Translated by Tianic, edited by Grammarly
Merry Christmas to you ALL!
The next day was unusually gloomy.
Two opposing parties have prepared their formations early in the morning. Armor shells clashing sounds have converged into waves of low noises suffusing with the smell of blood and burned bodies between rows of soldiers.
There were nearly 100, 000 troopers standing between a flat ground of 2 miles in width. Both armies have put their leading forces in a single line. It was a formal, legion-level, ultimate, final war.
On the battlefield, soldiers number was of minor significance to the people on it. Men can only see dirty faces resembling black dots shivering 2 miles away from them.
The Champion Legion have quartered at near the back of the big army. They have formulated an extremely tense order for the coming hardcore strike.
"Follow me closely. Don't get lost." Anemia walked between the rows by doing his final armory check. He took this last chance to remind the rookies, "Smart up and watch my location."
All the heavy-loaded rookies just kept nodding their heads.
As the dull horn blew, 2 giant spell-powered, protective barriers in the sky began to veil the two hostile oceans of individuals. The mages debuted.
Hence flaming fireballs started bouncing around; silver lightning began jumping in the air; sharp wind blades curved beautifully shaped bendings were set off. Countless magic attacks were bounced back by the barriers, and they ended up striking the ground dust, kicking dirt off the earth. Not long after, the affected area was full of giant pits. Everything that can support fire was eradicated.
"Damn, how pity. If only the fire can be used to burn a wasteland to farm." Ranger was a farmer by birth. Nearly an hour later, such a magic farce which the parties threw spells at each other ended. As many officers have complained: magic is just shit in a war.
A low and infuriated horn blow resounded on the field, signaling the commencement of the final assault.
The front infantries were advancing gradually at the same pace. Their armors clashed and their up-pointed spears thickly dotted. The spearheads were reflecting flashy light.
Thousands of men pressed over with proper steps. The booming and heavy sounds have gradually aroused all the rookies’ heart.
When the infantries have passed the middle ground of the dividing space, there came an uncanny whistling followed by waves of ri-bodkin-arrows that fell sharply from an almost verticle angle. Immediately, disturbances started to roar in the infantry formation like a ripple. At this moment, falling meant dying. The rookies watched from a distance hoping the arrows would not be so dense when it was their turn to march.
Hence the infantries of both parties started engaging. Restrained by the landform, the whole battleline was zigzagged as weird sounds of all kinds came by the wind, spurring everybody's ears.
The rear men cannot see detailed battle conditions but the surging heads. Now and then, a beam of red light would flash across the battleground; then a black dot would disappear, meaning the collapsing of a body as well as the end of a life.
The earth was shivering. Giant Strygwyrs have been deployed from the army end. A team-up of the champions and the Strygwyrs was the most effective combination to counter PUF's heavy infantries.
"Onward!" An officer roared.
"Onward!" The rookies have forgotten everything as they paced while keeping their eyes on the brothers in their front.
"Strike!" After stretching for a distance, the officer roared once more.
"Strike!" The rookies yelled and poured into the enemies with their commander.
By joining the fight, the rookies were able to lose their irrelevant thoughts. Once stepping into the war, what they saw would immediately turn so alive.
Commander Anemia was really thriving for his life as he was playing his giant pair of bi-handler swords like playing wheels while his enemies were scrambled into minced flesh. Wherever he went, blood splashed. Ranger was right behind Anemia. He bit a few arrows between his lips and tried his best to put down any single soldiers that Anemia had missed. Scarlet and Rut, eyes reddened, were right beside Anemia while Ranger served as an escort.
Kill! No one talked, no one made a sound even if he's hurt. Each of the Samgha members was doing his share of duty as well as keeping their eyes on their brothers.
It all came down to their daily training. They just knew their respective combat positions.
Slowly, the battle situation began to sink into a general turmoil, especially for the frontline. AUF was able to breach the enemy defense line at a few spots. Likewise, PUF has penetrated several weak points on the AUF line. However, the soldiers within the battlefield had no time to know or care about the above, because countless enemies have overwhelmed them.
The Strygwyrs had enormous tree trunks in their palms. A single swing of the wood by such creatures was able to sweep dozens of PUF beast riders. But the Strygwyrs' giant bodies have also become the enemies' easy targets. Manyfolds of enhanced arrows, throw-lances, long spears have already visited and rooted on the huge creatures' bodies. Nevertheless, the wound and pain even stimulated the fierceness of these brutal magical creatures. Thus they gripped harder and stamped firmer, deforming enormous enemy riders, though a few of them have lost their basic senses in the killing and winded up attacking their owners.
