In the distant, the sounds of battle were faint but still audible if one would attempt to listen. The wind gently carried the sounds of horns, that rang over the river. The myriad sounds of steel blades biting into flesh, the screaming of the wounded and desperate, joined by the cracking of wood shafts and shields. Various scout parties had been sent over the nearby crossing, that the enemy hadn't reinforced the outposts at the river - which had been cleared out this morning by the troops, those who were now engaged with the enemy horde.
Quick work was being put into establishing the pontoon bridge. The preparations were paying off as combined work of Lightning engineers and allied nin - who used their abilities to walk over water, to aid the construction - made the tedious job being complete within a few hours.
The completion of the pontoon bridge would be followed by an orderly stream of allied forces moving over the river. The sounds of battle started to become more present as the forces attempted to get into position - the nearby hills shielding them from the attention of the enemy as well allowing the majority of the allied force to witness how the battle was going.
Standing in the fog at the edge of the bridge, Hayate closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could feel his heart beginning to beat faster in anticipation of the battle that lay ahead. For all the preparation they had completed, Hayate still wondered if there was anything they had missed. Despite his own doubts, the men and women of the allied forces were relying on him. This was not a time to show doubt, or fear. Opening his eyes, Hayate turned to face the troops before him. The fog obscured the majority of the troops from his vision, but officers were placed throughout to relay his signals.
Nodding his head towards the officers near the front, Hayate raised his hand to signal the march. Waiting to receive the confirmation from the first line, he held his hand in the air, lowering it as the troops began to march forward. Turning back, Hayate nodded towards the guards at his side and they too began marching forward across the bridge.
It took a long time for the allied forces to cross the bridge, considering the sheer size of the force. It gave Hayate and the officers enough time to gather everyone, however, so the commander did not complain. The only thing that nagged at the back of his mind was the fear that the longer they took, the more they were putting the forces in the South at risk. Glancing towards Meryn and Tona, both of whom had requested to be a part of his personal guard, Hayate nodded and flashed a slight smile. Meryn smiled back first, the excitement visible in his eyes. He had always been more of a fighter and his enthusiasm was infectious. Tona was more reserved and Hayate could see a brief glimpse of uncertainty on her face before she returned the smile. Those two had been inseparable since the Shoji days and Hayate was glad to have them here with him now.
Once the allied forces had fully gathered on the other side of the bridge, Hayate faced them, sizing them up for a long moment. Folding his hands behind his back, he nodded and began to pace the line.
" Soldiers! Today we fight! Not as individuals divided by nation, but as men and women united by a common goal! Look at the soldiers beside you! Today they wear the same colours! Today the bonds we forge through blood are stronger than anything threatening to pull us apart! Today, we are brothers! Sisters!
Soon we will meet the enemy face-to-face, blade-to-blade! I stand before you resolved and ready to lay my life on the line! Should this be our day to die then by the Dragon shall we give them a fight to remember! Inch by inch we will break them! Inch by inch we will carve our way through their lines until there is nothing left but blood and victory!
May the lightning of your glory be seen and the thunders of your charge be heard across the land! Today the Dragon's Fire surges through your veins! Soldiers! Today we show these bastards the true meaning of fear! Who's with me!?"
The roar of the troops was joined by Hayate's own as he turned back, a single hand raising and signaling the charge. The sound continued to grow as thousands of feet thundered across the earth, a cacophony of sounds arising from the men and women who charged forward. Breaking through the fog, the allied forces under Hayate's command stormed towards the enemy. As they neared their target, Hayate watched the Rong troops look around, confused faces turning as they tried to identify the new threat. Many of the opposing troops turned fully to face the oncoming forces. Some, however, were not as lucky, or as quick, and crumpled under the onslaught.
Hayate and his unit crashed into the line, weapons swinging through the air wherever they could find an opening. It was a bloody, chaotic mess and Hayate wondered how anyone could tell friend from foe. Instead, he simply focused on pushing forward, where he knew the enemy would be. As the unit continued to advance, Hayate caught glimpses of Meryn and Tona battling their way through and felt a strange comfort knowing that they were fighting side by side once again.
This was hell.
The sounds of men roaring battle-cries, shrieking out of fear and pain, the sound of steel cleaving through wood and flesh. It filled and shook the air. What the poets and bards described as pure beauty was something entirely else.
