NCCnovel Chapter 1349 Fighting to the Death
Chapter 1349 Fighting to the Death
"Report!!!! Your Majesty! No, it's terrible! Iron birds! Iron birds from the Xiao Kingdom... so many! They... they've already flown over! They're bombing! The eastern city wall and the third tower... have been hit!"
"what?!"
Shahar's pupils suddenly contracted, and the color drained from his face instantly, making him paler than the snow and ice outside the city. He rushed to a window and leaned out to look.
As if to confirm the soldiers' screams...
A muffled explosion, like rolling thunder, suddenly came from the east side of the fortress, followed by a second and a third!
The enormous explosion made the ground tremble slightly beneath our feet, and a huge plume of smoke and dust, carrying rubble and wood chips, shot straight into the sky, instantly obscuring the sky.
The firelight flickered in the smoke and dust, like the open eyes of hell.
"How could it be so fast?!" Shahar exclaimed in shock, his heart feeling as if it were being gripped by a cold, iron hand.
Han Da's main force had just won a great victory at the border. Even if they immediately regrouped and advanced, it would be impossible for them to reach his ironclad fortress, which served as the last line of defense, and launch an attack in such a short time!
Was it a scout's negligence? Or... was it that Handa's army, especially that formidable air force, possessed a mobility and attack speed far exceeding his expectations?!
He watched as several huge shadows with glider outlines swept past above the still-lingering dust, followed by a sharp whooshing sound that tore through the air!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…
This time, the explosion point is even closer!
The shockwave from the explosion, carrying debris and scorching heat, slammed against the main wall of the fortress, causing icicles to fall from the battlements.
Screams, cries of alarm, and the deafening roar of collapsing buildings erupted instantly from inside the fortress and on the city walls.
The chevaux-de-frise and some of the outer fortifications they had carefully set up to block the cavalry charge were torn apart and set on fire like paper toys in the face of the death that came from above.
"Anti-aircraft! Quick! Ballistae! All ballistae, aim at the sky! Fire! Shoot them down!"
Rhys was the first to react, screaming at the top of his lungs, his voice distorted with fear.
The soldiers on the city wall seemed to wake from a dream, frantically operating the huge ballistae that had been temporarily raised for anti-aircraft use.
The thick crossbow bolts shot into the sky with a piercing whistle, but they appeared clumsy and futile in the face of the glider bomber's agile altitude and speed.
Occasionally, crossbow bolts would graz the wings, but they could not cause any effective damage. Instead, they would reveal the position of the ballistae, attracting more precise retaliatory bombardment.
A ballista that had been given special attention, along with the surrounding soldiers, was instantly engulfed in flames from the explosion.
Shahar clenched his teeth as he looked at the hellish scene, his gums almost bleeding.
His proud ironclad fortress, in the face of the enemy's absolute air superiority, was like a clumsy giant being devoured by agile birds.
Most importantly, they were completely incapable of any effective counterattack…
"Hold your ground! No retreat! Anyone who dares to retreat even a step will be killed without mercy!"
Shahar had already run out like a madman, drawing his sword from his waist, pointing the tip at the chaotic soldiers, and roaring with all his might, trying to suppress the morale on the verge of collapse with his bloody military orders.
He believed that their defeat was largely due to their personal guards leading them away earlier.
The soldiers believed that the Tsar had fled, which led to their defeat.
Therefore, this time Shahar has made a decision: no matter what, he will not back down.
Not an inch back…
"Prepare the kerosene! Light the moat! Quickly!"
His orders were quickly relayed...
A large amount of oil that had been prepared beforehand was poured into the moat surrounding the fortress, which was already covered with a thin layer of ice.
As rockets were launched, with a loud "boom," a wall of raging flames instantly rose up outside the fortress!
The scorching heat spread outwards, and thick smoke billowed.
This frenzied fire barrier temporarily repelled the low-flying gliders that were dropping bombs and also blocked some of the arrows fired from the ground, giving the defenders on the city wall a brief respite.
The soldiers hid behind the battlements, still shaken, watching the raging fire below and feeling the heat that could scorch their eyebrows.
"Your Majesty! The fire wall has temporarily held!"
An officer reported, panting heavily, a hint of relief on his face.
