Chapter 154. The King of Puppets (5)
The northern plains of Adenia.
Two groups stood facing off against each other on one of the vastest plains on the continent. Amongst the forces on one side, seven distinct flags were proudly flown, each representing a unique faction. Amongst them, there was an eagle holding a sword, another with a spear overlaid with an axe, as well as one with two crossed shields. These flags were national emblems that soldiers would fight to the death for.
Troops from Adenia, Divide, and the Western Kingdoms as well as a force from the Hebrion Empire had assembled on the same side of a battlefield. It was the largest combined force ever recorded in history.
And the group opposing them, lined up discordly on the other side of the soon-to-be battlefield, were the Outsiders.
The forces on the Outsiders side consisted of sinners, magicians who had violated taboos and were either exiled, on-the-run with substantial bounties on their heads, or otherwise bandits, rebels and other diverse groups of no-goods. Amongst their numbers, there were also giant monster soldiers and Chimeras, the product of illegal experimentation.
This was normally a group that would never be able to cooperate with each other. These criminals and defective goods of society had always moved independently due to their ideological differences and distinct goals. Collectively though, they were the Outsiders.
The lack of cohesion and leadership amongst their forces was the biggest reason why the allied forces had been able to rout the Outsiders so easily. No matter how good the Outsiders’ individual skills were, the tyranny of numbers, especially in the form of a well-trained and highly disciplined military force, was unstoppable.
However, the Outsiders were not ones to give up. After being driven up against a wall, they had finally united and set aside their differences. Additionally, they had set up a chain of command and started to implement strategy and tactics in their skirmishes.
The flow of battle, which had initially been overwhelmingly in favor of the allied forces, had drawn to a stalemate.
*Woosh*
The harsh wind seemed to drain all life out of those buffeted by it. The coldness of the Adenia Plains, adjacent to the north, had an arctic touch to it, as if threatening to freeze the world.
A steady snowfall coated the plains, leaving a sleek winter coat across the battlefield. The intensity of the wind also ratcheted up, threatening to cleave flesh from the bone.
This stalemate had persisted for almost two months.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction of the Shadow World emergency, the Outsiders had gotten the jump on the allied forces and managed to rally the last of its military might. The result of that was this current stand-off on these god-forsaken plains.
*Boo-Woong*
A rich and magnificent trumpet sounded from the allied force’s side, heralding the commencement of battle.
The frontline of the allied forces began to move. While lethargic in taking their first five strides, they quickly found themselves charging at full speed.
And their enemy, the Outsiders moved as well. The ground shook. The armies of the two sides rushed at full speed at each other. They didn’t slow down in the slightest. They took up arms and collided into each other.
And…
*Bang*
The two huge waves met and soon began to mingle together. The battlefield became noisy as people shouted and screamed, the air was palpable with adrenaline.
The sound of shouting, the sound of soldiers duelling against each other, as well as a multitude of screams and death throes had filled the plain. They wielded weapons with the intent of killing their opponent. No half measures were allowed.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
At the center of the most fierce part of the battle, there was a group of people holding their space to such an extent that the Outsiders refrained from throwing more bodies at them.
They were Adenia’s elite lancemen corp.
They had effectively repelled the oncoming Outsiders.
The battle was fierce. The Outsider’s resistance was ironclad. The average height of the troops facing off against the Adenians was well above average. It was likely that most of them were born of mixed-race, part barbarian.
They refused to retreat, even when struck and pierced with spears. They repeatedly used their full might to swing their axes down and split the heads of Adenia’s soldiers, even in the few cases where doing so would use up the entirety of their dying breaths.
*Crack*
*Crack*
A portion of the Adenian army soon collapsed, red blood sprinkled liberally over the snow. The blood-stained Outsiders smiled hellishly at Adenia’s soldiers.
Lupin, a soldier who was commanding this frontline of the allied forces, grabbed a nearby spear. He was afraid but could not back down; if they fell, their formation would collapse and their central command could even end up exterminated.