Blocking an attack with his shield, Koike didn't hesitate to push back against his attacker. With a fast slash, he felt the vibration going through the blade into his arm. The nearby shout of anger mixed with pain was the only confirmation that he had hit his mark.
The lines were holding but it hadn't been looking well. The enemy was inferior in equipment and skill. They were met with their shieldwall. The men of the 13th were most eager to prove their value. Axes ripped through tunic and woollen shirts, steel swords punctured through stomachs and spears jabbed their attackers with ease.
Peeking over the rim of his shield, Koike saw another of the horde rushing in to take the place of his fallen brother. The man raised his mace, his features a mixture of fear, anger and excitement. The attacker's weapon would rise as the man took a step forward, ready to take another and bash against Koike's shield.
Grunting, Koike would move his shield slightly. The steel of his sword would be shoved forwards and simply pierced the attacker's chest. With a firm jerk, Koike pulled his weapon backwards. A roar escaped his throat, shouting the command to hold.
The snow would be trampled, dirtied by the fighting. Blood and sweat started to cover it as the attackers were more than eager to keep pressing on, despite the heavy casualties they were suffering.
Feeling the faint sting of exhaustion, Koike would clench his teeth on each other. Raising his shield, the young officer blocked a strike and followed the block with a strike of his own. Before he pulls his sword back and readies himself for the next possible attacker, the warrior to his right would curse out loud.
The warrior would be pulled into the line of the enemy as one of the attackers managed to grab hold of him. The unfortunate member of the 13th would be rolling into the enemy, attracting some of the attacker's attention. Despite wanting to aid the unfortunate soldier, Koike was sure it was too late. The cry for help never came as various attackers started to stab and beat their crude weapons into the helpless soldier.
Angry and frustrated, Koike gripped his weapon into an iron grip. A young man, probably a few years younger than him, came up charging. He wielded a spear, aimed down to attempt to pierce Koike in his stomach. The charge came to a brutal halt as Koike blocked the spear with his shield. An angry swing and the steel bite deep into the young man's neck. Wanting to pull it out, Koike's eyes widened. Before he could do something as he realised it, he felt a strong tug, attempting him to fall forward.
For every soldier they cut down, two more seemed to fill the space and Hayate feared they weren't making any headway. The charge had gone well, at least at first. The allied forces had cut a swath through the enemy's flank, piercing deep into their lines. The further they went, however, the worse off they got as the enemy began to close in around them and they lost momentum.
Parrying an incoming strike with one of his swords, Hayate shifted his stance and plunged his second blade forward, catching the attacker just underneath his left arm and dropping him in a heap. As he pulled the blade out, Hayate had to reel back quickly to avoid another attack, this time from his side. Ducking, he avoided yet another blow before bringing his swords whirling around and slicing through the man's midsection. Beads of sweat gathered on his brow but Hayate did not even have time to wipe them away before his next attacker lurched forward, wielding an axe and a crude shield.
The man attempted to barrel through Hayate with the shield, but the Hyuzu held his ground. Pulling the man closer so that he would not have room to swing the axe, Hayate stabbed over the shield, grazing the man's arm and eliciting a pained snarl. Shifting, the man pulled Hayate off balance and struck at him with the axe. Grunting, the Hyuzu was thankful for the mesh armour covering his body as the axe did not pierce through. It was going to leave one hell of a bruise though…
Dropping to one knee, Hayate pivoted and sliced one of his blades through the man's leg, causing him to topple forward. As soon as the man was off balance, Hayate rose from his knee, smashing the pommel of one sword into the man's temple and the second blade through his chest. The man slumped to the ground dead and Hayate looked ahead, hoping there was an end to the throng coming soon.
A noise tore his attention away as he heard a familiar voice letting out a pained yell. Glancing to the side, he saw Tona reeling back, clutching her side. No! Dodging past yet another attacker who charged towards him, Hayate weaved through the throng, trying to make his way towards the wounded girl. Meryn beat him to it and he watched as the redhead's eyes lit up in a rage. Meryn cut through three enemies in quick succession, using his hand-axes with savage efficiency. Hayate arrived just as Meryn finished clearing the last of the enemies that had surrounded Tona. Rushing to the girl's side, he checked to make sure the wound was not too serious. Brushing him off, Tona gritted her teeth and shook her head. "I'm fine, it's not deep. Keep going." The girl had lost some colour in her face, but Hayate nodded. There was no easy way of pulling her out of the fight anyways, the best they could hope for was to push through and get her some medical attention once the battle was over.
