Showdown!

At the Muvah Army Base:

"Captain, sir, what are these creatures?" Vange asked, his voice trembling.

"I don't have a clue about this. Just attack them at once," the attack unit leader commanded, his voice firm.

"What in the world are these monstrous creatures? Was Malwai aware of our invasion? If yes, then how? Is there a traitor within our troops? On top of that, these monstrous creatures—where are they coming from? Are these also unleashed by Malwai? There are so many mysteries. Anyway, there are no casualties yet; it's fine," the attack unit leader thought while fighting the mysterious creatures appearing out of nowhere.

The mysterious creatures were 7-8 meters in height, with broad bodies strong enough to repel bullets. They wore strange masks with unique carvings and had limbs that could extend up to four meters. They were as strong as an ordinary squad of six military personnel. Each creature bore a special badge on its left chest with a 'Plus' mark, their lifeless eyes resembling those of the devil.

"Dammit, I need to figure out something," the unit leader mumbled.

"Vange, use Italos Type 2 and make a run towards its head. Try not to show yourself," the leader ordered.

"Sir!!!" Vange took the order, his determination unwavering.

"Italos is one of the three war swords, used only in wars. It has a laser-beam shooter built into its blade. The beam released by this sword is powerful enough to burn a bunch of people. There are three types of Italos: Type I, Type II, and Type III. In 1956, during the war between Britannia and Louernia, Italos Type III was used by Britannia against Louernia, resulting in huge casualties. Over 560 people died instantly, and out of the 560, 192 weren't even hit by that laser. They died because of the radiation and bright light released by it. In the same year, Louernia surrendered, and the Union of Nations passed a bill prohibiting the use of Italos Type III swords. However, there are still five countries with Italos Type III: Ruskiya, Anahuac, Cathay, Francias, and Britannia. Our army of Muvah has over 256 Italos Type II," the unit leader reflected, trying to calm himself.

Meanwhile, Vange, wielding his sword, jumped high and landed on the creature's back. He struck the creature with all his might, piercing its body. The creature, using its intellect, concentrated all its senses on its back, leaving the front defenseless. Vange, who had pierced the creature's body, tried to make a hole and destroy its internal organs. The creature regenerated its shell and outer covering.

The creature charged at Vange with brute strength, clapping its hands with Vange inside. However, its hands busted as Vange released Italos' laser beam. The creature, still unable to grasp the situation, tried to crush Vange. In its attempts, it left its front defenseless, creating an opening for the unit leader. The unit leader took out his sword and stabbed the creature's head. The creature cried in pain but didn't vanish.

"Dammit, I should have known that this isn't a TV show," the unit leader cursed himself.

The creature, stabbed by the unit leader, didn't vanish. It touched the 'Plus' mark on its left chest, mumbled "Anchuriy," and disappeared. The unit leader and Vange fell down as other creatures followed the same step and disappeared. However, more than half of the unit was damaged.

"Did they just retreat?" thoughts raced through the unit leader's mind.

At Marinabad:

"Shailya!!!" Vahalla called.

"What's up now?" Shailya asked.

"The presence—the presence—of those beings I sensed earlier is now gone. Not from the west, nor from up or in any direction. However, I can still sense a bunch of people heading towards here," Vahalla showed his concern.

"Oh, I'm guessing those are the invaders everyone is talking about. You have such a keen sense," Shailya remarked.

"So what now?" Vahalla asked.

"Nothing. I'm just going to beat them up; I was just assigned to a squad," Shailya said with an excited smile.

"While these humans march towards the fort gate, you'll be with me," Vahalla said.

"But why? How can I remain here while others are fighting? I refuse," Shailya said defiantly.

"Who said you wouldn't be fighting? I'm just going to drag you into your soul core and teach you the basics of fighting. While you're with me, your body will be controlled by my intelligent dolls; no need to be afraid, they can control your body better than you," Vahalla tried to convince Shailya.

"I refuse. I won't use my gifted 'powers'; I will fight with my own strength," Shailya insisted.

