Back at the Towson estate, the Head Maid was busy cleaning the place when she hears a knock on the door.

Curious, she walks over and opens it to find the mail Harpy.

"Oh, hello there. Are you delivering mail?"

"I am, yes. Is the ladies of the house in? I have a letters addressed to them."

"They're out at the moment. I take it these letters are from Captain Anthony Towson of the United States Marine Corps and is in deployment fighting the Cross Army?"

"I can't disclose that information. I was only told where the letters are to be delivered to."

"That is fine. If you could give me the letters, I can make sure the young ladies get them." She said as she held out her hand.

The harpy hesitated before giving her the letters, "Are you sure you don't want to wait for them to return?"

"He's been gone for weeks now and we haven't received any contact from him. So I doubt he'll come back. If you don't mind, can you please close the door for me?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you and have a good day."

"Same to you." The Head Maid said as she took the letters and the Harpy closed the door.

As the Head Maid puts the letters in a box labeled "Letters from Husband", she saw two of the maids and butlers watch a news reporter discussing the Cross Army war on the TV.

"The Cross Army has taken more territories and more towns and villages have fallen to their control. Despite the Unified Nations of Earth, the SU, the URK, and the Coalition of Kingdoms' efforts, the Cross Army still continues to grow in alarming numbers. We're not sure if this is a sign that the Cross Army is getting stronger or the other countries are getting weaker. However, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones who have lost their lives or those who are missing in action."

The Head Maid sighed as she shook her head in disappointment, "I hope Master Towson will be alright."

The Head Maid continues to stare at the TV...

But was happy that the Cross Army is getting its ass handled.

As the Head Maid turned off the television, the room fell into a deep silence, broken only by the soft sound of her footsteps as she moved across the polished floor. Her thoughts were heavy with the past, memories that she had long tried to bury. Yet, the sight of those letters, the news of the Cross Army's continued conquests, and the uncertain fate of Anthony stirred something deep within her.

She walked to the grand window overlooking the sprawling estate, the afternoon sun casting a warm glow over the manicured gardens. The peaceful scenery contrasted sharply with the turmoil within her. It had been decades since she last donned the armor that now lay hidden beneath layers of dust and time, deep in the mansion's forgotten chambers. The blade that once cleaved through armies with ease was now but a memory of her former self, a relic of a life she had abandoned.

The Head Maid, known to her fellow servants as the serene and efficient caretaker of the Towson estate, had once been a figure of fear and reverence. The 1st Apostle of the Cross Army, a title that carried with it the weight of countless victories and the blood of innumerable foes. She had been the embodiment of power, unmatched in her magical prowess, and feared by all who dared oppose her. But that life, that person, felt like a distant dream—one she had left behind when she learned the horrifying truth of the Cross Army's true intentions.

The day she walked away from the Cross Army had been the hardest of her life, knowing that her departure would mark her as a traitor, a deserter. She had been ready to face the consequences, even if it meant her death. But instead, she found herself in the service of the Towson family, where she could finally find peace, even if it was only temporary.

Her fingers lightly traced the edge of the wooden box labeled "Letters from Husband." The letters inside were a lifeline to the young ladies of the house, the only connection they had to their husband as he fought on the frontlines. But to her, they were also a reminder of the man she had come to respect, even care for in a way she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a century.

"If anything happens to him..." The words lingered in the air, unspoken yet full of promise. She could already feel the familiar itch in her veins, the dormant power within her stirring at the thought of battle. She was not the same woman she had been, but the warrior inside her was far from dead. If the Cross Army dared to harm Anthony, they would face the wrath of a force they had long thought lost to them.

She couldn't help but wonder about the current 1st Apostle. Who had taken her place? Was it someone she had trained? A new, ruthless figurehead molded by the Cross Army's twisted ideals? Whoever they were, they would soon learn that the original 1st Apostle was not as dead as they might have believed.

