The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

Ryan's left flank was the first to face the onslaught. Pikemen and Eternal Guards engaged the skeletal legions, followed by hordes of outlaws, beastmen, and trolls, crazily assaulting the left wing.

Soldiers grouped in sixteens, their sharp spears aimed at the enemy, forming tight formations to resist the tide of the undead.

Skeleton warriors were easily cut down, but the barrow guards tore through the makeshift defenses. The flimsy barricades were no match for these heavily armored fighters, who hacked through them with ease. The battlefield was a scene of blood and gore, with human screams and dismembered limbs flying through the air. The serf infantry from the Earl of Glamorgan's territory quickly broke ranks, trembling as if sick, and were mowed down like wheat by the barrow guard legions.

The barrow guards' advance pushed deep into the left flank, slaughtering everything in their path. Rusty swords, halberds, and axes coldly harvested lives.

Their advance was halted by a line of dwarves hidden behind the serf infantry. They raised their axes, ready for battle.

The dwarven warriors of Clan Angrund, especially the Ironbreakers of the "Northern Star Axemen," the "Steel Brotherhood," and the Longbeards of "King Rune's Will," joined the fight, stabilizing the situation. They threw grenades and blasting charges at the undead.

"Boom! Boom!" The barrow guard legions were held at bay. The dwarf warriors cursed the undead's filth and swore by Grimnir's name to fight to the end.

"Hey! Undead scum! Come at me! Belagar Ironhammer, undisputed King of Eight Peaks, stands here! May the ancestors protect us!" Belagar, at the front line, raised his hammer. The rune stone beneath him glowed, the spirits of Clan Angrund's ancestors responding to his call, invigorating the dwarven warriors. They shouted and joined the fray.

Meanwhile, the Eternal Guards and pikemen grouped together, the guards using their large shields to block the undead's charge. Trained as Queen Ariel's personal guards, they swore never to retreat. Araloth joined the battle, the famous Wood Elf hero taking down a barrow guard with each arrow. He and his troops fought to protect the forest.

The battlefield turned into a sea of corpses and blood.

On the flank, Kislevite Ungol horse archers galloped across the field, pursued by undead knights and Chaos mutants. The archers used their lifelong skills to draw the undead and mercenaries' attention. At their leader Ivan's command, they dismounted: "Counterattack!"

A volley of arrows decimated the nearest pursuers, but a deadly beam from afar vaporized twenty of them, leaving only bones. Kemmler unleashed two more beams, forcing Ivan to shout: "Scatter!"

The horse archers dispersed and regrouped.

Their retreat eased pressure on the undead flank. Gur, standing on a rock, raised his axe: "Continue the attack!"

The undead resumed their charge. Trolls entered the Eternal Guards' ranks, their spiked clubs crushing elves. The sky filled with arrows as dwarf rangers shot down the trolls, who fell with wails. Sergeants from Bastogne led longbowmen to rain arrows on the undead reinforcements.

It was futile; the undead felt no pain. They announced their rule over the world with terrifying howls, answered by the soldiers' curses.

"Closer... closer... now!" Chief Engineer Halhav Goldseeker, with the help of dwarven engineers, determined the optimal firing range: "Fire!"

Thunderous shots rang from the monastery walls. Dwarf Thunderers' volleys shredded bandits, beastmen, Chaos mutants, and other creatures. Cannon and organ gun fire swept through the dense undead ranks, sending Kemmler's prized troops flying. Each crater was filled with shattered undead.

The Blessed Trebuchets launched stones blessed by the Prophetess of the Lake, Esmer Beaumont, who chanted Earth Awakens, summoning thick forest arms to tear the undead apart. Powerful healing spells mended the soldiers' wounds, though it was only a drop in the bucket.

Both sides noticed the artillery's power. Kemmler screamed: "Terrorgheists! My terrorgheists! Deal with those cannons! Destroy them!"

Two terrorgheists and a squad of Vargheists responded, flapping their wings to attack the monastery walls.

"Brothers of the Swift Lance! The Lady needs your spears and swords!" Grail Knight Pierre the Holy rode his pegasus, followed by eighty Pegasus Knights. "What will you do?"

"For the Lady! Protect the Lady's land!" Led by "Ghoul Slayer" Fastryk, the Swift Lance knights took flight, clashing with the undead aerial forces. In the first encounter, five Vargheists and three Pegasus Knights fell from the sky.

No mercy, no compassion.

While the aerial battle continued, four undead knight legions and a squad of blood knights, led by Matthew Bard, entered the fray. Undead warhorses and nightmare steeds spewed sulfur flames amidst the chaos. Many undead troops blocked Bard and his knights, whose orders were to crush anything obstructing their charge.

Arrows and cannon fire rained down on the undead knights, shattering bones. Lacking ranged support, the undead knights faced heavy fire before engaging. Despite this, Bard's determination never wavered. His black banner with gold serpents fluttered as he prepared his vengeance.

Count Anselm of Cuileux also raised his lance, the knights of Winford banding together to face the undead knights.

Steel clashed with steel.

In the center, François's first line collapsed, leaving the seasoned Winford Penal Regiment holding on. François quickly realized the need for a second line. Orders were issued, and the elite dismounted knights of the Winford family and their retainers moved up. Clad in shining armor, wielding greatswords, they advanced, invoking the Lady's name. The Holy Guardians of La-Maisonel, wielding blessed swords and wooden shields, joined the fight, refusing to retreat as they clashed with the undead in a bloody melee.

