Translated by Tianic, edited by Grammarly
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After the horn, PUF"s arrow storm dropped from the sky aiming nowhere else but AUF"s 26th Legion"s archer queue.
The savaged arrows shot even more densely than AUF"s arrow rain earlier.
The narrow parabola firing trajectory made the arrows able to fly over AUF"s heavy-loaded infantries and headed directly toward their archer queue.
As the darkness rose, the archers" commander had lousy vision seeing the front targets. He has ordered the archers to seize fire because he was afraid of hurting his friendly troopers.
As the archers became aware of the incoming threat, PUF"s arrows were already overwhelming into their faces.
In the howling wind came depressing impact sounds of metal. The sounds that mixed with human screaming spread from the front to the back and rippled to the other 2 wings. It lingered in the air long after the arrow rains ended.
A lucky archer who wasn"t killed came to himself and wiped away the blood buds on his face, he looked around and found only a few were standing in the archer queue. His companions all dropped down; their bodies were full of black and white arrows. Bodies that piled on one another wriggled and shivered, weak and depressing groans came underneath.
At the moment, PUF has paid their suffering earlier multiplied back to the enemies.
After the second horn, soldiers who hid in the PUF bastion surfaced from various hiding pits and initiated an almost crazy attack to the AUF troops.
Though PUF has attacked before, the strikes earlier were nothing like this time, it was so intense, so monstrous, so blatant.
Before AUF figured out what happened, their military instinct drove them to fight the enemies that were pouring from all directions.
Cohen had a considerable number of soldiers hidden in various spots underground. They did make a huge noise jumping out like so. The situation: outer PUF started killing into the center; inner PUF started killing out!
One scheme after another, big or small fights were all but everywhere. Troops from both armies intertwined and made a giant swirl. Each troop was trying to encircle another while being circled.
Only 2 places were exceptional: the two outer sides of the AUF"s ground where PUF troops had ultimate dominance and poured its most manpower. The consecutive waves of attack have made the quartering AUF soldiers in these 2 outer perimeters so troubled that they had to retreat and draw close to the center.
No matter who was going to have the final victory, AUF can forget to get out of this chaotic swirl within 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in the clay city, the crumbling place had exerted its final mission: gradually luring the enemies in and contain most of the hostilities in the complexity of the city structure in order to make escaping chance for the breakout personnel!
Easier said than done, if PUF army fought tiny little weaker or stronger, the plan may fail.
Since last night, Cohen had exhausted all means possible to make the plan a successful one.
Striking the drum at midnight, abandoning the wall, subverting the slaves, disputing the bastion were all moves Cohen had pulled out during the day. By playing weak or strong every now and then, he had manipulated his opponents to utilize the strategy he aimed.
As expected, Cohen gradually turned the table, and AUF had poured a ma.s.sive amount of troops to attack. Now, between the enemy command post and the clay city, it was basically empty.
Cohen"s blade of precision was finally drawn!
Right after the 3rd horn, from the 2 sides of the clay city, 2 PUF"s finest break-out troops marched into the tunnels forged by their comrades" flesh and blood.
With their sharp edges in the dark, wild wind, they smashed through the remaining AUF troops in front of them like floods.
The only few AUF troops were nothing compared with these 2 mighty torrents, neither were the special forces able to preserve their lives in the stream of soldiers.
AUF"s heavy infantries immediately formed a defensive formation while shouting out. The soldiers smashed and stood their giant metal shield into the earth and thrust their spears in their right hands waiting for PUF to march in and die.
They knew as long as they could successfully block enemy"s this wave of attack, their follow-up troops will have time to arrive. Relying on the whole body armor, the heavy infantries were not afraid of any types of attack.
Commander of the 27th has already a.s.sumed the command in the battling area. Behind him was the 28th commander. The great casualty toll, as well as PUF’s large-scale striking-back, have triggered this major"s raging anger.
Orders out, the 28th commander charged with his troops.
In the darkness, Cohen viewed the battle with his flashy eyes while his mouth murmured, "I"m counting on you, Steven!"
The wingman troop who has never been deployed since the siege was flying low in the air. They were ready to fly over their break-out troops.
As PUF marched into a close distance of 50 steps from the AUF troops, the commander of the AUF heavy infantries squatted while yelling "brace for impact!". His upper body leaned forward as well. He was going to fend the enemy"s charge by lowering and shifting his body barycenter.
