Category: DBX Fights

Death Battle Exhibitions!

Where all the fights are settled in just a few chapters!

No Rules!

No Research!

No Mercy!

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PROLOGUE

This Episode’s Players:

Emily Elvis (Player 1)

Liliana Ladrona (Player 2)

Emily: Thank you for inviting me to play DBX, Ms. Lily!

Lily: (Smiles) ¡De nada, hermanita! It’s the least I could do after you helped me through our first episode together.

Emily: Honestly, it’s nice to have another girl in this organization. Whenever my brother Edward and Mr. Louis play, they start arguing and accusing each other of cheating.

Lily: (Scoffs) Guys are always like that. They can’t stand the thought of someone beating them at something. Some of the girls I fight with on WWE 2K are just as bad.

Emily: Well last time, Mr. Louis and Hiro were playing as Black Widow and Ada Wong. Louis won, and the two almost drew guns on each other.

Lily: (Groans) !Esos jodidos idiotas! They didn’t actually shoot up the place did they?

Emily: I managed to calm them down by casting a spell of friendship…..but I might’ve overdone it. They ended up hugging saying how much they love each other.

Lily: (Laughs hysterically) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! No way! Seriously!? Wow, if only I’d been there! (Continues laughing)

Emily: (Blushes) I–I had to do something! I’ve treated far too many soldiers with gunshot wounds in World War One!

Lily: Don’t worry about it, mija. I’m just glad you stopped it before it got out of hand. Anyway…..(picks up controller)….shall we begin?

Emily: Right! Off we go! (Does the same)

(Emily selects Versus; Player vs Player; One round per fight; One character; 100% Health)

Emily: (Curiously) Hmm? What’s this? 

Emily: (Excited) Oh, splendid! The new DLC just came out!

Lily: What the–I didn’t know this game got DLC. Who the hell are these girls?

Emily: That’s Izetta, Tanya and Akko. They’re characters from three different anime, but they’re all witches like me! I watch each of their shows religiously!

Lily: Heh. Well, since you’re here, how bout we each play as one of these new girls?

Emily: Aye! Let’s do it then! (Scrolls around and picks Izetta)

Name: Izetta
Age: 15
Sex: Female
Appearance: Izetta the Last Witch
The last survivor of a race of witches who were once the guardians of a small country called Eylstadt. Loyal and courageous, she dedicates her life to protecting the person most precious to her: The Princess Finé von Eylstadt.

Emily: I have a confession…I’m really not good at this game. I usually set the difficulty on Easy when I fight the computer.

Lily: Ah, don’t beat yourself up, chica. I’m not that great myself. Hell, even Lulu isn’t that good, although he’s too proud to admit it. I can’t tell you how many times I beat him by spamming fireballs in Street Fighter!

Emily: Spamming moves? That’s cheating, Ms. Lily!

Lily: Hey, we Ladrones have a family motto: “¡Si funcion, hazlo!”

Emily: “If it works, do it?”

Lily: Bingo! (Scrolls around and picks Tanya)

Name: Tanya Degurechaff
Age: 12
Sex: Female
Appearance: Youjo Senki/Saga of Tanya the Evil
A ruthless child soldier who leads the legendary 203rd Imperial Air Mages. Sadistic, cunning, and psychotic, she scored more victories than any other commander in the Fatherland’s army.

Lily: That is one creepy-ass kid.

Emily: That’s Tanya Degurechaff from Youjo Senki. And yes, she’s a tad……..unstable.

Lily: You’re telling me. Her evil stare reminds me of a teacher I had back in Catholic school. 

Emily: You went to Catholic school?

Lily: Si. Me and my friends hated that teacher. I once got in trouble for saying she had “una cara como un culo de vaca.”

Emily: “A face like a cow’s arse!?” You said that to a teacher!?

Lily: (Smirks) Yep. My friends thought I was a hero for telling her that. The bitch made me recite the Catechism 20 times, but it was worth it. Anyway, you ready to rock!?

Emily: Aye! Let’s fight!

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!
——> HELL YEAH!!!
I’M NOT READY YET!

(Emily picks “Hell yeah!!!” and the game goes into a loading screen)

(Loading. Loading. Loading. Loading.)

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OPENING MOVIE:

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CHAPTER 1: KIDNAPPED

May, 1940
8:15AM
Eylstadt, Somewhere in the Alps
40 miles from the northern border
Aboard a Fatherland zeppelin

Far above the northern Alpine mountains of Eylstadt, a massive L30 Airship drifted slowly across the sky. Though it was a clear, Spring morning with plenty of sunlight, the floating fortress cast an almost sinister shadow that eclipsed the sun to anyone standing below. The monstrous vehicle was kept aloft using hydrogen, itself contained by the huge, torpedo-shaped cloth that made up the bulk of the zeppelin.

Located beneath the airship’s belly were four gondolas that served as propellers, steering, and housing compartments all in one. Each gondola was manned by crews of at least five soldiers, whose duties ranged from maintaining the engines to manning the machine guns. At the very front of the L30 was the main gondola, where the bridge was located.

Almost like a page ripped out of a steampunk novel, the zeppelin’s bridge was built of hard steel, with various gadgets strewn around. Metal lamps with orange light bulbs hung overhead in several spots. The walls were covered with long rubber pipes that looked like fire hoses, but were actually used for communication. At the nose of the bridge was a steering wheel like one would see on a pirate ship, where the helmsman kept the zeppelin on her predetermined course.

Aside from the usual crew, the airship carried two very important passengers. 

The first was a beautiful fifteen-year-old girl with blonde hair and purple eyes. She wore a simple, yet elegant green dress and carried herself in a dignified way befitting a member of royalty. Rightly so, since she was the last surviving Princess of Eylstadt. Her name was Ortfiné Fredericka von Eylstadt, known simply as Finé.

Finé was sitting at a wooden table with an empty chair on the other side. A tea set was prepared for her, as if to give the illusion that this was a simple pleasure flight. It wasn’t. Standing at the door behind her were two vicious-looking guards carrying MP40 submachine guns. The Airship was flying north in the direction of the Germanian Empire, also known as the Fatherland. It was obvious that Finé wasn’t taken on a cruise–she was kidnapped.

The hatch above the captive girl opened. Climbing down the ladder an even younger girl with matching blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. She was no taller than four feet, yet she walked with the same militaristic pride as any adult. She wore a pristine green uniform whose most distinguishing features were an officer’s cap and a round red crystal located at the collar. The girl was armed with a Luger P08 pistol which she kept secure in a holster on her right hip. She sat down at the opposite end of the table, meeting Finé face-to-face.

“Guten Morgen, Prinzessin Finé.”

“I trust you’ve heard of me, based on my reputation?” The girl in the officer’s uniform asked.

“Tanya von Degurechaff.” Finé remembered her kidnapper’s name. “Leader of the Imperial 203rd Air Mage Battalion.”

“Splendid! So glad we could get introductions out of the way quickly.” Tanya said. “It’s quite an honor to be in the presence of royalty. Though I regret we’d have to meet on this miserable zeppelin.” The child soldier lifted the kettle and poured some tea into hers and Finé’s cups. “Care for some tea? It’s Germanian chamomile with honey.” Tanya politely offered to Finé.

The Princess carefully took the teacup given to her, giving it a suspicious look.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Tanya said. “I assure you, it isn’t poisoned.” As if to prove it, she took a long gulp of the drink with an exaggerated sigh at the end.

Finé decided to play along and allowed just a tiny sip past her lips. “Thank you. It’s quite delicious.” She said, trying to sound as polite as she could. “You speak Eylstadtian quite well, though I can hear your Germanian accent.”

“Dankeschön.” Tanya thanked her. “Our languages are similar enough for me to get the gist.” She took a relaxed pose in her chair, while Finé remained as tense as ever. 

“Do all Germanians treat their guests this way, or is it just protocol? I’m not exactly keen on being trapped hundreds of feet in the air with two armed guards behind me.” Finé complained.

“If the accommodations aren’t to your liking, you’re welcome to leave anytime.” Tanya said coyly. “Just don’t expect us to provide a parachute.” The two guards chuckled slightly at Tanya’s comment. Finé didn’t join in. Tanya was correct though. Right now, there was no way to escape. Best thing to do was to stay calm and let the conversation take its course.

“But enough small talk! Onto business.” The child officer straightened her pose in the chair. “So, I assume you know why I’ve invited you to this……’interview?'”

“Invited? Interview? Try ‘kidnapped’ and ‘interrogation!'” The Princess hissed mentally. “Please, enlighten me.” She replied, trying not to sound angry.

“As you already know, our two nations are at war.” Tanya began. “The Principality of Eylstadt has continually resisted our efforts to establish a link with our allies to the south, the Kingdom of Romulus. 

“Eylstadt is a neutral country.” Finé replied. “My people want nothing to do with the Empire or its genocidal conquest. You’ve already taken Livonia and Thermidor.”  

“Despite your claims of neutrality, you didn’t hesitate to conspire for an alliance with the Brittanian ambassador.”

“I was working to protect my country! Eylstadt needs powerful allies to help us hold off the Germanian invasion!”

“Make whatever excuses you want, Your Highness. But by making secret dealings with the Empire’s enemies, you essentially declared war.” Tanya leaned back in her chair, a condescending smile growing on her face.

The ruler of Eylstadt went red in the face. Not only was she captured by a smug little girl no older than a 6th Grader, but the same girl had the audacity to treat her like a criminal! Finé took another sip from her tea, hoping to hide her anger. “So, what is it that you want with me?” She asked Tanya.

The Fatherland soldier’s grin became wider. “I thought you’d never ask! As you already know, this airship is en route towards Germania, past this country’s northern border. My orders are to deliver you to the capital Neu-Berlin, before the throne of the Kaiser himself.”

“Do you expect me to kneel and beg him to call off the invasion?” Finé said dryly as she took another sip.

“Not exactly. We believe what we’re planning will benefit both our countries in the long run.” Tanya paused. “All you have to do…is surrender.”

The Princess nearly spat out her drink. She shot an outraged look at Tanya as if to say, “WHAT!?”

“I understand you’re less than thrilled with our proposal.” Said Tanya with an intended understatement. “But please, Your Highness, try to see reason.”

“Reason!? How would surrendering possibly be beneficial to my country!?” Finé roared.

“Think of it as a business arrangement.” Tanya explained. “Eylstadt capitulates, allowing the Empire to take the capital without any bloodshed. The kingdom then becomes a protectorate of Germania. We get safe passage with our allies, and you avoid being blown to oblivion. Everybody wins.”

“And I lose my power as the Princess. Is that it?” 

“You needn’t worry about your power. You’ll still be allowed to rule your petty little kingdom. However, you’d be required to answer to the Kaiser from then on.”

Every word uttered by Tanya was like sharp needles stabbing all over Finé’s body. It took her everything she had to control herself. “And if I refuse to agree to this ‘business arrangement?'”

Tanya went from an arrogant smile to a serious glare. “Then you will be a political prisoner for the rest of the war.” She said coldly. “That is, unless we decide to execute you. With you out of the way, the Empire simply takes Eylstadt by force. Either way, we win.”

That was the last straw! The Princess stood up from her chair and slammed her hands on the table. “How dare you! I will NOT be used as a bargaining chip to blackmail my kingdom!”

One of the guards standing behind Finé pointed his submachine gun at her. “Geh zurück zu deinem Platz, Prinzessin, oder ich erschieße dich!” He threatened her in his native language.

Tanya rose out of her seat and aimed her Luger pistol at the soldier. “Bleib stehen, Sergeant! Oder ich werfe dich vom Zeppelin!” Almost robotically, the obedient sergeant lowered his MP40. Tanya motioned her hand to allow Finé to continue speaking. The Princess took a breath to recover from the fear of nearly being shot.

“This is unacceptable!” She protested. “Do you seriously expect me to go along with this!? Sell out my people? Reduce myself to a puppet ruler? I would rather die than betray my country to monsters like you! The people of Eylstadt are loyal and proud, and will never be brought down by such cowardly tactics!”

Even with Finé screaming at her in the face, Tanya remained as cool and professional as ever. “Your Highness.” She said, “I truly admire your passion and dedication to your homeland. You’re more than worthy to bear your title.” Tanya closed her eyes and went back to her seat. “But let’s be realistic. Let’s say that you reject all our demands and continue the war against the Empire. What would be the outcome of a protracted war against us?”

“We’ll stand and fight for however long it takes to drive you out!” Finé proclaimed.

“And how do you hope to achieve that?” Tanya replied. “Eylstadt is a landlocked country with a small population, a weak army, and obsolete weapons left from the Great War. Meanwhile, the Empire’s already conquered two of the major Allied powers through Blitzkrieg attacks, which are only made possible through coordinated tactics, modern technology, and well-trained soldiers. In other words, Eylstadt has no hope of defeating us. This isn’t arrogance, it’s just fact.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Said the Princess with a confident face. “While Eylstadt may be weaker in terms of its military strength, we have one weapon that’s more powerful than any army.” Finé smiled ever so slightly. “I’m sure you’ve heard of a local legend? The White Witch of Eylstadt?

Tanya laughed derisively. “Ha! The White Witch? Yes, I’m well aware. An ancient fairy tale from a forgotten era. Sorry, Princess. I only deal with facts, not folklore.”

“I promise you, she’s no fairy tale. I know her personally. She saved my life multiple times!”

“And then you woke up.” The child soldier said. “Putting your faith in a children’s story is no different than praying to some nonexistent God. Pointless, worthless, and utterly useless.”

“How can you deny her existence when you have weapons that involve the use of magic!?” The Princess spat.

“Fair point.” Tanya smirked as she touched the crimson orb on her uniform. “The Eilinium crystal I wear amplifies the mana stored in my body, allowing me to perform all kinds of supernatural feats in battle. The difference however, is our magic technology is the product of painstaking research done by the Empire’s most brilliant scientists. The kind of magic you’re describing is something that only exists in myths and bedtime stories!”

The Fatherland soldier walked to Finé’s side of the table and put her face just inches away from hers. “You can hold on to your childish delusions if it makes you comfortable, Princess. But let me be clear: no one is coming to save you. By tomorrow, you’ll be negotiating your surrender in Neu-Berlin, and no witches or Gods will swoop in to rescue you. Think about that while you’re here.”

Finé didn’t say anything else, but her anger and determination were palpable. No matter what Tanya said, the Princess would never lose hope that her closest friend would come and save her! The child soldier decided there was no more point in this conversation. She walked to the set of windows on the right, sipping her tea as she enjoyed the view of the Eylstadtian mountains.

Finé closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. 

“Izetta! Please!…..Please find me soon!”

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CHAPTER 2: THE WHITE WITCH

Meanwhile…..

“Hold on, Princess! I’m coming!”

Izetta raced through the clouds, desperately searching for the captured Princess. She was flying astride a modified Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle as if it were a broomstick. Flying alongside the girl was a group of medieval lances–four on each side–all levitated by Izetta’s magic. The young witch had short ruby red hair and eyes, which sharply contrasted with her silky white dress. 

The wind whipped through Izetta’s hair as she dashed through the cerulean sky and white clouds. The icy air chilled her body and stung her eyes, but she was too focused on her goal to notice it. Izetta looked up and down, side-to-side for the giant airship that her kidnapped friend Finé was on board. When she’d just about given up hope, Izetta caught a glimpse of the airship floating through a narrow mountain trench to her lower left.

