Inside the military aircraft, the air buzzed with tension. Rows of soldiers sat strapped into metal seats, their black armored uniforms reflecting the dim crimson light. Each one held a spiritual rifle close to their chest, the faint hum of spiritual energy vibrating through the cabin.
Among them sat Han Chen—his long, dark hair slightly swaying with the motion of the aircraft. Almost every soldier kept their hair cropped short for discipline and convenience, but Han Chen and Captain Cai stood out. Cai's shorter figure was distinguished by commanding poise, while Han Chen's pitch-black eyes drew momentary attention even in the crowded hold. Those eyes had a strange depth, almost reflective like still water before a storm.
The aircraft jolted slightly. Whoosh. The rear hatch began to open, and a rush of wind howled through the compartment. The soldiers gripped their seats as the outside world—burning terrain and broken skies—came into sight.
Captain Cai rose from her seat, wind whipping her coat as she raised her voice over the roar. "Attention, soldiers! We're approaching the location of the distress signal. Prepare to jump." She marched toward the open rear ramp, her boots clanking against the metal floor.
The soldiers unbuckled, rising in rows, rifles ready. Han Chen stood quietly among them, eyes fixed ahead, unreadable. Cai stopped at the edge of the ramp, glanced back once, and smirked faintly. "Follow me, lads." With that, she leapt.
Whoosh—The wind swallowed her figure as she plummeted through the night toward the glowing battlefield below. One by one, her troops followed. Thud, whoosh, thud—the rhythmic sound of jump after jump echoed until only two figures remained behind: Han Chen and Yan.
Yan hesitated, glancing awkwardly at Han Chen. They'd been seated together the entire flight, though Han Chen hadn't said a word the whole time. Still, Han Chen lifted a hand lightly, motioning to the ramp. "Please." His tone was calm, detached, oddly courteous for the chaos around them.
Yan scratched his head and let out a nervous laugh. "Right… after you then." He stepped forward but stopped as Han Chen tilted his rifle slightly, the gesture clear. Yan blinked, then gave up trying to read him and jumped.
Whoosh. Han Chen stood there for one last second. The rushing wind tugged at his long hair, his black eyes reflecting the chaos below.
His expression hardened—silent and cold—as he finally stepped off the ramp.
---
The battlefield was chaos. Smoke, blood, and burning ground mixed into one suffocating haze.
Captain Lin of Squad 16 staggered to one knee, his uniform torn, his face hidden behind streaks of grime and blood. His sword trembled in his grip, the faint flicker of his energy blade barely holding.
Across from him, the Fire Alliance squad captain raised his blazing spear, flames twisting around its shaft."End of the line, Lin!"
Just as the spear swung down—whoosh—a flash of blue light shot through the air. Boom. The Fire Alliance captain jerked back, clutching his right forearm as blood spilled from a clean, smoking hole. He snarled, teeth bared. "Ambush?! From where—"Before he could finish, more energy rounds rained from above.
Boom—boom—boom—boom! Shockwaves rippled through the scorched ground.But even under heavy fire, the Fire Alliance captain regained his stance. "Formation B!" he barked.
His vice-captain leaped beside him, channeling a swirling red aura. Together, they unleashed a fusion barrier—two flames merging into a single blazing dome.
Whoom! The red shield glowed bright enough to paint the sky crimson.Around them, their soldiers dragged forward prisoners—members of Captain Lin's squad who'd been captured earlier. Lin's eyes widened as he saw them used as human shields.
Some screamed before the next volley struck. Boom.
The air reeked of ash and death."Dammit..." Lin coughed, clutching his side. "Don't waste your strength… get behind me!" The seven injured members of Squad 16 crawled closer, forming a loose circle around their weary captain.
Then Lin looked up. Amid the fading flames, he noticed the energy shots had stopped. A strange silence settled across the field. "What… what's going on?" whispered one of his soldiers. Lin's tired eyes flickered with something close to hope. "Could it be… reinforcements?" he thought. "Are we finally saved?"