The dense formation gradually spreaded. The Asmodian United Forces have poured in more troops including their special forces. As the result of the reinforcement, a tornado of death initiated and began tearing the PUF's defensive structure apart.
The Samgha Squadron followed the main troop stream from the center of the battlefield to the edge, then to the perimeter of the PUF camp. The rookies of Samgha have failed to remember the part where fear was. Actually, they did not have the time to be afraid.
Currently, Samgha was facing one of the PUF's gates. However, the gate was fortified, and there were 7~8 archers on it. As soon as a soldier drew closer to to the entrance, he'll be put down by an arrow immediately. In the meanwhile, AUF's penetration wooden beams were yet to arrive.
Commander Anemia threw a glimpse at the gate, "Cover me!"
Ranger puked a cursing word then several arrows instantly went away from his war bow. The rapid firing of which even stunned Ranger himself. One can see the enemy archers on the camp gate falling downward one by one, their blood splashed. At this moment, Anemia caught an excellent chance and thrust forward by stepping on the blood-stained earth.
Rut picked a shield from the ground and tossed it forward with an earth-shattering howl. The shield conveniently blocked several arrows firing towards Anemia. Like a group of crazy men, Baham and the rest were shooting everything they could find to the targets on the camp door in order to reduce the chance of Anemia getting shot as much as possible. Fallen even tossed his dagger and longsword before he found a crossbow and started firing.
A few breaths later, Anemia made himself right under the gate where the enemy archers cannot see. Anemia's extra large weapon hence began smashing the thick wooden entrance barrier. Once, twice, finally, the barbarian made a hole on the deck. Then Anemia smashed the lock bar. As he waved his hand, countless AUF soldiers behind him swarmed on. PUF's camp door eventually collapsed by a giant sound.
After entering the gate, the Samgha Squadron reassembled around Anemia. Their mission was to open the gate and get ready to support the fiercest combat location. The whole team was waiting for Anemia's next order. Claypool anxiously stood by Anemia to look for his commander’s possible wounds.
Because PUF army had heavy-loaded infantries, the main passages inside the camp were extra wide, and the field was vast as well as complicated. AUF soldiers were divided by the inner-camp condition and began sinking into a struggle. The camp was in turmoil as nobody dared to set a fire. They just fight, fight strictly with their lives.
The unfamiliarity of the enemy's inner camp condition has caused AUF a great many men.
In the PUF's camp, scattered towers were found. On each tower, at least a dozen enemy archers were dominating from top locations, some towers were filled with tactical mages who were able to take down a massive pile of men with one chant. The towers had fortified caps which even gargoyles cannot penetrate. The GIs on the ground reddened their eyes as they bit their blades while trying to reach the tower tops. However, their slow-moving bodies became the perfect living targets for the archers and mages on the head.
At the rear end of the PUF camp, horns were echoing hastily. The remaining PUF troops, housekeepers, cooks, laborers, even the slaves were forced to pick up weapons and counter. Thus the Asmodian forces' attack were facing great pressure. Orderlies, one by one, flashed in front of Anemia's eyes, yelling 'urgent!'. However, PUF camp's high walls have given the rear commanding center no useful information of what was going on the inside. Many PUF's counter-strike chunks hence began gaining advantages of the chaos.
In order to hold the dominance, Samgha Squadron tried their best to support their friendly soldiers.
With great effort, a Champion Legion commander brought a team of staff officers into the PUF camp and started their commanding job. Once an army was equipped with an authoritative system, it immediately transformed into an efficient killing machine. The camp gate, as a result, was well-held. The brigadier commander also spotted the enemy's weak points.
Ten recon squadrons near the gate have received orders to assist the special forces to take down the critical commanding enemy tower nearby. Several team captains and special force soldiers have grouped closely, they half talked, half gestured, soon they settled a doable strategy.
Because the enemies have early preparation for possible fights within the camp, AUF's special forces who always wore odd outfits will become their priority targets. Samgha's job was to protect those special force soldiers to reach under the tower safely. The other teams will defend the side wings and secure the perimeter. After the rookies readied their weapons, each captained nodded around, then as the Scorpion Warriors who were so well-protected at the center said a piece of order, the whole group thrust forward showered by arrow rains.
Screech persisted along the way. PUF's commanding tower had a rigorous defense. The giant shields held by the AUF rookies were already full of enemy's arrows. If not for Commander Anemia's decision to put even thicker than ever armors on his subordinates, the rookies would have died by half by now.
The outer towers were built on a clay stage as high as an adult, and they were pouring arrows in the attempt to intercept the assaulting AUF soldiers.
"We're about to cross that smaller tower!" Ranger yelled, "Watch out for that wall!"
