Iron Powder and Spellcaster

Spears intertwined, gunpowder smoke spewed, and the phalanx mercilessly crushed flesh and blood.

"Hold tight!" Colonel Silku yelled with all his strength: "Hold tight!"

In hand-to-hand combat, well-formed soldiers will surely defeat disorganized soldiers.

This is a simple and crude truth that has been verified time and time again in the long history of human wars. Skool Mecklen first learned it in the classroom.

At that time, he probably would not have thought that one day, he would personally verify the nonsense printed in the book in the most cruel way.

"Stay close!" Skull leaned on the flagpole to support his body and repeated the order sternly: "Stay close!"

But it was too difficult to "get close": the noise was dizzying, the gunpowder smoke made it difficult to open one's eyes, the greasy intestines dragged people down like a trip wire, and the soldiers who were still standing had no place to stay. ·

With a "poof" sound, the drummer standing in front of Skull had the back of his head lifted open without any warning. Broken bones and brains splashed all over Skull's body. The drummer's body went limp and he fell heavily at Skull's feet.

"Drum!" Skull still shouted hoarsely, as if nothing was wrong: "Hold tight!"

In fact, there was no need for the colonel to order his men to stay closer. Everyone unconsciously wanted to get closer to their comrades, because that was the only way to survive.

The requirement in the drill code to "keep an arm's length apart at all times" has become a literal "paper talk".

Along with advancing, retreating, and squeezing each other, every phalanx that can still be maintained has shrunk to a size that cannot be smaller. Elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder, the formation is long gone.

The spearmen on the sides and rear continued to fill the front, and finally only a thin column was left, making the phalanx that originally faced the enemy on all sides almost reduced to a "battle line."

All the phalanxes of the two armies formed a larger front, and they fought fiercely under the hillock where the parliamentary army set up cannons.

At the northernmost end of the battle line, the coalition forces of Leiqun County and Bianjiang County are desperately outflanking the enemy; at the southernmost end of the battle line, the New Reclamation Dispatch Force is also storming the flanks of the coalition forces.

Driven by blood and life, the battle line rotated slowly and uncontrollably, turning thinner and narrower.

Skull Mecklen watched helplessly as the brown-coated soldiers in front of him were defeated in the battle, and were forced back step by step by the coalition spearmen, so that the flag officer behind the battle line rolled up the flag and carried it on his shoulders— —That’s a signal to retreat temporarily.

Sure enough, the drum beat suddenly changed, and the parliamentary army brigade that was fighting Scull's phalanx took the initiative to retreat and reorganize.

The brown-coated soldiers stumbled back away from the enemy, exposing a gap in the parliamentary front.

Every battle example he learned from the books screamed at Skull, telling him that he must pursue the victory and turn the enemy's retreat into a rout.

However, Colonel Scull could no longer mobilize his troops as readily as he had when the war began.

His soldiers were exhausted, his officers and sergeants suffered heavy casualties, and even he didn't know if his troops would fall apart any second.

Scull also did not have a reserve team that could be used to expand the gap, because both sides had already scraped out the last chips in their pockets and bet them on the table.

Without even taking a breath, Skull ordered his phalanx to move forward without thinking, and flanked the friendly enemy on the right.

It was during this period of reorganization and advancement that the brown-clothed soldiers who had retreated on their own initiative were driven up again and entangled Scull's phalanx.

At the same time, Colonel Chloe Thorier, who commanded the right wing of the parliamentary army, was staring at the silver-edged military flag standing in the center of the enemy's battle line.

He stared so hard that his eyes nearly bled.

The people standing under that military flag were Chloe's classmates and old friends. However, at this moment, there was only anger, resentment and despair in Chloe Toriel's chest.

"Why are you here?!" Chloe yelled in her heart like crazy: "Why can't you just admit defeat?!"

He wanted to grab the other person's throat, question, scold... and cry.

There is nothing more cruel and bloody than a close battle. Compared to it, a one-sided victory seems merciful.

So far in the battle, both the combined forces of Bianjiang County and Leiqun County, and the newly reorganized reclamation army under Chloe, have been pushed to the limit.

Skull can't keep a reserve team, and Chloe also has no reserve team;

Kuhl's soldiers were exhausted, and Chloe's men were only more tired than the Union soldiers who were waiting for work;

Skull noticed that the fighter plane was unable to pursue the victory, and Chloe also watched helplessly as the enemy troops continued to retreat and regroup.

