Yuriko, Saya, Shizuka, Tsukiumi, Akitsu, Carlotta, Nell, and James finally emerged from the cramped, damp tunnels. They stepped out into the open air. They squinted as the bright morning sun hit their eyes.
"Finally! We are out of that stinky, horrid place," Shizuka remarked as she stretched her arms wide. Her movement caused her chest to heave. James noted her breasts bounced.
"It was beyond disgusting," Tsukiumi agreed as she brushed invisible dust off her outfit.
"All those floating corpses didn't exactly help," Saya added.
"At least we're breathing fresh air now," James said as he placed a hand on Tsukiumi's shoulder. She leaned into his touch almost imperceptibly.
Tsukiumi thought he was warm. She then thought she was touching him. She moved away and looked flushed.
"It is already daytime," Yuriko commented. "The sun is quite high," she added.
"We arrived late and spent quite a bit of time in those sewers," James remarked.
"We can rest up at the church just ahead," Carlotta said as she pointed toward a stone structure in a nearby field. "It's a sanctuary for the displaced. It will be safe for a few hours," she added.
They headed towards the church. As they approached, they saw a field surrounding the church. There were children running around. Women were busy hanging the laundry on lines stretched between trees.
The moment they got close, a group of children spotted Shizuka. Her bright aura and kind face seemed to draw them in instantly. "Miss! Pretty lady! Will you play with us?" one little boy asked as he tugged at her skirt.
"Sure," Shizuka chirped as her face lit up.
"Catch me if you can," another girl shouted as she darted away. Shizuka giggled and took off after them. Her playful nature made her look like a child herself.
The rest of the group found a place to sit on some wooden benches. A weary-looking villager approached them. "Carlotta-san, it is a relief to see you again," the man said.
"It is good to see you as well," Carlotta replied with a respectful nod. They started to chat.
Saya watched the villagers closely. Their clothes were rugged and patched together; many of them looked pale and malnourished. "They don't look well at all," she remarked quietly to James.
"This must be the grim reality of living under the Prince's rule," Yuriko said. "He hoards the resources while the people starve," she added.
Shizuka, meanwhile, had stopped running. She reached into her generous cleavage and, to the surprise of everyone watching, pulled out several crinkly packets of crisps. "Here you go, little ones! A treat for being so fast," she said as she handed them out. The kids' eyes widened as they tore into the snacks, the sound of crunching filling the air.
"It has been a very long time since they've eaten anything really," the villager remarked.
"They are behind all of this suffering," Tsukiumi said. She clenched her fist so hard her knuckles turned white.
Saya watched Shizuka, who was now sitting on the grass with three children climbing on her. "She certainly is popular," Saya remarked.
"She and Rei have always had a special fondness for children," Yuriko said as she leaned over and nudged Saya with her elbow. "It's a trait you'll have to learn once you start having James's babies," she teased.
"Mother!" Saya shouted. Her face turned red.
"Don't leave yourself out, Yuriko," James said as he slid an arm around Yuriko's waist and pulled her flush against his side. "That applies to you too," he teased.
Yuriko's teasing smirk vanished. She started to give a deep, genuine blush. She then moved away.
"Babies," Tsukiumi whispered to herself. Her eyes went towards James. Her face began to steam as she imagined a mini-James running around. "I suppose a household does need heirs," she said.
At that moment, the peace was shattered as a group of men in polished but dusty knight armor. The man leading them had a grotesquely wide mouth that seemed too large for his face. He had yellow teeth and a sharp, aggressive jawline. His eyes were bulging. He had heavy, furrowed brows, and had short-cropped hair.
He marched straight toward Shizuka, who was still kneeling on the grass with the children.
"Are you ignorant of the law?!" he bellowed, "There is a royal edict stating all food is under the administration of the Crown! Do you wish to be branded as rebels?" he added.
The children shied away in terror and huddled behind Shizuka. Carlotta stood up.
The man sneered as he looked at the half-empty packets of crisps. He thought they smelled different. "It seems you are eating lavishly while doing absolutely nothing, while we true patriots are fighting and bleeding for this country," he said.
He gave Shizuka a predatory look. His eyes lingered on the way her dress hugged her curves as she stood up.
"Rebels? You are quite bold with your accusations, Sergeant," Carlotta said as she stepped between the man and Shizuka.
"They're just crisps," Saya commented dryly as she leaned back on the bench with her arms crossed. "Hardly a state-level conspiracy," she added.
"This is food I provided, so there should be no problem under military code," Carlotta responded.
