1.2 Inbound

On top of the crumbling skyscraper, Selena crouched low, her sharp eyes scanning the chaotic battlefield below while Isamu, standing next to her with a hand shielding his eyes, squinted through the smoky haze. The city sprawled out before them like a war-torn maze of destruction, where the silhouettes of shattered buildings jutted up against the ashen sky. Close by, the sound of gunfire echoed loudly from a firefight at street level. Eight ISA soldiers were pinned down behind overturned cars and debris, desperately trying to fend off a flood of demons pouring out from alleyways and cracked asphalt. Their rifles barked with rapid-fire, but the enemy closed in, overwhelming them with monstrous claws and wings. Some of them fell immediately while others retreated to the buildings, chased by the monsters.

"Your friend was right," Selena said, "there's no way we can break the enemy with sheer force."

"Lem's quite the cold, calculating mind if you let him," Isamu said, eyeing the city as he lay down next to the dark elf.

In the distance, orange plumes of explosions burst against the dark clouds, lighting up the sky in brief flashes. Isamu nodded toward them, his face tense with concern. "Could it be that the military is fighting demons?" he muttered, half to himself. "They seem to be giving the demons hell, but for how long?"

"Unlikely, perhaps it's just the UDR's onslaught," Selena said.

Above the battlefield, a squadron of sleek drones buzzed through the smoky air like angry hornets. Their sleek forms darted over a plaza or possibly a giant mall that Selena was certain housed something ominous. 

The drones, surely belonging to Earth's military, zeroed in on an open space below, letting loose a volley of fire. But even from this height, Selena could see how demon monsters swarmed upward, ripping into the drones mid-flight. One by one, the machines were shot down, ripped apart in sprays of sparks and debris. Selena’s expression hardened. 

“That’s a lot of protection for a simple defensive position,” she said quietly. “The demons are protecting something, I bet it is a spire.”

Isamu, lost in thought, suddenly turned his gaze toward a nearby open field. His breath caught for a moment when he recognized the familiar outlines of his old school. Only one building stood eerily intact, though the portal that had once gaped wide in its tracking field grounds was now gone, with many inhuman bodies filling the ground. His brow furrowed in confusion. "My school's somehow still standing..." he murmured, his voice tinged with disbelief. "The portal’s closed."

"Portal?" Selena said.

"Yes, that's how my school was hit, if it weren't for Raena—"

His voice cut off as he remembered, "Raena! Where could she be? Oi, Selena, scan the school, do you see a dragon in the ground, or anyone remotely looking like a dragon?"

Selena turned the binoculars to the destroyed school grounds, "I see a lot of bodies, both human and demonic, but no trace of a dragon."

"I see..."

Selena scanned the horizon again, her gaze cutting through the haze and flames. "No other spawning points in sight," she confirmed, her voice calm despite the chaos. "We hit that Spire, and we might just give the resistance a fighting chance."

"All right, let's go back then," Isamu said, a bit down.

"What's the matter?" Selena asked.

"I just... I just hope Raena made it out alive." he wished, looking at the sky in a melancholic manner, "We've just been reunited after she died in my world, so I just hope she's okay."

"Oh!" Selena exclaimed, "She reincarnated into another world?"

"I suppose that's right, given how she was now half dragon and stuff."

"She'll be fine, heroes that are chosen to be reincarnated or transported by the gods usually have more chances of surviving demons, it's their specialty after all."

"Is that so?" Isamu said, his grin becoming alive again, "Then let's not make her wait!"

Selena smiled at the young man's naivete, but then went for her communication device, "Lem, do you copy?"

There was a small buzz before Lem's voice came in, "You really loved that word, didn't you?"

Selena ignored him, "We've found one possible spire, it's a big central hub in the city that is all too well defended for it not to be something important."

"Ok, there is a small courtyard between buildings—"

Selena looked around, seeing a kids' playground, "I see it."

"Good, meet us there as soon as possible, there's been a development..."

Lem's voice cut off, and Selena smacked her lips in sudden worry.

"We should go, right?" Isamu said.

