As the horns sounded rhythmically, Saladin's formation began to shift: several phalanxes of the vanguard began to rotate and move toward the left flank of the Crusaders, while the royal banner in the center remained in place. The rear troops continued to slowly emerge from the valley and reposition themselves in front of the banner.
Watching Saladin's formation still adjusting, Baldwin smiled. Due to the maneuvering, a gap had appeared between Saladin's vanguard and the royal banner.
"Go ahead, Duke Reynald. Do what you must," the frail Baldwin waved his hand, ordering Reynald to lead the royal knights into a charge.
"Grand Master of the Hospitallers, I ask you to hold the left flank and pin down Saladin's vanguard," Baldwin continued, his body beginning to sway. "All infantry will follow the knights. Once the knights break through, order a full charge!"
"Grand Master of the Templars, I request your temporary presence with me to observe the battle. Should the situation change, we shall provide support," after issuing his final command, Baldwin finally relaxed. So weak he was about to fall from his horse, his squire quickly helped him dismount and led him to a couch.
Lying on the couch, Baldwin gazed at the two armies about to clash in the distance and muttered to himself, "The plans of men are done. Now it is up to the will of the Lord."
Three hundred royal knights and an equal number of mounted retainers were gathered by Duke Reynald. They began to slowly ride toward Saladin's royal tent.
Duke Reynald, gazing at Saladin's tent, recalled the humiliation of being imprisoned by Saladin for 15 years. The daily torment and insults had twisted his face. He had sworn in the name of the Lord to make Saladin pay any price for his crimes!
"And today, it seems, is the perfect day for Saladin to settle his debts," Reynald bared his large yellow teeth, his eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light, and grinned maniacally. "Saladin, you'd better fall into my hands. I've prepared many delightful things to entertain you slowly. Don't you dare die too quickly!"
Reynald raised his lance and shouted to the knights, "Knights of the kingdom, if we defend this pasture of the Lord today, we may perish here. But if we flee, we will live the rest of our lives in shame and regret!"
"Honor is our life!" the knights responded in unison.
"Since you seek battle, then come and fight like men," Reynald fastened the visor of his helmet and slowly rode forward.
The knights began to gradually accelerate. Groups of about 50 formed a squadron, and their excellent discipline naturally arranged them into wedge-shaped formations to better pierce through the enemy lines.
The sound of the slowly accelerating hooves grew from sparse to dense, mingled with the crisp clinking of chainmail, gradually merging into a storm-like roar.
Facing the swelling torrent, Saladin's right flank visibly wavered. The phalanxes' movements became sluggish, and soldiers could only continue under the loud shouting and even threats of their officers.
A few scattered arrows flew out from Saladin's army. Although some hit their targets, they were insignificant against the heavily-armored knights and their thickly-clad warhorses.
As the horses reached their top speed, the raised lances were leveled, pointing directly at the enemy. Saladin's troops, facing the gleaming spearheads, began to waver even more, with some dropping their weapons and fleeing before contact.
The iron torrent collided with the thin phalanx. The knights, carrying tremendous kinetic energy, leaped over the spears on horseback.
"Crack!" Countless spears and lances let out a mournful snap and broke. Although a few knights were pierced by spears, many more drove their lances into the hot flesh of their enemies.
The undiminished knights crashed fiercely into the phalanx, trampling the crowd at will. The thin formation could not stop the horses' advance. The knights discarded their broken lances, drew their swords, and swung them left and right, splattering a rain of blood. The infantry, squeezed by the knights, lacked room to move, and most of their spears were blocked by the knights' armor and shields.
A knight cut through the phalanx, leaving a trail of blood and bodies behind him as he spurred his horse to accelerate and crash into the next formation.
More knights emerged from the formations, each leaving a trail of over a dozen corpses—some killed by the knights' swords, but more trampled to death by the horses or their own comrades.
The infantry phalanx collapsed. Facing the knightly charge, they lost more than half their men in an instant, and the rest were pushed down in the subsequent chaos, with only a few lucky ones dropping their weapons and screaming as they fled. Though in the end, they were most likely to die anyway.
Originally, there was only a small gap between Saladin's center and his right flank, but the knights, forming a sharp wedge, drove fiercely into it.
The armies near the wedge were instantly shattered, and the originally narrow gap began to widen. After the knights pierced through several formations, they found no more enemies before them.
This was Norn's first time witnessing the majesty of a knightly charge. Coming from the modern era, he finally understood the terrifying power of a heavy cavalry charge in an age without professional infantry: after all, not everyone has the courage to stand in front of a fully-armored knight on horseback.
"Follow them, quickly!" Norn shouted, commanding his soldiers to advance at a quick trot. The knights had used their lives and bravery to pierce through the gap and separate Saladin's right flank from his center. A few warriors from the Hospitallers charged toward Saladin's right flank; they would trade their lives for time to ensure that the knights and the royal infantry would not be surrounded.
The royal infantry began to advance through the gap created by the knights, launching an attack on Saladin's center to the right.
The enemies in front were much better equipped than before. A considerable number of infantry wore chainmail or lamellar vests, carried traditional Saracen round shields, and wore pointed iron helmets wrapped in turbans. However, witnessing the knights' devastating combat power, they clearly wavered. The lines between the phalanxes were interlocked, and Norn could even see some trying to shirk their duties and squeeze to the back.
"Charge!" Without the usual preliminary barrage of arrows, Norn led his men in a direct assault.
The mercenaries, inspired by the knights, shouted wildly as they ran with small steps, holding their shields and spears, and crashed fiercely into the enemy. Between the friendly and enemy phalanxes, they separated by shields, delivering death with swords, spears, maces, and even stones.
From time to time, someone would let out a scream and then disappear into the crowd, with the only fate awaiting them being trampled to death. Although the rear ranks would fill in, the battle line became interlocked as a result, and the soldiers began to engage in close combat.
The fighting became even more intense now. The soldiers no longer conserved their strength, as they might die in the next moment. Facing the slashing scimitars, they blocked with their shields, swords, or even their armor, and then struck back with whatever they had in their hands.
Fortunately, Norn's army was well-rested, while the enemy had been caught off guard during a long march and lacked the same stamina.
After a period of fierce fighting, Norn's troops shattered the enemy.
After Saladin's line was breached, the remaining phalanxes were in danger of being surrounded.
"Uuuuh!" The deep horns of the Saracens sounded, and the soldiers in front of Norn, who were locked in a fierce battle, suddenly retreated, leaving their weapons and armor behind.
Norn panted heavily, looking at the disintegrating army in front of him, wondering: Did we win?
Suddenly, Norn's face changed.
As the routed troops scattered, rows of fully-armored cavalry—Saladin's most elite Mamluk horsemen—had already formed up, displaying their sharp scimitars to Norn and his men.