Timeless Assassin

(Entrail's POV, Planet Juxta)

Entrail's ship was one of the last ones to land on Juxta, as he only descended after every air defence around him was utterly annihilated.

*THRUMM*

*Step* *Step*

Stepping outside the craft with his thin long-sword unsheathed, he walked alongside Commander Streak, as the two of them took charge of the battle unfolding around them.

[Mountain Splitting Slash]

[Total Annihilation]

*SLASH*

*KABOOM*

Destroying an entire section of the Military Base with ease, Entrail killed at least a few thousand enemy soldiers, and a few hundred of his own men with a single strike, as he massaged his own shoulders and cracked his neck.

"Stubborn Cult Rats…. You'd expect to cause more damage to their military bases when you're invading with so many destroyer ships, however, their defensive technology is definitely top notch." Entrail complained to Streak as the two of them blurred into action.

[Rapid Steps]

[Mana Absorb]

[Multiple Shots]

*Slash*

*Splat*

*BAM*

*Slash*

*Kill*

Going on a kill frenzy, the duo specifically targeted the Cult leadership around them, as they went after the Transcendent Tier Lieutenants, and Legion Commanders, who were directing the flow of battle.

*Block*

*Parry*

*Slash*

The Cult warriors tried their best to defend, however, a two versus one situation meant that they had absolutely no chance of holding on, as one after another, many key leaders fell.

For Monarch's, waltzing into the heart of enemy formations, and picking the battles they wanted to fight was no challenge at all, as despite there being tens of thousands of master and grandmaster tier warriors around them, most of them were simply too weak to affect their flow of battle.

Hence, even when a Cult leader was within defensive trenches, a few hundred meters away from the heart of battle, they were still singled out and killed, as Entrail and Streak showed them no mercy.

"Take that you dirty Cult scoundrel—" Entrail spat, as he decapitated the tenth Cult Transcendent.

"I think that's it for this particular military base, let's now move on to the one seven hundred kilometres north of here.

I think the Enemy's only Monarch Tier Commander is fighting up there…." Streak pointed out, as Entrail nodded sharply.

"Yeah, our underlings can now wipe out this base, let's move on—"

He reassured, as he blocked a few attacks coming his way, as if he were swatting off flies, before following Streak through the air as the two flew northwards.

—--------

(Meanwhile, Charles)

Not a single strike had managed to land upon the central and most vital Juxta Military Base, where Charles stood like a lone sentinel, guarding its heart.

For two hundred kilometers in every direction, the skies were littered with burning wreckage, as more than two thousand enemy ships had been reduced to ash and twisted steel, their advance halted by Charles's unrelenting hand alone.

He had chosen to remain here, not out of arrogance, but because this base housed the critical infrastructure of Juxta's planetary shield.

And because he had identified it to be a structure that needed to be protected at any cost, even after the planetary shield had already been dismantled.

For, even though the barrier had been shattered once already, the core infrastructure beneath remained intact, since its mechanisms were only overloaded but not destroyed.

So while Cult Engineers and Blacksmiths worked feverishly to restore the system, Charles alone bore the weight of its defense, every swing of his blade and every flare of his aura a wall between Juxta and annihilation.

Such a decision was bound to appear as bizarre to most war experts or outside observers, who could potentially argue that a commander of his caliber should lead counteroffensives or bolster crumbling lines instead of playing guard, but Charles knew exactly what he was doing.

His heart bled for the countless men dying elsewhere on Juxta, every scream and every explosion echoing inside him as he held his ground, yet he did not move.

Because he understood that if the shield could rise again, if its core could be restored, then all the lives lost today would not be in vain.

And though it tore at him to let so many bleed while he stood immovable in one place, he also knew that it was the only way to ensure that this attack — this violation of Juxta's skies — would never be repeated again.

—-------------

(Inside the Planetary Core Building)

The Cult planetary mana shields were all single core systems.

I.e : A single core powered the entire planet's defence.

However, what the enemy's new unknown weapon did was to overload this core and make the barrier shatter, which overloaded the circuits and damaged some key components of the core.

"Guys, Come on, Commander Charles only made a single request, which is to get this planetary shield up and running in under an hour…..

We can't waste time!" The chief engineer said, as he encouraged his men to work faster.

*Sizzle*

*Burn*

*Drop*

At this moment, an engineer accidentally dropped an extremely hot piece of core circuit that had been fried to unsafe temperatures, however, as soon as the chief engineer saw this, he picked it up with his bare hands, and slotted it into the area it was supposed to go, even though the heat blistered his skin.

"The Commander is counting on us…. There is no room for pain or delay now!"

He said, as his bravery inspired his men to disregard personal safety, and start pushing like maniacs.

*Clang*

*Buzz*

*Whirr*

Sparks rained from the core chamber as the engineers pressed on, their hands trembling from burns, cuts, and exhaustion, yet none daring to falter.

The chief's blistered palms dripped blood onto the glowing runes, but still he forced the circuits into place, his jaw clenched with resolve.

"Faster! If we fail, Juxta falls!" another shouted, sweat streaking his soot-stained face, as above them, the thunder of Charles's strikes echoed faintly through the ceiling, a reminder that a single man held back a world's doom.

"If every man in here plays their part…. I promise you, together, we can save Juxta—" The chief said, as he made sure that every man down here worked like their lives depended on it.