The second line held, temporarily stabilizing the situation.

Kemmler responded by joining the battle with his black chariot and his undead Chaos chosen warriors. He raised the Chaos Tomb Blade, chanting: "Curse of Years!"

Under the spell, over a hundred serf soldiers and several knights rapidly aged, turning into withered corpses in minutes. With the chosen warriors joining, the battle turned in Kemmler's favor.

The conflict intensified as La-Maisonel Monastery, an ancient high elven relic, witnessed this bloodbath. The human, dwarf, and Wood Elf defenders struggled to hold their lines against Kemmler's relentless assault. Despite their attempts to counterattack with artillery support, the undead, ever-growing, began to overwhelm the defenders. Gur, standing on a boulder, raised his black axe, reveling in the bloodshed. A new wave of destruction and slaughter was imminent under his command.

The battle raged on ground and air. On the left flank, the barrow guards and grave guard tangled with the dwarves, while the Eternal Guards and pikemen showed signs of faltering. Gur grew enraged as his army's numbers dwindled.

What were the bandits, outlaws, and beastmen doing? Gur saw them behind his lines, some terrified by the battle's scale, others sated on human corpses, quietly deserting to avoid Kemmler's wrath.

Amidst the chaos, a flaming skull the size of a small building swept through the undead ranks, incinerating everything in its path. The undead formations shattered, giving the defenders precious time to regroup. Gur, sensing danger, leaped from his boulder.

"Meteor Shower!" Veronica's voice and the soldiers' cheers echoed as a storm gathered overhead. Flaming rocks rained down on the undead, obliterating them. A varghulf behind Gur was struck, its head melted by the lava, leaving a headless corpse.

The undead formations fell into disarray.

At that moment, a loud horn sounded from the left flank. A red-and-white shield with a silver sword piercing a book adorned with a grail and ribbons banner was raised high: "Dooo~ dooo~ dooo~"

"Behold the power of the Lady's chosen champion!" Hopeful cries rang out among the defenders. Grail Knight Armand raised Ryan's family crest banner. Knights from the Earl of Glamorgan's territory rallied behind Ryan, hundreds of knights joining the fray at the critical moment!

Fully armored, Ryan rode his pureblood elven steed, gripping Thor's Hammer, its head aflame with silver fire. His handsome face was stern, his blue eyes burning with rage and psychic light.

"Knights! My brothers!" Ryan's powerful, charismatic voice commanded. The knights gathered behind him, forming a line.

Amidst the gray and black undead tide, the knights' shining armor and banners stood out. In the moonlight and torchlight, their armor gleamed, and their capes fluttered in the wind and smoke.

"In the name of the Lady, in the name of the kingdom, let us prove our courage, faith, and honor. Let us ride and fight to protect the land the Lady has given us!"

"If we fail here, the undead will engulf our kingdom, and darkness will snuff out the flame of hope. But we will not fail! For I, Ryan-Macado, will lead you to victory and the dawn!"

"With our courage, pierce the darkness!"

"For the Lady! For Brittany!"

"Charge!!!"

Lances leveled, visors closed, the knights prayed to the Lady of the Lake one last time, then spurred their horses forward, shouting, "For the Lady! For Brittany!"

Soldiers parted, and the silver tide of knights surged through the undead ranks like a furious storm. Ryan led the charge, his warhammer smashing enemies into pulp or bone fragments. The lightning-fast charge tore apart any efforts Gur made to regroup his forces. Amid the roars and cries of battle, the silver tide swept over all enemies, precise lance strikes piercing through undead flesh and bone, creating a horrific gash in the undead horde.

"Psychic Storm!!!" Ryan led the charge, his face a mask of rage. The Lady's chosen champion unleashed a massive psychic storm, azure lightning bolts crackling through the undead ranks, tearing them apart. His warhammer obliterated a grave guard's head, the force sending undead flying.

Following Ryan's lead, the knights shouted, tearing through the undead. Their relentless assault demonstrated their pride and skill, defending the Lady's land with unparalleled ferocity.

"That's why I like this country's knights..." Belagar stood on his oath stone, watching Ryan's unstoppable charge, laughing heartily. "Like blood irises blooming from stone."

Araloth speared a barrow guard, his face pale as he realized his performance was lacking. He quickly steeled himself, determined to impress Lilith. "I must do better," he thought fiercely.

Under Ryan's leadership, the charge seemed endless. Knights didn't worry about losing momentum, their swords and lances cutting through undead, turning the tide of battle. Meanwhile, the undead commander felt a deep sense of joy and excitement, emitting a silent roar, blue soul flames erupting from his mouth. He ordered his troops to clear a path.

He wanted to face Ryan personally.

Ryan noticed Gur, the nearly three-meter-tall undead champion of the Chaos Gods, raising his black great axe in a silent challenge.

Ryan knew what this meant.

It was an invitation to a champion's duel, much like his fight against the bear in Middenheim.

"So be it," Ryan thought.

The battle raged around them as the two champions closed in on each other, the cacophony of war fading into the background. Ryan and Gur, embodiments of their respective causes, prepared for the ultimate confrontation.

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