City of London, England.
The skies over the once-vibrant city was gray as the smoke from countless fires all-across the cityscape rose to the sky. The sounds of sporadic gunfire echoing in the distance from all directions.
It was pretty obvious that the entire city is a battlefield. Not a single civilian could be seen outside. Only the remnants of ruined cars and burning buildings and the thick barricades that blocked the bridge on either ends.
This was the scene that greeted Guinnevere as she stepped outside a armored personnel carrier onto their end of the Lambeth Bridge. Her sabatons making clanking sounds as it hit the asphalt.
Contrary to her white ceremonial military uniform, she now wore a white one-piece jumpsuit with a metal breastplate, vambrace and gauntlet, tasset, greaves and sabatons that all shone a dull-silver over it. She also had a white waistcloth lined with black and gold and embroidered with a lance with two wings and was placed right under her tasset. Unlike the knights who wore full helms on their heads, she only wore a dull-grey metallic headgear and let her long golden-white hair flow down her back.
"Ugh...are you sure this is the most troublesome bridge out of all 35?"
She groaned in askance.
"Yes, your Highness. This bridge is the most heavily guarded bridge since most of the insurgent armored forces are deployed here.", A knight answers her while slinging a rocket launcher over his shoulder.
"Hrm..."
Guinnevere makes a quick inspection of her surroundings and notes each and every soldier that buzzed about on the bridge.
During the 21st century, soldiers would wear combat fatigues made of thick cloth along with vests made of kevlar. They carried firearms and were generally people who relied on fighting from a distance. At least, that was what Guinnevere had read from the books and war archives.
But now in the 22nd century, after the end of the End-of-the-Century War, with the revelation of the Saints and the return of the long-forgotten ability to harness magic, soldiers of today wore equipment tailored to resist both modern weaponry and magic. But that's not all that changed, with magic, one can enhance their own physical capabilities to an extent which will allow them to engage in close-combat even amidst a firefight and due to this, medieval weaponry such as swords and spears were given another chance to be used in battle.
This was the new generation of combat born in the 22nd Century and one that Guinnevere has only ever known since her birth.
Hence, she inspected each armored soldier around her.
"They seem pretty gung-ho. The way they conspicuously readied their blades tells me that they are eager to just charge right through the enemy defenses."
Guinnevere remarked with a wry smile.
"Well, your Highness did say you will lead the charge. It is always an honor for us Knights to accompany you into battle. I just wish the Saint's Guard would do the same.", the knight sighed.
"Well, that is something that cannot be helped. The Saint's Guard may only be commanded by their Saints. Not even a queen or a president would be able to command them. Heck, not even the Pope could.", Guinnevere chuckled as she walked towards the rows of barricades, "Hmm...from this distance, I can see 2 heavy tanks and a very mean-looking mobile armor right in front of their barricade. Is that the thing that you said was being troublesome?", she asked while pointing at the large metallic figure at the other end of the bridge.
"Yes your Highness. That mobile armor seems to be something they have been deploying recently. Makes us wonder if another country is sponsoring them. I mean, it looks too advanced to be a weapon developed by a mere terrorist organization.", the knight answered.
However, Guinnevere thought that assumption was wrong.
'Well, if you take into account their numbers...sure enough they are comparable to the terrorist organizations from the 21st century. But then the fact that they have members from various ethnicities, it makes that assumption totally moot. Terrorist organizations more often than not, have strong solidarity the same as mafias or the Japanese yakuza. These guys however are more than those kinds of groups.', Guinnevere continues to observe the other side of the bridge and soon notices the numerous figures amassing at the other end of the bridge.
'Funding, numerous but skilled members, uniform high-technology distributed amongst their ranks, a terrifying information network that could get info in as close as real-time and finally-', she pauses her thought as she hears the enemies on the other side shout. Though she did not understand them due to the distance, she nevertheless understood what they were planning.
"-they have resolve. Nothing like the fanatical resolve of the jihad extremists from the last century, but something akin to an 'extreme sense of duty and responsibility' since they have been relentlessly targeting any of the known Saints and some people in seats of power all across the globe with some unknown purpose. I can sense that from them somehow."
She remarks to herself about her observations of their enemies. However, there was some sense with what the knight had said so she cannot really dismiss it outright.
"Oh well, we will be killing each other in a short while so no use pondering about it at the moment."
She completely put it at the back of her mind though. Opting instead to just think about it after.
With a wry shrug, she gestures towards one of her knight escorts for her weapon. A knight then obediently retrieves a 3 meter-long golden lance from a suitcase and then brings it over to her.
All the knights made way for the carrier giving gasps and looks of awe as they stared at the golden lance as if it was some kind of rare specimen.
Their awe was not because it was made of gold nor that it had intricate arabesque design that ran across its base and spiraled until the tip but because of its infamy as the sole weapon of Guinnevere, dubbed 'Rhongominiad'.
Known as one of the most gifted warriors in the world, her fame with her skill and strength with a lance was so great, the world unilaterally called her 'Brynhildr', the same name as the famous Valkyrie from Norse myth, and for good reason too.
