News of the Lungmen transport team's imminent arrival was known not only to Ursus but also to Leithanien. The authorities there were well aware of Flandre's situation. Thus, the Twin Empresses were quite curious whether this young Blood Demon girl—who navigated the delicate politics between the Reunion Movement and Lungmen—had the ability to break through the Ursus encirclement while protecting a massive load of supplies.
As for helping? That was certainly out of the question. To the Empresses, whether the convoy succeeded or was wiped out, they stood to gain either way. If it succeeded, Ursus would be slapped in the face once again, diminishing the fear other nations held for the northern empire. And if the convoy was wiped out, it was even better for Leithanien; both the Reunion Movement and Lungmen would view Ursus as mortal enemies. Furthermore, the Reunion Movement would be forced to buy supplies from Victoria or Leithanien itself, allowing them to control the movement's lifeline while letting them share the pressure from the north.
It was for this reason they stood by and watched the farce. However, seeing that Ursus had actually deployed two Mobile Warships, the Empresses noted that the other side must have suffered significant losses early on to reach such a desperate determination.
Flandre and her group were completely unaware that Ursus had already made such ample preparations. Over the next few days, they remained vigilant, yet unusually, they didn't encounter a single attack. They even conducted a reconnaissance at a highly likely ambush point, only to find that while Ursus had prepared an ambush there, they had all withdrawn. Had internal strife broken out in Ursus? Or had they given up? No one believed those reasons. Everyone thought those Ursus barbarians must be plotting something deeper.
By this time, the convoy was drawing closer and closer to the border. "There are three more danger zones. Once we pass them, it's a vast plain where the Ursus people won't be able to attack us at all. Everyone, stay alert," Zhang Wei said, looking at the map. Though he spoke to reassure them, the foreboding feeling in his heart grew heavier. He ordered all escort teams to be ready, and the mortar squad placed their barrels on the outermost side of the trucks for immediate deployment.
The first danger zone showed no sign of the enemy. Flandre stood on the roof of the lead vehicle. They were less than thirty kilometers from the Leithanien border—a single step from safety. The area three kilometers ahead was the spot where Beatrice Schwire and Ch'en Huijie believed the final ambush would occur. After a quick word with Zhang Wei, Flandre flew ahead to confirm the situation.
Before even arriving at the chokepoint, she realized the scale of the trap. She shouted into her walkie-talkie, "Stop the entire convoy! There are many, countless enemies. I see many cannons with long barrels. Fall back and wait for my signal!"
Flandre instantly split into four. As magic circles rose behind her, waves of Danmaku gushed out.
"As expected, she found us. All long-range attacks, aim at the target—saturated area bombardment!" the Ursus frontline commander ordered.
Flandre was about to use her usual tactics when she noticed strange magical fluctuations around her. Two High-speed Battleships, the Lookout and the Ironlily, suddenly appeared from behind the mountains, baring their fangs. Accompanied by the roar of massive cannons, countless bombs exploded all around her. Unable to dodge such a concentrated, massive barrage in time, Flandre was finally injured. Bloody scratches appeared on her face, and her clothes were torn to shreds by the concussive force.
A cheer erupted from the Ursus army. Since she could be injured, she could be killed. They prepared a second round of shelling. But the sound of the next explosion didn't come from Flandre's position—it came from the High-speed Battleships themselves.
A pitch-black crack—a Gap—had appeared around Flandre, filled with countless peering eyes. Similar cracks appeared above the two warships. All ammunition and magic fired at Flandre were swallowed by the cracks and spat back out onto the decks of the Ursus ships.
Flandre stared blankly at the Gap. Before she could react, a hand pressed down firmly on her head. "Distracted during a fight? You're disappointing me a little, Sister."
Hearing that familiar voice, Flandre's eyes welled up with tears. She lunged toward the girl beside her with a laugh. "Sister!"
The girl, Remilia Scarlet, had wanted to criticize her sister's reckless behavior, but seeing Flandre's pitiful, wounded expression, she lost the strength to scold her. She pulled Flandre up. "Sigh, Flandre, stand aside and watch closely. Combat isn't a game; this is how it's done!"
At that moment, several figures stepped out from the Gap.
"So this is Terra? The air is feels suffocating, as if there's some invisible particles we can't see." one remarked.
"I didn't expect to have to fight as soon as I arrived, but hehe, I like fighting! Hic" another said, stumbling slightly.
"You drunkard, stop drinking for a moment," a commanding voice said. "Go deal with those two big lumps of iron. We need a stable environment to evaluate this world. Aya Shameimaru, I'll leave the basic investigation of this world to you."
"Then I'll head out first! See you in a week!" the Tengu girl soared into the sky and vanished.
"Ahem, leave the soldiers here to me. How dare they bully Flandre? I won't let them off easily," said a pale-faced woman in a nightgown, raising her hand as runes of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Sun, and Moon began to shine.
"Hey, hey, that's not fair!" the drunkard, Ibuki Suika, complained. "Why do I have to deal with the toughest nuts alone?"
"Then we'll take one each," Remilia declared, her eyes glowing with a murderous red light. "These big lumps of iron dared to bully my sister; it's unforgivable!" She charged like a red streak toward one of the battleships.
Suika stretched her body with a jingle-jangle of chains. "Alright, alright... exercise then!" She flew toward the other warship.
Flandre tried to stand up to help but was held down by the shoulder by a woman in a red and blue robe—Eirin Yagokoro. After checking the wounds, Eirin handed her a pill. "Take this. They're just ordinary scratches. You'll be fine. As for your clothes..."
Flandre's clothes were barely hanging on. Just then, Sakuya Izayoi, the elegant maid, arrived with a fresh set of clothes from the Scarlet Devil Mansion. "Second Young Mistress, please change first."
In the distance, the battlefield had completely reversed. Patchouli Knowledge used her elemental magic with effortless grace, suppressing an entire Ursus regiment's long-range firepower single-handedly. Had she not been holding back, the mountainside would have been a graveyard.
The High-speed Battleships fared even worse. Remilia, fueled by sisterly rage, was tearing through one ship's hull, causing massive secondary explosions. The other ship was being handled by Suika, who had grown as tall as the battleship itself. She was swinging the massive vessel around like an iron toy, punching it for fun.
Kilometers away, the transport team could only hear the cataclysmic explosions. "Just how many people did Ursus bring? An army group?" Zhang Wei wondered, his scalp going numb.
The battle lasted for a full half-hour. The Ursus army eventually scattered and fled, having lost nearly a third of its strength. The officers were lucky to survive Patchouli's suppression. The two Mobile Warships were reduced to scrap metal.
After the dust settled, the Gensokyo group sat together. Remilia was currently slapping Flandre's palm—a stern sisterly lecture. After a series of yelps and squawks, Flandre accepted the criticism with a pout.
"Alright, alright. Your sister has done quite well to survive like this on her own. Don't be so hard on her," Yukari Yakumo said, giving Remilia a graceful way to stop.
Remilia suddenly pulled Flandre into a fierce hug. "Sister, my dear sister, I will protect you and never let you encounter danger again."
At this, Flandre finally let go, bursting into tears with a loud, heart-wrenching "waa," crying as if the world were ending.