Baham howled then picked to carry Fallen on his shoulders. He successfully delivered the werewolf onto the wall. After stabilizing himself, Fallen made a flip of his body then thrust his long sword quickly for several times, resulting in the archers' ends on the outer perimeter of the clay stage. Blood that splashed has showered Fallen as a whole. Immediately after, Scarlet tossed Rut onto the clay stage. The mountain dwarf cried loudly as he ran about on the stage, waving the war hammer without manner. Dozens of enemy archers died crying for mummy.
The strategy that relied on covering the assaulting team by the supporting champions worked out. AUF troops have finally made themselves down the enemy's primary commanding tower. AUF's special forces saw the opportunity and ultimately revealed their fierce tusks. Some of them were already bouncing between the balks with ultra-fast speed that made their movement almost untraceable by naked eyes. Buds of blood just cannot stop spattering, and the archers' fall with screams never seized.
The Scorpion Warrior protected by the Samgha members has successfully neutralized 5 towers and on his way towards the final one. However, this intensified fight has already exhausted them. Two quicker SWs barely made themselves on the lower deck of the commanding tower before the alerted enemies killed them and tossed their fragmented bodies down. The enemy's commander was still alive as well as their commanding signals.
The special forces attack has failed!
Knowing the Samgha sons have once again run into trouble, and that was definitely a crucial commanding tower with the enemy alpha dogs sitting inside, Anemia snarled. At the same time, the troops behind him were ordered to initiate more attack attempts. As the shouts of killing soared, the enemy's arrows pushed into AUF soldiers' skins as if they had eyes. Anemia knew that each second such a fight prolonged would mean a bigger death troll of the AUF troopers.
The Champion Legion's reconnaissance squads current location was relatively unique as they were held up between the two opposing armies and the two armies were currently shooting arrows at each other. As the densely formed arrows were flying in the air, the rookies found themselves places to hide. Nevertheless, if the archers on the central tower spotted them later on, they will be totally screwed.
Ranger had a random shield held to protect his head. He made several drastic gestures to Scarlet so then the two, heads lowered, crawled towards Anemia.
"Sir, this won't work." Scarlet gasped, "We need a way out."
"There's only one way out." Anemia looked around then assumed the number of soldiers down the turret, "We're gonna take it down ourselves."
"Can we? Even the special ops have failed." Scarlet asked.
"Our mission is to take down that turret. If the mission fails, so are we. We'll be beheaded. It's time to go!"
Anemia observed the situation while calmly analyzing, "So be it. Although the SWs have failed, that turret must've suffered a significant loss. Look at them. Now the arrows shot are obviously less. As long as we can dodge the incoming attacks from that turret, we can make it. You, Ranger, tell the other squads, focus on the turret of archers. Let's climb up!"
"Yes, sir!" With only a few set of hints and words, the plan was ready. All the Samgha member stood by Anemia; the ones who were still alive from other squads have reached proper positions and readied the bows.
"Pray." Anemia lowered his head, his hand on the left foot, "Follow me."
All-father, my Dark Lord,
Timelessly, we hold proud in serving you; timelessly, we praise your name.
We praise you because you offer us salvation.
When our enemies come in to attack, he will fall and die.
When there is an army of hate, we will not fear.
We, your children must thrust our heads and despise the hostilities.
O, Dark Lord,
May we offer you the joy in our enemy's tent;
O, Dark Lord, our eternal King,
May we chante your paean on our enemies dead altar.
When everybody opened his eyes, Anemia's face was radiant with vigor, his eyes sharp.
"Good, we all need times of desperation." He grabbed his weapon, "Follow me!"
"Charge!" The rookies shrilled to follow onto the tower's base beams. Ranger was left on the ground as a support, he made a low roaring, then his back against a wooden pillar, Ranger shot his first arrow toward the deck close to the turret. Then dozens of arrows flew by. "Dlob, dlob, dlob…" The deck was instantly filled.
Moments later, the rest of the Samgha have reached the middle height of the turret. Their act was seen by AUF soldiers and officers who were so suppressed by the enemy's arrows. Thus a gradually growing cheer began soaring in the entire half PUF's camp.
"KILL! KILL! KILL!" As the giant cheer resounded, AUF commanders from behind have noticed it. They immediately summoned a group of archers to fill the coverage gap. Anemia gestured to sign the enemies positions for the archers while he climbed. Due to the continued shooting, Ranger's right arm was going numb, but he dared not stop because the archers that followed were aiming by Ranger's trajectory. If he missed a single shot or the followup arrows failed to intercept the enemy's attack, the shieldless Anemia and the rest will be made hedgehogs.
The clumsy Rut was not very good at climbing, he was so butterfingered that he even fell down when the team nearly reached the top. A tall ground soldier offered his anxious help. He came dangerously in the arrow rain, grabbed Rut's legs, spun his body twice and tossed Rut back to his original height.