All of a sudden, a loud noise drowned out all other noise on the battlefield. *Flutter*
Lupin’s gaze was pulled towards the sky.
Dozens of light streams had been drawn in the sky above them. Some were intercepted by others mid-flight, but others landed on the ground causing mass devastation. This was the artillery magic from magician troops on both sides. A battle for magical supremacy.
But amongst them, there was something that stood out. It was different from ordinary magic. It was something special. Even the otherwise magically ignorant Lupin could recognize something was abnormal.
The sky darkened.
Sparks indiscriminately rained down from the sky. They weren’t powerful enough to deal damage to either side, but they were certainly bright enough to be distracting.
*Rumble*
The dark sky was quickly dyed white again by a flash of light. A huge thunderbolt struck down amidst the Outsiders. The mighty current of electricity burned everything in its path to a crisp.
It didn’t end with just a single shot. *Rumble*
Like a dragon roaring, a deafening blast reverberated throughout the vast plains.
Once again, huge thunderbolts rained down on the Outsiders. Countless people instantly died without a chance to scream.
Lupin, a helpless onlooker, felt as if this were God’s divine punishment.
They were left completely defenseless. The allied forces were able to make massive gains on the battlefield. Eventually, the Outsiders managed to mobilize wizards to respond, but it was already too late.
The flow of battle, which had been hard to read, had been greatly simplified. The situation had been entirely settled with a single spell.
There were few wizards on the continent that could invoke this level of magic. “Zod Exarion… ”
One man’s name, which someone murmured in a low voice, spread amongst the allied forces like a wildfire.
“It’s the Great Sage!”
“Zod Exarion, the Master of the Tower, is with us!”
Zod’s name alone raised the morale of the allied forces more than anything else. It was exhilarating; knowing that the strongest magician on the continent had their backs made the weary soldiers feel invincible.
“Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!”
A battle cry rang out across the sky. Lupin thrust his spear into the neck of a nearby Outsider. While the Outsiders had collapsed into shambles, Adenia’s lancemen regrouped and pushed forward.
With their troops in formation and pushing forward, the ground once again began to shake under their feet stomping in unison.
And advance they did. *Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
The allied forces now moved enthusiastically due to their overflowing levels of confidence and high morale. The Outsiders were gradually pushed back as a whole. Even the giant monster troops fell without being able to properly demonstrate their power. Lupin shouted with conviction.
“We can win!”
The subsequent situation was simple.
Zod Exarion’s might was completely beyond the common sense of the average magician. The Outsiders had to commit several high-tier magicians just to offset a single one of Zod’s spells. Allocating these key strategic-level resources to offset the actions of a single person had a massive effect on the outcome of the battle. The initiative had well and truly been seized by the allied forces. The Outsiders, realizing this, turned tail and fled.
“… … … … !”
The allied forces raised their flags; this was the signal to give chase.
The knights who led the right flank charged to deal the first finishing blow. The Adenian army, which Lupin belonged to, also advanced rapidly to pursue the fleeing enemy and deal a decisive blow.
It was an all-out war that mobilized the full might of both sides with no-holds barred.
The Outsiders, who had gathered all their strength here, had no chance of later making a comeback if they were defeated in this battle. This would be the tomb of the Outsiders. It would bring an end to the long war.
*Booom*
A sudden explosion occurred amongst the formation of the allied forces.
The instincts of the battle hardened veterans, currently charging, flared up in warning. This was different from any old magical artillery. What was it?
Before that question could be pondered further, a second explosion followed.
As panic set in, the sound of the explosions ripped through the battlefield. The situation had once again been reversed. Their formation started to collapse.
The allied forces were unable to respond in time. The knights leading the charge attempted to form a defensive formation, but when the unidentified object approached, they were instantly shredded and consequently wiped out.
“What?”
