Chapter 1073 - 1066: Battle Situation · Tense
With the appearance of Susanou, the offensive of the army of Yomi accelerated, more Demons from Yomi erupted from the pits along with the black smoke.
Facing the Yomotsu Oni Tribe army, which surged like a tide, even the Undead Legion, known across the Multiverse for its human wave tactics, felt the pressure.
The ship-girls on the battlefield had already started their bombardment, using firepower to inflict casualties on the Yomotsu Oni Tribe's army.
But the Yomotsu Oni Tribe emerging from the pits were too many; a single shell might temporarily clear an area, but in an instant, the following Yomotsu Oni would fill the void.
No matter how elite the Undead Legion Chen Yu placed before the Ritual Altar was, even if the Yomotsu Oni Tribe were merely a herd of pigs, their sheer numbers could still drown the Undead Legion's lines.
"What a brutal battle!" Maeda Toshiie, in charge of directing the forces yet to enter the fray, commented without much tension.
For the Undead Legion, numbers and attrition battles were nothing to fear, especially since the bodies of the Yomotsu Oni Tribe could still be used after death.
Signaling the Mage Corps that had long been prepared, Maeda Toshiie adjusted the formation, replenishing some breached lines with troops.
That's how defensive battles are, especially when the enemy's numbers are overwhelmingly massive; no strategies or tactics can suffice, leaving only a grueling fight to see who can endure longer.
However, as four Mechanical Mage Corps cast consecutive Legion-rank Necromantic Resurrections onto the battlefield.
Though the Yomotsu Oni Tribe were vast in number, their individual strength wasn't high. They suffered heavy losses from the start of the battle against the Undead Legion, coupled with the bombardment from the ship-girls, leaving many corpses on the battlefield.
Now, under the effect of the four Legion-rank Necromantic Resurrections, these bodies rose.
Two awaiting Dragonized Mage Corps then added two Commands the Dead. With the combined casting from the Mage Corps, the spells swept across the battlefield, and the corpses raised by Necromantic Resurrection glowed red in the eyes and roared, charging like mad dogs at the nearby Yomotsu Oni Tribe.
The Yomotsu Oni Tribe were already quite ferocious, but the resurrected bodies were even more savage, often killing the living Yomotsu Oni Tribe with a few strikes, and the fallen bodies would likewise turn into rabid dogs under the spell, continuing the assault.
This is the most typical tactic of the Undead Legion, first using elite forces to deal damage to the enemy, then using the enemy's bodies to create cannon fodder in counterattack, causing greater destruction.
If the Undead Legion's resurrection of bodies cannot be thwarted, and they cannot swiftly replenish forces to maintain the numerical advantage, facing the Undead Legion, defeat is the only outcome.
However, at this point on the battlefield, besides the Yomotsu Oni Tribe, the Magatsukami continue to appear.
The appearance of these deities introduced many variables to the battlefield.
Though the Inari God had previously inflicted significant casualties on the Magatsukami, and other deities fighting alongside Him tried their best to block the enemy deities, as more and more deities from Yomi emerged from the pits alongside the Yomotsu Oni Tribe, these gods could not stop all the Magatsukami.
A Magatsukami just emerged from the pit, broke through the blockade from the deities on the Inari God's side, and charged toward the Undead Legion's formation aiming to wreak havoc.
But before He could reach the formation, a shell hit Him mid-air, sending Him spinning twice before crashing to the battlefield below.
The Magatsukami had barely landed before the resurrected bodies of the Yomotsu Oni Tribe around Him swarmed over, tearing at Him frantically. Soon, this deity was overwhelmed by countless corpses and silenced.
Warspite, who fired that shot, visibly relaxed after seeing the result.
"How's the situation on the commander's side?" Warspite asked Constitution beside him.
"The ritual is progressing smoothly; with support from the Mage Corps, there's no problem. We just need to hold the line." Constitution, as the leader of the Mage Corps, still needed to command them in battle, but she remained focused on the state of the ritual without letting down her guard.
Warspite, of course, knew the importance of holding the line, but the current battle situation was so tense, she couldn't help but express: "There are too many enemies!"
"Is the Royal Navy afraid of battle?" Enterprise, clutching a longbow and continuously shooting arrows at obvious targets on the battlefield, couldn't help but retort after hearing Warspite's lament.
"The Royal Navy is never afraid of battle!" Warspite's tone was firm and serious, but she remained worried: "But there are too many enemies. If this goes on, even with necromancy resuscitation, it will be tough to maintain the line."
Warspite's words left Enterprise and Constitution unable to argue, even though it appeared that the battle had gained some advantage through the Undead Legion's usual Sea of Corpses tactic. Yet they could see that the enemy had not been repelled, albeit this only applied to the ordinary enemy troops.
For the deities continuously emerging from the pits, this tactic was less effective, especially since these deities were predominantly airborne, making effective attacks from ground forces challenging, relying on aerial allied deities and shelling and air assaults from the ship-girls.
"No matter what, even if it is to the last breath, we must hold the line!" Warspite remained resolute, her ship equipment continuing to spew death, although this was no more than a drop in the bucket.
A hint of hesitation and doubt crossed Enterprise's face, but soon she clenched her longbow, closed her eyes, and her aura began to change.
This change immediately caught Warspite and Constitution's attention; Enterprise's transformation was too noticeable.
"Is she…?" Warspite slightly frowned, somewhat uncertain.
"She is reclaiming the true power of USS Enterprise." Constitution saw what Enterprise was doing and explained to Warspite: "Enterprise always believed herself not to be the real Enterprise, thus resisted the true power and belief in Enterprise, but now she is reclaiming this power."
Warspite immediately understood, nodding slightly without saying more. On the battlefield now, any additional power was beneficial.
The process of Enterprise reclaiming her power didn't last long, only a short while before when she opened her eyes, her soaring aura caught even Warspite and Constitution's attention.
Enterprise, due to her denial of her original power, had always been able to exert only demigod-level strength, not matching her legendary status as a ship in human history.
But now, Enterprise stood above demigods, stepping into the domain of gods and truly showcasing her power.
With a single arrow, a Magatsukami fell.