"Behind you!" Castyr's call caused Axel to whip around and fire at the hovercraft pursuing them. Upon breaking out of Nature's Preserve, the three began to be constantly pursued and fired at as they drove over the dark surface of the Earth.

Another hovercraft broke off from the main air raid and joined the first in firing at the rover. Kilo swerved out of the way of the bullets while Castyr aimed his rifle. After carefully lining up the target, the star shot a single round. The nearest hovercraft exploded into flames as Castyr's bullet found its mark in its energy core.

Once the first craft went down, Castyr immediately turned toward the second one. While the star readied his aim, Axel whipped his head around for a way out of the open landscape. They would become sitting ducks if they remained so far out in the open.

Spotting a city growing on the horizon, Axel pointed toward it while alerting Kilo, "Head for the city! It will provide us some cover."

Hearing the hangel's words, Kilo instantly swerved from their course and began racing toward the city. The explosion of the first hovercraft caught the attention of several more forces from Hades, and soon, two more hovercrafts as well as four rovers were heading for them.

The enemy was too far away for Axel to use his dagger set, and his pistols were not powerful enough to deal much damage. Castyr was the three's main weapon and was able to take down another hovercraft before Kilo linked him with his mind.

Switch with me. Castyr's eyes snapped to Kilo when he heard his angel's voice in his mind. He knew what Kilo planned to do. He had done the same thing many a time during fights in their earlier days. However, Castyr understood that his angel was strong and an expert at the maneuver, so he did not protest and took the driver's seat while Kilo moved to the back of the rover.

"Hold on, Axel," Kilo warned as Castyr slowed the rover, allowing the enemy to catch up to them.

Axel looked around with wide eyes as he held onto the back of the rover and watched as Kilo drew his sword from his back. The angel stepped onto the upper ledge of the rover's back and readied his sword as he waited for the enemy to come within range. Castyr swerved to the left to avoid a string of bullets, and Kilo deflected them with his sword while Axel used his daggers to block any that slipped past the angel.

Kilo's eyes slanted as he watched the enemy grow closer and closer. When it felt like they would be upon them any moment, the angel leaped from the rover and swirled toward the hovercraft diving toward them. The speed of the angel did not allow for the enemy to change course before Kilo's blade sliced through it.

Upon eliminating the small hovercraft, Kilo opened his wings to steady himself before folding them again and diving toward the four demon rovers. Sending his sword before him, Kilo used Ymir to slice the tires of the rovers before flying back to Castyr and Axel.

The moment Kilo landed on their rover, Castyr revved to full speed and raced away from the enemy. Axel scanned their surroundings to ensure no other forces of Hades had joined the pursuit while Kilo settled into the passenger seat next to his star. "All clear," Axel announced after not seeing any additional enemy crafts on their tail.

Axel released a breath as he sank into the back row of the rover. Worry engulfed the hangel as he thought of the unit fending off so many forces on its own, and he buried his head in his hands.

"They'll be okay," a soft voice spoke out. Castyr had noticed the hangel's dismay and was quick to reassure him. "The colonel is with them."

Axel lifted his face from being buried in his palms and gazed at the star with moist eyes. "I could have helped..." His voice was quiet as he whispered what was making him feel so torn.

Castyr looked at the hangel through sad eyes. He understood what Axel was going through. There was a time when he had failed to protect those he held dear. So, he joined the military to grow stronger and save them. He overcame his dismay and worked endlessly to gain strength and power.

So, Castyr knew Axel would be alright. The hangel was already a lot stronger than he was when he joined Heaven's military. Axel already had the strength and power. Now, he just needed experience.

The three continued to head for the city as the sun began to rise, and before long, they were driving through the city's edge. The morning sun highlighted the carnage that littered the city. The demons had already swept through, killing and destroying everything in their path.

There was not a single soul in sight as Castyr drove the rover between the bombed-out buildings. The unit had been subconsciously aware of the terror that was beseeching the planet during the three months they spent training Axel in Nature's Preserve, and now that Kilo and Castyr were seeing just how bad the carnage was, they became sick to their stomach. Although they knew it was their duty to protect and train Axel, they still could not stop the sense of guilt that rushed through them upon seeing the casualties of their decision to remain hidden in the trees.

Axel swallowed dryly as he looked around at the war-torn city. Glass, broken concrete, abandoned vehicles, and decaying bodies lay strewn across the streets as evidence of the terror that Hades had bestowed upon the city. The more he saw, the stronger his hatred toward Hades became. Tears of rage swelled in Axel's eyes as he eventually turned them to the sky to avoid seeing any more death and destruction.

