His mouth was slightly open, revealing blood-red teeth, and his entire face was contorted, the wound on his cheek torn by the crossbow bolt writhing like an earthworm.

A dark figure suddenly appeared on the battlements, holding a crossbow with arrows already loaded!

Despair quickly filled his eyes, but before he could make a move, the crossbow bolt pierced his eye and went all the way to the back of his head, where it was stopped by his helmet...

His limbs lost their strength, and he tumbled down the ladder. His heavy body knocked the two Hols soldiers behind him down with him, and they fell heavily to the ground, motionless.

………………

The Holstein soldiers frantically climbed the ladders, while a hail of crossbow bolts rained down on their sides from the protruding ramparts on either side.

At such close range, the chainmail on their bodies could hardly stop the crossbow bolts anymore, and every now and then, Hols soldiers would be hit by several arrows and fall off the ladder.

Even if they were lucky enough to climb to the top of the ladder, the slave soldiers who were already on high alert would immediately stab them down with their spears.

In an instant, the Holsteins attacking the city fell from the city walls one after another like dumplings being thrown into a pot. They had no chance of getting up again, and their miserable howls and angry roars buzzed like a swarm of wasps disturbed.

A huge rock slammed down with a shrill sound, sending five slave soldiers flying. Their screams ceased mid-air, and they landed on the ground as twisted corpses.

The trebuchet's boom was still swaying precariously, and in the distance, the Hols were turning the winch to set it in place. To date, their most devastating losses had been the work of these heavy machines…

As the distant rapier soared into the sky once more, all the slaves and mountain people cowered behind the battlements at the command. Huge rocks crashed heavily onto a tower, and flying marble fragments knocked down many Holsteins and careless slaves who were climbing.

But under this cover, all the Hols soldiers desperately climbed the ladders, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to get closer to the city wall.

Every Holstein believed that once they could scale the city walls in large numbers, those ridiculous slaves would be no match for them...

That's right, slaves! Everyone already knows that the city is defended by a group of slaves who have obtained the superior weaponry stored in the armory, which is why they have been able to occupy the city.

Perhaps they could be stopped by the numerous engineering machines and powerful crossbows beneath the city walls, but once they could step onto the walls, the elite Hols soldiers would quickly slaughter them all!

Wealth and glory seemed within easy reach, and everyone tensed up, desperately trying to climb faster and seize more spoils before others.

Three heavy catapults took turns hurling huge rocks, causing considerable casualties to the defenders on the city walls and creating a rare opportunity for the Holsian infantry.

Slaves and mountain people began to occasionally launch volleys during the lulls in the catapult bombardment, wiping out large numbers of soldiers who were about to climb the city walls.

The various defensive siege weapons on the city walls also inflicted heavy casualties on them one after another. Whether it was the oil canisters of the torsion catapults or the giant crossbows, they could ignore armor and either kill or injure them.

The corpses burned to death in the flames had their hands and feet withered and curled up, turning into piles of unrecognizable black charcoal. There were often more than two corpses pierced by the giant crossbow, struggling in vain like insects impaled on thorns by shrikes, emitting intermittent, dry, miserable screams.

The city walls have been stained with patches of bright red, and the stains are rapidly spreading and connecting...

…………

At this incredibly tense moment, Kochkin, who had just shot an arrow through an infantryman's throat, suddenly noticed something:

"Where's the boss? Where did Colin go?! Where are those guys from Warif?!"

No one could answer his question; only the Holsteins, who continued to surge toward the city walls, continued to smear the white walls with their blood and entrails.

………………

Is everything ready?

"We are ready for battle, General."

The last leather strap was securely fastened, and the heavy armor, weighing over a hundred kilograms, was draped over the warhorse. The steel scales were firmly linked by strong leather ropes, making the massive warhorse resemble a terrifying monster forged from steel.

Thesolius stepped into the stirrup of his warhorse, then flipped himself up and sat on it with fluid and swift movements.

Behind him, 230 cavalrymen mounted their armored warhorses, gripped their lances and shields, and tried to calm their raging mounts.

This is the city's central square, and in front of them lies a wide road that has been cleared, stretching all the way to the steel city gate...

