Fiore. Southwest end near a beach called Esper's Retreat.
The Esper's Retreat used to be a peaceful place. Ever since our world and Fiore became ireversably connected by the Rainbow Gateway, Academy City had made some extensions into this world of magic. From the extensions came several results:
1. Phone service
2. Schools devoted to brain research
3. Esper's Retreat.
The beach that had been named The Esper's Retreat, had been named after Academy City moved several facilities over as a means to study espers of a more special nature. Namely low level espers who just had a tough time leveling up.
This area had been picked because of a special plant that grew near the beach known as Mind's Foil. It had a special property that when taken in liquidized form, could encourage faster and easier leveling among espers without any negative side effects. The locals of the area tended to use the plant to create magical potions for brain stimulation...while the plant itself wasn't magical...once used in a magic potion of that nature, it had great effect...however it's original trait of having no negative side effects dissapeared with this enhancement...not that the espers needed to worry, they only took the nonmagical substance...after all, espers using magic without bleeding to death had only been heard of in three individuals, all three of them being from Academy City, and all three of them having a rather exceptional relation to the magical creatures known as dragons.
However, the military unit that was currently stationed in the forest just beyond the beach was not thinking about what this place used to be...but rather what had become of it now...
These men were what Fiore and the UN (United Nations) called S.E.A.M.S. The Super Elite Anti-Mage Squad. They were comprised of a combination of the Rune Knights from the Magic Council and soldiers provided from countries around the world back in the world Academy City hailed from. An emergency alliance that had been formed to combat the dark forces that were now assaulting both worlds.
There was a total of 2.1 million in SEAMS. Led by both Official Magic Guilds and Governments alike...they were the first fighting force to ever be formed by an alliance between two dimensions....or they would have been...except the enemy they were fighting was the real first alliance.
Doranbalt took out a pair of high tech Academy City Bio-Seekers...binocular like devices that could seek out living things in any sort of weather or day conditions. He peeked out over the rocky outcropping just beyond the forest.
He spoke as the other grim looking men and women crouching behind him listened. "1...2...3...4...5.. looks like their are 5 full grown dragons watching over the main buildings...probably what used to be the mess hall...though it looks a bit too burned for me to tell. As for the small ones...there's around 500...all human sized."
Doranbalt looked back at his regiment. All of them were covered in dirt and bruises from many hard fought battles. They wore an assortment of high tech dark green armor that probably looked shiny and new at one point...but were now as ruffled up and dirt covered as the people wearing them.
Doranbalt sighed. They had lost too many to make it to this point...it was heartbreaking. They had already lost the official guild who had come with them to a bunch of these thieving monsters. If they came up against any major members of the Dark Guilds they were fighting then there was a fair chance they could all die here.
"Alright." said Doranbalt. "According to reports, Esper's Retreat is currently being occupied by 3 of Hydra Head's members...they rank 48 to 50..."
"So they're Hydra Head's weakest members." grunted one soldier. "Let's fill em full of lead..."
Hmm..so this one is from the other world. Thought Doranbalt recognizing the expression 'fill em full of lead'.
"I don't deny that the common ranking system in Hydra Head assigns numbers to guild members based on battle capability." said Doranbalt. "But as we have learned from Diablo Etwatia who was ranked lower then Aqualas, this system isn't always reliable...excercise extreme caution..they are currently the strongest Dark Guild...which means no unnecessary risks. I want all magic users ready to cover the non magic users in case they ambush us....we work as a unit...not people from seperate worlds....got it?"
Everyone murmured in agreement. Their was a time that they would have yelled "GOT IT!" at the top of their lungs. But after losing so much, the spirit had died, now it was merely 'survive to see tomorrow..' there wasn't any garauntee that this mission would succeed. There was a definite probabable possibility that this was a suicide mission though.
The next 15 minutes were a blur. Soldiers poured in from the forest, their guns blazing, usiing the ruined Academy City outpost buildings as cover against the 5 full grown dragons that were ferociously clawing at any who dared oppose them. Magic circles lit up the twilight while automatic weapons peppered the hoards of dragon hatchlings who were all squabbling to devour human flesh.
Throughout it all, Doranbalt teleported through the chaos, searching for the one thing that would help them retake this area. A generator that if activated, would turn on the automatic Academy City defense mechs that were designed to take on high level threats.
After several minutes of teleporting, Doranbalt suddenly appeared right next to a switch that was inside one of the dark ruined hallways of the Retreat. Next to the switch were massive tank-like robots. The red lenses on their seeing modules were dark and silent their white and black massive 3 clawed arms still and unmoving.
"Bingo." said Doranbalt inching his hand towards the switch.
"BAAAZZZZAMMM!!" Doranbalt was suddenly blasted off his feet by a greenish blast of plasma.
Doranbalt teleported a few feet away and looked up. Levitating above next to the silent mechs was a humanoid made completely out of glowing green nuclear energy. His hands were the shape of pincer like tuning forks and there was a long horn like structure coming from the back of his head like a jagged lightning bolt, there was a large glowing white eye in the center of his face. The creature opened his fanged white glowing mouth and laughed.
"Oh man!! And I thought teleport magic was supposed to be quick!" said the plasma creature. "What a joke!"
"You!" said Doranbalt. "You're number 49 of Hydra Head...Plasmoid."
"Bingo!" Plasmoid said in his crackling static like voice. He lolled his white glowing energy tongue out to reveal a red molten Hydra Head insignia burned into it. "You're in for it now kiddie! We've been expecting you!"
Doranbalt suddenly teleported right behind Plasmoid and attempted to punch him. However the moment his fist made contact, he drew it back yelling out in pain as it burned and scarred. Doranbalt fell to the floor nursing his hand.
"Idiot!" said Plasmoid cackling again. "My magic made it so that I am entirely comprised of high powered radiation...I'm a living nuclear bomb!!"
"Impossible.." muttered Doranbalt. "No way you should be this strong...you're ranked 49th out of 50."
"Didn't you just say that the 'system isn't always reliable' ?" said Plasmoid, his last sentence soundiing like an exact recording of Doranbalt's voice.
"Y-You were watching us!"
"Bingo on that too!" said Plasmoid with another cackle. "Can you say...trap? HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Plasmoid's body suddenly glowed with a massive bright light. Those who were only a few miles from Esper's Retreat that day...would have said they saw a massive explosion coming in from the south followed by a tremendous mushroom cloud....then they would have said they saw a burned looking man suddenly appear a few miles from the blast zone...having barely teleported away in time.
Doranbalt cursed as he leaned against a treen in agony. "Crap....they played us...all this time they played us..."
"Oh yes we did.." said a slithery smooth oily voice.
Slithering through the woods was a large serpent with two muscular arms. It's neck and head were adorned with a row of silver bladed spikes. On top of it's head was the black insignia of Hydra Head.
"I am Slither." said the snake creature. "I am 48th in Hydra Head. My venom burns through stone and metal...and my speed makes Racer of the former Oracion Seis look like a slug. I have come to eliminate the survivors.."
"Sorry.." said Doranbalt. "But I don't die so easy."
"We shall see." said Slither, his bright yellow eyes glinting. "Oh yes, we shall see..."