Chapter 142: War of the Empire (4)

“Boom, boom, boom!”

The sun had yet to rise, but all of the people on the wall were awakened by the alarm. The soldiers prepared their weapons and ran to the wall, getting into position.

This time was different from the previous battles. Although the opposition had yet to take action, all of the soldiers could sense that the enemy’s aura had undergone a dramatic transformation. Illuminated by the weak light of dawn, the enemy army stood in perfect formation, without making a sound.

This unnatural silence was terrifying. This silent determination to take the city exerted a strong pressure on all the soldiers in the city, who swallowed collectively with anxiety.

It felt like a decisive battle. Everyone knew that this was likely to be the last battle. After this battle, either the nation would be wiped from the map, after the city was taken, or they would successfully be able to stall until reinforcements arrived and the enemy army was defeated.

The battle had yet to begin. All of the readied longswords were shaking, as the soldiers flushed red, filled with adrenaline.

Lanto rushed to the city wall. He hacked off his Holy Knight robe, which was dyed beyond recognition with blood, as he changed into new chainmail. Energized, he appeared once more before his soldiers.

Over the last few days, Lanto had been at the forefront of the battle on the front lines, leading every charge, and turning the tide in many seemingly hopeless situations. This earned the respect and admiration of all his men, especially when he let out the flashing holy light of his qi, slaughtering the enemy in a breathtaking show of power.

All of his men felt that this Holy Knight embodied the glory of God. As long as they followed him, their faith and dedication would be conveyed to the Kingdom of God.

The enemy camp watched the city walls with bloodthirsty gazes. The final battle was about to begin.

“Dun-dun-dun!”

“Thud!”

As the sound of the catapults’ creaking into action descended, a large wave of flaming rocks immediately stretched across the horizon, descending on the city wall. Meanwhile, the enemy began a new round of barrages.

All of the defenders had already become extremely skilled at dodging the projectiles and finding cover. Compared to the initial panic, many of the young recruits had become hardened veterans, masterfully adept at maneuvering with efficient calmness.

“Boom!”

“Thud!”

Whistling sounds of the flying projectiles intertwined with the thuds of their impacts. Any ordinary castle would have long since fallen under such a mad assault, but Blanc was a bastion, a fortress designed a hundred years ago by some unknown genius.

Its strengths were fully utilized during this battle. In this pre-modern era, without firearms, no matter how the other side barraged them, the city stood as firm as a mountain.

The rebel army continued to utilize rocks from the surrounding mountains. The daily bombardment of Blanc did not have the effect that they had desired. Instead, Lanto’s own catapults from within Blanc had caused them to suffer many heavy losses.

Sure enough, as soon as the bombardment of the catapults began, the sun peeked out from the horizon, just as the rebel army began moving. This time, they moved without reserve. All of them pressed forward towards Blanc, like a dense wave of ants, covering the entire plain outside of Blanc.

“Arrows, fire!”

The archers on the wall immediately began shooting arrows as the enemies approached, raining them down in endless waves. The arrows continued to descend, as multitudes of enemy soldiers fell under their onslaught. Yet, even more enemy soldiers hunkered down under their shields, reaching the city walls despite the assault.

The enemy archers began firing back with their longbows, lining up in formation behind a line of shields. The arrows from both sides interlaced in the sky to form the illusion of a dense grid, which then covered the entire sky.

The sound of whistling arrows was deafening. One by one, soldiers with shields pushed forward, as stones, wood, and boiling water were thrown down from above. The soldiers forced their ways up the ladder onto the wall. Many of them lost their grips and fell directly into the city.

The sounds of death rang out loud, as orc soldiers roared furiously, their eyes locked on the city wall, as they rushed desperately up it. A boar-man warrior was gored through with several swords by the defenders on the wall. He gritted his teeth, spat out blood, then managed to throw them onto the ground, holding them down, so that his fellow rebel soldiers could climb the wall.

All of the soldiers were invigorated. It was as if they had no consciences anymore, after creating so many scenes of carnage. All that was left within them was the desire to massacre their enemies. The sounds of clashing swords echoed, accompanied with the occasional squelch of a successful blow.

Flag bearing rebel soldiers boarded the wall, one after another. Their presence greatly invigorated the morale of the rebels. It looked as if they had already taken the city.

Lanto stood in the middle of the throng in heat of the battlefield, quickly disposing of the endless stream of invaders. He became the target of many of the rebel soldiers, who gathered, before rushing towards him. His loyal knights fell, one by one, beside him, but even more of his men continued to gather around him, protecting their master unto death.

A small mountain of bodies formed on this section of the wall. Lanto was soaked with blood. His face was streaked red. Even his eyes were covered with specks of blood.

He continued fighting, like a demon straight from hell, as the sword in his right hand let out a bust of shining ki, taking down a wolf-man Blood Knight. Meanwhile, his other hand waved a black lion’s flagpole, spearing through a boar-man with a huge axe. The muscular boar warrior fell down, representing the triumph of the banner of the Lion King Will, which flew gallantly above the city, swishing in the wind.

“Owoooooooooooo!”

Lanto stood atop the pile of bodies and gave a rallying howl. All of his muscles shook, as the veins on his face and neck bulged. The wolf’s howl carried throughout the battlefield, awing all the soldiers on the wall.

The soldiers began moving with renewed vigor. As their morales rose, they pushed the enemy back, turning the situation once again in their favor. The fortress defence began succeeding!

