Chapter 184: Twenty-first Episode: Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 184: Twenty-first Episode: Chapter 3

Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation

At the two sides of Shawob River, especially the south riverside where Buzaberg Jetty was at, the riverside was a like wetland made of mud, other than being a chaotic temporary construction site. The air was foggy around the wetland but the heat from the sunlight soon evaporated the fog. The mud and the water in the shallow river became extremely clear. Through them, everything seemed to be covered in a layer of mysterious color.

The thin fog, the sunlight and the thick smoke all mixed into one in the air. Within the smoke near the jetty, the light gleamed just like thunder all the time. Some on the water surface, some on the bridge and even at the jetty. The light dots connected into one line and the explosion came like a tsunami.

When the light dimmed, the smoke rose like clouds. The jetty showed its true image on a rare occasion. Through the blurred light and fire, soldiers could be seen standing in dense formation. The people were also seen running away in fright.

At the center of the river, especially the place nearest to the jetty frontline, seven West Percian sailboats lined up in a single file. More than ten cannon windows were opened on both sides of the boat. In the windows were cannon mouths spitting fire. When the sailboats swung with the waves, the cannons released deafening roars. Sometimes, it was a single shot or a row of shots. Sometimes, it was a few, sometimes dense shots. The cannons kept spreading and expanding like a group of clouds, coming slowly into a large, terrifying piece. It covered all the space of the south and north shores.

Speaking of it, it was strange that the smoke created by the cannons and the rise and fall of shooting sounds actually created such a beautiful and touching scene. From the view of the highest commanding official of the First Cannon Division of Titan's Guards, the roaring of the cannons was the bouquet in a festival. The explosive shock waves and the rising of water pillars were the melodies and dances during the festival.

Torry retrieved his gaze from the window. He tore the collar of his uniform apart, then wiped his charred face due to the fire powder and smoke. He still felt uncomfortable in the end. So, he simply threw his uniform away and was naked on the upper half of his body. He ran about in every ship and said to every cannon soldiers, ”Brothers, give it your all. Send all the dogs of the west back to their hometown!”

Thus, his soldiers filled the powder excitedly. Then, they stared at the lead of the cannon happily, as if they were lighting a firecracker. The lead let out a burning sound. When the fire disappeared into the cannon, the soldiers turned around with their backs facing the cannon. Then, they used their hands to cover their ears. A shriek that resembled a male alto voice rang from the cannon and the large momentum sent the cannon away from the window. However, the large buffer at the base brought the cannon back to its original position.

After a few seconds, the cannon shot that became a dark purplish color due to friction with the air let out a long moan. The people heard ”Shoo” and ”Dong”. Suddenly, the dark purplish cloud turned into an eye-catching white. Broken limbs and broken bridge were blown into the air. Additionally, this fierce cloud mixed together with another round, dense firefight!

So, more limbs got torn apart. Mixed with the wooden debris of the bridge, they were thrown up high and spread around before falling into the river. Countless bodies floated on the surface of the river. The blood washed against the riverside. At the side of the bridge, the intelligent agent of the Faran Kingdom, Colonel Karlchette, had lost his past pretense. His military hat was nowhere to be found. His ears were bleeding and his narrow face was full of charcoal dust and sweat. This Baron had hidden in an archer tower which was built temporarily. The archer tower was the furthest away from the jetty. Even so, the cannon would shoot at this place occasionally.

”How do you perceive this matter?” the jetty investigator of Anti Titan Army pointed to the scene in front of them.

Colonel Karlchette smiled and showed his yellowed teeth, ”Who am I supposed to ask? But let me remind you. When the cannon firing has finished, if you still have people with you, send them to build a defense base near the river.”

”Near the river?” the investigator looked at the stated place where large water pillars kept blowing up, ”Leave it! No one will go!”

Karlchette patted the shoulder of the official of the jetty, ”Then, I am sorry. I must leave this d*mned place!”

Right after the agent ran out of the archer tower, there was a huge explosion behind him. The archer tower collapsed due to the fire cannons. The arrows that were stored in it dispersed like naughty children. The unlucky Colonel Karlchette was thrown into a mud by the explosive shock wave. Then, a flying arrow from the explosion hit his butt. He gritted his teeth as he held onto his skinny butt, climbing slowly forward like an unlucky beggar.

Finally, Major Karlchette climbed near his target. He turned the body of his division commander carefully. The Golden Lion Flag was resting there peacefully. Karlchette Divoli held back the pain in his leg and sat upright. He wanted to take the blood-stained flag from his division commander, but his division commander held onto the flag too tightly. Karlchetted could not do anything.

The young major, commander of the cavalry unit glanced at the highland which was full of bodies. This was the place his group and division had fought at. The enemy's cannon and their assault unit left all his comrades here.