The dark elf nodded, and the two skillfully began their descent from the building's side. Isamu was an avid kinesthetic learner, and so crudely imitating Selena's movements was simple, but perfecting them would take him a while. 

Just as they dropped into the courtyard, Daphnis signaled them to get to where she was so that they'd be hidden from any prying eyes. Selena and Isamu entered what was once a small kitchen and a service room, and immediately spotted Saba wired to a cell phone while Lem supervised her work.

"Glad you made it back," Lem said, looking at them, "How far is the spire?"

"Not sure if it's a spire yet,"

"I bet it is," Lem reassured her, "You did well."

"Well, it's close to what Isamu called your old school," she said, "I bet that gives you an idea of where that is." 

"Um, Isamu?" Lem turned to his friend.

"I-it's the mall, bro," the black-haired boy smiled while shrugging.

"Right, if the streets have kept any resemblance to what they were before the invasion, it should be easy to get there."

"So what's this new development?" Selena asked, "Does it have to do with the rat that is standing next to you?"

Lem's eyes lightened up and he pointed at the said rat that was standing next to Daphnis.

"A rat?" Isamu said, realizing he had not spotted it.

"Hi there," the rat waved at them, "I apologize for the intrusion."

"A talking rat?" Isamu corrected himself.

"We found it running aimlessly across one of the upper floors, it scared the crap out of Daphnis and she wasted her magazine on it."

"It wasn't that bad!" Daphnis excused herself, "And I did not waste an entire magazine!"

"Anyway, the point is that it seems to be one of us," Lem cut to the chase.

The rat cleared its throat as one of its paws went behind its back, formally standing on two feet, "I am a familiar from one of ISA's operators, I am tasked with finding survivors and leading them to safety," the rat said.

"How would a single rat assist a group of survivors against a demon horde?" Selena said, confused.

"I lead them to you, to ISA fighters, so that you can lead them to safety," the rat corrected.

"This leads us to our next problem," Lem said, "there is a group of survivors on the other side of the playground."

"What? Who?" Isamu asked.

Daphnis pointed to another door on the other side of the playground, where a woman peeked through the curtain, terrified.

"I beg you, please lead them to safety, I found them as another ISA fighter was trying to lead them to a secure location so I could start the summoning spell, but the fighter was pinned down and we had to separate. If your other friends with the dinosaur monster wouldn't have diverted so many demons, we would've been killed already."

Lem looked at Selena, who was just beginning to feel the mission growing more and more difficult.

"Who was the other fighter, familiar?" Lem inquired.

"Oh, another ISA fighter, mind you," the rat said, "apparently she is responsible for saving many survivors already, but the UDR consolidated the area and the number of demons simply increased, it was too much to handle."

"And where is she?" Selena asked.

"A few blocks ahead, she seems to hiding somewhere by the communal area, that large construction with many clothes and food."

"The mall!" Isamu said, "Lem, it was the Mall! We saw that, right Selena?"

Selena hushed Isamu as Lem turned to the rat and tapped its head, "Little friend, we're on a mission to cut the source that keeps sending reinforcements to the demons, I hope that they understand."

"But dear ISA fighters, without any proper protection, they'll surely die!" the rat squealed.

Lem turned to Selena, "Is there any way we can help them conceal their presence?"

"Why are you looking at me?" she asked, annoyed.

"Well, you're a dark elf, can't you cast a spell to turn them invisible?"

Selena's eyes fired up, "Who the—to suggest that to a dark elf is offensive, stereotypical! I cannot believe this human!"

Lem furrowed his eyes, "but can you?"

Selena looked at the rat, who was tenderly sniffing her with its nose, "Agh, I'll go to them!"

"I'll come with you, Selena," Daphnis said, "I can give them an edge as well."

Lem smiled and turned to the little familiar, "Will that suffice for you to escort them to the beacon, little rat?"

The rat jumped happily and nodded, "I'll make sure they are taken to safety, sir!"

With that, the rat left across the playground and waved towards a windowed door, which proceeded to open and let out two families. The mere sight of defenseless civilians got Isamu out of the kitchen to check the rooftops and the alleyways with his rifle ready.

