He knew the opponent's intention, but he had no way to stop it.
Stopping meant a dead end; the only chance of survival was to flee back to Tiee Fortress.
As long as they could enter that fortified city, with its towering walls and ample supplies, they could at least prolong their survival.
Another burst of gunfire rang out.
This time, a bullet accurately struck the front leg of a knight's mount.
The warhorse let out a sorrowful neigh and crashed to the ground, violently throwing the knight from its back.
Fear spread through the group like a plague.
They didn't know whose horse the next bullet would hit, or if they would be the next one abandoned.
This fear of the unknown was more terrifying than death itself.
Half a mile behind them, Akomann was holding a telescope, coldly observing everything.
"My Lady, why don't we just charge in and finish them? At our speed, we could catch up in half a quarter-hour."
A soldier from the Rifle Battalion asked, somewhat puzzled.
Akomann lowered her telescope and turned her head to look at him.
Under the moonlight, her well-defined features appeared exceptionally cold and stern.
"What the Chief wants is not their corpses."
Akomann's voice lacked even a hint of warmth.
"What the Chief wants is to completely crush their will."
"Pass down the order: tell the brothers to conserve their strength and take turns resting. We still have a long way to go."
Akomann raised her telescope again.
"Tell the Artillery Team to get ready at the next valley entrance. I want to give these roland people a grand gift."
...An hour later, Taven's group fled into a long, narrow valley.
This was the only path to Tiee Fortress, with steep mountain walls on both sides and very narrow terrain.
Upon entering the valley, Taven breathed a slight sigh of relief.
In this kind of terrain, the opponent's cavalry advantage couldn't be utilized; as long as they could quickly pass through the valley, they could shake off most of the pursuers.
However, just as this thought arose, he heard several sharp whistles from above.
"Whew— Whew— Whew—"
Taven jerked his head up, his pupils instantly constricting to their limit.
In the night sky, several black dots trailing fire were tracing parabolic arcs, smashing down precisely toward their heads.
It was those... explosive iron lumps!
"Scatter! Scatter quickly!!"
Taven let out the most terrified roar of his life.
But it was already too late.
In the narrow valley, they were crowded together with nowhere to hide.
"Boom!!"
"Rumble!!"
The first shell exploded in the center of the group.
The violent explosion echoed through the valley, creating a terrifying resonance.
Orange-red flames shot into the sky, and a terrifying shockwave mixed with countless high-speed flying shrapnel swept in all directions.
Knights within a ten-meter radius of the explosion's center didn't even have time to scream before being instantly torn to shreds.
Flesh, limbs, and shattered armor were thrown high into the air, then fell like raindrops.
Immediately following, the second and third explosive packs fell one after another.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The entire valley seemed to turn into an erupting volcano.
The sounds of explosions, screams, the sorrowful neighing of warhorses, and the crashing of rolling stones merged into one.
Taven was thrown back by the blast's shockwave, slamming heavily against the mountain wall, his helmet flying off.
He felt as if his internal organs had shifted; his ears were buzzing, he could hear nothing, and his vision was filled with blood-red.
He struggled to lift his head and saw that his most elite Personal Guard had now become a ground of blurred flesh and blood.
Not a single intact corpse could be found.
The valley floor was stained red with blood, like a river leading to hell.
Arthur was knocked unconscious by the shockwave of the explosion and lay on the ground, insensate.
Only a few lucky individuals, who were on the edge of the explosion zone, managed to escape with their lives.
But every one of them was injured, their faces filled with terror, having completely lost the courage to fight.
Taven's mind was a complete blank.
It was over.
Everything was over.
His army, his guards, his son, his glory... everything had turned to ash in this explosion.
He stared blankly at it all, his eyes hollow, as if his soul had been snatched away.
Just then, a steady pace of footsteps came from the valley entrance.
Taven mechanically turned his head and saw squads of Black Rock soldiers carrying rifles, marching with rhythmic steps as they slowly closed in on him.
At their head was none other than Akomann.
She walked up to Taven and looked down at the distraught old man, her gaze icy.
"Taiwen Merlin."
Akomann spoke, her voice sounding exceptionally clear in the silent valley.
"My Chief asked me to bring you a message."
"Kneel and surrender, or die."
Taiwen Merlin did not answer.
He just sat blankly on the ground, his clouded eyes looking at the mess everywhere.
This Lord of Tiee Fortress, who once wielded great power and commanded the imperial border military, now looked like an ordinary old man in his twilight years, with not a shred of majesty or sharpness left in him.
His spirit had been completely destroyed.
Akomann did not rush him, she just stood there quietly.
Behind her, the riflemen held their guns, the dark muzzles pointed at the few remaining survivors in the valley.
Minutes and seconds ticked by.
Finally, Taven moved.
With trembling hands, he unbuckled the sword at his waist.
It was an ancestral sword symbolizing the glory of the Merlin Family, its hilt inlaid with magnificent gems.
He held the sword with both hands, slowly raised it above his head, and then, using all his strength, presented it before Akomann.
Akomann's face remained expressionless.
She reached out, took the sword, weighed it in her hand, and then casually tossed it to the soldiers behind her.
"Bind them and bring them along."
She commanded the few surviving Roland cavalrymen.
Those cavalrymen acted as if they had been granted a great pardon, hurriedly finding rope to tightly bind the unconscious Arthur and the distraught Taven.
Akomann turned and gave the order:
"Signal the Chief. Tell him the Merlin father and son have been captured, and the main force should assemble directly under Tiee Fortress."
"Yes!"
...As the first rays of morning light shone upon the majestic Tiee Fortress, Wu Liang had already led the main army of the Black Rock Tribe to the city gates.
Tiee Fortress truly lived up to its reputation as the Roland Empire's most important military stronghold in the Western Territories.
It stood atop a massive hill, with cliffs on three sides and only one steep winding road leading to the front city gate.
The walls were entirely constructed from hard boulders, over thirty meters high, and were filled with battlements and firing ports for Magic Ballistae.
Atop the walls, a towering arrow tower stood every fifty meters, providing a commanding view that could cover the entire area below the city.
The magnificent city gates were cast from heavy steel, inscribed with powerful defensive magic runes that emitted a faint shimmer.
The entire castle was like a steel beast crouching on the earth, exuding a cold aura that warned strangers not to approach.