FOB Doors, Command Center
Inside the command center, officers rushed between consoles, voices overlapping in a controlled chaos of radio updates and digital map readouts. The spy plane's live-feed screens painted the entire battle in shifting green and white hues.
One officer stiffened. "Sir, the enemy center formation is advancing toward the Gate. They're entering the valley now."
General Hanz leaned forward, the ghost of a smirk tightening his lips.
"The enemy commander… The chance for you to retreat and save your men's lives was wide open, and yet you chose to take the obvious trap instead." His eyes narrowed with a cold pity. "I pity the soul of the people who serve under you, but I am also very grateful for the greatest gift that an enemy can give to me… stupidity."
He straightened.
"Tell Mother to come to play."
"Yes, sir."
Murica "Bison" Tank Company
The armored column thundered westward at sixty-five km/h, a wall of steel kicking dust across the plains. Vandorian soldiers could only gape as the motorized monsters blew past them.
Their problem wasn't the ground.
It was the sky.
Swarms of Avian Warriors dove relentlessly at the tanks.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTT
The four M163 Vulcans spat lines of hot metal into the air, slicing the sky like angry sewing machines.
"I swear I've killed hundreds of them—but they just keep coming!" the Vulcan gunner shouted, sweat streaking his face.
"Because there are THOUSANDS of them, you idiot! Do your fucking math," snapped the driver.
"Less chatter, more bullets!" their commander barked, before grabbing the comm. "Bison Leader, this is Noble Leader. These swarmers are getting crafty—they're skimming low, using your column as cover. We can't shoot without hitting you."
"Copy, Noble Leader." Came the calm reply.
Ahead, Avian warriors swooped dangerously low—so low their feathers skimmed the dirt. Using the Abrams as mobile cover, eight of them latched onto a moving tank.
They hammered at the vehicle with swords, spears, and sheer fury.
"Bison 2-3 to Bison 2-2!! You've got swarmers on top of you!"
"YEAH, NO SHIT, SHERLOCK! Their thumping is so fucking loud in he—AAAAGHHH! FUCK! THEY BROKE MY MACHINE GUN!"
The commander's screaming cut through the mic as a warrior smashed the top-mounted gun clean off.
"BISON 2-3, SPRAY YOUR COAX ON ME!"
"Are you sure, Bison 2-2? It's gonna—"
"JUST FUCKING DO IT."
" …Whatever! Fine! For the record, I'm NOT accepting any split bills for this!"
RATATATATATATATATATATATATATA
The 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun starts raked the tank in front of it, shredding the Avian attackers—and the Abrams paint job—into a bloody mist.
The carcasses slid off in wet chunks
Vandoria Army, Right Flank
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTT
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA THAT'S THE SPIRIT! KEEP COMING AT ME!"
Stan laughed like a lunatic god as his custom GAU-8 Avenger reaped lines of Vandorian soldiers. Arrows thunked into his hide uselessly, bouncing off like toothpicks hitting a brick oven.
The regular army is not a big deal for Stan, but sometimes some adventurers' parties that are included in the Vandoria army rank can be a bit annoying.
"Protect me while I chant!" shouted Karen, an A-rank adventurer mage
"On it! Do your thing, Karen!"
Her party snapped into a perfect formation—big-ass shield up front, thief flanking, healer in the rear, damage dealer covering her side. This is their chance to increase their party reputations by defeating the demon god of war.
Karen's chants rose, Latin-like syllables twisting into power. A glowing magic circle swelled. Flames gathered above her—small at first—then merging, swirling, ballooning into a massive, flashy, blistering fireball.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTT
It's so flashy that any idiot knows they are going to shoot a powerful attack, so Stan decides to end Karen's light show with his 30 mm high explosive incendiary rounds. The party vanished—instantly—into vapor and red mist.
Stan sighed.
"Seriously, what makes them think I would wait for them to finish the light show?"
Then-
He froze.
A prickling warning shot up his spine.
He lunged sideways.
Something streaked past him—fast—before detonating behind him.
BOOOOM
Electrical arcs crackled in the crater.
"Oh?" Stan blinked. "A fancy bomb."
