The Final Battle, Part Two
Just as Alex was leading his men to besiege Geis, the main force of the Northern Alliance Army, commanded by Count Colt, suddenly changed!
Several neat square formations, each with a thousand men, quietly separated from the massive army and quickly advanced towards the front line, where the battle was most intense and the fighting was exceptionally fierce.
This sudden turn of events surprised everyone, but it was actually premeditated. It turned out that Count Colt was not entirely unaware that the Duchy's Cavalry might launch a surprise attack. Instead, he had taken precautions and had hidden several elite troops nearby, cleverly blending them into the main force, making them difficult to detect.
If the duchy dares to send its Cavalry to attack rashly, then these ambushes, which are already in full battle array, will suddenly burst out like tigers descending the mountain, dealing a heavy blow to the enemy!
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and it ultimately didn't come in handy: when Geis personally led the elite Cavalry of the Ducal Guard Legion in a fierce attack, Alex's Northlands Cavalry were equally unyielding, resolutely stepping forward to confront them head-on.
Despite the subsequent setbacks in the battle, Alex's Cavalry was ambushed by the enemy and nearly suffered a complete defeat.
However, thanks to the superior numbers of the Northlands Cavalry, as well as their outstanding combat skills and tenacious fighting spirit, they successfully withstood the fierce attack and gradually turned the tide of the battle, gaining the initiative.
Faced with the unstoppable Northlands Cavalry, even the most elite Cavalry of the duchy under Geis was powerless to resist and could only retreat step by step, suffering repeated setbacks.
As the commander, Count Colt was full of confidence in his brave and skilled Northlands Cavalry, firmly believing that there was no other Cavalry force in the entire Grand Duchy that could confront them head-on and be guaranteed to win.
Indeed, judging from the current situation on the battlefield, it is as he said— the Northlands Cavalry under Alex's command has gained a clear advantage and continues to expand its gains. It seems that it is only a matter of time before they defeat the Duchy's Cavalry.
Seeing that the situation was very favorable, Count Colt decisively ordered all the troops originally intended for ambush to be deployed to the main battlefield to support the friendly forces that were engaged in fierce fighting.
After all, if the current favorable situation continues to develop, it would be a huge waste to leave this elite force idle.
Once these fresh troops continue to pour into the front lines, they will inevitably put unprecedented pressure on the Duchy Army; at that time, the stalemate will change dramatically, and the Duchy Army will only be a matter of time before it is destroyed!
However, this seemingly insignificant action caused unexpected trouble.
The troops that had been guarding Count Colt and the Northern Alliance Command had all left for the battlefield, leaving only a guard force of less than a thousand men to stay here.
Nevertheless, a sliver of hope remained in everyone's hearts.
After all, at this moment, the duchy's Cavalry was facing annihilation, and they were no longer able to organize any threatening mobile forces.
The only hope lies with those scattered, insignificant, and defeated soldiers who have fled in all directions.
To this large and well-trained guard, a mere hundred or so fleeing enemies were utterly insignificant. A little resistance would be enough to easily defeat them.
However, fate always likes to play tricks on people...
Just as the Northern Alliance Command was immersed in optimism, a messenger's report broke the tranquil atmosphere.
It turned out that the outer guards had spotted a remnant of the duchy's army approaching Count Colt's location from the edge of the battlefield!
"Where did those guys come from?" A Squad Leader of the Count Colt Guard stared suspiciously at the remnants of the duchy's army slowly approaching them, and turned to ask his companion.
His companion shook his head in equally bewilderment, indicating that he knew nothing about it. "Look at these people, they're a pitiful sight!"
In my opinion, they must have come here after their army was routed, running around like headless flies. They might have even gotten lost!
It's no wonder the Squad Leader would make such a guess, because the appearance of this remnant of the duchy's army was truly wretched.
Their clothes were tattered, and many had even lost their helmets and armor, but they still tightly gripped various swords and other weapons, clearly indicating that they had not completely lost their ability to fight.