Selena stood before the group of survivors, her eyes glowing with the subtle, dark light of her shadow magic. The group—four haggard, exhausted civilians—stood trembling before her, their fear palpable in the tense air. The distant roars of demonic beasts could still be heard echoing through the city making the kids hide behind their parents, and it was difficult enough for them to follow a rat, now they were seeing two women that seemed to be taken out of a fantasy book. Lem looked from the safety of the kitchen, wondering how would the two families survive such an onslaught, and how would they come to follow an eager, talking rat. He pondered on the potential in that survivor story, but he also shook his head at the absurdity of the premise.

With a steady, calm hand, Selena began to weave her magic, tendrils of shroud swirling around her fingertips before extending out toward the survivors. "Hold still," she instructed, her voice steady and soothing. "This will only take a moment."

The shadow magic moved like living smoke, slowly wrapping itself around the civilians. The process was delicate and deliberate. The shadows thickened and darkened as they coiled around each person, sinking into their skin, clothes, and hair. Slowly, their features began to fade into shades of grey, the magic taking hold and blending them into their surroundings. Their forms became less distinct, almost ethereal, their appearances now reminiscent of ghostly silhouettes.

One of the survivors, a young woman, looked down at her hands, which had taken on a semi-translucent quality. "What...what’s happening to us?" she asked, her voice trembling with unease.

Selena’s gaze remained focused on her work, her hands moving methodically. "I’m turning you into shades," she explained softly. "It's a shadow enchantment. It will cloak you from sight, blending you into the darkness. The demons won’t be able to sense you for a few hours—long enough for you to get to safety."

As the enchantment settled in, the survivors began to feel lighter, their forms seeming to float ever so slightly above the ground, their presence now almost undetectable.

Daphnis stepped forward, her usual optimism tempered by the gravity of the situation. She placed a gentle hand on one of the survivor’s arms, her fingers glowing faintly with golden light. "Here, this will help too," she said with a smile. A small patch appeared on the survivor’s hand, glowing softly with a honey-golden hue. "It’s a honeybee drug. It’ll numb your nerves and keep you sharp for a while. You’ll feel less pain, but stay focused enough to move quickly if you need to."

The survivor looked at the patch, still partially in awe of the enchantment that had changed her into a shade, but there was relief in her eyes as the effects of the honeybee drug began to take hold. The anxiety that had weighed heavily on their minds started to lift, replaced by a newfound sense of calm.

Selena gave the group a final glance, ensuring that the enchantment was stable. "This will hold for a few hours," she reiterated, her voice taking on a slightly more authoritative tone. "After that, the magic will wear off, and you’ll be vulnerable again. Don’t linger. Follow the rat's directions thoroughly. You’ll be safe where it takes you."

One of the civilians, an older man with a grizzled beard, nodded his thanks, his voice wavering with a mixture of fear and gratitude. "Thank you...both of you."

Daphnis gave a warm smile. "Stay strong. You’ve got this."

As the group began to move, their figures fading into the surrounding shadows, Selena watched them for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with a nod to Daphnis, she turned back to the task at hand. 

"Will they be okay?" Isamu said, worried.

"We have to hope for the best, I'm sure the rat knows what it's doing!" Daphnis said.

"Yeah, but it's one rat against the entire demon horde, a bit lackluster if you ask me," Selena noted.

"I've heard the resistance was already overstretched against the UDR before they attacked Earth," Daphnis commented.

"That friend of yours, Isamu" Selena furrowed her eyes.

"L-lem?" the young man said.

"I hate his guts, his cunning..."

"Ah! Hehe!" Isamu scratched his head a bit embarrassed, "He's always been 7D chess player, always seeing ahead."

"Whatever chess means, I hate it."

"Ch-ches?"

Selena just went ahead without expanding on her disdain. They went back to the kitchen. Saba was just reincorporating herself.

"I've traced the different 'radio channels' used by militant groups in the area," Saba said, "We should be able to know their whereabouts if it becomes helpful, but be advised, Lem, none of them are in a standing position to assist us at the moment."

"Great," Lem said, "You're extremely resourceful, Saba, keep hearing and monitoring friendly movement."

