Although Salacia seemed stable despite the war, things were different on Dryland. For over a decade, the Drylanders have been fighting the Salacians, who had taken over numerous areas of Dryland, to take their lands back and drive them back to Salacia, but no matter what they did, they just seemed to keep coming and coming.
And it wasn't just salines who were part of the war. Many species of marine animals fought in and out of the water, something that broke the laws of biology and physics so much that even the Drylanders were forced to perform extraordinary feats that would make ancient Drylander scientist Isaac Newton roll in his grave.
There was a man who killed a bunch of Salacians with a gatling gun on a motorbike. A group of girls managed to kill a whale shark (that had armed saline soldiers on it) flying in the air with some rocks. Well, technically, they blew up some rocks with dynamite, then the rocks hit the whale shark, causing it to fall. There was also some guy who invented bombs embedded in various foods like buns and vegetables. It was a useful weapon, but it was a waste of food and it took some training to work out which foods had bombs in them and which didn't.
To say that life for Drylander civilians during this time was easy would be an insult, because reality for them was far from what anyone thinks it may be. Owing to the Salacians' occupation of Dryland, billions of people suffered unimaginable and unspeakable things as a result of their actions. People were hurt, maimed, tortured, raped, killed, you name it, all for the Salacians' entertainment and vindication of their twisted values towards Dryland. There was even an account of two Salacian soldiers competing over who could kill 100 Drylanders first before losing count in the heat of battle.
However, let's not pretend similar attitudes didn't exist among Drylanders towards Salacian settlers, who claimed that they were taking back what was theirs when, according to the Drylanders, it was never theirs to begin with. Salacian legends say that the first Drylander was a Salacian who came out of the water and hence the Salacians believed that Dryland originally belonged to them, while Drylander legends stated that the first Drylanders were created on Dryland by God and therefore, was given to them and their descendants to use as they saw fit.
Paranoia was rampant among the Drylanders as well; essential items such as food, medical supplies and toilet paper were in short supply across stores and supermarkets and other Dryland animals at farms, parks and zoos were fiercely guarded at gunpoint in case they somehow began rebelling as well. Conspiracy theories were rife among both Drylanders and Salacians, though given how wild events could get, such theories had a modicum of truth to them even if they ended up being false.
Of course, the Salacians did have their supporters on Dryland, among them social justice warriors like climate activists and animal activists, which were collectively known as "vegans" because a lot of them tended to not eat meat, seafood or other animal-derived products. Supply chains were severely affected as a result of the war as well; barely any seafood was farmed, harvested or sold (because even farmed marine creatures rebelled against the Drylanders) and meat supplies were dwindling because the vegans were actively sabotaging them with strychnine and other various poisons in solidarity with the Salacians. While the Salacians didn't care much for the vegans at first, they began allying themselves with them once they realised that they could be useful to their cause. Various collaborationist militias (also known as "puppet armies" by people who didn't believe in calling them "vegans") formed in occupied areas across the world. As a result, the Drylanders had another enemy they had to fight alongside the Salacians as they considered the vegans "traitors to humanity".
"Mayday! Mayday! This is Gabriela Guerra of the Demon Slayer Corps, requesting urgent assistance! We are taking heavy assault from Salacian Army units in Campinas! Send reinforcements post-haste!"
Before Parker went to confront the princes and princesses on the beach, he and a group of officers from his army went up to Campinas with the Combo Rangers to reinforce the Demon Slayers. Upon hearing the call for help from their allies, it only took them half an hour to fly to Campinas, then another half an hour to get to the battlefield.
The mighty warriors of Dryland charged onto the battlefield to assist their friends in the Demon Slayer Corps against the fierce Salacian assault.
"It's Combo time!"
"Any and all evil shall be bound to the mandates of the law!"
Parker had to fight a lot of battles to get where he is today. At the age of four, Parker graduated from the Wolonggang Academy, where he was trained in fighting and strategy, and in the years following his graduation, was transferred between several armies before going independent and establishing his own army, the Kongming Army. Being a conqueror with an ambition to unify the land made Parker a target for a lot of enemies; a couple of years prior, Parker finally dealt with his enemies once and for all at Sekigahara and Osaka, allowing him to focus all his efforts on humanity's resistance against the Salacians. His army allied with the Yabusaki clan of São Paulo to establish the Unified Resistance Army and as the heads of said army, they made alliances with other armies and clans across the world to form a united resistance against the Salacian occupation.