Adenia’s defense, which had been so solid, crumbled. Lupin had no choice but to watch his colleagues die. He couldn’t do anything.
Lupin looked at this crumbling formation.
A great sense of helplessness overwhelmed him. Something caught his eye, as it rapidly approached his location.
*Shwing*
His consciousness cut off there.
* * *
The war situation was being transmitted directly to the commanders situated in their respective countries through communication magic.
With Zod Exarion joining the fight, the battle had gradually flowed in favor of the allied forces. Victory was just around the corner.
The Outsiders were on the retreat as their formation collapsed and scattered, and if the allied
forces chased them back, they would surely be able to seize a big victory. [-Adenia, 50 percent of the Phalanx Division is non-combat ready.]
Shortly after the commanders from the various countries had ordered the pursuit of the Outsiders, a status update could be heard via the communication magic.
[-Adenia, 50 percent of the Phalanx Division is non-combat ready.]
At first, no one took it seriously, thinking it was just a small sacrifice. The Outsiders they were dealing with were a formidable enemy, and the loss of a few troops was bound to occur.
But that was just the beginning.
[-The Order of the Phoenix in Remton has been annihilated.] [-The 3rd Army Commander is dead. ]
[-Divide Infantry Division 41 is dead.]
[-The right flank has collapsed and suffered irrecoverable damage.]
It was a flurry of reports detailing their losses. So many reports poured in at once that the communication system was overloaded and paralyzed for a moment as the messages were being processed. Some kind of unknown object had appeared and was massacring the soldiers and formations of the allied forces.
Zod clicked his tongue in displeasure.
He couldn’t take control of the allied force’s response. The multiple command systems were confused and could not respond quickly to the unfolding disaster.
The union of the Western Kingdoms and Hebrion Empire was unprecedented. So their combined command system couldn’t mesh together, especially since they had not yet had much time to work together yet.
Moreover, it was a long time ago that even the Western Kingdoms themselves had joined forces to create a combined military presence. So far, the war had been favorable, thus the importance of a unified chain of command had been undervalued.
However, such a fragile chain of command collapsed when faced with an incomprehensible variable.
[-Everybody calm down.]
A solemn voice took control of the situation.
Zod knew the voice. He was the chief of the Royal Knights Division of the Adenia Kingdom. He had a vast amount of experience and was so competent that he once served as commander-in-chief of the Avalon Army, the most elite unit in the Western Kingdom Union.
[-Our first priority now is to prevent further damage to the soldiers. All forces are to stop pursuing the Outsiders.]
This was a much better situation now. Zod, who believed he could handle such a situation, decided to take matters into his own hands.
“This speed… it’s very likely that it’s a Chimera with an ability that lowers its weight and heightens its reflexes.”
But it also had a ridiculous amount of firepower to be considered some simple Chimera. Zod felt it must be a secret weapon of the Outsiders. Zod received a message via communication magic.
[-The unidentified object has suddenly left the battlefield at a rapid speed!]
It was a mere instant, but it had changed its trajectory and was moving lightning quick towards Zod.
*Bang*
A river of blood trailed behind it as it collided violently with everything in its path. The soldiers near Zod were all swept away. He managed to withstand the shock due to the defensive magic he managed to deploy in the nick of time. A considerable amount of mana had been consumed, indicating just how absurdly strong the attack was.
The snow that had piled up on the ground was flung far and wide.
In its place, there was a girl flying through the snowstorm. She had white hair, like snow, as well as disturbingly gruesome silver eyes. Like two portals leading into an abyss, there appeared to be nothing behind such dead-fish like eyes.
She slowly lifted herself up and stared at Zod. “You’re not human.”
It had the appearance of a human being, but he couldn’t feel any trace of humanity in it.
Zod knew this instinctively. He knew it was an indisputable fact that it had been the cause of the massacre of countless soldiers so far.
As it continued to stare at Zod, it radiated an almost transcendent presence.
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