Groaning, Ch'en and Lin observed their surroundings and they were trapped under the shop that Ernesto booby trapped.
"Damn, we got done in." Ch'en didn't even try to push on the rubble. Or it might cause a cave in and they'll be in a really bad situation.
"I'll try to get us out of here Ch'en." Lin sighed and she got ahold of her arts unit. She then activated her arts to make pillars of support made of thick cylinders of glass.
The rubble got lifted upwards and Ch'en got some breathing room to move. She quickly crawled over to some spare wood to make a makeshift support with them to let Lin move easier.
Lin then created larger pillars, though it exhausted her due to straining herself.
Ch'en then immediately took her like a sack of potatoes and they escaped from the ruins.
"Phew, we made it Lin... When I see that blonde again, I'll definitely beat him up." Ch'en growled as her frustration about the whole situation piled up.
"Maybe I should make him eat some glass, that little son of a..." Lin squinted her eyes as she huffed, catching her breath.
"Come on, Lin. We still need to get past the other competitors, then we investigate." Ch'en wanted to know what they were planning.
"Yeah, just give me a moment." Lin sighed as she did breathing exercises to calm herself down.
They then started running. Ch'en, using her water gun to shoot at the other contestants on the way and Lin paving the way with glass to make them slip.
While on the way towards the finish line, Ch'en received a phone call from Beatrix and Hoshiguma.
"Oi! Ch'en, we have a problem! We've already taken out multiple bombs from the city. This operation from the true Bolivarians seems to be more troublesome than I thought." Beatrix reported.
"Madame Ch'en, are you okay? There was an explosion not far away from the triathlon. Did they attack you?" Hoshiguma asked for a status report.
"We're alright Hoshiguma, Ernesto is the leader's son. And he distracted us long enough to try and bury us in a shop. Little shit, that guy." Ch'en clicked her tongue.
"Anything more on your end, Beatrix?" Lin asked, she then had a great idea brewing inside of her mind.
"Ohh! There is something, we got the help of three people. Well, mostly two. HRH Alexandrina and the captain of her royal guard has been a great help." Beatrix revealed.
"The princess? I never thought that she'd be trying to help people here in Dossoles." Ch'en was surprised.
"They're actually the ones that have found the most bombs, madame Ch'en." Hoshiguma chuckled and Beatrix bristled.
"Ey! You didn't have to tell them that! This Swire-sama has been doing well too!" Beatrix got competitive.
"Uhhh yeah, after the princess told you the most likely places where you can find them." Hoshiguma laughed and Beatrix hissed.
"Enough playtime Beatrix, here's what you should do." Lin gave them some directives and they thought that was a pretty good idea.
__Vina's group__
Roaming around Dossoles, disarming bombs. Vina and Hannah were blindsided by an ambush and the princess now held a pipe as her main weapon.
"Just like old days, eh mate? Come on ya pricks! Stop tiptoeing around and have some!" Hannah bent some metal and put them around her fists as makeshift knuckle guards.
"I'll help too. I can throw some things." Cantabile slowly took some knives from her bag and used them to support the two.
Thugs with pipes and spear guns started to attack them. Hannah was the first one to charge as she immediately decked a guy who got too close to them.
Her fist reached drew first blood as she caved in one of the thug's face in. Making him fly as he hit a nearby wall.
"Just like old times, feels like Londinium eh, mate?" Vina crouched down and she also charged in.
The lioness swung her pipe with extreme prejudice and hit a guy that was trying to shoot her with a speargun on the face. Making teeth fly as she felt his jaw fracture from the hit.
"Cowards! Fight like a real man!" She brandished her pipe like a sword. "If you don't want to come! I will!" She jumped and smashed her pipe on a large man's crown that was hauling a shield and a small anchor.
The duo then wreaked havoc, fighting violently like gangsters while having grace and elegance. Being taught by Margaret, Shining, and Degenbrecher showed its effects.
