9-19 Gunfire in the Night

Our forces have taken over every last part of County Hillock, save a few small pockets.

The barracks didn't realize our true strength until it was too late, just as planned.

Did you see the looks on their faces? A force they thought to have been wiped out, and suddenly it reappeared. Like they were seeing actual ghosts.

Their greatest failure coming right as they were celebrating their victories. Not many Victorians left with any fight in them.

Grr. I almost forgot. My dear classmates are still struggling about in the outskirts.

Pitiful, pitiful. Their last ditch effort isn't going to change anything, and even if we don't so much as lift a finger, they've long been on their last legs, exhausted by the corruption of the military.

Mandragora's off looking for them. She's plenty enough to deal with the issue.

All according to plan—all except one thing.

Loughshinny got away.

You mean to say my servants have failed.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised. They may be fools, but they hardly claim the title of 'weak.'

That said, we have no need of them anymore.

Their ambitions grew all too quickly. They only knew to fan the flames of war for their own benefit, even plotting to use Loughshinny to carry out their plans right under your nose.

In the end, off they went, engulfed by the flames of their own appetite. Saved us some trouble.

What about you?

*Cough*... *cough*...

Me?

You know me. All I want... is to see the end.

I asked you this when we first met—

If death is inevitable, and order will always collapse no matter how many times it is rebuilt, then how do those who walk this journey bear with these pointless decisions again and again?

And you... you reached your hand out to me.

You showed me that even perished souls can dance brilliantly in death.

Ever since, I've always wanted to see for myself just how this world looks beyond the flames.

Greedy, yet honest.

Hah... The biggest difference separating me and those fools is that I know when to lie.

So, what will we do with Loughshinny?

My sister... Who did she pick?

We don't know much about the ones who saved her, but they rescued a great deal of the city's residents.

They seem like... a medical-something aid group?

To tell the truth, I'm deathly curious. They don't seem to have much to do with any one country, so why stand up against us?

Hoh, that sounds interesting.

Should I bring along a few men to scope them out?

Your call, my cherished strategist.

Perhaps there will come a day when I take a good look at them myself.

Send word that the Victorian soldiers are our only targets. If anyone dares lay a hand on the civilians, they become an enemy of Dublinn.

Yes, ma'am.

There are some civilians against us, though.

We must first make them believe we're standing on their side, no?

What the people need after such a traumatic event isn't harsher rule. It's all the help they can get.

Oh, yes. And you are not to harm the rescuers either—at least not within County Hillock, and not in view of the locals.

The fire's burning plenty bright. It's about time to put it out before it consumes everything, and renders this all a pointless charade.

Soon, the wounds will heal, and the masses will remember who it was that made them so cruelly suffer, and who it was that pulled them back out of hell.

Dublinn warriors are not like the Victorians—

And this idea will forever be etched onto the city's heart after its rebirth, like a scar.

What about the outsiders...? If we stop now, will they see it?

Anyone who's wanted for a look has already seen it.

That's all we need to do?

Of course. What did you think was the point of all this?

To make the Tarans' voices heard? Do you really believe that? Neither you nor I have an ounce of anything to do with Tara.

To take over County Hillock? Only an arrogant clown would believe that. Victoria may stand on shaky, even precarious ground, but any of the dukes' armies could easily reduce a nomadic city to ashes.

All we need to do is make sure the fire burns, so that all of Victoria will turn their eyes to it.

And in the fire, some of them will have seen only profit, some will have made known their hatred, and yet some will have found faith. In a way, this is quite the happy ending, wouldn't you agree?

Let's go. We still have one last thing to take care of.

Once we finish with that, it'll be time for us to leave. The traitors who continue to about on the stage are far more despicable than any clown.

Before it's time for us to step into the limelight again, we should climb back into the graves that Victoria was kind enough to dig for us. Such is the spectre force—Wouldn't you agree, Hill?

—

Colonel, we have to go, now!

We can't hold here. They have us surrounded—

Go...? Go where?

Talk later! County Hillock's gone!

Gone? Shut your godforsaken flap!

As long as I'm here, this city will never be lost! County Hillock will forever belong to the Victorian Empire!

They won't show you any mercy, Colonel! They have no mercy for Victorians... Please, come with us!

......

Go.

Colonel—!

What are you standing there for? Run! With your tail clutched between your legs and your head hung in shame! Don't you ever cross my sight again—unless you have a death wish!

Right... Right, then, we're leaving.

P... Please, stay safe!

...Hah.

Stay safe? On the battlefield?

How contrary to the meaning of a soldier.

—Where's my blade?

Here you are, old friend... How long has it been since you've last seen gunsmoke, since we last alighted a high-speed battleship together?

Oboe, Cello and I have made it to the communications tower!

How is it looking on your end?

Leader, I have explosives planted on platforms 1 through 7. Just waiting on the enemy now!

