Darryl enters the room, flanked by his assistant Valerie. He and King Arthur bow very slightly to each other. "We appreciate your assistance."
"As allies do. I have dispatched another army, but they are still in Erwing." King Arthur nods.
"General, would you please show King Darryl and his companions their lodging?"
"Your Majesty, please follow me."
I want to kiss Darryl, or at least hug him, but I couldn't possibly do that now. He flashes me a smile and gives me a small wave. I smile back.
"Ooh, yeah, I forgot about them," Aelita whispers. I nudge her lightly.
"He's my boyfriend, after all."
Another person enters–the police officer I met at Mirakarta. "Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty," he says, bowing, "Madam Moonray requests the presence of Mr Bahri, Madam Vonville, and the Twelfth in the dungeons."
"Off you go then," King Arthur says.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I wonder what she needs.
A truly horrifying sight meets my eyes. Lady Clarisse is held in a small prison, her hands tied to the ceiling. Madam Fron sits in front of her, her hands closed up. Four pillars of red light surround Lady Clarisse. Two people circle around her, occasionally whipping her or cutting up her flesh with a hot knife. Iron rods are inserted into her, enabling electrocution.
"B-by 'extract', you mean torture?" Aelita gasps. Her face turn green. She immediately grabs John's hands.
Of course, she's an enemy. But this kind of torture ... what is the difference between us and them? They torture, we do too.
No, no. She's a high-rank demon Lord. They enslaved innocents.
And, after all, they struck first.
"Of course, what else?" Madam Fron asks. Thousands of ice needles appear from thin air, stabbing Lady Clarisse. She moans in pain, then grits her teeth.
"I've told you all! That's all I know!"
In response, one of the wardens plunge a hot knife into her arm. "Krr ...."
"What have she said, anyway?"
"Nothing new," Madam Fron shrugs. "Except one thing. She spurted out the name 'Crown' earlier and confirmed they're not dead."
"So they're not Archduke Royard or Isabelle," Grandma says.
"Yup."
"Where-where am I?" Lady Clarisse mutters. "Who are you?"
"Did we break her?" Madam Fron whispers.
"Maybe so," one of the wardens whisper back.
"Who's the King now?" she shouts.
"W-what? King of what?" Madam Fron (and everyone else, really) is taken aback.
"The Empire! Aurum Imperium!"
"King Marengo, I believe. Why?" Mr Anwar replies.
"No ... then we–we lost ...."
Huh?
And suddenly a surge of energy enters Lady Clarisse. "I've told you all I know, Irvinian dogs!"
Bafflement takes over. Everyone looks at everyone else, murmuring, "what was that?"
"Anwar, Vanya, mind channeling your mana into those pillars? That should help chain her down for a couple more hours."
"Sure."
Grandma and Mr Anwar pour in some mana, causing the pillars to emit a strong light. We walk out from the dungeon.
"Alright, what was that?" Mr Anwar begins.
"That was the same phenomena that I told you guys earlier, with two of the Empire's agents," Madam Fron says. "As if ... as if they just broke through a spell."
"Lady Jessica once did it too," I say.
"Hmm ... she said something about losing the war, now that Marengo is the King."
"So she's on Merango's side?" Mr Anwar questions.
"Uhh ... damn, this is confusing. I mean, she's currently at Marengo's service."
And suddenly, the sounds of trumpets and drums ring through our ears. Fireworks are fired to the sky. We rush to the fort gates.
From atop the gates, I see swarms of tanks appear from the eastern plains, accompanied by squads of mechanical dragons. A figure, riding a black horse and carrying a green flag, approaches beneath the grey clouds.
"Lady Jessica. She wants to talk," Madam Fron mutters. She turns to King Arthur. "Your Majesty, allow me to intercept her."
"Go ahead, Fronica. But remember: we shall not compromise until they are driven out of Irvine."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
A soldier hands over a green flag to Madam Fron, who summons an ice horse. She gallops over the fort walls, riding outside the barrier.
"What is your message?" Madam Fron asks with a magically amplified voice. The two circles each other.
"We demand your surrender immediately," Lady Jessica says, "and your nation will be spared."
"You dare come here to ask for our surrender?" Madam Fron grits her teeth.
"You saw what happened to Francia and Al-Azhar. Resist and we will inflict the same fate upon Irvine."
After a short moment of silence, Madam Fron bursts into ominous laughter. "Then go ahead and try. Mark my words; every single blade of grass and every single drop of water shall challenge you here!"
Madam Fron spits on her green flag before burning it into ashes. "There will be no peace until you are driven out of this nation!"
The soldiers of Fort Pazna cheers, hurling insults at Lady Jessica. The latter turns back. Artillery begins to pound hell upon Pazna, yet the double shields of it holds them off.
"Fire!" Countless artillery officers give orders to the artillerymen of Irvine, firing back with equal zeal. Orbs of explosive light and fireballs are exchanged, Irvinian warhawks face mechanical dragons in brutal dogfights. Aerocopters support the artillery, firing their guns at armored tanks below.
Mr Anwar approaches the fort gate. "Your Majesty, I have received news from the National Army. They have picked up reinforcements and they are now about 120,000 strong. But they need about six weeks to reach Pazna."
King Arthur pinches his forehead. "Do you think we could withstand siege for that long?"
"Munitions and supplies are sufficient. We just have to hold our ground. The left and right flank are protected by forests and mountains. Even if blown up, they could hold up enemy armored divisions."
"Pardon my interference," Madam Fron, who is watching the battle with a telescope, says. "It seems like Lady Jessica herself is leading an attack on the centre. Shall I intercept her, Your Majesty?"
"No, Fronica, not yet. Let her tire herself out."
"Genesis Disintegration!"
Lady Jessica flaps her majestic wings, a few grey orbs on her hands. She hurls them at the barrier. They expand hundredfold and disappear with a pop. A glaring hole now exists on the first shield.
Holy hell!
"That spell!" Mr Anwar gasps. "Relay orders to the barrier team to fix them now!"
"Anwar! We cannot allow her to dismantle our barrier like this! Back me up!" Madam Fron barks.
"Roger!"