The sound of horns sounded continuously just like the rumbling of mountains and tsunamis. A killing aura filled the air of Hetto Plains. "Tearing rain" was still falling and it had made the soil extremely soft. Footsteps of thousands of warriors, knights and soldiers made countless holes in the ground. Some places turned into shallow ditches. However, no matter where, there were dead bodies with terrible injuries on them and covered in blood.
The right-wing base of the Guards was the first to break through the defense line of the Anti-Titan Alliance Army. Warriors of the Infantry Army Group suddenly realized that there was no one behind the defense line of the enemy after they tore it open. There were only a few people there, so Timberwolves Steinberger yelled and launched an attack along the forest. The soldiers from the northwest eliminated the remaining enemy in the blink of an eye. After going around a small hill, they could see the end of their enemy. There was no need of order at this moment. The forest warriors who carried bows on their backs and held knives in their hands immediately began to chase after the Leblese Knights who were retreating to the back of the battlefield.
The fall of the right-wing battle of the Alliance Army was only a matter of time. Nobody understood the reason behind such a large-scale chaos and loss. However, the Titan warriors did not falter. The infantry army group divided into many divisions. With the division as a single unit, they advanced forward along the route on the plains which was filled with the armor and weight in which their enemy threw away.
Marshal Alan walked at the center of the battlefield. He was in the middle of a few ten thousand warriors. A small unit of Paladin guarded around the Marshal, but this silver-haired old man did not sit tight at all. Sometimes, he chatted with others at the spear unit, sometimes screamed random stuff under the shield of the ax-users.
There were still ongoing battles at the central battlefield. The main forces of the Anti-Titan Alliance Army seemed to not have any intention of retreating from the battlefield or giving up resistance. Obviously, that Hoilland King had given an order to his Kingdom Army to resist until the end. Even though both sides had similar strength, Luth VII did not walk about in the battle formation like the marshal of the Titan's Guards. So, his army experienced a strong pressure. To be more specific, the main forces of the Hoilland King was moving back without notice.
What would be like when ten thousand people fought and were killed? Staff Sergeant Karlchette, the spear-user, did not know.
This was because his column was stuck between the ace-users and archers. The spear-using soldiers stuck together with nothing much to do. They only moved forward slowly with the crowd.
Big brother said to the warriors who complained they did not have much to do, "Our duty is to maintain the attack formation and maintain the completion of the formation."
The warriors then asked Big Brother who had said this.
Karlchette pointed to the group of military officers not far from them, "Marshal Alan!"
The soldiers then smiled at the silver-haired Marshal who wore silver armor, then said, "No wonder our Big Brother is so smart!"
Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette, who suggested the concept of column formation during a battle between the main forces once pointed that the key of winning was the completion of the front line formation. Alan was impressed by this point and indeed put these words to good use. But the Marshal of Guards added a few more points to Marshal O'Neil's strategy when he applied it - as they were maintaining the front line formation, they must ensure the focus of forces, the diversity of combined attack and the surprise factor of the clashing of knights.
The front line formation at the central battlefield was 2000 meters. The Titan soldiers who were able to fight with the enemy were only the first three or five rows of them. The groups which were not clashing with the enemy would observe the movements of the front line from behind. Once there was a space at the front line, the groups at the back could fill in the gap immediately.
According to the column concept suggested by Marshal O'Neil, Alan arranged a cavalry division for every corps and archer squadron to each infantry division. When the front line was engaged in battle, the cavalry division could always find an opportunity to attack. Meanwhile, the archer squadron could always hide at the back of the formation and send long-range weapons including arrows to the enemy. Of course, life would be lost all the time at the front line. Corps would become a division, a division would become a group, a group would become a company and even a platoon. At this time, the previously divided war coordinate and the number would give a defining effect.
Staff Sergeant Karlchette, the spear-user, was already the highest commanding officer of 48.13 and he was the commander of Third Group's First Division's Fourth Column of Eighth Infantry Corps. According to the arrangement, his corps must eliminate the Fifteenth Infantry Corps of Faran Kingdom, but Karlchette had already led his unit and completed his mission. At that moment, his war coordinate should move forward. If Faran Kingdom's Fifteenth Infantry Corps was represented by F015, then Karlchette's 48.13 should join the base of F014 after eliminating F015.
