Project : New World

Chapter 21 : Tech vs Magic I

Imperial Capital, Sierra Torre, Imperial Palace

The Three Marine Platoons linked up at the extraction point after they received the coordinates from the Air Support Lead.

They leave a squad of Marines to guard the extraction point and head towards the Dragon's Tower. They carry their suppressed rifles while focusing on every blind spot of their squadmate.

"Tango spotted. Westside of the garden near the gate. Permission to fire" One section of Marines hiding in a bush saw a dozen Imperial Mages guarding the Imperial Garden Gate.

"Permission granted. Fire at will" The Imperial Mages fell to the ground one by one with their successive suppressed gunfire.

"Tango down. Garden Cleared! Move! Move! Move!" They stood in their hiding place as they cleared and headed out towards the garden gate.

Unbeknownst to them, they didn't notice there's someone watching them. She smiles wickedly to the Marines as if it had seen a new toy.

-------

The Rank 2 Mage Veronica was watching the strange barbarians existing the Imperial Garden Gate. Behind her are the five hundred Imperial Mages.

The Marines didn't notice the smiling Veronica. She also cast "Stealth Void Magic" before departing from the Airfield.

"Miss Veronica, when are we going to attack these strange barbarians?" One of the Imperial Mage asked Veronica. They have been waiting for thirty minutes waiting for Veronica's order.

Veronica smiles more wickedly and the Imperial Mage didn't understand what Veronica wants to do and went back to her companions.

"They've stepped on the trap! Operation begins!" Veronica shouted the command to the Imperial Mages.

"Oh Fire, Burn the enemy with your Blazing Fire. Fireball!" The Imperial Mages simultaneously fired a Blazing projectile towards the disorganized Marines.

-------

Five minutes before Veronica's Operation

"Eastside Clear! Westside Clear! No hostiles were detected!" As the Marines exited the Imperial Garden, they didn't encounter any Imperial guards or mages.

The whole place was surprisingly quiet. There's a commotion inside the Palace so, they must guarding this place right now.

"Platoon B Section One. Move!" The Platoon B Leader commands a squad. Marco got goosebumps for some reason. He feels that someone or something is watching them.

"Wai--" Marco tried to warn the squad when the ground trampled by the Platoon B Section One team exploded. He couldn't continue what he was about to say.

"Projectile Incoming !!" The sudden incident didn't yet sink to their brains when a volley of blazing fire fell from the sky.

All Marines were thrown away from the Projectile Impact. Marco got only scars, and very grateful to their EMS System. It was immediately activated and protected them from the volley of Blazing fire.

"Shit!" Everyone looks at the squad which is caught by the volley of blazing fire. Marco clenched his fist and the surviving Marines curses.

Out of four, only one Marine survived. Their EMS System couldn't cope with the combined impact of traps and projectiles and completely crumbles.

When the remaining Marines recovered, they immediately stood up and took their thrown weapons.

"Another Incoming projectiles!" Ralph shouted when another volley of projectiles was about to hit them. Adrenaline rush to the remaining Marine's body at their Hydraulic Exoskeleton start.

The remaining Marines searched for hiding spots while avoiding the nearly two hundred fireballs falling from the sky.

"I saw one stone house near North-East" Eri saw a stone house full of moss with no roof and radioed the Marines. They ran towards the stone house. When they arrived, they used it as a cover from falling fireballs.

"Ho-oh I never thought you barbarian could survive the trap I planted" The Marines search for the woman's voice they heard, but they found nothing.

"Sergeant First Class Trevor, use your thermal goggles. These fuckers can use invisibility magic" Sergeant First Class Trevor put his thermal goggles on, and he saw the Five Hundred Imperial Mages pointing their staffs to the Marines.

"Contact !! Tango at South-East estimated number of five hundred" When the Marines heard thus, they also put their thermal goggles.

"Fire at Will! Die Fucker" Using their Advanced Precision Guided Rifles and Glock-98 Cornershot smart pistol. The Marines fired at the Imperial Mages with tungsten bullets.

The Imperial Mages' Barrier Magic just flickered a little even though it was hammered by the barrage of gunfire.

"Platoon A Lead to Cobra Lead. Requesting for Air Support at South-West near Garden Gate. I'm sending the coordinates" Marco radioed the AH - 90 Ultra Cobra, but he didn't expect the Pilot answer. "Negative, we are currently engaging with armed locals"

"Fuck!" The remaining Marines curse as they figuring how to get out from this deadlock.

"Oh Water and Wind, stab these barbarians with your crystals. Icicle Spikes" Veronica chanted dual-type magic and sharp ice came out from the ground.

"Medic !! Medic !!" The sharp ice hit the five Marines. Two of them were stabbed in the chest as their EMS System crumbles and eventually died.

"Shit !!! Fire in the hole" Marco and Tarma were already desperate, they threw their remaining frag grenade and flashbang while still covering at the mossy stone house.

"All Platoons withdraw !!" When the frag grenade and flashbang exploded, they immediately ran away to escape the deadlock.

"Do you think you can run? Wind Cutter" Veronica smiles at the running Marines and cast wind magic.

Their EMS System flashed brightly and the Marines spun when sharp winds hit them. They're only twenty-six remain and wounded but Imperial Mages didn't get any casualties.

"We need to do this" They simultaneously clicked their Wrist Terminal and enabled its SOS function. The comm tech received the signal, and he immediately reported it to the MDC Battleship Captain.

"Prepare the Battleship Main gun and VLS batteries and bombard these coordinates. The Marines need our help" The MDC Battleship Captain Orders.