With Vina even managing to block some spears with her pipe like the cylindrical metal was a sword. And Hannah used some metal plates that she fastened on her arms as bracers.
Cantabile; while weak, also managed to throw a couple of knives and showed that she was truly an assassin. Nailing the enemies in soft spots, like their eyes, throats, and mouths.
After a few minutes, they got rid of them and Vina sighed. "I mean, when you've got one of those masked blokes coming at you, these guys are like children in comparison."
Vina remembered their fight with an emperor's blade. "Yeah, that bloke huh? Those guys were some proper killers yeah?" Hannah shuddered as she remembered them.
They cannot imagine fighting those guys one on one. Not unless they had some incredible arts or something.
"Come on, the more we take care of, the better Dossoles will be." Cantabile reminded them and they quickly moved.
Disarming bombs and giving out their location to Hoshiguma and Beatrix that they met while beating up some men of the rebels.
"How in the hell could Ash take care of rebels like these easily? They're tenacious bastards, blimey." Hannah was starting to tire out.
Beating up some enemies while carrying a full grown woman with you is not easy at all. Even though she was like a twig.
Hannah needed to be careful so she won't get hit by some stray shots or swings.
"I don't know, Ash should at least bring Isabella with us. She's a proper tower knight, unlike the others who are nobles or parts of your gang before I came." Vina huffed as she tried to catch her breath.
"A reasonable request." Platinum appeared once again, but now. She had an unconscious Isabella with them.
She then tossed her to them and the duo got shocked. "Wait, where the hell did she come from? Did Ash just get her from Paradiso and drugged her or something?" Vina was confused as hell.
"What's important is she is here. Now, your royal guards are two. Which is the perfect amount in the first place. Remember, I'm watching." Platinum disappeared again and they shook her awake.
"Ugh, w-what's happening? Vina? Hannah? Where the bloody hell am I?" Isabella blinked as she woke up.
"You're in Bolivar mate, we need you to assist us. These pricks called true Bolivarians want to bomb the place." Vina frowned.
Isabella furrowed her brows and she immediately stood up. Remembering what happened to Londinium as Theresis invaded the capital of Victoria.
"Aye, let's give these pricks a taste of my meh'ul claws." Isabella patted herself and saw that her choice of weapons was with her.
"Yeah, yeah, your big meaty claws. Come on mate, they can't beat us now." Hannah slapped her on the back.
They continued on with their excursions as Vina told their new companion what happened with La Pluma.
__Team LUNG wRATh__
After getting out of the rubble, Ch'en and Lin immediately finished up the race so they could warn Candela Sanchez.
They finished second, because team lion king was busy in disarming bombs and the men of the rebels.
"Good job Lin, I know you're tired. But your arts helped us slip pass the other competitors." Ch'en patted her on the back and Lin sighed.
"You rely on me too much Ch'en, just like the old days. I need some compensation." Lin rolled her eyes and Ch'en chuckled.
But when they arrived at the finish line, what greeted them was a live broadcast.
"Citizens of Bolivar, I am Pancho Salas. The leader of the true Bolivarians. Why do we do this you ask?" A Perro old man with a full beard that looks like a meathead hijacked the broadcasts.
"Eww, what the hell? An old man who has dog ears? I didn't know that it would be this disgusting." Ash winced as he thought of his little Perro; Ceobe to wash off the image of Pancho.
He also thought of Kristen with her floppy dog ears so he could forget about Pancho. "I'm gonna need some bleach or something."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ch'en glared at him for thinking of useless things while the leader of the rebels is announcing their plans.
"Bolivar has been engulfed in war! Too much death and suffering due to two rivaling forces trying to compete for hegemony!" Pancho showed them the pictures of the aftermath of the civil war.
"So, the true Bolivarians has been born. And we will put a stop to this civil war and free the country that is our home." Pancho closed his eyes.
"Tch, this is why I hate politics." Lin clicked her tongue, showing her distaste for the Coalition government and the Singas.