Angelina's family was the head of the Takeda clan, who had been in several notable skirmishes against the Salacians on the battlefields of Kawanakajima. Angelina's dream was to be a prima ballerina, but thanks to the war, she had to balance that dream with her dream of bringing peace to the world. Angelina became friends with Parker when he transferred to the Takeda Army following an incident with his original army and was allowed by her father to remain with him when he established the Kongming Army.
The mouselings weren't the only non-human humanoid species living on Dryland. Dryland was a place full of diverse races and species, which was also shown by the people fighting in the Unified Resistance Army.
Aside from Parker and Angelina, other generals amongst the Unified Resistance Army's ranks were Nikki Robinson, Mauricio Hernandez, Liam Pitara, Daniel Camielez, Kelvin Galvarro, Windy Adams, and Marcia Provencao.
Nikki was the daughter of archaeologists and an acquaintance of Parker from his days as a wandering warrior, crossing paths numerous times before she was invited to join the Kongming Army. She could be a bit hot-blooded and absent-minded at times, but her heart would always be in the right place in the end.
Mauricio was originally affiliated with the Western Army during the Battle of Sekigahara until he defected to Parker and the Eastern Army, having communicated secretly with him prior. He and Nikki worked closely with Parker on various campaigns and they continue to do so.
Liam was without any direction in his life until he joined the Kongming Army as a soldier, rising through the ranks to become an officer. He was a bit of a womaniser and of course, his advances towards women ended up being unsuccessful for the most part.
Daniel's middle name may be Giovanny, but he isn't a capitalistic businessman; in fact, Daniel is a simple and outgoing idealist with a drive to protect innocent people caught up in the war. Little did anyone know that he actually met the Salacians on two occasions when he was younger, but his friends never believed him no matter what they said.
Kelvin was one of Daniel's friends and although he didn't believe Daniel's stories at the start, he eventually came to believe him when the Salacians began invading Dryland. His father was killed three years prior by the Salacians, which led him to join the Unified Resistance Army and avenge him.
Windy's grandmother used to travel the world as did her mother and Windy always went with them on their trips, whether it be exploring big cities, savouring the beauty of life or connecting with people around the world. Even as she was deployed to different lands with the armies she was in, she still managed to find opportunities to immerse herself in the local culture.
Marcia's last name is written as Provençao, with a cedilla on the c, and pronounced "provensao", like how Maurico's name is pronounced in Portuguese. She was an orphan who grew up at the Ryusei School under a man named Hanagata, who found Marcia inside his school when she was little.
The Yabusaki clan had their own heavyweights as well, a group of six teenagers with attitude known as the Combo Rangers. They are Fox Fonseca, Kenji "Ken" Ozora, Frederico "Kiko" Freitas, Lisa Lima, Tatiana "Tati" Rosa and Sara Luana Moon. In other worlds, they fought enemies threatening their world with the powers bestowed to them by their benefactor, the Mighty Combo. While they don't have superpowers in this world, with the way they have been fighting the Salacians, they might as well have them, for the fear caused by the Combo Rangers far exceeds that of the Salacians' weapons, artillery and aircraft.
Fox is a hotheaded man and the leader of the Combo Rangers, specialising in the art of Tai Chi which to the inexperienced, looks kind of like Parker's Wing Chun arts. Yes, you read it right. Tai Chi can be used for fighting; it's not just something old Chinese people do to keep themselves healthy. In the past, Fox was an adventurous boy who was lazy and hated studying, but after being selected to be a Combo Ranger, he learnt how to lead his team and create strategies against the Salacians.
Ken, in contrast to Fox, is a calm and collected man, though he hides a fierceness within him. He flies and fights like an eagle, making his hands into claws that can pierce into the skulls of his enemies. He is also very agile to the point he can catch up to a projectile that he threw and retrieve it in mid-air. Aside from this, he can also be resourceful if the situation calls for it. Some people say he looks like a character named Fu Erkang.
