Chapter 439
Chapter 439: Just Keep Going Like This. (6)
The formation of the Raybold Army resembled a protruding arch in the front. With so many barbarians, the center needed to be thick to withstand the impacts.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Since they were at the front and clashing first, the battle in the center was particularly fierce.
The barbarian warriors pushed forward, even leading the great warriors, trying to penetrate the Raybold Army. With their numerical superiority, they intended to break through the center with strong attacks.
Woroka kept shouting.
“We are much more numerous and powerful! Just push through! We can encircle them!”
The flanks of the Raybold Army were naturally more vulnerable compared to the thick central part.
Thud thud thud thud!
Simply surrounding them didn’t mean they had successfully encircled. To claim a proper encirclement, they needed to inflict damage.
They had to break the heavy infantry on the flanks to completely trample the Raybold Army.
While the warriors pressed down the center with overwhelming numbers, replenished soldiers tried to break through the flanks of the Raybold Army.
Thud thud thud thud!
Amelia, scanning the approaching barbarians, said, “Don’t retreat on the flanks; hold your ground.”
The soldiers began to adjust their formation.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
They closely pressed together, forming layers of shields, lifting their spears between the gaps of the shields.
They were resolute in holding off the cavalry charge.
And soon, the two armies clashed.
Boom!
The left and right flanks of the Raybold Army shook significantly and were pushed slightly back, but they didn’t completely break.
The barbarians weren’t equipped with full-body armor like the knights of the kingdom. In such a state, with the opponents’ defense being sturdy and the spears protruding, it was difficult to penetrate properly.
For the cavalry-reliant barbarians, it was indeed a troublesome formation.
Seeing this, Woroka shouted in frustration.
“Get off your horses! Dismount and engage! We outnumber them! Just push through with strength!”
Since they hadn’t completely broken through, it would be better to get off their horses and engage in close combat. The long protruding spears made it hard to approach while mounted.
The barbarian warriors drew axes from their waists and closed in on the Raybold Army.
Avoiding the long spears, they got close to swing their axes and climbed over their shields. Eventually, some of the Raybold Army had to draw their swords to counter.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Both sides fought fiercely, wielding weapons. The barbarians tried desperately to push in and disrupt the formation, while the Raybold Army endured.
Woroka shouted, his face brightening.
“Good! Just keep going like this!”
The opponent’s traps were already exhausted. It would be hard for them to employ useless tactics like before.
In such a situation where powers confronted openly, it was much more favorable for the numerically superior barbarians.
If they continued like this, the Raybold Army would inevitably tire and collapse.
As the front lines of both sides became entrenched, Amelia issued a new command.
“Flanks, hold your position; center, slowly fall back.”
The soldiers who received Amelia’s command began to move again.
The formation was layered with several lines. The rear line took a step back and braced their shields.
Bam!
Then, the line in front mirrored the action, taking a step back and bracing their shields.
Bam!
The breath and movements of the soldiers began to synchronize like waves.
That change reached even the soldiers fighting at the front against the barbarians.
Bam!
The formation, which had been arched forward, slowly retreated. It appeared as if the Raybold Army was gradually yielding.
“Hahaha! These fellows are getting tired!”
“Quick, kill them!”
“Push through!”
The crazed barbarians sang praises, thinking they could completely shatter the enemy formation with just a bit more effort.
But the flanks of the Raybold Army stood firm, closely packed together.
After a while, the Raybold Army’s formation, which had stuck out like a bow, transformed into a concave shape.
Only then did Woroka’s expression harden as he realized something strange.
“No way….”
The warriors fighting on the battlefield had no time to check their surroundings. They were too busy attacking the enemies directly in front of them.
The reinforcements coming in from the back began to get drawn into the center.
With so many of them, they had no choice but to move through that spot.
Some of the soldiers in the center of the Raybold Army shifted to the flanks to reinforce them.
At that moment, Amelia spoke with a cold smile.
“Strike.”
Again, the formation shifted.
From the flanks of the Raybold Army, except for some soldiers who were acting as shields at the front, the rest turned sideways and thrust their spears.