"Well, Bolivar didn't really enter our radar until recently. Wraith, Eidolon, Wight, have you collected enough information?" Ash spoke and the duo looked around to try and find who he was speaking to.
"Yes, sire. Commence with order 66?" Wraith suddenly appeared in front of him, shocking Lin and Ch'en.
"Not yet, wait for Vina to stop the rebels along Ch'en and Lin. Then we attack, Columbia will have to give up tons of land for this, kukuku~" Ash had a twisted grin on his face.
"They dare try to covet my wives' land? Then I'll simply do the same. Warn the civilians of Columbia. Air strikes will be coming on key areas." Ash snorted.
"By your will, sire." Three voices resounded and they seemed to fade like ghosts.
"W-what was that?" Ch'en could feel her spine shudder at such expert assassins that you would barely know that they were there.
"Ahh? Them? They're just your imagination, don't worry." Ash waved his hand and the duo broke into a cold sweat. Thinking of the places they must've broken into with none the wiser.
"We will take over Bolivar forcefully! It is for the people. Those who stand against us will be dealt with!" Pancho ended his little broadcast.
Breaking news then came up and everyone was surprised. "The cruise ship of Dossoles is currently being attacked by the rebel group called the true Bolivarians."
Cameras showed that speed boats and a yacht with Pancho, La Pluma, and Ernesto were heading towards the cruise ship that has tons of VIPs.
Casters and some automatic turrets were making quick work of the limited guards of the cruise ship.
"Shit, come on Lin. We need to go there and stop them immediately." Ch'en clicked her tongue and team LUNG wRATh immediately went to the docks.
"Godspeed, if you succeed? I'll give you a nice little service." Ash smirked at Ch'en and she felt her anxiety go through the roof.
Ch'en ignored the feeling for now and they went to one of the speedboats. "Hand over the keys! Now!" Ch'en pointed her water gun at the guy who was operating it.
"Or what? You'll shoot water at me?" He scoffed and Ch'en squinted her eyes.
"Kyaaa!" He then got a kicked right on the torso as Ch'en took the keys of the boat.
They then went full speed ahead towards the cruise ship.
Arriving at the ship, Ch'en and Lin boarded it and they quietly made their way to a group of mooks that have the guests tied up.
Nodding at each other, the duo began incapacitating them quickly and they freed the guests who were held as hostages.
"Lin! Look out!" Ch'en shouted at Lin as a scythe swung at her. She immediately blocked it with her glass arts and La Pluma squinted her eyes.
"You are tenacious. You won't stop us from freeing Bolivar." La Pluma announced and Ernesto also appeared with his sword.
"Tch, if only I have my swords with me. I'd show you the difference of heaven and earth." Ch'en clicked her tongue.
"Ohh, your Yanese heritage is showing Ch'en. Please stop that, Beatrix and I already beat that out of you long ago." Lin winced.
"S-shut up!" Ch'en glared at her. "Miss Ch'en, miss Lin. Stop this, we need to open the eyes of the Bolivarians!" Ernesto squared up for a fight.
"You should be the one stopping, you don't know what the hell you are doing. You're just a little piece on a board." Ch'en remembered Ash's twisted grin and she shivered.
It was all a part of his little plan that he looks like he just made on the spot because he was bored. The man was a menace to society.
"Hmph, once the masses know what is truly happening. They will side with us! Prepare yourselves, if you don't wanna give up. Then we'll have to deal with you!" Ernesto brandished his sword and La Pluma crouched down.
"Little brat, do you even know how to swing that thing?" Ch'en shook her head wistfully. She is a certified swordmaster after all.
"Let's end our little bout from earlier, bird." Lin took hold of her arts units and changed her posture.
The two groups went into a standoff and they charged at each other. Both with good intentions, but with differing philosophies and backgrounds.
__
Thank you for reading everyone, sorry I forgot, lmao. Anyways, ciao.