Chapter 21: 21

——Chapter 21: Competition (2) ——

 

It was rather the Roman army that was surprised by the active movement of the rebels.

 

We were advancing with all precautions in case of a possible surprise attack, but they came out to the plain first.

 

At first, Crassus was sure that the enemy had some kind of plan.

 

But surprisingly, Spartacus expressed an opinion that this would not be the case.

 

"Crixus is a prudent man. He probably avoided battle thoroughly and tried to catch up when we were nervous. But seeing as he's trying to fight us on the plains now, I wonder if the number of his men became too big and got out of control. "

 

"Ah... it could be. They're not trained soldiers, and they're not a unified group."

 

In general, it becomes difficult to lead a unit when it becomes too large.

 

Not to mention, most of the people in the rebel army came from the lower classes and slaves who were not properly trained.

 

Spartacus, who knew Crixus well, understand many facts just from the movements of the rebels.

 

“At first glance, it looks like they are trying to fight a decisive battle, but the plain where they camped is an easy place to escape if they are defeated. It will be the best compromise for them."

 

"Certainly it's a solid argument."

 

Crassus had no choice but to admit in his heart that Marcus' judgment in bringing Spartacus was correct.

 

The quality of the troops was also overwhelming, but if they could see through the psychology of the enemy commander, they were sure to win.

 

Crassus asked, staring at the elaborately drawn map.

 

“What would they do if they lost?”

 

“If they lose, it will be difficult to gather as much power as before, at least within the peninsula… If I were in Crixus’ situation, I would probably run away to Sicily.

 

"I see. There are a lot of slaves in the farms of Sicily. It might be a perfect place to rebuild the power there."

 

If they could guess the enemy's next move in advance, their situation will be much easier.

 

Crassus gave a few orders to his subordinates with a smile of repentance.

 

In fact, it was Crassus, not the rebels, who were in a hurry.

 

At first, they decided that there was no hurry and marched slowly, but news from Hispania turned the whole situation upside down.

 

Sertorius, who had been persistent, was assassinated by a subordinate, and the rebellion was pacified in an instant.

 

Pompey, dispatched to Hispania, immediately set out with his army for Rome.

 

The purpose was obvious.

 

It was an ulterior motive to subdue Crixus' rebellion and monopolize military power.

 

Crassus did not like Pompey very much but acknowledged his ability.

 

Pompey's military prowess may be counted on one hand in Roman history.

 

Even Sulla, who conquered the Cimbri War, the War of the Alliance, and the 1st Mithridatic War, praised Pompey as a military genius.

 

If Pompey returns to Rome, the rebels were over.

 

There was a high possibility that Crassus would be swept away in an instant without any time to do anything.

 

In this situation, it was a great fortune for Crassus that the rebels walked out onto the plains on their own feet.

 

He never thought that the flag of the rebels seen across the camp would look so welcoming.

 

Marcus also stuck out his tongue as he watched the tremendous scene by Crassus' side.

 

"That's a lot, really."

 

"Yes. It looks like it's close to twice our army."

 

"It's rather fortunate. This makes it clear that they're not up to anything. I really have to say that they have put almost all their energy into this."

 

Even at first glance from a distance, the armament and clothing of the enemies were not unified, but rather different.

 

The flags were too crude to see if they were using the ones they had taken from the Romans.

 

However, Crassus was not vigilant until the end.

 

All Roman commanders had hitherto been defeated by underestimating their enemies. 

 

Crassus didn't want to repeat the same mistakes. So he took care of even the smallest deployment of troops.

 

Spartacus' opinion was also very helpful.

 

"The Roman army traditionally likes to deploy heavily armed infantry in the front and attack the flanks with cavalry. If I were in Crixus' position, I would focus on placing the pikemen on the flanks where they are sure to be attacked by cavalry. And as much as possible. I will spread out widely to encircle the enemy so that I can take advantage of the numbers.”

 

The rebels were limited in the weapons they could get, so the choice was not that wide.

 

If the initial arrangement was wrong, it means that it was very difficult to rectify it.

 

Crassus clenched his fists in excitement as soon as he saw the wide-open formation of the rebels.

 

Because it was as expected in advance.