“Yes! I found it!” Izetta’s heart pounded with excitement! The White Witch rolled into a nosedive towards the zeppelin, ready to attack. Izetta zoomed past every gondola beneath the airship’s belly until she found Finé trapped in the frontmost one.

“The Princess! Thank God she’s okay!” Izetta thought with relief. Finé almost shouted with joy when she saw her dearest friend come to her rescue. Tanya choked and spat out her tea in sheer disbelief, while the two guards looked on in confusion.

With no time to lose, Finé rose and swung her chair to knock out the two guards behind her. She then grabbed the tea kettle and smashed it into Tanya’s face! The Germanian girl dropped to the floor like a rock, unconscious and covered in broken porcelain and warm tea.

“By the way, your tea tastes like dishwater!” Finé spat at the knocked-out girl. 

The Princess stole Tanya’s Luger pistol and an MP40 from one of the guards.

“Okay, no doubt the whole airship would’ve seen Izetta by now.” The Princess thought. “I need to get topside!” Finé climbed the ladder leading to the inside of the airship’s interior. And sure enough, every soldier in the damn balloon was rushing to their weapons! 

A shrieking alarm blared as a male PA voice accompanied it: “Alarm! Die weiße Hexe wurde entdeckt! Sie startet einen Angriff auf den Zeppelin! Alle Truppen zu Kampfstationen! Den Feind sofort abwehren!” 

Finé couldn’t understand all of it, but it must have meant the soldiers were about to attack Izetta. She had to hurry! The Princess ran across the wooden catwalks, avoiding or gunning down any enemy soldiers along the way. As she neared the exit, Finé spotted a rack holding parachutes and decided to take one just in case. She was several hundred feet in the air after all. 

Outside, the furious Germanian soldiers shot at Izetta with rifles and machine guns, but she was too fast for them to hit. The explosive shells exploded all around, leaving puffs of gray smoke like a fireworks show. The White Witch shot back by throwing some of her lances, piercing the zeppelin’s hull and some of its gondolas. She flew upwards and above the airship, where an AA-gunner was taking potshots at her from below. 

Meanwhile, Finé came to the exterior of the airship and saw that Izetta was in danger! The anti-aircraft gunner hadn’t noticed Finé was behind him because he was too frustrated trying to take out the White Witch. The Princess sprayed what was left in her MP40 into the soldier’s back, and he fell over dead. When the gun clicked empty, Finé threw it away and took the gunner’s Kar98k rifle and some ammo.

The Princess then stood and looked up at Izetta, hovering about 40 feet above on her rifle. From that height, it was almost like looking at an angel.

Finé cupped her hands to her mouth and called out: “HEEEEEEY! IZETTAAAAAAA! DO YOU SEE ME!? IT’S FINÉ!”

Izetta was so joyful she nearly cried.  She was so close now! She was going to save Finé! “I SEE YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS! I’M COMING TO GET YOU!” 

The White Witch soared a few yards forward and immediately U-turned. She flew back to the zeppelin upside-down, arms outstretched to catch the Princess. The Princess knew what Izetta was planning and opened her arms too. Finally the two girls met, and Finé was scooped into the air, safely in Izetta’s arms. The White White turned right-side up and placed the Princess on the aft end of the gun. They were reunited at last.

Finé wept with joy and hugged her old friend tightly. “Thank you, thank you, Izetta! I knew you’d come rescue me!”

The red haired witch replied sweetly, “I’d die before I abandon you to those awful people, Your Highness! C’mon, let’s get you back to Eylsta–” 

Their celebration was cut short by some explosive rounds that popped in the air. Down below, Tanya was manning the AA gun left by the dead soldier! The two Eylstadtians quickly flew in the opposite direction of the airship, avoiding any projectiles till they were safely out of range. Thankfully, neither of them was hit.

Tanya stopped firing when she realized it was useless. She stared at the clear blue sky, eyes wide in shock.

“It can’t be! There’s no way!” The Air Mage thought. “The White Witch is real? She’s REAL!? That ridiculous fairy tale creature is a real person!?”

Behind Tanya, a taller brunette girl in the same uniform approached her. Visha was out of breath, both from running and the terror and confusion she was feeling . <“Major Degurechaff, what in the world’s going on!? Our airship’s under attack, the Princess has escaped, and several of our men are dead!”>

At that moment Tanya’s horror turned into rage. She turned around and ordered, <“Assemble the Air Mages! Get my flight suit ready!”>

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CHAPTER 3: FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

Izetta and Finé flew far away from the zeppelin, safely out of range.

The blonde felt it was a good time to ask: “Hey, Izetta? How did you know where to find me?”

“Bianca and the Royal Guard secretly followed you after you were kidnapped. They tracked you to the Northern Alps, where you were brought aboard that big, ugly balloon!” 

Finé smiled. The Royal Guard were just as dependable as ever. 

“When they told me where you were, I volunteered to go rescue you!” Izetta finished.

“By yourself!?” Finé shouted louder than she’d meant. “You knowingly went alone and took on an entire airship just to save me!? Did you even stop to think of the kind of danger you put yourself in!?”

“I don’t care about the danger!” Izetta replied. “As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters to me. Besides, I’m not alone. Bianca and some royal troops are waiting for us at a small village near Coenenberg. They’re about 400 kilometers south of here.” 

400 kilos? That’s a long ways off, but they should be able to reach it in about an hour if they keep flying at this pace. Finé held on tight for the long trip, but kept her rifle ready if she needed it.

Meanwhile, Tanya departed from the zeppelin and flew in the direction of the two Eylstadtians. She wore a thick flight jacket that kept her warm in the cold air. Her weapon was a semi-automatic Mondragón rifle that held 10 magic-charged explosive rounds. The child major kept herself flying with an Elinium crystal, which powered the Air Mage gear attached to her left leg. Following Tanya was a flight of three other members of her famed 203rd Battalion, each dressed in equipment identical to her own. Four in total, they raced through the skies in search of the escaped Princess and her rescuer.

Tanya was still shocked by the events just a few minutes ago. “How did this mission get derailed so quickly!? We were so close to the Germanian border, and all of sudden we got ambushed by a witch out of some bedtime story!? Is this another one of Your tricks, Being X?”

Being X. The petty, sanctimonious “god” who forced Tanya into this miserable life as a child soldier. This had to be another one of his harebrained attempts to turn Tanya into a believer. Whoever this “White Witch” thought she was, she was probably nothing more than one of Being X’s deranged pawns. 

“Well, it won’t work!” Tanya hissed mentally. “I won’t be undermined by a couple of superstitious children!” 

“Achtung, Soldaten!” The child Major shouted to her comrades behind. 

<“We’re going on a witch hunt! Princess Finé believes that her friend can save her from us! The witch may have helped her escape, but they’ll never make it back to the capital! We’ll make this rescuer of hers regret that she came to ruin my morning! As for the Princess, she just bumped her execution way up the schedule! I want them both dead and buried in the same grave! Understand!?”>

<“Roger that! Those two won’t escape us!”> Replied Matheus Weiss, Vice Commander of the 203rd.

<“Hell yeah! Let’s burn this witch at the stake!”> Roared 2nd Lieutenant Warren Grantz.

Viktoriya, the only other female besides Tanya, was more cautious. <“Uh, Major? With respect ma’am, our orders are to take the Princess alive–“>

<“Are you questioning my orders, Lieutenant?”> Tanya replied with an icy glare.

<“Eeep! N-no ma’am! Kill them both! Got it!”> Visha squeaked and shut her mouth in fear.

<“Very good.”> Tanya looked ahead with violent determination in her eyes. “Those bitches are gonna pay for making a fool of me!”

Further ahead, Izetta and Finé continued their flight towards Coenenberg. At one point, the blonde Princess turned around and saw four black figures in the distance. The silhouettes came closer with each second, until Finé realized they were being chased by the 203rd Air Mages! “Crap! They’re after us already!?”  

“Izetta, look behind you!” The Witch’s attention was drawn to the four flying Air Mages behind them.

“What the–who are those four?” She asked.

“Tanya Degurechaff and three of her Air Mages. They’re from the airship I was on! The little girl in front is the one in charge.”

“That little girl is the leader?” Izetta said in surprise.

“Yeah, but don’t underestimate her–she’s a ruthless psychopath! She probably wants to either take me back to the zeppelin, or kill us both!”

“Either way, we’re not gonna let it happen!” The girls readied themselves for the inevitable fight. 

“How’s your magic? Can you fight here?” The Princess asked while loading her bolt-action rifle. Izetta opened her hand, and a green, pulsating orb appeared just above her palm. 

“Yes! There’s enough magic here for me to work with!” Izetta cheered. 

Finé smiled courageously. “Then let’s show these fascists we’re a lot tougher than we look!” 

The redhead smiled and nodded with similar confidence. They were ready to fight.

Eventually, Tanya and her squadron flew up right behind the two Eylstadtians. The child soldier shouted her orders to her men: “Feinde entdeckt! Lass sie uns in Flammen zu Boden schicken! ANGRIFF!!!”

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(Fight pic commission by HypeVoiceActing.)

CHAPTER 4: CAT AND MOUSE

MISSION START

The Air Mages opened fire! Dozens of cyan-colored bullets darted through the sky like a swarm of hornets! Izetta skillfully swung her rifle left and right to dodge the deadly bullets. The magic rounds created tiny explosions so loud and close, the girls were nearly scorched by the puffs of flame and smoke. 

“Don’t fly in a straight line! Try to shake them off!” Finé shouted to Izetta. 

The White Witch swerved downwards to the left to shake off her pursuers. The gravity from flying down gave them a boost in speed, which helped them get some distance. The high wind speeds threatened to blow them both off of their ride. The two Eylstadtians braced themselves as hard as they could to avoid falling off. When they dropped closer to the ground, Izetta repositioned her flying rifle forward.

“Alright! Hold this speed! Gimme a chance to fire back!” Finé said as she took aim with her bolt-action rifle. 

She aimed and fired at Tanya, who was leading the Air Mages from the front. The bullet reached her, only to be harmlessly deflected by a bluish green barrier.

“Ha! A bolt-action rifle? And it doesn’t even fire magic rounds? Pathetic!” Tanya snorted arrogantly.

“Dammit!” Finé scowled in frustration.

“What’s wrong? Did you miss?” Izetta asked.

“No, I hit her. But something got in my bullet’s path! She must have some kind of shield protecting her! Shooting her won’t do any good!”

“In that case, all we can do is outrun them!” Izetta cried with worry. “What do we do now?”

The red-haired witch looked down. They were flying over a vast mountain range with a narrow trench running for miles. The trench was barely wide enough for an aircraft, but more than wide enough for two girls flying on a rifle.

“Hang on! We might get more cover if I take us into that trench!” Izetta shouted. 

Izetta and Finé dove sharply into the rocky crevice, as Tanya and her subordinates continued the chase.

“So, they think flying into that trench will throw us off their trail? What a foolish strategy!” Tanya thought. 

She ordered her men, <“I’ll fly ahead and chase them down! The rest of you stay here! Create a perimeter above so they can’t escape!”>

Tanya flew into the trench after the two Eylstadtians. The pathway was barely thirty feet wide, and covered with pillars and walls of sharp rocks and ice. Even a tiny piloting error could lead to a fatal crash or serious injury. But Tanya was too experienced a pilot to let that stop her. She dodged every obstacle and closed in on her prey.

Izetta also managed to avoid crashing, though with some difficulty. Her passenger Finé looked behind and–to her horror–found Tanya closing in behind them. 

“Oh, no! She’s gaining on us! Izetta, pick up the pace!”

The witch poured more magic into her rifle and sped up, but it failed to shake off their pursuer.

“Hurry up!” Finé cried. “Any closer and she’ll kill us!”

“Any faster and we might crash!” Izetta replied.

The Air Mage charged her artillery spell and fired at them. Blue explosive rounds streaked by and slammed into the trench walls, causing huge splashes of rock and ice around them. Tanya was enjoying this like a cat chasing a canary.

A small piece of ice cut Izetta’s upper arm. She winced and covered her bleeding wound.

“Izetta! Are you okay!?” The Princess shouted.

“I’m okay, it’s just a scratch. She then looked at her hand that was stained red with her blood. That gave her a plan.

“I have an idea! I think I can slow her down!”

Izetta slowed down slightly and dragged her bloody hand along the walls and floor of the trench. When Tanya got close, huge sharp spikes of ice emerged from the wall, nearly impaling her!

“W-what the–!?” She shouted in surprise. 

A whole trail of ice spikes was in front of her, all started by the White Witch. Izetta’s idea worked.

Finé and Izetta smiled. “Nice work! You bought us some more distance!”

Tanya’s shock turned into anger. “Well played, witch. But as long as my men are above, you can’t escape!” 

Meanwhile, Izetta and Finé raced further down the trench. They managed to gain some distance, but they were far from safe. As long as Tanya’s men were hovering above, the two were trapped inside the trench. They could only hope that the exit was close by.

Izetta’s actions had slowed her down considerably, but Tanya maneuvered her way through the ice spikes and resumed the chase. She contacted one of her troops, Visha, via the radio.

<“Lieutenant!”> She barked. <“Fly ahead to see if there’s anything at the end of this trench!”>

<“Roger that!”> The brunette replied. The older girl flew several clicks ahead and scouted the terrain. She found that the trench split into two paths. The left path led towards an exit, while the right led further deep into the ravine. Visha reported what she had found to Tanya.

<“Use your artillery rounds and destroy both paths!”> Tanya ordered the Lieutenant. <“We’ll trap them at the end of this trench!”>

<“Understood!”> Visha charged her rifle with artillery rounds and fired at the fork in the path. Her rounds impacted the ground with explosive force, causing stone and ice to cave in on both sides. The escape route became a dead end.

By the time Izetta and Fine reached the end, it was too late. They were boxed in, with a psychopath chasing them and her lackeys flying above. The two Eylstadtians looked behind with terror as Tanya closed the distance on them.

The Germanian smiled with murderous glee as she charged like a ravenous wolf towards two helpless sheep. She focused her magic on her bayonet, ready to slice the two bitches’ heads from their necks!

Finé closed her eyes and held Izetta tightly as she awaited her death. But the White Witch wouldn’t give up so easily, although she was just as scared. She focused on the distance between herself and Tanya and devised a plan.

“Princess!” Izetta called out.

“What!?” Finé replied with terror in her voice.

“I’ve got a plan! I don’t know if it’ll work, but it’s better than just waiting to die! Do you trust me?”

Finé trusted her friend and suppressed her fear. “Always!” She replied. “What’s your plan?”

“I’m gonna fly straight and try to get behind her!” Izetta instructed. “When I say ‘duck’, lower your head! Okay?”

“Got it!” Said the Princess as she kept a firm grip on her gun.

Izetta prepared herself and charged forward towards Tanya. The move surprised the Germanian, but she was more delighted than scared.

“Well, this is an interesting surprise.” She thought. I suppose even a cornered rat will fight back, but it’s futile!” Tanya raised her magic-charged rifle and prepared to attack.

The two witches closed in like knights in a jousting match. Right before they were within striking range, Izetta cried, “Duck!” Finé lowered her head as Izetta sharply dove underneath Tanya! The Air Mage’s bayonet sliced nothing but air, while Izetta and Fine were safely behind Tanya.

The White Witch made a 180-degree turn and pointed her broomstick-rifle right at Tanya. The Germanian looked back and scowled. “Scheisse!”

