Serena's face was pale, and she stared at her hand the whole time they were inside the carriage. They were going to war, it was normal to be nervous, but she didn't like feeling like this.
Altea put her hand on top of Serena's hand and asked the obvious question, "Are you okay, princess?"
"No, I feel sick," Serena replied honestly.
Altea hugged her and said, "I'm sorry I can't do anything to help you, princess."
This actually make her feel a little better. But on the other side, she embarrassed too because the twins was watching.
"It's fine, princess. We're here! We won't let them hurt you!" Talia said trying to reassure serena.
Salia beside her nodded her head and added, "We will do our best!"
Serena tried to smile and said, "Thank you."
She was happy they were here with her, but still, the uneasy feeling didn't disappear.
The carriage suddenly stopped, jolting Serena out of her thoughts. She looked around, confusion etched on her face.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Let me check," Altea said, reaching for the door handle. She pulled it open, revealing a girl standing there, her face obscured by a cloak and mask. Serena felt a chill run down her spine as she remembered the girl's name. Viola Drewn.
"We will move by foot starting here," Viola said, her voice muffled by the mask.
Serena nodded, she grabbed her sniper rifle and jumped out of the carriage, Altea and the twins following close behind.
Serena looking around, she saw they started set up a camp and preparing for defense. It seemed like Prince Casper would stay around here.
Suddenly, Serena saw smoke rising in the distance. Her heart raced as she realized what it meant. The fight had already started. She could hear the distant sounds of weapons clashing, and her fingers tightened around her rifle.
"Alright, follow me," Viola said.
Serena hugged her sniper rifle and started following Viola and the knights. They would go to higher ground. Their strength was range, so they would obviously use that.
Serena gulped. "Talia, can you go first?" she said. "You're the best at noticing small things. That will be helpful."
Talia's ears perked, she looked excited but her expression quickly turned to one of concern. "But I'm supposed to protect you," she said.
"It's fine," Serena reassured her. "I still have Altea and Salia here."
"Just go already," Altea said. "You were never suited for defense anyway."
Her twin sister Salia nodded in agreement. "I'll do your part too," she said.
"But be careful," Serena reminded Talia, a note of worry in her voice.
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Talia smiled bravely. "Okay, princess," she said before leaping onto a nearby tree branch and disappearing into the shadows.
Serena watched Talia disappear into the trees, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew Talia was strong when she was serious, but the danger that lay ahead was undeniable. Hopefully, she wouldn't make a stupid mistake.
They continued walking in silence, the only sound being the rustle of leaves beneath their feet. Serena couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach since they left. It was too quiet, too still, and she knew that it couldn't last forever. She glanced around, taking in the dense forest around them, searching for any sign of danger.
And then, as if on cue, Talia's voice broke through the silence.
"Enemy spotted!" she said, her voice urgent.
Serena's heart started racing at Talia's words. She knew that this was it. The moment she had been preparing for, the moment she had been dreading. It was time to face their enemy.
"Where are they?" Viola asked.
Talia pointed to the east, towards a group of trees. The group moved towards the trees, their footsteps silent as they approached. As they got closer to the trees, they could see movement in the shadows. The Samalanra army was there, and their numbers were quite small. They might have been splitting from the main army and about to attack from the side.
"Alright, everyone, prepare to attack," Viola said.
They prepared their guns in silence.
"Princess," Viola said to Serena, "do you want to take the first shot?"
Serena was a bit surprised by the offer, but it made sense. This was her fight. She nodded, took a deep breath, and then held it. She tried to calm her heart, carefully took aim, and then pulled the trigger.
A gunshot sound followed, and one enemy fell to the ground with their head bleeding.
"Enemy attack!" screamed one of the Samalanra army.
As the Samalanra army realized that they were under attack, they started to panic. They were not expecting an ambush. The enemy soldiers were running in all directions, trying to find cover, but it was too late.
The twins and Prince Casper's knights had also started shooting, quickly dwindling the enemy's number.