Baham then caught Rut. He yelled 'sir!", then tossed the dwarf up again. Anemia, likewise, caught Rut's feet and directly threw the mountain dwarf onto a hostile turret deck while Rut was crying out of the intense movement. On the deck, fragmented bodies were everywhere. One could perceive the previous fight here was incredibly intensified. Rut rolled to stand, then he was faced immediately by a PUF officer. Instantly, Rut's dull-pitched cry became a low roar. The next second, Rut's war hammer smashed open the enemy officer's head.
An archer on the same deck turned and was about unleash an arrow. He was immediately put down by Fallen, who was the second to be tossed in. The archer's body hence dropped on the floor softly.
"Hold the entrance! Hold it tight!" Simon came in third. He kicked open the deck entrance and cut the rope that was locking the retractable ladder. Then he joined the fight. After, Scarlet and Cooks climbed in as well. The guys were successful in defending the stairs from the upper deck toward the deck of their own. Though the enemies who were trying to come down were fierce, they could not make it for the time being.
Anemia was the first one to enjoy climbing the ladder. While climbing, he was also dragging Edmond who was shot on his shoulder with him. Anemia's showing up has dramatically encouraged the rookies. As for the enemies on the top, since they cannot hope for exterminating Samgha, they just sealed the stairs in the attempt to secure the top. With the help of the ladder, Ranger quickly came up with other squads. Thus the attack-defend relationship reversed.
"Then what?" Rut pounded the ceiling flap door anxiously, "This is the only way!"
Ranger had a look at their location and hinted the rest to stay quiet. He gestured Anemia then repositioned the archers to load their arrows. Anemia stood in the center of the deck. He then assigned his subordinate's position.
After the preparation, Anemia wielded his pair of giant swords. As the heavy metal smashed on the flap door, Anemia roared. His both hands pulled out more power. And 'OOOOWWWW!” The barbarian’s giant swords made a giant breach on the ceiling deck. “CRACK”, as the dust swirled, the deck collapsed. What was on it then started to fall. At that very moment, Ranger shouted out his signal. Hence dozens of arrows went ahead. Judging by the crying from the upper space, a considerable amount of enemies were there.
There were PUF enemies who jumped down and demanded a fight, but they were quickly killed as they showed since the ones down there have already laid an inescapable snare. The PUF's highest-ranked commander with several stars on his shoulders died exceptionally fast: at least 2 lances, 3 sabers, and a giant sword welcomed him at the same time.
Finally, Anemia made it to the top platform. He touched the banner pole and tore apart PUF's army flag. After, Anemia took the piece of cloth from Fallen and hanged AUF's army flag on the pole.
As the new flag stretched in the air, cheers began roaring. The commanding officers quickly assumed positions on the tower. With the high vision, the commanders could conveniently see the enemy's movement. The archers could also attack more accurately.
The Samgha Squadron sorted their kits and initiated a new round of attack. Soon after that, the enemies began to disperse. An increasing number of runaways hence started to show.
Sounds of horse clops came from afar. The cavalries were waiting for this moment. It was their masterwork, chasing the defeated enemies.
Now the AUF flags were planted on all turrets, which gave the Asmodian soldiers a new round of rejoicing.
The earth-shattering fight gradually appeased.
As the final clean up work ended, the whole fight came to a conclusion.
Soldiers were cheering everywhere, on the roads, walls, towers, turrets, same was true for the army flags of the Asmodian United Forces. The Dark Lord's ode has become the dominating theme in this land. The captured camp has become an ocean of happiness.
Rookies of the Samgha Squadron reassembled. All of them, from top to bottom, have been made into a disgusting red color. All were checking their friends' body for wounds.
"Is everybody here?" Anemia pulled an arrow from his shoulder, he asked anxiously, "Are we all here?"
A moment later, Fallen's sobbing sound came, "Rut's missing!"
"Search! Search until we find him!" Anemia's order was apparent.
Fifteen minutes later, give or take, Rut was found. But everybody felt the immediate urge to slaughter this mountain dwarf: Rut was standing on one of the turrets. He's tied a PUF flag on his ass, and he was dancing with the sexiest facial and body posture! An audience crowd was already growing down there.
"Get down!" Scarlet pushed over. He scolded loudly, "Get your ASS down here!"
Rut ignored Scarlet and carried on giggling and flirting. Scarlet was so annoyed and amused, but he just can't do with Rut.
While Rut was high in the air, a random black arrow came out of nowhere and landed right on his ass. Rut made a howling cry and plunged.
"RUT!" Scarlet and the rest turned pale with fright. They hurried to carry the falling dwarf.