Very well, let's start with Number 1—

Good, the enemy is heading in that direction! Watch out over there.

Cello, climb up the tower!

Oboe, Numbers 2 and 3!

Oboe... I'm seeing more Casters approaching through the passageway. Be careful!

Watch the Casters' attack. I'm detecting a strong energy signal accumulating—

Keep your distance from the enemy!

......

No, fall back immediately! Oboe, take your people and leave the passageway!

The enemy's Arts have too wide an effect area! They aren't even going to look for you. They'll wipe out all the platforms with one gigantic fireball!

Understood, Leader. Let's see who's faster.

—

Oboe...!

Cello, Oboe bought us some time. Keep heading up!

Get the word out as soon as you find the control panel.

I'll stay here at the bottom to provide suppressive fire.

Five minutes. You have my word, not a single one of them will be making it up the tower in the next five minutes.

Shells, ready to fire—

How's it looking up there, Cello?

Still ten meters to go... Ugh...!

Are there hostiles up there?!

Crossbowmen...! Eight o'clock!

Hngh... There's too many of them!

If I head up there, we won't be able to hold the bottom of the tower...

I can't get a lock on them... They're too far away for me to reach!

This isn't the time to worry about... that!

Don't do it! You'll bleed out before you reach the control panel!

Find cover!

We can't... drag this out! I know you're hurt too... Leader!

I'm fine... *cough*...

Don't give me that, Leader. It's been six minutes. How many hostiles are there on your end? Twenty? Thirty? More?

I...

Don't even have the leisure to talk, right?

It's seven meters away. I'll—

What's going on...?

Ah... hah! Leader, I'm fine! Someone took out the crossbowmen!

What? Could that be...

Leader!!! Look who's arrived—

Ah... haha... You little menace...

Hold on just a bit longer! Just a bit! I'll take down these fire breathers!

Cello, Bagpipe's drawing their attention. Hurry!

Leader... I got the control panel open! We're almost there... almost...

Ughh...!

Cello?!

Her... Her stones... Leader... Watch out...

What's going on?!!

—Leader!

Where'd this column come from...?

Ugh... A spectre force Caster?!

Is she one of yours?

You killed Cello!!

Not a fan of people touching my things without permission.

What do you mean, yours?! It was the spectre force that invaded County Hillock!

—

Hmn... hah! Not even going to say hi before you fire?

That's your Victorian Army etiquette, is it?

You...! Are you thick?! Don't you see you can't harm me? That you're wasting all your effort?

The rubble...

(No weaknesses, no matter the angle.)

(Before my lance shells even get anywhere close, she maneuvers the stones around her to block off the attack.)

(Is that her Arts?)

(Take a look at Cello's body.)

(Was it the stones that bored through Cello like that? Whatever did it's all gone too... So she can manipulate stones to defend herself, AND conjure them as weapons?)

(Not the best news.)

(Let's test her and see how far she can go. I'm sure we'll find an opening.)

Hmph. Got me wondering now if this is some suicide attempt.

Thanks to my men, I'm thinking you don't have much ammo left. If you keep shelling like that, you'll have nothing left to fight with. Then you'll just have to sit and wait as your death comes.

To think Harmonie kept telling me over and over how impressive you were.

'Oh, they're the true face of the Victorian Army...' Hah. Look at you. Helpless, nowhere to go. Is that all a Royal Guard Academy distinction has to give?

The way I see it, you aren't much better than the barracks... I'll make short work of you!

You hate the Victorian Army, don't you...?

Guess again.

I don't hate soldiers. No matter whose orders you're taking, we're all poor little shits throwing our lives away in the mess of war.

It's people like you I hate.

You have a decent family background, and you think that gives you the right to trample us lot under your feet—

What could be better than watching you kneel before me?

Go, run her through—!

Still have the strength to block?

You've got perseverance, Lupo. Much better than your fellow nobles who pissed themselves the moment they saw me.

But you still can't work it out? You don't stand a chance!

Our forces have taken over County Hillock. Yours are dead or shackled.

Oh, and by the way, we've had eyes on you ever since you and your unit waltzed merry into Hillock. We've been watching your every move.

Hrgh... You have a spy in the barracks?

You thought you failed because of rotten luck? Or you weren't trying hard enough, misjudged? That's why you missed the chance?

Wrong! Fate has never been on your side!

Because—Victoria's long abandoned you!

You're more pitiful than all those poor sods dying ignorant on the field of war—you threw yourself into this bloodbath willingly! And now, you're just a sacrificial pawn for your country!

You mean... It's not just one spy...

The military's filled with your supporters... Even some of the top brass...?

In that case... what is your leader after...?

......

Is it Victoria's... Crown...?

What right do you... have?

Shut your mouth!

How—DARE you doubt our leader's nobility, when you're just a lapdog of the Aslans?!

