There in the top of the communications tower lies the struggling 13th battalion members, with the Chief dead, Deva has taken over the role of the captain/chief. With it comes the pressure of the lives of the remaining members. With the waves of barbarians that have been crashing along, there were signs of fatigue and exhaustion on the look of their faces. Lester and Millinda have been firing endlessly at the barbarians to cover BIll and Auburn.
Waves and waves of Barbarians rushes through the members, with constant waves, the battalions mental health has been draining and with the damage and constant repair of the VernonSuits, another 14 waves would exhaust their supplies.
With the ever growing threat of death, Lester frowned and despaired, the fortress he thought would be the most peaceful place was now like hell. Hours and hours of fighting have jaded Lester, with the blank look he looks over the battlefields with his eyes staring far away:
''(We have killed and pilled bodies on the tower, yet even with that, the threat still comes bearing their fangs upon us. So many screams and agony were heard when we glance at the wall where the soldiers who have been dragged to their deaths. Their face of despair was something that i cannot forget.'') Lester stopped and turn to look at his hands, ''(Why am i so numb?, is this the effect of the suit giving me relief? I can't feel the my skin and my body feels like its floating....)''
Lester then shuddered when a roar of blood lust reaches his ears. It was another wave of barbarians rushing through the tower the battalion is holding up. Lester took action, he readied his weapon and tap Millinda's shoulder and gave her a nod. Both of them then take took positions and aim at the enemies......and then with a loud command from Deva the two squeezed the trigger and barrages of ballistic drills come forth towards the enemies. And with the barrage, the two vanguards Bill and Auburn rushes to meet the wave.
Blood spurts as weapons clashes, sounds of steel rings with intense might as the two vanguards decimates the enemies with strikes that are lethal and deadly. The usual banter was nowhere to be found between Bill and Auburn. With the effect of the suit on effect, there entire personality was numbed and replaced into nothing more than soldiers who are like machines. It was the suit that gives them the crutches to stand and fight. Without the Vernon suit, the two would have given up from both mental and physical exhaustion. They were humans after all. The screams and agony of their fellow soldiers have taken a toll on them, they have to watch and do nothing as they drag their comrades into their death and as they cheer with excitement as they get castrated.
The duo fought for an hour and sat when the last barbarian of the wave died. They were tired, they know it isn't over yet. They know that by glancing at the walls that there at least hundreds or even thousands of barbarians coming along their way. They have focused into being killing machines to cope up with the growing despair in their hearts. There was no ''Auburn'' or ''Bill'' on them for now, the two vanguards must be the spear to stab the enemies while Lester and Millinda will continue to become the shield for the two.
And for that. The waves of slaughter continued for hours more. The last maintenance and supplies has been used up. If the horde will still persist then they have to either fight to death or run away and dessert. Deva was standing still, she covered her head with her hands and scratched it......She then turns into her comrades with a series grim expression and said.
''We will die in this fortress, Any of you that tries to run then your gonna get treated as a deserter and WILL be shot in the spot''
The Die of Cast was given, yet the 4 only nodded. Deva stared and turn her back upon them and readier her weapon. Bill and Auburn did the same thing while Lester and Millenda was shivering lightly at the order. Within the battalion the two of them were still holding on to their mind. They grimaced but hold it in and pretended to know. They were scared, they don't want to die in this place. But with their comrades pointing daggers at them....what can the two do but accept it for now?
****
The battalion had abandon the communication tower. There we no point on staying there with the nil supplies.
With the Bill and Auburn leading followed by Deva while Lester and Millinda was at the back. Their target right now was the garage. When the mechanics escaped with the transport machines, Deva found out that even with their cowardice they have spared them the transport machine that was armed with turrets. To reach the garage, they have to crossed the gate hall and then fight their way through the sealed garage on the west side of the fortress.
Making their way through the corridors, they were grunts heard from the barbarians. Bill crouched down and took his tactical blade from his boots, then with a silent rush he stab forcefully at the barbarians throat and gouge all the meat that look like it matters. Then Bill dragged the barbarian into a corner and grabbed one of the covers from a box and covered the barbarian ,then slowly put the body on the box.
The battalion then kept walking silently and hugging the walls as they push forward. They need to keep looking out to avoid attracting the oversized horde.Passing through the room and into the door that leads to the gate hall, they readied themselves because the ones behind the door were large amount of forces if judging by the noise they make.
