Chapter 96: The Final Battle. The Germans
Chapter 96: The Final Battle. The Germans >
As soon as the negotiations broke down, Caesar’s legions assumed a battle stance.
However, Ariovistus did not rush into battle, unlike the confidence he had shown earlier.
“Are the Suebi still staying in their camp?”
“Yes. They only show signs of trying to cut off our supply lines by sending their cavalry to the side.”
“He is more cautious than I thought. Based on his attitude at the meeting, I expected him to launch an all-out attack right away. Was he pretending? He didn’t seem like it…”
Caesar was puzzled by the incomprehensible behavior of his opponent.
Marcus, who knew the answer, informed him of the information after disguising its source.
“They have a custom of casting lots before fighting, and the result was unfavorable for them. They said that the current moon is ominous and they should wait until it changes shape. They received a message from their gods.”
“Really? That explains their irrational movement. No matter how brave their warriors are, they can’t escape from such traditions. Good, let’s use their lot against them. If the moon is ominous, we should provoke them to fight now and break their morale.”
There was no reason to hesitate now that he had figured out that there was no hidden trick behind the enemy’s strange actions.
Caesar immediately unleashed his cavalry to intercept the German cavalry that were trying to cut off his supply lines.
At the same time, he moved his entire legion and built a camp right in front of the enemy line, showing a provocative act.
Even so, the main force of the Germans remained holed up in their base and did not budge.
Ariovistus’ plan was obvious.
He intended to use his cavalry to strike at the supply lines and buy time until the moon changed.
The Roman cavalry was known to be weak, and the Gallic soldiers were secretly afraid of the German soldiers.
Ariovistus’ decision could be considered the best if he only considered the information he had.
The problem was that reality was too far from what he knew.
The German cavalry who met the Roman archers and Gallic cavalry for the first time charged with full confidence.
But the Romans did not fight as the Germans expected.
The Roman cavalry kept their distance and poured arrows on them, only repeating hit-and-run tactics.
The Gallic cavalry only played a role of protecting the Roman cavalry so that they could retreat when approached.
Swarm tactics were usually inefficient in cavalry battles, but this area was closer to the Roman camp, so the German cavalry could not penetrate too much.
Moreover, the German cavalry had poor armor and lacked the strength to break through the Gallic cavalry while being hit by arrows.
The Romans could not inflict enough damage to annihilate the enemy’s cavalry, but the German soldiers suffered a tremendous psychological shock.
“They said that the Roman cavalry was negligible! But what are those archers on horseback!”
“I don’t know if it’s because of those strange saddles they have, but their riding skills are not inferior to ours. In fact, they looked more stable on their horses than us.”
The fact that they had completely wrong information spread quickly among the German soldiers.
Their morale was already low because they couldn’t fight due to their lot.
Ariovistus could not make a decision easily.
If he fought now, there was a possibility that his warriors would not perform well because they believed in the bad lot.
But if he stayed in his base until the moon changed, he would end up losing.
The supply line disruption strategy he had tried to implement was already being used by Caesar.
He felt suffocated as he couldn’t overpower his enemy’s cavalry and was pushed back instead.
On top of that, the Romans taunted him every day in front of his base.
The Romans who spread out their lines as if they were ready to fight at any time shouted in German that Caesar had taught them.
Even though their pronunciation was terrible, the German warriors could clearly understand what they meant.
“Ariovistus and his men are cowards who are afraid to fight!”
“They are hiding in their base with excuses because they fear defeat!”
Ariovistus and his warriors felt their blood boil.
When had they ever been treated like this?
The soldiers were divided into two groups: one that wanted to fight right away regardless of their lot, and one that wanted to be cautious.
After much deliberation, Ariovistus decided that he had no choice but to fight.
He couldn’t stand the daily taunts until the moon changed, as it would lower his soldiers’ morale even more.
The final battle was set for the next day.
It was the fifth day since the Romans had started taunting them.
Ariovistus had arranged his men’s ranks in advance and prepared to attack at any time.
As he was about to launch a surprise attack, he thought of the proposal that Caesar had made to him earlier.
‘Before the full-scale battle, he suggested that we choose our best warriors and settle the score in a duel. Why did he make such an offer?’
No matter how he thought about it, a one-on-one fight was more advantageous for the Germans.
The strength of the Roman army lay in their precise and organic movement of the legion.
But in a one-on-one fight, they could not use this advantage.
Besides, the power of the German warriors was well-known to everyone.
‘Maybe he thought it was a win-win situation. If he wins, good for him. If he loses, it’s expected anyway. Or maybe he wanted to use the duel as a way to punish someone who disobeyed him.’
He couldn’t find a satisfying answer no matter how hard he tried, but he had no reason to refuse.
After all, Ariovistus was confident that his warrior would not lose to a Roman in a one-on-one fight.
As the Roman legion approached, the order to march out of the camp was finally given to the Suebi.