Izetta fired! The anti-tank round narrowly missed Tanya and slammed into the canyon wall beside her. 

The impact weakened the canyon wall, causing several pounds of snow and rock to avalanche right onto Tanya! The girl was buried under the huge white heap. Her battalion was alarmed and rushed down to rescue their commander.

Izetta and Finé wasted no time escaping the canyon while Tanya’s men were busy digging her out of the snow. The two Eylstadtians flew away from the mountains and left their pursuers far behind.

Finé thanked Izetta with a kiss on the cheek.

---

CHAPTER 5: LOST

About fifteen minutes passed. By that point, Izetta and Finé had left the mountains far behind. The Princess constantly looked behind every few minutes to see if they were still being followed. After the fifth look, she was satisfied.

“Are we still being followed?” Izetta asked.

“No, I don’t see anyone behind us.” The Princess replied. 

“Thank God.” Izetta sighed with relief.

Finé gasped when she remembered that Izetta’s upper left arm was still bleeding. “How’s your wound feeling, Izetta?” She asked with concern.

“Oh, this? It’s not so–” The White Witch hissed and grabbed her wound in pain. 

The scratch was only skin deep, but it needed to be treated before it got infected. Finé searched in a side pocket of her parachute and found a small first aid kit with bandages and a bottle of peroxide. The Princess poured the chemical onto a cloth and gently rubbed it on Izetta’s cut. The peroxide burned Izetta’s sensitive skin, but she grinned and bore it. The Princess finished her treatment by wrapping a clean bandage around the treated area.

“There. How do you feel now?” Finé asked.

“Better now. Thanks.” The redhead replied. “Hopefully now we’ll be safe for the rest of this journey.” 

Unfortunately, the Princess wasn’t feeling so optimistic. “I wish I could agree with you, Izetta. But somehow, I don’t think that’s the last we’ll see of that crazy girl or her soldiers. You bought us a lot of time when you trapped her in that ravine, but we can’t afford to let our guard down. The only way for us to be safe is to get to Coenenberg as soon as possible!”

That last statement made Izetta stutter. 

“Um, about that…” the White Witch said nervously. She was unsuccessfully trying to make her next statement sound less unpleasant. 

“I was supposed to follow a very specific route back to Coenenberg. That chase from earlier threw me way off course, and now I have no idea where we are. I don’t even have a map or compass to guide me.”

Finé turned her eyes downcast. “So in other words, we’re lost. Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Basically.” Izetta replied. “And worse, I don’t even know the paths of the ley lines here. Right now I can draw enough magic to keep us flying. But if we stray too far from the lines, we’ll fall to our deaths.”

“If that’s the case, our only choice is to find a place where we can lay low as soon as possible.” Finé said. “Let’s fly low and see what we can find.” Izetta gently lowered her broomstick-rifle beneath the clouds and midway towards the ground. 

The blonde and redhead scanned the surface with their eyes, only to find…..nothing. No villages, no farms, no old churches or abandoned castles. Nothing they could use to take shelter from the Germanian forces. There was nothing surrounding them except several miles of empty green grassland.

“It’s no use. There’s nothing around here for miles.” Izetta sighed, looking defeated.

The Princess was about to give up herself, until she caught something in her peripheral vision. About thirty meters to the right below was a lone railroad that cut a long trail through the verdant plains.

Finé lightly shook Izetta by the shoulder. “Hey! Take a look at those train tracks below!” She asked her and pointed at the object in question.

The White Witch looked in the direction her friend was pointing. “Yeah, I see it. What about it?” Izetta asked.

“Those tracks don’t look very old, so they must have been traveled on recently.” Finé answered. “They could be what we need to find a safe place!”

“But if we follow the tracks, we’d have no idea if they lead to Coenenberg!”

“But we do know that they lead somewhere!” The Princess implored. “There’s a good chance we can find a town or a train station–somewhere where people can help us. If they know that I’m the Princess, they’ll be obligated to offer food and shelter.

That plan made Izetta smile. “That’s a great idea! There might also be a telephone or radio we can use to call the Royal Guard. If we’re lucky, we might even hitch a ride on a train!”

“Precisely!” Finé shouted happily. “By the way, how are you doing on magic? Are we still within the ley lines?”

Izetta checked her palm again. The floating green orb was pulsing as strongly as it did before. The redhead nodded firmly. “Still good!”

“Then full speed ahead, Miss Izetta! Take us in the direction of the train tracks!” Finé puffed her chest and pointed her finger like a pirate ship captain!

“Aye aye, Your Highness!” The White Witch saluted and rocketed her flying rifle in the path pointed for her. 

With any luck, they would be safe and sound by nightfall.

---

CHAPTER 6: STAY ON MISSION

Meanwhile…

<“Keep digging! We need to get Major Degurechaff out before she suffocates!”> Vice Commander Weiss shouted. He and the other three Air Mages frantically dug into the pile of snow and rocks that fell onto their leader. 

They dug into the snow using handheld trench shovels, while pushing away the rocks with their hands. After a minute of digging, the soldiers placed stick grenades in several parts of the mound and cooked them before getting to a safe distance. The grenades detonated, sending huge chunks of snow, ice, and rock scattering in all directions. At the bottom of the pile lay Tanya, her small body safely shielded from the blast. She lay motionless on the snow, unconscious and still.

Weiss grabbed Tanya out of the crater, hoping she hadn’t asphyxiated from being buried. <“Major? Major! Are you alright!?”>

After a few suspenseful seconds, Tanya inhaled loudly and shot her eyes open. She looked at Weiss’s face above, and the three other Air Mages surrounding them.

<“V–Vice Commander Weiss? Yeah, I’m fine.”> Tanya responded. Despite some mild pain and a chilling body temperature, Tanya was fine. Weiss and her other comrades sighed in relief.

<“Thank God.”> Weiss smiled. <“Happy to see that you’re still with us, Major Degurechaff.”> He turned to his remaining men and shouted. <“Listen up! Everyone fall back to the zeppelin! This mission is aborted!”>

Tanya couldn’t believe what she just heard! <“Aborted!? What are you talking about!?”>

<“With respect, mein Major, the target’s long gone!”> Weiss answered. <“They left this area almost fifteen minutes ago! There’s no prize to win here!”>

Tanya jerked herself out of the ditch and brushed the snow off of her person. She gave her battalion an icy glare that demanded their attention.

<“Is that so, Vice Commander?”> Tanya asked rhetorically. <“Allow me if you will to present a counterargument.”> She said, <“Let’s assume we abort the mission and return to Germania without the Princess. Would any of you be brave enough to stand in the Imperial Palace and explain our failure to the Kaiser?”>

Tanya put on a cutesy face with fake tears and a childish accent. 

<“Sowwy, Mein Kaiser! We had the Pwincess wid us, but this mean girl on a magic fwying bwoomstick took her fwom us!”>

<“Now, how do you think he would take the news?”> Tanya continued in her normal voice. <“That the 203rd Air Mages Battalion–the pride of Germania herself–was so inept that they couldn’t keep one simple-minded girl secure? Our military–no, our entire country would become the laughingstock of Europe! But more importantly, other countries could be inspired to resist us because they’ll interpret our failure as proof of our weakness!>

The child Major raised her voice into a commanding roar. <“Every Germanian soldier who dies in battle will have you to thank! Their blood will be on your hands because your incompetence put them there! Would you be able to sleep at night with a heavy conscience? How long before the guilt drives you so mad that you end it all with a bullet?”>

The Air Mages froze in terrified silence as they imagined the consequences.

<“Really? None of you?”> Tanya asked knowingly. <“Then I suggest we take Option 2: We stay on mission. I don’t care how you do it. I don’t care how long it takes. I don’t care if you have to burn down half of Eylstadt! Find the Princess! Find the Witch! Kill them both!”>

“JAWOHL, MAJOR!” The four Air Mages saluted and shouted. They, along with Tanya, levitated themselves out of the trench and into the sky. <“We’ll split up in five directions and cover 20 kilometers each way! If you get lost, radio me or the zeppelin!”>

Three of them followed their orders and dashed away, but Viktoriya stayed behind. <“Um, Tanya?”>

<“What is it, Lieutenant?”> The blond asked in a gruff voice.

<“T-the last time I saw the Princess, she flew somewhere west of this area.”> She pointed in the general area she saw them go.

<“Well, why didn’t you tell me to begin with?”> Tanya sniped. <“In that case, we’ll cover all areas west of here. You take the southwest while I take the north!”>

The two girls saluted and flew in their separate ways. Tanya braced the cold air in her face and lungs as she flew northwest. She was alone without her backup now. But, somehow, this way felt right to her.

“Those impudent bitches haven’t seen the last of me! I’ll take care of them myself!”

---

CHAPTER 7: MEMORIES

Meanwhile
Along the railroad tracks

Izetta and Finé had been following the railroad tracks for a little over 30 minutes now. Their flying rifle was hovering only a few feet from the ground. They flew at a safe medium speed in case they would stray too far from the ley lines. Which fortunately, hadn’t happened yet. The Germanians still hadn’t caught up, and had likely given up at this point. At long last, their daring escape had become a peaceful cruise.

Izetta focused on the course and never looked away from the railway below her. Finé however basked in the beautiful sights and sounds of nature. On her left, a long wall of verdant trees and bushes shaded the pathway before her. On her right was a wide, sparkling river whose waters reflected the sky and sun far above. Finé stared at the river almost nostalgically. For some reason, looking at it reminded her of when she and Izetta had first met.

They were both about nine years old at the time. Finé was exploring the forest not far from her palace when her dog Dorte was drawn by a mysterious voice. She followed her dog to a nearby lake, where they found Izetta hovering over the water on a broomstick. Izetta looked at them with surprise and fell to the water as Finé tried to catch her and splashed in with her.

At first, Izetta was embarrassed to let someone see she was a witch. But Finé wasn’t bothered in the least. If anything, she found it fascinating. As a child, she was told that witches were either creatures of folklore, or evil women who served the Devil. But Finé not only believed that the White Witch was real, but that she was a kind woman who used her magic for good. She could tell from the start that Izetta was exactly that.

“You looked so beautiful floating like that!” She told Izetta. “Somebody who can do amazing things like that has to be a good witch!”

Izetta was shocked that someone would say such kind things to her. But it was also the first time she felt truly happy. For years, Izetta and her grandmother survived as lonely wanderers around Eylstadt. Her grandma had warned her never to reveal her powers to anyone, as people tend to fear or hate what they don’t understand. But Finé was the first person who loved Izetta and found her powers beautiful. Their friendship only blossomed ever since. They hung out almost every day, which helped Izetta grow more confident in her ability to control her magic.

But one day, a terrible accident caused a village barn to be burned down. Izetta was surrounded by angry villagers who blamed her for the fire. One farmer tried to attack her with a pitchfork, but Finé dived in and took the blow herself. Wounded and bleeding, Finé used her status as the Princess to vouch for Izetta’s innocence. Ashamed by their actions, the villagers dropped their tools and walked away in silence. Ever since then, Finé would always be there to defend Izetta when she was in trouble.

Which is why it was so strange how Izetta was acting today. She’d never been so…..brave before. Just an hour ago, Izetta took on an entire airship full of soldiers and Germania’s most feared Air Mages just to rescue her best friend! No longer was Izetta the shy, fragile kid who feared her own powers. Now she was every bit the White Witch she was destined to be. 

Finé started to blush the more she thought of it. Something about this was almost romantic. She–the Princess of Eylstadt–being rescued by her knight in shining armor. It was like something out of the fairy tales she read as a kid before bedtime. The Princess hugged her savior tighter and rested her head against her back. Izetta noticed, and started to blush herself. But somehow she was enjoying it, too.

“Hey, Princess?” Izetta asked.

“Yes, Izetta?”

“When this is all over and we get back to the palace, would you maybe want us to go to the pie shop together, like last time?”

“That sounds wonderful, Izetta. I’d love to–”

(Stop Music)

BOOOOM!!!

 

A piece of land exploded just a few feet ahead! Pieces of wood, grass, and steel flew in all directions! Izetta bucked her rifle and braked to a stop. Finé held on tight enough to avoid being thrown off by the momentum. Luckily, neither of them was injured.

“Wh-what the hell was that!?” Izetta cried. “A landmine!?”

“We couldn’t have triggered any if we’re flying! That blast could only have been a shot meant for us!” The Princess frantically searched the skies for the source of the missed shot. Eventually, she noticed Tanya was flying high above, pointing her gun down at them! “It’s Tanya again! She followed us!”

“Again!? That girl seriously doesn’t know when to give up!” Izetta cried.

“I told you she was a psycho! Get us out of here now before she kills us!” Fine reloaded her Kar98k as Izetta zoomed forward like she did before. 

“Here we go again!”

---

CHAPTER 8: CLOSE CALL

Tanya fired three more artillery shots at the girls far below her. Izetta was barely able to dodge the explosive rounds as they impacted around her. Two of them slammed into the ground, kicking up bits of grass, dirt, and metal, while another one splashed into the river on her right. Neither her nor Finé were hurt aside from some mildly sore eardrums.

Tanya descended down to the ground and closed in behind the target. She was being much more pragmatic this time, keeping a distance of about 15 meters–close enough to shoot at them without passing them. The child soldier smirked and looked down her crosshairs and fired again.

Izetta swerved and jerked all around as the shots whizzed past her. Finé fired back with her bolt-action rifle, but each bullet was easily dodged by Tanya. The arrogant Germanian just smiled at them, which irritated Finé even more.

“This is pathetic.” Tanya thought. “They’re like two rabbits chased by a fox. It’s only a matter of time before they wind up roadkill.” 

“Goddammit, she’s toying with us!” The Princess cried as she locked in another bullet.

“What did you do to piss her off so much?” Izetta asked her.

“It might have something to do with me smashing a teapot in her face!” Finé answered.

“Wait, you did what!?“

“Nevermind! She’s gaining on us!”

Izetta focused her magic and accelerated, but it hardly made a difference since Tanya was easily able to match her flying speed. Tanya noticed her rifle was running low. Instead of reloading, she slung the gun over her shoulder and pulled her submachine gun from her flight pouch. Her two fleeing prey up ahead were still doing their best to escape. Suddenly, they heard a noise like rattling metal, followed by the deafening shriek of a train horn!

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!

All three girls looked in shock as a huge train was barreling right towards them! Izetta jerked her broomstick to the right side of the vehicle while Tanya twisted her body to the left. They ended up on opposite sides, narrowly avoiding being splattered like bugs on the front of the train. The windows on either side flashed like pictures on a film reel, as passengers marveled at the sight of three girls flying past them. 

Tanya took aim with her machine gun and fired through the windows, uncaring of the civilians in her way. Izetta ducked below as blazing rounds and bits of glass rained over her and Finé. The girls heard the terrified screams of dying passengers through the shattered windows.

“That heartless bitch!” Izetta roared. “She’s cruel enough to fire through a train full of innocent people!?”

“Civilians mean nothing to her!” Finé replied. “Tanya doesn’t give a damn about anyone but herself!” They needed to carry this fight away from more innocent people. Finé looked to her right and pointed to the vast river beside them. “Over there! Take us over the water!” She ordered Izetta.

Izetta banked right and took herself and the Princess over the azure river. Fortunately, Tanya hadn’t noticed they were escaping because the train was in her line of vision. When the last train car cleared, Tanya paused when she noticed her targets were flying to the left downriver. The Air Mage grunted in frustration and resumed her chase.

