"Hold on!
Don't panic!
Aim and fire! "
A second lieutenant of Thundercrash ordered a dozen soldiers to line up and raised his musket. He aimed at the charging Shiksan veterans and pulled the trigger.
Gunshots rang out one after another, and white smoke rose into the air.
Unfortunately, only five of the Shiksan veterans at the front fell. The one at the front was the most miserable. He was shot five or six times and fell to the ground without a sound. There was no point in trying to save him.
The Shiksan veterans behind him roared angrily and sped up with vicious expressions.
"Raise your bayonets. Don't panic. Let's get rid of these Shiksan bastards." The slightly older second lieutenant was the first to charge forward. He used his bayonet to parry the charge of a Shiksan veteran and smashed the butt of his musket into his face.
The sound of bones breaking could be heard. The Shiksan veteran clutched his bloody face and fell to the ground, his body twitching and curling into a ball.
The second lieutenant didn't even look at the victim beside him. He was already facing the two Shiksan veterans who were charging at him.
As a veteran who'd gone through hundreds of battles, he'd seen plenty of such situations.
While the two Shiksan veterans were aggressive, their bayonets weren't that good. After a few exchanges, the two veterans were stabbed and fell to the ground. The older second lieutenant was the victor.
Just as he was about to turn around to check on his subordinates, he heard a gunshot. The second lieutenant clutched his chest and turned around with great difficulty. He saw a Shiksan soldier reloading his musket in a fluster and fell to the ground. The last thing he heard were the panicked shouts of his subordinates.
"Send the Shiksan back to their homes!"
Elsewhere, around thirty Thundercrash soldiers raised their bayonets and surrounded the remaining six or seven Shiksan veterans. Close to a hundred corpses and injured soldiers were strewn all over the ground. The corpses of the Shiksan soldiers in blue and Aueran red uniforms were intertwined. Some had even died in combat.
However, it turned out that Thundercrash had the upper hand. The seven Shiksan veterans were all injured and didn't seem to be able to hold out much longer.
Even though Thundercrash shouted for the Shiksan veterans to lay down their weapons and surrender, not a single one of them was willing to do so. Instead, they gripped their weapons even tighter. It seemed that their fates were clear.
None of them noticed that a Shiksan veteran some fifty metres away was pushing a light infantry field cannon with his injured body and aiming the muzzle at the crowd. Panting, he bent down to pick up a match from the brazier on the ground and inserted it into the cannon.
A thunderous roar rang out as the cannons filled the area. Be it the Thundercrash soldiers outside or the Shiksan veterans trapped inside, they were all wiped out by that one shot.
The dying gunner looked at his masterpiece and let out a maniacal laugh. Then, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and almost choked to death.
He was soon freed. A soldier from the Thundercrash army who had witnessed the tragedy rushed over and used his bayonet to vent his anger …
"Who knows how to use a cannon?
Who knows how to fire a cannon? "
The soldier from Thundercrash had nearly riddled the cannoneer's chest with holes, but the shot just now gave him some inspiration. He called out to his comrades and prepared to use the Shiksan light infantry field cannon against the frenzied Shiksans.
However, before he could get a reply from his comrades, his cries attracted the enemy's attention.
A gunshot rang out and the soldier fell on top of the cannon.
"I need reinforcements!
General, we'll be wiped out in an hour … "Berklin rushed to Claude's side with blood all over his body and pleaded loudly.
Claude looked through his binoculars at the battlefield a few hundred metres away and said, "Colonel, you shouldn't be here. You should be at the front commanding your men to defend against the enemy.
Gemi, take my guards to reinforce him and help him stabilize his defences. The Shiksans are going berserk now. We'll be victorious if we can hold out for a while! "
Berklin stomped his foot angrily and rushed out of the command post at the third trench.
He knew that Claude was in a difficult position. He had been asking for reinforcements everywhere, but he only had so many troops at his disposal. Nobody expected the Shiksans to charge at them in a frenzy. Now, it all depended on who could hold out and who could last until the end would emerge victorious. Claude even sent his own guards to the frontlines.
