Updated: 2012-12-07
After a moment's thought, Pedro suppressed his urge to act.
The aura emanating from the expert in the Zenit camp, who was suspected to be Emperor Yassin, was no less than his own. If they were to fight, he was not confident that he could win in a short time. In that case, if the fight were to escalate, the battle between the two powerful figures could move mountains and fill seas, and the aftershocks would inevitably endanger the ordinary soldiers on the battlefield, causing unnecessary casualties.
Furthermore, the Zenit have a master strategist directing them from behind the scenes. If they are tied down by this master strategist, the Zenit army, under his command, could very well...
We made dumplings completely.
After Pedro abandoned his plan to attack, the expert on the opposing Zenit side also tacitly maintained his restraint.
Two powerful forces are subtly locked in a standoff.
The fighting on the battlefield still revolves around low-ranking samurai and ordinary soldiers.
As time passed, more and more well-equipped Zenit troops appeared from all directions, completely surrounding Pedro and his tens of thousands of soldiers around the hill.
The fierce battle raged from morning into the afternoon.
The desolate grasslands on all sides were littered with the corpses of fallen soldiers, their blood flowing like rivers. The air was filled with a pungent, fishy smell. Carrion birds, having caught the scent of death, cried out in the sky, awaiting the start of a gluttonous feast. Warhorses, having lost their masters, ate the blood-stained grass forlornly.
Pedro repeatedly tried to exploit weaknesses and gaps in the Zenit formation to launch counterattacks, but each time, the Zenit reacted in advance, retaliating and completely crushing Barcelona's efforts.
It is clear that the Zenit team has an extremely skilled commander whose battlefield command ability far surpasses that of Pedro.
In the end,
The legion had no choice but to abandon the pride of a level nine empire and was forced to adopt a defensive posture. The entire army retreated to the vicinity of the small hill and held on for dear life. Their numbers had dropped to less than 20,000, a devastating loss.
The Zenit attacks remained relentless, like an endless tide, wave after wave crashing in.
"Kill them! Avenge the Byzantium king!"
"To avenge King Delu, King Siding, King Lainuo, King Hengda, and the 11,365 Zenit warriors who died defending the Empire!"
"Drive out the invaders, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"
The Zenit warriors, shouting various slogans, Charge with utter ferocity, completely blinded by rage.
The shameless people of Barcelona launched a war without warning, killing the King of four vassal states in the Southern Frontier. The fate of the Byzantium king was also uncertain. Wherever the Barcelona army went, it left scorched earth, and countless civilians were killed or wounded. This had completely ignited the anger of every Zenit. For the blood feud of their compatriots, for their homes, parents, wives and children, they would rather die than retreat.
"My lord, we can't hold out any longer! Let's retreat and break through!"
One of the officers, covered in blood and looking terrified, returned and offered Pedro some advice.
Pedro flicked his fingers, a flash of red light, and the officer's head fell to the ground instantly. He then said calmly, "Order all positions to show the courage and Glory of Imperial soldiers and hold their ground. If they dare to retreat even one step, their entire unit will be executed!"
What a joke! Facing the army of a mere first-tier empire, if...
Even retreating one step would make us a laughingstock across the entire continent.
"Yes, sir!" The officers beside him were stunned and immediately went to the front line to supervise the battle.
The battle grew increasingly fierce.
Where the two sides clashed, a large number of corpses piled up, resembling a small hill. Within an area of less than 100 meters, a fierce and intricate battle raged, with each side repeatedly fighting for every inch of land. The entire hill looked like a Hell mountain floating in a sea of blood.
As time passed, Pedro's tightly furrowed brows began to relax.
He turned his head and glanced back into the distance, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Judging by the time, it's about time. If we hold out for another thirty minutes, we can completely annihilate this Zenit regular main combat army here, saving us from further trouble. Then, we can advance all the way to the Zenit capital in one fell swoop, right?"
A smile appeared on Pedro's lips.
Everything was part of his plan.
However, the next moment, his smile suddenly froze on his face.
"What? The Zenit people... they actually withdrew?"
In the distance below the hill, as clarion calls of bugles sounded, the Zenit army, which had been attacking fiercely, slowly withdrew from the battlefield like a receding tide. Each faction coordinated perfectly, clearing the battlefield as they retreated, like locusts sweeping through a field, taking everything with them—not only the corpses of their own soldiers, but also various equipment and weapons...