Faran Kingdom's Fourteenth Infantry Corps was at the center of the battlefield. This infantry corps was doing well at the beginning, but they were truly unfortunate. A Titan archer who just got enlisted pierced the neck of their corps commander in one shot. The resistance at the front line weakened immediately.
The warrior of the Guards used their shields to push over and weapons to slash about. They soon caused a dented formation which was 30 meters away from the base of the Faran people. The concept of forming a dented formation in the front line meant that they were about to break through the enemy's defense line. The commander of the Fourth Column had already stood at the dented formation. He screamed at the base at his back, "Who's next? Who's up next?"
Karlchette patted the soldier beside him and raised his spear at the general, "It's us! 48.13!"
"Come up! Come up!"
Karlchette did not hesitate. He rushed up there like a stubborn ox, followed by many cruel-looking soldiers.
The dented formation was surrounded in three directions. With every step forward, a few warriors must fall. Karlchette's half division pointed their spear at the three directions of the dented formation. The group he led was like an angry hedgehog. They attacked between every shield and any corner in which they could stick their spear out. The spear had the advantage in battle distance. The killing voices of the dented formation weakened gradually but the chance of strengthening them was possible at any time.
Staff Sergeant Karlchette finally showed a sign of exhaustion. His eyes could still accurately catch the loophole of his enemy, but his spear was also an instant slower. Some energetic spear-users pulled Big Brother to the back. This embarrassed Karlchette greatly. He took a warrior by his collar and flung him off the front line as if he was taking a chick out. Then, he filled in the gap. However, he was rather unfortunate this time. An arrow found him at this moment and pierced through his left eye. Karlchette let out a furious roar, then fell onto the ground shakily.
More spear soldiers advanced into the dented formation. Karlchette's spear was taken by another guy. He pushed himself up in difficulty. One of his hands tugged at the grass, another held the arrow that pierced through his left eye tightly.
Karlchette was trembling like a patient who had cholera and messed around. His face was covered in blood. He took in a few deep breaths. Then, along with a long shout, the destroyed eyeball and arrow was pulled out from his head. The Staff Sergeant used his only eye to search the ground. He took a cloth from a body, then poured some strong liquor from his water bag onto the cloth.
Once again, Karlchette mustered his courage. He folded the cloth soaked in liquor into a ball and stuck it into the bloody hole of his left eye in one fierce movement. This strong veteran almost lost his mind due to the excruciating pain, but his body was given extraordinary inhumane strength through the pain! This strong wood crafter climbed up as he yelled. He snatched a huge war ax from a warrior, then walked straight towards the front line in large strides.
Not far away from the central battlefield, the left-wing base of the Guards, the four-meter-tall Fire-Eyed Girl Highlands stood in silent. No screaming, no yelling, no sounds of arrows swooshing over their heads.
The tattered Golden Lion Flag flew in the air sent here by the sunshower. Major Karlchette Divoli's body had already shrunk. He was not sitting as straight as before but the hero was not alone. On both his two sides, numerous knights stood by him. At the highlands slope behind him, it was the whole cavalry corps of the left-wing army group of the Guards.
There was only the praying voice of the priest at the base of the Titan knights. Sometimes, a few clear sounds of horses. Finally, right when the priest said, "May the God of Light protect the holy Titan", thousands of soldiers replied.
"May the God of Light protect the holy Titan!" Then, the knights did a hand sign at their heart which prayed to the God. After that, the knights at the highest point of the Fire-Eyed Girl widened their eyes. It was not because of the frustrating sunshower which had stopped but because they saw the most unforgettable scenery before them. Maybe, this was a sign from God.
From the south of the battlefield to the north, four bright rainbows presented themselves between the wet sky and the lower layer of clouds. One hovered right above the enemy, one connected to the faraway forest, one was further away as if it was still at the other end of the sky, and another was closer, right in front of the Fire-Eyed Girl.
The blue sky was accompanied by the special colors of the rainbow and moist in the air was evaporated under the sun, releasing lines of white fog. The white fog rose to the sky and the chilly aura made the color of the rainbow even brighter.
At 3.20pm of the 15th day of the 7th month in Church Calendar Year 800, Shawob River Hetto Plains welcomed its first "tearing rain" and "sky-filled rainbows" in this season. The warriors of the Guards who saw this strange view all believed that "May the God of Light protect the holy Titan" was not any made-up words.
