Hawkes was escorted across the roofs to safety. The streets beneath them were empty for the moment, the defenders sticking to move through the buildings or atop them to not trigger what had been laid out.

Her wound was bleeding badly, leaving a clear trail towards their first command post. It was little more than a makeshift roof to block the maddening sight of the sky, a few crates of ammunition, and soldiers, huddled together, clenching their weapons. They all could hear the sound of heavy plate boots as the paladins began to pour into the streets.

Hawkes smiled the moment she heard the first explosion. The buildings on both sides of the streets were turned to an avalanche of rubble, burying the first and last echelons, while keeping the centre ones stuck. Soldiers appeared on the roofs and unloaded whatever they had on their enemies, bullets, grenades, shells.

Most projectiles bounced off their heavy armour, the explosions knocked them off of their feet, but they got back up. Only a few lucky shots managed to hit a lucky weak spot and felled one of their rank.

The paladins were undeterred, and began to climb up the rubble, further onward to the first plaza. On their way they had to make it through the second layer of traps, much more deadly. Elemental spikes shot out of the ground, the sides. They froze them to statues, pierced even their armour, erupted into flames and sent them flying.

Above them, flying in the air was Tetra, staring down at their ranks with a glow in her eye. She rose her hand, creating a wall of dark spikes that rained down on the advancing foe. They quickly returned fire, and Tetra had to twist and turn in the air, dashing past the hail of golden arrows. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the other streets that the paladins were advancing through, and shifted her target to her left.

By now the paladins were passing Hawkes' command post. The lieutenant was rummaging through their arsenal. She did not look up when a red haired soldier approached her.

"Sir, what are our orders? They are passing and our weapons are ineffective." The woman spoke calmly, despite the sounds of mayhem all around them.

"You're going to fall back further and take as many explosives with you as you can carry, those should at least give those freaks a headache. Don't show yourselves unless you have to, learned that the hard way." Hawkes continued to stuff her pockets, her left hand still clutching her wound.

"Sir, you are in no position to be carrying anything, let us handle that." The woman came closer, laying her hand on Hawkes shoulder. They looked each other in the eyes, Hawkes smiled weakly, she did not try to hide the detonator.

The woman slapped her. "Don't you dare. We're going to get you to field hospital, they'll stich you up and."

Hawkes shook her head, and lurched past her, towards the edge of the roof. "You know those quacksalvers from the second retinue, even if I mananged to reach them in time I think I'd rather be dead than living through the sadism they call medicine."

"Stop talking this shit like you're some fucking badass!" The womans eyes shouted anger as much as her voice. "Sir, Rane, don't you fucking dare. Let me try, I know a thing or two about wounds, you cannot be serious that-"

"I cannot be serious what, Leia?" Hawkes stopped just near the edge of the building and turned back around. "We signed our contracts. I was a dead woman when I signed it, this is just death catching up to me." She shook her head and forced her smile wider, hiding her shaking hand behind her back. "And what better way to go than taking down some of these bastards who think they're better than everyone else."

Leia was shaking, yet she did not step forward. "So you'll leave us, me, behind. I-" She lowered her gaze and bit her teeth together. Then her hand rose tot her head in salute, and spoke through the tears running down her face. "Give them hell sir."

Hawkes let out a weak chuckle, and took one more step backwards toward the edge. "And you always said I leaned too much into things." Her foot reached the very edge, she gave one last look to Leia. "I left everything in my room, it's yours. Thank you. For everything."

She let go, and fell. Finally she stared up at the damned sky. Her mind went blank as the horrors she had been warned about unveiled themselves to her, and she was awash in gratitude that she would not have to live with their sight. Her hand clutched the detonator, and pressed it for dear life. Her ears rang, and then she felt nothing.

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The traps and ambushes along the road did their due in staggering the advance of the paladins. bombarded from the roofs and air their numbers did begin to dwindle as they finally advanced upon the great plaza, halfway towards the great Yggdrasil.

The wide open space had not been fortified. Instead, some four hundred soldiers had taken up position. These however were very differently clad. They had forsaken any and all armour, and instead of smaller guns each carried a truly massive rifle, as long as they were tall. The ends of the barrels were outfitted with gruesome bayonets.

