From behind us came the voices of over a thousand priests. Their chanting carried a peculiar modulation, resounding far and wide across the battlefield like a hymn. In concert with the intensifying sound, the insignia at their feet began to give off a blue glow. According to Sir Rigel, this ceremony delivered mana to the charms fastened to the knights’ shields. Once activated, these would deploy a barrier against projectiles in a one-meter radius around us.
Eventually, the incantation shifted to a low murmur. The barriers were complete, and now a new chant was needed to maintain them. A horn blew loudly to announce that the preparations were ready, and a chorus of additional horns sounded in response.
Dividing into left flank, right flank, and center, the armies of allied lords began their advance, with the foot soldiers chaotically following behind.
The Knights Templar who I would be accompanying had yet to make a move. They were seen as one of the strongest forces in the kingdom, right up there with the dragon riders, and would charge in under the direct lead of Princess Liana once the opportunity presented itself.
As the air quivered with the earth-shattering pounding of hooves, the orcish legions made their move in kind. I saw the orcs positioned at the front of their forces holding gun-like objects.
No. They aren’t gun-like. They are guns.
One of them—perhaps fumbling, or perhaps driven by fear—fired before the order was given. A flash of light and a long column of white smoke vomited out from the muzzle. The spectacle sent shivers down my spine.
Something in front of one of our vanguard emitted a faint glow, then a shrill clang. The bullet had been deflected by the magic barrier. Incited by the first shot, the orcish guns began bursting to life, scattering shots here and there until finally, the entire front line was enveloped in billowing white smoke.
Yet the unorganized barrage failed to inflict any damage on the knights. From the gaps in the smoke, I could see the orcs fleeing behind their line of spears after they fired, quickly replaced by new troops with loaded guns.
The horn sounded again, and the knights picked up speed. The hoofbeats making the earth shudder grew louder still.
They were almost halfway up the hill when the orcs let off their second volley in unison. The guns rang out, followed by a shrill grating sound as bullet clashed with barrier. Light burst where the bullets struck, and in the midst of the spray, the barrier lit up in a ribbon from end to end.
In a few places where the light was strongest, several knights toppled from their horses. It looked like a burst of light was produced when the barrier crumbled. I could hear the chanting of the priests behind me becoming a little disjointed—some of them must have been forced to start over from the beginning to restore the broken spots. The knights pressed on regardless, with no hesitation in their steps. They were already reaching full speed.
An instant before the forces clashed, the orcs unleashed their third volley point-blank. A bright blue light flashed over the entire formation; the next instant, the knights disappeared from view in a cloud of black smoke.
The roar of the guns reached my ears a moment later, then the sound of the horsemen smashing through the spears and the screams of beasts, both horse and orc. The priests’ incantation was becoming more and more unsynchronized. The tremor of hooves rose once more, and finally, the foot soldiers disappeared into the smoke.
At length, a strong gust of wind cleared the fumes away and I could see again. By then, the last of the horses had almost disappeared beyond the hills, where foot soldiers were taking on the remaining orcs. While the hill orcs still outnumbered their enemies, they had completely lost the will to fight. In a one-sided pursuit, the human infantry simply chased and slaughtered them as they screamed and ran. In no time at all, the hill was red with blood.