Hey.

I had fun with this chapter!

Lets us get back to it.

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In the heart of Chernobog, there was uproar. Reunion forces rushed back and forth in the city's central control tower to understand what was happening. The higher-ranking Reunion leaders who answered to Talulah and the others in her inner circle were desperate as all their forces around the outskirts, North and South, were in complete chaos. 

At first, they were awaiting an Army from the South but were attacked by Ursus in the North. So now they were unsure what was happening. Only one thing was clear; the North defences were collapsing if not already gone if the radio chatter was anything to go by. 

Reunion soldiers, leaders and Sarkaz mercenaries were listening to the radio going haywire with screams of terror and battle; the noise was echoing in the large control room. Many heads occasionally turned to an oversized position on an elevated platform. Talulah, their leader, sat there unmoving, with her head lowered and a dark shadow over her eyes. None dared approach her.

It was apparent to all that Talulah could hear what was happening on the radio. However, what was going on outside this tower was not something she had considered. None in the room even needed the radio to know everything was going wrong. The army from the South had arrived and was now pounding the city and Reunion to dust. Now flashes of green were terrifying the North defences.

"Barricades 2 through 38 have fallen!" Random Reunion soldier shouts. 

"Multiple city-wide breaches!" Another shouts over the other.

"South side is taking a massive beating! They are requesting permission to fall back out of the range of those field guns!" Another bellow.

"We have lost contact with Patriot!" Another.

"Talulah!" Frostnova limps into the room, assisted by members of the Yeti squadron. 

"Frostnova..." Talulah replied coldly but did not bother to look up at her. 

"The city is lost; we can't stay here... " Frostnova said what everyone feared.

"...I never took you for a coward" Talulah finally looks up at the Cautus with a glare. 

Frostnova returns her cold glare. "I will not let my family die here, as you shouldn't!"

The two continue to glare at each other for some time before Talulah stands up suddenly.

"I did not come here and take this city just to run; if you want to leave Frostnova, leave, but don't show your face to me again once we win!" Talualh shouted. 

Frostnova stares into Talulah's eyes which shine with possessed madness, before looking at the members of her family that had supported her here. She knows that Patriot was in the North; for all she knows, he's dead. So she may have lost the closest thing to a father she ever had and would not lose the rest of her family to Talulah's pride.

Frostnova nods at Talulah one final time. "Goodbye, Talulah," Before limping off with those that came here with her. Frostnova would gather the rest of her squadron, make for the secret service tunnels, and escape. They would not die this day. She already believes W abandoned them and fled the city with her mercenaries when it was obvious everything was going from one disaster to another.

Talulah watches Frostnova leave as if she is internally struggling with herself. She raises her hand ever so slightly toward the retreating Cautus as if to call out for her but stops.

"Goodbye, Frostnova," She whispers as her head lowers again. Frostnova's large rabbit ears twitch for a moment, hearing the broken voice of Talulah, looking over her shoulder one final time before leaving. Knowing she may never see Talulah again. 

Talulah sits there forlorn, thinking as her soldiers continue to rush around, shouting as the sounds of explosions and screams get louder and louder outside. 

A cold look passes over her face once more as she grips her sword and stands. Then, she storms out of the room as her bodyguards try to keep up with her. 

If her forces couldn't deal with those who wanted to threaten all she had worked for, she would deal with them herself!

-

Seneschal looks at the city through his binoculars and see's the sheer amount of devastation he has caused. The bombardment happened for about 8 hours, and his soldiers were becoming agitated.

"Prepare for the Infantry to advance! Officers to your sections," Seneschal commanded his officers out of nowhere, catching them off guard but saluted quickly before rushing off. Within a few minutes, thousands of soldiers across the city's Southern outskirts had prepared themselves to advance. 

"I want the artillery to continue firing until the soldiers breach the first line of buildings, After which the Artillery crews will stand down and rest but be prepared for supporting strikes if needed," Seneschal commanded his Artillery officer, who was still there and nodded, he started communicating to his Officers.

Seneschal looked at his watch briefly before going for his radio. "All ground forces, begin your assault, watch your flanks and be prepared to meet the allied Division in the centre of Chernobog," Seneschal said rather calmly, unfitting for the scene before him. They had been briefed on what to expect from Mal-Mal's Division. 

Within seconds the vibrations of thousands of boots marched and paced towards the city, weapons at the ready. Seneschal watched as his men and women of all races poured into the city through every street, door and window they could find, which wasn't easy due to the catastrophic damage the city had taken. Their entrance was met with silence as the Artillery went quiet, only making the relatively silent Infantry even louder. All that could be heard was the sounds of screams from the North side of Chernobog. What the hell was Mal-Mal doing over there?

-

Mal-Mal walks through the streets of this miserable city at a slow, sedate pace, taking in all the damage that Reunion, the catastrophe and her forces have created over a relatively small amount of time. A blanket of ash covered the ground mixed with bodies, most of which had been mostly vaporised. Ash, that was once the enemy of the Farsight Enclave.

Mal-Mal was sceptical of the weapon designs that Y/n had given her, but now she and her Division had deployed them in mass? She had never felt so hot down below in her life! If Y/n could think of weapons like this, what else could he consider?

Mal-Mal shuddered in delight as she flushed with arousal.

She needed to get Y/n to trust her and fall for her! But how?

