Amanda tightened her grip on her assault rifle and lowered the visor of her helmet. With the strength enhancement provided by her armor, she surged forward at a speed no ordinary human could achieve, plunging into the middle one of the three streets ahead. After sprinting roughly twenty meters, she reached the frontline unit that was firing without pause. In the street where bullets whistled like angry hornets, she slid behind a metal barricade and dropped to one knee beside the sergeant stationed there.
"What's our status, Sergeant?"
The scene was pure hell—endless screams, the ear-splitting roars of monsters, relentless gunfire, and the distant thunder of artillery all merging into a deafening symphony of destruction. The sergeant, shouting at the top of his lungs to be heard over the chaos, responded:
"Not good, ma'am! We're firing nonstop, but instead of thinning out, these creatures keep multiplying! So far we've faced goblins, orcs, great orcs, trolls, gnolls, harpies, wolves, and ogres. We've managed to push them back, but as time passes, much larger and far stronger monsters are starting to emerge from the rifts!"
Without even lifting his head above the barricade, the sergeant continued firing his rifle. Seizing a fleeting opening, Amanda slipped out from the edge of cover and braced her weapon against her shoulder. Rather than spraying bullets indiscriminately, she fired with surgical precision. Her movements were so fluid and swift that goblins charging from the front, massive orcs, and swift wolves were dropped one by one with clean shots through the forehead. In the span of a single breath, she neutralized more than fifteen targets. Without lowering her still-heated rifle, she asked again:
"And the eastern and western channels? Any breaches there?"
As the sergeant's magazine ran dry, he dropped the empty clip, slammed a fresh one into place, and replied quickly:
"Both flanks are still holding, ma'am! According to the latest reports, they haven't encountered anything out of the ordinary compared to here."
Hearing this, Amanda felt a fraction of the heavy weight on her chest lift. While continuing to fire with one hand, she tapped the section of her visor aligned with her ear and opened the internal channel.
"Artillery units, report."
Through static, a muffled male voice answered:
"Artillery batteries are ready to fire again, ma'am! Upon your command, we can engage all previously marked coordinates within your sector!"
Amanda exhaled, slightly reassured. She quickly assessed the monster formations ahead. Requesting artillery support now could endanger her own troops. They were not cornered to that extent—yet. Still, she needed a broader tactical picture. Switching channels, she called out to the reconnaissance units:
"Delta, Alpha, Gamma, Omega! Artillery is on standby. From your vantage points, do you observe any critical concentration suitable for bombardment or a weak point we can exploit?"
The code names she transmitted belonged to specially selected sniper teams positioned atop the city's tallest skyscrapers. These squads were equipped with heavy-class rifles capable of piercing even tank armor as though it were paper. Each team consisted of six members, stationed at the highest points in the city, tasked with eliminating massive threats before they could engage the infantry below. They wore advanced Special Forces armor in black, gray, and silver tones designed to blend seamlessly with the urban environment. These suits not only provided protection but also enhanced the snipers' physical movements and stability.
Following Amanda's transmission, each team leader began scanning their designated sectors through high-precision optics. The first response came from Alpha Team.
"This sector is clear for now, Commander. Monster groups are filling the streets, but we haven't encountered anything powerful enough to break our lines yet."
As he spoke, the team leader kept his eye to the scope. He centered his reticle on the pupil of a snow-white lion covered in crystalline scales and gently squeezed the trigger. The rifle's deep, resonant crack echoed between skyscrapers as the armor-piercing round tore through the air and struck its mark. The impact caved in a large portion of the creature's skull, and it collapsed on the spot, convulsing briefly before going still. As he cycled the rifle's mechanism, he muttered under his breath:
"That makes one hundred seventy-seven…"
At the same time, Omega Team's leader was surveying his own field of vision. He noticed a new rift tearing open in the northeastern sector of the city. From it, Bahamuts were beginning to pour out in packs. He reported immediately:
"Commander, A-rank Bahamuts detected. Emerging in groups, and their numbers are increasing rapidly! Bearing thirty-seven degrees northeast from my position, approximately thirty-six kilometers out!"
The moment Amanda heard the coordinates, she did not hesitate. She switched channels instantly and relayed the information to the artillery commander. Upon receiving the data, the artillery commander turned to his subordinates and bellowed:
"Orders received! Redirect seventh, eighth, and ninth medium-class cannons to the designated coordinates immediately! Load heavy-class cannons five through twelve and prepare to fire! Lieutenant, I'm assigning you command of these batteries. The frequency code of the unit you'll coordinate with is as follows…"
Lieutenant Kalkar, having received the order, snapped a sharp salute and took his position at once. Using the communication panel embedded in his armor, he established a direct link with Omega Team.
"This is Lieutenant Kalkar of the Thirty-Second Artillery Company. Confirm the exact target coordinates. The moment you give the signal, we will commence firing. Ensure there are no allied units or civilians within the strike zone."
