188: Battle of the Capital 2

That single word, "Kill," seemed to ignite the fuse.

After a brief, deathly silence, the pitch-black Rebel Army erupted into earth-shaking roars.

It was no longer the roar of a single creature, but a sound wave that shook the heavens and the earth, formed by the convergence of thousands of desperate Souls.

Like a black torrent breaking through a dam, it surged toward the solitary palace, toward the figure standing atop the high platform like the Grim Reaper.

Charging at the very front were massive beasts specially modified, their bodies low, claws digging into the ground, kicking up billowing dust, their eyes filled only with bloodthirsty madness.

Following closely behind were beasts of various forms, crowding and pushing, seeking only to charge at the enemy faster, or... to end it faster.

However, what greeted them was not a similarly chaotic resistance.

The warriors under Blade Claw had long since set up a formation in front of the palace.

They were like a silent wall of steel, expressionless, their movements uniform. When the wave of the Rebel Army crashed against them, this wall... moved.

There were no unnecessary shouts, only the sounds of weapons cutting through the air and flesh being torn.

The warriors in the front row swung their claws or weapons, reaping the incoming lives with precision and efficiency.

The warriors in the back row released long-range energy attacks, like a dense rain of arrows, covering the beast herd behind.

Blood instantly stained the scorched earth red.

Severed limbs splashed everywhere.

The momentum of the charge, before this seemingly thin line of defense, was actually forcibly halted.

But the number of the Rebel Army was simply too vast.

Like the tide, the front wave was shattered, and the back wave followed closely behind.

Just then, from within the camp of the Rebel Army, powerful auras suddenly erupted!

"Roar!"

A giant bear covered in heavy stone armor roared as it charged out from the beast herd, ignoring the energy attacks, letting them explode into sparks against its stone armor, its massive body crashing directly into Blade Claw's battle line!

"Boom!"

Several of Blade Claw's warriors were sent flying, and a gap appeared in the battle line.

At the same time, a pitch-black shadow, like a phantom, skimmed rapidly across the ground. Its speed was extreme, leaving a trail of afterimages, its target aimed directly at Blade Claw atop the high platform!

Further away, a fox with fire-red fur and an elegant posture, its eyes flashing with cunning light, opened its mouth to spew a ball of emerald-green flame. The flame looked small, but it emitted a heart-palpitating corrosive aura, bypassing the melee in front and drifting toward Blade Claw.

The extraordinary The Strong Ones of the Rebel Army began to make their move, but the generals under Blade Claw were no pushovers either.

Just as the stone-armored giant bear's charge was incredibly savage and looked about to tear open a gap, a similarly burly figure suddenly darted out from the shadows on the side.

Not meeting it head-on, the figure moved far more nimbly than it appeared, staying to the side of the giant bear's charging path, and slammed its shoulder hard into the giant bear's hind knee joint.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound accompanied the giant bear's painful roar; its massive body instantly lost balance, stumbling forward a few steps, nearly falling over.

The one who acted was General Black Ape, a muscular figure. He steadied his form, shook his shoulder that had delivered the impact, and let out a low, threatening roar, his eyes filled with pure Battle Intent.

Meanwhile, that pitch-black shadow skimming across the ground had approached the high platform.

Its speed was indeed astonishing; ordinary warriors could not track it at all.

But just as it was about to step onto the first stair, a whirlwind appeared out of thin air, precisely swirling toward its path. The whirlwind was not large, but it contained a strange cutting force.

The black shadow paused abruptly and retreated rapidly, revealing the form of a gaunt, dull-furred jackal. He stared warily at the figure standing where the whirlwind had dissipated—General Cheetah, with smooth fur and a slender build, who was licking his claw tips with a playful gaze.

He seemed to be mocking his opponent's disarray.

As for the ball of emerald-green flame drifting toward Blade Claw, it failed to even get close. Below the high platform, another general raised his head.

He resembled a giant eagle. His wings had not yet unfolded, but just by flapping them slightly, an invisible barrier blocked the flames.

The emerald-green flame hit the barrier like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, sizzling, but it could not advance even an inch. Instead, it was reflected back by the power of the barrier, flying backward, scaring the Fire Fox into hurriedly dodging, nearly burning its own people.