The Holy Knights of the Celes Church had encircled him in a wide semicircle—each position braced behind a massive white cannon carved with glowing runes, similar to an early 19th-century 68-pounder cannon. Priests chanted around them, forcing holy energy into the ammunition.
"Wow!" Stan grinned. "Not only artillery mages, but they have artillery priests also? These humans are more fun than they were a millennia ago."
BOOOM
Another cannon fires at Stan with 5 times bigger firepower than its earth counterparts. Forcing Stan to leap back. He returned fire.
BRRRRTTT
The firing cannon exploded into splinters and flying bodies.
But more cannons were already armed.
More priests already chanting.
Holy shells screamed toward him—
BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM
Stan keeps running to his right, pushed into constant motion without a chance to counter.
"NOW!" someone shouted.
HUUUUMMM
A vast magic circle erupted beneath him.
Stan halted mid-run.
Both leg stuck.
"A holy constraining spell?" He muttered. "Strange, these usually can't hold me,"
He tried lifting his leg.
Nothing. Not an inch.
He tried to shoot the priests.
SPIIIINNN
Nothing, not a bullet.
Stan sighed. "What a terrible timing…"
"It's not just an ordinary holy constraining spell-" said a voice. "-O demon god of war."
Archbishop Antonio stepped out like he was entering a stage.
"It's the latest restraining spell that has been invented by the Celes church magical research division-designed for powerful demons such as yourself, O demon god of war."
Stan tested the hold again.
No luck.
"Huh," he admitted. "I see that you humans have done your research."
"Of course," Antonion puffed, swollen with pride. "Our civilization is now at its pinnacle of magic development. Even normal individuals can now wield advanced spellwork—though I did not expect demons to rely on… technology."
A priest suddenly convulsed, spraying blood from every orifice before collapsing because of extreme mana-deficiency.
Then another.
And another.
"Uh… excuse me," Stan said casually. "I think your normal individuals are dying there."
"…hmph, progress cannot be attained without sacrifices.
Stan sighed and released his empty autocannon to the ground and lazily raised both hands.
"I guess you got me now."
"Now be prepared for your doom, O Satan, the Demon of Wrath."
Antonio's grin widened.
"Before you claim your kill," said Stan while making an X signal using his raised hands. "Let me know the name of the human that managed to defeat me."
"HAHAHAHAHA! Very well, I'm honored that you care about my name! I am the one who will be the leader of the church! The one that exorcises Satan! Archbishop An…"
BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM
"Well, that's fast," Stan commented.
Several explosions accurately bombarded the priests' groups, severely weakening the holy constraining spell.
"W-WHAT!?? WHO ATTACKED US?"
"Oh, that's my sweet guardian angel," Stan pointing his finger up.
Murica AC-130 Spectre, callsign "Angel"
Two thousand meters above the battlefield, an AC-130 gunship banked in a slow circle, brandishing its three guns that point towards the battlefield.
Inside, the gun crews worked with calm efficiency.
"GUNS LOADED!"
"40mm BOFORS ready!"
Through his monitor, the gunner aims for another group of priests before pressing his trigger.
"FIRING 40"
Vandoria Army, Right Flank
BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM
Another explosion pulverizes the last group of priests, magic shattered.
The holy restraint collapsed instantly.
Antonio stared around in disbelief.
"Well, that's that then. I'm guessing you don't have any fancy tricks up your sleeve anymore."
Stan while grabbing the edge of his autocannon and lifted it up like a club.
"Then I'm going to go old school now."
"FIRE THE CANNON!" Archbishop Antonio shrieked.
A few cannons managed to shoot-
But the gunship shredded them with precise explosive fire.
Stan crouched-
-then leapt four stories high.
THUUUMPP
He landed on a cannon crew like a falling meteor, smashing metal and bodies alike. He swung the GAU-8 as a club, sending holy knights flying like bowling pins.
Then-
He faced Antonio.
The archbishop trembled violently as the towering demon approached.
"No… no… I'm the future pope… The church needs me.. I am Archbishop Anto-"
CRUNCH
Stan bit into him with his giant mouth like a T-rex catching human prey in the movie.
The top half of Antonio vanished into Stan's maw.
