The Viking warships carved with dragon heads are moving at high speed in the Donna River with the paddling of the entourage. Each of the warships, carrying more than a hundred heavily armed soldiers, made heavy waves on the river bank, but did not slow down in any way because of their weight. On the contrary, because of the unique design of Viking warships, they triumphed in the rough rivers.
On the flagship of the fleet, Marika is constantly observing the surroundings with her clairvoyance ability, and her New type sense is also operating at peak power. At the first sign of an enemy, she would use her Grace to alert the entire army into battle.
"Um?!"
At this moment, Marika's eyes immediately noticed the outline of a castle slowly emerging in the distance.
"Alert! Our destination is within sight!"
As Marika's order was broadcast on the GraceChannel, the entire Erd Tree Army immediately woke up from their vigilant rest, raised their shields and long-range weapons, and entered water warfare formation.
Marika imagined that although the river warfare technology in this world does not seem to be very developed, just in case, Marika still asked the soldiers to prepare for water warfare.
And on the other side of the river, on the walls of the city of Bali...
"Ugh...so boring~"
A soldier with a spear sighed.
"What's wrong brother?"
The bowman next to the spear soldier asked.
"There is no way the enemy can come from the other side of the river, yet the captain still sent us to guard the city wall here. There is nothing at all!"
The spearman grumbled.
"You just have to be patient. Anyway, our shift is about to end. I'll treat you to something good once our shifts are over."
"Really! Thanks man!"
"No prob—"
Before the longbow soldier finished speaking, a sharp arrow pierced his throat.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The spearman reached out to catch his companion, convulsing due his neck wound, while the spearman shouted warnings to the rest of the defenders.
"Bulls eye!"
Jin said with satisfaction. More than 200 meters away from the battlefield, Jin was standing in front of the ship, holding his Neijing longbow, his arrow already fired. It was he who shot the arrow that killed the defenders just now. As the proud student of Tsushima Island's number one archery master, Jin's archery skills are naturally superb, and a sniper attack of more than 200 meters is easy for him.
"Holy shit! You really hit it!"
Ladybug watching from the side exclaimed.
"It's nothing, if it was my master Ishikawa-sensei, he would definitely be able to hit that soldier's right between the eyes!"
Ren put away his longbow and said proudly.
"For real!?"
Hearing that there was someone more powerful than Jin, Ladybug opened his mouth wide in surprise.
"Of course, Ishikawa Sensei is the most famous marksman on Tsushima Island!"
"Wow!"
Ladybug is not only amazed. After chatting with Jin in the past few days, Ladybug is very curious about Tsushima, an island full of talent. It's a pity that they are in a different world, and it may be difficult for them to return to their original world.
[The author recommends BGM: The 13 Lords of the Shogun OST-God of War]
"Enough of chit chat, let the soldiers speed up and row with all their strength!"
Jin's relaxed expression turned serious, and at the same time he picked up his helmet and fastened it on his head.
"Eh?!"
"Our ships don't have to hide anymore at this distance. And we have to lead the battle!"
Jin explained, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Is it necessary?"
Ladybug, who doesn't like fighting very much, asked weakly.
"Of course it is necessary! As the lord's vassals and warriors, of course we must take advantage of the opportunity that the enemy has not reacted yet to and seek the head of the enemy's general at the front!"
Jin said full of fighting spirit. In the end, although Jin gave up the cumbersome Bushido and transformed into a ninja, his samurai education from childhood still told him that on the frontal battlefield, cutting off the head of the enemy general and presenting it to the lord is the highest honor on the battlefield. As for the means, Jin would not mind the ninja's cunning fighting style.
"But the boss ordered—"
Ladybug is still somewhat unsure about attacking without the order of their king.
"Don't worry, I will use my grace to notify our lord!"
After Jin finished speaking, he pressed his temples and focused on reporting his intentions to Marika through telepathy.
"My lord, you vassal Jin Sakai requests to be the vanguard of this battle, to take the enemy's wall directly!"
"The Vanguard huh..."
Marika thought about Jin's request. Although Jin's pure strength is similar to that of people in this world, his superb swordsmanship and various ninjutsu props may help him gain an advantage. And he's got the lucky Ladybug and a whole ship of soldiers to help him.
"Very well! As long as you bring another five warships with you, I'll allow it! Remember to come back alive!"
Marika thought for a few seconds before agreeing to Jin's request for combat. Out of insurance, Marika let more fighters join Jin and Ladybug.
"I understand! I will live up to my lord's expectations and claim the head of the enemy general!"
Jin thanked with high spirits in his mind. After finishing the Grace communication, Jin turned to Ladybug and said,
"My lord has agreed to our request!"
"Okay, guys! Full speed to the target location!"
Ladybug orders the soldiers on board. Ladybug saw that since Marika had already spoken, he had no choice but to bite the bullet.
"Yes sir!"