Serena's heart was pounding in her chest as she continued to fire her gun. She had never killed anyone before, and the reality of what she was doing was starting to sink in. But she also knew that this wasn't the time to hesitate. She forced herself to focus, blocking out the chaos around her and focusing only on her targets.
"Don't let any of them run away!" Viola demanded.
Gunshots followed her words, quickly demolishing the Samalanra army.
"No more enemies," Talia said. "We successfully destroyed their army!"
Serena felt a sense of relief wash over her as she watched the Samalanra army crumble beneath the relentless barrage of gunfire.
"That's great," Serena said, sighing out of relief. "But if they can spare to split their army like this, that means their main army was winning against our elven kingdom."
Viola nodded grimly. "That's right, this is not the time to celebrate. Keep moving. We have no time to waste."
Serena knew that Viola was right. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over.
The group quickly made their way through the trees, their eyes scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger. The tension in the air was palpable as they moved forward, each step taking them closer to the enemy.
As they continued walking, Serena couldn't help but glance over at Viola from time to time. The masked girl had an air of mystery around her, Serena wasn't sure who this Viola girl was. From how Prince Casper had treated her--he had even let her inside his carriage--Serena assumed she was someone special to him. Yet before that day, she had never seen Viola at all, even though she met with Prince Casper every day.
There's no way she was his lover, right? Serena thought to herself. What about his fiancée, Nova? Did he decide to discard her because she was unconscious? Is he cheating?
Serena shook her head, her thoughts started to go to weird places.
Soon they saw a huge fight near the stronghold. Serena's heart sank as she watched the battle unfold before her eyes. The elves were fighting fiercely, but they were outnumbered by the Samalanra army. The enemy soldiers were getting dangerously close to the stronghold, and the elves were struggling to push them back.
But then, she saw her. A girl with a huge body like a bodybuilder with bulging muscles. She was the unnamed protagonist of the game that people called Gunslinger Girl.
The gunslinger girl was a force to be reckoned with. Her muscles bulged as she drew back her bow, firing arrow after arrow with unparalleled precision. The elves tried to fight back with their own archery skills, but they were no match for her. She was too quick, too accurate, too deadly.
And it wasn't just her archery that was impressive. When the elves managed to get close to her, she wielded a blunt weapon with ease, knocking them out one by one. And when arrows flew her way, she used earth magic to create a shield, protecting herself from long-range attacks.
Serena got into position and started aiming at the gunslinger girl, pulling the trigger. But as if she could feel it, the gunslinger girl ducked, making Serena's shot miss.
Following her attack, Talia and the knights started shooting too, which worked better. They successfully hit the enemy, some in vital areas like the head, immediately eliminating them, and some just scratching their hands or legs.
Noticing the arrival of reinforcements, the Samalanra army split their attack. Led by the gunslinger girl, they planned to attack Serena's group with a close-range attack.
"Keep shooting!" Viola shouted. "Don't get scared! My group won't let them get close!"
Viola then created a sword from darkness magic. Viola's group of knights sprang into action, engaging the enemy in close combat. The sound of clashing swords filled the air as they fought with all their might.
Serena gritted her teeth as she reloaded her gun. The gunslinger girl was proving to be a difficult target to hit. She was agile and quick, and seemed to have a sixth sense about incoming attacks.
As Talia and the knights continued to fire, they managed to take out several of the enemy soldiers. But the gunslinger girl was still standing.
"Princess, watch out!" Altea said.
The gunslinger girl shot her arrow towards her. Thankfully, Serena successfully dodged it.
"Are you okay, princess?" Altea asked.
Serena nodded, but her eyes were fixed on the muscular girl. Even though Viola was the most important figure for her group right now, the gunslinger girl was still aiming for her.
As characters from "GG: Gunslinger Goddess," it seemed they were destined to fight each other.
Serena understood that she wouldn't have a peaceful life unless she eliminated that girl herself.
With renewed determination, Serena prepared her gun once more, ready to face her opponent head-on.
***