The Year is 2005 and the age of the BETA has continued without contest for some time. The BETA were first spotted on Mars in 1958. They arrived on the Moon in 1967 and, after a brief conflict with humanity's space forces, invaded Earth in 1973. They quickly spread from their landing point, Kashgar, and proceeded to invade the Eurasian, Middle Eastern and Asian regions; when they finally reached Japan in 1998, 36 million people were killed within a week. By 2001, the world population was down to about 1 billion people.

However, things are about to take a heated turn when the Soviets attempt to harness the remains of the Radiation Cannon and indirectly tear open a portal to a brand new world. One filled with ash and fire. This brings two peoples together and with them, potentially salvation. The Earth ravaged by the B.E.T.A and the other by Fire. Yet this opening comes Beasts of its pasts. Upon leathery wings and fire, the Beasts of the Ancients join the battered but no less lethal man as they emerge into a world untouched by Flames and the Future that could have been.

These are the Tales of the World that Could be and the World that is.

Kazakhstan: Soviet Union Controlled Zone

Area 13-B (Atbasar, Kazakhstan (300 Kilometers West of Nur-Sultan)

"Segodnya pervyy den', kogda Sovetskiy Soyuz nachinayet svoy otvetnyy marsh na Moskvu. Podgotov'te radiatsionnuyu pushku!"

The War with the B.E.T.A. continue to grind on, the Long War as it was known to those living today. For over thirty years, far exceeding any war before, did Humanity find itself pushed back constantly. Now, with the B.E.T.A. continuing to push the Soviet Lines across many of their zones and territories did they begin to grow desperate.

Years after their government had been pushed from Moscow and forced to seek refuge with the United States, did they agree to ally with them again along with other nations such as India and Japan. Their alliance had thankfully stalled the ever encroaching hordes of the BETA but even still, there was no love lost between the superpowers every time a city fell to the alien invaders.

So here they were, scrambling quickly to complete their latest project in a bid to hopefully stem the tide. Sadly for the scientists they had otherwise ran out of time. Already the echoing crack of T-80 Tanks high above ground echoed through the concrete structure of the underground complex.

The B.E.T.A had found this place. It had been half a year since the aliens had entered Kazakhstan and began their usual relentless massacring of both military and civilian population with gusto. Tankers and tanks traded "blows" between one another as the Soldier and Warrior Class attempted to close the distance with the soldiers of the Union.

Below ground, as scientists and engineers worked under the steel gaze of military personnel, they'd watch as the great ring of metal and wiring began to light and blurr with a light green coloration. Rapidly it would begin to spin as the shards of G-Element, embedded into sockets along the ring, channeled themselves towards a focusing iris in the center of the rotating ring.

«Vnimaniye. BETA preodoleli vneshniy perimetr i prorvalis' vnutr'. Vsem silam, dvigat'sya na zashchitu pyatogo sektora!»

Even as the gunfire began to echo inside of the base, those manning their stations rapidly left the room to join the combat that had sprung up inside of another section of the complex, the bright green sphere that had gathered in the center of the ring would erupt towards a thick chunk of stone wall. However upon connecting with the wall, some seconds after firing, the line of bright green energy expanded into a cone like shape.

One of the engineers, a native of Chechnya would rush to one of the phones even as the device would begin to literally melt, the G-Element burying itself into the rock walls of the room as he rapidly dialed.

«Uspekh! Prostranstvennyy kopatel' uspeshno pronik v…»

His words are cut off as a pale hand reaches through the door, blood seeping from multiple gunshot wounds, and wraps itself around his head. A muffled scream echoes in the room as panic grips both engineers and scientists who pull Makarovs from holsters about their waist and start shooting.

«Blyad', blyat', blyat'! Venatory! Gde soldaty ?!»

Given the small hallways, the only things able to get inside the complex itself would be that of the Warrior and Soldier Classes of the B.E.T.A. Given the bullet holes and seeping blood on the strange creature their guards had put up a fight at least.