Every eye turned skyward. From above the clouds, faint dark shapes began to appear—one after another.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Dozens of black figures descended in formation, their flying artifacts glinting like obsidian wings. Rifles gleamed under the dim light, the muzzles trailing faint energy smoke. As they touched down, their presence silenced what remained of both squads. The wind carried the sound of metal boots hitting scorched earth. Clack. Clack. Clack. Captain Lin's gaze steadied. Who were they!?—the question muddled his mind.
The dust began to settle as the black-armored figures landed in perfect formation. The force of their descent sent a sharp gust across the battlefield.
Whoosh. The front line of the Fire Alliance squad instinctively stepped back—ten, fifteen, twenty paces—raising their weapons in caution. Lin narrowed his eyes, chest still heaving, then blinked as the lead figure removed her helmet.
"Captain Cai… the 19th Regiment." He let out a strained, awkward laugh despite himself. "To think we'd be saved by our rivals." Captain Cai stood tall, her long black coat fluttering slightly in the hot air, the symbol of the 19th Regiment gleaming on her shoulder plate. Her rifle rested casually against one arm as she looked over the battlefield with sharp, assessing eyes.
"We received your distress signal two and a half hours ago," she said, her tone cool but cutting. "In the meantime, your 18th Regiment didn't so much as blink." Lin's faint smile faded.
The words stung more than the wounds across his body. He knew she was right. Command had given up on them.
Captain Cai turned her gaze back toward the Fire Alliance troops. "Fall back and recuperate, Captain Lin. Leave the rest to us."
"I…" Lin hesitated, gripping his sword tighter. The urge to stay and fight burned inside him, even though every muscle screamed in protest. He looked at the remains of his squad—seven men and women, pale and bloodied, barely able to stand. His vice-captain was gone; the fifty-man squad reduced to fragments. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed heavily. "Squad 16," he called out, voice hoarse but firm, "fall back and recuperate."
"Yes, Captain!" the survivors answered weakly. Cai gave a brief nod before raising her hand. "FORMATION-V!! ADVANCE!!." Her soldiers shifted seamlessly into formation, their rifles snapping into position. Energy began to hum faintly in the air around them.
---
Squad 16 retreated toward the forest, leaving behind the glow of red shields and fresh sparks of battle breaking out once more.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fiery haze from earlier still lingered as Captain Cai issued orders, her voice sharp and commanding through the radio. "All members of Squad 22, move into formation. Use the forest terrain as cover and prepare for mid-range assault tactics. Don't let them regroup."
"Yes, Captain!" the soldiers replied in unison. Forty black-armored soldiers moved swiftly into position, rifles raised, boots sinking into soft earth and loose leaves. Their training showed in their precision—smooth, quiet movements even as spiritual auras flared faintly from their weapons.
Among them was Han Chen, a quiet foot soldier near the midline of the formation. His uniform was as plain as the others; no rank strips, no special insignia. He gripped his rifle firmly, his expression calm but distant. Ahead, the Fire Alliance forces had finished their retreat and regrouped. Their captains shouted commands as streams of flame qi merged to create a massive defensive dome.
Boom. A wall of red fire spread outward, sealing a perimeter around their formation. At its center stood the enemy squad captain, his spear pointed toward the forest, his voice echoing through the fiery air. "Hold positions! Riflers—circle around their sides. Melee—stay near the core. They'll come to us!"
Captain Cai crouched behind a thick fallen trunk, scanning the glowing barrier through her visor's tactical display. Even through the dense trees, patterns of heat shimmered—too many to count."They're planning a reverse ambush." She switched her communicator on. "Vice-Captain Rhun, take your team and flank from the south ridge. Keep low. The rest—focus suppressive fire on their front barrier!"
"Understood, Captain!" Rhun's voice replied, calm and steady."Fire at will!" she commanded. Whoosh—boom. Energy rounds streaked from the forest like falling stars. The air trembled with the sound—boom, boom, crack—each round slamming into the blazing red shield that covered the Fire Alliance's front line.