However, though she knows of her fame, Guinnevere cannot help but feel like it was something unnecessary. Thinking that since she never took up her lance and learned magic just to earn glory, she is somewhat peeved by the title.
'Brynhildr? Who? You? Don't joke with me princess, you can't even land a scratch on me because you're so wimpy. Better stick to painting or reading books if you know what's good for you.'
The memory of a certain man mocking her resurfaced in her mind causing her to feel even more annoyed.
"Your Highness...your weapon."
"Umu. Thanks."
Taking the proffered lance into her hand, she could feel the ever so familiar feel of its seamless leathered golden shaft. The hardness she felt within her grasp reminded her that the weapon was all metal. Making it far heavier than even the conventional rocket launcher some of the knights are carrying but that was something she did not care about. She makes a wry smile and effortlessly lifts the lance with her left arm. Raising it up and making the tip glint under the shine of a ray of sunlight that just happened to break through the murky gray clouds.
"Alright. What say we end this stalemate ourselves my old friend?"
Guinnevere whispers towards the lance. Of course there was no answer to be had but she still could not help but say some words. But then the lance somehow glowed for a moment in her eyes causing her to smile.
"Well, I cannot say no to that."
With a sigh, she then begins to address the knights,
"Hearken my knights!"
All the knights stopped whatever they were doing and turned their gazes towards her.
"I know, I may have been too abrupt to have asked you to rally today and I know many of you think that it is quite reckless and unlikely of me. But I assure you, this is something important both to me, to you, and to our country."
She could hear the enemies on the other end of the bridge start their armored vehicles.
"Though to be honest, this battle we shall face is also something born out of a selfish whim of mine. Though I may be a princess, it is inexcusable for me to just force you to accompany me in this even though it may very well cost you your lives. That is why, before we proceed with our attack, I would like to offer my apologies."
She makes a slight bow with her eyes closed. She understood that because of her pride, she would not want to have 'him' come to England while it's in chaos since he will surely just mock her again and tell her off.
"And with this, I will have to ask you, brave Knights of our kingdom, will you follow me into battle?"
Without any sugarcoating, without hesitation, without childish pride, she makes a humble plea towards her knights. Entreating them to accompany her in her selfishness.
"Your Highness, needs to act like this once in a while you know?"
"Yeah. Her Highness tends to be so uptight it makes us wonder if you ever enjoyed your youth properly."
"Right?"
Somehow, instead of murmurs, she hears unexpected responses and the laughter of the knights.
But she understood from their words. Their laughter was a sign that they did not mind and so the knot of uncertainty and anxiety in her heart was unraveled.
"Heh. Do not blame me if you guys cannot keep up and die alright?"
She offers a challenging scoff towards her lighthearted knights as she hefted Rhongominiad over her shoulder.
"Oho. Us men cannot just back down from a challenge your Highness! Oi you old farts! We going to do this or what?"
"OOOOOOOUUUH!"
They answered her with a fervent battle cry.
'Umu. They really are the best subordinates I could ever ask for.'
With a smile, Guinnivere then faces towards the bridge.
Their enemies, finally advancing with fervor with the mobile armor proudly leading from the front.
'Heh. I guess the lead actors are the ones leading the charge. Fine by me.'
Guinnevere then proceeds and then jumps over the barricade.
"Oi! Get ready to follow her Highness! Quick get ready boys!"
The knight captains started to ready themselves to follow Guinnevere but she could not wait any longer.
'If I dawdle any longer, 'he' might just arrive before I even end this and that would be the end for me. He will not stop at simply mocking me so I need to end this now!'
"Men, if you're too slow, I'll be ending this all by my lone self and then I will have to dock your pay."
"EH?!"
"Let strength dwell within me, and let the wind take me past the horizons...Tailwind!"
Without a moment's pause, she casts a magic spell to increase her speed and then she takes a thrusting stance with her weapon and in the next moment;
"Break their ranks!!!"
She shouts and charges through with a speed that outrivaled even an F1 race car.
Her feet gouged the asphalt and sent shockwaves behind her as she broke the sound barrier twice.
Now, the Lambeth Bridge is exactly 236 meters long. Guinnevere who had broken the sound barrier twice in a split second meant she would instantly reach the other side.
Imagine that mass, carrying a golden lance that could pierce through the thick walls of the royal palace with ease, flying at you at 686 meters per second...
"Uwaah...condolences to the pilot of the mobile armor."
"Yeah...I do not want to be the one at the end of that lance."
"Umu...poor guy. Look, his head just went flying over the bridge!"
"Don't say it man, you just might make me puke."
"Un...she truly is the most powerful. If she's Brynhildr, then who would be her Sigurd then?"
"Probably the only man alive who can beat her in single-combat. Not like he would exist."
"Yeah...Oh shit. Hey! Everyone! Were we trained to let our princess do all the dirty work?! CHAAAAAAARGE!!!"
"UOOOOOOOH!!!"
The knights snaps themselves out of their idle banter and offers of condolences and soon follow after their beloved princess with fervor and courage...and quite possibly, a pinch of fear.