The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

"Ring the bells of severity!" Fenu shouted to the troops. Bells rang around the army, alerting everyone to the nature of the situation. If no one knew about the enemy, they did now as the shouts and warcries deafened the bells coming from the armies that popped up from the horizon.

"They waited at the far hills, waiting for us to enter these open plains to surround us. With the rough terrain and chaotic rivers of lava on the route to the other city, anyone can guess a large army would go this way first." Oscar spoke to Avril and Erden but mostly to himself to grasp the outlook of the battle. Three armies marched toward them from the front, diagonal back right and diagonal back left. "Heed my words. Division one to five set up a formation to meet the frontal army, division six to ten will face the enemy on the left, and the rest will fight on the right."

Before the armies of the three lords could encircle them, Oscar split his army up to meet them halfway, leaving an open area in the center for Oscar and his personal army, numbering a thousand. The large armies were about to clash, and Oscar waited with bated breath.

Flashes of bright lights and all elements scattered in midair as ranged attacks barraged each other, hitting a few soldiers on the ground. The cries became louder as the armies neared each other. Oscar watched from the center in all directions and waited with bated breath. Right before the armies met on all three fronts, several rolling objects leaped out from his armies.

He watched these objects resembling pillbugs or armadillos rolled into a ball. Gol-4 popped into his mind, and he curled his lips into a smile. These rolling golems, the Armadillo-Sixes, better work, or he'd have a long list of complaints to Isaac if he died here.

"Lad, the Armadillo-Sixes were constructed as another way of sieging fortresses and barriers. They roll up with a charge of explosive Ein. The faster they roll, the more that Ein accelerates and the bigger the boom. They explode on the barriers and destroy walls." Gol-4's words reached him from his memories.

'Gol-4, my chattering friend. Little wonder you lamented about Reis-forging. They use the spin that builds up, so why can't Reis be applied? Isaac, if your spirit can see this, then revel in the Reis-forged Armadillo-Sixes. Let's see how they function on an open plain battlefield.'

The Armadillo-Sixes, forged with Oscar's Reis-forging, crashed into the frontlines of the enemies' armies. Their penetration and sheer physical power, heightened by the Reis carried in the specially made metal, gave these Armadillo-Sixes the boost to keep rampaging through the enemy lines. At the fifth line, it finally stopped and exploded with the full force of the built-up Ein and Reis.

The explosions were loud, but his forces cheered louder at the frontlines of their enemies being broken. They all charged faster and began slaughtering the disorientated and wounded enemies. The best start Oscar could hope for. His strategists maneuvered their respective armies to semi-encircle the enemy, not enough to surround them, but enough not to let any slip through to his headquarters in the center.

"Avril, you did amazing work. Thank you." The cores for these Armadillo-Sixes were made by Avril, who flashed a grin and pumped her fists cutely in the air. Oscar and Erden sighed at her cheerfulness. However, he also cheered inside, thinking of how Gol-4 would be delighted to see this or even jealous at how well his improvements were.

"My Lord. Shall we follow up with a volley?" Fenu smiled a toothy smile, a moniker of a wolf.

"You understand so well, Fenu." Oscar held the bulk of the siege weaponry, particularly the Gatnons. The outlook of the battle still wasn't good for them. The enemy surpassed their number of Knight Exalts. The only way for him to try to equate it was to wipe away their other Exalts before their Knight Exalts fell. It pained him, but the best strategy was to throw bodies at them to tire out the Knight Exalts.

"Wipe out the enemy. Fire!" Fenu shouted. The Gatnons fired heavily, deep into enemy lines. The web of flaming Ein and spiked nodes flew onto the enemy. The enemy's retaliation diverted some of them. In response, Oscar ordered the Gatnons to keep firing nonstop, rotating only at the absolute limit before they overheat.

These Gatnons were made with grade-three cores, so the power within impeded a few Knight Exalts. Oscar breathed a sigh of relief. He had never been in a battle like this, and worse was the feeling of being uninvolved in the thick of battle. The three fronts started to tip toward his favor from the initial charge and the power of Gatnons. A little more, and the battle would be his.

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"Incoming!" Several of his men shouted. Dazed by the sudden call, Oscar gazed at the cloud of ash and soot being kicked off by an unknown intruder. Oscar gritted his teeth as his heart sank. Everything was going well, but now something else wished to toss it upside down.

