Chapter 55
When the infantry of both sides clashed, the imperial cavalry was pressuring the flanks, moving around to prevent the kingdom army from further extending their lines.
The cavalry, divided into two groups of 4,000 each, didn't even need to charge towards the kingdom army.
-Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud.
"What's this sound... Huff!"
"Ugh... My head is ringing..."
The enormous sound of hooves seemingly coming from all directions and the vibrations felt throughout the body despite the distance stimulated the conscripts' anxiety, and,
"Ca-Cavalry!"
"...Aren't those monsters?"
"We have to fight those things?"
When the fully armored cavalry, over 3 meters tall including their horses, appeared, the conscripts who had never properly experienced battle felt fear just from their movement around the area.
"Aaaagh!"
"Eek... Mo-Move!"
"I'm, I'm on the inside! Get out!"
As the imperial cavalry moved around like herding sheep, the soldiers who were supposed to guard the flanks pushed themselves towards the inside of the formation to get as far away from the cavalry as possible, and,
"The enemy is attacking!"
"Uh, uah...!"
This tendency accelerated as the imperial infantry on both wings advanced and put additional pressure on them.
"Attack the enemy's center!"
"What, where are those guys going?"
"Move! I'm going too!"
To make matters worse, with Guillaume's order to concentrate forces in the center overlapping, the conscripts fled towards the center of their allies without hesitation.
Having completed their first task, the imperial cavalry leisurely moved to the rear of the kingdom army to prepare for a charge, but,
"...Lord Laurent Berry. You take care of the enemy cavalry on the left."
"Understood."
"For His Majesty the King!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
Unable to stand by any longer, Damien divided the 3,000 cavalry into two and moved towards the flanks to draw the attention of the imperial cavalry on both sides.
Some of the imperial cavalry reacted to the movement of the kingdom cavalry seemingly aiming for the thin flanks of the imperial infantry and changed direction, to which Damien and Laurent lured them by stimulating them with javelins and arrows.
For the kingdom army, lacking in cavalry numbers and quality, they thought it best to induce the enemy cavalry to leave the battlefield together.
"The enemy cavalry is coming this way!"
"Good, lure them while retreating!"
It's difficult to grasp the scale of the enemy suddenly encountered on the battlefield, and it's practically impossible for cavalry ordered to act in unison to properly divide and pursue the enemy.
Damien and Laurent expected at least half, or more, of the cavalry to pursue them.
The kingdom's light cavalry was confident in their speed, so they maintained distance from the pursuing cavalry and ran in the opposite direction of the main force.
However, the imperial cavalry was under Viktor's command.
"...Damn it."
The imperial cavalry that set out in pursuit numbered only about 1,000 each.
"We must return to the battlefield! Move!"
The kingdom cavalry, who had thought of turning around and devouring the enemy if a very small number had pursued, found it difficult to overcome the imperial cavalry numbering about 1,000 due to the significant difference in armament.
The kingdom cavalry tried to move towards the imperial infantry line to somehow draw out more of the enemy cavalry, but the imperial pursuit team moved to the right places, instead trapping the movement of the kingdom cavalry.
"...Ugh."
Damien realized at some point that their roles had been reversed, but there was nothing they could do.
"Charge!"
"For the Dragonian Empire!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
The remaining 6,000 or so imperial cavalry struck the flanks and rear of the kingdom infantry.
"Enemy cavalry has suddenly attacked our rear!"
"Ee... Charge! It's a charge! We must break through the front!"
Guillaume, thinking the front was the thinnest part of the line, shouted for a charge as if screaming, but this ultimately turned out to be a bad move.
"Ah, go forward! Quickly!"
"Further forward? ...How?"
"Go! I said go!"
The kingdom army soldiers, ambushed by cavalry and infantry on the flanks, were pushed inwards trying to avoid the enemy, but,
"Waaaaaaah!"
"Reinforcements have arrived! Everyone, take heart!"
As the troops held in reserve joined the imperial center, strengthening their battle line, the imperial army did not easily give way.
"Enemy infantry is attacking from the flanks!"
"Flanks? You, you incompetent fools!"
Later, as even the imperial wings, having crushed the enemy wings with the help of cavalry, attacked the flanks of the kingdom army, the imperial formation, which had become close to the shape of a gourd bottle as the center extended, gradually tightened around the kingdom army.
"Move, move... Aaaagh!"
"Watch out for weapons!"
"Don't push, please, please! Don't push!"
As the imperial cavalry pressed from the rear as if putting a lid on it, the kingdom army's formation narrowed to the point where there was barely room to step.
"Why are you stopping! Breakthrough quickly! The enemy is also close to their limit!"
Guillaume and the kingdom army officers, knowing that a terrible result awaited if they couldn't break through the enemy, encouraged the soldiers, but the kingdom army's charge only slowed down gradually.
"...Where is it? Where did they go?"
