"Raise high the black flag, children, no pity, no prisoners, I'll shoot any man I see who has pity in him."
Sergei said to no one in particular, though the civic guard next to one was horrified by his words.
"You... Milord, you mean what you said just now?"
"No, I'm just bored. Say, did you see them pick my bow?"
"No, my lord."
"A pity. So, I used no crossbow right, it was damaged early on, by one of the rogues, right?
Sergei said to the civic guard, pointing to the damaged string of his crossbow, one he made by himself.
"Yes, sir."
"Good! I've always known you have a good head inside that thick skull of yours, keep that up and you'll be promoted anyday now."
The captain and his men reached the place where Sergei Leian and company once stayed at, after searching a little, a soldier found a bow.
"Sire, this is a bow."
"Sergei Leian! What the frick? Is this his plan or something? Nevermind, I'll know once I ask him, onwards men, press the attack."
The rogues, scoundrels and the scouts easily defeated the 2 guards stationed on the HQ and cut off the flag, they even found a map detailing the positions of every defense and their corresponding duties.
"With this, our job will be easier, okay, everyone, I'll be sending you your orders. We'll just send 3 people to beat their 2-man teams and we're good to go. Everyone, countoff."
"95 is the last number, sir."
"Okay, separate into 3-man teams and head to these places, I want everyone to deal with this people as soon as possible. You and you, with me, we'll stay here to wait for the captain."
"Ah, this battle will be finished soon, what's for dinner by the way?"
"Erymanthian boar steak."
"Nice. Gotta thank the chief cook for this, he summoned them himself you know."
"Of course, we know that, every chief cook in the army and navy has gotta be a horned god, you know, only they can fit all the job requirements of a chief cook."
"By the way, this is rather out of topic, but you don't want to see an angry chief cook, I bet they can grow taller and bigger than even a juggernaut. Scary, right?"
"Only a recluse from a cave doesn't know that stuff. Ever since that day when the Great Emperor and his army returned from Moosecow after the failed invasion of Frostland, he decreed that every chief cook needs to have the same capabilities of a horned god."
"To bad the Great Emperor wasn't able to come back from that failure."
"Yeah, when he was finally defeated at Walter's Rule by that halfling Bluecherry and that elf Lesley Wells and their armies, how great is the sadness of our people."
"True, true."
"Luckily for our human nation, we finally managed to start the ultimate necromancer spell, age of death, allowing all our dead soldiers and generals to rise up and face the seven race coalition. That fateful day in Verdun, when Pettin Montblanc stopped the warmachines of the dwarves and the halflings from entering the vulnerable hinterland of our great nation. Thankfully, he held long enough for one of our marshals to comprehend death and create the strongest undying army. I bet that was spectacular yet terrifying for our enemies, seeing such an endless undying army coming at your way. Sadly, the emperor didn't take too well upon being turned into an archlich."
"Such is the emperor's magnanimity for even giving the eternal magic of necromancy to other countries, Such a great man, the emperor, VIVE L'EMPEREUR!!"
"That story was rather controversial, they say, for the reason the emperor spread the art of necromancy was for other nations to suffer this depravity too. There is a rumor circulating in the capital, of the words the emperor said to the leaders of the other races. ''Living like this for an eternity is a curse rather than a blessing, I'll give this to you, just so because I want to see you suffering the same plight as me'. I don't believe them for how could the emperor say such stuff that wishes ill to the others. I can only thank the emperor for sharing the greatest gift of life, the power of death, to all the races and nations. VIVE L'EMPEREUR indeed!!"
Meanwhile, the rest of the rogues, scoundrels and scouts have passed through some areas and have engage the civic guards patrolling in them. At first, they would have the advantage, but soon, more 2 person teams of civic guards would arrive disadvantaging the 3-person teams. Then, they would soon be wiped out once another 2 person team arrives. As more and more 3 person teams get wiped out, the more 2 person teams get freed to reinforce other 2 person teams. Finally, the rest of the positions from the Aftmid defense line would act in their respective areas.
