Reinforcement Unit

Ten days later, in the Care Sub Division's center. Near the enemy’s City closest to the enemy’s central City in the Care Sub Division. Several thousand kilometers away from each other. A battle was ongoing, one of elite student troops versus a massive amount of cultivators. Afternoon.

Step, step, step... rustle, step... Heian Ciemnosc was crouched. A translucent layer of energy covered above his back as he and multiple other thousands around him silently moved forward. They were the Academy's Endless Desert Division army. And though stealth was useless to the First Step, the array formation covering their presence, sight, and auras was one hell of a work the army had ongoing for weeks. Now, the army had sent 40,000 elite soldier units to attack this important City the same day that the main force would start an all-out flash incursion to conquer enemy City after enemy City in a line moving towards the Sub Division's central City.

The operation wasn’t just reconquering enemy Cities in a line until their central City but from one extreme of the Sub Division’s eastern border to the southern border. However, it wouldn’t be that simple. After all the enemy Cities in a line were conquered, except the central one, the army would turn back half its soldier units and return them to the first 3 Cities they reconquered at the southern border.

Like this, the army would send a two-pronged operation. While the soldier units made another line from the southern border, and the eastern army conquered the enemy’s central City, both armies would then expand their rule to the opposite side from the Watery Land Sub Division, effortlessly subduing the Cities farthest away from there and not letting them have a chance to recuperate the new line-border the Academy’s divided army made.

Previously, even if the enemies were lesser and the Cities were also fewer, the army wouldn’t be able to execute such a tough, challenging, and manipulative operation. But after the formation of 12 second-in-commands and 53 sub-commanders were obtained, such efforts were instead easily managed. The army was still whole. It would start sending its troops into the Care Sub Division. Timely so, the elite mini-army Heian Ciemnosc was sent here had 40,000 soldier units. Elite soldier units.

The enemy had been making big moves. They didn’t send more arsenal to the Cities in the Care Sub Division, afraid of being next, and because they didn’t want to give the Academy’s army any more arsenal like this. And they were damn sure to be afraid of giving the Academy a chance to take those mini-turrets for themselves. But for now, the enemy could only silently fear and hope it wouldn’t be too dangerous.

After all, it was simple for the Academy’s forces to charge into the Watery Land Sub Division instead of circling around it to occupy the Care Sub Division. That was the less challenging route. Although the former had a better arsenal and defenses. It would take a long time to reconquer a Sub Division that was long rather than widespread.

However, they couldn’t sit and wait until the Academy’s army took their decision, knowing none of them would have a chance to survive or even a slighter percentage of escaping if their last ally, Sub Division, fell. They sent cultivators to the Cities towards the middle. But they also kept the vital arsenal, such as turrets, cannons, and even bazookas. The latter were very few and were more problematic to obtain than the mini-turrets, but both were of poor quality.

Yet, that quality was enough to threaten all transporting ships the Academy’s army held. But it didn’t matter. The army had already decided to focus on the outer Sub Division before handling the central Sub Division. Their job was to exterminate the enemy, not to fight it and do their bestie-best to win.

Those enemy cultivators had already gone through several Cities, as half had already gathered in the central City. But the other half was waiting for orders in the City ahead, about to be attacked by the Academy’s Endless Desert Division’s army!

“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked down, he saw Violet and the rest. Looking further behind and to the sides, he looked at the other 4 teams under his command, giving them a slight glare before turning to face the enemy’s City walls again. There were 2,000 soldier units in this clique, with Heian Ciemnosc in charge of a fourth of that force. While waiting, Heian Ciemnosc slowly crouched a tad more, stretching his body even though he didn’t take more space.

He slowly lifted his two right-handed fingers after forming a relaxed fist, raised his right arm, and made everyone behind him stern. Their bodies tensed, every muscle and tendon exerting strength and gaining Power Energy’s efficiency as they accumulated it more and more. Ready to unleash it as soon as their team leader gave them the order. The neighboring teams weren’t prepared yet and seemed to be waiting for something. But when they saw the Concealed Ornament Team’s preparations and even those other teams under them. They began slightly getting ready.

