"This is Command, our main unit has been cut down by enemy forces, we've requested the Southern Sentinel Group for back up, but they've been compromised as well! Captain Backbone is one of the only survivors of her unit, so we ask patiently that you send Captain Great White to us as well."

"What?! We can't just hand over our girl like tha'! Besides, she's the main powerhouse in this chopper righ' now. If we give 'er to you, a good chance'll be that we'll get sho' down by that lightnin' mofo."

The ride went quiet as Thomas argued on and on with their command center. Tahgweiy had received orders to go back to the Baphomet's main unit, as chaos has happened whilst they were still trying to proceed with their mission of securing the Dragons a safe place. No one knows how and why the Demons figured us out so suddenly. They took precautions and used advanced techniques just for this one mission, yet it was all deemed useless now that they've been found. Suspicion arose within the Osprey, as everyone questioned each other, wondering who betrayed us.

"Vixen Corr will be a good substitute. I promise you. She's fought Baphomet once, and managed to significantly injure her. Though she might've had the help of 2 other powerful monsters, she still did her job."

"Sigh... Fahn. I've already heard about it, it's barely news. That incident yeas' ago shocked the entire world, who doesn't know about it these days? Well, there definitely ain't much who knows what she looks like, yeah."

"Good to hear that, Sergeant. Please get here ASAP. Over."

"Over."

How flattering! I didn't know I was that popular after that fight with the Baphomet.

The flight resumed. As soon as we were far enough from where the pyramids were, a bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the spot. A giant mushroom appeared from where the Dragon's resting place used to be at. I wonder how much money that caused them. Probably not a problem for guys that have access to another world, right?

It's a shame that monsters in this world can survive, or simply brush off intercontinental-ballistic-missiles though.

We tried to curve, trying to get to the other side of the planet as fast possible, but then lightning struck us from the direction of the mushroom cloud. Fortunately, it only grazed us a a little bit. If we were truly unlucky, that lightning bolt would've hit the Osprey right in the center, most likely putting everyone's life to an end.

"May!?% mayday!! !?& propellers aren't working! The ?!!ine's a failure! We're go!?! &%!!!! ?!& ?!!&%!!?"

A few men inside were either unconscious, or have passed away already. One of them, a member of the Holy Knights, had a whole chunk of his body carved away. Fire bursted out from the interior of the Osprey. It didn't take long for the hull of the aircraft to become a wreck. The Osprey was spinning around, slowly dropping to the ground.

Everyone was panicking. Screams and shouts were everywhere as we tried to fix the situation. I don't think I have any spells that could save everyone here right now. And even if I did have, my brain is in a mess, and I can't get into my full concentration mode, nor can I think straight. So if I, the wisest and the most intelligent here, couldn't make a single move, what can anyone else do?

Kaboom!

The Osprey crashed into an abandoned town. It took some time for me to readjust and stand back up, unharmed. Looking around, I quickly realized that the bodies of my allies, the Holy Knights, and the American soldiers, were all scattered everywhere. Their body parts, and their remains had flown throughout this town, and wherever we were spinning around at. Our aircraft was burning along with our pilots. It's impossible for them to survive that.

I held my head as I tried to look for survivors. Tahgweiy shouldn't be hurt, but her flying away when we were spinning wouldn't be good.

"Ummm... P-perhaps you might be looking for cookies? Perhaps?"

I looked up to see a girl, who's as tall as my entire leg, asking me if I was looking for cookies. Was she a resident of this town? She had pointy ears and sharp teeth. I tried analyzing her with [Blood Panel], but there were no results. She had short silver white hair, and looked like a kid somewhere around the age of 4. No, wait. She's probably even younger than that. Or maybe it's just because I'm tall. I'm taller than the average person because I'm a vampire, so how tall would she really be?

Everyone around me were still laying down on the ground, either butchered or asleep. I casted some healing magic on them, so they should be fine now, that is, if they somehow survived the crash, and that attack. I don't know where the rest are, since the bodies here seem to be few, so I assume they fell out during the spinning.

"Y-you're Heart, right..? My cr- m-master sent me to find you... I wonder what happened here... I wonder..."

"Who are you? I'm not Heart, I'm Vixen. Vixen Corr. But I know her, she's a friend of mine. Heart Cornea, right? She got taken away by the Baphomet long ago. You should've known that already."

This feels familiar. The first time I met Heart Cornea was right after a terrible mess that included having everyone with me being scattered away. It really is happening again, huh? Who's tormenting me? This all feels like a terribly written book, whose writer wasn't creative enough, so they had to copy the same events, but in a different place with different characters.

The girl spoke in a pretty quiet voice. She seemed shy, and was always fidgeting. She said she's come here for Heart Cornea, but that woman's been taken away by the crazy Baphomet long ago.

