Officer Carren stood in the dim light, his eyes scanning the remaining soldiers around him—five men and women who had fought by his side, now battered and weary. He knew their chances were slim, but he also knew they had to give Mionara and Taizen the opportunity they needed to complete the mission. The stakes were too high.
He turned to the group, his voice calm but firm. "Listen up. This is what's going to happen. Mionara, Taizen—you're the key to ending this. You need to kill the Winko general, and you need to do it now. Without their leader, Winko will collapse, and we win this fight. But you won't make it if those mages are on your tail."
Mionara and Taizen nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Carren continued, his voice resolute. "Here's the plan. We're going to split into three groups. I'll take the fire mage with two of you—our job is to keep him occupied and make sure he focuses on us. The rest of you will engage the earth mage and try to neutralize him. We'll keep them busy long enough for you two to get to the Winko general's position. Don't stop for anything."
Taizen spoke up, his expression tense. "And what about you? You'll be facing the mages alone."
"We'll be fine," Carren said, his gaze unwavering. "We'll make sure those mages think we're the main threat. They'll focus on us, and that's when you slip away. It's not going to be easy, but it's the only way."
The remaining soldiers exchanged glances, none of them speaking up at first. The reality of what they were being asked to do was heavy.
One soldier, a woman with short, dark hair, spoke quietly. "You know this is a suicide mission, right? We're not coming back."
Carren met her gaze, his voice soft but filled with conviction. "We don't come back for ourselves. We come back for the mission. For the people of Kirkia. And for those who will come after us. Now's the time to do our part."
Mionara, his twin flame katanas glinting in the low light, nodded with understanding. He gripped the hilts of his swords, ready. "We'll get it done, sir. We won't forget what you're doing for us."
Carren gave a sharp nod. "I know you won't. Now, we get to work."
With their strategy in place, the remaining members of Unit 8, led by Officer Carren, positioned themselves in the abandoned building that served as their temporary shelter. They had a few moments of uneasy silence before they moved into action.
Carren gestured for the group to move out, and they crept through the wrecked streets, heading towards the mages' last known position. The fire mage, Ember, was already sending blasts of destructive purple fire across the battlefield, while the earth mage, Uwaga, controlled the terrain, sending rocks and spikes flying with a flick of his hands.
Carren and his team approached from the left, where the fire mage seemed most concentrated. Two of the soldiers went ahead, providing cover while Carren and the other soldier flanked Ember. The air grew hot as the fire mage sent more blasts of flame in their direction.
"Take cover!" Carren shouted, diving behind a destroyed vehicle as a wave of flame exploded beside him. His two soldiers opened fire, distracting the mage, but the intensity of the blasts only seemed to intensify.
Meanwhile, the other members of the unit, led by another officer, were engaging Uwaga. The earth mage seemed to be growing more vicious as he summoned more sharp rocks and debris, sending them hurtling through the air. The remaining soldiers tried to dodge and return fire, but it was clear that they were being overpowered.
Carren raised his hand, signaling to Mionara and Taizen. "Now! Go! Get to the general!"
Without hesitation, Mionara and Taizen dashed toward the right-hand passage, sprinting between crumbling walls and over debris. Their bodies moved with precision and speed, knowing that every second counted.
As they ran, Taizen looked back just once, seeing Carren and the remaining soldiers holding the line, drawing the mages' attention away from their escape. He felt a pang of guilt but pushed it aside.
They were getting closer to the Winko general's position. The sound of gunfire and explosions rang in their ears, but they kept their focus.
As Mionara and Taizen neared the final stretch toward the Winko command post, they could hear the distant roars of battle fading. They pushed forward with everything they had, knowing they couldn't stop now.
Behind them, the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and the crackling of magic still echoed through the air. They knew that Carren and the others were holding the mages off, but the cost would be heavy.
Carren's voice crackled over the comms. "Don't stop, boys. Finish this."
And they did. With one final burst of energy, they sprinted through the crumbling walls and into the heart of the Winko base.
Back at the battlefield, Carren and his team were fighting tooth and nail. One by one, soldiers fell, their bodies dropping to the ground as the mages continued their assault. Carren's guns roared in the distance, the sound of his struggle mixed with the shrieks of magical attacks.
As Mionara and Taizen disappeared into the chaos, Carren felt the weight of their mission on his shoulders. His team, now down to just a handful, pushed forward, giving everything they had.
He caught one last glimpse of the fire mage's glowing red eyes as a shot rang out. But by then, it was too late. The battle was no longer about survival—it was about giving Mionara and Taizen the chance to end this.
