Editing City Series:Volume6e Chapter4 (section)

===Part 1===

The rainclouds began to pull away, revealing a palely-glowing sea.

The vast sea was created from the fog and the light. It was colored a pale red and had to be at least 40 miles across.

A great cross jutted toward the sky at the center of the light.

The cross produced no light, remaining dark as it loomed over the glowing fog sea below.

The glow came from the city below the fog.

The city of Germania.

The layered city had six underground levels and the lights of each level combined in the large holes before they were released into the sky. The lights shined on the fog from below, creating the glowing sea.

At one point of the sea, small lights were constantly on the move.

That was Tempelhof Airport at the south end of Germania.

A few shapes were moving within the fog over the airport.

The crafts in the standby zone bore a wyvern emblem on their dark, oblong sides.

No one could be seen in their canopies.

However, a large man in a black coat and a short man in a white coat stood next to them. A Grösse Panzer standing more than 20 yards tall towered into the fog across from them.

The Grösse Panzer’s sight devices glowed red in the fog to view the white coat man.

“Once the Himmelschild dome is in place, every Geheimnis Agency military division will take up defensive positions south of Tristan. The military’s main nine armies will be positioned outside the Himmelschild to the north and west of Tristan to form a defensive line fortified with heavy AA guns to prepare against the bombing. The field artillery and armored units will be positioned to the east.”

“Do you think the bombers are coming?”

“No. The AIF is coming. A small and highly mobile elite force will attempt to pass through Germania and reach Tristan. But I have also set up the military along a wide defensive line just in case. That should take time to break through. See, the AIF isn’t interested in how many of our forces they take out – they need to break in and break in fast.”

And…

“An abnormal number of aircraft and monsters have been detected entering Germany over the past two weeks. We managed to intercept 80% of them, but not all.”

“And the AIF is like us,” said Elrich. “One of them is worth as much as an ordinary army. If the AIF has sent in all their forces, then that 20% will attempt to break into Germania.”

Schweitzer nodded.

“Chief Elrich, we need to hurry. I don’t even know if there are still any posts left for us.”

“True. Okay, Karl, this might be the last time we see each other. Try to get along with that wife of yours.”

“I would have done that regardless.” Karl slowly turned to face the east. His vocal device asked one last question as he turned his back. “What happened to Witzmann?”

“He went to snap a photo of the Messiah.”

Karl’s artificial voice made a “?” noise but then he continued, sounding satisfied.

“Hah. So you know everything now. That could be trouble.”

Karl completed his turn, facing east to reach his post.

He disturbed the fog around him before fading into a shadow.

Elrich watched the mountainous shadow rapidly leave through the fog.

“Okay, let’s get to Tristan, youngster.”

“What do you intend to do there?” asked Schweitzer.

“Set everything up so I can see the truth.”

“What truth?”

“I trust our commander. I trust the Messiah too. But I trust the truth most of all. And at the moment, everything is working for the commander. The truth can only be found when no one has stacked the deck and all options are on the table.” Elrich looked back over his shoulder at Schweitzer and tilted his head. “I do not recommend aging. It makes you talk too much.”

Schweitzer laughed bitterly.

“That just shows how young you still are.”

Elrich laughed bitterly too and slapped Schweitzer’s shoulder.

That was when a wind blew through overhead.

The giant cross visible in the fog had begun to produce a glowing umbrella.