Chapter 641 - 401: Battle of Tieyang (Part 2)
A month has passed since the Battle of Iron Sun. Before the Wolf Assault Army lies the steel fortress of this city, with the most fortified structures and a garrison waiting at ease, and behind them is Asou Ichirō leading an 800,000-strong army, pressing forward with a fierce momentum.
Trapped between advance and retreat, there is no better word to describe the current situation of the Wolf Assault.
During this month, the original main force of 600,000 in the Wolf Assault has been ground down by a third, some were blown up by artillery fire, others died in close-quarters meat grinder battles, and some even died from exhaustion in the endless days of combat.
The Wolf Assault’s front line is on the brink of collapse; the elite led by Hibell is held in check by Extraordinary Beings of the same level, leaving them stretched thin and unable to assist elsewhere.
The remaining Wolf Assault Warriors are also facing pressure from both front and back, supplies are running low, the wounded cannot be treated, and their comrades are falling one by one, leaving them to desperately hold on amidst despair.
They are exhausted, covered in scars, and the grime of blood on their bodies has caked several inches thick, with many missing limbs.
A breakout from within is a fool’s dream.
Counting on rescue from allies is impossible.
The vicinity of Iron Sun is surrounded by World Government forces, and the only possible game-changer, the main force of the Wolf King, is trapped on the northern battlefield, facing several Seventh Stage powerhouses of the same level as Fenrir, unable to break free.
No hope left.
The forces led by Hibell are beyond saving.
Asou Ichirō looked at the battlefield, satisfied, and said with a smile: "800,000 against 600,000, the advantage is mine."
"Even if a pig were to command such a battle, it would easily win, hahahaha!"
The officers were amused by the General’s humor, laughing heartily.
After the laughter, Asou Ichirō gestured to his adjutant.
The adjutant opened the communicator and sneered: "Prepare for the 117th assault, same as usual, have the Defector Army lead the charge."
As the orders were relayed down the chain, sharp assault whistles tore through the sky, and the World Government Army poured into the battlefield from every direction.
Wherever you are, loyalty is always relative.
The Wolf King can use his iron fist and a series of grand ideals to rally people’s hearts.
Similarly, the World Government can use money, women, and status to dissolve those rallied hearts.
These Wolf Assault soldiers who defected to the World Government, regardless of their reasons for betrayal, willingly charged at the front, eager to earn merits in front of their new masters, mercilessly turning their blades on former comrades.
Gunfire erupted everywhere, the air filled with smoke and the sounds of battle, and from Asou Ichirō’s distant viewpoint, the warriors appeared tiny, clashing in what was essentially brutal close-quarters combat, yet looking like ants biting each other.
Asou Ichirō laughed loudly, stroking his mustache.
His favorite tactic lately was to send these defectors to the front lines, watching them bite their former comrades.
Regardless of which side dies, it is all equally pleasing to the eye.
While Asou Ichirō was overlooking the new assault, the adjutant suddenly received intelligence from the front line and reported: "Sir, a report just came in. The Da Ying Special Team, conducting a decapitation strike, was completely wiped out, with no survivors."
Upon hearing this, Asou Ichirō snorted and cursed under his breath.
In any era, the nature of warfare continually evolves with new military equipment and tactical concepts.
For example, in ancient times, the feudal organization of troops.
Later, the dawn of firearms brought the line tactics at the junction of cold and hot weapon eras.
Then to the trench warfare of the artillery infantry era, the steel torrents of the tank-airplane era, and the contactless warfare of the information age.
In the current era, with the maturity of Extraordinary technology, the presence of Extraordinary Beings on the battlefield has reshaped the form of warfare into a very ancient format—soldier versus soldier, king versus king.
For top-level Extraordinary Beings, entering and exiting battlefields is remarkably easy.
Bombing opportunities might be shot down, missiles intercepted, but Extraordinary Beings as individual units can easily cross fire lines and strike at command centers.
If one’s side does not have an Extraordinary of equal level, the enemy moves as if there were no opposition.
It’s no exaggeration to say that whichever side has stronger Extraordinary Beings, gains greater initiative on the battlefield.
So in this era of exceptionally advanced technology, there are many outdated spectacles in warfare.
Mortal soldiers shoot at each other from trenches.
Drones and Titan Mecha exchange fire.
Extraordinary Beings engage in duels reminiscent of ancient wars at the front line.
Each unit operates on its own, influencing each other, ultimately deciding victory or defeat.
Priorly, to hasten the collapse of the Wolf Assault Army, Asou Ichirō dispatched several Special Teams to traverse the battlefield and directly target Hibell.
These Special Teams were elite, reaching the Fifth Stage of the Extraordinary System, yet they all went with no return.
If Hibell doesn’t die, the backbone of this Wolf Assault force remains, possibly fighting to the death here.
Although the defeat of the Wolf Assault is inevitable, merely a matter of time.
But Asou Ichirō’s pressure is not as small as imagined.
Because the northern front is very tight.
The Capital City has sent several orders urging him to swiftly annihilate the Wolf Assault Army and end the Battle of Iron Sun, then move north to encircle the main force led by Fenrir.
The higher-ups are in a hurry, so is Asou Ichirō, launching over a hundred attacks in a mere month, with no small casualties.
Asou Ichirō sternly asked: "The reinforcements from New Moon City should arrive today, right?"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, they have departed, totaling 250,000, and it’s not just cannon fodder, but half are elite Mercenaries from the Edge and Mo Xue, an elite force."
Asou Ichirō showed a pleased expression: "Alright, excellent, with this reinforcement, we will have an overwhelming superiority."
"You will command the next battle for me; I will personally lead a team to find Hibell."
The adjutant hesitated briefly, concerned, "Sir, shouldn’t we be more cautious? We still have a few Special Teams; there’s no need for you to go personally."
Asou Ichirō snorted coldly: "As facts have proven, Red Wolf isn’t so easy to deal with. To conclude the Battle of Iron Sun soon, that red-haired brat must die."
The adjutant didn’t say much more; with the General being a top-tier powerhouse reaching the Sixth Stage of the Extraordinary System, it wasn’t his place to worry.
...
On the war-torn battlefield, the stench of blood and smoke pervaded, earth crumbling and sinking under continuous bombardment. Countless fragments were blown skyward by air currents, falling back like a vast meteor shower accompanied by embers.
Hibell stood in the battlefield center, her body exhibiting a high degree of Azure Wolf transformation, fiery red mane covering her whole body like a blazing fire, those razor-sharp claws reflecting a chilling light, daunting to behold.
However, her body was covered in ghastly wounds, like gaping mouths, continuously spewing a mixture of black and red blood, exceedingly horrifying.
After a month of intensive battles, Hibell lost count of her kills, her body had many broken bones, and her organs were seriously damaged.
The only reason she could still stand here and fight with strength even more formidable than at the start was due to the Azure Wolf Blood Code. It ensured that the more injured she was, the more powerful the force she could unleash.
Yet, even the Divine Protection High Tier of the Azure Wolf Blood Code has its limits and cannot continue fighting indefinitely.
As the battle progressed, Hibell’s injuries were approaching the collapse limit, and Death God was watching her from not too far away, with no hope in sight for this war.
Hibell looked at the distant fighters, her eyes full of sorrow.
Those traitors who defected to the enemy were sent to the front lines, and all she could see was "her own" fighting "her own."
Brothers and friends who drank together months ago now clashed in a frenzy, shouting hoarsely, eyes red, trying to take each other’s lives.
Siblings turned against each other, how sorrowful it is.