The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 155: Achieving Victory
Now it comes down to whether the heavy shield bearers and their extra-long pikes can withstand the enemy's charge. The kingdom's cavalry, having suffered significant losses, sees the four-meter-long pikes forming an impenetrable barrier around the militia, resembling a hedgehog's quills. They realize that charging through would lead to their annihilation, so they resort to circling the militia and firing arrows from a distance.
With the speed of their horses, the arrows gain formidable penetration. However, the militia is heavily armored, and even when hit, the arrows rarely prove fatal. Most soldiers suffer wounds to their legs or arms, with few actual fatalities.
Meanwhile, the over a thousand crossbowmen have already reloaded using their step rings. Under the centurions' command, groups of a hundred crossbowmen focus their fire, inflicting massive casualties on the circling cavalry. After two volleys, the cavalry can no longer hold their position.
Despite both sides exchanging arrows, the power of the crossbows is undeniably superior. Moreover, when a militia member is hit, they are quickly pulled back into the formation for protection, with other soldiers taking over their crossbows to maintain the barrage. The cavalry isn't so lucky—once shot and unhorsed, it’s as good as being killed outright.
As the kingdom's cavalry struggles, they suddenly hear the retreat horn. Because Peace Haven's cavalry has begun to move. Rawkins leads his cavalry in a charge against the embattled kingdom cavalry.
However, retreating now comes at a cost, as the crossbows' range is a significant advantage.
Another volley is unleashed at the retreating kingdom cavalry.
From nearly three thousand, the kingdom's cavalry dwindles to fewer than two thousand after half an hour of fighting. Unexpectedly, Rawkins doesn’t charge directly at the kingdom cavalry. Instead, he shifts direction and crashes into a kingdom unit attempting to attack the left flank army from the side. He then maneuvers to threaten another kingdom unit on the opposite side.
Under the relentless waves of attacks from the left flank army, the kingdom's front lines are faltering. The commander, desperate, sends in two more thousand-man units to reinforce the front and orders his cavalry to guard against Rawkins' forces.
Meanwhile, Gevana, now free to act, quickly reorganizes, leaves the wounded behind, and advances toward the kingdom's left flank. The kingdom's commander, unable to spare cavalry for interception, grits his teeth and dispatches a border defense unit to block Gevana's militia.
The kingdom's commander can only hope that this militia isn't as formidable as the left flank army. But deep down, they know that any unit capable of withstanding a cavalry charge is no pushover.
Gevana executes a bold maneuver against the kingdom forces. Unlike the left flank army, Gevana organizes his troops into eight formations, each consisting of five hundred soldiers. Each formation includes a hundred heavy crossbowmen. Spear and shield soldiers lead the front, with each crossbowman paired with a guard holding a shield to protect against incoming arrows.
With the crossbowmen as the offensive core, they begin firing from two hundred meters away. The formations chant in rhythm, advancing thirty steps before halting to allow the crossbowmen to reload and fire. After each volley, the formations continue to advance. Initially, the effect seems minimal, but as the kingdom's border defense shield bearers are gradually hit, their protective line weakens.
When Gevana reaches within one hundred meters, the accuracy of the shots increases significantly. At fifty meters, it becomes a disaster for the kingdom's forces. Their shields and armor can no longer withstand the relentless crossbow volleys. Soldiers fall in waves, and despite having shield bearers for protection, the kingdom's archers fail to gain any advantage.
This death rain every thirty steps quickly breaks the morale of the border defense soldiers, who begin to retreat, eventually turning into a full-fledged rout. Meanwhile, the left flank army advances aggressively as well.
What truly drives the kingdom's commander to despair comes next. Amidst the chaos, no one notices the gates of the border fortress opening. Troops stream out, forming ranks. By the time the commander realizes it, he is terrified.
He hurriedly orders his last border defense unit to push the right flank army back into the fortress. But this is Henwell's elite corps! As fierce as the left flank army is, the right flank army matches their ferocity. Moreover, they have the fortress at their back.
By the time the border defense unit arrives, the right flank army is already assembled and ready to advance. When the two sides are fifty meters apart, massive bolts suddenly sweep through the ranks of the border defense unit. These are not ordinary ballista bolts but those from Peace Haven's military factory, with a range of nearly eight hundred meters. The bolts, as large as spears, could kill even a knight if struck.
Two volleys from the ballista throw the border defense unit into disarray. Although the ballista doesn’t cause massive casualties, the sight of a single bolt obliterating half a person body, with blood and flesh scattering, is enough to strike fear into anyone's heart. Before the border defense unit can regroup, the right flank army charges in.
With shields raised and spears thrust, the familiar tactics and devastating effectiveness return, soldiers falling in droves.
The kingdom's commander realizes the battle is lost. The Peace Haven forces advance from three sides—front, left, and right—compressing the kingdom's forces. Once surrounded, annihilation is inevitable. The only hope now is to break through on the right, where only Rawkins' two thousand cavalry stand.
The kingdom still has nearly two thousand cavalry, and the commanders believe their cavalry must be stronger. If they can break through Rawkins' line, escape might still be possible.
Seeing the opposing cavalry form a charge formation, Rawkins immediately understands their intentions. He doesn't back down. Raising his lance with a slight motion, he signals the Peace Haven cavalry to lower their visors and adjust their formation for the impending clash.
Behind Rawkins, five hundred cavalrymen ready their heavy crossbows, nocking bolts into place. These cavalry crossbows are equipped with a safety mechanism to prevent accidental firing during the galloping charge. Additionally, there are hooks on the saddles to conveniently hang the crossbows after firing.
Both cavalry forces simultaneously increase their speed, charging headlong at each other. They adopt triangular charge formations, and when the distance shrinks to less than two hundred meters, Rawkins' five hundred cavalry unleash a volley of crossbow bolts.
These specially reinforced and weighted bolts maintain lethal power even when launched in an arc. The opposing charge also amplifies their impact. Sure enough, it causes significant losses to the kingdom's cavalry.
In a cavalry clash, formation, speed, equipment, and horses are all crucial factors. Henwell's meticulously assembled cavalry holds the advantage in every aspect. So, when the kingdom's cavalry formation is shattered, the kingdom's commander realizes he may soon become a prisoner.
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Chapter 155: Achieving Victory
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