General Giant Eagle didn't even look at the flame again, his gaze still locked on the Fire Fox in the distance, carrying a condescending scrutiny.

The clash happened almost in the blink of an eye.

The powerful auras erupting from the Rebel Army were casually received by the generals under Blade Claw, who even seemed to have the upper hand.

The morale of the Rebel Army, which had been slightly boosted by the strike of the experts, was instantly suppressed again.

On the high platform, Blade Claw's gaze swept over the brief chaos below, its claws tapping lightly on the armrest, seemingly satisfied with the performance of its generals, or perhaps finding it all incredibly boring.

In the shadows behind it, more powerful auras flickered in and out of existence; these were its true trump cards, yet to be used.

Just then—

"Hum—"

The air seemed to freeze for an instant, and immediately after, a terrifying pressure far exceeding what had come before, like an invisible giant wave, suddenly rose from all directions of the Rebel Army camp! It was no longer sporadic bursts, but dozens of powerful auras igniting simultaneously!

They no longer hid within the massive beast herd, but as if by agreement, revealed their forms all at once.

One figure, surrounded by distorted shadows as if able to swallow light, silently merged into the shadows on the ground, stealthily moving at high speed toward the flank of Blade Claw's battle line.

Elsewhere, a Pangolin with a metallic sheen covering its body suddenly curled into a ball, the scales on its body rotating at high speed, creating a piercing sonic boom, like a whistling meteor, crashing straight toward General Black Ape!

In the sky, several figures spread various wings—feathered wings, bat wings, and even insect-like thin wings. They circled, chanting obscure syllables, and beams of energy of various colors poured down like a rainstorm, covering the entire Blade Claw phalanx!

On the ground, cracks split open, and giant hands made of rock broke through the soil, grabbing at the ankles of Blade Claw's warriors.

There was also a creature resembling a mantis, its arms transformed into two giant sickles flashing with cold light; every swing created ripples in space, slicing through the Blade Claw warriors blocking its path along with their weapons!

...

Dozens!

Dozens of The Strong Ones with even more terrifying auras launched a thunderous offensive from different directions at the same time!

This time, it was no longer a probe, but a true killing move!

The generals under Blade Claw's command changed expressions abruptly.

"Watch out!" General Black Ape roared, giving up the suppression of the legless giant bear, turning to meet the rotating metallic Pangolin, his fists covered in heavy energy, preparing for a hard clash.

General Cheetah also put away his playfulness, his form turning into trails of afterimages, attempting to intercept the energy beams falling from the sky, only to find there were too many to block!

General Giant Eagle spread his wings violently, stirring up a gale, wanting to blow away the energy, but several more condensed beams pierced directly through the wind wall!

"Pfft!"

"Argh!"

The battle line that had been as stable as a mountain just moments ago instantly fell into chaos under this sudden, all-encompassing saturation attack! Many warriors were hit by energy beams, dragged underground by giant rock hands, or had their bodies severed by the mantis-like sickles!

"These guys..." General Giant Wolf, while fighting in a bloodbath, stomping a venomous snake attempting a sneak attack into meat paste, roared in shock and anger, "Their power... is strange! It's like... like the handiwork of those divine envoys!"

Before his words had even faded, Blade Claw on the high platform finally stood up slowly.

In its pair of indifferent golden slit pupils, for the first time, a trace of true emotional fluctuation appeared. It was not anger, not surprise, but a kind of... cold excitement, similar to when a hunter finally sees prey worth chasing.

"Oh?" Blade Claw's low voice pierced through the clamor of the battlefield, "The rats hiding in the back, finally willing to come out of their cages?"

Its gaze swept over the new generation of The Strong Ones showing powerful strength below, and the corners of its mouth curled into a bloodthirsty arc.

"Very well, it saves me from having to find them one by one."

The moment the words fell, Blade Claw's figure vanished from where it stood.

The next moment, it appeared in front of the mantis The Strong One wielding the giant sickles.

With no unnecessary movements, it was still that illusory palm, but this time, the palm seemed to be covered in a layer of indescribable, substantial power that seemed capable of crushing everything!

【 Hand of God 】!

"Clang—!!!"

The deafening sound of metal clashing rang throughout the entire battlefield.