The Dominance Of The Land Forces

The Northeastern territory, enemy territory, had a similar approach to the southern ruling organizations. Their villages were enormous, but these were much expansive and didn't have complete population in any of them. However, it had more random villages that weren't supported by the ruling organizations. Hundreds of villages of these kind would disappear every year, leading to a decrease in population overall, basically extinguishing the inhabitants outside the recognized, ginormous villages and towns.

The Medium Cities of the enemy territories were placed at the farthest corner from the center, and 4 forts were built towards the middle and the southern shores. In the Northeastern territory, 3 of these were rather close to each other, forming an overextended triangle in the southwest. These represented a dangerous threat to the land forces in the south.

As for those villages, they were commonly eaten and went extinct by the clutches of Fauna and environmental conditions. The northern ruling organizations overly worked the resources in the Region, leaving the nature in other places without tons of heavy machinery, suffering the aftermath. Thus, the discontent those few tens of thousands had towards the ruling organizations was severe.

Unfortunately, compared to the population living within those recognized settlements, they were the thinnest minority. As soon as the land forces went inland, they found many of these villages without any cultivation aura around them.

The vice commanders could only frown at the situation. They sent Teams to subject the villagers under their command. However, they received a near-worshiping welcome from them, leaving the vice commanders stunned. It didn’t last long, though. The villagers wanted their protection, to live, to be safe… They just wanted them to take over and promise them that life would be different.

Instead of responding to the villagers how they were brainwashed to believe the south would reply, the vice commanders actively gave the green light to promise these villagers their safety. Each vice commander’s 50,000,000 auxiliary units traveled to the villagers already under their conquest, which the soldier units had already galloped, flown away from, or drove away and didn’t plunder.

The auxiliary units rapidly got to work, inscribing array formations and giving abundant fasting pills and food rations for the upcoming years, even building them a storage and telling them that new residences will be built for them in the subsequent years. With this, as the soldier units advanced, the inhabitants who have relied on themselves to survive were finally given a helping hand for nothing in exchange.

The soldier units continued inland, but just as they were nearing the fort they were warned not to approach, realizing it was impossible to ignore it as it was far too close to the other settlements and had an open firing line. They were ordered to stop and take shelter in villages for a few hours from the headquarters by their Army Group commanders.

Although it was understandable, this gave the enemy a lot of time to respond. Indeed, the espionage that sneaked into the enemy territory as soon as the war commenced relayed information about the enemy preparing their Fauna and armored vehicles, arsenal and ammunition, before setting off towards the forts.

The enemy was naturally fearful of losing those enormous defensive structures, which were only smaller than their Medium Cities. If there were Small Cities, the forts would only be smaller than them in individual territory, equal in height.

While the fort divided their firepower on those enormous villages, destroying most of the settlement’s perimeter, but leaving the smallish area where the land forces protected themselves and dug underneath, hours passed before they were given the signal to prepare to resume their previous orders.

The land forces had 4 army groups separated, which would again separate into 2 groups to raze the enemy territory to the ground.

At that very moment, Anastasia flew from the northern ocean river to the Army Groups in the northwest, from where the 2nd and 4th Fleets disembarked millions of soldier units. When she arrived, the order to resume the strategized plan was still not given, so she had enough time to know who her troops were, and took the role of her military unit’s leading figure.

A few minutes after Anastasia showed up in the Army Groups in the enemy territory’s northwest, elevating the stagnant morale and familiarizing herself with her land forces military unit. As she couldn’t help but feel nervous about leading a military unit on land for the first time, and in a war at that, the order echoed. Anastasia heard the vice commander’s voice, directly ranked the highest above her in the Army Group, and she knew it was time.

She summoned one of the 1,000 enormous wheeled armored vehicles, in which 100 soldier units and several dozen auxiliary units could board, and led her troops into battle.

The plan was simple, but several times more tense and precarious with the addition of the enemy forts. The Army Groups in the northwest would separate into 2, leaving 2 Army Groups to move slightly northwards and plunder any settlement that wouldn’t surrender to them immediately, with another 2 Army Groups forming a line of destruction below. They couldn’t waste time, and the soldier units were to exterminate everyone if any signs of danger presented before them.

