NOVPUB"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Black arrows blotted out the sky, with metal tips glinting coldly. The Copper-axe Guards released their lavish copper arrows, which whistled as they plunged into the Mexica’s center army. Even behind the protection of wooden shields, over a dozen gunners were killed instantly, while more than a hundred militia pierced through their paper armor, fell to the ground with blood-curdling screams.
The surviving gunners hastily dragged the wooden cannons towards the rear. They had completed their most important mission. The first-generation Teotl wooden cannons, loaded with stone grapeshot, had a range of just over one hundred steps—not even as far as the longbow—and took nearly a quarter hour to reload. With the initial surprise over and facing a prepared enemy, the next step was to reload the wooden cannons and look for another prime opportunity.
Longbow copper arrows, close-range shooting. The Mexica legion with long spears faced such fierce ranged attacks for the first time; their steady rhythm become chaotic, and their forward march hesitated slightly.
The central army’s Commander-in-Chief, Kuluka, and Ezpan remained composed, each shaking their command flags, directing the spear formation squads in the camp. Seeing the signals on the flags, the Warrior Captain Guzman desperately blew his bone whistle around his neck, shouting loudly, re-coordinating the footsteps of his troops. Under the captain’s orders, the front five ranks of spearmen raised rattan shields, covering the sky overhead. The remaining spearmen bowed their heads, hiding their faces beneath rattan helmets. They almost surrendered all vision and any superfluous emotions. At this moment, harsh military discipline fused into their bodies, long-term training became instinct. They were simply ruthless war machines, following the steps of their comrades, continuing their relentless charge forward!
Atop the command post, Xiulote abruptly lowered the command flag! The shooting flutes shattered the sky, and the three thousand-strong archery legion paused briefly, followed by a thunderous hum.
Thousands of feathered arrows crossed the sky, with a slanting arc, like lightning spreading, "thud, thud," they pierced into the enemy’s central army. The Tarasco militia with long spears were amid chaos, defenseless against the pouring rain of arrows, and in an instant, over two hundred men were killed, their blood splashing as they tumbled down. The front-line Warrior Captain was struck by an arrow and died, further intensifying the militia’s chaos!
Su’angua looked ahead, observing the beginning disarray in his own central army and the enemy spearmen who were quickly closing in, and he deeply furrowed his brow. He waved the red flag once more and then drew out the black flag symbolizing death, pointing it towards the central army up ahead.
The two thousand Copper-axe Guards once again released a fierce volley of arrows, slowing the Mexica central army’s advance. Then the front row of two hundred Copper-axe Guards solemnly broke formation. They switched to great shields and copper axes, sprinting into the midst of the militia with long spears. As per daily training, one hundred guards raised their great shields, protecting the camp captains at various levels. They yelled and kicked at the panicked militia, regaining control of the spear formation. The other one hundred guards showed no mercy, seizing fleeing soldiers who broke through the ranks, pinning them to the ground, and with a swift axe stroke, heads rolled in an instant.
Following this, under the King’s stern orders, the accompanying priests moved to the forefront. They danced wildly, chanting and singing, calling upon the divine power bestowed by the three gods to suppress the evil Mexica beast. Amidst the high-pitched chants of the priests, the front-line militia with long spears finally managed to regain some morale and tightly gripped their weapons to face the inevitable fate.
Relentless arrow volleys crossed once again, the pouring bodies spilling hot blood. Amidst the earth-shaking shouts, the Mexica legion’s charge arrived in an instant! The Camp Captain Guzman urgently blew his bone whistle, and the two hundred-strong spear formation suddenly accelerated. Under the push of the entire squad, the foremost five ranks of spears shone with a chilling cold light, accelerating forwards in layers, then abruptly stopped, penetrating the equally cold five ranks of spears!
Xiulote’s gaze sharpened slightly. For a moment, he seemed to hear a dull collision. In the Young Commander’s eyes, the spear formations of both armies crashed violently, and a glaring red line burst forth at the front! The front rank of spear warriors on both sides fell like mowed down cornstalks, uniformly pierced by several spears, and toppled sideways one after another. Whether clad in War Clothes or paper armor, they were all so fragile in that moment of clash!
Many militia were impaled on spears yet did not die quickly. Their shrill screams overshadowed the battle drums, becoming the most vivid notes on the battlefield. The spear formation of the opposing sides turned ruthlessly, the rear ranks of spearmen thrust their spears repeatedly into the enemies before them, and the screams quickly faded. Soon, the second rank became the frontline, gripping their spears tightly, thrusting forwards. The following ranks held their spears high, stabbing diagonally downwards, while under the pressing force from behind, they desperately pushed forward.
From afar, the hedgehog-like formations pressed against each other, the forest of spears collided and waved. After losing their momentum, the contest between the spear formations came down to strength and discipline. The killing swiftly diminished, while the shoving gradually intensified. The Mexica spear formation, with a clear numerical advantage, gradually surrounded from both sides but could not break through for the moment. The warriors on both sides held on like tug-of-war, until one side could no longer withstand the pressure, and their formation scattered. That would signal one-sided slaughter!
The arrows rained down from above once more, this time descending on the loosely formed flanks; hundreds of warriors from both armies were struck in succession, falling dead one after another. The rain of arrows passed like a long wind, laying down warriors like Luwei reeds. But after the storm, the tough Luwei rose stoutly once again!
The Holy City’s warriors on the left wing swung their shields, howling as they rushed into the Kingdom’s Warrior lines. In that moment, copper spears collided with war clubs, wooden shields clashed with leather shields, roars and shouts fused together, drifting over the solemn wilderness!