"Oh," Stan said around a mouthful of an archbishop. "This tastes divine."
Vandoria Army, Right Flank
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTT
More Avian Warriors were shredded mid-air.
From three thousand, only a few hundred remained, wings ragged, will broken. They fled the battlefield at last.
"OOOOHH FINALLY! Huuftt," the gunner gasped, dropping back into his seat.
He finally can take a breather after firing at thousands of targets non-stop.
"Bison leader to all nobles, thank you for the cover. Form up."
All the whole column now turn left and take a stop after making a file formation. With no more avian warriors bothering them, the twelve Abrams tanks and four Vulcans have now arrived at their main objective, the Vandoria Cavalry division. They are face-to-face with the enemy's formation.
Two thousand centaurs.
Three thousand horsemen.
All armored.
All waiting to shock and overwhelm the demons' infantry.
But they had never seen a single demon infantry.
Instead, sixteen "demon elephants" with long noses and short noses stared them down in silence.
"They are fast and deadly," said one of the cavalry officers. "Do you think we can do better than the Avian Warriors, sir?"
"…we have to. If we don't stop the Demons here, they will invade the Solis continent next, where our family lives…" The commander replies as he fixes his full-face helmet. "Lancers take point! We're going to attack the demon elephants."
The knight cavalries position themselves into formations. All of them can be seen praying to the goddess before the assault.
On the Murican side, tank crews are recharging themselves with water and some chocolate bars before the assault.
The battlefield went still.
"Ok, break time's over. Get ready, boys." The tank commander said to the comm
Both sides are now in a staring contest, waiting for the first move, but after a couple seconds, the first move comes from the Vandorians as they blow their horn.
VOOOOOOOOOOMMM
The Vandorian horn shattered the silence.
"ATTAAAAAACK!!"
All the horsemen and the centaurs start galloping towards the Murican tanks. The sounds of thousands of hoofbeats thundered, combined with the roar of their riders.
"Bison leader to all units! REVERSE NOW!"
Sixteen armored beasts surged backward with guns aimed forward.
"FIRE AT WILL!"
Spiiinn~ BRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTT
BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM
RATATATTATATATAATATATATATA
All the cannons and machine guns at the tanks' disposal are their load towards the thousands of cavalry in front of them. Their gun stabilizers help them to accurately fire at the enemies. Even though with this many targets, it's hard to miss their shot.
"The—THEY CAN RUN BACKWARDS??" A centaur shrieked.
Shells erased entire squads.
20mm Vulcan fire chewed through flesh and steel.
Blood and dust exploded with each impact.
Hundreds are shredded and pulverized by every second.
With the speed of forty km/h in reverse, it's going to be a very long run for the Vandorian cavalry to be able to reach the Murican tanks.
"Oh goddess, please don't let my soul be sent to hell…" The cavalry commander whispered a prayer moments before a 120 mm shell erased his life.
BOOOOM
Vandoria Army, Center
The valley to the Great Demon Gate stretched seven kilometers wide, the ominous spiky mountains rising like jagged fangs on either side. Giving shivers to the thousands of Vandorian soldiers who march towards the gate.
"HURRY UP! KEEP RUNNING BEFORE MORE DEMONS COME!" Duke Pierre shouted-while staying comfortably in the rear..
"Sir," an officer said, "Satan and the demon elephants are still fighting our army, none of them following us."
"Good! We keep heading south to take control of the gate! If we can block the demon elephants and Satan using the gate, that should give us enough time to raid eastward and meet the fleet!"
He knew it was a trap.
But the valley felt safer than the open field.
Less room for demon fliers
Less space for demon artillery
Only risk? Another demon elephants waiting.
But he wanted something else—
Desperately.
"Please, goddess," Pierre muttered, "let me find a demon's village or something. If I can seize a few hundred slaves, I can still save some of my reputation."
The duke prays as he is now thinking more like a raider rather than a noble.
"I CAN SEE THE GATE!!" someone shouted from the front.
"RRAAAAAAHHH!!"
The entire force roared. They all feel humiliated after being powerless by earlier terror.
They are burning for revenge.
The Demon Gate now loomed ahead.
And they charged toward it.