章 35: War for Blueleaf - 5

Sauruüne was very strong against the nemean riders for 2 reasons. His rank 5 class allowed him to become ephemeral, having physical attacks going right through him. Every rider was a close combatant. Also, Sauruüne had incredible energy reserves and could fight for months without stopping once. His short maces and his way of handling them made him a fearsome warrior. Aldo, his ego hammer allowed him to rip through space and deliver blows from afar. While he didn't manage to kill Nemean lions using this technique, he could still damage their internal organs, without being lost in breaching their incredible skin. The lions had incredible physical strenght and muscles. These muscles allowed them to be extremely fast and strong, moreover, they were so strong that they managed to absorb the shock from internal attacks.

The Unshakables and Jarral's vanguard army were fighting with Sauruüne and on the right side of the Western bridge. Many rank 5 orc warriors bravely attacked the numean riders and helped Sauruüne. Jarral himself was fighting directly with him.

The Unshakables were fighting less elite troupes and were fairing decently well. They were fighting with Hulnel's army. Hulnel was a rank 5 nature's crusher. He was wearing 2 totems strapped on his green heavy armor. At every swing of his big hammer, either lightning, or any other element was sent to kill enemies. He was extremely strong but a bit on the slower side.

Garrek was a rank 5 battlemaniac. This epic class provides him with various buffs when fighting in battles and wars. Having great experience in wars, he could kill various enemies and protect himself well. He and the 2 rank 5cprc warriors went to Hulnel's side and were ranked with his protection. While they were killing less enemies, Hulnel could focus on the offensive without caring for defense. The nature crusher exposed his frightening firepower, destroying ranks of legiond of imperial legionnaires.

The Unshakables were spearheaded by Medea and the Aries warriors. Arthur and the Aries'horns were specifically supporting her. By cooperating with Jarrel's orcs and Hulnel's yakmen, they managed to advance through imperial ranks. Varna's magic was especially harmful and made the Imperial soldiers sluggish and weakened. They were not a match to the Allies forces.

While Ivan and the imperial royal knights were fighting Andros and Dizio, the latter were on the defensive. Ivan was a genius among the Empire and could overpower both Dizio and Andros.

Slash.

Yamamoto Kureshi and his personal guard cut through the rear of the Imperial forces and managed to reach Ivan and his elite troops. He was surrounded by Elite forces of the Blueleaf kingdom, elite mercenaries of the Shurissi clan and Blacksaber clan. He was not fazed in the slightest. He turned slowly and faced Yamamoto.

"Yamamoto Kureshi, the infamous colonel of the Blacksaber army. It is not a real surprise to see you here.

I am a general now.

You are, and I understand the reluctance of Blacksaber in making a general out of a colonel that leaves the protection of his troops to fight enemy fenerals. Weren't you fighting Jackal and Teresa in the Glimmering Mountain range?

We still are, I just thought that I will be able to have more fun fighting a sword genius such as yourself.

When you will die by my hand, you will understand why a general shouldn't leave the frontlines thoughtlessly! Thank you, Kureshi. Thanks to you, I will gain large achievements."

Yanamoto Kureshi zoomed to Ivan. His black aura was suffocating. He slashed with his two sabers, sending powerful energy blades. His aura was coating his body and dragon like energy scales grew over his armor. Black aura tattoos were covering his black eyes and a mustache made of aura was flowing above his upper lip. 2 black antlers made of aura were above his head.

BOOM!

Ivan had a lion like face made of Thunder over his blond hair. His eyes were slit and pulsating with blue Thunder. His canines elongated and an electric armor made of aura and mana was coating his body. His lion was similarly coated with lightning. They were very strong.

Yamamoto was a genius among the Blacksaber kingdom. He was a genius in saber arts, and an incredible swordman and soldier. His tendency to fight in the frontlines made him have late promotions. Without ever changing his style, he managed to rise to the position of general, simply by raking up achievements through direct fights.

Ivan thrusted his sword while his lion clawed Yamamoto. The latter jumped over Ivan and sent 2 rapid sword slashes that were blocked by a Thunder shield. Andros zoomed in and thrusted his spear behind Ivan, wanting to skewer him and Dizio slashed Ivan, hoping to injure his left side.

Ivan sunmersalted over his lion and attacked both warriors, sending them backward.

