The Hitengu army was at a state of tension similar to a crossbow. Danalofs divination had given a clear answer: The giants were preparing to break out of the cave. Wall-makers had been position in abundance. Uchiwaka's assumption was correct, the giants had no other chance to charge out at full force - and this was where hist strategy would cut in. It was the task of the wall-makers to make sure the numbers of the giants were always divided, that only few of them would be able to come out at once. The fewer their numbers, the higher the armies numerical advantage.
"Here they come."
From inside noise was heared. The clanking of armor, the voices of warriors and the claws of murderous beasts al conglomerated to the loud buzz of a beehive. For a moment, there was only tension. This tension broke lose when the first wave of the giant army broke out of the cave. It were the beasts of echogroth, the wyvernknights, the gigantic wolves, all lead by Hrafns warmount - Fenrir.
The amount of force displayed by just this single beast was enormous - yet the hitengu army would not falter. Every single soldier on the hitenguan side knew, this was it - the great battle. All would end here. Immediatly, walls were raised to block the exit, lest more and more enemies poured out of it.
"Bastards...", muttered a sniper as he shot an elven rider from a wyvern. "They ate the elves, but left the wolves alife..".
Only moment's later, he was forced to silence by the claws of one of these cursed winged lizards.
The band of beasts was by far too small to fare too well against the united southern armies, too high was their numerical advantage. The wolves were almost helpless against the endless torrents of shots from all directions, and the mines that had been planted below them. The wyverns fared much better. Flying over the battlefield rapidly, they began picking out single targets. A sniper clumsily tried to throw a light-grenade at a wyvern before it could reach him. The beast bit into his hand before he could let go of it. The head of the beast, ripped apart, the hand of the sniper, just a bloody stump.
But even the wyvern soon fell victim to the Hitenguan numbers. Danalof's seeker bombs proved themselves as especially useful. No matter how fast and agile a wyvern was, nothing could escape the sage's wrath. Soon, the sky was cleared completely - all what remained was Fenrir, who was tearing through hitengu and hrun alike, as if they were paper. The battle had taken it's toll on the creature. The combined blasts of the sentries had shipped away at it's outer layers of skin, and with every hit, the beast became bloodier. Almost all of it's fur was gone, only small patches of them remained, strewn over it's body in a crimson pattern. The hide of the beast was more wound than skin. And yet, nothing would stand in it's path, as it charged at a small group of sword-hitengu. It's fangs clashed with Kouta, who had focused his entire hijutsu on his arms. But even with the massive strength of his jutsu, the beast would not be stopped for long.
"HURRY!"
On his command, Saki came from above, jumping from a tree. Her spear ran through the wolves back, and through it's bloodied and ripped skin, one could see an eerie glow from inside - like when one holds his hands in front of a bright light-source. Unimpressed by this, the monster increased the pressure from his jaw. The strain to Kouta's mind was immeasurable. Anyone else would have long lost in this battle of strength. Snapping out of the trance like state the swordsmen were caught in, they ran forward, each of them thrusing their blades into the beasts skull. This one let out a last deafening scream - and perished.
Nothing but a worn piece of fur remained.
Having fend off the first wave of attackers, the army got ready into position for the next wave, as a sound from inside was heared. Eerie voices, a sound so otherwordly, even in hell people would flee in terror upon hearing it.
"....rohkeasti vaan, ei kunniaansa myö"
Hayato, who had been holding up the wall together with his men opened his eyes wide in shock.
"GET AWAY FROM THE GATES YOU FOOLS!"
"sun poikas milloinkaan!"
Like glass, the walls were shattered. Behind them, more beasts then men, stood the warriors of thes storm. Their eyes blackened with madness.
The Giants had arrived.
Their strike was fast and intensive. In stupor of this display of might, the first battle lines of the Hitengu who were still getting into position was entirely razed. Warhammers big as glacial boulders came crushing down unto them with a force that shattered the anvil provided by the rocky ground of the battlefield. It was impossible to determine where one victim of war ended, and where the next one started, so all-encompasing the destruction.
But the army of the free people of the south would not allow them to survive. It had to end now, for the sake of the entire world.
The Hrun had waited for this opportunity, to revenge their fallen brothers. the "red death" was passed on through their numbers. Lacking all order and formation, the armies clashed, unleashing a torrent of noise that would have scarred away the birds from this forest for the following 20 years.
A giant threw a hrun soldier high into the air, who then came crushing down with a sickening sound. The giant's throat was ripped apart by the shrapnel of a light grenade only seconds after.
A group of sword Hitengu brought down a giant by cutting of his legs. Before he landed on the ground, he threw his warhammer into a band of wallmakers that were protecting sentries.
A Hrun climed unto the back of a giant and began bashing his axe against the giants helm. A second giant saved his brother in arms by letting his hammer came down upon the Hrun - bashing the giants skull in in the process.
Chainlightning went through the ranks of the Hitengu. Faceless soldiers made of pure light went through the ranks of Ukko's last priests.
Massacre.
This was a Massacre.
The haze of the battle lasted for almost 2 hours. Until, finaly, just a single giant was standing. He was panting heavily, not a single inch of his body that was not covered in blood. His armor was ripped, his helmet shattered. But he clutched unto his warhammer like it was his firstborn son.
The last one of his kind.
Rain slowly began to fall, but no one could be bothered to notice.
"Storm gods curse upon you and your kind..."
With a deafing sound, he collapsed unto the ground. Still tightly clutched in his hands, his warhammer. Even in death, they would not part.
Such was the battle of the free nations of the land in the center, who fought bravely against the storm giants of the north - the greatest threat to this world that ever surfaced since it's creation.
Today, we remember those that have left us:
Yoshirou, legendary marksman
Hrafn, chosen one of the storm giants, who brought peril upon his foes
Fenrir, warmount of Hrafn
Eiríkr, Hrafn's right hand
Over 300 Hitengu soldiers
Over 150 Hrun soldiers
Briar, chosen one of the elves of flamewood
Misia, elven queen
more than 98% of the elven population
and the entire race of the storm giants.
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Topic: Battle of the Gods IV (Read 71772 times)