Annihilating Spear, Immortal Shield! 4/4

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Arrows and spell projectiles fell like a torrential meteor shower upon the narrow battlefield of Hot Spring Pass, bringing violent tremors. The surrounding cliffs crumbled and shattered, stones whistling through the air and striking the shields raised along the line with sharp, clattering impacts.

Some particularly forceful fragments even pierced wooden shields or slipped through gaps in the formation, embedding themselves in human bodies and sending up clouds of blood and flying limbs. Screams and muffled groans followed.

"Archers, two hundred per rank! Spread the formation horizontally! Five hundred paces ahead, forty-five degrees upward! Fire in rotating volleys! First rank, loose!"

Using the rocks and low walls for cover, Alexander drew his shortsword and organized Arcadia's archers to counterattack.

"Apollo of Light, Artemis of the Hunt, great gods above, grant us your protection! Grant death and injury to our enemies!"

The Arcadians, who worshipped Artemis and her brother, silently recited their divine prayers. Then they drew their fir bows, the runes on their arrowheads glinting coldly beneath the flow of Aether.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As bowstrings trembled, hundreds of arrows tore through the air and descended with shrill keening winds, piercing toward the enemy silhouettes beneath the barriers.

For a moment, several soldiers standing atop elephant saddles were struck through the chest and skull, tumbling to the ground before being trampled into pulp beneath elephant feet.

However, far more arrows were blocked by raised round shields and sweeping elephant trunks. In truth, a single volley inflicted extremely limited losses upon the Persian army.

"Second rank, chant the divine words! Activate the inscriptions, fire! Rotate in sequence, don't stop!"

Alexander struggled to remain calm, but his brow furrowed ever tighter. In his sharp eyes, he could vaguely see a gloom shrouding them from above.

Moo! Moo!