Officer Carren crouched behind a shattered wall, his pistols still smoking from the relentless volleys he had unleashed at the two mages. Around him, the last remnants of his squad fired in desperation, their ammunition dwindling as the Winko mages advanced with terrifying precision. The once 30-strong Unit 8 was now reduced to Carren and four others, fighting tooth and nail to give Mionara and Taizen the time they needed to complete their mission.
"Hold your ground!" Carren bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Keep them busy—don't let them gain ground!"
The fire mage, Ember, stepped forward, his hands engulfed in a swirling vortex of purple flames. He grinned, relishing the fear and chaos he was causing. "Fools," he said, his voice carrying a mocking tone. "Your sacrifice means nothing. You cannot stop the inevitable."
With a sudden motion, Ember released a wave of fire that ignited the air itself. One of the remaining soldiers, a young man with a determined face, tried to dive out of the way but was caught mid-air by the searing flames. His scream was short-lived as his body was reduced to ash.
"Goddammit!" Carren shouted, unloading both pistols at Ember. The bullets ricocheted off an invisible barrier of heat, and Ember laughed.
Nearby, Uwaga, the earth mage, was equally merciless. With a wave of his hand, he summoned jagged stone spikes from the ground, impaling another soldier who was trying to reload his weapon. Blood sprayed across the dirt as the soldier collapsed lifelessly.
"Keep moving! Don't stop firing!" Carren yelled, his voice breaking with strain.
A female soldier, her uniform torn and stained with dirt and blood, attempted to flank Uwaga. She managed to get a shot off, hitting the mage in the arm, but before she could celebrate, Uwaga snarled and lifted a massive slab of earth with a flick of his wrist. He hurled it at her with deadly force, crushing her instantly.
Carren gritted his teeth as he watched another of his squad fall. They were being picked off one by one, but he couldn't afford to waver. "Stay focused!" he shouted, though only two soldiers remained to hear him.
One of the soldiers, a man with a scar over his left eyebrow, charged forward with a grenade launcher. "For Kirkia!" he screamed, firing a round directly at Uwaga. The explosion temporarily obscured the mage in a cloud of smoke and debris.
But when the dust settled, Uwaga emerged unscathed, protected by a shield of rocks he had summoned just in time. He extended his arm, and the earth beneath the soldier's feet shifted violently. The man stumbled, and in a split second, Uwaga raised a massive stone spike and sent it hurtling through his chest. The soldier collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
"One left," Uwaga said coldly, turning his gaze toward Carren.
Carren's last remaining soldier, a wiry man with a determined expression, stepped in front of him. "Go, sir. I'll cover you."
"No," Carren said firmly, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "We finish this together."
The fire mage interrupted their moment, sending another devastating wave of purple flames toward them. Carren shoved the soldier out of the way just in time but couldn't fully dodge the blast himself. The flames scorched his arm, and he hissed in pain, dropping one of his pistols.
The final soldier charged at Ember, firing his rifle wildly. Ember smirked, easily deflecting the bullets with a swirling vortex of fire. With a flick of his wrist, he engulfed the soldier in flames, his body consumed in an instant.
Carren was now alone.
Breathing heavily, his uniform scorched and bloodied, Carren stood his ground. He locked eyes with the two mages, his grip tightening on his remaining pistol. "You're going to remember my name," he said, his voice steady despite the pain.
Ember laughed mockingly. "Brave words for a dead man."
Carren raised his pistol and fired at Ember's head. The mage dodged easily, but the move gave Carren just enough time to dive for cover. He rolled behind a chunk of rubble, firing blindly in Uwaga's direction to keep him at bay.
The earth mage, unimpressed, raised both hands and summoned a massive boulder. With a thunderous roar, he hurled it toward Carren's position. The impact shattered the rubble, sending Carren sprawling to the ground.
Coughing and disoriented, Carren forced himself to his knees. He could feel the heat of Ember's flames closing in behind him and the crushing weight of Uwaga's presence in front of him.
"You fought well," Uwaga said, his voice devoid of emotion. "But this is the end."
Carren smirked through the blood on his lips. "You think so? I've already won."
Ember raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How's that?"
Carren grinned. "Because you're wasting time with me… and the Sicarii are already on their way to your general."
With that, Carren pulled a grenade from his belt, holding it tightly. "For Kirkia," he whispered, pulling the pin.
The explosion rocked the battlefield, sending smoke and debris flying in all directions.
When the dust settled, Carren's broken body lay lifeless in the dirt, his sacrifice buying Mionara and Taizen the precious time they needed to fulfill their mission.