Major Karlchette Divoli's pale face was brightened by the sky-filled rainbows. The armor which was painted in blood and sweat was gleaming in various colors. He seemed to be smiling as if he did not care about the enemy and the fire cannons that once again pushed into the front line. His mouth quirked as he held the flag firmly and stood quietly in the embrace of his Fire-Eyed Girl.
A clear shout rang at the foggy highlands, "Guards...forward!"
The horses humped and caused a rain of dust on the highlands. Then, thousands of knights rushed onto the highlands and then downwards just like a flash flood. When the light of the sky-filled rainbows painted the knights in colors, they showed a rare smile. That bright smile was the same as the baby who was first milked staring at his kind mother. It was also the same as the little kid who successfully kissed a girl and looked shyly at his lover.
Under the tall gate made from the rainbow at the front of the highlands, the large cavalry army group brought up dust that could cover the sky. The horses stepped on the soil of their mother country and the yelling of the knights seemed to move the flowing clouds in the sky. It seemed as if everything in this world followed the crazy advancement of this unit, including time, flesh and blood, and the spirit of the Guards which were trained in difficult times.
The knights who went under the rainbow were like heavenly soldiers who came from the sky. The colorful light flew in the armor and weapons of these knights. The sight of God changed continuously between the heaven and earth. Sometimes, it was the light of the rainbow, sometimes the flying horses, sometimes the figure of knights.
A fierce rumbling blasted at the base of the enemy. The cannons of the Hoilland invaders spat flames arrogantly. The cannon made a projectile in the air and formed lines of white figures.
The ground was still shaking violently. Titan warriors were shaken off their horses - some thrown into the air, some fell onto the ground. However, the Guards were still moving forward. All knights were screaming mindlessly. All soldiers ran straight like stubborn rhinoceros.
The attack was still ongoing. The knight's dense formation became a thin line of attack when they were 200 meters away from the enemy's base, but no one was falling behind. There was not even anyone who pulled at their reins! Human figures shook in the cannon and the lightning-like fire kept showing up in the smoke-filled battlefield.
Fifty meters...twenty meters...three meters...two meters...the narrow-edged saber flew over the heads of panic-stricken cannon soldiers. The sword kept slashing at the enemies who ran in all directions. A tattered army flag showed itself vaguely in the smoke. The Golden Lion seemed to struggle out of the limitation imposed by the cannon fires. The knights on the left looked strangely at the hero's body. No one knew how Major Karlchette appeared here. His warhorse kicked its legs furiously and the spear which supported the knight and the flag were dragged on the ground.
Along with this flag, more knights rushed out of the smoke. It was as if they jumped down from the bridge made of rainbow and rushed into the enemy's defense line at an unimaginable speed.
Some knights clashed into the enemy's spear, some sacrificed in the last cannon fire, some even died at the front line strangely without any reason.
At the moment when the left-wing army group of the Guards attacked the front line, time seemed to pause. The enemy's face was looking cruel and full of fear. Titan's warriors' armors were gleaming, and their weapons pointed at the space in front of them.
At the next moment, the God of Light flung his fingers and time which moved in beautiful colors. Everything on the battlefield resumed their activities according to the pre-determined trajectory. The horses threw the enemies who blocked their ways into the air. The enemy's weapons pierced through the body of the knights. The clashing of weapons and the terrible screaming formed a heavy melody. The throttling of the horses was the beat and the cheer of the Guards was the harmony! Countless knights rushed into the enemy's group and marched forward!
They followed the flag and moved forward!
It was as if the spear-user Staff Sergeant Karlchette had turned into an ax-using warrior in Ancient Roman Empire. He slashed at the left and kicked at the right. At last, he pinched at the one in front of him with his fan-like large hand and twisted! The Staff Sergeant threw the deformed neck of the enemy away and screamed, "This is f*cking awesome!"
No one could describe the face of Karlchette. The blood on his face was already dried but the dripping sweat caused the blood clot to form a deep trench. There was a tattered cloth which had a terrible smell mixed with liquor in his left eye. Those who saw him would subconsciously turned away from him. This made Karlchette extremely depressed. He could not find a formidable opponent at the front line, so he went around helping others.
Karlchette utilized his ax very well all around the place. He ran about at the whole dented formation. He had almost saved the lives of everyone here.
