Chapter 229: The Great Battle 2
Chapter 229: The Great Battle 2
“Aaaahh!”
The enemy had more than twice as many troops as they did.
A shower of arrows that covered the sky signaled the beginning of the fierce battle.
The vanguard of the Hunnic cavalry realized that the arrows raining down on them were very different from before.
The Eastern Legion’s bows had a longer range than the Hunnic bows, and there were also many more of them.
The archers on the flanks were so numerous that they could be seen with the naked eye.
That meant that more of their cavalry would fall off their horses before they even got into range.
“Don’t lose heart! Break through and tear their throats out!”
Even as their allies fell one by one to the arrows, the Hunnic warriors did not hesitate.
They knew that if they slowed down or flinched, they would only suffer more damage.
The Hunnic cavalry that charged with a sharpness like a needle split to both sides as they closed the distance with the Roman army.
They did not concentrate all their forces on one spot and try to push back the left or right wing like they did at Larissa.
This time, the Hunnic army was too large, and it was physically impossible to command them all perfectly like they did at Larissa.
And Caesar, who had anticipated that the enemy would do so, sent a signal to his cavalry to charge.
Unlike the Huns, the Roman army had concentrated almost all of their 100,000 cavalry on the left wing.
The number of cavalry deployed on the right wing was less than 20,000.
However, he had prepared various measures to prevent the right wing from being breached by the enemy’s cavalry.
Caesar had already heard all the details of the battles where Sextus had lost and Marcus had fought evenly.
And now, the Hunnic army was in a hurry and I'm patient to end the battle quickly.
To Caesar, a genius of tactics, the enemy’s movements were so obvious that he couldn’t help but see them.
“For the imperator!”
“Roma Invicta!”
At that moment, when they finally received the order to charge that they had been waiting for.
There were two figures that sprang out from the front of the cavalry with an incredible momentum.
They were Spartacus and Vercingetorix.
The heavy cavalry at the forefront of the Roman cavalry looked different from before.
They had longer lances than before, and they had decorations that resembled eagle wings on their backs.
This was the final form of the heavy cavalry that Marcus had envisioned.
The longer lances had a practical purpose of gaining an advantage in ranged combat.
The weight of the lances was reduced as they became longer, but it didn’t matter since they could easily pierce through the Hunnic armor anyway.
On the other hand, the eagle wing decorations on their backs were not very useful for actual combat.
These wing decorations were inspired by one of the strongest cavalry in history, the Winged Hussars.
One might think that it was cumbersome to have unnecessary decorations for combat, but it was actually different.
It was terrifying for the enemy to see monstrous heavy cavalry with huge wings charging at them.
And for their allies who followed them, it gave them confidence that they could never lose.
That’s why Marcus focused on shaping the wings to resemble eagles, which were also a symbol of Rome.
It was as if they were charging to annihilate the Huns with Rome’s symbol itself.
The effect was I'm mediate.
Even the brave Hunnic army flinched at the sight of the enemy cavalry’s charge that they had never seen before.
If they were just flashy but weak scarecrows, it would be one thing, but the ferocity of the Roman heavy cavalry was already well known to them.
In fact, when Bayatur fought Marcus, he avoided a frontal confrontation with his cavalry and used all his elites to tie up their feet instead.
But this time, he couldn’t use such tactics.
The number of heavy cavalry charging at them was much larger than in previous battles.
And since the Hunnic cavalry was split into two sides and almost all of the Roman cavalry was concentrated on one side, there was not much difference in numbers either.
“Don’t panic and fight calmly! The enemy’s heavy cavalry may be strong, but they are powerless once they fall off their horses! Just hold on until our cavalry on the other side surrounds their right wing!”
Bayatur was different from others and calmly assessed the situation and gave orders.
Which side’s main force would incapacitate the other first would be the turning point of this battle.
If it were the usual Hunnic army, and if the enemy they were fighting was not the Roman army that had concentrated all their forces, it would have gone as he thought.
“Wipe out all the Huns!”
Spartacus pierced three Hunnic cavalrymen at once with his lance and threw them off their horses.
A fierce lance charge that smashed the flesh of the enemy followed.
“Altan! Show yourself!”
Vercingetorix was also showing his overwhelming strength.
He didn’t have the same skill as Spartacus, but his strength was second to none.
And when he added the equipment that Marcus gave him, it was like a lion with wings.
The lion skin he wore over his plate armor was soaked with the blood of the Hunnic cavalry in an instant.
It was a brutal charge.
The Hunnic warriors, who were praised as the elite of the Huns, were skewered on the tips of their lances like they were on a spit.
It was like a flock of sheep being attacked by ferocious eagles and lions.
The allies following behind him were almost sticking out their tongues.
It was the mission of the vanguard to break the enemy’s morale as they stormed the front line.
In that regard, there seemed to be no stronger vanguard than the troops led by those two.
“Amazing.”
“More effective than I expected.”
The feats of the two commanders were clearly visible to Marcus and Caesar, who were far away.
Every time the eagle’s wings covered the enemy, the enemies parted like Moses’ miracle.
“I was honestly a bit doubtful about putting those wing ornaments on the back of the cavalry, but it seems you were right. It’s true that in battle, you have to do whatever it takes to lower the enemy’s morale and raise ours.”
