Rosseaulyn held three RPGs with each hand simultaneously, her face showing no signs of strain from the weight. She crouched and aimed with her eyes and instinct. As they crossed the bridge, she fired all six RPGs at the same time, the recoil seemingly having no impact on Rosseaulyn.
Ayukawa was about to jest at Rosseaulyn, but after witnessing her incredible strength, she was left in shock and disbelief, as Rosseaulyn's appearance didn't seem to match her remarkable power.
"RPG incoming!" one of the pursuing soldiers shouted.
"Emergency brake!" The officer ordered.
The RPG impacted the bridge, creating a massive explosion that sent thick black smoke billowing into the air, obscuring everything in sight. The scene turned chaotic as both parties were blinded by the dense smoke..
'Incredible... an officer of the military with such strength,' Ayukawa thought to herself.
"How's the bridge... Damn, it only damaged the road surface... I underestimated Kothern's infrastructure." Rosseaulyn muttered in frustration.
"But it's not completely useless! At least it slows down those idiots already!" Ayukawa's voice held a note of hope amid the chaos.
"You're right; it's bought us some time."
While the bridge remained standing, the road surface had been obliterated, preventing the large military vehicles from crossing. The soldiers, undeterred, deployed the military bikes they'd been carrying and gave chase.
"They just won't give up, will they? Ma'am, they're coming after us on bikes!" one of Rosseaulyn's soldiers reported.
"Ma'am! Our vehicle won't be able to outrun those bikes. They'll immediately recognize you if they see your unnatural height!"
"That's why I've been crouching the entire time. My legs are aching by now. If we have no other choice, we'll have to fight as a last resort," Ayukawa added.
"I agree, Ma'am! I'm not ready to die. Let me get the minigun again!"
"Just a moment!" Ayukawa halted him.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing; your leader has inspired me. I'll return the favor by dealing with the pursuers behind us," Ayukawa replied.
"Ms. Ayukawa, what's your plan?"
"Just keep driving this vehicle; I'll be back shortly!" Ayukawa declared with determination.
Ayukawa flung open the back door and jumped out of the moving vehicle with remarkable agility. She immediately pulled out her combat knife and sprinted towards the approaching military bikers, aiming to intercept their relentless pursuit. She sprinted towards the approaching bikers, kicking one of them and commandeering his bike and helmet.
"Oh my, who's this? A woman?!" one of the bikers exclaimed in shock.
"Sir, she's following us!"
"What?!"
Ayukawa roared as she took down another biker.
"Goodness! Where did this woman come from? Use your weapons; we have to stop her!" the officer commanded his fellow bikers.
One of the bikers drew his pistol and began firing wildly at Ayukawa. She clutched her knife tightly and threw it directly at the biker's hand, forcing him to drop the weapon. In one swift move, she closed in on him, retrieving her knife before the biker fell from his bike. Ayukawa's combat knife skills were on full display as she took down every single biker, leaving only the officer untouched.
"Ma'am, that lady… She's just incredible in combat! Is she some kind of secret weapon?"
"No, she's just a tourist visiting Kothern. But she's a monster... If she were my enemy, I doubt I could win against her one-on-one..." Rosseaulyn said, watching Ayukawa in awe from the vehicle.
Ayukawa continued her ride, steadily closing in on the officer. She rode side by side with him, lifted her visor, and fixed him with a fierce stare while pointing her knife.
"You crazy... I won't forget what you've done to us! You'll regret challenging the Kothern military!" The officer made a hasty U-turn and fled.
Ayukawa quickly caught up with Rosseaulyn and followed them to the central district, where another one of Rosseaulyn's men was waiting with another vehicle. After confirming that no one was following them any longer, they stopped their vehicles and regrouped.
"Phew! Ms. Ayukawa, thanks for your assistance! You're truly a formidable individual!"
"Same goes for you, Lieutenant. You're quite the force!" Ayukawa replied.
"Where did you learn those combat skills? Have you served in the military before?"
"No, my skills aren't unique."
"If you don't want to share, I won't force you."
"No one could force me even if they tried!"
"Ma'am, we've transferred them to the other vehicle!"
"Alright, good work! Mission accomplished! Forget my earlier instructions to return this bulletproof vehicle. Instead, I want you to completely destroy it and eliminate any evidence that might link us to this. We can't let Dialla find out!"
"Understood!"
"Okay, let's go. Ms. Ayukawa, please get inside. We need to get back to Carmella's so she can treat them."
"Hmm... Are you sure we shouldn't take them to a hospital? How can Carmella treat them in her house without medical equipment?!" Ayukawa questioned.
"I'm considering that, but taking them to a hospital is too risky if Dialla's men are looking for them. Carmella will assess their condition, and if she needs anything, I'll find it for her."
"Got it."
Rosseaulyn took the driver's seat, while the three unconscious individuals were placed in the back. After twenty minutes of driving, they reached the slum near Carmella's house. The normally quiet slum was unusually lively and crowded in the middle of the night. To avoid drawing attention, Rosseaulyn took a detour to Carmella's house.
"We're here! Ms. Ayukawa, let's hurry and get them inside."
"You handle both the mother and daughter. I'll just carry Vermilion. She alone is already heavier than I expected."
"Heavy? Oh, I see..." Rosseaulyn cast a questioning look at Ayukawa, then noticed her leg, which seemed not yet fully recovered.
Ayukawa shouldered Vermilion while Rosseaulyn carried the mother on her back and held the daughter in her arms. Before entering the building, they scanned their surroundings, ensuring no one was following them. Then they entered the elevator.