Whoosh… whoosh…. Whistle- whoosh… whiistleee~~... whoosh, whoosh… whoosh!

The afternoon’s lights were dissipating. Darkness was starting to fall. The City walls began turning grayer and colorless. The wind blew as it wailed at times. Then, it suddenly became forceful as 2 small dots could be seen past the enemy City high above in the sky. Those dots rapidly became balls before turning into moons. Finally, they came closer and closer until they were as thick as a hill and were flying towards the enemy City!

WHOOOOSH, WHOOOSHHH… What little leaves, cacti, and other unique flora below them became restless. Sand flew around and formed wind-blade-like appearances as it was ushed away. The enemy City suddenly became noisy. Their panic and confused surprise were apparent atop the enemy’s City walls. People moved around. Every elite student troop could see it, gloating over the enemy’s despair at the prospect of their army coming to destroy them!

… pum pum… pum… Some cannons firing away at the transporting ships were heard but couldn’t be seen since they were on the opposite side. The 40,000 spread through the smallish flora watched as the enemy City stopped acting recklessly. However, those atop the City walls were still worried to death. They looked around in the sky to see if any more vessels were coming, but there were not. They felt slightly better with that but were still nervous.

Those previous cannon shells were like a grasshopper trying to jump as high as a horse or a mountain goat, pitiful and disdainful. Then, without diving to the ground, the transporting ships overflew thousands and thousands of meters above the City before halting, astounding, and pressuring the enemy below. They could only think of one thing, but before they knew it, ‘stones’ fell on their ‘doors’ to knock.

Boom boom boom, boom boom boom… From the distance, the explosions could barely be seen. But the sounds were crystal clear, even as they were several kilometers away from the enemy’s City walls. At first, the barrier slightly quaked, not becoming overly burdened by the incoming explosions. Naturally, they had somewhat improved their mix of incomplete shields and array formations. But with Heian Ciemnosc’s scouting group taking a little look at things and candidly asking a few people some questions, how could the army not know it?

But then, as time passed, the transporting ships seemed to have countless weak bombs in their storage, at least in the enemies’ eyes. They and the elite soldier units outside watched as the barrier began undulating and waving, becoming more disordered and weak as seconds passed, until finally, a last, low bomb descended, with which the City’s first defensive measure finally collapsed.

Whistle, whistle… boooom… Craaaaaaaassssshhhk.

The barrier’s sound of breaking spread over the City, and every civilian understood what it meant. One only needed one’s instincts to figure things out. They closed their eyes and embraced each other, waiting for the bombs to smash on them and end their lives in the worst, horrible ways. But they never came, and instead, they once again heard whistling wind passing through their windows as they were safe and sound.

Although nothing would happen to the Academy’s forces if they destroyed the enemy City like this, with all the civilians as collateral. Their goals weren’t to seed fear into the world but to retake it. It was, but more than obviously, stupidity to self-harm one’s goals.

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The transporting ships flew low, facing the side where the 40,000 were hidden, and slowly overflew them. The enemy had become too paralyzed in fear. The unending bombing left them catatonic for a while as they took some time to restore their composure. When they finally did, the transporting ships were still nearby, just over 10 kilometers from the City wells and with their rears facing them.

“Sir, do we shoot?! They are still flying several thousand meters above the ground!!” - “No!! Halt! We don’t have any range, prepare for anything! If they come again, take cover, protect yourself as you have been taught, and stop asking questions about it!!”

… From the enemy side, the enemy cannon teams stabilized and directed their cannons to where the transporting ships were. That’s when they saw the letter open their hatches. Frowning, confused, and taken aback, the enemy stared at the vessels’ rears as they revealed smallish figures… Most of them were at the tip of the hangar and were… aiming at them!

Pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum.

