I Pioneered Scientific Magic - Chapter 354 (Patreon)

Chapter 354: The Impending Decisive Battle!

The attack came suddenly, contrary to their earlier intelligence estimations. It would take at least half a month to manufacture a new batch of siege weapons, even with the use of divine arts.

Under the cover of night, the Holy Church's punitive army silently arrived less than two kilometers from the city gates.

The resounding hymns abruptly ceased as the Archbishop Anluke, at the forefront of the clergy, spread his arms, and the radiance of divine magic immediately burst forth outside the city!

"Summon—Guardians of the Divine Realm!"

In an instant, the earth shook. Seventy colossal stone statues, towering five meters high and armored, rose from the ground. Gripping sturdy shields, they positioned themselves in front, emitting a deep, hollow roar from their gaping mouths as they lumbered toward the city walls.

"Quick, notify Lord Lynn!" Sanchez wasted no time, loudly urging, then turned to the stunned crowd, rebuking them. "What are you waiting for? Prepare the electromagnetic cannons!"

Controlled by several wizards, the seven electromagnetic cannons stationed on the gates immediately thundered, emitting deafening roars.

Seven dazzling streams of light darted forth, targeting the massive stone statues. The immense electromagnetic cannonballs clashed with the solid earthen shields.

Like slicing through a thin sheet of paper, accompanied by a teeth-gritting explosion, the robust earth shields crumbled instantly. The cannonballs, turned red-hot, collided with the rear of the Guardians of the Divine Realm, shattering nearly half of their colossal bodies.

However, in almost the next moment, six of the seven shattered stone statues began to auto-repair. Even with only half their bodies remaining, they continued their relentless charge.

"Target their abdomens, that's their core!" Sharp-eyed Yoland immediately spotted the issue, loudly reminding the others. The one statue obliterated had been pierced precisely through its center by the electromagnetic cannon, causing it to disintegrate outright.

The gunners promptly adjusted their trajectories. However, in the dead of night, visibility became extremely poor. Hitting the core accurately under the cover of the colossal shields while the Guardians were in full sprint was no easy feat.

After five rounds of electromagnetic cannon fire, only ten Guardians were neutralized, and the rest surged into the range of the cannons.

Continuous cannonades echoed as nearly a hundred artillery pieces relentlessly bombarded the colossal stone statues. Yet, their power was significantly weaker compared to the electromagnetic cannons. Even with direct hits, they could merely momentarily impede the onslaught... It would take three to five shells simultaneously hitting to topple or scatter a Guardian.

Shielded by the colossal stone statues wielding massive shields, tens of thousands of Church forces also initiated their charge!

"Kill these blasphemers!" "For glory! For victory!" "God is with us!"

War drums thundered, crazed shouts reverberated across the battlefield. Under the illumination of the flames, tens of thousands of Church forces surged forward like a black tide, rendering the towering city walls momentarily akin to an isolated island adrift in a vast sea, seemingly on the brink of being engulfed.

Ham and others atop the city walls felt a chill. Their rifles scarcely ceased firing, continuously cycling through aiming, shooting, and reloading.

However, due to the disadvantageous nighttime visibility, most could only haphazardly shoot in the direction of the charging enemy. Clearly, this couldn't hinder the Church forces empowered by divine magic.

In no time, the leading colossal statue and over twenty thousand noble coalition soldiers were within less than two hundred meters from the city gates!

The situation had reached an extremely critical juncture...

At that moment, two hundred accredited wizards stepped forward and cast simultaneous spells. The soldiers of the coalition approaching the city walls suddenly felt the solid ground beneath them collapse, plunging into a dark abyss with sharp spikes visible at the bottom.

The pit was a staggering twenty meters wide and over fifteen meters deep!

This was the Triple-Circle Magic—Sinkhole! 

However, the magic alone wasn't enough to create a pit encircling the entire city wall. These traps had been prepared in advance, concealed beneath a not-so-thick layer of soil and stones by elemental wizards.

During the prior skirmishes, they had refrained from using these traps due to the limited intensity of the conflict, saving them for this crucial moment!

Over two thousand coalition soldiers charging at the forefront tumbled down, either dying on impact or impaled by the sharp spikes. Even the massive Guardians of the Divine Realm, nearly half of them, remained trapped in the pit for quite some time.

The prearranged traps effectively stalled the assault of the punitive forces, offering a momentary respite for the defenders atop the walls. But before Sanchez and others could breathe a sigh of relief, the sinkholes triggered by the magic were dismantled.

Emerald-green tendrils emerged from the ground, radiating magical brilliance, intertwining to form dozens of sturdy bridges of sorcery capable of withstanding cannonades for a short period.

It was the bishops' doing!

Not only that, but countless twinkling dots illuminated the dark battlefield, converging to form an immensely terrifying energy wave hurtling toward them. Amidst the intense explosion and energy impact, the magical barrier shielding the defenders on the wall shattered...

Whether it was the numerous Guardians of the Divine Realm or the relentless onslaught of the punitive forces, their sole aim was to pave the way for the bishops to enter the range of their sorcerous attacks!

Sanchez, realizing this, understood that the most arduous moment had arrived. Fortunately, the time they bought wasn't meaningless. The defending force on the wall had increased from the initial eight thousand to twenty-five thousand, with half armed with rifles and the other half comprising the royal guards.

However, even with this, they needed more reinforcements!

Because in the skies above, the Gryphon Knights were now in position, once again raining down a deluge of fire!

...

Simultaneously, as the frontal assault commenced, Pulson, who had long infiltrated the capital, had already initiated his moves.

Taking advantage of the chaos and cover of night, a large number of shadow guards began eliminating the city guards stationed on the streets. Following Pulson's orders, they split into two groups.

One faction set out to free Arno from imprisonment, while the other stealthily headed for the heavily guarded Alchemy Research Institute within the capital!

Moreover, the Church's elite, a considerable number of Divine Retribution troops, had also reached the capital through secret passages. Edweil personally led the charge from within, intending to settle the conflict in a single battle!

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