As the winged helmet was placed on his head, Tersolius extended his right hand and took a thick spear... a fine find from the lord's treasury.

With a gentle nudge of its flanks, the black steed began to slowly accelerate, its hooves pounding outwards like thunder, and an unstoppable torrent of iron began to surge through the narrow river channel.

………………

The Hols suffered heavy casualties; their corpses had piled up beneath the city walls. Many had begun to recover from their boiling bloodlust and greed, and were now feeling fear.

But at that moment, the sound of chains grinding and winches turning suddenly came, and the huge steel city gate slowly rose up...

No one could believe their eyes. This seemingly impregnable city had suddenly opened its arms to them without any defenses. After a slight hesitation, the first hundred-man squad let out an excited shout and surged toward the city gate.

By the time the thunderous sound of hooves rolled out from the gate, it was too late… The armored cavalry, forged of steel and unwavering discipline, faced the morning sun, their sharp lances densely packed, surging forward like a tidal wave…

In the next instant, the hundred-man squad that dared to charge forward was wiped out from the road beneath the city wall! They were reduced to a pile of severed limbs, blood, and entrails!

It's like driving a steel chisel deep into wood, except instead of wood chips, what comes out is blood, entrails, and agonizing screams.

The gleam of steel was particularly dazzling as the armored cavalry charged wildly, recklessly breaking through layer after layer of ranks, their gleaming spears felling Holsian infantry one after another.

The swinging sabers and chain hammers took away countless lives in the blink of an eye, and the gleaming armor was now covered in blood, turning a glaring red.

In order to facilitate the siege, the Hols infantry were only armed with short swords and shields. They never expected to encounter the imperial cavalry here and suffered terrible casualties in the blink of an eye.

Their hooves trampled over blood and flesh, and their smooth, scaled armor was stained with countless grime and blood. Accelerating through half a city's distance, they relentlessly pierced through the Holsian army's formation!

Desperate screams and terrified howls filled the air. The Holsian infantry, already heavily wounded, could no longer hold on and were swept back amidst the cavalry's intimidation and slaughter.

Some had hoped that their earlier fortifications would hold off these fearsome cavalry, but only then did they realize that the chevaux-de-frise and spikes had been engulfed in flames...

A sharp shriek rang out from high above as a red earthenware pot crashed into a patch of horse-drawn stakes. The spilled oil ignited the dry wood, and in the blink of an eye, it burst into flames...

-------------------------------------------------- ------

"The time has come. Light the torches!"

The mountain girl with short blonde hair wiped the mud off her face. She wore a large circle of dense leaves on her head and a camouflage outfit made of leaves.

As she moved, a large group of mountain people rose from the woods... and at the foot of the mountain in front of them, three heavy catapults were continuously hurling huge rocks.

The oil-soaked coarse cloth was wrapped around a dry wooden pole and rekindled by a carefully preserved ember...

Colin drew his greatsword and swung it forward with force:

"Montbus's best hunters! Time to get to work!!"

64 Siege (3)

The dense infantry formation suddenly collapsed, and the panicked Hols infantrymen dropped their weapons, clutching only their shields for protection as they desperately fled backward.

The cavalry supervising the battle from the rear quickly spurred their horses forward and drove them back with sharp blades and whips... But when the fleeing soldiers realized that their numbers far outnumbered them, a massacre targeting the inspection team naturally ensued...

Heavy infantrymen in heavy armor pulled the cavalrymen off their horses and broke their necks on the ground. Some of the more cunning ones began to seize the unclaimed horses to make their escape faster.

In the blink of an eye, the supervising officers who tried to stop them were all turned into corpses on the ground, and the soldiers fled without any regard for their own safety. The sound of iron hooves behind them, like a death knell, almost trampled their heels!

With a panicked shout, the Imperial cavalry, gleaming with steel, tore through the last line of defense and appeared before them.

Blood-stained spears and chain hammers were swung around, and the panicked infantrymen, like a flock of sheep being driven, had little room for thought and only knew how to flee for their lives.

The terrifying neighing of the warhorses was like a shadow of death, unleashing the full potential of many, who even felt they weren't running fast enough and threw off their armor.

The localized attack quickly spread to both sides, and the other infantrymen began to waver, even ceasing their assault on the city walls.

