked. ”She's leading the German circle...” She said. ”Yeah. She gathered people who are interested in German technologies and built a faction of her own” Nagami nodded. ”We don't usually share military equipment and vehicles with them, but we borrow some of their aircraft sometimes... Why do you sound like you just joined?” Takumi asked her. ”I didn't get to ask much about them. I almost didn't know there was a german side in our Organization if it weren't for their different uniforms...” She responded. ”That pretty much shows that you are new face” Takumi laughed. ”It's not just Red Mosin, my friend. If Liliya can make faction like that, so the others too. There are Jerries, the Froggies, and the Vikings” She said. ”F-Froggies?” Sagiri looked confused. Takumi looked at her with one brow up. ”German, French and Swedish factions...” She said with a sigh. ”Oh? Vikings aren't Swedish alone, you know” Tanaka said. Takumi turned back to him. ”So what's your point?” She asked, hands on her hips. ”That naming them 'Vikings' doesn't specify them as Swedish!” ”Shut up! Here they come!” Nagami shouted as the planes approach fast.

”Chiho should hurry, we can't handle them all! We need that Peacemaker!” Takumi shouted. ”I'm going before they bomb the whole place!” With that, she ran ahead to get the distance. ”Our bullets should penetrate their tanks...” Tanaka took his Mosin-Nagant from his back and opened the bolt slightly. He felt faint magic emitting from the bullets. Then he closed it shut. ”Sagiri?” He checked on his sister. ”I'm good!” She took hers and also did the same thing. ”Are you guys on an AT squad?” Nagami asked. 'Obviously...” Tanaka replied. ”Well, you might be part of Nami's army. They are issued with the same armor-piercing rounds from her no matter what your designated class is” Nagami said. ”I and Sagiri spent our whole time with Minohara-san's squad. We would keep them safe from any enemies while they do their 'sniping'. Until Mark joined in and we were lucky to be included on one of the troops that were transferred under his control” He said. ”Minohara? Shichiro's tank commanders?” Nagami asked. ”Yeah. They are very skilled and talented. I wouldn't like to separate myself from them, I would-” Takumi suddenly flew off and one of the approaching planes exploded. ”Ah! She's gone for it! Let's go!” Tanaka alerted his sister and flew away. ”Начало революции! (The start of a revolution!)” Nagami slams down her hatch and they drove ahead with the BT-7

Meanwhile, inside Saiju, Mark was imprisoned into a temporary cell beneath the leader's building. It was surrounded by crumbling cold stone walls and a single candle hanging from the wall in the middle of the cell. The whole village has heard the incoming planes and their explosions on the air. People are running for safety and the soldiers are forming at the walls. Some of them started firing the Maxim M1910s with a bipod mounted at the walls at the incoming planes, some of them are using their large crossbows against the enemies on the ground. Groups of soldiers are pushing their catapults and some are sent outside to alert the whole region. ”It's started!” Mariko shouted. They were still in the underground when the village was fully alert. ”I can hear those guns at the walls!” She looked at Chiho. ”Well, come on! Let's not waste time here!” Chiho ran past them and they followed her outside. As they bust out of the building, they saw blue traces connecting to the planes and exploding them. A Pe-2 survived Takumi's attack and is falling from the skies directed at the middle of the village. ”Oh no!” Chiho stopped on her tracks to see the plane drops four bombs, dealing wide damages on the village before crashing itself down to the Markets. ”Shit! It's all going to be Tsuchiya again!” Mariko shouted. ”Let's destroy those planes before they wreck the whole place!” Chiho shouted at them. ”Mariko! Go get something to fight with!” Chiho said before flying away. Shu Fang and Ayumi followed her up the skies. ”Something to fight with?!” Mariko looked around and turned back inside.

