The war fell into a slight lull after the beast had fallen before picking back up and raging in full force, each passing moment fueling its destructive intensity and escalating the levels of the fighting. The attackers became like a relentless tide as they reached the boundary of the shield that covered his base. Some were cut down swiftly as they reached the shimmering barrier either by traps the array or still surviving traps or the long-range fire from the rangers and mages, be it arrows, bullets or spells they were swiftly dealt with. Those few who managed to slip through the initial line were swiftly eliminated, by the cunning traps hidden within the very buildings they sought to use for cover or the surviving Dragon Orks. Miraculously, despite the overwhelming assault, John's proved their skill in combat, showing their proficiency for war, suffering only minimal losses after the horrid creature's attack, a testament to their training; the losses where far fewer, numbering only twenty dead with seven injured from the relentless assault but even then, they continued to fight or try to provide aid after being patched up,
Outside the strained perimeter, the real main force came into sight. The massive, snarling spectral wolf creature, now stood menacingly in front of the base. Its presence amplified by the roar of powerful engines ranging from bikes and massive trucks to hulking cars that had all been heavily modified in some way that made him think of Mad Max. These war machines bore a dizzying array of different emblems, each signaling a distinct faction, yet all seemed to move along steadily alongside a gargantuan and crudely put together red truck layered with Marauder signs and clearly a bunch of various bits of steel welded onto it to make a mobile fortress. The air itself vibrated with the low thrum that it seemed to create as it steadily approach.
A small mercy though seemed to be that angelic beings that had become far more visible with a range of warriors beneath them formidable forms seemed to have turned and begun to fight the tide of undead. This was not because of a dislike towards the undead but rather due to the necromancers who had succeeded in wrestling control of the reanimated horde and had then sent the shambling masses against them from the side, their former controllers had foolishly hidden within the horde hoping to be overlooked as they used the horde as cover only to instead be killed by them once the necromancers had spotted them, being careful to turn the ones closest to them before having them attack as one to surprise them and ruin any chance of the horde remaining under anyone but their own control, the necromancers once gaining full control had then turned the horde towards the angelic beings and there warriors. The sheer numbers of undead overwhelming them as they swarmed the holy warriors, climbing over their gleaming forms before ripping into them with rotted claws and decayed teeth. Many undead fell under the angels' divine light and swift blades yet there sheer number managed to achieve their grim objective in not only disrupting them but even going so far as to bring down the various angelic beings after wiping out there fighters, one by one they fell before the remaining horde was sent to flank other sections of enemies who had been approaching from that side, helping relieve some of the pressure for the main base as they faced the Marauders and other main foes.
"Have the rangers prioritize the enemies own long-range fighters first, aim for their healers and mages along with anyone who seems to be important or in a clear leadership position giving orders, if they can hit them well there out of cover or feel they can make the shot make sure they take it." John began to bark orders, his voice cutting through the din of voices as he gave various orders. "Melee units with shields are to meet their charge head-on and stall there charge alongside the remaining dragon orks but only once they get past the trap layers, I want them to try and them into the magus boundary fields and the wide area the horror had created that will leave them without cover and in the open. I want the alchemists to use there remaining volatile potions and to be throw, launch or sent flying in whatever way they can at the largest groups of enemies, there to focus on taking out or wounding as many enemies as possible even if it means waiting for a better opportunity to strike, don't be hasty. The black mages should have enough enemy bodies now to begin those rituals to weaken there forces so give the signal to start as soon as the enemies get within range, I want them to do everything they can and make full use now that they have plenty of bodies. Release the remaining golems even send out the clockworks and statues that we still have, send them ahead of the ground forces and shield bearers, we'll use them to soak up the initial damage from the enemies first wave of melee attackers. Send a slime to each of the points we have confirmed hold large attack forces and make sure each one is backed by a gun beast where they can do the most damage. Use the remaining Titans to help draw focus but make sure it's where the risk of them being lost is low, I want them to charge directly into the enemy lines to create breaches and cause panic in their ranks so try to focus where the main leaders seem to be. I noticed Butcher and Carnage came back a few moments ago, I want them to begin launching strikes against the last long-range attackers our scouts weren't able to safely neutralize and maybe even the artillery sites if they can."
As the string of words left his lips a sharp, searing pain tore through his side eliciting a guttural pain filled growl. A slender dagger, impossibly silent, had pierced slightly through his layered outfit, biting into his side but luckily missing its mark and failing to do major amounts of harm to him. His eyes, now glinting with a dangerous fury locked onto the source. The attackers surprise lasting only a fraction of a second before being replaced by a cold, deadly efficiency as they stepped back to pull another dagger.
