The Governor's forces marched forward steadily. Three white-robed espers stood in front of the army. Together, they created a large barrier, blocking all of Harmony's cannon fire. There were at least 300 more espers mixed into the Governor's army. Harmony was clearly at a large disadvantage.
The Harmony forces were positioned just outside the city, much to the confusion of the enemy. Normally it would make more sense for them to defend from within the city walls. The 80,000 Harmony soldiers waited patiently, not daring to rush in before the orders had been given. The Governor's forces grew closer and closer, until the Harmony forces were within firing range.
"Now!" Ed yelled as he waved his hand downwards. The ground beneath the Governor's forces trembled as roughly 150 chimeras jumped up from underground. Each one was covered in scales of different colors. They formed groups of three or four as they attacked, throwing the enemy ranks into chaos.
A platoon flew overhead, exiting the city. It consisted of the superhuman soldiers with artificial mana-battery limbs. They released long trails of flames, scorching the ground beneath them as they flew forward. The three barrier espers at the front died almost instantly. Dozens of espers in the Governor's forces flew into the skies, preparing to intercept the superhumans.
This was the cue for Harmony's ordinary soldiers. "ARAHHH!!!" They rushed forward, slamming into the enemy forces as they fired. There were now three battles taking place. The frontline, the battle for air superiority, and the 150 chimeras fighting within enemy ranks.
"YEE-HAW!" Ash yelled as he jumped into the sky. He folded his hands and knees inwards as his body was covered in fire. He crashed into the enemy forces like a cannonball, sending flames in all directions as a result. A stealthy soldier survived and tried to sneakily stab Ash in the back, but Ochre was there to block the attack. Ochre's fist was covered in a sharp rocky spike. He stabbed it forward, killing the stealthy soldier.
The fight was going well, but Harmony was rapidly losing forces. They were simply too outmatched. Especially in number of espers, where they were being completely dominated. Ochre and Ash were barely capable of holding down a couple each. Terra was busy hiding in the tunnels to support the troops plans to fall back. Ray had been fixed up by Ed and was supporting the superhumans in the sky.
Ed glanced to his side, staring at Husky who was trembling as he watched the battle. "Aren't you going to fight?" He questioned.
Husky's eyes widened in fear as he gulped down his saliva. He forced himself to nod. "I'll help Ray." His body transformed rapidly as his muscles grew in size and his fat vanished. Strong blasts of wind shot from his feet as he propelled himself into the sky like a rocket. The wind whooshed past him as he slammed a fist into a fire-esper in the sky, instantly killing the man. Ray seemed relieved at the newfound help.
Dupe and Rupert stood next to Ed atop the city walls, watching the war with serious faces.
"The cruelty of man knows no bounds." Rupert sighed as he slouched down against an ammunition crate. He pulled out a silver flask and began chugging down the contents, wishing to be far away from here.
Dupe glanced briefly at the man before turning to Ed. "Isn't it about time you call them back in?"
"Not yet." Ed shook his head. "Not until we win air superiority. It doesn't matter if we take the ground if they maintain the skies. Their flying espers would interfere with my fight and plans against the governor."
"Why not fly out there and help speed things up then?" He replied.
"Because I'd potentially be walking into a trap of the Governor's. Who knows what espers with strange powers he's hiding within the enemy ranks. Best to stay within the areas I'm fully in control of and know everything about."
"If you say so..." Dupe responded before turning back to the battle. His expression remained serious, but a glint of enjoying the show could be seen within his eyes.
Back on the battlefield. The superhumans were losing many men but were also winning the fight. Nearly half of the enemy's flying espers had perished, leaving only a couple dozen remaining. Plasma and Husky were both particularly good at air battles, giving them a large edge in the fight.
Suddenly, a loud voice shouted towards the superhumans. "DIE!" White smoke rose towards them, instantly annihilating their bodies. Nearly half of the super humans died instantly, dwindling their forces to well below 100.
"Bastard!" Ray yelled in anger as he recognized the smoky esper. It was the old man from the battle of Fort Myers just a few days ago.
