"Ludwig!"
Zaris, like a furious lion, pushed past the guards trying to stop him and charged up to Ludwig. "The Macraggians have desecrated our holy site, and you stand by and do nothing? What are you waiting for?"
Unlike the enraged Zaris, Ludwig maintained a rare calm.
"Zaris, I am as angry as you are, but we must exercise restraint!"
"The Macraggians have built a formidable defense around the holy site. Our reinforcements haven't arrived yet. We don't have the numerical advantage."
"Our overall strength is inferior to Macragge. If we can't overwhelm the Macraggians and retake the holy site in one decisive blow, it will drag us into a prolonged war of attrition with the enemy. You must understand, that's exactly what the Macraggians want!"
"To hell with that! I don't understand!"
Zaris grabbed Ludwig by the collar. This immediately made the guards on both sides tense and confrontational. "All I see is you cowering before the Macraggians who defiled our holy site! For thousands of years, no enemy has ever been able to tarnish the resting place of our ancestors!"
"This is our shame, and you have betrayed our ancestors, coward!"
"Your excuses don't hide your cowardice. If you're afraid to attack, let me do it!"
Zaris looked at the surrounding warriors, his voice filled with barely suppressed fury. "If you're content to be cowards, to hide timidly in the back, then go ahead and hide!"
"But for those Illyrian warriors who want revenge, take up your weapons! Follow me to retake the holy site, and wash away this shame with Macraggian blood!"
Zaris turned and strode out of the camp, his warriors following closely behind.
Ludwig's warriors looked at each other, and many silently chose to follow Zaris.
"Traitors!"
Ludwig's eldest son, Otto, had anger on his face. His right hand rested on his sword hilt, wanting to execute these betrayers on the spot to deter the others.
But Ludwig reached out and stopped Otto. "Let them go. Tell our warriors, we will make the invaders pay!"
Otto urgently tried to dissuade him. "Father, it's too early to attack now! Our reinforcements haven't arrived. You know that attacking now will only play into the Macraggians' hands!"
Ludwig sighed and spoke earnestly to his eldest son. "Do you really think Zaris is just a reckless brute? He's seizing power!"
"If we do nothing, we will not only lose the trust of our warriors but also be branded as traitors to our ancestors!"
"He has already taken many of our warriors. If we continue to hang back, we will only lose more."
After warning his son, Ludwig turned to his adjutant. "Send the order to the entire force. Prepare for battle immediately. We must retake the holy site!"
…....
"Heh, fool."
Zaris looked at Ludwig on the hillside, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Ludwig had still taken the bait. He had no choice.
If he remained still, he would only lose the army's heart.
Even though he chose to attack, Zaris had already seized the initiative. Some warriors had already defected from Ludwig.
With his previous impassioned speech as a foundation, Ludwig could only accept a subordinate position.
Even when reinforcements from other tribes arrived, only Zaris would be qualified to command all the Illyrian tribes.
And what he wanted was not just command of this battle. He wanted to unite all of Illyrium!
The flames of ambition burned in Zaris's eyes. His tribe was not the strongest in Illyrium; its strength had always been comparable to that of Ludwig's tribe.
They had also often been locked in open conflict and secret struggles. Although Illyrium faced the threat of Macragge, and the mountain tribes maintained relative peace under the mediation of the holy site's priests, friction had always existed between them.
Zaris was very dissatisfied with the status quo. He had always wanted an opportunity to launch a full-scale invasion of Macragge.
Why should the Macraggians occupy vast stretches of fertile land, while they were confined to barren Illyrium?
Zaris refused to accept it. He would unite Illyrium, crush Macragge, and eventually unify the world!
All Illyrians would be inflamed with anger over the invasion of their holy site, but amid the fury, Zaris also saw an opportunity!
He certainly understood Ludwig's concerns. With just these men, they couldn't possibly retake the holy site.
But he had to appear strong enough. Even if he couldn't retake the holy site, he had to launch the attack, to firmly establish his command position.
To achieve this goal, he didn't care how many sacrifices were made.
In fact, he didn't even need to sacrifice his own people, because there was Ludwig.
Let Ludwig's tribe lead the assault, it would be a perfect opportunity to deplete their strength!
….....
"They came after all."
Guilliman looked at the barbarians swarming down from the mountain peaks and frowned slightly.
He didn't understand. With barely over ten thousand men, what gave these barbarians the confidence to attack a holy site defended by twenty thousand?
If you have ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; five times, attack them; twice, divide them; if evenly matched, you can fight; if fewer, you can evade; if outmatched, you can avoid them.
Even if the barbarians didn't understand Art of War, surely they grasped such a simple concept?
Guilliman couldn't fathom why the barbarians would launch such a suicidal attack. He could only attribute it to their minds being clouded by the holy site's significance.
But this lack of understanding did not affect Guilliman's judgment. He immediately formulated a perfect battle plan based on this.
"Julius, you take the Fourth and Fifth Cohorts and ambush them behind the southeast ridge."
"After the main barbarian force enters the holy site, immediately cut off their retreat. Remember, speed is crucial. Don't give them a chance to react."
