The Radio crackled once more. “Change of orders. Alpha Company is to descend and link up with the approaching Assembly and Eastern forces in holding off the enemy infantry.”

“Ma’am?”

“The emplacements will be responsible for thinning the enemy fliers,” Marie’s dispassionate voice continued on. “Initial analysis reveals that these fliers do not have the defences of even a Shell; it is possible for us to hold them off with the massed emplacements at Foxtrot.”

Aziz ran through her words for a moment, and then led Alpha into a descent. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Hang tight, Aziz. I’m diverting Avalanche to Defence Line Foxtrot to take over the emplacements. They should be there in ten minutes. Fortress Alpha will be in position to support in fifteen.” The marshal’s words were filled with worry. “Stay safe and descend only on my signal.”

“Roger that,” the colonel replied.

“Clear the area.” Marie’s words were somewhat distant, as if she was talking to someone else.

The raging storm of fire tripled in intensity for a few seconds, and the huge horde of demons below Aziz crumbled away into flesh and bone. The colonel hadn’t had the time to appreciate just how huge the enemy infantry was, but now that he preparing to hold the landbridge, the sight of an entire horde crumbling away drove home how huge the enemy numbers were.

Thousands of demons had fallen in that instant, but the horde seemed as endless as ever.

With Major Hans bellowing orders as background music, the colonel took the chance to look around

“This is madness,” Aziz muttered, as Alpha Company landed on solid ground.

“Sir?”

Aziz glanced at Hans, whose face was set. “They aren’t even defending against our attacks. It’s as if they want to bleed out the force behind each and every bullet with flesh and bone. How luxurious.”

To the east, the allied forces had also taken up positions on the landbridge. Marie’s strategy was simple; the emplacements at the defence line would fire upon the greater threats — the demon Knights or whatever they were called — en masse, while they dealt with the small fry.

He picked up the Radio once more as their allied forces pulled up into a firing line, something Hans had already gotten Alpha to do. Shots began to ring out in concert, and shadows began to falter as the first shots by the impromptu ground defenders landed home.

It wasn’t all that hard, though; the enemy numbers were so overwhelming that firing in their approximate direction would still hit.

That wry thought in mind, Aziz brought up the Radio. “Commodore Tenouji, General Ishtar. This is Colonel Aziz of the First Aerial. I will be assuming command of the local area defence. Any objections?”

Silence followed, before two ‘Nos’ came in reply.

“Good,” said Aziz. “For now, continue laying down fire, but make sure that artefacts capable of projecting a solid wall — like the Palisade — are on standby.”

Annoyance whirled in his heart as the commanders of the allied forces replied with a grunt, but there was no helping it. Returning his attention to his Straight Shot, Aziz joined the rest of the defenders in pumping shots into the approaching horde.

Blood fell like rain as the Limitless Shots behind them, at the defence line, began to fire in earnest. Pellets of qi, each as deadly as the next, stormed towards the enemy fliers, cutting them down in droves, but their approach never stopped. Whatever Guardians that were still able to fight had drawn back to protect the perimeter of the defence line, but against such numbers…

Gritting his teeth, Aziz resisted the urge to change Alpha Company’s targets. Slapping in a red cube— a next-generation power source that succeeded the last-generation purple Battery — the colonel continued to pull the trigger, but the horde showed no signs of stopping.

By now, the demons — both in the air and on land — were so enough such that they didn’t look like a black encroaching mass. No features were distinguishable under the lightless night, but everyone on Aziz’s side could see how demons who fell were ruthlessly trampled on.

Such a sight was callous to an extreme…and exceedingly effective at shaving away the morale of the defenders here.

The grounded First Air Army, which was directly adjacent to Alpha Company, was already showing signs of flagging, with shots going so far off that the shooter had to be aiming at the sky.

Aziz picked up the Radio. “Commodore, general, order your men to use their Palisades or equivalent now. Increase the luminosity slightly, so that everyone can see it.”

At the same time, Hans, who was listening to him, issued a similar order. A faint white wall flared to life a moment later, and Aziz issued a sigh of relief as the formless tension that had built up within Alpha Company ebbed away. Something similar like this was probably going on within the assembled ranks of the East and the Assembly’s troops.

That feeling, however, faded away a moment later, as the faint light illuminated the bodies of their charging foes.

These demons looked very much like humans.

Aziz had expected that, but from the looks it, virtually no one else had predicted such a twist. The colonel knew that news about their appearance had spread out, but deep down, even within himself, Aziz had still expected them to look like monsters.

Not humans or beastfolk.

In that moment of frozen shock, the sounds of fire ground to a halt — even the suppressive fire from Defence Line Foxtrot.

Bestial howls, which had been suppressed by the sounds of steady fire, erupted outwards with an intensity the colonel had never heard before. A moment later, petrified, fearful screams erupted through the chokepoint the three nations had been blocking off. Within seconds, the First Air Army and General Ishtar’s forces broke down into a rout, with what seemed like half of their numbers making a break for it.

The sturdy wall of Palisades, which should have held the demons off for a few precious minutes, showed multiple openings immediately. In that instant, Aziz could sense that such a sight, when combined with the ferocity of their humanoid foes, had pushed the situation on land beyond repair.

His mind racing, Aziz resumed fire. Alpha Company followed suit a moment later, but there was no plugging that gap for them — in that moment of frozen shock, the demon infantry and fliers had thrown on a burst of speed.

The colonel watched calmly as the defenders on ground broke down entirely, and as explosions from the upper airzone lit up the entire world, Aziz issued what would probably be his final order.

“Major Hans.” The colonel tossed aside his Straight Shot and checked his inventory. “Alpha Company will buy time for the other forces to retreat.”

“Sir?”

“We’ll hold them off as long as possible,” Aziz replied. “Toss out any explosive artefacts you have, protect your sides and rear with Palisades, and then slaughter every demon in sight. We’ll fight to the last man, or until reinforcements arrive. Don’t let any demons slip through.”

A small shudder rippled through Alpha Company as the major relayed his orders.