The dented formation was expanding but the warriors of the Guards did not know that they had actually divided the central battlefield into two. It was until Karlchette sat on the ground due to the unbearable pain and exhaustion that he finally realized this. There was no more enemy at the front line in front of him. There was only a huge base which had an army flag on it standing not far away from him.
Marshal Alan's guards rushed forward from the back of the dented formation. Even though the battle at other parts of the central battlefield was still ongoing, the dented formation fell into a rare silence. Looking at the huge tent not far from them, the warriors still could not organize the thoughts in their heads.
The silver-haired marshal with silver armor walked past the people. He walked out of the dented formation and glanced at the ax-using warrior sitting on the ground with kind eyes.
"What is your name?"
Staff sergeant stood up shakily. He scanned the military title of this old man with his only eye.
"Report, Marshal. Commander of company, Staff Sergeant Karlchette Lanry."
Alan took note of this warrior. His eye was heavily injured and his shoulder was full of wounds. There was still a lump of meat hanging on his ax that seemed to be a piece of a large intestine of an animal.
"Are you interested to compete with me?"
Karlchette stared at the marshal with his only eye. He did not say anything.
Alan pointed to the enemy's marshal tent, "Whoever reaches there first, wins!"
More warriors of the dented formation gathered around. Everyone was observing these two. Karlchette looked at the enemy's flag. His gaze fused with the rainbow faraway. That bright light made him dizzy for a while!
Alan used his old and skinny body to support the tall warrior. He said to the warrior, "Compete with me! This is an order!"
Karchette nodded weakly. He could not understand the meaning of the marshal's words anymore. He only recognized the word "order". The crafty carpenter had enlisted for seven years. He understood clearly the meaning of "order" more than anyone else. Since it was an order, then it must be fulfilled.
Karlchette Lanry only had a big head and a body of muscles. He could not even recognize all the letters in his mother language, but this sort of people always understood one thing. If you were in the position, then you must do what you should do.
He was a soldier. Since he was a soldier, even if he was losing all his blood and his soul was about to leave his body, he must still raise his chest and face his order.
Marshal Alan dragged the tall soldier forward, so a weird scene appeared at the central battlefield. The two wings were still glued together in battle while the soldiers who formed the dented formation followed their marshal and marched forward quietly.
Karlchette's body became heavier. His only eye sometimes shut down, but Alan did not want to give up. He wanted this brave warrior to win, so he murmured into the soldier's ear.
"We are the young Guards from the embrace of our mother country. During the time when flowers bloomed and love flowered, we jumped onto out horse and left out homes."
Following that, the marshal's low voice triggered the harmony of all warriors. Titan warriors let down their blood-stained weapons and threw away their shields. They used their husky voice and sang the neat and majestic melody.
"On the battlefield, we are the young Guards. Oh young people, blew the horn of attack. During the time when flowers bloomed and love flowered, we send our weapons to the way of the enemy who invaded our country. Oh mother country, listen to our voices. Guards. Forward, Guards. Forward..." An even strange scene appeared! Right when the loud army tune rang at the central battlefield, there were no more soldiers between the enemy's marshal tent and the dented formation of the Guards. Including the two wings, all Titan warriors had let down their weapons while their enemy did the same, depressed.
The end had arrived. The Guards had attained victory. Resistance was not a necessity.
Welcoming the colors of the rainbow over their heads, Marshal Alan lifted the tall soldier who was now motionless on his back in difficulty. His warriors followed right behind him. They slashed at the enemy and reached out agile steps in the army tune. They pushed forward towards the tent in front of them.
At 4.33pm on the 15th day of the 7th month in Church Calendar Year 800, the loud army tune stopped suddenly in front of the base in which the leaders of the invaders left behind. Titan military strength's Marshal Vann Hewitt Alan used the ax of that soldier to slash away the flagpole which hung the flag of the Anti-Titan Alliance. Then, the old marshal raised the ax which was wider than his body up high. He said in a low voice to the warriors who extended to the edge of the plains, "All hail our country!"
The next moment, the Guards who participated in the war roared in spirit. The shout of "All hail our country" spread outward just like the wave in the ocean. Four bright rainbows were painted in a fiercer color due to the spirit exploding on the ground. The rainbows were just like the Goddesses of Victory who appeared in the mythical war, only that the goddesses did not take note of the countless bodies lying on the ground.