The barbarians had unwittingly walked into an encirclement.
Thuck! Thuck! Thuck!
“Gyaaaah!”
The barbarian warriors began to fall helplessly, taken aback by the sudden surging attacks from both sides.
In their vulnerable state, there was no way for them to defend against the barrage of spears.
The barbarians believed they only needed powerful stamina and ruthless offense.
Seeing this, Woroka trembled with fury. He finally grasped his opponent’s intentions.
“This, this is impossible….”
The traps and tactics shown earlier were merely bait to deceive them, as if they had prepared nothing else. This was the real deal.
It was a strategy that could only be followed while focused on fighting. What kind of army would retreat if the enemy seemingly retreated?
Woroka couldn’t believe that Amelia had such skills.
“Strike the sides! We need to push the sides! Hurry! Hurry and push the sides!”
Woroka shouted. Their flanks were not giving way, and they were being dragged along by the opponent’s strategy.
The barbarian warriors also tried desperately to bring down the Raybold Army’s flanks. They realized that for the tide of battle to change, those flanks had to crumble, even if belatedly.
But the Raybold Army stood resolutely, showing no signs of budging.
“Damn it! What the hell is this! We are far more numerous!”
The warriors continuously shouted and attempted to attack, but the opposition remained immovable.
From the start, Amelia had deployed top-tier elite soldiers at the front of the flanks. Moreover, among them were numerous shields enveloped in blue mana.
She had boldly positioned her knights at the front of the flanks to merely defend.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thus, no matter how hard the barbarian warriors attacked, the Raybold Army did not easily break. The strong great warriors were all pushed into the center to break through.
But the center was already overwhelmed in a state of encirclement.
Thinking it wouldn’t hold any longer, Woroka blew the retreat horn and shouted.
“Get out! Quick, get out!”
With so many attached to them, they found it hard to escape. Meanwhile, the Raybold Army was busy closing in on the trapped barbarians, killing them one by one.
But that wasn’t all. The wizards who had retreated started raining down magic again, and the archers resumed their arrow attacks.
Of course, the Priests of the Salvation Society were also diligently protecting the trapped warriors. But their power couldn’t stop all the attacks.
Ultimately, the trapped warriors continued to perish incessantly.
Woroka, witnessing this, shouted in outrage.
“Uuuuaaaah! That woman! How dare she!”
He still had many troops left at his disposal. But with the front blocked, he couldn’t deploy all his remaining forces at once.
He could circle around and strike from the sides, but it wouldn’t break the heavy infantry.
Thus, the only option left was to regroup and charge from the sides.
But would the enemy just watch idly? Even if they did, could those heavy infantry be easily broken?
No, he had to reorganize and fight again. In this state, he could only be led by the opponent’s intentions.
“Get out quickly!”
As Woroka pressed, the warriors began to gradually pull back. They too felt the urgency of the situation.
Meow.
Amelia leisurely petted Bastet, who was yawning as she surveyed the battlefield.
“Flanks, fall back.”
A new command dropped. This time, the flanks of the Raybold Army began to step back one by one.
Bam!
Of course, they didn’t forget to thrust their spears at the barbarians in the meantime.
Thuck! Thuck! Thuck!
“Gyaaaah!”
Bam!
The entire formation of the Raybold Army began to retreat. The barbarian warriors focused on attacking the flanks mistook the motive behind this movement.
“They’re yielding! They’re yielding!”
“Quickly wipe them out!”
“There are so many of us!”
Even if the formation fell back, the Raybold Army suffered no damage. They were merely moving back while methodically killing off the trapped warriors within.
In fact, retreating without direct confrontation reduced their casualties. The barbarian warriors hurried to follow the Raybold Army.
Woroka, witnessing this, felt his mind go blank.
“What, what is this?”
He had no idea. He couldn’t grasp the opponent’s intentions. Why were they retreating?
Panicking, he urgently shouted.
“Don’t follow! Fall back! Fall back, you foolish idiots!”
Not knowing the objective, they couldn’t let themselves be dragged along. A moment’s misstep could result in them being completely consumed and killed.