Moreover, even in retreat, they left no openings. Their advance and retreat were well-planned and they moved slowly, making Pedro want to lead his army to pursue them, but it was like facing a hedgehog curled up in a ball, a feeling of frustration like a tiger trying to eat the sky but having nowhere to put its claws.
In less than ten minutes, tens of thousands of Zenit soldiers vanished completely into the distant, wild wilderness.
Less than fifteen minutes after Zenit's army completely subsided, a large contingent of Barcelona reinforcements appeared in the south, like a black torrent, carrying a destructive killing intent, and arrived at the foot of the hill.
Pedro sighed.
This is the follow-up land battle in Barcelona.
The Legion, one of the most renowned main fighting legions of the Barcelona Empire, is equipped with semi-cavalry and possesses extremely strong combat power and mobility.
In fact, he had sent a signal within an hour of encountering the Zenit army, indicating...
The legion immediately advanced at full speed and arrived here to rendezvous... Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, they were still a little too late.
" The Zenit Barracks definitely has a top-tier commander of continental caliber in command!"
Pedro sighed.
His original plan was to use himself and
As Decoy, the plan was to lure more Zenit troops to the vicinity of Shanggang, then gather the superior forces of Barcelona to decisively defeat all the Zenit troops in Southern Frontier, rendering Zenit incapable of guerrilla warfare and constant harassment. However, the enemy commander, with keen insight, had already anticipated this and...
Before they arrived, the entire army retreated, giving the Barcelona army no chance to be defeated in one fell swoop.
The first direct battle between the two armies did not result in a final victory.
But in reality, Pedro believed he had already lost.
This is not a good sign.
Since setting foot on Zenit territory, everything he has encountered has been perplexing.
There is no doubt that the Barcelona army was facing an extremely fierce and rebellious people.
"Lord Pedro, I apologize for being late." Surrounded by a cavalry unit,
Commander Telue bowed to Pedro, a young man who also graduated from the La Masia Royal Military Academy, his angular young face displaying the vigor and decisiveness characteristic of youth.
In terms of official rank and status, Telue was two levels below Pedro.
"It's alright, the Zenit people are just too cunning; they figured out our battle plan." Pedro still greatly admired this young man.
In fact, the graduates of the La Masia Military Academy with Catalan royal blood have always been very united. Due to their natural blood ties, they are firmly united within the Barcelona Military Department system, standing in the same camp to protect their own interests, and basically holding the military and political power of the entire Barcelona Empire.
Opposing the military academy faction were bureaucrats who had entered the Barcelona Military Department through other means, led by legion commanders such as Alves, Sangqiesi, and Masiqielanuo. The two sides were locked in a struggle, with considerable conflict between them.
"My lord, please allow me to lead ten thousand Imperial cavalry in pursuit. We will surely catch up with these lowly Zenit barbarians," Telue said confidently.
"Never mind." Pedro shook his head. "The enemy is cunning and may have set an ambush. Telue, there's something even more important for you. Lead the cavalry to ' Mowing Grass ' within a hundred miles. These barbarians are not accustomed to the Empire's teachings and have no right to exist on this land. In accordance with the will of God, we must give this beautiful land new masters."
" Mowing Grass?"
After a slight pause, Telue was overjoyed and said excitedly, "Yes, sir! Rest assured, Telue will complete the mission perfectly."
"Mowing Grass" is a tactical name coined by FC Barcelona.
In other words, it was genocide, leaving no one alive, completely annihilating all Zenit they encountered, whether commoners, nobles, merchants, or tourists, whether Old Man or six-month-old children. As long as they were not from Barcelona, as long as they appeared before the Barcelona army, they would be slaughtered.
Using this attitude, the Barcelona Empire has exterminated countless human races and rival empires over the past few centuries.
For many Barcelona soldiers, ' Mowing Grass ' meant unrestrained killing and looting; murder, arson, robbery, rape—a way to vent their pent-up emotions.
The Zenit's courage throughout the day, along with their seemingly endless harassment, had made Pedro lose patience and feel uneasy. He wanted to completely exterminate this race that might one day pose a threat to the Barcelona Empire.
To seize the land within Zenit territory as quickly as possible and achieve that goal, we must spare no expense.
Foreign lives were utterly insignificant in the eyes of Pedro and all the officers in Barcelona.
Having long followed a militaristic path, they had become accustomed to massacres akin to genocide.
Telue led his well-equipped cavalry army in a scattered manner.
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