However, the first to visit them was the wingmen instead of the ground enemy troops.
Neat rows of wingmen quickly flew over the heavy infantries. After a short distance, some of the wingmen would make sudden stops in midair.
Likewise, without warnings, some front infantrymen made sudden lookups while his body promptly falling backward.
Each wingman that flew by tossed an extended rope; a knotted circle was on the down end of the rope. It was wingmen"s basic skill to support life: hunting. In this way, they could catch their preys.
Although the sky was dark, the wingmen were very accurate on their targets. It was their most essential skill to fill their stomachs!
As for the heavy infantries, falling was a huge deal for them because the c.u.mbersome whole-body armor meant that once they fell, they will never be able to get on their feet again. Moreover, most of them did not know how they fell.
The arch-criminal was the long spears. Wingmen had aimed the lances when they tossed the knots. The circled knots will slide along the smooth spear body and loop on the infantry"s right arm. Before the soldier could summon his strength, his entire body will be dragged down for good.
As all wingmen speeded up and made their fly-by, AUF"s tight defense no longer existed. There were merely a few heavy-loaded infantries who remained standing.
The ones who fell were struggling. However, their armors were just so heavy that most of them were only able to support their upper half bodies, let alone sitting up. At least no one was able to stand before the PUF break-out troops arrived.
Then, they just lied back obediently on the ground and be stepped to faint or die.
AUF"s infantry shield officially collapsed.
"SLASH!" Again, a lightning bolt roared and pointed the advancing direction for the break-out troops.
As Steven made a sharp whistling in the air, his body shook then rose even higher. The wingmen behind him all loaded their enhanced crossbows and followed.
AUF"s 28th commander didn"t give too much attention that their heavy-loaded infantries that have been broken through. After all, any still objects could be put down no matter how heavy they were. However, after he heard 2 sharp whistling sounds coming from far in the sky, something startled him.
"Enemy airborne troops!" The thought merely reached his tongue before the 3rd whistling came instantly over his head.
"Watch out ab…" His yelling was interrupted by the first arrow came from Steven"s crossbow. It pierced from the AUF commander"s back neck.
Steven"s malicious vision flashed over his face then rolled over and resurfaced into the sky.
"Errr… er…" The Major caught the arrow end with his left hand and forced to pull out the entire arrow. Then immediately, blood splashed. His face twisted and himself fell off his horse.
The Major was dead. However, his troops’ misery has only begun
Countless wingmen dived from high alt.i.tude and shed their arrows ruthlessly onto the soldiers on the ground. Then all of them rolled over to climb up again, reload, then dive for the second time.
After diving for several rounds. PUF"s break-out troops have encountered AUF"s front. Like 2 sharp blade heads piercing into a loaf of bread, the striking was the fiercest of all.
The front head was the most robust orc soldiers. These soldiers burdened important duties were charging with machetes. They acted like they did not care about their lives and were ready to sacrifice themselves in exchange for the same amount of dead enemies.
Malphite was just promoted a captain. He was leading his clan brothers slaughtering the enemies, and they were up to the frontmost. Their bloodstained armors have given the enemies the impression that the word "fierce" was not an AUF trademark.
They realized that way too late.
The teamwork, the flash-like strike, the thunder-like speed all made AUF"s formation even messier.
AUFs were good at attacking. However, their enemies were terrifyingly fierce at striking. The AUF troops were like monstrous tigers, but PUFs were lunatics who were not afraid of dying.
Seeing the situation became clear, Cohen tapped Gardena"s shoulder, "Let"s begin, ole timer!"
"Excellent!" Gardena yelled out of excitement. His drumbeats aroused.
The rhythm Gardena was sounding was the one Cohen taught him by clicking sticks. As the rhythm changed, once again, a team of soldiers charged from the right side of the clay city. The troops consisted well-equipped soldiers followed with thousands of young refugees.
They were the ones the 9th Legion soldiers and officers were willing to protect with their lives.
The 9th Legion"s break-out troops were marching on the road of hope and heading toward the frontier. As long as they can break out of the wall, AUF will not catch them in the chaotic open ground.
