Book 21, The Peak – Chapter 37 – Eye-Catching
At the peak of the mountain. A wild wind was howling. The Sovereigns were standing there, atop the peak, chatting amongst themselves. The savage battle going on hundreds of thousands of kilometers away was under their complete surveillance.
“Wodred!” The Chief Sovereign of Fate, Orloff, smiled as he glanced at the nearby Chief Sovereign of Destruction. “So this was what you were relying on. Three hundred Seven Star Fiends, and these Emissaries! I really am impressed that you were able to round up so many fearless Seven Star Fiends. Unfortunately, your Infernal Realm still doesn’t have much of an advantage.”
“Don’t talk until it is all over!” The Chief Sovereign of Destruction watched everything with a cold, emotionless gaze.
Hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, atop the Stellar Corridor.
The soldiers of the Infernal Realm and the Celestial Realm were gripped by madness. Under the leadership of the three hundred Seven Star Fiends and the various Emissaries, the soldiers of the Infernal Realm felt their morale swell. The vast majority of them were at the Six Star Fiend level, but a very small number were at the Seven Star Fiend level. They all wildly launched one mass attack after another.
The Infernal Realm’s side thundered forward like a flood, blasting attacks outwards with abandon. As for the Emissaries who constantly flashed about, dodging and launching ambushes, they were like vipers hidden within the floodwaters.
There was no fear in the eyes of the Twelve-Winged Angels. They led the Celestial Realm’s armies in continuous resistance. One Twelve-Winged Angels after another fell, but with each death of a Twelve-Winged Angels, the Infernal Realm also paid a heavy price.
“These Angels really are hard to deal with.” Beirut said with a soft laugh. “They are completely fearless. Even though the Infernal Realm is fighting in such a berserk manner in the Stellar Corridor, they aren’t able to advance a single step forward.”
“The main thing is, the Stellar Corridor is only so wide and so high.” Linley’s gaze swept past the many soldiers, and he shook his head. “The Infernal Realm, in terms of quantity, vastly surpasses the Celestial Realm in this battle. But the Stellar Corridor is only so large. At most, a thousand individuals are able to fight at once.”
“There are two or three hundred Twelve-Winged Angels, all of whom are in a battle formation. They are able to essentially plug up the corridor, and by their sides there are many soldiers of the Celestial Realm who are supporting them.”
Linley understood that if the situation was changed to a flat area or a grassland, then, with soldiers filling the skies and charging from every direction, even hundreds of elites wouldn’t be able to change the course of battle at all. But this was the final battle within the Stellar Corridors; the two corridors were surrounded by chaotic space! Any of these who fell into the regions of chaotic space would definitely die without question.
“Eh? The six of them are finally moving.” Linley couldn’t help but laugh.
Russell, the black-robed Bresle, and the rest of the six, hidden within the Infernal Realm’s army, were finally making their move. The six Emissaries, even when moving alone, had been able to kill tens of Twelve-Winged Angels. Now, however, the bodies of the six Emissaries suddenly began to blaze with Sovereign power.
“Whoosh!”
These six Emissaries, who had been holding back and lying in wait for a long time, were like six bloodthirsty beasts, charging towards a flock of lambs.
“Darkness!”
Bresle’s voice transmitted to the other five.
“Rumble...” Six surges of Sovereign power arose, and the six formed into the formation of a perfect hexagram star. Light flashed, and in an instant, a terrifying surge of energy arrived within the black-robed Bresle’s body. Bresle, carrying the combined power of the six, stared coldly at the enemies ahead of him as he slashed out with a blade...
A blade of darkness!
The surface of the blade that flashed out swirled with a dark light, but beneath it was a multicolored light.
“Bang!” Wherever the blade flashed past, space collapsed.
“Not good!” The Chief Sovereign of Light, Augusta, was watching this battle from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. He couldn’t help but let out a low groan.
Indeed, the situation was grim. The blade light flashed past at an exceedingly high speed. An Angel Battle Formation of six Twelve-Winged Angels that it passed through instantly crumbled into dust, but the blade light continued to surge forward, transforming yet another Twelve-Winged Angel Battle Formation into dust. Only then did the blade light become powerless, dispersing into a rainbow of colors and collapsing.
A single attack had killed twelve Twelve-Winged Angels! This sight caused the situation on both sides, the Celestial Realm’s and the Infernal Realm’s, to change immediately.