Yamamoto resumed his attack and slashed at his head. Ivan blocked the slash and send a Thunder bolt crashing on Yamamoto.

The monsters resumed their fight and kept on killing.

----

The right side was in shambles. The pharaoh legion was mainly rooted and the Nemean cavalry and steel knight were cutting through the allied ranks.

The Western bridge was in chaos. Sauruüne was in the middle of a very hard fight. He and Jarral were fighting a very strong cavalry. The breath of the salamanders were not harming them in the slightest and the riders were powerful warriors. While he did eventually manage to kill several riders, very few lions were killed.

Sauruüne kept showing his might and was leading by example, killing and asking.

----

It was now late afternoon. The Unshakable have been continuously fighting and the imperial forces' formations were extremely troublesome. Many goblins were killed and few orcs as well. The advance of Medea and the Aries was quite something and the hoplites were a spiked moving wall they were the elite among goblin troops and the earliest summons of Ezyze, trained by Arthur in Aries hoplite formations and spearmanshim and shield mastery. They acted as one, attacking as one and defending as one. The Entgoblins were strongest of them. Frobmin freezing imperial soldiers and releasing torrents of ice leaved magic, Whoblin and Golblin were healing and boosting nearby forces. Not only Unshakables but orcs and yak beasmen. Ghoblin was killing machine and his spores made the enemies mad and many of them tried to kill allies. Broblin was the unmoving rock that directed their formation. Goblun and the 8 horns were fighting fiercely. Still, they couldn't help but look at the fight between Ivan and the others. The way Ivan used his sword and Yamamoto his saber were especially inspiring to them.

Rimuru and Firlin, the mad pyrokinesist and the other ranged goblins were a force to reckon. While the other mage goblins had to take some pauses, Rimuru was invoking and controlling many slimes. She was poisoning enemies that were easy pickings for the Unshakables. Firblin was a flamethrower. He never stopped lightning things on fire, never once. The were attacked by imperial troops sometines, but he scorched them do death or made his fire mana explode, damaging many imperial forces that were nearby. They were then killed by orcs.

The West bridge had in general a harder time. But they still managed to advance, ever so slowly.

The central bridge was thrown in chaos by the battle between monsters. No one managed to step in and many were either killed or injured by their attacks, while they were not even targeted.

On the Eastern bridge, the various imperial forces managed to pierce the allied defenses. An enormous ram advanced slowly, while nemean riders and steel knights were taking care of the opposing forces. Glant'urit, the centaur general that was leading the Eastern bridge and his personal army were killed.

The ram was now in front of the gate. The cannon and watchtower on the remparts being destroyed by the imperial artillery fire, the allied forces couldn't defend much.

Clang, clang.

The ram battering the gate was echoing in Everain and on the battlefield.

---

On the central bridge, Andros, Dizio, Edigo and even Yamamoto were exhausted. While Ivan was breathing roughly, they were extremely tired. They were now slowly defending against this monster. The 4 were among the strongest fighter on the allied side, counting people from every possible front. Even in the whole Southern continent, they are considered as top tier fighters. Ivan was battling these monsters for hours, sending one powerful magic after the other and monstrous energy slashes. Even now, he kept sending them, while Andros and the rest were cooperating to defend.

All of a sudden, Ivan dodged Andros' thrust and was about to slash his throat when he felt Dizio's slash coming for his ribs. He defended and both he and the lion were thrown in the air. Yamamoto appeared and slashed his throat. Ivan ducked and delivered a powerful slash, filled with mana and aura, sending Yamamoto crashing. Ivan landed and charged towards Yamamoto. Edigo summoned a water dragon and sent powerful water jets, that Ivan blocked with a massive Thunder strike. He eventually reached Yamamoto. He was slashing downward, aiming to behead Yamamoto.

"I told you, little Blacksaber, you are no match for me."

Ptui.

Blood could be seen.

----

Vormverr, the ogre general of the West bridge let Sauruüne handle the battlefield. He took his personal troops, powerful river ogres and water trolls and went in Everain. When he was halfway to the Eastern gate.

Crash!

The gate was destroyed and imperial soldiers slowly attired there.