"My brothers, thank you for giving me such a good time. I will remember you no matter where you are." Cohen"s vision followed the men he sent. His eyes revealed the tenderness no one had seen since the siege, "This is all I can do. Take care, you all!"
After a consecutive series of breath-taking attack, while the drumbeats altered the rhythm, AUF could barely hold up.
"Sir!" An officer who still had several arrows in his body made it back to the command center, he told the Lieutenant General while his blood was flowing down from his mouth, "Our 2 defense lines… broken. The 28th commander died. The 3rd defense line can"t hold much longer. Their marching head is less than a mile from here. We have zero forces to deploy in the clay city…"
The officer pa.s.sed out due to the blood loss before he could finish.
Lieutenant General froze! The troop currently in the outer city was the 26th Legion. There were wagons to carry the injured on the roads so the 26th (an army of light cavalries) cannot make it back in time whilst the troops in the city were all trapped in the enemy"s maze.
He did not expect the Phantom Legion struck back at such a rapid and fearsome speed! Now, even his command center had no army to rely on. He himself was potentially endangered.
Should he retreat? Once retreating, the AUF banner will have to move with him. Once the banner moved, the army"s morale will collapse. If PUF initiated an attack by then, AUF would lose the battle!
Or he shouldn"t retreat? Around the command center were a team of guards and a few wounded soldiers. How could he defend thousands of enemy soldiers? He might be killed.
"Sir, run! I"m here to defend the command!" A staff officer rushed over and yelled, "They"re just a spent force. Sir, summon the 26th behind you, PUF won"t stand a chance!"
"SLASH" One more lightning slashed down. At this moment, Lieutenant General made his decision.
"Send my order, 26th Legion marches in asap! You go tell them!" Lieutenant General drew his sword, "All soldiers and officers in the command post, follow me!"
"Sir, you can"t!" A guard seized Lieutenant General"s feet, "You can"t!"
"Losers! I"m a soldier! How the h.e.l.l my soldiers could die and I couldn"t!" Lieutenant General kicked the guard away, "If killing me could win the war and win the alliance"s honor, I choose to die! AUF"s glory will never end in our hands!"
"Sir, take care!" The staff officer said with tears in his eyes and saluted solemnly. Then he grabbed Lieutenant General"s order and jumped off the wall.
"Soldiers, whether you"re in or out of the city, in the name of the Dark Lord"s honor! For AUF"s glory! For a warrior"s dignity! Raise your weapons! Blaze your fighting will and stand with me!" General walked on the clay city wall and roared, "I will lead and fight with you, my beloved soldiers! We"re born for honor! We will die for it!"
"I will follow you, general! Fight for honor!"
All men in the Lieutenant General"s guard hailed to echo. The thousand soldiers" morale went to a higher end.
"Guard all exits. We cannot let a single enemy get out!" Lieutenant General ordered, "PUF will see. We the Asmodian Allied Forces can live up to our name!"
"We follow you, general!" Thousand men shouted to reply.
Lieutenant General"s guards sealed more than 10 exit points of the clay city. However, these were more than 10 in number. Including the wounded, there were only hundreds guarding each exit. Before they grew afraid came sounds of wind whipping above their heads.
Flashes of dark shadows flew over the sky and locked their targets: the light cavalries outside the city. It was the wingmen. They were going to contain the cavalries where they were!
The 26th Legion was going slowly in an attempt to support the Lieutenant General. They could barely move: the catapults shot too many stones earlier, and the outer city had too many wagons full of wounded soldiers. The wingmen have raided the wagon horses. It was a general turmoil both in and out of the city.
PUF have entirely defeated AUF"s resistance troops and were raiding toward the broken clay city wall. At this time, the attacking and defending position have wholly traded.
"Cecilia!" Lieutenant General roared, and the fight started.
"Cecilia!" Lieutenant General"s guards roared. They fight hard and fearlessly.
PUF"s offensive was utterly fierce. After a few rounds, the guards at the exits were nearly all killed.
"Cecilia!" Lieutenant General roared again. His staff officers were already engaging in fights with the PUF soldiers.
"Cecilia!" Behind the guards were some wounded who can still move. These men roared to reply the Lieutenant General and took over their dead comrades position and carried on the defend.
"Cecil…" Before the Lieutenant General roared for the 3rd time, he staggered and fell.
After, in the staff officers cryings, the AUF banner shook twice and went down.
