Chapter 179 Battle Of Caushilbo
"They rejected my offer?!" A flicker of disappointment appeared on her face. Her jaw clenched momentarily before she clicked her tongue in annoyance. Gradually, Sarika's eyes blazed with determination. "Since they wish for a war, I'll give them war!"
With the door of negotiations closed, the only option left is war. This time, she's using the good old-fashioned cold weapons, not those heavy cannons. She turns around, standing tall in front of the soldiers with a radiance of confidence exuded. Her voice rose in volume, catching their attention. "Prepare for battle! We'll take this town and show them the strength of Barlians!"
And so, the war broke out in earnest.
Her soldiers advanced towards the sturdy walls of the town. Their advance, however, met with fierce resistance from the garrisons despite their unpreparedness. The defenders atop the walls of raining down a hail of arrows and rocks together with boiling oil upon the Barlia army.
"Deploy the siege tower!" By her order, three makeshift siege towers, a massive wooden structure bristling with ladders and ramps were deployed to breach the wall while archers continuously unleashed volleys of arrows to keep the defenders pinned down.
"Maintain the line!" From the ramparts, the head garrison urged his troops, "Don't let them approach the walls! Archers! Keep firing at the arrows!"
On top of the wall, the reports from his subordinates continue to flow in.
None of them is pleased to his ears.
"Sir!" A garrison soldier yelled, "We'll run out of arrows at this rate."
"Ask the blacksmith to keep making more. Just skip the details. I'm fine as long as they can pierce the enemies. Oh! Before I forget, tell those fools to boil more oil. The enemies are approaching the gate."
"Push through!!" Down below, Sarika shouted to her soldiers as they attempted to breach the gate with a battering ram. Her voice carried over the din of battle.
The relentless assault from Barlia came to fruition. Siege towers finally make contact with the wall. The drawbridge was lowered, revealing the fully armoured infantry inside. Barlia's soldiers poured out from the siege tower, landing on the town wall with a thunderous impact.
"Hold the line! Hold the line!" yelled one of the captains, trying to rally his troops as Barlia's soldiers pressed forward.
Swords clashed, arrows flew, and shouts and screams filled the air as the two armies engaged in bloody combat. Though outnumbered, the garrison fought valiantly, unwilling to succumb to the invaders.
As the battle continued for hours, fatigue and injuries took their toll on both sides. The constant stream of Barlians caused the garrison's line started to waver. Some part of the wall has been captured by the enemies. Barlia slowly getting the upper hand.
The first thing they do is rush toward the gate tower, trying to provide some assistance to their comrade below. Unaware, the garrisons who were too focused on attacking the battering ram below were killed effortlessly by the Barlians from behind.
Below, a group of Barlia's strongest soldiers swung the ram into the sturdy gates with a resounding thud, shaking the ground and sending splinters flying.
On the opposite side of the door, the town garrisons are frantically working to stop the enemy from getting through. They pushed the gate with all their might, trying to halt its progress. However, the sheer force behind the ram was overwhelming, and the gates began to crack under the relentless assault. With a resounding crash, the splintered wood collapsed, and the enemy soldiers burst through, surging into the town with a ferocious roar.
Leading at the front, Sarika rode alongside her troops, urging them forward. "Charge!! The town is almost ours!"
The garrisons were forced to retreat further into the town, regrouping and initiating the counter-attack, raining the incoming Barlia with a volley of arrows. In the blink of an eye, two sides clash directly.
Sarika, wielding her sword with deadly precision, cut through the garrisons with her expert swordsmanship, leading her troops forward.
Refused to yield, the garrisons use their knowledge of the town's layout to their advantage. They spread out and brought the fight to the streets and alleys. By using guerrilla tactics and engaging in hit-and-run attacks, they try to inflict maximum damage on the enemy while minimizing their own losses. The streets of the town became a battleground, with intense skirmishes and close-quarter combat.
Despite the resistance, Sarika's army gradually gained ground, inching closer to the heart of the town. Emboldened by their success, Barlia pushed deeper into the town, capturing strategic points and overwhelming the defenders' defences as they did in Dunston.
Sakira looks up, the sun already leaned westward. This conquest took longer than she anticipated. Without further ado, she led a small group of soldiers to storm Caushilbo's Mansion, the official residence of the lord's representative. As a precaution, she dispatched a team to secure the port, preventing any possibility of escape.
Bam—
The door was swung open. Before she could react, a shadowy figure lunged at her with a sword, catching her off guard. Luckily, her reaction speed is top-notch.
"I'm surprised to see you dodged that. Well, it's understandable since you're the commander of an army." said the unknown man.
Realizing his identity, Sarika replied. "And I'm surprised to see you're not running away, unlike that fat ass of Dunston."
Feeling insulted, the man rushed at her with murderous eyes and a shout. "Don't compare me with a pig like him!!"
Clank!
The clash of steel echoed as their blades met in a flurry of strikes and parries. Both Sarika and the representative attempted to gain the upper hand as their swords danced in a deadly duel. Sarika's years of training paid off as she countered with skilful manoeuvres. Her movements are fluid and calculated. But her opponent wasn't a pushover either. They attacked with unrelenting vigour.
'This is not what I was told! No military training, you say? That damn b*tch!"' Inwardly, she cursed at Vanessa for her incomplete information.
Due to the unexpected development, Sakira sought to end this battle fast. She barely has energy left. All have been depleted on the battlefield. With a burst of speed, Sarika executed a daring feint, drawing her opponent's attention before swiftly changing direction and delivering a powerful slash that cut deep into the man's arm. He winced in agony and stumbled briefly.
The man made a desperate swing on her's exposed side. But, she swiftly parried and counterattacked, cutting off the man's left arm. He staggered back with a grunt of pain. Not letting the opportunity slip, she took a step forward and delivered a final blow. Her sword cut his neck like a knife cutting through butter.
Sarika's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, "Whew...It's finally over."