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"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Slender shadows rose en masse, like the shadow of the God of Death, suddenly flying far off. The metallic Copper Arrows cut through the sky, carrying a deadly screech, converging towards the Tarasco’s Royal Banner!
Watching the incoming swarm of black dots, Su’angua under the Royal Banner clenched the Divine Staff, his pupils sharply constricting. In this critical moment, all he managed was to lower his head and bow his body before the sharp Arrows met him!
"Pfft, pfft, ah, ugh!..."
Anguished cries of the dying continuously rang out beside the King, those he had always trusted, along with a dozen or so Imperial Guards by his side. The sharp Copper Arrows penetrated the Samurai’s Leather Armor, deeply embedding into their chests and bellies, warm blood immediately spilling from the wounds. However, those same Copper Arrows that fell upon the King only produced a "thud, thud" upon impact.
The low sound of metal collision echoed within the Bronze Armor, the continuous impact force forcing the King to step back. Caught in the ambush of the Powerful Crossbow, Su’angua’s head was reeling, his body staggeringly unstable. This wave of Copper Arrows came suddenly and fiercely. Like the rapid patter of a sudden downpour, they came with the wind, disappeared in an instant, carrying with them a dozen lives, and deeply embedded in the mud surrounding the Royal Banner.
Su’angua bit his lower lip fiercely, shaking his head hard. He subconsciously released his hands, feeling around his head and body, only to touch a stretch of solid coldness. The young King then realized that he was still wearing an extraordinary set of Armor.
The surrounding Imperial Guards immediately converged. Dozens of Samurai raised their Great Shields, shielding the King at the first instance. The second wave of Fletched Arrows whistled through the air, deeply embedding into the thick Wooden Shields, producing a dull "thud thud". Su’angua, still shaken, had come this close to death for the first time in his past twenty or thirty years!
The young King gazed blankly, looking at his empty hands, and inquired instinctively.
"What is this?!"
Great General Yuku bent down, carefully picking up the fallen Divine Staff from the bushes, and respectfully presented it to the King. He then shielded the King with a Rattan Shield, squinting his eyes to observe the Crossbowmen in the distance before replying confidently to the King.
"Your Majesty, it’s the Crossbowmen of Mexica ambushing us. They hold a type of horizontal Greatbow which has both a greater range and power than Longbows!"
Su’angua’s eyes blazed with anger, sweeping a glance over his faithful followers collapsed on the ground. They had just reported the good news from the north, informing of the arrival of reinforcements before being shot dead in front of him. Beside their glaring corpses, the inherited Eagle Banner still fluttered, but the soaring eagle had lost its wings. The Banner now bore a dozen holes from the Arrows, mercilessly piercing through Tarasco’s eagle!
A pain struck the King’s heart, and an ominous premonition once again surged. He kept a grim face, ignoring the sight of those dead guards, and spoke sternly.
"Yuku, my hound. Command of the Copper-Axe Guards is temporarily yours, strike those with the horizontal bows! The killing power of their Arrows is greater, we can’t allow them to shoot at will!"
"Understood!"
Yuku bowed his head in acknowledgment, without unnecessary words. His face was as if carved from stone, he closed his left eye, extended his right arm, and swiftly gestured twice to estimate the distance of the Crossbowmen. Then he summoned the captains of various guard units, whispering instructions. The Copper-Axe Guards in Formation quickly dispersed, splitting into two groups of two hundred Archers each.
Arrows rained down, Fletched Arrows and Copper Arrows assailing once more. Two squads huddled by the King’s side, raising their Great Shields in defense, while the other Imperial Guards briskly advanced beyond the central army.
Yuku, bending slightly, led two hundred of the finest archers himself to the edge of the frontline. Ignoring the nearby spears clashing and cries of battle, he calmly took out his Longbow, drew it fully, nocked an Arrow, and with a mere aim, the Arrow flew swiftly towards its target!
A Mexica Crossbowman who was bent over reloading suddenly felt a pain in his chest, seeing half of an arrow shaft protruding. The sharp Copper Arrow had pierced him from the front, bringing his weakening body crashing down onto the ground with a "thud". His Greatbow quietly scattered on the ground as blood gushed violently from his wound. The Crossbowman futilely pressed on the wound on his chest, looking at the increasingly dark sky, finally understanding that his destiny was to become one with the earth.
The hound Yuku showed no emotion, squinting fiercely, releasing Arrow after Arrow. The surrounding Divine Archers pulled together, and several Mexica Crossbowmen fell dead. Such sharp shooting soon drew attention. In a moment, Yuku’s eyes narrowed, and he suddenly threw himself to the side. Dozens of Fletched Arrows descended with the whistle of death all around his previous position. Several Tarasco Divine Archers, with no chance of escape, were struck down!
As the rain of Arrows fell to the ground, Yuku rolled up from the ground, waving his hand, and the Archers spread out to both sides, continuing the exchange with the Mexica men. The piercing sound of a Bone Whistle echoed from under the Black Wolf’s banner in the distance. When he again raised his Greatbow, the elite Crossbowmen had already retreated, distancing themselves from the Royal Banner.
Yuku shifted his aim and effortlessly shot a Militia carrying a Spear. The densely packed Spear Formation was advancing through gaps in the formation not far in front of him. Yuku’s eyes turned cold, sweeping over like a wolf, soon focusing on a Spear Captain issuing commands.
At the forefront, the Spear Captain had the best view. They were only about a quarter distance apart, and with a half-bow shot by Yuku, the young Spear Captain was struck down. Temporarily halted, the Mexica Spear Formation lost its command. A deputy captain on another front immediately blew the Bone Whistle to take command. Yuku furrowed his brow and released another fierce Fletched Arrow. The sharp sound of the Bone Whistle was cut off halfway as it helplessly fell into the mud. With the deputy captain dead, a War Priest in the center of the small unit took command, blowing a new round with the Bone Whistle. The Priest’s position was at the heavily guarded center, surrounded by raised Rattan Shields. Yuku’s eyebrows tightened, aiming for a while, and before he could shoot, a whistling rain of Arrows poured from the sky!
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