I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1191 The Price of Victory

"Impossible, this is impossible!"

Fleet Commander Marcus was completely dumbfounded as he looked through his binoculars.

The reason they were able to charge forward so fearlessly in this battle was because they knew they had received the protection of the gods.

Yes, the gods are protecting us.

Three months ago, facing the unstoppable scourge of God, the great Jupiter appeared on Mount Capitol, bestowing upon them the protection of the gods. He not only taught them many amazing technologies and blueprints, but also promised to descend a sacred barrier during the war, imprisoning the power of that Eastern devil.

After the battle began, they indeed did not see that person display any divine power again, which greatly boosted the morale of the army.

But who would have thought that the demon's power was so terrifying, reaching such an unbelievable level! Even without the power of thunder, relying solely on his physical martial arts skills, he still moved through the enemy ranks as if they were nothing.

Commander Marcus watched helplessly as Su Yao moved across the deck like a ghost, sending Rome's elite soldiers flying and crushing them like weeds in his wake. It wasn't a battle; it was a one-sided annihilation. The so-called "divine barrier" seemed to have only imprisoned the earth-shattering thunder, failing to weaken the demon itself in the slightest!

Panic spread like a plague among the Roman soldiers who had witnessed Su Yao's inhuman prowess. Their initial fervent fighting spirit melted away like snow under the sun in the face of such an overwhelming disparity in strength.

"He's not human! He's a devil, a real devil!"

"Retreat! We can't defeat him!"

The collapse has finally begun.

First, there were the Roman warships that had boarded the "Dingyuan." Ignoring the officers' reprimands, the sailors frantically cut the hooks and gangplanks, and some even jumped into the sea, just to get away from that terrifying god of death.

The panic quickly spread throughout the entire Roman fleet.

Contrary to expectations that they would be lambs to the slaughter after losing their divine powers, Su Yao's formidable fighting prowess, displayed with his bare hands, completely shattered the Romans' defenses. Rather, it was more heartbreaking than the devastating thunderbolts; his brutal, bone-crunching style of fighting, sending people flying one by one, was far more effective.

Commander Marcus's binoculars crashed onto the deck with a thud, the lens shattering. Knowing that all was lost, he had no choice but to finally order a full retreat.

However, it was all too late.

The Roman fleet was already locked in fierce combat with the Han fleet. The hasty retreat caused great chaos, and Su Yao continued to jump onto their ships, clearing out all resistance bit by bit.

He would sometimes punch and kick, sometimes brandish swords wildly, and occasionally, Su Yao would pull out a large club, which was designed to kill instantly. The heavy Roman helmet was like paper in front of that club; one blow and the brains would splatter.

He used whatever weapon of the eighteen kinds of weapons he could find; he would pick one up from the ground and start slashing, and if it broke, he would just throw it away.

Within minutes, several Roman ships were emptied.

Commander Marcus's flagship was not spared either.

In his despairing gaze, Su Yao descended like a god, landing on the flagship's deck. The last resistance crumbled instantly. Marcus, watching the war god-like figure approach, gave a bitter laugh, drew his sword, and committed suicide beneath the banner symbolizing the glory of the Roman navy. With the flagship's fall, the Roman fleet's resistance completely collapsed. The surviving ships scattered like headless flies, only to be annihilated or captured one by one by the Han army's methodical pursuit.

The afterglow of the setting sun and the raging flames turned the Strait of Messina crimson, with countless warship wrecks, broken oars, and struggling survivors floating on the surface.

The once mighty Roman fleet, now reduced to fewer than a hundred battered ships, fled in disarray toward the Italian mainland. The crimson dragon flag of the Han navy flew proudly amidst the smoke and sunset, proclaiming victory in this epic naval battle.

"Your Majesty!"

In the late-night sea breeze, after cleaning up the battlefield, Zhou Yu returned to the deck and reported to Su Yao:

"In this battle, the Romans deployed more than 800 ships of various sizes. Of these, 420 were sunk or burned by our army, 210 were captured, and only a little over 100 escaped back to Italy. In addition, our army also captured five ironclad warships. Although they were partially damaged, their main structures were still intact. It is estimated that three of them can be repaired and used by us."

"What are our losses?" Su Yao asked calmly, looking at the moonlight in the sky.

Zhou Yu paused for a moment, then said, "Our army has lost one Dingyuan-class warship, two Zhenyuan-class warships, and four others that are severely damaged and require major repairs. The remaining warships of various types have been lost in total, with more than 4,300 soldiers killed or missing and more than 10,000 wounded."

Zhou Yu's voice sounded slightly low in the night wind: "Although we won this battle, the enemy's resistance was fierce and the losses were enormous, which is unprecedented since the westward expedition."

Su Yao gazed at the embers of the fire still burning on the sea, remaining silent for a long time. The Romans' unwavering will to fight to the death and their technology, so advanced for their time, confirmed Dina's prophecy and the system's warnings. That so-called "anchor of time and space" was influencing this war in some way.

"Order the entire army to land on the south bank of the Strait of Messina and establish a forward base. The fleet shall rest, replenish supplies, and repair damaged warships on the spot," Su Yao finally ordered. "At the same time, dispatch all scouts and fast ships to closely monitor the movements on the Italian peninsula, especially any unusual activity in Rome."

“Your Majesty,” Guo Jia stepped forward and whispered, “In today’s battle, the Romans seemed certain that your divine power had been sealed, hence their willingness to fight to the death. However, the bravery you displayed today has likely already reached Rome. If they know that the ‘Divine Barrier’ has not completely restrained you, what will their next reaction be? Will the ‘Anchor Point’ be activated ahead of schedule?”

Su Yao's gaze was profound: "They won't give up. Since the 'anchor point' needs blood and souls to fuel it, then... an even greater battle is imminent. Order Guan Yu to intensify the North African offensive, making a show of threatening Carthage to tie down Roman forces. Order Cao Cao to expedite the elimination of the remaining enemies in the Balkans and seize the opportunity to advance on the northeastern border of Italy. We must put Albinus in a desperate situation, forcing him to use his last trump card prematurely!"

"Does Your Majesty intend to... lure the snake out of its hole?" Zhou Yu asked thoughtfully.

“No,” Su Yao shook his head, a cold glint in his eyes, “It’s forcing a dog to jump over the wall. I want to see just how capable that ‘Anchor of Time and Space’ and its master really are!”

For the next two weeks, the Han army did not rush to cross the narrow Strait of Messina to attack mainland Italy. Instead, they established a strong bridgehead in eastern Sicily and sent small units to clear out the remaining Roman garrison on the island. The navy, meanwhile, worked day and night to repair warships and replenish ammunition and supplies.

Meanwhile, pressure was intensifying on both the North African and Balkan fronts. After receiving reinforcements from Egypt, Guan Yu's army launched a fierce attack on Carthage, with Han artillery bombarding the ancient city walls day and night.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao's army joined forces with Ma Chao's northern army on the grasslands. They attacked from both the north and south, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the defeat of the barbarians in the lower Danube River, and quickly advanced, their forces pointing directly at the Gulf of Venice, threatening the northeastern gateway of Italy.

Under immense pressure, panic in Rome reached its peak. The Senate was rife with arguments: some advocated moving the capital, others sought peace, but the prevailing sentiment was one of hysterical despair.

On this land of despair, some dark ritual is being carried out at an accelerated pace.

(End of this chapter)