 

Crassus patted Spartacus on the shoulder and offered an honest compliment.

 

"If we win this time, it will be thanks to you. I will not forget it."

 

"Thank you. Your words are enough."

 

Finally, the distance between the two forces began to narrow, and the moment of fate approached.

 

The tip of Crassus' sword aimed at the approaching rebels.

 

"Soldiers of Rome, trample the enemies!"

 

As soon as the people fell, the eight Roman legions rushed forward.

 

"Waaaaaa!"

 

"Let's wipe out all the rebels!"

 

The Roman army was not at all discouraged even with a difference of two times the number of troops.

 

The dust rising from the galloping horse's hooves signaled the beginning of a fierce battle.

 

The rebels did not escape either. They, who are full of confidence from successive victories, had come head-to-head. All the resentment that had been suppressed in Rome in the meantime came out in unison.

 

"Let's kill all the Romans!"

 

"Let's fight, if we win here. Rome will be ours!"

 

"Whoaaaaa!"

 

Soldiers from both sides spread out in a wide row at once and rushed at each other.

 

However, the center of the Roman army stopped walking in the middle and waited in the middle of the battle.

 

Conversely, the Roman cavalry deliberately rode their horses in unison from the flanks, as the enemy predicted.

 

"The cavalry are coming! Put your long spear in front and block the enemy's rush!"

 

The commander in charge of commanding the flanks raised his voice vigorously. The fact that the enemy moved as expected made him confident of victory.

 

The rebels had a strategy of their own.

 

It was an ideal yet powerful plan to spread widely and encircle the enemy all at once.

 

There's no way the enemy will stand still, but this side outnumbers the enemy twice.

 

It was possible to check the approach of the cavalry from the flank and press down with superior numbers in the center.

 

And, as expected, the majority of the enemy cavalry moved to cut into the flanks.

 

But it was only until there that the prediction hit. The cavalrymen did not come closer than a certain distance to the rebels' flanks. Instead of charging, they took out their bows and fired a check shot from medium to long range.

 

Peeing! Bubbubuck!

 

"You Cucks!"

 

"Hey, these guys are shooting bows! Kkeaak!"

 

Unlike the previous Roman army, this time Roman army used cavalry equipped with stirrups.

 

Thanks to this, the Roman light cavalry poured down a barrage of bows while maintaining a certain distance as if mocking the flanks of the slow-moving rebels.

 

For the rebels, who had little cavalry power, there was nothing they could do but open their eyes and greet them.

 

"Shields, send the shield soldiers forward! Those horsemen shoot their bows!"

 

While the lancers on the flanks fell helplessly, the shield soldiers who arrived late covered the front and top with large shields. With this, the arrows could be prevented to some extent, but the movement speed of the flanks was noticeably slow and cracks appeared in the ranks.

 

The situation at the front was equally serious.

 

The Roman army, who pretended to charge in the beginning, intensively fired the Scorpio they had set up in advance, throwing the rebels into confusion.

 

The Scorpio was an improved version of the ballista, a siege weapon, for field combat, and was one of the representative weapons of the Roman army.

 

This massive anti-personnel crossbow had a range of up to 400 m and could fire 3 to 4 rounds per minute.

 

There were approximately 60 units deployed in one corps, so there were now a total of 480 Scorpios in the plains.

 

The poor equipment of the rebels could never stop this Scorpio's arrows.

 

"Let's go! F*ck!"

 

"Aaaaaa!"

 

Every time Scorpio's bundle of twisted ropes came loose, a creepy sound and the screams of rebels erupted.

 

It far exceeded the firepower that could be blocked by the rebel's shield.

 

Dozens of rebels who bravely rushed forward were skewered by large arrows and fell while spurting blood.

 

"Charge forward! If you approach faster, that weapon won't shoot anymore!"

 

Responding to the shouts of one of the commanders, the rebels in the center added more strength to their running steps.

 

The flanks halted to block the arrows of the cavalry archers, and the center disorganized to block the Scorpio's fire.

 

Crassus aimed at this moment.

 

"Send the heavy cavalry!"

 

200 Roman heavy cavalry, referenced by the Parthian cataphracts, appeared in the center.

 

The purpose of the Roman army was not to break through the flanks from the beginning.