The 4 Army Groups in the southwest would do something similar. They divided into 2, 1 Army Group headed northwards, with their objective being a town between 2 forts. It was dangerous, but that was what the Fleets remained at the oceanic riverbanks for. The enemy forts suddenly received tremendous bombardment from 4 full-fledged Fleets that have been trained to Heian Ciemnosc’s standards. How could they afford to divert their attention anymore?

The machine guns and artillery pieces in those forts were forced to return the firepower towards the oceanic riverbanks. If any of the forts’ individual machine guns or artillery guns fired at the land forces, all 4 Fleets would focus their arsenal on said fort. That wasn’t something the 3 nearest forts wanted to see, or could survive. Thus, they didn’t dare even if they were ordered to.

The 4th fort was in the central east, too far from the southwestern shore, but it could still fire and receive firepower from the Fleets. It was constantly fired at by the 4 Fleets’ few machine guns and missiles to remind it what the special operations military was capable of.

On the other hand, the lonely Army Group wasn’t without danger, as it had to move behind 2 forts, which the enemy could send troops at any moment. Conversely, the other 3 Army Groups would employ a lightning tactic and rush southwards, passing by the southern shore without any fear since the aquatic Fauna clan were goners.

Only then did the land forces at the enemy territory’s south understand how important those hours were. So damn important…

Heian Ciemnosc followed behind Anastasia’s troops, which were like a motorized unit in his darkest eyes. And like a pair of parents watching their daughter get to work, scrutinizing her efficiency and progress, he and Sara watched from above as a dozen Spirit Senses analyzed his body, not believing he could sense them.

Heian Ciemnosc ignored them, he wouldn’t become these people’s scapegoat to find a loophole and enter the war. If they did… Heian Ciemnosc didn’t mind feasting and shortening the war.

VROOOOOM, VROOOOM, VROOOOOOM~! Anastasia didn’t lead at the front, but somewhere in the 3rd line, with most of her troops behind her. They didn’t use Fauna, but it didn’t matter as they had to go through a longer trip than the others. Her Army Group was one of the 2 that moved slightly southwards.

Her Army Group wasn’t in the lead so far, but they would be the first to enter the upcoming battles as a vanguard and any other wing. These Army Groups had more key targets to subjugate than the other 2 Army Groups slightly up north. They would also face more settlements readied up with arsenals and cultivators, who had more than enough time to prepare and form defensive positions there.

However, their path was longer, and they would meet those key targets with vast intervals in between, which could be useful for repairs on the move and healing, but also allowed the enemy fort in the central west to target them with ease with as many troops as they wanted.

The 2 Army Groups slightly up north had more Fauna than motorized units, as they would meet their key targets sooner than the other 2 Army Groups where Anastasia was. The short intervals in between would also allow the enemy to prepare various defensive points with as many enemy troops as possible to intercept them. That’s why they had Fauna as mounts the most from the 4 Army Groups sent to the northwest.

“First village ahead! Who isn’t ready to enter battle? Tell me now! I’ll hold your hand and tell you how I saw my people die just hours ago!” Anastasia roared at a certain point.

Nevertheless, Anastasia quickly came up their first target after driving the northwestern shores for less than a few hours, traveling tens of thousands of kilometers. It was a village in the middle of an intersection between a path leading north and another leading east-south in a diagonal trajectory.

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“...” Her soldier units were silent, many thinking that even if they dared to joke now, Anastasia’s father would remind them not to mess with her. However, there was a gal in Anastasia’s armored vehicle who teasingly responded. Her voice was brave and tomboyish.

“Me, ma’am! I need my hands to be held, or I may not know how to fight! As for the stories of the navy… We’d beg you to let us listen after these weeks when we can rest, and have the Calatida Region at our fingertips!” The soldier unit had stood up and stuck her chest out. It was small, and she was blonde, with a headstrong aura surrounding her.

“... Heh, I’ll see to that,” Anastasia was astounded at first. Then, she looked at the soldier unit and nodded, feeling something warm in her throat as it got tuck and returned to her chest. She mentally sighed before grabbing a handle near the door. Then, she signaled at 2 Teams of a few dozen soldier units with her left hand before looking backwards.

She had all her soldier units, including the driver, who let go of the wheel and stood in attention behind her, in her pitch-black eyes.

“If you’re my soldier, then… with me… charge!!!” PUK- WHOOOSH- WHEESH WHEESH WHEESH WHEESH!! SWIIIIISH~! STOMP- STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP!

