Kalem stumbled to Abar, who was still injured and panting, and shouted, " Great Chieftain! We can't go on! If this continues, the team will probably fall apart!"
Abar's gaze swept across the battlefield. The orc army, which had been so imposing before the battle, was beginning to show signs of collapse. Some riders, seeing their comrades fall one after another, quietly turned their horses around and retreated. Others, pursued by Ausser Army bullets, ran aimlessly across the plains. Their own defeat was irreversible. Continuing to fight would only cause him to lose control of the remaining soldiers.
"Retreat! Order a retreat!" Abar roared, raising his battle axe and charging into the orc ranks, his voice filled with anger and despair.
This order almost exhausted him. He had lost count of how many times he had issued a retreat order when facing the Ausser Army. From Aldor to the steppes now, every time he clashed with Paul Greiman's Ausser Army, it seemed that he could not escape the fate of retreat.
The sound of retreat horns rang out from the orc ranks, but the horns lacked the fervor of the charge; instead, they carried a hint of desolation.
Upon hearing the horn, the Orc Cavalry who were engaged in battle turned their horses around and retreated into the depths of the grassland. Some riders even helped up their wounded companions. Although they generally maintained discipline, their momentum was completely different from when they were charging.
Abar's face was so black it looked like ink could drip from it. He slammed his battle axe into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
" Glaeman …" he gritted his teeth, a fierce glint in his eyes, "This retreat doesn't mean I'm admitting defeat! One day I will lead more orc warriors to raze your cities to the ground!"
After saying this, he mounted his horse and, escorted by several guards, headed northeast, leaving only the battle axe stuck in the ground, as if telling the story of the orc Great Chieftain's resentment.
In the Ausser Army, after consulting with Schroeder and others, Paul drew his sword, pointed it in the direction of the orcs' retreat, and shouted the order: "The cavalry will pursue first, followed by the infantry. Make sure to hold onto the remaining orcs and don't give them a chance to regroup!"
The resounding horns of pursuit echoed across the steppe. The Ausser Army cavalry, already fully prepared, spearheaded the charge. Over two thousand riders galloped forward, their hooves kicking up a long trail of dust across the plains as they raced toward the retreating orcs. The Ausser Army infantry followed suit, steadily advancing along the path cleared by the cavalry.
Victory in this battle is just around the corner!
The retreating orcs had lost their former ferocity. They had lost a large number of horses in the battle, and many orcs were forced to retreat on foot. In addition, they were covered by fatigue and fear, which greatly slowed down their speed.
Some of the orcs were injured and limped across the grassland, while others, exhausted, fell behind the group and could only move forward with the help of their companions.
The Ausser Army cavalry quickly caught up with the lagging orcs. "Put down your weapons! Surrender and you will not be killed!" the cavalrymen shouted.
The orcs who were overtaken looked at the approaching Ausser Army cavalry. Some tried to fight back, waving their weapons and charging at the cavalry, but were easily shot dead by the cavalry with carbines. Others knelt down in despair, threw down their weapons, and surrendered with their hands covering their heads.
As the Ausser Army infantry arrived one after another, the pursuit gradually turned into an encirclement and blockade. The infantry split into multiple teams to outflank and surround the orc remnants who had not been able to escape. The orcs, who had lost their mounts, were like trapped beasts. They either died in battle under the guns of the Ausser Army or were surrounded and taken prisoner.
An orc officer attempted to hide in a thicket with several companions, but was spotted by Ausser Army infantry. A hail of bullets pierced the thicket instantly, killing the officer on the spot. The remaining orcs had no choice but to emerge from the thicket and surrender.
As the sun set, the large-scale pursuit finally ended, and the soldiers escorted groups of orc prisoners back to the battlefield. The prisoners were all exhausted, some with bloody wounds, and no longer had the ferocity they had shown in battle.
The battlefield tally results were quickly delivered to Paul. The Orcs suffered a staggering 30,000 casualties in this battle, with half killed and half captured. The Ausser Army, on the other hand, suffered around 4,000 casualties, with only a little over 1,000 killed or seriously wounded.
Paul surveyed the battlefield, looking at the orc corpses and prisoners scattered everywhere, and breathed a sigh of relief.
In this decisive battle on the grasslands, the Ausser Army achieved a complete victory.
He turned to Schroeder and said, "Send messengers to the capital with news of the victory, and also to Sir Colin, who is in the Redstone Desert. "
Sir Colin sent someone to inform Sentinel Legion of their movements. Although the two sides were far apart in their operational areas, some basic coordination was still necessary in the face of a common enemy.
As night fell on the grassland, the orc army retreated in disarray in the darkness, the sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps mingling together, creating a chaotic scene.
Abar, on horseback, had a grim expression, and those following him dared not make a sound.
The crushing defeat in this decisive battle severely damaged the Great Chieftain of the Orcs, and his prestige was also in jeopardy.
"Father!" A rapid hoofbeat came from behind. His eldest son, Aijile, rode up and caught up, his body still stained with the blood of battle.
"Simply taking hits like this isn't a solution. We should abandon direct confrontation and attack their weak points instead!"
Abar abruptly pulled on the reins, turned and glared at Aijile, angrily saying, "Do I need you to teach me the principles of warfare? Didn't we do the same thing in Aldor? Yet we still suffered heavy losses!"
Spurred by a series of defeats, the orc Great Chieftain seemed to have lost his former tolerance, even towards his own son.
Aijile did not back down, and said firmly, "Father, I am not questioning your command! Have you not analyzed the reasons for the repeated defeats in Aldor?"
These words calmed Abar's anger slightly, reminding him of his past failures.
Within Aldor, after the initiative in the war shifted to the Ausser Army, Orc Cavalry attempted to turn the tide by attacking the enemy's weak points with their superior cavalry. However, they were repeatedly blocked by mountains and rivers. Moreover, humans had built numerous castles scattered along various transportation routes. Even if the defending forces numbered only a few hundred, they could keep Orc Cavalry at bay by relying on sturdy walls and fierce firearms, making them an extremely tough nut to crack.
Seeing her father's expression soften, Aijile expressed the same view as Abar: " Aldor's geography restricts the speed and routes of our cavalry, and human castles are like nails driven into key positions. Even the weakest garrison is difficult to break through with the protection of a castle!"
"But things are different now. We are on the grasslands, where there is no mountain or river to obstruct our view, and no human castles to stand in our way!"