Before long, the magical dogfight started all over again. Izetta and Finé were several yards ahead with Tanya pursuing them from behind. Tanya sighed as she reloaded her machine gun. She was getting bored of this cat-and-mouse game. The Air Mage opened fire again. Just like before, Izetta dodged and rolled her rifle to avoid the magic rounds that splashed in the water or exploded in mid-air.

They hovered so closely above the river that they left wind trails along the surface. Farther ahead, they passed by a boy and his dog fishing in a wooden rowboat. The dog barked loudly with surprise and the boy fishing almost fell out of the boat in shock. He turned around and was amazed at the beautiful sight of two real witches flying past him.

Of course, the White Witch herself didn’t share the kid’s excitement. For Izetta and her Princess, this was a desperate fight for survival. Tanya closed the gap between them with each second. If she caught up to them, it was all over. 

“This is ridiculous!” Izetta shouted. “We’re not getting anywhere just running away like this!”

“I know! But the problem is I can’t shoot her because of her damn shield!” Finé replied. She knew Izetta was right–simply running away was pointless. There had to be some way to throw Tanya off their tail. After all, they outwitted Tanya when they buried her in that avalanche–

“Wait a minute! That’s it!” Finé thought. “The snow! The shield didn’t protect her then! Maybe it doesn’t work on large objects!”

“Izetta, listen! I’ve got an idea!” The Princess said. “This might sound weird, but it should work: shoot the water a few meters ahead! After that, brake hard and use your magic to make an ice wall!”

“Finé, how’s that even gonna–”

“Do it now or we die, Izetta!” 

Izetta aimed her broomstick-rifle at the water and fired. The fast, heavy round splashed in the water like a meteorite, creating a tall pillar of water. Izetta used the recoil of the shot to decelerate and extended her left hand. She channeled her magic into the rising water, freezing it into solid ice. Tanya gasped in shock and horror! She was flying straight to the ice wall, unable to dodge or stop herself. All she could do was raise her arms and brace for the inevitable crash.

SMASH!!!

Tanya crashed through the ice structure like a cannonball! The structure shattered and splintered into thousands of pieces that rained into the water. Tanya’s body fell and skipped across the river until it landed on a sandy shoreline, right next to a boat dock. The Princess laughed and hugged Izetta from behind.

“You were right! Your plan worked flawlessly!” Izetta laughed.

“Only because you pulled it off!” Finé returned! “Nice work, Izetta!”

The duo hovered over the edge of the river, where Tanya crashed. She was unconscious and still, and there was no way to determine if she was alive or dead. Izetta had a gnawing feeling in her stomach.

“Princess, do you think she’s…”

“Don’t. Don’t think about that.” Finé replied sternly. “She was trying to kill us. You only did what you had to. Remember that.”

Izetta sighed deeply. “You’re right. The only thing that matters is keeping ourselves alive. Let’s get out of here.” 

The White Witch ascended her rifle high above the river bank. She and the Princess looked down, scanning for the train tracks. They found a right turn in the railway that led through a wide, grassy area. The two girls continued their journey in the direction of the tracks.

---

CHAPTER 9: PAUL & WALTER

Fifteen minutes later…

“ARF! ARF!”

Tanya was awoken by the obnoxious sound of a dog barking and licking her face. 

“Ugh, what the–get the hell off me!” She pushed away the annoying mutt before cleaning off her face. Tanya always hated dogs. Being covered in one’s saliva and smelly breath was enough to make her shoot it. But before she could, Tanya was met by another sound.

“Hey! You’re finally awake!”

“What?” Tanya looked in the direction of the voice.

The stranger was some bratty kid in fisherman’s clothing who was probably the dog’s owner. The boy looked like he hadn’t washed in days, and had a wide, goofy smile that revealed a missing tooth. A wooden rowboat was tied to the dock right behind him. “Tell me, are you a witch?” The boy inquired.

“What?”

“I said, are you a witch? Me and my dog Walter were fishing on the river when you and another girl flew right above us! Then that big ice thing shot out of the water and you crashed right through it! It was so cool! My name’s Paul, by the way. What’s your name?”

Tanya groaned. After all the fiascos she suffered this morning, the last thing she needed was to deal with some simple-minded bumpkin. Right now, dealing with him was giving her headache, along with the multiple bruises and scars she already got.

“My name is ‘Go Fuck Yourself.’” She answered rudely. “Now leave me alone, kid. I’m busy.”

“Well, Miss Gofuckyourself, I think you’re awesome!” Paul answered, which made Tanya even more annoyed.

“Clearly, this child isn’t old enough to understand sarcasm.” She thought. Tanya decided to ignore him and inspect her equipment. The dog started barking again, as if to alert her to something.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Paul queried. “Your forehead looks like it’s bleeding.”

Tanya drew her fingers across her forehead and noticed she was in fact bleeding. “That explains the headache.” She realized. Yet another annoyance to deal with. Thankfully, her first aid kit had survived the crash. She tied a bandage around her forehead and injected a vial of morphine to relieve the pain. Her rifle was still functional, but her submachine gun was sadly nowhere to be found. Tanya had probably dropped in the river when she crashed.

“Wow! You even have guns!?” Paul asked with excitement. “Are you some kind of soldier-witch?” The boy asked. “My mom told me stories about the White Witch every night! All the amazing powers she had; how they always protect people they love, and–”

“Kid. Listen.” The Germanian halted him as she raised her hand. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m having a very, very bad day right now. And the last thing I need is for someone–specifically you–to make it even worse. So, for the last time, leave me the fuck alone!” She said the last words so intensely that Walter whimpered in fear.

“I’m sorry, Gofuckyourself.” Paul apologized. “Are you having a bad day ‘cuz you lost your friends?”

“My ‘friends’?” Tanya asked back.

“Yeah. Those other two witch girls you were playing with? They were riding some metal thing that looked like a gun.”

That caught Tanya’s attention. “You saw them? You know where they went?” Tanya asked with genuine interest.

“Yeah! I can point the way for you!” Paul said with a smile. Walter barked in agreement.

The Germanian soldier began to smile. Finally, this idiot kid had a use. All Tanya needed to do was work her charm. After all, it shouldn’t be hard to lie to a child.

“Hey! I was actually kidding earlier. My name is actually……‘Helga.’” Tanya felt that was a suitable fake name. “And yes, I actually am looking for the White Witch!” She said with a falsely innocent smile.

Paul dropped his jaw so wide it nearly fell from his mouth. “WOAH!!! You really know the White Witch!?”

“Sure do! We got separated while playing a pretend soldiers game that got really wild. If you could tell me where they went, I’d really appreciate it!”

“Sure! I think I saw them go this way along the train tracks.” Paul pointed to his right, towards the grassy area up ahead. “Uh, but I should warn you.” He said. “There’s monsters over there.”

“Monsters?” Tanya asked, more with curiosity than fear.

“Yeah. Big, rusty, metal monsters from some old war years ago. My dad was a soldier in that war, and he told me never to go there.”

“I see. Don’t worry, it’ll be our secret.” “Helga” said with a wink. “And besides, I’m way stronger than whatever ‘monsters’ are over there! I’ll be just fine!”

“Really? That’s so cool, Miss Helga! I wish I could be as strong and brave as you!”

“Don’t worry, Paul. I’m sure you will someday.” Tanya replied, not that she actually believed that. “Yeah, don’t count on it, dumbass.” The child soldier activated her Elenium crystal and levited from the ground. Paul and Walter marveled as they saw her rise higher than the trees below. The boy happily waved goodbye while his dog barked joyfully.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Helga!” Paul cheered. “I hope you find the White Witch!”

“Nice to meet you too, Paul! Thanks again!” Tanya shouted back before she took off. She headed in the direction of the train tracks pointed to her. When she got to a safe distance, the Air Mage looked back with an impish smile.

“Sucker.” She chuckled. “Tricking that stupid kid was even easier than I–” Tanya’s magic suddenly cut off without warning! She plummeted to the ground like a falling anvil! Tanya’s magic started up again, saving her from a nasty end on the ground. But even then, her magic was behaving like a car engine struggling to start.

“Just what the hell’s the problem this time!?” Tanya snarled. She looked at her Elenium crystal. “Shit! My Elenium crystal! It’s damaged!” The ruby-colored orb had a massive diagonal crack the length of a pencil. As long as her orb was broken like this, Tanya would have a much harder time channeling her magic.

“Just one problem after another.” Tanya groaned internally. She landed herself gently on the grass and pulled a spare crystal from her weapons kit. It was an older model with the same ruby color, but more rectangular. It was far more fragile and prone to failure, but Tanya had no choice but to use it for the time being. She placed the spare crystal on herself and took flight once more.

Farther in the distance, Tanya could see a wide, grassy area of what seemed to be the site of an old battlefield. She could make out a few concrete pillboxes and a few rusted metal husks of what used to be tanks. No doubt the “monsters” that kid Paul had mentioned earlier.

“As good a place to hide as any, I guess.” Tanya thought. Not that it’ll save them for long.”

---

CHAPTER 10: TANK GRAVEYARD

Meanwhile….

Izetta and Finé had barely cheated death twice in one day. They still continued their flight path along the train tracks for several more miles, but with no town or station in sight. The constant flying and battling was taking a heavy toll on Izetta. The Princess didn’t fail to notice.

“Izetta? Are you okay?” Finé asked with concern. “You look tired. Do you want us to stop flying for a while?”

“N–no, it’s alright, Princess. I can keep going!” Izetta didn’t sound convincing. Her fatigued eyes and tired voice betrayed her. “Who am I kidding?” She admitted. “I do need a rest, or I won’t have enough strength to channel my magic.”

“Then let’s go on foot and find a place to catch our breath.” Finé responded. She looked down to get a view of their current position. 

They happened to fly over the ruins of what seemed like an old battlefield. The area was marked by rolling grassy hills dotted by patches of red poppy flowers. Numerous husks of rusted metal were rotting on the ground, serving as homes for rats and birds. A complex network of trenches was dug into the ground, cutting through the field like a waterless river. Small concrete bunkers were placed in several areas of the trench, no doubt serving as cover for the soldiers who once used them. 

Most of them were too damaged to serve as good shelter, but Finé spotted one that was relatively intact. She and Izetta landed at the mouth of the trench, just a few meters away from the bunker.

The girls walked through the wooden walls of the narrow trench. To their horror, the path ahead them was littered with skeletons of long-dead soldiers. The skeletons were dressed in rotted uniforms of two different armies, and many held old weapons in their arms. No one had bothered to bury these poor men or even search for their bodies. Their corpses were eaten away by rats, worms, and vultures until only their dry bones were left.

Each skeleton laid on the ground in gruesome poses. One had a rifle bayonet violently thrust through its ribcage. Another had a sizable dent in its helmet, which covered bits of its shattered skill. A third one was clutching at its throat with its jaw wide open, as if choking on some toxic gas. Two more sat against the wall with multiple bullet holes in their shirts, and several others had their remains scattered all over in what could only be described as an explosion. More and more soldiers were killed in ways too horrid to imagine.

Izetta and Finé felt like they were walking through a cemetery, except none of the corpses were underground. As they turned a corner on the right side, the girls passed by a strange-looking vehicle.

“What is that?” Izetta asked. “It looks like a tank, but not like the Panzers the Germanians use.”

“It isn’t one of theirs.” Finé replied, as if she knew. “This was one of Thermidor’s tanks during the Great War.”  The Princess looked to her right and pointed in the same direction. “Look! There’s more tanks like it down the valley.”

True to Fine’s word, there were indeed more long-dead tanks piled on the red fields. Some were fully above ground, while others were half-buried in mud. Their metal hulls were scarred, rusted, and overgrown with wildflowers. Dozens of tanks were spread all over the field like metal tombs for the dead crews who once drove them.

“My father and I once passed here on a train.” Finé explained. “He called it the ‘Tank Graveyard.’ Apparently this was the site of an old battle fought during the Great War.”

“What? Eylstadt fought in the Great War!?” Izetta asked with fright.

The Princess nodded solemnly. “Yeah, we did. Eylstadt and Thermidor fought for four long years. Thousands of people on both sides were killed, including those skeletons we just passed.”

Izetta was chilled to her core. What sort of demonic force could drive these men–complete strangers who must have had families and loved ones at home–to kill each other in such a brutal and senseless fashion? 

The duo moved away from the gruesome scene and walked to the back of the concrete pillbox. They went through the doorless entrance into the small, dark building.

The inside had no features except a few more old skeletons and some worn-out machine gun emplacements.  As miserable as the place was, it at least provided some adequate shade and shelter. Izetta and Finé chose a spot as far from the skeletons as possible. They rested their weapons on the floor and sat together with their backs against the wall.

Izetta sat in a fetal position with her arms wrapped around her legs, while the Princess gently hugged her friend’s shoulder from the back. The girls sat quietly for a while, taking comfort in each other’s warmth. After about ten minutes of silence, Izetta finally found the energy to speak up.

“So…..Finé?” The witch said. “You said that Eylstadt fought in the Great War. What exactly was that war, and why did we get involved?”

“I only know what my father taught me.” Finé sighed. “Basically, it was a terrible war fought between all the major powers of Europe. It all began because the former Archduke–my father’s uncle–was murdered by assassins in another country.”

“Oh, my God!” Izetta said in shock. “Someone in your family was killed?”

“Yep.” The Princess said. “Naturally, Eylstadt wanted revenge for my grand-uncle’s death. But going to war with that country also meant going to war with their neighbor, the Volga Empire, because of their shared treaty. It was the same deal between Germania and Eylstadt.”

“Hold on. So you mean that Eylstadt and Germania were once allies?”

“Mm-hmm.” Finé nodded her head. “We were two of the Central Powers that ruled half the continent. Because of our alliance, Germania declared war on Volga to protect Eylstadt. And then Thermidor and Brittania got involved to protect Volga. Pretty soon, the Kingdom of Romulus, the Osman Sultanate, and even the United States of Atlanta got involved.”

“This war was like a giant maelstrom that grew wider and wider, pulling down everything in its reach.”

Finé leaned forward and held her head, as if she was suffering a migraine. Izetta felt like a thunderstorm was brewing inside her own head. The more she learned about this war, the greater her disbelief at the stupidity of it.

“So, all this…..” The White Witch extended her arm, pointing at the ruins surrounding them. “Because one man died? All for a country that has nothing to do with any of ours? It’s stupid! It doesn’t make any sense!”

“War rarely makes sense, Izetta.” Finé replied. “What sense is there in firing cruel weapons at strangers in different uniforms in countries that belong to none of us? It’s sheer madness.”

Izetta paused to let that last sentence sink in before she spoke again. “And you said that Germania and Eylstadt were once allies, right? So why do they want to destroy us now?”

“It’s all because of that bastard Kaiser of theirs.” Finé said with a scoff. “The Central Powers lost the war in 1918. As part of the treaty, Germania was forced to pay the brunt of the war reparations, which ravaged their economy. Kaiser Otto blamed his country’s defeat on us for becoming a neutral nation. He even said that my father secretly conspired with the Allies against Germania.”

“What!? That’s insane!” Izetta spat. “Eylstadt had nothing to do with Germania’s defeat! And even if we did, your father would’ve only acted in our best interests!”