At 4.35pm on the 15th day of the 7th month in Church Calendar Year 800, the commander of the First Cannon Division of the Guards Major General Tove Van Sukhoi was shoved into the cabin by his subordinates for the fourth time. A wooden ship had just crashed into the cannon ship. The cannon ships under the command of Torry had eliminated half of their enemy's strength. Three cannon ships that carried the fortress cannons eliminated a third of the remaining. However, the rest of the enemy kept boarding their ships continuously.
All armed sailors were already on the defense on the deck including the cannon soldiers who had not touch weapons for quite some time. The invaders only eliminated one of the cannon ships. The captain of this ship ignited the gunpowder without much hesitation. The cannons which were kept at the same place exploded within a few seconds time. The most deafening explosion broke out on the river surface since the start of the war.
The ship broke apart in debris. The enemy and the Guards who stood at both sides of the river clearly saw the trajectory of broken human parts gliding in the air. The wooden debris and huge wave caused by the explosion turned a few wooden boats which were full of soldiers over. The dogs from the west immediately learned their lesson. They rushed towards the riverside which was out of the range of the cannons and began boarding the boats to cross the river there.
The situation at Buzaberg Jetty was getting worse. Around 5000 Special Combat Brigade soldiers had to deal with the enemy who came from all directions. They also needed to eliminate the enemy who had successfully ran away from the cannon. Sadly, the aids of the Anti-Titan Alliance at the jetty were decreased greatly. The war was slowly forming a situation where the First Special Combat Brigade of Military Intelligence Bureau was surrounded by the enemy.
Going around the jetty, the commander of the Special Combat Brigade Brigadier General Luke Citel arranged four defense lines. The first was the Bison Bill's Heavy Armor Division, the second was the Alligator Macier's Assault Division, the third was Ghost Archer Mitchen's Archer Division and the last was Big Worm Blasky's Commando Division. They all faced the river to effectively defend against the Anti-Titan Alliance Army who kept coming on shore. Luke Citel spread the Commando Division and the Investigation Division which had the highest mobility over the river and ordered them to go to wherever which was in danger.
The heavily armored soldiers of the Bison Bill had already fought without rest for two hours. They and their comrades behind them had resisted six group attacks of a whole infantry corps of the enemy. Even if the heavily armored soldiers were exhausted both in mind and body, they were still in high spirits. Their slashing actions were still as sharp as ever.
Alligator Colonel Macier's division was at the second defense line. These assault warriors' chests were sticking right at the back of the heavily armored warriors. They had filled in the gaps of the front line for numerous times. Unfortunately, the enemy in front of them attacked relentlessly at the weakening defense line.
Ghost Archer Mitchen's Archer Division was standing at the center of the defense formation. They sent a lot of arrows to where the enemy was appearing accurately. After continuous exhaustion for a long time, the warriors were getting tired. The remaining arrow of the whole division was only enough to arm two companies.
Mitchen had to prepare close combat weapons to some of his soldiers. He gritted his teeth as he sent his archers to the front line.
At the riverside, the reflections of six cannon ships were still clear in view. The intense explosion of the ships earlier slowed down the crossing of the invaders. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Gay Mike organized some guerilla warriors to scavenge for weapons in a frenzy. The arrows stuck in the invaders, the still-usable weapons, planks and sharp pickets. Everything that could replenish the supply of the front line was gathered by the Guerilla Commander and sent towards the front by the extra horses of the Investigation Division.
Fire Eyes Arthur's eyes and ears were the skills he stayed alive in a battlefield. After hearing the fortress cannons firing shots once again, he rushed towards the riverside. However, there was not even a shadow of a boat coming from the river downstream until this round of cannon shots finished.
Right when Arthur was getting impatient, the boats which carried the Special Combat soldiers visited this river once again. At the same time, the front line battlefield of the Special Combat Brigade fell into a dead silence.
Brigadier General Luke Citel rushed to the front line. Two commanders stationed at the front line were still there. Alligator Macier smiled bitterly at the Brigade Commander and pointed to the enemy not far away from them.
"Head, did you see that? Another infantry corps."
Luke Citel turned around and looked at the boat that came from downstream. His aid consisted the most of one division.
"I don't get it!" the Brigade Commander scratched his head, "The young masters of the Second Assault Army Group are on time, but why haven't our Red Tiger appeared yet?"
