Book 7, Chapter 81 - Mustering Forces

“The divine army knows we’re gathering our defenses . They’ve sent their fastest s.h.i.+ps first as a vanguard to try and slow us down or catch us unprepared . ”

In the subs.p.a.ce conference area Cloudhawk faced his Alliance’s leaders . He announced their findings with a solemn expression . All of the biggest names from across the wastes and Elysian lands were gathered . Fear crept into their hearts for though they knew this time would come, they did not expect it so soon .

Cloudhawk went on . “We need to use this time to accomplish three things . First we have to speed up our exodus time table . Second, we have to gather all of our forces . Third, continue to strengthen our defenses . Everyone must be a.s.sured that they’re safe . We can’t afford a panic . I’ll leave the specifics to Legion . Any objections?”

Phoenix rose to her feet . “How many enemies can we expect? How strong are they?”

“Right now, we don’t know . The G.o.ds who will partic.i.p.ate in the fighting are asleep and disconnected from the divine matrix . We can guess, but we don’t have any accurate figures . ” Cloudhawk paused for a moment before going on . “What I can tell you is that the challenge we face is a big one . Every one of us – myself included – must understand that . ”

Silence descended on the chamber . They had all come to peace with this from the moment they agreed to fight the G.o.ds . Their enemy was a powerful race that spanned the galaxy . Humans were just sheep, raised in captivity . They had about as much chance of defeating their masters as a house cat .

But again, there was no other choice! No one here was an ordinary person . They were the most intelligent of their species, geniuses and schemers, but they felt like a rat in a trap . Escape was impossible .

Surrender? Hmph, like the G.o.ds would let them live .

Once they lost faith, their spirits and minds would not be transformed into Source for the G.o.ds to consume . They had no more worth in the eyes of those monsters . Destruction was their fate, unless they fought back . Victory was a long shot, but at least they would die on their own terms .

Cloudhawk had laid out the plan . It was Legion’s responsibility to see to the details . The Elder demon’s voice was transmitted directly into everyone’s mind . “The G.o.ds are powerful, but in the grand scheme their numbers are limited . They can’t afford to send enough people to encircle and overwhelm us . What’s more, a rebellion on one distant planet is not something for them to fear . ”

The demon was trying to set their minds at ease . Indeed these beings ruled over the vast galaxy and had any number of issues to deal with . They didn’t have the numbers or interest to deal with a handful of Supremes in some backwater speck of dust .

However, Cloudhawk had reason to believe that there were more than one group of G.o.ds . This world they lived on was different from the others . A thousand years ago G.o.ds and demons fought a terrible war on this soil and ever since then the G.o.d King has had his eyes on it .

“Our collective strength is nothing to scoff at . I have weighed our forces and there are five hundred and ten among us who fight at the level of a divine soldier . Nine of us are equal to Supremes . ” Legion looked over the sea of faces and continued . “In terms of numbers I do not think their vanguard will overpower us . They have no advantage over our large army . ”

His determination came as a shock . No one expected humans to wield that sort of power . Divine soldiers were the weakest of their species, but any one of them were equivalent to a Master Demonhunter . According to Legion, though, humanity had hundreds who were equal to these beings .

No one doubted the demon though, especially since there was no reason to fake such a thing . Now what they needed to do was get everyone working on the same page .

As for the humans who were as strong as Supremes, Legion said there were nine . They included Legion himself, Cloudhawk, the Cloud G.o.d, Belial, the Shepherd G.o.d and other leaders from the Elysian lands like Phoenix .  

A surprising lineup, but still weak in the face of a full divine army .  

Legion went on . “We have an estimated six thousand soldiers and Awakened of highest ability . Ten of them are equal to one divine soldier . In other words, they can handle six hundred G.o.ds . ”

High-level Awakened were the wasteland’s version of veteran demonhunters . There were also mutants, Elysian soldiers and more who were also fierce warriors .

All together, between the core fighting force and the elite, humanity could face an army of one thousand one hundred G.o.ds . While still small in the face of the G.o.ds, it was still impressive . Indeed, there was a reason Cloudhawk had worked so hard to take control of the Elysian lands .

Those in attendance began to feel more confident about their chances .  

Legion continued . “The Elysian lands have a million standard soldiers at the ready . The Wasteland Alliance sports similar numbers . Two million when put together, with twelve thousand airs.h.i.+ps and thirty or forty thousand vehicles . Most wasteland transport have now been upgraded with eboncrys cannons which match Elysian artillery power . ”

Two million soldiers! Forty or fifty thousand vessels! 

“That sounds pretty good!” A few surprised mutters could be heard among the crowd . They were all operating under the a.s.sumption that this battle was a suicide mission . Legion’s report cut through their pessimism . Perhaps there was hope after all .

“Humanity has called this broken land home for a thousand years . That’s a thousand years of struggling up from the dirt . Tearing it all down won’t be so easy . ” Legion’s voice carried a compelling power . “As for our defenses, we have the help of the Source mountain powering our towers . With the current enchantments, several dozen Swords of Sumeru couldn’t punch through and we’re strengthening it even more every day . Soon we will turn the Southern Capital into a fortress . The G.o.ds’ vanguard, flying here in a desperate attempt to stop these defenses, will arrive too late . ”

Everyone was nodding in excitement . The Source was a treasure that had come at just the right time .

It provided all the energy their city needed . Belial’s Psionic Tower used it to strengthen all of their people as well . If the G.o.ds chose to make the Southern Capital their battleground, then they would be fighting where their enemy was strongest .

“In the final a.n.a.lysis, although we are much weaker than our foes, that does not mean that we are doomed . ” Legion had succeeded in boosting the morale of his allies . Now it was down to business . “It’s time to discuss specific troop deployment . ”

The meeting continued for several more hours while orders were delivered, detailing where the front lines would be . Within the subs.p.a.ce cube, of course, several hours meant nothing . Cloudhawk dismissed the meeting and everyone summoned their own lieutenants to get things moving . In this pocket dimension they had plenty of time to plan .

“You were too optimistic,” Cloudhawk said when he returned to Legion . “We’re too weak . You shouldn’t make them overconfident . ”

G.o.ds were superior to humans in every way . Not just physical abilities, but wisdom, experience, technology and everything else . Legion’s simplistic comparisons were misleading . Even when it came to simple numbers, humans didn’t necessarily hold the advantage .

“My King must realize that my words won’t convince most of them . However, it sends a clear message: we must be united as one . Together we are much stronger than when we are apart . ” Legion explained . “If they can believe that, it will be enough to carry them forward . ”

“What’s your strategy for the fight to come?”

“There is no need for strategy . We will lose . ”

Legion’s dire prognosis blindsided Cloudhawk . It was not at all what he was expecting .  

Legion noted his expression and elaborated . “Our victory or defeat in this war will not be predicated on whether humans can band together . We can only succeed if my King dons the Demon King’s Cuira.s.s and truly a.s.sumes his role . ”

“You mean we need the support of Gehenna . ”

“When the G.o.ds arrive, without Gehenna’s help we will fall . ”

Cloudhawk scowled . It wasn’t that he opposed asking Gehenna for help . Until now, the Cuira.s.s had denied him . Without it Cloudhawk had merely inherited the Demon King’s power, not his name . So far he hadn’t found a way to access Gehenna, much less ask its denizens for help in his war . ”

“Any suggestions?”

“I do not . In this task, you must rely on yourself . ”

He cursed inwardly . He didn’t know what to do, or if he was even up to the task . What was preventing him from becoming the true Demon King?

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