The Soldiers as they were called or Venators, were two point three meter tall monsters. Their bodies a pale while, their heads bloated to the sides with beady eyes of a charcoal black that gazed back at those taking shots. Already it had squeezed the human's head and reduced it to so much brain, blood, and mush.

Thankfully one of the engineers wasn't as panicked as the others. Taking moments to aim and put a bullet between its eyes. Those exposed teeth, which forked a rictus smile, became coated with more blood than before. Seeping from the now Nickel sized hole in its forehead. The Beta would collapse forward. Spindly arms going slack as it's head collided with the floor. However there were more behind it.

More shots fire out into the hall as a veritable swarm of the creatures move into the control room. Their six legs, attached to robust thighs, carried the tide forward and into the chamber. The screams of men and women dying soon filled the air rather than gunshots. At least two men preferred suicide the moment they realized what was happening.

Blood pooled across the floor, body parts lay slumped over desks and consoles, while the sound of tearing flesh begins to echo in the room. Soldiers would begin eating the dead and nearly dead, vacant expressions looking up as blunt teeth tore into meat. However, one of them noticed the gateway.

The rhythmic thump of its feet brought it before the swirling green vortex, which it started to wander through. Its discovery attracted the horde above ground, causing Tanker (Equus pedis), Laser (Lux), and Grappler (Medium) to turn from their tasks of tearing apart the remaining Soviet vehicles and personnel and switching entirely towards the ground.

Grappler limbs, ending in stone like forearms, beat and cracked the concrete while Tanker Class used those long spindly red arms to grab, drag, and lift away the ever widening hole. Thousands worked rapidly, like ants excavating a cavern, a tunnel if you will, down into the depths of the earth.

All the while, as the remainder of the Soviets were exterminated, or in some cases, captured, more Warrior and Soldiers began to move into the central complex, nearly some two thousand of them at this point.

Unknown World

Superordinate

Finland: Helsinki (2,800 Kilometers from Origin Point)

Ural'sk Hive: Thirtieth Horde

Dust and ash is kicked up as, from the great swirling vortex of bright green energy, the first of the Warriors Emerged. What they found was confusing. For upon the other side of the vortex of G-Element Energy, was, based on preserved brains of the locals, a place called Helsinki. Yet where there should have been forces of the Rovaniemi Hive there were the remains of the structures of the materials.

Yet they were hollow shells, burnt and reduced to charred cinder.

Already some two hundred Soldiers had moved through the vortex and began to move into buildings, those that weren't beyond saving and started to tear them down. Lumber, even burnt, could be used to make more of themselves. A new hive could be established here, decided the Superordinate.

Warriors would begin to flood out into the city from the vortex. Standing at most 1.5 meters in height, their feet were akin to fingers, two of them jutting from the foot. Leading up to large thighs and a rather bulbous body. Three hand-like appendages gripped the sides of the creature, pale white, as from its crotch jutted a strange red organ.

Upon its face, a large crest jutted from the top while seventeen bright red eyes looked in all directions. Rather than a mouth, it would have a long trunk, ending in a three fingered hand.

Yet as they started to work, more Warriors and Soldiers would stream through and into this reality, rapidly breaking down the wrecks surrounding them. However, it was during this, the horde now starting to reach one thousand assorted of both, that they would first discover the skeletal remains of one of the locals.

Bones beached black from what seemed to be fire, most of it covered in ash and hiding it from view. The Soldier would waste no time in stuffing the skeleton into its mouth, starting to chew the ashen bones, staining bleached white gums, skin, and teeth a dark ebony.

It would take at least six hours for the tunnel to be dug from the surface down to the vortex below but by now the Superintendent had already communed with the other hives before diverting more resources from the Ural'sk Hive to establish a hive there.

With the thunder of literal legions, the next to arrive were those of the workers of the BETA, that of the Tanker Class. Unlike the last two, which were a stark white, like bleached bone, these were bright red in color.

Walking upon six legs, each ending in a hoof, the most prominent feature of the creature would be its massive maw below its chest. A pair of arms jutted from either side of its "head" ending in five fingers, rather muscular. However the head was quite strange, sporting a dozen bright black eyes.