Hah, haha...

What are you laughing at?!

Your hypocrisy.

You grit your teeth, talking of arrogant aristocrats and moneyed men, but you worship your oh-so-noble 'Leader' all the same—

You can't make this stuff up, can you?

And what... do you know?!

The Leader... She's noble for more than just her blood! She... She's strong, and gentle...

Hah, I get it. You want to buy time for yourself and milk information. Am I wrong?

You think your tricks'll work on me?

You think it's going to matter even if I let slip something I shouldn't?

Neither of you will make it to the top of this tower—

And anyone hearing me is dead or soon will be!

You'll need to try harder—little Feline.

Grrr!

You're pretty good, I'll give you that. Very precise control over your weapon. You're trying to adjust your firing angle to pick out any openings in my Arts.

Too bad—If you weren't so heavily injured and had more ammo, you might just have given me a few scratches.

This is it, then. Discussion time's over—

Now!

What...? The column just... collapsed on me...

Man alive, my arms are sore with all that back and forth!

That Vouivre...!

And I thought she was berserking like an idiot. I never realized I wasn't her target. It was the columns at the tower base...

Dammit... Dammit! How did you know?!

Leader, the rubble around her's clear!

Mm.

We made the right guess. She's agile with those Arts of hers, but she can only do one thing at a time—

Doesn't matter whether she's shiftin' the rubble to shield or usin' them as spikes, she's wide open while she's castin'!

The column's shattered her shield! Seize the day! Charge!

Did she fall down there...?!

Leader, did we win?

......

Oh no, Leader... That wound...

Hang in there! I'll help you up. Don't you close your eyes—

*cough*, *cough*...

Don't... pull so hard. You're shooting pain through my whole body.

G—Got it! Leader, as long as you're okay.

Right... I can't... go down just yet.

The enemy's... still...

Hoh... Hahahaha... Hahahahaha!

You think... that was enough to bring me down?!

Victorian soldier dunces!

I—I dug my way out of a grave by a bloody wastewater ditch! And I still have a score to settle with you—Victorian blue bloods!

Oh? She actually managed to climb her way out!

Well, isn't that somethin' odd? Even if my shot didn't blow a hole through her chest, I thought at least she'd be down for the count.

...Arts.

She knocked my lance a few centimeters off?! She only had a few stones left! Flip, we won't get another shot like that...!

Feline... You may be the enemy, but your resolve is rock solid for sure. You've got my respect.

Pfft. Who needs... your respect?!

What I want... is your lives!

Come, Forest of Thorns!!!

There's more columns growin' from the ground?!

We can't stay here much longer...

Leader, I'll carry you. Let's go that way!

Fleeing?

Think again—I'd never let down the Leader!

Wait, what's that sound?

Is that... the spectre force?

Are they broadcastin' to the townsfolk?

No, it's not just this city... they've got all the communications bases under their control. The surroundin' cities are receivin' that message too!

Now that everyone knows what the barracks did... this is goin' to spread like wildfire.

The scariest thing is, most of what they're sayin' is true! We've got no argument, no way against it!

And even if we wanted to say somethin', we've got no way to send the message...

......

We're in the worst case scenario now.

Is this why you were tryin' so hard to take the communications center? You had to get news to the outside world, but you wanted to keep the enemy from doin' the same, too...

We've lost, Hamilton...

Both you... and I. We've failed, utterly.

No, we haven't lost yet!

They've got their side out first, but it's better late than never for us!

The spectre force's tryin' to dress themselves up, but we saw them burnin' their supporters to death all heartless, slaughterin' the townsfolk! We saw that with our own eyes!

We have to get the word out! We have to show the true face of their army to the world!

......

Yes, you're right.

This battle... is far from over.

Uh... Leader? This Caster, what's she doin'? Is she spaced out?

......

Harmonie, Harmonie... you bastard! You fooled me into coming here so you could make that broadcast?

What gives you... What gives you...!

What gives you the right to speak on The Leader's behalf while I have to sweep up the rubbish down here?!

Oh, I'm going to Londinium... I'm going right now!!!

Whoa... that's a gust! Why's she so ticked off all of a sudden? Doesn't it hurt when she casts Arts like it's the end of the world?

Leader, watch out! It's about to blow over the column—!

Ugh... hrnn!

Stop pushin' yourself! Your shield's out of energy. You're burnin' your own flesh for it now!

Hah... this is nothing.

Nothin'? What do you mean, nothin'? You're coughin' up blood—

You could wipe that for me.

Now's—now's no time for your jokes. And if truth be told, they've never been funny, not for one second.

I can't always hide behind your shield... Even if you order me to, I can't.

I'll run out right now. I can take a few beatin's. I think I can at least make it to her, give her another taste of my spear... I've still got at least one more shot!

She summoned all those columns at once, she should be at her limit, almost... I'll find an openin'!

