Under Azog's command, the front rank of orcs raised their shields and pointed their spears toward the charging chariots and riders, forming a bristling, defensive line.
However, whether it was the dwarves' equipment or Levi's methods, they always managed to shatter the orcs' imagination.
A firework crossbow bolt shot out with a piercing whistle, blasting a small gap in the orc formation. The firework, packed with a full seven firework stars, dealt over ten points of damage, and its explosive force directly knocked the shields from the hands of several orcs, leaving them stunned and disoriented.
Following closely were the dwarves' ram cavalry.
The rams' horns were large, curved, and exceptionally hard, like living shields. Unlike cavalry who rode horses, even if they charged directly into spears, the ones to suffer first would most likely be the opposition. After all, this was cavalry that could break through even the elven shield walls.
These scrawny orcs stood even less of a chance.
With a great, splintering crash, the ram cavalry charged into the army formation, sending orcs flying and tumbling. Following close behind were chariots also pulled by large-horned rams.
Five chariots charged into the formation one after another. The rams pulling them lowered their heads at the front line, sending a whole row of orcs flying with a great rumble. The wheels clattered as they rolled over the orcs lying on the ground without any hesitation. The sharp alloy blades on the sides of the wheels spun at high speed as the chariots advanced, cutting the orcs trying to swarm from the sides, body and armor alike, in half, leaving a gruesome trail of blood.
An entire army formation was thus split in two down the middle, carving out a wide, bloody path of flesh.
The path was as wide as the chariots themselves.
Levi glanced back at the rapidly spinning scythe-like contraption on the rear wheels of the chariot and silently made a comparison. He made a mental note to never get anywhere near those things.
The power of technology was just that formidable.
Under the charge of the dwarven cavalry and chariots, this vanguard sent to block them soon met disaster. A large number were run down, and the ground was littered with the mangled corpses of orcs. The formation was long since impossible to maintain. Those five cutting chariots had directly dismembered the entire infantry line that dared to block them, making it impossible to reform.
"Giant beasts!" Azog commanded.
Special units had to be used against special units. These chariots might be fierce against infantry, but sending a giant beast over could flip them with a single slap.
"Our giant beasts have suffered heavy losses," Bolg reminded him from the side.
During the siege, to counter Levi's various methods, those giant beasts with the thickest hides, largest bodies, and greatest endurance had almost all perished.
"Now only some trolls are left." Not even any Olog-hai.
"Then send them quickly!"
Clank, clank.
The orcs in the front rank quickly moved aside to make way for the trolls. Compared to the giant beasts, they might be somewhat inferior, but they still had the strength to deal with the chariots. If they could just seize the opportunity...
A firework arrow shot from Levi's bow, setting the foremost troll ablaze. The flames burned, and even rolling on the ground couldn't extinguish them. As long as the target wasn't immune to fire, it was bound to burn for several seconds. The orcs in the rear rank quickly poured water on the fallen troll to put out the flames.
But while they were acting, Levi wasn't idle, and the dwarves certainly weren't just watching. Neither Levi's fire arrows nor the swiveling, armor-piercing repeating crossbows on the chariots were for show. Faced with the thick steel bolts continuously fired by the dwarves, even Levi's role seemed to diminish. Each of those bolts could pierce the trolls' skin and embed itself deep in their bodies.
Under the covering fire of five repeating crossbows, the trolls' assault was quickly neutralized. They never managed to touch a single chariot before they died.
"Damn it!" Azog watched in frustration as the chariots and cavalry approached. How could he not see the intent of Levi and the others? If he still had giant beasts, just one, he only needed one to completely counter these war carts. Or even without giant beasts, Olog-hai would do.
Unfortunately, both the giant beasts and the Olog-hai had been sent to attack the fortress in the previous operation. After the fortress wall was breached, the few remaining were eagerly sent in to act as the vanguard to clear the way. Once they went in, there was no more sound, not even a ripple.
Now the only large units left were the trebuchet-type beasts on the flanks, but they weren't designed for the front lines; they were support units.