After Anastasia spoke, she pulled the handle in her hand, and the door blocking the frontal exit immediately slid into the armor’s nook in between. She rushed outside without looking back again. Her body flew forwards as the armored vehicle continued driving, but its speed was now slightly slower than hers, with a Sky grade equipment that increased her speed to the same as a Mythical realm cultivator.

‘Father said… a leader doesn’t question whether to trust their army or not… They only move!’ Anastasia pondered as she jumped out of the armored vehicle and landed several kilometers before it. She could see a village a couple kilometers away, with machine guns already aiming at her and other several million incoming soldier units.

Behind her, the sound of many others flying right behind her tail, and everywhere around her echoed. Anastasia didn’t doubt her father’s words, but hearing her military unit all unhesitatingly moving out of their safe armored vehicles and rushing to follow her in the air before heavily landing on the ground and forming up behind her, she felt… just right!

Pshift- step, step, step, click clack- kank.

The 2 Teams Anastasia signaled to walked to her with a large, mountable device in their arms. Each carried a piece as they stood 3 meters before Anastasia, who took out a strange Artifact from her Covert Space bags. It looked like a miniature staff, 2 forearms’ thick, and shone with a warm, light lime color. Murky green flashes could be seen echoing around it in the center.

PSHIIIIIIIIFFTT~!! The device suddenly activated and assembled on its own before Anastasia as the Teams hurried behind her and took positions. Meanwhile, the mountable pieces of a device floated into the air and mechanically articulated before exuding a tremendously complex inscribed array formation that swiftly formed with Anastasia’s left hand lifted, holding the strange Artifact.

Peeeeeeeeeew-... At the same time as the device seemed to come to live, and the Artifact seemed to complete it, a plethora of shelling was already flying towards Anastasia’s military unit. Hers wasn’t the only one, but it was one of the closest to the village.

-eeeeeww… Anastasia’s pitch-black eyes shone a little as the Artifact’s murky green suddenly glowed with a beam of light from warm, light lime color. Her left hand tightened its hold on the Artifact, and her eyes widened at that moment. With a quick movement, she bent her back and punched the ground with her left fist. The artillery shells were just milliseconds from reaching her and her military unit.

POOM, POM, POM, POM, POM, POM- SSSSHHHH~...

Anastasia’s left punch’s sound was muffled by the incoming artillery shells, as the Artifact in her left hand lifted a smoky, warm, light lime screen of Elemental energy… from the Earth element. The shells exploded on the screens as the device formed a frame akin to a painting, extending over 50 kilometers to the sides and curving backwards to protect her military unit’s soldier units.

Smoke lifted in the air and covered everything. Not just where Anastasia stood as her soldier units lowered their body stance. Every other military unit was bombarded, with the enemy waiting to see what resulted from it, as their Spirit Sense and radars and scanners were failing now.

STOMP… STOMP, STOMP… STOMP, STOMP, STOMP…

“!!” Then, the enemy in the village widened their eyes, incredulous and alarmed, before resuming fire.

TA- RARARARA~... POH POH POH POH POH- PUH PUH PUH PUH PUH PUH…

Bullets rained from the village as the smoke was broken apart by ferocious cultivators from all Races rushing like their lives depended on it! Their arms held a short staff bulkier than most of their body structure’s arms, and their bodies stopped midway as if impacted by the bullets and shells themselves, but it didn’t stop them as they carrier the Elemental Earth Eye forward!

They had dozens, hundreds, thousands, and even millions behind them! Even if their arms broke, even if their Neutral energy, enhanced or not, was depleted, they would not stop!

Anastasia gritted her teeth as she felt the absurd pain of holding such a magnificent protective array formation barrier. Her feet were fast, and her armor helped her mitigate the drawback from receiving enemy fire, but her Neutral Energy wasn’t as sturdy or enormous as those in the Third Step, even though it surpassed her peers by a lot!

Each bullet made a pore in her left from her arm from her fingertips to her shoulder tremble, feeling as if they would break, and more with every subsequent, mighty bullet shot towards her and her soldier units. Each shell scrapped her bones from within, making them screech as she struggled to keep them in place and wondered when they’d break.

TA- RARARA- POH POH POH- PUH PUH PUH. SSSHHHZZZTTT~- STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP!!

