Chapter 219: The Invincible Secutarii
The instant they entered effective range, the movements of Ignis and all Hoplites achieved perfect synchronization.
Fifty Arc Lances leaned forward simultaneously. The tips began to hum, and ghostly blue electricity skipped and flashed across the spearheads.
The energy patterns on the surface of the Mag-Inverter Shields brightened abruptly. The inversion generators emitted a continuous high-pitched hum, funneling powerful energy endlessly into the lances.
In the next moment, dozens of thick electrical arcs shot out.
These lethal energy beams were not simple straight-line shots but formed an interwoven electric web under precise field control, covering a fan-shaped area nearly a hundred meters in front of the phalanx.
Electric serpents twisted and coiled in the air, emitting ear-piercing crackles, illuminating the entire battlefield in an eerie blue hue.
Destruction descended in an instant.
The three Arasaka main battle tanks bearing the brunt of the assault were hit by multiple arcs simultaneously. Their heavy composite armor began to melt and vaporize the moment it made contact, exposing the internal structure.
The ammo rack of one tank was detonated. The entire vehicle disintegrated amidst a deafening explosion, its turret thrown tens of meters into the air by the shockwave.
The Armored Personnel Carriers were even more fragile. Their hulls deformed and melted rapidly as the arcs swept across them. Tires and tracks turned into scalding goo. The paralyzed vehicles billowed thick smoke, from which the shrill screams of the crew inside could be heard intermittently.
Most shocking of all was the fate of the "Onimusha" power armors.
These three-meter-tall steel giants became perfect conductors. Violent electrical arcs wrapped around them, flickering wildly.
Through the observation viewports, pilots could be seen convulsing violently as the current passed through them, after which the viewports turned pitch black.
The outer shells of the power armor began to glow red and soften. The armor dripped like molten wax, congealing into metallic lumps on the scorched earth.
With just a single volley, a massive breach was torn open in Arasaka's carefully arranged frontline defense.
Over twenty armored units of various types were reduced to burning wreckage. The air was filled with the pungent smell of ozone, the searing heat of molten metal, and the stench of burnt flesh.
"Jesus..." A young Barghest soldier subconsciously took half a step back, the rifle in his hands trembling slightly. "What the hell are those things?"
Colonel Hansen stared tightly at his tactical eyepiece, his knuckles turning white from the grip.
"Watch their tactical coordination," he said to his subordinates over the comms channel. "Every movement is terrifyingly precise, just like... just like parts of a single machine."
On the Lazarus position, experienced mercenaries were equally shocked by the scene before them.
"Their shields can even block armor-piercing rounds," a power armor pilot murmured. "And they maintain such a steady movement speed."
"If these guys were equipped with long-range weapons..." another voice chimed in on the channel, "then there would be no need to fight this battle at all."
Ignis, naturally, was unaware of the discussions happening behind the distant defense line.
If she could hear those soldiers' evaluations of her troops, she might have offered a correction based on facts: The Secutarii were not only equipped with long-range weapons, but their arsenal indeed contained heavy annihilation equipment sufficient to wipe an entire city off the map.
However, Magos Joric's summoning order had come urgently, explicitly requesting a formation of only fifty Hoplites.
More realistically, during the traversal of the dimensional rift, those heavy weapon systems requiring special energy interfaces and massive carrier platforms were indeed difficult to transport safely in such a short time.
(Note: Secutarii Hoplites equipped with melee weapons)
Otherwise, what the Arasaka forces on the battlefield would be facing right now would not merely be this elite detachment focused on close-quarters and mid-range strikes, but a full-spectrum, indiscriminate devastating strike under the complete establishment of the Mechanicus Skitarii Legions—that would be the true incarnate form of the Wrath of the Omnissiah.
Even so, the terrifying power displayed by these fifty Hoplites, representing merely a corner of their true combat capability, still shook the entire battlefield.
After experiencing the initial chaos, the Arasaka troops organized a frenzied counterattack.
The remaining tanks fired volleys regardless of friendly fire, attempting to stop the phalanx's advance with dense firepower.
Surviving "Onimusha" power armors flanked from both sides, opening all shoulder missile pods for a saturation strike.
Infantrymen used burning wreckage as cover, pouring fire with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers.
Yet, all these efforts appeared so futile before the Secutarii.
The pale gold resonance shields flickered steadily, blocking all incoming shells, missiles, and bullets.
The pace of the phalanx maintained a steady rhythm throughout, like a reef immovable in a storm.
When the Arasaka troops attempted to close the distance, the true nightmare began.
The Hoplites released short electric pulses from their Mag-Inverter Shields. Blue electric serpents jumped through the air, turning approaching infantry into charcoal in swathes.
A few "Onimushas" managed to break through to melee distance, but with a light thrust of an Arc Lance, the power armor's plating was penetrated like thin paper, vaporizing the pilot inside instantly.
"All units, attention!" Colonel Hansen seized the opportunity and issued orders immediately. "Coordinate with their attack rhythm! Push from both flanks! Prioritize clearing hostile infantry units!"
The commander of the Lazarus squad also responded quickly: "Power armor units, push forward. Cover Barghest's flanks. Keep your distance; don't block the attack path of those monsters."
Led by the Secutarii phalanx, the coalition forces launched a general offensive.
Barghest soldiers deployed in standard tactical formation on the left flank of the phalanx, using precise fire to clear Arasaka troops attempting to outflank.
Lazarus power armors provided fire support on the right flank, suppressing distant enemy positions with heavy weapons.
Ignis walked at the very front of the phalanx at all times, her optical lenses scanning the battlefield calmly.
When she noticed an anti-tank missile team taking aim from the roof of a semi-destroyed building, she waved her lance lightly. An exceptionally thick arc of electricity roared out, reducing the entire upper structure of the building to powder.
On the bridge of the White Whale, Shintaro Takayama watched the real-time battlefield footage, his face drained of blood.
He opened his mouth, wanting to issue a command, but found that he couldn't even propose a single effective tactical suggestion. Yorinobu Arasaka maintained his superficial calm, but the hand hidden in his sleeve was clenched so tight the knuckles were white.
The situation was indeed developing in the chaotic direction he expected, but these "actors" who had suddenly taken the stage brought not only chaos but thorough, irresistible destruction.
Ignis and her fifty Hoplites had completely rewritten the balance of power on this battlefield with a single advance.
In the face of the absolute power they displayed, any tactical planning lost its meaning. The direction of the war was changed forever in this moment.
(End of Chapter)