However, Shahar's face showed no sign of relief. He stared intently beyond the wall of fire. Through the billowing flames and thick smoke, he saw a sight that chilled him to the bone.
That was an army surging in like a tidal wave!
The dark, imposing infantry formations marched silently and resolutely forward, treading on the scorched, muddy ground plowed by artillery fire.
They were well-equipped, carrying semi-automatic rifles that had caused Slavic troops great suffering on the border battlefields, and with grenades hanging from their waists.
Between and behind the infantry formations lies an even more despairing presence!
The mortars were quickly set up, their dark muzzles pointing at the fortress; and there were also the formidable heavy machine gun positions, their thick barrels gleaming coldly, like the fangs of a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.
The Turkic heavy cavalry did not charge, but instead patrolled the flanks like a pack of wolves waiting for their prey. Their very presence was a tremendous pressure, blocking any possible escape routes from the fortress.
At the very front of the military formation stood a huge East Asian Federation flag!
This was an extremely shocking moment for Shahar…
Han Da rode a magnificent warhorse, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, coldly sweeping over the burning fortress.
He was surrounded by Wei Wuji, who had commanded the air force and then joined Han Da, as well as several Turkic generals. Han Da raised his hand.
Wei Wuji said to Han Da, "Brother Han, those guys still haven't surrendered?"
Han Da smiled and nodded at Wei Wuji, then said, "That's right, that's indeed the case... I thought they would surrender after your attack... Now it seems like a joke, a huge joke..."
Wei Wuji said to Han Da, "Actually, Shahar clearly already understands that he has no way out. When he betrayed the prince for the second time, he had no way out..."
Han Da nodded, then said, "Also, they have something to rely on, which is the Iron Legion that hasn't arrived yet?"
Wei Wuji nodded: "Therefore, we still need to attack as soon as possible..."
Han Da nodded, and a messenger relayed his message, indicating that all the troops were ready. "Brother Wei Wuji, your air force should go and rest; it's our turn next!"
Wei Wuji nodded
Han Da said to the messenger, "Alright, sound the horns! All troops, attack!"
Waaah...waaah...waaah...
A deep, penetrating bugle call rang out, drowning out the crackling of the flames and the wails of the wounded.
The bugle call was like a signal, and the entire attack formation changed instantly.
The infantry formation halted, taking cover in shell craters or makeshift bunkers. The mortar positions roared first!
tom!tom!tom!
The cannonballs traced sharp parabolas, crossed the burning moat, and struck precisely the top of the city walls and the interior of the fortress!
The goal is no longer to destroy the city walls, but to suppress them!
Dense explosions erupted on the city walls, sending rubble and fragments flying everywhere, suppressing the defenders so much that they couldn't even raise their heads, let alone launch an effective counterattack with arrows or crossbows.
Any location attempting to operate ballistae or assemble soldiers would immediately be subjected to artillery fire several times over.
At the same time, the heavy machine guns emitted a chilling "rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat" roar!
The dense hail of bullets, like the scythe of death, swept across the crenellations and firing ports of the city wall. Bullets struck the hard stone, sending up bursts of sparks and stone chips; they hit the wooden arrow towers and sheds, instantly sending splinters of wood flying.
Soldiers hiding behind the crenellations would be torn apart by whistling bullets if they exposed even a little bit of their bodies.
Screams filled the air, and the city walls were instantly enveloped in the stench of blood, completely silencing the defenders' counterattack.
"Asshole! Asshole!"
As Ries watched his soldiers fall like wheat being harvested, his eyes widened in fury. He suddenly turned to Shahar!
"Father! This won't do! Our warriors can't even lift their heads! Let me lead the cavalry out! Before they can establish a firm foothold, we'll break through their artillery and machine guns! Just destroy those things..."
"shut up!"
Shahar interrupted him sharply, his eyes bloodshot, gripping his son's shoulders tightly!
"You're just throwing your life away if you rush out! Look outside! Look at those cavalry! Look at those gun barrels! How long can the oil that you rush out burn? Once the fire weakens, their infantry will flood in like a tide to fill the trenches! If you go out now, you'll be playing right into Han Da's hands! He couldn't be happier if you went out!"
Shahar saw it more clearly…
Han Da's arrangements were extremely shrewd.
