112 Chokepoin (2/2)
”Sure.” Tai nodded. ”Feel free to do so if you wish to drown to death. The path forward may lead to an Alaska fort, but that fort is on the coast. Make no mistake, we're currently in the middle of the ocean. If we go randomly breaking through walls, it'd only be a matter of time before the tunnels flood and we all die.”
”If that's true, then what's to stop them from just flooding the caves to kill us all?” He questioned in fear.
”Ha!” Tai laughed. ”They'd never do it. The cage is too valuable a resource for them to ruin it like that. They'd sooner allow us all to escape, and then they'd just start work on capturing their next batch of laborers.”
”That's a relief.” He sighed.
Ed carefully examined the cavern in front of them. Rifles, cannons, and other weapons were jutting out from walls on all sides. Small slits in the cavern walls allowed the guards to see. It'd take an extreme degree of accuracy to manage shooting the guards through the slits. Other than that, there were multiple manullium bunkers set up throughout the cavern, each one of which was also filled with heavy weaponry. This meant they would be attacked on their left and right flanks, as well as from the front when they moved forward. Even he felt a tad nervous at the idea of it.
”It's time.” Tai said in a low voice.
”Hey, before we start...” Ed interrupted and pointed forward. ”Didn't you say the warden would wait until the third battle?”
Standing directly in front of the gate was the Warden, her arms crossed across her chest. Her short red hair contrasted heavily with her gray warden suit. She glared towards them, purple lightning releasing sparks from her eyes.
”Shit...” Tai frowned. ”I thought for sure she'd wait until we were at the fort before she participated.”
Nao interrupted the conversation. ”Why the hell would she do that?! It's obvious her purple lightning would give an advantage within the cage!”
”You're wrong.” Tai shook his head. ”Trust me. She's much scarier outside the cage than within it. I'd imagine Ed and Carlos are the same way. Purple elements are only the most balanced, not the most powerful. In some ways, it can be considered good luck we're facing her here instead.” He sighed while rubbing his eyes. ”But our casualties are going to skyrocket, making the third battle even harder.”
Titian, the Latino leader wearing the red dress, stepped forward while smiling. ”Well, there's nothing we can do about it, so we might as well get started. I'll take the lead!” She didn't wait for a response as she rushed into the cavern. Gunfire and cannon fire all concentrated on her, spreading black flames everywhere. She easily weaved and dodged, not once getting hit. It was if she was dancing a tango, with the many bullets being her partners that danced around her.
”How the hell does she do that in heels?” Pan questioned in disgust.
”You could learn something from her.” Thur said with a perverted grin decorating his face.
She glared at him, hatred burning in her eyes, but she remained silent.
”All forces!” Tai yelled. ”Stay in formation as we move forward. Steam tanks in the front and on the flanks! Mechs, return fire from behind the tanks! Infantrymen, conserve your ammo until further orders are given!” The 90 remaining steam tanks moved forward, protecting all of Tai's and Rubi's forces.
Unfortunately for the other gangs, they were left unprotected. However, they'd already lost their most useless members. Most of their remaining forces at least carried large manullium shields and long spears. They moved forward slowly while keeping formation, reminiscent of the armies in the ancient past. They easily blocked mana-ammunition as it bounced off their shields. However, the mana-shells directly broke the front-lines of their formations, killing several members each time it happened. The formations would then quickly reform with the weakest members occupying the worst spots near the front.
Thur and Pan led their forces towards the left side of the cavern, planning to forcefully overrun the bunkers built within the cavern walls. If they succeeded, then they would be able to collect better gear and weapons for the ongoing battle. Likewise, Neo and Nao led their forces towards the right side of the cavern, clearly having the same idea in mind.
The Latino gangs currently had it the worst. Carlos had to be with Tai's forces for breaking through the gate. Titian had completely abandoned them to play by herself on the front-lines. With no clear leader amongst them, small disputes for power continuously broke out. On top of that, they had to charge the bunkers at the front since the left and right flanks had been taken by the other gangs. All of these factors led to the Latino gangs experiencing the highest casualty rates by far.
Ed currently sat in the middle of Tai's formation. It was eerily calm since it was currently the safest spot within the battlefield. However, he utilized his chimera form anyways, not daring to risk his life on the off-chance that something broke through to them.
The steam tanks were firing on the manullium bunkers towards the front. Even if the mana-shells couldn't break through, the resulting spread of the elemental powers usually managed to enter the gaps within the bunkers, killing those inside them. The twenty mechs were busy firing their steam Gatling guns towards the bunkers on the left and right flanks, preventing the guards from overwhelming the tanks with firepower. Unfortunately, the mana-shells and mana-ammunition were extremely limited, and they were already running out. This was despite not even making it halfway through the cavern yet! As for the infantrymen, they were currently preserving their ammo. It was unlikely they would make much of a difference in the current situation, so they were better off saving their power for the third battle if possible.
Soon, the last mana-shell was fired from a steam tank, and the mechs used the last of their ammunition. Tai sighed while waving his fan. ”The real battle starts now. Ed. Carlos. Get ready.”