Chapter 71: Crushing the Hunnic Army
"Eh? Did you hear that? Dart, transform! Pteranodon mode!"
Although the main Hunnic army was still several kilometers away, the Dinobot Mud felt a strange vibration in the tremors beneath his feet. Dart, beside him, also sensed the sound of countless creatures moving. Always vigilant, he immediately transformed and soared off to locate the source.
"It seems a massive army is charging toward us from the southeast. Brother, do you see anything?"
Since it was already midnight, visibility for ordinary humans was almost zero. The uneven grasslands and rolling hills made it impossible to see anything unless one was standing on higher ground. However, this was child's play for the Transformers. Though the equipment of these two Dinobots couldn't compare to Starscream's, their field of vision was vastly superior to that of humans, and darkness posed no obstacle to them.
"Ha ha, looks like our fire has attracted quite a few friends! Let's see… full Hunnic cavalry, around 35,000 strong! I never thought the servants of the Tyrant would be doing this well in recent years!"
Seeing the cavalry surge toward them, Fei Biao appeared calm, but his words sent panic rippling through the Eclipse soldiers on the ground. There were barely 800 men, with fewer than 200 mounted. Not even a god of war could stop 35,000 riders. These Huns were born on the steppes ... their cavalry was a nightmare, leaving only desolation in its wake.
"Fei Biao, we must protect these children, just as General Steel Cable once protected this land! We can't let the Huns break through! Mud, transform!"
"Understood!"
Despite his still-unhealed wounds, the massive mechanical thunder dragon stood fearlessly before the gathered human soldiers. His once-smooth armor now bristled with spikes, forming a nearly perfect defensive barrier. But could it withstand the relentless charge of the Hunnic cavalry?
"Brother, the ground defense is yours. I'll give these guys a little gift from above!"
Seeing his comrade's stance, the mechanical pterosaur roared and dove at full speed toward the dark mass of enemy soldiers, releasing two incendiary bombs. The clustered Hunnic riders erupted into chaos as over a hundred were instantly consumed by flames.
However, this also gave away their position, and the cavalry below quickly spotted the giant in the sky.
"What's that? In the sky! Quickly, shoot it down with your bows! Fire!"
Clang, clang, clang!
Though the Hunnic arrow volleys were fierce, how could metal-tipped arrows possibly pierce the mighty armor of a Transformer? Still, the sheer volume of arrows was enough to be annoying, forcing the Dinobot to halt his bombardment. After all, his weapon range was short ... aside from incendiary bombs, his only option was to breathe fire.
"Very well! So this is the legendary combat power of the Dinobot army? You really need to upgrade your weapons systems. I, the commander of the Cybertronian Air Force, will handle the rest. Allow me to show you the true power of Starscream! Starscream, transform ... jet mode!"
Whether to show off before the two Dinobots or simply because he couldn't stand watching anymore, Starscream finally moved.
Zzzas!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The mighty commander of the Decepticon Air Force was truly terrifying. The Hunnic cavalry never even saw what flew over them before they were engulfed in a storm of incendiary bombs and air-to-ground missiles.
Unlike the clumsy dart attacks from earlier, the bombs and missiles released by the Red Spider had a far wider area of effect. Hundreds of men were killed instantly, but the most dreadful part was the shrapnel. The most powerful blast affected over 1,500 people ... even those not killed outright were grievously wounded. Severed horse legs and unrecognizable limbs littered the ground…
Because the Huns valued speed and strength, their armor was far inferior to that of the Eclipse army ... utterly useless against shrapnel.
After the Red Spider's bombardment, enemy casualties reached at least 12,000, over 95% of them incapacitated.
The destructive power was overwhelming. Against such advanced weaponry, the frail humans stood no chance.
"Heh, that seems to have worked quite nicely. I didn't expect these humans to be so tough ... I thought that would wipe out at least 20,000 of them!"
Observing the numbers on his console, Starscream clearly boasted. Compared to the minor damage dealt by the Dinobots' darts, his aerial strike was on another level entirely.
The sheer might of Starscream left the two Dinobot warriors stunned.
"What? Have the Decepticons become that powerful? Was that a laser strike?"
Perhaps because they had been away from Cybertron for so long, the two Dinobots were unaware of how far their homeworld's technology had advanced. Still, with enough upgrades and modifications, their combat ability could one day rival Starscream's.
"Lord Starscream, as the saying goes, power comes with responsibility. Since you possess such firepower, please take care of those pests. They've served the Decepticons for tens of thousands of years ... there's no need to show them mercy!"
Watching the crimson jet circle overhead, Yu Ni called out admiringly, urging Starscream to continue his assault. After all, even with Fei Biao's help, it would take them far too long to finish off so many foes alone.
(End of Chapter)