Stand Against The Evil!

The military base was a storm of movement, a controlled chaos as soldiers rushed to their stations, war machines roared to life, and officers shouted over the blaring alarms. The sky above Marsnia was already thick with warships, their formations tightening in preparation for the inevitable assault. The battle was coming. And this time, there was no escaping it.

Inside the base, Arnik stood over a holographic war table, analyzing the enemy's movements. "They're attacking from multiple fronts. We're being deployed to the eastern sector." His voice was steady, but the weight of the situation hung heavy in the air.

Aika adjusted her staff, glancing at the display. "They're hitting us harder than expected."

Across the room, Kai and Rose were at it again.

"I carried you all the way back to base," Kai grumbled, crossing his arms. "You could at least say thank you."

Rose flicked her tail, scoffing. "I don't need to thank you! You should be honored to carry someone as amazing as me!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Yeah, honored is the word I'd use…"

Aika smirked, exchanging a look with Arnik. She leaned in. "You two bicker like a married couple."

Arnik chuckled, crossing his arms. "Should we start planning the wedding?"

Kai and Rose instantly turned on them.

"Shut up!" Rose snapped, her ears twitching in irritation.

"Not funny," Kai muttered, adjusting his glasses.

Kai swung a playful punch at Arnik's shoulder, but the hit barely landed.

Rose grabbed Aika in a headlock, aggressively noogieing her. "Oh, you wanna talk about couples, huh? You little—"

Aika flailed. "Ow, ow! I take it back, stop!"

Then—

The alarms screamed.

The atmosphere shifted in an instant.

Arnik's smirk vanished. "Move out."

The hangar doors groaned open, revealing hell.

Fighter jets tore across the sky, weaving through incoming missile fire. The air was thick with smoke, the distant sounds of warships colliding in brutal aerial combat shaking the ground beneath them.

Soldiers ran past, their expressions tight, some barely concealing their fear.

The war was no longer a distant battle. It was here.

Aika swallowed. "This… this feels different."

Kai exhaled, his usual sarcasm nowhere to be found. "Because it is."

Markus checked his sniper rifle. "No one's talking like we can win this."

Arnik's jaw tightened. "Then we make sure it isn't lost."

Their transport ship was waiting, its engines already roaring. This was their deployment. No turning back.

As they climbed aboard, the metal ramp sealed behind them. The interior shook as the ship launched into the sky.

Kai leaned against the wall, exhaling sharply. "I hate this part."

Rose flicked her tail. "What, scared of heights?"

Kai shot her a look. "No. I just have a bad feeling."

Aika gripped her staff tighter. So did she.

Then—

BOOM.

The ship lurched violently.

The walls shook. Red lights flashed.

"Missile hit!" a pilot yelled. "We're going down!"

Another explosion ripped through the hull.

The ship spun out of control, metal screaming as flames burst through the cabin.

The ship spun out of control, metal screaming as flames burst through the cabin. Smoke filled the air, alarms blaring, the force of the impact sending debris flying across the interior.

"We gotta jump!" Arnik yelled.

"JUMP?! YOU'RE A PSYCHO!" Kai shouted back.

Markus, without hesitation, full-on sent it—straight out of the burning ship.

Rose blinked, then huffed. "Well, I'm not letting him show me up." She turned to Kai, eyes softer for just a second. "Kai… please come back alive."

Kai frowned. "Where's this coming from?"

She didn't answer. She jumped.

Kai took a deep breath, gripping his weapon tight as the wind roared through the open hatch. He exhaled. "Okay… I promise."

Arnik's voice cut through the chaos. "You and Aika jump together!"

Aika stood frozen, her knuckles white around her staff. Her breathing was shallow, panicked. "I—I can't—"

Arnik grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Look at me."

Her wide, terrified eyes locked onto his.

"We will get through this," he said firmly. "We're going to see a lot of death… be prepared."

