"So what do we do now? Shinari asked?
Salamander pointed towards a massive, thick tower made out of black steel. "We need to reach the command center first. The demons are disturbing our communication system and we cannot contact the head command with our current communication device."
Salamander's back popped open, revealing a small steel box with an antenna popping out. It was the radio. However, there were some cracks all over it, indicating that it could barely be used for communication.
Cleome looked up. "Going there means we need to kill hundreds of demons in our way."
"That's a good plan. Let's do that," Salamander said, not even considering the difficulty of achieving such feat. "We have no time to waste. Aldred, I hope your stamina can keep up with us."
Salamander started running. His hulking machine of steel thumped the ground with each step. Steam came out of the exhausts on the back and suddenly, his speed increased.
Cleome swiped her hand downward, summoning lightning that covered her whole body before she flashed away.
Shinari teleported in and out of shadows.
"Seems like everyone has a unique way of moving fast," Aldred said. "Okay, let's hope this work."
His feet dug into the ground before he pushed the earth, then suddenly, with a loud boom, his whole body vanished as he moved with incredible speed, leaving a crater on the ground for his foot.
In less than a second, he arrived next to Salamander, and adjusted for his speed.
Salamander, Cleome, and Shinari watched with complex expression. First they were surprised, then they were nodding as if admitting his power.
They ran through wreckages and rubbles, passing through a small number of demons. They chose to ignore those demons because their numbers were insignificant.
Five minutes later, however, they found a horde of demons that blocked their path.
"Push through!" Salamander shouted and his arms clanked and clinked as it transformed into a fire-spitting flamethrower. The machine spun at high speed before thrusting out high-temperature flame towards the demons.
Cleome's eyes seemed to be filled with storm as both of her eyes lit up and a forcefield made out of lightning appeared around her, blasting all the demons that came nearby.
Shinari was not to be outdone either. Her agile steps and lithe figure enabled her to move quickly coupled with the fact that she could teleport into shadows, she was able to appear and re-appear in almost every place at quick succession. For every time she appeared, dozens of demons were cut into pieces by her Shadow Daggers.
Shinari leaped high into the air, doing an acrobatic move as she flipped mid-air and threw a dozen throwing knives at once.
When she was in the air however, she saw Aldred moving through the horde of demons, punching demons with his bare fists left and right. When his fist struck upon a demon, the impacted body part exploded, sometimes, the whole body exploded as well.
More shockingly however, when the demons struck him with their sharp claws or slash at him with their hellish blade, he was completely unharmed.
"What body does that guy has?"
Shinari always had a sharp eyes. It was one of her primary job to assess the situation during battle while everyone was distracted. So she quickly noticed Aldred's remarkable strength before anyone else.
It was only when they bulled through the horde of demons did they realized Aldred's strength was phenomenal.
"Did you use your bare hand to kill those demons?" Salamander asked.
"Yeap. I use to have a sword with me." Aldred was sad that he couldn't even access his inventory. There were many life-saving items in there, and that include his best weapon; The Phantom Doomblade.
"If only I could have my sword, I would be able to eliminate all of this demon with a single swipe."
Salamander ignored his statement and put it aside as Aldred just exaggerating. No way anyone would be able to eliminate an entire horde of demons with a single swipe.
"We are 25 KM away from the head command. It will take us a few more minutes to arrive," Salamander said.
The group pressed onward, killing some leftover demons on the way. Aldred's powerful fists and the allies' unique abilities made their path basically unobstructed.
As they continued their sprint towards the command center, their surroundings began to change. The once-ruined streets of the city gave way to more intact structures, indicating they were getting closer to the heart of the city. They could see the signs of intense battle. Burned-out vehicles, shattered windows, and scorched buildings.
Approaching closer to the command center, the sound of battle grew louder. The loud, terrifying roar of demons and exploding gunpowder filled the air.
In the distance, they saw the guardsmen erecting barricades out of steel walls and armored trucks. There were some gaps on those walls for machine guns which endlessly shooting towards the demons.
Salamander halted the group, his mechanical eyes narrowing in concentration. "Let's use our strengths. Cleome, provide cover fire with your lightning. Shinari, scout for an opening and create distractions. Aldred, continue to lead with your incredible strength. I'll use my flamethrower to clear a path."
With a shared nod, the group formulated their plan.
Cleome unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts into the sky, creating an impressive display that drew the attention of the demons.
Shinari, using her teleportation ability, appeared on rooftops and created shadowy illusions to divert the demons' focus.
Aldred charged forward, his fists crashing into the demon ranks with explosive force. His invulnerability allowed him to wade through the battle without fear of injury.
Salamander followed closely behind, the flames from his flamethrower scorching and dispersing the demonic horde.
The guardsmen saw them fighting against the demons and began to provide fire support.
Their combined efforts pushed the demons back, creating a path toward the command center. The defenders on the inside noticed their approach.
"Open the gate!" the guardsmen shouted.
The steel gates opened, allowing the group to enter.
"Salamander!" one of the officer shouted. "The Commander is expecting you. Come with me."
Inside the command center, they were greeted by a scene of organized chaos. Guardsman officers and soldiers rushed to and fro, coordinating the defense. At the center of it all stood Commander Brenea, her silver hair gleaming in the dim light.
Brenea's piercing gaze met Aldred's as he approached. "You've arrived just in time," she said, her voice unwavering. "We have much to discuss, and our defenses must hold. The fate of Wasteland Citadel hangs in the balance."
