Unified Nations of Earth and Remnant

Chapter 54: Battle of the Desert Part 2

The battlefield of the Vacuo desert was a sprawling, chaotic mess of roaring Grimm and determined fighters. The sky above was thick with the smoke from countless explosions, and the ground beneath was a churning sea of dust, blood, and scorched earth. The battle had entered a brutal, unrelenting phase—every inch of ground contested, every breath drawn with the taste of sand and smoke.

The sound of the AH-64GX Apache Warchiefs overhead provided a steady, drumming backdrop as the Apaches flew in formation, unleashing their payloads into the Grimm masses below. The intensity of the battle grew fiercer by the second.

Suddenly, a new element joined the fray: the distinct, terrifying hiss of flamethrowers being ignited. Flames burst forth in waves, rolling across the field, consuming all in their path. American and Russian soldiers stepped up, their flamethrowers spewing bright, roaring torrents of fire into the charging Grimm. The flames burned with a terrible intensity, black smoke billowing skyward, mingling with the haze already thick in the air.

The fire roared as it surged over the Grimm, enveloping them in an inferno. Beowolves howled as they burned, their dark fur catching fire and their bodies disintegrating under the heat. Creeps and Griffins screamed as they succumbed, consumed by the searing flames. The Grimm, creatures of darkness, showed their vulnerability to the one thing they had no defense against: fire.

Jie, standing among her comrades with her rifle in hand, caught sight of the flames beginning to spread across the battlefield. She quickly realized the effectiveness of this tactic—the Grimm's numbers were thinning rapidly, many of them collapsing in pain as the flames ravaged them.

Jie raised her voice, loud and commanding, her voice cutting through the noise of battle. "Don't shoot! Let them burn!" she yelled.

The command echoed through the battlefield as it was relayed from squad to squad. Troops who had been firing rounds into the approaching Grimm lowered their weapons, stepping back to let the flames do their work.

The Grimm—monstrous as they were—had no defense against the advancing tide of fire. Deathstalkers, Creeps, Griffins, Beowolves, and all manner of other Grimm howled in agony as they were swallowed by the firestorm. The flames rolled forward in waves, igniting everything in their path, purging the Grimm with a cleansing fury.

Anthony turned to look at Jie, giving her an approving nod. "Good call, Jie! Let them roast!" He swung his rifle over his shoulder, watching as the fire engulfed an entire wave of charging Beowolves, their black forms contorting in agony as they burned. He took a step back, moving out of the flames' reach.

Ryan joined Anthony, pulling his helmet off and using it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "This is a damn barbecue now," he remarked, his eyes reflecting the glow of the flames.

David and Shino also backed away, the flames creating a natural line of defense that the Grimm couldn't seem to penetrate. Shino turned to David, her eyes wide, though she kept her composure. "I didn't think we'd need flamethrowers, but damn, I'm glad they're here."

David smiled, giving her shoulder a gentle pat. "It's effective, that's for sure."

Raven, who had led her tribe of bandits into the charge, halted their advance and motioned for them to hold position. She watched as the Grimm succumbed to the fire. Her red eyes reflected the inferno, and she felt a strange mixture of satisfaction and awe at the sight. The Grimm, which had seemed unstoppable, were reduced to nothing more than ash and embers before her.

Yang stood beside her mother, her lilac eyes wide with both shock and admiration. "I hate to admit it, but fire seems to be a pretty damn good solution to these things."