Deva ordered everyone to take cover on the walls and then Auburn readied himself and with a count of three.......3..........2....................................1.
Auburn rushed out of the door and started brandishing his weapon and launched at the enemy like a predator toward its prey! Then with a wide swing beheaded the enemy barbarian. Then with a loud sound the rest of the battalion quickly covered for Auburn and slaughtered anyone who tried to attack anyone that auburn isn't targeting. Then Bill joined with Auburn and slashed their way through the group of barbarians. With Deva protecting Lester and Millinda who provided long range support, the battle manage to end quickly.
The group,without wasting time hurried over to the door and traversed the hallways and stairs that leads to the garage. Then by accessing the keypads and putting on the access codes that was given to Deva they manage to quickly open the door and accessed the garage.
Then a shadow jumped into Deva and with a swing of a hand,a sharp object thrust into her neck and destroyed the layer of her suit, then with a panic action, Deva pulled her legs and thrust it at the humanoid in front of her!
Then with a skilled action, the humanoid quickly regain his balance and took a stance while staring at the foes before him. This enemy was none other than the leader of the barbarians, BAR KHAN. He predicted that when the foes of such fortress must have a way to escape if things go awry. He was right it seems, he have guessed right that when cornered they would have some sort of last defense or transportation. When BAR KHAN roamed the the fortress while the foes were holed in the tower, he have notice the door that was locked. He tried pushing the door but to no avail he didn't succeed. So if the doors won't break or open then he tried busting the walls, but with the thickness of the walls it was all in vain trying to dent it. So BAR thought, where would be the place that has less defense? Then after having the thoughts, he quickly rushed up and saw the smoke vent on the roof of the place and with his brute strength, he destroyed the place enough to make a hole on it. Then finding such thing , he then ordered the rest of the Overlord types to smash the turrets apart and the things that look like it matters.
Facing them, the leader of the barbarians look at them and then did something that shocked the battalion.
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''Greetings our prEY, I am the Leader of the KHAN tribe. I have come here to do something clearly you should all know by now! And that is to invade the lands beyond this fortress!" said with a mocking tone..
Deva was flabbergasted by the ''barbarian'' that speak their tongue. Then with a confused tone she said ''You can talk? And you can understand our tongue?''
''Didn't i just speak to you with something you can understand? Hmmm, it's kinda fitting that you fools who rudely calls us ''Barbarians'' would say such thing.''
'But how did you learn our tongue?''
''Hmph, we merely captured one of your kind and forcefully teach me into the language you speak. Do you think that we the tribe of KHAN are unintelligent creatures?''
"Then why are you here! Why are you rampaging around? shouted Deva
""Hmph, since your all going to either die here then let me tell you why. We the people of KHAN have come to this land in search for shelter against the snow and ice that have turn our lands into a barren waste. We have come here in order save our people from dying of starvation! Without lands to cultivate and food to grow, our hunters can't go out to hunt! And without food our woodcutters can't gather lumber to provide us heat from the cold!'' as BAR shouted and asked ''So tell me. What would you do faced with such situation? That would be obviously to find new lands to take as home!
Deva looked at the Barbarian in front of him and stared. His words were reasonable yet Deva was troubled and can't accept it! So she asked. ""Then why have you not come peacefully and negotiate? Why do you have to go to all these slaughter?'' BAR looked at Deva and sneered ""Hmph! Do you think we have not tried? We DID try. but yet when we have step into this continent, all we receive were animals that quickly concluded us a race of mindless savages and slaughtered our kind! We only fought back against the threat yet in the end we were reduced to pieces and was forced to hide on caves and endured the biting cold and hunger as we were force to hunt without food in our stomach and take on deadly creatures that takes 10 strong KHAN's to kill!''
Deva then stared back and said ""But we are not them! This nation of ours is different! We could have cooperate or negotiated! You even learn our tongues, yet why have you not tried ''talking'' to us?'' But with a mocking face the leader of the KHAN's said ""Fool, do you think that with our appearance and the instinct of you fools to shoot us at sight that we are allowed to ever have negotiations and talks? Hmph! then your more foolish than you think! Beings have always feared the unknown! And with that fear they become unreasonable and would turn on their fear and ''defend'' themselves from beings like us!''