Is all of Earth like this now? Has Hades completely taken over?

The drive through the city remained silent except for the sound of the rover as the three continued their way between the damaged buildings. However, gunshots in the distance quickly drew their attention as they neared the city's bank. Gunshots meant there was a fight, and where there was a fight, there were survivors. So, Castyr quickly steered the rover toward the noise.

After a few minutes, the three reached a plaza in front of the main bank where they saw a lone soldier leaping behind a vehicle to avoid a string of bullets coming from a set of two demons. These demons did not appear to be savage like the ones Axel had experienced in Dexys; they had full control of their movements and were not growling or snapping.

Castyr stopped the rover just outside the plaza and extracted his sniping rifle. Standing on top of the seats, Castyr set his rifle on the hand bar that lined the opening on the top of the rover, using it to steady his aim. With two quick pulls of the trigger, bullets pierced the demon's cervical cords, and the soldier was saved.

As silence filled the plaza following Castyr's shots, Kilo and Axel hopped down from the rover and began to slowly enter the plaza. Pistol in hand, Axel scanned the open area for any signs of more enemies while Kilo extracted his sword. Castyr remained perched on the rover to inspect the surrounding area and act as a long-range weapon should it be needed.

The soldier had fallen silent when the bodies had dropped, so Axel began to wonder if they had died. However, as he and Kilo rounded the car where the soldier was hiding, what met him answered his question. The soldier was very much alive and was aiming a gun at Kilo's head.

Although dirt covered the soldier's face and neck, Axel immediately recognized her to be the lieutenant who had saved him from falling and led him and the three students from Dawning High into the emergency camp. It was hard to forget her vibrant, hazel eyes and red hair.

"Oh! It's you," Axel voiced, drawing the female soldier's attention away from Kilo and to him. Recognizing Axel as well, the soldier seemed to relax a little, but she did not lower her gun. "We're not here to hurt you," Axel said as he slid his pistol back into its holster on his hip. "It's okay, she's good," Axel told Kilo, who was still on high alert.

Seeing the hangel put away his gun, the soldier slowly lowered hers. Only then did Kilo lower his sword.

"Who are you?" Kilo questioned cautiously. Although he knew she was a human solider of Earth's Defense Force (EDF), he could not be too careful considering the circumstances.

"First Lieutenant Mage, Unit K-4, EDF," the woman answered as she holstered her gun and stood to her feet. "And you?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Kilo, Captain of Team R-10, Unit R, HDD (Heaven's Division of Defense)," Kilo returned professionally.

"Axel Kaison, Team R-10, Unit R, HDD," Axel followed Kilo in introducing himself. Since he had not officially been inducted into Heaven's Division of Defense, Axel was rankless even though he did belong to a unit and team.

"Nice to meet you. Where are you coming from?" Lieutenant Mage inquired once introductions had concluded.

"We're on our way to Daedoeshi," Kilo answered, side-stepping the lieutenant's question.

Getting the sense that the angel did not wish to reveal certain information, Maelynn did not restate her question and simply nodded her head. "I'm actually heading there with my unit tomorrow," she stated. "EDF has set up a temporary headquarters in Daedoeshi."

"How far has Hades' reach grown?" Kilo then inquired. Both he and Axel were curious to know how much of the planet had been overrun.

"It covers about half of Continent 3. Dexys to Pikes City has been taken," Maelynn explained as she checked her equipment. "We are far behind the front lines. When the demons sweep through a place, they abandon it unless it's a major city."

"So, why are you here?" Axel then asked.

"My unit and I were on a mission to scout out the situation in the cities surrounding Dexys and check for any survivors," Maelynn responded.

Yeah, right. Axel furrowed his brows. He did not buy Maelynn's story. You're certainly on a mission. But it's definitely not to pick up people you know didn't make it.

Not really caring what the human soldiers were up to, Kilo thought it would be best for him, Castyr, and Axel to continue on their way alone after filling up on supplies. However, the challenge was that they would need to catch a flight to Continent 1 as that was where Daedoeshi was located. And for that, they would need the military. So, Kilo decided to try his luck at making a friend for the sake of the universe.

However, Kilo's attempt at being friendly toward the soldier probably did not come out as he had intended as he bluntly said, "We are survivors. Take us with you."