“Of course we had nothing to do with it!” Finé responded. “But it doesn’t matter to them. Those bastards want to bring Germania back to her former glory before the war started. That’s why they kidnapped me. They wanted to bring me to Neu-Berlin to surrender to the Kaiser and let him annex Eylstadt. If I refused, they would have killed me and taken it by force.” 

Finé leaned closer and held her best friend tighter. “Izetta. If you hadn’t saved me, I would be dead, and our kingdom would be lost.”

Suddenly, the storm that raged in Izetta’s mind had parted. She finally understood everything. This was about more than rescuing Finé or protecting Eylstadt. This was about stopping the next war before it begins.

The girls’ conversation was over. A few minutes passed, and they slowly gave into the urge to nap. Izetta went to sleep first, as she closed her eyes and rested her head against her knees. Finé had almost fallen asleep next, before she looked through the bunker’s MG window on her left. She noticed a small, flying object in the sky. The Princess looked harder for a few seconds longer, until she realized in horror what was flying above them.

“Shit!” Finé cried. “Are you kidding me!?” 

Her panicked voice woke Izetta up with a fright. “Princess!? What’s wrong now!?” She demanded.

Finé shushed Izetta and spoke with a whisper. “It’s Tanya! She’s right above us!”

“Her again!? I thought she was dead, already! How could she still be following us?” 

“I don’t know. Somehow she survived crashing through that ice wall we made.”

The two girls looked through the window and saw that Tanya was indeed flying several meters above them. The Air Mage was carefully looking over the Tank Graveyard, oblivious to the fact that her targets were cowering in an old bunker. 

“It looks like she doesn’t know we’re here.” Finé said. “Let’s wait here until she moves.”

As hard as she looked, Tanya saw no sign of her two prey. Bored and frustrated, the Germanian continued her search further ahead. Finé gushed a sigh of relief.

“Thank God.” The blonde said. “She hasn’t seen us. We’ll just sit here and hope she’ll go away soon.”

Izetta gave no response. The White Witch picked up her broomstick-rifle and walked out of the bunker.

“Izetta? Izetta!?” Finé called out to her friend and followed her outside. She caught Izetta preparing to go flying without her. “Wait, Izetta! What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

Izetta looked at her with cold, fearless resolve–the look of a soldier. “I’m going after Tanya.” She growled.

“By yourself!?” Finé protested. “Out of the question! That psycho is too dangerous for you to–”

“Princess!” Izetta shouted harder than she intended. Finé was shut up by shock alone. “How much longer can we keep this up? Can we really survive by just running and hiding underground like frightened rabbits? We were lucky the first two times, but we might not get a third! The only way to end this once and for all is to fight!”

“Then let me come with you!” Finé pleaded. “We’ll fight her together! You don’t have to do this on your own!”

Izetta grabbed Finé by the shoulders and looked her dead in the face. “Finé, listen to me! You’re the one Tanya’s after, not me! That bitch is never gonna stop chasing us until either you’re dead or she is! It’s like you said–she needs you because you’re the Princess! You carry the future of our country! Without you, Eylstadt is lost.”

Izetta’s voice started to break. “That’s why I have to go alone, don’t you understand? If one of us should die, it has to be me.”

Tears rose from Izetta’s throat into her eyes. It broke her heart to know that this might be the last time she ever sees her dearest friend. Finé was also about to break down, but she managed to suck in her tears for now.

“Izetta….You’re right.” She nodded, putting on a brave face. “But wait for just a moment.” The Princess went back inside the bunker and retrieved her Kar98k rifle. She gave the weapon and some spare ammo to Izetta and taught her how to load and fire it. She also gave Izetta the parachute she stole from the zeppelin. “If you end up falling, pull the cord on your left shoulder and the chute will open.” She said, “Make sure you’re falling face-down before you open it.”

“Okay!” Izetta grunted. 

“One last thing.” Finé responded. “Tanya’s power–It comes from a crystal. It’s red and orb-shaped, and she wears it on her neck.” The Princess pointed at her own next to illustrate her point. “It allows her to channel the mana stored inside her body.”

“I see. So without that crystal, she’s basically powerless?”

“Exactly! You’ve got to find some way to remove or destroy that crystal!”

“All right! Thank you, Princess. At least now I’ll know how to fight her.”

And with that, Izetta was ready for what was potentially her suicide mission. She got back on her vehicle, with the gun and parachute slung over her back. The White Witch channeled her magic into her broomstick and started to levitate.

The two girls looked into each other’s eyes. They each saw their own sadness and love reflected back to them. This could very well be the last time they ever see each other. Without thinking, Finé pulled Izetta’s face in and kissed her deeply. Izetta was surprised at first, but quickly relaxed and returned the kiss.

(Artwork done by Artlovish)

They held their kiss for a few sweet seconds, until it was finally broken when Izetta lifted herself off the ground. They took one final look at each other.

“I love you, Izetta.” Finé wept. “And I always will.”

“I know, Princess. I know.” Izetta said. “Thank you. And goodbye.”

Izetta rose several stories high above the trenches. The entire length of the Tank Graveyard lay before her eyes. Out in the distance, she saw a tiny speck of a human all the way on the other side. It was her. 

Izetta brushed away her tears and put her soldier’s face back on. It was now or never! She soared across the sky like a rocket, leaving a trail of yellow-green magic behind her. Tanya’s silhouette grew bigger with each second, until her whole body was in perfect view. Izetta put two fingers in her mouth and whistled, grabbing Tanya’s attention. The Germanian soldier turned around and saw her nemesis, the White Witch, closing in on her.

The two magical soldiers halted in place, several hundred feet above the ground. Each woman pointed her rifle at the other, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.

---

CHAPTER 11: STANDOFF

A few seconds passed, yet not a word was spoken. Izetta and Tanya quietly stared at one another–the former with determination, and the other with hatred.

“So, you’re Tanya.” Izetta spoke first. “After all this, we meet face-to-face.” She took a closer look at the red crystal hanging from Tanya’s collar. It was ruby-colored as Finé described, yet strangely more rectangular than orb-shaped. Maybe this one was a replacement?

“Well, look who it is.” Tanya replied, her voice dripping with barely-contained rage. “The famous White Witch, protector of Eylstadt. Or more accurately, the meddling Saumensch who ruined my perfect morning!”

“I have a name! It’s Izetta!”

“I don’t give a damn who you are!” Tanya spat back. “Do you have any idea of all the setbacks you caused me today!? Allow me to recap…” She said as she counted on her fingers. 

“Within the past three hours, you raided my airship, stole away the Princess, buried me under an avalanche, crashed me through a wall of ice, and worst of all, you caused me to get licked by a filthy mutt! Oh, and this head wound–I have you to thank for that as well!” Tanya pointed her thumb at the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around her forehead.

“That all happened because you wouldn’t leave us alone!” Izetta retorted. “Why do you keep following us!? I was doing everything I could to keep you away!” 

Of course, Tanya didn’t care less. “And why? Was this Being X’s idea? Did He put you up to this? Tell me!”

Izetta looked profoundly confused. “Who’s ‘Being X?’ I have no idea who or what you’re talking about! Nobody told me to do anything! I went on my own to rescue Finé because I love her!”

“Well, isn’t that sweet?” Tanya hissed with obvious sarcasm. “The valiant knight comes to rescue her fair maiden? If you love her so much, then why isn’t she with you? Where the hell is she!?”

“The Royal Guard found us, and Finé went with them.” Izetta lied as best as she could. “I chose to stay behind to stop you! The Princess could be anywhere in Eylstadt. I have no idea where she’s going. It’s just you and me now.”

“Shut up! You’re lying to me–I can tell!” What little composure Tanya had left was breaking. 

Izetta, however, maintained her cool. “If you think I’m lying, then shoot me now.” She dared her nemesis. “But even if you kill me, you’ve already lost!”

Tanya screamed in frustration as she ran her hands through her wild blond hair. Her rifle swung wildly by the sling on her right shoulder. The Air Mage’s face twisted into a demented snarl more befitting of a savage beast than a little girl. She felt like her hands would strangle Izetta’s neck on their own will.

“You absolute BITCH!” Tanya roared at Izetta. “This is all your fault! I was this close–this close–to completing my mission!” She held her index finger and thumb close together with the tips almost touching. “And at the last second, you had to swoop in and fuck it all up for me!”

“Your mission is over, already! Just go home!” Izetta pleaded. “There’s nothing left for you here!”

“I will NOT go back to the Kaiser empty-handed!” Tanya’s rage exploded with each word. “His Majesty personally sent me on this assignment! He promised me a promotion high enough to keep me out of frontline duty if I brought the Princess to him! But thanks to you, my chances of that are shot.” Tanya’s eyes suddenly widened, as if she devised a new plan. “…Unless I bring him a substitute!”

“A substitute? What–me!?” Izetta cried in disbelief.

“Yes, you! You’ll make a fine second-place trophy! The Kaiser won’t care if I fail to bring the Princess if I drag your carcass in front of him! I can just see the headlines: ‘EYLSTADTIAN TERRORIST ‘THE WHITE WITCH’ SLAIN BY GERMANIA’S GREATEST AIR MAGE!’

“How petty are you!?” The White Witch spat. “What will killing me accomplish!?”

“With you out of the picture, I’ll have both my promotion and my revenge, and the Fatherland will drown Eylstadt in a sea of flames! As for your beloved Princess…” Tanya gave a gleeful, malicious smile. “I’ll have her imprisoned, starved, and tortured for the next year or so. And when I’m bored of her, I’ll burn her alive in front of the entire country! I wonder what the Princess will think when her loyal pet doesn’t come to rescue her? Will she die screaming your name?”

“SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!” Izetta fired a bullet that passed right over Tanya’s head! 

“That was a warning shot! If you ever joke about hurting Finé again, I will kill you!” She cycled the bolt and loaded the next round in her gun.

Tanya was more amused than anything. “Aww, the little white terrier thinks she’s a doberman. How adorable.”

“Listen to yourself! How can you joke about something so horrific!?” Izetta shouted. “Why is a little girl like you even a soldier? Don’t you have a family? A close friend? Someone at home who misses you? Why get yourself involved in all this?”

“I have no family. At least not one that matters.” Tanya answered coldly. “And I have no need for friends. From the day I was born, I’ve had no one but myself to rely on. I lived in a miserable orphanage where you were lucky to reach the age of five. My only escape was by enlisting into the Germanian Army. Ever since I graduated, my life has been nothing but an endless nightmare of war! I don’t even remember the number of men that I killed or the atrocities I committed. But all of the evil I’ve done was for the sole purpose of taking back the peaceful life that was stolen from me.”

“Just because you’ve had a terrible life means you can force it onto others?” Izetta asked. “Not long ago, I walked through the trenches on the hill behind us! Do you know what I saw? Nothing but dead soldiers and ruined tanks, all killed in ways too horrible to imagine! All of those men had friends and loved ones who’ll never see them again! And for what–a stupid war we didn’t even win!?”

Izetta paused for a moment before she spoke again. “Did you ever stop to think what might happen if Eylstadt falls? Would it really end there? Other countries would begin to see Germania as a threat and declare war! Soldiers from all over Europe would die defending their homes, and Germanians like you would die defending yours!”

“It’ll be another Great War, just like the last one!”

 “No, it’ll be much worse than that!” Izetta continued. “There’ll be no real winners, and millions will perish! Eylstadt and Germania will both be destroyed, along with numerous other countries! In the end, you’ll only make a generation of orphans with the same horrible life you had!” Izetta paused and softened her voice. “Please, Tanya, just ask yourself–is this really worth it?”

Tanya was actually silent for a moment. She was surprised that Izetta could make such a reasonable argument. The Germanian hovered in place, picturing the possibility of another World War. Izetta gave a slight, yet hopeful smile. Had she gotten through to her nemesis after all? Her smile quickly faded when Tanya gave her answer.

“It’s worth it.” Tanya said with a cold-blooded stare. “I’ll admit that you give a compelling argument. But frankly, I don’t give a damn what happens to the world. I’ll drown this whole world in blood if I have to, if it means getting closer to the life that I want! If all of Europe is in flames, I’ll watch down from above laughing as it burns. It’s futile trying to appeal to the humanity of someone who has none left. All I am now is a devil–cold, twisted, and evil.”

Izetta’s heart sank. Her tiny hope was replaced by bitter disappointment. There really was no way to break Tanya’s delusions or greed.

“If you really won’t give this up…” Izetta said. “…Then you’ve left me with no other choice.” Izetta raised her rifle butt against her shoulder and stared down at the sight. “As the White Witch, I cannot allow you to threaten my country any more! For the Princess, for Eylstadt, and for all of Europe, I will stop you! Even if we both have to die!”

Tanya smiled at the challenge. “I admire your courage, witch.” The Germanian said with a scoff. “Unfortunately, a wannabe soldier like you doesn’t stand a chance against a professional! But don’t worry–I’ll make sure your name survives after your death. You’ll be remembered as my greatest victory!” She mirrored Izetta by aiming her Mondragon rifle at her.

The air filled with quiet tension as both women prepared to fire. Whether in fear or excitement, droplets of sweat began to drop down each of their faces. Their fingers twitched against the triggers of their respective weapons. There was no turning back once the first shot was fired.

The White Witch or the Devil of the Rhine?

The future of Eylstadt rested upon whoever wins this dogfight.

---

CHAPTER 12: THE WITCH AND THE DEVIL

Izetta fired the first shot! Tanya quickly dodged underneath the bullet and returned fire at Izetta, who also avoided the shot by jerking to the right. The two women backed away from each other and began flying in circles like a pair of vultures. They continued trading shots with their rifles, neither scoring a hit on the other. Before long, they both realized that this was a waste of time and ammo. Tanya broke the circle and zoomed in a southward direction as Izetta gave chase. 

As fast as she was, Izetta couldn’t match the speed of the smaller, lighter Air Mage. Using the anti-tank rifle would do no good either as the tremendous recoil would only make her slower. Her Kar98k would have to do for now. Izetta carefully aimed down her iron sights at the shrinking black target several yards ahead. She fired twice, only for both shots to go way off target. The frustrated witch recycled her bolt, only to realize in horror that she’d run out of bullets.

“Shit! Gotta reload!” 

As one would notice by now, a bolt-action rifle was a difficult weapon, and one ill-suited for dogfights. The rifle had only five rounds per clip, and required careful precision to get a kill with. The constant rolling, wheeling, and diving really hindered Izetta’s accuracy. It also didn’t help that Izetta wasn’t a great shot to begin with, since she had little experience with guns. And with only three extra clips of ammo to use, every shot had to count. She opened her rifle’s empty chamber and fished a spare clip from her dress.

But the sly Tanya noticed the break in shooting and fired back. Two furious streaks of blue launched from Tanya’s rifle. Izetta yelped in fear and strafed below the two projectiles. The White Witch managed to keep herself from falling off her ride and loaded her fresh clip into her gun. But before she could shoot, Tanya kept her at bay by shooting more magic-infused bullets at her.

Izetta jerked her rifle left and right, up and down to dodge the deadly blue projectiles. Each bullet that missed her impacted the surface, blasting small, but deep craters in the dirt. The thundering explosions gave Izetta a gruesome idea of what would happen to her if she got hit. 

And unlike Tanya, Izetta had no magic barrier to protect her–all she had was her speed. Her only hope now was to keep her distance and force Tanya to run out of ammo. The exhausting cycle continued, with Izetta dodging more shots and returning fire, only for her shots to miss or clash against Tanya’s shield. Just like before, neither girl was getting anywhere like this.