 

It was intended to drive the pikemen to the left and right under the guise of breaking through the flanks, and break through the center at once.

 

The rebels were astonished at the majesty of the heavily armed cavalry, armed with armor to the riders as well as the horses.

 

This was because they were the ones who couldn't even watch when they fought against Rome before.

 

"What, what! There were no guys like that!"

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"You said the Roman cavalry would come in the flank! What happened!"

 

"Don't panic! The Romans' crossbows have stopped! If they all come together and form a tightly packed formation, such a small number of cavalrymen can do nothing! Everyone, do as you have been trained!"

 

The commanders of the rebels roared and took control of the central army in confusion for an instant.

 

Not forgetting that they still had absolute numerical superiority, the rebels were quickly disorganized.

 

However, when the rebels in the center formed their ranks, the Roman heavy cavalry had already reached them right in front of them.

 

The horses that ran at full speed from afar were already accelerating to the limit.

 

In addition, using a couched lance and stirrups, it was possible to project the kinetic energy of the horse and rider directly onto the enemy soldiers.

 

The rebels could not have guessed how terrifying this destructive power would be.

 

A disastrous blow fell upon them, who were simply holding up their shields and waiting for the enemy cavalry to slip away.

 

-Kwajajajajak!

 

The bodies of the rebel infantry were crushed with a terrible crashing sound never heard before.

 

It was a destructive force that shocked even the Roman infantry who ran after the cavalry.

 

"Ughhhhhh!"

 

"Help me!"

 

The screams of terror were not the sounds of spear-pierced soldiers. Caught in the charge of the heavily armed cavalry, the rebels died instantly without even screaming.

 

The rebel foot soldiers who watched the scene trembled in fear, forgetting even their hatred for the Roman army.

 

"No, stop!"

 

One of the commanders shouted desperately, but that became his last will.

 

Four infantrymen, including the commander, were pierced like skewers at the same time by the spear that came out in front of them at terrifying speed.

 

There was an expression called per diem. It means that one person was brave enough to defeat a hundred people.

 

Although the number was only 200, the destructive power of the heavily armed cavalry was worthy of being called a hundred per unit.

 

The most important thing in the war was the morale of the army.

 

An army whose morale was once broken cannot regain its fighting spirit in a dizzying time.

 

And those who have lost the will to fight quickly fall prey on the battlefield.

 

"Aaaagh! Run away!"

 

"They never said there were monsters like that!"

 

The screams of the rebels reached the sky whenever the cavalrymen rushed by in a group like an awl.

 

Those who collided legitimately were rather lucky. It was a happy ending as he died instantly without even screaming.

 

Those who were caught in an ambiguous charge suffered broken bones and were trampled on by horses' hooves, dying in hellish pain.

 

It was a charge that was impossible to block in the first place with the infantry power of this era.

 

Even in Rome, this was not so different.

 

Even more so, the relatively poorly armed rebels could do nothing other than be slaughtered unilaterally.

 

Marcus, watching this situation from a distance, also stuck out his tongue.

 

'This is much more powerful than I thought?'

 

The original operation was to stir up the enemy with heavy cavalry and then neutralize the enemy by organically linking with the infantry. However, the heavy cavalry did not stir up the enemy, but literally crushed it.

 

The match was over with the jab that was thrown for the check.

 

Even after that, the heavy cavalry units thoroughly trampled the enemies to the extent that they wondered if this was okay.

 

The rebels did not dare to fight and ran away from the cavalry.

 

The ranks had long since collapsed.

 

On top of the rebels whose morale was at rock bottom, the Roman army fell like a wave.

 

The heavily armed infantry of Rome mercilessly speared and slashed the rebels who had lost their fighting spirit.

 

"Aww!"

 

"Run away! Everyone run away!"

 

The central army was completely disintegrated along with the desperate wails of the rebels.

 

The Roman army pushed forward and completely split the rebel camp in two.

 

As a result, the rebel army, which was divided into two camps, was surrounded by the Roman army.

 

In particular, some commanders who remained in the center until the end were surrounded and completely trapped by the Roman army.

 

It was impossible to describe the horror of seeing only enemies in all directions.

 

"Ugh... Ah, no..."

 

"Run anywhere!"

