The next day, the Grunt and Megan families launched their assault on Tony City.
Grunt's commander noted that combined forces would muddle command and drag things out — so Grunts would lead. No cause for Megan to quibble over trifles with allies; they consented.
Thus, under Grunt command and Tony's defenders' coordination, the "fight" began. Attackers fed mercenaries forward — cowards who shunned reckless charges. Up front, Grunts deployed: shieldmen screening, sappers blasting gates, swordsmen and pikemen hurling ropes to scale. Defenders poured oil down walls, torches igniting; archers loosed volley after volley.
In truth, attackers dawdled; climbers' ropes were swiftly severed. Defenders' aim faltered — nine in ten arrows missed, or struck non-vitals like limbs. Casualties light, but clamor immense. To Megan's commander, it looked like fierce resistance grinding Grunts down, siege stalled.
Tony staged its show; Toth braced for true bloodbath.
Houses marched at nine a.m., reaching Toth's outer plain by two p.m.
To their shock, Toristine formed squares outside the walls — ten thousand strong at a glance, disciplined, imposing. Center five thousand in khaki armor: Gramont's direct troops.
Houses grew uneasy — Toristine packed Toth heavier than expected.
Gramont spotted distant dust: foes neared. He drew his longsword. "Officers and men — the enemy assaults, march-weary. On my order, we charge. Kill!!"
Direct troops raised blades skyward, roaring: "Kill!!!"
The thunder shook earth, startling distant Houses.
Toristine's local and noble levies, fired by the cry, brandished arms and bellowed.
Momentum peaked; Gramont grinned faintly, chanting.
"Grando erth erth errth erth hammer." — [Golden Puppet].
Gramonts specialized in earth magic's metal puppet lineage, refined generations. First-tier [Bronze Puppet]: spear-armed, hollow, slash-weak; second [Black Iron Puppet]: machete, solid, durable, magic-vulnerable; third [Silver Puppet]: longsword, agile, fireball-proof, one versus hundreds; fourth [Golden Puppet]: no weapon, hollow, caster-armored. Sub-tier-four magic harmless; wearer wields hundred-man strength. Grounded, it draws endless earth-power to the caster — theoretically tireless.
Golden light bloomed, riveting all eyes. Shining armor enveloped Gramont bit by bit, mad eyes gleaming through. Sword aloft, he spurred forward: "Follow me!!"
His direct swordsmen pursued, thundering plains, dust towers dozens high. Ground quaked.
Nobles and locals surged after.
House commander rallied from shock: "Halt! Form up — defend in place, brace for impact!"
These thirty thousand Houses elites stopped seamlessly, arraying to receive.
Soon, Toristine closed fast.
A white charger led: golden-armored rider sword-high, plunging into Houses.
Distant archers' hundreds of shafts glanced off the puppet harmlessly; horse bore Gramont crashing into ranks, trampling a dozen.
Hundreds-pound armored, Gramont toppled — crushing more.
Encircling swords and pikes thrust: clang-clang — blades rebounded from gaps.
Gramont rose, shrugging off a dozen spears shoving pikemen back. Sword swept — a dozen pressed forward flew, bowling others.
No-man's-land: invincible under golden blessing. Pursuit swelled Houses' losses.
One minute post-breach, Gramont's five thousand direct swordsmen arrived. Flooded the gap, slashing omnidirectionally — pierced by spears, undeterred, torrent-piercing. Gramont's wedge ballooned; Houses forced melee.
Nobles and locals poured after.
Carnage mediocre in tactic, immense in toll. Thirty thousand clashed outside Toth: blades plunging foes, withdrawn for next.
Flesh shredded; Albion and Toristines toppled. Blood soaked plains; bones nourished future weeds.
Gramont's resolve struck first: Houses staggered, rent by him and directs. Mid-strangle of thirty thousand, no retreat order pierced chaos.
End: House commander and guards engulfed, lost to bone-pile. God-slaying Gramont hacked ten minutes exhausted — but armor drew earth-power, vague will swinging sword, stepping, reaping endlessly.
Toristine-Albion's bloodiest: two to four p.m.
All thirty thousand Houses lay before Toth — fertilizer. Toristine: seven thousand casualties; Gramont's ten thousand directs dwindled to three thousand.
Corpses mingled indistinguishably; Gramont ordered pyres. Ash dusted green plains gray-white.