Chapter 128: Fifteenth Episode: Chapter 1 (2/2)

Silver hair Marshal smirked as he sized the Teutonic Knights who were tail chasing the wolves cavalry but simultaneously forced to move back under the shower attack of arrows coming from the front. In fact, he has prepared a great gift for the Deiss cavalry commando.

Don Carlos was pushed to the side by those soldiers who re-entered the battlefield as supplementary forces. The loud miserable cries surrounding him have messed with his sight and hearing. His exhausted limbs were unable to respond effectively to the enemy's offense. The regimental commander of 1-3-1 inspected his surrounding, looked around, and he came to realize the men surrounding him were no longer the faces that he was familiar with. Those whom he knew have already been shattered into pieces by those Deiss soldiers!

”Which Group do you belonged to?” Carlos grabbed at the collar of one supplementary soldier and demanded.

”Group 4-2-3!”

”Damn it! You should be at the east of the battle line!” The commando division's regimental commander threw the unlucky man aside. This suggested that the battle line has fallen into chaos. The gap between the supplementary soldiers and commando division was intruded upon. Ineffective commands would only result in an ineffective counterattack.

Don Carlos made a prompt decision at that moment. He revealed a firework tube from his arms and ignited the live wire to it near the inside of the Imperial Guards campsite. A red firework exploded in the wailing sky.

”It's 1-3-1! 1-3-1 is down!” One messenger shouted at the top of his lungs.

”1-3-1?” Alan shook his head lightly, ”It's no wonder that it's the main force regular army of Deiss Kingdom. They drown us out in less than one hour!”

”Fifth Corps!” Alan said as he glanced at his messenger.

”Fifth Corps... Fifth Corps!” From the top of the mountain came a series of shouting, and the flag-bearer under the banyan tree hung the flag of the Northern Army Group Fifth Integrated Infantry Corps' designation unit on the streamer. Accompanied by the commands and officers' hysterical shouts, nine phalanxes consisted of thousand people began to slowly move forward to the battlefield.

”Evacuate the Third Cavalry Corps! Outflank and attack the approaching Fifth Infantry Corps from both sides!” General Rondraisse on the observation post finally seized the opportunity to initiate an offense. Once they exhausted the Fifth Corps before they managed to arrive at the forward line, then the rest that took place would possibly glorify this Deiss marshal's name forever in the history.

However, the timing appeared to be a little inaccurate. When Deiss Kingdom Third Cavalry Corps's vanguard approached at three of the more outward phalanxes of Imperial Guards' Fifth Infantry Corps, the center of Fifth Camp has already been moved to the rear of the line.

Three of the thousand Infantry phalanxes were badly battered rapidly and thrown into confusion by the fully integrated Cavalry Group's violent charge. Shields were shattered into pieces by the attack of sabers, their bodies were trampled by the horses on the greyish yellow field.

”Haha! It's an appropriate response!” This was perhaps Silver Fox Alan's only comment about General Rondraisse.

”Wolves Cavalry cover for Eight Corps who is taking offense! Your task is to disassemble that wounded pedipalp! No matter what, Fifth Corps must remain resisting and slowly charge forward while waiting for Eight Corps to attack the body of the scorpion formation.”

The messenger accurately distributed the marshal's command. The camp of Imperial Guards Northern Army Group Eight Corps swung into action rapidly and rushed into the battlefield under the cover of the wolves cavalry. They mounted what could be called the most powerful assault since the beginning of the battle, to the outermost periphery of the enemy that was guarded by the Ninth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade!

Although Deiss Ninth SS Cavalry Brigade that wasn't fully integrated has already been greatly wounded and exhausted during their first exchange with the wolves cavalry, the brigade commander didn't choose to detour or avoid the assault. The brigadier gave wholehearted support to the command - ”Fight the enemy!”, ordered by General Rondraisse. The brigade welcomed the Titans' knives and spears with passionate fires that roared in their heart!

