Blood tax

Chapter 593 Target: Colossus!
"Our original plan was to have Vice Admiral Valkyrie, General Sidious, and Count Roland provide support when Lord Ravenel entered the battle. Now, the situation has changed."

On June 1445, 6, at a small meeting, Virner Negri gave a briefing saying:
"According to the latest intelligence provided by Sidious, once Lifeform X is effectively damaged by the Lord, it will transform into an unknown life form at the level of an Ancient God, creating a destructive virtual entrance in Canaan.

"The intelligence has been evaluated and verified by a third party and is highly feasible."

"You mean third-party verification? Who verified it?"

"Your Majesty..."

The fleet of the Grand Republic Army has already passed the fortresses of Sevastopol, Kherson and Turan. The landing site is in Cherkassy on the Tyrne River, southeast of Canaan!
After the attack of the Hybrids on Bayerlan, the Senate and the Confederation Parliament had no more disagreements on the issue of magic blockade. Some opponents, mainly some members and senior wizards, were either killed in the Arcane Temple or drew a clear line with magic; another group of opponents, the Canaan elves, expressed their position by mobilizing all forces.

The elders and the Confederation Council, with the support of the army and the Church of the Gods, are determined to ban magic. Everyone knows that under such circumstances, if the elves of Canaan do not surrender and do not want to be liquidated, they must be preparing a big one!
"Is it caused by magic?" an elder who attended the meeting shouted, "It must be a magical disaster!"

Another councillor immediately retorted, "Is this important? We and our 200,000-strong army are already on our way to attack Canaan, and the battering ram of the foreign gods has also smashed the gate of this world. Do you still want to engage in abstract debates?"

"That's right. At this point, what is there to argue about?"

Werner Negri continued amid the quarrel: "It is a crisis created by magic. Our intelligence among the elves has confirmed this."

"Then there's even less to say!"

"Kill them before those pointy-eared idiots destroy the world!"

The resolution was passed amidst a commotion, and the two-chamber parliament consisting of the Senate and the Confederation Congress continued to implement the war plan, determined to end the war before Canaan showed its cards!
"But what about Griffith..." Roland asked anxiously, "Without him, what about the fragments of the Wishing Vessel?"

Before he could finish, his voice was drowned out by the angry deputies and generals.

"Even without him and the dictator, we will still fight to Canaan! (We are irreconcilable with magic!)"

"If you don't have a divine weapon, then use our invincible army!"

The flagship's conference room was in an uproar. Suddenly, the two demigods, Avignon, the chief priest of divine punishment, and Baldwin, the guardian of the Holy Sepulchre, stood up and solemnly stepped aside, like two primary school students waiting for their teacher, welcoming a kind elder in.

"Your Majesty Francis!"

The dignitaries present hurriedly stood up to greet him. The Patriarch of the Holy Light Church was old, and the power had long been handed over to Avignon and Baldwin.

The patriarch, who was rarely seen, raised his hand and gently gestured for everyone to sit down:

“Don’t worry Lord Ravenel.

"His enemies, who rely on the darkness of decay and distortion to weave nothingness, desecrate the dignity of the dead, and distort the will of the living, will eventually be retaliated.

"With the blessing of Holy Light, the Lord will surely escape danger."

Another demigod, Lord Seer Gryffindel, also appeared beside His Holiness the Pope and said to Roland:

"Attack Canaan based on Sidious' intelligence. The terrain of the decisive battle must also be considered. Canaan's advantage in fighting on the interior must be taken into consideration..."

This is also the most important thing at the moment. The people from the Navy Department immediately said:
"We must hold Cherkasy. Otherwise, our fleet will have no landing ground and the Colossus will burn us to ashes on the river."

"Xia Boyang and Harandil have mobilized the local rebels," Roland replied, "They will hold their ground at all costs."

"Rebellion? How can those peasants resist the Colossi and the Canaanite heavy cavalry? Rely on "The Shepherdess"?"

