As the Sultan's standard and the Esman army appeared together outside the city, a sense of alarm rang loudly in the heart of Constantine XI. He understood that the fiercest counterattack of the Esmans was about to come.
"Normans!"
"The moment of decisive battle has arrived!"
Mounting his horse, he declared, "Grip your swords tight!"
"Boom!"
Even larger than before, the bombardment rained down with countless stone projectiles, violently smashing onto the western wall like a storm of raindrops.
The Esman warriors received the Sultan's command.
No holding back!
They fired every cannonball they could, exhausting them all!
In the thick smoke, the western wall, which had endured countless bombardments in the past days, collapsed over a large area in the middle.
"Praise the true god!"
"Charge!"
Mounted on her horse, Mumoona brandished her scimitar and led the charge toward the city.
Inspired by the Sultan, the warriors rushed toward the city walls like unleashed lions. They crossed the filled-in trenches, howling as they launched a desperate assault.
The defenders fought back fiercely, shooting arrows from afar, throwing stones from close range, and occasionally pouring down boiling oil, turning Esman soldiers into charred corpses.
But the crazed Esman warriors paid no heed.
They used shields to block the arrows, soldiers climbing up ladders kept falling with screams, while those behind relentlessly pushed forward.
"This is exhilarating!"
The ferocity of the Esman thrilled Shu Yichao.
"At least they're not running away like they used to!"
Brandishing his scimitar, he danced through the battlefield, blood spraying everywhere he went, cries of agony filling the air. Standing on the city wall, he seemed like an invincible demon.
No matter how many Esman soldiers sacrificed themselves in a relentless onslaught, they couldn't shake him even a bit.
"Tsk tsk, satisfying." After fighting for hours and cutting down countless enemies, Shu Yichao threw away his scimitar, worn out from battle, and replaced it with a new weapon.
"The durability of the scimitar is all gone."
"Hmm, will there be more soldiers to level up? Let me check..."
"Huh?" Shu Yichao suddenly noticed something odd about the Esman army.
"Why aren't they coming down from the ladders?"
He leaned out of the city wall to see what was happening.
"Oh my, this is too much."
What met Shu Yichao's eyes was a mountain of Esman corpses piled up like a hill, filling the trenches, filling the moat, filling the outer wall—and eventually forming a human ladder leading directly to the city wall!
Both Normans and Esmans were now in a frenzy, cursing, struggling, fighting, their voices mingling with the sounds of cannons, drums, swords, and bones breaking.
And at this moment—
"Boom!"
A massive stone projectile, carrying unimaginable kinetic energy, smashed through the Esman soldiers and defenders along its path, crashing fiercely at the base of the city wall where Shu Yichao stood.
The already crumbling city wall could no longer hold, collapsing with a resounding crash, revealing a massive breach.
And standing on it, Shu Yichao, along with his grassland archers, fell into the breach amidst the rumbling of bricks and stones, disappearing into a cloud of dust.
[Master!]
[Mumoona's heart is pounding!]
[So fast!]
[I'm afraid she might faint from excitement!]
[What did you do to make her so excited?]
[It's not a confession, is it!?]
Having shot the first arrow and been watching from the central army all along, Mumoona suddenly stood up, her heart pounding incessantly.
The terrifying Khitan warriors vanished under the collapsed city wall, and the dawn of victory seemed within reach!
"Esman warriors," she shouted loudly, "Charge!"
At this exhilarating moment, Mumoona finally made up her mind to deploy her elite troops.
"Janissaries, forward!"
Thousands of elite warriors dressed in red battle attire, wearing white felt caps and wielding scimitars, surrounded Mumoona in the center. Like a blazing fireball, they surged toward the breach in the city wall.
Indeed, the new troops were extraordinary. Every swing of their scimitars sent waves of blood splattering.
In the face of their ferocious onslaught, the defending soldiers were powerless to resist, retreating step by step. More and more Esmans poured into the breach.
"The city is breached!"
"Constantinople has fallen!"
They cheered, their voices echoing across the city walls.
When the soldiers heard such a call coming from the middle section of the wall, their faces turned pale.
What to do?
The city is breached?
Will everyone die?
Now, are we...
fighting?
or fleeing?
"Your Majesty!" The soldiers turned their gaze to Emperor Constantine XI, who had just rushed to the breached middle section of the wall, bravely fighting the enemy.
Emperor Constantine XI didn't hesitate. He drew his sword and hoarsely shouted, "Normans, follow me!"
With that, he marched quickly toward the collapsed middle section of the wall.
Madam Mati, didn't hesitate either and immediately followed him.
Many soldiers, inspired by this sight, put their lives on the line and charged toward the breached middle section of the wall.
"Attack!" Mumoona shouted as she cut down a defending soldier with her curved blade, letting out a long howl.
The days of despair, fear, and worry seemed to dissipate in this moment.
Constantinople had been breached.
From this day forth, I am the conqueror of Constantinople!
Now, it's time to properly welcome those detestable Normans along every street, in every district!
Mumoona's eyes flashed with cold determination.
"Forward, Janissaries!"
However, to Mumoona's surprise, the advance of the new troops was slowing down more and more until, eventually, they couldn't move forward at all.
"What's going on?"
Mumoona pushed her way through the crowded soldiers, looking towards the front.
Then, her heart stopped!
Through the smoke, she saw one group after another of heavily armored Khitan warriors marching out, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust as they regarded them like lambs to the slaughter.
The leader among them, extraordinarily handsome, was not the terrifying Khitan Batulu, but who then?
"My money!"
Shu Yichao twisted his neck and his eyes emitted a terrifying light.
"Tens of thousands of dinars, all gone in an instant."
Elite Archer Cavalry:
Ranged Damage: 75-85
Melee Damage: 85-95
Armor: 55-65
Shield: 25-35
Speed: 200-300
Morale: Good
Discipline: Good
Replenishment: 25-35 per day
Recruitment cost: 950 dinars
Maintenance cost: 370 dinars per week
The cannonball just now didn't do anything to Shu Yichao, who landed safely with a light jump.
But his steppe archer cavalry under him were in trouble. They didn't have Shu Yichao's ability to leap and dodge, and quite a few of them were killed or injured.
In order to save the severely wounded, Shu Yichao had to upgrade them on the spot.
Yes, after upgrading, the soldiers from World Ablaze would immediately become their best state, much more effective than any healing or resurrection spells.
Apart from being very expensive, there were no downsides.
But this one downside was enough to break Shu Yichao's heart.
Shu Yichao stared at the somewhat panicked Esman soldiers and ordered the Elite Archer Cavalry,
"Kill them all."