dognovel Chapter 644 Backhand Strike
Chapter 644 Backhand Strike
The wind, carrying dust, swept across the wooden fence of the Yoda camp from the edge of the Anda mountain range.
Tents lay askew, tattered flags fluttered wildly in the wind, campfires were trampled down to wisps of smoke, and scattered weapons and huddled corpses littered the camp paths.
The screams of Yoda's soldiers, the sound of tents tearing apart, and the muffled thuds of horses' hooves mingled together. The bloodstains on the ground were quickly soaked by dust and crushed into dark red marks by the constantly galloping hooves. The air was filled with the strong smell of rust and blood.
Griffith's white horse galloped through the tents, its hooves shattering the scattered tools with a grating sound.
He was dressed in silver armor, his cloak fluttering behind him, and the sword in his hand gleamed coldly.
As a Yoda soldier peered out from behind a collapsed tent, a sword flashed, blood gushed from his neck, and he fell straight down.
He ignored the corpses falling behind him, his gaze sharp as an eagle's as he scanned the remaining enemies in the camp. With each rise and fall of his sword, lives ended before his eyes.
Yoda's soldiers either scattered and fled or put up a weak resistance, but none of them could stop his charge. The resistance in the camp quickly crumbled under his onslaught.
"Stop him!"
Several Yoda soldiers formed a battle formation, their spears all pointing at the approaching warhorses.
Griffiths gripped the horse's flanks tightly with his legs, leaned forward slightly, and swung his sword horizontally. Three lines of blood flew up simultaneously, spears flew from his hands, and soldiers fell to the ground clutching their wounds.
His movements were uninterrupted; his warhorse leaped over the corpses and continued to move through the chaotic camp, his sword unstoppable wherever it struck.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the other side of the camp.
Commander Yoda, mounted on his warhorse, sword in hand, charged straight at Griffith with a grim expression.
He was followed by several guards, but they were all tied up by the soldiers of the Hawk Band, so he had to go forward alone.
As the commander approached, Griffiths's lips curled into a cold smile.
He reined in his horse, turned it around, and stood facing the commander's horse.
Weapons and corpses were scattered on the open ground between the two men, and the wind swept through the dust, carrying the scent of death.
The commander struck first, thrusting his spear straight at Griffith's chest.
Griffith dodged to the side, and his sword slashed at the opponent's wrist.
The commander hurriedly drew his sword to parry, and with a crisp clang, seeing that his first attack had failed, he began to repeatedly aim his sword at Griffith's vital points, but Griffith dodged them all with precision.
Griffith's swordsmanship became more agile, sometimes slashing, sometimes thrusting, forcing the commander to retreat repeatedly.
"This fierce swordsmanship, it was actually used by such a brat?"
After several rounds, the commander's forehead was covered in cold sweat, his breathing became heavy, and his marksmanship became somewhat erratic.
In another clash, the commander's spear thrust forward once more, but Griffith no longer dodged. He suddenly exerted force with his sword and parried it away.
Taking advantage of the commander's exhaustion and lack of new strength, he spurred his horse forward, his sword pointing directly at the commander's throat.
The commander's pupils contracted sharply. It was too late to dodge. The sword pierced his throat, and blood flowed down the blade.
The commander's body stiffened for a moment, then he fell from his horse and crashed heavily to the ground, where he never moved again.
Upon seeing their commander killed, the remaining Yoda soldiers in the camp completely lost the will to resist. They either laid down their weapons and surrendered or scattered and fled, only to be wiped out one by one by the Band of the Hawk soldiers who arrived later.
The Hawk Band's flag was raised in the center of the camp, fluttering loudly, announcing that they had completely taken control of the camp.
Griffith Lema stood in the center of the camp, his gaze sweeping over the mess on the ground, his face showing no emotion.
He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the sword, his voice calm:
"Clean up the battlefield, inventory supplies, treat the wounded, and bury the dead. Half an hour later, the entire army withdrew into the mountains to prepare for an ambush of Yoda's reinforcements."
"Yes!"
The surrounding Hawk soldiers responded in unison and immediately began clearing the camp.
