Carlotta and Nell watched as James and Tsukiumi vanished over the rooftops.
"Are they going to be okay?" Nell asked.
Carlotta smiled. Her eyes were still fixed on the direction James had gone. "He is not just a follower, Nell," she responded confidently. "He has the presence of a leader," she added.
"I…" Nell stammered as she blushed slightly.
"I trust your judgment," Carlotta said as she turned to Nell. "He seems special. Truly unique," she remarked.
"And handsome," Shizuka remarked.
"Sensei," Saya said as she looked a little embarrassed.
Yuriko giggled. "Objectively speaking, he is a very attractive man," she commented.
"Mum," Saya said. She thought she was not wrong however there was no need to say it.
"He is strong," Akitsu stated simply.
Carlotta turned toward the gathered crowd of villagers and knights. "Listen to me! I am Carlotta Demaier of the Faldeina Holy Knights!" she shouted. Her voice commanded the entire field. "You have witnessed the rot within our capital. The King is held captive by rebels, the Prince's faction. If they seize total power, the future of this country will vanish into darkness," she added.
She raised her blade high. "We, the Church and the Holy Knights, go forth now to return the Capital to its rightful state! Those brave enough to fight for your homes, join us! God's blessing shall be with us," she shouted.
The crowd erupted into a deafening cheer.
"She has incredible charisma," Saya noted.
"She was so cool!" Shizuka added, her eyes wide with admiration. Nelll agreed and nodded.
Carlotta turned back to the girls. "Will you join the front line?" she asked.
"We're in," Shizuka responded.
"Really?" Nell asked with a smile on her face.
"James did tell us to support you," Yuriko responded. "You are one of us now," she added.
"Let's move!" Carlotta commanded. They began the march toward the heart of the Capital.
"Is our plan going to be just charge through the front door?" Saya asked as she held the Ray Gun.
Shizuka was on Carptie. "Looks like it," Shizuka responded.
Yuriko clicked Jackal. "Sometimes the simplest strategy is the best," she added.
As they reached the main thoroughfare leading to the castle, the gates burst open. A wave of the undead poured out. They were stumbling around.
"They are coming," Carlotta said. "Take them all down," she added.
"Disgusting creatures," Yuriko hissed. She stepped forward and raised the Jackal. She pressed the trigger. The heavy rounds tore through the chest of a charging undead. The impact blew its ribcage out through its back in a spray of black blood. A second bullet hit the undead in the head. The bullet left the other side. There was a gaping hole in his skull as he dropped to the ground. "Keep pushing," she shouted.
"We know," Saya said as she aimed her Ray Gun. She unleashed a continuous beam of red energy. The red light connected with the front line of the undead. The heat from the beam was so intense that the moisture in the zombies' decayed bodies turned to steam instantly. She swept the beam in a wide, horizontal arc across the street. The red ray sliced through a dozen zombies at the waist. For a heartbeat, the horde seemed to freeze in place and then, the top halves of the creatures began to slide slowly off their severed hips. Rotted, blackened intestines and graying organs spilled onto the cold cobblestones. Below, the severed legs remained standing for several eerie seconds, before they toppled over.
Yuriko fired Jackal and blew the side of the undead. It collapsed to the ground instantly. She thought this was a very powerful gun. "Good job Saya," Yuriko said. "My baby has grown so much," she teared up.
"Mother, keep focus," Saya said.
Shizuka was on Cartpie and she flew around.
"Icicle Petals," she whispered as she swung her arm and sent a wave of razor-sharp ice shards into the crowd. The ice sliced through undead necks like guillotines. It sent dozens of heads rolling into the gutters while their bodies froze solid and shattered into bloody ice chunks.
"It suddenly got cold here," one soldier shouted as he sliced an undead in half.
"She is an ice mage," another shouted as he stabbed a dead.
"We have someone like that on our side, we cannot lose," the first soldier said. The group cheered.
Carlotta's eyes sharpened as she spotted a trio of rebel guards coming through the streets. The armored men ran forward.