The 2 transporting ships’ main hatch opened completely, revealing rows of the Academy’s cannon teams already set and aiming at the same spot. There was no machine gun, but both transporting ships’ cannons on the main hangar opened fire at the same wall. That enemy’s City wall was before the 40,000 elite soldier units. And when they started shooting, lifting so much sand and dirt and continued to do so for several tens of seconds. Heian Ciemnosc gave the order!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Step, step, step. Daaaash~... … boomboomboomboomboom…

Heian Ciemnosc’s team was the first to charge forward! Their speed was tremendous as the Concealed Ornamental Team led the way, and its subordinate teams followed behind. They were already more or less used to the CO Team’s overbearingness and uncaring attitude to being too fast and reckless. They unhesitatingly followed Heian Ciemnosc as he and his COs went through the smoke, lifted sand, and the wide-open new holes in the walls!

Whoosh- pshift pshift pshift. Cuuh, cuuh, swish, phhshk phhshk, crreeshhk crreeshhk…

Heian Ciemnosc jumped high and went through the smoke, the entire City finally under his Spirit Sense, no longer blocked by the enemy’s barrier. He swept forth and down, his Claws Out, his left palm holding the Vocón Link. His right claw-like hand went low, directly meeting a cultivator’s head that was looking the other way. This cultivator had turned around and looked up only to become startled. Two seconds later, his neck and skull were sliced-through like butter, and Heian Ciemnosc landed on the streets.

At the same time, the soles of his feet felt the ground again, and sounds of flying Power Energy attacks were heard from the sides. Blades, hidden weapons, polearms, and blunt weapons moved through the air before cutting, impaling, and crushing other cultivators’ bodies without stopping. Heian Ciemnosc sensed the other teams in his clique coming. He made his CO Team’s medallions heat up and slowly trekked forward.

His hands were before his upper chest, and his dark claws formed some protection on his chest as dark Power Energy covered his body and began spreading to the sides, where his COs were coming to stand on the frontline with him. The back of his hands was already protecting his heart and lungs, while his claws could block any incoming attack further up to his neck and head.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. His COs stood a few meters away from him and each other, their forearms hugged by a shield tool as it activated an array formation, and light green barriers appeared before them. However, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t use any as he continued stepping forward. They had made some killing at the start but then walked onward into the City.

As they stepped forth without fear or preoccupation with the enemies trying to encircle them, the rest of the team killed them off as the subordinate Teams aided in the process. Even though the transporting ships only used cannons in the main hangar with an elevated position, their firepower was too much. The cloud of dirt and sand gave the best cover for the elite soldier units below to run inside the enemy City through its wall.

The enemy cannon teams weren’t capable of harming them. They were either dead in the bombarding or immobilized after being struck heavily and constantly. Heian Ciemnosc’s Teams and the ones following after them into the City were practically safe. They weren’t the only ones entering, but the City Heian Ciemnosc was in was to be ensured by his clique. Having taken such advantage early on without letting the enemy form up, Heian Ciemnosc’s teams were already opening a pathway free of enemies when the rest of the clique caught up.

“Uhh, team leader. They’re aiming at us!”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc heard Violet’s worried words and looked slightly up. The City walls on the opposite were still alright. The enemy cultivators on them had been negligibly confused but quickly composed themselves. After seeing Heian Ciemnosc’s CO Team, since it was the only one marching into the City. They began aiming at them. But at that moment, Heian Ciemnosc leisurely looked to the right, where a rapidly passing transporting ship with its belly skywards passed with a barraging, rapid-fire atop the walls!

Tarararadaradaradaradaradaradaradaradardaradaradarararara.

The army didn’t disappoint as Heian Ciemnosc’s team continued advancing, and the rest of the clique finally caught up with them. After seeing the trail of corpses Heian Ciemnosc and the rest had left behind, they quickly realized things before rushing to the front, helping the other teams take care of the incoming enemies. The clique leaders also arrived, peak Spirit Rebirth realm cultivation deterring the other Spirit Rebirth realm cultivators as the former went to find the enemy ones.