Under normal circumstances, such targeting operations would be conducted by advanced drones. However, during the first wave's electromagnetic storm, most drones had sustained severe damage. The few that remained operational were occupied with the airborne monsters dominating the skies. As a result, the artillery units now relied solely on the eyes of the soldiers positioned atop the skyscrapers.
The artillery emplacement itself was located within one of the city's vast central parks. The open, flat terrain made it ideal for deployment. Yet the towering skyscrapers encircling the area completely obstructed their line of sight. More than once, commanders found themselves silently cursing the urban planners who had once filled the city with so many impossibly tall buildings.
Lieutenant Kalkar confirmed the coordinates one final time and gave the order to his unit: "Fire!"
The successive booms of the cannons echoed through the city like a rolling thunderclap. Seconds later, explosions erupted in the targeted area. Thick clouds of smoke and the fiery glow of the blasts were visible even from the city's distant districts. The first wave was immediately followed by second and third assault waves. A five-kilometer stretch was virtually wiped off the map; the tremors alone caused some already damaged skyscrapers to collapse entirely.
Omega Team's leader surveyed the aftermath through his scope. Every surface was littered with shredded or heavily damaged monster corpses. A satisfied grin spread across his face as he spoke into the radio:
"Well done, team. Most of the Bahamut horde has been neutralized, and the rest have scattered."
Lieutenant Kalkar replied in a calm tone,
"Understood. Alert us immediately if you observe another cluster of that magnitude."
"Understood,"
said Omega's leader, and immediately, without taking his eyes off the scope, he dispatched a lightning-coated tiger with a single shot to its temple. Thinking to himself with satisfaction, he added,
"That makes one hundred eighty-two… I wonder what the other teams are at right now."
On the frontlines, the atmosphere was increasingly surreal, balanced precariously between life and death. Soldiers fought with teeth and claw, yet in the cracks of the chaos, they had begun a chilling competition among themselves. Small bets on who could take down the most monsters had become a strange source of motivation. They knew their real goal wasn't outright victory—it was merely to buy time. Within an hour or two, civilian evacuation would be complete, and the awaited order to fall back would arrive.
Amanda continued mowing down wave after wave of enemies while filtering reports from the other two teams through her radio and issuing necessary commands. She stole a brief glance at her wrist, where her shock-resistant, alloyed smart watch sat. She attempted a call once more, hoping for a signal—but the screen still read "No Service." She clicked her tongue in frustration.
"Tch!"
At that moment, she noticed a far larger horde approaching through the streets. She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and gripped her rifle tighter. Channeling the mana energy coursing through her body to her fingertips, she directed it into the bullet inside her gun. A faint vibration ran along the barrel as the projectile absorbed the concentrated energy. After a few seconds of focused concentration, she commanded mentally and squeezed the trigger.
'Explosive mana round.'
The bullet, the size of a standard infantry round, tore through the air and struck the chest of a burly orc in the middle of the horde. The round did not stop there; it rapidly expanded inside the orc's body. A deafening, concussive explosion followed, accompanied by a blue flame, instantly turning a seven-meter radius into a scene of hell. Every monster within the blast radius either disintegrated into ash or was obliterated into pieces.
Amanda exhaled calmly and aimed her barrel in a new direction. Each shot was executed with surgical precision—every bullet struck either a monster's forehead or directly over its heart. When her magazine emptied, she ducked behind a wall, ejecting spent casings and slamming a fresh magazine into place in a single motion. At that moment, a voice from the right-flank commander crackled over the radio.
"Commander Amanda! Rally your units and fall back immediately! The rift opening here is expanding at an incredible rate. Titan-class monsters are likely about to appear, and we can't handle them with this equipment! Urgent Mecha support required!"
Amanda adjusted her visor, shouldered her rifle, and issued her commands over an open frequency for all units to hear.
"Attention all units! Titan-class rift detected on the right flank. Immediately fall back half a kilometer! Establish the designated safe line and continue the defense there. This is an order!"
The radio erupted with disciplined acknowledgments:
"Yes, ma'am!"
Without wasting a second, she switched channels and addressed a colleague at the far end of the front.
"Lambert! Titan-class enemies are appearing here as well. Send one heavy and two medium-class war Mecha immediately!"
Amid explosions and roars on the radio, Lambert's exhausted yet resolute voice replied:
"Understood! I'm directing the units to your location as fast as possible."
Hearing this, Amanda felt a slight easing of the weight pressing on her chest. She leapt from cover and aimed: first an orc, then a goblin, each felled with a single precise shot. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, her pupils glowed a bright yellow. Mana surged through her body into the rifle, reshaping the bullet. The projectile shed its metallic gray hue, acquiring blue and yellow streaks, growing longer and sharper.
A yellow, intricately geometrical magic circle appeared just in front of the barrel. Ready, Amanda aimed at a massive thunder-lion standing amidst the horde. She pulled the trigger—the mana-infused bullet streaked forward, trailing a bluish smoke, and embedded itself squarely in the creature's head.