When the captain and his men arrived at the HQ, he found out about the rogue's plan, so he sent the remainder of his troops, about 23 martyrs and 17 monster hunters to clear the remaining positions not covered by the first wave of troops.
Upon reaching these positions nearer to the headquarters, these men soon found that the enemy has sallied out of their defenses, so they decided to fight them too. Fortunately, the close combat effectiveness of the monster hunter in direct combat is pretty good so they can last long enough for their reinforcements to arrive. As more monster hunters and martyrs arrive in the commotion, more and more civic guards also keep arriving, until finally, they managed to connect with the outer circle surrounding the headquarters, the battlefield where the rogues, scoundrels and scouts went to.
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The battle in the inner and outer circles of the midfore turret HQ becomes more loud, attracting the attention of both sides. Soon, the both sides became aware of the others commotions, so the Captain's men from the outer circle decided to retreat back to the inner circle. Sadly, no rogues remained because they we're wiped out due to their unfamiliarity with non-lethal combat.
A few minutes ago, Serge and his companion arrived in the aftmid line, gathering every troop he has left there. As he waited in the place where every patrol overlaps, he finally knew the exact amount of troops he had here. About 37 people remained, so he took them to the outer circle of the midfore line, gathering all his troops there in the place where everyone's personal route also overlapped. When Sergei and 52 civic guards reached the inner line, he found out about 15 monster hunters, 6 martyrs, 19 scouts and 16 scoundrels fighting a group of 11 civic guards. Seeing that his civic guards in the inner area we're almost wiped out, Sergei lead the rest of his men into the fray.
"CHARGE!!
He screamed while running to a monster hunter and using his shoulder to hit the opposing man's upper body. He then swiped his mace outwards to a scoundrel who tried to cut him with a wooden dagger, blocking the dagger and he used his leg to trip the outbalanced monster hunter, then smashed the monster hunter's face with the returning inside swing of his mace. He then blocked a monster hunter's claymore with his lute, and he kicked the poor guy in the knees, and slammed the lute in the the head of the guy as the guy fell.
Sergei then grabbed one of the daggers on his waist and threw it to a scout powerfully. It hit the poor scouts head, knocking him out cold. He then randomly threw the rest of the daggers to the enemies he can see around him. Hitting at least 3 enemies, and 2 allies with his 6 daggers, disabling 3 people, 1 enemy and 2 allies. Sergei then screamed sorry to his unlucky allies who we're sent out of the battlefield.
Without any daggers, he then smashed the mace to a monster hunter, who blocked the attack with his wooden claymore, and another nearby monster saw the situation, dropped his claymore and grabbed Sergei's hand holding the mace, wrestling with Sergei as he hoped his allies would take the chance to knock down Sergei Leian.
The other monster, after suffering the hit, was slightly disoriented but he soon joined the other monster hunter in fighting Sergei Leian. The other guy was grabbing Sergei Leian's hand, so he pulled on Sergei Leian's mace with every bit of his strength. The situation becomes increasingly serious for Sergei when a scout saw their contest and decided to swoop in and save the day. He sprinted and tried to tackle Sergei. Sergei Leian then spread his legs, and removed his grip from the mace, unbalancing the monster hunter, making him fall with the mace backwards. Then Sergei never even felt the hit as the scout made contact with him, Sergei then followed up by punching the other monster guy in the face and Sergei then clasped the Scout's waist, gathered power on his legs and heaved the poor scout on the air with his hands almost fully stretched like a barbell snatch, seemingly unable to feel the scouts weight and then slammed the poor guy to the monster hunter he threw a punch on, knocking both to the ground, unable to move.
After seeing his almost monster like strength, the audience around the area cheered loudly, seemingly satisfied with the entertainment.
