Much like the First Citadel, the Fifth had a fortress-like building armed to the teeth with guards patrolling all sides. At the center and six corners stood long poles that looked like radio signal towers, each topped with a ball in the middle. These orbs were the source of the Citadel’s forcefield, each one providing an array of energy that created a barrier deflecting every attack thrown their way. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝗇𝖾𝗍 With the forcefields active, the soldiers stood at the walls peacefully, though their eyes remained fixated on the mercenaries slowly marching towards the Citadel. The downside of the forcefield was that it didn’t provide one hundred percent protection. They only prevented attacks from above and a few inches below the top of the walls. This meant that the entire length of the walls of the Citadel was left vulnerable, completely reliant on their height and thickness. Because of that, some of the mercenaries were at the fortress walls with large Mechs slowly slamming onto the hard surfaces. With these machines, they could have drilled straight through and killed all of the Granian soldiers and their laborers with ease, but for some reason, they were taking too long to accomplish the task. The Granians didn’t know whether the mercenaries were buying time for others to join them or if it was a malfunction of the clones and their lack of one hundred percent independent thought processes. As this occurred, Skyler and a thousand Granians landed a few hundred feet behind the mercenaries, allowing them to make a quick approach to the Citadel without being easily spotted. The Citadel, as stated before, was similar to the First in that it had a cold surface with lots of gray dust. In the distance were a series of hills and mounds of hard rock and dust with caverns, caves, and tunnels housing the Citadel’s beasts. On the right and left sides of the Citadel were giant machines designed for drilling and mining, used by the laborers to collect the Citadel’s minerals. Skyler and her Granians found it odd that the mercenaries had not raided or taken anything from the mines, but this just proved what Lord Grim had said. "Completely incapable of making independent thoughts," Skyler muttered while the Granians she came with took their positions. Ten on her left, ten on her right, the remaining standing behind in a straight line with their weapons drawn and heavy armor equipped. "It seems they were given strict orders to only destroy the Citadel fortresses and kill the Granians." "Awaiting your orders." The Granians next to Skyler spoke, each one ready to defend their kind and their property. The woman sensed this sort of "patriotism" coming from the Granians, a sense that reminded her of how the Humans were when faced with an attack from the same Granians she was now fighting for. ’Ironic.’ she mumbled while shifting her form to a new DNA type she acquired not too long ago. Her back broke apart and regrouped as her legs and arms bent inward, increasing in length, width, and mass. Her skin turned tree-bark brown and became as coarse as slightly polished rock. Her fingers became as thick as an athlete’s thigh with powerful claws curving from each one. Her back, being the highest point on her body, had red spines vibrating with her breathing patterns. Her legs became as wide as a bodybuilder’s torso and just as equally buff. Her head resembled a crossbreed of a hyena and a warthog, with four tusks protruding from her mouth. Her eyes doubled, two on one side and another two on the other. By the time her transformation ended, Skyler’s body was six times bigger than it had been, giving her the size, bulk, and height of a fully-grown bull elephant on steroids with the aggression of a hornet. This was her second largest and most powerful beast form, second only to her dragon-like beast form. Skyler’s transformation was the signal the Granians needed, meaning they could initiate combat with the mercenaries. Being the warriors they were, the Granians ran while screaming as loud as they could, drawing the attention of the mercenaries. Twenty thousand mercenaries versus one thousand Granian soldiers. The mercenaries, seeing such a small number of Granians attack, decided to retaliate by abandoning their posts at the wall and charging straight for them. Seeing this, Skyler took the lead, using her large body and power to ram through the mercenary ranks. As she did so, the Granians followed closely behind without engaging the enemy just yet. Those who were too slow to keep up with the woman were pulled away from the others and killed viciously. Skyler turned her attention to the Mechs on the walls, which were abandoned, and broke them with a single strike of her claw. She went for the next, and the next, and the next, until the enemy was left with no machines—all while running through their forces. Now that the woman had managed to trick the mercenaries by driving them away from the wall and putting some distance between herself and them while also killing a few, it was time for the Granians she came with to attack. "Only a thousand?" those inside the fortress marveled at the sight of only a thousand troops going against twenty thousand. "Less than a thousand. A few have been killed." "Look at the beast they brought with them. I didn’t know we could control beasts." "How the hell are they going to deal with those?" While Skyler remained at the frontline, a few of the Granians she came with instructed those inside to provide assistance when called upon. Just as Grim had commanded, only a large enough dent in the enemy’s numbers was enough for the others to join in battle and defend their Citadel. The Granians in the fortress agreed and even took down the forcefield, replacing it with automated cannons on all six corners to make it easier for Skyler to fight. Before the beast engaged in battle, she concentrated her energy in the center of her chest before rapidly expanding it into every fiber of her body. Her already large body doubled in size yet again with a rush of Eneraflux intoxicating her, filling her with immense levels of rage and strength. "GRANIANS, ADVANCE!!!"