”Leader-san!” Mariko called upstairs but no one responded. She quickly climbed up the stairs and met Gentaro at the doorway. ”Ah... Takumi stockpiled some guns here, right?!” She asked. Both of them stormed down to the underground and gathered guns from a dim-lit room where they hid them. Mariko chose a scoped SVT-40 and a PPSh-41 to carry. ”I need someone to carry my ammunitions!” She said. They went upstairs and took a soldier in guard duty to go with her to carry her ammo. Then Mariko ran outside. She ran to the right and turned straight left. From there, they ran past through the panicking people and soldiers. She saw the skies covered with bright traces and thick smokes. She can also hear the soldiers' shouts up the wall to their right. ”Shit... wait!” Mariko placed her arms in front of the soldier to stop. Another Pe-2 hasn't been completely destroyed and was going down directed at the center of the village. Like the first one, the plane dropped its bomb, obliterating a wide area before crashing itself somewhere. ”This is bad! It's happening again! Saiju will be destroyed!” The soldier screamed. ”Calm down!” Mariko shouted. ”It'll not be the same as Tsuchiya! We now have something to fight back!” She said. ”Y-You're right...” He calmed himself down. ”Come on, come on!” Mariko ran again. After running at some time, they are half-way through the entrance. ”Where are we going exactly?!” He asked.

”I don't know, but let's go outside for now!” ”That's dangerous!” Mariko told him and he quickly objected. ”We can't stay he-!” The walls to their right suddenly exploded, debris loudly falls to the ground and scatters. ”No!” The soldier screamed as they stare at the holed wall. ”Fuck! They're swarming in from that hole!” Mariko shouted. They ran to cover distance and hid behind a large crate. ”I'm gonna shoot them!” She said as she moves up to the surface and aimed at the hole. Enemy soldiers are pouring in, climbing up the pile of stones that were once served as the protection of the village. Mariko chose a target and fired. The male soldier was shot at his left chest while going down from the rubble and fell down instead. ”I saw that!” He said. Mariko kept firing at the soldiers flooding in from the hole until they noticed her flashes. One of them splashed their PPSh against Mariko's cover. Despite the inaccuracy due to the distance and recoil, it was enough to scare Mariko and go down. ”They saw us!” She said. ”Change position?” The soldier asked. ”Yeah, yeah...” Mariko took a peek and they are now running towards them. ”They're coming here!” Mariko placed her SVT on the crate once again and sniped some of the soldiers. They stopped her by pressuring her with gun fires ”We can't stay here, Mariko-san!” The soldier shouted. ”Come!” He ran back and Mariko followed her. The enemy soldiers fired at them but they escaped unscathed.

”If you're gonna use that sharpshooter, we better off hiding inside the Akuzawa residence!” The soldier pointed to a building to their right as they run. It was not too far from them. ”B-But that's where the planes are crashing!” Mariko looked at the black smoke rising up past the house. ”It's the only high ground we can step on! We can't use that thing at the opposite wall!” He shouted. ”They might shoot the house down if we were found out!” Mariko shouted. The soldier was quiet for a second. ”Screw it, the whole place is gonna get bombed anyway!” He shouted. After running straight, they turned right and the house was in sight from the left of the intersection. They had to run around it to get into the front. ”Akuzawa-sama! Let us in, please!” The soldier shook the gates. The door quickly opened and revealed a familiar woman. ”Haruna! No!” A male voice came out as soon as she ran out to open the gates for them. ”Thank you!” The soldier ran ahead with Mariko. ”Mariko?” Haruna looked back as she closes the gates again. ”What's the meaning of this?!” Her father blocked the doorway. ”Sir, forgive our intrusion! But we need a high ground to shoot from!” He bowed on him and apologized. ”I cannot accept this!” The father was red in the face. ”Sir! The eastern wall is holed! The least we can do is try to hold them off or this whole place will be full of enemies soon!” The soldier insisted. ”There are no other structures we can step on!” He said. ”C'mon old man, this isn't an argument!” Mariko grabbed the man's collar and pushed him inside. His eyes widen in surprise as he gets pushed back. ”Your precious house is gonna fall into ashes anyway!” She pushed him away and they rushed upstairs. ”Father!” Haruna ran to his side. ”I'm fine...” He said as he fixes his collar.