……

June 6th, 25:7 p.m.

The earth-shattering momentum rolled over. The giant roared like a dragon or elephant, and a bright light flashed in the grooves that looked like mouthparts. Golden and red heat energy rays staggered across, and the rocks and gravel were ignited with gray smoke. The high temperature even caused ripples in the air.

Houses, hills, forests, everything was on fire.

The deafening roar caused tinnitus, and the dazzling firelight made him temporarily blind.

In less than half a second, the frontline positions could no longer hold out, and the terrifying high temperature made the soldiers guarding there seem to be boiling all over. This suffocating pain was very short-lived, and the rebel soldiers were quickly burned and vaporized in the high temperature.

The army sent by Canaan was led by General Paulus Stannis and several elders. They followed Tarkin's colossus and swept along the river.

The rebels occupied many positions along the Tyrne River, and the largest force even drove out the elves of the colonial fortress Cherkassy, ​​building fortifications on the hills, walls and ports along the coast. Two hundred thousand Republican troops were marching day and night to land before Canaan destroyed it, and then launch an attack on Canaan with perfect facilities.

Paulus confirmed the Senate's order one last time:
“The army should be divided into three parts. Senior Ranger Director Deedwishi’s troops should intimidate the human garrison in Sevaston and prevent them from leaving their positions;

"The center and mobile corps under the command of General Paulus, including the Colossi, infantry corps, and super-heavy cavalry, attack Cherkasy. Raze and destroy Cherkasy, eliminate the rebels, and annihilate the invading Bayerland fleet."

The harsh sound of metal crackling and breaking filled the field, and the twisted and deformed noises combined into a deafening noise in General Paulus' ears.

He had read this order many times, and the more he read it, the more annoyed he became. The army of elves, half-elves, human servants, withered monsters, and barbarian mercenaries had surrounded Zilkasse into an airtight pocket.

The torso of the giant was flashing with dense and jumping sparks, lighting up the night like day. With a huge roar when it started, the giant that made people physically uncomfortable was sweeping around with golden red beams.

Tarkin carefully carried out the orders of the Senate, burning to charcoal all the villages, towns and forests that might provide help to mankind wherever he went.

Now, this terrifying monster has arrived in Cherkasy and is slaughtering the rebels who are surrounded by Canaan, shooting from morning to night.

Paulus felt like his head was about to explode: "My opinion is to stop the Colossus' attack and send infantry and cavalry to wipe out the rebels."

"General, you know this is impossible..." A group of commanders including Tyrael Fourstar said they could not execute the order.

"Then report to the Senate!" Paulus said in a deep voice, "I can't execute the two orders to destroy Cherkasy and the Bayerland Fleet at the same time. Tarkin, this poor guy who lost his mind after entering the Colossus, exposed his position clearly because of the mopping-up operation. If the Bayerland Fleet arrives now, he will be besieged immediately!"

"You can mobilize the direct cavalry," an elf said, "We have already sent out rangers, they will find the Bayerlan fleet."

After hearing this, the veins on Paulus' forehead were about to explode: "No, the reconnaissance force is not enough. Tidwigi took away too many rangers and used them in directions that have no strategic significance at all." He almost blurted out that Tidwigi was in collusion with humans and there was a spy in the Senate that formulated the strategy!
Everyone looked at Paulus without saying a word. Paulus took a deep breath, pointed at the map, and moved his twitching fingers along the banks of the Tyrne River: "Before Bayerland's main force arrives, their elite, the assault cavalry, will land and may approach us from any direction. Griffith's raid on Odessa proved that the mode of cavalry warfare has long evolved.

“This is not the security battle you are accustomed to, and the enemy is not coming only from the direction of the river.

"Therefore, I have repeatedly requested that the scope of reconnaissance should be expanded, and circular combat patrols and interceptions should be established, while long-range reconnaissance teams should be dispatched to conduct active searches."