Just as everyone was busy, a rapid sound of horses' hooves came from the direction of the mountains.
A militiaman, riding a skinny horse, covered in dust and looking flustered, headed straight for Griffith.
His clothes were tattered, and his face showed exhaustion and anxiety. Before the horse had even come to a complete stop, he hurriedly spoke:
"Lord Griffith, it's terrible! Yoda's army has stormed the mountains!"
Griffith frowned slightly, his mind racing. There must have been some who escaped, and it was probably these people who went to report the news, which allowed Yoda's army to launch the attack ahead of schedule.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately turned his horse around and loudly gave the order:
"Everyone, cease all operations immediately, assemble, and follow me back to the mountains to provide support!"
Deep in the mountains, a settlement built against the mountainside was also bustling with activity.
Upon learning of Yoda's army's approach, large numbers of civilians, led by members of the Band of the Hawk and militia, sought refuge in the Band of the Hawk's castle.
The soldiers of the Band of the Hawk were scattered on both sides of the crowd, vigilantly observing the surrounding movements and occasionally reassuring the panicked civilians.
"Don't panic, everyone. Just follow the group, and we'll be at the castle soon."
"Hurry up and don't fall behind!"
The militiamen also stood by to maintain order and urge people to move forward.
The mountain path was narrow and rugged, with dense forests on both sides. As night fell, we could only make our way by the faint moonlight.
After an arduous trek of unknown length, the outline of the castle finally came into view. It was a stone castle built against the mountain, with high and thick walls, tightly closed gates, and patrolling soldiers faintly visible on the walls.
Upon seeing the castle, the commoners' faces lit up with relief at surviving the ordeal, and they quickened their pace.
Guided by the soldiers of the Band of the Hawk, people entered the castle one after another, and the open space inside the castle was soon crowded with people.
The soldiers arranged for the civilians to rest temporarily, while strengthening the castle's defenses in preparation for a possible attack.
While everyone was busy settling in, a man dressed as a commoner mingled in the crowd, quietly observing the surrounding situation.
He was dressed in coarse cloth, carrying a tattered bag, and his face showed the same weariness and fear as any other commoner.
Taking advantage of the crowd's inattention, he quietly slipped away from them, hugged the base of the city wall, and quickly moved toward the small gate on the west side of the castle.
The small gate on the west side is rarely used and is guarded by only a few soldiers.
Taking advantage of the soldier's turn, the man quickly slipped behind the door, observed for a moment, gently pushed open a crack, slipped out, and then quickly closed the small door, disappearing into the night outside the city.
Meanwhile, Dester's army was advancing rapidly along the mountain paths.
A militiaman lay prone behind a tree, holding a bow and arrow, aiming at a soldier in the ranks.
Just as he was about to release the arrow, a flash of cold light shot out from the dense forest beside him and struck him squarely in the chest.
The militiaman groaned and fell to the ground, where he did not move again.
The sentries in the dense forest lowered their bows and arrows, continuing to lie in ambush, vigilantly observing the surrounding movements.
Similar scenes played out repeatedly on both sides of the column, with the militiamen attempting to harass the troops time and again, only to be spotted in advance by sentries lurking in the dense forest.
Some were killed by an arrow, while others were surrounded and repelled, but none of them could pose a real threat to Dest's army.
Dest's army continued to advance at the planned pace and was not greatly affected.
Just as the army was marching, a man dressed as a civilian hurried up from the front of the road.
He jogged along, his face filled with anxiety, shouting loudly to the soldiers on guard ahead:
"I am a spy sent by Lord Dester, and I have found the hideout of the Band of the Hawk!"
Upon seeing what lay ahead, Yoda's soldiers immediately raised their weapons and blocked his path.
"Stop! Don't come any closer!"
A sergeant stepped forward, eyeing him warily.
The man stopped, panting, and said:
"I really am a spy. I was ordered by Lord Dester to infiltrate the vicinity of the Band of the Hawk. Now I have finally found out their hiding place and have come here to report."
The sergeant was skeptical. He ordered someone to keep an eye on the man, while he turned and strode quickly to the center of the group to report to Dester.
Dester sat astride his warhorse, his face serious.
