Case #3: Operation Commence!

*HOWLLLINNNNGGGG!!!!*

"THAT'S THE SINGAL!!" Alexis yelled as they darted out of the forest covering and charged towards the watchmen. 

"WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" the watchman yelled, pulling on a rope that extended down the dark tunnel, ringing a bell.  "The attackers are Shadow Rose: Alexis di Valteine, and Eric & Max Blackheart, The Thunder Brothers," he cried, alerting the other bandits. 

"Remember the plan, GO WILD!" Alexis orders as she darts ahead, slashing off two watchmen's heads in a single swing. 

"LET GO!!!" Eric yelled, *Thunder Charge*, as his body began to glow yellow with an electric aura enveloping him. He proceeded to step forward, disappearing and reappearing a few feet away, after piercing through five bandits' bodies with his spear. "COME ON YOU LITTLE SHITS!!" he demanded.

"DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!" Max yelled, *Thunder Wave*, as he swung his sword downwards with a swift yellow blade, slicing through the multiple bandits as their bodies fell apart. 

"We can't win against them, RUN!!!" a bandit yelled, proceeded to flee the battle, and headed towards the dark forest. 

"SHIT!" Eric yelled, trying to catch up to the fleeing bandit, with Alexis raising her sword to stop him. 

"Don't forget whose territory we are in tonight," Alexis warned, staring toward the cliffside where a large wolf stood proudly with her children perfectly lined up behind her. 

"TONIGHT, WE WILL BE CLEANING UP THE INVADERS THAT HAVE TARNISHED MY DOMAIN! THOSE WHO DO NOT SURREND SHALL BE RETURNED TO THIS LAND AS NORUSHEMIENT," Fubuki's Mother announced, "GO MY CHILDREN WHILE THE NIGHT IS STILL YOUNG! DO NOT LET A SINGLE INVADER LEAVE THIS FOREST ALIVE!" She ordered, as she let out a deafening howl, with her children jumping into the forest, followed by screams ensuing. 

"You must, Alexis," Fubuki's mother gracefully landed onto the ground in front of Alexis, "Per Haruno's request, my family will be eliminating any invaders that flee into the forest," she addressed Alexis.

Alexis quickly sheathed her sword and proceeded to kneel, with Max & Eric following.

"Thank you, your majesty," Alexis stated, expressing her gratitude for their assistance. 

"Please make sure you keep your people out of the forest unless you wish to fall victim to us, too," she warned, glaring at the bandits with murderous intent and knocking them out. She proceeded to jump into the air and disappear into the night sky.

"I-I a-almost died," Eric stuttered, falling to the ground, and realized what would have happened if Alexis hadn't stopped him.  


As the operation proceeded, the sound of metal clashing against each other continued to be heard, along with heavy panting followed by screams echoing throughout the dark forest. 

A few dozen feet away from the main battle, by the quiet, gently moving river, large air bubbles suddenly appeared, followed by four figures emerging.

"Leo, blow it up!" an old man instructed, as they climbed out of the river and started to remove their wet clothes. The old man looked around and finally spotted a fifth person emerging from the river. "GOD DAMN IT, LEO! WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO FUCKING LONG TO SWIM?!?" the old man berated. 

"Calm down, Henry," his colleague requested, "He is still young and look at how short he is." as they stared at the wet, five-foot-two brown hair little boy. "He was probably swimming as fast as he could with his tiny legs," he laughed.

"Quit playing around," the old man demanded, "Let's get out of here as soon as possible. Leo, blow it up!" he ordered. 

"Roger!" the little boy answered, taking out a small orange stone from his bag and proceeding to infuse it with mana until it glowed bright orange. He then proceeded to throw it into the river, as the entire group braced for impact. 

'GOD DAMN IT!" the old man yelled, picking up the little boy. "IF IT WASN'T THE FACT YOU CAN USE MANA, I WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU A LONG TIME AGO! GO BACK IN THE RIVER AND RECOVER THE CHARGE STONE!", throwing him towards the river.

The little boy began to fly in the air and proceeded to land on top of a sheet of ice.

"What's going on?" the little boy questioned, as he stood up on the ice sheet, with his foot frozen to it. 

The ice sheet began to expand outward and eventually covered the entire width of the river, forming a small bridge. 

"Sorry, gentlemen, but this area is under my protection tonight!" Ana declared while she stood on top of a large boulder with the full moons behind her.

"W-Why is the Ice Empress here?" one of the bandits yelled. "H-How did you find out?" he asked. 

"I have no obligation to answer that," Ana stated, hurling a wave of icicles towards them, killing one of the bandits. "Three more to go," she declared. 

"All of you, follow me," the old man ordered. "So what if she is the Ice Empress? She is currently focusing all of her mana on keeping the river frozen, so if we all rush her, she wouldn't be able to withstand all our attacks," he determined, as they started to rush towards her. 

"Hmmm......that would be the case most of the time, but did you forget tonight is a full moon?" Ana asked, "When the full moon is out, the ice spirits like to come out and play too," with four little sky blue humanoid fairies appearing next to her, as they unleashed a dense wave of icicles towards them.