After receiving the order, the Banished soldiers immediately followed the order without hesitation and paddled vigorously. As the commander personally appointed by Marika, the exiled soldiers on the ship have no reason to disobey Ladybug and Jin's orders. At the same time, Jin also used his grace to notify the five neighboring ships to join their assault.
Five Viking warships rowed towards Bali City at a speed unmatched by ordinary merchant ships. The dragon head decoration on the prow gives these warships the look of ferocious sea monsters.
On the walls of Bali City, because of the suddenness of the attack, there were simply not enough soldiers to defend them. The officers under Tank had no idea that the Golden Tree Army would attack from the waterway, so the defense of the city wall on the riverside was really weak.
"Quick! Archers get in position! Quick!"
The officer on the wall anxiously shouted orders. But there were only 50 archers available to him, which is not as good as the enemy vanguard force with more than 100 people. These archers are only recruited militiamen and ordinary soldiers, and their firing rate is far slower from that of professional archers. The worst thing is that the hundreds of people they faced were only the vanguard troops, and the officer could see more in the distance, dozens of such ships carrying more than a hundred soldiers.
Facing the sudden and huge number of enemies, the officer couldn't help swallowing nervously, praying to the Creator that the walls of Bali City could resist its foreign enemies.
"Get ready for landing!"
Jinn turned his head and gave orders to the Banished soldiers on board.
As an aristocratic warrior, Jin's voice exuded natural majesty, which made the exiled soldiers approve of their new commander. They held the weapons in their hands one by one, lowered their postures, and were ready to disembark at any time.
Back on the city wall, looking at the vanguard troops who were close to the river bank, the officer had little time left. The only thing he can do is to use his less than a hundred soldiers to delay their advance.
"Draw!"
The officer ordered, and the soldiers took out their bows and arrows, knocked their longbows and drew the strings.
"Aim!"
Under the pressure of drawing the longbow, the soldiers tried their best to aim at the soldiers on the dragon head boats. The sharp-eyed Jin and Ladybug immediately noticed the enemies who were about to shoot arrows, and Jin calmly ordered the soldiers: "Raise your shields!"
The exiled soldiers who received the order immediately raised their thorny skin shields, and the captains of other warships also made preparations to defend against bows and arrows. Ladybug in front of the team also raised the extra leather shield to prepare for defense.
"Loose!"
With the commander's roar, more than fifty arrows were fired at the vanguard with a whistling sound through the air.
It's a pity that the volley fire was ineffective. Most of the bows and arrows were blocked by the leather shields of the Banished soldiers. The few exiled soldiers who were hit by arrows were even more disdainful of such trivial attacks. As the people of the Erd Tree who were stronger than ordinary humans, the arrow wounds caused by these ordinary bows and arrows made them feel a little sting at most. The soldiers who were hit by the arrow pulled out the arrows with disdain on their faces. If there was not a small trace of blood on the arrows, the soldiers on the city wall would probably think that the bows and arrows they shot were fake.
"How is it possible!? Those arrows clearly hit them!"
The officers of the city wall were extremely surprised to see that the attacks of their archers were useless to the enemy.
Not believing in what he saw, he snatched a bow and arrow from one of the soldiers, bent the bow and set the arrow, and shot at the soldier in the strange red armor who seemed to be the commander.
Jin's superb dynamic vision immediately caught the arrows shooting at him, he quickly drew his sword with Battou jutusu, and the bow and arrow was deflected with one blow!
"What!"
The officers on the wall were shocked. But just as he was shocked, the forward troops had already landed. Jin jumped out of the boat first, his feet touching the wet soil. Jin frowned slightly. The soft soil might slow down the soldiers and make them easy targets for the enemy. Jin made a split second decision and immediately threw out several smoke bombs to cover the soldiers who landed. The thick smoke made it impossible for the archers on the walls to see their targets clearly. In the smoke, Jin took out his mask from his carry bag. The dark half-face mask has demon-like fangs, giving it a ferocious look. Jin looked at the mask that symbolized his determination to abandon Bushido for the way of the shinobi, closed his eyes, sighed, and put the mask on. At this moment, he let go of his human identity and turned into the nightmare of the Mongolian army, the killer hidden in the shadows, and the Ghost of Tsushima!
"Soldiers! We have only one goal! The head of the general who defends the city. Kill——!"
Jin raised his samurai sword and shouted.
"Kill-!!!"
The Banished soldier returned Jin with a passionate answer. Even Ladybug drew out his long sword and shouted in response. This scene reminded Jin of how he and his uncle Shimura fought against the Mongols in the past. The shouts of the soldiers awakened his warrior spirit again.
"Charge!!!!"
As Jin led the charge, the exiled soldiers followed their general.
"Damn it, fire at will! Fire at will! Ready the rocks and hot oil."
Frightened by the high morale of the Erd Tree Army, the officer quickly drew out his long sword and ordered the soldiers around him.
Dozens of arrows were shot at the Erd tree army, but they held their formation even when charging. So the arrows were all blocked by their leather shields, while Jin dodge the arrows with his expert movements.