“Dammit, this isn’t working!” Izetta thought. She decided it was time to change tactics. “Well, if I can’t get to her, I’ll make her come to me!”

The White Witch zoomed several yards high above Tanya, avoiding three more stray shots from the latter. Luckily for Izetta, Tanya was running out of ammo herself. 

The annoyed Air Mage flew after Izetta and charged her bayonet with magic. Izetta angled down with her anti-tank rifle, infusing her own magic into it. The redhead fired a deadly 14mm round straight at her target!

Tanya banked clockwise to avoid the bullet, only for it to glance off of her magic barrier. It wasn’t a direct hit, but the kinetic impact was enough to make Tanya stagger for a bit. Izetta took the chance to aim her Kar98k again.

She fired a round that went through Tanya’s left thigh. The Germanian cried out in pain and held her leg, feeling the warm blood spill into her hands. Tanya looked at her gloves stained red with her own blood. “That bitch!” She thought. “She shot me! She actually shot me! How did she get through my shield!?”

Izetta smiled with pride! “I did it! Tanya’s definitely hurt! That means now I can go on the offensive!” The White Witch rushed forward towards Tanya, only for the latter to retreat towards the sky. The Air Mage left a trail of blood from her leg which made it easy for Izetta to keep track of her. The White Witch continued her pursuit, closing the distance to her target with each second.

This was a problem. Tanya’s wound was not only painful–it slowed her down! And she couldn’t rely on her shield anymore since now that bitch Izetta could shoot right through it! Tanya needed to find some other way to throw her off. The Germanian noticed that the sun was just a few degrees to her right. That gave her an idea–one that would solve her problem instantly.

Tanya closed her eyes and flew in the direction of the sun. Izetta followed her, only to be suddenly blinded by the harsh sunlight. She tried to raise a hand to block out the sun, but it was useless. 

Far ahead, Tanya turned around and opened her eyes. She laughed as she saw that her pursuer was too blind to keep moving. The experienced Air Mage used an old dogfighting trick: she placed herself right in front of the sun. And Izetta easily fell for it like the amateur she was! Tanya waved her right arm and opened a holographic targeting computer in front of her.

She immediately locked onto Izetta and prepared her rifle. Tanya uttered a small prayer to magically charge her next bullet. As she chanted, the rifle glowed with an unnatural yellow light that gave off a heat so intense that Izetta even felt it yards away!

Although she was blinded, the White Witch could tell something was wrong. It was a sunny day, but not a particularly hot one. Was the sun getting brighter? “No.” Izetta realized. “It’s not the sun. It’s Tanya! What the hell is she doing up there!?”

With her spell complete, Tanya fired a round that left a blazing white trail! About halfway to Izetta, the bullet split into four white beams of light that all homed in on Izetta!

“Oh, SHIT!” The White Witch sped away right before Tanya’s lasers reached her! Just before she thought she was safe, Izetta looked behind and saw that the projectiles had actually changed course and followed her! 

“Oh, come on! That’s cheating, you bitch!” Izetta swore at Tanya, who was probably too far above to hear her.

Izetta rolled and weaved, climbed and dived in all directions, but they stayed on her tail like a swarm of angry hornets. Tanya laughed with glee as watched the chase play out on her targeting computer. It wouldn’t matter what Izetta tried. In mere moments, she’ll get hit by one of Tanya’s magic missiles, and the explosion will vaporize her from existence! Tanya’s victory was assured!

Izetta needed to get these damn things off her tail, now! She jerked hard to the right to avoid one coming on her left. The missile overshot and passed her. It went a few yards ahead before it slowly curved to the right back on target. Apparently these things don’t have a fast turning speed. Izetta had an idea that would either save her or get her killed. The White Witch exhaled and focused on the missile ahead of her, while the three others closed in from behind.

At the last second, Izetta dove sharply to the ground! The magic missile didn’t have time to change course and collided with one of its brethren. The impact created a huge explosion of flashing white and yellow! The remaining missiles continued chasing Izetta downwards.

The redhead smirked. “Yes! Two down, two to go!”

Tanya couldn’t believe what she just saw! “How the hell did she do that!?” She thought. “No matter–just a fluke. One of the other two missiles will kill her.”

Izetta continued her descent, using gravity to accelerate. As she got close to the ground, she pulled her broomstick-rifle with all her might to slow her fall. She stopped just about ten feet above ground and continued moving forward. One of the missiles failed to turn in time and ended its chase with a meteoric crash. Only one missile left!

The chase brought them to a shallow creek with ancient tanks and fallen trees strewn about. Izetta flew over the debris as the vengeful white missile continued pursuing her. Slowly but surely, Izetta widened the distance between herself and the projectile.

At that moment, Izetta realized something: “Hold on. This thing follows me wherever I go. In other words…I’m in control of it!” The witch smiled as another idea formed in her head. “What if I use this thing to my advantage? And give Tanya a taste of her own medicine!” It was a gamble, sure. But one that could win her this battle!

Izetta curved right along the creek and passed underneath a bridge. She pulled up and rocketed towards the sky, resisting the crushing G-force that pushed down on her. The magic missile followed her, not knowing that it was being led on by its prey. The White Witch looked up, and saw that Tanya hadn’t left her position. Izetta was in a perfect position to ambush her!

Tanya was confused at first, until she realized what her enemy was planning! The panicked Air Mage fired and missed her Mondragon’s last three shots. She threw away her empty rifle and pulled out a Mauser C96 pistol, only to be met with the same result. Izetta was closing in, ready to send Tanya’s own missile back to her!

“Verdammt!” Tanya tried to flee, but the wound in her leg made her too slow to get any distance. She was totally cornered, and Izetta was mere feet away from her! Izetta almost laughed! Her next blow would be the one that ends it! She only had to time it just right.

“Hey, Tanya!” She called out with one hand to her mouth. “Thanks for the ‘gift’, but you can have it back!” 

At the last second, Izetta dove below Tanya, allowing the magic missile to fly right back into its sender! The Germanian had no time to scream, move, or even flinch before she got hit! 

The impact created a deafening white and yellow burst that looked and felt like an exploding star up close. Izetta was barely able to keep herself from falling from the shockwaves that bombarded her. In mere seconds, it was already over. The radiant light vanished, and the air went silent.

---

CHAPTER 13: FINÉ STRIKES

Izetta opened her eyes and ears and looked above. There was nothing left of Tanya’s last position except a cloud of black smoke where she was blown up. Izetta’s heart nearly stopped. “Did I do it?” She thought with hope. “Is it over? Is she finally gone?” 

She had to be! There’s no way Tanya could have survived such a huge blast! The White Witch flew closer to the source of impact just to be sure. She hovered in place for several seconds, waiting for the smoke to clear. As morbid as it was, she’d hoped that Tanya’s body was vaporized in the explosion.

“Close, but no cigar…..witch!”

Izetta couldn’t believe her ears! “What!? You gotta be kidding me!” 

Before she could process that, a bullet grazed against her dress, drawing a bloody scar across her left abdomen. Izetta cried in pain and lost balance. She almost fell, but managed to catch herself on her broomstick, focusing her magic on it for dear life. The witch used one hand to hold on, while pressing the other against the bullet wound in her side. Thankfully it wasn’t fatal, but that didn’t make it less painful.

To Izetta’s shock, Tanya was still alive! Wounded and exhausted, but alive nonetheless. “She survived even that!? What is this girl made of!?” Izetta thought desperately.

In truth, Tanya’s survival was sheer luck. Her magic barrier had projected itself in time, saving her from the brunt of the explosion. She was left with several 2nd degree burns and lacerations around her body. Her flight suit was severely damaged, and her equipment box was coming loose. A streak of blood ran from her forehead down her left eye, forcing her to go half-blind. She weakly aimed her Mauser C96 with one hand.

It was impossible to miss at this range, even in the state Tanya was in. She pointed the pistol right at Izetta’s forehead. The Air Mage stared at her enemy with pure hatred in her one open eye. One last shot, and it was all over.

“Auf Wiedersehen, Saumensch!” Tanya’s finger readied itself on the trigger.

Izetta’s luck had run out. She closed her eyes and awaited her death. The sound of Tanya’s pistol would be the last thing she’d ever hear. “I’m so sorry Princess! I’ve failed you!”

Neither of them saw what was coming next.

(Skip to 1:15)

POM-POM-POM-POM!!!

What!?

Out of nowhere, four puffs of smoke just popped right around Tanya! Several more just appeared in the same medium-slow pace as the others! Even when she tried to evade them, more small explosions just followed right behind her!

“What the fuck!? Anti-aircraft fire!?” Tanya thought. “Who’s shooting at me from the ground!?”

Whoever it was, they’d saved Izetta’s life in the nick of time. Somehow, she knew it could only be one person. “Oh, God!” She worried. “Please, Princess! Not you!”

Both girls looked down to see where the AA shells were coming from. Izetta’s fears were confirmed. Far below on the ground, Princess Finé was operating a QF1 Anti-Aircraft Gun, also known as a “Pom-Pom” for its distinct firing noise.

The stationary weapon was controlled by two hand cranks that turned its X and Y axes. The firing button was on the top of the right-hand crank. A large circular crosshair was placed right beside the Pom-Pom’s nose to help the user’s aim. Despite being decades old, the weapon was in remarkably good condition and still had plenty of ammo. It was a good thing Finé found this weapon in time–a half-second too late and she would have lost Izetta forever.

With a furious roar, the Princess kept firing the AA gun at Tanya. The beleaguered Air Mage was forced to retreat as the shells exploded close behind her. One unlucky shot blew a hole in Tanya’s equipment box!

“No, no, no!” Tanya watched helplessly as her ammo, first aid, and damaged crystal plummeted to earth! 

Izetta was in the clear. Biting her lip against the pain, she guided herself slowly and safely to the ground. She dropped to her knees, covering her stinging bullet wound in her side.

“Izetta! Are you okay!?” Finé rushed to Izetta and held her in her arms. She found in horror that Izetta’s hand and the left side of her dress were stained with blood. “Oh, God!” The Princess gasped. “Did Tanya shoot you!?” 

“It–It’s nothing bad, Finé. Just a scratch.” Izetta replied. “I don’t think she hit any of my vitals.” 

Not that it was going to change Finé’s mind. She got the First-Aid kit out of Izetta’s parachute kit and placed some peroxide and bandages on it. She also injected a syrette of morphine into Izetta’s arm to dull the pain. “That should hold at least ‘til we get you to a doctor.” Finé said.

Izetta didn’t respond. 

“Izetta? Izetta, what’s wrong?” Finé shook her friend to get a reaction from her.

“You were right, Princess.” Izetta said in a weak voice. She had a tired, defeated look in her eyes, and the bravado that inspired her to fight was gone.

“What’re you talking about?” The Princess replied.

“You were right. About me going alone to fight Tanya. I’m such an idiot!” Izetta cried, with tears pooling in her eyes. “What the hell was I thinking!? I was arrogant and stupid, and it almost got me killed! I’m so sorry–”

“Izetta, stop it! Stop it!” Finé grabbed Izetta by the shoulders and looked at her in the eyes. “Stop beating yourself up! I saw everything that happened up there. Even though Tanya had all the advantages, you fought hard and brave, and even came close to killing her! She survived because she’s lucky, nothing more!”

Finé softened her voice a bit, but maintained her stern face. “You did nothing wrong, do you understand me?” She said, “You’re not weak, or stupid, or arrogant. You are the White Witch. You have all the magic in Eylstadt, and you have me. All Tanya has is a crystal!”

Izetta focused on that last word. “Crystal…Crystal!” Now it was her turn to grab Finé’s shoulders. 

“That’s it!” Izetta said as her look of defeat vanished. “That’s how we’ll beat her!”

“Huh? What do you mean?” The Princess asked in surprise.

“Tanya’s crystal! I saw her drop it while you were shooting at her! She’s flying using a spare one! If I find the other one, I might do the same thing I did before: I’ll use her own magic against her!” Izetta’s hope and confidence returned, as shown by the smile on her face.

“Now that’s the Izetta I know!” Finé cheered. “If I hold her off, can you go find that crystal?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” They shared one more kiss, before Izetta got back on her rifle and took off. Finé took her position on the Pom-Pom again. After a few seconds, she noticed Tanya coming back from the right, holding what looked to be a submachine gun. Finé didn’t need to get her attention–Tanya had fully intended to kill her!

“Princess Finé! You’ve gotten in my way for the last time!” Tanya roared. “After I kill you and your precious witch, I swear I’ll bring both of your heads to the Kaiser!”

“Wrong again!” Finé fired back. “You’ll either die here, or you’ll go home a failure with nothing to show for it! Either way, you already lost!”

“But if you still wanna kill me…” Finé primed the next round in her AA gun. “Then come and get me, bitch!”

---

(Artwork by Alexa Morgan)

Alternate Music:

CHAPTER 14: TRENCH WARFARE

Finé fired another salvo of AA shells from her weapon! Tanya dodged to the right and fired back with her machine gun. The weapon in question was a bizarre-looking weapon called a Villar-Perosa.

A prototype SMG designed for dogfighting, Tanya scavenged it from a fallen airplane she found. The Villar-Persoa was double-barreled and had two tall magazines that were loaded from the top. The weapon had a high rate of fire, but terrible accuracy. This meant that the only reliable way to get a hit was up close–something that was extra difficult with the constant explosions around Tanya.

Of course, Finé hardly had an easier time herself. While the Pom-Pom was powerful, it was clumsy to aim and the shells were slow-moving. The AA gun was designed to shoot down airplanes, not a fast, small child like Tanya. On top of that, the fact that it was a stationary weapon meant that Finé couldn’t run for cover while using it. Her only hope was to keep Tanya at bay for as long as she could.

Fortunately, it was working. The constant exploding shells surrounding Tanya made it damn near impossible for her to get close. All she could do was hold back and wait for a break in the firing.

Finé’s Pom-Pom fired a few more shots until suddenly–it stopped! The weapon made a metallic hissing sound, and the barrel was red-hot like a heated stove. 

“What the–!? Dammit, what happened!?” Finé shouted. 

She found out too late that the Pom-Pom had one more flaw: once overheated, the weapon would shut down for a few seconds, leaving the user vulnerable. Obviously, this was the last thing she needed! “Shit!” The Princess cursed. “This is no time for you to quit on me!” 

Sticking around wasn’t an option! Finé needed to run before Tanya closed in on her! The Princess climbed over the wall and sprinted towards the trench a few yards ahead. Tanya saw her chance and followed the Princess from above. The Air Mage sprayed a storm of burning lead at the Princess. 

Finé shrieked and covered her head as the bullets dotted the ground around her feet. By some miracle, she didn’t get hit. Finé performed a slide like a baseball player and landed safely into the trench.

The Princess took a few seconds to catch her breath. Her lungs and heart felt like they were about to explode. At least now she was in a place that offered some concealment. The trench was nine feet deep and had plenty of underground bunkers to hide in. As long as Finé kept moving, she was okay.

As for Tanya, she was irritated! “Useless gun! What idiot designed this piece of shit!?” 

She tossed the Villar-Perosa away and scanned the ground for her target. Not only was she out of ammo, but now she had to waste her time playing hide-and-seek! Worst of all, her spare crystal was reaching its breaking point. And if she lost that, Tanya was finished.

