I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1139 The Devil from the East Has Arrived!
In the eastern part of the Roman Empire, in the province of Syria, on the west bank of the Euphrates River, lies an ancient city—Kakkamish.

This city boasts a history spanning over two thousand years, a legacy of the Hittite Empire. It has witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations and is now an important outpost on the eastern border of the Roman Empire. The formidable Roman legionary fortress stands on a high point by the river, overlooking the ferry crossings and trade routes leading to Parthia (now the Anxi Protectorate of the Han Dynasty).

Today, however, the air above the fortress is no longer filled with the tranquility of the past, but with the sounds of bloody battle and billowing smoke.

"Hold on! For Rome! For Augustus!" a centurion roared hoarsely, his short sword deflecting a scimitar and then plunging into the chest of an Armenian infantryman.

But he was soon overwhelmed by more enemies. On the city walls, the red square banners of the Roman legions clashed with the lion banners of Armenia in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Arrows whistled, and stones were hurled from makeshift catapults, slamming into the fortress's towers and crenellations.

Vorogenis II, clad in jewel-encrusted armor, personally oversaw the battle from the rear. His army surged like a tidal wave, relentlessly assaulting the relatively weak defenses of the Kakamis fortress. The garrison, originally consisting of only a few understrength auxiliary battalions and some local militia, totaling just over three thousand men, was facing a full-scale, surprise attack from Armenia. Although they fought desperately, relying on Roman fortifications, their lines were already on the verge of collapse.

"Your Majesty! To the east! To the east on the river!" a lookout pointed in alarm to the lower reaches of the Euphrates.

Vologis and his generals looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw dozens of boats of various sizes that had appeared on the wide river, sailing upstream! The flags flying at the bows were not Roman eagles, nor Parthian or Armenian flags, but a dazzling crimson! Armored soldiers carrying crossbows could be seen on the hulls, their armor reflecting a cold metallic luster in the sunlight.

"It's the Han army! It's the Emperor's army!" a general beside Vologis exclaimed, his voice filled with both awe and fear.

They hadn't expected the Han army to move so quickly! The vanguard of the Han Dynasty had managed to eliminate the remnants of the Parthian army in such a short time, successfully cross the river, and rush straight to the battlefield!

The Roman garrison at the fortress also discovered this unexpected army, and a sense of despair instantly spread.

"Reinforcements? Are they our reinforcements?" a soldier shouted with a glimmer of hope.

"Fools! Look at the flags! They're from the East! They're the devils who conquered Parthia!" the old soldier roared in despair.

As if to confirm his words, the Han fleet began to turn just an arrow's throw away, its broadsides aimed at the riverside city walls of the fortress. Some of the ships launched dark, oddly shaped munitions.

"What is that?" Vologis squinted.

The next moment, the answer is revealed.

boom! boom! boom!
Several muffled thuds echoed from the river, not deafening explosions, but the sounds of heavy objects being thrown. Several black specks, billowing with blue smoke, streaked across the sky with a mournful whistle, crashing heavily into the walls and towers of the Kakamis Fortress!

boom! Boom!

Although not the most powerful thunderclap bombs, these explosive or incendiary bombs, fired from improved catapults or early artillery, still caused terrible destruction and chaos upon impact. A section of the city wall was blasted apart, exposing the rammed earth beneath; a tower was hit by an incendiary bomb, instantly engulfed in flames, and the defenders inside screamed as they were turned into human torches and fell to the ground.

This long-range attack, ahead of its time, became the final straw that broke the will of the Roman defenders. "A demon! A demonic weapon from the East!"

"We can't hold out! Run!"

The Roman defenses, which had been holding on, collapsed completely under this attack. Soldiers fled the city walls in terror, and the officers' reprimands had no effect whatsoever.

The Armenian army seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack. Soon, the fortress gates were opened from the inside by the panicked, fleeing soldiers, and Vologis's army poured into the city like a flood bursting its banks.

The fighting within the city quickly devolved into street battles and one-sided massacres. The remaining Roman soldiers and militia were either divided, surrounded, and annihilated, or forced to kneel and surrender.

When Cao Cao, escorted by generals such as Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren, stepped onto the dock of Kakamis from the largest ferry, the fighting within the city had largely subsided. The air was thick with the pungent smells of blood, gunpowder, and burnt food.

Vologis II, accompanied by several trusted generals, strode out of the still-smoking fortress gates to meet Cao Cao. His armor was stained with blood, and his face bore a weary yet excited smile.

“Is this the General of the Great Han Dynasty? King Vologis of Armenia, I have fulfilled my mission and captured this city for His Majesty the Emperor!” Vologis said in somewhat broken, hastily learned Chinese, while placing his right hand on his chest and giving Cao Cao a solemn salute. Behind him, the Armenian nobles and generals also bowed.

Cao Cao stood with his hand on his sword, his sharp gaze sweeping over Vologis and the army behind him, then over the dilapidated fortress and the key positions being taken over by Han soldiers. He nodded slightly and spoke in a translated voice:

"The King of Armenia is indeed wise and righteous, and his military tactics are swift. I, Cao Mengde, have been ordered by His Majesty the Emperor to lead a western expedition to quell the rebellion. Now that you have surrendered and have rendered meritorious service in capturing this city, I will inform His Majesty and request commendation for you."

Vologis was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly thanked him, "Thank you, General! I am willing to be the vanguard and continue to clear the road to Antioch for Your Majesty and the General!"

Cao Cao stroked his beard and smiled: "Good! Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Reorganize the troops, collect the spoils of war, and count the prisoners. At dawn tomorrow, the army will set off, target—Antochaud, the capital of Syria!"

"Yes!" Vologis and his men, along with the surrounding Han generals, responded in unison.

The fall of Kakamish was like tearing a huge gap in the Roman Empire's eastern defenses. The news spread like wildfire throughout Syria and the rest of the East.

The Roman towns and fortresses along the way were plunged into unprecedented panic. Some tried to close their gates and put up a stubborn resistance; others surrendered at the first sign of trouble, sending envoys with gifts to try to beg for peace with the Han army and their Armenian "allies".

Cao Cao fully utilized his military talents, dividing his forces into several routes, with the elite Han army at the core, Armenian troops as support, and surrendered soldiers as the vanguard, advancing rapidly. Those who resisted often faced a brutal attack on the day the city fell; those who surrendered, however, mostly managed to preserve their lives and property.

The Han army's efficient siege tactics, strict discipline, and weaponry far ahead of their time left an indelible impression on all who encountered them.

What terrified the Romans even more was that, as the Han army advanced, the various miraculous legends about the Eastern Emperor Su Yao became increasingly detailed and terrifying—riding golden divine beasts, summoning thunder, being invulnerable to swords and spears, and commanding soldiers as fierce as tigers and wolves, etc. These reports spread faster than the army's advance, severely damaging the morale of the defending troops in various places.
(End of this chapter)