133.
133.
Our maneuver was so swift that it was hard to believe these were the movements of heavily armed warriors.
[Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik!]
Since the enemy was already distracted by the noise of the battlefield anyway, demanding perfect noise discipline from my warriors was a near-impossible request.
My choice to abandon caution and opt for a bold advance instead had not been wrong.
"Huff— huff—"
[Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik!]
The distance was not great, and the warriors' bodies had begun to heat up.
The enemy, who had been attacking Refil's army head-on without noticing the sound of three thousand warriors' footsteps rising all at once, at last became aware of our approach.
"Enemy! Enemy in the rear!"
"Everyone get ahold of yourselves! Enemies are coming from behind!"
"Turn around! Turn about! Turn about!"
The warriors of Alt Clut, who seemed about to pay the price for neglecting their scouts, quickly turned around amidst the confusion, raised their shields, and thrust up their spears, but that did not make us stop.
"We strike the enemy as we are! Sound the horns! All forces, charge—!"
"Charge—! Charge—!"
[Buuuuuum— buuuuuung—]
At my thunderous voice, the warriors gripping horns responded from all around, and my warriors and I began to sprint with all our might across the dry meadow that was just perfectly suited for running.
[Chalgreuk! Chalgreuk! Chalgreuk! Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik!]
'It seems they have exhausted all their javelins. They truly fought with desperate effort.'
My two legs, powerfully kicking off the earth, pushed my heavy body forward relentlessly, and the state of the rapidly approaching enemy looked far from good.
To us they were at the very front, but to them this would be the very rear of the formation.
The enemies standing in my way were likely those who had already clashed once with Refil's forces and were taking their rest, their shield arms trembling and their spearpoints aimed at my charging warriors wavering.
'If they concentrated every man on the attack to the point of not even posting scouts, then they must accept the risk of being utterly ruined the moment that attack is thwarted.'
Leaving behind a small measure of pity for the enemy commander whose face and name I did not know.
I soon raised the hilt of the greatsword I gripped tightly in both hands with force.
"Hel—a—!"
[Huuuung— puhseok!]
With the momentum of my charge and paying no mind to the clumsy spearpoint, I brought the massive sword down from above, and an enemy collapsed to the ground without even a scream.
Along with a first kill more fittingly described as crushing rather than cutting. Immediately afterward, sounds of impact as if colliding bodily with the enemy's feeble ranks rang out from all around.
[Chaeng! Kwajik! Puk! Aaaack! Puhk!]
"Take this!"
[Hwirik— hwirik— hwirik— puhk!]
"Kuk!"
[Puk!]
"Ugh!"
Poorly armed and already exhausted, the enemy could not withstand the brutally staggering impact delivered in an instant.
"Aaaack—!"
"Ru—run! Save your lives!"
"Run where! The enemy is behind us too— kuk!"
My warriors, who had somehow been told that the foes before them were the very light infantry that had harassed them so relentlessly as we moved along the road beside the River Clyde, were tremendously excited, and they drove into the enemy with a ferocity I had never seen before.
"Die!"
[Seogeok!]
"Ack!"
"Keep pressing them! We are tearing through the laughable ranks of these feeble wretches!"
"Long live Hel! Long live Helgi!"
"Val—hal—la—!"
The most crucial thing in battle was momentum. And the way to raise that momentum was victory.
Seeing the enemy crumble this way and that like fallen leaves before an autumn wind, anyone would have been certain of victory.
Just as I sensed that the forces led by Stórolf and Guthrum on our left wing and right might be pushing out a little too far, a counter-charge came from the enemy center, which had been withdrawing endlessly, accompanied by a thunderous war cry.
"Warriors of Alt Clut! Fight for yourselves—! God is with us!"
"Rhun ap Arthgal! Follow the old bloodline!"
"Kill all those barbarians!"
[Iyaaaaaa—!]
Were they not quite valiant fellows?
Seeing the way they came running, their fighting spirit was still alive despite being caught between Refil and my army and pressed hard, and judging by the somewhat thicker leather armor, helmets, and even swords that they still wore, I thought these must be the elite warriors of Alt Clut.
'Then a commander must be among you as well.'
After all, was the crux of all strategy and tactics not to strike the enemy's head?
The warriors of Alt Clut now charging out through the ranks toward the center of our army where I stood were surely aiming for exactly that point.
Yet this was precisely the situation I desired.
[Buuuuuum— buuuuuung—]
At that very moment, Refil's forces sounded the horns signaling their charge from far away.
