Chapter 118 Justice or Darkness
Many knights began to flee the scene with their men. There were actually only a few hundred men still gathered around the Prophet's Legion, and most of them were only wearing underwear.
These hundreds of men were probably very successfully brainwashed, but lacking defensive equipment, they probably wouldn't have much combat power.
However, no matter what, the Prophet's Legion, which had been scattered due to the fire in the camp, finally managed to regroup before engaging in battle with the Allied Forces.
In fact, in this situation, being able to control the chaos and complete assembly within three minutes is something that regular armies are completely unable to do. Only non-humans or fanatics can do this, and this also means that the three prophets have a very strong ability to respond.
However, the original 2,000-strong army brought by more than 200 knights has now been reduced to just a few hundred weaklings in their underwear.
The Prophet's Legion's own troops are led by 150 Doombringers, each of whom now has five or six female soldiers with them.
There were two female warriors wearing chain mail shirts and holding foreign two-handed sabers. They were probably the confidants of the Prophet's Legion. They were such female soldiers patrolling around the camp before. There were about 300 such female soldiers in total.
In addition, there were three or four female soldiers wearing leather armor, holding long-handled swords or spears and axes, looking a little panicked. They were probably new recruits who had never been on the battlefield and were probably recruited recently by the Prophet's Legion. There were about 500 new recruits in total.
If these more than 800 people are as fearless as the female soldiers of Madam Bella, then their fighting power is actually quite strong. Moreover, they all look like young and beautiful girls, who can easily arouse the desire for protection of the knights' followers and retainers.
——If there hadn't been this fire and chaos, in a regular head-on confrontation, they would have been able to make those men fight for them to the end.
But now, the knights who were willing to protect them did not have time to put on their equipment, and they might just be cannon fodder.
There seemed to be some people surrounding these 800-plus female soldiers, but they were tightly hidden and could not be seen.
However, including those who were hidden and could not be seen clearly, the total number of the Prophet Legion was probably only a little over a thousand, plus six or seven hundred underwear men. The direct result of this fire was that the combat power of the Prophet Legion was at least halved.
“Woo… woo…”
At this time, the Allied Forces had already sounded the clarion call for a rapid advance, and the battle formations of both sides were only 300 meters apart, which was the standard distance for engagement.
But the Prophet's Legion still had not completed its preparations - they did not have time to form a battle line, they simply gathered their men.
"Move quickly! Surround them!"
Baron Godric led his troops directly forward, because the Prophet's Legion seemed to be just barely gathered together and had no formation at all. He raised his sword and drove his horse forward first.
Behind him, the large army, led by knights as small teams, which had already formed a battle formation and were ready to charge, also rushed out.
This was an advance in formation. The coalition forces did not rush forward in a disorderly manner, but maintained their battle formation and moved forward quickly.
The knights would not accelerate their horses to the maximum speed. They would trot at the same speed as the infantry. After all, the commander's order was to surround the enemy.
Hundreds of horses moved in unison, creating an astonishing momentum, while heavy infantry and archers also ran forward in formation.
These battle-hardened soldiers each followed their own knights or captains, forming more than a hundred small teams, and the front line quickly dispersed and surrounded the enemy.
At this time, the three prophets rode their horses together and came to the group of men wearing only underwear. No one knew what they said, but those men actually took the initiative to charge towards the coalition army!
This really caught everyone in the coalition army by surprise!
Most of those men were not wearing armor, and many of them were not even wearing shoes...
They did have a mess of weapons in their hands, but such a charge would not be much different from a group of farmers holding dung forks in front of the Horn Summoning Rangers!
This is a suicide charge!
Leon was at the forefront of the coalition forces . He saw the actions of the three prophets and the madness on the faces of the hundreds of men in their underwear.
These people are basically crazy, probably in a similar state to Madam Bella...
Whether it is due to bewitching or out of faith, once a person becomes a fanatic, it is indeed very scary!
Especially stupid people, such idiots who have been completely brainwashed by heresy are simply beyond redemption.
"Shoot them!"
Li Ang gave the order directly, and his thirty archers stood in the front row, drawing their bows and arrows, while the infantrymen stopped and stood beside them with shields for protection.
Ralph's Rangers rushed out, divided into two lines, and circled around the flanks of the men, shooting left and right.
Charles also stood in the front row with some sentries and formed a shooting line.
After two rounds of arrow rain, a large number of these men who were charging madly fell down.
They have no armor on them, so arrows have the greatest effect on them. There is no need to engage in close combat with them to avoid unnecessary damage.
These were obviously cannon fodder sent by the prophets. It seemed that their role was only to buy the last bit of time for the three prophets' troops...
Because right behind these crazy cannon fodders, the female soldiers of the Prophet's Legion were already lined up in rows.
But their formation and movements were very strange, as if they were performing some mysterious ritual.
They seemed to be standing in some strange pattern - if you look down from the air, you can probably see it. However, the coalition forces who were several hundred meters away could only see that their movements looked like they were praying.
