Rising Shadows: The Fight for Freedom I

Chapter 37: If We Are Ultimately to Die

How many damned orcs are there here! Surely, not all the orcs from the Nagrand Plains are gathered in this place! As he felled yet another orc that had narrowly escaped the wrath of Gerald's surging energy, Darn pondered, and before him, a fresh wave of wolf riders charged towards the human legion.

Turning his steed, the Rampant Lions Legion once again maneuvered through the gaps between the two enemy forces, resolutely avoiding a direct confrontation with the orcs. The orcs, having been thrown into disarray countless times by human cavalry employing this very tactic, hastened their pace, attempting to adjust their formation and block the Rampant Lions Legion's advance.

A mournful sound of horns echoed across the plains, and the wolf riders, desperately trying to change direction, found their efforts futile. Suddenly, they slowed their pace and began to retreat.

Huh! Why are the orcs withdrawing? Do they no longer wish to fight us...

Before he could finish his thought, Darn's eyes widened in shock. Ahead, through the thinning mist, a dense formation of tauren was steadily advancing towards the Rampant Lions Legion.

One, two, three, four... Together with his comrades, Darn reined in his horse, regaining his composure as he meticulously counted the ranks of orc infantry before him. A painful groan escaped his lips.

It's over! There is absolutely no way we can break through! The tauren are arranged in a solid formation of fifty ranks! How could those mindless fools possibly create such a formidable line! And behind this thick array, there lies another equally dense infantry formation!

Equally dumbfounded were Sergeant Koval, Corporal Kashi, and every human cavalryman who had grasped the reality of the orc infantry's arrangement. In the next moment, all the cavalry turned to flee. Although the human cavalry did not fear the enemy before them, they...

Changed direction, seeking a place conducive to cavalry maneuverability, searching for a way to breach the enemy lines without incurring excessive losses!

With this thought in mind, the Rampant Lions Legion charged in another direction. To their sides, the wolf riders, who had previously sought to match the human cavalry, behaved unusually, not attempting to block their path but closely following the human cavalry until they reined in their horses once more.

Damn it! More tauren infantry! How can there be so many of these grazing beasts! With a grim expression, Darn watched as the infantry formations approached from the distance, forcing him to turn his horse around once again. Behind them, in the direction from which the Rampant Lions Legion had come, countless wolf riders had coalesced into a terrifying tide of orcs.

To the east and west were infantry formations composed of tauren, while the north was blocked by a gathering of wolf riders. The only direction left was south, where numerous bonfires burned, and currently, there appeared to be few orcs!

In unison, they gazed towards the direction of the Kingdom of Bylins. In that direction, countless wisps of smoke were rising into the sky. Darn knew that the orcs, with the arrival of daylight, were extinguishing the fires meant to dispel the darkness and thick fog. But how many orcs lay in wait behind those once roaring bonfires?

Yet now, there was no choice left for Darn, nor for the Rampant Lions Legion. The remaining three hundred men could not possibly break through the overwhelming orc forces pressing in from the east, west, and north. The only option left was to head south and see what lay behind the bonfires!

Perhaps more orcs, perhaps it was a trap, but regardless of what it was, I must see it! Slowing his horse to a leisurely pace, Darn felt a mix of tension and excitement, while simultaneously striving to regulate his breathing, hoping to regain some strength.

However, time was running out for Darn and the Rampant Lions Legion. As the embers of the bonfires came into view, the anticipated outcome became clear to every cavalryman.

Only a mere thousand or so orcs, a number far below that of the orc forces in other directions. Yet, gazing at the distant embers, the cavalry felt no thrill, for there they saw the orc king who had defeated their commander, Mateus, and flanking the orc king were over a hundred shamans clad in ceremonial robes, wielding the staffs that had once brought pain to the Rampant Lions Legion!

"Perhaps we should try to charge the tauren!?" Darn, his face pale, turned to Corporal Kashi, then to Sergeant Koval, then to Captain Gerald, and finally to Commander Mateus. In the next moment, Darn understood the commander's final decision!

"If we are ultimately to die, I choose to perish on the road to Bylins! If we are to die, I choose to face the enemy in death! To die facing the mightiest of foes! In the name of the great King of Bylins! In the name of the omnipresent light of the supreme god Helios! Forward!"

Proclaiming the battle oath with fervor, General Mateus raised his sword high. With no path of retreat left, the cavalry silently regarded their commander, silently raising their weapons, then accelerating into the final charge.

Humans were determined to fight to the death, but with the shamans' assistance, those cavalrymen would no longer wreak havoc! Standing tall upon the back of a kodo beast, Gruman swung his arm fiercely.

Am I to die? Am I to die? Am I to die!!! Amidst the throng of cavalry, Darn's heart raced violently, a yearning for life clashing with a fear of death, causing the young man, who had only recently celebrated his sixteenth birthday, to grip his sword hilt tightly, his gaze fixed ahead. Suddenly, countless points of light ignited in his pupils.

No―――― A distorted scream erupted from Darn's lips, but this desperate cry could not halt the shamans' spells from descending. In the next moment, a cacophony of crackling sounds erupted across the plains.

Relying solely on spells could not vanquish these human cavalrymen. Though the shamans' chain lightning was powerful, it could not breach the high-level energy shields of true human masters!

Gruman watched as several cavalrymen fell, yet the human cavalry, undeterred, continued their rapid advance despite the onslaught of electrical spells. He gained a new understanding of the interplay between warriors and mages. However, before Gruman could contemplate the next deployment of forces, the orc king swung his arm down heavily once more.

Another volley of lightning erupted from the shamans' staffs, and the shamans retreated, while rows of orc warriors surged forward.

Phew, I'm still alive! Oh, supreme god, may your light guide those unfortunate souls to ascend to heaven...

Having emerged unscathed from two rounds of electrical spells, Darn narrowed his pupils, fixating on the retreating shamans. As he exhaled in relief, his stiff arm swung out with renewed vigor.

Kill! Kill! Kill! Slay every damned orc! Clear the path for our return home!

Under the protection of General Mateus and all the senior officers' energy shields, the cavalrymen, having paid a price, finally clashed with the orcs. As humans and orcs became intertwined, the human cavalry no longer needed to fear the terrifying shamans' spells, but instead unleashed the lingering fear and sorrow upon their surrounding foes!

Swords rose and fell, mingling with cries of anguish, as the human cavalry, who had traveled all night and fought for hours, exerted every last ounce of strength within them. In their desperate struggle, the Rampant Lions Legion made the orcs feel as though these human cavalrymen were the truly savage and barbaric beasts!

These human cavalrymen are astonishingly brave! What force sustains their continued fight? What power keeps them from surrendering?

The orcs, who revered valor and glory, attacked mercilessly any human cavalry they could reach, while simultaneously marveling at their foes. The humans before them transcended the orcs' understanding, embodying a stark contrast to the lowly, weak beings they were accustomed to, who relied solely on cunning and superior weaponry to fight!