GATE: Rise of the Kaiserin

Vol.1 Ch.3: The Battle of Italica

As the flare lit up the land, the grand duchess drew her sword and gave the command, "FIRE!" 

In a second, all cannons fired and the shells went out; their whistling sound confused the enemies. Then, BOOM! The shells exploded onto the ground and annihilated all of them.

Pina watched with surprise and fear, "Is this true magic from the Germania Empire?" she thought to herself. The Italica soldiers cheered as they watch. 

"They're retreating!"

"Look, they are fleeing like dogs!" 

But, there was no time for celebration, some of the bandits managed to evade the bombardment and charges to the walls. Pina commanded the archers to fire volleys of arrows, but only managed to take down one-tenth of them. 

Without hesitation, Grand Duchess Alexandra reviled her grenadier guards on the walls with rifles prepared to fire, "Fire at will!" 

The guards shot and tons of enemies collapsed to the ground.

The battle continued, Italica obtained the upper hand under artillery supports from the Grand Germania Empire, with the combined forces of Italica, defenders under Pina's command, they were able to hold the city, but not that long. 

The bandits were closer to the walls with ladders attempted to climb up to the walls, with this situation, Victoria shouted, "Enemies are advancing up the walls! Pioneers, deploy your grenades!"

A small group of pioneers arrived on the walls and fished out a long stick with an ironed cylinder on one of its tips, They unpinned it and threw it to the ladders and they explode. 

"The enemies are still coming in waves, not sure how long we can hold. Do you think we can win this?" Pina questioned. 

"As long as we hold, we can win with our faith," Victoria replied. 

At the same time, a soldier report to the empress, "Your majesty, we are almost out of ammo, the canons can't fire to support us any longer."

With hesitation, she asked, "What is the casualty of the enemies?" 

"All arches and siege towers were gone, they are all footmen left but they just keep on coming."

As Victoria looked down from the gate, the bandits are still in huge numbers and attempting to breach the gates with a hammer log. She ran to the defenders and cried, "They are breaching the east gate! Barricade it with all you have!" The rest of the defenders, civilians and soldiers rushed down to the gate and blocked it with everything within arm's reach.

While the defenders are blockading the gate, Princess Pina is losing hope as Hamilton held her to comfort her.

"The city is lost..." She said in despair.

Victoria turns to her and shouts, "You said this city would never fall with you defending it!" 

She passes another wooden plank to an Italica defender, she continued, "Do you see this? They seal the gates and died for defending it!"

As the bandit army hammers the gate, it is going to lose itself. The old, women, and children are frightening as they cried in hopelessness. "So much death..." Princess Pina replies, "What a woman can do against such reckless hate?" In a pause of silence, the empress said, "Ride out with me, princess." The princess lifted her head in surprise, "What?" "Ride out and meet them." Princess Pina started to gain back her confidence, "For death and glory!" "For Italica," stated Empress Victoria. At the same time, a glaze of sunlight shines through a crack from the city's wall, Princess Pina feels the warmth and said with courage, "Yes... Yes, the battle horn from the Rose-Order of Knights shall sound in the sky, for the first time!" Sir Grey smiles, "Indeed." Then, he runs up to the walls with the horn in his hand, the princess holds the empress' hands, "Now, let's be the hour when we draw swords together." Empress Victoria smiled and faces her guards, "Imperial cavalry guards, on your horses!"

While the enemies are coming close to breaching the gates, Princess Pina mounts on her horses with Hamilton holds the flag of the Rose-Order of Knights aside from her. "The Rose-Order awake! Now for wrath! Now for ruin! AND THE RED DAWN!" With the battle horn sounds by Sir Grey, the princess draws her sword and charges, following by the empress, grand duchess and their cavalry. "FOR ITALICA!" The gate collapses as bandits floods into the city, they face their end of judgment with a surprise cavalry charge. The cavalry sweeps the enemies out of the gate and back to the outer grassland as the princess fights with fury. "Protect the empress and the princess!" One of the officers of the grenadier guards shouted while the rest provide cover fire from the walls. One by one, the bandits are beings to get slaughtered by such huge force while another surprise is waiting for its turn. As the empress looks to the horizon, she smiled, "Tell you what, we're not alone." As the princess looks at the same direction, she saw a large army marches toward Italica under the rising sun, the flag in blue and white with a crest on it. "Is that reinforcement?" She asked the grand duchess replied, "Yes, our allies, the Kingdom of Bayern, the second-largest kingdom in the Germania Empire. The land of music, culture, and nature. Home to the High Elves."

With the battle horn triumph through the sky, the bandit army turned around and sees a neat formation from the Bayern Army. Led by King Ludwig of Bayern, he looks at the empress and spoke, "The Kaiserin fought alone with the princess." From his side, Crown Prince Krey of Bayern, his son, drew his sword out, "Not alone anymore, Bayern!" Their army also had the same weapon as the Germania Empire and the rest have bows and arrows. As they ready to fight, the bandits wouldn't surrender as they charge at them. With one command, the Bayern Army suppresses the bandits as the defenders behind the walls joined in. Princess Pina, along with the empress and grand duchess, rode with their horse and join into the party.

After an exhausting battle, the remaining of the bandits surrendered. A huge cheer within the city wall can be heard. Princess Pina hugs Empress Victoria after they dismount, with such surprise, the empress hugs her back while her army cheered for the victory, "Long live the Kaiserin!"