Warhammer Divine Throne-Chapter 487 - 208, Battle of the Kulona Plains (Part 2)

Therefore, the Mercy Church might be one of the most universally loved and revered churches in the Old World, favored by both the commoners and the nobility.

"Retreat! Retreat!" The Temple Guard numbered in the dozens, including many Temple Knights, and with the nearby militia rushing to aid, the Mercy Church quickly organized an army of over two hundred soldiers, with many militia groups still joining.

In the distance, the Great Army of Nurgle was rolling in like a storm, these chaos creatures crushing everything in their path, etching a trail of decay on the flourishing plains of Kulona. Fortunately, like their master Nurgle, this army moved slower than typical Chaos armies, trudging forward towards the sanatorium, each step sinking into the mud.

The army couldn't run far as they needed to protect the wounded, and finally, the Great Army of Nurgle drew near.

"Release arrows!" shouted the Temple Guard. The Peasant Archers drew their short bows from over their shoulders and released a rain of arrows towards the Great Army of Nurgle.

"Ah! Wuu! Master save me!" cried many frail Nurgle Spirits as they were hit, screeching as they floated chaotically in the air, quickly bursting into blood mist, leaving behind blue-green gas and a stench.

The death of the Nurgle Spirits could not deter the Chaos Warriors. Under the command of Nurgle's Chosen Warriors, they advanced slowly. The Peasant Archers' arrows were ineffective against them; even if they could pierce their decayed skin and swollen pustules, that would be all they'd achieve.

Nurgle loves each of its followers, and its followers have long been deprived of the sensation of pain by their master. They remain unfazed by endless rebirth and constant decay, and the Great Army of Nurgle approached.

By now, the Great Army of Nurgle had swollen to over two thousand, while the Mercy Church had gathered hundreds of militia.

"Focus, form ranks, prepare to engage the enemy!" shouted the Temple Guard.

Terrified, the peasants raised their Long Spears, chanting the names of the Lake Fairy or the Merciful Goddess Shalya. The Master Knights had yet to arrive, leaving them to face the Chaos armies alone.

Terror engulfed the hearts of many peasants, as the towering Chaos Warriors, and the small mountain-like Nurgle's Chosen Warriors, oppressed and tormented them inwardly.

The tips of the Long Spears trembled frantically.

The enemy was near, as a Chaos Warrior charged into the spear formation of the Peasant Infantry. Despite being pierced by several Long Spears, under the blessings of the Evil God, they seemed to feel no pain. Ignoring the Long Spears tangled within its body, the mighty Chaos Warrior cleaved down with an axe, instantly killing the Long Spear Soldier at the forefront.

Next, it grabbed a peasant in despair and smashed its iron-helmed head with force.

Brain matter splattered, and the peasant's head was half crushed.

"Aaaaah!" The nearby Peasant Long Spearmen, upon witnessing the horrifying scene, their morale plummeted. Nearly all peasants wavered, and this Chaos Warrior drew the attention of all nearby peasants. Under the Temple Guard's command, over ten peasants thrust their Long Spears at the Chaos Warrior simultaneously.

"Pssh!" The Long Spears encountered no resistance, impaling the Chaos Warrior fully, making it into a hedgehog.

Finally, under the lethal attacks, the Chaos Warrior fell thunderously, having killed five or six peasants before being slain with a pierced neck.

No infantry had the energy to cheer for victory as more Chaos Warriors surged into the lines, and Nurgle's Chosen Warriors appeared, striding into the ranks, decapitating three at a time with each swing of their axes.

The infantry collapsed.

"Help! My Lady, save me!"

"No, I don't want to die."

"My Lady, have mercy on me."

"Lady Shalya, grant me courage!"

"Ugh aaaaah!"

The Peasant Infantry Corps collapsed just a minute later, with nearly all peasants fleeing in panic, extreme fear etched on their faces, scrambling desperately to escape the battle, losing all will to fight.

The collapse of one line led to the collapse of the entire battlefield. Despite the Temple Guard fighting valiantly, they were outmatched and overwhelmed by the sea of the Great Army of Nurgle.

At this moment, the wounded and sick at the rear were left exposed to the Great Army of Nurgle.

The merciless slaughter began, with wounded, routed soldiers, and the sick scattering across the plains, desperately calling out the names of the Lake Fairy and their Faith Deities, along with any Holy Grail Knights they knew. But no answer ever came. The Chaos Warriors leisurely tore them apart with rusty swords and great axes, while Chaos Demons sprayed bouts of acid, reducing many wounded and sick to puddles of blood.

The despair felt by mortals had reached the mysterious Subspace, where the Winds of Magic grew ever more violent.

The Corroded Realm finally established a complete link with the Prime Material World.

A massive green chunk was cast into the real world by Nurgle.

This thing appeared like a four-meter-tall big fatty in appearance, its entire being green, with an extremely obese decayed body. Its face hardly recognizable, sporting a massive bloody maw and two round eyes, its double chins covering what used to be a neck. The vast ruptured belly hit the ground ahead of its stumpy legs, greasy intestines hanging out, with many rotting heads dangling from its sharp horns. This creature wielded a giant sword, instantly bisecting two struggling Temple Knights.

The Merciful Goddess Archbishop gasped as he turned back: "That's...a Great Unclean One? A Chaos Great Demon!"

"It's a Great Demon!" shouted a Temple Knight in despair. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"It's a Great Demon, we're doomed!"

"We're done for! Everything will be utterly destroyed at the hands of the Great Demon!"

"My Lady, save us!"

An overwhelming despair spread across the plains, as all humans fled frantically, desperate to get away from here, away from the evil.

"Quick! Retreat quickly!" Having failed to resist, the Mercy Church could only flee like a bunch of homeless dogs. The distant sanatorium was already belching thick smoke, with many precious herbs and books reduced to ashes. The Mercy Church Archbishop knew that now was not the time to turn back; otherwise, the end would mean perishing together. All they could do was flee, as far as possible, to ensure the formula for the special medicine would be preserved for the benefit of all.

"Catch them, destroy them, the formula!" spoke the Great Nurgle Demon. It opened its fang-filled maw, revealing a two-meter-long tongue, riddled with endless pustules and grubs. The tip of this long tongue bore a demon's face, complete with a mouth packed with sharp fangs.

Known as the Wound Master, it was Nurgle's Great Demon, destined today to bring ruin and decay to the Knight Kingdom, returning with victory and souls to Subspace.

Under the Great Demon's threat, the Great Army of Nurgle regrouped, Chaos Warriors and Chaos Demons reluctantly ceased their slaughter of mortals, forming loose and disorganized lines, preparing to advance on Kulona.

"Tuu~ Tuu~"

As the Chaos army was still assembling, from distant plains echoed clear horn sounds, like a lion's roar dispersing evil in the dark night, ushering in light.

"Tuu~ Tuu~"

"Here they come~ weak, fragile, mortals." The Wound Master spat out acid, melting the Chaos Warrior in front into mush, glaring furiously into the distance with its fang-filled maw agape.

At the edge of the plains, the sound of galloping hooves rose.

Shining armor, high-held standards, forest-like cavalry lances, variegated crests, and dazzling radiance, light dispelling the darkness, streamed into the despaired hearts of humans on the horizon.

The knights had arrived.