"Orfeo, you take the Second and Third Cohorts, swing around from the right flank, and cooperate with us to drive the enemy into this canyon."
"Make sure to follow the plan precisely. We will make the barbarians pay for their recklessness!"
Orders were transmitted methodically through the communication channels. The Macraggians, with astonishing discipline, carried out Guilliman's commands.
Guilliman personally remained at the holy site, directing the expeditionary force's defense.
His first order went against the officers' common sense.
"Abandon the outer positions. Let them in!"
Despite their confusion, the officers still executed the order, having the warriors abandon the outer defenses they had just constructed.
But they soon understood the reason for Guilliman's command.
Although the barbarians were called 'barbarians', they were savage but not primitive.
They possessed every piece of technology the Macraggians had.
Power swords, chain axes, las-carbines, heavy artillery, the barbarians had it all.
If the Macraggians held the outer positions, the barbarians' heavy artillery would inflict massive casualties and, more importantly, deal a severe blow to warrior morale.
But once they abandoned the outer positions and retreated to the holy site, the barbarians would have constraints.
They would not dare fire upon the holy site, afraid of destroying the resting place of their ancestors.
Without heavy fire support, even if the barbarians entered the holy site, they would be forced into brutal hand-to-hand combat with the Macraggians.
Although the barbarians were fierce warriors, and in one-on-one duels, Macraggians often had a low chance of victory,
The Macraggians' discipline far exceeded that of the barbarians. In a hundred-on-hundred fight, the Macraggians could leverage coordinated tactics to compensate for the physical gap, turning the tide of battle.
And the current situation was twenty thousand against ten thousand!
Even if Julius were in command, he wouldn't know how to lose!
Guilliman focused on the changes in each sector, constantly adjusting his strategic deployment.
His commands were even relayed down to the squad level via comms; virtually every warrior was under his direct command.
To give full play to Guilliman's command talent, the lower-level command units were sidelined to avoid interfering with his direction.
Only then could each of Guilliman's orders be executed with the precision of moving one's own limbs.
Through Guilliman's deliberate orchestration,
The barbarians advanced like a hot knife through butter, successive defensive lines fell, and they nearly stormed the holy site itself, their vanguard just one kilometer from the temple!
But at the same time, Julius's ambushers had completed the encirclement behind the enemy!
Everything was proceeding according to plan!
The fleeting opportunity for battle was upon them. Guilliman decisively gave the order: "All forces attack! Orfeo, it's your turn. Drive them out of the holy site!"
The moment the order was given, Guilliman himself charged out of the temporary command post set up in the temple.
As he emerged from the temple entrance, he locked eyes with the barbarian chieftain across the distance.
At this range, individual weapons were essentially ineffective.
Even las-weapons, with almost no recoil, lacked the power to reliably wound an enemy.
Despite this, Guilliman opened fire.
The crimson beam precisely struck the chieftain's helmet. Although it failed to penetrate, the provocative attack ignited the chieftain's fury.
"The enemy commander is here! Warriors, follow me to battle!"
Guilliman's roar was like a war drum. Power sword in hand, he was the first to plunge into the enemy ranks.
Behind him were the Macraggian warriors, eager to protect him but unable to keep up.
When Guilliman entered the fray, he was like a berserk beast. His mind desired almost nothing but slaughter!
He suppressed his nature, but only outside of battle.
In combat, he could unleash his fury on the enemy without reservation!
The barbarian vanguard collapsed almost instantly. Positions were swiftly retaken in the Macraggian counterattack. The barbarians' situation deteriorated sharply.
Barbarian warriors futilely concentrated their fire. A dense volley of las-beams struck Guilliman's armor without even scratching the coating.
As the Consul's son, Guilliman also possessed Macragge's finest equipment.
But even without this armor, and even as a growing Primarch, lasguns would struggle to threaten his life.
Guilliman's gaze met Zaris's across the battlefield. They recognized each other as the opposing commanders.
Both tacitly accelerated towards each other, each hoping to end the battle quickly through decapitation!
"I am Roboute Guilliman, son of Consul Konnor!"
"I am Zaris of Illyrium! Die, son of Konnor!"
The barbarian chieftain let out a great laugh, his eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement.
He swung his battle axe excitedly, aiming to behead Guilliman.
If he could kill the Consul's son, with such a feat, unifying Illyrium would be within sight!
The moment they engaged, Zaris felt the world spin in an instant.
His vision twisted bizarrely, finally fixing on a headless, burly body.
The headless body was still in a charging posture, blood spurting from the neck stump.
So it wasn't him spinning, it was his head flying.
…....
"Victory is within grasp!"
Zaris's breathing grew heavy with excitement. The Macraggians were even more vulnerable than he expected, which was precisely what he wanted!
If he could retake the holy site in one fell swoop, his prestige would be unmatched!
"Chieftain, Ludwig asked me to warn you not to advance too deep. This is a Macraggian trap!"
The warrior's report was directly ignored by Zaris. So what if it was a trap?
If he could storm the holy site and decapitate the enemy commander, all schemes and plots would be for naught!
"Tell Ludwig, if he's afraid, he can crawl back!"