"FUCK!!!" the old man, swinging his sword rapidly to deflect the ice shards, as his colleagues were being struck down. "What monster planned this far ahead?" he thought. 


"Haruno, don't you think you are spreading the Order a bit too thin?" Ana asked, "Why don't I go support Alexis here?" she offered. 

"No, I have another important task for you, Mother," Haruno answered. "During this operation, I will be enlisting the help of the Fenrirs," she stated. 

"Do you think they will help us?" Alexis asked, "Wouldn't they declare this a human issue and ignore it?" 

"Fenrirs are prideful monsters, and if this many humans are planning on making a mess inside their territory, they will not stand for it," Haruno explained, "It is better to get the caretakers to assist us rather than having them watch on the sidelines. Not to mention, the pack is getting a bit too chunky from lazy around," she commented. 

"I see," Alexis muttered, shocked by her comment. "Where does this leave Ana & the Captain?" 

"Right here," Haruno pointed on the map, near the riverbed. "Fubuki's mother mentioned she smelled something off in this area. I dove into the river and found a hidden passage that probably led to their hideout, but it was heavily protected with explosive stones." 

"Why would they do that?" Alexis questioned, "Wouldn't their hideout flood with water if it goes off?" 

"That's exactly what their plan is," Haruno stated, "If their hideout were ever to be discovered, the real mastermind behind this organization would escape through the hidden passageway. Once they escape, they will detonate the preplaced explosive stones and drown the slave laborers, the remaining members of the Naga, along with the knights & adventurers that happen to be still underground."

'THOSE BASTARDS!!" Ana yelled, slamming her hands on the table. "Couldn't we remove the explosives ahead of time?" 

"I wouldn't recommend it," Haruno stated. "The current from the river becomes extremely strong the deeper you dive, and one wrong move, the entire hideout comes down. I planned to have Mother freeze this section of the river, from here to there, which should prevent them from igniting the explosives," she stated. 

"Wait, freezing the river? That's impossible!" Alexis exclaimed, "Do you have any idea how much mana it would require even to freeze a small section of it?" 

"That's why the plan is in three days," Ana realized, staring out the window to see two moons in their Waxing Gibbous phase. "You plan on harnessing the full moon's power to summon the ice spirits, right, Haruno?" she verified, realizing the detail of her planning had been so far.

"That's partially correct," Haruno answered. "The main reason is -"


"Is this all you have for me, Ice Empress?" the old man yelled, after successfully defending her attack.

"Oh? You are quite the skillful swordsman, old man," Ana stated, "That swordsmanship, I believe it is only taught to members of the Cremonia Royal Guard, so why are you here?" she asked. 

"I have no obligation to answer that either!" The old man dashed forward, aiming his sword directly towards Ana's heart. 

Ana closed her eyes and began to hear Haruno's voice. 

"While mother is busy keeping the river frozen, I plan on having the Captain protect her," Haruno stated. "I believe the real mastermind is going to be someone who specializes in close combat, probably a sword master, which is a perfect opportunity for the Captain," she added, smiling.

*Schwing*, the old man's sword, flew into the air and landed on the ground a few feet away as a red-haired female knight parried his sword attack. 

"I'm sorry for interrupting this wonderful fight, but I'm feeling a bit left out," the red-haired female knight apologized. "My name is Elias von Teralisa, First Princess Teralisa, and Captain of the Order of Valkyrie," she introduced herself proudly. 

"It's truly not my day," the old man declared, "First the Ice Empress and now the Bloody Empress, what next?" he joked, knowing nothing else could make his situation worse. 

"Did you require some assistance?" Fubuki's mother offered as she gracefully landed on the frozen river sheet. 

"A F-F-Fenrir!!" the old man yelled, realizing three incredibly powerful monsters were currently boxing him in. 

"There is no need for that, your majesty," Elias kneeled, "Please allow me the honor to resolve this matter," she requested. 

"You may," Fubuki's mother granted permission, "I am only here to make sure no harm is done to the Elf per Haruno & Emila's second request. I shall be watching your fight, human girl," as she proceeded to sit down. 

"Thank you, your majesty," Elias offered her gratitude. "Pick up your sword!" she demanded. 

"I don't think I will," the old man yelled, pulling out a black stone. "What's the point of continuing this farce if I'm going to die anyway?" as he proceeded to crush the black stone to activate the remote death curse to kill every remaining member. "Huh? What's going on?" Why am I not dead?" he questioned. 

"Did you forget that you are bathing in the full moon's purifying light?" Ana explained, "As long as you are bathing in it, the curse won't activate," she explained after hearing it first from Haruno. 

"It's truly not my day," the old man muttered as he picked up his sword. "This is my only option, huh?" he realized, staring at Elias as she stood waiting.

"A proud swordsman like yourself shouldn't be attempting to take the easy way out," Elias stated. "State your name," she requested. 

"Henry Astor, former Royal Guard Captain of Cremonia," the old man introduced himself, "I give my gratitude to the First Princess for allowing this old pile of bones to face you in battle," he bowed. 