Aika swallowed hard, nodding slowly.

Arnik gripped her hand. "On three."

She tightened her hold.

"One."

The ship groaned, tilting violently.

"Two."

The flames behind them roared higher.

"Three."

They jumped.

As they fell, the battlefield below came into full, horrifying view.

It was like nothing they had ever seen before—pure hell unleashed.

Mutants clashed violently against the machines, their enhanced bodies weaving through the chaos, striking with everything they had. Explosions erupted across the ruined cityscape, turning buildings into fiery graves.

Mars' warships fought desperately against Lionel's forces in the sky, their cannons lighting up the darkness as enemy ships tore through their defenses. Fighters spiraled out of control, crashing into the streets below, sending debris and bodies flying.

It was a bloodbath.

Lionel's forces weren't just winning—they were slaughtering.

Markus gritted his teeth, his grip tightening around his weapon. The wind howled as he plummeted, gravity pulling him toward the carnage below.

He reached for his blade mid-fall, the chain rattling as it snapped into position.

"Activate maximum armor," he commanded.

The energy shield wrapped around him in an instant, reinforcing his suit just in time.

BOOM.

He crashed into the ground like a meteor, sending up a shockwave of dust and debris.

Nearby human soldiers turned, wide-eyed with horror. "Not another one!"

The dust cleared.

Markus stood tall.

His body ached from the impact, but he didn't falter.

One of the soldiers gasped. "It's—It's an Angel Squad member!"

Their hope reignited.

Arnik hit the ground hard, rolling with the impact before springing back to his feet. His armor absorbed most of the fall, but his bones still rattled from the force. Dust and fire filled the air, the scent of burning metal thick in his lungs.

Gunfire and explosions surrounded him. Soldiers—human and mutant alike—fought desperately to hold their positions, but Lionel's forces were overwhelming. Machines pressed forward in unrelenting waves, cutting down anyone in their path.

Arnik's comm crackled to life. "Status report! What's the situation?"

A frantic voice answered through the static. "Lionel's demon users are here! And they've been a huge problem!"

Arnik's eyes narrowed. Of course, they were.

"The mutants and top mages are the only ones clearing them out!" the soldier continued. "But there's only so many of us! We're getting torn apart out here!"

A group of human soldiers had taken cover behind a collapsed transport vehicle, firing desperately at the advancing enemy. Their bullets barely scratched the machines' armor. They were trapped—moments away from being overrun.

Arnik clenched his fists. No time to think.

He dashed forward.

Lightning surged through his body, his mutation roaring to life.

One of the demon users spotted him mid-charge, grinning as he raised a jagged blade coated in dark energy. "Another fool trying to play hero—"

CRACK.

Arnik's fist collided with the demon's face before he could finish his sentence, the sheer force sending him crashing through a nearby wall.

The soldiers behind the wreckage gawked as Arnik turned toward them, energy crackling around his body.

"You all still breathing?" he barked.

One of them, a young lieutenant, swallowed hard and nodded. "Y-Yeah."

"Then get moving! This position's compromised!"

Before they could respond, more enemies swarmed in—a mix of machines and another demon user charging straight for them.

Arnik wasn't about to let them get any closer.

He slammed his palms into the ground.

A surge of lightning erupted outward, splitting the battlefield with raw energy. Machines sparked and convulsed before their circuits overloaded, collapsing in heaps of twisted metal.

The demon user lunged at him, but Arnik was faster.

He dodged to the side, grabbing the enemy by the wrist before twisting sharply. A sickening crack echoed through the air as the demon howled in pain.

Arnik didn't stop there.

He sent a brutal kick into the demon's chest, sending him hurtling into an oncoming machine, both of them exploding on impact.

The soldiers he had saved stared in shock.

"Move!" Arnik barked. "Find another position and regroup with the others! We're not dying today!"

They scrambled to their feet and ran.

Arnik exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. The battle was just beginning.