Actually, this was par for the course. The Twelve-Winged Angel Battle Formation, with each attack, was able to annihilate tens of Infernal Realm soldiers, after all. This Samsara Battle Formation, formed from six Emissaries, was naturally also capable of killing twelve Angels. In addition, this was with the Angels being in a battle formation of their own; otherwise, they would’ve been able to kill tens of them as well.
“Haha, kill!” The Infernal Realm’s soldiers felt their morale swell.
“Kill the six of them!” The commanders of the Celestial Realm army immediately gave the order. And at virtually the same instant, six Angel Battle Formations, as well as many soldiers of the Celestial Realm, immediately unleashed their most powerful attacks. Their target? Those six Emissaries!
However, even as the Celestial Realm’s warriors began to coordinate, Bresle’s group of six executed their second tactic. “Wind!” Bresle sent mentally with a furious roar. Instantly, six surges of Sovereign power once more began to flow amongst the six of them. Only, this time, it fused into a combination of Sovereign power; around them was now an additional layer of light green Sovereign power.
“Whoosh!” The six Emissaries, in virtually the same instant, began as formless as the wind, disappearing into the Infernal Realm’s army.
The many attacks of the Celestial Realm came to nothing, not able to harm the six of them at all.
“Haha, excellent!” A muscular, steely Emissary said. “Bresle, the idea you came up with really was excellent.”
“Naturally.” The black-robed Bresle said with a calm laugh, “After each attack, regardless of what the enemy does, immediately flee back and go deep into our main camp, then go forth and attack again, before once more retreating! Hmph, their attacks might kill some of the ordinary soldiers, but no matter what else we lack for, we don’t lack for ordinary soldiers.”
And then, Bresle gave the order once more...
“Wind!”
The six Emissaries suddenly dispersed into the four directions, pulling apart from each other as they charged towards the front.
“Earth!”
Bresle issue the order yet again. The six rays of Sovereign power once more coalesced, and a deep, ponderous aura of earth-type Sovereign power embraced the area around them. This extremely powerful energy centered around the body of the muscular Emissary. The big, tall man stared coldly into the distance, then punched out with his fist, sending it crashing down like a mountain towards the foes up ahead, causing the world itself to shatter.
“Wind!”
The six Emissaries once more flew backwards and retreated.
The Angels once again suffered huge losses; twelve more Twelve-Winged Angels once more perished!
Although twelve Twelve-Winged Angels, compared to the total number of Twelve-Winged Angels in the army, wasn’t all that many, these Emissaries moved and attacked too quickly. If they were able to kill twelve Angels in each attack, that meant that in ten cycles, they would kill 120 Angels. There were only two companies of Angels to begin with, numbering 1200 in total. And within this corridor, there were only six hundred Twelve-Winged Angels.
The ongoing slaughter and battles had resulted in more than half of the Angels being killed by now. There were less than 200 remaining.
As for the Infernal Realm’s side, of the three hundred Fiends, less than a hundred remained. As for the Emissaries, more than half of them had been killed by the counterattacks of the Angels.
It was a massacre!
“Quick, hurry over and reinforce them.” The Celestial Realm’s officers were growing frantic. “Hurry. If we are late, we won’t make it in time.”
The Celestial Realm still had reserves; the victorious Twelve-Winged Angels in the other Stellar Corridor. There were six hundred Twelve-Winged Angels in that corridor, and few of them had fallen. More than five hundred Twelve-Winged Angels remained alive. However, battles between Deities could be decided in seconds; most likely, with each second, multiple blows would be exchanged.
Bresle and the rest of the six Emissaries would probably be able to launch more than ten consecutive attacks in less than thirty seconds.
Those five-hundred plus Twelve-Winged Angels, even moving at full speed, would need at least one or two minutes in order to hurry over to this Stellar Corridor, and then pass through their own allies towards the front.
The various Sovereigns fell silent. Everyone could sense what a miserable, deadly encounter this had begun.
“If those five hundred supporting Twelve-Winged Angels are able to make it over before those hundred Twelve-Winged Angels are killed, then the Celestial Realm will win. If the Infernal Realm manages to charge and break through, then they will win.” Linley could tell exactly what was going on.
Bresle and the rest of the six Emissaries, as well as the other nine Emissaries on their side, were constantly hunting and killing Angels. They alone would be enough to annihilate a hundred-plus Twelve-Winged Angels.
“Not good. We have to move faster.” Bresle sent to the other five. “Victory has already been achieved by the enemy in the other Corridor, and in that place, the six hundred Twelve-Winged Angels suffered comparatively low casualties. Once those Twelve-Winged Angels make it over here, we won’t have any hope.”
