HCB Chapter 433 I'm already standing on it, and you just show me this?
Chapter 433 I'm already standing on it, and you just show me this?
The next morning, the dawn broke and a hint of paleness appeared in the sky.
Calixica rode to the front of the army early in the morning, wearing gorgeous armor that shone brightly in the morning light. The soldiers behind him were lined up in a neat square formation, and the weapons in their hands reflected the cold light under the sunlight, looking fierce and aggressive.
With a dull sound, the city gate slowly opened. The huge city gate made a creaking sound, and a large number of Kushans filed out of the fortress in a mighty procession. Leading the way was Chief Hashim, who was riding a camel. He had a serious face and a complex look in his eyes.
Soon, Chief Hashim arrived not far in front of Kalishika. He slowly got off the camel, his movements slow and solemn, as if he was making an extremely important decision.
Then, he knelt on the ground with a plop, his forehead touching the ground, and bowed to Galisica, his voice steady and powerful:
"Your Majesty, I, Hashem, bow down here today and am willing to obey your orders."
Calixica sat on the horse, raised his head slightly, with an indescribable sense of pride on his face. He said:
"Chief Hashim, I am very pleased that you made such a wise choice. I forgive you and hand over the city of Acre to you to manage. To show my sincerity, Acre will be exempted from taxes for three years, and your people can live there in peace in the future."
When Chief Hashim heard this, he looked up in surprise. His eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe what he heard. His eyes, which had been drooping, now flashed with disbelief. His lips trembled slightly, and he subconsciously wanted to say something.
But soon, John's figure emerged in his mind, thinking of everything John had done for him and the tribe. The support and help given in difficult times, and the countless times they fought side by side, made him feel mixed emotions.
He slowly lowered his head and said softly:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."
Under the guidance of General Kusha, Chief Hashim rode on the camel again and slowly left.
His back looked a little lonely and relieved. The figure riding on the camel gradually went away, and the dust raised along the way slowly settled down.
John stood quietly on the observation tower not far away. He put down the telescope in his hand, looked up at the direction where Chief Hashim was going, and his mind was filled with thoughts.
Although he is currently missing some help, John can't help feeling a little disappointed.
But the food crisis in the fortress has been alleviated, which is the most comforting news for John during this period. At the same time, he has also revitalized the cohesion of the army.
Most importantly, John also saw through this incident that Kalishekhi was a man who was cruel, but he was indeed as he said.
Calixas's action this time showed his power in his own ruling group. As long as he promised something, he would do it without hesitation. This character made John see a ray of hope in the complicated situation.
John raised his head slightly, looked into the distance, and thought to himself.
Calixas seems to be autocratic, but at present he is also a person who can weigh the pros and cons.
As long as we patiently wait for him, when the war on the mainland becomes unfavorable and threatens his rule, he will most likely negotiate with John for his own benefit.
A few days later, a wooden platform suddenly rose up in front of the Kusha army. The tall figure looked particularly spectacular under the sunlight. Countless Kusha laborers were tiredly carrying wood, cutting branches, and building frames. Every detail was soaked with their hard work and efforts.
Finally, at noon one day, the sun was so hot and strong that it seemed to scorch the earth. The army of Calixga once again lined up in a strict battle array outside the fortress, and the scene was more spectacular than any previous time.
This time, all the soldiers were wearing golden helmets and armor, which shone brightly under the sunlight, like a golden ocean. Each set of golden helmets and armor was extremely exquisite, with the emblem of the Kusha Empire engraved on the brim of the helmet, and the cold light flashed between the armor plates, with a domineering and majestic aura that made people dare not look directly at them.
Galixica climbed onto the high platform, his figure as straight as a pine tree, his stern face filled with a confident smile, as if the solid fortress in front of him was just a small mound that he could easily trample. Behind him followed a group of generals, all of whom were majestic, and their eyes flashed with the desire for victory.
Galixiga raised his head slightly and looked at the Kusha army formation not far away, feeling secretly proud. He said loudly to the generals beside him:
"Today is the day we take down this fortress! We are just waiting for the order and the Guards will launch a general attack. The fortress will surely fall today!"
John stood on the watchtower on the city wall, looking solemnly at the orderly and dense formation of the Kushan army in the distance. The flags fluttered in the wind, as if telling the ambition and greed of the Kushan Empire.
He turned and said to the scouts:
"Order all areas to pay attention to defense! The enemy forces are strong today, so we must be on high alert and not slack off in the slightest!"
As a sharp horn sounded through the sky, the Kushan soldiers, led by the chieftains of each tribe, charged towards the fortress like a tide. They carried ladders, pushed siege cones and siege towers, and shouted in various ways, the sound seemed to tear the sky apart. As they charged, the cannons in the front row of the Kushan army were deafening, and the shells whistled towards the fortress.