But for now, she would wait. She would continue to clean, to care for the estate, to ensure that Anthony had a home to return to when all of this was over. And if the time came, if the Cross Army pushed her too far, she would be ready to remind them why she had once been the most feared being in the world.

With a final glance at the letters, the Head Maid turned away and resumed her duties. The estate was quiet, but within her, a storm was brewing. And when it broke, the world would once again tremble in the presence of the 1st Apostle.

"You seem to be worried about your Master, too? Or the Cross Army." Said the Head Maid from Captain Jacob Rawlins from the Rawlins estate towards her counterpart. "I too am worried about Master Rawlins, Martha." The Head Maid whose name is revealed to be Martha listened to the other Head Maid with blue eyes and brown hair.

"Edea," Martha said softly, her voice tinged with a rare note of vulnerability, "you and I both know that the past is never truly behind us. We may have changed our names, our lives, but who we were back then... it never really leaves, does it?"

Martha's usually calm demeanor faltered as she turned to face Edea, her old comrade and former 2nd Apostle of the Cross Army. The room seemed to grow heavier with the weight of the memories they both carried, the unspoken history that connected them. They had walked away from a life of bloodshed and power, choosing instead to serve as caretakers for families who had no idea of their dark pasts.

Edea nodded solemnly. "We've buried that part of ourselves for so long, Martha. But now, with the world on the brink, I fear we may have no choice but to resurrect it."

The two women stood in silence, the air between them thick with the gravity of their shared history. Once, they had been the most feared warriors in the Cross Army—Martha, known as Mary the Bloodiest for her unmatched brutality in battle, and Edea, once Edna the Teleporter, whose magical prowess made her both an unstoppable force and an untraceable ghost on the battlefield.

"I never thought we'd find peace, Edea," Martha admitted, her eyes distant as if seeing ghosts only she could perceive. "Not after everything we did, everything we were. But these families... they gave us a chance to start over. To be something other than monsters."

Edea smiled faintly, though there was sadness in her eyes. "Peace is fragile, Martha. It's a beautiful lie we've told ourselves, but we both know that the world we live in doesn't allow for it. Not truly."

Martha nodded, her black eyes hardening with determination. "If the Cross Army threatens the people we care about, they'll force our hand. We've stayed our blades long enough."

Edea's hand subconsciously touched the brooch she always wore, an artifact from her days as an Apostle, enchanted with powerful teleportation magic. "Do you think they'll recognize us, Martha? If we go back... if we stand against them again?"

"Recognize us?" Martha's voice turned cold, a shadow of the ruthless warrior she had once been. "They'll fear us, Edea. The Cross Army may have forgotten what true power looks like, but we haven't. We've been playing at being normal, but we're still the same women who could bring entire armies to their knees."

Edea looked at Martha, seeing the fire that had never truly gone out. "And what of our masters? What will they think of us when they see who we really are?"

Martha's expression softened for a moment, a brief flicker of doubt crossing her face. "I don't know. But I do know that I would rather they see the truth and live, than remain ignorant and die because we were too afraid to act."

Edea nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Then it's settled. If the Cross Army comes for them, we'll be ready. We'll remind them why they once feared the former five Apostles."

Martha's lips curled into a determined smile, the weight of her resolve settling over her like the old armor she hadn't worn in decades. "For the first time in a long while, I feel like Mary the Bloodiest again. Let them come, Edea. We'll show them that we're not just relics of the past. We are the past, and the past has a way of catching up with you."

Edea returned the smile, a flicker of her old self shining through. "Then let's hope they're ready for the reckoning we'll bring. Because if they come for our masters, they'll find that the Apostles they thought they knew are far from dead."

With that, the two women shared a silent understanding. They were no longer just head maids, tending to the needs of their households. They were warriors, Apostles, and they were ready to unleash their full might if it meant protecting those they had come to care for. The world might have forgotten Mary the Bloodiest and Edna the Teleporter, but soon enough, they would remember.

