Following the nuclear detonation in Davao City, subsequent cities and areas where massive numbers of demons had gathered were relentlessly bombed by nuclear weapons.
While these strikes effectively cleared out thousands of demons, there were more stronger monstrosities roaming Mindanao that even nuclear arsenals had difficulties to eliminate.
One such example was a titanic Dragon, with Magicule Level over 750,000 and towering over a hundred meters tall, appeared in the Sultan Kudarat region and rampaged through it, demolishing countless cities and towns.
After causing hundreds of thousands of casualties, it was besieged and eventually killed by three fleets of the Liberation Navy stationed in the nearby oceans.
During the battle, the military lost dozens of fighter aircraft, expended a hundred and fifty cruise missiles, and deployed one megaton nuclear bomb.
However, this colossal demon was not the only threat across Mindanao. Seven giant demons, each 300 meters long and resembling jellyfish with Magicule Levels over 150,000, flew menacingly over cities in the Maguindanao region. Their tendrils beneath them unleashed constant thunder strikes and vaporized anything they touched while ignoring various missile bombardments.
But the most terrifying adversary faced by the military across Mindanao was a giant demon, a kilometer in length and resembling a mythical Dust Serpent with Magicule Levels over 900,000. It wrought havoc across the Bukidnon region, causing widespread destruction and millions of casualties.
After firing six hundred and forty missiles, countless rounds of ammunition, and deploying six megaton nuclear bombs, the beast was finally brought down, though not without the loss of ten warships.
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Austronesia Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Luzon, Metro Manila, Malacanang Palace
2000, 3, 1st Week, January
[Nuclear detonation has successfully eradicated 80% of the demonic forces in Davao City!] reported one of the people on the television screen in the Emperor's meeting office.
[In addition to Davao city, five more cities have been nuked, but ten more are currently under attack,] another voice on the screen reported.
"Then what are you going to do? Should we continue to drop more nuclear weapons?" said one of the political figures in the office with sweat pouring from his head.
Bam!
With a loud bang, the entire office desk shook violently.
Looking up, everyone was startled to find Emperor Maximo standing up and slamming the table fiercely with an angry expression.
"Our nation is already facing an unprecedented crisis, and you want to worsen it by plunging us into nuclear winter?" Emperor Maximo groaned as he shifted his gaze to the poised blonde woman dressed in formal attire on the screen, "Amelia, any recent reports on the Demon Lord and the other four?"
"Yes," Amelia nodded solemnly as she took a step forward and gestured with her right hand. Moments later, an image materialized on the screen before everyone, displaying the four Archdemons, "Most of the colossal demons attacking many cities had been dealt with, but the most dangerous ones such as these four formed separate legions, wreaking havoc across Mindanao and were spreading fast."
"In less than an hour, half of Mindanao is already burned down and the total of casualty number already reached tens of millions," she continued, "Multiple nuclear strikes were attempted against those four demons, but just like the Demon Lord, they were able to intercept the bombs before they could reach their targets, along with their demon army."
Emperor Maximo clenched his fists in frustration. The situation was dire, and their conventional tactics were proving ineffective against such formidable adversaries.
[I've heard the elf had some ability to measure a creature's Magic... Levels?] the Prime Minister queried on one of the television screens.
"Yes, she does," Amelia nodded solemnly. "Among her many skills is the ability to measure the amount of Magicules on magical creatures at a molecular level with perfect precision. One monster she inspected was a 100-meter tall giant sea creature with Magic Levels ranging from 200,000 to 300,000. It survived a kiloton nuclear bomb but eventually succumbed due to its injuries. This indicates that creatures from the Transcendent Tier 2 onward can potentially withstand nuclear-level bombs. Transcendent Tier 3 entities may possibly even withstand high-yield ones."
[Do we have information on the power levels of those four demons?] the President inquired next.
"According to the Elf Queen Melian, she managed to inspect these four demons and gather information," Amelia continued. "The demons depicted here had Magicule Levels ranging from 1,000,000 to 10,000,000. All Transcendent Tier 3 entities, or Marquis-ranks in the demon's power level."
"Such high numbers... Are we even confident enough to fight such monsters?" a high-ranking military officer interjected.
"It's possible," Amelia replied with a sigh. "But only if we continue to rely on nuclear weapons just to have a fighting chance."
"Amelia. What about the Demon Lord?"
This time, it was the Emperor who asked.
When the subject of the Magicule Count for the Demon Lord came up, Amelia momentarily paused and even bit her lips hard.
Sensing the weight of everyone's gaze upon her, she finally spoke in a solemn voice, "According to Melian's examination, the Demon Lord's Magicule Level is estimated to be around 17,000,000 to 18,000,000, possibly even as high as 22,000,000 or more. While the exact figure isn't certain, it undoubtedly explains why even a 30-megaton nuclear bomb had little effect on him."
"..."
Silence, complete silence.
Listening to Amelia's report, the entire office fell into complete silence.
Facing four beings capable of wiping out cities and shrugging off nuclear bombs with Magicule Counts between 1,000,000 and 10,000,000 was horrifying enough, but facing a being with an estimated 20,000,000 Magicule Count was too overwhelming.
