While the Tyranids gathered its forces, Emrys summoned the lords of the various legions for an emergency meeting to discuss a specific defense plan.
Being a plain had both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage was that they didn't have to worry about surprise attacks, but the disadvantages were clearly greater: the Tyranids could attack from all directions, and as the defending side, they had no natural defenses, practically surrounded and besieged!
Militarily speaking, an endless plain was absolutely a nightmare for the defending side!
But Emrys wasn't entirely without a solution.
This was where the 'Lancelot' came into play; as a War Fortress, the 'Lancelot' could be both a nightmare for enemies on the battlefield and a sturdy fortress for its own side!
With the War Fortress present, they could 'hold their ground by relying on danger,' essentially creating a sturdy 'city' out of thin air on the plain. Moreover, the 'Lancelot' itself could also serve as an armory, producing mechanical Warrior soldiers to replenish their ranks!
The function of the War Fortress 'Lancelot' was, of course, not limited to this. The weapon array Sentinal Prime had equipped it with was specifically designed to handle extreme war situations, truly deserving the description 'insane,' and perfectly suited for the current circumstances!
Emrys had little time left; he had to deploy his response strategy before the Tyranids finished consolidating its forces and launched a full-scale attack.
A moment later, Emrys decided to temporarily incorporate the mechanical soldiers into the Holy Terra Auxiliary Army, radiating outwards from the War Fortress 'Lancelot' as the center, establishing at least three defensive lines.
Unfortunately, the number of Transformers was still too small relative to the entire battlefield; they could only serve as a surprise force, not the main contingent.
So, Emrys entrusted air superiority to Megatron, instructing him to lead the Decepticons to firmly hold the air, ensuring it would not be seized by the swarm.
Meanwhile, the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, would form an arrowhead with the Tianfa Zhe Battle Group, specifically to counter the heavy, large, and elite units of the Tyranids on the battlefield!
In other words, they were the special forces!
In addition to the above arrangements, Emrys made a special trip to see old man Odin, and after much persuasion and effort, he managed to borrow a 'surprise force.'
Odin promised that at the necessary moment, he would send an Asgardian army, led by Thor and Loki, to provide support, essentially adding an extra layer of security!
Furthermore, perhaps due to the Tianfa Zhe Battle Group frequently training in the Transformers world and spending a long time with the Holy Terra Auxiliary Army, the Holy Terra Auxiliary Army also adopted a bit of the Iron Warriors' mindset.
Indeed, the first thing hundreds of thousands of Holy Terra Auxiliary Army troops did upon arriving at Vigilus was to frantically dig trenches and fortifications.
In just half an hour, the Holy Terra Auxiliary Army, with the help of machinery, established complete defensive fortifications and intricate trenches.
All that was left to do was to wait quietly.
Emrys ascended to the top level of the 'Lancelot,' gazing at the distant plain, where he could vaguely see large numbers of Tyranids gathering. He took a deep breath.
"Winnie, when will the reinforcements you mentioned arrive?"
"I'm not sure," Winnie shook her head and said softly, "The Warp storms in the Dark Realm are frequent; it will take at least five days."
"Five days" That meant they needed to hold Vigilus for five days without any reinforcements!
Several hours later, the massive Tyranids force had completely assembled and began its advance towards them.
However, when the Tyranids reached the plain, they stared at the colossal steel structure standing on the plain and fell into a brief contemplation.
There wasn't a city here before, was there?
The Hive Mind also paused for a few seconds. It didn't understand how that human had managed to conjure such a massive steel fortress out of thin air in just a few hours!
But, it didn't matter!
the Tyranids feared nothing. A mere steel fortress, no matter how sturdy a human stronghold, they could still overwhelm it with sheer numbers!
At the command of the Hive Mind, a vast number of Tyranids roared and surged towards the War Fortress 'Lancelot.'
From a high vantage point, the Tyranids, like an ocean, seemed to fill mountains and seas, almost submerging the entire plain, dense and suffocating.
"Let's begin."
Emrys looked at the swarm and spoke softly.
Boom!!!
The first shell, dragging a piercing shriek, landed among the dense Tyranids. In the explosion's fire, shattered flesh was thrown up, announcing that the war had officially begun!
The entire sky was instantly enveloped by dense artillery fire, and streaks of fire tearing across the heavens, like meteors, plunged into the Tyranids swarm!
The first round of intensive artillery bombardment killed an unknown number of Tyranid, yet this amount was utterly insignificant compared to the entire Tyranid force!
And in the sky, Megatron led the Decepticons, along with human fighter jets, battling the Gargoyles and other Tyranid. Showers of blood mixed with steel wreckage rained down like raindrops!
However, this was just the prologue!
Soon, the Tyranids pushed through the dense artillery fire, forcing their way to the first defensive line, where mechanical soldiers and the Holy Terra Auxiliary Army awaited them.
The two sides quickly plunged into a brutal tug-of-war. Standing at a high vantage point, Emrys could clearly see the positions change hands several times between the two sides, only to be eventually reoccupied by the relentless Tyranids!
Why were the Tyranids considered such a formidable enemy?
Emrys thought, this might be the reason.
Their hard claws could easily tear through steel, they showed no fear of death, advancing over the bodies of their comrades. Under the command of the Hive Mind, even if they were blown to pieces by shells, they would never stop their advance!
Even with powerful artillery support, it was still a drop in the bucket against the endless numbers of Tyranid. Moreover, once the two sides became entangled in a tug-of-war, with both groups mixed together, the artillery fire from the rear became effectively useless!
But the Tyranids didn't care; their bio-artillery bugs completely disregarded whether their own soldiers were present in the bombarded areas!
Gradually, the production speed of the mechanical soldiers from the War Fortress was almost unable to keep up with the rate of consumption!
The defensive line, which he had expected to hold for at least a day, was breached by the Tyranids in just a few hours, forcing them to contract their defenses.
The brutal defensive battle lasted for several days!
Although Emrys had anticipated significant losses from a head-on confrontation, he never imagined it would be so horrific!
Even he couldn't help but feel the pain!
The Holy Terra Auxiliary Army, this was a legion he had painstakingly built himself, a well-trained elite that had endured fighting enemies several times their number on Vigilus for days and nights!
But in just a few days of this defensive battle, three entire regiments—hundreds of thousands of elites—were gone!
Emrys hadn't closed his eyes for days, his eyes were bloodshot, his voice extremely hoarse. He stared intently at the Tyranids, which were now not far from him, his face filled with bitterness.
"If the Imperium's reinforcements don't arrive soon, I won't be able to hold on."
This was absolutely not a joke.
The ferocity of the Tyranids' offensive sent shivers down his spine; he was finally tasting the bitter fruit of having enraged the Hive Mind.
This time, they had come out in full force, not even caring about Baal, their sole purpose being to kill him. Even Emrys was stunned.
At that moment, a firm voice came through the long-silent communication array.
"Is this Merlin Emrys?"
"It is I!"
Hearing the voice from the communication array, Emrys was so excited he almost jumped, and quickly replied.
"I am Political Commissar Kevin Leslie of the Astra Militarum's 371st Regiment, about to arrive in the operational area. Please clear a landing zone for us," the Political Commissar said calmly.
It was reinforcements; they had finally arrived!
Emrys couldn't contain his excitement, his voice hoarse as he said, "Good, I will create a landing zone for you in sector 1435.521.33!"
"By the way, what is your identification number?"
Emrys asked.
"Astra Militarum, Krieg Death Korps, 371st Regiment Political Commissar, Kevin Leslie!"