"Advance! Advance! Advance!"
"Roar—Roar—!"
"Howl—Howl—!"
"..."
Classical knights, arrayed in a neat, dragon-like procession, marched along a mountain path about two meters wide. Ahead and behind them surged lions, tigers, and other ferocious beasts, alongside various stone giants, centaurs, werewolves, and other legendary creatures.
This was a mighty army composed of stone statues and various metal sculptures. Each enlivened 'soldier' possessed a body heavier than that of an ordinary person, creating a tremendous rumble as they moved, leaving deep imprints (or paw prints?) even on leaf-strewn mountain roads.
Not only that, but this army moved much faster than typical forces. Even while traversing complex and rugged mountains, their speed remained undiminished as they rapidly headed towards the royal capital of the Bion Kingdom, Doma City.
"Riding these things isn't bad!" Vice Admiral Prodi laughed, patting the rump of a four-meter-long bronze lion he rode. "It's just too hard; it's uncomfortable to sit on!"
"You're lucky to even have something to sit on, Prodi-san. Everyone else has to walk!" Vice Admiral Zack Huss sat atop a two-story-tall stone mammoth, carrying a broad-bladed greatsword, looking down at his senior.
"Even though that kid's as soft-hearted as a woman, his abilities are quite impressive!" Rear Admiral Pegasus said, riding backward on a stone centaur archer, praising, yet not quite praising.
"If I were Cross, I'd absolutely throw you off and make you run to Doma City yourself!" Rear Admiral Massol said, sitting lazily on the back of a five-meter-long stone Komodo dragon, lifting his head and glancing disdainfully at Pegasus behind him.
"Others aren't as petty as you!" Pegasus snorted lightly, snapping back at Massol.
"Alright, both of you, stop arguing!"
Behind the two, Rear Admiral Doberman, riding a high-headed metal horse, sternly reprimanded them, "If you have this much energy, you should rest more and then kill more pirates!"
Rear Admiral Onigumo, at the very back, was silently bowing his head, his long hair forming several arms, each holding a white cloth and blade oil, wiping several long swords. Interestingly, he was riding a glossy black, millstone-sized eight-legged spider, its legs extending out into the grass beyond the road on both sides.
Hearing Doberman's reprimand, Massol and Pegasus exchanged glances, then turned their heads away indignantly, but didn't continue arguing.
Among the current Rear Admirals, excluding some of the older generation, the young Doberman was one of the most respected. Although his strength wasn't top-tier, his abilities were comprehensive, without weaknesses. Whether in personal combat or army command, he was formidable, earning the respect of many. (During the Summit War, he was the first to reprimand Red-Haired Shanks. When Zephyr died, he was also the only one who shed tears.)
Cross flew through the air on a bronze griffin, with Shanna beside him riding a white stone Pegasus, and Gion on a large stone bird. The remaining flying enlivened creatures were dispersed around them, scouting the path and watching for enemy movements for the army below.
Shanna clutched the white stone Pegasus's neck, giving Gion a somewhat hostile look, then said to Cross, "Over this mountain, and then it's Doma City!"
"I can already see the castle at the summit of Mount Gangoma!" Cross nodded, his expression serious as he gazed into the distance, already faintly hearing the rumble of cannon fire.
"Whoosh—!"
Gion also looked at Shanna, smiling brightly, "You've worked hard, Shanna-san. We already know the rest of the way, so Shanna-san can return now. If the future Queen is injured once the battle starts, Gion will be reprimanded by Vice Admiral Sakazuki!"
Shanna's pretty face subtly changed. She looked at Cross anxiously and quickly said, "I won't enter the battlefield. I'll just observe from the sky to see if my Royal Uncle is safe."
"In that case, Gion, you stay and protect Countess Shanna!" Cross said with a smile.
"Captain Cross, are you telling me what to do?" Gion snapped, glaring at Cross, deliberately emphasizing the word "Captain" with an annoyed tone.
"It's just a suggestion, Commodore Gion. After all, Countess Shanna isn't a warrior!" Cross raised an eyebrow, then said seriously, "Alright, then I'll leave these flying enlivened creatures behind to protect Countess Shanna!"
"Agreed!" Gion nodded.
Shanna watched Gion and Cross's familiar conversation, involuntarily gritting her teeth and feeling a surge of frustration. She had a premonition that her future attempts to poach him would likely fail. It infuriated her!
Soon, the enlivened legion, acting as the Marine vanguard, arrived below Doma City after less than an hour of traversing mountains and crossing over twenty kilometers of mountain roads.
At this moment, the battle within the city had escalated to a white-hot intensity. Prince Lavishur and General Hebrass, leading over twenty thousand Royal Army soldiers, were caught in the middle of Mount Gangoma, under a pincer attack from both the Roberts Legion and the aristocrat faction.
Fortunately, Shanna's blood oath had given the Royalist faction great confidence, letting the Royal Army know that strong reinforcements were coming. So, they gritted their teeth and held their ground, refusing to retreat.
However, the Royal Army's fierce resistance resulted in heavy casualties for the Roberts Legion pirates. In their rage, they directly set up cannons and indiscriminately bombarded the residential areas.
Amidst the thunderous, dense cannon fire, the flames of war almost consumed all of Doma City. Thick black smoke soared into the sky, and various gunshots, clashes of swords, terrified screams, and desperate shouts of battle intertwined, forming a symphony unique to war and bloodshed.
But the Royal Army's commanders were not foolish; they tried to change this unfavorable situation, preparing to defend one front and attack another. Yet, they miscalculated!
After several fierce offensive and defensive battles, the Royal Army suffered heavy casualties but made no progress. The aristocrat faction's private army and the Royal Palace Guard, though fewer in number, could swiftly switch from offense to defense. Furthermore, the Royal Army was fighting uphill and lacked heavy weapons like cannons, leading to repeated failed offensives, leaving behind numerous corpses in their miserable retreats.
The pirates of the Roberts Legion below were even more formidable in combat, pushing the Royal Army back repeatedly in direct engagements, not only abandoning countless corpses but also losing many defensive positions.
It's worth noting that in other worlds, while pirates might be cruel and violent, and bothersome in skirmishes, their true combat power couldn't compare to any nation's regular army, let alone face them head-on.
However, in this world, pirates are synonymous with brutality, violence, deceit, and power. Most national armies are no match for pirates. Many small nations can only silently endure pirate plunder, then either request Marine assistance or hoist the flag of a powerful pirate crew.
The strongest pirates are even called 'Sea Emperors,' like the later Four Emperors. Therefore, it's not surprising that the Roberts Legion, a renowned pirate crew in the New World, was more than a match for the Bion Kingdom's regular army; in fact, it was quite normal.
But just as the Royal Army's situation grew increasingly dire and they were gradually unable to hold on, the enlivened army, acting as the Marine vanguard, plunged like an arrow released from a bowstring into the rear of the Roberts Legion.
"Advance! Advance! Advance!"
"Roar—Roar—!"
"Howl—Howl—!"
"Damn it, what are these monsters?!"
"Hold steady! Hold steady! Don't panic!"
"They're just piles of stone and metal! Blast them to pieces with cannons!"
"..."
There was no dialogue between the two sides; they immediately engaged in fierce combat. A brutal battle erupted below Doma City.
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