Chapter 495: Close-Quarters Combat

"Can he do it?"

The High Elf force holding the front was not Tyrion himself or the elites of his Kingdom of Kosque, but rather Finubar's eldest son, Irelia. Unlike his smooth-talking father, this Prince was a warrior at heart and a staunch supporter of Tyrion.

Before the battle, the Phoenix King had implored Sinuoli to provide him with extra care if the opportunity arose, so Sinuoli had a brief exchange with him; Prince Irelia admired the strong and held the Dwarf Demigod in great respect.

What neither of them knew was that if not for Sinuoli's appearance, Prince Irelia would never have had the chance to set foot in Itza—in the original timeline, he had gone to crusade against the Dreadfleet commanded by Count Notelakes to earn glory, only to be defeated and buried in the Great Ocean.

"Asur! Purify these Daemons with the Phoenix's wrathful flame!"

As a Prince of Lothern, Irelia was undoubtedly commanding the Sea Guard, famous throughout the Old World. This was the largest of the few standing armies in all of Ulthuan.

A qualified Sea Guard could use spears, bows, and shields simultaneously, and might also operate bolt throwers or pilot ships. As the navy of an island nation, they were on the front lines of war, and their experience and discipline far surpassed those of smaller, more elite units.

"I smell the scent of the weak! Charge over there!"

The Khorne Herald spotted a weak link in the bridgehead defense, which was divided into three sections, and by reducing the layered interception of ranged fire, they were able to reach the Order side with relative ease.

"Thrust!"

Because the gaps in the guard were very narrow, the Sea Guard in the rear ranks thrust their spears out from the flanks and shoulders of their comrades in the front, their neat and swift movements creating a visual impression akin to a pufferfish inflating.

The Bloodcrusher sitting on the back was precisely sniped, leaving only the blind, rampaging Steel Bull unable to break the Sea Guard's shield wall—years of fighting Dark Elf monsters had cultivated their unique techniques for countering large units.

The shields tilted slightly to deflect the fierce impact, followed by spears with barbs and blood grooves stabbing into the bodies from multiple angles, immediately followed by high-frequency churning and tearing. Prince Irelia even displayed his physical strength, using a step-up upward-thrusting technique to flip a Steel Bull several meters into the air.

"How are these sons of bitches so fragile?"

On the other side, Agelimu stepped out from the crowd, ready to meet the charge of the Khorne legion, but all that came his way were Bloodletters, weakened by the Ritual Vortex and lacking substance. The Dargo Axe whirled, but he could not find the satisfaction of a hearty strike; there was only the disillusionment of a bursting bubble.

"I need only one sword to claim that Elf's head!"

N'Kari licked its long tongue once more; before fighting Tyrion, it was very willing to first bring the Elves some shock from Slaanesh. A new batch of minions arrived at its side from a portal, led by a Great Keeper of Secrets.

"In the end, we have to rely on ourselves!"

"Let the whelps go wave after wave, don't stop!"

"Should we summon the fog of war? Or just strike terror into their hearts fair and square?"

Slaanesh's Daemon army took over, with a large number of cavalry and chariots rolling in. They also targeted the Elves as their main direction of attack, but fortunately, the area they were responsible for was not wide, and the four-horse Flayer chariots with cruel cutting blades as wheels could not fit three abreast. The Sea Guard's spears easily gutted the steeds and skewered the Daemonettes on top like kebabs.

"These High Elves aren't as incompetent as the legends say!"

Master Sitelinge muttered to Sinuoli; as the fortress at the westernmost tip, Weifengbao had accumulated the most Grudges during the War of the Beard, and the stigmatization of Elves there was the most severe.

"They are, after all, the Phoenix King's direct elites! But you must not let your guard down; everything before the Greater Daemons enter is just probing. You weren't present for the previous few times, so take this opportunity to gain some experience."

Sinuoli stroked his beard; he had been sensing the energy reactions of the Ritual Vortex and the surrounding Geomantic Web. The steady output at the moment meant that victory was still a long way off, and he also believed that the Lords of Change had the ability to obtain the same information.

"Pururu!"

"Watch out for their pus! Where are the mages? Cast healing spells!"

Just as they were speaking, it was the turn of Nurgle's legion to press forward. This time, the Sea Guard did not have it so easy—the piercing damage caused by spears and bows was no longer effective, and they suffered some casualties. Although less dependent than the Lizardmen, the High Elves were not accustomed to fighting without the support of the Archmages of the White Tower.

"They are going to change formation, so we must adjust as well. Tell the fearless Slayers to take a rest. Chaos, um, the kin from the Dark Lands go up and hold for a while! The rest, take turns resting and wait for orders!"

After the Khorne and Slaanesh troops finished their charges, it was the turn of the green-skinned ones to gather at the bridgehead. Tyrion signaled for the Swordmasters of the Tower of Hoeth to step forward and replace Prince Irelia and his Sea Guard.

"As you command!"

Delazhuosi-Huijin bowed to accept the order, picked up his axe, and led his Infernal Guard, armored so that only their eyes were visible, to take over the line from the Dragonbeard Clan Slayers.

Under normal circumstances, as a spellcaster, he would not be suitable for participating in this battle, but the purification of the Ancestor Goddess had undoubtedly stripped the Demon Smith of his qualification to use the Hashut magic system. The Divine Art that replaced it made him no longer rely on the Winds of Magic.

"Junior brother, don't just stand there; take your men and set up a secondary line of defense in the back. You still have a long way to go from a Rune Master to a lord who can hold his own!"

Compared to other kin who opened their arms after the Mother Goddess made her stance clear, Sinuoli was perhaps the only one who held reservations about the return of the Chaos Dwarfs, based on his awe of Hashut.

"Bang! Pfft!"

"Sizzle!"

The Infernal Guard selected by Drazhoath to participate in the battle were all equipped with the Broad-blade Musket, a lethal weapon. The Nurgle Daemons, lacking armor-piercing capabilities, were powerless before them, and the poison dripping onto the heavy armor could only erode small pits.

"Are we just going to wait passively like this?"

The Ritual Vortex and the Chaos Rift had long since obscured the sun, moon, and stars in the sky. The warriors estimated how long they had been holding out based on the enemy's waves. If they were rookies, they might be secretly pleased at the low intensity, but everyone gathered under the pyramid was a battle-hardened veteran; everyone knew that the eruption after such a long gestation would be terrifying.

"I'll go talk to the Lizardmen and see if there's a way to disperse the fog, so as to relieve some of the psychological pressure on the warriors."

Sinuoli looked back; he knew this wasn't just Yanmei's opinion. Even he, in his lofty status as a Demigod, felt the pressure of a storm about to break, let alone the common folk.

"Perhaps I can have Tehol-Pok's children give it a try. As guardians of the holy land, they also have the ability to conceal their tracks."

The young Great White Lizard was composed; this was a great talent of the Cold-Blooded. Just as it was signaling the Beast Tamer to mobilize the Coatl, Sinuoli keenly felt a strange tremor coming from the stone slabs beneath his feet!