Chapter 78: The Red Dragon's Arrow

The third day after the breakout plan was implemented,

early morning, 3:00 AM.

Southeast of Bourne Territory, Cornwall Coast.

In the distance, the austere silhouette of the Saint Myas Mountains silently overlooked the frozen battlefield.

The murky seawater, tinged with deep red, surged towards the Cornish coast in successive waves.

Under the dull, hot night,

a chilling forest of spears rumbled forward, trampling over the shattered bodies of light infantry and the broken spears of the Macedonian Phalanx legions on the beach!

"Phalanx, deploy!"

"Advance obliquely!"

With a command issued from the center of the phalanx,

within the phalanx legion, various brigade commanders and company captains wearing feathered helmets waved their weapons, beginning to direct the formation change through spear lifts, sword swings, and arm movements.

"—Woo~woo!"

A messenger raised a bronze horn and blew two urgent notes.

The next moment,

the phalanx legion soldiers, advancing in a 'dense formation,' turned sideways, stepped, and straightened again, opening a gap of about half a meter. They quickly moved past the bodies of the first battle group soldiers piled on the beach, advancing 30 degrees to the right, pressing forward continuously with their forest of spears.

If a charge were initiated at this point of formation change, it might be possible to break through the Macedonian phalanx head-on.

But—

Dagonet gritted his teeth, watching the opposing phalanx legion, which like a surgical knife, had dissected, crushed, and literally strangled the second light infantry battle group.

He watched the soldiers of the second battle group, who had lost their fighting spirit before that monstrous legion, yet, due to the supervising cavalry behind them, couldn't retreat and could only helplessly await death.

Finally,

he could only close his eyes, take two heavy breaths, and then, in a deep voice, command:

"Order the Third and Fourth Infantry Battle Groups to move up!"

In just half an hour, the first battle group suffered 30% casualties, with countless severely wounded. The supervising cavalry were almost unable to suppress desertions. Dagonet had no choice but to withdraw the first battle group and replace them with the second.

But before even half an hour passed, the second light infantry battle group was easily routed, performing even worse than the first. The first battle group at least managed to charge into the phalanx's flank, launching two assaults on the phalanx legion's flank — the companion cavalry and light infantry. Although both attempts ended with them being segmented and neutralized by the companion cavalry, and then annihilated by three thousand-man light infantry corps that followed closely behind.

To urgently organize a combat-effective force from the routed troops, Dagonet re-assigned the eight infantry battle groups, gathering armor, shields, and long spears from twenty-two thousand soldiers and concentrating them on the four thousand-plus veterans of the first and second battle groups.

Only then was he barely able to organize two forces capable of forming a 'turtle shell formation' and an 'anvil phalanx' similar to the Macedonian phalanx.

On a cold weapon battlefield, only formations could be called an army.

Those who couldn't form a military formation, couldn't understand commands, and could only rush forward in a chaotic swarm, were called cannon fodder.

Considering the national situation, most of Britain's soldiers were currently cannon fodder, similar to mercenaries, serving as mere fillers in battles.

These groups were originally planned for use as laborers and logistics support later on—Su Ya's initial plan included using the canyon terrain between the coast and Saint Myas Mountains to block enemy pursuit.

But now...

Dagonet was filled with nothing but despair.

He didn't know what unexpected situation Su Ya's side had encountered that prevented them from completing their guerrilla plan within the scheduled time.

Although most of the companion cavalry in the Seleucid army had been drawn away by Su Ya's plan, if Su Ya could not return here under the triangular guerrilla strategy he had constructed, and without a powerful cavalry charge impacting the Macedonian phalanx's flank to break through the legion,

then, what awaited them here,

was to be confined by the constantly shrinking encirclement after daybreak, becoming grounded birds trapped in a cage.

"Whew."

Dagonet let out a heavy breath, slowly drawing the ceremonial sword from his waist with his right hand and a dagger from his waist with his left. His face grim, he looked towards the enemy phalanx legion and turned his head to the several cavalry officers of the supervising squad, saying:

"The scout cavalry and supervising cavalry who returned from the northern diversion operation, now, cancel all missions, all personnel will follow me to launch one last charge. The Third and Fourth Battle Groups will take over the equipment of the First and Second Battle Groups, directly resisting the phalanx legion. Order the soldiers of the remaining four corps to operate freely in 20 columns, with the entire army flanking and attacking the phalanx legion's flanks!"

