A general born to rule

A new ally enters the fray

As Sam completed the assembly of the newly fortified AC-130s, enhanced with demonic materials scavenged from conquered territories, he couldn’t help but marvel at the modifications. The aircrafts were sleeker, faster, and more durable than ever before, boasting reinforced armor and weapons that could tear through demon ranks like paper. With the test runs successfully completed, the new gunships were ready for deployment.

Marcus, leading his troops toward their next objective—a heavily fortified demon city—knew they were walking into a storm. The moment they arrived within range, the skies darkened as demonic Hell Cannons opened fire. Massive, fiery shells hurtled through the sky, forcing Marcus and his men to take cover.

"Get down!" Marcus shouted, his voice barely audible over the deafening explosions that followed. The Hell Cannons were as devastating as they were inaccurate, raining destruction indiscriminately across the battlefield. Entire swaths of forest and infrastructure crumbled under the weight of the bombardment.

The ground trembled as the demons unleashed their own monstrous war machines—demonic tanks with jagged, fiery hulls and cursed cannons spewing dark energy. Demonic aircraft, twisted metal and flame, filled the skies, accompanied by swarms of flying demons. It was a sight to behold—an army from hell, unleashed.

But Valorcrest was ready. The sky was filled with F-16s, F-18s, F-14s, F-22s, F-35s, and Apache helicopters, accompanied by the newly enhanced AC-130 gunships. Marcus’s forces opened fire, the roaring thunder of aircraft engines and the steady stream of anti-aircraft fire lighting up the sky. Mobile AA guns unleashed flurries of firepower, striking at the demonic aircraft and the flying beasts.

The air battle was fierce, with fighter jets engaging in dogfights against the demonic aircraft while the AC-130s rained down hellfire from above. Explosions and the flash of missiles lit up the skies as both sides struggled for dominance. Cobras and Apaches provided low-altitude support, picking off ground forces and firing rockets into the advancing demon lines.

On the ground, the battle was no less brutal. Demon tanks, massive and twisted with dark energy, clashed against the formidable human war machines. M1A1 Abrams tanks, T-90s, Tigers, and Challengers rumbled into battle. The landscape was filled with the thunderous sound of tank shells colliding and artillery barrages echoing through the battlefield.

While the demons’ artillery was wildly inaccurate, often hitting their own forces or decimating the terrain, Valorcrest’s artillery was precise. Barrages rained down with deadly accuracy, cutting deep into demon ranks and crippling their advance.

As the tanks roared forward, infantry from both sides collided in savage, close-quarters combat. Marcus led his men into the fray, where the fighting was a brutal melee of survival. Footmen charged at one another, armed with whatever they could find—shovels, knives, shotguns, swords, even bricks. It was a battle of attrition, every inch of ground contested with blood. Demons howled as they fell, and human soldiers gritted their teeth through the chaos.

The clash lasted for hours, a deadly dance of steel, flesh, and fire. Marcus fought through the fray, his sword flashing as he cut down demon after demon, his men fighting valiantly by his side. Every second felt like an eternity, the lines between the living and the dead blurred in the unrelenting violence.

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, the Valorcrest forces emerged victorious. The demonic city fell, but the victory had come at a heavy cost. Both sides were bloodied and battered, with bodies littering the battlefield. Human, demon, dragonkin, and Dark Elf alike lay side by side, a grim reminder of the brutality of war. Reinforcements were desperately needed to continue the push forward.

In the aftermath of the battle, Marcus wasted no time. He knew that keeping morale high was crucial, especially after such a grueling fight. With fires still smoldering in the distance, he stood before his weary soldiers and addressed them with unwavering resolve.