|TECH VS MAGIC|

Impossible. Impossible. Impossible.

What demons have the humans summoned that has allowed them to slaughter us?

They must die. They must die. They must die. 

—

"How's our supply doing?" Olive asked as he watched everyone run across the camp, lugging ammo boxes around. 

"We are about 80% full I estimate." The supply officer responded, as he noted down how many cans were being carried away. "Remember, prior to this, we only used a couple starlight rounds to scare them off. Ever since then we haven't had the chance to shoot."

"I see, looks like we're going to have enough ammo to last us till the main force arrives."

"At the current rate, yes. But if they change tactics or introduce something we haven't seen before, it will change."

"We shall see, eyes in the air are tracking them through the forest at the moment. Get ready for round two."

"Aye sir."

—

It's been a full hour since the first attack from the elves. 

All units have been resupplied.

Morale is high. 

But reports from Rage team is painting a different picture. 

Through the constant updates, they describe the elves in the forest are assembling themselves in a strange formation. 

Tanker reckons that they are conducting a ritual or summoning based off of the fantasy novels he has read. 

Olive has taken this idea seriously, taking into consideration all the fantasy like elements that have been observed thus far. 

"Lets introduce them to long range artillery shall we?" Olive declared after marking down their locations on the map. 

"Command to mortar team, fire mission burst at point yugo, four airburst rounds, fire when ready."

"Mortar team copies, fire mission burst at point yugo, four ab rounds, confirmed."

A few minutes later, four rounds could be heard firing from the center of the camp.

"Rounds out, splash in nine seconds."

...

"Splash."

Loud explosions rumble through the forest, followed closely by shockwaves tearing through the tree canopy. 

"Good hit on target." Tanker radios in confirmation on the strike.

He isn't able to verify effect on target until a minute later once the smoke dissipates and the trees stop shaking. 

"!?!" Tanker couldn't believe his eyes once his instruments scanned over the elves position. 

"NO EFFECT ON TARGET. I REPEAT. NO EFFECT ON TARGET!"

Tanker screams into the radio, hoping his eyes are playing tricks on him, but when he reduced altitude to obtain visual confirmation, what lay before him was the same as reported by his instruments.

—

Back at base camp, Olive stood in shock, along with the mortar team as they processed the report from Tanker. 

In what felt like forever, Olive broke the silence.

"Well, things have gotten interesting." He spoke, as an uneasy grin appeared on his face. "It seems that this is our first official encounter with magic."

"All units be advised. Supernatural elements in play, I repeat, supernatural elements in play. Keep your heads on a swivel and adapt to the situation." Olive announced through the PA. 

Once he returned to the command camp, he noticed the old officer deep in thought, staring at all the wood constructions around the base. 

"What's the matter?"

"From what I gather, elves are a race that are very connected with nature right?"

"Yup, race of the forest. That's what some of the men call them."

"Most of the towers and walls we built came from the trees we cleared to make the camp right?"

"...Yes..."

"Those very trees that belong to the forest where the elves live. Correct?"

"..." 

Not hearing a response to his last question, the old officer turns around only to catch a glimpse of Olives jacket as he turned the corner to reach the PA system.

"ALL UNITS GET AWAY FROM THE WOOD! I REPEAT! ALL UNITS GET AWAY FROM THE WOOD!"

As his orders echo through the camp, a couple men mumble under their breath that it was about time he realized the potential time bomb sitting right under their nose. 

Olive was busy catching his breath when a drone operator came to him with a situation update.

"Sir, we've discovered a glowing light coming from the elves position."

Right as he opened his mouth to respond, Tanker's transmission cuts him off.

"Tanker to all units on net, to all units on net, high level radiation spike detected, I repeat, high level radiation spike detected."

A sinking feeling immediately overcomes Oliver as he hastily grabbed the PA intercom and manages to let out a warning.

"BRACE!"