Upon hearing the squad leader's report, his eyes flickered, and he gave the order:
"Bring him here."
The man was brought before Dester and bowed in greeting:
"Lord Dester, I have found the Band of the Hawk's hideout. It's a castle."
"What's the route?"
"Dest asked in a deep voice."
The man immediately replied:
"Keep going straight along this mountain path, and after crossing the two hills ahead, you'll see a cliff. The castle is on the top of the cliff, easy to defend and difficult to attack, but the main force isn't inside. As long as we march quickly and catch them off guard, we'll definitely be able to take it."
Dester stared at the man for a moment, then immediately gave the order:
"The entire army is on a forced march, with Eagle's Beak Castle as our target. We must arrive before dawn and launch the attack!"
Upon receiving the order, the army immediately quickened its pace. The soldiers no longer maintained orderly ranks but instead galloped forward, the sound of hooves and footsteps echoing through the valley, raising clouds of dust.
The group moved swiftly along the mountain path like a long dragon, rushing towards the Hawk's castle.
After several hours of forced march, as dawn broke, Dester's army finally reached the foot of the cliff.
From afar, the castle's outline is clearly visible in the morning light, with its towering walls standing atop the cliff like a majestic eagle poised to take flight, overlooking the valley below.
Destle reined in his warhorse and surveyed the castle's terrain.
The castle was built against the mountain, with only a narrow mountain path leading to the city gate, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
He immediately ordered:
"The army was divided into four teams. One team attacked from the front to draw the defending forces away from the city; two teams circled around from the mountain roads on both sides to find a breakthrough in the attack; and the last team served as a reserve force to support various locations at any time."
The attacking force quickly reached the city gate and set up ladders, while the forces on both sides, preparing to attack the city, carefully moved towards the sides of the castle along the steep mountain path.
"Siege!"
At Dester's command, the soldiers advancing from the front pushed ladders toward the city walls. The militia and Eagle Band mercenaries on the walls were already prepared and immediately launched a counterattack upon seeing the enemy attacking the city.
Arrows rained down from the city walls, and Yoda's soldiers below fell one after another, struck by arrows.
But Yoda's army was numerous and kept rushing forward, and the ladders were quickly placed on the city wall.
The militia and mercenaries defending the city, armed with weapons, struggled to push the ladders away or hurled stones and logs at the soldiers below.
"Hold the walls! Don't let them get up there!"
A squad leader from the Band of the Hawk shouted and brandished his longsword, stabbing a Yoda soldier who was trying to climb the city wall.
The battle was extremely fierce. Although the militia and mercenaries on the city walls fought hard, Yoda's army's offensive grew increasingly intense.
Yoda's soldiers relentlessly suppressed the defenders on the city walls with their crossbows. The arrows were so dense that it was difficult to look up, and many militiamen and mercenaries were wounded by arrows, gradually reducing their fighting capacity.
As time went on, gaps appeared in the defenses of the city walls.
A Yoda soldier seized the opportunity, quickly climbed the ladder up the city wall, kicked aside the militiaman in front of him, and brandished his long sword to slash at the people around him.
Immediately afterwards, more and more Yoda soldiers climbed the city walls and engaged in close combat with the militia and mercenaries.
Amidst the flashing swords and screams, the militia and mercenaries gradually became exhausted and were forced to retreat. Yoda's soldiers gradually took control of the city walls.
Just as Yoda's soldiers were about to completely drive them off the city wall and occupy the entire city, a figure suddenly rushed out from behind the crowd.
The man wielded a massive two-handed sword. Tall and imposing, he made no unnecessary movements, gripping the hilt tightly with both hands, and slashed down fiercely at the Yoda soldier charging at the forefront.
The sword, carrying immense force, severed the soldier's head. The headless corpse, spraying blood, fell from the city wall.
After killing the enemy before him, Guts, the owner of the two-handed sword, stood at the edge of the city wall, holding the sword in both hands in an attack stance, his cold gaze sweeping over the Yoda soldiers in front of him.
Upon seeing Guts arrive, the militia and mercenaries on the city wall perked up, steadied themselves, and stood together with Guts to confront the approaching Yoda soldiers.