The moment the Teigu wielders' war erupted, soldiers, Servants of Lamentation, modified humans, and ice cavalry all surged forward in a unified charge.
The ordinary human soldiers were undoubtedly the most vulnerable side in this battle.
They knew well they weren't the main force—with lesser ability came lesser responsibility, so the moment the fighting broke out, most soldiers pushed the Servants of Lamentation to the front.
While coordinating with the Servants of Lamentation' assaults, they used the Servants of Lamentation' bodies as shields to protect themselves.
The modified humans had no time to waste on the ordinary soldiers either.
While individually stronger than a regular soldier, their advantage was limited.
One-on-one, they could overpower a soldier, but once individual skirmishes turned into group combat, their lack of any rational thought immediately became a glaring weakness.
Without formation, without combat technique, relying solely on brute force, they were almost helpless against the soldiers' unified formations and coordinated attacks, serving only as cannon fodder to drain the soldiers' stamina.
Any that managed to break through by sheer luck were swiftly eliminated by reinforcements from the rear.
Truth be told, Dr. Stylish hadn't placed much hope on these modified humans for this kind of positional warfare from the start.
Their advantage lay in ambushes or pursuit battles in dense forests.
Throwing them into this battlefield did serve to wear down the enemy's stamina, but more importantly, there was another purpose.
Compared to the modified humans and soldiers, the ice cavalry and Servants of Lamentation were the true main forces of this war.
The towering ice cavalry were practically impervious to blades and spears for the human soldiers. Even a forceful stab would leave only a shallow dent in their bodies.
The Servants of Lamentation were immensely powerful, exerting strength far beyond their size while possessing even faster regeneration than the ice cavalry.
If they were the backbone of the war, then the Teigu wielders were the high-level force that could truly sway its course.
Every clash between the Grand Chariot and the Incursio created massive shockwaves of wind pressure.
Not just ordinary soldiers—even Servants of Lamentation and ice cavalry found it difficult to stand nearby.
Wave felt as if the pressure on his arms had never been so intense, to the point he could barely feel his forearms anymore.
Bulat was the one who could most directly sense Wave's current state. Seeing this young man fighting so desperately for his comrades moved him deeply.
But the battlefield was the battlefield. Their positions were opposed, and admiration meant nothing here.
With one punch, he forced the Grand Chariot back.
Watching his opponent clutch his chest—clearly with broken ribs—Bulat picked up the Neuntote he'd planted beside him.
"Your burning spirit is etched into my eyes, but I'm sorry, lad! I can't afford to waste any more time here!"
"Damn it…!"
Wave gritted his teeth.
He didn't know the man's identity, but martial skill rivaling Esdeath's and that overwhelming physical strength in every move made it clear he was no match.
He couldn't help but glance around, hoping someone would come to his aid.
But Run was completely tied up by Mine. Though he could deflect arrows or bullets, Mine's Teigu happened to be a pure energy beam attack, rendering Run's ability useless.
Even with the advantage of altitude, he could only keep dodging, while Mine's Teigu fire grew even more intense.
Bols's flames were equally ineffective against Lubbock's Cross Tail.
Not only did the enemy's range exceed his, but his fire couldn't harm those incredibly tough threads either. In their back-and-forth exchanges, only Bols took damage.
But the one having the hardest time was undoubtedly Seryu, fighting alongside the biological Teigu, Coro.
The biological Teigu's trait of being unkillable unless its core was destroyed should have made it thrive in this chaotic scene—that's how it should have been.
Yet the opponent she now faced wiped any smile from her face.
With the empowerment of Leone's Lionelle, her physical abilities were fully on par with Coro's.
In fact, thanks to her exceptional combat instincts, she was toying with Coro effortlessly.
And as for Seryu, who should have been directing and coordinating with it, the opponent she faced was on another level entirely.
Night Raid's ace, the former Empire assassination squad's trump card, the most feared killer of all—Akame.
Facing this opponent who looked almost identical to Kurome, her face brimming with murderous intent, Seryu had already exhausted every method at her disposal.
Her body had been specially modified by Dr. Stylish, concealing ten types of highly lethal modified weapons within.
But these tools meant to execute justice and eradicate all evil could now only buy her time against death.
Once Akame figured out the workings of these weapons, she swiftly forced Seryu into desperate straits. Seryu could only keep switching to new equipment, changing her fighting style to delay her demise.
She did have one last device, powerful enough to flatten the surrounding area, but with her teammates nearby, she didn't dare use it.
Taking in the entire battlefield situation, Wave looked into the distance.
Kurome was still within Eblana's battle formation, riding beside a one-eyed woman with white hair, her expression unreadable, the weapon at her waist not Yatsufusa.
Wave didn't blame her for not joining the fight—he was certain Kurome was being controlled, perhaps even suffering inhuman torture.
The thought made his breathing grow heavier.
He had no intention of relying on Wild Hunt, so he turned his gaze to Dr. Stylish.
Noticing the look, Stylish frowned slightly.
His second purpose in bringing the modified humans was to merge them all at a critical moment, creating his most perfect masterpiece.
The situation was bad—their side was completely suppressed. But something worse was that Wild Hunt still hadn't made a move.
Dr. Stylish was sure Wild Hunt was waiting for some opportune moment. His trump card was meant for a surprise move at that time.
But before he could dwell on it further, a shadow fell over the entire battlefield, making everyone look up.
One fire, one ice, covering almost the entire sky, plunging straight toward the earth.
No one dared stay where they were, all scrambling to clear ample space for the two.
Fortunately, as they fell, their powers rapidly canceled each other out. By the time they landed, all anyone could see was the ground covered in ice crystals.
Two figures stood at the center of an ice-made arena, with no one able to set foot within a hundred meters.
It looked as though Esdeath's power had neutralized the flames, but in truth, this was already Esdeath's second move.
She'd used part of her strength to counter the first attack, and the remainder—after she relinquished control—formed the scene before them now.
"As expected, even after evolving again, I can't easily kill you." Esdeath bore several wounds.
But unlike last time, Eblana's clothes showed tears and damage as well.
Though unhurt, compared to last time when Esdeath couldn't even touch the hem of her garment, this was a breakthrough from zero to one.
"With equal power, you can't defeat me," Eblana stated firmly, her expression seemingly casual. "Besides, our strengths aren't equal."
"So it appears. But who the victor will be is still unknown." Esdeath wasn't discouraged—in fact, she was thrilled beyond words.
She knew this was her current limit. Even if her final strike failed and she died, it would still be worth it.
"If you don't have a move to match this one, you will die." Esdeath's voice was filled with satisfaction and madness.
All she wanted now was to kill her opponent, or be killed by her.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.