Suddenly, Karlchette felt emotional. He used his teary eyes to search for familiar faces on the ground. Even though he only took over this unit right before the war, he remembered them well.

The man who held onto the enemy tightly was Taylor who was a high school teacher before the war. The one whose limbs were hit was the messenger in the division. He loved to show pictures of his wife and children to the other soldiers. The one who had a few iron arrows pierced through his body was Larry, a shoemaker before the war. Karlchette's army boots were maintained by him.

The major looked at the broken limbs hung on the flagpole. He apologized to his division commander. Using a knight's sword and with all his energy, Karlchette cut down the arms of his division commander who was holding the flag. His division commander's blood had dried up. The cut arms only showed red muscles and pale bones.

The major stood up shakily. He used the flagpole to stable himself on the ground. The pain on his thigh was so intense that Karlchete almost lost his balance but he held it back with gritted teeth. He saw a lonely warhorse nearby, so he walked towards this little guy who had lost its master.

The major touched the wet neck of the horse. It was all sweat and blood. Limping on his injured leg, he climbed onto the horse's back. Just like the previous flag holder, he tied the flagpole on his forearm with a piece of a broken uniform. To be honest, Karlchette did not know what he should do after this. The Golden Lion Flag that was broken in pieces had completely lost its past color and liveliness. The fierce sun during midday let the corner of the flag drooped downwards, depressed. It was just like the deep sigh of a general who had lost everything.

Karlchette turned his head around. Since God knows when the injured knights of the 2-1 unit had already gathered around. Arrows were struck in their bodies and some had broken limbs.

Karlchette looked at the knights behind him and again at the flag in his hand. He knew that the Guards had never fought such horrible yet courageous war! They launched their attack under the attack of the enemy's cannons and arrows. Then, they struggled hard under the defense of infantry and disturbance of cavalry. Now, they were going back to the Fire-Eyed Girl Highlands in front of them.

Karlchette's Fire-Eyed Girl Highlands still stood on one edge of the plain. Just that the blood and bodies of the knights had completely covered her face. Karlchette held the flag up high. He could no longer speak but the language of the flag represented everything. The southwest wind blew at the plains and the broken Golden Lion shivered with it. The young major commander turned his horse to the direction of the highlands. He closed his eyes slowly.

”Your eyes are like fire. Only you. When my passionate youth is about to pass, you light me up like I am the charcoal!” Karlchette recalled his wife's face for the last time, then he urged his horse lightly. Once again, the remaining thousand warriors of the Titan Guards' War Army's Sixth Column of the Nineteenth Corps launched their attack at the Fire-Eyed Girl Highlands. Hopefully, this was the last attack because the warriors' eyes who watched this scene on the battlefield were already filled with tears. They only felt that true heroes should only experience the pain of that instant, not endless, continuous torture. Why was the sky so gloomy?

Sergeant Morod Karlchette lied on the ground. The truth showed that he should not leave his role and more so joined the frontline unit at the right wing.

The little messenger was crying and screaming by his side. The guy used his white hands to press at his wounds with force. The robin's wound was at his left ribs. A sharp double-blade slashed at his ribs, but Morod Karlchette could no longer feel the pain. The pain went away slowly as he lost more blood. Sergeant Karlchette only wanted to know if his eyes were losing the color, or that the sky was truly filled with gloomy clouds.

The robin's arm searched the ground. He could only feel bodies that were stacked together. When he finally found a small part of soil after some hard work, he was disappointed because the soil tasted of blood. Couldn't he find a better evidence?

Karlchette struggled to get up. His messenger quickly helped him out. He could finally see a larger piece of sky. The sun was up high, and the sky was blue. Amongst the blue, a few grey clouds floated around. The robin was most familiar with this scenery. Every rainy season, the plains near Shawob River were well-known for their ”tearing rain” and ”sky-filled rainbow”.

Morod Karlchette was born at this place, grew up, learned and enlisted at the same place. No one knew more of the sun shower that was about to fell than him.

”It's about to rain!” the sergeant reached out his hands and laid his palms flat. He maintained this position for a long time. Right at the last moment when his life ended, rain fell from the sky and onto the palms of the robin. Therefore, this soldier closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Countless Titan warriors walked past Sergeant Morod Karlchette and the crying messenger holding the sergeant. Sacrifices happened at every single moment in a battlefield. No one would take note of the death of a normal soldier.

Everything was moving. Human bodies, weapons, sunlight and the rain under the sun. Only robin lied quietly in the embrace of a little kid. It seemed as if he was having a nice sleep. There was a hint of a smile on his face.

