Chapter 69 : The Pitched Battle of the Jupenheim Plains (4)

Chapter 69: The Pitched Battle of the Jupenheim Plains (4)

"Shoot!"

Everything around him was turning into chaos, but Shatien could not pay attention to it.

-Kwaaaaaang!

A lance charge from a mounted knight struck the shield Shatien held.

-Craaack!

“Kgfh!"

A heavy impact battered his entire body, starting from his forearm. Even though he braced his legs and exerted force, his whole body was pushed straight back.

"Uuuggh!"

"B-Block him!"

Thanks to the mercenaries behind him pushing his back, he barely avoided falling. Furthermore, the spear that penetrated his shield was stopped by the thick armor he wore, losing its force.

Although the impact was substantial, he was not seriously injured.

"Where do you think you're going!"

-Thunk!

Shatien immediately threw away his shield and sliced off the head of the knight's horse that had stopped. As the dismounted knight struggled to get up, Shatien immediately plunged his sword through the gap in the helmet.

-Pshooooo

Shatien dispatched one knight and quickly surveyed his surroundings. The situation was not good. Shatien's face darkened.

-Claaang! Clang!!

-Waaahhh!

-Kill the mercenary bastards!

'It’s doomed.'

The screams of the wounded comrades struck his ears. The second rank instantly melted away. They were only saved from being completely penetrated because they were heavily reinforced with chainmail and shields.

In contrast, the knights' damage was mostly focused on their warhorses. This was because the mercenaries' attacks were concentrated on the horses that had been stopped after the initial impact.

A knight who appeared to be a commander rallied the surviving knights.

"Quickly! Reorganize."

"Those who did not fall, return to the main force and reorganize!"

"Reorganize-!"

The knights who were still healthy began riding their horses back to the main force. The panicked mercenaries broke formation and tried to chase, but dismounted knights waited in front of them.

It was essentially a form of one-sided beating. As a result, the mercenaries were filled with rage.

"Sons of bitches! You fight dishonorably!"

"You said you fight with honor!"

"Get lost! We will kill all these bastards!"

The enraged mercenaries began to fight, mingling with the Emperor's knights. Shatien quickly assessed the situation and calmed the mercenaries. He recalled the cavalry tactics mainly used by Count Heinrich.

"No! Do not worry about the knights! Immediately reform the ranks!"

"......?"

"B-But are we just letting those bastards go?"

"You bastards! Can't you hear the Centurion? You bastards! We reorganize immediately. Reorganize!!!"

The mercenaries grumbled with dissatisfaction, but Miles' loud reproaches next to him quickly reversed the situation. Miles was now showing a decent commanding presence.

And thanks to that, everyone was able to survive.

-Dugugugugudugugugugu.

Soon, the sound of horse hooves echoed across the plain once again. Knights, similar in scale to the previous group, were shaking the ground and charging toward them.

At that, the mercenaries turned pale.

Knights were rushing at them again before the shock had even subsided!

Nevertheless, only a few mercenaries tried to flee. Since they had never lost a battle with Shatien, their morale was as high as that of the knights.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

"We must reform the ranks before they arrive!"

"Pull the wounded back and throw the dead bodies forward! Leave the horses there too!"

Though cold-hearted, it was the only way to stop charging knights.

"Why are the ranks so messy! Immediately hold your positions!"

Shatien shouted urgently. The mercenaries then vented their frustrations.

"There are damned knights still mixed in, Centurion!"

"They are preventing us from forming ranks! Help us!"

"Damn it!"

Shatien clicked his tongue. As the mercenaries said, the knights who failed to escape were still there, disrupting the formation.

Though dismounted, they were still displaying formidable skill, befitting their knightly status.

It was clearly a situation where the mercenaries' skill alone made it difficult to stop them.

"Ahahaha! Bastards, take my sword!"

Thanks to this, the remaining knights were incredibly excited. Of course, that was only until they met Shatien.