"Heart Corn..? W- O-o-oh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"No need to be sorry. What do you even need her for? And why'd you have to come at such a bad time? My friends are everywhere, literally, and you don't care. Are you a monster or something?"

"Ah..! Ahahah..! I'm sorry... I-I was simply ordered to find Heart... I didn't know I-I had to do more work... I really didn't..!"

It's fine really. I just need to get more focused and find everyone before Tsuchinoko comes to get us. [Clairvoyance] should do the trick. I can already sense Jirania nearby. She's fine and unharmed, but she appears to be looking around for survivors as well.

I'll have to get to her so that we can solve this mess quickly-

"Wait! Vixen..! I-If you want... You can help us as Heart... The task is very simple, would you like to take it? Would you like to take it!?"

If it's that simple, tell me already, you little brat. I don't want to lose everyone again. Last time it was because that kid, Fone, who led me into a trap set up by Cricket Cricket, Frillet Tofan, Fang, Sundown Lighter, and many more. I won't let another kid fool me, and lead me into another trap again!

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"B-basically, you just need to get to my master's friend, Jacob, and my master s-said that a gate to the 10th Polar Heaven will be created! My master said it!"

My eyes widened and I immediately stopped what I was doing, which was hurrying over to Jirania. The 10th Polar Heaven?! Finally! Something that has to do with the Demons! The 9th Polar Heaven connected Earth to the Demon Realm, so what might the 10th Polar Heaven be? I'm not sure about the 8 other Polar Heavens, but most of them were probably just gateways from the Demon Realm to another world.

I'll gladly take on the job and go over to that guy, Jacob. I just need to meet him, right? And the 10th Polar Heaven will be made. Now, if another Polar Heaven is to be made, it should be in the Demon Realm. I assume that these guys already have a way to get there, and this girl is just their messenger.

"Fine. But first, I have some things I need to do."

"Y-yay!! Now then, if you e-excuse me, Vixen..! Oh! I haven't given you my name yet... I'm T- Hili! Call me Hili! W-we will meet again, in the 10th Polar Heaven, or in Jacob's house! Farewell, Vixen! Farewell!"

The girl, Hili, picked up a rock before running off behind a house. I ran after her, but she was nowhere to be seen now. A basket full of cookies was placed on the ground. I didn't say yes, but I guess I'll take it.

I mean, who'd say no?

I met up with Jirania later, she was just around the streets, trying to resuscitate the corpses desperately. His helmet was gone so I could see his face better. He asked me to help him, but I knew these guys were no more. It'd be rude to try and ask him to stop though, some of these are his men, but they're gone now. It's hard to tell who's who since they're all just burnt and messed up.

We managed to find other survivors after a bit of searching. Clar was slightly injured, sitting down inside one of the houses which she crashed into from when the Osprey was spinning about. Quick was heavily injured, along with Luren, both laying on the streets not too far from the aircraft's crash site. Kio and Thomas were the last ones to be found. They were fine, they said. Tahgweiy was roaming around outside the town, so we all regrouped and decided to get her back into the team.

Pure unfortunately perished upon impact, and his only remains were an arm with his name on it, a bag of rice, and a fully automatic Glock-40. I took his gun with me as a way to respect him, since soldiers do live their lives by the sword. This was a common way of respecting the dead around here. Basically saying that we'll take on their lives, and defeat their enemies in their place.

The rest of his body was never found, and the bag was placed down on his arm as a way of making his grave. We did the same to the rest of the fallen soldiers before checking up on Tahgweiy.

The main road led us outside the town. Tsuchinoko is probably still alive, but a possibility remains that she thinks we're all doomed. Well, a lot of our allies got taken away by her, so she is kind of correct. But we shouldn't underestimate Pillars of Creation. Cricket Cricket survived an attack comparable to an atomic bomb. Or rather, he was hit by it point-blank, and simply walked out unscathed. A stronger attack got Tsuchinoko, but she still managed to throw a spear of lightning a couple hundred thousands of kilometers away.

"A? Oh, if it isn't Rireith and her team! Glad you guys came to find me! Over here! Over here!"

Tahgweiy waved her hand enthusiastically. She stood in between the mountain, a road leading into the thick red mist behind her. Our traumatized soldiers have suffered enough, it's time for them to see her cute face up close again. Maybe that'll bring back morale, and fix their mental states.

She was sending off electromagnetic signals again. I should've told her to stop doing that, but surely there shouldn't be anything bad that can use that to their advantage now right? Besides Tsuchinoko, Zen and Liand, who're now gone, and many more.

Jirania ran up to her first, but then a goddamned UAZ-3151 hit her from seemingly out of nowhere. She flew across the road, her armour breaking off as the car spun around to stop behind Tahgweiy. I'm really not sure where that vehicle came from, but it sure got Jirania at around 140 km/h. My best guess is that it came down from the mountain, but how'd they be able to do that in this mist? If they're using vehicles, then they probably don't have any magic to see through the mist whilst dodging obstacles along the way.

