"I see it! Our right flank and center are still holding their ground, steady as a rock!" Maximus already had a smile on his face: now, it was all down to the decisive strike!
At this moment, the sharp-eyed Akegu pointed toward the southern side of the mountain and shouted, "Leader! Captain Pequot has already led his forces over!"
Indeed, the military plan devised by Quintus was not original; it was adapted from the tactics of Legion Commander Antonius of the Roman Army during the Battle of the Womans River. However, Antonius didn’t just feign defeat with the town’s Citizen Soldiers—he completely disregarded their lives altogether.
Budocaribas had no idea that the rebel army was brewing a counterattack. Seeing the Segestica Warriors on the lower slopes scattering like wild beasts, frantically chasing the fleeing rebel "defeated soldiers," his face sank in despair. He lost all interest in observing further and quickly led his men down the mountain, preparing to return to the fortress to defend against an anticipated Segestica Army assault.
Pequot, on the other hand, was in a great mood. Ever since joining Maximus’ ranks, he had either been assisting other legions or guarding Maximus, with no real opportunities to prove himself. This was a stark contrast to his old subordinate, Fesaros, who had risen to the rank of Legion Commander and held a prominent position within Maximus’ army. In the past, Pequot had felt some resentment about this, but he couldn’t blame anyone but himself. After all, when he first met Maximus, he didn’t choose to pledge loyalty early on, unlike Fesaros. Now, this opportunity had finally fallen into his hands, and he was determined to seize it.
More and more rebel "defeated soldiers" began running toward Pequot’s forces. As they bypassed his ranks, some even waved and shouted, "Hey, brothers, hit those Segestica scum hard for us! We risked our lives to create this golden opportunity!"
Pequot ignored them. His full attention was focused ahead, scouting for the optimal direction of attack.
"Follow me!" Pequot bellowed, quickening his pace. The Banner Carrier behind him followed closely, leading the entire unit in a slight turn—a shift from directly north to a northeast angle. After countless rebel "defeated soldiers" had dispersed around them, they collided head-on with a large group of Segestica Warriors.
These Segestica Warriors, chasing after the "defeated soldiers," had thrown away their shields in their haste to emulate the enemy. They had already been fighting for hours and had just sprinted several hundred meters. Exhausted, they were now utterly powerless against a well-rested enemy unit with a fully intact formation. They were either slashed by short swords or felled by long spears...
"Forward! Forward!..." Pequot hacked down multiple foes, the spattered blood staining his armor red. He didn’t pause for even a second, pressing onward with an expression of extreme exhilaration, his face grotesquely fierce.
Under his lead, the Scodisqi New Soldiers channeled hatred accumulated over decades into a fearsome force. This overwhelming power transformed these fresh recruits into an impossibly sharp blade, cutting down every enemy standing in their path with ease.
Earlier, when the rebel army’s left flank collapsed, nearly half the Segestica Warriors had poured through the breach to give chase, rapidly dispersing into chaos during the pursuit. Now, in their fragmented state, they were utterly incapable of resisting Pequot’s advancing troops. The hunters had become the hunted in no time—what began as a pursuit had turned into a rout...
Except for a few Scodisqi New Soldiers, who, caught up in the thrill of the chase, had left the main formation, the majority heeded the shouted commands of their team officers. They closely followed the Dragon Flag held high in front, advancing toward the middle edge of the rebel army’s formation.
Pequot did not stop but continued forward, flanking the enemy’s line.
Their arrival sent a powerful signal to the soldiers still holding the center of the line. Bolstered by the sight, they shouted excitedly, "Reinforcements are here! Reinforcements are here!!..." They shifted from defense to a counteroffensive.
Andres had never experienced a battle before:
At first, the enemy had blocked the passage between two marshlands. He threw his entire force at it but struggled for hours without breaking through.
Then, as he grew restless, the enemy finally faltered and began to retreat under repeated attacks. Overjoyed, he had shouted, "Push forward! Push forward! Break them!"
Yet after a short while, his front-line warriors stopped advancing. The enemy seemed to have regrouped and stabilized their formation, leaving him nervous and cursing in frustration.
Suddenly, cheers erupted from the right: "The enemy is routed!!! The enemy is routed!!!..."
Seeing his right-flank warriors charging forward in fervent pursuit, Andres was elated. Even when some surrounding soldiers left their positions to join the chase, he didn’t stop them.
Having suffered so much during this battle, Andres believed that with the enemy’s left flank broken, their whole army would soon crumble. He thought total victory was within his grasp!
But as he eagerly awaited the enemy’s complete collapse, he first saw his own soldiers fleeing in disarray.
Confused, he then spotted a flying banner. Beneath the savage beast emblazoned on it was a horde of enemy troops descending like starving wolves upon his army’s flank...
Scodisqi?!... Those roaring faces magnified in Andres’ vision, and he burst into fury: these lowly slaves dared to rise against their masters!
"Follow me to block the enemy reinforcements!" he shouted sharply, riding forward with his sword raised high. Over 80 cavalry followed closely, along with a contingent of Light Infantry.
Andres, swinging his greatsword, charged directly toward the Dragon Flag.