An impromptu prayer in this situation ?
This is truly a last-minute effort...
Maybe they can really get the power granted by the dark god Erida...
But the question is, this kind of temporary prayer... Is their dark god so efficient? Can the goddess Erida be called up to work overtime at any time?
Also, why don’t we see those faceless monsters with skinless heads?
The lord suddenly felt a little uneasy.
"I am Astalia... Fight for justice, child."
Le Ang was observing the actions of the Prophet's Legion, but suddenly he heard a vague and mysterious voice, which seemed to come from the sky.
This time, the sound was clearer, but it only sounded once.
Moreover, this sound was different from the previous two times I heard it.
Li Ang frowned.
Every time I encounter this kind of voice that comes from the sky, something bad always happens...
The first time was also a female voice, but it was gentler, telling him to be careful behind him, and then he was assassinated by Lisa Dilan.
The second time was a rough male voice in the throne room of Sarleon City, saying something like "very good", but as soon as he returned to the territory, he encountered a war and received the news of Count Oden's death.
This time, they directly gave their names and asked themselves to "fight to defend justice" - obviously, this unknown voice might have come from the goddess of justice.
But the question is, what unexpected things will happen this time?
Half of the six or seven hundred men who were charging in their underwear had already fallen.
The strange thing was that after they rushed to a distance of several dozen meters in front of the coalition army, their pace actually slowed down. Moreover, none of them defended themselves, but instead looked at the sky with crazy faces and raised their hands.
However, it doesn't look like surrender, but rather like... praying?
This is too weird. They can rush into the Allied Army's formation with just a few more steps. Although they will definitely not pose any threat, they just stand under the rain of arrows. Are they seeking death?
"Stop and form a formation! Capture them!"
Godric ordered the army to stop. After being blocked by these strange men, the Prophet's Legion had already formed a strange formation. It would be inappropriate to charge rashly, so it would be safer to observe first.
And his sense of honor also prevented him from slaughtering those men who seemed to be seeking death.
"Lord Godric, I feel we must kill them... These fools are clearly not normal. It is best to march quickly and disperse those women. The Prophet's Legion may be performing some evil ritual."
Leon didn't understand what those men were doing, but it was definitely not a good thing. In addition, he received a reminder from the goddess, so he quickly asked Godric to order the attack to continue.
"Leon, these people don't even have armor. There's no need to kill them. Tie them up. Maybe we can redeem them, just like you redeemed Morgan. Besides, the Prophet's Legion doesn't seem to be planning to retreat. If they don't retreat, it means they are confident in dealing with us. It's better not to be impulsive. Besides, they have no food left, so they will definitely retreat. It might be better for us to advance slowly."
After Godric finished speaking to Leon, he ordered the allied forces behind him: "Stop advancing! Form a battle array!"
Indeed, after these men charged, the Prophet Legion did not take the opportunity to retreat, but instead formed a strange formation, and it seemed that they had no intention of running away at all.
It is right to be cautious in this situation. Godric is a veteran who has experienced many battles and is good at defense. He is always careful.
Moreover, judging by the skills of those Doombringers and the fact that those female soldiers were completely fearless of death, a direct fight would likely result in heavy casualties, and there was no need for the coalition forces to pursue a quick victory now.
The best thing now is to form a formation and push forward slowly, or even avoid confrontation and waste time - anyway, the Prophet's Legion has no food, and they can't afford to waste time.
But looking at those underwear men with crazy faces, Leon still felt uneasy - even if they were all brainwashed idiots, these men were at least intelligent creatures, why would they rush over to seek death in such a situation?
They can still buy time for the Prophet's Legion by advancing slowly or forming a defensive formation!
Why raise your hands and die?
Could it be that they just wanted to get closer to the Allied Forces?
Or……
Are they just dying?
"No, this is wrong... Lord Godric, we have to kill these idiots quickly... Ralph, shoot them all, don't leave any alive!"
Li Ang naturally understood that it would be more advantageous to continue to consume the energy and maintain a stalemate, and it would definitely be more cost-effective to chase and kill the Prophet Legion when they retreated, but he still ordered all the underwear men who charged forward to be shot.
"Leon, what's going on? Why do you have to kill them?"
Godric noticed Leon's nervousness, but he still didn't understand.
"We have to make our stance clear - anyone who follows heresy must die! This is the only way to completely cut off the support of the Prophet's Legion. Otherwise, there will be nobles who will provide them with food. Besides... this suicidal charge is too weird - it's more like a vow or proof. They seem to be completely beyond redemption. I always feel uneasy..."
The Lord explained to Godric very seriously.
Godric looked at the crazy faces of those men, hesitated for a few seconds, and nodded: "You have a point... Archers, step out and shoot them to death!"
A large number of archers from Bailu Fort also joined the siege to kill the underwear men.
Under the siege of more than five hundred archers, all the men who charged at the Allied forces soon fell to the ground.