Both sides have now lost the ability to expand a fleeting opportunity into an unstoppable victory, and can only wait for the other to collapse into total collapse.

The battle became a game of endurance to see who could hold on for one more minute, but every second it extended, more Platoans fell into a pool of blood.

Among the shouts, drums, trumpets, and gunfire, Chloe heard some unusual sounds.

The sound was very weak at first, like a wisp of smoke mixed in the morning fog, making it difficult to detect. Then it suddenly became louder, as if it had stepped from the abyss to the clouds in one step, and turned into rolling thunder.

It was the sound of horse hooves, a deafening sound.

Chloe Toriel let out a long sigh. It's here - or, it's finally here.

At this moment, the cavalry that could appear from the direction of the sound of horse hooves could only be the cavalry unit of the New Reclamation Expedition Army under Saner.

"Sanel is finally willing to send cavalry to support me." Chloe thought sadly: "But it's too late."

Chloe turned around and saw the blood-stained Leiqun County battle flag fluttering in the wind.

Along the causeway blown out by the parliamentary army's artillery, soldiers holding high the military flags of Baishan County and Leiqun County rushed to the east bank. They abandoned their formation and did not think about their retreat. Like a torrent, they rushed towards the back of the parliamentary army's front line. Coming.

More and more soldiers of the newly reorganized Reclamation Corps turned their heads when they realized what had happened, and the supervising team could not stop the soldiers from looking in the direction where the sound of hoofbeats came from.

Even the officers and sergeants who tried their best to keep the troops from collapsing fell into panic.

The lieutenant commander of Chloe's phalanx came to Chloe's side immediately. The lieutenant's pupils were trembling and his lips were bloodless. He still tried his best to maintain his composure and asked: "Colonel, what's wrong..."

No explanation was needed, Chloe understood what her subordinate wanted to say. Their battle line was spread too thin, and most of the spearmen were packed into the front, making it impossible to withstand a charge from behind.

While he was talking, the Leiqun County cavalry who had taken off their armor had already jumped across the provincial road, and the final distance of less than a mile would disappear in a moment.

Chloe closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was no sadness in her eyes anymore, but a bit more relief.

"Run, kid." Chloe patted the lieutenant on the shoulder: "Stay alive."

After that, the colonel straightened his clothes, walked out of the square, and faced the shining cold blade.

…

When the Leiqun County cavalry broke into the parliamentary army's right front, at the southernmost end of the battlefield, the Baishan County Army fell into a huge crisis.

The new army that appeared on the horizon neither showed its flag nor took the initiative to send reconnaissance cavalry for communication. Instead, it headed straight for the battlefield as quickly as possible.

"How many people are there?" Gesa asked the scout.

"There should be four brigades."

"Four brigades!" Gesa's eyes widened angrily: "How come we only found out now?"

"They came from the south." The scout's face turned pale and he tried his best to explain: "As soon as they discovered them, the sergeant immediately sent me to report them."

"Coming from the south, four brigades." Second Lieutenant Worthington frowned: "Winters Montagne's men?"

Gesa turned his head sharply and asked sharply: "Then why don't they identify themselves?"

Just in front of Colonel Gesa, the river-crossing troops of Baishan County were fighting fiercely with the left-wing troops of the Parliamentary Army under the banner of the Sixth Army.

As soon as they fought, the soldiers of Baishan County immediately noticed the contrast - the combat power of the three brigades deployed in the rear and the two brigades defending the river bank were completely different.

The enemies defending the river bank collapsed at the first touch, but the enemies at the rear did not fall behind in the bloodiest phalanx battle.

"Find out their identities!" Gesa made a prompt decision and issued an order: "Go to Colonel Bode for help!"

He glanced at the unmoving enemy formation, gritted his teeth and gave the last instruction: "Withdraw!"

The callback signal sounded, the musketeers covered and fired, and the sword and shield men dragged out the lightly wounded soldiers from the forest of spears. The three square formations of Baishan County's river-crossing troops slowly distanced themselves from the enemy, intending to withdraw to the west bank.

However, as the defender, the "Sixth Army" changed its previous passive avoidance of the battle and launched a counterattack without mercy.

The two infantry groups defending the river bank that had been repelled earlier were also reorganized. They chaotically bypassed the phalanx of the Baishan County Army and rushed towards the river bank again.