She didn't hesitate for a heartbeat. Carlotta leaned into a deep, powerful lunge. With the first swipe, she pivoted on her heel and cut his throat in a jagged, pulsing line. A spray of hot blood painted the front of her white tabard as the man collapsed. He clutched his neck with a wet, gurgling sound.
Without losing her momentum, she flowed into the second guard's reach. He tried to bring his spear down, but Carlotta was faster. She delivered a lightning-quick backhand strike. She sliced across his chest. The force was so great it split the metal wide and revealed the white of his ribs and the dark red of his lungs. He went down.
The third soldier froze, his eyes wide with terror at the sight of his comrades falling so effortlessly. Carlotta didn't give him the chance to beg. She finished her rotation with a final, devastating horizontal slash. The blade caught him at the waist. The steel zipped through his midsection and severed muscle and bone. He gasped as he fell backward and collapsed.
Carlotta stood in the center of the carnage. There was a pool of blood around her. "Keep pushing!" Carlotta yelled over the sounds of battle.
Nell swung her blade and knocked out a soldier. The soldier collapsed to the ground. "Nell, Shizuka, Yuriko, Saya and Akitsu, come with me. We will go to our next objective," she added.
"Okay," Nell responded. The other girls nodded.
The group pressed ahead and headed to the castle.
"I hope James and Tsukiumi are doing okay in there," Shizuka said.
"They'll be fine," Saya replied. "He knows what he is doing. He's probably enjoying it there," she added.
Then they saw James, Tsukiumi, King Reyd, and the young princess, Ilyr, standing there.
"Your Majesty! I am so relieved to see you safe," Carlotta said as she sheathed her sword and bowed her head in respect.
James smiled "Hey beauties," James teased. He took a step back as he knew he was coming.
"Beautiful...?" Saya muttered. She smiled.
"You truly are a charmer, aren't you?" Yuriko remarked with a knowing giggle.
Nell looked at the King, then back at James with a puzzled expression. "Mister... why exactly are you with His Majesty already?" she asked.
Saya cleared her throat. He's been 'getting acquainted' with the King," she remarked as she looked at James.
James nodded. "We'll have a deeper chat about our new alliance later," he replied as he looked at the King. He looked at Ilyr and saw she was healed. He thought the Ultimatrix had done that.
He thought he needed some healing items.
Carlotta stepped forward. "Your Majesty, please, you must evacuate with the remaining loyal soldiers. We will handle the Prince," she urged.
"No," Reyd said firmly. "I will accompany you. But please, take care of my daughter," he added.
"Your Majesty, you cannot do this," Carlotta protested. "This place is about to become a blood-soaked battlefield," she added.
"I am sorry for troubling you all, but I must see this through with my own eyes," Reyd replied, his voice heavy but steady. "I must face my son," he stated.
James knew it was coming. He quickly opened the faceplate. He saw the silhouette of a man bunny creature. It had a singular horn on its forehead and bunny ears.
He looked up and saw a battle-hungry man. He had a wide, maniacal grin and sharp eyes. His dark hair was slicked back. His face was marked by distinctive scars. There was one running horizontally across the bridge of his nose and another shaped like a small cross on his forehead. He was dressed in a short sleeved shirt and pants. He had a massive sword which he was bringing down.
James thought there was no time. He slammed the faceplate down.His body was engulfed in a brilliant, pulsating light. The air crackled with energy. James' body distorted slightly. In a surge of radiant energy, James' features reshaped. His muscles swelled and his limbs thickened as a dense coat of white fur erupted across his skin. His face elongated, bone structure morphed until it resembled something fierce and beastlike, like a rabbit'. A sharp black horn broke through his forehead with a faint metallic hum. The transformation was sealed with a flash of green light emanating from the Ultimatrix symbol on his chest. His eyes were , black. "High Jumper," High Jumper said as he jumped out of the way.
The man slammed down and hit the ground. There was a shockwave and dust went all around. The ground cracked. He lifted the blade up. "You are a sharp one," he remarked.
High Jumper looked at him. His eyes narrowed.
"You will do fine," he laughed.