( Max's POV )
Simultaneously as the battle raged on in the Twilight clan, the Skyfury Eagles and the Greengale Phantoms began their assault on the Bloodfall clan.
The sun had just dipped over the horizon and against the crimson hue of the sky and a massive fleet of close to 100,000 Eagle riders and a few hundred harpies Max stood cross-armed on-top of Mira.
The air was his domain, he was the only fighter in the Bloodfall clan who had aerial capabilities and although he was supported by ground to air weapons being operated by Bloodfall clan soldiers, he was the only one responsible to hold off the entire army and their tier6 leader alone.
His brother always had a saying-
" Till I'm here the sky won't fall "
It was probably the most cool catchphrase that his brother used to use to reassure the Elites that everything would be okay till he was present, but today it was Max's turn to hold the burden of the sky as if he failed to neutralise the Skyfury Eagles it would be all over for the Bloodfall clan.
*ROARRRR*
Mira let out a terrifying dragon's roar as she used the skill [ Dragon's Fear ] to try and induce some fear into the flying eagle mounts and it also seemed to work as although the riders did not seem too affected the eagles slowed down and seemed reluctant to approach Mira.
On the front of the legion a Harpy wearing a golden armour took off her helmet as she cast a cold gaze upon Max and said " Are you the one who killed my beloved Matumba? "
A thick killing intent rose from her as she said these words as Max felt the pressure of her aura press down on him.
Max pushed the aura back using his own but judging by the difficulty of him doing so he understood that the opponent's strength was no joke. For her to be able to have an aura so powerful must mean that she was an exceptional god.
" I asked you a question, Vampire " Tweety said, her voice containing a hint of aggravated rage.
" Yes, I heard you the first time beast but I'm not answerable to you " Max replied arrogantly as he clapped his hands together and summoned a torrential gust of wind.
For a second all the eagle mounts had to re-adjust under the effect of the blazing winds but one flap of Tweetys wings later the air-flow returned to normal.
The force she had generated from a single flap of her wings was powerful enough to neutralise a gale force wind that took Max a decent amount of mana to conjure.
This feat spoke volumes about the physical strength of the God as Max got an early reality check that he was in for a formidable battle.
" For what you have done to my beloved, I shall never forgive you, NOW DIE! " Tweety shouted with a hysterical voice as she seemed to have lost the last strands of sanity, hurling herself towards Max and Mira at the speed of a comet.
Without a single seconds hesitation, Mira immediately used dragon's breath blasting the charging Harpy point-blank with her powerful flames forcing her to stop her mindless assault to protect herself from the heat of the flames.
Tweety stopped and crossed her wings in front of her face to deflect the fire as the look in her eyes clearly showed that she was displeased with how things had turned out to be.
Mira's attack was a lot stronger than she had anticipated although she was just a mortal dragon and that annoyed the Goddess to no end.
" Take care of the legion Max, I think I can handle some weak punk bitch Harpy myself " Mira eventually said once her dragon's breath attack was over.
If she wanted to, she could have said it in Draconic so that only herself and Max could understand the conversation but she deliberately spoke in Bipedal English to bait Tweety into attacking her which she did.
Max understood that Mira was helping him buy some time and he did not intend to waste a second of it as he jumped off her back and redirected his focus towards the Eagle legion.
Mira could not last against the crazy god for long so Max had to make sure that he would neutralise the flying legion before that happened.
Making sure to start [ Rise Of The Horde ] before he engaged in battle, Max began to execute his prepared strategy.
*********
( Meanwhile DarkSorrow )
DarkSorrow had his work cut out for him today as he was responsible for facing the full strength of the 220,000 strong Greengale Phantoms marching through the forest.
The phantoms were a force mostly composed of dark elves, nymphs,druids and expert hunters. Employing only species or individuals that were specially trained for forest based combat.
This was the biggest challenge of his career yet and a test to his skills as a commander.
The assault began with the muted cry of a forest hawk. It was a signal, a signal only the Green Gale Phantoms could decipher.
The forest came alive as the Phantoms moved, their footsteps light, blending with the natural sounds of the forest, the only detection of their movements being through the shadows that moved between the trees.
DarkSorrow commanded his forces strategically, employing guerrilla warfare tactics. They used their intimate knowledge of the forest to their advantage, ambushing the invading mercenaries at every turn, blending back into the foliage before the enemy could react.
Having set up forces in a strategic manner, DarkSorrow had managed to turn the entire forest into a deadly maze for the invaders.
DarkSorrow was betting on steering the enemy towards areas where the Bloodfall clan had traps set up, however, the Green Gale Phantoms were no ordinary force.
They were veterans of forest warfare, their senses honed to perfection. They detected the tripwires, cleverly concealed under a layer of leaves, and meticulously disarmed them without triggering the deadly pitfalls.
In another instance, a group of Phantoms noticed the unusual formation of tree branches. Their astute observation revealed a hidden net trap, a lethal contraption designed to hoist unsuspecting invaders into the air, exposing them to a hail of arrows.
Even a well-camouflaged pit lined with sharp stakes was discovered due to the acute sense of a Phantom scout. His keen eyes spotted the slight unevenness of the ground, saving his comrades from a gruesome end.
Yet, the Bloodfall clan had more tricks up their sleeves. DarkSorrow was a cunning strategist, and his traps were not mere replicas of the known warfare techniques.
He had devised innovative traps, lethal in their simplicity and effectiveness and original in their deployment.
The Green Gale Phantoms, despite their experience, fell for these new contraptions.
A seemingly harmless cluster of berries turned out to be a trigger for a cascading rock slide, burying a squadron of the invaders under tons of rubble.
In another instance, a moss-covered log was revealed to be a hidden switch, releasing a bunch of venomous needles upon the unwary Phantom soldiers.
The attack was swift and unexpected, the agonising and paralysing stings halting their progress and sowing chaos in their ranks.
The final ingenious trap was the simplest yet deadliest of all. A hidden vine, when stepped on, caused the trees to spring back, the attached vines turning into deadly whips, cutting through the armour and flesh of the invading force.
The battle was a violent ballet, each side matching the other in their prowess and ingenuity. The Green Gale Phantoms and the Bloodfall Clan forces clashed, their every move reflecting a dance of strategy and honed instincts.
The outcome of the battle was yet to be decided, the victor yet to be determined. But one thing was clear: this was not a battle to be easily won, and the forest was a silent witness to this deadly dance of survival.