"Ana, please give us the signal to start," Elias requested. 

"When this coin falls to the ground, the match begins!" Ana announced, flipping the coin into the air as both swordsmen entered ready position. 

*Tink*, the coin vibrated, hitting the gravel, and in the blink of an eye, the old man lost both of his arms with Elias appearing behind him. 

In a split second, the two swordsmen had demonstrated multiple beautiful sword strikes that resembled more of a dance than a fight to the death. 

"Well done, Princess Elias," Henry stated, falling to the ground unconscious from blood loss.

"You weren't so bad either," Elias answered, "If you were a bit younger and hadn't fallen to the wrong side, you would have been an excellent member for my Order," she stated. 

"That was a beautiful fight," Fubuki's mother commented as she approached Elias & Ana, dropping the little boy onto the ground, "You are truly a gifted swordman." 

"Thank you, your Majesty," Elias kneeled in front. 

"Please call me, Mio," Fubuki's mother requested, "Haruno gave me such a lovely name after I was practically coerced into accepting her demand to assist in this fight. I would like you and future generations to address me by that, too," she ordered.

"Of course, Mio," Elias answered back with extreme reverence. "I will relay your request to my father, the King, and have him issue an edict across this Kingdom immediately," she assured. 

"May I ask what you meant by coerced into accepting her demand?" Ana asked, as she kneeled in front. 

"When Haruno approached me for my assistance, I was at first against taking it." Mio explained, "Proudful monsters like us should not get involved with petty human affairs, but Haruno got very upset with me. She blamed me for not doing my job as the Forest Guardian and also accused me of being too lazy & overweight," she chuckled.

"HARUNO!! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO THE WOLF QUEEN?!?!' Ana screamed internally, "Why did you accept her demand in the end?" she asked.

"She was right," Mio answered, "It is my fault for allowing these invaders to build a nest in my domain in the first place. If I had been more proactive and patrolling the forest, these invaders would have never been here." She glanced towards the dead bandits. "Both of you, please stand up," she requested. 

"Is there a reason why you weren't patrolling all this time?" Ana asked, slowly standing up. "The last reporting sighting of your family was over three to four years ago."

"My most recently born, Fubuki, was born too frail for me to move around with her," Mio explained, "I devoted my time to protecting her, and one day, a Pixie decided to play a prank on me and teleport her away from my sight." 

"Oh no!" Elias cried. 

"I immediately eliminated the Pixie, but my daughter was gone, and knowing her frail condition, I assumed the worst," Mio stated. "As I continued mourning her death, she suddenly reappeared in front of me, covered in life-threatening injuries, with Haruno & Emila appearing shortly after. I had assumed that she was being chased by them, and I immediately attacked Haruno, biting down on her left shoulder. Haruno proceeded to gently embrace me while she quietly demanded that I let go of her shoulder or she would dislocate my jaw if I didn't," she laughed.

"WHAT THE HELL, HARUNO!??!!" Ana screamed internally. "I'M SO SORRY FOR HARUNO'S ACTION!!! Ana apologized while Elias stared blankly into the sky after hearing Haruno threaten a Fenrir. 

"Do not apologize," Mio stated, "My daughter quickly explained what had happened and how she was rescued by Haruno & Emila. She went on to explain how Haruno made monsters pop every time they attacked and how Emila was very nice and was treating her wounds. I noticed during this journey home that she was no longer the frail little girl I needed to protect," expressing her gratitude toward them. "Although I am a bit worried, she is slowly becoming like Haruno in terms of recklessness," she expressed her concerns.

"As mothers, isn't that our job?" Ana stated, "Always worrying about the health of our children and making sure they stay out of trouble." She smiled. 

"It's truly a tireless job," Mio sighed, "Elias, you mentioned you are related to the King earlier, right?" 

"Yes, Ma'am!" Elias answered, kneeling.

"Please pass this warning message to your father, the King, and have him relay this message to the other Kingdoms." Mio requested, "If any Kingdom dares to bring harm or force Haruno or Emila to do something they do not want to do, I will erase their entire Kingdom to the ground in a single hour," she threatened, with her children slowly approaching and surrounding Elias & Ana as their bodies were dyed red from their hunt.

"Yes, Ma'am," Elias answered, "I will personally make sure this warning is passed along," she assured Mio, watching them disappear into the night. 

"It looks like they went home," Ana stated. "How are you feeling?" she asked Elias, with her own body trembling after being in front of the Wolf Queen's presence for so long. 

"IT WAS SO SCARY!!!" Elias cried as she embraced Ana. "I KNOW THEY ARE ON OUR SIDE, BUT THAT WARNING SHE GAVE ME HAS BEEN SHAKING STILL!!"

"Me too," Ana agreed, gently brushing Elisa's long red hair, "You probably should change out of your clothes before we re-group with the other," she suggested, feeling Elisa's clothes were a bit warm & moist. 

"I didn't bring a change of clothes!!" Elisa cried, "What should I do!??!!?" she asked. 

"Jump into the river?" Ana suggested, as they both laughed.