"Prepare to receive the enemy. Don't let them get to the Gatnons." Oscar put his forces into action, and they formed a tight and sturdy wall in the direction of the newcomers. Suddenly, one leaped up, flames gathering and spiking around his hands, and threw out a giant fireball.

Avril acted first out of everyone, summoning her wooden hands, enlarged to a great size and even larger due to one use of her scroll anima. It rose with its hands open, gesturing to catch something, and it did. The giant ball of flame was cupped into her wooden palms, and she squished it. Her wooden hands were charred, but the threat was averted.

She smiled toward the man who fell from the air, a dark intent spilling from his eyes. The dust died from the cloud, revealing a few hundred people, a mix of Exalts of all realms, but their cloaks bearing the mark of the dual-pupil eye meant they came from the New Dawn.

"Damn. Fenu, take the Greater Knight Exalts and combat theirs. We should have greater numbers, but they are strange, so tread carefully." Oscar relayed his orders and rode out with Avril and Erden to fight. The battle had instead reached his doorsteps, not theirs.

…….

"Grahhh!" Desmond swung his ruler, a gust kicking from a single sweep. He wiped the blood from his lips and tried to catch a breath.

"Desmond!" Arc swooped him and plunged his axes into several Lower Knight Exalts who tried to ambush Desmond from behind. His axes exploded and turned the Exalts into charred corpses. He kicked Desmond in the back. "This is no time to take a break!"

"I know!" Desmond panted. "I'm just recovering slightly. Ein Awaken can't do everything in a long battle like this. I need time." Desmond's eyes widened in surprise, a scowl forming on his face. "Shit! They're targeting our Lord!"

Desmond tried to rush out, only to be blocked by another Greater Knight Exalt. He needed to get back to his Lord and ensure his survival. The enemy refused to let him through. Desmond angrily rampaged with his bear anima, turning the entire area around him into a molten lake.

"Damnit. I can only hope your old man can handle it. These guys are persistent." Desmond shouted to Arc. He glared at the enemy and rushed in with his reddened ruler. His Lord had to survive. Who else could show him the new heights that were promised?

…….

Oscar reached several Middle Knight Exalts and entered his Pseudo-Guise. He held nothing back, using his Quartet Lance with the melded Erden and releasing a weakened Eirin Omnireus. Several of them were forced back but held their ground, their faces having the same symptoms as Edd and Evan.

"You're the Reis core users from New Dawn?" Oscar asked, fighting several with Avril's help.

"Haha. Not bad. You're a far more complete Reis user. After losing contact with our Brightburn City branch, we had to investigate. Little wonder our branch fell to you and the butcher." One of them spoke. "Precious subjects like yourselves are needed. You and the girl will be coming with us."

"You don't decide what I do…." Demon switched with Oscar, changing the flow of Ein and movements. He withstood a golden spear with his new grade-three spell, Indestructible Gold, a defensive spell of the same vein as Silver Sheen. His body spun and released another weakened Eirin Omnireus from his feet.

The New Dawn member grunted and limped to his feet. Erden stomped on him from above with enlarged hooves the size of a carriage. Oscar retreated with Avril and Erden. Their breathing could not be slowed. Oscar cursed at how many of these people were Reis core users. The thought of the number of lives used to create these things sickened him.

"For the peace of all the unfortunate people who died to give you that power, I'll kill you all." Oscar cracked his knuckles and stood side by side with Avril.

"They're truly a nasty bunch. She feels nothing but hot rage against these vile scum." Avril scowled, wielding her gem staff. The scroll anima floated around and melded into the staff. Her sudden showing of Meld was unexpected.

"When did you learn the Meld?" Oscar nearly lost his bearings. The staff grew longer, the gemstone still resting on its tip. However, below it was a wide gold cylinder. It opened like a scroll and extended its page with indigo lining until it swirled around the gemstone, a spiral of paper with more words etched on six new sections. Oscar couldn't read those words.

"I kept trying. Reading helps me understand my anima better, and I've kept reading my scroll over and over again every night." Avril laughed. "It happened so naturally."

"Are you serious?" Oscar was again in disbelief. He sighed and said, "Alright then, Avril. Let's fight these inhumane monsters. What can you do?" Oscar clenched his fists, a bang coming from his knuckles cracking.

The words on the paper started to shine, and Avril smiled fearlessly. She rotated her staf around, the paper continuing to flow and float around like a dancer's ribbon. Her eyes glowed dangerously with confidence, and her lips parted to say, "Witness my Meld."

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