Elder Argo had to admire the human ingenuity. He never considered attacking horizontally from the ground, since that was never a viable option for him. Battles in the world beyond humanity did not rely on quantity, but quality. Civilizations like the Featherwind Sect or the Luminous Central Origin utilized Rank 2 Lord armies, equipped with Noble Grade treasures and artifacts, which could work together to exert unimaginable power. If he tried to do what he did here, then his attacks would not just fail, but he would suffer a fierce retaliation in return too. The same might even be true had he regained his Half-Rank 3 King power and his Half-Monarch Grade armaments. They were that strong! Compared to them, the humans were far too weak. They gave zero resistance. It genuinely felt like reaping wheat from a field. Elder Argo found little satisfaction in doing this.
However, it seemed like the generals had prepared for his attack by using a sparse formation. The low density of soldiers meant fewer targets for Elder Argo to kill at once. It was a simple, but effective strategy against his 'army-killing' technique. Furthermore, the exact strength and range of his technique were established from his display yesterday, which gave the generals key information to work around. It could not be blocked by conventional means. That much could be said when it devastated three city districts and demolished countless buildings yet, it did not penetrate deeply into the earth. That meant it was limited to a certain distance or hardness. The generals used this information to deploy gapped lines, instead of dense boxes, in their formations. Although the people at the front were guaranteed to die, this could limit their casualties significantly.
The results thus spoke for themselves. Last time, Elder Argo inflicted over twenty thousand casualties with one attack. This was different from fatalities, because it included heavy injuries, incapacitations, or disappearances, most of which was gained from the crumbling city and ensuing chaos, rather than his direct attack. That led to the casualty numbers being inflated. This time though, with the generals' plans in place, the Featherwind Sect did not net as much success, despite their new method of attacking. The first ten vanguard lines had been attacked, impacting almost ten thousand soldiers. The following shockwave, wind pressure, and explosive force added to the damage too… and yet, their gamble had paid off. Elder Argo's attack actually stopped before reaching the eleventh line! They cut the casualties in half with one move, leaving the acting Sect Master impressed.
He exhaled deeply as his aura waned. The Featherwind Sect's pinnacle technique, Demon Wind Requiem, placed a heavy burden on his body. It was meant to be a trump card, an ultimate technique, used to reverse the odds in a flash, like when he used it against the Sword King in Guanhuang. It was never meant to cull the weak. This was especially important because he backlashed down to Grand Rank 2 Lord, a mere Perception Realm Master. His power had weakened compared to yesterday. That said, opening with a flashy and powerful move had its merits since the enemy army had grown terrified once more. This made it easier for them to do the rest. With a cry, he launched himself into the air using a strong gust. Elder Terus and Unvo flew off the ship and joined him in attendance. The three birds began charging up their techniques for another attack!
That signalled the start of battle. General Petra and Unit Commander Fai shouted at the same time: attack! The two armies slammed into each other in an earthshattering explosion of metal, flesh, and blood. The second day of fighting had finally begun! It was fierce. The Imperial Council had started off poorly, since they had to deal with the heavy losses accrued by Elder Argo's opening attack. The Alzar Kingdom wanted to capitalize on this and wedge an opening, only to fail and retreat. The kingdom's soldiers might be superior in training and equipment, but the council had one thing: numbers. A five-to-two disadvantage was not something easy to overcome. In addition, the war fatigue for the kingdom was far greater on average. That placed General Petra on the defensive again.
The battlefield kept evolving at a rapid pace. The Featherwind Sect and the Ten Dawns made their contributions from time to time, which kept the situation from deteriorating. However, the enemy morale was strong. The earlier negotiations motivated them to fight above their means and they were beating the kingdom through brute force alone. General Petra and her officers were strained on all fronts as reports flew in non-stop. Even Elizabeth had to step up, despite her lacking military experience. That was how hectic it was for everyone! Things turned from bad to worse when a priority report came in. As was said before, a priority report was the highest level of reporting, used exclusively for developments that could impact the entire battlefield. It could not be used lightly! Everyone redirected their focus over. The messenger then described with a shaky voice what happened.
Three large enemy armies had suddenly appeared in the rear and ambushed them! Almost no one had noticed them, despite how many scouts there were. That was because many Perception Realms were mixed into the ranks, giving them an edge over the scouts. Their undefendable flying strikes made things tricky too. Furthermore, they attacked with overwhelming speed to shock the kingdom's reaction time. General Petra and Elizabeth initially believed they might have been reinforcements from the Four Great Nobility Families, knowing that their armies were converging here at full speed. That was impossible though. Their armies were two days away, maybe one at best if they rode through the night. They could not arrive this quickly no matter what. Therefore, the logical conclusion must be that they were already here, as part of the Imperial Council's army.
They must have snuck into the forest using the tunnels underneath the city and the negotiations as a distraction. Although the kingdom covered every tunnel they knew, even adding the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang's knowledge into the equation, it was still not enough. There were far more passageways created over the vast history of this city! The inclusion of three enemy Divisions, a total of fifteen thousand soldiers, complicated matters. It might be a small part of the Imperial Council's five hundred thousand strong army, but it posed a serious threat to the Alzar Kingdom's much smaller army. The messenger was right to call it a priority report. The situation at the frontlines was a delicate balance. If General Petra moved her forces carelessly, it could cascade into a far greater problem. That said, the three armies in the rear had to be dealt with immediately. They could not be allowed to run rampant! The woman's hands were tied. As she debated the best course of action, Elizabeth spoke up.
"General Petra, please deploy my friends and I to the battlefield."
"…I believe we had this conversation yesterday, but we cannot endanger Your Highness under any circumstances. I must decline this request."
"But your hands are tied, aren't they?" Elizabeth pressed. "If you lose here, then there won't be anywhere safe for me to be. It's the same result either way!"
"If the situation turns for the worse, we will escort Your Highness away no matter what. I can guarantee Your Highness this."
"This isn't the time to be stubborn. I'm a Half-Condensed Drop Arcanist, and my friends are just as strong as me. We should use everything at our disposal. Besides, I'm not asking to leave it all to us. The Featherwind Sect and the Ten Dawns have already lost their effectiveness, due to the interference strength on the frontlines. They'll be better suited to handle the enemies in the rear instead."
General Petra grimaced because Elizabeth was right. The situation was too delicate for any reservations now. She decided in an instant and replied, "Very well."
"General?" her subordinates were stunned. They did not expect her to relent.
"We'll need to send a Legion at the minimum, but we don't have any Legion Generals to spare."
"What about my aunt, Brigade Commander Christina Kalmar?" Elizabeth asked.
"Commander Christina?" The general raised an eyebrow. "There's no guarantee that a Brigade Commander can lead a Legion effectively. If this was a show of favoritism, then I'd be disappointed."
"This isn't favoritism. Commander Christina's achievements have spoken for themselves. She returned victorious in every battle in the Samfeng Province, and her leadership over Fortress Fallinard was impeccable. She more than earned her right to be a Legion General."
"…"