Back on the border between the Jerar Country and the Wendy Country, the situation was just as bloody as on any other front. Vlad stood at the head of hundreds of thousands of soldiers clad in black armor, each breathing heavily as they gazed out over the battlefield.
In front of the soldiers were over one and a half million Leviathans’ corpses. Although Vlad’s decision to rest earlier had allowed the hive mind to retake biomass in the south of the country, the human forces had still managed to intercept this swarm before it could cross into Wendy Country. While it was not a total victory, killing these forces would still wound the Leviathan race deeply.
The battle that had just concluded here had been hard. They had pushed themselves to their limit, clashing furiously with the Leviathans, yet the fight ended more swiftly than anyone expected—it lasted less than an hour. Given their previous respite, it would be only a matter of minutes before Vlad and his soldiers could recover enough strength to fight at full capacity again.
Vlad himself was already beginning to feel the return of his energy, his stamina raging back into him like a river bursting through a broken dam. Since the swarm they had faced had not been a singular overpowering force, he was not forced to use his Depravita Aura.
However, despite this, there was a solemn expression etched onto Vlad’s face as he gazed toward the Wendy Country. He knew the heart of the Leviathan Race lay in that land, the obsidian obelisk. Despite his final target getting closer and closer, for some reason, his instincts screamed danger at the thought of marching forward. It was as if something unimaginably hazardous lurked on the other side of that border. Yet fear and doubt could not be allowed to cloud his judgment. Danger was as natural in war as the very air they breathed, and trying to avoid it was simply ridiculous. If he hesitated now, all their previous efforts would go to waste.
He made sure that all the soldiers had recovered their energy before giving the signal. The mighty battalions marched forward, crossing the border and entering the Wendy Country without hesitation. For a moment, an eerie silence spread across the scorched earth. They heard nothing but their own footsteps and the muffled rustle of armor.
However, it did not remain silent for long. Soon, the sound of piercing cries echoed in the distance. The troops halted briefly, straining their senses. What they saw next was perplexing. A swarm of Leviathans marched forward to meet them, but it was barely two million strong this time. Moreover, while it contained a decent number of insect-humanoid hybrids and aerial units, it did not seem like a force that could truly stand against the might of these well-rested, well-organized human battalions. Confusion arose on the faces of the soldiers. They had expected a monumental confrontation, perhaps an unimaginable horde designed to crush them utterly. Instead, the hive mind presented a force that looked almost meager in comparison.
Even Vlad found himself momentarily perplexed by this sight. The hive mind was resourceful and cunning. Why send such a comparatively small swarm forward when it could have gathered more numbers before challenging them again? Admittedly, waiting to gather more troops might have meant losing more terrain to the humans, but it would still have been preferable to send these Leviathans to their doom. It was not like the hive mind to make such a straightforward and seemingly wasteful mistake.
The answer to their confusion came the next second. A thunderous sonic boom echoed through the distance, making Vlad’s entire body tense. He whipped his head toward the origin of that sound and, straining his eyes, saw a figure dashing toward the battlefield with monstrous momentum.
"BOOOOMMMM." The shockwave of sound seemed to shatter the air. Vlad’s heart burst with powerful, thunderous beats as he felt his energy ignite. Lightning and fire roared to life around his figure as he dashed toward the incoming threat with all the speed he could muster.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM." Another explosion reverberated through the sky the next second, sending shockwaves that reached the ground and nearly made the soldiers lose their footing. Thousands of Leviathan drones were flung about like leaves in a gale. High above, Vlad and the dark figure collided with monstrous force. The impact sent both of them blasting apart in opposite directions. Yet not even a second later, they dashed toward each other once more, rising higher and higher into the air, each collision producing waves of power that rattled the battlefield below.
The hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the ground watched in stunned silence. They saw only a red flash clashing with a dark one, two blurs at war in the heavens. They had no idea what manner of monster had appeared on the battlefield that could fight the Xaos King head-on. Uncertainty spread through the ranks. Shock tugged at their hearts. The loss of Vlad’s immediate guidance, even for a short time, threatened to unsettle their formation. If this dragged on, the soldiers would have to fight without their leader’s presence. The Leviathans might exploit that confusion. The hive mind was no fool—it understood the importance of morale.
Amid this rising tension, a voice echoed among the ranks—a voice that had long since earned the respect of every soldier under Vlad’s command. It belonged to none other than Major General Theodor, the leader of the Bloodline Soldiers and the Shadowstrike Legion. He stepped forward, his posture unwavering, blade in hand, facing the swarm of Leviathans that still advanced.
"Everyone, with me!" Theodor’s voice cut through the anxious murmurs like a sword through smoke. "Our King is fighting with all he has, and so we will!" His words rang with conviction and strength. He wasted no time as he dashed forward on his own.
The sight of Theodor’s back as he marched straight into the Leviathan swarm, fearless and resolute, ignited a fierce determination in the hearts of every soldier.
"Destroy the Leviathans!" Theodor shouted again. "For the Xaos Civilization!"
"For the Xaos Civilization!" "For the Xaos Civilization!" "For the Xaos Civilization!"
A rallying cry lit a spark in every warrior’s soul. Immediately, the Bloodline Soldiers, the Shadowstrike Legion, and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in dark armor surged forward, weapons raised, energy burning in their veins.