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The rebel army began to despair. This scraggy fortress, which was shaped like the jaws of a beast, seemed like it was a door straight to hell, intent upon devouring their lives! Their attacks had failed again and again. It looked as if they would never be able to take this city.

Boom!

Suddenly, a huge explosion occurred at a city gate. Smoke obscured the sky. Lanto had sealed all of the city gates with stone, in preparation for the battle, in order to prevent any entry.

However, Lanto hadn’t known that Earl Umos had obtained alchemy explosives from human wizards through special channels. They didn’t have much of a supply of them, however, since Umos had only purchased some as insurance. It had seemed fairly ordinary to do so, so he wasn’t sure if it would be useful.

Luckily, the power of the alchemy explosives far exceeded the imagination of Earl Umos. They had not only blasted through the sealed gates, but had also destroyed part of the city wall, which filled Earl Umos with wild glee.

When the smoke dissipated, the opening in Blanc’s defense was in full view. There was a sudden silence. For the rebels, it was an unexpected surprise after a bout of utter despair. For the royal army, which was defending the city, this was a scene from hell.

The rebels rushed towards the city gate with shouts of glee. Of course, Lanto had already setup countermeasures for such a situation. Immediately, squads of soldiers blocked the entrance with shields and spears.

Even more soldiers headed towards the destroyed city gate under Lanto’s roaring command, aimed at blocking the invasion. But, alas, the gate had already been lost, so the invasion was imminent. Lanto was also beginning to fall into deep despair.

At the small opening of the city gate, a large number of soldiers collided in a frenzy of spears and shields. Soldiers fell left and right, as each incoming wave stepped forward on their dead bodies. The entire scene had become a meat grinder, a collision of mad carnage. All of them knew that the final moment of this battle was nigh.

Shields collided with one another viciously, as spears were jammed at enemies. An enemy’s sword would severe a comrade’s throat, while the enemy would then be smashed in turn by his own axe. Everyone was consumed by the insanity of it all, as they rushed towards the slaughterhouse to die, one after the other. At that moment, it seemed as if their lives were worthless, like mere straw, which was blown away in the wind. No one cared about their own lives, as their eyes were all locked on this gate’s opening.

“Stop them! Do not falter, as behind you lay your families. You are the only thing between these intruders and your wives and children. If you falter, all of your loved ones will be slaughtered!”

Lanto blocked the gate in an insane frenzy. He slammed the two rushing dog-men into the ground with his shield, before killing them with a swing of his sword. Lanto had lost track of how many orcs had died at his hands in the last few days.

Was it a couple hundred? A few thousand perhaps?

Lanto was also covered in wounds. Several injury scars were littered across his body. His old wounds had burst open after the explosion. Ordinary people would have succumbed to these wounds many times over, yet Lanto pushed onward with his power as a Blood Knight, as well as with the vitality that he possessed as a Holy Knight. Yet, by now, even Lanto could sense his own imminent demise.

“Perhaps, this shall be my final resting place!”

Lanto seemed to sense something foreboding. “God! I have killed so many! Am I still allowed into your Kingdom? Am I fighting for you, God? Am I fighting for justice?”

The killing continued, but the defenders were beginning to struggle. They began falling to the relentless rush of the invaders.

Soon, the rebels would enter the city and release their anger and desires upon its citizens. The symphony of death echoed across the battlefield, but Lanto was deaf to it all. He felt as if time had slowed down, like the entire world had become a cruel painting of a frozen battle.

Whooooooo! Whoooooooo!

The sound of a low and somber horn sounded in the distance. Everyone looked up, spotting an army on the hillside a dozen of miles away. They carried a strangely familiar flag, which was black with a gold lion.

A large cavalry was approaching from the distant hills, marching in a uniform line. The cavalry formed an army that spread to the ends of the sky, covering the rolling hills in the distance.

A path was opened within the army, as a blond knight in skirted armor appeared at the forefront of the army, riding on a white warhorse. She was guarded by several Holy Knights, clad in armor and cloaks with the sigil of the Sun. The army trailed behind their king, watching the fierce battle before them.

Verthandi drew the Sword of the King, then pointed to the center of the battlefield. She then shouted out, “To certain victory!”

Hearing the command, the army came to life. The movement of the cavalry kicked up a dust storm, as they rushed toward the battlefield. The thunderous sound of their horses’ hooves was sharpened with a wave of killing intent, as it headed towards the city and swallowed the rebel army.

The invaders completely lost their morale and wills to fight. This was a real army of battle-hardened elites. The inexperienced rebel army of locals collapsed easily. Earl Umos, who was within the battlefield, paled at the sight, his complexion taking the quality of leathery paper.

Looking at the king’s army, which was approaching from the distance, their blond sovereign at the lead, Earl of Umos’s lips began spasming in terror.

He managed to utter a few words, “It’s over! It’s all over!”

The remnants of the defending forces were almost crying in relief. Lanto leaned against a wall for support, as he looked into the distance. He felt so weak, a single gust of wind may have taken him down. But, his previously tense posture suddenly relaxed. Lanto looked at the rushing figure of Verthandi, smiled, then raised his longsword high into the air.

“Victory to his Majesty!”

Everyone joined Lanto’s cheer, as they rallied together.

“Victory to his Majesty!”

All of the soldiers now raised their weapons.

“Victory to his Majesty!”

The soldiers on the city wall lifted the fallen flag from the ground. The black and gold lion soared majestically. The tide of the battle had changed, but Lanto was past his limits. He fell to the ground amid the sound of the approaching reinforcements.