Humans are thinking beings, and no matter how rigorous the training, it is impossible to become as cold and ruthless as a machine.
When such a terrifying behemoth as the war elephant approached, everyone felt as insignificant as an ant, and the fear of the giant quickly gripped the hearts of everyone on the battlefield.
Fear spread like a plague through Gabella's army. The Gabella army, which had been strangling the Papal army in a C-shape, suddenly came to a halt. The soldiers waited anxiously for new orders—everyone subconsciously hoped that their commander would immediately issue an order to retreat.
Even many well-trained warhorses went berserk amidst the roar of the elephants, their front hooves rising high, throwing their riders to the ground, with neighing and screams rising and falling.
"Hold on! Hold on!" The officers' shouts were drowned out by the approaching roar. The heavy infantrymen in the front row began to tremble as they gripped their spears. They had never faced such a terrifying enemy. Sweat streamed down their foreheads, soaking through the inner lining of their armor.
The roar of the war elephants was almost upon them. As they drew closer, the oppressive aura emanating from their massive bodies grew stronger. Archers on the arrow towers on their backs began to fire, a rain of arrows pouring down, striking many Gabella... Soldiers were hit by arrows, and screams of agony filled the air.
At that moment, an extremely dangerous situation arose on the flank closest to the war elephants. A young soldier suddenly dropped his spear and turned to run. This was like a signal; the dam of fear instantly collapsed. Soldiers near him also abandoned their armor and fled in all directions, their banners falling and being trampled by countless pairs of boots.
"No desertion! Execute those cowards immediately!" The supervising officer swung his sword and cut down two deserters, urging the other supervising soldiers to take action, but more soldiers surged past him.
Many soldiers pushed and trampled each other, trying to escape the ever-approaching shadow of death. The sound of the war elephants' footsteps was like a death knell, each step sending shivers down their spines.
Fear was about to engulf the army that had just been in a superior position.
General Gabella Woven Ruiz, who was in charge of the operation, was caught in a fierce internal struggle.
The Papacy's war elephants have never appeared on a battlefield so far from Holy Capital, and Gabella's battle plans have not yet included them in the consideration.
Upon facing the War Elephant Legion for the first time, Warwin Ruiz was at a loss as to how to handle the situation.
But ordering a retreat is now a problem, because in order to surround the Papacy's army as quickly as possible, our forces were too scattered.
"Long live the Empire!" In such a critical situation, a roar like a giant bell suddenly rang out on the battlefield.
A Gabella knight flicked the reins, and his warhorse leaped into the air. Holding a golden lion banner high in one hand and a lance at his side in the other, he charged fearlessly toward the war elephant.
"Sixth Cavalry Regiment, charge with me!"
The orders he left behind reached his comrades' ears, instantly igniting a burning fighting spirit in every member of the Gabella Sixth Cavalry, who had been in reserve.
"For Gabella!" "For the Emperor!"
A thousand reserve cavalrymen charged toward the War Elephant Legion of the Papacy in a complete wedge formation.
To ordinary soldiers, the charge of a thousand cavalrymen was a formidable and unstoppable force, but it was no match for a herd of war elephants, as comical as a child trying to challenge an adult.
"A bunch of stupid fools who don't know what's good for them!" the commander of the War Elephant Legion cursed contemptuously, ordering the Gabella cans to be crushed first.
The daring charge by the reserve cavalry failed to turn the tide of the battle. The Papacy's war elephants were heavily armored, and even with the momentum of their horses' charge, the knights' weapons could hardly inflict significant damage on them. With just a gentle kick from the elephants, the Gabella knights and their mounts were as if struck by a giant's hammer, suffering broken bones and bruises.
The members of Gabella's Sixth Cavalry were quickly overwhelmed by these behemoths.
However, this charge was not without value. While they were slowing down the Papal war elephants, the astute Woven Ruiz quickly gathered his troops, who had been partially surrounding the enemy.
The Sixth Cavalry Regiment's fearless charge was a miracle; without their sacrifice, it was almost foreseeable that the scattered Gabella army would have been annihilated by the two enemy forces, and their courage briefly pulled back their falling morale.
But unless a greater miracle occurs, defeat in this battle is almost inevitable.
All Woven Ruiz can do now is to do his best to withdraw his troops from the battlefield in an orderly manner, so as to avoid creating the first record of total annihilation in the history of the Empire.
The Papacy quickly discerned the Gabellas ' intentions, and they certainly could not allow the enemy to leave the battlefield unscathed.
They pursued relentlessly, clinging to the Gabella people, attempting to annihilate them all on the plain.
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After crushing the overconfident Gabella cavalry, the War Elephant Legion accelerated and surged into the rearguard of Gabella's main force like a burst dam.
The colossal beasts, weighing several tons, swept over with overwhelming force. Spears snapped against their armor, as brittle as reeds. The shield walls they formed crumbled instantly, and the soldiers behind them were sent flying from the ground, only to crash heavily to the ground and be trampled into a bloody pulp by the heavy hooves of the elephants.
The archers on the arrow towers unleashed a furious barrage of arrows, while the spearmen on the war elephants, high above, pierced through any enemies who tried to approach. Each sweep of the ivory-tipped blades brought forth a bloody storm.
Some war elephants used their trunks to lift soldiers high into the air and then slam them down. Others swung their heads wildly, sweeping away the surrounding enemy troops. The roars of the elephants and the screams of humans intertwined, creating a soaring death symphony.
Gabella's army was torn open, leaving behind only devastation in its wake. Blood stained the earth, severed limbs and remains were scattered everywhere, and broken shields and shattered weapons were scattered all around.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, mixed with dust and gunpowder smoke. The armor on the war elephants was stained with blood, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on it, giving it an eerie red glow. The giant beasts continued to advance, each step accompanied by the mournful howls of death.
This one-sided, bloody battle continued until sunset, when the arrival of night saved the lives of Gabella's remaining soldiers.
When Woven Ruiz finally shook off the pursuit of the Papal army, he hastily ordered a troop count, and the result made his eyes go dark—only about a third of the soldiers who had followed him before the battle began remained.