The enemy arranged three 1000-men formations in front of the front line. Bison Bill swung the ax in his hands, "Head, get all our men up here. Leave the back to the young masters," Luke Citel looked at the highlands at the southwest direction of the jetty. That was supposed to be the attack position of the Red Tiger, but the time had been delayed for an hour. Yet, no one was there on the hill.
"I believe His Highness will not disappoint us!" the Brigade Commander pulled out his sword. Bison Bill turned around and joined the heavy armor soldiers, but he suddenly turned back and said, "We won't disappoint His Highness as well!"
The cannon shots rumbled and killing sounds roared! Up to thousands of dead bodies were floating on the river near the jetty.
Fresh blood stained the river red. That heavy brush of red floated to a few miles down the river.
The units of the Second Assault Army Group that aided the jetty put down the plank in front of their boats but the warriors on the boat were shocked by the scene they saw. Dead bodies in flame floated on the river and broken limbs were all over the place. The cannon's roar frightened the soldiers. Even if the officer was scolding at them at the back, these warriors who had never seen such scenery did not dare to get off the boat easily.
Fire Eyes Arthur was angered by the supplementary soldiers' cowardly acts. He crossed the river which reached his waist and pulled at the helpless soldiers.
Without choice, the soldiers on the boat moved slowly. They were in chaos like headless flies. Fire Eyes Arthur scanned once. At last, he could only curse in a low voice. There were only around 10 captains amongst the 3000 soldiers. Not even a division commander or group commander could be found.
"Those sons of b*tches didn't even board the ship!" Fire Eyes Arthur had no choice but to take on the role of a nanny. He divided these soldiers into two groups. One was to spread over the two wings of the front line, another was responsible to strengthen the riverside and eliminate the Alliance Army who dared to come on shore.
Torry took a glance at the battlefield once again when he was waiting to get his wound treated. At the opposite side of the Shawob River, many sons of b*tches had gathered, but these men were not as organized as before. This could only mean that they were the useless bunch who ran away from the central battlefield.
At the side of the Buzaberg Jetty, Torry wiped his cold sweat away. The flag of the Heavy Armor Division was already drowned in the sea of humans. The Major General of the Cannon apologized in his heart. He pulled at the wounds on his body whenever he moved, but he still successfully caught a messenger who simply passed by him.
"Order for the fortress cannon to change its aim. Shoot at the dense part of the enemy's infantry unit along the front line."
Soon, the front line that was engaged in chaotic fights was devoured by the dispersive cannon of the fortress cannon! Bison Bill saw with his eyes that his soldiers turned into a pile of bloody mud along with the enemy they were fighting with.
The shots exploded among the people continuously. Some Titan warriors were blasted to the air by the shots, but more, in comparison, were the broken limbs of the enemy.
The roars of nine fortress cannons only lasted for 15 minutes. Following that was the resting time of the d*mned cannons.
Commander Bill did not have the time to complain about Torry's "brainless decision". He reorganized his group when the cannons rested. That scenario made his throat sore and eyes dizzy. His 1000-men unit only had a few hundred soldiers left.
After the smoke had evaporated, they faced their enemy once again. Brigadier General Luke Citel wiped at the dust and sweat on his face. All his warriors of the Special Combat Brigade and he stood determinedly on the front line.
The enemy gathered five 1000-men unit again and the shouting at the riverside had become more urgent and frequent behind them.
"Glad to fight alongside you all!" the Brigade Commander saluted the soldiers in front of him. Without much-unexpected incident, this would be their last time clashing with the enemy.
The warriors said no word. Their faces were as mediocre as any pedestrian who passed you by, only that the spirit and soundless stability they oozed when they gathered together made you suffocate.
"Head, who do you think that is?" Fire Eyes Arthur suddenly pointed to the small hill at the southwest.
All soldiers looked over at the same time. They were told that it was the attack position of the Red Tiger, but the Red Tiger had not appeared for a while.
Now, a black gleaming horse stood alone at the hill. The knight on the horse held a Fierce Tiger Narcissus Flag which was painted in red.
"Is he alone?" the warriors murmured.
Luke Citel smiled, "No! They have arrived!"
The dust was rolling swiftly at the hill. The warriors doubted their eyes. They saw numerous knights jumped over the hill as if they were doing high jumps. Then, the knights flew pass the two sides of that flag.
"Guards..."
