The Skirmish

The soldiers of the Empire held their grounds, mages and martial artists going toe to toe with demons, refusing any inch of territory to the other.

The border is filled with skirmishes that nature once surrounded with were replaced with nothing but bloodbaths and craters from either power.

"Fei! Fucking get down dammit!"

Trench warfare and magical tools filled the entire field, demons launching magic and spreading miasma wherever, the edge of the battlefield having some miasma spreading to trees was converted into some sort of demonic trees and the mages who were deployed in the field are dispelling some of the miasmas.

"My fucking gun!"

"You'll get one later dammit!"

The two soldiers hiding in the trench, due to the barrage of some demon spells, things are not quite favourable to them, not without a mage.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" The soldier is trying to dial something in his hands, a radio, using magical items around some miasma is not a good thing. "This is Division 18, does High Command hear me!?"

The radio released static, not a single response came out but the deafening static along with some explosion in the background.

"Sir, the antenna is down."

The Soldier looked at his back, the antenna was bent in a good way. The soldier just cursed under his breath and tried fixing it, scavenging whatever was in his bag.

Until a loud noise came in, the loud firepower from a distance was undoubtedly some kind of artillery. One of the soldiers stuck in the trench got curious enough and looked up, only to be pulled down.

"Do you want to be caught in the fucking crossfire?!"

"Sir! There's a tank!"

"Another reinforcement…" The soldier sighed with a hint of relief.

Though he knows he won't be there to save them, the thought of going home after all this fiasco made him relieved immensely.

—Roar!

A demon Giant roared, it has two horns that resemble that of a goat and a fiery mouth that breathes fire equal to that of a dragon.

"It's the Demon General." one of the soldiers in the trench remarked.

The Vehicles stopped and 16 individuals came out, holding weapons and armour, no firearms nor any ranged weapon. They just straight up ran towards the demon General.

Well of course it was received with suspicion and uncertainty from the demon, it did not take their numbers at face value, as the scars on its face are a history of the lessons it learned.

The demon summoned an axe, one that wields fire. Commanding the nearby demons to scatter the 16 groups so it picks on the 16, it wasn't taking any chances.

The 16 soldiers weren't deterred at the sight of many demon mages, the demon succubi and some enslaved sirens started singing, trying to lure the 16 to submission.

But nothing worked. The entire group was unimpressed, uninteresting and unhindered. They kept running, now the demons were casting spells to deter their progress.

One giant fireball was about to land near them when one of the 16 stopped and started chanting, a blue sphere appeared warm and deadly. In command the sphere moved like a bullet, aiming at the fireball cast by the demons.

It exploded violently in midair.

The man shortly caught up with the others, the demon's face slightly scrunched and it looked at its fellow demons. And the other demons were startled, none of the humans knew the demon tongue, that's why it was hard to spy on them.

Only a few hundred metres when the demons suddenly started blasting whatever they had. The Demons Mages making spells left and right and the Demon Warriors now engaging in close combat, just to be reminded there's a reason why there are only 16 of them charging.

But the demons didn't stop charging, all the focus of the demons was on the 16 and all the firepower that was once all over the battlefield was now brought upon the 16 soldiers.

But they run, unhindered only by the terrain. The demon General, now noticeably worried, lifted its axe and swung, sending out a fiery arc that collided with the 16 only to have their hope shattered when they didn't even stop.

The 16 soldiers were now close to the demon general, it was a bloody fight, the massacre of the demon warriors was just swapping a fly for these soldiers, and the mages didn't stand a chance. The demon General was the only one who brought up a decent fight.

Spears and swords swung brutally and the general dodged, parried and blocked the attacks but it didn't matter. As every hit managed to push it back.

In one attack the general managed to land and severed a soldier's arm from its elbow, but instead of being given hope, despair was evident as it saw the arm stitch back to the body like multiple snakes wriggling back to its body properly.

"I couldn't imagine doing this a year ago."

One of the soldiers said as the demon General snapped his head beside him before he got beheaded. It was surreal for the soldiers in the trenches, watching their enemies end with a struggle. Akin to the years of skirmishes on the border.

They cheered, and the soldiers who were fighting in the trenches cheered, only to be drenched in cold water as they saw the 16 soldiers kill every demon on the field.

That's… that's not how these works, even demons try to capture the humans alive in exchange for prisoners of war. Not ever demons are mindless killing machines as they are advertised by propaganda.

But the 16 individuals killed every single demon on site, even the ones already begging on the ground. It was… a show of horror.

"Finally, those scum are going to pay for even thinking of invading the humans."

The human general grinned, a manic grin plastered her face. The few people beside her sneered with disgust instead of agreeing with her.

"Enough, general. Tell them to stop the skirmish."

"Why, Lieutenant? We're just eradicating filth from this planet—"

"General Helena, My eyes are for the council, remember that."

"... Tsk" she then spoke on the radio, the 16 soldiers finally retreating leaving only a dozen vengeful demons who were visibly weeping.