Zheng slept through the day. Night fell. The sky outside was pitch black. The only lights came from the torches on the fortress walls. Many of the villagers stare at the night sky in this darkness. They knew this would be sleepless night.
The movie characters, the riders, and the rest of team China woke up along with Zheng. Hunger emerged immediately. They thought they could eat a whole cow. -princess- was smart to order preparation of food when they just fell asleep. Roasted meat and biscuits were waiting for them on the tables already. Everyone began to fill themselves up.
Aragorn asked Eowyn. “What time is this? The Uruk-hai arrived yet?”
Eowyn gave him a bitter smile. “They are almost here, only an hour left. There are so many of them, over 15,000. And we have only hundreds here… Oh, yes. Three hundred elves came before sunset. They said Elrond of Rivendell sent them to honor the alliance that once existed between elves and men. But aside from them, we have no other reinforcements.”
“Have faith in Gandalf. He will be back with reinforcements… He said he will be back with reinforcements when the sun rises. I have faith in him.” Aragorn said.
The six members of team China weren’t in such a good mood. In the movie plot, Gandalf would arrive in the morning with reinforcements. They would then defeat the Uruk-hai in a blitz. However, this wasn’t a movie. Anything could happen. The increased number of Uruk-hai was an example. Although the Rohan riders were also stronger than the movies portrayed. Two thousand riders were still at a disadvantage. How many Uruk-hai they could kill in this defense might sway the result of the battle.
Zheng paused for a moment. “I plan to use the Anubis Bracelet. My blood energy has be increasing all this time so I can summon at least a thousand Anubis Warriors. They are pretty strong in close combat. As long as their head remains, they can continue fighting. There three meter bodies are also bigger than the Uruk-hai. They should win one on one. The only thing I am worried about is if the another team attacks us when I am depleted of blood energy, which affects Destruction. What do you think?”
Xuan shook his head. “The effect from the Anubis Bracelet is nearly negligible. You can’t control the thousand warriors. They will fight on their own once summoned. But we are fighting a defensive war. Archers or soldiers that can follow commands are more useful in this scenario. The Anubis Warriors will only disrupt the formation of our army and accelerate the collapse of the fortress. We can’t use the Anubis Bracelet here. Save it for the battle at Gondor.”
Zheng sighed. “Then what should we do? I can at least fight and assist using the Nightmare. The layout of the defensive passageways are nearly perfect. It will be difficult for the Uruk-hai to break through. What about you guys? One mistake in a battle of this scale could lead to death. How about just fly up with the Sky Stick and attack from up there? Heng is able to do this. How many rune word bullets do you have?”
“My intention isn’t to battle the Uruk-hai head on.” Xuan said. “That’s the most idiotic tactic. The Anubis Bracelet is useless in a defensive battle but another item has great use. You can also use it easily. The Book of the Dead.”
The Book of the Dead recorded many offensive magic. Yet, Zheng couldn’t read any of the writings in the book. The few of the magic he remembered was taught by TengYi. Of course, the third unlocked stage allowed him to simulate TengYi to some degree and deduce some spells using his own knowledge. However, the precision was questionable.
One of the magic TengYi translated could alter the terrain!
Everyone finished eating. The main movie characters and team China headed to the fortress walls. An elf was speaking to Theoden. There were also several hundred elven archers here.
Legolas cried. “The Nighthawks, royal guards of Rivendell. Three hundreds of them. That’s half the royal guards.”
Everyone walked to the elf that was speaking. They exchanged words of gratitude then quietly waited on the wall.
The members of team China sat quite some distance away from the movie characters. They had conversations of their own that were best kept from the movie characters.
Xuan said. “Judging by the hothead’s words, they will probably enter the team battle when the plot progressed to the battle at Gondor. That isn’t far away. There are a few points we must do. First, we will retrieve the force we sent out to obtain influence. HaoTian is strong in both intelligence and strength. It is also time to harvest the Nemesis. The result of the harvest will depend on his ability. Zero and the other three members should return to the team. Their strengths are useful in a team battle. And lastly, the influence we obtained, archers that can use Explosive Shot…”
Zheng interrupted him. “What are you doing? This isn’t some amateur novel where you are going to die in the battle by taking an arrow for me. You speak like you are giving your last words. We are comrades! We can’t consider death so readily!”