Nearly fifty percent of any swarm was made up of the Tanker Class. Now, hundreds streamed through into this other reality. They would work with the Soldier Class to dismantle the city, nearly flattening half a kilometer before they found something that moved.

More of the same strange resources like they had been dealing with for nearly four decades. There were some six of them, though the Superintendent paid them little interest, even as they were harvested. They were barely even worth the effort to kill, however, something drew the attention of the horde.

From the sky, the beating of wings resounded through the air, before something landed upon one of the largest collections of buildings. Clad in ebony scales, nearly the size of one of the resources flying vessels. Great wings swept from shoulders and gripped the sides of the buildings while its tail swayed and laid over its side. Head lifted and with a growl, it watched the new arrivals.

So much raw material, with a simple thought, the horde of nearly two thousand would surge forward. It was unknown if Warriors would be ineffective, but there was no reason to not try. It watched, tail swaying from one side to the other, before a Tanker Class and six Warriors leaped towards it. With speed belying its size, the head would snap out, engulfing the seven BETA.

The Horde was stopped as the Superintendent watched, as the resource chewed the seven that had attempted to attack it. Blood and chunks of flesh scattered down to the ground below. Then it shifted, inhaling slowly, seeming to do something, then with a head turning to the sky, released a roar as its wings spread wide. The sound echoed across the dead city as the horde would be signaled to charge once again.

This time the resource either beat its wings and rose above the leaping Tankers and Warriors, pulling it out of range as they collided with buildings. This in turn causes them to start scaling the burnt out remains in a bid to get closer. Though the resource suddenly flies away and, with another intake of air, it opens its mouth. Viscous liquid mixes with oxygen, causing flames to wash over nearly thirty or more creatures at once. Tanker, Soldier, Warrior, all are engulfed and set aflame by the hundreds. The creature would shift its head though as the horde continues to try and lunge.

Success eventually comes as the next wave emerges from the portal. Emerging from the maelstrom of energy, alongside a new wave of Tanker, Warrior, and Soldier Classes, are Laser Class. Six. The small number being all that the hive could spare. Standing upon two legs to support a bulbous and slightly wrinkled looking body, the creature's back is covered in wire thin hairs, while it sports two large stocks from which bulging eyes rest. They turn their attention to the resource, shining brightly, before one fires.

With barely a sound, the bright thin beam of light slices through its center mass, nearly splitting it two. It collapses to the earth with a gurgling roar. Dead before it hit the ground. The BETA swarm over the corpse within seconds. However the horde had been reduced by nearly five percent from its two strikes. That was a lot of damage for something lacking machinery.

It would be some hours before any other activity is detected as the horde sets about its work. Ever so often, another resource would seemingly arrive at the site, being killed near instantly and crashing into buildings. To be harvested and taken back. Already, the slow foundation and establishment of a new hive was in production as another hundred thousand forms steamed through the portal. Sadly still too small for the Destroyer or Grappler Class. Nearly seventeen hours would pass before this changed.

As another resource attacks the edge of the hive, having flown below the effective detection range of the laser class, it manages to kill a few hundred before a weakened building collapses in its path and it flies head first into it. Though as the horde sets about tearing the corpse apart, the Laser Class suddenly swivel as they detect something. Bio electricity.

The six would turn in all directions as their eyes started to flare up, and then fire off into the distance. Striking something. Only now did the Superintendent realize that it could no longer see the distant mountains.

Earth

Europe's Bull

Tampere, Finland

Flames gathered within his jaws as the small lead throwers the apes had favored even into the waning days of their flocks plinked away against his chest scales before his flame swept over both them and their nest. A roar echoing from his jaws as the lead ceased being thrown. All dead. As was expected. The few females that had been present would chitter before starting to descend. Though with a roar they would back down. Stomping in, sniffing at the air, the alpha would take his choice in bodies, mainly a handful of the apes and one of the slain females.