In front of their ranks, sat at a small white table, was Elizabeth. She watched the Paladins form up, and continued to sip her tea. Mild amusement flickered in her eyes, turning to resentment as she spied Samdel at the front of the formation. Half of his body was now coated in bright silver armour, his head still uncovered so she could see the sorrow in his eyes as he approached.

"Do you really feel comfortable where you are sitting right now, Merlayne?" Samdel's voice boomed over to Elizabeth, who narrowed her eyes.

"At the helm of progress, the dawn of a new golden age by returning to an older one? Quite comfortable indeed." The lady took her eyes off of him and instead eyed her own reflection in her tea.

"A golden age you call it? For whom, I wonder." Samdel took another step, and now stared into a wall of barrels trained on him. "Do you really think Len-Fey will make halt at your power after she has crushed everyone else? You cannot be that naive."

Elizabeth rested her cup on the table and let out a sigh. "You will never get anywhere without putting much on the line. Enough." With a snap of her finger movement came into the ranks of her soldiery. The first ranks knelt down, giving the ranks further back a clearer field of fire.

"Welcome these unteachables to modernity." Elizabeth crossed her legs and leaned back to the ear-piercing sound of heavy gunfire as the Paladins advanced towards them.

The heavy weaponry of Elizabeth's retinue was showing effect. The heavy calibre knocked the advancing Paladins to the ground, while stray shots tore off limbs. After every volley, the foremost rank stood up to reload, while the ranks behind moved up to get into position for their shot.

Their volleys were supplemented by Tetra's barrages from up high, now less impeded as the volume of retaliatory fire was almost gone. Great spears of energy rained down on their advancing lines, slowing them enough to let the retinue fire another two volleys.

The Paladins had almost crossed the distance, their swords gleaming with golden flames. Elizabeth rose from her seat and walked past it, grabbing her sabre from the table as she joined her retinue on the first line.

"Morning star, hear my yearning. I am far from your light, facing those who shun your glory. Heed my wish and make them perish." A brilliant glow emanated from her blade, and she rose it high into the air.

She could see the white in Samdel's eyes, and brought the blade down in a clean swing. A wave of light followed the arc, slicing forward through the air. Those unfortunate enough to not move out of the way were cut clean in two, their halves falling to the ground, seared.

Her retinue needed no further orders, bayonets brandished they charged with animalistic ferocity. Close before contact they fired their rifles, their last shots to take out one last enemy, before locking in close combat.

They fought admirably, but were no match for the Paladins up close. They laid down their lives to halt their advance, to give a target to the reinforcements showing up on the roofs. They laid down fire from all four sides of the plaza, further diminishing the ranks of the enemy.

Elizabeth was locked in a dance, her sabre cutting through the armour of her enemies with ease. She kept her eyes on Samdel, mirroring his movements and hindering him from moving past her.

"You will only get to my wife over my dead body." She hissed across the battle lines, earning a sorrowful look from her enemy.

"I was afraid you would say that."

From behind the ranks of the Paladins, another bright pillar of light erupted. Three winged figures descended upon the battlefield, the first of which covered in red flowing robes, a great sword in her hand.

"Heiress of the morning star" She spoke, "Your jealous light has blinded the world long enough. For your shameless ambition, your envious betrayal and villainy, you will perish."

The voice of the lady of Hertiria chilled the blood of Elizabeth to ice. Her grip on her blade wavered for a moment, 'ere it tightened again. Silent she stepped closer, her left arm completely enveloped in the light of the morning star.

Above the battlefield still flew Tetra, ready to dive into the carnage at the arrival of the angelic lady of the Paladins. Yet before she could drop down, her body disobeyed. Her throat clenched as she was beckoned away from the field of battle by a single, familiar will.

She could not ignore the feeling of guilt as she turned and made her way back, closer towards Yggdrasil and the final plaza near the great tree. Her humming was still droning across the Ancient's world, a single sound of comfort for Tetra as she heeded the will of her great sister and returned to her.