“Brave warriors of Germany, let us show those donkey-like Romans our strength!”
As soon as his command fell, the warriors roared and stomped their feet.
“Uoooooo! Let’s smash those Romans!”
The two armies stopped at a distance of about 50 meters and sent their representatives forward as agreed.
Ariovistus appointed Hermund, the best warrior of the Suebi.
“You know what to do, right? Kill that Roman as brutally as you can.”
“Yes.”
Ariovistus did not have Hermund’s defeat in his mind. He just wanted to achieve an overwhelming victory and boost his soldiers’ morale before the battle.
And so did the Romans.
Marcus firmly instructed Spartacus, who was gearing up and going forward.
“If the enemy is too strong, kill him mercilessly. But if not… you know what to do, right?”
“I understand.”
Spartacus drew his weapon and walked slowly.
The Romans chanted the name of the legendary gladiator in sync with his steps.
“Spartacus!”
“Oooooo! The invincible gladiator!”
The atmosphere was like that of an arena rather than a battlefield.
The Romans’ shouts of Spartacus’ name reached the ears of the German warriors.
“…Spartacus? That sounds familiar.”
Ariovistus tilted his head.
He was interested in Roman politics and it was a familiar name to him.
He had a bad feeling about it, but he couldn’t back down now.
Hermund reached for his axe on his back.
He had several spare hand axes tucked into his belt.
On the other hand, Spartacus was armed only with his usual armor, spatha and gladius.
He didn’t even carry a shield, looking confident.
Hermund gritted his teeth.
“You came to fight with just a sword? You don’t know your place, Roman.”
Contrary to his boiling anger, he calmly covered his body with his shield and tightened his grip on his axe.
He was not a weak warrior who would lose his composure because of rage.
It was when Hermund charged at Spartacus with his shield covering any gaps in his defense.
Whizz!
A chilling sound of breaking air pierced his ears.
His instincts, honed by crossing dozens of battle lines, warned him of the impending danger.
A white flash burned into his eyes like an afterimage.
He swiftly raised his shield to block the trajectory of the sword perfectly.
Crack!
With a chilling sound, his sturdy shield was shattered in an instant.
Hermunt instinctively rolled back on the ground, pulling his body away.
That split-second decision saved his life. A piece of the broken shield, sliced by a single strike, rolled next to Hermunt’s foot.
“Wha-what is this…!”
Ariovistus gasped in disbelief, but Hermunt was even more shocked.
Spartacus did not swing his sword at his fallen opponent. Instead, he snapped his fingers as if telling him to get up.
Cheers and jeers erupted from the Roman camp at the same time.
Hermunt’s face twisted with humiliation as he clenched his teeth and got up to charge.
Spartacus casually turned his body and parried the axe that came at him diagonally.
The broken axe blade spun in the air, leaving a trail in the sky.
He had already realized that his opponent’s sword was unbelievably sharp.
Hermunt did not panic and swung another hand axe that he had tucked in his waist.
He kept his eyes on Spartacus’ hand that held the spatha, without losing focus on his weapon.
But he made a mistake by narrowing his vision too much on the enemy’s blade.
Spartacus used his other hand, the one without the sword, to strike Hermunt’s wrist.
Hermunt’s arm flew back as he dropped his axe.
He quickly bit his teeth and jerked his head back.
It was a wise move.
Spartacus’ sword barely grazed his nose tip as it passed by.
A red line of blood dripped down from his nose.
“Ugh!”
Hermunt tried to find a chance to counterattack even in his disheveled state.
Clang!
But before he could pull out his spare axe, a crisp sound of impact rang out.
Spartacus’ toe swept across where Hermunt’s right leg had been.
Hermunt’s body tilted and lost its balance.
Thud!
Then a sound like a leather drum bursting came from Hermunt’s abdomen.
It was a terrifyingly precise combo attack.
It was not only powerful, but also smooth and concise in its connecting movements.
Thump.
Hermunt’s knees buckled as he could no longer stand up.
From the Suebi camp, there were pitiful screams. From the Roman camp, there were ecstatic exclamations.
“Is that him? Him! I saw him in Rome myself!”
“Me too! He fought with the Capuan delegation. Back then, he knocked out a Gallic gladiator with that punch. He probably foamed at the mouth too.”
The soldiers shouted excitedly and pounded their weapons on the ground.
The outcome was almost decided, but Spartacus did not finish him off on purpose.
He remembered Marcus’ order to boost morale as much as possible.
He did not like to humiliate a defeated opponent, but this was not a match but a war.
If he could reduce the casualties of his allies even a little bit, he was ready to do anything humiliating to the enemy.
Spartacus shouted in a loud voice that all the Romans could hear.
“Is this all you’ve got? The fame of the Germanic warriors was all a lie, it seems.”
He shook his head as if bored, making the Roman camp burst into laughter.
The Suebi, who did not understand Latin, could roughly guess what Spartacus was saying.
