27.

A pug ugly man stuck his head out of the tank’s hatch, a halo of chestnut brown hair cut tight to his scalp. The center of his head was sunburned and flaking, dead skin pulling back from his bright red scalp. A five o’clock shadow darkened his jowls, black rings beneath his bloodshot blue eyes as he met Erak’s gaze.

“Fucking giant’s ass, you’re huge. I can’t see shit through this new fucking port, I’m going to ride up top and you’re going to keep me alive with that huge fucking shield!” The man spun and wedged a black boot against the hatch’s edge and pulled a caster from the interior of the tank. The man looked around again as they broke free of the smoke screen.

“Name’s Del! Now, get off your ass and cover me!” The irreverent tanker scanned the ruins of the city, demons running and screaming about, bolts of hellflame splashing harmlessly off the silvery hide of the tank. Erak shrugged and rose up higher, tanking his position next to the tanker and lifting his shield to protect him from the knot of demons in the half destroyed row of houses to their left.

“CONNY! LEFT 7 DEGREES. SECOND STORY!” Del’s roar was a bass rumble that rolled over the sounds of the battle with ease. The tanks stopped with a sudden lurch and the cannon twisted, tilting to the side and aiming at the houses that Erak had seen movement in.

Another flash as the cannon spit fire and the second story of the building disappeared. The thunder crack of the blast of displaced air rolled over him like a wave. Erak smiled as pieces of demon rained down on them, Erak raised his shield over his and Del’s head.

“I fucking love this damn thing! Oh fuck me, those fat, ugly, bastards!” Del pointed out a half-dozen Flesh Golems lumbering forward. Erak watched as the second tank fired and one of the golems was dispersed across the street in pieces. Their tank fired and a pair of the golem’s lost their legs. Waves of singular caster fire washed over the remnants of them like a wave and they fell under the barrage.

Erak had never participated in a battle of this scale and he could not help but revel in the size of it, the scale. Those golems were powerful creations, used to be hammers to crush the defenses. Now nothing more than scraps of meat and twisted metal.

“Send someone to go get those cores! We’re burning through ours too fast!” Erak turned back and looked at Nevia, meeting her eyes as he lifted his spear to the pile of carnage.

“CONSTANCE! You and your squad get those cores. Everyone else, lay down covering fire!” Nevia’s voice was a bullhorn in the chaos. Constance nodded and waved her four soldiers with her, all of them staying low to the ground as they raced toward where the golems had been destroyed.

“Knock when you’ve got ‘em” Del said, slithering back down into the tank and closing the hatch behind him. Erak looked around and saw the surge of demons that Del had spotted before ducking back in the tank.

Erak landed heavily, stone cracking under his feet as he lifted his spear and shield. The leading Infernal Soldier hesitated, urine yellow eyes widening with fear as it hefted its own spear and looked about. Erak leapt upon it, his boots trampling it into the ground as he struck the demon behind it.

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He felt the demons squirming and crying underneath him and a knife scraped across his shin, grating on the metal in a shower of sparks. Erak killed a second demon as it ran toward him, spear punching through its chest and lifting the creature up and off the ground. Erak shook it like a terrier did a rat and then threw the creature down to splatter in front of the rest of the squad of demons.

He jumped and landed in the middle of them, his spear flashed and his spear crushed, the foot soldiers chaff around him. Bolts of caster fire singed by and more of the demons died. Imperials ran forward, their weight blunting the demon's attack.

Erak spied a foe rushing forward, a large shape stirring the black clouds of smoke. Flickering fires cast strange glows off its pale armor as a golden axe shone through the gloom.

Fallen Empyrean Axeman lvl. 16

It had the face of a man, golden hued skin traced with black lines of pulsing corruption. Red sores wept puss and blood as crazed, bloodshot silver eyes tracked Erak. Armor was tarnished white, pitted and scarred, and the seven foot tall warrior carried a double headed axe that glowed with an intensity that threatened to blind those around it.

Caster fire hit its armor and bounced away, denting and scorching bits of it, adding to its disarray. It opened its mouth and rotting brown teeth showed as it cried out in a clarion call.

Erak charged it before it could hit the thin line of the Imperial vanguard. The Empyrean saw him and smiled, the axe flashed and six men were bisected in a haze of light. Erak snarled in rage and crashed into the creature, the sound of the armor hitting a dull gong.

Erak stabbed and twisted, wedging a hand into the Empryrean’s tangled white hair, wrapping it around his fist as he tugged it into a building. They crashed through a partially broken down wall, rolling and spitting, both weapons lost as they punched and kicked. Erak kept his shield, as it was strapped to his arm, and he rained blows down on the axe fighter.

The Empyrean wedged a foot between them and then Erak was sailing across the room, splintering a table as he landed heavily. The air whooshed out of his chest and Erak groaned as he got back up and looked at his opponent.

The Empyrean lifted its hand up and the axe materialized in a flash of golden splendor. The rotten brown teeth peered out again at Erak as it began to laugh, a clear sound like the ringing of a bell.

Erak rolled his neck and marched toward it, fearing not the blade that flashed at him. His heavy shield rose and met the blade and for the first time Erak was driven back, the strength in the blow staggering him as the Empyrean grinned and continued to throw blows like a crazed man.

Erak’s armor held up, but he was being tossed about like a ragdoll. He gritted his teeth and ducked, letting the axe sing by him and rising with a powerful uppercut that cracked into spoiled brown teeth. The crunch of bone was satisfying, the Empyrean tripping backward and spinning around to regain its balance, axe slashing the air behind it in an attempt to ward Erak back.

Erak wasn’t following up his attack. He had found his spear amongst the detritus and picked it up. The familiar heft of it was already a welcome change and Erak met the creature’s eyes once again. It spat broken teeth out, mixed with red-black blood. Erak smiled wider and felt the instinctive use of his new skill. Erak lunged, activating Spear Strike.