The defeat crashed down like a mountain, yet the enemy soon realized they were surrounded—waves upon waves of cavalry, surging, colliding, relentless, blocking every retreat. By the lakeside, only a little over twenty thousand soldiers remained.
There was no one to command them. The panicked soldiers screamed and fell under the blades, while the prisoners on the island erupted in thunderous cheers, as if encouraging the rescuing troops. Many of them had been starving for days, but at this moment, some unknown strength drove them to shout themselves hoarse.
Some soldiers even waded into the water with weapons, ready to join the fray at any moment.
"Don't falter! Attack—attack!"
A general raised his spear, shouting over and over. More people fled from the far side of the lake, and he could clearly see—the enemy cavalry numbered ten thousand. If they could press forward and suppress them, there was a chance. His own cavalry, along with those left behind by the Sage Domain, were also arriving from the east.
"Attack! Advance!"
Mark Zou shouted, his eyes blazing with fury. Suddenly, a hand gripped his shoulder.
"Let me command. You useless fool, get out of my way!" Joseph Qiao snapped.
A burly general shouted, immediately ordering the soldiers to form a line: spearmen to the front for defense, archers to prepare. But the orders were rushed, and since these weren't his own troops, it was hard to get the message across.
"What are they doing?"
Mark Zou stared wide-eyed at his own soldiers. They were already kneeling on the ground, hands raised in surrender, yet the enemy showed no mercy and slaughtered them regardless. Gradually, the screams and cries from the lakeshore grew louder, and the prisoners trapped on the island began to join in, adding to the massacre.
"Kill every last enemy. Leave none alive!"
Yuna Ji shouted, her orders spreading rapidly. More and more soldiers from the island joined the slaughter, their rage boiling over as they grabbed weapons and mercilessly cut down pleading enemies, venting all the fury pent up over these days.
"Regroup and prepare for the next round!"
Joseph Qiao called out, and the soldiers quickly rallied. The distant enemy still couldn't organize an effective defense—they needed to be crushed in one swift blow.
"Damn it, these wretches!"
The Sage Domain general couldn't help but curse. These men were barely soldiers, unable to follow even the simplest orders. What troubled him most now was that some were fleeing, blending in with the reserves.
Mark Zou looked on in terror at the advancing enemy. At the very front, Yuna Ji raised her spear. Trembling, Mark Zou turned his horse and bolted.
Though the scattered soldiers had regrouped, the brief battle had shown them the true horror of the enemy's power—a swift, brutal massacre. And now, the enemy attacked again.
"Damn it—have the infantry split up the cavalry! The rest of the riders, follow me!"