Chapter 22 - Battle

Theoric seeing the wall come down and exposed couldn't help but say, "Whoops," while trying to avoid the gaze of the men he came with, the plan was to take care of the sneaking trolls and then reverse it by sneak attacking the enemy which was ruined now.

Vott not bothering with the mistake shouted out orders to prepare for the next wave of incoming trolls, forming lines, shield to shield waiting for the inevitable.

Theoric first checked any injured before taking a spot at the far edge knowing it would be the most productive area for him to be at, allowing him to guard their flank.

Officially joining the war brought the men's spirit out as they hardened themselves, the growls of the enemy washing over them while gripping their weapons with clenched teeth.

Vott feeling the pressure was soaked with sweat, his hairy physique doing him no favors as he put up a front for his men- "Steady men, here they come."

Theoric being in a war again after so long was feeling far different than his nervous counterparts as his excitement boiled over, some would have confused his shaking for fear if it wasn't for the wide grin he had plastered on his face.

The clashing of battle going off around him was like music to his ears, feeling as if it was an anthem for him alone.

Troll numbers swelled as their vast army came to bear down upon them with the wall no longer hindering their advance. The ground trembled under the weight of so many charging over, crushing the debris of what remained of the wall.

Their snarling faces shouting out as they charged- "Kill them!" "Crush them!" "Smash them!" "Bite them!"

Theoric still feeling good despite his earlier energy release felt like maybe he was getting the hang of things as he held his sword out in front spearing the first troll to reach him, using his foot to kick the body off knocking the one behind back while he prepared for the others swinging around the side with a sweeping attack taking two out as another managed to block.

Ducking below a counter swing of another he stepped in using the hilt of his sword to knock him over while turning around with sword raised to chop down on one who took the chance to get behind him smashing the helmet and crush his skull with the blade just making it through.

Theoric was prepared as the sword was now stuck ramming against the troll to provide enough room to avoid the swings coming at him, he turned around using his back as leverage to pull the sword out swinging it down again at the trolls who followed guiding it to the opening at the neck slicing a head off while blocking another attack right after.

Under constant attack the earlier feeling of greatness started to wane, realizing once again he still had far to go before he could easily use the energy attacks in battle as it caught up to him.

Being on the edge of the battle didn't allow him the luxury of rest as the trolls relentlessly attacked him from multiple angles.

Vott seeing him strain as he kept an eye on the entire battlefield gave the order to readjust to help relieve him.

Changing their position into a curve to defend the side that was now being overrun despite Theoric's best efforts.

Vott using his commanding experience started to implement an off-on strategy to help keep his men fresh, the front line men would switch off with the back in intervals.

Theoric getting a pat on the back from Vott yelling- "Take a break, you can't fight endlessly, no matter how strong you are."

Theoric nodded while lamenting in his head- 'If only I had my new powers under control, maybe it's a mistake to try and improve them in battle.'

Taking a breather behind the lines he watched as the battle-hardened men showed their experience in repelling the enemy while maintaining their stamina.

Catching his breath he was amazed by their fluid coordination, reacting faster than any trained army ever could.

That was developed by fighting together over years under the strain of death-defying battles where a single mistake could cost you your life.

Watching as the Asgardians in the main army struggled in comparison just next to them, while well trained they didn't have the fluid movement leaving gaps that could be easily exploited by just the right hit or lucky shot, in which they eventually lost men to.

Seeing them excel in the open-field setting got his blood pumping again as he felt refreshed switching back to the front with a fire in his belly, slicing the first troll in half that he came across making ones nearby flinch from the display allowing him a few more easy kills before the hard grind started again.

With bodies piling up fighting became more difficult, now having to watch where you step in case you trip over the fallen.

Vott and his men prepared with plenty of room to back up with, kept retreating little by little keeping the enemy on their toes as they had to climb over the fallen allowing his men to keep the advantage, but the main Asgardian force was less willing to use such tactics as they held their ground keeping it more of an even fight.

They could only back up so much though, limited by the main force who refused to give ground. If Vott allowed his men to back up anymore he would be opening the main army to a flanking attack.

The constant waves of enemies were becoming a problem, the trolls vastly outnumbered them, Asgard couldn't continue this kind of endless fight for long.