"Of course there is a problem!" the man shouted. "Any food, any food, falls under the control of the Food Administration. That is the Prince's word," he said.
He leaned in closer to Shizuka and gave her a filthy, leering look.
Carlotta stepped forward. "I have never heard of a case where food scavenged by the army is distributed to civilians being treated as a crime. My knights follow the old code," she said.
"The old code is dead," the man spat. He looked Carlotta up and down. His gaze turned vulgar. "It is the duty of the army to be compensated. Since we are at war, how about you let us 'eat' you as well?" he said.
His eyes flicked back to Shizuka, whose large breasts heaved as she took a nervous breath. "You're even more well-endowed," he mocked as he reached out a hand toward her. "You'll do nicely for a cold night," he said.
At that moment, James opened the faceplate and saw the silhouette of a man. He thought it looked like him. He slammed down the faceplate. There was bright light. His body was engulfed in a brilliant, pulsating light. The air crackled with energy. His eyes turned green. His clothes changed to a black gi outfit. The Ultmatrix appeared on his chest. "Fighter," Fighter said as he rushed forward and hammered a colossal punch straight into the center of the knight's wide, arrogant mouth.
The sound was sickening. His teeth shattered.He flew backward nearly ten feet. His body spun like a ragdoll before he landed with a massive, bone-jarring thud in the dirt.
"James!" Shizuka said. She saw the Ultimatrix symbol. "James?" she questioned. She thought it was him, however he looked a little different. She thought he still looked handsome.
The knight groaned. He felt his nose was smashed flat against his face. There was thick, dark blood pouring from his mouth. He tried to push himself up.
Fighter wasn't finished. He didn't give the man a chance to breathe.
He coiled his muscles and launched himself into the air. For a split second, he blocked out the sun above the fallen knight. Fighter came down like a falling star and drove his knees straight into the center of the man's chest and stomach.
There was a cracking sound. The man's spine shattered. His back arched at an impossible angle as the vertebrae snapped and ground against each other. He collapsed and spat blood.
"You should have kept your mouth to yourself," Fighter said coldly. "Anyone who even looks at my women will die a painful death," he stated.
"My, my," Yuriko purred. She thought that was a erotic scene. "That was quite the display of dominance," she muttered.
Tsukiumi walked over. She looked down at the twitching corpse. "A fitting end for a dog who didn't know his place," Tsukiumi said. She looked at Fighter. She thought it was James, however there was something Sekirei about him.
"This is new," Saya said as she looked at Fighter. She thought of Musubi for a second.
Shizuka lunged towards Fighter and hugged him. Her breasts were planted on to him.
"You were not in any danger," Fighter remarked as he looked at her shotgun.
"I wanted you to save me," Shizuka responded as she hugged him.
"You are taking advantage of the situation," Tsukiumi remarked.
Carlotta immediately moved forward. She drew her longsword and swung the heavy, blunt spine of her blade in a short, rising arc. It caught him right under the jaw. The sound of bone meeting weighted steel was unmistakable. His head snapped back. His teeth clacked together so hard a spray of blood flew from his bitten tongue, and he flopped backward into the grass, out cold.
The second knight lunged forward. However Carlotta stepped inside his guard and drove the flat side of her blade squarely into his ribs. A sickening crack echoed through the field as the air was forced out of his lungs in a wheezy rattle. He crumpled to his knees as he clutched and went to the ground.
Carlotta didn't even look at him. She stepped into a powerful lunge and brought the back of her sword down across the back of his calves. The impact was like a hammer blow. His legs gave out instantly and he tumbled forward. He hit the dirt face-first and didn't move again.
In less than five seconds, three armed men lay broken and unconscious in the dirt. Carlotta exhaled slowly.
"You guys moved so fast," Nell remarked. Her eyes wide as she looked at the unconscious knights.
"I'm going after the scout who has been observing us from the shadows," Fighter said as she looked at the distant rooftop. "The rest of you stay with Carlotta and Nell. Assist them with the villagers and the cleanup," he commanded.
"I am coming with you!" Tsukiumi declared as she took a step forward. She wasn't about to let him out of her sight.
James looked at Tsukiumi. He could see the fire in her eyes.
"It is foolish to go alone, even for you," Saya added, though she stayed back to coordinate with Carlotta as ordered.
"Fine. Let's go," Fighter said as he launched himself into the air.
"He can jump that high?!" Tsukiumi gasped in shock. She didn't hesitate for long and jumped after him.
"See you later," Shizuka said as she waved her hand.