This categorization meant that the Demon Lord was internationally recognized beyond Catastrophic Class entities. In this world, Catastrophic Class denoted a level of power so immense that not even a coalition of multiple nations would be sufficient to defeat it. Even if every nuclear weapon were detonated simultaneously against the Demon Lord, it would likely only injure him, not kill him.
However, it doesn't make any difference compared to the other four, and Emperor Maximo could only sigh in resignation.
"So to say, we are facing literal Gods, right?"
"I suppose so, yeah," Amelia replied solemnly.
While addressing the room, Emperor Maximo man could not help but self-deprecatingly say, "Up until now, our nation has only a little over ten thousand tanks, 9980 armored vehicles, and only 5110 fighter jets of various types, not counting the damaged ones. As for the remaining artillery, how many do we have left?"
"You! Yes, you! Stand up and answer me loudly!"
Under the Emperor's commanding voice, a panicked young man rose to his feet, trembling as he looked around the room before answering in a hesitant manner, "Approximately 12,000, and that's just recently, due to countless factories being immediately used for military production day and night."
"Good, that's excellent."
Hearing this shocking figure, the Emperor's face twisted into a grimace. He pointed his fingers accusingly one after another at everyone in the room and fiercely stated, "But it ain't enough! We've exhausted hundreds of explosive ammunition and thousands of men over a single giant lizard, but we have hundreds of creatures far stronger right in our doorsteps. We are only our own as our allies such as the Democratic State of Xinhua and the Russian Freedom Alliance are a dimension away and unable to provide support. Tell me, does anyone understand what fate awaits our nation? How long will it even last against this enemy?"
In the face of the Emperor's intense questioning, no one dared to speak up. It was a question of life and death, and no one dared to speak as the weight of the impending doom silenced them all.
Then, breaking the deathly silence, Amelia's voice rang out, cutting through the tension, "We will run out of manpower and ammunition. Given the enemy's speed and our dwindling resources, the time we had left for the nation to be destroyed entirely will be estimated to be more than a few days, or maybe less."
"Haaaa...~" Maximo heaved a sigh as he comprehended the predicament, "...That is correct."
He had been trying his best to avoid this question, but now, someone had to just bring this up at this moment.
"So, are you saying our last hope is about to be shattered?" A bitter smile appeared on another politician's face while clutching his head, feeling a sense of despair.
However, after a prolonged silence, as if making a certain decision, Emperor Maximo lifted his head and cast a glance at the crowd before letting out a deep sigh.
"No, not exactly. We have the Archangels Unit deployed in the field. Project Extermināta is nearing completion. And besides that, instead of relying solely on nuclear and conventional weapons, we should consider something new."
"What do you propose, your Majesty?" the Prime Minister inquired.
"I should say we seek help from this Elf Queen," Emperor Maximo declared, "She was able to effortlessly slain a monster that shrugged everything we threw at it. She was even knowledgeable about these monsters. If we want to have a chance against them, we need all the help we can get, such as her. And fortunately, getting her help is not much of a problem as she expressed the same goal as us. If we help each other's problems, we may secure the first alliance with a foreign nation in this world."
"What role do you envision for her against this enemy?" the Prime Minister pressed further.
"...I say we should send her to Marawi City," Emperor Maximo stated firmly.
His suggestion sparked immediate protests from everyone in the room, but he quickly raised a hand to calm them down.
"Your majesty, are you certain with your decision of sending her to these ultranationalist zealots?" questioned one of the politicians with concern.
Emperor Maximo understood the reservations of his advisors, even those who typically supported his decisions.
The city in question, Marawi City, had once been a thriving Muslim community until it fell under occupation by insurgents and terrorists in 1997. After months of intense battle and conflict, a certain military division was deployed and easily dealt with the terrorist and reclaimed the city with minimal casualties.
Since then, Marawi City had become a stronghold for one of the nation's most deadliest and controversial military divisions.
The 19th Black Armored Division.
Infamously known as the "Dark Roman Templars."
This division consisted of anonymous individuals with extreme right-wing views, including Filipino ultranationalists, hardcore Christian conservatives, and members from various alt-right groups, some of whom espoused fascist and supremacist ideologies.
Despite their status as a hate group disliked by the masses, they were surprisingly more competent in military operations than any military divisions and fiercely loyal to the Empire, or rather, only loyal to the old and traditions of the Imperial Maharlika, which once was known as the Republic of the Philippines.
He is lucky to have managed to negotiate a personal agreement with their Major General years ago, or else he will have to face another rebellion group.
"I am certain," Emperor Maximo replied firmly. "Our drones have reported a significant enemy presence near Lake Lanao, and she is our only hope to defend the motherland. While I share your concerns about her safety within this division, my greatest worry lies with their commanding officer."
Knowing who the Emperor was referring to, most of the people in the office gulped in nervousness. Known to all present, the leader of the 19th Black Armored Division was a figure that even the politicians or even the higher echelons of the Austronesian Empire felt huge caution on him.
Nevertheless, they knew time was running out and didn't have any decision left, thus they all immediately agreed to the Emperor's decision.
"Amelia," Emperor Maximo called out to the woman on screen.
"Yes, your majesty?"
"I need you to accompany our little elf friend to them," he instructed solemnly. "And make sure you do not let them do anything to her."
Amelia nodded in acknowledgement, "As you wish, Your Majesty."