Wizard Tyrael was also a little annoyed: "We did exactly that. Over the past few days, the Cavalry Army has deployed a large number of troops. As far as I know, even the forces of elite cavalry squadrons such as Aoba and Tone have been used for reconnaissance."

"But why, why are the reports from long-range reconnaissance incoherent? The Bayerlan cavalry may slip through our gaps and attack the Colossus without anyone noticing."

Paulus knocked on the table twice. "In the name of the commander-in-chief, I order Tarkin to stop. The supreme mystery of Canaan, the great Colossus, is actually burning human supply stations and trenches. This is a crime!"

"But this is an order from the Senate. The Colossus is directly under the Senate, not under the command of the front line," Tyrael retorted, "The Senate also orders you to destroy the Cherkassy and Bayerlan fleets. Both tasks must be completed."

He also gestured at the map: "We cannot allow these places to become the enemy's support. We must resolutely clear them out according to the Senate's orders.

“It’s become a no-man’s land!”

……

Xia Boyang and Harandil had been trapped in Cherkassy's pocket for several days. Initially, the rebels had a coherent defense line and a complete set-up. Later, after the Colossus arrived, everyone was suddenly put on the grill, roasted by the fire, and their skin was burned several times by the air waves.

Dust and steam swirled overhead, as if someone had sprinkled cumin seeds on my head, causing sharp pain on my burned skin. A huge creature beyond my field of vision was wandering in the distance. These six long-legged giant insects, with their amazing arms and legs, could easily cross gullies, cliffs, and city walls. No obstacle could stop them.

Every move of this terrifying weapon was so powerful that it made people subconsciously feel terrified.

The Canaanite infantry was not idle either. They launched continuous attacks from other directions, blowing up the city walls and trenches. The half-elf and human rebels fought the elves in several directions.

The oven is sealed tightly.

Finally, the huge pillar suddenly stopped and the elven infantry retreated from other positions.

The rebels were unable to fight back, and they treated their wounds with haggard expressions and dug trenches again. The wounded wailed intermittently, and the seriously injured begged for a quick death.

"Calculating the time, why haven't Roland and the others arrived yet..." Harandil moved his cracked lips and murmured, "We will definitely not be able to stop the next attack. Break through?"

"No, we must stop it." Xia Boyang shook off the dirt on his body and took out a letter from his pocket. "Whether it's the next attack or the next one, whether Roland and Griffith arrive or not, we must hold the Colossus back here!"

"The position has been destroyed, and the material conditions are not sufficient to continue to hold it. The comrades have reached their limit."

"Materially, it's indeed not possible. But we're not finished yet," Xia Boyang jumped up, "You cover me, I'll go and do political mobilization for the comrades!"

Without waiting for Harandil to stop him, he ran to the most conspicuous ruins in the battlefield, holding a piece of paper in his hand, and shouted to the emaciated rebels:

"Comrades, Roland and Griffith's team is almost here! We must hold our ground here and hold back the enemy!"

Xia Boyang's voice was hoarse and stuttering, and in the evening breeze it sounded like a broken saw blade rubbing against a stone. The extremely exhausted rebel soldiers hardly even glanced at him.

"Comrades, I bring you a letter from the Chijilin County People's Committee, addressed to the officers and soldiers fighting on the front line!

"Dear comrades, we are both happy and sad to have found you: happy because we are saved this time, sad because we have suffered unprecedented disasters in the past few months.