The lead bullets flew "whooshing" overhead, and Gesa's men tried to persuade the colonel to leave the saddle temporarily, but Gesa remained firmly seated on the horse, unmoved.

It's not that Gesa wanted to be a hero, but he had to sit on horseback to see the battle clearly.

The situation on the southern battlefield has turned into a race:

On the east bank, the "Sixth Army" was cutting off the retreat of the troops crossing the river in Baishan County;

On the west bank, the unknown force was heading straight towards Hehe Valley Village.

The two brigades Gesa left on the west bank were also transferred by Colonel Bode, leaving the Baishan County troops crossing the river completely isolated and helpless.

Gesa gritted his teeth and looked to the north. Smoke, dust, and the valley village blocked his view. He was not angry with Colonel Bode for transferring his troops without authorization, but he needed Skull to deal with the enemy's right flank as soon as possible and then immediately send troops to reinforce him.

Otherwise, he, Colonel Bode, and the children of Baishan County will all die without a burial place.

…

[Northern Division Battlefield]

The defeat was more than overwhelming. It seemed as if only one breath had passed before the reorganization of the new land reclamation army was completely wiped out.

The Leiqun County cavalry used their iron hoofs to hammer the first nail into the coffin of the newly reorganized Land Reclamation Corps, followed closely by the Leiqun County and Baishan County infantry who hammered in the remaining nails.

If we use human beings as a metaphor, the reorganized New Reclamation Army has ushered in a complete death. Unless someone rebuilds it, this number will never appear again. Even if someone rebuilds it, it's just another person with the same name.

On the battlefield north of Hehe Village, only the troops of the New Reclamation Dispatch Army were still fighting stubbornly.

The New Reclamation Expeditionary Army, which came to support the right wing, consisted of two brigades. They were originally attacking the coalition flank. Seeing that the friendly forces were defeated, they quickly merged into a team and formed a thousand-man phalanx on the river bank with their backs to the nameless river.

All the coalition soldiers were chasing the fleeing enemies, but no one paid them any attention for a while.

"Rozon!" After the war started, Colonel Skull met his most trusted subordinate for the first time, and it felt like a lifetime ago.

However, Skull didn't even have time to express his emotions or even ask about the captain's injury. The colonel's gaze only briefly stayed on Lauzon's left eye, and the first sentence he spoke was still an order: "Leave those stubborn enemies alone! Gather you." His subordinates! Go to support Colonel Geza immediately! Bring me a horse as well! Also, who are the troops to the south?"

"My subordinates are already gathering their troops." Luo Song got off his horse and raised his hand in a meticulous salute: "But please reconsider the order to support Colonel Geza."

"伱..." Skull narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean?"

Lauzon looked directly at Sirku with his remaining right eye without fear: "Colonel Bode entrusted me to relay a passage to you."

…

[Southern Division Battlefield]

"What?" Gesa opened his eyes angrily and asked the messenger who went to Hehe Village to ask for reinforcements: "What do you mean there are no reinforcements?"

The messenger trembled and plucked up the courage to reply: "Colonel Bode has entrusted me to tell you something."

…

[Northern Division Battlefield]

Lauzon met the colonel's gaze and repeated word for word: "'Today we have no possibility of complete victory, but Winters Montagna is leading his troops to rush for reinforcements under the stars. Therefore, we are not waiting for a tragic victory today. to fight, but to die to win the whole war.'"

…

[Southern Division Battlefield]

"What does it mean to sacrifice to win the entire war?" Gesa grabbed the messenger's shoulders tightly and asked angrily: "What does it mean to sacrifice to win the entire war?"

…

[River Valley Village]

"I think." Woods stood behind Colonel Bode and said calmly: "Colonel Gesar may not be able to accept your decision."

Bode stood at the window of the clock tower, looking at the smoke and dust appearing simultaneously in the east and west, and replied bluntly: "You underestimate him, he can understand."

…

[Northern Division Battlefield]

"Colonel Bode's direct order." Lauzon relayed without emotion: "Your first task is to completely annihilate all the right-wing units of the puppet government forces, in order to completely annihilate and defeat them, so that they lose the ability to regroup in the short term."

Skull Mecklen's eyes were full of pain and struggle, and he breathed hard and asked: "Then what?"

