First Light of a New Age

Chapter 29: The Horror!

Austronesian Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Mindanao, General Santos City, In The Streets Of General Santos City.

2000, 2, 1st Week, January

Lines of infantry and mechanized vehicles were passing by through the entrance of General Santos City in Mindanao, marking the advance of the Austronesian Empire. Among these mechanized machines were a variety of specialized units: LAVs, JLTVs, ACEs, and IFVs. These vehicles are known as the agile Light Armored Vehicles, known as Fighting Vehicle 15 or in short, FV-15, or "Monarch," were followed by the versatile Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, designated as FV-16 or "Wolfhound." Next came the stalwart FV-2 "Striker" Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and finally, the indomitable Armored Combat Earthmovers, FSV-24, also known as the "Hydra," which moved to clear any major obstacles from the streets.

To provide fire support or covering fire, the MLRS or the Multiple Launch Rocket System, which was the Artillery 111, or in short A-111 or "Titan", held its position on the outskirts of General Santos City. Furthermore, to ensure a continuous barrage of artillery fire, a series of SPAs or self-propelled-artillery were also strategically placed alongside the MLRS which was the "Paragon" or the Artillery 50 or A-50. With such a formidable display of fighting power, the combined might of these forces painted the scene as though General Santos City was being besieged.

Upon entering the city, numerous platoons of soldiers immediately began fanned out, methodically entering and searching each house and building they passed by to search for survivors. Despite their thorough efforts, their search yielded no results. However, they have just started entering their search in this urbam landscape, they remained hopeful that survivors might still be found somewhere in the city.

As the soldiers pressed deeper into the heart of the city, they were only met with fierce countless resistance from demons and demonized humans at every turn. With each street they traversed and passed revealed a grim scene of death and desolation: countless bodies, bodies of men, women, and children were piled up, some were gruesomely mutilated, dismembered, even dismantled, and were arranged in a confusing location, as if the demons were all doing rituals.

The soldiers pressed on, reaching farther and farcher into the city. Soon enough, they came across the wreckage of damaged or destroyed military equipment littered the streets and, most of all, corpses of soldiers. All of them had one thing on their faces, and that is the look of horror and desperation. It all but seemed like they were too late to save them.

But in this devastation, hope remained and drove the soldiers forward in their quest to uncover any survivors and bring an end to the nightmare that had befallen the city.

General Santos City was one of the first cities that the Austronesian Empire lost contact with. Many reinforcements were sent to help the city, however, it all but seemed like it was already in vain. All they could do now is to avenge the lives that were lost. But there could still be hope that some were able to survive the onslaught of the demons. If the city shelters were used.

Upon realizing the prospect of survivors, the now demoralized soldiers immediately moved about into the underground shelters of the city, which turned into horror as heavy fighting against the demons ensued.

While suffering heavy casualties, even if they had mechanized support, the soldiers managed to achieve a breakthrough and brought much of the demons on the retreat farther into the city. With one of the shelters ahead in sight, a lone soldier quickly dashed towards it and felt a surge of exhilaration when he noticed that the indicator lights suggesting people were inside.

The soldier immediately called for the others, to which they forced the door open, which was tightly locked.

"It's open!" one soldier shouted as they stormed inside, only to be met with countless demonic gazes.

"N-No, this can't be-" a soldier stammered, but he was cut off, literally, as a demon slashed him down and his body was bisected in two.

"F-Fire!" an officer commanded, as the soldiers engaged the horrific enemies before them.

Flickers of light danced ominously outside the door as the soldiers faced countless spawns of demonic creatures inside the shelter. 

Realizing that the people inside were all dead, evident by the dozens of demons found inside and the blood stained on the floor already dealt a harsh blow to the morals of the soldiers. But they picked up their pace and began moving around the city, desperately searching for any survivors.

But something completely unexpected was being noticed by the soldiers. As they got nearer and nearer into the city center, which coincidentally was where the last shelter was stationed.

They checked each military base and shelter to no avail. They were all wiped out. The sight of dozens to hundreds of military equipment down the drain, and most of all, the loss of population that will take decades, if not centuries, to recover from.

As they inched closer to the city center, cold sweat dripped each of their backs, and sparks of lightning occasionally got up into their spinal cords. Shock and dread fill them. What they have wished to not be true, have actually become true.

The demons were indeed performing rituals, it was as if they were trying to summon something. There's only one way to find out what it was, and that is to get to the city center.

As dawn broke, it cast strands of light through the dissipating clouds and bathed the landscape in the soft glow of morning dew. After all, it has been a few hours already since the time of the midnight hour had already passed, and with each passing moment, the first light of dawn was now appearing.

Heavy fighting was happening all around the city as the soldiers battled their way through the outskirts. No survivors had been found yet. The Austronesian Liberation Army faced fierce resistance as they attempted to break through the hard defenses of the demonic horde. Realizing the dire situation, the Colonel finally decided to call in fire support.

Far away from the city center on the outskirts of General Santos City, the Self Propelled Artillery Paragon roared in anger as flashes of light and smoke escaped from its barrels. The next moment, the Multiple Launch Rocket System or A-111 Titan screeched in hatred as it launched its payload with a piercing shriek of fury!

Having issued the command to unleash the full might of their artillery, the Colonel made an order to temporary retreat to a safer vantage point. Since they haven't found anything to be called a survivor, they now must accept the grim reality that there were no survivors in the city. Thus, they would need to report the devastating news with a heavy heart that the once-thriving population of more than half a million souls of the Austronesian Empire in General Santos City was all dead.

With all the demonic horde concentrated in the city center, it is now much better to save the lives that can be saved and that is the soldiers that have entered the city. They would lose nothing, even if they were to bombard the entire city center.

Standing on top of a cliff where the command tent was, the Colonel watched stoically as dozens upon dozens of artillery shells and missiles rained down upon the city center.

It was the most definitely a sight to see at his age, a sight he would never forget throughout his years of service.