“Of course, it’s not without risk. As long as they carry the symbol of Rome, that cavalry unit must never fall. No, they can’t even show signs of struggling against the enemy. They have to remain as an absolute symbol of invincibility.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. How many people in this world can match that cavalry you created?”
Marcus answered with a confident smile.
Woooooo!
He felt the allies’ cheers rising endlessly.
Following the heavy cavalry that advanced to the front, the rest of the cavalry collided with the enemy.
Fierce battles broke out everywhere.
Unlike last time, when they failed to deal effectively with Rome’s heavy cavalry, the Hunnic cavalry noticeably retreated.
It was inevitable that gaps would form as they tried to avoid confronting Spartacus or Vercingetorix’s troops head-on.
The Roman cavalry that followed mercilessly thrust their spears and swung their swords through those gaps.
On the other hand, Rome’s right wing did not easily break through by the Huns.
Caesar had arranged his right wing to specialize in defense from the beginning, knowing that his cavalry support was weak.
He concentrated almost all of his veteran infantrymen with rich combat experience on his right wing, and also moved all of his slingers and skilled archers to counter the enemy’s horse archers.
In this situation, there was not much that even the Hunnic cavalry could do.
It was not easy to approach until the enemy’s arrows flying like crazy subsided.
The Hunnic commanders also felt that something was wrong with the flow of the battle.
They didn’t understand why it was like this.
Was it because Rome’s movements were too good?
Was it because Rome was stronger than they imagined?
That was partly true.
But more than that, they failed to realize that their own movements had become I'm patient and simple.
They were not machines, but humans.
Not everyone could maintain their composure in extreme situations like Bayatur.
The other Senior Warriors were better off, but they also looked a bit flustered by the unfavorable situation.
“Altan! We’ll break through with our bows!”
Bayatur, who killed an enemy cavalryman with a slash, moved forward.
“I’ll assist you!”
Altan and his elite soldiers put more strength into their weapons.
Although they were not overwhelming the enemy in this battlefield right now, they were undoubtedly the strongest force of the Huns.
The other cavalrymen desperately opened a path for them as they advanced.
“It looks like their core forces are trying to break through our left wing!”
“I know. I can’t just sit still.”
Spartacus, who confirmed Bayatur’s appearance, grabbed his reins.
He casually cut off the neck of a Hunnic warrior charging at him and changed direction.
“Follow me! I’ll take care of the enemy’s leader myself!”
Vercingetorix, who was on the other side and boosting his momentum, also saw Spartacus’ movement.
He looked around and saw Bayatur and Altan advancing from afar and felt a shock as if he had been struck by lightning.
‘That bastard!’
He had never seen him in person, but he had heard so much about his appearance that he could draw him with his eyes closed.
Vercingetorix was sure.
The enemy who slaughtered his family.
The Senior Warrior Altan who devastated Gaul beyond doubt.
“Wooooo!”
He cut down three enemies in an instant and drove his horse forward.
No one dared to block his path in front of his fierce breakthrough.
“Wait there, Altan! I can’t let anyone else take your head!”
He moved toward his target without any hesitation in his movements.
He ran through the cavalry, stabbing his spear and sword left and right.
He pierced through the collapsing cavalrymen and headed straight for his target.
Vercingetorix and Spartacus reached Bayatur almost at the same time.
Vercingetorix glared at Altan with a murderous look, as if he couldn’t give up on this one.
“That bastard killed all my family. I can’t let anyone else have him.”
“You can have him. I wasn’t that interested in him from the start.”
Spartacus turned his head and faced Bayatur.
He drew his sword and confronted his opponent.
Even without words, his intention was clear from his eyes.
‘Do you want to continue our previous fight?’
“Damn.”
A crude sigh escaped from Bayatur’s mouth.
He wanted to finish the fight that he couldn’t end before, too.
But looking at the situation, it didn’t seem like he could have a fair duel like before.
Then, realistically, Bayatur’s chances of winning were less than 10%.
Fighting Spartacus here was almost suicidal.
‘But if I turn my back and run away…’
Bayatur was aware of the hopeful eyes of the warriors pouring on him.
The situation was difficult, but if he could only defeat the eagle-winged cavalry here, he could boost his side’s morale.
But the problem was that no matter how hard he thought, there was little possibility of doing that.
The enemy in front of him was Spartacus, who had shown more skill than himself even before he wore that armor.
Leaving this place to Altan was nothing but telling him to die after wasting some time.
But Bayatur turned around without hesitation and gave a clear order.
“Kill them and follow me.”
“Yes.”
Bayatur left without looking back at Spartacus.
Spartacus was a bit slow to react, not expecting him to leave so easily.
Before he could catch up with Bayatur, Altan raised his voice.
“Warriors, block that man’s way. He must not chase after our Senior Warrior!”
As he ordered his men, he drew his scimitar and approached Vercingetorix, who was staring at him.
“I know those bastards who are glaring at me like that. You must have a grudge against me. But none of those who looked at me like that ever survived. Their heads flew off without exception. Let’s see if you can keep your eyes open even after your neck is cut.”
He didn’t understand what he was babbling about, but it was clear that it was a provocation.
Vercingetorix took a deep breath and raised his sword.
He pointed at himself and said,
“Gaul. Arverni tribe. Vercingetorix. Remember this name even if you die.”
There was no need to exchange any more words between them.
Vercingetorix roared like a lion hunting its prey and threw himself fiercely.