Just a moment after he shouted through the PA system, the ground started shaking with an intensity similar to a 7.0 earthquake. 

Majority of the tents started collapsing as everyone hit the ground to avoid danger. 

Once people started adapting and gathered their bearings, some noticed that the logs used to make the walls have started to move, same with the ones used to build the watchtowers that have fallen. 

"INCOMING!" One of the soldiers shouted as they aimed their rifle at the moving pile of wood. 

Soon she was tackled by her squad mate as another took out a detonator and activated it.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!"

Everyone in the vicinity hit the floor again as a small explosions along the walls erupted into a firestorm. 

Once the explosions finished, they all turned and glared at the soldier that caused the explosions.

"What? It's good to be a little paranoid in a fantasy world." He defended himself as he watched his work turn into art. 

The soldier who got tackled to the ground smacked him in the head. 

"Enough ogling at the fire, we still got to deal with the fallen watchtowers." She scolded as she dragged the man back into the camp. 

Similar events happened all across the camp, where very well read and paranoid soldiers have placed small incendiary charges all along the wooden wall when it was being constructed. 

"I hope they still have those books." Olive made a reminder as he watched everything unfold. "The human imagination is very powerful it seems."

He then went back to ensuring everyone was fine. The rumbling has died down to minor shaking by this point, allowing everyone to get to their feet and start damage control. 

It wasn't until shouting grabbed his attention. 

"WATCH OUT! TREANTS!" 

Followed by gunfire. 

From the rubble created by the fallen watchtowers along with some unburnt sections of the wall, humanoid wooden constructs got up and started attacking. 

While they were no match for the long range rifles, they still caused light injuries due to ambushing a couple unaware soldiers. 

As they gunned down the last treant, a drone operator who recovered quickly and reconnected to his drone let out a cry. 

"INCOMING ELVES! COMING FROM OUR 6 O'CLOCK DIRECTION!"

With the PA system out of commission, a couple soldiers took the role of messengers in order to deliver the news to everyone else. 

Olive took command of a small group and made a bee line to the southern area of the camp, picking up and bringing along all soldiers on the way. 

A proactive officer carrying a LR radio pack meet up with Olive, much to his delight. 

"This is Pillar camp to Rage team, requesting CAS. Once again, requesting CAS!"

"Rage 2-2 acknowledges. Linking up with Rage 2-1, ready for tasking in one minute out."

"Received. Strike zone marked with pink flares. Again, strike zone marked with pink flares."

"Confirm strike zone designated with pink flares. Standing by."

As Olive and his group reach the south side of the camp, they could see a horde of elves pouring out the tree line like madmen. 

"GET TO YOUR FIRING POSITIONS AND HIT THE FLOOR!" Olive ordered as he dives into a foxhole. 

Once certain that all his men are down on the floor, he and a few other officers all line up and fire pink flares ahead of the elves.

"FLARES DEPLOYED! DANGER CLOSE!"

"Roger, flares deployed danger close, danger close, danger close."

The elves pause for a moment, watching the flares fall short of them. One of them visibly sneers at them before commanding the elves to charge again. 

"Piece of sh*t." Olive muttered as he dived back down into his foxhole. "Eat 500kg bombs dumbass."

The light from the starlight flares die off as the elves charge, with only a dim pink glow from the flares providing the only illumination. 

When the elves charge and trample over the flares, a low rumble fills the air, causing them to pause in wonder. 

Two jets then fly past, nearly breaking the sound barrier, bringing with them a shockwave of pressurized air. 

Causing the elves to stumble back a little and recoil at the wind, without noticing two large bombs suddenly appearing in the midst of them all. 

The roar of jet engines die out and silence blanketed the entire battlefield, only for a few seconds before two massive explosions tear it to pieces and wipe out the horde of elves. 

Olive and his group admire the massive explosions for a moment before he aims his rifle at a surviving elf, the very same one that was sneering at him earlier. 

"OPEN FIRE!"