"Ms. Ayukawa, did you see those crowds on the street just now?"
"Yeah, they all are acting strange... Why are they milling around on the street at midnight?!"
"Their behavior... Although I only caught a glimpse of them, they didn't seem drunk. More like they're on drugs or something similar."
"It's hard to believe that a 'prosperous' country like Kothern has such a dark side."
"Kothern excels at manipulating information. That's why you probably only heard about how great we are... But now, you've seen with your own eyes the less savory aspects of this place."
"Before I came here, I knew this place was truly terrible. Now I can confirm it for myself."
"This place... No, I mean this entire country... There's no truly safe place."
"I understand your concern. You're worried about your little sister living in this slum, surrounded by so many complicated and messy people. Just try to convince her to move out later."
"If convincing a person were that simple, this world wouldn't have been at war for centuries."
"It's your family matter. You're the older sister, and you have to decide for yourself."
"I know."
"We're here. This elevator is incredibly slow!"
Ayukawa unlocked the door to their house. When they entered, the living room was in darkness, with no lights turned on. Ayukawa switched on the lights and noticed Carmella had fallen asleep in Vermilion's favorite spot by the window, leaving it wide open. She was cradling the kitten in her arms.
"Carmella!" Ayukawa woke Carmella up.
"Hmm... Oh, goodness! I dozed off! This window seat is too comfortable..." Carmella woke up.
"Enough of your daydreaming! We have two patients who need your help."
"Patients?! Who?! Is Vermilion okay? Is she injured or hurt?!"
"Not Vermilion. It's your idol - Captain Raynolds's wife and daughter. I think they're dehydrated."
"Dehydrated?! Let me see... By the way, he's not exactly my idol. I think Lyon is more of a fan. What happened to Vermilion, though? Please tell me she's just asleep."
"I'd say she probably fell asleep, but she also appears to have lost consciousness."
"Did she use her power again?"
"Yeah, not just once, but multiple times. So she ended up like this." Ayukawa explained as she gently placed Vermilion in her favorite window seat.
"Hopefully she will wake up soon... I'm really disappointed with Rosse. This is why I was against Vermilion helping her in the first place. What if she never wakes up again? Anyway, I know this is Vermilion's decision... But, please, no more."
"Hmm? Where did she go... Ah, I see..." Ayukawa noticed Rosseaulyn's silhouette standing outside the door. Carmella seemed to be oblivious to her presence.
"Ayukawa, did you carry all three of them back by yourself with your injured leg?!"
"No, I only carried Vermilion. She alone was enough to strain my back. How are these two doing? Are they really in dire condition?" Ayukawa redirected Carmella's focus.
"The mother is only mildly dehydrated, but her daughter's condition is more severe. I'm afraid even giving her water won't be enough right now. We might need intravenous fluids to save her."
"I see... HEY! Did you hear that?! Go get the IV fluids now!" Ayukawa's voice was raised as she intended to communicate her urgency to Rosseaulyn.
"Huh? Who are you talking to...?!" Carmella spotted Rosseaulyn's silhouette outside the door just as Rosseaulyn closed it and rushed to fetch the necessary supplies.
"Sorry to bother you so late at night, but I believe you should focus on saving these two lives rather than your family dispute."
"I understand! I'm not a child anymore. I know what needs to be done. Ayukawa, come and assist me."
"What would you like me to do?"
"It's a simple task. Mix some water with sugar and salt."
"Okay, what's next?!"
"After that, here comes the most challenging part. Are you ready?!"
"What is it?!"
"You must slowly and gently feed the water to the little girl."
"What's so challenging about that?!"
"The challenging part is you must be gentle..."
"I still don't understand... I have no medical knowledge. Are you suggesting I need to feed her in a specific way?!"
"No, just the usual way but with tenderness."
"Are you making fun of me?!" Ayukawa responded with a touch of annoyance.
"I'm not! But you've never shown a gentle side before! That's why I said it's the most difficult part, especially for you!"
"Nonsense! Let me demonstrate. I used to feed my sister when she was a baby."
"Great! I'll take care of the mother, then. It seems like they haven't been eating anything. Once they wake up, we'll need to prepare some light meals for them as well. But we're almost out of money. It's not even enough to buy basic food supplies..."
"Don't worry about that! Your sister promised to provide whatever is necessary."
"I wish I didn't have to take a single cent from her, but this is an emergency. I guess I have no choice..."
"I think both of you should resolve your disputes after this. Don't drag anyone else into your family business."
"Nah, unless she apologizes to me first! Wait... Did you just worry about me?"
"No, I worry about myself."
"Damn... I was almost touched when you advised me. In the end, you're still a cold-blooded person."
"I never asked you to expect me to be kind and helpful like Vermilion. Your magic water has done. How much should I feed her?"
"Let me pour some for the mother... You can feed the rest to her. Remember, be gentle."
"Stop it!" Ayukawa warned and shot Carmella a fierce look.
"Haha, I know how gentle you can be... I still remember your table manners from last time..."
Ayukawa sighed at Carmella's childish teasing, and she continued following Carmella's instructions, carefully feeding every sip of water into Cathie's mouth. Meanwhile, Carmella took care of Geena. As Carmella observed Ayukawa's movements, she saw a gentle side, reminiscent of a caring sister looking after a younger sibling. Ayukawa noticed Carmella's glances and responded with a stern look and Carmella quickly looked away.
"How's Vermilion? Do I need to feed her this water too?"
"No, she seems fine after I checked on her. I think she just exhausted all of her energy."
Cough... Cough... Geena woke up from her unconsciousness.
"Oh, she's awake!"