Shortly after, the cavalry troop that consisted of less than two thousand people was turned into fertilizer and scattered on the ground during the attacks of the Titans' infantry and wolves knights. Fresh blood splattered on the field and later seeped into the ground.

The scorpion finally moved! As the brain of this poison scorpion, General Rondraisse, and his aides, at last, discovered the enemy's intention for their Eighth Corps to attack at the rear side of the scorpion's teeth! The scorpion began to move from the middle of its waist, alongside with the Teutonic Knights positioned as the tail was also thrown to the right side of the battlefield. Deiss Kingdom Fourteenth Infantry Corps gradually entered into the people sight. This huge scorpion moved its body horizontally across the battlefield.

”Division 5-3-3! Hold on! Squat low! Lower!” The outer periphery of Titan's Fifth Corps broke out into loud chaos under the attack of the enemy's cavalry. Soldiers buried the shields deep into the grassland, using their knees and body weight to support the spear that was nearly three meters long. The enemy was approaching, as galloping horseshoes sent dust and smoke into the sky. These fierce beasts finally burst into the group of soldiers protected by swords and spears. Although corpses of horses and dead human bodies constantly accumulated in front of the line, Titan soldiers were desperate in guarding the side wings of the central battlefield.

Compared with the anxious and festering scorpion's head front, the battle between two vital forces - Titan's Eighth Corps and Fourteenth Infantry Corps were a rather impressive sight. Eight Corps displayed an array of spears at the front of their battle line. The Deiss soldiers lost some time at their initial change of warriors, which cost them the lives of almost half of their ax warriors positioned in the vanguard. When Deiss spears soldiers eventually resisted the enemy's attack, the two fighting parties turned into two hedgehogs that were twisted together, trying to probe each other with their spikes.

Numerous long spears entangled in mid-air like a criss-cross steel fence. The crashing noise of metal against each other was ear-splitting. Warriors anxiously looked for a gap between the wall of spears and constantly sought an opportunity to kill one another.

The air was filled with the uproarious hustle of fighting and killing. All of a sudden condor and flocks of crows came into the scene. They were attracted by the stench of the bloody massacre, which constantly provoked the sense of smell of these birds of prey. On the ground was cramped with the initial killings, while in the sky these agitated flying creatures combined into one entity of greyish green pool water.

On the plains lay dead bodies of horses and men. Fragmented knives and spears as well as lone feathered arrows accumulated on the ground. Underneath the feet of humans were a pool of muddy, bloody water. Early winter's cold wind swept the battlefield, causing the muddy blood to cool and precipitated.

Silver fox shuffled his feet gently. He inserted his palms into the pocket of his leather jacket, but what welcomed it was merely a piece of cold air. Alan was a little surprised as to where his tobacco case had gone, but immediately he remembered, that he no longer smoked tobacco since many years ago.

”Have you ever heard of the Devil's attack?”

Colonel Leigh McCaren shook his head at the question. He only knew that there was no sign of positivity in this unfamiliar term.

All four of the fully integrated Corps of Deiss has been deployed into combat. It seemed that the Teutonic Knights and the Fifth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade were used as the last striking force. The two cavalry troops were divided into defending the left and right sides of the battlefield.

Titan Imperial Guards also deployed five fully integrated Corps, only the Sixth Corps was reserved in attack position.

The front line was gradually stabilizing, the soldiers involved in the killings were only now competing for every inch of land underneath their feet. The thin red line became a bond between the battlefield. Both parties continuously stood on this tensed red wire, pulling at each other. With no other alternative, they could only continue harvesting the opponents' lives with knives, swords, spears, and axes, tirelessly exhausting each other's' will in order to stay alive.

”This is the moment of Devil's attack!” Alan's voice trembled slightly. He knew that in this very second and minute, countless lives have vanished in the battlefield.