For the enemy, there was now no choice left but to engage with us.
"Thorbjörn! Form up the warriors! Warriors of Dair—! Come to my side! We shall accept their challenge!"
"Aye, Konungr! Brothers of Garmr! Forming up! Dair—! Get into ranks!"
"Get into ranks! You are not a boar! Do not rush in, follow the command!"
"Check your gear! I said listen!"
[Chik! Chik! Chik!]
In this age, fundamentally, whether on the battlefield, in diplomacy, or even in social activity, one needed to have a loud voice above all.
The warriors, who had been mindlessly chasing the enemy, halted at my voice, which was like a cannon-shot, and soon formed up into ranks under the command of the thoroughly heated officers.
The two wings led by Stórolf and Guthrum already seemed to have entered a state of frenzy, but that was all the better.
"Huff— huuk— huff—"
The rough breathing of the warriors rose from all around.
At the sight, which was like a Camembert left to grow angry because it could not run freely, I let slip a slight smile.
"My warriors! Follow me! Leave not a single one alive!"
There was no need to draw it out; the very moment the warriors, already drawn back like a bowstring, had roughly sorted their ranks, I sprang forward and shouted.
"Charge—! Charge—!"
"Follow the Konungr!"
"Long live Helgi! Long live Hel!"
"Long live Dair!"
"Valhalla—!!!"
[Dudududu— dudududu—]
The warriors on both sides, baring their enmity for one another without reservation, each pulled the lanyard on their own cannons for the coming festival of blood.
[Shung— shushung— hwirik— hwirik— hwirik—]
Before the full collision, the javelins and hand-axes that flew at each other gladly sought their marks.
[Puhk— puhbuhk—!]
"Ugh!"
"Uk!"
[Kwak! Puhk! Puhk!]
"Ack!"
"Kreuk!"
[Shuuuung— shuung— tae-aeng—! tae-taeng!]
As men collapsed and toppled over one after another all around, I casually deflected the three javelins flying at me and immediately crossed blades with a warrior thrusting his spear.
[Shwiiik— tak!]
His light shield did give him the advantage of wielding his spear with both hands, but it did not seem to be an advantage worth abandoning a proper shield for.
Without much effort, I lightly worked my blade and merely diverted the spear's course.
[Huuung— seogeok!]
"Kuk!"
And gave his wide-open chest a sword stroke like a ray of light.
Hearing the sound of enemies falling while clutching their cut wounds, I continued to pit my courage against the warriors of Alt Clut who rushed at me like moths to a flame.
[Shhhk-!]
"Die!"
'You die, instead.'
[Tak! Smack-!]
"Urk!"
I struck the jaw of the enemy who, too excited, threw not just his spear but his whole body at me, and sent him flying.
"Yaaaa-!"
[Hwoong- Slash!]
"-Agh!"
I cut down the warrior who was all noise before he could even thrust his spear.
[Thud!]
Hoooh-
I let out the breath I had been holding in a long exhale and quickly scanned my surroundings.
No matter how much my warriors were a group armed with rare discipline and spirit, it was impossible to maintain formation in such a massive charge.
Overall, loosely, as if in skirmish formation, the warriors who occupied their own spaces and argued life and death with the enemy were easily cutting them down.
Everything had different importance depending on the situation, but at least in this kind of mess— no, in close combat, the shield had to be big and the armor had to be sturdy.
There were those who preferred short swords, so the weapons they swung varied according to taste, but the common fact was that most of the blood being spilled was the enemy's.
They hurled the axes in their hands, they missed. They rushed in and pressed faces with both hands, threw dirt. A warrior who had won beside them stabbed the neck of an entangled enemy.
Amid the fierce fighting raging all around, as I paused to catch my breath, another five or six throwing spears flew at me.
[Shhk- Shhshhk- Tang- Taetang! Tang!]
My senses, stretching out endlessly, deflected all the attacks without moving a single step, standing in place, using only the greatsword dancing in my hands.
[Tuduk! Tudududuk!]
Behind the wood splinters splitting and falling in all directions, finally, I saw the one who had drawn the finest armor and sword rushing forward with several of his guards, and I felt the rough breaths of Thorbjörn and my guards who had hurriedly joined me from behind.
"Brave ones! Do you still have the strength to stand with me!"
"Of course, Konungr!"
"Hail Helgi Ragnarsson!"
Even if I were alone I would not have been very afraid, but with those who firmly supported my back, I could be even more courageous.