The lion staggered from the impact, but before it could collapse, its head rapidly swelled, culminating in a thunderous explosion. The blast obliterated a seven-meter radius, scattering hundreds of fist-sized, sticky, blue orbs over a fifteen-meter area. Monsters running through them struggled to remove the strange globules; within three seconds, the orbs expanded and detonated one by one. Low-tier monsters perished instantly, stronger ones lost limbs and collapsed in agony, and the remaining fragments exploded, wiping out entire goblin and gnoll squads.
In a single sweep, over a hundred creatures were eliminated. Soldiers witnessing the devastation froze in awe and disbelief, and even the advancing monsters hesitated, stunned by the carnage. Seeing her troops frozen like statues, Amanda roared with fury:
"What are you waiting for, fools! Follow my orders and fall back immediately!"
Amanda's sharp voice echoed through the street, jolting the momentarily stunned soldiers back to their senses. They quickly began to fall back in orderly formations. Meanwhile, Amanda and the support units, armed with heavy weaponry, opened up a relentless suppressive fire to halt the horde of monsters pouring in from behind.
The soldiers unleashed their ammunition generously, without a single hesitation, against the seemingly endless river of creatures spilling from the rifts. The fireline they established was an almost impenetrable barrier; not a single monster could approach within twenty meters of the defense line, and any that did were instantly reduced to piles of flesh and bone. Especially the soldiers clad in heavy battle armor appeared larger than life—steel giants on the battlefield, their advanced weaponry amplifying their presence. Flames spat from the barrels of their miniguns, illuminating the street while bullets rained down like a violent storm upon the enemy.
Within this armored squad, twelve elite soldiers had been split into two perfectly coordinated teams, functioning like the gears of a flawless clock amidst the chaos. The first group of six led the assault, their miniguns blazing, while the scorching hot spent shells fell to the ground, creating a metallic sea beneath their feet. The oncoming horde was shredded under this concentrated barrage, and the splattering, multicolored blood painted the gray street walls in gruesome patterns.
The miniguns provided immense firepower, but even this had technical limits. When the ammunition belts ran dry, the system had to be reloaded and the overheated barrels allowed to cool—a deadly waste of seconds in the heat of battle. In those brief pauses, the fear cloaking the monsters lifted, and they attacked savagely at the first opportunity. The army had devised an expensive yet highly effective solution to this tactical vulnerability: increase the number of armored units and implement a strict "rotational fire" discipline.
When the barrels of the first team glowed white-hot, the fresh team seven steps back moved forward like shadows, seamlessly taking over the firing line. This flawless rotation ensured that the relentless pressure of fire crushing the monsters never paused, as long as ammunition lasted. Initially, alternative methods—such as carrying spare weapons or having auxiliary personnel reload under fire—were considered, but battlefield experience had proven that the most efficient and safest approach was simply to expand the armored unit and enforce this disciplined cycle.
As the heavy infantry hammered the street, the surrounding tanks were no less devastating. Each shot began with a deafening blast, followed by a massive explosion at the heart of the monster horde. The once prosperous street, once redolent of peace, had become a blood-soaked nightmare. Blue, yellow, purple, and green monster blood spattered walls, signs, and pavement, mixed with severed limbs and mangled body parts. Amidst the fighting, other soldiers quickly loaded ammunition crates and critical equipment onto vehicles, preparing for further maneuvers.
Amanda glanced at the timer on her visor. The area was fully devastated, and all civilians had already been evacuated. It was time to escalate measures.
"All tanks! Switch to incendiary rounds and fire!" she roared over the radio.
One of the tank commanders protested in shock:
"Commander! If we use incendiary rounds, a fire could spread uncontrollably across the neighborhood! We could endanger our own troops!"
Amanda paused for a fraction of a second; the commander's warning had merit. But seconds were slipping away. She replied with unwavering resolve:
"Execute the order, soldier! Soon all units will be pulled back to underground shelters and secure zones. We need this fire to clear a path safely. Open fire!"
After a brief hesitation, the tank commanders obeyed. Special mana-infused incendiary rounds, glowing with red neon energy, were loaded into the barrels. When the tanks fired, each projectile dropped into the heart of the monster horde, leaving streaks of red in its wake. The resulting explosions roared with tremendous force, sending brilliant crimson flames soaring skyward, forming an impenetrable wall of fire in the middle of the street.
Monsters caught in the inferno screamed in agony, writhing as the scent of burning flesh filled the air. Those approaching from behind halted abruptly at the sight of the massive blaze. Soldiers, seeing the halted monsters, momentarily exhaled in relief and eased their grips on their triggers. But Amanda was quick to snap them back to attention:
"What are you waiting for, you lazy bastards! Don't make me repeat myself! Fall back immediately, or I'll shoot you myself!"
She stomped the ground forcefully, projecting a lethal intent that cracked the pavement beneath her feet. The soldiers swallowed hard, cold sweat running down their faces, and began their retreat without hesitation. Tanks, trucks, and other vehicles loaded with ammunition and gear moved swiftly. The units executed an orderly withdrawal, retreating half a kilometer to the second defensive line and taking up new positions.