"The enemy must not be allowed to approach. Send the wargs against them!" Azog immediately activated his backup plan.
The signal flag was waved, and wargs emerged from both flanks.
"This is a bit troublesome," Thorin grumbled.
Compared to the trolls, wargs were much more fragile, one arrow could take one down, but their strength lay in their vast numbers and extreme mobility. Furthermore, these wargs were the natural enemies of rams. Once they got close, the rams in front might not be able to hold, and the chariots would subsequently break down and become inoperable.
"Prepare to engage!" Seeing the situation turn dire, Thorin immediately stood at the head of the chariot and shouted. They would most likely have to fight on foot next.
Balin operated the repeating crossbow, frantically shooting at the wargs while turning his head to ask, "Levi, do you have any other tricks? Like that magic storm Gandalf used in Goblin-town, how about you cast one too?"
"Instead of counting on me or Gandalf to use that kind of spell, you'd be better off hoping for reinforcements to fall from the sky to solve these wargs for us," Levi shook his head, dashing Balin's hopes.
"Prepare to dismount and fight. We're not far from the destination anyway. We can force our way through. Once we're under the ruins of the watchtower, I'll block the road. They won't be able to get in."
"Alright."
"It'll just take a bit more time." Levi drew his long sword, staring intently at the warg army ahead, ready to charge at any moment.
However, just as the chariots' firepower was becoming unable to suppress the warg assault and the rams were about to clash with the warg army, several piercing shrieks echoed from the sky.
Levi looked up to see seven or eight Great Eagles flapping their wings and diving down, their blade-like talons plowing through a row of approaching wargs.
At the same time, a tall, strong figure leaped from a great eagle, transforming into a giant bear upon landing. It plunged into the army, charging at the forefront and tearing through the wolf pack, clearing a path for the chariots.
It was Beorn the Skin-changer.
"Huh?" On the chariot, Levi looked at Balin, and Balin looked up at Levi.
"By my beard, Levi, you were right! There really are reinforcements from the sky!"
"What is this, a 'call reinforcements' spell?" Even Thorin made a joke from the front.
"I was just saying..." Levi facepalmed. Was the arrival of these great eagles a bit too coincidental?
"Hey!" On one of the great eagles, Radagast the Brown waved his staff, leaning over to greet Levi on the chariot. "I've brought reinforcements! We're not late, are we?"
"Just in time!" Levi waved back in response.
"Haha, now let's see who dares say I'm of no use!" This remark was specifically aimed at Gandalf. When facing Sauron, neither Gandalf nor the members of the White Council had allowed the Brown Wizard to accompany them. Now it was finally his turn to shine.
After dropping Levi and the others at the base of Ravenhill, the Great Eagles shrieked a few more times and continued to dive toward the orc army. Beorn did not fall behind, rampaging among the warg pack.
"If I can't deal with Levi, can't I deal with you?" Seeing the bear's arrogance, Azog could no longer tolerate it and quickly dispatched a small team to carry out a targeted encirclement.
The giant bear's strength was ultimately limited. If he could truly take on an entire army by himself, the skin-changer race wouldn't have been slaughtered down to just one survivor. After the initial ferocious charge, Beorn quickly fell into a disadvantage, his stamina gradually being worn down.
The Great Eagles also met their match. From the worm tunnels, another batch of trolls emerged. Their rock-hard skin scraped against the eagles' sharp talons, and their clubs swung continuously through the air. Not a great threat, but annoying enough.
"I think we should temporarily retreat. I see Gandalf on the wall over there," Radagast suggested to the great eagles.
Soon, the eagles, carrying the Brown Wizard and Beorn the skin-changer, changed direction and flew toward the wall, leaving behind only the ravaged orc army formation and a group of trolls in a helpless rage.
When the eagles and the giant bear from the sky departed, the orcs once again searched for the figures of Levi and the dwarves. But they found that at the ruins below Ravenhill, a wall had appeared at some point. A wall of the same material as that impenetrable fortress wall.