The backup units came to a halt at Woroka’s shouts. But the warriors already engaged found it hard to retreat easily.
They were warriors who were hard to control from the beginning. They were simply too busy following the Raybold Army without understanding what was happening.
“Fall back!!!!”
Only after Woroka lunged forward and shouted several times did the warriors begin to retreat.
But only those on the flanks were able to pull back. Those trapped in the center were dying without being able to escape.
Nevertheless, the left and right flanks of the Raybold Army moving back gradually alleviated the encirclement, and breathing space began to open up.
With so many trapped barbarians, the Raybold Army couldn’t wipe them all out immediately. They could only methodically take them down while moving.
Woroka continued to urge his warriors. The warriors of the left and right flanks had all retreated. There was no need for him to keep fighting as the opponent had voluntarily lifted the encirclement.
“Quickly! Just get out quickly!”
Now only the warriors deep within the center needed to escape. Many survivors remained. If they could get out, many could potentially escape.
Then they could regroup and fight again.
Just as he held on to that hope, Amelia spoke again.
“Wipe them out.”
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Suddenly, the rear lines in the center moved aside, creating a wide-open space.
Only the soldiers of the flanks were left to hold back the barbarian warriors.
While they moved back, appearing confused, the cavalry of Raybold, who had been waiting at the very rear, finally sprang into action.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
“Haha! Get ready to die!”
Ulkan, a former bandit, swung his massive club and shouted loudly.
Beside him stood Commander Conrad of Aktium Merchant Group, elegantly clad in armor, brandishing a spear.
He was not only Amelia’s staff officer but also an excellent knight on the battlefield.
Those attacking the flanks had already retreated. The warriors in the center were also turning to flee.
They were in a completely vulnerable state.
The cavalry of the Raybold Army crashed into that formation.
Boom!
“UACK!”
The barbarian warriors couldn’t mount any defense. They were swept away as they had entered the center.
The barbarians who had already retreated could only watch their comrades die one after another.
Woroka stammered, trying to speak.
“I—I’ll save our comrades….”
Because the flanks had retreated, the enemy cavalry had moved. Once again, he was caught off guard.
The center of the Raybold Army was now completely open. They could push in reinforcements again. But he couldn’t articulate.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
At some moment, the flanks of the Raybold Army stopped moving and raised their shields once more.
Woroka dared not deploy more troops. He still didn’t understand the enemy’s formation and strategy.
“What is this? Are they trying to block again? Or is this just feigned strength? Another trap? What will happen if I charge in now?”
The battlefield situation was changing rapidly. Thus, commanders needed to assess situations faster than anyone else and make decisions.
But Woroka couldn’t easily decide.
He couldn’t read the opponent’s intentions.
Having been fooled so many times, Woroka couldn’t help but fill with thoughts. Amelia was literally playing with Woroka’s psychology.
Ultimately, the trapped warriors in the center were all trampled by the cavalry of Raybold.
“What in the world….”
Until then, Woroka couldn’t issue any commands. The barbarian warriors watching could only wear expressions like ghosts.
Having clashed violently, they suddenly found themselves taking a beating and retreating.
They had been too focused on the enemy in front of them to understand what had just happened.
The Raybold Army stopped moving. With their numbers being far smaller, they had no reason to force themselves into the front.
In this battle alone, it seemed they had killed about ten thousand barbarians. Amelia nodded a few times, patting Bastet.
“Let’s move to the next area.”
Meow.
Upon that command, the Raybold Army began to orderly retreat. There was not a single wrinkle in their formation.
Woroka and the barbarian warriors could only stare blankly at that scene.
Especially Woroka, who was more puzzled than anyone.
“Why are they retreating? What on earth is happening? Weren’t they trying to block us? Could it be a ploy?”
Once again, he failed to make a decision on what to do. He could only watch the Raybold Army leave the battlefield.
As if reading his thoughts, Amelia smiled while watching the retreating barbarian army.
“I will fight where I want, when I want, and how I want.”
That was her way of fighting.