"Tell everyone—"

"It doesn't matter if you run, but if you still want to return home, if you still want to live, then obey this royal command!"

At the final moment,

Dagonet, who had not received the royal command, issued this order on Su Ya's behalf, an order that should have only been given when the trumpet of victory sounded.

His eyes flashed with a determined and fierce glint.

Su Ya's plan was too benevolent, designed to get as many people out of the encirclement as possible.

This was the king's grace, but not a plan approved by a general loyal to the king.

And Dagonet finally made his choice at this moment—

He didn't know why Su Ya had delayed the reinforcement time, but as long as that monster Lucan was by his side, Su Ya's safety would be guaranteed; at the very least, Su Ya would return.

As for him,

he would gamble the lives of all his soldiers here, to pave a bloody path for the king to ascend the throne!

3:20 AM.

On the Cornwall coast, swallowed by the night,

"Kill!"

With a roar, the entire British legion advanced!

Over ten thousand ragged, armor-shattered light infantry, like a rusted iron tide, desperately surged towards the perfectly aligned Macedonian legion!

The regrouped Third and Fourth Battle Groups were the first to charge, pushing forward with roughly made wooden shields, colliding with the chilling forest of spears at the very front.

Immediately following,

a thousand-plus cavalry, led by Dagonet, formed a wedge-like formation and launched a suicidal charge towards the well-prepared companion cavalry on the left flank!

On the left and right flanks were over ten thousand British soldiers, either wading through the seawater or directly rushing into the coconut grove.

They roared, charging forward chaotically, even tripping over their own men, raising their weapons in a vast, surging wave!

Seen from the enemy's perspective, at this moment, the field of vision was filled with madly charging British soldiers, looking quite intimidating.

But what awaited them was the Macedonian's ruthless grinding machine.

Three thousand-man infantry corps guarding the legion's flanks maintained neat formations, clinging tightly to the phalanx legion's perimeter. Rows rotated forward, like emotionless machines, thrusting out long swords or spears, raising their shields.

Like harvesting wheat, they cut down wave after wave of charging chaotic soldiers, stepping over bodies as the formation continuously advanced.

But this formation quickly collapsed.

In the face of overwhelming numerical disparity,

as more and more frenzied irregulars charged forward, the increase in corpses, the compression of space, and the Britons who climbed over "mountains" of bodies and leapt down, bored into the battle formation like monsters.

Dagonet didn't need to say much; all the soldiers here knew they had no way out. Even surrender would lead to a more tragic fate.

On the contrary, a king like Su Ya, who tried to let them survive as much as possible, was an anomaly among anomalies!

At this moment,

on the left flank of the battlefield,

Dagonet, with bloodshot eyes, stared intently at the thousand-plus companion cavalry also charging towards him.

"Charge!"

He spurred his warhorse, activated his combat skill, and was carried aloft by the horse, soaring high. As the spearhead of the cavalry formation, he crashed into the wedge formation, continuously swinging his blade and drawing his dagger, taking one life after another.

The two cavalry forces instantly collided, interweaving, until they charged past each other.

Dagonet looked at the less than half of his knights remaining beside him, his pupils trembling slightly.

Although they had broken through the companion cavalry, to charge the phalanx flank with fewer than five hundred men was undoubtedly sending the remaining knights to their deaths.

But this was the only chance to break through the Macedonian phalanx.

Soon, Dagonet tightly gripped his ceremonial sword, now only a hilt with the blade missing. He turned his horse around, raised the hilt high, took a deep breath,

and roared his final command:

"The Royal Knights—"

"Hear my command, all of you, draw your swords!"

"Continue to charge the flank of the phalanx legion!"

And just as the words fell,

"—Rumble!"

A thunderous sound of hooves suddenly erupted!

Knights, each bearing a royal banner with a blue background and a red dragon emblem, emerged from the coconut grove.

Immediately after,

the cavalry emerging from the coconut grove gradually converged into a three-thousand-strong knightly order, galloping swiftly across the battlefield.

Led by the blond knight at their vanguard, like an arrow tearing through the night towards dawn,

they precisely pierced through the gap opened by Dagonet,

and fiercely thrust into the flank of the Macedonian phalanx legion!