Splinters of hot bark and burning leaves scattered through the woods as trees between them suffered under the crossfire. The Fire Alliance answered immediately. Flame-tipped projectiles hissed through the darkness, tearing through the forest canopy. One bolt crashed against a tree beside Han Chen, sending sparks flying.
Boom! He ducked low instinctively, heart thudding once—but his face remained unreadable. Slowly, he peeked over the fallen roots and fired three controlled bursts toward the source of the light. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. "Keep their heads down!" Vice-Captain Rhun commanded as he advanced through the side ridge with five soldiers.
"Don't let them set the trees ablaze again!" Cai shifted position, rolling behind a rock half-scorched from a previous explosion. Her tone remained composed, but measured urgency colored her voice. "We can't fight their entire force head-on. Break their shield node; their energy coordination will collapse on its own!"
"Got it!" Rhun replied. The forest shook as squads moved. Han Chen followed the rear movement, advancing several steps with the others, rifle muzzle glowing faintly as spiritual circuits pulsed. Smoke filled the air, making visibility nearly impossible beyond a few meters. The red shield flashed repeatedly under concentrated fire. Each impact sent ripples like rings across molten lava.
"Closer!" Cai shouted. "Keep formation! Use the terrain—trees for cover, move between firing lines!" Her soldiers obeyed with practiced synchronization, shifting through smoke and ruins like flowing shadows. Small command signals flashed between them—hand gestures, short radio bursts, quiet clicks.
The battlefield erupted into a rolling exchange of destruction. Boom! Crack! Whoosh! Black uniformed soldiers crouched and fired, muzzle flashes lighting their faces.
The Fire Alliance fought back fiercely, their flame qi heating the forest until smoke choked the air and both sides fought half-blind. Several trees collapsed, their burning trunks crashing to the ground.
Han Chen ducked under one, rolling to the side before taking another shot. His rounds struck the outer rim of the flaming barrier, making it ripple again—but without breaking. He glanced once toward Cai's distant figure. She stood resolute, arm raised, directing fire with precision. "Vice-Captain, now!" she called.
A faint surge of blue light burst from the southern slope. Rhun and his flank team emerged through the smoke, releasing a focused volley into the node lines of the flaming shield's right side. Boom!The impact cracked through the aura like a mirror splintering. "Push forward!" Cai roared. "Suppress them before they reset their formation!" Her voice cut through the roaring flames as tens of rifles answered together.
The forest turned into chaos—explosions, firelight, and shouting soldiers. Han Chen followed his squadmates down the slope, firing from behind cover whenever possible. Around him, comrades moved in rhythm; every shot, every duck for reload was smooth and calculating.
The Fire Alliance captain's voice echoed faintly through the smoke, filled with frustration. "Hold the perimeter! Don't let them breach the core!" But they were already breaking. Cai raised her weapon, sighted through the haze, and fired a burst straight into the weakening shield center. It shattered in a ripple of light. Boom! A fiery explosion engulfed the space where the barrier had once stood.
Cai lowered her rifle, eyes narrowing as bright red flames burst high into the night. "All units, hold positions. Regroup and stabilize formation before advancing further. The enemy will counter soon." The smoke began to thin, revealing a field of ash, burnt timber, and flickering embers.
Farther back on the ridge, Lin's Squad 16 continued to recuperate. They sat in quiet exhaustion, bandaging wounds and meditating to restore spiritual energy. Lin watched the flashes from below—muted explosions reflecting in his eyes."She's keeping them under control," he murmured. "That Captain Cai… sharp as ever."
The medic beside him nodded silently, their faces pale under the orange glow rising from the forest battlefield below. As the wind shifted, faint echoes of the ongoing skirmish reached them—gunfire, flame, and the distant voice of a soldier shouting commands.
Amid the blur of silhouettes, Han Chen reloaded his rifle once more and pressed forward with the others. He was just one among forty, but his movements were silent, his focus unwavering.
The forest's heart was still aflame, and the war had only intensified.
-----TO BE CONTINUED-----