Another Worldly Summons

Chapter 72: The Different Side of Coin

The air raid siren blared loudly, sending several hundred Gra Valkan soldiers and civil servants in Reifolia scrambling for cover. The Gra Valkans including Ceila and Rambal ran towards the underground air raid shelters of the Eastern Division Foreign Affairs Department building. For most of them, this was their first time being entangled in an actual war. They had lived their lives in peaceful regions of the empire or in their homeland, away from conflicts. As the tension rose to an all-time high, their fears were amplified by the knowledge that the war was drawing closer and closer.

At that moment, plumes of black smoke erupted in the sky, and anti-aircraft tracer rounds filled the clear blue sky as Muish aircraft, presumably bombers and long-range escort fighters, breached the airspace over the former Leiforian capital.

"The enemy is here! Open the hatch now!" one of the staff shouted urgently to the soldiers, who were checking the names of the staff as this shelter was exclusive to civil servants working at the Foreign Affairs department.

As they scrambled to get into the shelter, some were so terrified that they were on the verge of tears, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the situation they were facing — a war that is encroaching fast.

"What is the military doing? Why did they allow Mu to invade so deep unimpeded!" someone cried out, as they pointed the finger of blame at the military, who seemed to have failed in stopping the bombers and escort fighters from penetrating deep into the Leiforian capital, which was home to the majority of non-combatant officials of Gra Valkans working on this land. The tension was at an all-time high as the enemy filled their sky, and the anti-aircraft guns continued to fire in a desperate attempt to drive them away.

Some of the soldiers tried to calm down the panicked civilians, but their words were lost in the chaos and confusion.

"Everyone, stay calm! The navy will send in fighters to repel the Muish aircrafts!" one soldier shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of approaching bombers. 

Suddenly, amidst the chaotic scene, in the sky filled with plumes of black smoke and tracer rounds piercing the heavens, multiple ominous silhouettes of Muish bombers weaved through the anti-aircraft net of bursting lead and smoke, relentlessly approaching their target. The anti-aircraft guns fired frantically in a desperate attempt to drive them away, but it was futile. The tension in the air thickened as the bombers opened their bomb bay doors, and the piercing sound of bombs plummeting toward the ground drowned out the heart-wrenching screams and cries of the people below. The deafening noise was quickly followed by the thunderous roar of escort fighters swooping in, firing their rockets in a low-level flight with frightening accuracy, targeting the oil refineries, and adding to the catastrophic chaos.

Boom!

Boom!

The sound of the bombs exploding and the thick black smoke from oil refineries that followed only added to the terror of the people on the ground.

The once peaceful city was now engulfed in flames and chaos. The streets were filled with people running in all directions, trying to find shelter from the bombs and rockets raining down from the sky.

The air was filled with the sounds of explosions, screams, and cries for help. People ran in all directions, trying to find safety amidst the chaos. Some were too scared to move and could only stand there, paralyzed with fear. Tears streamed down their faces as they realized that their peaceful and sheltered lives had been shattered by war.

As the first bombs hit their targets, cries of terror and shouts of desperation echoed through the streets, with people's minds racing with fear of what was to come. "What's happening? We're not supposed to be at war!" cried one civilian, tears streaming down her face. Another Leiforian screamed in disbelief, "Why is Mu attacking us? We haven't done anything!" They had hoped that Mu would come to their aid and liberate them from colonizers, but instead, they were bombing their city and leveling it to the ground.