Meanwhile back in the Staging area/Main Base, the CH-53E lands in the helipad.

"Welcome to FireHawks Base everyone." Stepan announced as stepped first off the chopper.

"Finally, I can stretch my legs. I don't think I've ever been in one spot for so long." Nino said as he stretched a bit.

"Well get used to it, this is our base of operations." David said as he stepped off the chopper.

"So, this is your main base huh? Not too shabby." Aten said as she scanned the surrounding area.

"Hey! Is that... a Pizza Hut!?" Mina shouted in excitement.

"Huh?" Kurono said as he hadn't had pizza in a while since he came to this world. Ran to the Pizza Hut along with Mina because she has the money to pay for it.

"I'll take a large pepperoni pizza." Kurono ordered.

"Same here." Mina agreed.

"You got it, sir and ma'am. Your total is $19.59, and I will have it out shortly." The cashier Japanese soldier said.

As they were waiting for their pizza, they heard some rumbling from outside.

"What's going on outside?" Fiona and Lily said as they saw more choppers dropping off evacuated civilians.

"It appears that the war is escalating further, and the U.N.E. and U.R.K. forces are bringing in civilians to a safer location. They might even be planning on building a fortress around the perimeter." Irina said as she saw troops either tending wounded or assisting civilians out the choppers.

Just then, the group saw members of the Spada Army, from Spada including it's civilians arrive from the evac choppers. Including Simon's sister.

"That's not a good sign." Vincent said as he and the others remembered that Spada is very far from Alsace Village. "Why are they bringing in people from another country?"

"Something must've happened." Chris added as he looked around and noticed soldiers wearing Cross Army uniforms.

"Shit, it's the enemy!" Anthony said as the group spotted a squad of enemy soldiers.

"Not Crossy! Delta Force and Spetsnaz GRU." Called out one of the guys wearing Cross Army uniforms. "The reason why were bringing the civvies here is because Command's going to launch Operation: N6."

"N6? What the heck is N6?" Anthony said a bit confused.

"We're dropping Nova 6. A nerve toxin so deadly that you'd be dead before you hit the floor." The soldier explained.

"Holy shit!" David said shocked. "Nerve Gas?! That's not a fucking toy."

"It's not. And their targeting the places the Cross Army that has conquested. Fighter jets will drop the Chem bombs at their locations." The soldier said.

"Jesus Christ." Vincent said. "That's not a smart thing to do, it can spread everywhere and affect allies and enemies."

"Don't worry, we've evac them as well. Including the corpses. They'll be disposed with honors." The soldier assured.

"I'm not worried about the enemy dead, but what if the gas spreads to us and the allied forces?" Anthony said.

"They won't. As the gas will be in the air for five minutes then it'll disappear." The soldier explained. "So far the Cross Army is still advancing. However, the Nova 6 will be dropped soon. The only way they'll be able to survive is to Fallback in the bunkers for a little while."

As the realization of what Operation: N6 entailed settled over the group, a tense silence filled the air. The atmosphere in the FireHawks Base was heavy, as if the very weight of the war had descended upon them all at once. The idea of deploying a nerve toxin like Nova 6 was a terrifying prospect, one that blurred the lines between tactical warfare and the horrors of chemical weapons.

Anthony's mind raced as he processed the implications. He had seen combat, had faced down enemy soldiers, but this was something else entirely. "Nerve gas... This isn't just about defeating the enemy anymore. This is about making a statement."

David, who had always prided himself on staying calm under pressure, was visibly shaken. "We've been trained to fight, to protect civilians. But this... this could wipe out entire populations in minutes. Even if the gas disappears after five minutes, what happens in that window? What if something goes wrong?"

Mina and Kurono, who had been eagerly awaiting their pizzas just moments ago, found themselves struggling to comprehend the gravity of the situation. The juxtaposition of something as mundane as pizza with the impending release of a deadly toxin was almost surreal.