Turning to Meryn, Hayate gave him a simple nod of the head and saw a flash of relief in the boy's eyes. Taking one last look at Tona to make sure she was still up, Hayate moved forward once more, both swords raised.
They were pushing.
It was slow and tedious. And an expensive push at that. Whatever the gods had decided, it was apparent that they had to sacrifice a few of their own to many of them - no matter how cautious they were. The crude weapons of the enemy slammed, slashed and tried to beat through the plate and mail. Even while most of the enemy didn't ever manage to send one of the 13th to the afterlife, few did succeed.
The fight was going in their favour for now but it became clear that many of them were getting exhausted. The battle-eager and hardened men, fighting underneath the standard of the 13th, started to become less fierce. With each enemy that they cut down, they became a tad more tired. All the while, the horde was still massive.
Managing to get past the lines, Koike spat on the ground. He wasn't sure if his own armour had prevented a few blows getting through. His right arm was aching heavily, his shoulders were heavy and yet the enemy was still numerous. Looking from his position, on the hill, he could oversee some of the battle.
Their shieldwall was still holding strong and keeping the enemy from overwhelming the centre. Though not clear, Koike didn't see much problems at the other flanks. Yet, he saw no sign that the enemy was about to give up.
For a painstaking moment, the rumours of before pierced through the chaos that surrounded him. A whisper managed to slip through the sounds of officers yelling at their men and captains giving instructions.
What if they had been mere lambs for the slaughter?
Even anger growing and fueling him with some energy, it was merely brief as change started to ripple through the battle. Raising his left hand, Koike wiped some of the blood and sweat of his face. Trying to see it, he could see the collision at the flank of the enemy. A large wave of combatants streamed over the hill and fields that were near the centre crossing of the river.
"Skuli," Koike yelled, trying to ignore the raw pain at his throat. "Loose!"
The simple command would initiate a radical change. The nearby large, bearded captain would bellow the instruction - in an almost laughing fashion. Only to follow it with a charge down the hill. Any that were foolish to stand in the large captain's path were slammed and hacked down by the man's axe. Followed by openings in the shield wall, allowing fresher warriors to flow into the enemy.
The charge seemed to give impact, pushing and driving the enemy back. Furiously hacking and stabbing, the men of the 13th started to pave through their opponents.
Gripping his sword, Koike muttered something underneath his breath as he threw a look where the other allied force started to find more resistance among their enemies.
With more determination than before, he would follow others into the fray.
It felt as if they had been fighting for hours but Hayate knew it had only been a matter of minutes. The allied forces continued to push into the zealots' flank, gaining ground slowly. They were paying for every inch in blood and Hayate wondered which side was going to run out first…
The fighting was a frenzied mess with barely any room to maneuver between the bodies, alive or dead. Every time they managed to clear some space to advance, a fresh wave of zealots surged forward to block their path. The allied troops were significantly outnumbered, but they had the advantage of better equipment. The zealot forces were, for the most part, equipped with crude looking weapons, many of which were unfamiliar to Hayate. Not that he had long to study them between enemies, but the few glimpses he did get confirmed the metal was also of a lower quality. Despite the slight disadvantage to them however, the zealots seemed to show no concern and threw themselves into the fray with little regard for their own lives. The willingness of the zealot forces to sacrifice themselves as fodder against the allied forces was as admirable as it was disturbing...
Parrying a thrust from a strange barbed weapon, Hayate spun one of his swords in his hand and plunged it backwards through a zealot that had managed to get around behind him, before pulling it out and cutting down the zealot with the strange barbed weapon. He could feel his body growing fatigued and ignored it. There would be time for exhaustion later… Advancing again, Hayate's thoughts briefly flashed to Koike, hoping the Hon's forces were not overwhelmed by the enemy. If the line fell… Forcing his thoughts back to the task at hand, Hayate carved through another zealot before turning and kicking another, watching as one of the allied soldiers used the opportunity to plunge his blade into the off-balance zealot.