The enemy wasn’t shy to bathe the incoming soldier units with everything they had, and missiles flew above the skies from the humongous village as it targeted the rooftops of the earthly barriers. Whenever one descended on Anastasia’s, she’d crouch, but one of her soldier units would rush forward and help her up before she bashed them backwards and continued charging.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked from above as 140 million soldier units terrorized a single village with a little over 2,000,000 enemy soldier units within. They formed a crescent moon formation as they charged, and Anastasia’s military unit was in the second line. She was supposed to be several lines to the back, as the 71 million in her Army Group were all more efficient in this tactic, but this was Heian Ciemnosc’s choice, and her choice, too.

Countless military units 100,000-troops strong rushed towards the village, shortening the distance by 5% every 18 seconds as they were forced to slow down the closer they got to the village. Only those military units whom elite soldier units led broke away from that common sense and advanced faster than anyone else.

“Hm~,” Heian Ciemnosc contentedly watched the lines upon lines of hundred thousand soldier units following their leading figures as Anastasia advanced faster than the standard pace by 2 seconds. He grinned, feeling so proud…

PSHIIIIIIIFFFT… The extreme wings of the crescent moon formation neared close enough to the village. The elite soldier units stopped instead of mindlessly charging and started channeling energy as a whole. The enemy couldn’t stop them as they were already set on the ground, and could only focus on the rest… But they knew what it meant… they were about to be breached, not even besieged.

“GRAAAAAH!! Come with me! Down with the north!” - “HUAAA! Destroy the enemy!!”

The few elite soldiers unit and all their soldier units roared. Their bodies were encompassed with energy before they rushed forth as their Spirit Image exploded from their bodies and created an impossibly beautiful, devastating image.

The phenomenon spread to the rear sides of the village from where it was being closed in. Anastasia spent another 10 seconds before starting to do the same, being the first one beside the elite soldier units and some Officers who had already begun. Her feet barred the dirt and grass as her left arm, bloody and without claws on her nails, made her feel excited.

She started channeling her Neutral Energy, even though she knew it was practically useless here. Nevertheless, she did so, and as her Spirit Aspect showed a combination between a scenery at night of a root and a vine, the 4 primary Elements’ particles danced around her as her tail, similar to Vocón Link’s appearance, floated upwards as if someone pulled it from above.

“HA!” When she felt that her military unit channeled enough energy, she opened her big, pitch-black eyes and let out a sweet barking shout. Her Artifact condensed with 4 different colors before becoming dark for a moment. Then, her Spirit Aspect and those of her military unit lunged forward, diving through the air towards the village’s array formations’ barriers and resistant walls.

PSHIFT- PSHIFT- PSHIFT- PSHIFT- PSHIFT- PSHIFT- PSHIFT!!...

Suddenly, as if time changed, distorted, and warped to favor them. Their Spirit Aspects’ outbursts, from the elite soldier units to Anastasia’s seemed to line up to hit the enemy at the same time. They broke through the green barriers, which collapsed with the uniform, collective attack. Then, the walls were hit, but they were tumbled backwards if they didn’t become dusty ashes in the next moment.

PUUUUKKKFFHGGGHGHHHH~~!!!!

“Chaaaaaarge~!!” Anastasia sweetly roared. On the other hand, the remaining military units didn’t continue to do the same after seeing the village resistant walls fall down. They continued charging forward. And although Anastasia’s soldier units felt their enhanced Neutral Energy unusable, which would proceed for a few minutes, they fearlessly moved into the village, where the enemy had already turtles themselves up.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc watched from above, looking at his daughter who led the soldier units, stronger than her, to fight off a Mythical realm cultivator like a reckless idiot. But the latter was astounded and shell-shocked, and Anastasia made use of that to slice his body and take the first kill. Who would her soldier units be if not hers if they didn’t respond as their blood boiled when seeing this? A Second Step cultivator attacked first and killed a Mythical realm cultivator…

“HUAAAA!!!!!” They charged forwards, bypassing Anastasia’s shoulders. Her blood, 40% dark, and her towering stance gained her respectful glances from her soldier units. As any leader should.

“Hmf~...” Above in the skies, Heian Ciemnosc grinned as he looked down at the completely exhausted Anastasia, who swung her tail’s tip from her lack of physical energy.

…