After the transporting ship passed through the enemy’s City walls, it returned to the back where the 40,000 elite soldier units were hiding and prepared to bombard the City walls again. On the other hand, the transporting ship that had remained behind and continued bombarding took flight, passing over the enemy City and barraging another portion atop the walls. Heian Ciemnosc’s clique continued to march with the second transporting ship’s passing, starting to fend off against late-stage Spirit Formation realm cultivators with their numbers, superior tools, and array formations. It was almost like a battle array formation, rendering the enemy hopeless.

By nightfall, the streets would reek of blood, and flesh would be moved here and there by the auxiliary units with low cultivation base. And the kids, parents, lonely ones hidden, taking shelter under rubble, in residences and sewers, would watch with relish until the danger was gone. When they finally went up, it would be knowing their home was safe after so long.

. . .

Two hours after the end of the battle, the City now belonged to the army, and its troops were taking a rest from the long and bloody scenery.

From the 40,000, 300 soldier units had perished, but 5,000 were seriously injured and even more lightly injured. However, they were in good hands, and their lives weren’t endangered. Everywhere in the City, the lightly injured elite soldier units were resting. They couldn’t enter the transporting ships as they were damaged by the use of artillery on their hangars. In short, the sheer recoil on the hangar’s floor from the constant firing had ruined half the hangar of each.

Heian Ciemnosc lost 20 lives from his subordinate teams and Concealed Ornament Team. While some back in the main force would be lucky to enter the approbation period to enter the Team, he was also in charge of preparations to inform the Academy and relatives of those who died. Violet was also depressed. She wasn’t mentally drained or exhausted, but having so many losses in one battle made her grow up a little. She couldn’t protect everyone unless she gave it her all for everyone, and that couldn’t be done.

How could she keep Esteban, the COs, and her team leader safe if she was gone?

Step, step, step… While the COs were resting with a short line of wrapped-up corpses in the Academy’s burial cloth, Heian Ciemnosc opened his eyes and retracted his fingertips from Sakura’s knees before looking up at Lionel. The latter looked down at Heian Ciemnosc with disdainful eyes and a mocking expression. Lionel opened his lips and spoke sharply, “Tomorrow, you will go to the neighboring Division as reinforcements. They asked for a ‘special forces’ so I’m sending you there. Who told you to be so astounding?”

“My teams?” Heian Ciemnosc simply asked that question and looked up at Lionel. The latter felt silent pressure but responded sharply in the end. “What teams? You are no sub-commander. Those are the army’s and sub-commander’s teams. I have to say, compared to other elite teams, they are very satisfactory. I will give them a lot to work with while you’re gone. Your team’s still yours, whatever. But if any of you want to latch off this kid, you have your medallions.”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc continued looking at Lionel, his eyebrows frowning charismatically without showing any worry or frustration. Lionel looked at his face and felt stupid. After lightly snorting, he left without saying a word. A few seconds later, Heian Ciemnosc felt his medallion heat up and took it out. It had a few messages concerning his role in his next mission and Cari’s message, telling him he’d be promoted before leaving. But he’ll have to depart by tomorrow at the first light. But Cari will at least take care of his teams.

Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t worried, but the probable outcome, which was worrisome, was eased up. Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t afraid his subordinate teams would leave him. They understood well the benefits of being under his Concealed Ornament Team. Even if those teams actually left him, he could just get others. There was no team shortage with good potential, secretly hoping they’d come under Heian Ciemnosc instead.

“Agh~~,” sighing with a groan, Heian Ciemnosc stood up and finished their cultivation base consolidation in-group. His COs stood up and nodded at him, knowing what they had to do. They ordered their smallish team’s members to group and prepare for a little voyage. It was going to be quick but potentially dangerous, too. Violet also communicated with the possible new members since the main force was already in this and near Cities.

…