The chaotic battle started when Thundercrash took over the second defensive wall. Claude used the Shiksan throwers to throw the grenades produced in the war zone and dealt a heavy blow to the Shiksans.
The 1,500 grenades blasted the Shiksans hiding behind the second wall into chaos, causing them to suffer heavy losses. Soon after, 3rd Line, equipped with the new rifles, launched an attack and successfully occupied the fourth and fifth trenches as well as the second wall that was close to a kilometre long.
However, something Claude didn't expect happened. 3rd Line was running low on ammunition. Many of its soldiers had already used up their last bullet and the unloaded rifles weren't even as effective as matchlocks. Claude had no choice but to send Berklin's 1st Line and Moriad's 2nd Line to the frontlines.
By then, the Shiksans had snapped out of their daze and immediately gathered their forces to launch a frenzied counterattack on the lost second defensive wall. Thus, the chaotic battle began.
When Claude led Thundercrash out, apart from the 100 bullets each soldier of 3rd Line was equipped with the new rifles, he also prepared another batch of ammunition for Eiblont's safekeeping.
After returning from the attack on the Shiksans' main supply base, 3rd Line had already restocked once.
However, they didn't think they would use up so many bullets in the seven days of battle.
3rd Line, equipped with the new rifles, had been fighting on the frontlines the entire time.
When the soldiers of 3rd Line reached the thousand-metre-long defensive wall and cleared out the remaining Shiksans there to set up a temporary defensive line, they ran out of bullets.
There were still more than 4,000 people in a regiment, but they had less than 300 to 400 bullets in total.
Dyavid angrily demanded for more bullets to be sent up, only to find that there were no more bullets left.
Claude had no choice but to withdraw 3rd Line and replace 4th Line in guarding the captives.
He then sent 1st and 2nd Line to reinforce the defensive line. After going back and forth for more than an hour, precious time was wasted just like that.
In the end, before 1st and 2nd Line could even stabilize their footing, the Shiksans launched a counterattack.
The second defensive wall, which was nearly a kilometer long, was like a pot of porridge that had been boiled. Fierce battles were taking place everywhere, and there was killing everywhere.
For the Shiksans, the second defensive wall was only for the outside and not the inside. Behind the wall was the cannons and catapults, which were all flat ground.
Being hit by Claude's catapults was akin to stabbing a knife into their weak spot. If they didn't retake the thousand-metre-long defensive line, it would be akin to opening a huge hole in their defensive line. The enemy would be able to take over the camps, warehouses and other facilities behind the wall. That would be a disaster for the Shiksans. Apart from surrendering, the only other option left was to die in battle.
For Thundercrash, who managed to take over the second defensive wall, the area behind it was flat and devoid of any defensive facilities. There weren't even any mud sacks to be found, so they couldn't even find cover.
The second defensive wall couldn't be used either, as Thundercrash's side had been cut into a steep slope. If they wanted to use the second defensive wall as cover, they would have to walk on stilts.
3rd Line ran out of bullets after clearing out the remaining enemies and had no choice but to retreat. 1st and 2nd Line didn't have the time to set up cover or build defensive facilities.
Wave after wave of Shiksans charged forward in a desperate attempt to retake the thousand-metre-long defensive line.
Both sides opened fire at each other, followed by a charge and melee. It was a chaotic battle where neither side could gain the upper hand.
The Shiksans sent in wave after wave of reinforcements while Claude gritted his teeth. After a full day and night, both sides were exhausted and couldn't hold on much longer.
Gum went up quickly and came down just as quickly.
The guard platoon equipped with the new rifles stabilized 1st Line's defensive line and repelled the frenzied Shiksans, giving 1st Line a rare moment of rest.
Gum, on the other hand, was injured by an iron pumpkin. It was a veteran Shiksan who ignited the pumpkin in his arms twenty metres away from Gum. A shrapnel hit Gum's abdomen and he was carried down.
