Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1316 Dare to challenge me?

As the magical interference field collapsed, the long-suppressed fighting spirit erupted like a volcano. The rebel soldiers roared and, led by their officers, charged towards the battered and crumbling city like a flood bursting its banks! The Countess, who had always claimed to be indifferent to the war, led her unified forces to the front to support Hino. The warriors of the Liberator Front followed closely behind, and the heavy footsteps of the Divine Iron Guards sounded like the beating of war drums. Even the damaged Mountain Falcon Knights took to the air to provide cover.

After destroying the force field devices, Hino didn't stop. Piloting Brandy, she moved like a pale lightning bolt, continuing her advance along the streets towards the city, her target the three remaining operational force field devices. Any sporadic fire or small groups of defenders attempting to stop her were futile against the Holy Lance White Thorn. She would sometimes unleash torrents of scorching flames, burning down the heavy gates that tried to fall; sometimes she would unleash icy paths from the blade, freezing the surging reinforcements along with the streets; and occasionally, when she encountered sturdy barricades, she would use the same method, channeling lightning to completely flatten them.

As the knights of the Gostaff family steadfastly advanced towards their goal, they cleared the way for the surging army behind them, dismantling any enemy strongholds that might pose an obstacle. Like an unstoppable banner, they guided the direction of victory.

"...Order the tank and mechanized units to halt their rest and launch an immediate attack. The enemy consists of only one person; stop her outside St. John's Street and the central square... Chrisius, take a large battalion to reinforce the defenses of the field device control room, and simultaneously eliminate any unstable elements within the defensive zone along the street. Anyone who dares to make a move will be killed without mercy! The rest of you, hold the city walls. Maximize the operating power of all magical machines and keep the enemy outside the first defensive zone. As long as we hold the city walls and fortifications, victory will ultimately be ours!!!"

On the city wall, Major General Andrei's roar was deafening. His voice was hoarse and dry, each word like grit grinding in his throat. His adjutant, Krisius, was deathly pale, and he staggered as he took his orders. There was no time to mediate between the adjutant and the other soldiers; they had to be driven, driven by instinct instead of thought! Major General Andrei gripped the cold crenellations of the city wall tightly, his knuckles white from the force, as if it were the only straw he could grasp.

Even faced with such an unbelievable scene, he still did not give up the idea of ​​resistance, but this was not because of any particular strength of will or resilience of spirit; it was simply a habit. When he was still receiving his education at the military academy, he was told that generals who would rather die than surrender would be recognized by the emperor, while generals who surrendered and fled would be stripped of everything, and even their families would be disgraced.

Under this almost threatening and brainwashing education, Imperial soldiers harbored the deepest fear of the words "defeat" and "surrender," to the point that they would try every means to avoid ending up like that. Major General Andrei, from a nameless fishing port town, rediscovered the bewilderment he felt as a child facing the sea and life. He had a vague premonition of his fate, but before truly facing it, he still wanted to struggle like an ant until death. Besides, he had a pillar of support within him that never crumbled, yet of course, never materialized…

Reinforcements? Yes! As long as we hold out until reinforcements arrive...

There was no need to hide it anymore. As long as the soldiers knew that the Saint was on his way to provide support, their morale, which was uncontrollably plummeting into the abyss, would be revived. Who could doubt the Saint's power? Mere foreign natives would surely submit to the crown of the Dark Saint... Andre's eyes were bloodshot, and he wanted to shout the news that "the Saint is about to arrive as reinforcements" loudly, so that everyone on the battlefield, friend or foe, could hear it clearly.

A loud hiss interrupted his unspoken words. Andrei turned around in astonishment, only to see the young female knight flash by like a bolt of lightning, her fiery red hair leaving a trail of sparks in the wind. Her target was the edge of the central square ahead, where a blue pillar of light, shaped like a giant crystal umbrella, was radiating intense energy fluctuations. Countless fine blue energy threads hung down from the edge of the umbrella, extending in all directions, making the area covered by the field appear as if it were experiencing an unusual light drizzle.