But no one dodged and no one surrendered.
Even the men in underwear who were clearly holding shields in their hands did not use them to block the arrows.
"These heretics are indeed very strange..."
Godric also frowned.
"New recruits, go and finish off the enemy. Don't leave any of them alive! Check if there's anything wrong with them!"
Li Ang waved his hand, signaling his new recruits who had never killed anyone to do some work and adapt to the battlefield atmosphere.
But just as dozens of new soldiers came out and rushed forward to finish off the enemy, an abnormal situation occurred before they could even do any inspection...
Two men with several arrows piercing their bodies stood up staggeringly from the pile of corpses!
The two men looked seriously injured, covered in blood, and swaying as if they might fall down again at any time.
But they completely ignored the new recruits who were killing them nearby. Instead, they pulled out the arrows from their bodies and then covered their wounds with their hands.
Then, they started tearing it apart with all their might!
Tearing their own skin!
The new recruits around the two men were obviously shocked by this act of self-mutilation and for a moment they didn't dare to get close.
"This! My lord, that Lady Bella once planned to do the same thing! Their power will become very great! Even greater than mine!"
Klose said to Leon in surprise.
Amy hurriedly brought Godric's guards to Leon: "Madam Bella seemed to have done the same... but was stopped by Klose and the others!"
"Don't just stand there! Cut off their heads!"
Li Ang immediately called out to the new recruits. He felt that this might be what Madam Bella meant by 'swearing by blood to gain power'?
Several new recruits rushed forward and successfully chopped the two men to the ground.
The Prophet Corps still stood there praying, but their voices were getting louder and louder. They could be heard singing in unison from hundreds of meters away...
"...The goddess' kiss will drive away death and give her warriors hope of life... She watches all injustice and evil... If a warrior swears blood to uphold justice, strength and courage will be bestowed on him..."
Behind Leon, Sarah and Anson's faces changed drastically at the same time.
Anson trembled all over and shouted, "My lord, this is the prayer of Astalia, the goddess of justice! But the heretics worship Ereda, the god of darkness. How dare they also use such a prayer?"
As a good student who dropped out of seminary, Anson knew a lot about the gods of the continent of Pendor.
Although his whole family are believers of the patron goddess Damia, Anson, who is determined to become an upright knight, also respects the goddess of justice.
Sarah seemed to have the same idea as Anson, but she looked more frightened: "I once heard a bard say that the heretics were originally priests of the goddess of justice. It was only after the goddess of justice left the continent that these priests were seduced by the goddess of darkness... These three prophets were probably also priests of the goddess Astalia!"
The Lord frowned and asked, "Goddess of Justice Astalia left the continent?"
But I just heard that mysterious voice, and it was someone who called herself Astalia!
Anson turned around and said, "That's what the information in the academy says... It is said that only when justice and fairness reign over the earth again, the goddess of justice will come back... But why would these heretics..."
The heretics are using the prayers of the goddess of justice... It seems that it will be difficult for the goddess of justice to come back - the lord thinks that the dark god Erida has completely replaced her...
So, was the voice just now the goddess of justice Astalia?
In just a few words, the voices of the Prophet's Legion became louder and louder, and the huge prayers even sounded like they enveloped the battlefield!
Li Ang's feeling of uneasiness grew stronger and stronger.
"Amy, step back... don't join the fight! I feel very dangerous!"
The lord feels that something terrible is bound to happen, and the Prophet Legion cannot be viewed with common sense!
As soon as he drove Amy away, Leon saw an incredible scene - the corpses that had fallen to the ground and were being killed by the recruits actually stood up again!
Moreover, more and more people are standing up... more and more!
However, everyone’s first reaction after standing up was to let out a crazy howl, a howl that was completely inhuman, and then desperately tear at their wounds!
The recruits raised their swords and stabbed in panic, but it didn't seem to have much effect. These heretical lunatics were still desperately tearing their skin!
Under their violent tearing movements, some recruits' swords were touched by their arms, and then those swords were easily knocked away. Some recruits were even brought to the ground because they were holding the hilts of the swords - just because he stabbed a madman in the chest, and the madman was scratching the skin on his chest.
Then, the madman stretched out his hands and tore off a large piece of skin, directly to his face, and then tore off all the skin from top to bottom of his body like taking off a tights.
He just took off a complete human skin like that!
What kind of terrifying power does this require?
Li Ang immediately thought of the human skin that looked like a cicada shed that he had seen in Sarleon City...
"Everyone, return! This is a fallen one!"
Li Ang shouted loudly and led his team to rush over to meet the new recruits.
He finally understood why these idiots who had been brainwashed into fanatics were making a suicidal charge!
These people are literally asking for death!
And the prayers of the Prophet's Legion seem to be able to bring them back to life!
In other words, this was not resurrection from the dead, but transformation into something else - these people were no longer human, their crazy screams were more like some kind of wild beast.
Or, the devil.