"Sir, we"ve broken through the wall!" The lightning was still striking the ground, Cohen and his Chief of Staff saw their troops’ progress. Carlos hailed as if he has broken through as well.
"Yeah…" Cohen revealed a hint of a smile and realized his hands turned white due to his tight clench, "After the wall, their victory awaits."
PUFs were cheering. In such a moment, they actually endeavored to break their comrades out. This was a mighty victory!
As the wall was broken, AUF"s 26th Legion was in a chaotic state due to the wingmen attack. The wingmen aimed for the horses instead of the riders. The 26th commander could do nothing but watch the AUF banner fell.
Blood turned into rivers at the city exits. Besides some scattered fights, the first soldiers in the PUF break-out troops has already stepped on the soil beyond the wall. Once they were all out of the city, they will be able to mobilize on the grounds and stones like flying monkeys.
The successful breakout was an irrefutable fact!
However, the foregone conclusion altered suddenly.
"Cecilia!" After saying the word with a deafening sound, an AUF heavily-wounded soldiers struggled from his death wagon; he roared, "I follow you, general!"
Bandages were draggling after him. In the run, multiple wounds on his body rebursted blood
"SLASH", this soldier died in half, killed by a PUF soldier.
"Cecilia!" More came down from their injury wagons, they rushed to the city exits, "I follow you, general!"
They were supposed to lie still and linger with their last breath. G.o.d knew what supported them to get up.
However, one thing was certain. They did manage to get up and plugged the wall exits with their own bodies.
"Cecilia!" More and more wounded carried each other and blocked the tunnel. They welled their eyes and proud was on their faces. They roared with their dying breath, "I follow you, general!"
PUF troops who were at the walls slaughtered the AUF wounded like crazy people, but the wounded were endless and limitless!
AUF"s only remaining security troops were all deployed and rushed over crazily The light cavalries even ignored the wingmen above them and rushed over in the arrow rains.
Dark Lord…
We"re proud to serve you, we"re forever here to chant your name.
We eulogize because you saved us.
When the foes come, they die.
We encountered them, but we"re not afraid.
We raise our hands, we despise the enemies.
We"re here to offer their sacrifice in our own tents.
Dark Lord, O our ultimate king.
We"re chanting your words on the enemy"s altar.
The pray continued, one louder than another. AUF soldiers did not care about their lives. The wounded just stuck there and let the PUFs chop and slash. They took their last breath with the last chanting word.
Like so, the AUFs pushed the PUF break-out troops slowly back into the clay city.
The PUF troops tried hard but they couldn"t compete with the enemy"s number. Looking at the wall getting closer, the shameful feeling just became worse.
A team of special force even bounced from the AUF wounded and jumped all the way onto the walls. After slaughtering a few PUF soldiers, they lifted the AUF banner!
Even more so unexpected, the special force soldiers pushed to the position where their Lieutenant General fell and dug his body out.
The Lieutenant General, whose left arm was half amputated was under a few staff officers" bodies. That was why he escaped the dying fate. After he was rescued and carried by the AUF banner, the pale general raised his sword and roared once again!
"Cecilia!"
"CECILIA!" All AUFs roared. They have successfully, by stepping on thousands of their wounded soldiers" bodies, pushed the PUFs back into the clay city.
Thus the 26th soldiers filed in. As the war situation returned to that of the earlier, PUF, however, have lost their advantage.
All these have made the silence in the PUF command center. All faces turned ashy.
"DANG" Cohen"s black steel machete dropped. He was so depressed that he nearly cried.
He tried and thought so hard to turn the table. He took so much effort to make AUF miss the dim opportunity. No matter how carefully he calculated, he didn’t antic.i.p.ate the enemy"s wounded soldiers.
Now, even though Cohen still had so many ideas for the war, the fate wouldn"t allow him. All hope has evaporated. He tried so hard to not cry.
But he was Cohen Kheda. Seconds later, the madness and his born arrogant took over his body. If I shall die, I shall die with a lot of enemies!
"Our chance has gone. Order a general retreat. Archers, cover up!" Cohen said with his hoa.r.s.e voice, "Cecilia… let me show you how a real Cecilia looks like!"
This chapter was originally published on Wuxianation, any despicable reposts or copies without proper citings are strictly prohibited.