''Let's go!''

Climbing on Sariel's back, I steady my body as the dragon lord takes off to the sky. By now, our forces must have arrived at the location. As for the missiles we're chasing, they would probably arrive in a moment.

Unintuitively, we chose not to wait for them to strike first before teleporting the troops there. Of course, there's a good reason for that.

The demon 'city' is not just any ordinary city. In terms of scale, it's more similar to a mini-country. Defensively, it has several military towns surrounding the true heart of the demons—the Demon King's castle. Each of those towns is, unfortunately, quite well-equipped, having countless high-ranked and trained demons standing guard.

Three of them, actually. 

Oh, did I forget to mention the powerful commanders directly managing those places? The whole thing is like a fortress with satellite military settlements as walls. Most importantly, however, those places join strength to maintain a permanent barrier covering the heart—like a giant dome shielding everything within.

It's... something unseen until now.

Generally speaking, demons aren't as bright as humans or human-adjacent races, only having the anti-life corruption as their power. The highly evolved ones possess the equivalent intelligence, but they aren't large in number.

The fact that they have managed to gather enough of them to erect such structures is already a sign that they're tougher this time around.

Anyway, our plan is to puncture that barrier and directly pave the way for us to reach the castle. By now, half an hour after the portal is open, this task should already be accomplished. I don't have a single doubt in the divine missiles mounted on our aircraft, not to mention the abundant amount of AP shells our tanks have.

The ICBMs?

They're for decimating the important military targets, like their weapon warehouses or chains of production. We're making sure they don't even have a way to fight back.

From then on, it'll be a tough, tough fight to break through the commanders' defense. 

''It's been a long time, my girl...''

The soft clicks are easily drowned in the blasting wind, but the long case pops open, revealing my beloved gun—the Hecate II. I hope it'll still stay this pristine after everything is over.

Please, bring me to victory.

My companion.

*****

Demon territory, morning.

Even though the sky above is always tainted with an ominous grey, early workers have already left their houses, beginning a new day with eagerness. Humanoid figures with pale grey skin, with trinkets tied on horns and tails tucked below clothes. Inhuman figures with barely any resemblance to sentient creatures. Bizarre, almost alien figures.

They work. All of them. Indiscriminately.

What they work for is neither food nor wages, but destruction and self-ascension.

'Demons' used to be 'living beings.' They were native to this planet, once spending their lives enriching the land and ocean. Now, in this vaguely structured 'society,' most consider receiving the 'heavenly' star's 'blessing' the greatest honor and a mortal-transcending trial.

As beings soaked in hatred, as children of chaos, what they most detest is life itself. Naturally, they view the little left of nature's miracle inside them as a disgrace. Only by absorbing more of the star's essence will they get closer—only by ascending will they reach the ultimate shape and bring forth death to all.

Individuals with higher concentrations of the star's essence in their blood are hailed and respected, while those who are the most 'alive' get pushed down.

Such a 'culture' is perhaps just for a species whose existence is just as feeble as it is menacing.

''Shit...''

In a creaky, dim basement, an irritated sigh is heard. As the owner of that sigh slams his fist at the wall, the whole block seems to tremble for a moment.

The subordinate demon swallows a nervous gulp as she carefully observes her boss—the second commander of the demon army—Noxus. His anger is already boiling, indicated by the three pairs of smoke-dispensing gills flaring from the sides of his head.

Noxus's tall yet scrawny body, with its rough and almost coal-like skin, makes for a terrifying appearance, especially when the semi-exposed veins running through his body burn with such anger and malice—like now.

''How?!''

How have they lost so much... and so quickly?!

''Just mere months. Months!''

Noxus grips the table, his face contorting. At this rate, it's going to be his head that will end up being exploded, not the Land of Heaven. More than two decades of effort, and now, it's just like when the previous demon king was slain all over again.

Having survived the previous war, Noxus is especially sensitive to that goddess's power. He knows just how terrifying she and her little sidekicks are... but his peers don't. The 'newborn' first and third commander, even the demon king himself, are being too complacent.

Is it that they haven't seen the indecipherable weapons that the elven girl possesses? Or... are they too drunk by that person's strength?

Whatever it is, Noxus's opponents will undoubtedly strike very soon. Even without the goddess herself participating, it will not be easy to defend against them.

''No, it's fine... it's fine...''

The outer layers don't matter as much. Those lowly lives can be 'created' anytime, but the demon king's castle cannot be reached under any conditions. As long as the fortress stands, yes...

''Kyah?!''

''...!''

As if the rising tension in the room had manifested something, the whole building loudly rumbles. One, twice, the incoming blasts, even if muffled, are intense enough to warrant concerns.

Feeling his core pulsing nervously, Noxus rushes to the ground, and following the screeching noise, he looks to the sky.

''It's those fucking things...!''

The same steel birds that destroyed many, many bases just before. Noxus has definitely heard of their stupidly powerful explosives.

...And now... they are directly striking the barrier.

''Commander!''

''?!''

Amidst the chaos, a subordinate runs up to Noxus.

Between the man's panting breaths, he clasps his hand and bows deeply, ''C-Commander! We are under attack!''

''This...''

Noxus is stunned—not only by the sudden news but also by the increasingly deafening explosions outside. The great barrier... is cracking.

''Tch! Notify other commanders and request reinforcement from the demon king!''

''Y-Yes, commander!''

Fists clenched, raging power boiling, Noxus takes a step forward.

''I will... never fall here!''

At the same time, outside the dome.

''How's it looking?''

''They're definitely going to activate the air defense system soon. We might need a barrage to help break that thing before...''

Standing somewhere in the heart of the armored vehicles and tanks formation, Anastasia and Christina quietly ponder. As expected, just air strikes alone cannot get the job done completely.

The operation relies on swiftness and the ability to suppress the enemies with overwhelming firepower. After all, even with the cat girl's continuous purification, the madness within the land is bound to manifest its effect at some point.

So, although it is somewhat early, Christina gently flips off her hood and climbs onto a makeshift observatory tower nearby. With the battlefield as her stage and her determination as a microphone, the princess starts to spread her voice across.