"I am Altheim’s Knight, Ma... Gak!"

"Crush!"

He sliced off the head of the babbling knight. Shatien's sword had been drawn like lightning.

"Next!"

"T-There, Centurion."

A subordinate, unable to hide his bewilderment at Shatien's incredible skill, pointed a finger at one spot.

Three knights were gathered there, resisting.

"You fool! Die peacefully!"

Shatien shouted, closing the distance as if bouncing off the ground.

Regrettably, one knight, who failed to properly see Shatien, rushed forward on his own.

"I will not surrender to a mere mercenary... Ugh!"

-Slice!

-Pshoooot!

Like the previous knight, that knight collapsed while clutching his neck. Shatien looked past him and glared at the two remaining knights. He raised his sword as if ready to spray blood at any moment.

At that, the knights lowered their weapons and raised both hands.

"S-Surrender! We surrender, Sir Shatien!"

"The customs of the battlefield...!"

"Then immediately bow your heads!!"

Shatien roared and pressed them. As a result, the knights abandoned their weapons and immediately prostrated themselves on the bare ground, completely forgetting their honor.

'Damn it. Of all people, it had to be Shatien.'

'I didn't think it would be here. What bad luck.'

He truly was the Knight Killer; he was killing them without mercy. The two knights lamented inwardly. First things first, living was more important than honor or anything else.

The mercenaries quickly subdued the knights who were lying flat on the ground.

In the meantime, the ground tremor began to get rougher. The Emperor's knights had arrived at close range.

-Neighhh!

-Chaaaaaarge!

-We will break through this time!!

Raising their lances, the Emperor's knights charged with renewed courage. A resolute will was visible, indicating their determination to pierce through and penetrate the defense this time.

'Can we stop them?'

Shatien thought that unintentionally while watching the monstrous charge.

The lance charge of properly prepared knights was truly powerful.

But then.

-Peeeeeeng!

-Pshooooshoooshooo!

An unexpected support fire arrived. A shower of arrows, enough to darkly cover the sky, poured down, passing over them and raining toward the Emperor's knights.

It was an arrow volley shot from the Count's army's formation far away.

-Neighhh!

-Pa-ba-ba-bak

-Aargh!

-Speed! Increase speed!

-Full speed. Charge at full speed.

The arrows were unable to penetrate the knights' armor, but the warhorses were different. Horses instantly stumbled and collapsed, and dismounted knights soon began to appear.

The formation of the Emperor's knights, who had been gaining speed, became tangled.

As a result, the speed of the charging Emperor's knights dropped miserably.

"D-Damn it!"

"The charging speed... it dropped too much!"

The knights' faces turned ashen.

Their speed had slowed too much right in front of the shield wall. Cavalry that had lost its momentum was, conversely, a very good target. If they continued like this, they would risk heavy casualties.

Yet, the Emperor's knights chose to charge instead of retreating. The courage not to flee despite the disadvantage.

The virtue of a knight regrettably led to a misjudgment.

-Crack!

-Neighhh.

The knights' lances plunged into the shield wall. However, the effect was minimal. Only a few in the first rank suffered injuries. Conversely, the knights' horses lost momentum and began to tangle with each other.

At that moment, the furious mercenaries' revenge began.

-Waaahhh!

"Kill the knight bastards!"

"Sons of bitches. Kill them all!"

And at the forefront of that charge was Shatien.

-Ka-kang! Kang!

Shatien's sword breathed fire.

The dismounted knight tried his best to fight back, but the difference in skill was too great.

"Hold his limbs tight!"

"First, take away the weapon at his waist!"

"Let go, you ruffians! You dirty mercenary bastards who know no honor!"

The knights' shouts were thoroughly ignored. The mercenaries, as trained, grabbed the knights' limbs and subdued them.

"Open his helmet and kill him!"

"W-Wait! Wait! Think of the ransom!"

-Crush!