With a huff, the bull would wander off, wings beginning to beat. The meat was still warm as he titled his head back, easily disposing of what remained of the apes. Filthy creatures. The world had been so loud, so noisy, when he had awoken. Having to flee the metal nests of the apes quickly after with the sole female. They had been buzzed by the ape's metal dragons before other metal dragons had appeared and distracted them.

With a growl, the bull landed upon one of the destroyed ruins, setting the slain female too young to breed, but the egg could still be saved, upon the top of the ruins. With a rumble, he reaches down to grip the meal between his jaws at the base of the neck. Claw sinking into the back to hold it down. Then with a rip, tearing off the neck.

The unknowns had been so preoccupied with their own squabbles that they had managed to fly until they were no longer followed by their metal birds. Allowing him to land and let the female hatch. Yet the area that he had landed in had not been an accident.

With another snarl, reaching up to grip the female's head with a spiked wing, he easily forced it into his jaws. Several shakes would tear chunks out of the neck before laying it down, just enough for him to begin tearing meaty bits from the sinuous neck muscles and throat. The flame had added a bit of a crunch as the skin beneath the scales produced a healthy amount of grease and the fat bubbles when exposed to the air.

They had found other pockets of dormant females. A small nest. Along with several lesser males. He tore into the earth as the female grew and aged. Nearly one hundred were discovered, scattered across the region. Though there were few and far between meals as a result of the harsh conditions. Yet the trees and the stone would pass. The passage of the sun would signal the arrival of the unknowns sooner than he would have liked. Only half the brooding nests had been uncovered before they arrived.

More of the neck is eaten, soon revealing not but the skeletal structure of the neck. Which is cracked open for the spinal fluid and the bone marrow. The iron taste runs slick over the dexterous tongue and across the fanged maw. Head turns and cracks open the skull, swallowing it whole. Yet, as he turned, he watched while the female's chest started to rise and fall, a signal for the hatchling. With a few steps, he would sink his claws into the bulky chest and roll her over onto her back.

They had come with their own metal weapons. They struck beyond their view, it was the first time in their many long years that they had ever been attacked. Yet their weapons merely washed over. They had fire, but it lacked something. So he took to the sky. The lesser males knew their place. They have already awakened and set about exhuming more of the eggs within their territory. The far distant whines of the unknown dragons drew his attention as he began to charge. Even as their meager fireballs collided with his scales. Some cracked, they would be removed later by his mate when. The metal dragons came into view now.

He placed his jaws around her broad chest, the female's meat giving way as he pushed down at the same time as he pulled up. Near the break at the neck. Teeth tearing through eviscerated muscle and fat from the apes weapons. The chest just needed to be cracked open enough. With a grunt, the ribs are shattered and the top half of the chest is peeled open, all to allow for the egg to bathe in the light. Normally a death would mean the hatchling would just eat through the mother's corpse and emerge. The wounds however had toughened her meat too much for the infant's jaws to tear through.

They had continued to fire, even as he chased them. For some hours they did this. By the end of the day, they had ceased harassment and buzzing, perhaps having accepted their place. He would return, landing. His body was sore from a full day of flying, and being peppered by the metal things. Yet the chill of the lesser males and the female was enough to ease him. So he lay there, as more of the ground was excavated. Soon, hordes of young pour out as the males breath across the egg mounds. They will grow large. They are but the first. Yet the metal things likely have realized there are now other egg mounds. They will hunt them. They might even awaken other Bulls.

He would look upon the clutch of eggs within the female as they begin to break and crack, exposing their soft bodies. With a huff, he would begin to walk away. Looking down over the flock. Hundreds of them. Shapes and sizes, some almost as large as him. Though rarely do males reach his size. Lest they are killed or driven out to form their own flock. Yet his head looks up. This world is dying. There is less food to partake of now. Soon, the Bulls will face one another, as it occurred once before. They will fight, and those bested will go into hibernation with their female eggs. The winner devours the females, then takes their last mate's egg and hibernates.

