Austronesian Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Mindanao
2000, 3, 1st Week, January
The sun stood high in the sky, shining more brightly than ever before. On a far distance, an object moved like a flash of lightning piercing the heavens. As moments passed, the small object flew over several islands in the Visaya Region of the Imperial Maharlika.
These were the eyes in the sky, Austronesia's most advanced recon drones.
In a military base somewhere in the country, several personnel watched the displays in front of them, observing the drone's journey over Mindanao.
Using satellites would have been easier, but after losing two of their most valuable pieces of equipment in space, they couldn't risk it again.
As they examined Mindanao's dire state, their only comment was that the entire land was completely lifeless.
There were no trees, no signs of life.
Literally everything was gone, as if they were observing the barren landscape of another planet like Mars.
Apart from the dozens of giant craters made by nuclear bombs, they discovered that 96% of the island was now uninhabitable. Not only that, the marine life in the surrounding waters can be seen floating lifelessly on the surface.
Whatever bomb the government had unleashed, it seemed to have wiped out all life indiscriminately.
"It looks like we managed to kill all the demons," one military personnel remarked.
"Yeah, and I recall the 19th Black Armored Division was there fighting against the enemy forces," another replied. "Seeing the place in this lifeless state, I doubt any of them survived."
"Good riddance for these scums," a third chuckled. "I never understood why the government wanted to keep them. Whether they had unique weapons or intimidating appearances, their bigotry had no place in this nation."
Many people in the room nodded in agreement as they commented on those military groups.
Just as they were about to end the recon mission, one of the personnel spotted something shocking.
"Did the military send any forces to Mindanao?"
His question confused the people in the room. They didn't recall any command to send troops to the island, not yet, at least.
A few personnel approached and looked at the display in front of him, eyes widening in shock.
"No way!"
"How is this possible? Is this supposed to be somewhere near Lake Lanao?"
"Is this a miracle?"
The exclamations drew the attention of the surrounding people, who gathered with curious looks. Upon seeing the display, their expressions mirrored the shock of the initial observers, sparking heated debates.
What they saw were thousands of soldiers in black armor roaming the desolate lands of Mindanao. They were baffled, unable to comprehend how these soldiers could be there.
"Call the Emperor! He needs to hear this!"
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In the desolate lands of Mindanao, thousands of soldiers from the 19th Black Armored Division were combing through the area, searching for survivors and clearing out any remaining enemies that might have survived the blast.
"Targets confirmed to be dead," one Black Armor Soldier reported, staring at the sea of demon corpses filling the whole area.
"That Dinosaur was insane," another soldier remarked as he and a dozen other soldiers surrounded the corpse of the Tyrannotitan.
"I remember that thing stomped us like we were just insects," another one added. "Glad I was resurrected and got a chance to see its dead body," he said, spitting its body with a scowl, "Stupid lizard."
Moments after Rasera's unexpected spell, the Black Armor army suddenly found themselves in a desolate landscape filled with the corpses of demons. When they turned to the source of the magic, they saw the Elven Queen, who had returned to her normal form after expending her remaining mana.
The soldiers were about to demand answers, but the Major General unexpectedly intervened, saving her and explaining the situation.
Trusting their Major General, they decided to resume their tasks.
Melian, holding her head, seemed to recall everything from the battle against the Archdemons, summoning the Seraph Empyrean, and the Goddess saving these humans for some strange reason.
Perhaps that was why she wasn't confused about her position when the Goddess left her body.
The dark, ashen clouds that had blanketed the skies of Mindanao all day were slowly being pierced by rays of light, brightening patches of the land. Melian and the Black Armored Army stood in one of these rays, bathed in blinding light.
Many soldiers had their helmets off, catching their breath as medics patched up their injuries.
As they rested, General Trese spotted dozens of cargo helicopters landing nearby. From them emerged forces of the Liberation Army.
Among the new arrivals was someone Trese recognized.
"Well, I'll be damned. I'm very surprised to see you all survive. Job well done," said a military soldier, who appeared to be the commander, smiling at Trese.
"Is that the only reason you came here? To tell us we did a good job?" Trese asked the military commander as she stared at him oddly.
"Nope. We're also here to assist you and your army," the military commander replied. "The name's Colonel Kain Thompson. I've heard a lot about you and your army's achievements. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.