[Ether Defense Stance]!
It primarily weakens or even dismantles physical attacks from a distance, such as arrows, cannonballs, or catapult-launched projectiles, through energy resonance. If the magical interference field is designed to limit enemy superhumans and mage legions, then the etheric defensive field significantly reduces the threat from enemy siege fire; its role in the defense system of Suarez is even more crucial than the former. For example, without the protection of the etheric defensive field, the giant whale in the sky could easily topple the city walls and destroy the towers with a single dive, not to mention the makeshift fortifications.

At that time, Suarez will be defenseless and will be left with no choice but to wait for its demise!

"Stop her! Don't let her get close to the Etheric Sphere!"

Chrisius, leading reinforcements, charged out of the central street, his voice hoarse. To his left, at the intersection of St. John's Street, several heavy, magically powered war chariots roared out, their heavy tracks crushing the gravel, their turrets spinning, their dark cannons locking onto the oncoming knights. Close behind were several steel-cast constructs, their magical reactors spewing star-blue magic streams. Their joints and small magical cannons on their shoulders showed obvious signs of damage, forcing them to charge forward wielding semi-transparent energy blades, attempting close-quarters combat to stop the knights from advancing.

The magic guns and cannons roared, and a dense barrage of magic bullets wove together, instantly covering the narrow street with devastating firepower!

Xinuo's frosty eyes remained completely still.

"Brandy".

The snow-white steed lightly touched the air with its four hooves, its form suddenly blurring, as if merging into a trembling painting. The next second, the man and the horse vanished into thin air! The deadly barrage of fire futilely tore through the air, riddling the exterior walls of the buildings at the street corner with holes.

"Disappeared!?"

Before the defenders' horrified screams had even faded, Brandy's figure had already appeared like a ghost behind the tank force. Hino didn't even turn around, instead swinging his Holy Lance, White Thorn, in a backhand motion. Several crescent-shaped, frost-covered blades of light, radiating a chilling aura, materialized out of thin air, silently slicing through the tanks' vulnerable tracks and power lines!
The ear-piercing sound of metal tearing and energy short-circuiting was like a death wail. At least half of the tanks were completely destroyed by this shot. The internal magic furnaces emitted billowing black smoke, but it was quickly frozen by the lingering ice mist, thus avoiding a secondary explosion.

Meanwhile, Brandy had already carried her master onto the roof of a nearby low building, avoiding the swarming enemy soldiers on the ground. The armored machine soldiers leaped into the air, like a flock of silver-white birds swooping down on Hino, but Hino easily evaded their clumsy attacks with a few light leaps between rooftops. Without a moment's hesitation, she and her beloved horse moved in perfect harmony, soaring over barricades and ruins, closing in on the ethereal defensive perimeter in just a few breaths.

This is a very dangerous and deadly distance.

Under the desperate gaze of countless people, the knights of the Gostaff family raised the Holy Lance White Thorn without hesitation. The same lightning gathered at the blade, and a deep rumble came from the clouds, growing closer and closer like an unstoppable tidal wave.

"Thunder, cleanse all things."

A dazzling light, a roar, a shockwave, and then a terrifying destruction. Under the impact of a massive amount of magic power—or rather, not magic power but another indescribable force—the [Etheric Defense Field] that enveloped the entire city flickered violently. A series of teeth-grinding shattering sounds rang out. The enormous crystal canopy was eroded in reverse by the deep blue magic power at a visible speed, and then broke apart like a frozen spider web. The pillar of light formed from high-energy magic power beneath the canopy vanished with a piercing wail!

The second position device has been breached.

"Well done, Xinuo!" Navre's cool voice carried a hint of barely perceptible admiration. Her figure appeared like a ghost on a rooftop near Xinuo, her crimson eyes sweeping across the chaotic battlefield below. The unified force she led was like a sharp dagger, precisely cutting into the chaotic defensive lines created by Xinuo's charge, supporting the subsequent onslaught of troops, while simultaneously clearing away the remaining resistance fire from the fortresses on both sides of the street.

