r18novel Chapter 64 Bloody Fight
Chapter 64 Bloody Fight
"We won't fight them directly in the middle of the arena," Tiberius said to Lisanro. "This is a long, oval-shaped viewing platform. We're outnumbered and at a disadvantage. We'll go to the bottom of the platform, with our backs against the stone wall. This way, we can prevent the enemy from using their numerical advantage to attack our flanks and rear!"
"Alright, Tiberius, I'll do as you say!" Lisanro nodded firmly.
After all, at this point, who can he still trust?
Then, the Lightning Legion marched in unison to the end of the arena.
This action was like splashing cold water into a boiling oil pan, instantly provoking a huge reaction from the audience in the stands!
"Are you scared, Kid Flash?"
"Good heavens, are they worried about the enemy flanking them before the fighting even starts? That's cowardly behavior, they're just trying to hide like turtles!"
"Disgrace! This is an insult to the spirit of competition! True gladiators should stand in the center of the arena, facing each other squarely and squarely! Facing each other with courage and strength! What is this? Typical cowardice! How can you represent the martial spirit of Reese?"
"Master Mario, charge over there and crush them! Let these cowards know what happens when they hide!"
Laughter, jeers, and whistles filled the air. Li Sangluo's face turned ashen, and he gripped his sword tightly.
But the soldiers of the "Lightning Regiment" ignored the surrounding noise and, like rocks, steadfastly carried out their orders amidst the waves of ridicule.
After all, during all that training, Tiberius hadn't taught them much martial arts, but he had instilled one thing deep into their very bones.
Obey orders!
"Tiberius, they..." Lisanlo said indignantly. "I can't stand them!"
"Endure it!" Tiberius snapped.
Lisanro was startled by Tiberius's rebuke: this was the first time Tiberius had admonished him so bluntly.
"Let them laugh some more, Lisanro," Tiberius thought coldly. "They want us dead, not because they truly care about martial virtue. They've bet on Mario, craving glittering gold and silver coins flowing into their pockets. So they desperately use nice-sounding words like 'honor' and 'courage' to force us to abandon our only advantage and engage in a head-on battle they love, but which is suicidal for us..."
"But! In a moment they will understand a bloody truth: only the survivors have the right to define what 'martial virtue' is!"
"Alright, Tiberius, I'll do whatever you say!" Lisanro gritted his teeth, enduring the taunts and insults as he moved with the Lightning Legion soldiers.
Amidst a chorus of boos and jeers, the "Lightning Squad," like rocks in a raging torrent, silently and resolutely completed their formation before the stone wall. With their backs to the wall, spearmen silently moved to their designated positions, large shields were driven into the ground, and crossbows were cocked and ready to fire; wagons were swiftly pushed to the flanks, forming a makeshift barrier with chains. The entire formation was compact and sturdy, like an anvil covered in spikes.
They are ready to face a bloody storm!
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The seven hundred members of Mario's allied forces surged forward in a chaotic frenzy.
"Hey! Quiet down, all of you! Heed my command!" Mario Ferrero, mounted on a tall steed, brandished his ornate, jewel-encrusted scimitar—more for decoration than slashing—and angrily tried to control his "alliance." His face flushed, he struggled to maintain his authority as the initiator while dealing with his equally arrogant allies, appearing quite flustered. "We must first launch a multi-pronged attack on Lisanro's lines, exhausting them and fully utilizing our numerical advantage..."
"Hey Mario, what's the point of tactics?" A wealthy merchant's son tightened his belt, trying to restrain his large stomach in this way.
"Let's attack together! We outnumber them, we don't need any tactics! There's a stone wall behind them, they have no way out!" Another wealthy merchant's son rode his horse arrogantly to the front of the line.
"Mario, if you're willing... well, to take command of the central army, we'll accept your choice..." Another person arrogantly left behind a provocative remark, then tossed his gold-embroidered cloak and leisurely led his servants away from the central army, pushing and shoving each other.
"Tiberius, what are those idiots over there who like to lick Mario's ass doing?" Lisanlo, standing on the carriage, looked at the group of people opposite him, who were huddled together like a herd of wild boars, refusing to attack, and asked with considerable confusion. "Don't they outnumber us? Why aren't they charging in?"
"It's simple." Tiberius's lips curled into a cold smile. "They're trying to make their mercenary group more 'eye-catching.' They're not discussing how to defeat us now, but how to demonstrate their 'bravery' and 'noble demeanor' to the audience in a flashy way."
"A bunch of idiots." Tiberius looked at the chaotic mercenaries and armed servants with the disdainful gaze one might have for a dead man. "Do they really think this is a stage play? Or a gladiator duel where all they've fought is a scraped slate?"
"Crossbowmen, check your crossbows, cock them, and prepare to fire! Wait for my command before firing the first volley! Do not fire prematurely and waste arrows!"
"Light infantry, check your longbows! Wait for the enemy to come within fifty paces and then unleash a rapid-fire barrage! Keep a close eye on those spoiled brats and those idiots who desert and try to show off!"
"Patrol cavalry, no unauthorized firing, no flanking maneuvers!" He emphasized this point in particular. "Your mission is to protect yourselves! Once the enemy vanguard enters within 100 paces, immediately retreat to the wagon camp's protected area and rely on the wagons for defense and harassment! Do not linger in battle!"
"Shieldbearers and wagon riders! Prepare your spears and javelins, but do not throw spears or darts unless you see the plume on the enemy's helmet!"
Finally, the enemy began their charge. However, the so-called "charge" was disorganized and chaotic. Some rich kids, eager to show off their "bravery," led their soldiers who wanted to make a name for themselves, yelling and breaking away from the charging formation, wanting to charge forward alone to compete for "first merit" and "heads."
But many more, especially Mario's "star" mercenaries, were hesitant. Most were seasoned veterans, instinctively shrinking back at the prospect of real death, their steps faltering. Meanwhile, the greenhorns, privileged sons, and armed lackeys behind them relentlessly pushed them forward.
In an instant, pushing, shoving, shouting, yelling, and the clash of weapons mingled together in complete chaos. From a distance, this "army" of seven hundred men looked like a turbid, unpredictable tide, clamoring and surging toward the silent "iron-gray rock wall" at the other end of the arena.
[What a bunch of idiots.] After giving the order, Tiberius raised his crossbow, a cold laugh rising in his heart. [But perfect, my first trophy is the rusty heads of you donkeys, your brains rusted with gold and glory!]