As soon as the first light came, blood started to spill over the streets of Midlake.

The final struggle to lift the siege began as the subjects of the Crown assaulted the last foothold of the Retribution Army in Midlake at dawn break.

Experienced soldiers from garrison built up the first wave followed by young enthusiastic able-citizens who picked up arms just a day ago. Against the superior power of the army of Temple, the people of the Crown only had numbers and spirit. Once their flimsy makeshift shield or fragile shaft of pitchfork broken, they either picked up from the dead or went ahead barehanded. As desperate as it looked, it was bravery and determination to fight for their fate.

The nobles' selfless charge into the blades of lances at the last battle inspired many the next day. They courageously went against the enemy line of defence.

The battle was fought on all fronts at the same time. In the streets, the archers took the front to take down enemy pikemen behind the barricades, paving the way for infantry to clear the barricades off the streets. The cavalry followed after. On the roofs, the shieldbearers led the assault after bridging with the ladders while a few archers were giving support from behind.

It was a long costly assault as they were besieging the fortified position even though it was their own city. The plaza at the northern gate, which the army of Retribution had formed fort, consisted of three segments: the middle main road where the northern barrack sat at the centre, the stables at the west of the road, and the open rally ground at the east of the road. The main road, although being closest to the barrack, gave the biggest challenge as the buildings along the road were all multi-storeys with barricaded enemies inside. It was the same as entering a choke point between the two fully manned forts. The flanks where they had to fight through the stables and rally ground posed easier challenges since the neighbourhoods before them were huts and small houses which were pillaged and burnt down after Temple seized the wall. These two open routes were the ones the crown was betting on.

Ethan watched the battle from the distance as he was sidelined until the path to the barrack was made from one route. He had no one to talk to since everyone from Dovos and Igüan to Abel and Gura was in the battle. Only Arthur, who was the overseer, was left with him but they were not on good terms since the incident with the prisoners.

Ethan decided to meditate while waiting so that he was ready and focused when the time came. However, he failed to collect himself as he kept hearing the wrenching cries from the battlefield. He could sense them. He could feel them. The pain. The desperation. Were they from allies or foes? He felt they were clawing his heart. It was horrifying. When he was in the middle of the fight, he never noticed them. He slashed and hacked many opponents in the past without feeling any empathy at that moment. Everything was for survival during those moments.

He reflected on himself. However, he doubted he would remember any of these feelings when he was to step into the battle again. He would be slashing and hacking just as before.

While he was in deep thought, a voice came to remind him. "Sir Champion, sir Arthur has commanded. You are to head into battle immediately."

Ethan picked up his new sword and came out from his cave. He saw Luther awaiting him in the hallway with Arthur. They were using a building facing the battlefield as their headquarters. "Your mount is ready. You are to ride with me and penetrate enemy headquarters through the stables," said Luther.

As expected, one of the flanks opened instead of the main road. "Alright. Let us finish this war." Ethan exclaimed confidently.

When he reached downstairs, he saw Ring waiting for him in full armour set. He had never seen him that gloomy. He seemed to be restricted. "Ring is not a war horse. This heavy armour is too much for him. The usual light armour will be fine, Glen."

Ethan told his squire to change the armour back but Arthur was firm, "It was me who told him to fix the heavy armour on your mount. This battle won't be like any fight you have fought before. Enemies' lances won't be just from one side. They will be in all directions. Your usual light armour won't save him. So, just do as you are told."

The path toward the stable was like a road to hell. Cadavers of fallen soldiers were everywhere. The rotting smell of blood hit the nose as soon as he entered the field. The fight was finished there not that long ago but the crows were already feasting on the flesh of the fallen. They cawed and flew away when Ethan came but soon after the riders passed, they returned to their feast.

The sound of fighting got louder as they approached the stables. The voice could not be heard even across the close distance so Luther signalled with his hand by raising Victrix in the air. "Charge!!"

The battlefield was chaotic and messy; purple, yellow, green, all colours were mixing. Since the line of defence had already broken, the soldiers from both sides were mixing with no way to separate.

The riders ruthlessly trampled any soldiers who stood on their fronts and rushed to the barrack before the enemy built up a new defensive line at the front. Galloping along the bigger warhorses of the Royal Cavalry was straining for Ring, especially due to the heavy armour. Yet it did not fail to run along with the warhorses which were raised to run on armour. During the heavy charge, being separated from the group or falling behind would have left one alone among the enemies.

When the people of Midlake saw Victrix charging fearlessly under the fluttering banner of Crown, their fighting spirit was boosted up. Some rallied behind the charging cavalry and penetrated deeper into the enemy camp.

"Captain, incoming enemies on the right." A rider alerted. Luther assessed the situation quickly and improvised a new plan, "they are moving the rear from the main road to form the defensive line in front of us. Ethan, you take the twelve best riders and head straight to the barrack. The rest, with me. We shall intercept the incoming enemies and form the barrier around the barrack."

As Luther was about to go to form the barrier for him, Ethan sent his regard as a brother in arms, "Luther, may the God and ancestors be with you and defend you safe."