Then they freeze, looking towards the sky, sniffing the air. Head tilted. The scent of carrion now wafting into his nose. The scent of the dead. Yet there is another scent, that of a foreign one. Hunger gnaws at his belly. Even as the hatchlings gorge on their mother's fatty insides and flesh. Able to escape what would have been their tomb. There is fresh meat on the wind. The dead here had already been consumed. Swarms of young preparing to enter their molting cycles seemed to perk up at the scent of fresh blood and meat on the air ways. Wings began to spread, as his head drew back, and released a roar. This was but one flock. This was but one of many across his territory. The amount of flesh he smelt, the amount of meat that was being detected, was enough for the whole flock.

The air seemed to hum as the gargantuan bull started to beat its wings. Ruins within the area actually collapsed under the might of the leathery membranes that had collapsed the modern world of the apes. Soon, distant roars from other flocks answered as lesser males, leaders of their own Flocks, began to move towards him. Yet, rather than have them all group, he would draw them towards the source of the meat. Heaving his body off the earth, the Bull takes off, soon followed by others. The females and lesser males. While below, juveniles watch and begin to follow.

There were a great many. Not since the Apes had reduced most of the world to ash in a bid to curb them, an effort that had nearly succeeded but as well awakened the rest of the Bulls, did a Flock of this scale come together. The night sky was nearly blotted as they flew. Yet the new enemy was not without their means to harm. He watched as bright white light struck a nearby male in the head, sending the corpse crashing to the earth below. A warble of agony filled his ears as their prime mate watched. Yet three females would be struck down in a similar fashion.

Those eyes watched, studying, as another six were clipped and sent crashing into the ash strewn ground far below. With a roar, he acted upon what he was seeing. The flock drove down, low. Hugging the earth. The incoming fire stopped. Though he noticed where it was coming from. A large broken multi-nest. Likely some new fire that they had developed. With a roar which shook the earth and caused many of the ruins and broken nests to collapse, they pressed as one. The juveniles and the crawling males set upon the corpses in the wake of their advance. Though always leaving the chest and neck. They were for the young. Unless one was male. They were claimed by the crawling males.

Soon, the broken nest came into view, and they are greeted with things that very much were not Apes. Far more hideous. They stood before a large Thing. Or were gathered. They could smell the blood of their kin, one of their mates, was here. In fact, there was a torn apart corpse laying crashed against a broken ape nest. Twin roars signaled the arrival of over fifteen flocks from the neighboring broken multi-nests. Already flames belched from several locations across the broken multi-nest. The lesser flocks having struck, likely attracted by the scent of flesh and blood. The air above was filled with shrieks as strange ticks jumped and latched onto individuals in the dozens, dragging them to the ground. Though fire would wash over large groups.

The ground was covered in numerous hordes. It was almost comedic how they matched the flocks in scale. Yet the Bull lands upon one of the largest broken ape nests, looking down on the whole ground. A valley ran between multiple broken nests. Filled with thousands of strange things. With an inhale, their flame glands quickly swelled, then released. A jet of pressurized napalm would sweep down the whole of the valley. Blanketing the whole procession of prey.

Flesh began to bubble and pop as the heat quickly started to cause joints to lock up and flesh to sloth off as a result of the heat. What eyes they possessed popped within skulls as thousands died beneath the resulting breath. A fine testament to the hubris of challenging the flocks. Yet more of the strange things were there.

Yet at this short time frame, did the flocks of nearby broken multi-nests descend upon them. What should have been a multi-hour conflict was quickly ended as the creatures abruptly stopped coming through. They seemed to realize that bodies would not help them and only fed. The whole of the city was awash in flame as thousands of prey burned and cooked. The air soon smelt of cooked meat and the sound of burning gristle. For perhaps the first time in ever, he might well be able to eat his fill.