“One problem at a time.” Tanya spoke to herself. She lowered herself to the ground, only to feel a sharp pain in her left leg when she landed. “That’s right–the White Witch shot me!” Tanya remembered. 

She wrapped some bandages around her bleeding leg and took morphine to kill the pain. Tanya looked to her right and noticed fresh footprints leading further down the trench. She followed the footprints while taking a mud-stained Chauchat machine gun from a dead soldier.

Farther ahead, Finé turned a corner to the left and ran into a bunker dug into the wall. She hid inside the dark space and used the moment to rest. She quickly took off her dirty boots after realizing that they were leaving footprints. But going barefoot was pointless if she didn’t have a plan.

“All this running isn’t gonna keep me alive forever.” The Princess thought. “I need weapons!”

Finé remembered the Luger pistol she stole from Tanya earlier. She took it out of her dress and inspected the magazine. A Luger P08 only held eight rounds, which wouldn’t do Finé much good. She needed something bigger that had more ammo. Her right foot tapped a long box right next to her. Finé opened the box, finding a strange machine gun she’d never seen before.

Finé held the gun in both hands, wondering just what the hell she’d picked up. It was actually a Maschinenpistole 18, a submachine gun used by Germanian troops during the Great War. It was fully automatic with a 32-round snail magazine, making it excellent for use in trench combat. After a few seconds, Finé figured out how to load and chamber the MP18, and she took an extra magazine just in case.

Now she was ready to fight! Finé ran out of the bunker and took cover behind the corner. She peeked around and saw Tanya approaching from the distance. The Princess looked to her left and noticed a ladder leading to the surface. On the ground above was an abandoned St. Chamond tank that would be perfect for setting a trap. 

“Instead of fighting her up front,” Finé planned, “I’ll ambush her!”

Finé climbed out of the trench and took cover inside the long-dead vehicle. She peeked through the door as Tanya reached her last position. The Germanian’s back was turned, which meant she was wide open! Finé opened fire with her MP18! The rapid-firing bullets were blocked by Tanya’s barrier, which was actually getting weaker.

The frustrated Tanya turned around and fired back with her Chauchat. Finé went back into cover as the hostile bullets clashed against the tank’s hull. Tanya took flight and continued firing until her machine gun suddenly went dead!

“Ugh, what is it this time!?” She groaned as she checked the antique weapon. Unfortunately for Tanya, Chauchats were infamous for jamming when exposed to too much dirt and mud. 

“Again with this!? Is it too much to ask to have one working gun!?” Tanya angrily threw away the useless Chauchat. Clearly she wasn’t going to win this with firepower alone.

Finé used her few seconds of time to reload her MP18. She got a lucky break, but how long could she really keep fighting like this!? “I can’t keep this up forever! Has Izetta found that damn crystal yet?”

Izetta was in a red poppy field farther west in the Tank Graveyard. She saw Tanya’s crystal fall out somewhere in this area. Unfortunately for her, this was just about the worst place it could’ve ended up. The small red orb blended in perfectly with the hundreds of tiny flowers surrounding it. Worse than that, the area was surrounded by all sorts of debris and corpses left from the Great War. Finding this thing would be like finding a needle in a field of haystacks–if those haystacks were filled with old guns, bayonets, helmets, and artillery fragments.

“Come on! Come on! Come on!” Izetta said as she dug through the flowers and debris. “Where is that stupid crystal!? If I don’t find it, Finé will die!” She flew between tank after tank, looking as hard as she could to no success. Just when she’d given up hope, Izetta saw something shining in the mud pit behind the last tank. She lowered herself down and saw a gold pendant that was half-buried in mud. Izetta dug out the item, and her heart pounded with joy!

“Yes! Tanya’s crystal! I found it!” Izetta cheered.

Finally, a lucky break! The crystal wasn’t in the best shape–it was slathered in mud, a small bit of the cross was chipped off, and it had a large scratch across its diameter. But it should still at least be in usable condition. Now it was a question of how to use the damn thing. Izetta noticed a pair of silk strands hanging from each side on the back.

“That’s right. Tanya wore this thing like a necklace.” She thought. Izetta tied the loose strands around her neck. The Elenium crystal hung just right between her neck and her sternum. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But after a few seconds, the orb shone with a brilliant crimson energy in reaction to its wearer! Izetta’s body radiated with intense magical energy–first yellow-green, then fiery red! She’d never experienced such a tremendous surge of her magic before!

Izetta cried out like her whole body was on fire! But she was actually smiling. “It hurts so much! But it’s working! It’s working!” She thought. Now she had to find a way to put this power to use. Izetta placed her palms on the mud and channeled every ounce of her magic through the surface. Biting her lips, she felt her power connecting to the numerous tanks and debris across the battlefield.

Every second intensified the strain on Izetta’s body, but she never gave up! She poured in more and more of her power until everything within 50 yards glowed with a lime green light! This was working!

“That’s it! Just a little more!” Izetta thought to herself. “Don’t give up now! Come on, Izetta! Come on….White Witch!” Against her increasing pain, she kept her beloved Princess and her country in her mind. With a final roar, Izetta gave one last push of her magic deep into the ground! At last, the earth began to rumble and quake. The rusted debris from the Great War lifted free from the grass. Izetta looked up at what she’d done and smiled courageously.

“YES!!! I did it!” She shouted. “This is going to work!”

“Hang on, Princess!”

Back to the trenches.

Finé felt the earth suddenly quake beneath her feet. Had Izetta done it? Did she manage to find Tanya’s crystal? Whatever the case, there was no time to find out. Not while Tanya was still out hunting for her.

The Princess cautiously stepped out of the Saint-Chamond tank holding her MP18. No sign of Tanya, but that didn’t mean Finé could let her guard down. She scanned the area in front of her as she walked. Without warning, something wrapped itself around Finé’s neck, choking her like a snake! Her oxygen was cut off so suddenly that Finé didn’t have time to scream! She dropped her gun and tried to pry off whatever’s choking her, but it was no use.

Tanya’s plan worked perfectly. She hid on the roof of Finé’s tank and just waited to ambush her. She strangled her with a raggedy scarf she took from a dead pilot. Now she could enjoy watching the Princess struggle uselessly as she chokes to death! “How do you like your new scarf, Princess?” Tanya mocked. “You wear it nicely!”

Finé wanted to utter a curse, but it was no good since she couldn’t breathe. She shook and thrashed violently to get Tanya off her back to little success. In her aimless walk, she tripped off the edge of a trench wall and fell into a muddy pit!

They both fell into what looked like a dining or meeting room. The sudden drop had separated the two girls. Finé landed hard on her right arm, though the mud cushioned her fall somewhat. Tanya fell flat on her back, but the scarf was still in her right hand.

Before the Princess had time to stand up, Tanya resumed choking her. Like before, Finé jerked and punched furiously around as she looked for something to get herself free. Right before consciousness faded, Finé remembered the Luger pistol in her dress. She slowly pulled the gun and pointed it right at the edge of Tanya’s left side. She fired, forcing Tanya to release her! 

Finé gasped loudly, relieved that she was able to breathe again! Tanya screamed and held her wound in pain! This was the second time she’d been shot today! Luckily for her, the bullet went through cleanly without hitting any organs. 

Before she could retaliate, Finé grabbed Tanya by the jacket and thrust her against the table behind her! She pistol-whipped Tanya’s face twice and aimed at her head, only for the latter to misdirect the gun and shoot the table instead. With her other hand, Tanya grabbed a butcher knife standing on the table by its blade.

She then headbutted Finé and kicked her away. The Princess fell hard on her back, dropping the Luger as she fell. Dazed and exhausted, Tanya knelt down and thrust the knife downwards into Finé’s face, but the latter caught it just in time. The blade was mere inches away from Finé, and she used all of her strength to push it back. The Princess looked to her right and saw a small handheld shovel sticking out of the ground. With a violent swing, she smacked the shovel right into Tanya’s face and kicked her off!

There was a brief pause in combat. Both girls were on the ground–tired, wounded, and angry. Mud and dirt had stained their clothes and their hair, but they were too lost in the fight to notice. Despite the pain they both felt, Finé and Tanya found the strength to stand ready to fight–Finé with her shovel, Tanya with her knife. Each gave a seething, hateful stare at the other.

“Du wertlose Hure!” Tanya cursed at Finé. “I should’ve killed you on the airship!”

“Something we both should have done!” Finé spat back.

“In any case, there’s still time for one of us to correct our mistake.”

“Are you really gonna throw away your life for this, Tanya!?”

“If I die, I die. But I’ll make sure you die with me!” 

Tanya lunged at Finé, who parried the knife with her shovel. Finé got behind and slashed Tanya’s back with the sharp end of the shovel blade. Tanya cried out before she slashed the knife at Finé’s midsection. The blade cut through her dress, drawing a shallow, but painful cut on the Princess’s stomach. Finé grabbed her belly and blocked a downward strike before countering with another blow at Tanya’s mouth.

As she reeled back, the Air Mage felt something rattle in her mouth. She spat it out, and was shocked to see that she’d lost a tooth! Finé noticed and gave a satisfied smirk, while Tanya just looked even more pissed off.

The fight went on like this. There was no strategy anymore–just pure survival instinct. Finé and Tanya matched each other blow for blow, driven by deep, murderous hatred. The same hatred that drove millions of soldiers of the Great War to kill each other. Either one would die, or they both would.

Finally, both women had reached their breaking points. Finé gave one last tired swing that missed, allowing Tanya to slash at her left side. Hurt and off-balance, Finé was pushed into the dirt and her shovel was kicked out of her hands. Tanya pressed her boot onto the wound she made on Finé’s belly, eliciting an ear-piercing scream of pain from her.

(Stop Music)

The fight was all but over. Finé was too hurt and exhausted to stand up. Tanya looked down on the Princess with an icy stare. “Your pet witch isn’t here to save you this time, Your Majesty.” She said to her. Tanya threw away the knife and grabbed the gun that was used to shoot her earlier. “But don’t worry. Once she’s dead, I’ll bury the two of you together!”

Finé couldn’t fight back. Her only weapons now were her words. “Look at what you’re doing, Tanya!” She cried. “This is exactly how the last war started! One person’s death followed by the deaths of millions! If you kill me, the whole thing starts all over again! Is that what you wanna be known for!? Is that gonna be your legacy!?”

Tanya stomped even harder on Finé’s chest. “I don’t fucking care what happens to the world! I will be remembered as the soldier who brought the Fatherland back to its former glory! Eylstadt will be nothing more than a page in the history books!”

“Do you think…” Finé said with desperate, angry tears. “That Eylstadt will surrender just because I’m dead? They didn’t surrender when my grand-uncle was murdered! All it did was rile them up and make them go to war for revenge! Even if I’m gone, my people will never cower to a bunch of thugs like you!”

“But you are SO! WRONG!” Tanya roared. “Because once I’ve slaughtered you and your little girlfriend, your people will have lost their leadership. Without you, they have no hope.” Tanya knelt down and stared at Finé in her eyes.

“A monster is coming to Eylstadt.” She said, “A monster of blood and iron, bullets and bombs, Panzers and Stukas! And this monster will never stop until it’s consumed every last inch of your pathetic country! If your people try to resist, they’ll end up dead and forgotten.”

“And what happens then?” The Princess asked. “What’ll be left for you to rule when everyone’s dead!?”

Tanya smirked arrogantly. “With your people gone, Germania’s forces will simply take over and repopulate. And I will rule over the new territory that I’ve gained for the Empire. It’s a pity that you won’t be alive to see it, Princess! As for the White Witch, I’ll have her imprisoned and executed like the terrorist she is.” Tanya checked the pistol and pointed it at Finé’s head. “Die Legende der Weißen Hexe stirbt heute Nacht!”

“IF YOU SHOOT HER, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!”

A thunderous voice boomed from the skies! It came from directly behind Tanya. She turned around and saw a sight that shocked her to her core. Finé looked in the same way, but with joy and relief instead of terror.

“Izetta…thank God.” Finé whispered.

“The witch!” Tanya shouted. But that alone isn’t what frightened her.

Izetta hovered high above on her broomstick-rifle. Flying beside her on each side was a row of six Saint-Chamond tanks, all suspended by Izetta’s magic. Several dozen machine guns, rifles, grenades, and artillery shells were also with Izetta–all fully armed and ready for action. Izetta glowed with a powerful crimson energy that made her appear like a red star from a distance. The White Witch looked down at Tanya like a goddess of wrath ready to serve divine punishment. And that’s exactly what she was about to do!

“Like I said…” Izetta shouted. “I won’t hesitate to kill anyone who hurts the Princess!”

“IF YOU WANT A WAR, TANYA…I’LL GIVE YOU A WAR!!!”
(Fight pic commission by HypeVoiceActing.)

---

Alternate Music:

FINAL CHAPTER: TO THE DEATH

“Finé! Get out of there, now!” 

Finé wasted no time heeding Izetta’s warning. She kicked Tanya in the back of the knee before climbing out of the trench and back up to higher ground. The Princess ran a few yards away to a safe distance. “I’m clear! She’s all yours, Izetta!”

With a powerful cry, the White Witch threw her arm forward and threw the massive St. Chamond behind her at Tanya! The ancient vehicle flipped over Izetta and plummeted upside-down! The panicked Tanya flew out of the trench just seconds before she could be crushed under the tank’s roof! 

She hovered in the air with her damaged Elenium crystal, panting heavily in terror. But she wasn’t given any chance to rest when another St. Chamond flew in from her left! The Air Mage dived below as the flying tank soared past her and spun like a frisbee until it crashed into a hill several yards away. Izetta threw down her left arm, and a third tank rocketed down towards Tanya, just missing her by inches. The falling tank crashed nose-first into the one that Finé used for cover just minutes ago.

“Ho–how could–” Tanya couldn’t even think straight, she was so terrified. “She just threw three goddamn tanks like they were softballs!” She looked up at Izetta with fear and confusion, while the latter looked down at her with deep anger and loathing.

“How are you this powerful!? Who…just who the hell are you!?” Tanya shouted.

“I already told you. I am the White Witch, protector of this country and its ruler!” Izetta answered. “And you are not welcome here! No matter what you do now, you cannot win this fight! If you want to live, then this is your last warning: Leave Eylstadt now, and never come back!”

“How dare you…” Tanya snarled. “Like hell I’ll be intimidated by a pathetic girl like you! Even if my mission is hopeless, I will go down in glory! To the death! Do you hear me? To the death, witch!”

“Good! I was hoping you’d say that!” Izetta thrust her right arm directly at Tanya. She used her magic to aim the dozens of mortars, grenades, and artillery shells surrounding her. “ARTILLERY! STRIKE!”

All at once, the bombs launched themselves at Tanya, who immediately dodged out of the way just before they landed. The combined explosions blew a massive crater that dug out a sizable portion of the trenches.

Tanya flew away towards the east. Izetta was far behind, but this time she was able to catch up to her. They were both several hundred feet above ground, probably because Tanya was counting on Izetta’s bombs not detonating in midair. She would soon learn how wrong she was.

Izetta launched more artillery shells and forced them to explode around Tanya! Each explosive lit up the sky like lethal fireworks! Tanya was violently knocked around as flames and bits of shrapnel pelted her barrier. Each explosion chipped away her magic barrier bit by bit. Tanya managed to reorient herself after the last explosion, but she would be given no time to recover.

