Psychic Overlord-Chapter 89: The Battle of Al-Rafid 1

Today was a tense day for those posted at the Al-Rafid manor, both the Insurgent forces and the dark espers feeling extremely solemn as they knew that many of them might not survive today.

The estate itself was a reasonably formidable stronghold, its once-luxurious architecture now rearranged into a war-hardened fortress.

The outer perimeter had been transformed into a miniature battlefield as trenches, expertly dug around the estate, provided cover for stationed insurgents.

Minefields littered the grounds leading up to the walls, disguised beneath loose dirt and debris.

Automated turrets, equipped with enemy-detection sensors, stood at key vantage points, primed to fire at any approaching force.

At the main entrance, a pair of watchtowers flanked the heavily reinforced iron gate, each occupied by insurgent snipers armed with anti-material rounds.

From this elevated position, they maintained a clear view of the desert landscape leading to the manor, ensuring that no enemy could approach unseen.

Beyond the walls, the insurgent forces were systematically positioned as nearly sixty elite soldiers patrolled the compound in coordinated rotations, their armor laced with kinetic-resistant materials.

Heavy gunners occupied defensive emplacements, their weapons modified to unleash plasma bursts capable of disrupting certain military technology.

Marksmen teams had stationed themselves along the rooftops, their rifles outfitted with motion-tracking scopes, capable of detecting energy fluctuations even through cover.

Inside the manor itself, the twelve dark espers had taken strategic positions, their abilities carefully arranged to cover every angle of attack.

The first line of defense was formed by Levi, the Sensor, whose wide-range clairvoyance kept a mental map of the battlefield, ensuring no enemy movements went unnoticed.

His abilities extended across the entire compound, providing real-time awareness of any intrusions. Beside him, Ivana, the Stormcaller, stood atop the western rooftop, her body charged with electricity, prepared to unleash lethal lightning arcs against airborne or fast-moving threats.

Elaine, the Veil Witch, had positioned herself near the eastern entrance, her illusions warping the terrain to create phantom duplicates and misleading pathways.

In the main courtyard, the melee combat specialists stood ready.

Soren, the Striker, leaned against a stone pillar near the entrance, his body thrumming with kinetic force, prepared to unleash devastating shockwave strikes at a moment’s notice using his Hyper Acceleration.

Hidden within the shadows of the eastern corridor, Kain, the Ghost Walker, awaited his prey, his ability to phase between shadows making him an unpredictable menace.

Near the southern barracks, Rocco, the Venomous, moved restlessly, the poisonous properties in his blood slowly seeping into the air around him.

Vargas stood in the very center, his burly body seated upon a stone bench as he lowered his head and closed his eyes as if asleep.

Deeper inside, the final line of defense remained stationed within the manor.

In the central chamber, Darren, the Puppet Master, sat motionless, his lifeless thralls standing like statues beside him, awaiting his command.

Zafira, the Ancients’ Representative, knelt in the grand hall, the faint glow of her Death Hex sigils marking the floor beneath her, being primed to curse any who stepped within her domain.

At the topmost level of the manor, the three S-Class espers had taken their places.

Azrael, the Destiny Seer, stood at the overlooking balcony, his red cloak billowing in the wind, his very presence radiating an unmistakable aura of dominance.

Not far from him, Bjorn, the Beast, stood in absolute stillness, his unbreakable flesh a living fortress, a final barrier against any who reached their level.

Lastly, Moira Tenner, the Purple Moon, moved through the manor’s corridors, her cold eyes leaving behind a lingering trail of purple light, her mere aura a terrifying weapon against any who dared to approach.

Despite the strength of their defenses, an unshakable tension filled the air. Every insurgent, every dark esper knew that today, they would face a force unlike any other.

Overlord.

Where will he come from?

Will he sneak in through the manor’s basement? They had a counter for that.

Would he walk calmly through the desert and come up front? Their defenses were ready.

Would he try to make an aerial entrance from above? They were also primed for that.