Their hands trembled with anger, but the one who was being pushed back one-sidedly was none other than their greatest warrior.
Ariovistus could not believe what he saw before his eyes.
“Hermunt, get up! Get up and show them the pride of the Germanic warriors!”
The chieftain’s whip seemed to have some effect.
Hermunt barely got up with a groan.
If this had been a normal duel, he would have admitted defeat by now.
But this was not a simple duel.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime confrontation that carried the honor and morale of his army on his shoulders.
The Germanic tribe had set up a kind of rear guard with their women behind them.
The desperate pleas and cheers of the women made them feel an urgency and responsibility that they could not retreat.
“Aaaah!”
He roared wildly and ran towards him, but Ariovistus had a feeling that this would be the end.
And then he finally realized where he had heard the name Spartacus.
It was last year, maybe.
He had a deep interest in the trends of the Roman political scene and heard a peculiar piece of intelligence.
He had to keep an eye on a young man named Marcus Crassus, who had risen to prominence as a new face in the Senate.
There was also a rumor that the strongest gladiator in Rome always accompanied him as his guard.
His name was Spartacus.
He was too focused on Marcus to notice him at first.
‘Damn it, why is he here?’
The fact that Spartacus was here meant that Marcus, one of the big shots in the Senate, was also present.
This meant that his plan to defeat Caesar and negotiate with the Senate was likely impossible.
If he killed both Caesar and a key figure in the Senate, Rome would never negotiate with Ariovistus.
He didn’t want to sever ties with Rome completely. His mind was in turmoil.
But his thoughts were cut short by a sinister sound from the front.
He turned his gaze and saw blood splatter along with a clear metallic clang, as Hermund’s last axe flew into the sky.
Even though he had lost all his weapons, Hermund’s fighting spirit did not fade. He quickly leaped and grabbed a hand axe that had fallen nearby, and aimed it at Spartacus’ head.
Ariovistus saw it. Spartacus’ hand moved faster than him.
He sliced off the blade of the axe with a diagonal slash, and finished him off with the next strike.
Splat!
Hermund’s chest was split in two with a gruesome sound.
Life faded from Hermund’s eyes.
There was regret on his face, but no resentment.
He knew well that the cause of his defeat was not a simple difference in weapons.
He was outmatched not only in weapons, but also in fundamental skills.
It was not a disgrace to die at the hands of such a strong opponent.
He only felt sorry that he had met the strongest enemy of his life in a battle where he staked the honor of his tribe.
“Sparta…cus…”
He was glad that he remembered his name at least.
With that thought, Hermund’s body collapsed.
It was the moment when the warrior who had served Ariovistus for a long time met his glorious end.
Thud!
The sound of his huge body falling echoed in the ears of the Germanic warriors.
Everyone who saw it thought it was a dream.
But they soon realized it was not a dream by the roar of the Roman army.
Ariovistus looked down at Hermund’s sword and felt a bad premonition.
He had underestimated the enemy’s cavalry, and even the outcome of the one-on-one duel was opposite to what he expected.
He felt anxious that he might suffer the worst defeat of his life in this war.
On the other hand, the Roman army was already in high spirits as if they had won the war.
In ancient wars, the outcome of one-on-one duels between generals had a great impact on morale.
But this time, it was more than that.
Spartacus’ victory meant that the vague fear of Germanic warriors that the Roman army had was completely washed away.
Conversely, the Germanic warriors had lost even in their confident one-on-one duel.
Spartacus shook off the blood on his sword and raised his fist high in the air.
“I am Spartacus, the White Captain of Marcus, the great legionnaire and subordinate of Emperor Caesar! I have slain the enemy general!”
The Roman army shouted in response to his beast-like roar.
“Uaaaaaa!”
Caesar pushed his full-fledged army morale against the enemy with his sword pointing at the Suebi army.
“Look, brave Roman soldiers! No matter how strong they are, these Germanic barbarians are not our enemies. Do not fear their false reputation. As long as you are with me, Mars, the god of war, will always shine above our heads!”
At the same time, Marcus also drew his gladius and lifted it high into the sky.
“Follow the Imperius’s command! Let’s sweep away these Germans!”
The shouts of tens of thousands of soldiers and their stomping on the ground shook the plain.
Ariovistus also tried to encourage his soldiers and gave an order to charge.
Compared to more than forty thousand Roman soldiers, there were nearly one hundred thousand Germanic warriors.
The difference in troops was twice as much.
They still had confidence because of their numerical superiority. Their morale had dropped but they did not lose their will completely.
They ran towards the Roman army that approached with a neat formation while gritting their teeth and wielding their axes.
The two sides collided and dust flew into the sky, signaling the beginning of the fierce battle.
Red blood flowers bloomed in the sky from the gladius that the Roman army swung.
The sound of axes hitting shields thundered like lightning.
As the shouts of killing filled the battlefield, the madness of the battle that burned lives became more and more ferocious.
< 96. Final Battle. Germanic > End
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