"AHH! PLEASE! NO!" 

"AH!"

"HELP ME!"

The screams again broke Mal-Mal's self-indulgent thinking as Reunion and Ursus soldiers were slaughtered around her. Looking around, she saw many of her warriors cutting down begging Reunion elites with no remorse. The streets were chaotic as Reunion and Ursus ran around desperately attempting to work together to bring down her warriors. 

Crossbow bolts were bouncing off her unstoppable warriors. Arts barely even fazed them. When they even got close to melee weapons, the warriors would grab them and throw them away with amusing efficiency.

A group of 6 Ursus soldiers rushed towards Mal-Mal with swords raised, only for her to pounce, swing her large Bardiche with its glowing green blade in a long arc, and cut all of them in half. They all fell into pieces in a sickening heap. 

Mal-Mal looked at the bisected soldiers with an unamused face. If this is the might of the Ursus military, then no wonder Chernobog fell to Reunion. 

A hand grabbed her ankle. Mal-Mal turned to see a Reunion Caster with missing legs looking up at her. She couldn't see his face behind the white mask but knew he was terrified.

"Please! spare me... I have a fami-Bleh!" 

The Reunion Caster didn't get to finish as Mal-Mal smacked the butt of her weapon into his face with force, causing it to cave in as blood flowed out and onto the dirty street. Mal-Mal freed her leg and continued walking further into the city, not looking back.

Many of her warriors walked at a relatively slow, sedate pace as they broke through doors and windows to slaughter Reunion strongholds. They entered the buildings only for Mal-Mal to hear resistance and screams before her warrior's weapons silenced them.

A Reunion Crossbowman fired at her, which skimmed her cheek, making her narrow her eyes at the distant sharpshooter. Within moments one of her warriors appeared behind the sharpshooter and started to cut him down with his weapon-mounted axe blade. 

Mal-Mal took one more look around at the feeble resistance as Reunion and Ursus still tried to put up a fight. However, it wasn't long before street after street ended up being layered with a blanket of ash and body parts. 

It seems the skeletal masks her warriors wore were working perfectly, those metal masks removed all forms of doubt and remorse, allowed her to convey her commands directly to them like a hive mind and assured absolute authority over them. Her warriors were not machines. Instead, they had just perfected a means of creating the ability to command many through a mental link. 

Mal-Mal looked at the tall Chernobog control tower in the distance and smirked as she moved forward as her unfeeling army cleared street after street of inferior opponents. 

-

From the command tent outside the city, the Seneschal received reports from across the Southern parts of the city of his soldier's progress. 

"Seneschal, the first streets and complex industrial objectives on the outskirts have been taken with minimal resistance."

"Sir! heavy Reunion losses found among the ruins, Artillery support has proven highly effective."

"Seneschal! Reunion on the left flank in full retreat."

"Sir, the right flank is reporting enemy firearm usage! Casualties have been taken."

"Right flank reporting heavy machine gun fire, sir!"

Firearms? where did Reunion get guns? 

"Tell them to report the position and allow artillery bombardment!" Seneschal commands.

"Negative, They are among the ruins. One wrong move and the structurally unsound buildings may collapse on them." One of his officers states. 

"Damn it!" Seneschal swears. 

-

Somewhere on the right flank, a few dozen Farsight Enclave soldiers in green armour are pinned in the rubble of the now bombed-out city. 

"Captain! Division command wanted to use Artillery, but it was a no-go. It's too risky!" A random Enclave soldier shouts over the suppression. 

"Any tank support around?" Random Captain demands.

"Negative! Streets are too damaged for them to traverse!" Another shouts over the gunfire.

The Captain tried to think. He had already lost a few good soldiers when that thing first opened up on them, looking over from his covered position at a Vulpo soldier lying motionless next to him, dead with blood leaking out his mouth. I'm sorry, soldier. I'll write to your family, the Captain thought.

"Look!"

To their left, a Lupo female runs across the street with her right hand in the air and sprints in on the distracted Reunion position before throwing a grenade inside and diving to the floor. A few seconds later, the room exploded, and the machine gun crew died painfully.

The other soldiers cheer for the Lupo, and the Captain stands and approaches her with a relieved smile.

"What's your name, soldier."

"Sienna, sir" Sienna gives a tired salute.

"Relax, Sienna. Thanks to you, my squad are still alive... well, most of them." The Captain looks back at the body of the Vulpo and a few others. Sienna doesn't say anything. She only follows his eyes to the bodies of their fallen comrades. The Captain shakes himself off before addressing her again.

"Command will know of this. You have our gratitude!" He salutes before gesturing for his squad to move on. 

"Thank you, sir," Sienna salutes back and continues to her objective.

-

Back at the Command tent.

"Seneschal, the Machine gun has been neutralised," A relieved officer replied. 

"Good! then let us continue, report to all Officers on the field that all Reunion with firearms is to be shown no mercy."

"Yes, Seneschal!" They all confirmed the order. 

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Done!

Another satisfying chapter to write. 

I guess Mal-Mal has a violent side. 

We are reaching the climax with the Chernobog arc, as it were. 

Trying to hammer out the romances in the story, so they don't feel forced or synthetic, but I'm not exactly well-versed in romance, so I can only try my best. 

Almost 40k reads and rank #1 in 4 categories. I never expected anything like this!

Thanks to everyone for everything!

Zero-