86 Face Off (1/2)
Orlando.
A large machine sat within a warehouse. It was dark black and looked much like a giant cannon would. Flair was covered in a white light as she carefully examined the machine. She glanced behind herself. ”It should be fully operational. We'll only get a single shot though. After that, it'll be wrecked to the point of needing at least a month of repairs.”
”I see.” Ed nodded. ”How's the damage output?”
”If we use the light-mana warhead we've created, then the explosive force should stretch at least 300 meters.” She replied.
”That big?!” Ed's eyes widened in surprise. ”It could take on a nightmare at that scale.”
”Maybe.” She nodded in agreement. ”But I'm sure similar attacks have been tested against the nightmares before. It's not like this weapon can compare to the concentrated power of a single punch of Mr. Sai. It's likely that this weapon would hardly scratch a nightmare.”
”That's a shame.” Ed sighed.
Suddenly, a creaking sound rang out as the warehouse door swung open. The rumbling of thunder and crackling of lightning boomed from outside. Dupe and Ray stepped inside.
”You guys made it!” Ed smiled in relief. 'I'll need all the help I can get. It'll be impossible to win if the weaker forces interfere with the main fight.'
”Yo!” Dupe grinned. ”It's been a fun few days. This bastard is a completely different type of crazy compared to yours.”
Ray glared at Dupe for a moment before turning back to Ed. ”The Tampa army outside has been defeated. The other city armies barely interfered. They don't seem to have a strong sense of comradery.”
”That's normal.” Ed nodded. ”Without the governor here to lead them, they're a bunch of individual forces. Each one is like a vassal that wants to increase or maintain their own power while their competitors grow weaker. Honestly, the current government system is far more comparable to the feudal system of the past. The elections for most of the state and federal elections are rigged.”
”So, what's the plan?” Dupe questioned. ”My east coast forces already arrived. We have almost all our forces. Why not press the attack against them now before more of their reinforcements arrive?”
”No.” He shook his head. ”We would lose too many men fighting early battles. What it really comes down to is the final battle. Everything else leading up to that is just the prelude and is actually of little importance. Even the cities we captured previously were just for the sake of forcing the governor out of his hiding hole so that we don't have to siege his headquarters.”
”Even if we lose men, we'll hold the advantage though.” Dupe replied. ”I think we should whittle down their forces as much as possible before the final battle.”
”That would be a mistake.” Ray interrupted. ”What it all comes down to is Forge's fight against the governor. If we win that, then we've won the war. Our forces don't need to win or kill the enemy. They just need to hold the city until the fight is over so that no one interferes.”
”What if the governor just hides outside until their forces successfully siege the city?” Dupe countered.
”That...” Ray hesitated, looking for the correct answer.
”It's a good point.” Ed commented. ”The chances of us winning would nearly drop to zero in that scenario. That's why I've taken precautions.” He waved his hand. ”Follow me.”
The trio left Flair behind as they traveled towards the edge of the city, getting soaked in the rains of the hurricane as they went. Surprisingly, there was a giant hole near the city walls. Ed walked inside, and the others followed him. The hole was slightly flooded from the storm, causing their boots to sink deeply into the mud as they walked.
The further they went; the more confused Dupe and Ray became. Winding tunnels sprawled in all directions, forming a complex maze. They occasionally saw a Hell Bull drilling against the earth. Ed stopped in front of one such machine and turned a round, a big grin on his face. ”The storm really was a godsend. The enemy forces would have heard the drilling if not for that.”