Bagpipe...

Let me go! I WILL be insubordinate now! You survive this, and you can punish me with umpteen handstands, you can even get on top of me while I do 'em!

She's... Now she's flying.

......

Ha... You don't know how to fly. You can jump up there, with the rocks as stepping stones, but it won't be easy to hit her at the same time.

Won't know until we try...

Enough. You remember what you said just now, don't you?

Which?

We... have... to tell them.

Right, we'll definitely get the word out. I won't forget! This is why we need to take her out. It's our only way to make it up the communications tower!

Ha... communications tower...

They've got agents in the brass... agents of the spectre force. She said it herself.

Even if we make it up there... Our message... will never make it to Londinium.

It's too early to give up hope, Leader!

You're the one who taught me to trust our friends—

Right. I... I trust my friends.

Bagpipe... that's why... you need to make it out of here.

What do you mean?!

Don't waste what energy you have left.

Hold onto your spear, activate the catapult, and fly out of here—

The city's covered with hostiles. People guarding every exit... but none of them will be ready to stop you blasting out through the air.

Bring all the information with you.

Find someone you trust, and let out what's really going on with the spectre force...

Londinium needs to know the truth behind County Hillock.

Bagpipe—get out of here alive!

This... is our last chance!

—

Leader!!!

Your bloody cheap tricks...!

Fine, just one of them slipping off won't change a thing.

And the one that's left here...

Heh, you can barely stand. Not going down easy, are we?!

—Let's get it over with. I'm sick of this place.

That's everyone, Uncle Oliver.

I've talked to the locals already. They've found us a way out of the city that's safe enough.

There are still a lot of hostiles around... Dublinn, that is.

The residents all believe what they say, that with the villains defeated, they won't harass the civilians anymore.

But we need to stay vigilant.

No matter the face they wear, I will never forget who got our good friend—our respected coworker killed.

Right, give me another blanket to keep the injured girl wrapped, please.

We can't let anyone see her until we make it to the nearest safehouse.

We have a long road ahead of us. I'm sure she would wish us a safe journey.

Look, Uncle Oliver...

It truly is daybreak now.

Finally. You kept me waiting.

...Sankta.

You are alone. What of the one you rescued? Where is she?

Not something you oughta worry your pretty little head about.

Listen. I know the formidable foe you are. How did she find you, and how did she convince you to protect her? Could she have reached an agreement with Laterano behind our backs?

No, that can't be. They said there was a Victorian soldier working with you.

So she chose to seek Victoria's protection? In that case, who sent you—Which duke?

You sure you wanna waste your time thinking on something as pointless as that?

My comrades are indeed in quite a hurry, but I suggested talking to you nonetheless.

Whatever your employers promised, we can offer you much more. Wealth, power, titles—

Aha, I'm afraid you couldn't give me what it is I need.

Dublinn's power likely far exceeds your expectations—

Please do tell. What is it?

——

Justice ain't gonna dispense itself, what do you think my gun's for?

So you mean to say... you are determined to stand in our way?

Now there's a question worth asking. Should've started with that one.

How regrettable, my lady. This is truly regrettable.

—It's time.

'The Accountant,' 'The Convict,' 'The Immolator,' 'The Toxicologist,' 'The Bandit'—And you, 'The Elocutionist.'

Mighty familiar names.

Far from the first time we've met—

You, 'The Accountant.' You've meticulously worked out the profit this war'll reap you, and you're racking your brains to turn even more lives into bigger numbers, deeper black on your balance sheet.

You, 'The Convict.' You escape from prison again and again only to commit greater crimes, get yourself sent back to prison to repeat the cycle again.

You, 'The Immolator.' Burning single houses and families hasn't given you what you need for a long while. Soon, not even burning a whole city will fill the hole in your heart.

You, 'The Toxicologist.' You call yourself a scholar, but fancy titles don't hide the truth, that you're all caught up in heartless slaughter and one nasty scheme after another—

—And your next betrayal will take a few cities to hell with you.

You, 'The Bandit.' Living up to that name, you're thirsty to snatch anything you can from the hands of others, and not just money, either.

You steal their dignity, and your lust for it will bring whole countries to ruin.

And then there's you, 'The Elocutionist.' You're really into those five dollar words, trying your hardest to turn fancy talk into a political weapon, the kind to spark wars greater and uglier.

If I let any of you through, that girl will die, and all that evil I just talked about gets to carry on, free and clear.

So—

It's about time for you to stand trial, for the last time.

......

This is your so-called faith?

You got the wrong idea. My faith ain't exactly the kind you're thinking of—

If I believe in anything, it's my gun.

There is only one of you, and there are six of us.

I got enough ammo. Don't worry, nobody's missing out.

You will die here.

Lucky I won't do it alone.

Aha, old friend... In the end, it looks like I'm not gonna be able to follow that order.