The sky over Puerto Chiapas was burning.
Energy discharges crossed the clouds while explosions illuminated the ocean. The aircraft continued moving between the Kartnod ships, entering and exiting the enemy formation before being trapped by anti-air fire.
Victoria was breathing heavily inside the cockpit. A thin line of blood ran down her left cheek. "We got through that," she said to herself after surviving the Claimoor attacks.
The damage alarms would not stop sounding.
Thirty aircraft remained operational.
Only thirty.
Ahead of them, the Kartnod fleet advanced toward the coast.
The Annihilator remained behind the main line, imposing like a floating island.
Waiting.
—Unit Four, break high!
—Melina, cover the left side!
—Valeria, with me!
The aircraft descended again.
Their magical engines left silver trails as they cut through enemy fire.
Victoria opened fire directly on one of the ships.
The projectiles struck a pre-existing crack in the armor.
A sharp sound was heard from the ship, followed by an explosion.
—Target destroyed! —a pilot shouted.
But the Kartnod responded immediately.
Dozens of shots crossed the sky.
The aircraft had to disperse violently.
One of the pilots barely managed to dodge a beam that passed just past her wing.
—Damn it! That was close!
Melina dove downward alongside five other aircraft.
—We're going in again!
The ships fired simultaneously at the enemy's right flank.
The shields of another Kartnod ship began to collapse.
But then the Annihilator's secondary turrets activated.
Violet beams crossed the air.
One aircraft was hit directly.
The explosion lit up the clouds.
—…Unit Seventeen destroyed.
Victoria clenched the controls and felt immense pain in her chest.
Every minute they were losing more pilots.
And the enemy was still advancing.
On the Kartnod flagship, Kael observed the battle with a cold expression.
—They are still resisting more than expected —Ilyan said.
—Because they are aware of what awaits them —Kael replied—. But they are already exhausted.
The displays show significant damage to their forces.
However, several of our ships have also suffered heavy damage.
The rapid aircraft attacks were working.
—Maintain pressure —Kael ordered—. Do not let them regroup.
Meanwhile, on the coast, the defenses continued firing without pause.
Carlos was watching the ocean from the coastal command center.
Several turrets had been destroyed.
Others were operating at their energy limit.
The magical barriers were beginning to weaken.
—Northern sector reporting overload —an operator informed.
—Redistribute energy from the south —Carlos replied—. We cannot leave that line open.
Melissa worked beside him, manually adjusting the defensive seals.
—The consumption is increasing too fast.
Carlos did not respond. He kept looking at the horizon; a massive silhouette could be seen heading toward them.
The Annihilator advanced imposingly, as if nothing could stop it.
That thing was still moving slowly toward the coast.
And it still had not shown its full destructive potential.
Then new magical signals appeared on the screens.
Victoria was the first to detect them.
Suddenly, multiple aircraft were seen approaching from the north.
—It's them —Melina said.
The ships passed through the clouds in perfect synchronization.
—I am Aiden Lefevre, First Commander of the Lefevre family. Apologies for the delay; we had complications, but we are here now.
Twenty-eight aircraft moved directly onto the left flank and another twenty advanced head-on, supporting the remaining Silver Eagles units.
Victoria slowly exhaled.
—They arrived just in time. All units, if anyone does not feel capable of continuing to fight, they will not be punished if they choose to return to base.
There was only silence on the communications channels. Tears ran down Victoria's cheeks.
—I feel fortunate and honored to be your commander.
The Canadian aircraft attacked immediately.
Their shots hit two enemy ships that had already been damaged.
One of them slowed down, and blue flames suddenly began to emerge from its hull.
The other exploded after another hit.
Kael, enraged, shouted:
—What is all this? Where did those other ships come from?
Ilyan observed the images floating in the air.
—So they still had reinforcements.
—Their weapons are piercing through them —one of the operators said.
Kael activated a communicator.
—Deploy the Claimoor. Let the portals converge on their land defenses.
Suddenly, portals began opening near the shields protecting the weapons on the beach.
Dozens of creatures emerged directly onto the battlefield.
The Claimoor rushed toward the weapons defending the coast.
—What are those things?! —they shouted while firing everything they had to stop them.
—Sir, we could not penetrate their dimensional defense shields. The Claimoor only reached the beach. That is enough; they will soon overwhelm them.
—Do not let them get close! —Carlos shouted while firing his magical weapon.
The battle became even more chaotic.
Explosions.
Discharges.
Creatures with tentacles capable of firing lightning.
Aircraft maneuvering at their limits.
Victoria watched as the magical energy of her ship began to slowly drain.
Suddenly, the Annihilator began charging energy again. Its eight massive weapons emitted a blue glow that illuminated the ocean.
Victoria felt a chill.
—All units, disperse quickly!
The cannons fired.
Columns of energy crossed the sky.
One of the Canadian aircraft lost a wing and crashed into the ocean engulfed in fire.
In the command room, Melissa watched the explosions helplessly.
—They are going to wipe them all out if this continues.
Then an operator raised his voice.
—New naval contacts detected!
The screens showed multiple vessels approaching from the north.
Destroyers. Cruisers. And two aircraft carriers.
The United States fleet had finally arrived.
Alongside them were several Mexican vessels.
Melissa slowly exhaled.
—Finally…
On the bridge of the USS Infinity, Admiral Smith was watching the battle in disbelief.
No one in the fleet had ever seen anything like it.
Massive black ships.
Creatures fighting over the ocean.
Aircraft destroying each other in storms of energy.
It was almost impossible to believe.
—All batteries ready, sir —the vice admiral shouted.
—Fire —Admiral Smith ordered, hardening his gaze.
The destroyers fired simultaneously.
Hypersonic missiles crossed the sky.
Electromagnetic cannons thundered over the ocean.
The explosions struck directly against the Kartnod shields.
One enemy ship shook violently.
Then explosions spread across its entire deck.
A second strike hit directly one of the ships that Melina and her group had attacked; several impacts struck its magical energy reactors, causing a massive explosion.
For the first time since the beginning of the battle, the enemy line stopped.
Victoria watched the detonations reflected over the ocean.
And immediately understood something.
The battle had just changed.
Because now Puerto Chiapas was no longer just a desperate defense.
Now there was a chance to actually defeat them.