”It is when a battle has reached a stalemate that it is suddenly intruded by a devil, who comes from an unknown purgatory! A devil who devours the soul and flesh and blood! It doesn't care who is stronger or weaker, who is right or wrong, from both sides of the war. It puzzles and confuses the soldiers' minds utilizing one of the oldest horror spells, taking away the soldiers' sense of hearing and sight, poisoning them with only the thoughts of waving their swords to slaughter anyone who stands in their way! But the spell usually doesn't remain for a long time. These soldiers eventually get tired, and they will give up, willingly sacrificing their soul and body to the devil.”

Leigh McCaren let out a low, helpless sigh as he looked at the two parties caught in a deadlock! Devil's attack! What a vivid metaphor! On both sides of the battlefield were puppets who have been eroded by magic spells. Instinctively each of them competed for the chance to stay alive, and the strong will made them stomp their feet on the ground. Nonetheless, the devil was always the final winner. It was everywhere, indulging itself in delicious blood and chewing fresh human flesh.

”Success or failure of each battle hinges on this moment – during the Devil's attack!” Marshal Alan suddenly handed his Marshal Sword to Colonel Leigh. ”Although the Sixth Corps is the main reserved squadron, I will not let it be on the attack. In the case where the war grows unfavorable to us, we can later rely on this Corps for a safe evacuation, if not the Deiss cavalry will kill us all. Can you imagine?”

Leigh McCaren shook his head. Although confused, what concerned him was another matter.

”Marshal, are you not intending to win this battle?”

”What a joke! Why would I even be here if I'm not intending to win this war?” Alan raised his brows in confidence, ”As I've mentioned earlier, the outcome of this battle is in your hands, the fate is decided by you and your enforcement team! Be ruthless! Be tough! Be extremely cold-hearted no matter what! During the Devil's attack, I don't want to see anyone moving backward! Once we retreat, we will bounce back to our motherland. All the honor and sacrifices of those previous martyrs would turn out to be no avail. Northern Army Group will never be able to recover from the setback. You and your descendants will spend the rest of your lives on the whips of the Deiss.”

Grasping hard at the great power of the marshal sword in his hands, Colonel Leigh McCaren saluted to the marshal.

”Battlefield enforcement team! Get into Crash formation!”

Following the command of their division commander, the enforcement team of Imperial Guards stretched themselves into a long line of barrier in the shape of a web. They were not aiming for the enemy, instead, they were trying to fight back their own comrades, those Titan soldiers who had been in and out of death with them previously. Colonel Leigh couldn't clearly describe his feelings at the moment. He flogged his warhorse along the field to the rear of the battle line, while simultaneously using his leather crop to whip his soldiers who stood idly and read aloud the open letter Marshal Alan wrote to all combatants before the war.

”To all the officers and soldiers of Imperial Guards! Today, I will lead you to receive one of the highest honors. While fighting the unscrupulous and vicious enemy from Deiss, we have to throw out our chest, polish our knives and spears, in order to impose revenge on the barbaric invaders! Do not fall short of the fervent expectations of His Majesty the Emperor and our Motherland, never let down the ardent exhortation of our hometown folks! The most loyal warriors of Titan Empire! Ignite your morale! Tear down the enemy into pieces! Honor and wealth are waiting for you! Imperial Guards... charge!”

”General! Look at the scorpion's head! Titan is moving back!”

General Rondraisse quickly turned his monocular around. Indeed! Titan soldiers in the middle of the battle line were retreating. What a disgrace! A severely ragged body being hung on a long spear entered his sight. Rondraisse couldn't identify the military rank of this unfortunate man, but he knew that he must have been someone of high ranking to cause his troop to retreat after his defeat.

”Arrow! Shoot at flat level!” Leigh McCaren got impatient eventually. His whipping hasn't been efficient in blocking the soldiers that were gradually retreating back into the rear.

Titan fighters who dashed out of the frontline fell onto the ground one after another like a domino effect. Colonel Leigh let out a painful low roar at the sight!