"Lem," Selena said, "You're not seriously considering going after this ISA fighter."

"It's a side job," Lem assured her, "It just so happens that this ISA fighter saved some people by themselves while fighting endless waves of demons, which speaks volumes of their fighting capability. Besides, I might have a clue on who it may be."

Isamu's eyes widened, "Raena!"

"Your Raena?" Selena asked, "How can that be?"

"We saw that she has special skills," Lem explained, enough to take on waves of demons by herself, if she's pinned down in the area, we can connect with her and finish the job."

"Well yeah but—"

"Come on, Selena!" Isamu begged, "She saved Lem and I from certain death, it is thanks to her that we are here fighting alongside you."

"If this Raena is as powerful as you say she is, it could increase our chances of assaulting the spire," Saba said.

Selena relented upon listening to the android.

"Good, then point the way, if you're so kind," Lem requested.

"Which way?" Selena asked.

"The one that takes us closer to the spire."

"But what if we find demons in our way?"

"We have these, remember?" Lem said, pointing to his rifle.

"Now you care about fighting demons?"

"Only because now we have a somewhere to. Before that, we would've been fighting demons aimlessly."

Selena grunted, shooting dead eyes at Isamu before leaving through the door, "It was this way..."

Lem turned to his friend, "What did you do to her?"

"M-me?" Isamu mumbled, "What about you?"

"Hmm..."

The team cautiously made their way out of the narrow alleys and through the debris, weaving between the twisted remains of a fallen skyscraper. The path ahead led directly to the mall, where the Spire stood like a dark beacon, pulsing with ominous energy. Rubble crunched underfoot as they crept across the destroyed streets, their senses on high alert. 

After half an hour of treading carefully, Lem held up a hand to signal a halt, eyes narrowing as he spotted movement up ahead.

A patrol of small demons, impish creatures with glowing eyes and sharp claws, skittered through the wreckage. Without a word, Lem motioned for everyone to get into position. 

"We're engaging?" Selena asked.

"Only way through this," Lem said.

"Yeah but—"

"Fire!"

Isamu was the first to fire, his rifle barking loudly as plasma rounds cut through the air, striking the demons in quick succession. Saba followed up with her precise shots, taking down two more before they even realized they were under attack.

But as the last of the patrol fell, one demon let out a piercing cry, raising a magical horn to its lips. It blew a thunderous note, the sound echoing across the battlefield. Lem cursed under his breath. "That's not good, look to the rooftops!"

"Cursed gods, Lem, I hate you so much!" Selena shouted as she aimed her rifle.

"Shut up and get ready!" Lem yelled.

"I pick up fifty hostiles bearing down on our position—air and ground!" Saba indicated.

"Saba, take the air, we'll deal with the ground forces!"

From the surrounding buildings, a dozen winged creatures descended with feral screeches, their leathery wings flapping as they swooped in for the kill. Goat-like warriors with twisted horns and wicked grins appeared from the shadows, charging at the group with crude swords and heavy clubs.

Lem moved swiftly, his KEN-blade flaring to life with a green glow as he slashed through one of the goat warriors who had managed to survive the barrage with fluid precision, although he knew iron armor had little chance against a laser sword. He parried a blow from another, ducked, and thrust his blade through the demon's chest, the intense light of the blade searing through the creature.

Isamu let loose a barrage of plasma fire from his YUSHA rifle, the rounds ripping through the air and tearing into the winged creatures as they swooped down. One of the demons tried to grab him with its talons, but he rolled to the side, leaping back to his feet with a grin before blasting it mid-flight.

Selena, aimed carefully staying close to cover, firing at the goat warriors as they charged. Each shot was a perfect headshot, taking down the demons before they could reach the team. "Could use some support here!" she called out, ducking as a demon’s blade narrowly missed her.

Daphnis, with her usual optimistic grin, darted from cover to cover, firing short bursts of light essence rounds from her rifle at enemies. She remained close to Saba, as the android's eyes glowed briefly and her internal systems calculated the exact trajectory for the incoming enemies. She aimed her arm cannon, firing precise, calculated shots that incapacitated the flying creatures. Her dry voice cut through the chaos. "I would suggest not drawing further attention. It is… inefficient."