They ran in a circle as the stairs are in the same spot. They ran up the four floors before reaching their terrace up high. Mariko quickly aimed down at the streets while the soldier falls to the ground to catch his breath. After firing one, Mariko shouted. ”Goddamn it! They are coming here!” The enemies are coming from the street they were running on before. From the terrace, she holds off the soldiers, picking the enemies one by one. The soldier took her PPSh to help her. Meanwhile, up in the skies. Takumi and the others are easily taking down the planes as no other thing is defending them besides the few enemy soldiers who can also fly. Takumi's thunder-like power was very effective in taking down several planes in a short time. However, the count of the planes is enormous, some are able to get pass through them and drops their bomb down the village and break away from their formations. On a Pe-8, Takumi landed beside the rear support gunner, surprising him. ”До свидания... (Goodbye...)” She smiled at him before stabbing his head through the glass with her blade. Then she turned to the cockpit and went for the remaining pilots. She quickly opened the cockpit and threw the bodies out with the help of the intense wind blowing them away. She got in and quickly regained control of the plane.

Her eyes flash as she reaches for her allies' minds. ”Be advised, I hijacked a Pe-8 Bomber, 84th squadron. Chiho, don't touch the big plane with an '84' number on its rear, you got it?” She said as she focuses on turning the plane back to the enemy ground units. ”W-What?!” Chiho shouted loud and looked around. She saw Ayumi and Shu Fang stopped in confusion. ”This is called Telepathy, but Shichiro and Mariyou didn't call it that way. I believe you have witnessed this kind of power from Mariyou herself. I'm speaking to you with my thoughts alone. Such power is essential when you can't or don't want to use your mouths when there's someone listening” Takumi said. ”Remember what I said. Big plane with '84' number on it. Don't tell me you still don't know how numbers look like?” She said. ”I got it!” The three of them answered before continuing on dealing with the planes. Ayumi was using her chained sickle infused with sharpening magic that made her sickle brights pink. She will either cut through the cockpit and behead the pilots or cut the plane's wings and using the hardening magic to push the plane down. Shu Fang was in her shade form and just like Takumi, she's hitting the planes with insane speed, disturbing their flight, and making the plane uncontrollable. Some got pushed down and crashed to the lands as it cannot fly back up quickly.

While the two are busy, she looked around. At the brief seconds, she saw some flashes of guns from the opposite side. Then she saw one diving plane with '84' written on its rear fuselage. ”Ah! There it is!” They were distant from Takumi's plane so she can return on freely killing down planes again. Back on the ground, The BT-7 and T-26 are on a top of a small hill. With their shells imbued with magic power, they are able to take down heavier tanks and disrupt their formations. ”Load HE! Fire at those infantries!” Nagami shouted a command. ”Выполняю! (Will do!)” Kaho took a shell that has a bright light on its tip. She rammed the shell inside the gun. ”Давай, стреляй! (Go on, shoot!)” Kaho shouted. Satomi aimed for the ground on where the enemy soldiers are running, they are disappearing from the corner of Saiju's wall. The T-26 fired and a large number of soldiers were blown away by the shell. ”Готов! (Killed them!)” Satomi shouted. Its shot showered the nearby tanks with dirt and turned to their direction. ”Нас выясняют! Oтступать, поспешите! (They found us! Back away, hurry!)” They saw the tanks' turrets rotating and aiming down their sights at them and Nagami ordered the driver to reverse away. ”Бетка! Пошли, держись рядом! (Betka! Let's move, stay close!)” Nagami told the BT-7 to relocate with them as they are found. The two tanks backed down the hill and moved away. They moved to their left, leaving the hill and leaving them exposed to the enemies.