"I trust you've treated my coward of a son well?" The old man smiled as he folded his arms together. "I won't let you run away from me again." He said arrogantly, a smug look on his face.
"You think I can't beat you?" Ray smirked. "Last time was different. I was in a rush and was surrounded by enemy forces. You don't stand a chance against me."
"RAY!" Husky yelled as he avoided a bolt of lightning from an enemy esper. "Is now really the time to be having a conversation?! I could really use some help over here!"
"I'm busy." He replied as the silver plasma covering his body grew thicker. He charged forward, orbs of plasma swirling around his body and firing towards the smoky esper.
"Humph." The old man snorted in disdain. His body disappeared into a cloud of smoke, seeking to surround his opponent. Occasionally the smoke would reform into a fist or leg, releasing attacks towards Ray.
Ray calmly kept his distance from the smoke, preventing it from surrounding him. His plasma continued firing into the cloud, but he failed to do any damage. The plasma simply shot straight through it and flew into the distance, accomplishing nothing each time. "Damn!" He ground his teeth in frustration, looking for a way to break the stalemate.
"DAMNIT RAY!" Husky shouted as he blasted over, large gusts of wind surrounding his body. He pulled his fist back as far as he could and threw it forward with all his might. A large tornado of wind ripped through the smoke, tearing it in two. Half of the smoke quickly vanished as it separated from the smoky esper's body.
Ray's eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and shock. He glanced back at the superhumans and saw them struggling against the remaining espers. He turned towards Husky. "You're clearly a better matchup for this guy than me. I'll leave it to you." He left a trail of plasma in his wake as he blasted towards the superhumans, preparing to help them some more.
"Ugh!" Husky's face contorted after being abandoned. He didn't like to fight. He only agreed to do so since his friends were on the battlefield. Swallowing down the bitterness, he rushed forward. Wind cleared away more and more of the smoke, soon revealing the smoky esper's body.
The old man frowned. "This is the worst matchup I've ever been given. To hell with it!" He turned around, preparing to flee.
"I don't think so!" Husky shouted as he quickly moved to block his path.
"Do you want to die?!" The old man yelled, his face turning red from anger.
Husky's body trembled slightly, but he quickly calmed down. Wind pushed him forward as he pulled back his right leg for a large kick. A small tornado formed on his leg as it tore through the smoky espers body, rending him in two. Husky didn't hesitate as he released several more kicks, separating the esper more and more. Soon, a glowing white and green mana-core appeared. He immediately threw a strong punch, shattering the mana-core to pieces. Thus ended the life of the smoky esper.
Back on the city walls. Ed stood silently with his eyes closed as he concentrated. 'The golden energy is increasing even more? Weird. If anything, I would think it would decrease with the deaths of Harmony soldiers. His eyes shot open as he watched the intense battle for air superiority. With Husky defeating the smoky esper, it was only a few moments before he and Ray helped the superhumans win the fight.
"Fall back!" Ed immediately yelled into his mana-radio. The battling soldiers were like a receding wave as they retreated from the battle. The chimeras had suffered heavy casualties, bringing their numbers below 100. They quickly returned to the holes from which they came, moving as quickly as possible to return to the city.
Terra stood underground with her eyes closed. Each time the chimeras entered a hole, they rapidly took their designated escape paths. She focused on closing the earth behind those chimeras, preventing their escape paths from being discovered.
A brief lull appeared on the battlefield as the Governor's forces investigated the tunnels. They communicated with their officers, debating whether to infiltrate them or not. On one side, it was a direct path to the interior of the city. On the other, it was obviously an advantageous terrain for the Harmony forces.
Suddenly, Ed heard his mana-radio crackle. A deep voice came through it. "You thought I'd fall for your trap?" The Governor's voice scoffed. "I'm well aware of the kind of schemes you like to pull."
Ed grinned as he replied. "I guess you'll be forfeiting the war by falling back then? I think I'm willing to settle for the southern half of the state anyways."
"Humph." The Governor snorted. "I fear neither the trap in the tunnels nor your troops. You're already losing. It would be wise of you to just surrender. I might just be kind enough to spare your men's lives if you do so."