Under the relentless harassment of deadly crossbow bolts raining down from the city walls, their morale was rapidly eroding.

The formation was no longer orderly. Crossbow bolts, as dense as locusts, pierced flesh one after another, and continuous screams rang out. The soldiers retreated like waves, and when they discovered the cavalry rampaging behind them, they became even more chaotic.

Even the engineers operating the heavy catapults stared in disbelief, momentarily forgetting to continue loading stones. Before the officer's call to arms could be heard, a sudden commotion erupted from the nearby hill!

An arrow shot out from nowhere, piercing the neck of the soldier operating the catapult. The accurate and ruthless arrow killed the guards and soldiers around the catapult even before its master could act.

The mountain people rushed down the mountain, and the oddly shaped rocks and lush vegetation did not hinder their progress at all. They were faster than red deer running in the forest and stronger than wolves. In the blink of an eye, they had reached the foot of the mountain.

Several red jars were immediately lifted high by the strong mountain archers and smashed onto the catapult, emitting a pungent smell. Lighted torches were thrown up, and bright yellow flames began to spread across the area in the blink of an eye.

The sturdy wood burned in the flames, crackling and popping from the bottom up. These dry, giant logs were exceptionally flammable after being coated with oil, and once the fire started, it was uncontrollable, turning into a giant torch in the blink of an eye.

A wave of intense heat swept over them, causing their hair to curl, their skin to wrinkle, and all the moisture in their bodies to evaporate. The mountain people hurriedly retreated, trying to get away from this heat source.

Shouts quickly came from all around, and the cold glint of swords, spears, axes, and halberds appeared everywhere like saplings in a forest. Large numbers of Hols soldiers surged in like a tide, their battle cries shaking the heavens as they vowed to tear these uninvited guests to pieces!

The mountain people quickly formed ranks, then drew their powerful bows and unleashed volleys of arrows. These arrows, with their chisel-like sharp tips, possessed extremely strong penetrating power. Combined with the powerful longbows, they transformed the area in front of them into a death zone in the blink of an eye.

Holsian soldiers were shot down like wheat, but they quickly adjusted their tactics, raised their heavy shields, and began to slowly advance.

The oak-framed iron shield, covered in raw cowhide, was heavy, but it was not something that arrows could easily penetrate. A forest of swords and axes were already behind the shield, ready to tear limbs apart and devour flesh at any moment...

The mountain people's arrows were still as dense as a storm, but most of them were firmly blocked by the heavy shields. The Hols archers also began to unleash their power, with dense arrows colliding with each other in the air before falling towards each other.

In order to infiltrate this place, they did not wear those beautiful chainmails that rustled and clicked. Mountain people fell to the ground one after another after being hit by arrows, but the ferocity in their nature made these jungle hunters fearlessly draw their bows and fight back.

The dense barrage of arrows tore through armor rings and sprayed raw flesh. Blood, like a dye present in everyone, freely altered the colors of the surroundings. Although they held the upper hand in this brutal exchange of fire, the mountain people, lacking armor, quickly suffered considerable losses.

The raging fire made it impossible for them to stay in the original Holsian fortifications, so they hurriedly retreated, otherwise they would have been reduced to ashes along with the catapults.

The Holstein infantry had completely surrounded them, each soldier filled with rage and vowing to slaughter these audacious barbarians...

-------------------------------------------------- ------

The girl's violent breathing seemed to be about to burst her lungs, but at the last moment she took a step back, dodging the battle axe that swung down from above and avoiding being disemboweled.

The heavy greatsword was raised by her calloused hands and then swung wildly, forcing her opponent to retreat.

He swung his last two swords almost through gritted teeth, tearing the heavy shield in half from the back, along with a bearded face.

The spear thrusting from the side made her retreat immediately, but she was a step too late and her clothes were torn open on her side, leaving a deep bloody gash. The excruciating pain made her stumble and almost lose her balance.

This rare opportunity immediately attracted the attention of the Hols, and five or six different weapons rushed towards her, intending to kill this fierce barbarian woman...

She instinctively wanted to roll on the ground, which was the best way to dodge enemy swords when fighting with a rival village in her hometown.