”Advance! Advance! Advance, the Imperial Guards! Those who retreat will be killed! Charge! You cowardly bastard! Get back up the front line! God of Light will not accept deserters! At least take a couple of Deiss' lives with you!”

The panicked Titan warriors yelled and cursed like lunatics. They were all drenched in blood. Using their equally weak arms they supported each other's exhausted limbs. The scorpion's teeth were swallowing in huge bites, moving forward mercilessly. The vanguard of the Imperial Guards appeared two or three gaps. These gaps were expanding as the soldiers receded constantly.

Colonel Leigh's marshal sword took away the lives of several idiots who dared to fight against the enforcement team. All of a sudden, he discovered that he didn't feel anyhow guilty about this anymore!

A shining thing caught McCaren's attention. Damn! This time it was an officer who rushed out of the enforcement team's barrier. What a shameless guy! He should really be sent to death!

The marshal's sword pierced into the man's body without hesitation! Don Carlos fell and rolled forward on the ground, in his arms held another body. The regimental commander of Group 1-3-1 widened his eyes. He looked at the sharp edge of the attacker's sword which was dripping with blood in disbelieve!

”My brother! What are you doing?” Don Carlos turned to glare at the ferocious looking colonel of the enforcement team.

”Brother…..” McCaren slowly tasted the way this word rolled his tongue. An inexplicable bitterness filled his mouth. He knew that the major on the ground was indeed a brave and skillful warrior. His body was covered with severe wounds, those fresh blood oozing out from them were about to flood the whole field into a pool of redness.

”Brother… put down the man! And get back to the frontline!”

”Of course I'll get back to the frontline! But this is my only remaining blood brother now! I've already lost two, and this one is severely injured! I'll never let him...”

Leigh McCaren jumped off his horse. Without a word, he took the unconscious man in the major's arms and flung him across the horseback, before whipping the warhorse to speed to the direction of the accumulation point of death and wounded.

”Thank you, my brother!” Don Carlos struggled to his feet. Leigh McCaren didn't return the manner as he was already dashing to another man with a shining shoulder strap. Not every officer could get away with an excuse like this.

”Army commander!” Just before the colonel's sword pierced through the coward's chest armor, he was extremely stunned to see this familiar face in front of him.

”No! No! I'm not going back! My division commanders are dead! My regimental commanders are dead! My soldiers are dead! I'm not going back! I'm never going back! Never!”

Colonel Leigh stared at his army commander who has turned into a weeping child. With his eyes closed, he pierced the marshal sword directly into the chest of this crying man!

When he finally opened his eyes, the earth was moving around in circles. Soldiers were wailing miserably; his brothers were bleeding! More have retreated backward! McCaren tore off the white armband, which signified the enforcement team, from his arm. It was fairly apparent to him that he has completely lost control in the Fourth Corps. Alan should be the one to go to hell! He needed to execute something with more practicality!

”Fourth Corps! After me! Let's fight back with honor!” McCaren kept on pushing violently on the soldiers who sandwiched him. He shouted out commands loudly to left and right as he charged forward. He cursed the enemy with the lewdest words of abuse! He urged the soldiers to fight bravely with indignation! He could feel his body boiling with anger and enthusiasm!

Don Carlos finally returned to his own battlefield. Although the soldiers who were still resisting have already disrupted the organizational system, they remained the most determined and valiant fighters of the Northern Army Group! Even though the enemy's sabers swung above their heads, these soldiers withstanding at the frontline still raised their hands in salute to the approaching commander.

”I've just been away for a while and you have already lost your pants?” The major ridiculed those soldiers who seemed unfamiliar to him. After a brief roaring laughter, Titan soldiers used their last might to counter the enemy's assault.

