She tossed her keyboard into her handbag and walked out of the cafe.

The sky was beginning to darken.

Christmas ornaments could be found at every stop. Festive trinkets like little ribbons tied to trees and small beady LCD lights flashing in rainbow. All this accompanied by the artificial snow generated in the AR view.

A nice festive ambience hung in the air, contrary to the discomfort of her bloated stomach.

“I shouldn’t have ordered so many drinks.”

[I warned you.]

Next time she’ll listen to her AIs warnings.

[“Is there anyone nearby Zone 21? I need to return home for a bit.”]

[“Here.”]

[“Me too. Don’t worry. We’ll call you over if the battle starts.”]

[“Thanks.”]

Weaving past the crowd of people and demon mines planted on the ground, Trisha reached the station and went back home.

9 pm. Trisha was having a late, lonely dinner of broccoli and steak she cooked up herself.

[“Still not yet?”]

[“Don’t tell me it’s going to begin at midnight. That would be absurd.”]

[“It happened last time didn’t it?”]

[“Who can keep watch? I’ll stay until 12, and then return to catch some ZZZ.”]

[“Trisha, are you sure the battle is going to start today? I’m seeing a lot of demons but the chain reactions hasn’t happened yet.”]

[“Both sides are being cautious.”]

[“Waiting for the moment the demons go to sleep eh?”]

[“It’s a fight to see which side has more people that can go without sleeping.”]

“I still have work tomorrow..”

There’s no way Trisha can decide to just not to sleep.

Her contribution to the defence is going to be crucial in the battle formation. She is, after all, ranked in the top 100.

[“I’m sorry. I’ll take a short nap. I’ll wake up again at 12.”]

With that, Trisha fell asleep.

She woke up three hours later.

Groggily, she checked the messages. The battle had yet to begin.

However..

[“Are you joining the fight for Zone 21?”]

“...”

[Trisha. Should I report him already?]

“No.”

[“Yes.”]

Trisha finally gave in.

[“I can’t believe you’re still awake at this sort of time.”]

[“Same here. Shouldn’t you be taking care of your family? Go to sleep already.”]

[“I can stand not sleeping for a night.”]

[“We’re enemies. You know that.”]

[“My spouse would say otherwise.”]

[“And? I’m still going to have to kill demons if they try to get close to the core.”]

[“That’s of course. I’ll be killing angels too.”]

Why was she even replying to his messages?

Their relationship was already over. So why?

Her fingers naturally moved to send a question that had been bothering her.

[“Do you remember?”]

There was a pause.

[“That you’re a submarine? No.”]

Trisha gripped her fist.

[“I may not remember what kind of angel you were. But I do remember you. The human you.”]

He doesn’t remember, but he’s aware.

[“I’m sorry I died. I’m sorry I was weak. I may not be the demon you know, but..”]

Shivering, tears began falling from Trisha’s eyes.

[“We’re all still humans in the end, right?”]

{ALPINE has requested for your aid}

{Call distance: 8km/10km}

[“Don’t die.”]

Her vision blurred into a mess of black and white.

===

Ding.

“GGGGRRRAAAWWWWHHHHHHHH!!!”

A clash between two colossals.

A red giant, The Red Mortician Rakshasa. Black eyes that seemed to suck the souls of those that gazed too deeply into it, red pulsating skin like wiggling worms underneath the skin with two large tusks that grew out of its mouth.

An angelic valkyrie, The Seraph. Two pairs of wings sprouted from her back, halos stacked behind her as she fought against the red monster overshadowing her small figure. She wielded a golden halberd.

It was a head on confrontation.

The ground caved it, a great impact shook the world. Lighting painted the battlefield white.

Angels killing demons. Demons killing angels.

“Don’t let them anywhere close. Use the authorities if you must.”

““Roger that!!””

There were at least ten fleets in charge of guarding the core.

In the mortal realm, the core was the quartz statue on top of the fountain inlaid the center of the giant plaza.

It was unlike most other territories where the core would be located in a tighter space. Here, the core was located in the middle of a cross junction. A white cube, blue pulsing line; rotating, floating. It seemed to pulsate as if it were itself a living object.

Trisha’s fleet was one of the ten that was placed in charge of defending this location.

She watched the light dazzle in the sky. The clash of red and gold.

They summoned a strong Seraph this time around.

[“Incoming. To the north.”]

Trisha didn’t know where the north was pointed.

But that didn’t matter anyways as large caliber guns began firing as a troop from a single direction.

The angels began making their move as soon as the demon struck.

The core had been surrounded by layers of diaphanous walls placed down by Trisha. Stacked a few meters high and multiple layers thick, it served a layer of crucial defence for its protection.

There were also other traps and defenses laid out like explosive mines and gold vines that incapacitate prey. Those were hexes or weapon abilities from members of other fleets.

All measures were taken in hopes that the demons wouldn't be able to get past their defense all that easily.

As the demons approached, Trisha fired her ricochet bullets. Most of them failed to hit anyone. Those that have been assigned to capture the core were likely veteran fighters. They were not to make light of.

Trisha’s frame shield went down with the sound of glass breaking.

{WARNING: EROSION VALUE: LIGHT}

The space was too open, and there were too many open points which a range-specialized demon could hide behind.

The typical formation would require that combat specialized angels encircle the outer ring while range specialized angels would support from the back.

But with demons all over the roof of the buildings, and hordes coming in from all directions, everyone had no choice but to fend for themselves.

It was guerilla warfare.

[“Rieen, we’ll take that guy in the blue shirt together.”]

[“Up top at the spiral tower, sniper.”]

[“Be careful of those on the roof. The red one.”]

A few mines were set off.

The sound of bullets slicing air, plasma orbs crackling all around.

Vine intertwined around some of the unlucky demons, causing them to trip up. Angels from other fleets finished them in a single strike.

Trisha gritted her teeth and snapped her aim at the sniper afar. This demon was the most likely culprit to the destruction of her frame shield. She fired.

The shots missed, but it did something to attract the attention of the nearby angels. That elusive demon had no choice but to change positions.

This brought them some time.

[“Anyone want to go find the sniper?”]

[“I’ll do it, last known position?]

A blue marker was pinged to everyone of the ALPINE fleet.

Ding.

Another eruption..

Trisha felt something a bullet slice her flank. She quietly hid behind a curved metal pillar.

{WARNING: EROSION VALUE: MODERATE}

She downed a potion.

Tasteless.

{EROSION VALUE: HEALTHY}

“The strays!”

Some demon fleets managed to bypass the first encirclement of angels. They began chipping away at Trisha’s barrier shields.

She fired her integration. The ricochet bullet followed them like piranhas.

A life taken.

That demons scattered into particles of light.

At any time–

“You bitch!”

“Kill her!”

Trisha knew–

Rieen’s figure flashed by.

Sparks formed at the intersection of blades.

Trisha gave supporting fire.

The bullets dug themselves into the demon's body.

Her life could just as easily–

“Trisha!”

The hopes they had. The people they wished to protect.

Rieen kicked the corpse scattering into particles of light and ran towards her.

An unsuspecting knife came down from behind. It dug into her shoulder.

And went all the way down.

Come to an end–

===

dotturndot: FIGHTO FIGHTO!! I hope you pardon my slip ups in the narration of the war happening, I can’t narrate everything lol.