Breaking dawn, the Lunaria Kingdom, their allies and the Venerators that have joined their side have already circled the entire Empire's capital. A large fortress that had sky scrapers on the inside. Normally, one would think having such skyscrapers would be dangerous given by the many ruinous powers that may strike it down.
The army that the Drusken Empire had brought was the largest by far. Amassing to roughly 3 million. Most of them were within the fortress walls. Cannon barrels were sticking out, the War Wings were ready for battle and Joshua has cleared it with all of his familiars. They are to avoid getting into the capital itself. Attacks on the walls and the enemies before them would be enough. Joshua was currently resting as he could only watch the battle from afar. His only chance was through the gate and he would be confronting the masses that was inside the capital.
Right in front of them, were the iron golems that have been armed with weaponry similar to the Vanguard Units. Now the soldiers were a mixed bag, there were even the reported cyborgs with weapons of a variety. From rifles, to swords and machetes. Melee weapons and long range. Face plates, and some of them had their bodies changed far too much. One of them was floating while holding a revolver, showing his left arm separating into different segments that had barrels inside of them.
A few of them looked human, but most of them had seemed lost in terms of how their bodies turned into complete metal. A few of them were human size but Joshua's system was reading them as a major contender against the Crimson Reaper squad. Some of them had their bodies changed to feature skull shaped heads, horns and such.
Concerns over the firepower difference was like night and day. It was unclear if the fortress has its own barrier, or if it was just a type of barrier that focused on pinpoint accuracy. The Lions may make up for the difference in terms of artillery but what about the difference in small arms? That question was lurking on Joshua's mind, the cyborgs may change the battle.
The C.Os and leaders of the Drusken Empire were no joke either, the Enforcers were present but would they be able to win? For once, Joshua felt unease with the odds. The Lions may only engage the golems and provide support fire, but would it be enough? He was down one Rose Knight.
"Lord. Steel your resolve." Joshua heard Commander 151's voice on the radio.
"You can tell, huh?"
"The same thoughts came to me from when I was a young commander. I was watching hundreds and thousands of my people die by my orders. It became easier over time, but it has made me realize how much I've had to abandon many things for the good of my kind. Lord of Thorns. You must not forget. You saved Azteris. You've saved many of us from the fates that may have been tragic. You gave the people of Azteris freedom. Never forget that. There are always casualties, but we must always remember why we fight. This is to save the Iacus of Wise's home from a threat far greater than demons." Joshua was touched, he felt a tear shed from his mask.
"There is no greater honour, than to serve. You are a fine Lord of Thorns." Donovan spoke up, more words of encouragement.
By your resolve to aid Iacus even when facing uncertainty.
Iacus the Wise's strength has been unlocked. The Wise of Darkness has renewed his loyalty.
He will fight this battle with the tenacity of a Lunarian Dragon.
"For the Lord of Thorns."
"For the Lord of Thorns." Commander 151 chanted again and again. The chant was followed by his other Familiars, the morale of their allies were increasing. They too joined the chanting. Joshua could only watch the battle as King Maximilian announced the charge.
"For the world of Duvalis! Charge!" The fight started, where Headhunter fired a shot to the Fortress, watching the barrier form to stop the shot. Dissipating it.
"Yep, it's got a barrier! But it's a selective type! All Vanguard Units open fire at the fortress! Lions, focus on the golems!" BJ spoke, firing off Cascade's railgun. Piercing the barrier of the fortress, striking into a cannon. The fortress's cannons began to bombard the battlefield with artillery. The Cyborgs made their move to attack. The Void Dancers made the intercept to take on the melee cyborgs.
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The Crimson Reapers charged straight into the formation, swinging their blades at the enemy. Tearing the soldiers and the cyborgs apart. A cyborg grabbed Ace's head, firing its rifle into it. Ace's helmet shattered but ripping the heart out from the cyborg as a response. Followed by another Crimson Reaper that blanketed itself in red and white glow, unleashing the power of the dragons in their veins. Sweeping piles of the enemy formation with their blade.
The artillery fire from the fortress had not bothered any of Joshua's familiars, he watched as the Suicide Division's Troopers and Horsemen charged into battle with their bayonets. The bullets and even the heavy rockets struck their bodies, but they kept on charging. Piercing their enemies with their rifles, then firing off their weapons. The drones that were linked to them unleashed covering fire from above, not letting a single one of the Drusken Empire's soldiers or their cyborgs pass the line.