It wasn't the first time something like that happened. Claude had seen it more than once through his telescope.
The Shiksan veterans were the most fearless people Claude had ever seen. They charged into the crowd with torches and iron pumpkins. Soon, there was a loud explosion. The Shiksan veterans and the surrounding people, be it Thundercrash or their own comrades, all perished together.
1st Line and 2nd Line of 1st Line only lasted for half a day before requesting for reinforcements. 2nd Line's 5th and 8th Line took their place and were almost completely wiped out by midnight.
Claude sent forth Line 4 and Eiblont reorganized the remaining men of Line 6 and 7 from 2nd Folk with some combat capability to form three temporary battalions. That was how they managed to hold out until dawn.
Even Claude's guard platoon was sent out to stop the Shiksans' frenzied counterattack.
Not long after the battle on the left side of Berklin's 1st Line calmed down, the sounds of fighting on the right side of Moriad's 2nd Line gradually died down as well. Only Thundercrash's war flag could be seen fluttering on the wall.
According to the reports from the soldiers who escorted Gum, the Shiksans couldn't hold out much longer.
It wasn't the Shiksan veterans who charged up at the end of the battle. Instead, it felt like it was the support staff, cooks, clerks and the like.
They lacked battle awareness and could only charge forward with brute force. They didn't have enough stamina and the Thundercrash soldiers only suffered light casualties to repel them.
As the wounded were sent down, Claude breathed a sigh of relief. It had been an hour and a half since the Shiksans launched another attack. It seemed they really couldn't hold out much longer.
Claude changed into a soldier's uniform and made his way to the wall. Only when he got there did he realize that all he could see were corpses in dark blue uniforms that covered almost the entire ground. The blood that flowed on the ground had already formed puddles and the stench of blood assaulted his nostrils.
In the distance, Thundercrash soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield. They held bayonetted muskets and stabbed the Shiksan corpses on the ground. Every now and then, the cries of the dying could be heard.
Only after the corpses were cleaned up did the soldiers go over to collect the tags on the Shiksan corpses and check the condition of their fallen comrades to see if there was any hope of saving them.
Those who still had a breath in them were immediately called for medics to treat them.
Moriad came over with his arms wrapped in bandages. He was so exhausted that he didn't even want to stand up and sat down on the corpse of a Shiksan veteran.
"Are you alright?" Claude asked with concern.
"I'm fine. I accidentally stepped on a corpse and slipped. My ribs were cut open.
I applied some medicine and stopped the bleeding. I'll be fine in another five or six days, "Moriad replied nonchalantly.
He knew why Claude was there. "Don't worry, Boss. Blok's fine.
He's even fiercer than I am. He took out a squad of Shiksan veterans all by himself and came out unscathed.
Right now, he's brought a small team to scout out the enemy's campsite … "
Claude relaxed after hearing that Blok was fine. He looked at the corpses a few hundred metres away and asked, "How many troops do you have left?"
Moriad's face darkened. "There should still be a battalion of our Second Regiment that can still move. That's taking into account the light injuries. Those like me who can still fight on can't do anything.
The more heavily injured have been transported away.
The rest are from other lines. 4th Line, 5th Line and 8th Line are mixed together, so there should be around five to six thousand of them.
The Shiksans have really gone crazy. Look at how many of them died. It's at least a folk. There are corpses all over the few hundred metres from here to there. "
Compared to 4th Line's jarl, Jedwalker, Moriad was quite lucky to have only suffered such minor injuries.
The original commander of the Fourth Regiment, Colonel Andrews, had contracted a severe rheumatism due to a relapse of an old injury on his foot. He had no choice but to transfer from Thundercrash to the local garrison forces, serving as the commander of the local garrison at Port Cobicus and the garrison commander of the Tyrrsim colony.
So, Jedwalker was transferred over from theatre command to become the jarl of 4th Line.
Claude sent forth 4th Line as reinforcements last night, only to be met with the Shiksans' most ferocious counterattack. Jedwalker's uniform was too eye-catching and caught the attention of the Shiksan veterans, who attacked him time and time again.