A sharp pain brought his attention back and Hayate winced, glancing down to his leg where one of the fallen zealots had managed to stab him with a small blade. The mesh armour did not travel down to his legs and instead he simply had leather armour protecting the area. Snarling, Hayate swung his own blade down savagely, cutting through the zealot's hand before stomping down hard on the man's skull, hearing a sickening crunch when he did so. The move had been a stupid one, done in anger and Hayate recoiled as another fresh wave of pain shot through him from his leg. Pulling the blade out, he tossed it aside and tried to put pressure on the leg, testing to make sure the damage wasn't too severe. The movement hurt, but it wasn't enough to immobilize him. Gritting his teeth, Hayate looked up towards the ceaseless waves of zealots in front of him. Fueled by anger, the Hyuzu let out a loud roar and charged forwards with renewed vigor.
Fucking break…
Grunting, he kept trying to move forward. It was hard to walk over ground that was wet by blood and internals, while fresh corpses were in the way. Meanwhile, trying to remain stable while stepping on or over the bodies was certainly no easy task with screaming and angry enemies so close by. A new volley of arrows would plunge into the enemy ranks, decimating quite a few dozen.
Pushing forwards with his shield, Koike decided to flow some chakra through the steel of his blade. The aching in his arm started to grow to a numbing sensation as he kept stabbing and hacking at the enemy.
At his right, a soldier with an axe slammed the blade into the skull of an attacker. But couldn't pull it out. Noticing another attacker attempting to make use of the opening, Koike quickly reacted. Stepping forward, he would jab his weapon into the side of the new enemy. Twisting the handle and jerking it out, he turned to face another opponent.
The man was slightly taller and a quick glance was more than enough to say that this opponent had quite some strength. Noticing the large club, Koike tried to step backwards and raise his shield. Anticipating the heavy blow, he didn't expect the world to tremble.
Wood shattered as the club slammed through the coloured wood, almost slamming Koike full on the ground.
Down to a knee, the young colonel gripped his blade and trusted forward. The sharp steel, engulfed by a layer of chakra, easily cut through the man's leg. As Koike pulled out the weapon, he would attempt to rise up and use the motion to slice at the enemy.
Though successful, he was now at the front without a shield. Panting, he noticed another foe rushing at him. Trying to raise his sword to parry and deliver a riposte, somebody else beat him to it.
A hearty laugh bellowed through the sounds of battle as Skuli deflected the blow with his shield and easily swept the man away with his weapon. Only to continue on as a deadly force, apparently not intimidated by the amount of enemies remaining.
The allied force from the south started to carve slowly through the ranks of the enemy.
Hanging back a few ranks, Koike tried to understand how far away they were from the other allied force. But without being on horseback or anything else to allow him to gain a better viewpoint, he had no clear idea. He did sighted some banners up ahead but that could be both relative far away, with many enemies in between them.
Now without a shield, Koike pulled out a long knife with his left hand. Trying to regain some of his stamina with hanging back, the colonel decided for another assault.
Just as he would join the first line again, he heard a battlecry. Through the chaotic mess of sounds, he wasn't entirely sure if he had heard it right or not. But filled with new vigour, he kept hacking at the enemy.
Dispatching a foe, Koike already raised his blade as he was sure that another foe was in the way. Only to be met with a familiar face.
Hacking through the zealots, the fury clear in his eyes, Hayate pressed on. He didn't know if the rest of the forces with him were keeping pace, but he was too focused on carving a path ahead that he didn't care. Ducking underneath a large weapon resembling a spear of some kind, Hayate brought both swords forward and rose, plunging them into the chest of two zealots in his path. Continuing past them, he twisted the blades and pulled them out. As the two zealots fell, Hayate pushed ahead, seeing a fresh wave charging forward. Baring his teeth, the Hyuzu raised his blades and brought them down, ready to strike.
At that moment he realized who this new wave was and stopped the swords inches from their intended target. Though he was covered in blood, grime and sweat, Hayate would recognize his friend anywhere.
"Koike!"
Blinking, Koike hadn't been able to raise his sword as his new foe had one more than him. Only a second later did he recognise and hear Hayate stating his name. Around them, the allied force would squash the enemy force in between them, demolishing their numbers rapidly before turning and uniting to the remaining horde.