As they are visible, the enemy tanks started firing. Due to both of them moving, most of the shots miss them. The whistles of the shells flying past by them terrified them. As they were reaching another hill, the BT-7's right tracks were broken by a shell shot near them. It slightly slanted to the left and the tank was forced to turn towards their right where are the enemies at. ”Shit! Our right track is gone!” The BT-7 commander shouted in fear. ”Laying fire!” Even though de-tracked, the BT-7 kept shooting. ”Hold on!” Nagami shouted as they take cover on a mound. Peeking to its left, the T-26 shoots with the BT-7. ”Takumi! We need some help here!” She shouted. ”Hold on!” Takumi moved away from her original targets and went for the tanks aiming at them. ”На прикури! (Lights up!)” Takumi released the bombs and pulled up. ”Whooo!!!” Both of the tanks cheered as the enemies got bombarded. ”Хороший! Takumi! (Good one, Takumi!)” Nagami said. ”Aye!” Takumi was laughing when she got hit by something, shaking the plane. ”Damn! Somebody shot the plane!” Takumi shouted. As she looks around her, she saw the tanks shooting the walls down completely. ”Shit, their wall is gone!” She stared at the enemy troops going through the rubble of the walls and entering the village. ”I'm crashing this plane!” Takumi turned the plane back and aimed towards the remaining armies outside the village. ”Alright...” Takumi opened the canopy and jumped out, leaving the plane to crash at the ground at full speed.

As she falls, she saw incoming german planes. ”What the hell?!” There were multiple Stukas and Focke-wulf fighter planes with the Balkenkreuz symbols. ”German squadrons in sight!” Takumi shouted. ”Вот какого чёрта они тут делают?! (What the fuck are they doing here?!)” Nagami looked at the skies. ”Их приоритетность! (Prioritize them!)” She shouted. ”Aye! Chiho, guys! Make sure to destroy the planes with the black cross as their symbols! Those Östkampfer Stukas' bombs are way deadlier than these Pe bombers!” Takumi warned them. ”You heard her?! The one with black cross! Let's deal with them first if we ever get close to them!” Chiho shouted at the two. ”Chiho!” Tanaka flew towards her. ”I and Sagiri will fly down the village! Your people are being overrun down there!” He said before the two of them flew down. Sagiri stopped and faced her. ”Wait!” She shouted. Chiho was about to fly away but was called. ”Those German planes... Like Takumi-san said, they are wearing black crosses as their symbols! They are flying in formations like the others, so go for their side and use your Peacemaker's power to shoot through them with one shot!” After that, she hurried to follow her brother. ”I... I got it!” Chiho smiled as she gets what Sagiri meant.

Without wasting any more time, Chiho flew to her right, to the side of the battlefield. Ayumi saw her going away. ”Onee-chan! Where are you going?!” She shouted but Chiho didn't hear her. ”Black cross... Black cross...” Chiho watches the planes passing by. ”There!” She saw camouflaged Stukas flying in line abreast formation. She quickly pressed the button of the Peacemaker and aimed at Stukas. Her rage started to gather, having her eyes, along with the Peacemaker, sparking with power. ”Aiming...” Chiho set her sights ahead of the Stuka's direction. Once they entered her scope, she fired. The Peacemaker roared in the air as it fired its enormous power, Chiho pushed away due to the recoil almost losing the Peacemaker from her hand. Its yellow trace cuts through the fuselage of the Stukas and explodes at the same time, breaking away their fighter escorts, some are hit by the explosions and are going down. ”There goes the Peacemaker!” Takumi stopped to see the yellow trace disappear. ”That's one hell of a weapon...” The BT-7 and the T-26 saw the explosions of the Stukas up the skies. ”She's so cool!” Ayumi and Shu Fang were watching her when she fired the Peacemaker. ”What the hell was that?!” Mariko saw a burst of fire and smoke at the corner of her eyes and stopped firing. ”What's that bright line?!” The soldier pointed at the yellow trace. ”Peacemaker! Urgh!” Mariko was happy before quickly realizing that she had enemies to fire. As soon as she looked through her scope, she saw the enemies also looking up the skies, curious about what caused the noise.