Kiko's strength defies all human limits, whether in offence or defence. His fists are swift and deadly, being able to punch through someone's body; and his body is like metal, being able to stop a sword in its path. He is so strong that he could rip someone apart with his bare hands – it's something that he's done a few times over the years. He may not be as analytical as Ken, relying on "street smarts" instead of thinking things through, but his heart is in the right place.
Lisa is a smart and knowledgeable woman who also has the capability to fight. Her main skill was using an aura from her hands that could cause one to bleed by just waving them over their face. Her aura could kill someone by shattering their internal organs, yet leave no sign of injury on the outside. She is also a flexible girl who could wriggle herself in and out of places easily. Although she was more positive when she was younger, the war made Lisa a cold and melancholy woman, though her heart was still in the right place.
Tati's grandfather was killed by the Salacians at the age of nine, so it was natural that she had a deep hatred of them. Having been orphaned since she was a baby, Tati was raised by her aunt and uncle who lived next door to Fox. In contrast to Lisa, Tati was cheerful yet brash, crass and quarrelsome. Her talent was in using hidden weapons and projectiles like needles and razor blades, knowing where exactly to hit her enemies so that it would cripple, if not kill them. She also had enhanced hearing and intuition which allowed her to sense danger along with experience as a theatre actress, which she used to tease and fool Salacians into getting themselves killed.
Sara was not officially a part of the Combo Rangers, but she still fought alongside them as their markswoman and sidekick. While she may not have good fighting skills like the others, she is valued as a part of the team.
The Combo Rangers have been friends since childhood and although they didn't know it, they did meet Polvina, Ester, Tubarina and Caramelo one year when one of them had a birthday party on a pirate ship. Caramelo, who was looking for an adventure, somehow made his way onto their ship, disguised himself as a pirate and misunderstanding the situation, incapacitated the adults on the boat, which left the ship out of control and about to crash into some rocks. Luckily, Polvina, Ester and Tubarina saw this and turned the ship around before leaving, freeing the adults in the process.
And of course, who could forget the Demon Slayer Corps? In ancient times, the Demon Slayer Corps were an organisation dedicated to protecting humanity from demons. Although the demons were eventually eradicated and the organisation disbanded as a result, the Corps were reformed in modern times when a new form of demon emerged in the form of the Salacians. Members of the Corps fought using specialised elemental sword styles that utilise breathing to enhance their abilities. A group of Demon Slayers specialised in a unique liquid breathing style known as Slime Breathing (粘の呼吸/ねりのこきゅう), which utilises the flowing energy of life to inject life into slime and turn it into whatever form the user imagines.
Beatrice Barros, aka Bubbly, is a fan of the legendary slime breather Slimehero, a slime YouTuber who was also the former Slime Hashira (pillar). She wasn't good at slime breathing, her slimes being formless and sticky at first before becoming soft and bubbly. Bubbly slimes became her speciality and therefore, she was nicknamed Bubbly.
Gabriela Guerra, aka Glossy, is the current Slime Hashira (粘柱/ねりばしら) and the best slimer of the group. Her confidence and exceptional skill led Slimehero to choose her as her Tsuguko (successor), becoming the new Slime Hashira following their death. Her slimes are so glossy that they shine, and they shine so much that they can blind their enemies.
Flavia Fontanos, aka Fluffy, is a distant relative to Fox Fonseca and Bubbly's best friend, who she gives advice to so she can improve her slime breathing. Her fluffy slime breathing skills rival Glossy's, but she can become very competitive when provoked, hence why she wasn't chosen to be Slimehero's Tsuguko as Glossy wasn't someone who was easily intimidated.
Bruno Breno, aka Butter, is a boy who likes to consider the girl slime breathers his rivals. There's not much to be said about him except that he is a decent slime breather. Although the Demon Slayer Corps, particularly the slime breathers, don't have much of a story to speak of, they have contributed greatly to the Drylander resistance.
The Demon Slayers suffered significant losses during the battle in Campinas, but thanks to the efforts of Parker, his generals and the Combo Rangers, they were rescued and brought back to Santos, where they were taken to hospital in a critical condition.
And so the story continues between the Salacians and the Drylanders.