"It is not if we keep moving before we're pinned down!" Lem shouted, "Move, move! Push forward!"

The battle raged on as they took down the last of the goat warriors and flying demons, their victory hard-earned. But just as they began to move again, a series of dark bolts crackled through the air.

"Dark mages!" Selena shouted, taking cover as the bolts exploded around them, sending waves of dark energy across the street, "take cover!"

The dark mages were ominous figures, lurking atop the crumbling buildings like shadows come to life. Their forms were draped in long, tattered cloaks of dark, almost ethereal fabric, which seemed to swirl and shift as if alive, absorbing the scant light that cut through the war-torn cityscape. Their faces were obscured beneath deep hoods, with only faint glints of red or violet eyes occasionally visible in the shadows, glowing like embers in the dark.

As Lem, Isamu, Daphnis, Saba, and Selena moved through the debris-strewn streets, the mages loomed above them, like predatory birds waiting to strike. Their hands, pale and bony, peeked from the edges of their robes, crackling with dark, arcane energy. Each time they cast their sinister spells, the air around their fingertips seemed to warp, twisting unnaturally as dark magic gathered into bolts of energy.

Their skin, where visible, was sickly pale, almost translucent as if drained of all life by the dark forces they wielded. Around their waists and necks were crude necklaces made of bones and strange charms, likely taken from past victims or fashioned in some twisted ritual to amplify their powers.

Each time one of the mages cast a spell, their robes flared with an eerie luminescence, a dark purple or green light that pulsed with their sinister magic. The hoods of their cloaks seemed to writhe unnaturally with each invocation, as if alive with the dark energy that surged through their bodies. Their movements were smooth but unnerving, almost too fluid, like serpents slithering through the shadows.

As the team faced them, the sight of these mages was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. They were like wraiths—an unnatural fusion of human and darkness—moving with purpose but seeming to belong more to the shadows than to the physical world.

Selena, eyes sharp, whispered to the others, “There—up on the left. See that glow?” Isamu nodded grimly, watching as one of the mages' robes billowed unnaturally in the wind as he prepared another volley of dark magic. The way they moved, the way the dark energy clung to them, made them feel like something out of a nightmare.

“Creepy bastards,” the young man muttered, his voice tense but focused.

The team found themselves pinned down in the ruins of a collapsed building, dark bolts of energy raining down on them from unseen mages perched on higher ground. The oppressive force of the enemy’s magic was relentless, forcing them to huddle behind the crumbling remains of a once-bustling shop. Dust and debris filled the air as the dark bolts exploded against the walls.

"I can't see them well with all this light show!" Isamu said.

Lem gritted his teeth and peered around the edge of their cover. "We need to draw their fire and take them out. Saba, you got any heavy ordinance in that arsenal of yours?"

Saba, crouched behind a large chunk of debris, gave him a quick, almost too-calm nod. "I have explosive plasma rounds. They will be sufficient but I need time to get a lock, as the shot has considerable recoil."

Lem smirked despite the situation. "Good. The rest of us—let’s draw their fire. Give Saba a chance to pinpoint their positions. Selena, Isamu, go left! Daphnis to me!"

Isamu grinned, eager as always, and readied himself. "On it, boss! Let's go, partner!"

"Partner?" Selena repeated as she followed him, both of them firing in front of them with little aim. 

Daphnis gave a determined nod, already preparing to follow Lem’s lead.

Lem darted out of cover, firing his rifle in rapid bursts toward the vague outlines of the mages. "Come on! Focus on me!" he shouted. The dark mages responded immediately, launching more shadowy projectiles toward him. He ducked and weaved, trying to stay nimble, but as he took one step too far out of cover, a bolt struck him square in the chest.

The force of the impact sent him flying backward, crashing hard into the rubble. Dark energy pulsed through his body, searing his nerves with pain as he gasped for breath. His vision blurred, but before he could spiral further, Daphnis was there, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back to safety.

"You pushed yourself too far!" she said with a mix of worry and frustration, keeping low as Isamu exposed himself even further to draw the fire to himself.