"This is bigger than any of us imagined," Kurono finally said, his voice low. "It's not just about winning battles anymore. They're willing to scorch the earth to stop the Cross Army."

Aten, ever the strategist, narrowed her eyes as she thought through the potential outcomes. "If they're deploying Nova 6, they must be desperate. The Cross Army's advance is forcing their hand. But desperation can lead to mistakes. If this goes wrong, we could lose everything."

The soldier who had explained the operation seemed to sense the unease in the group. "Look, I get that this is hard to swallow, but Command isn't taking this lightly. They've calculated every possible outcome. The Cross Army has to be stopped, and this is the only way to cripple them without sending more soldiers to their deaths."

"Calculated or not, there's no such thing as a perfect plan," Fiona chimed in, her voice tinged with concern. "One miscalculation, one unforeseen event, and this gas could spread beyond its intended targets. And then what? How do we justify that to the people who trusted us to protect them?"

Irina, who had been quietly observing the scene, finally spoke up. "We can't control what happens next, but we can control how we respond. If Nova 6 is being deployed, then our focus needs to be on ensuring the safety of the civilians and our forces. We need to prepare for any eventuality, including the worst-case scenario."

Simon, who had been anxiously scanning the incoming evacuees for any sign of his sister, finally spotted her among the crowd. Relief washed over him, but it was quickly tempered by the reality of their situation. "We've all lost people to this war. We've all sacrificed. But if we're not careful, we could lose even more. We need to be ready for whatever comes next."

As the group grappled with the reality of Operation: N6, the FireHawks Base buzzed with activity. Soldiers hurried to prepare for the impending deployment of the nerve gas, while others assisted the incoming evacuees, many of whom were still shell-shocked from their harrowing escapes.

The base, which had once felt like a safe haven, now seemed like a ticking time bomb. The knowledge that a weapon as deadly as Nova 6 was about to be unleashed hung over them like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over everything they had fought for.

Martha and Edea, still back at the Towson estate, would be feeling the same unease if they knew what was happening. The thought of chemical weapons being used in a war they had hoped to leave behind would only reinforce their resolve to protect those they cared about, even if it meant returning to the battlefield.

For now, the group at FireHawks Base could do nothing but wait, their minds racing with the possibilities and their hearts heavy with the knowledge of what was to come. The war had taken a dark turn, and there was no telling what the future held. All they could do was prepare for the worst and hope that, somehow, they would all make it through to the other side.

The next three days. Fighter jets flew high and began dropping the chem bombs.

"Operation: N6 is a go. Drop the chem bombs!" The lead pilot said.

"Copy that. Dropping the Chem bombs."

As the planes flew overhead and the bombs began falling, the air below appears as a dark green gas. Cross Army Knights upon inhalation, were vomiting, violently coughing, muscle convulsions, bleeding from the eyes, and their skin blackening, followed by an agonizing death within 10–20 seconds of exposure.

"What in-?!" A Cross Knight exclaimed before the nerve gas hit his face and caused him to vomit, cough, and die.

"Fuck!!" Another knight screamed.

"Shit, fall back!" The last knight said as he tried to make his escape, but died.

A Cross Army Nun was seen coughing bits of her lungs out.

"What's going on?" Another asked.

"It's the cloud, the one I've heard of." She answered.

"But how? How did it get here?"

"The... the..." The Nun couldn't finish as she died.

"Oh no." A third nun realized what it was.

"The demons must've dropped it on us!" The fourth said.

"Then let's retreat, and fast!" An Apostle said as her eyes were already bleeding and her skin blackened.

"But how, the demons have us surrounded?!" A priest said as the Cross Army were now trying to flee from the cloud.

"We'll have to cut a path." The Apostle said but then fell on the ground coughing and vomiting.

"You're in no condition to fight." The priest said.

"No! I can- cough *vomit*... still fight." She said as her eyes were still bleeding but she later collapsed and died.

