Chapter 195: The Beginning of the Battle

The sword’s blade came straight down toward Captain Armstrong’s neck.

CLANG!

The sound of metal rang throughout the industrial area. Armstrong had stopped the invading leader’s sword with a single hand. His boots sank slightly into the asphalt, but his body remained firm.

The invader narrowed his eyes.

Armstrong gave him no time to react. He drew his own sword and swung horizontally at his opponent’s torso.

The leader leaped backward. The blade grazed his black armor, sending several violet sparks flying from its surface.

Armstrong immediately advanced, forcing him to raise his sword to block the next strike.

CLANG!

The two weapons collided with such force that a pressure wave swept across the asphalt, kicking up dust and fragments of concrete.

The two combatants separated by several meters and assumed their stances once again.

The invading leader watched the captain for a moment before lunging at him again.

Armstrong met the attack head-on.

And as the two began their duel, war erupted all around them.

◇◆◇

The invaders advanced in formation, raising their weapons as they approached the human positions.

The hunters of the Ace of Spades responded with a hail of gunfire. Several enemies fell before reaching the first barricades, but the remaining ranks continued advancing without stopping.

The six squads spread out across the evacuated area, taking up positions to prevent the enemy from surrounding them.

Timothy was among the first to charge into battle.

His muscles began to expand, dramatically increasing the size of his arms, shoulders, and torso. Within seconds, he had transformed into a veritable muscular beast.

An invader lunged at him with a curved sword.

Timothy took the blow on his forearm without retreating, then retaliated with a punch that sent his opponent flying into the wreckage of an abandoned vehicle.

Another enemy tried to attack him from behind.

Tim pivoted on his heels and struck the attacker with his elbow before he could raise his weapon.

He didn’t need to chase down every opponent. Simply holding his position was enough to make him an obstacle the invaders couldn’t afford to ignore.

◇◆◇

Amber moved through another section of the battlefield.

She concentrated energy in her legs and shot forward.

A moment later, she appeared in front of an invader and slammed a fist into its chest. The impact lifted it off the ground and hurled it into two other enemies.

Amber didn’t stop.

She used another burst of acceleration to change direction, ducked beneath an incoming attack, and struck a second creature in the jaw. Before it could even hit the ground, she had already propelled herself toward an enemy attempting to reach a group of hunters.

Her fighting style was explosive. Each burst of acceleration allowed her to cover distances in an instant, strike with devastating force, and leave before her opponents could retaliate.

Some distance away, Wayne raised a hand.

Several energy platforms appeared in the air, forming a series of steps above the battlefield. The guild’s marksmen immediately climbed onto the elevated structures and began firing from their advantageous positions.

Wayne created another platform in front of a group of retreating hunters, giving them an opportunity to regroup.

Then he extended both arms.

A wall of energy rose between two buildings, blocking the advance of an enemy unit attempting to flank his comrades.

The barrier trembled under the impacts but held long enough for the hunters to reposition themselves.

Wayne gritted his teeth and reinforced the structure.

He couldn’t stop the entire army on his own, but he could control the terrain and make his comrades’ jobs easier.

◇◆◇

Don Rouch advanced down a street littered with rubble.

An invader tried to block his path with a spear. Don Rouch placed a hand on the metal weapon and altered its shape, twisting it until it became a useless mass of metal.

He then picked up a fallen steel bar beside a vehicle and transformed it into a long spear.

Gripping it with both hands, he pierced his opponent’s defenses with a precise thrust.

As long as he had materials within reach, the sub-captain could fashion whatever tools he needed.

High above the battlefield, a silhouette streaked across the sky.

Jane Armstrong unfurled her energy wings and soared above the buildings.

Several luminous feathers detached from them and shot toward a group of invaders attempting to approach the marksmen’s positions.

The projectiles tore through the air at high speed, forcing the enemies to scatter.

Jane tilted her body and dived.

An invader raised its weapon to meet her, but she changed direction at the last moment, swept past it, and struck it with a kick that sent it crashing to the ground.

As she spread her wings again, she gained altitude and spun around.

More energy feathers materialized around her.

She fired them in a rapid volley at the enemies gathered beside a barricade, forcing them to seek cover.

Jane continued flying over the battlefield, alternating between ranged attacks and swift dives to engage enemies who managed to get too close to her comrades.

◇◆◇

Liam fired three consecutive shots.

The bullets struck the armor of an advancing invader but failed to bring it down. The creature raised its weapon and charged at him.

Before it could get close, a hardened tentacle intercepted its path.

The enemy’s blade collided with the hardened surface and bounced to the side.

Lydia seized the opening. Another tentacle shot forward and struck the invader in the abdomen, sending it crashing to the ground. A second appendage stretched toward another enemy attempting to flank them.

[Acid]

The corrosive liquid splashed across the invader’s armor. It recoiled as the dark material began to deteriorate.

Lydia positioned herself in front of Liam, keeping several tentacles extended around her. Two remained hardened to block attacks, while the others struck any enemy that tried to approach too closely.

Liam took advantage of the cover to aim over her shoulder.

He fired at an invader preparing to attack Lydia from the side. The creature staggered, and his wife finished it off with a strike from her tentacles.

"Good job, sweetheart," Liam said.

"Focus on shooting. I’ll take care of anyone who gets close."

Liam smiled faintly and aimed again.

His wife could protect herself. In fact, she was doing an extraordinary job of it.

But that didn’t mean he was going to let her fight alone.

When another group of invaders tried to advance along their flank, Liam changed position and fired at their vulnerable points, hindering their progress. Lydia followed up with a series of strikes that forced them to retreat.

The rest of the Ace of Spades hunters were also engaged in combat...

The war had begun.