On the march

Dust billowed over a barren wasteland.

A dense mass of dark silhouettes slowly appeared on the horizon, and the earth began to tremble faintly.

The tremors spread outward from the silhouettes, making even the windowpanes in an abandoned town quiver.

The Fallen Beasts occupying the town noticed the disturbance. They turned toward its source, roaring incessantly.

But just as they leaped down from the buildings, a shell whistled through the air and landed in front of them.

Boom!

The Fallen Beasts had no time to dodge. Metal fragments swept over them like a storm, burying themselves deep in their flesh.

Of course, given the Fallen Beasts' size, that damage amounted to little more than a scratch. Even so, it enraged them.

"Roar!"

The ape-like Fallen Beast at the front opened its mouth and let out a furious roar. The other Fallen Beasts around it were just about to join in.

Boom!

A shell struck it squarely in the head, blasting it into a bloody mess.

The remaining Fallen Beasts immediately sensed danger and tried to take shelter inside the buildings, but it was clearly too late.

Dozens of shells followed, blanketing the spot where they had gathered and engulfing every Fallen Beast in a sea of fire.

By the time the smoke and dust cleared, the Fallen Beasts had dissolved into black smoke and vanished.

"Target hit. Kill confirmed."

The tank company's spotter confirmed the results. On the other end of the radio, almost everyone felt their spirits lift.

Defeating a few low-tier Fallen Beasts had never been impossible, yet this time, for some reason, it filled them with excitement... Perhaps it was because they were no longer fighting back while fleeing, but taking the offensive with their blood running hot?

The spotter looked up at the sky, where