The knights would certainly have fetched a large ransom if they were kept alive. But the mercenaries were not thinking about that. The battle situation was too intense and moving too quickly to worry about such things.

It was better to definitely kill them and reduce the enemy's strength.

-Cough!

-Kagagang! Kang! Kang!

The mercenaries fought fiercely, dragging about a dozen knights to the ground. They had destroyed half of the force in an instant.

"Damn it! Retreat!!"

"Quickly mount your horses. We must go back."

The knights scurried and hastily mounted their horses to turn around. It was a shameful sight, but no one cursed them.

They only wished that they would leave faster.

"Huff... Huff..."

After repelling two charges, the mercenaries were already exhausted. Everyone was becoming worn out from the tension of the battle.

Shatien belatedly checked the battle situation.

"How are the other Centurias, Miles!"

"They are all similarly in danger! Damn it."

"The Centuria right next to us is on the verge of collapsing, Centurion!"

"The Emperor's knights have specifically targeted the mercenary companies."

The Black Raven Mercenary Company was positioned on the far right flank of Count Bellua's army. Since they were responsible for the flank of the formation, they had been the focus of the knights' attacks.

As a result, unlike their own unit, the Centuria led by Centurion Jenga was on the verge of collapsing due to penetrating knights whose formation had been broken.

"Shoot!!"

"We should do something about this, right Shatien? What should we do?"

"Must you really ask! There is only one thing we can do."

"Ahahaha. That's right!"

Shatien, who had grasped the situation, clicked his tongue. The situation was worse than he thought. He felt he needed to help immediately. Having made that decision, Shatien raised his sword.

"Let's go! We help our allies and push back those knights!!!"

"Waaahhhhh!"

"Chaaaarge! Let's gooooo!!"

The mercenaries grabbed their weapons and charged. The corpses of dead mercenaries were scattered everywhere. They were all comrades he was somewhat familiar with. Shatien felt bitterness because of this.

"Damn it."

The Emperor's knights' lance charge was truly monstrous. Half of the Centuria led by Centurion Jenga had been wiped out. Despite being right next door, the people and horses blocked his view, making it hard to see clearly. Furthermore, commanding from the far left flank was a mistake.

It would have been better to fight with units flanking them on both sides. He would have been able to offer support sooner if that were the case.

'I should have been mounted. That was foolish.'

There was a reason commanders rode horses. They needed to be in a higher position on a horse to properly grasp the battlefield. All of this was a lapse due to his inexperience as a commander.

'I must not let this happen.'

Shatien mentally clicked his tongue and plunged back into the battlefield.

-Kaka-kang Kang Kang!

"You parasitic knight bastards!"

Centurion Jenga was gathering the surviving mercenaries and facing the knights. He was fighting hard, but the situation did not look good.

The massive and sturdy armor of the knights was blocking most of the attacks.

'He will be in serious trouble soon. I need to help quickly.'

Thinking so, Shatien racked his brain. How could he help?

Then, he saw the knights' lances stuck in the ground. A long spear that looked at least four meters in length.

"Kuh-heup!"

Shatien, feeling a flash of inspiration, immediately picked it up and exerted all his strength.

The immense weight put a strain on his arm, but he paid no mind to it.

Compared to the urgency of the battlefield, that was not important.

And the moment he exerted his maximum strength.

"Get out of the way! Centurion Jenga!"

"Huuuh? Shatien?"

Shatien shouted loudly and threw the spear he was holding.

-Swoooooosh!

-Thwack!

-Craack.

At that moment, the lance pierced two knights. They were instantly killed, skewered like shish kebabs. The Emperor's knights around them were also sent flying by the impact and could not keep their footing.

Centurion Jenga's mouth dropped open at the sight.

"I-Insane! Is that a human or a monster!"

He looked like a monster, but he was still a human.

He was even an ally.

Centurion Jenga involuntarily let out a sigh of relief.