Can we not have another one of Earth's stuff in here? This is supposed to be a fantasy story, a fairy tale, not some weird sci-fi action movie. Why're there fighter jets and military vehicles in a magical world? This doesn't make sense at all! Not to mention, Thomas and his team are presumably the only ones left on this side of the planet. The bombers and fighter jets have left already, the last one was after the atomic bomb was dropped. So who are these guys? The Demons? They do have access to Earth, but how'd they find us so quickly? Was it because of Tahgweiy's electromagnetic signals?! They didn't need to use such a vehicle, they could've arrived through portals or anything other than cars.

Tahgweiy stood still in surprise, along with everyone in our team. Clar looked irritated for a bit, whilst Quick went up to heal Jirania. He didn't really get much damage, since he can survive worse attacks, the only problem is his armour breaking. I'm surprised it hasn't broken off when the Osprey crashed, or in his case, when he fell out of the spinning aircraft.

Thomas prepared his weapon and aimed at the enemy's vehicle, Luren did the same thing, but with a different rifle instead of an AK-47. Clar and Kio took out their swords for combat, unbeknownst to them, their enemy probably uses ranged weapons, and not medieval swords, bolt-action rifles, or semi-automatic rifles.

"Who're these guys?! I thought Command didn't wanna send us backups! We're supposed to be the backups here, so they're definitely not our allies..!"

"Yeah, I recognize that sorta car. I haven't seen it during the war in Afghanistan, but it's surely some kinda Russian military vehicle."

"You're saying that Russia is involved in this too?!"

The Demons had stuff from Earth on their hands. It's unlikely that Russia is directly involved in this war, but it's more likely that they made some trade with the Demons, and gave them some of their supplies, weapons, and vehicles. We're still not too sure if the Demons are on the U.S.A's side, or on Russia's side. If they've found out what the Americans are doing, then they've probably cut off trading and other relations with them already.

So this means...

"It's still too soon for another Great War, you know?!!"

"Huh? What are you guys talking about?"

Clar and the rest of the Holy Knights were oblivious to Earth's political status. If the Demons—who were making trades and other sort of things with the U.S.A and Great Britain—suddenly found out that their greatest enemy—the Baphomet and her group—has made a military alliance with those two major nations behind their back to help out another significantly powerful enemy, then it wouldn't be a stretch for me to say that they had to take another nation from Earth on to their side, causing a war to occur on Earth, even if it's a smaller, indirect war between the Demons' allied country, and the Baphomet's English allies. If that is true, then that would mean that the Demons and the Baphomet has access to the more important parts of Earth, and has already established relations with many countries in there.

If Russia was one of those countries that the Demons had good relations with, then a war between the Demons' other allies, including Russia, and the Baphomet's allies, the U.S.A and Great Britain, wouldn't be impossible. If 'siding' with your friend's traitors meant cutting off ties with these otherworlders and supernatural alien creatures, then the best option would be to help out your buddies and wage war on their enemies as well. Who knows what else the Demons might have in store for you, when they literally have portals to many other worlds besides yours?

Even if another Cold War happens, losing trade with these aliens would be devastating,

right?!

Coming out of the vehicle was a man wearing a Russian officer's uniform. He held a handgun, aiming it at Tahgweiy as I aimed Pure's Glock-40 at him.

Bang!

The man fired at the air. He then put his gun down before raising his arms up. What was he doing? Surrendering? Why would they suddenly hit Jirania and then surrender on the spot? I couldn't understand what was going on. Was this a trap?

"Hold on, Knights and Soldiers. I am 1st Lieutenant Frank Wolv. Currently, me and Sergeant Amalie Soon are on our way to the nearest Infernal Headquarters... I apologize if we caused you harm, but we are in a bit of a hurry right now."

I could sense Bloodlust coming from the mountains, and from the mist. This was definitely an ambush, but why are they revealing their leader to such danger? I could strike them down right now, since they're too vulnerable. Maybe they have some sort of plan that would make sudden attack useless?

"Come on, Lieutenant, they still haven't dropped down their weapons, perhaps this was a bad idea after all."

"Nope... I wanted to see her up close... What could the devil want from her..? I need to find the answers, and so... before we go home, let's crush them to the ground. I can't see how one little anthill that has already been pissed on could possibly take on a mortar shell afterwards."

He might think he's doing well with his little surprise attack, but I can hear clearly everything that he's saying, even from this far away.

He had a mischievous smile as he put one arm behind his back whilst smoking a cigarette with his other hand.

Once he was done smoking, he threw his cigarette down and ordered his not-so-hidden men to attack.

"Open fire."