Chapter 191: Chapter 191 - No Dawn for the Fortress
Chaos erupted! Shouts filled the air, tremors rippled through the ground, and explosions roared amidst the relentless clashes of battle. The once-cold night was rapidly losing its chill.
Atlas stepped slowly from behind the hills, narrowing his eyes slightly to take in the chaos unfolding below, everything he had just seen and left behind. Now, he and his entire army had successfully teleported to a safer location, where he could reorganize his strategy and positioning to take down the remaining enemies.
Luna, her allies, and the rest of the troops had also spread out, surrounding the lava pool from a greater distance, unleashing a relentless storm of arrows and magical attacks that never ceased.
Their enemies were struggling to fend off both the relentless assault from the Vulkaris and the unstable ground beneath them, which cracked and threatened to send them plunging into the lava pool.
Those who managed to escape the deadly ground were immediately met with brutal attacks from Luna’s forces, who held a massive advantage in this battle.
By now, perhaps around 30% of the enemy troops had been gravely injured or had already perished, swallowed by the molten abyss. The others were desperately trying to break free from the deadly trap. Meanwhile, their Lord remained strong, still locked in fierce combat against the soldiers swarming him.
This one would take a bit more effort to bring down.
Morganna had been standing beside Atlas the whole time. He could already sense the intoxicating thrill of bloodshed radiating from the Vampire Queen, even though she remained still.
"Make sure nothing happens to you," Atlas murmured.
Morganna hissed at his words. "Earn the right to say that by becoming stronger than me first," she replied coldly. Then, without another word, she leaped into the air, her figure silhouetted against the moonlight before she plunged downward, vanishing into the chaos below.
Beside Atlas, Mira suddenly let out a fierce battle cry. "Everyone! Let’s go! Kill as many as you can!" With that, she shot down the hill at incredible speed, followed closely by Veylor, the team leader of Eclipse, and the rest of their troops.
Atlas’s forces wasted no time. Those with long-range attacks struck from their safe positions, while the lower-level soldiers surged forward, cutting down enemies attempting to escape their ranks.
Milo, who stood nearby, turned to Atlas, his face trembling with uncertainty.
"Milo?"
"I-I’ll go too," he stammered. But in an instant, his expression twisted into something menacing. Shadows coiled around his body, and even before he had fully transformed, he shot forward, launching himself into the battlefield.
So... he could transform now without needing someone else’s touch?
On the battlefield, it was clear that the Gold-Armored Lord was now engaged in direct combat with Brigid. The warrior girl struggled to withstand the sheer force of his massive sword strikes, and with a powerful blow, she was sent flying backward several meters.
On the other side, Raze charged in with brute force, slamming into the Gold-Armored Lord and knocking him sideways with the sheer impact. Wasting no time, Raze launched a relentless barrage of punches, his massive fists hammering down repeatedly, forcing the enemy lord to lose his footing.
Seizing the opportunity, Brigid dashed in from the opposite side and struck with precision. Yet even that was blocked. He deflected her attack just as effortlessly.
Even when facing two opponents at once, this enemy still had an impenetrable defense. Atlas swallowed hard at the thought, if he had to face this lord alone, he would be completely overpowered.
Without hesitation, Atlas summoned his Legendary-Grade Wavebreaker Spear, and in an instant, crackling lightning and surging water energy coiled around his body. His gaze sharpened, locking onto his target.
Beside him, Kurogasa stood ready, sensing the shift in Atlas’s stance.
"My Lord?" Kurogasa murmured, seeking confirmation of what was about to happen. Because, of course, Atlas wouldn’t just stand back and let his troops fight alone.
His target was the enemy lord.
"Let’s go," Atlas said. In a flash, he sprinted forward, his movements impossibly light and swift, as if the terrain itself posed no obstacle to him.
Kurogasa followed without hesitation, racing downhill with the same effortless speed, moving like a shadow with no resistance to slow him down.
Raze continued his relentless assault, his roars of fury echoing across the battlefield as his massive fists hammered into the enemy lord. Despite the overwhelming strength of his opponent, Raze was quick on his feet, dodging and retreating just in time to evade the devastating swings of that enormous sword.
Meanwhile, Brigid weaved between their attacks, her blade striking in rapid succession, chipping away at the enemy’s defenses with each precise blow.
"This is working."
Kurogasa had already surged ahead, his chain blade whipping through the air before wrapping tightly around the enemy lord’s neck.
"DAMN IT! YOU INSIGNIFICANT WORMS! I’LL CRUSH YOU ALL!"
Kurogasa yanked hard, keeping the enemy lord restrained, forcing him to struggle against the tightening chains. He thrashed, trying to break free, but Raze wasn’t letting up. His punches grew even more brutal, each impact shaking the golden armor until visible cracks began to form.
Brigid lunged again, her sword clashing against the enemy’s in a fierce lock, forcing him to strain against the overwhelming pressure from all sides.
Meanwhile, Atlas was closing in. His focus was razor-sharp, his eyes locked onto his target. A smirk played at his lips as the opening he had been waiting for finally revealed itself.
The elemental particles in the air stirred, responding to his presence, wrapping around his body in shimmering currents of energy. Lightning surged through his limbs, propelling him forward with blinding speed.
The enemy lord’s gaze snapped toward him, teeth clenched in fury. "You think you can kill me?!"
Atlas didn’t even flinch. His spear shot forward, unstoppable.
"Damn you, I’ll!"
The enemy lord’s words were cut off, literally. The spear drove straight through his mouth, the sickening crunch of bone and metal ringing out as the tip pierced through his helmet.
Atlas clenched his jaw, yanking the spear back in a swift motion, sending blood splattering in all directions.
But the enemy still refused to fall.
Then, a sudden slash from behind.
A massive, final strike cleaved clean through the enemy’s neck. In an instant, his head separated from his body, tumbling to the ground with a dull thud.
As the body collapsed, Brigid landed gracefully behind it, her short red hair slightly tousled from the motion. Her blade still gleamed with fresh blood, and this time, her lips curled into a small, satisfied smirk as she met Atlas’s gaze.
Atlas exhaled slowly.
Was it over?
Atlas scanned the battlefield, his eyes sweeping across the chaos. The enemy forces were crumbling, their formations collapsing entirely now that their leader had fallen.
The echoes of battle still roared through the night, but one by one, their opponents were cut down.
Soon, nothing remained of the enemy forces.
Though the raid monster in the center of the lava pool still raged, Luna’s alliance troops quickly began retreating to avoid its onslaught.
With the dust settling, everyone took a final sweep of the battlefield. No enemy soldiers remained.
They had won.
They had defeated a massive enemy force in a single strike. This was a monumental victory.
Atlas raised his right hand into the air, and in response, a deafening cheer erupted from his troops.
"VICTORYYYYYYY!!!!"
This was a major victory. A massive enemy force had been completely wiped out.
But there was no time to rest yet.
The enemy alliance still had three remaining lords and over a hundred soldiers holding their ground at Central Frostress.
They couldn’t afford to wait until morning. The enemy would have time to recover and strengthen their forces.
This had to end tonight.
The war, this struggle, this fight, must be finished before the night is over!