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The sound of footsteps grew into a rolling, rhythmic thunder. Every heart on the city wall pounded in a desperate, frantic rhythmâno one had ever faced a battle on this scale.
Roarâ!
The cry of the beast horde erupted from the tree line. Then, the forest itself seemed to dissolve as countless Demon Beasts sprang forth, a crushing wave of flesh and fury surging toward the city wall.
"So many!" Even the most seasoned swordsmen gasped, stunned by the sheer, unending scale of the attack.
"Attackâ!"
The command sliced through the panic. Soldiers on the wall immediately lit the fuses.
Boom boom boom!!!
Boom boom boom boom boom!!!
A relentless barrage of cannonballs screamed into the ranks of the charging horde, creating massive, bloody craters in the massed bodies. Demon Beasts were thrown into the air, but only a fraction were destroyed. The rest, driven by an unnatural purpose, quickly covered the ground.
A small portion of the wave slammed into the base of the wall.
"Moveâ!"
The swordsmen waiting below instantly charged, meeting the monsters in a desperate, chaotic close-quarters brawl. Meanwhile, the soldiers above continued to pound the distant forest, creating a protective kill zone directly below the fortifications.
Qi Yan watched the grim spectacle. This was war. For someone who had grown up in peace, the raw, brutal reality of the battle was deeply, overwhelmingly stimulating.
Then, the true threats began to appear.
The Overlords Assemble
"Oh oh oh oh ohâ!" A strange, chilling cry echoed.
A monstrous figure, seven to eight meters tall, tore through the trees. It was covered in angry red fur, resembling a hideous cross between a gorilla and an ape, topped by a single, needle-sharp horn.
"Oh no! It's the Nine-Star Demon Beast, Unicorn Blood Ape!!!"
Fear electrified the air. Nine-Star Demon Beasts were creatures only Nine-Star Swordsmen could hope to face; for anyone weaker, challenging one was instant suicide.
Buzzâ!
A crimson energy began to gather on the beast's horn, charging into a deadly, blood-colored beam.
"Damn it! It's about to attack!!"
Whooshâ!
The energy beam shot towards the packed swordsmen at the base of the wall.
"Blaze Slash!!"
A fiery slash erupted from the ground, meeting the beam head-on in a volatile explosion.
A young man stepped forward, sword in hand. "I'll deal with it!"
"It's the Nine-Star Swordsman, 'Flame Sword' Allen!"
Qi Yan squinted. Wasn't that the unlucky fellow I instantly defeated in the preliminaries?
Hiss hissâ!
Before the cheers could die down, a truly terrifying sound emerged. A gigantic, serpentine shadow slithered into the lightâa massive, coiling nine-headed snake.
"Another one!! It's the Nine-Star Demon Beast, Nine-Headed Serpent!!"
"I'll deal with it!!"
Crackling!!
A brilliant bolt of lightning streaked through the swordsmen, heading straight for the serpent to engage it in a crackling duel.
"Nine-Star Swordsman, 'Thunder Sword' Clay!" The second unlucky duelist from the tournament entered the fray. (Qi Yan's restraint had left both Allen and Clay fully capable of fighting.)
Roarâ!
A heaven-shaking roar heralded the arrival of the third. A colossal lion with massive, leathery wings took to the sky, diving straight toward the top of the city wall.
"It's the Nine-Star Demon Beast, Kui Lion!!"
"Flash ¡ Cross Slash!!"
A brilliant, cross-shaped light attack erupted from the walls, slamming into the aerial monster.
Bangâ!
The Kui Lion was knocked violently from the sky, hitting the ground with a crushing thud.
Everyone instantly recognized the distinct signature move. "Arthur!"
Arthur plunged his sword into the ground, a defiant figure facing the behemoth. "Don't even think about getting past here!!"
But the Kui Lion merely shook its head and slowly rose, seemingly unharmed. It let loose a deafening roar that tore up the surrounding earth and stunned the weaker beasts. Arthur had to immediately charge with his "Flash Sword" to force the beast to stop its sonic attack.
Overlords: Total War
"Why are there so many Nine-Star Demon Beasts this time?!" Panic began to spread through the organized ranks.
"In past tides, we saw at most one! Now there are three. This isn't a natural tide!"
The true architects of this catastrophe must be far more terrifying than a mere Nine-Star beast.
Howlâ!
A tall, silver-furred giant wolf rushed out.
"Oh no! It's the Nine-Star Demon Beast, Silver Moon Wolf!!!"
Erza's expression became grim. "Qi Yan, protect His Majesty the King. I'll deal with this guy!"
"Re-equip ¡ Blackwing Armor!!"
Without waiting for a reply, Erza transformed into her battle-ready form and soared down from the wall. Four Nine-Star Swordsmen were now desperately engaged with four Nine-Star Demon Beasts. If the wolf broke through, the ensuing slaughter would be immense. Erza had to act.
"Great! It's Miss Erza!" The sight of the beautiful, fierce warrior gave the human forces a moment of desperately needed hope.
But the moment Erza clashed with the Silver Moon Wolf, the forest erupted again.
One after another, giant, overwhelming monsters appeared in quick succession:
"Mammoth Elephant King! Dark Panther King! Hellfire Tiger! Three-Headed Cold Bird! Earth Tyrant Bear!!"
"How can this be?! Nine Nine-Star Demon Beasts?! Do they want to destroy this country?!"
The entire human force broke out in a cold sweat. Total, paralyzing terror descended upon the city wall.
Even the King's calm façade shattered. Sweat poured from his brow. He had expected retaliation, but not a force of nine Nine-Star Overlords.
In this city, including the four currently fighting and himself, they only had five Nine-Star Swordsmenâsix, if he counted the absent master. They were catastrophically short-handed. Three more Nine-Star beasts would break the line and annihilate everything.
"Where is Mr. Tsugikuni Yoriichi?! Where is Mr. Tsugikuni Yoriichi?!" the King desperately cried, turning to the surrounding guards. Only the "Sword God" could possibly save them now.
The guards all shook their heads. The champion was gone.
At that moment, standing next to the terrified King, Qi Yan knew his dilemma was over. If this country was destroyed, there would be no one left to pay his prize money. His financial security depended on this city surviving.
"Let me do it!!"