However, she changed her strategy, choosing to swing her greatsword to deflect the attacks as much as possible while quickly retreating.

On the battlefield, one must never fall casually... Once you fall, it's very difficult to get back up. You might even be trampled into the mud by thousands of feet, dying a gruesome death.

Most of the attacks were blocked, but a sharp axe still struck her wrist squarely… The specially worn chainmail gloves blocked the blow, but the tearing pain almost made her lose her grip on her weapon…

With nowhere to run, they charged into the enemy's most heavily fortified area, almost as if they were stuck in a quagmire. All around them were gleaming chainmail and colorful robes, and the Holstein lord was pushing his soldiers forward...

A hint of despair flashed in her eyes... It seemed she wouldn't be able to wait any longer...

------

"Victory and glory!!"

A loud battle cry suddenly exploded out, like the roar of a hungry tiger, causing everyone who heard it to feel their hearts tighten and involuntarily look in the direction from which the sound came.

The fully armored black warhorse suddenly leaped up and crashed heavily into the Holstein infantry formation...

The infantrymen, wailing in despair, were trampled under the hooves and died in the blink of an eye. Countless soldiers were knocked away and overturned by the horses' massive bodies, and a passage was forcibly carved out of the originally dense encirclement.

Countless silver iron scales gleamed in the sun as magnificent warhorses carrying tall, imposing knights charged in, tearing the infantry formation to shreds. The overwhelming battle roars terrified them, leaving them little time to think. The passage was rapidly torn apart and expanded, growing wider and wider...

The stunned mountain girl was suddenly grabbed by the collar, and the knight wearing a winged helmet threw her behind him. She instinctively hugged his waist, and then the warhorse continued to gallop forward without stopping.

The mountain people seemed to have anticipated this. The instant the cavalry passed by, they reached out and grabbed the cavalryman's arm, flipped themselves onto the horse, and easily completed this dangerous maneuver, which was more agile than apes, instead of being trampled under the horse's hooves!

Ahead of them lay the Holstein people's central camp...

However, their risky operation failed. The panicked Hols lord finally reorganized his forces, but with only a few hundred men, they were completely helpless against the massive camp.

But the lead knight still charged towards the camp without hesitation. Just as all the Holsteins were on high alert, the knight suddenly turned his horse around a few dozen meters away from the camp...

...They routed a disorganized hundred-man squad, then flanked the enemy, made a short detour, and sped away.

Only the lord and his soldiers, though suffering minor losses, were left terrified…

Wherever their hooves trampled, a lord would hastily order his soldiers to clear the way. The lords of the Hols would never dare to let their soldiers stop these fierce cavalrymen... or rather, they would absolutely not want to suffer such losses, even if the other side was an enemy of the country.

And so they traversed one chaotic battlefield after another, occasionally crushing any battle groups that blocked their path, exhilarating and unrestrained!

The entire plain was transformed into a hunting ground for the cavalrymen to display their bravery and skills. Their fierce warhorses galloped wildly across this unobstructed field, trampling over bloody corpses and ashes.

When they returned to the city gate, the Holsians who were still crowding there retreated desperately to both sides as if they had seen a demon. To be precise, all the infantry on the battlefield began to retreat.

Their retreat was not orderly, but it was incredibly fast, like a vast ocean tide, retreating so quickly that they didn't even have time to take the bodies of their comrades with them.

The massive steel city gate was slowly hoisted up. They did not slow down at all. The warhorses' muscles were already burning hot, and a large amount of sweat had even soaked through their linings and flowed down their smooth fur.

They swept into the city like a storm, and only when they entered the flat open space did they slowly rein in their warhorses and come to a stop.

The cavalrymen, still panting heavily, gripped their blood-stained weapons, a hint of confusion in their eyes. Many of their armor was damaged; some were gone forever, left behind on the plains beyond…

Tersolius reached out to the side, and the burly standard-bearer, holding the large black banner, came to his side. He had just come down from the city wall and was covered in blood. One of his hands was trembling slightly, and black blood was dripping from it continuously.

As the black flag was grasped by their general and then raised high into the sky... an overwhelming joy broke through their psychological defenses, causing everyone to shout and cheer at the top of their lungs.

The Holsteins' first siege was repelled!

........................

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