As Saba set her rifle's explosive plasma mode, she coolly began identifying the mages' locations. Each shot she fired was precise, sending violent bursts of energy into the enemy hideouts. With each blast, chunks of debris and twisted metal rained down, silencing the dark bolts bit by bit. Selena added her own shots for good measure once the heavy bombardment of dark bolts began to recede, her sharpshooter rounds threading through the chaos to strike down the remaining mages.

Back in the relative safety of their cover, Daphnis knelt beside Lem, her warm smile bringing a small comfort despite the chaos. She materialized two small, glowing bees in her hand. 

"What the—Ack!" Lem said, his limbs numbing and the pain increasing.

"You’ll be fine. Just hold still," she said soothingly as the bees hovered over his neck and chest. They stung him gently—one in the wound and one in the neck.

Lem winced at first, but then he felt the revitalizing energy flow through his body, soothing the pain and dulling the dark magic that had wracked his nerves. He let out a relieved breath, feeling his strength return.

Daphnis grinned down at him. "Just patchwork. You’ll still need to get checked back at base, but you’re good for now."

Lem sat up slowly, shaking off the last of the discomfort. "Thanks, Daph. I'm going to have to ask more about what the hell you just injected me with, but later." 

He flashed her a grin before looking toward the battlefield, where Saba's precise strikes were wiping out the remaining mages. The tide was turning in their favor once again.

After the last of the dark mages had been obliterated by Saba's plasma blasts, the team cautiously approached the area where the sinister figures had been gathered. Smoke and the scent of burned stone lingered in the air, but another, more disturbing sight caught their attention. In the shadowed remains of a building, hidden within a crumbling chamber, three ISA fighters were bound tightly to twisted, makeshift altars formed from blackened bones and jagged stone. Dark runes etched into the floor pulsed with fading magical energy, and the air was thick with the residue of malevolent power.

Daphnis was the first to react, rushing forward. "They were preparing to sacrifice them..." she whispered, horrified. The bound fighters, pale and trembling, were unconscious but still alive, their faces contorted with fear and pain. The dark energy that had been siphoned from them still lingered in the air, a sickening reminder of what had almost transpired.

Lem quickly moved to help untie them, while Isamu kept watch for any more threats. "Let's get them out of here. These bastards were using them like batteries."

One by one, the team carefully released the fighters from their binds. As soon as their restraints were removed, Daphnis worked her magic, a soft glow emanating from her hands as bees of light flew to sting each of them. The bruises and burns that marred their skin began to fade, their ragged breaths becoming steady. She smiled softly, her optimism shining through the grim scene. "You’re going to be okay," she assured them. "Just breathe. We’ve got you."

The soldiers stirred, slowly regaining consciousness as their strength returned. But something in their eyes was broken—shattered by the terror they had endured.

One of them, a man with haunted eyes and a deep gash across his cheek, suddenly pushed himself away from Daphnis as soon as he was able to stand. "No!" he shouted, his voice ragged and panicked. "I can't—I'm done with this! No more fighting, no more demons... I can’t do it anymore!"

The other two fighters scrambled to their feet, eyes wide with fear. One of them, shaking uncontrollably, yelled, "We were dead! We were as good as dead! And they were just—just using us like we were nothing!" His voice cracked, filled with desperation. "I'm not going back out there! I can't!"

Without waiting for a response, the three fighters bolted from where they had come, their footsteps frantic and uneven. Lem reached out as if to stop them, but Daphnis gently touched his arm. "Let them go," she said softly, her expression saddened. "They’ve been through enough."

Selena, watching them flee, shook her head. "Guess they weren’t cut out for this."

"Keeping them would've slowed us down, given their mental and physical condition," Saba said.

"You don't have to be so cold all the time, girls," Isamu said, "We're all suffering from this." 

Lem frowned but nodded grimly, watching as the traumatized fighters disappeared into the debris-filled streets, their panicked voices fading into the distance. "I can’t blame them," he muttered. "Not after what they’ve been through." He turned to the rest of the team, his voice regaining its edge. "Alright, we keep moving. We still have a spire to take down."