Lowering his sword after realising that they weren't on the front rows anymore, Koike nodded as he tried to calm down. It was surreal to suddenly find Hayate, giving him some more hope that they would be able to see the day pass together.
"Aye. Seems you weren't late for the party." Koike managed to produce, requiring to raise his voice to make himself audible. Seeing the weapons of choice, there was a wry smile growing on Koike's features. "Swords eh?"
A wave of relief washed over him and Hayate grinned. Using one of his sleeves, he attempted to rub some of the dirt and blood from his face but only managed to smear it. Ignoring it, Hayate chuckled. "Not enough room to swing a staff or spear around here." he replied in an amused tone, raising the swords slightly to emphasize. "It is good to see you. How is the 13th?"
Nodding to emphasise that he understood, Koike took a step aside, as if by letting Hayate see the 13th himself would be enough of an answer. "We took some losses. But they have been able to push hard." A certain pride swelled in Koike's voice as he responded in return. "But I think we need to push harder to break them. I haven't been able to encounter any kind of commander. Just those damned rabble." Throwing a look where the new front was established, with allied forces holding it, Koike tried to ignore the darker thoughts that crossed his mind.
"If we don't break them, it is going to be over."
Shaking his head, Hayate met Koike's gaze. [color]"We won't let that happen."[/color] Turning for a moment, he looked back at the troops around them. The allied forces were forging ahead and Hayate wondered for a moment if the whole thing was indeed a fruitless endeavor… Clenching his fists around the handles to his swords, Hayate looked back up, determination in his eyes and the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Come on. We've got the White Blade and the Black Dragon. Hon and Hyuzu fighting side by side. What could possibly beat us?"
Though uncertain on if this battle would end well or at all this day, Hayate's words did bring back a bit of spirit. Inhaling slowly, Koike wanted to state that Hayate should hang back. Losing their commander could be the push for a mass route. Assuming that it would be in vain to get his friend away from danger, Koike took the decision to make sure that he would stick close to him.
"Try to keep up then, eh?" Trying to sound as cheerful as he could, Koike turned towards the front. Making sure that he was ahead of Hayate, the colonel readied himself to be into the fray once more.
The fight was still going on without either side willing to surrender. The allied forces had taken losses but for every death of their own, they inflicted more casualties on the enemy.
Managing to reach the front row, Koike gripped the handle of his sword with both hands. Coming in with a hew from above, he would drive the steel of his sword into between the neck and right shoulder of a foe. The soft blue hue of chakra made it easier for the steel to bite deep and be pulled out of the grim wound.
Grinning as Koike told him to keep up, Hayate nodded. He didn't want to admit it, but the brief respite from fighting was a welcome one. Charging alongside the Hon, Hayate readied his own blades, taking a cue from Koike and coating his swords in a thin layer of chakra.
As they rejoined the front line, Hayate positioned himself between Koike and another of the allied soldiers, being careful not to get in the way of any swinging blades. Spotting one of the zealots approaching with a scythe held high, Hayate stabbed forwards, catching the attacker in his midsection. Pulling his blade back, he readied to face the next attacker.
Parrying a blow, it felt actually good to fight alongside Hayate. Even though he was keeping focus on the battle, he was in any case happy to be at his commander's side. Managing to deliver a riposte, sliding his blade into the throat of an enemy, Koike noticed that the blade was stuck. Trying to pull it out, the blood on the handle and his gloves made it slippery. Cursing out loud, Koike found himself with no weapons at hand.
Dodging an attack by stepping to the left, Koike grabbed the attacker's axe. It was crude and meant to be wielded with two hands, not the ideal weapon of choice for Koike.
While grabbing the weapon with his left hand, he delivered a elbow against the face of his opponent. Managing to pull another one off, he pulled the weapon out of his opponents hands. Before he could swing the axe, another opponent rushed in and jabbed Koike's left side. The crude iron tip couldn't pierce through the steel chainmail but it sure delivered a strong enough trauma that it delayed Koike's attack and made him stumble a step backwards.
Delivering a savage kick to the knee of the zealot that came at him after the man with the scythe, Hayate followed through with a swipe from his sword, catching the woman across her shoulder and neck and causing her to drop to the ground. As he turned back, Hayate caught sight of Koike struggling, the weapon pulled from his hands. Cursing as the Hon was put in a vulnerable position, Hayate stepped out of the line and moved to cover his friend. Swinging down with one of his blades, he cut through the shaft of the spear that the zealot had tried to stick Koike with. Pivoting, he brought the other sword around and sliced into the side of the zealot before kicking him away.
