I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1194 The Final Offensive Begins

"They're here! They're coming!"

"My Lord Apostle, please use your divine powers to help me defeat the enemy!"

As the Han army made a desperate advance into Rome, Albinus in Rome was indeed in a state of panic, just as Su Yao had predicted.

Having witnessed the divine power of the black-robed apostle, he had completely placed his hopes on these mysterious figures.

That immense power from heaven and earth was Rome's last hope!

However, the man in black robes did not do as he wished, and instead unleashed the divine punishment directly upon the heads of the demon king's central army.

Faced with Albinus's near-collapsed pleas, the black-robed apostle in the center simply shook his head slowly, his white mask reflecting a cold luster in the candlelight.

“Augustus, you are too hasty.” His voice was still hoarse, devoid of any emotion. “My Lord’s power is as vast as the sea, but every time he invokes the rules of the mortal world, he has to pay a price, and he needs the right time and place. That Eastern Fire Thief is an anomaly, and his luck has not yet run out. If we rashly bring ‘divine punishment’ directly down on his army, it may trigger a backlash from the rules, and all our efforts will be in vain.”

"Then...what should we do?!" Albinus exclaimed anxiously. "Are we just going to watch his army march to the gates of Rome? My main legion is wiped out, and the city's defenders number less than 20,000. How can we hold them off?"

“Let him come,” the black-robed apostle on the right said coldly. “Rome is the best altar, and also the final graveyard chosen for him. The ‘Anchor of Time and Space’ on Mount Capitol has accumulated enough power, just waiting for him to step into the final realm. At that time, there will be no need for divine punishment; his own power that defies the rules will become the shackles that destroy him.”

The apostle in the center pointed to a complex, illusory magic circle outlined in dark red lines, covering the entire city of Rome, in the center of the secret chamber:

“Look, the power of the anchor is intertwined with the fate of this city. Every warrior’s blood shed on Italian soil reinforces this cage. The moment he steps into Rome, the cage will close.”

"In Rome, he will be no different from any other mortal, but you..." The apostle's gaze turned to Albinus, "will have the opportunity, in the presence of the gods of Rome, to personally end this false god who steals divine power, with your own mortal body. This will be the most decisive victory, the only way to completely wash away Rome's shame and offer the most perfect sacrifice to our lord."

As Albinus watched the slowly rotating phantom of the magic circle, he could almost see countless tiny, blood-red dots of light converging from all directions toward Mount Capitol, and a cold yet powerful force spreading throughout the city.

He swallowed hard, a mixture of fear and a twisted excitement rising within him. To personally slay that nightmarish Eastern emperor… the thought alone was enough to drive any ruler driven to madness.

"What...what do I need to do?" Albinus's voice trembled.

"Gather your last strength, consolidate your defenses, abandon all outlying towns, and concentrate all your forces within the city of Rome."

The apostle in the center commanded: "Relying on the natural defenses of the Seven Hills and the advantages of the streets and alleys, set up defenses layer by layer and block them step by step, keeping the main force of the Han army firmly tied down in the quagmire of street fighting in Rome. The more fierce the battle and the more blood is shed, the stronger the 'anchor point' will be, and the more thoroughly we will suppress him."

“Remember, your task is not to win quickly, but to wear him down and weaken him to the maximum extent possible, and lure him to the foot of Mount Capitol—that is where the real end is.”

In early December of the sixth year of the Kaiyuan era, Su Yao personally led the central army of the Han Dynasty northwards with almost no large-scale field resistance, his forces heading straight for Rome.

Most Roman towns along the way surrendered without resistance or offered only token resistance. Albinus indeed implemented a scorched-earth policy and withdrew his forces, abandoning vast countryside and plains and placing all his bets on the Eternal City itself.

This unusually smooth progress, ironically, made the seasoned Han generals uneasy. Zhou Yu repeatedly warned Su Yao to be wary of the Romans luring the enemy deep into the city and setting numerous traps within it. Guo Jia also believed that the enemy's abandonment of their field advantage and their desperate defense of the isolated city must be due to some reliance on something, which was likely directly related to that strange "monster."

But Su Yao's mind was made up. The system's mission and Dina's prophecy both pointed to Rome, the eye of the storm and the only place to solve the problem. Escape and delay were pointless; only a direct confrontation was the true solution!

In mid-December, the Great Han Dragon Banner finally appeared on the hills outside Rome.

Gazing at the vast city in the distance, built upon seven hills, with its winding walls and numerous temples, even the Han soldiers, accustomed to metropolises like Luoyang and Taixifeng, couldn't help but be awestruck by the grandeur of this "Eternal City." The Tiber River flowed through the city like a jade ribbon, and countless marble buildings shimmered with a pale luster under the thin winter sunlight.

However, this city, which should have been full of life, was now shrouded in deathly silence and desolation.

The gates of Rome were tightly shut, and the city walls were lined with soldiers armed with swords and spears, along with countless crossbows, catapults, and even a number of their own imitations of cannons for defense.

"Your Majesty, it seems that Albinus is determined to remain in a defensive position." Zhou Yu observed the city's defenses, his brow furrowed. "The city walls are sturdy, and the terrain is treacherous. A direct assault would likely result in heavy casualties."

Su Yao nodded, but his gaze traveled beyond the city walls to Mount Capitol, the highest peak in the city center. There, the silhouette of the Temple of Jupiter stood out starkly against the gray sky, exuding an indescribable sense of oppression that could be faintly sensed even from a distance.

[Warning: You have entered a high-concentration influence zone of the "Anchor of Time and Space". System suppression is enhanced... Current suppression rate: 50%... 55%...]

A system notification sounded in his mind, and Su Yao could clearly feel that the lightning power flowing around him was becoming increasingly sluggish, as if he were sinking into an invisible quagmire. Even Griffin growled impatiently in his consciousness, indicating that he did not want to approach the city.

Su Yao tried to channel his own energy to power up Griffin, forcibly piloting him across the mountains and toward Mount Capitol.

The closer they got to Mount Capitol, the stronger the oppressive force became. When they were still several miles away from the temple on the mountaintop, Griffin let out a painful howl, the light of the golden feathers around him dimmed rapidly, and the lightning power in Su Yao's body almost completely solidified. He had no choice but to retreat decisively.

"Sure enough, the core is right there." Su Yao was now completely certain of his target.

At this moment, as other Han armies clashed with the Roman army, the progress of the anchor point quietly advanced another step, reaching 94%.

Su Yao stroked the feathers on Griffin's neck, feeling its resistance and unease, but his eyes burned with an even more intense fighting spirit.

"I don't care about your schemes and tricks, just focus on one thing: the more he fears something, the more I will do it!"

Su Yao immediately ordered: "The three armies surround the city, set up cannons and establish camps!"

"I want to see how many rounds of heavenly fire this 'Eternal City's' tortoise shell can withstand!"

The Han army was extremely efficient; in just three days, nearly a hundred giant cannons dismantled from the ships were transported to the city and installed.

On the 21st day of the 12th month of the sixth year of the Kaiyuan era, at dawn.

With Su Yao's command, the nearly one hundred cannons, braving the firepower from the Roman city walls, roared in unison, marking the start of the general offensive.

(End of this chapter)