The Two Empresses
Escape

"Is Arakawa's boy's madness contagious until he starts to look like a psychopath?" Yorktown. He took a careful look from the tip of the foot to the tip of the little girl's head to find a speck of crack that could benefit him.

"It's a war, you know. Too long thinking will only make you die on the spot" Tania complained as she moved her puppet to attack. Yorktown immediately shook her hands and burned the doll to ashes with her black flames.

"Well, it's a pity that the doll was destroyed" Tania lamented. His clockwork ticks and stops at the number 1, along with the return of Tania's doll to its original shape.

"How about.fuckin."

"Ahaha, this is just the beginning. The truth is about to begin" Tania said. The puppets again swung their weapons, but Yorktown was able to convolutely and retaliate against all attacks with its black flames. Lao glanced at Tania, realizing the girl was still far from strong as sweat grains began to pour down her temples. He immediately began healing and sighed, looking for a way how to get back the voodoo doll that was still in the grasp of Yorktown.

"Hey, can you hear me?" someone near his ear. Lao was startled and turned in all directions, looking for someone who called out to him.

"Buddy, I'm in your ear exactly" he continued. Lao reflex held onto the ear and found a vine wrapped around his ear.

"Julian?"

"Yes it's me. What's the condition there?"

"less profitable. Yorktown wears voodoo, where's my doll anyway. At the moment Tania is fighting, but I doubt she will last long" he said as he watched Tania who was still attacking. "Where are you?"

"Uh, it's hard if I tell you where. Obviously, my position is too far away from you" Julian replied.

"Shy, annoying. I thought you were going to help us" said Lao.

"Haish, don't piss me off. I'm looking for a way to help you" replied Julian Keki. "So what did you say? Voodoo doll?"

"Yes voodoo."

"Well, the weight of your life, chief. Anyway, do not let the doll be stabbed again, you might even die first" Julian said. Lao is getting better at hearing it.

"You didn't tell me I understood, too, damn it."

"Hehehe, sorry," elak Julian relaxed. Finished healing himself, Lao hurried to his feet and took his spears lying down. His eyes watched Yorktown, who was still fighting magic with Tania, tightly clasping her spear as she caught her breath.

"Okay, stay calm, Lao. You can, definitely can. Oi, Julian, do you hear me?"

"That's obvious. You need help?"

"Are there any plants near Yorktown?" tanyakanya.

"Uhh no. I think he burned down the plants around him so I wouldn't mess around" Julian replied.

"It doesn't matter, because I don't want to deal with plants drenched in blood" Lao chanted as he threw the spear quickly and managed to cut off the arm of Yorktown holding the voodoo doll, then teleport and retrieve the doll.

"Damn it!" maki Yorktown's. Tania, who saw the opportunity, pointed the gun and shot him, making Yorktown unable to wince and freeze on the spot. His clock hand is pointing at the number 4.

"What's that?" ask Lao.

"Freeze the time," Tania said as she adjusted her wheezing breath. Lao kept the doll in a magic bag and rushed to help Tania to rest for a while. Sweat had washed his clothes.

"Looks like your magic's draining, huh?" ask Lao sympathy.

"It could be," replied Tania. A tendril suddenly appeared from behind a nearby Yorktown building and immediately twisted it tightly, then Julian poked from a large flower that grew in another tendril that propagated towards Tania and Lao.

"Hello," he said cheerfully. Lao put on a flat expression and hit his head as hard as possible until he staggered.

"Okay, hey! What the fuck?"

"You want me to hit again, huh?" reply Lao is upset. "It's late, it's good that you just catch him. Look at this, Tania just got to this."

"Yes sorry, I was in the north and just finished taking care of the attacking keroco-keroco. Tania, are you okay?" ask Julian. Tania was only able to nod so out of energy.

"Let's move Tania first" Lao said, carefully carrying the girl, while Julian made a round cage to make sure Yorktown didn't escape.

"Tania is cool, salute me" Julian said.

"Yes, he's great" Lao continued with his trademark smile. "I won't have any more trouble if Tania develops like this."

"Hahaha, so don't be willing to see him grow up" Julian said as he performed first aid to Tania who was unconscious. "This girl will grow brilliant."

"And I can definitely beat Saciel" Lao said.

"I need to call the soldiers first," Julian said as he walked in the opposite direction, while Lao continued on towards the palace. Some of the soldiers who saw him came straight.

"Duke Requiem, what happened to Miss Schariac?" ask one of the soldiers.

"long story. Please take Tania to the palace, I still have to take care of the others" Lao replied as he handed Tania over carefully. After making sure they left safely, Lao returned to where Yorktown was locked up and was shocked to see Julian's cage destroyed and no one was there.

"How can you?" chirps Lao wonder.

"Ah, someone took it," Julian chirped as he ran towards her with several soldiers behind him.

"Who?"

"From Draco's race," replied Julian annoyed. "I forgot he was still around."

"...uh, shit. I didn't even notice her big body" Lao lamented as he patted her hard enough.

"Then what now?" ask Julian.

"...we'd better go back. Free to chase after him, after all Yorktown can't move."

"Related?"

"Related. Come on," Lao turned around and teleported, followed by Julian with the soldiers.

...****************...

"...you look a mess" Phillip chirped as he stepped into the throne room with Istvan beside him.

"You're the same," replied Lao keki. "You want to see His Majesty?"

"Yes" replied Phillip briefly. They walked into the throne room and saluted the red-haired girl who was sitting and discussing with Stevan.

"Your Majesty," greet them. Saciel turned with a calm expression.

"How is Careol?" tanyakanya.

"Many people were injured, but the medical team on guard was able to act quickly to deal with the situation. We beat Erika and Boldstone" Phillip said.

"We managed to capture Yorktown, but he managed to escape assisted by his colleagues," continued Lao.

"good job. At least we managed to reduce the number of enemies, but..."

"But Vatra hasn't shown up yet" Phillip said. "We are far from safe, Your Majesty."

"You're right, Phillip. I guess he deliberately didn't show himself to set up a strategy" Saciel complained.

"Your Majesty, we better act quickly before the casualties increase" Istvan chanted.

"We can't be rash, Istvan. We don't even know the enemy's movements" Saciel said.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" call Ilmol while running into the throne room with a pale face. "Your Majesty, one of the gods is dead!"

"What?!" sahut who is in the throne room.

"Who's dead?" ask Julian.

"...the Deus Ex Machina."

"...how can a god die?" ask Istvan.

"Nothing is impossible, Istvan. This must be Vatra's doing" Saciel said. "What about the flugels?"

"They're down right now, Your Majesty. Their strength has also declined drastically and is currently seeking help from other countries" Ilmol replied.

"Ilmol, Julian, go and help Avant Heim. They've helped me, it's time to repay their kindness" Saciel said.

"Okay, Your Honor," said Ilmol and Julian.