As arrows, stones, and Golden Juice continuously shot, struck, and poured from the towers onto the Turkmen Ghazi of the White Sheep Army, those Ghazi who had not prepared in time, despite wearing heavy scale armor, could not escape unscathed.
The lucky ones were merely burned by the Golden Juice, while the unlucky ones died on the spot in various gruesome ways.
However, the White Sheep Army's brief panic and astonishment quickly ended.
Under the command of Hamza and Mahmoud, the Kurdish heavy armored shield soldiers, who had been at the rear, quickly raised their shields to protect the front, blocking the counterattack from the defenders for the Turkmen Ghazi.
Thanks to the protection of the shield soldiers, except for the unfortunate ones directly hit by stones fired from cannons, all other White Sheep elites received relatively tight protection, and the damage suffered was greatly reduced.
Oh, right, those poor conscripted nomadic militias were an exception.
Due to the limited number of shield soldiers, the Turk nomadic people, who accounted for more than half, were as usual excluded from the shield's protection, becoming live targets for the Bosporus defenders.
Soon, their own severed limbs and internal organs flew across the battlefield, appearing twisted and disgusting.
But the Turkic Ghazi did not have a moment to mourn for these nomadic people of the same lineage—or rather, they never thought of mourning for these consumables—and continued their massive assault on the enemy's defensive fortifications.
To ensure that they could capture the mountain fortifications this time, Kara Osman had specifically handed over 70% of the siege engines built by his own craftsmen to his generals and son, in order to achieve the goal of destroying the defensive line more quickly.
Incidentally, most of these siege engines were still manufactured by Armenian craftsmen under the rule of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty.
Because for these civilians, as long as their lives and faith were not threatened, being obedient subjects was certainly better than risking being hanged, beheaded, and exposed to the elements by rebelling and causing trouble.
As before, when the Bosporus Army arrived, those willing to respond on their own were always few and far between.
This fierce battle continued until noon before being reluctantly paused for a moment due to the needs of both sides.
After several hours of engagement, the remaining two towers, though still barely standing, were severely damaged at their base and supports due to enemy attacks, and were on the verge of collapse.
The earthen fort, as the core of the defensive line, fared slightly better due to the tenacious resistance of the defenders; apart from having some of its outer layers stripped away, it was largely intact, and over ninety-nine percent of the earthen fort's defenders had not lost their combat effectiveness.
Even so, under such a fierce assault from the White Sheep Army, the Bosporus defenders gradually showed signs of decline.
By noon that day, a few people within the earthen fort had involuntarily begun to spread negative emotions.
Facing these actions that could potentially shake morale, the defending officers, upon receiving the information, immediately took severe punitive measures, warning them that if such remarks were made again, they would be executed according to military law as a public example.
Despite this, most of the officers were not entirely at peace internally.
They were not worried that Caesar, who was stationed on the outskirts of Erzurum, would not send reinforcements, but rather that if the reinforcements were still only on the same scale as last time, they might be quickly overwhelmed by the current enemy.
The main force of the Bosporus Army stationed in Erzurum also shared the same concerns.
After the courier from the front line arrived to report on the military situation, Tukharovsky, as the Army Commander, directly told his Caesar that he hoped he would not invest too much energy in the defense of Palantoken Mountain, so as to avoid expending too much in the area without commensurate returns.
"Caesar, our elites are very precious, and according to the courier, the Turks are truly determined to capture these mountain fortifications this time.
If what they say is true, then no matter what, they cannot be held," Tukharovsky advised earnestly, based on past experience.
But some held different views on this.
For example, Dungar, who had only recently joined the Bosporus, believed that they should try their best to hold the area, so that even if it fell, it would make the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty realize they had bitten off a tough bone, and would further compel them to accept the peace terms proposed by the Bosporus.
At the same time, it could boost morale and strengthen the resolve of the defending soldiers.
"Caesar, we must fight and use all our strength to hold Palantoken Mountain.
Otherwise, even if there is still room to retreat today, what about later?
If we wait until they are at the gates of Erzurum before mobilizing the main force, then it would be better to let those infidels know from the start that they have encountered a tough opponent.
Only when they feel the pain to their bones will we have a chance to force them to the negotiating table.
Moreover, if we abandon it openly and secretly like this, will the soldiers continue to hold the subsequent defensive lines for Caesar?"
The divergent views of these two generals under Manuel caused him to hesitate.
The former, as an elder who had followed him since he was Crown Prince, deeply understood the disadvantages of the Bosporus Army's current level, and thus tended to conserve strength while overlooking tactical flaws; the latter, as a keen talent who understood the true situation in Anatolia, was very clear about the methods for achieving a strategic settlement, but due to the very short time he had followed, he mistakenly believed that the current combat power of their soldiers was the norm.
Thinking of this, Manuel felt terribly conflicted, as both of them made very valid points.
But if they continued to argue, they might tear the military camp in half.
Not only would there be no progress, but it would also delay the war opportunity.
Considering this, Manuel took a deep breath inwardly and made his decision, "Holy Father, there is truth in what you both say.
However, these views are somewhat lacking in comprehensiveness.
Preserving military strength and trying our best to repel the enemy seem completely irreconcilable.
"However," Manuel's tone shifted, "from another perspective, it seems this can be done..."
In the afternoon, on the south side of Palantoken Mountain, after a short rest, the White Sheep Army continued its fierce assault on the enemy fortifications.
Soon, about half an hour later, the first large batch of casualties on this battlefield appeared.
The tower on the side closer to the White Sheep Army, under the enemy's hacking and burning, finally could not hold on and collapsed with a roar.
Most of the defenders on the tower immediately fell to their deaths, also crushing a group of reckless and slower enemy soldiers below.
Those defenders who were not immediately killed were also severely injured from the fall, half-dead.
These wounded were quickly reached by the reacting enemy soldiers, who, either cleanly or slowly, delivered one or several finishing blows, sending them to meet the God they believed in.
The fate of the tower defenders was seen clearly by the remaining defenders, and soon the defending positions were enveloped in pessimism, as if defeat was imminent.
But just at this moment, a dense mass of troops, wearing their familiar uniforms and armor, rushed towards the battlefield from the north side of the mountain.
Seeing that familiar attire, a defending officer could not help but burst into tears, kneeling on the ground and shouting loudly,
"Reinforcements, it's reinforcements!" The officer turned to inform his subordinates and colleagues, "Our reinforcements have arrived!"