"Oh, sure, sure." Ed replied sarcastically. "Just come on over and we'll chat about it over tea like gentlemen."
"Remember that this was your decision." The voice faded from the mana-radio.
The Governor's forces resumed their push towards the city walls, completely ignoring any tunnels they passed. The Harmony soldiers grew increasingly nervous as the distance between them narrowed. Soon, they were only a dozen meters away from each other. Bullets tore through soldiers on both sides. The battle was reminiscent of the American Civil War, with the soldiers lined up so closely together. The soldiers' dead bodies formed small mountains as blood flowed everywhere.
"Now!" Ed yelled into his mana-radio.
Terra stood near the edge of the tunnels. She heard Ed's command and focused. A trace of mana exited her body, entering a light mana-core on the ground. She rapidly retreated from the tunnel, putting up many earth walls as she went.
The light mana-core released a brilliant shine as the unfamiliar mana penetrated it. A muffled explosion sounded as it blew up underground, setting off a chain reaction. Light mana-powder lit up throughout the entire tunnel system. In turn, the powder lit up multiple light mana-cores. The glow grew increasingly brighter, to the point that the underground tunnels were painted completely white.
Above ground. The Governor's soldiers looked down in confusion. Rays of white light rose from the grass, covering the entire battlefield. "What is th-?"
The soldier didn't even have time to finish his question when a chain of huge explosions echoed across the battlefield. It was as if the earth itself jumped into the sky before falling back to the ground. Plumes of dirt covered the plains, lowering visibility to practically nothing.
Slowly, the dirt settled to the ground. The battlefield was eerily silent as both sides watched. The plains had turned into a complete mess. The brown earth was uneven and rugged. In some areas there were hills, and in others there were giant holes. The Governor's forces were collapsed all over the uneven landscape. Most were dead from random holes of light penetrating their bodies. Those that survived were gravely injured, in desperate need of medical attention. Fortunately for the Harmony forces, they had avoided the explosions by staying close to the city walls.
"Looks like you fell for the trap anyways." Ed gloated into the mana-radio. "I obviously wouldn't limit the explosion to only within the tunnels. It's like you're not even trying. Nexus should have informed you about the kinds of things I like to do with underground explosives."
"Humph." The Governor snorted back. "Of course I was aware of it. But you are sorely mistaken if you think it is I who walked into your trap. On the contrary, you fell for my trap hook, line, and sinker."
"Hmm?" Ed frowned as he wondered what the Governor meant. Then, his eyes widened in shock. Golden threads of energy rose from the deceased soldiers all over the battlefield. It was the first time he had seen such energy visible to the naked eye. The threads joined together, forming streams of golden threads.
A small stream of the threads flew towards him, entering his body. Cold sweat covered his back as he attempted adapting to the new energy. He could feel his body being remade and perfected. Even when considering his mutant crocodilian-like strength, his body still grew several times stronger. His mana grew purer as well, greatly increasing his storage capacity within his meridians. His breath quickened as his three hearts beat rapidly. It took several minutes for his body to calm down.
Ed should have been ecstatic at such a large gain, but instead, his face contorted as he made an ugly expression. 'Damn!' He grabbed the ledge of the city wall in front of him, clenching his hands in anger. The metal of the wall dented inwards from his strength. He ground his teeth as he watched in shock what was happening in front of him.
The significantly larger stream of golden threads had entered the Governor's body. He seemed to be enjoying the absorption process, as there was a blissful expression on his face. The golden flames appeared on his body once again. They grew even larger and purer as the golden energy continued to flow in. Soon, the process finished. The Governor's eyes opened, a sharp gleam within them.
The Governor's deep voice crackled from the mana-radio. "I really should thank you for all the trouble you've caused." He gloated in a haughty tone. "If not for you, then I'd have no way of absorbing so many souls at once. I'd hardly be able to remain governor if I killed them all myself. Humans are such a troublesome crop to raise these days!" He laughed madly for a moment but quickly stopped, his tone of voice turning serious. "Playtime is over Edward. You should've accumulated quite a bit of the golden energy as well. I'll be over to take it in just a moment."