With a few wing beats, he would land upon the valley and stone path. Jaws already salivating at the scent of the flesh. With his head tilted, he chose one of the pink looking prey with eight limbs, four of which ending in hooves and two in hands. Though they were quite small. They were enough to earn his attention. With his jaws open, he would scoop up a mouthful of the meat, releasing a rumble. The meat was soft, somewhat earthy, but the taste was one that left him wanting more. Already, the rest of the flocks were descending on the corpses across the broken multi-nests. The air becomes a mixture of vapors and evaporated blood. Yet not enough had evaporated. His teeth had become slick with the viscera of cooked flesh and stringy tendons. There were so many that the largest males and females were able to devour whole mouthfuls of the meat and gristle. The air reeked of cooked meat and it drove many to feast more. For perhaps the first time in their lives, they were able to eat to be full.

Then the swarms of the juveniles and crawling males made it to the corpses. Already, full males and females had piled the corpses into piles for the swarms of the ground based creatures. Which set about tearing chunks out of the meat. The air filled with the sounds of tearing flesh, of snapping bone, and the barks as the ravenous young burrowed quite literally into the corpses to eat their fill. Yet was it enough?

He turned, looking upon the massive thing. This was a chance to escape the fights with the other Bulls. If more of the prey were on the other side, then his Flocks could forever find food. They would have to play smart lest they become overwhelmed. These well could have been juvenile themselves. Could they risk their flock on just a chance? With a swelling rumble, they began to push towards the rent. Then with a chuff, watched as it seemed to grow even larger. As though responding to their approach. Or perhaps like how the water widens a path. It was still nowhere near sizable to pass through. Only young could yet push through to the other side.

Authors Note:
I am not giving up on A Metal Guardian or a Flames Redemption, but I am putting the former on hiatus till I can get back into the mech writing mood. Work has been anything but compensating when it comes to giving me time with writing, in fact we've lost several more employees this month and my schedual has gone back from part time to full time as a result.

Wanted to give this story some breath that has been sitting in my doc for some years now. Yes, a Muv Luv crossover with none other then the setting, Reign of Fire. A rather obscure setting in which mankind is rocked by rapidly reproducing dragons. They did get a rather fun video game in 07 which included the ability to play the dragons. Now as some of you might have caught on, most of the chapter was from the perspective of the dragon. This will continue to be the case going forward. This is a story of villain vs villain after all. With some sections involving humanity and the Mcs from the myriad of Muv Luv extended universe.

I did put the sections involving feeding in italics given that, well, it will occur a lot and be the focus for quite a few things.

Now for information!

Information

Dragons of Reign of Fire: Now for anyone familiar with the dragons of this setting, you will know that one piece of plot is how there is only one male and the rest are female. Well that has been, if you read the chapter, done away with. Now it is more that, each continent will have their own Bulls, with lesser males having their own flocks of females that they govern. Mainly to ensure that there is no genetic dead ends later on. Think of it like a military. You have your head, then those they place to ensure that sections of a country are overseen. In addition, there are subspecies of dragons which will be included. In addition, Bulls and older females are much more durable, hence the Bull surviving being stuck by multiple missiles from Russian jets. And it being alluded to that one of the nations panicked and pulled the nuke button. Triggering a cascading event.

Muv Luv: For those of you whom are just reading this and it is your first time with the setting, Muv Luv (Barring the first iteration) is a mech based light novel game focused on an Mc in a military. We have had 3 major mcs on three different war fronts. I have explained and summarized the plot at the start of the story. The Beta are the primary antagonists of the setting, but here they will have an opponent as numerically identical to themselves. Though they will still suffer from the same weaknesses as their canon counterparts as a result of the way they operate.

Europe's Bull Dragon: The Bulls in the setting are more akin to male lions then anything. Being the absolute largest of the species. Which the European Bull is no exception. Male dragons can reach as large as a Bowing 737, but Bulls, with the Mc Bull, being as large as Balerion from Game of Thrones. With the oldest females being nearly as large as him. So you can expect to see him clashing with the largest of the Beta and the best mech pilots of other earth. Though it will be several chapters before he arrives over there due to the portal.

I hope you all enjoyed reading and look forward to answering any questions in regards to the setting or my plans.