 

No matter how much they tried to step back, they couldn't see their comrades. The only ones visible to the eyes are the Roman soldiers who are flashing their lives.

 

Like pieces of wood thrown into the sea, the spears and knives of the angry Roman soldiers rained down on their bodies as they were swept away by the crowd.

 

At the point where the center was pierced, the outcome of the fight was already decided.

 

The battalion commanders, who properly judged the situation, were convinced of victory at this moment and switched their policy to annihilation.

 

"The enemies have already fallen! Kill them all!"

 

"Don't let them retreat! We'll drive them in thoroughly and wipe them out at once!"

 

The rebels on the left flank were completely bewildered by the unexpected situation.

 

The center was completely destroyed, and the light cavalry on this side is constantly shooting arrows, so it was impossible to do this or that.

 

The face of the former slave shepherd commander who confidently insisted on a decisive battle at the meeting was already contemplative.

 

The rebels he led were also brandishing their weapons as if they were desperate, their faces turned white.

 

"Everyone, don't panic! Regroup and retreat!"

 

Suddenly, the goal of battle became survival, not victory. However, even if they tried to escape, they were surrounded on three sides, and there was no way out except the back.

 

The problem was that the heavily armed cavalrymen, who had penetrated the center, began to slaughter indiscriminately by attacking from the rear.

 

"Kyaa!"

 

"Save, save me! Please save me!"

 

The only sounds you can hear are the screams of your allies and the crash of their bodies against the ground.

 

The Romans had no mercy. As if releasing all the resentment accumulated from the defeat so far, they brutally suppressed the rebels.

 

Following the center, even the left wing was driven to the brink of annihilation.

 

Fortunately, however, the right-wing managed to retreat backward and began to flee into the woods.

 

It was thanks to Crixus, who saw the hole in the center and ordered a retreat without looking back.

 

"Everyone get out of the forest and gather where we talked before! Don't try to fight back! Just retreat unconditionally!"

 

Crixus could not bear to issue an order to engage in a final stand.

 

What was going on here was just plain carnage.

 

Giving up one's life in a place like this would only lead to dog death and accomplish nothing.

 

Shortly after the fighting began, nearly half of the rebels' soldiers were dead.

 

Compared to that, the Romans suffered very little damage.

 

It didn't seem like it would even reach 1,000 people at the maximum.

 

It's all because of that monstrous cavalryman.

 

Because they completely destroyed the center at first, the formation collapsed and nothing could be done.

 

It was a big defeat.

 

In this single clash, the rebels lost everything they had built up until now.

 

Still, they haven't given up yet.

 

This was because if only one-third of the people can be saved, they could escape to another place enough to plan for the future.

 

Fortunately, thanks to a quick assessment of the situation, the soldiers on the right wing safely ran away into the woods.

 

Even the monstrous cavalry of Rome would not be able to follow through the thick woods.

 

Crixus threw off his helmet and armor that hindered his escape and rode his horse with all his might.

 

At the end of his fleeing gaze, he saw the figures of his left-wing men being surrounded and slaughtered.

 

'Sorry.'

 

The desire to help was enough to reach the sky, but jumping into it would only add a few more corpses.

 

"The Romans... you mean you've been hiding that kind of power until now? How can you look down on us until now!"

 

It was Crixus who misunderstood something different from the truth, but the situation had no choice but to do so. In addition, it was a question of how he perfectly saw through their goals and used them against them.

 

He looked away one last time before running into the woods and surveyed the center of the Roman army.

 

It was to clearly engrave the image of the enemy general who had completely destroyed them to this extent.

 

Even at a considerable distance, Crixus could accurately distinguish the appearance of the enemy.

 

The stern expression of Crassus, the enemy commander in the scarlet cloak, pierced his eyes like a blade.

 

But soon he stopped, forgetting even that he had to run away.

 

Because he found someone he never thought he would see here.

 

Surprisingly, the other person was also looking straight at Crixus from a distance.

 

The eyes of the two intertwined in the air.

 

Crixus could understand why his thoughts had been read so completely.

 

Anger, passion, resentment, and even a bit of joy.

 

A voice filled with all sorts of emotions came out of his mouth.

 

"Was it you... Spartacus?"

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