"For several months, the Pointed Ears Gang has been capturing people, burning and killing people. They did everything they could. More than 2,000 livestock in the county were killed, all the food was burned, and it is difficult to count the number of captured men. Even more cruel is that a large number of people were killed. Since the beginning of this year, more than a thousand people have been tortured. Hundreds of people were killed in Qitai Village alone. To this day, the bodies of the dead compatriots around the stronghold are still exposed in the wilderness, and no one has cleaned them up. The methods of killing are even more terrifying. Spearing, shooting, and burying alive have become common methods used by the bandits. Some had their ears and tongues cut off first, and then buried alive; some had their hair pulled out and then beheaded; some had their legs cut open and then burned to death with oil; some were thrown into the water and drowned; some were stripped naked, poured with boiling water, and their bodies were scalded with blisters, and then their skin was swept away with a bamboo broom, which was called "sweeping human hair"; some had their skin and flesh cut into pieces with scissors, which was called "cutting hedgehogs"; the enemy also split the legs of babies waiting to be fed and threw them into a red-hot pot, which was called "poor boys turning over."

A hoarse voice was wrapped in the sound of the wind, and the soldiers on the position looked over one after another.

Xia Boyang could no longer feel his mouth. The corners of his mouth were soaked with blood from his dry cough, and his words were incoherent:
"Last month, the bandits set up three guillotines at the intersection of Dongzhuang Street in Osifu District and arrested people from each household to be beheaded. A total of 3 people were killed in the village. Some children were chopped in two. The sister of the district team leader was shot to death by the enemy, and his wife and pregnant daughter-in-law were buried alive one after another. The three brothers and 21 members of the farmer Reed were buried alive together, leaving only Reed's mother, who cried and begged for one more person to be spared for her but was refused. She watched her children and grandchildren being killed, and she was so heartbroken that she hanged herself.

"In Gaoli District, 12 people were killed or beheaded at one time. The enemy used pliers to pull out the hair of the wife of a soldier named Jurgen, and then cut open her calves and sprinkled salt on them, torturing her to death. In Xiaodongzhuang, Guti District, all three members of a farmer's family were killed. His wife was six months pregnant, and after her death, the child's legs were exposed. On the banks of the Tirne River, the bodies of the victims were scattered all over the field, left to be eaten by wild dogs. Broken bones and pieces of flesh were everywhere, and the victims' families were everywhere trying to identify the bodies, and the children were crying for their mothers. The tragic scene was heartbreaking and made people cry. This is a blood feud that the people will never forget!"

Harandil stood guard beside Xia Boyang, holding a gun. He saw the soldiers with dusty faces and wounded soldiers all looking at him.

Shabayan held up the letter and shouted to the Cherkasy fighters:
"The enemy swept everywhere, and the vast majority of militiamen and the masses began to collect the bodies of their dead compatriots with tears and pain, but the bodies were broken and rotten and could not be recognized. The poor old and young men who died were eager to avenge them and kill the bandits before they died. The head of a village women's association in Gaoli District told her neighbors before she died: "Tell Comrade Roland and his soldiers to avenge me!"

"Dear comrades, you are the main force, you are our own soldiers. With you, we have hope and we have someone to rely on. You are our saviors. To avenge us, we require you to destroy the enemy like you did in Qiming County, leaving behind a heroic victory and making great contributions. This is our noble faith in you, and it is also the people's order to their own army!

“A cordial victory salute!

"Chijilin County People's Committee"

……

"What are you doing over there?"

General Paulus, who finally saw the Colossus stop to rest, noticed the noise in the encirclement, as if there were thousands of voices roaring. The uniform sound waves merged into thunder, rolling in like thunder.

"They may be about to break out," the adjutant replied, "The troops should be ready, and the next attack will destroy them."

"Why bother!" Tyrael shouted again, "Tarkin, attack! Burn these bugs to death!"

This order came from a representative directly under the Senate, bypassing the commander. The general watched as the giant, which had just calmed down, began to move again.

Paulus was furious and turned to argue. Suddenly, a messenger rushed into the headquarters.

"In the southwest, Aoba Squadron spotted the Bayerlan Assault Cavalry Group, distance, 3000! Heading straight for the Colossus!"

"What!?"

"So close?"

Paulus and Tyrael exclaimed at the same time.