Taking advantage of the momentary surprise in his attacker's face, no doubt expecting there strike to have done more harm he acted fast, he clamped down on the attacker's wrist that held there newly drawn dagger. He twisted with brutal force causing a sickening snap that echoed faintly even amidst the battle's roar outside before bringing his own dagger around, secured to a chain in a brutal arc, plunging it through the assassin's throat causing the shadow figure to crumple into a gurgling heap on the floor. Even as he finished though his adrenaline high pushed his senses into over drive, letting him register other faint movements around him. He tried to act as soon as he noticed, doing what he could to force himself to act with impossible speed, the adrenaline rush allowed him to manage in killing off three more of the stealthy attackers in quick succession. But the assassins, driven by a deadly purpose and no doubt panic had already done their damage. Choi and a few of the other strategists, those who were vital to the command structure and acted as the relay between him and his forces now lay bleeding on the ground, letting out shallow breaths or dead with their eyes glazed over.
"Fuck!" John cursed, the word a raw snarl of anger and grief as his composure broke. He immediately went to the planning table and grab the main crystal, his voice resonating across the network, sharper, more urgent. "Everyone listen up! Keep your eyes out for shadows moving on their own! Assassins have managed to slip through our defenses and have managed to move under our radar, they seem to be targeting various leaders. If you see a shadow moving independently, terminate them with extreme prejudice. Do not hesitate or risk it. It moves or seems to move attack it ASAP!" He ordered before moving over to Choi and almost reverently moved his body off the table and laying him gently onto the ground, folded his hands over his downed form before proceeding to do the same with the various other fallen strategists, closing their eyes and placing them softly to the side before rising back up, his jaw set and fist shaking at his side, taking direct command in their place as he began to order the remaining few. The loss registered as a cold knot in his stomach, a fresh wound in his heart as another close ally had fallen in front of him, more blood on his hands but he tried to bottle it up, he needed to focus on the battle, he needed to focus on making them pay, mourning would need to wait till after this was all over, a chance to give them a proper rest and farewell. He quickly tried to channel that pain into making his enemies pay for this. Listening to how the enemies had begun to enter past the shield, he tried to relay various orders to counter them, doing his best to take command.
"Send out the skull slime to assault the main forces against their first wave! Focus on harm and kill what you can but cause as much pain to them as you can" John commanded, his orders now sharper, more urgent, imbued with a fierce resolve to make the enemies hurt. "Black mages? how long till any of your damn ritual actually start to work?"
"About 30 seconds, Master," a voice crackled back over a crystal, urgent but steady. "We had the necromancers bring us every undead and body they could spare to help fuel them, but if you can hold out for another minute and 30 seconds, we can have the necromancers help us to add a nasty surprise to all of them." The promise of greater devastation hung in the air.
"Go big," John replied after a moment of thought, his decision swift and firm. "We aren't in dire straits just yet and the more pain and damage we can do to them the better but you need to know we won't be able to keep this up forever even if were managing to hold so far, I want us to take the fight to them as well and push them back not just playing a constant defense." He replied before speaking to all his forces. "Listen up, ladies and gents," he projected his voice, a faint tremor of raw power in it as he spoke through the main com crystal. "We need to hold for 90 seconds so our boys and girls in black can give these fuckers a real nice surprise. They're working hard on something real special and plan to make it real big. Let's keep giving them hell across all fronts to give them that time! Alchemists, I know you guys have also been keeping something special since I didn't see you use that thrower device much, and the potions you used with it seemed more like test shots. Now I don't know what you've been planning and I honestly don't care, but I will tell you now that I want you to use it now!" A surge of grim determination flared through his forces as they continued to fight with a greater ferocity, the majority of the melee forces he had hold back getting anxious, wanting to do more than clearing out the few stragglers who got too far into their base.
No sooner had the words left his mouth did pillars of flame erupt into the air from the alchemists' positions, painting the chaotic sky with searing orange and red flames that lapped at the air. Volatile concoctions, thick and viscous could faintly be seen raining down upon the enemy ranks and landing with horrific accuracy. They splattered and stuck like napalm, clinging to armor and flesh as they burnt with an unholy intensity. Enemy spellcasters and their grotesque human beasts tried to resist but there efforts where in vain as the flames ate through everything, they tried to use to protect themselves. The burning liquid seared through their magic and shields, causing panicked screams and a chaotic scramble as people tried to prevent the flames from reaching them. It was at this time the skull slime entered the fray in earnest, soaking up enemy spells with its amorphous body and spraying its corrosive acid without a care from its large barbs. It acid seemed to melt through vehicles and dissolve the enemy forces with sickening ease well others who made contact it met a similar fate, leaving behind nothing but trails of steaming ruin and slag. Sieg, ever the opportunistic warrior led a small elite contingent of the melee unit to strike the attackers from the side, flanking the invading force from the right as he cut a swathe through their numbers. A few of his brave fighters fell, but they took down large batches of the enemy with them in a desperate, valiant exchange, creating far more carnage, panic and chaos in their ranks. Ivy and Grace, their faces grim but determined, did their best to command the spell force and healers, providing both covering fire and vital buffs well clearly doing all they could to save whoever they could well trying to cause as much damage to the enemy forces as possible. While this was happening Ray tried to direct the ranged fighters to systematically eliminate every enemy they could see, their arrows and bolts finding vulnerable points but even so a portion of them including all the snipers had splinted off under a different leader who they had felt provided better guidance, better leadership and who they felt held better skills, even turning the war into a contest between their two groups.