"Gaaah!"
"The enemy is on the sides too? Where are our allies...!"
As the imperial army moved to envelop the kingdom army breaking through the center, the kingdom army's vanguard had to face enemy attacks from the front, left, and right.
This instantly dropped their morale, and,
"Don't be afraid! The enemy will soon... Gaaah!"
"Count Berto!"
"The Count?"
"No, no! Stop the attack! We must protect the Count!"
"Wh-What should we do...?"
"Attack! Attack! We must avenge the Count!"
When Maurice, who had been commanding the vanguard and guiding the direction, was hit by an arrow and fell from his horse, the kingdom army, having lost its helmsman, failed to find its bearings as their urgent instructions became entangled.
"Count! Are you alright!"
"Ugh... Bring, bring a horse!"
"...Understood!"
Maurice miraculously survived, but it was meaningless.
The kingdom army, already completely confused, could no longer continue their attack.
With even the vanguard that had been moving unable to advance, the kingdom army couldn't withstand the gradually tightening encirclement of the imperial army.
"Stop! I said, everyone stop!"
Guillaume's voice couldn't reach the soldiers.
"Uh, no... Ugh! I'm being crushed! Don't step on me! Don't step..."
"Aaagh! Help me!"
"Stop it, I said stop! Stop... Gaaaaaah!"
The conscripts retreating or turning their backs to flee from the enemy completely ruined the kingdom army's formation, and the central forces were stabbed by weapons held by their own allies and crushed by converging allies.
"There's nowhere to run now! Stand and fight!"
"If you want to live, kill the enemy!"
Finally, the kingdom army tried to persuade the soldiers that resistance was the only way to survive, but the imperial army didn't stand by and watch these attempts.
The imperial army, which had been continuously pushing back the kingdom army,
"Th-There's an opening!"
"What?"
The moment they were certain the kingdom army had lost their will to fight, they adjusted the movement of the cavalry to create a narrow exit in the enemy's rear.
"It's an enemy trap! Don't run away!"
"Please spare me!"
"Ugh, get out! I'm going out! I said, get out!"
"I'll cut down anyone who flees! Stop!"
"I don't want to die..."
"Mom, mom!"
Thousands of soldiers threw themselves towards the narrow gap not even 30 meters wide, attempting to escape.
Soldiers who had already lost their minds shoved themselves in without heeding any control, and this atmosphere spread instantly throughout the entire kingdom army.
"Don't run away recklessly!"
"Go, quickly! I'll kill you!"
"Le-Let me go first, okay? You said you don't have a family, right!"
"I'm going to live first! Everyone move!"
The kingdom army's formation, which was already chaotic, was irreparably broken by soldiers attempting to escape.
-Crack! Thud!
"Gah..."
"The enemy is fleeing! It's our time!"
"Charge!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
The imperial army, which had been enduring while defending against the kingdom army's attacks, tore apart the kingdom army, adding to their pent-up frustration.
"I-I survived..."
-Bang!
"For the glory of the Empire!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
Even the kingdom army soldiers who barely escaped through the gap in the rear couldn't survive the attack of the imperial cavalry waiting on the side.
"..."
Guillaume, witnessing this one-sided slaughter from the center of the kingdom army, lowered his arms with a dumbfounded expression.
As the officers were scattered trying to control the soldiers even a little, only Antoine remained by his side.
"This isn't, this... This can't be. ...Is this a dream? It must be a dream. It has to be a dream."
"...Your Majesty?"
Faced with this horrific defeat, he mumbled a few words blankly, then,
"I, I am the King of the Brotan Kingdom. I can't die in a place like this."
With trembling hands, he took off the crown he was wearing on his head and his splendid cape and threw them away.
"Hey! Pass me a helmet, quickly!"
"Uh, ugh..."
Guillaume, with a terrified face, snatched a helmet from a soldier wandering nearby, put it on his head, and rode his horse towards the exit in the rear.
Antoine hurriedly chased after him.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Where are you going!"
"Don't follow me! If I survive, doesn't it mean that the kingdom has a future? You fight to the end! So they can't attack the kingdom further!"
"...Your Majesty."
"Ugh, uugh!"
"Gugh!"
Already numb in thought, he didn't care about allies being trampled by his horse.
As he was fleeing alone, staring only at that small gap,
"Are you Guillaume Chatillon?"
"...What!"
He encountered several dozen imperial cavalry.
-Thud!
"Ugh!"
"We've captured the enemy king, Guillaume Chatillon!"
The cavalry receiving Viktor's instructions succeeded in capturing Guillaume.
"Guillaume Chatillon has been captured while fleeing! Stop your meaningless resistance and surrender!"
The imperial army, which had been slaughtering the kingdom army that had lost its will to fight, now urged surrender, and,
"...We surrender."
With Antoine's declaration of surrender, the battle between the imperial army and the kingdom army ended.