"Thorbjörn! Blow the horn! Charge!"
[Booouuum- Buuoooo-]
"Hel-! Thor!"
"Jorvik-! Tyr!"
"Árós! Valhalla!"
With a great roar that gave our allies surging strength and instilled extreme fear in the enemy, my warriors and I kicked off the ground in unison.
[Chalgeurakchalgeurak- Tadat- Tadat-]
"Yaaaa-!"
"Kill them-!"
"Alt Clut-! Alt Clut-!"
"Árós! Hel!"
[Hwooong- Slash!]
"Agh-!"
I struck down the enemy who rushed in with momentum, silencing him.
[Shhhiik- Ssk- Kwang!]
"Aagh!"
I twisted my head to avoid the spear aimed at my neck and then kicked his torso away without hesitation.
"Kruk-"
The enemy flew backward, foaming blood. Those in his path flinched momentarily, and I exploited that opening to strike the necks of two warriors at once.
[Hwooong- Slash! Slash!]
Puhuk- Puhuk-
Beyond the ones collapsing with spurts of blood, the enemy leader was visible.
"Th-... th-..."
When a person faces a bear or a tiger, can they survive by spirit alone?
When a person bares their nails, claws, and teeth at an elephant or a Tyrannosaurus Rus, would the predator feel any threat at all?
That was the situation between them and me.
This was not the arrogance of one drunk on power, nor excessive self-consciousness.
"Warrior of Alt Clut. I am Helgi Ragnarsson of Árós. What is your name."
[Yaaaa-! Puck! Aagh! Slash! Hwirik-hwirik- Kwak! Chaeng!]
The warriors who had instantly tangled with each other did not dare cross the boundary I had drawn with the blood of Alt Clut.
Within this space, only the Alt Clut army's leader and I were present.
"I... I am Rune, son of Arthgal!"
Rhun ap Arthgal, having barely escaped the invisible pressure that tightened on his whole body—something only those who have experienced it could understand—shouted with vigor.
It must have been an unconscious act to overcome my momentum.
"Rhun ap Arthgal... So you are the heir of Alt Clut."
A bigger fish had been caught than I thought.
"Yes! Heathen Ríheu! I, Rune of Alt Clut, challenge you to a sacred duel!"
"...?"
What?
[Sleureuk- Tang-]
As I stood with a dumbfounded expression at the sudden duel challenge, the Alt Clut heir called Rune unfastened and threw his helmet strap and tousled his reddish-gold hair about.
"Warriors of Alt Clut, all stand in place! I will fight a sacred duel with the enemy's Ríheu!"
The voice, shouted with veins bulging on his neck, barely reached the surroundings, and soon the Alt Clut warriors who had been trying to stop my warriors even by tangling with them if they were overpowered began to slowly step back.
Of course, more had died before that, but in a way, this Gaelic prince had made a proper decision. Otherwise, they truly would have all died here.
"Thorbjörn, are you there."
"Yes! Konungr! I am here!"
"Blow the horn long."
"Understood!"
I had thought he would be swept up in the battle frenzy, but clearly this cavalry commander had the ability to read the battlefield. It was a rare quality, which was why I kept him by my side. Perhaps I could give him more authority.
[Booouuuuuuuum-]
Thorbjörn, who had taken one long breath, blew the horn long, and the resounding sound penetrated every corner of the battlefield.
Immediately after, my warriors stepped back as one body and reformed their ranks.
Because that sight was greatly contrasted with the scattered and strewn Alt Clut warriors, deep worry clouded Rune's eyes.
"Let us begin. Rune of Alt Clut."
"If I win this fight, send all my warriors back to Alt Clut."
Why did all the bastards who challenged me to a duel say the same thing.
"If you lose?"
"...Originally, in a sacred duel, the victor takes all. The warriors of Alt Clut will not protest."
"Good."
"Hoooh—"
As if taking my nod as a signal, Rune steadied his breath and gathered his concentration, his appearance bearing the dignity of a hero, but.
"Yaaa!"
[Shhhiik-!]
[Hwooong-]
[Puseok!]
I split the spear thrust at me with force, then smoothly moved my greatsword to place it under Rune's neck.
[Hwoong-!]
In the momentary silence, the tip of the great sword did not waver even a bit, but Rune's neck, barely touching it, trembled madly.
"My victory. Do you acknowledge it?"
"...I have lost. We have lost... Please, show mercy."
A stream flowed down from beneath his tightly shut eyes, and at the same time, my warriors burst into cheers all at once.