Saya and Ash, meanwhile refused to be left out of things. The cunning pair had each taken up high-ground positions around the goblin tower, finding the highest points they could before using their keen eyes to sweep across the battlefield. From their elevated vantage points, they relayed crucial information about enemy positions and movements directly to John in the command tent, they had begun acting as his eyes and ears after he'd taken over Choi's strategic role, providing the intelligence vital for his rapid-fire commands and helping him see everything happening across his base.
"Come fight me like a man! Stop hiding behind your pathetic walls! I demand a fight between leaders!" A thunderous voice, impossibly loud, suddenly boomed over the entire base and battles clearly demanding attention over the cacophony of war.
Making its way through the shattered enemy lines, using a massive scarred shield the size of a door to deflect incoming fire and spells, was a giant of a man. His bald head and snarling face were contorted with fury and bloodlust. In his other hand, he wielded a bright red war axe, its edge gleaming ominously while his colossal form was encased in heavy, plated red armor. He was a walking engine of destruction, embodying raw, unbridled aggression, his every step shaking the ground.
"Ash, if you can manage it then get a long-range attack and take a clear shot at his head if you see an opening. All rangers, hold fire, then line up your shots directly for his head or any other unarmored spots you have confidence in striking but wait for my signal, if you can't hit him try to target one of the other visible leaders cocky enough to let themselves be seen." John ordered, his voice taking on a cold and calculated edge, every word a deliberate strike. "Magic users, prepare to rain your strongest area of effect spells onto them as well. Black mages, if possible, narrow the focus that ritual you promised primarily on him and the surrounding area. Alchemists, at my signal I want you to launch all your remaining concoctions and mixtures at them. I want the ground fighters to retreat and stand clear of the area, give them space so that you can avoid friendly fire but keep fighting any that enter into our base." With his orders given, John didn't wait. His heavy chains rattled as he rushed out from the command tent after giving the few strategists left orders to do their best till his return, using his chains he began to climb buildings, swiftly ascending to the top of a half-destroyed structure like a demented Doc Oc, before launching himself forward till he was on top of the wall closest to the behemoth in human form.
"I'm right here, you asshole! Are you the leader and head for your side? Or are you just some dumb muscle meant to try and draw me out?" John bellowed, his voice carrying over the roar of engines and battles, challenging, sharp and cutting.
"So you at least have the balls to face me. Good! I am the leader here and, unlike you who hides and uses cheap tricks to fight I came with my mighty troops to face you head on!" the Giant snarled back, his voice thick with contempt, a sneer twisting his brutal face. But no sooner had the words fully left his mouth than John raised his arm, then sharply waved it down in front of him, a decisive gesture as he yelled a single word. "FIRE!"
As soon as the command echoed, the sky seemed to tear open. A horrific, crimson liquid that looked disturbingly like blood began to rain down like a waterfall centralized over the enemy leader and that unfortunate enough to stand close to him. Screams of agony erupted as armor began to rust and corrode as soon as it touched the red liquid, skin began blistering and burning beneath the vile downpour well others had their flesh bubbling and dropping off their bones. Simultaneously, an aura of blinding lights from the mages' spells illuminated the battlefield; orbs of raw magic, intricate spell circles, and powerful beams of elemental energy struck the giant and his retinue along with various other enemies with devastating force. Vials and bottles were lobbed with expert precision by the alchemists, exploded into gouts of fire and sizzling acid directly against him and onto a wide area around him, turning the ground into a hellish inferno and sizzling mess. The giant, roaring in defiance and pain, tried to protect himself by raising his massive shield in failing attempt to shelter himself from the onslaught of cursed rain, spells and ranged fire. But that proved to be his final, fatal mistake. The combined impact of the rangers' perfectly synchronized shots, each targeting different points of his exposed head and body caused both his head to explode like an overripe melon along with various parts of his body, splattering gore across the battlefield as his colossal body crashed to the ground sending a chilling silence briefly over the stunned enemy ranks.
"Have the slimes move in immediately with the remaining gun beasts, titans and everything else. Take down all those that remain!" John ordered, now on a full offensive, the enemy's morale shattering with the sudden, brutal fall of their leader. "Spread that cursed rain further back into their lines! Necromancers, see about raising more fodder from the fallen! Warriors, move around our perimeter and eliminate any stragglers who have slipped through being careful of the cursed rain! We will be taking no prisoners on this day!" His voice was a stark, unwavering command, leaving no room for doubt or mercy. "Mages, support them as best you can. This war is ours, and it will be our win! Let them see what their arrogance and greed has brought them!" He declared, the words ringing with finality, sealing the fate of the remaining invaders.