The rest of the enemies soon waivered and then they still decided to charge Sergei, hoping to at least remove him from the fight and give a chance for the rest of their allies to make a comeback. They ran to Sergei, but he responded by running at them too, first he crashed on the monster hunter who has his mace, then he gathered his strength and slammed a charging scoundrel, grabbed the mace and swung it with a backhand to another monster hunter, hitting the guy's upper back and then hooked the inside of the monster hunter's arm with his mace and used the monster hunter guy as a shield to block 3 men's attacks. The hesitation can be seen from their eyes as they tried to avoid hitting their ally, but Sergei would have none of it as he stuck his hand with his mace on the guy's throat and rammed the monster hunter to the middle guy. He then kicked the farther man from him with a back kick to the stomach and grabbed the closer man's head dragging it for a moment, until he also grabbed the head of the man he just kicked in the stomach, pulling both their heads and smashing them onto each other, the audience, seeing that display also roared again. Before he can do another thing, his civic guards decide to rally on him, pushing their way across the enemies' formation that was just recently broken by Sergei Leian.
With nothing better to do, Sergei Leian took a little break before out putting dps with his mace, knocking any enemy that was occupied by his allies. He did that until every enemy has been defeated, with the unlucky enemy suffering more grievances that they ever suffered in other mock battles. Most were knock unconscious, or either disabled, a far cry from the other men who just got sent out with a good hit that is supposedly fatal in a real battle. Unlucky for the guys who have to face Sergei who is a bit heavy handed, more than even the warbreed actually, for these warbreeds would only use balloon like clubs filled with air when participating in mock battles. He took count of his men and found that he still has 32.
"Not bad guys! To the headquarters!"
"Yes, sir!"
Due to his recent outbreak, his soldiers didn't dare call him survivor anymore. They walked to the headquarters who soon became aware of their movement.
"Oh, what are they doing here? Is this their final plan, to trick us to send our troops into a wild goose chase while they send in their reserves to capture the enemy leader, how ingenious. Oh well, a defeat is a defeat. We surrender!!
"Sergei my friend, Your skill in battle is a bit unrefined but you have cunning, and I'm rather impressed with your performance. But I'm rather pissed that some of my men got injured during the fight and I'm afraid they won't be able to continue being a soldier anymore."
"WHAT? SOMEONE WAS INJURED? HOW CAN THAT BE! HEY GUY WHO HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR A LONG TIME, GATHER ALL THE CIVIC GUARD MEN, WE MUST INSPECT EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY AND INVESTIGATE EVERYONE'S SIDE OF THE STORY!"
As Sergei was shouting, the captain soon passed the battlefield in the outer circle, and he was dumbfounded upon learning the cause of such a disaster.
"What? You mean that guy did that?
"Yes, milord, he was rather rough and can almost match the warbreed and knights in strength."
"Then there's no doubt about it. Only he can be this unscrupulous, none of my civic guards are capable of such atrocious actions."
The captain and the rogue signaled to each other using the shapes of Mana. Sergei Leian felt a slight chill, and look around him, until he finally heard something that concerns him.
"SERGEI LEIAN! STOP PRETENDING AS IF YOU KNOW NOTHING, YOU EVILSPAWN, I KNOW YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID IT. DON'T YOU EVEN FEEL SORRY FOR THE LIVES OF THE TWO GOOD MEN YOU JUST RUINED?"
"It seems that saving you was actually a mistake. A man must be responsible for his actions and you Sergei Leian, is not much of a man after all. You are a coward, afraid of his own shadow and skeleton. I don't know how you did all that, and it is rather wasteful for a man of your talents, but with my current understanding of you, you're reckless and unprofessional and I'd rather have nothing to do with the likes of you. Once we reach Monty Creasethon, leave and take it as if we have never met. Now excuse me for I have something that needs my immediate attention."
The captain left the juggernaut in order to check on the injured persons, leaving his men to secure everything that needs to be secured.