General Helias and the Asterian army moved forward while fended off all the arrows and 'magic arrows' that fired at them.
Angel stared at him with sarcasm gaze, he had predicted this. One of the most basic strategies is start from a long-range attack to minimize casualties. When long-range battles are no longer profitable, it's time to bring the troops to close combat.
He turned his gaze to Frost and Gaia in front of the gate.
"Frost, block them!"
"Gaia, take care of the rest!"
Frost and Gaia nodded in reply. Frost and his army quickly get on the horse, while Gaia brought some of the swordmen through the small door on the other side of the gate and into the forest beside them.
"Open the gate!" Frost ordered.
The gate opened, Frost and the swordmen lined up outside the gate.
General Helias looks confused since the defenders usually remained inside and strengthen their defenses, but they instead open the gates and engaged them outside.
But in contrast to Angel, he never wanted to position his troops as a defender but as an attacker. For him the best defense is a good offence.
In confusion, General Helias finally gave his order again.
"Formation!"
The Asterian troops immediately narrowed their distance from each other and formed a large triangle formation to break through the Euphorion army in front of the gate.
Angel smirked, he had been waiting for this formation all along.
"Explosion!" Flare commanded the magic users.
The magic users quickly replace the 'magic arrow' with the 'explosion spell'. Throwing explosions into the Asterian army's formation.
-BOOM! --BOOM! --BOOM!
Explosion after explosion knocked off the Asterian troops from their horses, throwing them to all directions. With tight formations like this each explosion are produced more casualties than if they were scattered.
'He is totally beyond expectations! At this rate I will lose before reaching them.' General Helias thought.
"Spread!" he ordered.
He stretched out his hand and cast 'hell judgment'. Dozens of large black fire pillars surrounded the Asterian army preventing them from spreading, making their horses terrified and hard to control. They were trapped in the middle, there was no other way but to advance toward the outpost gate.
When Asteria's horses were in panic, Gale gave his order to the archers.
"Horse!"
The archers shot their arrows at the Asterian army's horses. Panicked by fire, explosion and arrows, finally made their horses run amok and dropped their riders before fleeing and disrupt their entire formation.
After all of Asterian troops had fallen, Angel stopped his 'hell judgment', Flare and Gale raised their hands, ordering the magic users and archers to stop attacking, while Frost gave his orders to the swordmen.
"Charge!" he ordered while kicking the side of his horse.
Frost and the swordmen came forward to attack. In a state of chaos, General Helias gave his orders again.
"Defend!"
The remaining Asteria troops pulled back together to form a large pentagon formation with archers and magic users in the middle while the swordmen surrounded them. The magic users quickly created a 'magic barrier' to protect the formation from attacks on their five sides while moving forward, making them difficult to penetrate.
The Euphorion army that reached them could only surround them, without being able to attack at all while the Asterian army could not attack because of the same thing.
As soon as Angel saw the Asterian troops make a defensive formation, he already knew who's the winner of this battle. This was the best Asteria's formation but he knew that the formation had a weakness. It was in the middle of the formation which was not protected by a barrier.
He could have burned them to the ground with 'hell judgment' but he let his troops take care of it. He wanted this battle's victory was because of them, so they will be more confident to encounter the next battle and rise up their morale. If he does it directly, even if they win easily but his troops confidence will be lost.
As the Asterian army approached the gate, Flare raised her three fingers, ordering the magic users to preparing their spells.
"Center! Explosion!"
The magic users prepare to cast an 'explosion spell' to the middle of the Asterian army formation.
General Helias was shocked again. They were trapped! He had no choice but to order to release the 'magic barrier' around them and focus it in the middle of the formation.
"Center! Barrier!" he ordered.
But it was too late... Flare waved her three fingers forward. The magic users threw the 'explosion spell' together, creating a large explosion in the middle of their formation.
--BOOM!
The big explosion threw the Asterian troops to all directions, breaking down their formation in an instant.
After their formation was destroyed and their 'magic barrier' disappeared, the Euphorion army that had surrounded them immediately stormed at them. The sound of sword clashes accompanied by screams of pain could be heard from all over directions, without horses and messy formations it was very easy for the Euphorion troops to finish off the remaining Asterian troops. Even though they had their weapons already covered with deadly poison but their morale had dropped. Soon one by one the Asterian army fell.
General Helias swung his sword and dropped an Euphorion army from his horse. When he had not yet been able to stand up, General Helias swung his sword again to kill him but suddenly the two swords who produced a piercing cold air brushed off his attack.
General Helias retreated while staring at his enemy and recognized him.
"General Frost, King of Euphorion's trusted General." He glanced at the King who was watching them from the top of the gate. The king stared at them with a contemptuous look with an evil smirk on his face. As if this was in his calculations, as if this was just a game played by him.
General Helias swept his gaze around him, his troops barely left even though it was clear when they came that his army was more numerous than the Euphorion troops that guarding the border. With the poison from Zephyrus they should have won easily! But once the king came, things turned around quickly as if they were nothing.
'Is this why His Majesty King Gervis has never let Prince Angelus lead an army before? He is truly dangerous!' thought General Helias.