”This can't go on any longer! We can't allow them to continue to resist like this!” Colonel Rondraisse clenched his teeth and stared closely at the tight contend happening in the middle of the battlefield. He wasn't intending to complain about Third Cavalry Corps' weak offense, nor was he feeling sorry about the annihilation of his Ninth Independent Cavalry Brigade. He just felt that he needed to do at least something in order to put a perfect ending to this war that has been going on for three hours.

”Fifth SS Independent Cavalry Brigade, attack!”

At the command of their marshal, the cornetcy on the observation post waved the command flag in his hand aggressively.

Without hesitation, Alan deployed the wolves cavalry fighting on the left side to receive the enemy's independent cavalry. After going in and out of the battlefield for several times, the wolves cavalry already lost more than half of its force. However, these Timberwolves still raised their double blade and bows and arrow fiercely in the air to ward off the Deiss assault. In the west of the battlefield, Timberwolves and National Defense Forces set off dirt and dust into the sky. The two sides engaged in a bout of fierce fighting. Knights slaughtered knights, platoons crisscrossed as they advanced on the enemy.

”This is it!” Rondraisse finally revealed a smile. Alan's only cavalry army group was limited to one side of the battlefield, which meant that...

”Teutonic Knights launch to assault! Target the enemy's central position!”

Scorpion's poisonous hook finally struck a terrifying blow like the deadliest prey! Teutonic knights crossed the eastern side of the battlefield and passed through the Imperial Army's Eight Corps phalanx with ease. The knights who sped by sent the dust into the air, and the Titans defeated and dispersed among the midst of dust. Due to the severe loss of the battlefield commanding officers, these scattered square arrays of soldiers simply couldn't resist the assault coming from the strongest and most elite Deiss' forces.

Alan gave a faint smile. This was also the moment that he has long awaited! Command flags fluttered frantically in the air, the formation of the first Corps positioned in the middle of the battlefield was already beginning to change. The battle on the front was still intensifying, but the First Corps who remained in the final two square phalanxes were completely turned around. They were now spreading out into a blocking formation toward the enemy who came charging from the eastern side!

”Silver fox Alan! Do you think that by virtue of two teams of thousands you can block the Teutonic Knights?”

”Oh! Rondraisse! You're so much worse! Doesn't it occur to you that your scorpion is coming to a near death if someone held its poisonous tail and crushed it into pieces?” Alan leaned his back against the trunk of the banyan tree. Resting comfortably under the shade, his features grew even smugger.

Two teams of thousand men absolutely couldn't stop the Teutonic Knights. Titan fighters were knocked over to the ground by a strong impact! But they have at least eased the assault of the enemy. The scorpion's tail swayed in the battlefield. Although it stabbed the enemy, at the same time it also exposed its most vulnerable parts to others.

”How long can the Titans last?” Rondraisse utilized a monocular to inspect the small hill located in the distant. He was eager to see how Alan looked like at the moment of his approaching defeat.

The view of the monocular flew across to the hill but rapidly returned to its original position. Rondraisse hurriedly readjusted the lens of the monocular, completely panic-stricken. Who could answer his question? Who was the knight who suddenly appeared on the mountain ridge? What was that huge flag with red lines over a white surface he held in his hand?

The lone knight raised aloft the Fierce Tiger Flag of Narcissus! As if being cast with a spell, gradually, near to ten thousand of knights entered Rondraisse's sight. The men positioned themselves on the mountain, looking like a group of sculptures, a team of spirits.

”Red Tiger Cavalry Corps, attack! End this war!” Alan commanded his final order.

”Andrew Haila!”

Between heaven and earth sounded an ear-splitting cheer. A bugle call calling for the attack was made by the bugler of Narcissus Knight. The beasts that were ambushed in the mountains for months were finally released from their cage, in the form of a red stream of blood. Like an unbelievable miracle, the Imperial Guards in the front line raised aloft their weapons above their head. High-spirited, these soldiers threw themselves at the direction where the Red Tigers had gone earlier.

”Andrew Haila!” It sounded as if the call of a lover, the regards of a mother, a blessing from the God.