Xuan nodded and pondered for a second. “Understood. I have explained what needs to be said. If you don’t get anything, then ask HaoTiao. A mortal’s wisdom confronting another mortal’s wisdom. Isn’t it another way to grow stronger?”
The premonition felt increasingly inauspicious to Zheng. Before he got to speak, a series of heavy footsteps could be heard coming from afar. The footsteps rumbled without order. Torches gradually showed up in the distance. They formed a field on the horizon and slowly moved toward the fortress. Although there were only 15000 Uruk-hai, they extended throughout the field. The countless torches and rumbling could drive people insane.
The Uruk-hai had arrived. The battle at Helm’s Deep commenced.
Zheng glanced at Xuan and said. “You always act on pure reason. Why did you suddenly have premonitions? It’s such a human trait. Whatever it is, you at least have to try your best to survive. If you think you are going to die, then there is no hope. Anyway… you said you will unlock the fourth stage. Aren’t you wishing to obtain feelings and senses? Obtain everything that a person should have? Then give all that you have to survive!” He got up and walked over to the Nightmare then mounted on the horse.
The Uruk-hai were the strongest species of the orcs. They had a violent temper. They lusted for blood and killing. They wouldn’t run upon encountering strong forces unlike the orcs and half-orcs. In contrast, powerful enemies would excite them. This was a difficult battle. The Uruk-hai would invade the fortress with their overwhelming number. No one knew if the walls could hold them until the morning came.
As the torches came closer, so did the footsteps. The people on the wall could see the army with their bare eyes. The Uruk-hai were armed to the teeth unlike the orcs. Their equipments exceeded even the soldiers of Rohan. Saruman crafted an army of steel.
The Uruk-hai had two meter tall bodies, wore dark armors and helms made of steel. Many carried three meter long pikes. Some carried double-bent swords and bows.
Aragorn was yelling to the elves in Elvish language. Team China couldn’t understand him but it was not the time for that. They gripped onto their weapons. The Uruk-hai came closer and closer and finally, they stopped just outside the arrow range.
The battle… commenced.
The Uruk-hai stopped their advancement. An official looking Uruk-hai stepped onto a boulder. It roared and turned its head. Its voice echoed throughout the battlefield. Then a second Uruk-hai followed. Then a third, fourth… until the Uruk-hai’s roars reached every part of the battlefield. They thumped the ground with their pikes and weapons in rhythm. It felt as though the ground was trembling.
An older archer’s hands shook, letting go an arrow that was ready on the bow. It killed a pikeman Uruk-hai. The battlefield suddenly fell to a silence for a moment then the Uruk-hai roared with more insanity than ever. The blood instilled no fear but instead drove them to frenzy. The Uruk-hai charged at the wall.
“Ready! Fire!” Aragorn who was standing by the elves drew his sword. He swung the sword and pointed it at the Uruk-hai then shouted.
The elves lived up to their name of Nighthawks. Over fifty of them placed multiple arrows on the bow at once. Some elves enchanted their arrows with a green glow. The first wave of arrows fired. The multi-shots all slain multiple Uruk-hai, clearing an area of Uruk-hai. However, their armors were not made of paper after all. Many arrows were deflected and these Uruk-hai continued charging as though nothing hit them.
Heng stood next to Zheng. He cried with surprise upon seeing the elven technique. “Multishot? Amazing! Wish I can see what techniques they have yet to show. If someone can use the nine arrow shot…”
Zheng casually replied. “You can just wait here if you aren’t scared dying. And it will be better if you put your head out from the wall. I saw quite a few Uruk-hai with bows, and crossbows.”
Heng hushed but his eyes kept glancing back at the elves. Zheng gave a shout and unsheathed Tiger’s Soul. Heng finally began shooting at the Uruk-hai beneath the fortress.
The Uruk-hai finally reached the walls. Aragorn yelled. “Fire at will! Fire at will!”
All the elves and elderly standing on the wall began firing at will. The elves and enlisted villagers totaled to a thousand archers. Arrows poured down like rain. The cries of Uruk-hai and tingling noises took over the field. Only arrows shot by the elves and elite archers could pierce the armor of the Uruk-hai. The rest of the archers were too weak. The rain of arrows seemed crowded but merely half of them were effective.
As the Uruk-hai came close, they began to push ladders onto the wall. Some ladders managed to stay in place. At the cries of men and elves, several Uruk-hai climbed up the wall. Those didn’t pull into defense fast enough died to the Uruk-hai.
