MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Though the soldiers fought with desperate resolve, locked in a battle to the death, they remained acutely aware of the root of their peril, the portals.

Amidst the chaos, skilled runesmiths labored with relentless urgency, striving to unravel the arcane mysteries that sustained the gateways.

Mana flickered and shimmered upon their palms, their fingers weaving intricate patterns as ethereal symbols traced through the air.

Unyielding and unrelenting, they pressed onward, never faltering, never ceasing.

Over twenty runesmiths were stationed at each portal, their breaths ragged and bodies slick with sweat, toiling amid the relentless destruction and chaos.

Yet, they had no choice.

There was no time to wait for calm before focus could be summoned.

What complicated their task further was the infusion of chaotic energy by the demons, an insidious corruption woven into the very fabric of the runes.

This only drained more precious time.

Still, they did not falter.

Their eyes burned with unbending resolve.

They would close the portals, even if it meant sacrificing their very lives.

Around them, soldiers hovered in disciplined formation, steadfast guardians shielding the runesmiths from harm.

Shockwaves and violent impacts from the relentless clash between human and demon assailed their bodies and minds, yet not one dared to falter or turn.

They endured.

Though some protectors fell, struck down in the line of duty, countless others swiftly stepped forward to fill their place without hesitation.

A cascade of runes floated in the air, until a final symbol slipped seamlessly into the formation, causing the entire array to blaze with a radiant glow, as if the correct pattern had finally been completed.

Without hesitation, the runesmiths forcefully slammed their runes into the glyphic matrix sustaining the portal.

The formation flared with searing intensity, its blinding light cutting through the chaos.

"GET BACK!"

A runesmith shouted, voice sharp with urgency.

But the others required no command.

In an instant, they vanished from sight, their hands continuing to trace intricate symbols that swiftly solidified into a protective barrier enveloping them.

The soldiers guarding the runesmiths wasted no time. With fierce determination, they pushed back their foes and vanished into the fray.

Then the portals trembled violently, their very foundations destabilizing.

Demons and abominations caught halfway through the gateways, were instantly shattered, crushed beneath the merciless distortion of space itself.

With a cataclysmic explosion, all the portals erupted outward in a violent blast.

An overwhelming torrent of energy surged in every direction, obliterating anything and anyone unable to defend themselves in time.

Space itself convulsed beneath the apocalyptic force, fracturing like fragile glass before slowly knitting back together under the immutable laws of reality.

Dust and fumes billowed into the air, mingling with storms of mana and chaos that raged with fierce intensity.

Those who perished were not merely slain, no, they were utterly erased, as if they had never existed.

Consumed by the relentless void.

The runesmiths understood all too well that there was no time for a quiet, orderly closure.

They had no choice but to destabilize the portals and collapse them, swiftly and irrevocably, in a single, devastating strike.

"THE PORTAL HAS BEEN CLOSED. CHARGE!"

A bloodied Colonel bellowed from above, his voice laden with authority and unshakeable command.

With the portals sealed, only one task remained, to annihilate the demons and abominations still left standing, and bring this nightmare to an end.

A thunderous war cry erupted from the soldiers, their morale soaring to unprecedented heights.

Fueled by relentless fury, the ferocity and precision of their assault intensified beyond measure.

Those on their last legs refused to perish alone, resorting to desperate suicide attacks, dragging their foes with them into the abyss.

The demon ranks began to thin, the tide of victory finally within reach.

Their forms ignited with blazing fury.

Their resolve steeled to an unbreakable edge.

With roaring cries that echoed across the battlefield, they surged forward, relentless and unbending.

But then, suddenly, a shadow blotted out the sun.

Every gaze snapped upward, eyes locking onto the ominous silhouette above.

There, they beheld it.

Aircraft.

Numerous in number.

No need for doubt; these were not theirs.

They were demonic aircraft.

The demons, too, were a race versed in technology.

After all, why should lesser beings like Dragons, Vampires, and Humans monopolize such power while they remained barred?

'How did they get here?'

The Colonel wondered, hovering amidst the carnage, her form stained with the blood of fallen foes.

Confusion flickered across her features.

She should have sensed their arrival long before this moment.

'Was this all part of their plan? To sow chaos from within before striking from without. Yet without a Demon Monarch, they cannot breach the Aetherlock'

She pondered.

Then her voice cut through the chaos with sharp precision, commanding with immediate alacrity:

"ALL AIRCRAFT SHOOT DOWN THE BIRD!"

At her order, the military planes surged into motion.

They banked sharply, targeting the demonic fleet with unnerving focus.

Their weapons flared to life, glowing with deadly intensity before unleashing a thunderous barrage.

But it was all in vain.

The demon fleet was shielded by an impenetrable barrier, absorbing every strike.

The demon fleet swiftly turned their weapons toward the Aetherlock, and unleashed a devastating barrage.

The impact crashed against the barrier with thunderous force.

Shockwaves rippled outward, triggering a series of earthquakes, while fierce winds swept across the entire military base.

Inside the dome, the soldiers remained undeterred, their focus unshaken as they pressed on with the battle.

The demons were trapped outside the Aetherlock; without breaching it, they had no means to infiltrate.

'What are these demons truly aiming for?'

The female Colonel thought.

'Surely they know that without a Demon Monarch, no technology can pierce this barrier'

Her mind raced through countless scenarios, searching for an answer.

Then her mind came to sudden halt.

'What if they have developed such technology? The first attack was merely a diversion'

The possibility spun relentlessly in her thoughts.

It was a far-fetched notion, yet she dared not dismiss it, never underestimate the cunning of demons.

"BRING DOWN EVERY DEMONIC SHIP! NOT A SINGLE ATTACK FROM THEM MUST TOUCH THE AETHERLOCK!"

Her voice rang out, resolute and brisk.

Immediately, every military aircraft unleashed volleys of fire at full power.

Each demonic assault was intercepted and nullified before it could even graze the Aetherlock.

But then, suddenly, something unassuming detached from one of the demonic aircraft.

It fell silently, resembling nothing more than a common pebble scattered on a dusty road.

Unnoticed, the soldiers kept their focus locked on the looming fleet above.

Yet the female Colonel's gaze snapped upward, catching the glint of sunlight reflecting off the falling object.

'A ring?'

She thought, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

But then, suddenly, a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Before she could react, the ring struck the Aetherlock with a sharp, echoing bounce.

"GET TO THE GROUND!"

Her voice tore through the air as she plunged toward the earth, her figure blazing like a comet.

As if answering her command, the ring flared with blinding light, then detonated with merciless fury.

The explosion engulfed the Aetherlock, consuming it in ruthless devastation.

A cataclysmic shockwave, like the death throes of a dying star, tore through the sky.

An apocalyptic surge of energy swept across the military base, obliterating everything in its merciless path.

The soldiers aboard the ships barely registered what struck them.

Their world was suddenly washed in blinding white before they were mercilessly erased.

Throughout the military domain, troops were thrown off their feet, blasted backward like ragdolls caught in a tempest.

Their bodies slammed mercilessly against jagged mountains and shattered buildings.

Yet, even amidst the pain and chaos, they refused to fall unconscious.

Their rigorous training had forged wills unbreakable by mere suffering.

Their eyes instinctively snapped upward toward the Aetherlock.

But it was gone.

Vanished.

A heavy silence settled over them, their hearts sinking with cold certainty.

No words were needed.

They knew the truth.

The Aetherlock had collapsed.