The grey clouds cast a few huge shadows on the ground, but no one noticed the change in the weather. The battle frontline which four, five miles in length was filled with sharp sounds of killing and people trying to kill each other. Rain fell silently and without notice. At first, the warriors only felt a little shiver but as the rain became dense and heavy, people finally took notice and were surprised by it.

Silverfox Alan danced on his observation deck. He even opened a bottle of Brandy. The bodies fighting in the rain became even more hasty. The rain made the warriors' faces crueler and the soil under their feet bloodier in the mud where bones and flesh buried underneath. The people under the sun stared at the clouds with devout eyes. They seemed to be seeing miracles. The rain was continuous and, along with the sunlight, brought a sense of cooling to the afternoon air.

The area of rainfall seemed to expand – from the edge of the forest to the whole battlefield. However, some places seemed to be clear as usual. The people who had never witness ”tearing rain” before would truly be mesmerized by the scene before their eyes. It was as if a few holes filled with clouds suddenly appeared in the sky. The God of Light turned the hourglass of rain over as if throwing a tantrum under the eyes of the Sun King.

A beautiful light pillar fell on the Fire-Eyed Girl Highlands. This 49-meter high hill was right at the intersection of the two areas of rainfall. The sunlight was compressed into a bundle of white by the clouds and appeared more dazzling in the clear sky. The collision of the rain clouds forced a loud rumble of lightning but the people standing under clear sky could not see the lightning. The sunlight diluted the energy of the lightning and light. From the view of Staff Sergeant Karlchette the spear-user, the scene before him was strange.

His spear division rushed upwards from the slope at the right side of the highlands. The enemy's reaction was nothing short of slow. At first, it was a round of arrow shower, then the disturbance of the cavalry unit. Following that was the collision with the infantry of the Faran Kingdom's Fifteenth Knight. The spear-users did not have such a hard time with those with shield and axes. Titan warriors' spears had the enemy's organs and bodies on them.

Karlchette was an experienced veteran. He took off the specially-made armor made for the Guards, then took the shield of the Faran Kingdom Army. Now, the enemy and his unit could not recognize such a strange soldier. The spear-user wore an evil smile on his face. He used his shield to push the warrior beside him and used his spear to push the enemy in front of him. The frontline where both sides glued together in a fight did not mind such a man with an unknown identity. Karlchette, like a stubborn pangolin, squeezed towards the center at the highlands. There stood an army flag that he swore he must destroy.

That army flag was right before his eyes. Karlchette saw the face of the flag holder and the beautiful army uniform the person wore. The spear-using Staff Sergeant held his weapon tightly, waited for an opportunity and stabbed forward! The officer who held the flag only felt a cold sting at the lower belly. The spear was too quick. He did not even have the time to feel pain before he dropped to the ground with his eyes wide opened. Karlchette used his shield to bump the enemy in front of him away. He rushed forward and stepped on the shaky army flag. The Farans finally understood what had happened until this moment. They rushed towards him like a cloud of flies. Staff Sergeant Karlchette held his spear high and fought amicably. Throughout this whole time, his legs did not leave the enemy's flag.

Just when the spear-user was about to run out of energy and his spear was stuck between the bones of an unfortunate soldier, Karlchette saw a new flag stood on the highlands. He distinguished it carefully. That should be the Golden Lion Flag that he was familiar with. The horses of Titan's cavalry unit jumped to the highest point of the highlands. They were soaking wet due to the sudden sun shower but they were all energetic and had uniformed movements.

The knife was cut down with clean moves and the sword slashed upwards in a light movement. The warhorses crashed into the enemy's unit while the knights hit the soldiers before them with their shields.

A knight whose body was full of blood stood alone on the highlands. Countless knights engaged in self-absorbed fights around him, but no one wanted to disturb the flag-holder who did not had any weapon at all. He alone held the tattered Golden Lion as if the battlefield beside him did not matter him at all.

Karlchette felt an emotion growing in his heart in which he had never experienced before. He kicked the body near his spearhead and threw the shield away. He gazed at the blood-stained flag while he raised his spear up high. That emotion that spread and burned his heart just like boiling oil had to be released through shouts.

An uncivilized roar came from the Fire-Eyed Girl Highlands.

”All hail our country!”

”All hail!” Countless warriors raised their spears and the weapons in their hands. They could no longer find any enemy at the peak of the highlands. The once invincible enemy retreated to the plains at the south of the highlands just like a tide. The warriors could still see the thick rainclouds hovering the sky above the Hoillanders' camp. The panic-stricken Hoillander cannon soldiers were covering the life-taking machines with rain clothes and blankets made of dry grass.