"Damn it, haven't the reinforcements arrived yet? They're about to hit the city gate!"
The guarding officer anxiously asked a subordinate who had just returned from a mission to convey information about the enemy's attack.
"Good news, sir! Lord Liszt has arrived! He said he would take five hundred people out of the city guards to fight!"
The subordinates reported in relief.
"Five hundred people? Great, finally saved!"
Hearing that it was Liszt who led the troops to attack, the guard officer finally breathed a sigh of relief. Liszt is a veteran minister who has served the Barry family since the previous patriarch, and has made great contributions to the Barry family. Even though the current head of the family,Stank, is a spoiled degenerate, he still maintains his loyalty. So when he heard that it was General Liszt who was attacking, the guarding officer finally let go of his dangling heart.
At this time, the sound of a large number of soldiers moving came within the city gate. The officer guarding the city hurriedly looked into the city, and sure enough, he saw the wrinkled old knight leading five hundred soldiers to the city gate.
"Lord Liszt! Thank you for coming to support! The enemy army has already attacked the city gate!"
"Received! Let's show them how this old man cleans them up! Open the city gate"
Liszt patted his chest confidently and said loudly.
"Yes, sir!"
The officer defending the city responded happily, and at the same time nodded to the soldiers guarding the door-opening mechanism below the city. The soldiers immediately understood, turned the mechanism, and opened the city gate wide.
"Alright listen up your young punks! Follow this old man to kill those tree huggers of the golden tree!"
Liszt pulled out and held up his treasured sword and shouted.
"Yes sir!"
The knights and soldiers following Liszt saw that their favorite general was ready for action, and responded with the same enthusiasm.
Liszt led the five hundred soldiers out of the city gate, and immediately saw Jin rushing out of the smoke cover and the exiled army behind him.
"Oh! Is that the general of the enemy army?"
Liszt saw Jin's helmet that was decorated with a half moon crest at a glance. An excited smile appeared on the old knight's face, an expression he would only show when he encountered a strong enemy.
Liszt raised his hand to stop the soldiers from charging. Hin also noticed their movements and asked the soldiers to stop to see what they were going to do.
Liszt strode towards the center of the battlefield alone, and then shouted to Jin:
"I am the retainer of the Barry family, the head of the infantry regiment, Liszt! Who goes there!?"
"An enemy general?"
Jin whispered to himself. He can't hide his excitement in his heart. As a samurai, the opportunity to capture the head of the enemy general is just around the corner. Jin immediately straightened his body, and echoed in a full-fledged voice:
"I am the retainer serving the Erd Tree royal family, Jin Sakai!"
After Liszt heard his bold voice, he laughed proudly and with satisfaction:
"Hahaha! Good! A very imposing young man! And your name is also very special! It seems that this will be an unforgettable battle! Then, Your Excellency Jin Sakai let us fight to our hearts content!"
After Liszt finished speaking, he tilted his long sword and assumed a fighting posture.
"Ready when you are!"
Ren also made preparations and put on the rock posture.
At this moment, the generals of both sides are ready for a showdown. The soldiers on both sides also wisely made room for them to fight to their heart's content.
Jin and Liszt refused to give in to each other, but neither of them made a move immediately, but kept their posture and slowly approached each other. The eyes of both sides are observing the opponent's every move, looking for that faint flaw. The murderous atmosphere made all the soldiers quiet down unconsciously.
'This person's posture seems to be loose, but in fact it is ready to attack me at any time. In this case, I have to strike fast to win, otherwise he will definitely take the opportunity to catch me off guard and fight back! '
Jin made such an analysis of Liszt.
'This young man's posture is simple, a posture that even beginners can put on. But what is this sense of pressure? It's like a solid rock, unbreakable! '
Liszt secretly marveled at Jin's posture.
Jin and Liszt walked to the distance where their sword could touch each other, but the two remained unmoved and just stopped. At this moment, the confrontation between the two made the air scorching, and any disturbance, insects and birds stopped, as if time forbids it. The two evenly matched men were in a cold sweat, marveling at each other's martial arts.
But at this moment—!
"It's now!"
Liszt suddenly burst into attack, whether it was because he was impatient or thought he saw Jin's opening, but nonetheless Liszt resolutely swung his sword at Jin. It's a pity that Liszt made a bad move, because Jin is faster than him!
"An opening!"
Jin shouted, and resolutely used the heavenly strike. The moment Jin slashed his sword, everyone seemed to hear the sound of wind and thunder.
Jin and Liszt passed each other, but only Liszt fell down. Jin's katana cut off Liszt's head with surgical precision. Jin stopped sprinting, and the air that had just stopped at this moment flowed again. With a wave of Jin's sword, the blood on the knife was shaken off.
"Captain!"
The knights following Liszt shouted in surprise.
Jin slowly walked up to Liszt's severed head and picked it up. Then he faced the army in Bali city, held up Liszt's severed head, and shouted loudly:
"The enemy general has been slain!"