The movement had brought him out of position as well and Hayate cursed as he felt something slam into his side. A quick glance to his right showed his attacker lining up for another blow but before he could connect, a red blur came careening in, axes whirling. Hayate let out a sigh of relief as Meryn made short work of the zealot that had attacked him. Turning his head back to Koike, he gestured with his left hand. "Catch!" Throwing the sword towards the Hon, Hayate pulled out a strange looking dagger from a sheath on his left hip and rejoined the fight.
The crude axe bite deep into one attacker but the man with the spear was still remaining. Before he could attempt to react, Hayate came in to save his hide. Happy but also discontent with his moment of weakness, Koike didn't start a fuss or argue. Catching the blade, it was lighter than his own swords but it was certainly better than the axe of before.
Joining the fight again, the horde didn't seem to diminish. But slowly but surely, signs of panic started to seeth among the many enemies. Groups started to detach from the front, attempting to make safe way from the angry and determined allied forces.
Stopping his attack as he trying to catch breath, Koike looked around him. The allied force was quite disciplined. They did seem to give chase but were cautious as some attackers did try to turn around and pick a fight. Most of those who were fleeing were given no mercy, only to be struck or chopped down by their adversaries.
"We can leave those to the cavalry," he tried to shout, making himself audible. Glad but exhausted, Koike tried to figure out what their next step would be. Horns in the distance range but he couldn't get a good sight on what was going on. "I have a bad feeling about this," he tried to say to Hayate, frowning as more foreign horns of war rang and pierced through the ambience of battle.
They cleared away the front lines and Hayate watched as the zealots finally began to break. Nodding his head and letting out a sigh of relief, Hayate sheathed his dagger and turned to Koike, about to say something when they heard the first of the horns. Looking back, he tried to get a glimpse of where they were coming from but could not see anything over the hordes that still littered the battlefield. Frowning, he felt his grip tighten around the sword.
This was not good...
For a moment, Hayate wondered if he should summon Kuromu to scout ahead and provide air support. The risk was still too great however, and if another fight was headed their way, Hayate would need as much chakra as he could. Raising his sword, Hayate shouted out a command, giving the visual signal to any officers in eyesight. "Form up! Watching as the soldiers closest to them began to pull back into position, Hayate glanced at Koike. "Any ideas?"
Trying to figure out, he had a few ideas. The instruction of forming back into line was passed among the officers and repeated by the captains. Though the order wasn't followed right away, the allied force was slowly getting back into a disciplined formation.
"No clue." Koike replied, not sounding too happy about it. Spotting a couple of members of the 13th, Koike instructed the men something in their clan's language. Causing the soldiers to briefly kneel down. Luckily the men seemed capable of lifting Koike a bit up, allowing the colonel to look over the rows of troops.
Spotting in the distance the sight of a large force gathering and forming up, the many blinking weapons and armor made it clear that these enemies weren't as lightly armed or armoured as the majority of the foes.
"Seems like we got their elites rustled up." Koike reported as he would be put down. "If anything, we outnumber them. I suggest we try to wing around them while peppering them with what we got."
Nodding, Hayate cursed inwardly. Thinking for a moment, he looked around before meeting Koike's gaze. "Agreed. Spread the word to the rest of the officers. We will need to gather quickly and whittle them down before they can regroup." Taking a breath, he felt another wave of exhaustion wash over him. Shaking it off, Hayate glanced at some of the other troops, noticing many who were still catching their breath in the momentary lull. "Bring the fresher troops forward and let those who fought on the front lines pick up the rear. It won't do us any good having the most exhausted troops fighting at the head."
Nodding to emphasise that he understood, Koike wanted to bring something up. "I shall do it right away." He replied, briefly lifting the sword as a smirk crossed across his dirtied face. "I will hand it back after today, commander, sir!" Turning around, he would give a few shouts in Chonobi, which were followed by having a few men of the 13th to follow him into the direction of the other flank of the allied formation.
Watching as his friend took off, Hayate grinned ruefully. "You'd better…"