The Priest looked and saw that the other Knights, nuns, and calvary were dying or dead. He was the last one standing and decided to fight for their sake. He drew out his sword and charged, only for him to fall and die by the gas.

After five whole minutes, the green clouds had faded away and left the Cross Army, which was the target areas, in ruins.

Thankfully, crops and animals, including horses, survived and were evacuated by U.N.E. and U.R.K. troops.

As the dark green gas dispersed, the landscape that was once a battleground became eerily silent.

The nerve toxin had done its job with brutal efficiency, leaving behind a scene of devastation that was both haunting and surreal. The bodies of the Cross Army knights, nuns, and priests lay scattered across the field, their once-proud figures reduced to lifeless husks.

High above, the fighter jets circled back, their pilots radioing in the results of the operation. "This is Eagle 1. All target areas have been neutralized. No signs of enemy movement. Returning to base."

Back at the FireHawks Base, the mood was somber as the news of the operation's success reached the command center. There was no celebration, no sense of victory—only the grim acknowledgment that a devastating weapon had been unleashed, and the war had taken a darker turn.

David, still processing the magnitude of what had just happened, leaned against a wall, his mind replaying the scenes he had just witnessed. "I know it was necessary, but damn... that was hard to watch."

Kurono, having finally gotten his pizza, found that he had lost his appetite. He stared at the uneaten slice, the horror of what the nerve gas had done weighing heavily on him. "I've seen some pretty messed up things in my time, but this... this is different. It's one thing to fight someone face to face, but to just wipe them out like that..."

Mina, usually full of energy and optimism, was uncharacteristically quiet. She sat beside Kurono, staring at the floor. "Those people, they didn't even have a chance. It was over before they even knew what hit them."

Anthony, always the voice of reason, tried to put things into perspective. "We did what we had to do. The Cross Army is a relentless force, and if we hadn't used Nova 6, they would've kept pushing forward. We're trying to end this war with as few casualties on our side as possible."

Irina, standing near the command table, nodded in agreement, but her expression was one of concern. "We may have stopped them today, but what happens tomorrow? The Cross Army is fanatical. They won't just give up because of this. If anything, they'll come back even stronger, more determined."

Aten, who had been silently observing the others, finally spoke. "We need to be ready for whatever comes next. The Cross Army won't take this lying down. They'll retaliate, and when they do, we need to be prepared."

The group fell into a heavy silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The war had just escalated in a way none of them had anticipated, and the future was more uncertain than ever.

Meanwhile, in the ruins of the Cross Army's encampment, the few survivors who had managed to escape the gas were regrouping, their faces etched with fear and confusion. They had never encountered anything like this before—a weapon so terrifying, so absolute in its destruction.

Among them was a young nun, her eyes wide with terror as she looked around at the devastation. "What are we going to do? How do we fight against something like this?"

A wounded knight, barely able to stand, clenched his fist in anger. "We'll fight back. We'll find a way to make them pay for this. They think they can break us with their weapons, but they're wrong. We'll rise again, stronger than ever."

Back at the Towson estate, Martha and Edea were unaware of the events that had just unfolded. They continued their daily routines, maintaining the household with the same diligence and care they always had. But there was a sense of unease in the air, a feeling that something was about to change.

Martha, ever the vigilant former 1st Apostle, couldn't shake the feeling that the Cross Army was on the brink of something catastrophic. She knew that if they were desperate enough to use chemical weapons, the situation must be dire.

Edea, sensing her friend's unease, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together. We've been through worse, and we've come out stronger. This time will be no different."

Martha nodded, her resolve hardening. "If the Cross Army tries anything, we'll be ready. They won't know what hit them."

As the world braced for the next phase of the war, the stakes had never been higher. The use of Nova 6 had changed the game, and the repercussions would be felt far and wide. But one thing was certain—this war was far from over, and the true test of strength and resilience was yet to come.