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"Same. Here, take Victrix and let it see victory. Cleo and the people are depending on you a lot. So, I expect nothing other than triumph."

"And you shall have it." Ethan gave his word as he took over the responsibility of Victrix.

So, with six riders each on his sides, he rode toward the entrance of the barrack. The enemy footsoldiers along the path tried to block with their pikes but when they saw the staggering beasts furiously charging ahead, they faltered and ran. Those, who did not, were crushed along with their pikes by the beasts in thick heavy armour.

As they approached the barrack at full speed, they saw several riders coming out of the barrack. Some of the riders were wearing expensive fur robes and exquisite armours that only lords and nobles could afford.

"They are the enemy commanders. They must be escaping out of the city. Let us chase them." Ethan changed their course.

When the enemy commanders saw Ethan chasing them, they picked up their speed. Several golden elite guards came up and formed a thin but formidable defence line between their lords and Ethan. They lowered their stance and pointed their halberds outward. The stance alone imposed intimidation on any average mounted warrior and made them think twice about charging in.

However, the chasers were no average warriors. They were the bravest warriors of Midlake, the Purple Cloaks, who swore to serve the crown in life or death. Also, there was Ethan the champion of God.

"Do not falter." Ethan gently patted Ring's neck and whispered into its ears. "You can do this. Just trust me and go straight ahead." He told his mount to charge into the blades of halberds.

When they were about to crush against the line of halberds, Ethan cast a fire blast. It was not strong enough to defeat the line of halberds held by the elite guards but it was a good distraction to to disturb their stance.

Once the halberds were pulled up by reflex as a defence to their faces against the blast of fire, they were crushed by the unstoppable iron beasts.

"Good job, Ring. I will reward you with a pumpkin you like tonight. Now let's catch those bastards. Don't let them escape after what they have done."

Ethan and the riders passed a hurdle successfully but another distraction came from the gatehouse right after it. An arrow came targeting Ring. Only thanks to a faster warhorse which overtook Ring, did the arrow hit it instead of Ring. Ring crushed into its fallen comrade.

Ethan rolled out to ease the fall. Then, he went back to check on his companion. The rest of the purple knights also stopped chasing the enemy Lords and surrounded Ethan. "Sir champion, are you alright?" They asked but Ethan did not answer. Ethan was too preoccupied with the concern of his companion. He hugged Ring and chanted a healing spell. The spell would not heal any major injury but it relieved any pain temporarily.

While Ethan was taking care of Ring, another shot came and took out a knight who was guarding Ethan. "Sir champion. This is becoming dangerous. We are being targeted by an exceptional archer from above. The footsoldiers are closing in too."

The knights advised him to leave Ring and fall back. Ethan could never do that. Not in a million years. He grabbed a javelin from a knight and threw it toward the gatehouse. "You should have run for good when you had the chance, Archili!!"

The javelin flew like an arrow shot from the bow. It hit Archili's arrow in mid-air and continued its flight uninterrupted. Archili hid behind the rock-solid wall of the gatehouse. However, the divine-reinforced javelin penetrated the wall and skewered Archili who was taking cover behind it; ending its journey and Archili's.

The show of immense power flustered the enemies and allies alike. The enemy footsoldiers gave up to encircle Ethan and dispersed.

However, when they had cleared the path, the escaping lords of the Retribution Army had already reached the gate.

"*Tsk. Damn them. They got away." A knight clicked his tongue angrily. "If we had caught them, the war could be over by now."

"There is no time to stop and complain. Let us chase them even if we have to to the wall of Gambit."

Ethan decided to chase them even if they had to fight through the hundreds of soldiers between them and the enemy Lords. The knights stopped him. Even for the champion of God, fighting hundreds of soldiers would not be an easy feat. There were hundreds of reasons it could go wrong. They advised to give up chasing and let the enemy retreat outside the city. Even if they could not kill them all, it would still be a win for Midlake by driving the enemy out of the city.

"It is a pity." They regretted not being able to catch the enemy commanders. Many if came into their minds.

At that moment, they saw a cloud of dust coming from the east and it was coming in fast.

"Sir Champion...Those are..."

"Yes, I can see them too. Those banners. They are the infamous cavalry of Harrimore. So they have come from the south."

Just as the forces of the Crown were flustered by the arrival of new forces, the retreated army of the Temple was also surprised by the new development. The unannounced arrival of the third force confused everyone.

One Lord from the Army of Retribution stepped forward with a smug to greet the new army.

"Lord Harrimore. Finally, you must have decided to take some action too after sitting idly in the south for weeks. You have made the right choice. Lord Mordu' is the true son of God and the Temple is the true way of life. You may be one of the Houses of Midlake but there is no need to keep your oath to those devil's swine. We have been slapping these devil's pawns back to hell where they belong but, of course, His Holy Might will be glad if you and your army participate in his service to Lord Mordu'." spoke the haughty Lord.

After successfully pushing the Retribution Army back to the wall and nearly out of the city with the superior number of forces, the peasant army of Midlake saw the tide of battle changing again due to the arrival of the infamous black cavalry of Harrimore which was standing idly at the south gate until days before.