The horsemen, we're almost wiped out. The ninth soldier was killed while he was on the ground, similar to the soldiers before him. And like them, he went out crying for his gods and for his mother, neither of which sent help.
The last horseman, after a brief struggle throughout which he saw his comrades die next after next, was able to stand up despite his injuries. And limping, he tried to run in the opposite direction.
Slow-moving and fleeing in a straight line, he was not any harder to hit than his comrades. The only thing he had going for him was that his back was more armored, and there was no opening that was as large as his face.
But the 'Spear Throw' skill, as had been displayed many times, cannot miss even by a single inch. And Anthony saw a narrow opening. The back of his neck was exposed, a slit was present between his helmet's backplate and his coat of mail. As soon as the spear was released, the soldier's fate was sealed.
The spear hit the spot, impaling his neck. Gasping for air, he made gurgling sounds, as he fell to his knees. The gory display was there for all the villagers to see. And they watched him until he stopped struggling and collapsed to his face.
The charge proved disastrous for the imperials, all ten horseman lay dead. A blunder uncharacteristic of the famed imperial cavalry, but something Anthony thought would happen, although a prediction he had kept in the back of his mind.
The problem with elite forces is that they tend to be prideful and overconfident. A fact that he used to his advantage. It was the reason why he taunted them while appearing weak, hoping they would drop their brains and attack and fail to notice the disadvantageous terrain.
He had arisen victorious, or so he thought. The atmosphere has not changed, and he knew he was missing something.
Jason would unintentionally answer his thoughts.
"Where is their leader? Did he run away?"
He saw it in the faces of the villagers. The expression of horror and alarm. When he followed their gazes, he understood why.
The remaining cavalrymen, led by their sergeant, had made a detour. They circled around the houses, and now with fury greater than their first attackers, they had emerged in their rear.
It was their turn to be surprised.
He called for the eight hunters to go back to their formation, all too late. The riders rode hard, and the horses were too swift for them outspeed. Any cohesion broke, and the untrained hunters abandoned their spears just to move out of their way.
"Nooo!" he yelled, and the word was spoken in vain.
The sword of the leading imperial horsemen, struck the back of the youngest of the eight hunters. Eyes and mouth wide-opened, his body involuntarily convulsed forward, after it took the strike powered by the charge.
The impact for his blood climb up his throat and spilling out of his lips. He fell to the ground, and the sharp fall ensured his death even more. After blood violently burst out of his mouth, his head lowered to the ground to signal that life had left his body.
The horsemen did not stop there, and the next hunter in line, turned around to fight but only got cold steel cut across his face. Another member of Anthony's militia bit the dust.
But the rider would not be able to kill his third, as a spear greeted him after the kill. The weapon broke through his teeth and stabbed the back of his throat. And lifeless, his hands let go of the rein and was thrown off the saddle.
The following rider, ignored the hunters and beelined towards him. Planning to take out the real threat.
Anthony summoned his spear and closely watch the cooldown. Before the rider could cross the ten meters, the skill was ready to be used again.
[Used 'Spear Throw']
The Cavalryman tried to parry the incoming projectile, but the movement of the riding horse made this hard, and he proved not skilled enough. He was toppled from his mount with a spear on his throat.
The next rider was riding close to the one before him, and while Anthony waited for the cooldown, he quickly closed the distance. The Spear Throw's eight seconds were still ticking when the soldier advanced only ten meters away from him.
Luckily, the Piercing Shot was waiting in reserve. And with the close distance, it was difficult to miss. He unleashed the powerful skill and in spite of his hands shaking, the shot was still made.
The soldier's shoulder was hit, and although he kept his life, the impact was so strong that he was thrown down to the ground. There, flinching at the great pain, he was successfully decommissioned out of the fight.
Then came the face, he had learned to hate the most in that world.
The sergeant was the next one to be faced. Like the previous Cavalryman, he was riding close to the one in front of him. So, when Anthony killed his latest victim, he had already come near.
Anthony panicked, but instinctively did the right thing to do. He swiftly summoned another spear and executed the Spear Throw skill which was already available.
To his horror, the sergeant blocked the spear with his sword, cutting it in half in midair. A testament of his great combat skill.
Giving him no time to summon yet another weapon, the sergeant closed in and halted just right beside him.
The officer quickly made a downward strike aimed at his neck. This he evaded by a hair's breadth, swiftly stepping to his side. But the tip of the sword was able to cut a shallow wound on his cheek.
He did not know what happened, but when he was cut, he had briefly forgotten of his fears. It was replaced by the desire to inflict pain back.
So, he summoned another spear, and took a step forward, and blindly plunged it to the sergeant's side.
For a moment, he claimed victory. Then he turned his gaze upward and saw a sword about to descend.