The girl who ate the death god

Chapter 07: Red Apples Look More Delicious

The Kingdom Third Army Corps was being persistently pursued, and with their eyes on Branch Castle Antigua, they continued to desperately retreat. Everyone bore some form of wound, their equipment was dented, and they were totally exhausted. The soldiers that had been left behind by the main body were crushed, each and every one, or they threw down their swords and surrendered.

"Haah-, Haah-, to shamelessly, return like, like this huh. If I had to receive such disgrace, I would rather die in battle! Reform the battle formation, and throw down the gauntlet for a second decisive battle-!!"

Fumed Yalder with his breathing haggard and face flushed.
For him who had continued to walk to road to success, and soon to be 50 years old, this was the first time he had tasted failure.
The figures of both Major Generals, Kyros and Dhanush, who were leading the Heavy Infantry and Cavalry divisions, were nowhere to be seen. In the earlier engagement at the Alucia Plains, they were caught in the confusion during the explosions and died in battle.
The Liberation Army set up Princess Alucia as the vanguard to act as bait, and not only were they successful in luring in the Heavy Divisions, but also the entire army of the Kingdom to their deaths.
Sidamo had fathomed that it was a trap, but he did not possess the means to stop the enthusiastic military officers. And then, when they were just near enough that they could see the enemy's faces, the ground exploded together with the roar of the detonation. Like a chain reaction, it grew and swallowed the soldiers of the Kingdom, and many lives were atomized.
Yalder's prided heavy infantry and cavalry were simply destroyed without ever crossing swords. While raising battlecries, the Liberation Army, in the formation of an arrow, then started the charge against the Kingdom's Army that had fallen into pandemonium.
Yalder, the commander, shouted in a thundering voice and tried to rally everyone's condition, but the next move completely decided the outcome of the battle.

From a slightly elevated hill, many flags of the Empire were raised, and war drums boomed with enough force to break the sky like it would burst. Completely unexpected, the Empire's army earnestly joined the war.
The moment the cavalry unit wearing the armor of the Empire started the charge, what little fighting spirit left in the soldiers of the Kingdom was blown away. After all, the Kingdom's army was mostly a gathering of a mob of people. The soldiers who would throw away their lives and fight amounted to less than 10% probably. They were not a match for the Liberation Army who had high morale. While their numbers were overwhelmingly greater, the Kingdom Army played the disgraceful role of being routed.
The soldiers who decided to listen to Yalder's orders were no longer existing at the time. Kyros and Dhanush who were isolated had eaten a fierce attack from an elite unit carrying The Flag of the Lion, and their heads had been tragically taken.

They had only found out later, but the soldiers of the Empire that had appeared at that time were fakes–the Keyland Empire had not fully committed to the war. The people who stood carrying the Empire's Flag were ordinary civilians, and the cavalry wearing the Empire's armor were mercenaries. Just utilizing civilians was a mundane deception tactic, but in the state of confusion from the landmines, the army of the Kingdom was thoroughly deceived. When people lose their composure, their judgement is hampered.

"Your Excellency. Let us reorganize our position at Antigua and wait for a chance to clear up this dishonor. If we were to attempt another decisive battle in our state, the outcome is clear. It is regrettable, but we have no strength to fight remaining."

At Sidamo's remonstration, Yalder looked over the soldiers around him.

"This, this, this is our glorious Third Army? So far we have fallen. Why-! I don't get it! In the first place, I haven't heard anything like the Empire would participate in the war-! What are those guys in my own country doing-!!?"

"Your Excellency, about that—-"

Two horsemen came galloping to further report bad news in the ears of the commander who clenched his fists in disgrace.