Russell sent in a growl, “Move faster. Let’s charge into the Angel army formations.” The other five Emissaries were all shocked. Previously, they had fought like turtles, ambushing then retreating, then ambushing against. Although this was much safer, it was extremely slow in terms of killing the enemies.
“We don’t have any choice. If this continues, we will definitely lose.” The black-robed Bresle gritted his teeth. “Execute the final plan.”
“Fine.” “Let’s begin.” The six Emissaries made their decisions almost simultaneously. Although they might very well die if they charged towards their foes and suffered countless assaults, they also might gain victory.
“Commander General Bell [Bei’er], we are executing the final plan.” The black-robed Bresle sent backwards into the crowd, towards the high command of the Infernal Realm’s side.
“Haha, excellent. Victory or defeat shall be determined by this final tactic!” That Commander General immediately gave the order to the various managers of the squads. Instantly, the Infernal Realm’s army began to move about in a different manner.
The black-robed Bresle and the other five Emissaries all had solemn looks on their faces. “Water!” Bresle thundered. Instantly, six rays of Sovereign power surged forth, and the bodies of Bresle and the rest of the six became like water, flooding everywhere. Silently, soundlessly, the six charged towards the enemy like a flood, going straight towards the base of the Celestial Realm.
The Celestial Realm’s forces were instantly enraged. The enemy dared to charge straight for them? “Join forces. Kill them.” Not hesitating at all, many of the Celestial Realm’s soldiers and Angels immediately cooperated in attacking those six.
Unfortunately, the six seeped through their defenses like water, and the group attacks actually ended up killing some of their own people. But more importantly, this ‘water’ tactic was the most defensively power technique available to Bresle’s group. In addition, everyone present either had a defensive Sovereign artifact or a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact.
The combined defensive power of the six was simply too powerful, especially after they used the ‘water’ tactic’.
“Haha...” Bresle and the others had weathered the attacks without dying. They immediately began to launch their own berserk attacks. “Earth!” “Darkness!” The six of them, based on their own elements and attributes, had developed a total of four supreme tactics for the formation; Darkness, Water, Wind, and Earth. Earth and Darkness were for attack, Wind was for fleeing and moving about, while Water was the most defensively powerful.
After having charged into the center of the Angel forces, they no longer had anything to fear. Everyone around them was an enemy; they could strike about as they pleased! As for Sovereign power...Linley had given each of them a hundred drops. They had more than enough.
“Kill!” The soldiers of the Infernal Realm, along with some Seven Star Fiends, thundered forward like an unstoppable flood.
Because the Angels had been thrown into a state of complete chaos by those six Emissaries, they weren’t able to mount an effective defense at all to block the Infernal Realm. Instantly, the Celestial Realm finally began to slowly retreat.
The Infernal Realm’s soldiers all struck out towards the Celestial Realm’s side with relentless attacks, which lessened the pressure on Bresle and the other five as well. “Haha, wipe out all of these Angels.” The Infernal Realm’s side was going berserk.
Originally, only a hundred Angels remained, but under the frenetic assault of Bresle’s group, another half of them were killed. Actually, given the combined defensive power of Bresle’s group, most likely nearly a hundred Twelve-Winged Angels would need to join forces to kill them. However, in the midst of this chaos, when there were only a hundred or so Twelve-Winged Angels to begin with, and with the other Emissaries and Seven Star Fiends causing trouble as well, the Angels were completely unable to join together into an effective group attack that could annihilate Bresle’s group of six.
In the blink of an eye...only fifty or sixty Angels remained. In the face of this flood-like surge of soldiers of the Infernal Realm, and against the hammerblows that fell down upon them from the skies, another half instantly died.
Retreat!
A frantic retreat!
The ordinary soldiers of the Celestial Realm were not Angels; they had egos and personal desires. They could make their own choices.
“We won’t make it in time.” The five hundred Angels from the other Corridor had finally arrived at the borders of this one.
However, it was the crumbling, retreating Celestial Realm army which welcomed them.
“Charge in.” The five hundred Twelve-Winged Angels, when faced with this wave of defeated soldiers, found it difficult to advance deeper, especially while the Infernal Realm’s side filled the skies with material attacks and soul attacks as they struck out with abandon.
In all but the blink of an eye, the Infernal Realm’s soldiers charged all the way to the end of the Stellar Corridor.
“Rumble!”
The rainbow light above the Stellar Corridor vanished.
Both sides had each obtained victory in a Corridor. This Planar War was a draw!