Izetta extended her hand for her next attack! She focused her magic into the twenty-or-so machine guns orbiting her: Lewis Guns, Benet-Mercies, MG-08s, and a few Chauchats that were actually functional. Each weapon locked its ammo and pointed itself straight at Tanya!

“MACHINE GUNS! FIRE!” At Izetta’s command, the machine guns roared at once and covered the sky in bullets! Tanya dodged and evaded as best as she could as the bullets flew towards her. She used what little room she had to dive back to the ground. 

Izetta sent some of her MGs to chase Tanya below. In a complete role reversal of before, Tanya was now the one being pursued! The Air Mage swerved side-to-side to avoid getting shot. Tanya couldn’t even fight back now that she was unarmed!

“Not so fun when you’re the one getting shot to pieces, is it!?” Izetta roared.

“Go to hell, witch!” Was all Tanya could think of as a comeback. This fight was getting more desperate by the second. She wasn’t prepared to deal with this sudden surge in power from Izetta! And with all the wounds she’d suffered today, Tanya was almost at her breaking point.

“I’m losing this! Badly!” She thought. “If I don’t turn this around, I’m finished!”

Izetta threw more grenades and shells at Tanya, each one blasting piles of dirt and debris several feet high. The last explosive fell right behind Tanya, throwing her off-balance and tumbling across the ground. She came to a painful stop right in front of a bunker, as Izetta closed in on her.

Gripped with fear, Tanya rose to her feet and limped inside the bunker, closing the heavy metal door behind her. The Germanian nearly tumbled down the stairs into the dark underground armory at the bottom. The ground around Tanya was covered in dozens of skeletons of fallen soldiers, all probably killed by suffocation or poison gas. She took a Madsen light machine gun from one of the dead soldiers and hid next to a set of crates.

Suddenly, a tremendous metallic crash erupted as the entire bunker shook violently. The noise repeated again and again, like a gigantic hammer striking an anvil. Each strike impacted the building like it was caught in a miniature earthquake. Boxes and bunk beds fell to the ground, and a dent in the ceiling began to cave inward. Just what the hell was going on up there!?

Outside, Izetta repeatedly threw her last tank at the bunker, hoping to pierce the ceiling. With each strike, she made a crack into the roof that became wider and wider. With one final thrust, Izetta fully penetrated the tank into the fortress. The damaged vehicle landed nose-first into the floor and nearly crushed Tanya.

The terrified Germanian watched as the tank was magically lifted out of the hole in the ceiling it just made. Izetta was high above, seeing her target cowering underground.

“There you are, you coward!” Izetta shouted. “You think you’re safe, hiding down there!?”

“Fuck you!” Tanya fired back with her Madsen MG! 

Izetta flinched and closed her eyes! But strangely, she didn’t feel any bullets pierce her skin. Izetta opened her eyes, and to her surprise, a magic barrier had protected her!

Tanya reacted with a look of shock and anger. “What!? A defense matrix!? How does she–” Before she finished her thought, Izetta bombarded Tanya’s position with dozens of grenades! The small explosives went through the hole in the ceiling, each with enough firepower to blast a small squad of soldiers! Tanya took flight and escaped right before the grenades went off! A thunderous boom and a fiery cloud of red and orange erupted below Tanya, painfully scorching her back with second-degree burns.

The explosion propelled Tanya upwards to Izetta’s height. The two women were roughly 50 feet away from each other, but could still see each other clearly. Izetta was still shrouded in a bright red aura, but something seemed off with her. 

The White Witch clutched her chest like she was suffering a heart attack. She started to groan, writhe, and scream like she was burned by an invisible fire! Izetta’s red aura started to waver–she struggled to maintain her power.

“What the–the witch is in pain?” Tanya thought. “Did she overexert herself?” The Air Mage looked more closely, and noticed that Izetta was wearing her lost Elenium crystal!

“You thieving bitch!” Tanya shouted. “So, that’s why you’ve gotten so powerful! You’re using my own crystal against me!”

“Shit! She figured me out!” Izetta thought in panic!

“But it looks like my magic’s a bit too hot for you to handle.” Tanya taunted. “You look like you’re ready to collapse any minute! All I have to do is outlast you!”

“Dammit. She’s right! I can’t keep this up forever! Still, Tanya’s in just as bad shape as I am. I can’t give up now!” Izetta fought off the pain in her body and regained some amount of control of her magic.

“So you found out my strategy.” Izetta replied. “You’re barely holding on yourself, and I only need one more good hit to finish you!”

“That only matters if you can hit me, witch!” Tanya laughed. She aimed her Madsen at Izetta, who pointed back with her magically-charged weapons. 

“So then, you feel ready to play one more time?”

Izetta estimated that she has about one minute left before she passes out. This was her last chance!

“This is it!” She thought. “It’s now or never! No second chances! I have to end this once and for all!” 

The redhead gripped the handles of her broomstick-rifle tightly. She looked at Tanya with fearless, furious eyes.

“Let’s do this!”

FINAL ROUND!
FINISH IN SIXTY SECONDS!

1:00

Izetta charged straight in, firing her machine guns at Tanya as she closed the distance. The Air Mage dodged to the side and fired back with her Madsen. The bullets clashed uselessly against Izetta’s shield, adding to Tanya’s frustration. The Air Mage retreated and fired again, only for her rounds to hit absolutely nothing! Because somehow, Izetta vanished from her spot!

“Wait–what!? She can teleport now!?” 

Izetta reappeared and returned fire from below and behind Tanya. The bullets actually penetrated Tanya’s shield this time, giving her shallow, but painful wounds in her arms and legs. The Germanian shot at the Witch again, but to no success. Izetta kept disappearing and reappearing like a ghost every time Tanya fired. This was nothing but a waste of bullets.

“How is she doing this!? Why–can’t–I–hit her!?”

0:50

The truth was, Izetta wasn’t teleporting. She was simply using her speed to make it look like she was. From her perspective, Tanya’s gunfire was like watching a slow-moving film. All Izetta had to do was keep this pace and force Tanya to waste all her bullets. Still, Izetta was burning a lot of her energy with this tactic. Not only that, but needed to counterattack soon before Tanya catches on.

She finally found her opening when Tanya’s machine gun clicked empty. “Scheisse!” The desperate Air Mage cursed as she was forced to reload. 

“That’s it! Now’s my chance!” The White Witch “disappeared” thousands of feet above while she prepared her next attack.

“BAYONETS! CUT HER TO PIECES!”

A metal rainstorm of knives and bayonets rained down towards an unsuspecting Tanya!

0:40

Meanwhile, Tanya yanked out the top-loaded magazine out of the Madsen and jammed a fresh clip in. Right after she pulled the charging handle, Tanya screamed in pain when a bayonet sliced through her left hand! She looked at her hand, and was horrified to see three red, bleeding stumps where her pinky, ring, and middle fingers used to be.

Losing her fingers was obviously a huge problem. Not only was it painful, but it meant that Tanya could no longer aim properly! Tanya’s problems were only compounded when more bayonets charged into her. Her barrier couldn’t deflect anything other than bullets, so Tanya was forced to evade. She flew upwards to avoid the flying knives, which curved upwards to chase after her.

Farther above, Izetta waved her arms around like a puppet master, remotely controlling her bayonets with her magic. She laughed a little when she realized, “This is ironic. Isn’t this sort of like what Tanya tried to do to me 20 minutes ago?”

0:30

It was, except Tanya had no way of countering it! The bayonets chasing her were faster and smaller than her magic missiles. And with three of her fingers cut, she was forced to carry her machine gun one-handed. She flew up and down in every direction possible, but couldn’t shake off the bayonets following her. In desperation, the Air Mage even tried shooting down some of them with her Madsen, but it was too heavy and clumsy to aim one-handed. 

Most of the flying knives missed her, but three found their marks. The first one tore through Tanya’s left shoulder. The second slashed a wide scar along her right cheek. The last one stabbed through her chest, right where her liver would be.

Tanya was in so much pain that she couldn’t even scream. She was losing blood rapidly, especially from the wound in her chest. It would only be minutes before she goes into shock and falls into unconsciousness–and thus falls five hundred feet to her death.

Izetta looked down at Tanya–not with anger, but almost with pity. She couldn’t imagine the agony that her nemesis was experiencing right now. But at least she wouldn’t be suffering for long. 

Tanya looked around for any sign of the witch. Through half-closed eyes, she saw a small white speck just several thousand feet above her. Even through semi-consciousness, Tanya’s hatred and fury returned!

“You…I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you if it’s the last thing I do!”

0:20

The Air Mage uttered one more prayer to Being X. Her body radiated with a shining, golden light. She rocketed to the sky and made one final charge at Izetta! The White Witch simply stood her ground and fired her last few artillery pieces at her.

With Being X’s power guiding her, Tanya fired her Madsen one-handed and shot down the explosives before they could reach her. 

When her machine gun ran out, she simply dropped it and actually pulled out the knife that stabbed her chest! Of course, doing so only accelerated her blood loss, but she no longer cared. She would die piercing that witch’s black heart with her own blade!

Izetta responded by firing more bullets from her machine guns, which Tanya was able to dodge even in her failing condition. They were only 200 feet apart now! With an animalistic roar, Tanya prepared to give one fatal strike with her knife! Izetta had only one option left. 

She poured her magic into her broomstick-rifle and carefully aimed her shot. If she missed, she would plummet to her death just like Tanya. The White Witch charged her rifle and waited until Tanya was at a close distance.

“Steady….steady….”

150 feet. 100 feet. 75 feet. 50 feet!

“NOW!” Izetta fired a magical anti-tank round! The gigantic bullet obliterated Tanya’s right arm, taking the knife with it! The Germanian’s golden aura vanished, and her magic stopped. Without even screaming, Tanya began to fall, only to be suddenly suspended in the air again.

0:10

They were four miles high in the lower edge of the stratosphere–higher than the tallest mountains in Eylstadt. To anyone on the ground, they might as well have been invisible.

Izetta extended her arm like she was grabbing an  object. She wanted to see if Tanya was still alive. Remarkably, she still was, although just barely. The one-armed Air Mage looked at her with tired, defeated eyes that still burned with hatred.

“It’s over, Tanya. I’m holding you in place with my magic. Even if I let go, you’ve lost so much blood that you’ll die before you hit the ground.”

“You….Damn you, witch.” Tanya hissed with a weak voice. “You can kill me…but you haven’t won! My death will rally the Germanian people to the imperial cause! The Kaiser will burn your pathetic kingdom to ashes! You and your pretty little princess will be dead and forgotten!”

“Are you kidding?” Izetta said with disgust. “Are you fucking kidding me!? Even after all this, you still haven’t learned anything!?” Izetta tightened her grip and squeezed Tanya’s body harder!

“All you understand is violence!” Izetta continued. “You’re just a cruel, hateful girl who doesn’t give a damn about anybody but herself! I don’t care how many men the Kaiser sends to invade us! Even if I’m all alone, I will defend my country and princess to my dying breath! And I’ll die happily knowing that millions of people will live to see a new day! You on the other hand–you’ll die the way you lived: a vile, pathetic loser!”

“If I’m so pathetic, then finish me, witch! Send me to hell! But just know…I’ll be waiting for you down there.” Tanya gave one final angry look at Izetta as she dared her.

“No…You’ll be there all alone!” Izetta lowered her last Lewis Gun beside her. The MG snapped itself right towards Tanya’s position.

“This is for Finé!” Izetta fired the machine gun, its bullets tearing right through Tanya’s vital organs! When the last bullet was spent, Izetta dropped the weapon and raised her last few bayonets.

“This is for Eylstadt!” She thrust her arm forward and pierced her knives into more of Tanya’s body.

“And this…” The White Witch loaded and charged her flying rifle one last time. She charged all the magical energy she had left in this one final shot! 

“This is for YOU!!! Goodbye, Tanya!” The magical AT round exploded from her rifle! The bullet pierced Tanya’s midsection, cutting her in half from the bottom! The impact from the shot also shattered Tanya’s Elenium crystal, creating a chain reaction that even Izetta didn’t expect.

BOOOOOOM!!!

“What the fuck was that!?” Down on the ground, Finé heard a tremendous explosion like a whole ammo depot just blew up! She was taking cover in a bunker while Izetta and Tanya fought. The princess ran outside to see what had happened.

She looked and gasped when she saw a massive ball of fire in the sky! 

“Oh, God, no! Please, Izetta! Please tell me you didn’t blow yourself up!” 

The princess began to cry, thinking that Izetta was dead. But after a few seconds, she saw something appear out of the bottom of the fireball. The figure was too high up to make out, but it was a vaguely humanoid shape that was mostly white. At that moment, Finé knew exactly who it was! With tears in her eyes, Finé cried out her friend’s name. “IZETTAAAAA!!!”

Izetta opened her eyes! She had blacked out for a second or two. The last thing she remembered was a huge boom and a ball of flames at Tanya’s position. Thankfully, Izetta was just far away enough to not get caught in the blast.

When Izetta looked around, she was…upside-down? The sky and earth seemed to have switched places, and Izetta was flying in the latter direction. It only took a half second to realize what was happening.

“Oh, my God! I’m falling!” The White Witch tumbled and rolled wildly through the air as she plummeted! Where was her rifle!? The explosion must have thrown her off of it! What was she going to do now!? She didn’t want to survive everything today just to fall to her death!

Izetta remembered the parachute that Finé gave to her earlier. She calmed herself and rotated herself facedown to the ground. The White Witch extended her arms and legs to control her fall. Finally, she pulled the cord and opened her parachute! The white, mushroom-shaped cloth yanked Izetta’s body upright and slowed her fall to a safe speed.

Izetta gasped loudly, and her heartbeats slowed to a normal pace. Her fast, deadly fall was now slow and graceful. Finé saw the successful deployment, and was ready to cry with joy. She waved her arms wildly and called out Izetta’s name again.

Izetta noticed her and pulled on the parachute’s strings to guide her fall. She passed over trees, tanks, and other debris of the battlefield until she finally landed on the ground. Izetta unclipped her parachute and let it be carried away by the wind. Suddenly, she heard Finé’s voice calling out to her from the left.

“Izetta! Izetta, I’m over here!”

The two girls ran towards each other, arms wide. They hugged and laughed as if they hadn’t met in ten years! They both fell to the ground and assaulted each other with kisses. On the lips, the cheeks, the necks–anywhere they could reach. The girls raised to their knees and hugged each other again.

“Izetta! My beautiful witch, you’re alive! Thank God!” The princess cheered. “You’re amazing!”

“I’m happy that you’re alive too, Princess!” Izetta said. “Nothing makes me happier!”

“And Tanya? What happened to her?” Finé asked. 

Izetta shook her head. “Gone. She’s gone for good.”

She couldn’t be more right. The explosion completely vaporized Tanya’s body. Even her ashes dissipated in the air, and whatever parts of her survived fell to earth in pieces. In short, Tanya was not only dead–she was truly gone.

“Finally. Now we can just worry about getting home.” Finé stood up and helped Izetta up on her feet. But the witch had trouble staying on her feet.

“Sorry! Are you okay?” The princess grabbed Izetta to prevent her from falling.

“I–I think I’m just tired.” Izetta wheezed. “Using the crystal took so much magic out of me. I don’t think I can use it again for a while. So, what do we do now?”

Finé smiled and carried her friend’s arm over her shoulder. “We walk.”

MISSION COMPLETE

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EPILOGUE COMING SOON!