Hollow Knight Fanfic - Honor and Blood

Chap. 4 - The Ghost of Bocamatsu

Withdrawal! Withdrawal! —

The voice of a mantis rose among them all. After the last volley of shots from the Pale Army musketeers, the first line of mantises fell without any chance of defending themselves. Those weapons that spit fire and metal were brutal, and combat in an open field gave them an insurmountable advantage, even with their slow reload rate.

The mantis tried to follow orders, but the enemy infantry would not allow such a retreat. A pincer attack blocked both flanks, and behind them, a pronounced elevation cut off their path.

The one who seemed to be in command of the mantid forces saw the possibility of scaling such a slope, since the beetles of the Imperial Navy would not be able to follow them. Still, there they would be too exposed to the fire of the imperial blunderbusses.

Attacking one of the flanks with all their forces seemed to be the best option, but if they failed and became stagnant, they would quickly find themselves surrounded by the opposite flank, when the enemy troops were able to finish them off. The same thing happened if they decided to attack the musketeer squads at the front, where the more armored gray soldiers were also located. What should I do?

However, the desperate decision of the mantis in charge had to wait a few more seconds, when to the right of him he heard the commotion coming from the ranks of the opposing side. His gaze immediately turned, and he could see how behind the enemy ranks, something seemed to disturb the perfect testudo formation that so characterized the imperial infantry.

A private imperial soldier, he had a square wooden shield and a five-foot-long spear. A do-maru armor of white-dyed leather, which covered his chest and back alike, as well as the upper part of his thighs, genitals, and buttocks.

The heaviest units had iron-banded o-yoroi armor. Some carried katanas, and others carried yaris, a specialized spear, the use of which required more practice but was equally effective and lethal, depending on the soldier's skill. They also had helmets, unlike the previous ones, for greater protection, as well as shin guards, and some wore gauntlets.

However, none of that seemed to be enough to stop whatever was tainting the perfect imperial formation of the white right. The mind in charge of the mantids saw this commotion, and did not waste the opportunity.

- All! With me! —

The officer in charge of the small imperial army smiled with pleasure as he saw how his prey fell into his trap. Indeed, his plan was to force them to attack one flank to surround them with the opposite flank, and it did not take him long to give the order to mobilize the troops. What he was unaware of was the fragility of the right flank due to causes that both he and the thinking head of the mantises were unaware of.

Mantids were exceptional warriors, and biology itself had conceived it that way. Athletic and fast bodies. Alert eyes, and senses much more efficient than other insects. Their bodies and combat styles based on speed forced them to wear only haramaki armor for frontal protection. Leather for the most novices. Steel for the most veterans.

The mantids launched themselves at the shield wall, but were slowed by the impenetrable Imperial front formations. Their shields did not yield to the claws of their opponents, and their medium-range spears could attack even under the protection of their formations.

Both armies clashed. Some with more fury than others. The mantises, attacking fiercely to escape from such a situation. The beetles, patient and serene, waiting for the execution of their refined strategies. And everything would go perfectly, if it weren't for the discordant note in this massive symphony that was this entire battlefield.

The imperial soldiers turned in concern, when the shout of their comrades alerted them to the shadow that was approaching them from their rear. A silent, deadly and frenetic warrior. One who brandished in his hands a beautiful katana with a jet blade, as fast as only light could be.