The Brigade Commander raised his sword and his flag-holder raised the tattered Cloud-stepping Pegasus Flag.
"Forward..."
The Red Tiger knights were coming down row after row. The steps of the warriors were as anxious as the wheels of the war chariots.
The base of the invaders turned their direction, facing the enemy in panic but the fierce tiger had arrived. The horses' hooves were the claws and the swords its teeth. The Red Tiger stepped on the chest of its enemy and tore their flesh away crazily. They were a bunch of unreasonable beasts, taking away the lives of their enemy calmly.
The soldiers of the Special Combat Brigade already knew that the Red Tiger would defeat the enemy when they arrived, but the people did not expect the enemy to fall as easily as chocolate melts! When the soldiers rushed into the battlefield, the Red Tiger knights had already passed by them in a hurry and left dead bodies with weird deaths behind them.
Luke Citel stopped in the dust kicked up by the horses. His soldiers stopped as well. The soldiers who just planned to sacrifice themselves minutes ago were already all smiles. Their topic was none other than complaining about the God-chosen warriors launching an utmost crazy yet efficient surprise attack. In the end, the people who wanted to sacrifice themselves could not even find a target to do so. This was truly unacceptable for the defense unit who had fought in difficulty this whole afternoon, but the happiness of victory came over each and every one of them. No one would truly blame the tardiness of the Red Tiger or the speed of the surprise attack.
O'Neil Andrew Morisette held his flag with Snowstorm and Black Devil along his side. Then, there was the team of Persian warriors who always stayed with the Titan Prince.
Oscar had a dark expression on him. There was not a single joy of attaining victory.
Luke Citel pulled at the rein of Oslu, then saluted to his marshal who was on the horse.
"Report, Your Highness. This action..."
"Enough!" Oscar waved his hands impatiently. Everyone could see how foul the Prince's emotion must be at this moment.
"Move your people. Follow the Red Tiger and gather more war slaves!" Oscar issued an order to the Special Combat Brigade directly under his command.
Luke Citel was a little confused, "Is it war trophy?"
Oscar hummed coldly, "I don't need that! I only want to know who amongst these sons of b*tches who have gone to Saint Hailey."
"Saint Hailey?" the Brigade Commander became even more confused, "What is that place?"
Oscar turned his rein away. His voice lowered to a soft whisper, "That is the place where Massimi fought hard and was skinned! I buried him, his warhorse and all citizens of that town there!"
The warriors of the Special Combat Brigade widened their eyes in horror. They gathered around the Prince and stared blankly, "Massimi was skinned? Their hero Captain Massimi was skinned?"
Luke Citel spat out blood and shouted at the soldiers around him.
"You bunch! Didn't you hear the order of the Marshal? Search for war slaves! I won't ask how you do it but find the sons of b*tches who went to Saint Hailey! Remember that place. Saint Hailey!"
"Have you been to Saint Hailey?" a warrior caught hold of a man kneeling on the ground.
This man shouted loudly in Faran language and even took a few gold coins out from his pocket. The warrior became impatient and stepped on the Faran soldiers. Then, he stabbed into the guy's neck using his sword.
Retrieving his sword, the warrior did not even care about the gold coins on the ground. He turned to his comrade, "This guy must be saying he has been to Saint Hailey."
His comrade frowned, "Are you an idiot or what? Marshal wants a living one! His Highness wants to know which one of them issued the order."
The warrior knocked on his helmet impatiently, "I will remember..." Then, he rushed to another Faran soldier who was alone.
The war at the jetty had taken a rest. The Alliance Army at the other side of the river was getting shot by the cannons without pause.
Torry was very smart. His cannon ships stopped near the jetty and around thirty boats were right in front of the ships.
The enemy who was defeated at the Hetto Plains had filled the narrow river completely. Humans were all over the place. The smart ones would swim downstream while the opposite ones were still trying to get a spot on the wooden boat.
The pushing and shoveling of people and the continuous cannon shots had turned the area one kilometer in diameter of that side into a horrible living hell. The Anti-Titan Alliance Army died in cannon shots, while the soldiers of the Guards at the jetty glanced at the true hell with a stoic gaze. The warriors gathered in groups, folded cigarettes and discussed the other side of the river.
