And thus, the first push began.Fighter jets dipped and rose as they fired bullets into the mass of enemies. Explosions resounded as the bird monsters fell from the sky like rain. The fighter jets up front protected the cargo planes, doing everything in their power to safeguard their comrades.The horde of bird monsters was eventually scattered. The jets on the left and right continued to provide aerial cover for the mission. The entire sky had become an enormous battlefield, resounding with explosions.Aurelion continued to send out orders. "Squad two, get ready for the fuel dispersion!" Whoosh!Dozens of jets shot upward into the sky."Fighter one, ready and waiting!""Fighter two, ready!""Fighter three, weapons hot!"Responses came as the jets got into position. Aurelion took a deep breath and commanded, "All squadrons, reduce speed and disperse the fuel.""Yes, sir."The jets emptied their tanks, soaking the bird monsters. Covered in an unidentifiable liquid, the mon
Right at that moment, Starlight suddenly noticed an enormous figure."Fighter Twenty-Four, the bird monsters are closing in. You need to spread out our left and right flanks," he said through the communicator. Fighter Twenty-Four was Aurelion's jet, who immediately ordered for the flanks to spread out. He narrowly avoided colliding with the figure thanks to Starlight's agile piloting skills."Fighter Twenty-Four, I've spotted an enormous bird monster. It's about thirty meters big!" Starlight exclaimed.An incredibly huge bird monster emerged up front, resembling a griffin like in the movies. The creature flapped its wings and brought about a mighty typhoon, causing Starlight's fighter jet to sway.Aurelion said through the communicator, "Starlight, retreat. Left and right flanks, lock onto the target and get ready to fire.""Yes, sir."Whoosh!A strong gust of wind blew, and the formation shifted again. Explosive projectiles were fired at the enormous griffin, but it did not s
Boom!The collision's shockwave swept across the surroundings, and a mushroom cloud rose in the sky, blinding everyone. The griffin was now in pieces, and its dismembered parts rained down. The shockwaves had also devastated tens of thousands of bird monsters, effectively clearing the skies.When the intense light dissipated, everyone opened their eyes, but Starlight and Tempest-1 were no longer in sight."Starlight!" Aurelion roared.Everyone was in shock. Their comrade had chosen to sacrifice himself to eliminate the griffin so that they could advance."Starlight…" the pilots muttered.Thus ended the life of a twenty-year-old—a path he willingly chose."Let's move on," Aurelion said.They had no other choice but to wipe their tears and continue to escort the cargo plane.Due to the powerful explosion, almost all of the bird monsters had been wiped out, providing them temporary relief. Aurelion issued another command, "Squads One, Two, and Three, dive down and assist the gr
Through the combined effort of the three cargo planes, the train was lifted off the tracks and suspended in the air by the steel cables. The convo continued this way until they passed the faulty tracks, and the train was gently placed back on the tracks. The steel cables were retracted, and the train resumed its journey with the fighter jets providing cover.This was also the plan Strider had devised to deal with faulty tracks or other detrimental failures that hindered the train from moving forward. The cargo planes' function was to lift the train up and over faulty areas before placing them back on the tracks.The convoy continued moving forward, driven by dreams and hopes that were not extinguished by the monsters’ threat. They pressed on, determined to protect the world they cherished. They knew very well that many of them would end up sacrificing themselves by the time the convoy reached Geras. Even so, no one hesitated to move forward. They knew that the world was sick and that
"F*ck!" The angry cries of the pilots filled the air, but they had no choice but to continue forward. After all, there was no reason for them to stop there, not after Starlight and Robin had paved the way for them with their lives. They needed to steel themselves and move forward."Onward!" Aurelion roared through the communicator.Explosions echoed through the air as the Tempest jets led the way and those on the left and right flanks rotated in the sky. With each revolution, the jets unleashed a hail of bullets and missiles, tearing through the countless bird monsters. The sheer number of monsters made it challenging to break free, but the warriors piloting the Tempest jets, under the guidance of Strider's wisdom, pushed forward, leading the cargo planes to safety.It seemed as though the bird monsters knew that the cargo planes were the most crucial element of this mission, and they relentlessly attempted to destroy them.Aurelion, piloting Tempest-14, was bloodshot in the eyes
The citizens prayed that the men from Evercrest would arrive in Geras in one piece. Whooooop, whooooop, whooooop.The alarms throughout Geras suddenly blared. The citizens immediately ran into their homes or the nearest buildings, while the soldiers gathered up. Sage, dressed in her battle suit, stood atop the roof at headquarters as she assigned missions. "Friends, we've just received word that the team from Evercrest delivering our food supplies has departed. The soldiers have already encountered enemy attacks and have suffered casualties. I know none of you have had a proper meal to eat and it's difficult for you to stay strong for battle. However, today is the day we must fight." The soldiers quietly looked at Sage. Some of them even teared up from the tragic news. The soldiers who sacrificed themselves were their comrades-in-arms, someone's children, partners, or even parents. There were many waiting for their companions to come home to them. How could they not tear up
The soldiers’ furious chant spread throughout the city, lifting the citizens' spirits.Without further ado, Sage yelled, "A total of a hundred thousand of us will be involved in this mission, with me personally leading the group. The remaining hundred and fifty thousand will defend the city, and Juan will be in charge. My group will be divided into three squads. We're racing against time, and cleaning up the tracks within the next few days will be a challenge. As such, I'm giving all of you an hour to prepare yourselves. I want the leaders of all three squads to meet me in the conference room to discuss our plan." "Yes, ma'am.” Sage had already devised a plan. They would clean up the tracks in a few days while defending it. There was an overwhelming number of monsters in Geras, severely affecting the million tons of food supply from entering. Failure to accomplish this mission would have devastating consequences.While Sage discussed her plan with the three squad leaders, the oth
They knew the soldiers were about to embark on a dangerous mission in order to protect them.Sage was stunned, not expecting the civilians to donate whatever was left. The hundred thousand soldiers were similarly touched by this gesture. It was true they were starving, but they could not bring themselves to the food. "Thank you all for the kind gesture, but we're short on food right now. What are you all going to eat if you give us whatever is left? Please take them back. Don't worry. We'll be sure to make it back.”"You shouldn’t think like that, ma'am,” a young man said, "How are the soldiers going to fight on empty stomachs? We'll have a million tons worth of food when you win this fight, so we can handle starving for a few days. We won’t die just yet. Plus, we'll distribute our remaining food equally, so we won't have any problems over the next few days. Please let our men eat or we won't get up!"As the crowd remained on their knees, Sage's tears welled up. She knew how impor