"Warriors of Illyrium, follow me to retake the holy site!"
Zaris's warriors poured into the holy site with fervent zeal. The Macraggians didn't even put up a token resistance.
They abandoned their positions, but their retreat was orderly, with no signs of a rout.
Ludwig was deeply worried, but Zaris would no longer listen to any advice.
Zaris charged ahead, inspiring the Illyrians with his heroic bearing.
He wanted everyone to remember him, to make the world know that he personally retook the holy site, that his name would be sung by Illyrians for ages!
"Chieftain, our retreat is cut off! Pull back quickly!" a warrior warned in panic.
A fierce glint flashed in Zaris's eyes. With a sweep of his axe, the warrior's head flew off with a sound.
Zaris roared, "The ancestral spirits are watching us! Either retake the holy site, or sleep in it forever!"
"Only cowards run! Whoever dares disrupt morale again will be killed without mercy!"
Zeal had infected every one of them. The thirst for victory had blinded their eyes.
But Zaris was not foolish.
He knew this was a trap, and they were already in it.
Retreating now would play right into the Macraggians' hands; they would only lose worse. Only by beheading the enemy commander could they turn defeat into victory!
The enemy commander was surely in the temple, had to be in the temple!
And his assumption proved correct.
The Macraggians immediately launched their counterattack, and with it, their commander appeared.
"The enemy commander is here! Warriors, charge with me!"
Zaris grew more and more excited, thrilled at the prospect of severing Guilliman's head and placing it atop the tallest skull pyramid!
The Macraggians were destined to be trampled under Illyrian heels!
Screams came from behind, the Macraggian ambushers were slaughtering his warriors.
But Zaris could no longer afford to care. If he could defeat Guilliman, all sacrifices would be worth it!
"Die! Son of Konnor!"
Zaris raised his chainaxe high, aiming directly for Guilliman's head.
The primarch's reactions were faster than Zaris's attack. A slight sidestep caused the deadly blow to miss.
Zaris immediately tried to follow up with a second strike, but he never got the chance.
"Zaris is dead!"
Guilliman grasped Zaris by the hair and held his head aloft.
The barbarians immediately descended into chaos, and this chaos made the Macraggian assault even more fierce.
But amidst the confusion, a small contingent of barbarians maintained remarkable resilience.
They hadn't lost command; instead, they were trying to break out towards the perimeter.
Guilliman noticed their intention but did not stop them.
Driving the barbarians into the canyon had been part of his plan from the beginning.
He had found it strange earlier that these barbarians had pushed so deep.
But after beheading Zaris, he thought it made sense.
Guilliman knew Zaris. He was the one most fanatical about raiding border towns and had accumulated vast wealth from those raids.
His tribe was among the strongest mountain tribes, and he was their most cruel and bloodthirsty chieftain.
When other mountain tribes raided, they focused on plundering goods and wealth.
Zaris, however, was fond of massacring entire towns.
His death was no loss.
And under his command, the barbarians' earlier abnormal behavior no longer seemed strange.
…....
"Father!"
Otto shouted. "We're surrounded!"
"Retreat!" Ludwig's eyes sharpened, and he gave the order without hesitation.
He had long anticipated that the Macraggians wouldn't be so easily broken. The tactic of luring the enemy in was too obvious.
The reason he had been drawn in, besides not wanting to be seen as a coward, was the faint hope that Zaris might actually succeed in beheading the enemy commander.
Unfortunately, Zaris had been beheaded himself.
He hadn't yet fought the Macraggian commander, but even watching from afar, he could tell the man was terrifyingly strong.
Zaris had been killed in one stroke, and Ludwig was no stronger than Zaris.
They had already lost!
"But many of our people are still in there!" Otto hesitated, looking at the warriors still fighting.
Ludwig's voice was utterly resolute. "Abandon them. They're beyond saving!"
"We must preserve our strength. If we all die here, there will be no one left to protect the elderly, women, and children of our tribe!"
Many warriors from his tribe were still trapped in the encirclement, but they had all been blinded by fervor.
Zaris's desire for victory had infected them, making them completely oblivious to the surrounding danger.
Only two thousand warriors had gathered around Ludwig, and many of them were followers from other small tribes.
He had no choice. You cannot gain without sacrificing.
If he could not bear to part with those warriors trapped in the encirclement, everyone would perish here.
Ludwig commanded his warriors to counterattack in an orderly fashion, fighting a delaying withdrawal towards the western gap, the only opening in the Macraggian encirclement.
Such an obvious tactic of surrounding on three sides and leaving one open made Ludwig sense danger, but they had no other choice.
A head-on confrontation with the Macraggians was disadvantageous; that gap was their only chance.
They had already lost this battle, but if he could save these warriors,
Once reinforcements from other tribes arrived, they would still have a chance to retake the holy site!
Even if the west was a trap, they knew this mountainous terrain like the back of their hands. The Macraggians were the outsiders.
Even if this was a carefully laid pocket by the Macraggians, Ludwig was confident he could lead his warriors down small paths to escape alive!
.....
30 Chapters [email protected]/DaoistJinzu