[Nexille Metropolitan City.]
[Location: Nexille Military Base.]
[Four Minutes to dispersal.]
The Nexille Military Army, led by General Duke, was currently making preparations for their upcoming mission. With a massive aircraft ship constructed using scavenged alien and human technology, the army divided its forces into four fleets: Shadow-Wings, Shadow-Hawks, Iron-Wings, and Iron-Hawks.
The Shadow Wings and Hawks were positioned at the front left and right, while the Iron Wings and Hawks were at the back left and right. In the center stood the colossal ship, the Nexille Force-1. Each smaller fleet consisted of four hundred airships, each carrying eight hundred attack aircraft. Every attack aircraft accommodated twenty people, resulting in a total of six million and four hundred thousand troops per fleet, including both Gifted and ungifted soldiers.
The overall headcount of troops across all four fleets was twenty-five million six hundred thousand, excluding the ten million inside the Nexille Force-1 AirShip.
"This is the largest force I've ever had to lead," General Duke spoke to himself as he observed the units heading into their respective fleets. With such significant numbers, he hoped it would be enough to defeat the aliens, both on Earth and in space.
"General Duke," a feminine voice sounded next to him, "Lieutenant General Annie Briggs, reporting for duty, sir!" Annie Briggs, the leader of the Iron Hawk Fleet, saluted as she stood before her commander. She had a height of five feet and nine inches, blonde hair tied in a ponytail, crystal blue eyes, pinkish skin with a few blemishes, and a fit, slim build.
"At ease, Lieutenant," Duke replied with a salute.
"It's an honor to be in your presence and work directly under you, sir!" Annie praised. "My fellow fleet leaders have expressed concerns about our numbers being too large to handle. How do you plan on executing this mission, sir?"
To be honest, Duke wasn't entirely certain that he and his troops would be able to succeed. The odds were approximately eighty to one, but there was still much to learn about the Granians. With only the Gifted capable of standing against them, the regular soldiers doubted their own strengths. "The plan is simple. The Shadow Hawks and Wings will initiate the attack, while the Iron Wings and Hawks will be on standby in case anything goes wrong. You have to remember that the aliens have more reinforcements up there," he pointed upward, "We don't know their exact numbers, so we have to be prepared, just in case."
"Understood, sir!" Annie replied with a salute.
"READY FOR TAKEOFF!" The announcement was made. All those in their respective fleets were ready and eager to engage in battle, each hoping for humanity's victory over the aliens.
Equipped with crystal-powered guns and skillfully crafted weapons, complemented by their soul weapon skills, they felt that the odds were fair against their alien counterparts.
"Shadow Hawks, Shadow Wings. Roll out!"
*************
"I need support, NOW!" Lance, the leader of the city's Hunters, was currently overwhelmed by all four of the Elites, with each surrounding him and preventing his escape. The man was severely battered, with injuries covering his body. Blood from his forehead partially obstructed his vision as it entered his eye.
Exhausted and drained of energy due to his soul weapon, he could no longer muster the strength to fight and decided to call for the much-needed help.
"IT SEEMS TO BE CALLING FOR AID!" The four Elites spoke and laughed among themselves. Like children playing a video game for the first time, these creatures were learning on the go, getting distracted by how easily human bodies broke and bled.
"CAN IT NOT FIGHT ANYMORE?"
"THAT WEAPON. IT SEEMS TO MAKE IT STRONG!"
"THEN LET US USE OUR CRYSTALS TO REPLICATE IT."
The crystals inside the Elites glowed violently, but little did they know that soul weapons only worked on humans with beast weapons. Nevertheless, the Elites paid no mind to it, as they raised their weapons to attack Lance.
"YOU WERE NOTHING OF A CHALLENGE TO US, HUMAN!"
"WE BID YOU FAREWELL." Unaware that they sounded like grunting boars, the four Elites bid their farewells to Lance, even though he didn't understand their language as well as they did his.
"I NEED HELP!" Lance wailed, with only a sliver of energy left before his soul weapon deactivated into swords. Exhausted and devoid of strength, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Unbeknownst to him, the other Hunters were preoccupied with the remaining Granians who hadn't been dealt with. The Granian numbers began overwhelming the Hunters, and the soul weapons started draining their strength.
"Damn it all," Lance cursed as he witnessed some of his Hunter comrades fall in defeat. "We weren't strong enough!"
"GOODBYE!" one of the four Elites lifted its hand and swung its battle axe at Lance's head. Just as the blade was about to make contact, a thin, red whip zoomed through the air, repeatedly scratching the Elite's eyes, partially blinding it and causing intense pain.
The creature wailed as its comrades wondered what was causing this.
"DO YOU SEE IT?"
"I DO NOT. IF I DID, I'D KNOW."
"GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU OVERSIZED GECKOS!" Cherry shouted as she leaped high into the air, landing with her scythe digging deep into the blinded Elite's shoulder. Although her scythe, powerful as it was, only caused a simple wound in the Elite's shoulder, it wasn't Cherry's main target.
As the creature bled, the girl collected some of its green blood and created a blood spear, which she then threw at the rooftop of the Granian ship. The blood spear shattered a small, antenna-shaped object into little pieces. As it fell, Cherry, Ace, and Jim felt their power returning.
[Your Blood Gene has been restored to its full strength.]
"It's time to have a little fun with you, big boys." Cherry cackled as her veins bulged, popped, and blood covered her body, with her bones breaking and restructuring into her blood mutant form.
*ROAR!!!*