John immediately shouted to the soldiers:
"Fire the guns! We can't let these Kushans get close to the city walls!"
Cannons were ignited one after another, and shells were fired at the enemy with a loud roar. The solid bullets fell like raindrops, hitting the Kusha soldiers below heavily. For a moment, screams came one after another, blood flowed on the ground, and Kusha soldiers fell one after another.
The Kusha soldiers who rushed to the bottom of the city wall were immediately shot at from all directions. Arrows rained down from the city wall, and lead bullets flew at the Kusha soldiers like locusts. The Kusha soldiers raised their shields to resist, but under the fire suppression of the soldiers on the city wall, countless people were shot and fell down in all directions under the city.
After a fierce attack, the soldiers of various tribes, who suffered heavy casualties, finally lost the battle and fled in panic. However, they had successfully withstood the first round of attacks, buying precious time for the guards in the rear.
These guards slowly advanced with shields like a steel torrent. Under the various attacks of the soldiers on the city wall, they walked to the bottom of the city wall in an orderly manner. They quickly put ladders on the city wall. Seeing this, the soldiers guarding the city immediately pushed the ladders down with forks. The Kushan soldiers were not discouraged. They quickly put up two or three ladders and continued to climb up.
At the same time, the siege cones pushed by the guards began to hit the city gate continuously. The heavy siege cones seemed to knock the city gate down with every impact, and the wooden door panels on the city wall creaked under the impact, as if they could not bear the weight. And the siege towers were about to approach the city wall, and their tall figures were getting closer and closer under the guards.
John was extremely anxious when he saw this. He immediately ordered people to prepare Greek fire and ordered the artillery officer in charge of this:
"Concentrate your attacks on the opposing siege tower!"
After the Greek fire was ignited, it was shot towards the siege tower opposite with a burst of burning hot oil. The blazing flames were like the legendary devil's fire, rushing towards the siege tower. However, the surface of the siege tower opposite was covered with a layer of iron sheet. After the flames raged on the iron sheet for a while, they gradually died out and did not cause much damage to the siege tower.
Soldiers on the city wall threw down kerosene bottles one after another, trying to destroy the siege cones under the city wall. But only a few of the kerosene bottles were able to hit the siege cones. Even so, due to the iron sheet protection on the top of the siege cones, these kerosene bottles had little effect.
As time went by, the siege tower finally approached the city wall. The guards rushed in like wolves and tigers, rushed up the city wall and started a fierce fight with the soldiers. John was shocked when he saw this. He immediately realized that the situation was critical and shouted to the White Wolf Knights:
"White Wolf Knights, follow me! We can't let these people occupy the city wall!"
The White Wolf Knights were in high spirits, and they shouted and followed John to the battlefield. For a moment, the swords flashed, the shouts of killing shook the sky, and the most elite troops of both sides began to fight.
Although the Guards were brave and fearless, their fighting style was relatively simple and crude, while the White Wolf Knights were more flexible and varied. They used their bravery and skills to inflict considerable casualties on the Guards.
However, the Kushans continued to pour onto the city walls, and the White Wolf Knights and the soldiers gradually fell into a bitter battle. The White Wolf Knights gradually fell into a one-on-many situation, and for a while the guards gradually killed their way to the vicinity of the tower where John was.
John saw the guards rushing towards him, and he joined the battle without hesitation. He was agile and wielded the sword as fast as lightning, splashing blood wherever he went.
A guard rushed towards John, brandishing a long sword. John dodged sideways, cleverly avoiding his attack, and then stabbed the opponent's abdomen with his sword.
The guard widened his eyes in pain and wanted to fight back, but it was too late. John's sword had already pierced deeply into his body, drawing large amounts of blood.
However, there were too many guards rushing up, and they attacked the soldiers defending the city like a pack of hungry wolves. Although John and his soldiers fought hard, casualties continued to increase.
At this moment, John saw a burly Kushan man wearing a different type of armor from the other Kushan soldiers, slaughtering his own soldiers wantonly. He seemed to be the commander of these guards. He roared and rushed towards him without hesitation.
The two men soon engaged in close combat, with swords colliding and making a harsh metallic collision sound. General Nakusha wielded his huge sword, with a cold light flashing on the blade, and every slash was accompanied by wind. John nimbly avoided his attacks, constantly looking for the opponent's flaws.
"Pagan, prepare to die!"
General Kusha roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield, as if trying to suppress John's momentum.
"What a joke! You want me to die!"
