The night stretched endlessly above them, the sky painted in deep blues and blacks. Distant lights flickered, remnants of the ongoing struggle far above. Mars' defenses still held, their stronghold unshaken despite months of on-and-off skirmishes.
Markus, Arnik, Rose, Kai, and Aika strolled along the outskirts of the city. The land stretched before them, a quiet contrast to the conflict in the skies. The cool air carried the distant hum of generators and the occasional murmur of patrols further down the road.
Markus exhaled, arms crossed as he looked up. "Looks like Mars' defenses are still holding."
Arnik nodded, his gaze never leaving the night sky. "Three months of this. Attack, retreat, repeat. Over and over."
Kai adjusted his glasses. "They're just testing us. Wearing us down little by little."
Aika hugged herself slightly, rubbing her arms. The cold wasn't the problem—it was the weight in her chest, the uneasy feeling that had lingered since the day they first set foot on this path. Her voice was quiet when she spoke.
"Can you believe we're actually soldiers now?"
She tried to laugh, but it came out hollow. The word felt foreign, unnatural. Soldiers. They were supposed to be trained warriors, hardened by battle, unshaken in the face of war. But when she looked at them—at herself—they were just people. People thrown into something so much bigger than them.
Arnik let out a low chuckle, though it lacked his usual warmth. "Not at all."
Aika exhaled, her breath unsteady. "None of us were made for the battlefield…"
Kai smirked, shaking his head. "That couldn't be more true."
Rose grinned. "Our hearts are too pure."
Kai rolled his eyes. "Corny."
Rose elbowed him playfully. "You love it."
The city's skyline stretched before them, calm under the night. Patrols moved in the distance, their silhouettes small against the towering structures. It was peaceful—at least, for now.
Markus kept his eyes on the sky, watching the distant flickers of light above. His expression was unreadable, his grip tightening slightly at his sides.
Kai glanced over. "Everything alright, dude?"
Markus didn't respond immediately. He exhaled through his nose, his gaze never leaving the dark expanse above.
The sharp chime of their suits cut through the night, followed by a voice—calm, controlled, but carrying an urgency.
"This is Andrew Handerfall. Angel Squad, report immediately. DO YOU READ?!"
Markus's grip tightened around his sword hilt. Arnik's eyes flickered, glowing a deeper blue as he processed the sudden alert.
Kai stiffened. "That's not a good sign."
Arnik exhaled, his voice steady but tense. "We read you, Admiral."
A pause.
Then—
"LIONEL IS BREAKING THROUGH!! EVACUATE THE COUNTRYSIDE!! NOW!!"
The world around them seemed to still for a brief moment.
Then—
The horizon lit up.
The evac vehicles were almost there, their engines roaring through the night, headlights cutting through the smoke-filled air.
"Everyone, in! In! In!" Markus shouted, waving people toward the transports.
"But the crops—!" a farmer hesitated, clutching a bundle of harvested produce.
"Your lives are more—"
The loudest boom they had ever heard cut him off.
The explosion ripped through the distance, shockwaves slamming into them like a tidal wave. A blinding flash swallowed the night as debris shot into the air, metal and stone crashing down like a storm of destruction.
"Move! Hurry, hurry!" Arnik yelled, shoving people toward the transports as fire erupted behind them.
Rose grabbed a child and sprinted, dodging falling rubble. "Go! Get inside now!"
Kai gritted his teeth, shielding a group of evacuees with a magic barrier as debris rained down. "We're almost out of time!"
"Okay, loaded!!" Kai called out, lowering his barrier as the last of the evacuees were safely inside the transports.
Markus tightened his grip on his sword. His gaze swept the horizon, past the wreckage and burning fields. His jaw clenched.
"I'm going to check the far ends!"
Arnik turned sharply. "Wait! Don't go on your ow—!"
But Markus was already gone.
He dashed toward the distant outskirts, his silhouette vanishing into the smoke and chaos.
Markus ran, his breath heavy, his boots slamming against the dirt as he pushed himself harder. His gear weighed him down, but he didn't slow. He couldn't.
I remember the old farmer saying their equipment was buggy… They might not have gotten the alert.
The debris was getting closer, crashing into the earth like meteors, tearing apart the peaceful farmland. Flames erupted in the distance, black smoke curling into the sky.
Markus reached the farthest part of the fields, his heart pounding.
"Everyone, the attack is here! Get out now!!"
Shadows flickered in the firelight—people still there, frozen in fear.
I knew it. There were still some left.
"We're coming!!" a voice called, panic thick in their tone.
"Don't take anything except your family!" Markus barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.
A sudden weight crashed into his leg—a little boy, wide-eyed, trembling. So many people rushed past them, the fear in their eyes undeniable.
Markus knelt. "You alright?"
The boy sniffled, nodding. "Y-Yes…"
"Then hurry."
Markus activated his comms. "Still some here! Requesting one more ship for evac!"
Static.
Then, a response. "Understood. Rerouting a transport—hold position!"
Markus looked up.
The sky was burning.
It looked like hellfire raining down.
There was no time.
He scooped the boy up in his arms, tightening his grip. "Hold on tight!"
Then, he ran.
Markus's eyes widened as the sky tore open.
The first impact sent a shockwave through the earth, knocking over trees, shattering what little structures remained. Fire streaked across the night like falling stars, but there was no beauty in it—only death. The debris screamed as it tore through the air, twisting metal, shattered stone, burning wreckage slamming into the fields like unstoppable meteors.
The world itself seemed to shudder beneath the destruction.
His breath hitched.
A horrible flashback.
That day.