Vormverr and his troops zoomed and attacked steel knights and Nemean riders. The fight was extremely messy. The ogres' stenght is known by every other race. They are ones with the highest strenght stats. The water trolls were exquisite spearmen, moreover they had high regeneration and could keep fighting while injured - and injured they were.

Vormverr was eventually being overpowered. He didn't manage to hold them all.

Nefrus flew over the Eastwen bridge and awoke everyone. Allied and imperial forces. He raised allies, a taboo in wars, which assisted Vormverr. Vormverr could hold on. For how long, he didn't know.

---

Sauruüne and Jarral were encircled by so may different imperial troops. The nemean riders managed in separate them from the salamanders' riders. Sauruüne kept on fighting, red blood leaking from his armor and gauntlets. He could always become ephemeral and was eventually injured. Small injuries were piling up and he was now bleeding. Jarral was likewise bleeding all over. His chest was moving up and down and he didn't have energy left.

Ariel and Nebrus shock troops were eventually stopped by the Frost imperial troops. They had a high number of magic classes that were wielding ice magic. Annoko Roli as a rank 5 sub zero master swordman and was a swordman wielding a longsword and wielding powerful ice magic in the form of auras. He was a genius on the battlefield and offset Ariel's powers. Varus Rioli was am Ice tundra shooter and a great archer and magician. He managed to stop Nebrus'a magic. Both sides were in a stealmate.

Similarly, all the other Behemoth forces were stuck fighting fiercely enemies.

The nemean riders were preventing anyone from aiding Sauruüne. Even when the Behemoth smashed them, they simply dodged his large strikes and resumed their fight, maintaining formation. Neither the salamanders nor orcs, or anyone managed to pierce through the Nemean riders.

"Arthur, you lead the troops."

Ezyze charged and leaped over various enemies. Manipulating gravity, he went high and crashed fiercely against the Nemean riders that were preventing the allies from helping Sauruüne.

He sent spatial spears after the other and accurately struck the riders' faces. Despite these efforts, the riders stood strong.

4 riders were cooperating to kill Sauruüne, who managed to deal with only 3 of their attacks. The 4th one was thrusting his spear, attempting to skewer him from behind.

Slash!

Ezyze used blink and teleported right behind the rider, and atop the lion. He slashed and decapitated the rider.

The Nemean lion was stunned by having an enemy atop him and trashed around, rejoining the other Nemean riders, that were fighting Behemoth and salamanders. Ezyze kept hacking his face.

The lion threw himself against his allies, literally crashing against some.

Ezyze used heavy mass designator and spatial chains. While the chains couldn't pierce through the tough hide of the lions, they could prevent one from moving. He casted heavy mass designator, a spell that doesn't necessarily cause direct harm but greatly increase the gravity around the target. He manipulated gravity, increasing it even further. This lion couldn't move, and the ones that it crashed into were less fast due to Ezyze spells.

CRASH!

While they couldn't dodge, the Behemoth crashed both lions and riders. They managed to pierce through the nemean defense and rejoined Sauruüne.

"Huff.. Huff.. So you are not only a close combatant right?

I couldn't let you die. We would have been rooted.

And for that, I thank you. Behemoths! They thought that we would be killed! They thought that I, Sauruüne, the ghost of war, would be killed by puny imperial soldiers! Let us show them what we are made of! Let's kill them all!!!"

Rallied, the behemoths fought twice harder. Their leader more or less safe, they focused their entire beings in the enemy in front of them.

The behemoths were tearing through the Western bridge.

---

Ivan slashed downward.

Argia, hidden from sight, appeared behind him and pierced his neck, sending blood flying.

He turned and started to attack her in wild abandon. She dodged or parried every single attack.

"You got distracted, dear prince. A general is a great prize, but us, royalty, are leaders of nations. And I was leading Blueleaf armies against you, did you forget?

SHUT UP BITCH? You think that I will let you off easily? You just hide and dodge. Even with all your preparations, you barely managed to scratch me. This puny amount of blood will be the only proof of you ever harming me!

Do you know why I am called the killer of the battlefield? It is because I manage to survive battlefields, I am fast and have good swordmanship. My daggers can maintain them alive. But how do I kill enemies? Do I cut their throat? In a battlefield where many healers are present, that would be foolish, and I am not as foolish as you, Ivan Goodheart. It is true that you managed to overpower 4 of our bravest warriors. It is also true that like them, I will be overpowered. But why again is the Blueleaf clan famous for?