John showed no sign of weakness, he dodged the opponent's attack again nimbly, then took advantage of the opponent's unpreparedness, leaped upward suddenly, and stabbed the opponent's heart with his sword.
The Kushan hurriedly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. He took the opportunity to swipe his sword, and John quickly stepped back, but the sword still grazed his arm, and blood immediately flowed down.
"It seems you are not that easy to deal with."
General Kusha sneered.
"Same here, but you must die here today!"
John gritted his teeth and attacked again.
The two fought back and forth for dozens of rounds. John relied on his physical strength to become more and more powerful with his swordsmanship, while the Kushan gradually showed signs of fatigue.
"How long can you hold on!"
John asked loudly.
"Hmph, don't be so proud, it's not over yet!"
Although General Kusha was in great pain, he resisted tenaciously.
Finally, John noticed the opponent's weakness. He saw the right moment, rushed forward, and stabbed the opponent with his sword. The Kushan man was unable to dodge and was pierced through the chest by John's sword.
The Kushan stared at John with wide eyes in disbelief, and finally could only fall down slowly.
On the city wall, the White Wolf Knights rushed into the Kusha Guards like a whirlwind. Their spears stabbed the enemy like poisonous snakes. A White Wolf Knight shouted loudly, swung his spear violently, and directly penetrated the shield of a Kusha Guards and stabbed him in the chest.
The guards of Kalishica were no less powerful, fighting hard to protect their foothold on the city wall. A Kushan general brandished his great sword and shouted:
"For the sake of Kusha and your majesty, we must not let these pagans take a single step forward!"
The two sides fell into a fierce stalemate. The White Wolf Knights' spears kept stabbing at the Kusha Guards, while the Kusha Guards stubbornly resisted with shields and swords. Every collision was accompanied by the sound of metal tearing and the screams of soldiers.
The White Wolf Knights cooperated with each other and formed a tight battle formation. Sometimes they dispersed to surround the enemy, and sometimes they concentrated on attacking weak points, trying to break the defense line of the Guards.
The Kusha soldiers continued to fight back. One Kusha soldier climbed up the wall and sneaked behind the White Wolf Knight. When he was about to attack, he was discovered by the White Wolf Knight.
"Humph, it's not that easy to launch a sneak attack!"
The White Wolf Knight turned around and shouted, and at the same time swung the sword in his hand violently, directly chopping off the head of the Kusha soldier.
Calixica stood at the back, watching the fierce battle through a telescope, and his heart bled as he watched the guards falling one after another on the city wall.
At this moment, he was thinking:
"This relentless fighting style is really a headache. If I continue to fight like this, not only will my generals be dissatisfied, but the other chiefs will also disobey my orders after seeing my heavy losses. I have to find a way to end this battle as soon as possible."
So, Calixga had no choice but to order his men to blow the horn of retreat. The sound of the horn echoed on the battlefield, full of helplessness and sadness.
As the horn sounded, the guards received the order to retreat and immediately retreated. John and his soldiers on the city wall looked at the gradually retreating enemy troops without any joy in their hearts. They knew that the battle was far from over and the days ahead would still be difficult.
On the high platform, Galixiga stood quietly, staring intently at the retreating guards below. That scene made his heart feel like it was falling into an ice cellar, and his whole heart was shrouded in an indescribable chill.
The soldiers of the Guards were in a state of disgrace. The golden helmets and armor that were once shining and solid were now broken. Some helmets had cracks, like fragile eggshells; some golden armor pieces had fallen off, flashing scattered light in the sun, like broken dreams. Most of the soldiers were wounded, and blood oozed from their wounds, staining their wounds red.
Some soldiers were too seriously injured to even stand up, and could only be carefully carried by their companions. The bloodstains left along the way seemed like a shocking bloody road, winding from the battlefield in front to the bottom of the platform.
At this moment, a scout hurriedly climbed onto the platform, knelt on one knee, and reported to Gabriel with a trembling voice:
"Your Majesty, the armies besieging the four walls... have suffered heavy losses. Some chieftains have less than a hundred soldiers left..."
After hearing the news, Galixica couldn't help but take a deep breath. That breath of cold air seemed to freeze his previous passion for unifying the empire, and he felt a deep chill rising from his spine.
"I didn't expect this fortress to be so difficult to conquer. Then..."
Galixica clenched his fists, his knuckles turning slightly white. He had already set up the stage, and this was what he was shown?
So Calixica was angry for a while, then he sighed and said:
"Send the order, have all troops withdraw to the camp. Have the military doctors treat the wounded with all their strength, and have the quartermasters replenish weapons and food as soon as possible. I will summon the chiefs of each tribe to plan the next move."