Deva grimaced at what the leader of the KHAN said, he is right, Deva admits that when faced with them, her first instinct was to kill them! She was ignorant and concluded that creatures such as them would never learn their language, yet in front of her was a Leader that has done all of this in the name of his tribe. Deva can't refute and can only tell firmly ""You may have the reasons and so....but still we are soldiers! It's our duty to defend our nation at all cost! You may be right and i do sympathized with your reasons but even so! We are gonna defend and kill all of you!''
BAR KHAN look at the warrior in front of him and said ''Then may the strong wins and if you or i can, then we shall do it as painless as possible. The Strong should have mercy on the defeated foe and quickly kill them! This is the mercy that the defeated deserves!''
There was no more words to talk to, thought Deva. All that matters now is the fight before her! If she wins they might retreat back if their leader falls. So she steeled herself and gave up her personality and turn herself into a killing machine! With a step she gestured towards her stunned battalion to step back and then faced the enemy before her!
BAR leaped up from the platform and readied himself in front of the enemy, they walk slowly and took their stances and gauge the distances....and with a sound of the floor being ripped apart the two vanish and started their clashed!
*******
But, what would you expect from an injured tiger taking on a lion? The results were obvious from the beginning, Deva will lost. The sneak attack made by BAR when she entered was already enough to put her injured body into a critical state. Even if the view of her comrades that is matching up with BAR, but yet reality kicks in. There will be no miracles that would save her, only with her skill and luck that she might defeat the foe before her!
But BAR knew, he knew that his foe is on a critical condition. He then, with a quick draw took out his spare hidden blade and stabbed at the foe's stomach with extreme accuracy!
Deva then throw up a mouthful of blood as the blade pierces through her Suit! She then continued to stab at her enemy like a crazed up animal and paying no heed to the blade that struck her!
BAR looked at the enemy and was astonished by the tenacity of his opponent to ignore pain. BAR obviously don't know that the Suit Deva was wearing was giving her immunity to pain! BAR was delighted as a warrior and so without further due lift his Main weapon that was made out of fangs and bones and slash at the enemy right into the chest!
Deva step back when the slash was directed to her and then rolled straight into BAR's legs and thrust with speed and twister her body to inflict damage!
But BAR who was in better condition leap up into the air and then using his full body weight, added with the momentum and speed from falling, he sliced up the layer of Deva's suit and with a loud bang, pounded Deva's body right into the ground mercilessly!
Deva felt impact and spurted blood all over the place and then without waiting for her enemy to struck again, rolled away and stab her weapon into the enemy's thigh!
BAR feeling the coldness and pain of the weapon pulled his thigh away and then use his fist to struck a blow right up into Deva's abdomen which furthers the spread of her wound!
Deva felt hazy as her entire body shivers! She was without a doubt just 3 steps away to the grave! She knew that she wont last long and leap back into her squadron and said ""ALL OF YOU, RETREAT! I SHALL HOLD HIM IN THIS PLACE!''
The stunned squadron woke up from the stupor and nodded, there were no words or disagreement they can muster from the bloody Deva. They turn their backs on her and stride away!
Deva look at the battalion then tearfully said goodbye in her heart and then look back at the barbarian in front of her and dashed once more! Slash!Stab!Kick! and so her actions go on! With the intense clashes the critical Deva was filled with scratches and tear! Her Suit was utterly hack into pieces! Her clothes were slightly revealed and the right side of her suit was hanging unto her! With a forceful pull, Deva ripped apart the hanging parts of the Suit and continued!
BAR look at the desperate foe in front of him and then recalled the words he have spoken! ''The Strong should have mercy on the defeated foe and quickly kill them'' He have gone to enjoy the crazed actions of his opponent that he have forgotten! He then steeled himself and chop at his enemy with lightning speed and dismembered Deva's Sword hand! Then followed with a kick right through her stomach which made Deva fell into his back!
BAR look at his feet where his enemy is upon to and said ""It's over, i shall get you to rest!''
Deva was staring as if time slowed down in front of her, she glance at the incoming weapon that will end her life and then grinned shockingly and said ""Heh, im coming after you now Chief!'' then with a sound of flesh cutting, her head was struck by BAR's weapon which killed her instantly!