Trese accepted, "I'm Alexandre Trese. It's a pleasure to meet you too."
"Where is the Major General?" he asked.
"He's speaking with the Alien Witch."
"You mean the Elf Queen? She's alive? Thank goodness. The officials will be happy to hear this."
"But I'm not happy at all," Trese said with a frown. "From what I've seen, the Major General seems to get along with that elf."
Kain chuckled. "Let's move past that. I know our armies have some differences, but I hope we can come to an understanding in this situation," he said, winking his eyes at the woman.
Trese narrowed her eyes, "Yeah..."
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Two people could be seen letting out a huge sigh while sitting on the ground, staring at the beautiful clear night sky as the sun began to rise, casting its light upon the darkness below.
The two individuals gazed at it in amazement as silence hung in the air. It was how one admires the beauty of something, silently without saying a word but to watch, and it was what Melian and General Francisco were doing as they watched the rising sun in the sky while daydreaming in the middle of a desolate wasteland.
"So it's finally over?" the person, which is none other than the Elven Queen, spoke.
"Pretty much. Those demons have likely faced the Lord's judgment by now," Francisco replied. After a moment, a thought crossed his mind. "From what you said about the state of your world, I have to be honest, I feel pity... but only for my race though. The enslavement of humans disgusts me."
"Didn't you say you humans had a similar history? From what I heard, your army shares some similarities with those... Confederacy?" Melian asked.
Francisco scoffed, "A far-right Filipino nationalist and those in 1800s America had almost similar ideals, but one of the differences that separates us from them is that we HATE slavery. Even if you put a Klu Klux Klan member and a random soldier of mine in the same room, they still won't get along, instead they'd likely kill each other."
"...Oh," Melian mumbled. Although every word coming from the Major General's mouth is completely foreign to her, her brain automatically absorbed the new information.
"What about the people in your country? I've heard it's similar to those medieval Europeans in my world," the Major General asked, "God, I hope it's not like one of those Irishmen, or better yet, an Englishmen with a dress."
Melian wouldn't laugh at this, but she couldn't help but do it as new information entered her mind.
"Not really. They are not like those Irishmen, but I think there is a nation similar to them," Melian said, "Now that I have finished explaining about myself, what about you? What's your story?"
Francisco smiled, "I am a lifelong Catholic, the most famous religion in my world, from a small town in Luzon, the northern region of this great country. I had a normal life until I went through many careers, especially the one in Italy," he said, but then his expression darkened.
"After the fascist party returned to power and purged the Vatican Church, I went back home and joined the military, rising through the ranks until I became a Major General. I slowly created my own military faction and waited for the Third World War so I can whoop their arse! However, when the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia formed the Austronesian Empire, I saw my country's old cultures slowly fading. I heard you're a reformist, so you might hear it from a person who slightly opposes it."
"I do understand your love for your culture, General," Melian nodded. "I'm a reformist and wanted to change things for the better of my country because of its terrible state. Most elves in my country, and even some individuals with ideologies in yours, mine would probably be an extreme in comparison."
Francisco smiled. "Glad we came to an understanding. Fortunately, the Emperor and many political parties have already discussed this and found a near-perfect balance between liberalism and conservatism, which seemed impossible at first."
"And back to your military career, how has it been over the years?"
The Major General shrugged. "Good. Many people know I'm biased in my recruitment. That's why my army is filled with ultranationalists and religious zealots, and other stuff that people call us and me, which I don't give a damn about. But..."
The Major General suddenly burst into laughter, which almost startled Melian.
"What's so funny?"
"Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh at people calling me a Nazi," he said, laughing again. "I'm an insane old bastard, yes, but a Nazi? If I were a Nazi, I wouldn't have commanded an entire squad to slaughter their science lab for their super-soldier project without mercy, or kill Hitler during the siege of Berlin in the Second World War and drop his body in the Mariana Trench during my younger days! But that's what people call others they politically dislike, it happens on both sides."
"I see," Melian nodded, slightly surprised to hear he was the one who killed the dictator and received no respect for it. Was he lying? No, she sensed he wasn't. Did he do it in secret? Probably.