Lauzon was silent for a moment and replied: "Then you should withdraw from the battlefield as soon as possible, retreat to Long Lake Town, and meet up with Winters Montagne's troops - Colonel Geza and Colonel Bode will do their best for you. Delay the enemy's left wing."

…

[Southern Division Battlefield]

Geza Adonis clenched his fists tightly, veins popped out on his forehead and arms, and his eyes were bloodshot. He asked sternly and angrily, as if the person standing in front of him was not an orderly soldier, but Senior Bode himself: "Why? Why do you trust that kid so much? Trust that kid instead of us? Instead of us?!"

The messenger was so frightened that he did not dare to look directly at the colonel. He lowered his head and said with a sudden heart: "Colonel Bode said you would definitely ask this, so he asked me to tell you."

"What are you telling me?" Gesa almost burst into rage.

"yes."

"Yes?" Gesa was shocked at first, then silent, and finally burst into laughter: "Yes?"

The colonel's laughter was so shrill and sad that the orderly wished he could plug his ears, but he didn't dare to make a move and just stared at the toes of his boots with his eyes.

"Go back and tell him! Go tell him!" Gesa grabbed the messenger's collar: "Tell me! I will never forgive him for his decision today! Never!"

After saying that, the colonel pushed away the messenger: "But since he decided to do this, let's do it!"

The messenger was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly climbed on his horse and galloped towards the direction of Hehe Valley Village.

…

[Northern Division Battlefield]

"Does Colonel Bode have anything else to say?" Skull's voice was trembling.

"No more." Luo Song paused: "He said you can understand."

As if a thousand emotions hit Skull Mecklen at the same time, he turned away, leaving Lauzon with a back stained with blood and fire.

…

[Southern Division Battlefield]

"Colonel!" Second Lieutenant Worthington, who went to reconnoitre the enemy's situation in person, galloped into the phalanx and reported in a suppressed voice: "That group of people, unidentified troops, raised the flag of the Sixth Army. The coat of arms of the Seven Kings. , I can see it clearly and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

"Yeah." Gesa nodded lukewarmly: "I've already guessed it."

"Why are there still people from the Sixth Army?" Second Lieutenant Worthington couldn't help but ask: "Did Grove Magnus transport all the Sixth Army to Bazenauer?"

Gesa didn't speak, just wrote something quickly on the piece of paper.

Worthington was angry, annoyed and anxious. He suddenly hit his thigh in realization and gritted his teeth and whispered: "I know! I know! It's not them! It's them! They are the detours that Captain Lauzon detected. Troops! How could we not find them? How big a circle have they made? What are they going to do? They..."

After finishing writing, Colonel Gesar raised his head and glared at the second lieutenant. Worthington, who was talking to himself, immediately fell silent.

The second lieutenant himself knew that the enemy sent such a roundabout force, perhaps to block the coalition's retreat, perhaps to sneak attack on the coalition's camp, or perhaps more simply, to launch a sudden attack on the coalition from behind.

But none of that matters anymore.

The important thing is that they appear on the west bank of the nameless creek at this moment, on the south side of the battlefield... and on the unsuspecting rear of the coalition front.

For Colonel Geza, the fact that "this unit appeared behind the battle lines" is not important now.

"Send this letter to Colonel Skull and go now." Gesa folded the piece of paper, threw it into Worthington's hand, and said coldly: "If I can't deliver it to you, you don't have to come back."

"Yes!" Worthington didn't dare to ask any more questions. He turned around and got on the horse that was already foaming at the mouth from exhaustion, and galloped out of the square with his whip raised.

Gesa silently watched the second lieutenant leave, took the reins and put on the stirrups and mounted the horse: "Drumming! Send the order! No need to retreat anymore!"

He solemnly put on the helmet he never liked: "Fight here!"

…

[River Valley Village]

"It seems I guessed it right." Woods raised his hand and pointed to the southwest: "Colonel."

In the direction pointed by the lieutenant, the newly emerged troops finally entered the real battlefield - the fields of River Valley Village. They no longer hid their identities and showed the flag of the Sixth Army to everyone.

"Yes." Colonel Bode did not look at the visitor, but stared at the Baishan County troops in the southeast who were submerged in gunpowder smoke: "No matter how fast that kid Winters comes, he will not be able to arrive today."

Tremendous shouts of killing erupted in the wilderness on the south bank. The troops holding high the battle flag of the Sixth Army shouted and rushed towards the valley village located in the center of the battlefield.