The officer leading the group, riding a fine horse, was quite eye-catching.
However, seeing the remnants of the army gradually approaching, Count Colt's guards could no longer turn a blind eye.
The Squad Leader who had just asked the question acted decisively, leading his soldiers straight towards the enemy without hesitation.
"Captain, do you think we should call for them to surrender?" a soldier asked the squad Squad Leader of the guards, his face full of doubt.
The Squad Leader replied without hesitation, "No need for that! These are just remnants of the duchy's army. We've finally got such a great opportunity to show our strength. If we let them go so easily, we'll probably never have another chance to earn merit and be rewarded in the future!"
Therefore, we absolutely cannot let them surrender so easily! Otherwise, how can we gain enough merit and glory?
After saying this, the Squad Leader decisively issued the order: Charge!
Immediately afterwards, he took the lead, like a fierce tiger, leading his troops forward bravely and fearlessly into the enemy lines.
As expected, the already demoralized remnant of the duchy's army was thrown into chaos upon seeing the enemy troops charging menacingly towards them.
The soldiers panicked and fled in all directions, like startled fish and birds, each trying to escape for their lives.
Witnessing this scene, the last vestiges of doubt in the Squad Leader's mind vanished instantly.
At this moment, he was full of confidence and continued to charge forward without any hesitation, while secretly calculating how much merit and reward this battle could bring him.
However, something unexpected happened! When the guards actually charged into the enemy lines, they were astonished to find that the routed soldiers, who should have been fleeing in all directions without any organization or discipline, did not scatter or run away blindly as expected.
Instead, these routed soldiers quickly banded together in groups of a dozen or so, forming small yet incredibly powerful battle formations.
These small formations, resembling blooming plum blossoms, were scattered across the battlefield in a pleasing, irregular pattern.
They may appear fragile and easily broken, but in reality they are extremely dangerous and lethal.
Once any soldier of the guards steps into the range of any of these small formations, they will immediately find themselves in a passive and vulnerable position—because these small formations can cleverly divide the enemy into scattered individuals, making it difficult for them to support and cooperate with each other.
To make matters worse, the duchy soldiers who made up these formations were all battle-hardened and highly skilled.
This unpredictable tactical arrangement, coupled with the bizarre and treacherous nature of the battle, made the entire situation extremely complex and unpredictable.
Faced with such a formidable enemy, the guards were completely thrown into disarray, beaten senseless and bewildered.
The squad Squad Leader of the guards watched in horror at what was happening before him, his heart filled with doubt and fear.
He stared wide-eyed at his surroundings in disbelief—the once orderly and high-spirited ranks were now in complete chaos!
What terrified him even more was that the soldiers who had fought alongside him were now lying one by one in pools of blood, struggling in agony and letting out piercing screams that echoed throughout the battlefield.
The culprit behind this tragic scene was none other than a defeated officer from the Duchy, draped in a black cloak!
The officer rode a powerful warhorse, moving through the crowd like a ghost.
He wielded an incredibly sharp weapon, each swing sending a spray of blood through the air. Faced with such a terrifying opponent, the guards were utterly powerless and fell one after another.
"What exactly happened?" the Squad Leader muttered to himself, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He simply couldn't understand why these seemingly destitute and defeated soldiers were so powerful. Could there be some unknown secret hidden among them?
Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly felt a sharp gust of wind rushing towards him.
Before he could react, the routed officer on horseback came galloping over like a whirlwind!
Without a second thought, the Squad Leader hurriedly raised his weapon, attempting to block the enemy's attack.
However, just a moment later, the Squad Leader felt everything go black, as if the whole world had collapsed.
Immediately afterwards, he felt a dizzying sensation, and his body was involuntarily thrown backward... When his last shred of consciousness remained, he vaguely saw a headless body lying on the ground, which was none other than his own body!