Hino nodded slightly, his gaze continuing to fall upon the blue sky that enveloped the city of Suarez.

There are two more.

……

Standing atop the high slope, gazing at the lone knight charging into battle, Grayhill Eagle felt a surge of emotion. He instinctively clenched his fists, his heart pounding like a war drum, a powerful urge rising within him to follow in the footsteps of the others and share in that glorious moment. But the next moment, his clenched fists slowly loosened, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips as he realized he couldn't do it.

On one hand, he is the leader of the Liberator Front, the link connecting numerous loose civilian resistance groups. His position determines his importance. Although he now possesses near-demigod strength, he can no longer step onto the battlefield and fight alongside his comrades as he once did. Even if he were willing to sacrifice his life for the liberation of Greyhill, even if he died in this battle without regret, what would happen afterward? The liberation of Greyhill is not the end, but the beginning; there will inevitably be follow-ups, economic and political. Both the former Earl of Greyhill and the current Earl of the North have their hearts set on this land, and they are not exactly benevolent lords. To fight for the interests of the people of Greyhill, he has long been prepared to confront those in power in the name of the Bald family.

On the other hand, the greatest and most persistent threat to the Grayhill Eagles has yet to appear. Although the siege of Suarez has been underway for several days, the God of Night remains elusive, and even his own corruption has slowed considerably. The mad ravings of the false god have ceased to be heard, but Carson Borg does not believe that He has given up. He prefers to believe that He is hiding in some darkness, waiting for the moment He exposes a weakness before baring His fangs and devouring His prey.

Since the start of the war, no matter how critical the situation has become, Carson Borg has shown no intention of stepping onto the battlefield, and no one else has objected to this, because they all know just how dangerous an enemy the Greyhill Eagles are guarding against.

But if He never appears, must I continue to be on guard forever?

Perhaps it's time to consider the original Church of the Night's proposal, but not the so-called proposal to replace Roglia himself. Instead, it's about gathering the original Church of the Night's followers for a prayer ceremony, praying to their deities for protection, and using the flow and feedback of faith to determine the appropriate course of action regarding Roglia's proposal. The Grayhill Eagle hesitated before, fearing that this approach would actually strengthen Roglia. However, with victory in the siege of Suarez City in sight, if He were to secretly obstruct the subsequent reconstruction, it would be a significant hidden danger…

As Grayhill Eagle pondered, his body suddenly stiffened, his warm blood gradually turning cold, and his clear thoughts blurring in an instant. He felt astonishment, confusion, and deep fear, because just moments before, he had caught a glimpse of that aura he so deeply loathed and hated… but it vanished in an instant.

That aura disappeared quickly.

It's not hiding, nor lying dormant, but... extinguishing.

Like a candle flickering in the wind, it was extinguished with a gentle breath.

How...is this possible?!

Grayhill Eagle felt his hands and feet were cold, his breathing was rapid, and he was unable to calm down for a while.

What exactly happened?!
Or rather... who exactly is it?!

……

Caraboss stared coldly at the malevolent, ominous creature before her, not surprised by its audacity, but rather finding it somewhat ironic. This fellow had followed her relentlessly, witnessing her steadily eroded by the power of faith, her condition worsening daily. She often had to stop and rest after traveling only a short distance, trying to soothe the parts of her soul riddled with holes by the corrupted power of faith. This had expended considerable energy and mental strength, leaving Caraboss far weaker than when she first arrived on the Eastern Continent. This creature probably felt she was at her weakest point, which was why it dared to challenge her.

Calling it a challenge is giving him too much credit; he's nothing more than a sly rat trying to take advantage of others.

“If you think you can do it,” the Dark Witch said, not to the self-proclaimed god but to the scheming man before her, but rather as if talking to herself, or perhaps to someone far away: “then give it a try.”

Give me some cats