*
"... What do we do now?" (Sariel)
The clues they collected don't seem very useful...
"It shouldn't have been this early, something must have happen on their end." (Arin)
The government was not delivering an empty promise. In response to the Trace invasion, they have deployed the military. Millenia of peace might have blunt the tip of their sword, but technological prowess was nothing to scoff at. During the era of mystery, an unknown period of time had passed. Even carbon dating could no longer give any reliable dates past 11508 years, as if a secretive blanket was veiling information from the eyes of even measurement devices. What happened back then?
We would never know. Though, their technology was passed down. There was little to no conflict other than the suppression of dissidents by the world government, technological innovation hasn't pushed as hard as it could during war time. Even so, the level of technology left behind had unbelievable sophistication, enough so that it made the police gear look like toys. For reference, a police's equipment not only included non-lethal long range stun guns and emps, but also emergency precision annihilation devices. Guns that could disintegrate falling debris, bullet proof shields and much of anything in mere moments.
C grade lesser wyvern, armoured units either leading the charge with their arcane adapted protective plating, or long range artillery units that rain devastation from the backline. They can fulfill both roles. As the Trace armies were sent all over the globe simultaneously, they were positioned at residential zones to inflict as many casualties as possible. Conflicts instantly took place in urban environments rather than the barren lands around territorial borders of the ancient origin era.
Like forces of nature, C grade creatures could roughly travel at the speed of conventional bullets. Instantly they demolished a row of houses, crushing countless citizens like a ruthless dull grey storm. Only, this storm was far more violent than any natural disaster in recorded history. Under the noise of the mana exploding in its body, it could not hear the cries of those under its feet.
It was moving at a velocity surpassing the wind speeds of any recorded typhoon, naturally the adjacent houses were caught up as collateral as their walls peeled back and floors collapse. Roofs fall inbetween, as if punctured by a giant fist. Grey scales coil around rock hard flesh, tails swept around to spread debris. The lesser wyverns were greyish dragon like creatures with a malformed serpentine head, a pair of wings attached to talons, a giant pair of legs and a massive swollen tail to balance weights.
The houses in its direct path were annihilated, the ones in the surroundings also received violent wind pressures that collapsed modern architecture in mere seconds, crushing countless citizens. If one didn't die immediately from getting their head or heart crushed, they would be bleeding out a slow agonising death. Countless magical signals arose, the government had the capability to tell that it was an invasion. These wave of lesser wyvern type Traces aren't the only ones there.
Smaller Scarlet Knight type Traces served as the fodder units, covering ground, suppressing enemy forces, occupying choke points. These were also C grade, in a word, they are vampires. Boasting monstrous regenerative ability and brute force stronger than Ogre type Traces, and arcane proficiency above Witch type Traces. They are the universal unit signaling death, like a horde of locusts, they drain the blood and tissue of any target they set their eyes on. Only bone is left when they're done. As if a horde of reddish black shells were scanning for prey, they flew and swept the houses row by row, spreading from the centre of the residential zone.
However, these tactics... Even if the Traces can ignore much of conventional weaponry and move at the speed of rifle bullets, this is when compared to the weaponry of the ancient origin era. Even back then, fighter jets were already moving at the same speed as C Grade Traces now. Now... They easily surpass. Anti personnel weaponry was deployed, miniature bombs locked onto the Lesser wyvern units, flying in hyperaccelerated missile casings. The world flashed in a bright white light as they erupt, unleashing a torrent of heat and sound.
The air starts to rumble and blur under the assault. The bombings cease, for fear of greater collateral damage to those that survived. Military helicopters fly over, transporting troops. The planet's military force, the world government's iron fist. Armed with the latest gadgets, they naturally won't be the ones fighting. The helis safely perch upon the roof of the central school buildings, that towered like skyscrapers over all the residential buildings.
The schools have to accommodate the entire residential zone's worth of students, while the houses remain from one to four floors high, never exceeding. Naturally this caused every residential zone to resemble a traffic cone, with the schools gathered in the centre. The human soldiers were there to pilot drones. Mass produced infantry drones, synchronised disciplinary firing lines, oscillating heat blades designed to slice through metal like swiss cheese. The drones won't do much against the Traces, that much anyone could tell.
However, there is more to a war than simply fighting interpersonnel battles. Rescue efforts, logistics, holding points. They swarm the streets like lapis blue ants, beginning to extract citizens starting from the outside working their way to the inside. Evacuating citizens to another zone allows heavier weaponry to be used without accidentally killing any civilian in the vicinity. The first wave began firing at the Trace fodder from afar. Even though they are fodder classed Trace, they are still true vampires that embody absurdity.
{Incongruity}
They put up magic barriers, shielding themselves from the barrage of deadly bullets. Normally, they could outright dodge the bullets. However the firing showered a blanket of a viscous plasma like ammunition, it was so thick that there was no escape unless they bumped into each other. There was also the importance of keeping formation, drilled into them by the executives.
One leader stands out amongst the commanders controlling squadrons of drones. His toned muscles struggle to breath inside his sleeves, his chest sculpted a well defined military uniform. He was one of countless nameless heroes.
"457th sector to global control, I repeat 457th sector to global control, speaking. Here is the sitrep, fortress type drones have been deployed and activated while cannon drones are laying suppressive fire.
Lines are properly rotating so firing doesn't end. Permission to deploy heavy weapons class 2. " (Colonel 457)
" Control over, the weather is a pleasant red today. Permission granted, proceed. " (Control 457)
Too peaceful, things were going too smoothly for a war.