Sunlight shone upon the face of Karlchette, the spear-user. He reached out his blood-stained hand towards the knight who sat on the horse. He felt that shaking hands with this hero was better than giving him a military salutation.

The knight glared with his wide eyes. There was no color in his eyes. Nor was any focus.

The spear-user Karlchette felt a little weird. He grabbed the person's arm but the warrior on the horse slumped immediately. The flag that was raised up high fell slowly. Karlchette quickly helped him up. The nearby soldiers noticed the falling flag. They rushed forward. Numerous hands reached out to the flag. The three broken arms tied to the flag were terrifying, but the flag was maintained in its position by countless blood-stained palms.

Once again, the flag in which the Titan's Guards had fought for a long time flew high on Fire-Eyes Girl Highlands. The young knight was motionless. His thigh's vein was cut open. Only God of Light knew when his life and soul had left his body. Only he himself knew how he rushed towards the Fire-Eyed Girl Highlands when his blood almost ran out.

The Fire-Eyed Girl Highland was filled with light. Numerous Titan warriors were staring proudly at the flag which flew high in the sky. The warrior who held the flag had sacrificed himself, but his comrades still hung on to his body stubbornly. The flag was connected to his body. There seemed to be no way of separating them.

”Who is he?” spear-user Staff Sergeant Karlchette asked a knight beside him. He wanted to know the name of this hero very badly.

The knight raised his chest, ”He is the division leader of 619.33. The lover of Fire-Eyed Girl Highland.”

Silverfox Alan threw the wine bottle away. Brandy dripped down along the edge of the observation deck. The thick scent of wince attracted the attention of everyone.

”Marshal...Marshal!” the observer approached Silverfox carefully, ”The Alliance Army's reserved squadrons at the back of the frontline is retreating towards the direction of the jetty. They are retreating from the battlefield!” Alan's eyes were a little out of focus. Before him gathered thousands of soldiers. The sky tore up before him and sun showered upon the ground like miracles. ”What do you want to say?”

The observer saluted the highest commanding marshal respectfully, ”Sir if you allow me to, I want to congratulate on your victory! The reserve squadrons are now retreating from the battlefield. This shows that we have already--”

Alan pulled this disturbing man away in a great force. He rushed to the edge of the observation deck and shouted to the messengers below the tower.

”What are you waiting for? Take group as a unit! Launch combine attack! Combine attack!”

”Which...which group?” a messenger asked after mustering his courage.

Alan frowned. He counted with his fingers, ”First Group, Second Group, Third Group, Fourth Group, Fifth Group...”

The messenger finally moved out. They sped up their horses at a crazy speed and dispersed to the bases at all directions. At the same time, they kept shouting over the clashing of weapons, ”All members attack! All members attack!”

Along with the command of their commander, the whistling to attack rang all over the place. Countless wooden-paddled boats which had shields on them were prepared at the riverside of the Buzaberg Jetty. Titan's boatmen built these boats according to the design of the eastern people. Each boat could accommodate up to two hundred-men platoons.

The boats stopped by the riverside. Following a loud scream, a colonel of the Guards who held the Flying Horse Flag was the first to rush towards the jetty. ”Alligator” Macier led his Assault unit out of the boat. The fully-armed Special Brigade warriors stepped into the water and moved forward. Soon, they took over the base near the riverside.

After that, the First Special Combat Brigade of Titan Empire's Military Intelligence Bureau's 5000 soldiers were divided into six groups. Under the cover of the cannons, they reached the land respectively. The resistance of the Alliance Army broke at that instant. The Special Brigade warriors only needed to deal with soldiers who were tortured by the crazy cannon firings until they have gone mad.

The people who had never experienced the battle by the jetty would definitely not believe the tragedy of this living hell. There was no clean soil at the shore and jetty. The bridge was also broken. Wildfire and grey broken bodies were all over the place. The invaders who used to be proud had become slaves beyond recognition. They were unafraid when they faced the weapons of these Special Brigade warriors. Some knelt as they gazed at the sky, some lied on the ground.

Titan warriors did not pity these invaders who were tortured both mentally and physically. Their knives cut these people who could no longer fight. Their spears slashed at these cowardly people who begged for forgiveness.

Finally, the riverside went silent. Only platoons of the Special Brigade warriors were rummaging through the enemies' bodies.

The highest commanding officer of the Special Combat Brigade Brigadier General Luke Citel was truly shocked by what he had seen when he jumped off the boat. He thought he had fallen into hell. After all his members had landed, the Brigadier General remembered to wave at the cannon ships in the river. No matter what, the whole reserve force of the Anti-Titan Alliance Army with the strength of a whole infantry corps was gathered at Buzaberg Jetty. The Special Combat Brigade was able to land safely thanks to Tove Van Sukhoi on the boat.