…

[Northern Division Battlefield]

"What are you doing?" Worthington rushed towards Colonel Scull, and Lozon and a military policeman almost failed to catch him. He yelled and asked: "Why are you retreating? Haven't you already defeated the enemy's right wing? Why are you retreating!"

Skull read the letter sent by Worthington in silence, then tore the paper into pieces, raised his hand and pointed at Worthington, and said to Lauzon: "He is coming with us."

Luo Song nodded.

"I...go..." Worthington was startled at first, then began to struggle desperately, yelling: "Fuck you! Bastard! Coward! Fuck! Fuck..."

Luo Song couldn't help but push Worthington to the ground and tie him tightly, threw him directly on the back of a sergeant's horse, and then waved his hand to signal the sergeant to take the latter away.

The phalanx composed of two infantry brigades sent by the New Reclamation Army to support the right wing was surrounded and attacked from all sides, and was quickly crushed.

All the troops in Leiqun County and Bianjiang County, as well as the two infantry brigades in Baishan County, are regrouping and evacuating the battlefield as quickly as possible. Although they suffered heavy casualties, their organization remained intact.

"You go first." Lauzon said to Colonel Skull: "Sanel's pistol cavalry can still fight. I will lead the cavalry to break up the rear."

Skull didn't say a word. He just nodded: "I'll wait for you in Changhu Town."

"Yes." Luo Song stood at attention and saluted.

Skull grabbed the saddle and mounted the horse. He looked back towards the direction of River Valley Village for the last time.

The sound of fighting and gunshots could be heard faintly in the distance, and it was obvious that the battle was still fierce. Nearby, Hehe Village has been surrounded by groups, and the remaining soldiers and wounded who stayed behind in Hehe Village are making their final resistance.

Skull stared at the four-quadrant military flag still flying on the bell tower spire, and slowly raised his hand in salute.

At this moment, Skull heard a familiar yet unfamiliar sound - a thunder, followed by a horrific wound on the bell tower of the River Valley Church, and gravel, sawdust and dust spewed out.

Colonel Sirku looked at the artillery position on the other side of the river with horror, and saw a puff of cotton-like white smoke spewing from the top of the mound. Looking back towards River Valley Village, the church bell tower was groaning in pain and crumbling in the smoke.

On the artillery position, Lieutenant Colonel Varley, covered in blood, threw himself behind another heavy artillery piece, pushed the gunner aside, and adjusted the firing angle himself. Three heavy cannons can still be used, and they are all aimed at Hehe Valley Village.

"Aim at the church!" Warley yelled and ordered to himself: "Fire!"

There was another thunder, and the solid shell once again made a huge gap in the clock tower.

The sound of artillery attracted everyone's attention, and the fighting on the battlefield seemed to have stopped. Soldiers and officers from either side all looked at the bell tower with the four-quadrant military flags.

This time, the bell tower could no longer bear it. Under everyone's gaze, it collapsed slowly, calmly and irrevocably, sending up smoke and dust all over the sky.

Colonel Scull couldn't hold it in any longer, and tears burst into his eyes.

Gesa pursed his lips and said nothing.

Deafening cheers suddenly erupted from the parliamentary army. The brown-coated soldiers cried with joy, shouted at the top of their lungs, and beat their weapons and chests wildly.

Win, they win. If there is a landmark event that proves the victory of the Parliamentary Army today, it is undoubtedly now.

However, at this moment, another voice came from the smoke, a voice that suppressed all the cheers and shouts.

bells.

The sound of the bronze cast bell being struck by a heavy object clearly reached everyone's ears.

bells.

Again and again.

One voice after another.

"Go!" Skull ordered.

"Keep fighting!" Geza yelled.

With their backs turned to the tenacious, desolate, and low-pitched bells, the soldiers from Leiqun County and Bianjiang County evacuated the battlefield without looking back.

However, with the same tough, desolate and low tone of bells, another army marched out from the valley south of the valley village.

When the sentries of the Parliamentary Army came forward to investigate, they did not hesitate to show the dark blue military flag - the military flag belonging to Tiefeng County.

Faster than the most optimistic, pessimistic and boldest expectations because they took the shortest route.

Winters Montagne's army crossed the Silver Sparrow Mountains and entered the battlefield.

[This chapter can be regarded as repaying last week’s debt Q_Q]

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