Major General Tove Van Sukhoi was not as relaxed as the men at the jetty. He knew his old friend had arrived at the battlefield, but he did not dare to go over there. Bison Bill, with his cruel look, was guarding at the place closest to the cannon ships. If he knew it was Major General of Cannon who had issued the order to attack the front line, Torry believed that Bill would tear him into pieces and fed him to the fish in the river.
"How many cannons have we left?" Torry shook his dizzy head. The smoke and smell of gunpowder in the cabin made him sick.
"Two six-pound cannons and more for the eight-pound ones!"
The major general nodded. He did not plan to care about the matter outside the window any longer. It was already a massacre, not defense tactic.
"What about the other ships?"
A messenger came forward, "Around the same as ours!"
Torry only opened the window and observed for a while. Then, he said to the messenger, "I don't mind it being slower. Every cannon must hit the place where most people gather at until we run out of cannons!"
The messenger accepted the order and went away. Not long after, six cannon ships and sailboats that carried the fortress cannons had completed their arrangement. Each cannon was carefully aimed, and the Alliance Army was eliminated once again. These foreign soldiers who thought that staying away from the central battlefield would get them a chance to live died unworthily. The cannons only took an instant to tear their bodies apart or take a part of their bodies away.
The bloody mist and smoke spread slowly along the riverside. It was a cacophony of human shouts and horse shrieks. However, this chaotic drama broke apart under the cannon shots. When the explosive light shone, the people who intended to run for their lives turned into few black layers until the people who reached the riverside realized that the wooden boats used to cross the river had turned into debris. There were dead bodies floated in the water.
Despaired screams only received the mock of the cannons. The begging and kneeling were only returned by the stepping of their comrades! The people who witnessed the "deathly shots of Shawob River" would never forget the scenario on this day. Even if the soldiers of the Guards still guarded at the jetty, their feelings of laughing at other's disaster had all disappeared. Instead, it was a deep sympathy and intense clash of spirits.
At 6.53pm on the 15th day of the 7th month in Church Calendar Year 800, a prideful group of knights appeared at the opposite side of the river. This team of knights quickly eliminated the despaired people staying at the shore.
The major general's ships stopped their shooting respectively. This made Torry extremely frustrated. He rushed to the ruined deck and shouted at his fleet.
"Why did you stop? Why? We can still fire a few shots!"
A captain of the cannon ship rushed to the deck. He was trying to explain to the furious general, but Torry could not hear it clearly. At this time, the lookout on the mass suddenly shouted in excitement, "That team of knights…that team of knights holds the Empire's Golden Lion Flag! I definitely did not see wrongly! They hold the Golden Lion!"
Torry widened his eyes. It seemed that he had not registered the meaning of that Golden Lion Flag at that riverside.
Just when the Major General of Cannons was scratching his head, a boat had carried Marshal of the Guards, Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette away from the jetty. When passing by Torry's ships, Oscar waved at his old friend. The young marshal only showed a happy smiling face at this moment.
There were many spear-holding warriors on the deck of the ships. They were pushing the bodies which stuck in their way away. After 15 minutes, the marshal's boat reached the opposite shore. Prince O'Neil stepped across the "river of blood" and welcomed the spirited knights.
The Prince saluted properly to the officer holding the flag. Even though he did not have to due to his identity, but he still chose this humble greeting.
"I am the Chief Commander of the Second Assault Army Group! What about you, soldier?"
The soldier did not reply. He stood quietly on the ground. There were three broken hands tied tightly around the flagpole. The knight was motionless like a statue.
Oscar glanced at the comrade standing by the knight weirdly. No one spoke. They did not want to say that this soldier had left the world for some time.
"Alright!" Oscar gave up, "Congratulations, soldier! The meeting of the First Army Group and the Second Army Group marks our victory in this defense war!"
The knight on the horse remained without a sound, but his body suddenly shook as if he finally relaxed after realizing his wish. Then, he fell to one side of the saddle. Oscar quickly held onto him and only realized that the person was simply a cold body at this moment.
The marshal used all his strength to place this knight in his embrace. He moved the arm of this knight and waved. The flag which was marked with the result shook swiftly as if it could cover the sky and sun above!
The last line on the last page of the first volume of "The History of Titan's Defending War" wrote that the First Assault Army Group and the Second Assault Army Group met at the Shawob River at 7.24pm on the 15th day of 7th month in Church Calendar Year 800. This marked the glorious victory of the great holy Titan with its citizens in this defending war after days and nights of relentless fighting.