"And your 'God' Lord Jesus Christ. I have listened to your prayers with your commanding officers, and he sounds different than I have heard before..." Melian said, perplexed by the Major General's earlier proclamations as she stared at him with her golden eyes.
Francisco laughed, "Amen, I say to you, Alien Witch. That means 'so be it.' You now know who I believe in. But tell me, Florida... uh Mel...ian... uh Shell-barry... Who or what do you believe in?"
"The Goddess Rasera, of course. Although she doesn't have many followers, only the Kingdom of High Tarxan and a few nations worship her."
"So that one who possessed you is a minor deity, eh? I have little care for other people's religions, but meeting with that Goddess made me feel a bit of respect for both of you."
Melian smiled. "Glad to hear that."
Standing up from the floor, the Major General looked straight ahead, inhaling deeply before letting out his breath.
"I respect your religion, Alien Witch," he said, smiling at the Elf. "And you better respect mine, unlike most of those Satanist and Scientific Nerd bastards. If anyone does not love or respect the Lord Jesus Christ, let them be accursed at His coming. God save you from your fate!"
Hearing his proud words, Melian smiled. Learning about new religions from others was quite nice for her, whether they were true or not.
But then, she recalled something she had forgotten to mention.
"The weapon you mention. Project Exterminātas... what was it?"
Hearing her question, the air seemed to freeze, and Melian sensed the temperature drop for a moment.
"It's a weapon beyond any conventional nuclear weapons," the Major General answered coldly. "Are you sure you want to hear it? The information in that classified document I read even scarred me for life."
Melian looked at him solemnly. "I have seen monsters and gods that could destroy kingdoms. It might be no different."
Giggling at her words, Francisco began to explain everything, and Melian couldn't help but feel baffled by how she could comprehend the General's words, even though most of them were completely foreign to her.
From what the Major General explained, the classified document he read was that Project Exterminātas was described as a highly advanced warhead designed to release immense amounts of energy upon detonation. The warhead likely consists of a combination of high-yield explosives and possibly exotic matter or energy sources to maximize their destructive potential.
They are equipped with powerful propulsion systems and hardened outer shells to withstand atmospheric entry and impact. This suggests that this mechanism was used for the weapon to penetrate deep into the earth.
And upon detonation, the weapon will release a tremendous amount of energy, which likely results from a combination of chemical explosives, nuclear fusion or fission reactions, or even exotic technologies harnessing "antimatter" or other high-energy phenomena, which are highly redacted when Francisco reads its files.
The resulting shockwave and thermal radiation would cause widespread geological upheaval and environmental devastation.
Beyond the immediate destruction, the detonation of the weapon can alter the climate and atmosphere. The release of gaseous and particulate matter into the air can lead to long-term effects such as global cooling, acid rain, or toxic fallout, further contributing to the area's uninhabitability.
Upon hearing all of this, Melian could only guess at the nature of the weapon the Major General was describing.
"...So they built a world-destroying weapon," Melian said, shuddering at the thought. "W-Why would they build such a thing?"
"...In a world where war and conflict are common, and where new technologies and weapons are invented every day, it's only a matter of time before humanity creates something extreme," he said with a frown. "I'm an insane old bastard, I admit, but sometimes the ruling government can be even more insane than I am. Cold-blooded and ruthless, all for the 'greater good.'"
"Greater good? By building something that could even cause the extinction of your own race? Why??"
"...Because war never changes."
As Melian continued to digest what she had heard, the Major General stared at the sky, lost in thought.
"But I'm still confused," he said. "The weapon was described as capable of wiping out the North American Empire or an entire continent entirely, but it only affected most of Mindanao, which is small in comparison. Could it be a miscalculation? Besides the immediate destruction, the detonation of the weapon should alter the climate and atmosphere. Its gaseous and particulate matter should lead to long-term effects like global cooling, acid rain, or toxic fallout, yet none of that happened. We're still alive. Just how? Did the document lie? Is their hypothesis or theories wrong?"
Hearing this, Melian shook her head, because she already knew the answer to this.
"None of the things you said were correct though. I think I know why that weapon didn't destroy this whole world or cause the effects you described. This world you are in has also the power to-"
"Major General!"
But then, Black Armor soldier approached them.
"What is it, soldier?"
"...We found something. Best if you take a look at it."