Infantry and machine guns suppressed the fire on the city walls, while mortars targeted and eliminated threats. Turkic cavalry stood watch on both flanks, ready to encircle any troops that dared to leave the city.
Most fatally, behind the infantry formation, he saw many soldiers carrying sandbags! Those sandbags were meant to fill in the moat that had been burned away by the oil!
Once the moat is filled in to create several passages, the well-equipped infantry will launch a general offensive!
"What do we do then?! Are we just going to wait here to die?!"
Rhys roared in despair as he watched another mortar shell explode not far away, blowing several soldiers away.
"Wait!"
Shahar spat out the word through gritted teeth, his eyes chillingly sinister: "Wait until the oil runs out, wait until they start filling the trenches, wait until they get close to the city walls! Prepare the rolling logs, stones, molten gold, and burning oil! When they're halfway up... let them taste the last fury of us Slavic warriors! Use our flesh and blood to hold them back! Hold them back until our reinforcements arrive! This is our only chance of survival!"
After initial chaos and heavy casualties, the garrison inside the fortress, under the pressure of Shahar's cruel orders and desperate circumstances, unleashed a ferocity akin to that of trapped beasts.
They used the complex structure of the city wall to avoid artillery fire, endured huge casualties, piled heavy logs and huge stones on the inner edge of the city wall, placed boiling oil mixed with excrement and poison on the stove, and gathered the last remaining oil canisters together.
Outside the city, Han Da coldly watched as the flames of the fire wall began to weaken noticeably, and the thick smoke thinned considerably. He raised his hand again.
"Ditch-filling team! Charge!"
Once the order was given, the infantry trench-filling teams, who had been preparing for a long time, rushed towards the moat from multiple directions like ants, carrying heavy sandbags, under the more intense cover fire of heavy machine guns and mortars!
Bullets and shells whistled overhead, suppressing any possible counterattack from the city walls.
People kept falling, struck by stray bullets or occasional stray arrows, but others immediately took their place. Sandbags were continuously thrown into the moat, which still contained sporadic flames and scalding mud.
Shahar, atop the city wall, watched the soldiers relentlessly advancing like ants as they filled the trenches, watched the riverbank quickly covered with sandbags, and a mad glint flashed in his eyes. He raised his scimitar high:
"Slavic warriors! Let these invaders see our spirit! Archers!!! Fire!!"
With his desperate shout, the remaining archers on the city wall, under the cover of their shields, risked being mowed down by machine gun fire and leaned out to unleash a dense volley of arrows at the soldiers filling the trench! At the same time, the pre-prepared logs and stones were pushed down by the combined efforts of the defenders!
Boom! Bang!
Huge stones and thick logs rolled down the steep slope of the city wall with thunderous force, crashing into the ranks of those filling the moat!
The screams were instantly drowned out by the deafening crash; flesh and blood were utterly vulnerable before the boulder. Then, pot after pot of scalding hot, foul-smelling molten gold was poured down!
"ah...!!"
A bloodcurdling scream, so shrill it was inhuman, echoed across the battlefield!
Soldiers drenched in the molten gold instantly suffered excruciating pain from the poison and intense heat. Many tumbled into the moat and writhed to their deaths in the scalding mud.
The progress of filling the trenches was immediately thwarted, resulting in heavy casualties.
"Oil canisters! Throw them!" Shahar roared like a wounded beast.
One by one, the lit oil canisters were hurled by the defenders, exploding in the trench-filling teams and areas near the city walls, creating new seas of fire in an attempt to stop the subsequent trench-filling operation.
Han Da, standing outside the city, frowned deeply.
The Slavs' resistance was so tenacious and their methods so ruthless that it exceeded his expectations.
The struggle for every inch of land was accompanied by enormous sacrifices.
It's not hard to imagine, because those Slavic people were all thinking of fighting a desperate battle.
"Mortars! Concentrate fire! Knock out those firing positions on that section of the wall! Machine guns! Suppress them! Suppress them!"
Han Da's voice was icy as he began to issue commands, looking at their rock-solid fortress.
This was clearly constructed using reinforced concrete, a material commonly used in their Xiao Kingdom, making it virtually indestructible…
These Slavic empires used their technology to build this impregnable fortress.
Now they've betrayed them, which is even more despicable... using this fortress to hold off their attacks...