"You fool, who said that those are just your gifted powers? All of your squad members have them, and that woman over there, Anata Shikawa, is a lot more powerful than you—not just in raw force and brute strength but even in 'gifted powers.' She learned to use her powers, but you refused. Tsc. Do what you can, but hear me, you will fall within the first 20 minutes of your fight," Vahalla said, enraged.

"Hey… you. Dammit. Wait a se-" Shailya tried to call Vahalla back, but Vahalla retreated to his soul core.

At Sarzapur,

"Angry fist!!!" the division commander cried out, his voice echoing through the battlefield.

He unleashed a rapid-speed attack, creating an illusion for his opponent. He fired multiple attacks within a single second. The first invader attempted to shield himself and fire bullets but was quickly overpowered, falling in just two minutes. Soldiers swiftly retrieved the fallen invader and transported him to the medical camp for treatment and interrogation.

Another Muvah soldier advanced, this time accompanied by two more, and they attacked the Division Commandant simultaneously.

"Y'all weaklings piss me off! Playing dirty, huh?" the Division Commandant snarled.

"Not yet, you old geezer," one of the attackers mocked.

"Fist de Vote," the commandant intoned.

Channeling all his attack force into a single fist, he struck his opponents. Within a mere second, all three attackers were down. Soldiers quickly moved in to capture the fallen invaders, but the commandant sensed something was amiss.

"Why are these invaders so weak? I've never encountered such feeble opponents from Muvah. Are they trying to deceive us? Even though Sarzapur is just an ordinary city, shouldn't they be targeting Marinabad? Why are they here? They should be concentrating their forces on Marinabad," the Division Commandant thought, suspicion gnawing at him.

"Commandant sir!!!" a fellow soldier greeted him urgently.

"What is it?" the commandant asked.

"Sir, we have received a report from Marinabad," the soldier said.

"What is it? Are they under attack too? What's the status? Why is time moving so slowly? Give me the information fast," the commandant's thoughts raced.

"Sir, the report says 'Marinabad is under attack. The Barrier of Peace has already been broken. We expect a large number of attackers from the west. Most of our cadets are currently injured due to the missile shower. Additionally, we've received reports from Hajira, Sangjapuram, and Gungagali that they too are under attack by Muvah.' That's it, sir," the soldier conveyed.

"You may go," the commandant ordered.

"What? Is this Muvah's final move? Are they deploying all their forces against us in a desperate bid to defeat us? What are they thinking? They should know by now that Malwai surpasses them in both manpower and machinery. Why are they gambling? It's as if they are sacrificing their citizens to gain control over Malwai. If Muvah falls, the Union of Nations will surely distribute Muvah among Malwai, Dravida, Cathay, and Khorasan. Why take this reckless step? True, if Muvah successfully captures Marinabad, they could control the entire Indian Union, but it's not that simple. Regardless of what comes, I, as the Divisional Commandant of the Marinabad Military Division, will destroy any threat," the commandant resolved, his determination steely.

"It is time for a showdown!" the commandant shouted, and with this declaration, the Marinabad Military Division officially entered a state of war.

With the help of several large-scale media companies and journalists, the news spread to the United Nations and across the globe. Leaders of Anuhuac prepared for a potential battle against Ruskiya and Cathay, while Cathay readied itself to attack Nippon, Malwai, and Dravida.

If the war between Muvah and Malwai does not end within the next ten days, the Estonomus will intervene. The Estonomus, comprising the five great powers with non-rotating memberships in the Union of Nations—Anuhuac, Cathay, Britannia, Ruskiya, and Francias—along with two non-rotating observants, Nippon and Dravida, have a duty to intervene and halt any war that threatens global peace. This conflict could escalate into World War III if left unchecked.

The fate of the world hangs in the balance. Will the Malwai Military's Chief in Command, Bakshi Mirchand Raya, and the Muvah Army's Chief of Tri-Service Army, Salam Izafar Khurwan, find a way to stop this war, or will they be the ones to ignite a global conflict? And what role will Shailya play in this unfolding saga?

The answers lie ahead, as heroes rise and the tides of destiny shape the future of nations.

[To be continued in Chapter 15]