In the end, all of Colonel Jed Walker's guards were killed, and he himself was stabbed seven times before he breathed his last.
Colonel Jedwark's death almost caused the morale of the 4th Regiment to plummet. Fortunately, Moriad rushed over when he heard the news. He commanded the soldiers to repel the enemy's attack and reorganize the defensive line. Then, he carried Colonel Jedwark's body away and placed the 4th Regiment under his direct command. Only then did the soldiers of the 4th Regiment persevere.
Apart from the unlucky Jedwalker, 2nd Line's 5th and 7th Line's jarls were also sent away with heavy injuries.
That chaotic battle had dealt a heavy blow to Thundercrash. Of the eight lieutenants, one was killed, and two were injured. As for the battalion commanders, there were no statistics yet. However, Claude knew that three of them had died in battle just like Jiedwalker.
After lunch, Claude received a report from the frontlines. The Shiksans had given up on the camp and warehouse, as well as the drill grounds and healing camps. They had gathered their remaining forces on a small mound in the east.
That was probably where the Shiksans stored their rations and ammunition. The enemy was prepared to put up a resistance there.
Lieutenant Bloweyk of Wolfang reported that there were around ten thousand Shiksans on the mound. Most of them were injured and had bandages on their bodies.
Through his binoculars, he could see more than ten cannons on the mound, but he didn't see any throwers.
Also, the Shiksans used mud to store their rations in sacks and stacked them on top of the trenches. That was an effective way to prevent cannons and throwers.
Additionally, the retreating Shiksans set fire to the warehouse and dormitories filled with blankets and uniforms. The fire was quite intense.
The Thundercrash soldiers at the second defensive wall didn't have the energy or time to put out the fire, so they only set up a simple line of fire at the edge of the camp and allowed the fire to burn within.
Claude guessed that the Shiksans had set the fire to prevent Thundercrash from pursuing them and to buy time for them to fortify the mound.
However, Claude saw it as the Shiksans' final struggle. Did they think they could stop Thundercrash just by setting up a defensive wall on the mound?
That was nothing more than wishful thinking. Claude had plenty of ways to flatten the entire mound.
However, he wasn't in a rush. Thundercrash's soldiers needed time to rest after the battle. Nobody was made of iron.
Not to mention, the Shiksans' corpses had to be taken care of as well.
He didn't need to trouble his soldiers to do that. The Shiksan captives were the best choice.
Just as Claude was about to order Dyavid's 3rd Line to take the captives to the frontlines to clean up the enemy corpses, Eiblont returned.
He brought bad news to Claude. The nikancha camp at the mountainous area in the north had refused to attack the Shiksans' camp. Their only excuse was that they were in charge of defending, not attacking.
It seemed that Thundercrash 2nd Folk's attack on the Shiksan camp with Eiblont's command had caused the nikancha to lose their will to fight.
Claude slammed the table angrily. If the nikancha had joined the battle last night, Thundercrash wouldn't have suffered so many losses.
However, Claude couldn't blame the nikancha for that. They learned from their mistakes, after all. The nikancha weren't stupid. Eiblont's actions had caused them to lose trust in him. They wouldn't sacrifice their young lives for Thundercrash for no reason.
Since Eiblont didn't return last night, Claude knew that things weren't going well. But at least Thundercrash managed to hold off the battle and emerge victorious.
However, he didn't expect Eiblont to bring him two pieces of bad news.
"The spies in Cape Loducus sent an eagle message to the theatre. The third batch of Shiksan standing corps has arrived. There are two standing corps this time, one of which is a light-cavalry corps. They set off on the same night they arrived in Cape Loducus. They're probably going to reinforce the northern border camp.
"General Birkin sent an eagle message saying that the Shiksans in the eastern mountains have all retreated. They're probably left with half a standing corps.
"The scouts found that they're rushing north and General Birkin can no longer stop them. I hope we'll be careful."