However, nothing occurred as they expected. One moment, everything was as it should be and in the next, both Azrael and Levi showed expressions of confusion and horror as a hand reached out from thin air beside them, grasping their scalps with ease.

Levi’s eyes blanked out as his mindscape was immediately invaded and scoured, then marked by Kaizer. As for Azrael, the Destiny Seer who was the biggest threat of the entire group only had a second to open his mouth before his head was crushed silently like a watermelon, the blood and gore kept within a sphere of telekinetic power.

No sound, no smell, not even any debris. Azrael died extremely silently while Levi, their detection esper, was subdued and brought over to the side of Kaizer’s group whether he liked it or not. Not to mention his memory had been checked, so Kaizer now knew the entire defensive layout like the back of his hand.

Levi remained where he was, but Kaizer soon walked out of thin air with his four accompanying squad mates where Azrael died, fully kitted in their military gear with the helmets hiding their faces.

Their group had achieved the most important task of this battle, taking out their foresight and detection experts. This was only possible thanks to Sophia’s power which was the A rank Void Walker, a weaker version of the Dean’s own ability.

She too could take people into an intangible void and teleport them, but her range was far less than the Dean who could cross whole continents at a time. Sophia’s range and the amount of people she could carry were limited, but it was enough.

Azrael kept his ability active the whole time, tracking the movements of the peripheral items on their squad, but he never could have predicted that they would teleport instantly over and Kaizer would attack, giving him no time to react to his esper ability that told him his enemies were right beside him.

Kaizer deeply understood why the Dean had added Sophia to his roster at the last moment. She was personally trained by the Dean and did not have any esper footprint before today, so even if the dark espers knew she was part of his squad, they did not know her abilities.

Meanwhile, putting aside what Commander Briggs had briefed them on, Malek’s mind had given Kaizer the full information of their group. This outcome, given the gap in information and power, was to be expected and if Kaizer did not achieve this much, then his future was bleak.

"Move out." Kaizer whispered softly.

He floated with telekinesis towards Bjorn, who was rousing from his casual slumber upon sensing that the annoying prick, Azrael, was dead. Even though Kaizer telekinetically preserved the remains, that was the precise problem that alerted Bjorn, since Azrael’s scent disappeared.

When the hulking beast of a man opened his eyes, he revealed blood-red pupils filled with intelligent savagery. Looking at him who was leaned against a random crate with his arms crossed, Kaizer had the feeling of Batman looking at Bane before the madness of the titan drug set in.

"Teleportation? This will be an easy victory for you." Bjorn spoke, his heavy Norwegian accent coming out as he grinned widely.

He stood up, revealing his impressive height and allowing the sun to shine on his concealed features.

Bjorn towered over Kaizer, an imposing figure of raw power. His square-jawed face bore the weathered marks of countless battles while his thick blond beard was braided in the old Norse style, adding a rugged warrior-like presence to his already formidable visage.

His skin was rough like aged leather and bore inked runes that were faded yet still visible along his arms and neck, showing that he valued the old traditions and forgotten rites of his homeland.

His shoulders were massive, broader than most men’s entire frames, giving the impression of a walking fortress rather than a mere esper.

Unlike many of his kind who covered themselves with flowing coats like the dead Destiny Seer or combat-ready bodysuits like Purple Moon, Bjorn was dressed in a simple, sleeveless military vest that exposed his muscular arms, thick as tree trunks, that could match Kaizer’s entire torso.

His stance was casual but calculated, feet planted firmly on the ground like an immovable object while the sun gleamed off his partly shaved head, his clean scalp only possessing a single Viking braid in the center.

With a slow roll of his neck, the sound of bones cracking echoed in the air, a low growl of satisfaction rumbling in his chest. He stretched his arms outward, causing the seams of his vest to strain against the sheer density of his physique.

He took a step forward, the sheer force of his movement causing the stone beneath him to crack slightly. The ground at this height of the manor almost seemed to protest against bearing his weight.

At this moment, Kaizer, the Overlord, was squared up face to face with his foe, Bjorn the Beast.