The chaos. The screams. The helplessness.
I… I can't save them all.
His fists clenched so hard his gloves creaked.
But I can save him.
Markus gritted his teeth and pulled the child closer. The boy was crying, shaking, burying his face into Markus's shoulder as the sky rained devastation.
"It's alright," Markus whispered, his voice hoarse but firm. He lowered himself to the ground, curling his body over the boy, shielding him completely. The heat burned against his back, the force of every impact rattling his bones.
He reached into his belt, pulling out a handheld respirator, pressing it gently against the child's face.
"Shh, shh… Just breathe," he murmured. "I've got you."
The boy whimpered, gripping onto Markus's jacket with small, desperate hands.
The storm of fire and debris only grew worse.
Each impact sent shockwaves through his body, the earth itself groaning beneath the relentless assault. Fields that had once been full of life were now engulfed in roaring infernos. The wind carried the scent of burning crops, smoke thick and suffocating.
The ground cracked, buildings collapsed, and still—it rained.
Markus held on.
Arnik's voice crackled through the comms, urgency cutting through the static.
"Markus! You're in the middle of that hell storm!!"
Markus winced, gripping the child tighter as he forced himself to stand. His body ached, every muscle screaming from the relentless barrage.
"I'm—ouch—fine!!"
"The hell you are! I'm heading your way!"
Markus clenched his jaw, his gaze sweeping the battlefield. The fire still roared around him, heat pressing down like an invisible weight. The wreckage smoldered, turning the once-vibrant fields into a graveyard of ash and ruin.
Then—
The sky shifted.
Markus narrowed his eyes. Through the smoke and flames, something loomed above.
A warship.
It descended slowly, its massive silhouette barely visible through the burning clouds. Then, without warning—
Pods.
Dozens of them. Launching from its underbelly, streaking toward the ground like falling stars.
Markus exhaled sharply. "So that damn demon finally made his move…"
He adjusted his grip on the boy and ran.
I need to get him out of here. This heat will kill him.
The burning debris crumbled under his boots as he pushed forward, weaving through the destruction. The warship's presence was undeniable now, its shadow casting over the ruined land.
Lionel wasn't just breaking through.
He was here.
Markus ran through the burning wreckage, his breath ragged, lungs fighting against the thick smoke that clung to the air. The boy in his arms whimpered but held onto him tightly, his small fingers clutching at Markus's jacket as if his life depended on it.
Then—
BOOM.
A pod crashed into the earth just ahead, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked Markus off his feet. Dirt and metal scattered in every direction, flames licking at the impact site.
Markus skidded to a stop, his eyes narrowing. The pod's hull hissed as it cooled, steam rising in thick plumes. Then, with a sharp metallic groan, the door lurched open.
Markus didn't think—he moved.
His arms locked around the boy as he pivoted, twisting his body to shield him. His coat flared, tattered fabric whipping around them as he dug his boots into the broken ground.
BOOM.
A Magic blast slammed into his back, the force sending him staggering forward. His muscles screamed in protest. Another shot came, searing through his shoulder armor, burning into flesh.
Not yet.
A third shot. Direct. Aimed for the boy.
Markus threw himself down, wrapping his body around the child.
Impact after impact ripped through him, his coat offering no protection. Heat scorched his back, the scent of charred fabric and flesh thick in the air. His breath hitched, the pain digging into his nerves like claws.
The boy trembled beneath him. Shaking. Crying.
Small fingers clutched desperately at Markus's torn jacket.
Markus gritted his teeth, his body screaming in protest, but he refused to stop. His sword cut through the swarm of demon machines, each strike carving a path through the chaos.
Dark magic crackled in the air, distorting the battlefield. The machines moved in sync, their glowing optics locking onto him, surrounding him like a pack of predators closing in for the kill.
He didn't wait.
Markus lunged forward, his blade slashing through a demon machine's throat, severing its head in one clean motion. Blackened metal and dark energy crackled where it fell, vanishing into nothing. Another came from the side—he spun, his sword cleaving straight through its chest.
The moment his feet hit the ground, more rushed him. Magic pulsed in the air, attacks flying toward him from every direction. He twisted his body, barely avoiding a strike as his sword flashed again, cutting through the arm of a machine lunging at him.
He pressed forward, weaving between them, striking fast, brutal, efficient. His boots slammed into the rubble as he moved with practiced precision, hacking through anything that stood in his way.
One grabbed him from behind.
Markus didn't hesitate—he shifted his weight, throwing his elbow back into the machine's head before twisting his sword into its chest. The metal groaned, sparks flying as the machine convulsed before collapsing.
More came. They never stopped.
Then—he heard it.
A cry. The boy.
Markus's head snapped in the child's direction—just in time to see a demon machine raising its blade high above him.
"No—!"
Markus pushed forward, but the second he moved—
Pain exploded in his side.
A jagged black blade tore through his stomach, stopping him mid-stride. His breath hitched, the sharp sting locking his body in place.
His vision swam, his grip on his sword shaking.
The machine holding the blade let out a hollow, mechanical laugh.
Markus fought to move, but he wasn't fast enough.
His eyes locked onto the boy—just as the demon machine in front of him drove its sword straight through the child's chest.
The world froze.
The boy's eyes went wide, his small hands grasping weakly at the blade lodged deep inside him. His lips parted, but only a faint, choked sound escaped.
Markus's heart stopped.
The machine twisted the sword. Blood dripped onto the scorched ground.
The child's body went limp.
The demon machine sneered.
Markus's vision blurred. His grip on reality shattered.
....War..... What a awful thing.