Inside The Anvil Headquarters.
"The demons are breaking the door! Hurry!" screamed a young soldier.
The unit's commander rushed to the window, peeking outside to find the entire street swarming with demons.
"We don't have much time left." he stuttered, checking the ammunition in his sniper rifle.
"What do we do, Commander?"
"Wait, do you hear that? It sounds like the hum of an engine."
They listened closely, trying to discern the sound of engines coming from the distance.
"It's coming!" The soldier cried, "I hear it, sir. That must be the Humvecs!"
"It has to be, hurry and inform the Crusaders! Also, tell Paladin Oolgric Junon that we won't be able to hold out for much longer."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers dashed away from the windows, running through the hallways and shouting orders to the rest of the troops. The Commander looked to the window, his heart pounding in his chest.
He watched as the demons approached the convoy, their numbers growing with every second.
However, the convoy seems to be holding its ground. The lead Humvec deployed a barrier, and the rest of the Humvecs were firing at the incoming horde, keeping them at bay.
Protecting the convoy is a good idea, but it would only buy them a few more minutes with the added manpower.
We must get the refugees to the other side and launch a counterattack. He recalls the instruction from the Terra Federation.
The Commander's thoughts turned to the refugees. We need to protect them.
"Sir, what should we do?"
A soldier ran up to him, his voice trembling.
The commander's mind raced as he considered their options.
"We need to get the refugees to safety," Hope filled his voice as it rang out across the headquarters. "We need to protect them."
The Commander paced anxiously in front of his troops. Every one of them had their rifles aimed at the demons. They held their breath, waiting for the Humvecs' arrival.
The Commander gripped his sword tightly, praying that they'd make it in time.
He paces nervously until a sudden crash came from outside, followed by a deafening roar. The soldiers flinched; they hadn't expected anything like this. Their faces paled, quivering in fear.
"Sir! We've got a problem!"
The commander turned, seeing a young soldier pointing to the window.
"Commander!" A soldier called, "there's something at the window!"
***
Deeper in the headquarters, the young soldier from earlier was desperately searching for something. He's frantically running into every room hoping to find it.
He looks everywhere without luck until he stumbles into a hall deep within The Anvil's underground bunkers.
The walls are covered with strange paintings depicting scenes from ancient civilizations and mythical creatures.
In one corner sits a man with a white beard and curly hair wearing white metal armour, a giant hammer in his hand.
His face was stern and his gaze stony, yet kindhearted. That must be Paladin Oolgric Junon himself.
On either side of him sit two women who look similar except for their hair color: one red and one purple. Between them sat several other figures dressed in robes sitting on benches and stools.
The only source of light came from the middle of the hall and a series of screens hanging from the ceiling, displaying the scene outside.
"What is this?" Private Xiv asked, walking closer to the portal. It was dim and flickering, illuminating the scene before the young soldier.
It cast shadows on everyone's faces, giving each person, an ominous feel. The soldier gulped hard and swallowed deeply as he stared at the portal. His knees shook as he stepped closer to it, drawn to its mysterious beauty.
"What are you doing here Private Xiv?" A woman snapped at him. She wore a dark red robe that matched her red hair and red eyes. Her scowl stung his heart, making him stutter.
"Sorry, Ma'am! The Commander said that we won't be able to hold out any longer. And it seems that the final convoy carrying the refugees will be arriving shortly."
The red-haired lady snorted, "Well, if that's all you wanted to say then you can leave us alone."
"But Ma'am…" The soldier stuttered.
"Now, Pimmi don't be so rude to our guest. We are progressing very well with the portal." Paladin Oolgric interrupted. "I'm certain that we'll finish this soon. As long as we adjust the NanoTech within us properly, there shouldn't be any issues."
"I hope so, Sir," replied Pimmi, the red-headed woman.
"It should be General Garius, he had the short straw." Paladin Oolgric snorted, chuckling to himself. "Anyway, I have to prepare myself for our guests."
"You may go now." Pimmi waved her arm dismissively. "I will give you further instructions later."
Private Xiv stuttered again, "Yes Ma'am."
The soldier walked away feeling uneasy and confused, his footsteps echoing off the stone floor of the hallway. As he passed the portal, he peered inside, his curiosity piqued by its glow.
"Let's hope that our 'gift' will be ready in time," Paladin Oolgric muttered under his breath while rubbing his temples.
His hands felt tired and worn out from the exertion of controlling such a powerful energy.
"Are you alright?" Pimmi inquired, snapping him out of his daze. He blinked slowly, looking up at her with a stony expression.
"Yes… I'm fine." Paladin Oolgric stuttered, snapping out of his trance. "Just thinking about how Hell just decided to drop everything in a split second. What a pain in my ass."
A few moments later, a series of explosions rocked the area. Everyone looked at the surveillance camera to see several Humvecs flying overhead. Their heavy tires pounded against the ground, sending tremors throughout the building.
A tank stopped just short of crashing into the building's walls. Soldiers jumped out of their vehicles, aiming their weapons toward the demons stumbling forward.
The demons reeled backward from the barrage of bullets, stumbling over themselves until they fell dead on the road. However, new demons continued to swarm in their place, snapping at the soldiers.
"How long do you think we have?" She asked.
Paladin snorted, "Not sure, but we need to hurry." He patted her shoulder gently, "You're doing a great job."
Pimmi blushed slightly as she stuttered, "Thank you, Sir."
"Don't mention it." He chuckled softly, turning back to the portal where he started preparing himself as he channeled his power through it.
He closed his eyes and began to recite some mantras in an ancient language. The words seemed to flow effortlessly from his lips, filling the air with sacred energies. The portal grew brighter and brighter until it burst with blinding light.
Paladin opened his eyes, snapping his head away from the brightness. He shielded his face, stumbling backward as he tried to regain his balance.
Once he regained composure, he glanced back at the portal. It was glowing bright blue and radiating waves of energy like ripples flowing across the water.
He sighed deeply and nodded, "There we go."