"I am here to greet you at the edge of Hell itself."

A voice spoke over the airwaves, sending chills up the spine of every soldier present.

Is that really the Demon Lord?

How do we know he's the real thing?

"I will grant you one final chance, humans. Surrender yourselves, surrender your weapons, and I'll spare you the worst of the torment."

"We don't take orders from the likes of you, demon scum," spat Lieutenant Nagrix.

The voice chuckled, "I'm sure you'd rather die fighting than bow to my superior power."

The demon's voice echoed in the background, taunting them.

"You're in no position to negotiate, demon scum." Another voice joined in, snapping at the heels of the first.

The second voice sounded like a group choir singing a hymn.

"Do you hear that?" Lieutenant Nagrix poked the captain, snapping her out of her stupor.

Varda, General Garius, and the rest of the soldiers remained silent. They waited patiently, listening carefully to the conversation taking place on the radio.

"Hm? Oh, Grand Seraph Agich." The demon snickered, "I'm surprised you'd come here to save these worthless creatures. Are you trying to prove something?"

"Wherever your kind goes, we will follow. You may have the numbers, but we have the faith."

"Faith in what, Grand Seraph?" snorted the demon, "I doubt you have any idea what's going on."

"I have a message for you, demon—"

"I have a message for you, Grand Seraph. If you want to live, then turn around and leave this world. I'm warning you, I won't hesitate to kill you all."

"You dare threaten us, demon scum?"

With that last word, the radio went dead.

Everyone exchanged confused looks.

"What was that all about?" asked Varda, his brows furrowed.

"I'm not sure," replied the general. "But I've never heard such an arrogant, self-righteous tone before." He snorted, shaking his head. "It's almost funny, actually."

"What's that?" asked Captain Nerissa, pointing to a nearby building.

The structure had collapsed, crumbling to rubble and dust. The wall had been peppered by countless bullet holes and slash marks. However, a sign stood proudly despite the damage, 'The Anvil'.

"That must be the headquarters. Looks like they were hit pretty hard."

"That was probably a bunker," explained the general.

"Looks like the frontline troops got hit pretty bad here."

BOM! BOM! BOM!

A tremor shook the ground beneath them.

"What was—?"

"It seems we're not the only ones who found the shelter," snorted Varda, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Will we be able to get inside?"

"I guess we'll find out soon enough."

"General, the demons are attacking from the front!" yelled the driver, pointing at the building.

"Soldiers! Form the drill formation, Humvec Alpha take point! We'll storm through the front gate! Everyone else, form up behind us!" barked General Garius, through the radio.

"Yes, sir!"

The convoy of armoured trucks began moving into formation, each vehicle taking its position according to the plan. Each armoured truck had a large, metal shield mounted on the roof with a gunner getting into position.

"We'll tow the package truck as far as we can. Into the shelter's compound. Then, the rest of us can regroup and reorganize around the Humvecs and attract the attention of those demons."

"Yes, sir!"

"Once the package is secured, we'll have to get it to safety. The rest of you will be the diversion. Remember, the goal of the operation is to protect the package."

"Yes, sir!"

The convoy began to move, heading towards the entrance of the base at full speed. The Humvec Alpha at the front-most boosts the sturdiest shield at its hood.

"Charge! Go, go, go!"

The driver cheered, stoking the engine, pushing it beyond its limits as wheels spun wildly, kicking up dirt and debris.

"Here we go!"

As quickly as they got out of the forest, the scenery changed, revealing a scene of utter destruction. The once-familiar stronghold in front of them was now riddled with gaping holes, burnt-out vehicles, and piles of smoldering corpses.

They didn't have the luxury to take in the horror show as a group of horrendous demons blocked the way.

"Damn it," cursed Captain Nerissa, "we're too late."

"Not yet, it's still possible."

The captain's cry was met with gunfire from the Humvecs. The Humvec's gunner unleashed a barrage of bullets, stitching the air. One after another, the lead shots peppered the enemy, tearing through their bodies, and leaving them puddles of blood.

"Don't let them regroup!" The general's voice crackled over the radio.

As the convoy sped forward nearing the horde of demons, the soldiers watched in awe as the first Humvec deployed a huge reinforced barrier. The shields repelled the demons' bodies, deflecting them in droves.

While the gunners took aim at the incoming horde, firing a hail of bullets.

"There's a lot of demons, General." Captain Nerissa glanced back, seeing a swarm of demons charging at them from the rear.

"Don't get distracted. Keep your focus ahead young captain." Varda snorted, "Just like the old general said, keep your eye on the prize."

"Huh?"

The general gritted his teeth, glaring at the approaching demons, which grew larger with every passing moment.

"Keep your eyes peeled, soldiers. The demons aren't the only enemies we have to worry about." Varda warned.

"I know, I know," General Garius sighed, "but they're our biggest concern right now."

The demons closed in, surrounding the convoy, forcing it to slow down. As they did, a loud roar filled the air. A flash of red light streaked past, followed by a deafening explosion.

"What the hell was that? Did we run into a dragon or something?" muttered Lieutenant Nagrix.

"No, it wasn't a dragon." Varda squinted, watching the smoke rise above the horizon.

"It was… something huge…" mumbled Varda, his eyes wide with shock.

"What the…?" stuttered Lieutenant Nagrix, his eyes darting to the side to see what caught the Grand Marshal's interest.

Lieutenant Nagrix's jaw dropped, and he stared in disbelief.

"That's impossible!" Captain Nerissa stuttered, unable to believe the evidence of her own eyes.

"What the fuck is that thing?" General Garius asked, his voice shaky.

Their NanoTech isn't picking up anything because no one has encountered the colossal being before them. The only message that was on display is 'Unidentified Entity!' and 'Alert! Proceed with caution!'

Beyond the building, a colossal creature stood, towering over the army of demons.

The creature's massive body was covered in scales, with two massive horns rising from its head. Its arms were like pillars, with long claws and wings sprouting from its back.

The beast was shrouded in thick smoke, but the soldiers could make out the shape of a gigantic mouth, snapping open and shut.

The soldiers trembled in fear, staring back, their jaws dropping.

"Is it real?" Lieutenant Nagrix whispered, clutching onto his weapon for dear life. "Did we stumble upon the Demon Lord's pet?"

"I don't think so." Captain Nerissa snorted, her face pale from the sight before her. "This is no demon. This thing's a monster."

Captain Nerissa's eyes widened, and her stupor broke when she noticed the enormous, black-scaled tail snaking around the building.

"It's coming this way." Lieutenant Nagrix stuttered, gripping his rifle tight.

"Get ready, everyone," General Garius shouted, "get your guns up and fire!"