You poisoned me!! You weak woman! I will kill you! You will die by my hands!"

Ivan then attacked Argia with intense fervor. The 4 legends helped her. And, while they didn't manage to harm him, they kept their lives.

Watershields, Thunder lances parrying Ivan's slashes, Yamamoto cutting the very air that Argia danced on and Dizio slashing his monstrous spear against Ivan, it was a battle between monsters. The Blueleaf poison takes up to 15 minutes to act. The heart does not manage to keep beating, the vision blurrs, muscles are loosing strenght. Ivan kept fighting until the middle of the night. He used his lightning magic so his heart could keep beating. He saw nothing but used his senses to see instead. He was loosing strenght but his magic was unaffected. He. Kept. On. Fighting.

The imperial troops of the West bridge were long gone and the battlefield has long been cleared of corpses and injured. The Eastern bridge eventually saw the imperial troops retreating. They succeeded in destroying the gate and having an access point to the Everain fortress. The steel knights and nemean riders all went to help their prince.

While the fight grew fiercer, Arthur, Medea, Ezyze, Zephyr, Garrosh and the 9 horned goblins watched the fight intensively. It was a lesson of swordmanship for everyone present, besides Ezyze who saw it at the conclusion of a great battle and as an example on how to utilize mana.

Ivan and Yamamoto are brilliant swordmen. Argia wields daggers splendidly. Still, Ivan's strenght and speed is higher. Physically, he overpowers then. He also overpowers Andros, a sphinx, a race known for being strong warriors. It is because of Ivan's swordmanship, a refined art that makes him use the best of his capabilities. Also, the nemean lion that he is riding is a rank 5 monster that is 3 Nevers tall and 5 meters long. This lion is one of the strongest monsters, physically speaking. His predator reflexes are outstanding, his raw strenght is enormous, his muscles allow for lightning fast movements and can absorb many hits. His hide is incredible. Lastly, Ivan's magic is simply unending. His mana does not empty, ever. He keeps throwing extremely powerful - and with huge mana consumption. His lightning form allows him to be incredible strong physically and his magic makes him close to be a God of Thunder. Still, the way that he used his magic was consuming the least amount of mana possible. He was very skillful and a real monster.

Watching this, the Unshakables grew. Their understanding of magic, swords, spears and aura increased by leaps and bounds.

When the first rays of light appeared, the monsters were still fighting.

Dizio, Andros and Yamamoto were fighting purely by instinct. Argia managed to slash Ivan few more times. Edigo was unconscious, his hyppogriff had long taken him in the safety of Everain.

Ivan was still strong. He made Andros and Dizio fly. He slashed open Yamamoto's belly and almost killed him.

His lion was long since killed under the torrent of violence. Many corpses of steel knights or nemean riders were present around. The didn't have the strenght to butt in. The injured went back to the imperial camp.

Ivan grinned and looked at Argia. He charged against her and slashed.

They seemed to be dancing. Every time they clashed, Argia was hurt by lightning magic. He delivered a strong overhead slash and made Argia crash against a side of the bridge. Ivan ran and thrusted his sword. It was deep in Argia's shoulder. He then put all his magic in his sword, electrocuting her. She went limp. Still grinning, he slashed at her other shoulder and focused all his magic in roasting her from the inside.

Crash!

Sauruüne appeared behind Ivan and struck his skull.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

He smashed and smashed the imperial prince, sometimes sending waves directly crashing his brain.

Ivan went on his knees, barely conscious.

Sauruüne cracked his skull and put all his energy on his hammers.

Crash!

Ivan's skull was caved in. He was dead.

Sauruüne stopped, his posture straight.

"What did you expect? This is war! I am the ghost of war! I just killed your beloved prince! Come to me, imperial humans, and have a taste of my wrath!"

To this, every behemoth went out, through the central gate and surrounded Sauruüne. The Shurissi, death awoken and the personal army of Yamamoto Kureshi all banded together on the central bridge. Half the Blueaf army was among them.

The other half was with the birds of prey and the remaining mercenaries clan and were manning the Eastern bridge.

All single imperial forces charged against the Central bridge.

This marked the final struggle for the Everain fortress.