(City attacks are too straightforward at this age. Weapons, tactics, and army composition are all too simple. Accounts of wars from the Song Dynasty recorded boiling water, rolling boulders, ballista, catapults. There are none of these here. You charge at me and I defend.) Zheng contemplated these questions.
The Nightmare leaped. The light blade extended to its maximum range and slashed across. All the ladders within thirty meters of him were cut in two. The Uruk-hai on the ladder fell off the wall in terrible cries. It didn’t seem that they could survive the fall. Yet, there were too many Uruk-hai underneath. Zheng slashed dozens of ladders but replacements came in one after another. A single person’s power couldn’t turn the tide of a battle.
Dong! Zheng’s light blade barrier shattered. He quickly controlled the Nightmare to jump back down. He was staying on the wall using his barrier to defend against the numerous arrows. Then a few Explosive Shots shattered the barrier. The shots came from far away so that was all they accomplished. Though he Zheng stayed a little longer, the rest of the arrows would have turned him into a hive.
“Fuck! That was not over yet!” Those shots angered him. He formed a new light blade barrier over his body then replenished his Qi from the mithril ring. The Nightmare leaped off the wall. The movie characters shouted with bloodshot eyes. They had formed bonds with Zheng. The members of team China also shouted. Except for Xuan who pulled out his pistols calmly.
Pah! Zheng landed on the ground. The ten-meter fall didn’t harm him nor the Nightmare because he landed on the Uruk-hai and crushed them into meat paste. Without even a pause, Tiger’s Soul slashed across.
The Uruk-hai weren’t using their battle Qi since Zheng’s appearance was unexpected. The twenty-meter light blade cut through all the Uruk-hai in a twenty-meter radius. Hundreds or maybe nearly a thousand of Uruk-hai died in this attack. Zheng then charged into the army. Blood and flesh flew all over the area as Tiger’s Soul moved.
Gimli yelled. “You are the strongest, luckiest, and most foolish warrior… I will kill you for taking so light of your own live, you bastard!”
Though the movie characters had seen Zheng’s strength and were aware of the unique attribute of the Nightmare. They knew that once Zheng couldn’t hold out anymore, he would climb back up the wall. This was not the time to ponder more deeply. Aragorn yelled. “Archers back! Front row fighters ready for close range combat once the Uruk-hai climbs onto the wall!”
Zheng’s bravery stimulated the soldiers’ morale. However, the wall of the fortress was so wide that he had no way of defending every place. Ladders were placed some distance from him then the endless Uruk-hai climbed up. They might not have that many archers but all the Uruk-hai were powerful fighters. It took two men or one elf to defend against one Uruk-hai. Their numbers were building up on the wall. The only place devoid of them were at where Zheng was defending. All other places of the wall entered close range fights.
The contrast among their soldiers became apparent. The ones with battle Qi took one or more the Uruk-hai without fear. On the other hand, the enlisted villagers were victims of slaughters. They could aid with arrows but close range combat forced them back.
The fortress was well designed that despite many Uruk-hai climbed up the walls, the archers on the back could remain shooting arrows. That and the elite fighters in the front finally held the Uruk-hai from advancing.
Four members of team China entered the battle and the tides changed.
Heng had little impact despite having powerful shots. He was only as useful as an elven archer in this battle. ChengXiao’s martial art and YinKong’s assassination were much stronger than the Uruk-hai with battle Qi. They blocked off over a dozen Uruk-hai at once. However, the one that was most destructive to the Uruk-hai was Xuan.
Xuan stood in the middle of a pack with his dual pistols. The pistols danced around him. Each of his shots penetrated one or more Uruk-hai and even arrows that were shot at him. The Gauss pistols were powerful enough to stop their Explosive Shots. Xuan did not see with his eyes. His Gun-kata followed the trace of all possible incoming attacks.
He shook his hands. Two magazines dropped to the ground. The magazines were still smoking. A hundred Uruk-hai were lying around him. His cool and apathetic expression along with his actions made him seem captivating.
Zheng was fighting among the Uruk-hai but he was paying attention to the wall. He applauded upon seeing the might of Gun-kata. Just then, he saw an Uruk-hai that was holding a torch charged at the wall, the wall where Xuan was standing on.
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