My Extraordinary Childhood Friend (#Wattys2016)

19 - Partners!

Danica's POV:

"...huff...huff..."

I'm so exhausted...I'm just keep defeating the Imperial Forces troops from advancing towards our battle line...but they are just keep coming...huff...huff...I'm out of energy...I need to take a rest...huh?! A group of Imperial Forces suddenly showed up behind me...please...spare me! Please help me! NOOOO!!!

"HIYAAA!!!" Suddenly, a boy came out of the blue and quickly finished the troops, then he quickly offered his hand to pick me up. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah...thanks for your concern." I smiled as I accepted his hand to pick me up. I saw a familiar face, he has runes on his hand...and a sword...growing with light...or magic perhaps...

"Wait...umm...are you Lily's partner? Akihiko Koizumi, is that right?"

"Yes! Nice to meet you, Dani-whoa! Look out! Hiyaa!!!" Akihiko pushed me away from an incoming soldier and killed him.

"Why, thank you, Akihiko! I'm pretty sure that's the reason why you become Lily's partner, right? Hehehe!!!" I giggled at him. "So what should we do now?"

"Well, we should work together to free the hostages inside the compound."

"Okay...but...are you sure that Lily agree with this mission?" I ask him out of concern. "I mean, she's your partner, right? She might be jealous if you pair up with me, right?"

"Hehehe!!! That's the reason why I'm here! Lily instructed me to accompany her friend in her mission. Come on!"

"Okay, okay! Let's go!"

We run forward towards the camp, quickly defeating all the enemies on its way. Though we learned the same swords skills from Lily, Akihiko is masters more than I am...oh yeah, he excelled because he is Lily's familiar as evident by the runes and magic Lily has lended to him...

We entered through the back entrance of the camp and into its only building there. Though it is almost empty as most of the troops are engaging with ours, we must assure that our path is clear for hostage rescue...

"Let's part ways to ensure the mission, okay?"

"Yes, Danica. Let's go!"

We split ways to inspect the building premise: room by room, office by office. I decided to check the left side of the building, while Akihito inspects the right. I still see some few knights that guarding some of the essential equipments and systems...so I wait for the knight to turn his back and make opportunity to sneak behind him and choke him until his breathing stops. So far, five people has fall under my choke, supposed they are guarding some important intelligence reports about us. I should rather take some and immediately tell Pri-Oook!!! So-someone is cho-choking me!!! Then he covers my nose and mouth...forcing me to smell...something...drowsy....zzzz...

Akihiko's POV:

I searched the entire right part of the building but I can't see anyone who can resist me. In fact, I found the passageway...and the door into a large conference room...where the hostages are being held.

"...rumble... rumble..." A small commotion outside the room forced me to hide in a desk in the other end of the room, where I sneak peek... into what the soldier is pulling towards the rest of the hostages...wait! Is that Danica?! She's unconscious and tied! She is being dragged by the soldiers carelessly! How dare him to do this to a woman! No to mention that he's taking our humanitarian team as his hostages there!

"Hey! Stop this! Put the lady down!" I show up and threaten the soldier with my sword.

"Who are you? Oh, never mind. I don't care who you are, I just need to take Princess Lily from you and we can set them free." The soldier then put a ransom for their release but...

"Huh?! You must be joking! She will never surrender to the likes of you!"

"Ha! So if this is the case..."

The soldier puts out his own sword and we are engaged into a battle. The sword skills of the soldier is just the same as mine so it almost looks like it is a stalemate, even I continued to possess Princess Lily's magic. Perhaps that magic is only effective if my opponent is a monster created by the knights and soldiers, but not themse-whoa!!!

"You're done for!" The soldier was able to throw my sword out of my hand and pointed his own into my neck. But I was not done...

"Hiyaaa!!!" Danica, regaining her consciousness, kicked the heels of the soldier to knock off his feet. He then uses my thrown sword to untie herself.

"That's the one who tried to kill me!" Danica then pointed her finger at the soldier as he stand up.

"You will regret what you have done to me!" He angrily point his sword to us. "I will kill you, and if I did, I will take your Princess for our Empress unless you surrender it now...otherwise...I will start killing hostages now!"

"Ha! Do you think we will give in to your threats, we don't! If your killing Princess Lily or these hostages, you need to face us, coward!

"YOU'RE ON!!!"

I make a hand signal to Danica to surround the soldier. Based in his moves and what he had said to us, I assume that this soldier is a psychopath and obsessed with the Empress.

"Attack!!!" At my signal, Danica and I charges towards the soldier. Despite having the advantage, the soldier is able to repel our attacks as he can able to sense anyone of us from behind. Again, everything turned into stalemate until...

"Hiyaaaa!!!" Danica managed to get into his defenses and cut right through his stomach...

"AAAH!!!" The psychopath soldier screams in agony as he falls down to the floor, opening opportunity to get the hostages free.

"Akihiko! Stay with the soldier, I'll take care of the hostages!" Danica makes her way into the hostages, unties them with her sword and escorts them outside. The psychopath soldier tried to stand up and run to stab Danica from her back...

"Hey! That's my bait! Don't you da-"

"HIYAAAA!!!" Only to be caught and stab by my sword. Then Princess Lily's magic in my sword penetrated into his body, absorbing anything on its path until the soldier starts to disintegrate. But before it's too late, the psychopath soldier spoke his last words...

"I will always serve Empress Angelica until the last days. Long Live the Empress! Long Live the General! Death to Princess Lily and other traitors!"

I finally joined Danica in escorting the hostages out of the camp. The coast is already clear for us as we see the Imperial Forces retreating from the camp. Outside the camp, a rescue troop is already standing by and escorted all of us back into safety.

When we returned to the bungalow, Danielle quickly run towards her sister and hugged her tightly.

"Sis! Thank goodness, you're safe!"

"Of course, I handled all of this, thanks to Akihiko." Danica replied, then turned at me and smiled. "Thanks, Akihiko!"

"You're welcome, Danica."

As I let the sisters savor the moment, I walk towards Azusa, who is happily waiting for me...

"Mission accomplished, Azusa-chan!"

Azusa briefly giggled as response...but...I noticed that her face is somewhat...slumped...

"Umm...Azusa-chan...is there something wrong?"

But it only makes her face blushed and turned away from me...

"Umm...is that all about with Danica that you are worried?"

Azusa just nodded and again...turned her blushing face away from me. Danica noticed this brief commotion so she come to us...

"Don't worry, Princess Lily! I will not interfere with your relationship with Akihiko. Besides, you should be proud of him, he saved my behind twice during the mission! Hehehe!"

With her friend's explanation, Azusa finally smiled at me and giggled.

"I sure did! I trained him! Huehehe!!!" Azusa replied. "But men, I'm exhausted for all the controlling those troops."

"Hehehe! Oh, don't get me started!"

And the conversation goes on and on...