Commander 151 ran into the battlefield with his saber, slashing through the soldiers as he roared.
"For the Lord of Thorns!" A roar that shook the ground as the attacks began to intensify from both sides. The Blue Python's artillery shattered the tank formations, the Nightwings were fighting on as the Beauty Units began to join the battle. The Valiants took up to the skies, leaving the Nightwings to face the Flying Beauties. Guns fired off, swords clashing, blood splashing. Knives going after throats, bullets hitting their intended targets. Some found home in the walls of the fortress or the ground they stood on.
The allied soldiers kept pushing on, Venerators used their powers to break through the enemy formations. Some used their powers to create barriers to withstand the intensive bombardment. The Lions and Vanguard Units unleashed hell on the fortress itself. Joshua was on Zephyr, they both stood watch to the chaos with Seijuro and the two Seraphs.
Kael was lighting his cigarette beside them.
"Is this what you had to do, Kael?" Joshua inquired, a crack of hesitation was leaving his lips. His breathing was uneven, the anxiety of the unknown was taking its hold over his heart.
"Yeah. As the Avatar of Destruction, my offerings are the destruction that I see. Well that was my offering." Kael spoke. His tone was that of an empty vessel, yet the silence that followed his words were far louder than the destruction that was before them. Joshua watched his Familiars fight, if he had fought each of them previously when he was weak. It would have definitely spelled the end for him.
The fight continued as Joshua watched Commander 151 cut down hundreds of soldiers as he leaped onto a commanding officer of the Drusken Empire. The C.O was trying to taunt Commander 151 in an attempt to force the Commander to make a rookie mistake. Only to be struck in the face with a shovel, then hacking the C.O's neck with it. The C.O struggled to get Commander 151 off, clawing his hands with the cybernetic enhancements. It barely did anything to the Commander who hacked the C.O's head off with it.
"Do not let this rabble stop you from our objective! Our fight is for the Lord of Thorns! Show your valor!" The roar had renewed the morale of the troops. Joshua watched Ace fighting like a maniac as he swung the blade. The Crimson Reapers were savoring this battlefield, they were enjoying it. The Reaper's Radiance and Dragon's High began to surface, where Void Dancers began to cut through the numbers as the Daemon Punishers carried their machetes to hack through the enemy lines.
The Ylrin, Bellesk and Arakhai were breaking enemy morale with their skills. Their howls of the Bellesk combined with Lugasa unleashed heaps of morale breaking howls that affected the effectiveness of the Drusken Empire's soldiers. The HDF Blue Python began their fire to whittle away their armored divisions, giving cover to the Goliaths that were tearing through the enemy masses.
Iacus, Donovan along with Maximilian and Aurelia readied their blades for the front lines. The enhanced cyborgs had been debuffed as a result of the Reaper's Radiance and Dragon's High unleashing the aura that was haunting those that were within their reach. Blood spilled on both sides, yet Joshua could only stand to watch as he held a rose in hand. Watching the chaos before him. His MP did not even drop at all as he watched an Azterian Trooper get back up to fight again, despite being riddled by bullets.
Ace was bleeding badly, but even then he merely chuckled to the sight of his opponents.
"So this.. This is what it means to be in pain... I like it!" Ace bellowed as he swung his rifle, firing off shots that left large holes in the bodies of the cyborgs. A cyborg was about to fire at Ace, only to be impaled by Reznok's arrow. She went down to slice the cyborg's body in half. Wielding her plasma sickles that made quick work of whatever weapons they had.
"My cannon's all set." Garm said on the radio, he was at least 50 kilometers away.
"Charge is at 250%. We only have one shot." Pinch Beck informed the others.
"The path to the shot area is clear. The others began moving away from it thanks to the Blue Python's artillery blasts. All that's left are the threats, go ahead, Garm."
"Copy that." A single shot was fired, the projectile flew past above Joshua and the others. Casting a great shadow over them. The fortress barriers were trying to stop it, but was it enough? They manage to hold the bullet in place, but cracking as the force that was needed to nullify such a projectile was far greater than what they had in their disposal.
The bullet broke free, piercing through the gates. Where it left a large gaping hole within. That was Joshua's cue to make his way in. Time to face the Cold Cage.