Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 342: Storming the trenches(5)

Chapter 342: Storming the trenches(5)

As the hours dragged on, the struggle for control of the trenches remained locked in a brutal stalemate. Neither the rebels nor the Herculean soldiers could claim dominance, as the battle devolved into a relentless back-and-forth of vicious hand-to-hand combat. Any semblance of order or formation had long since dissolved, replaced by chaotic skirmishes that raged along every stretch of the blood-soaked frontline.

Men fought like cornered animals, wielding whatever weapons they could manage in the narrow confines of the trenches.

A Herculean soldier slammed his shield into a rebel's chest, sending the man falling backward into the mud. Before the rebel could rise, the soldier drove his shortsword downward, impaling the writhing figure. He barely had time to wrench the weapon free before another attacker lunged at him, an axe whistling through the air. The Herculean barely managed to duck, the blade grazing the top of his helmet with a metallic screech.

 "Is this what you call rebellion?" in another section of the trenches a r soldier sneered , stepping forward to deliver a killing thrust with his spear, which he retained during the battle . "My grandmother swings harder than you lot!And she can barely get up from her bed!"

Further down the trench, a rebel wielding a axe grappled with a Herculean who clutched a bloodied dagger. The two twisted and shoved against the trench wall, boots slipping on the slick mud. With a grunt of effort, the rebel slammed the Herculean's wrist against the edge of the trench, forcing the dagger loose. Before he could press his advantage, however, another Herculean thrust a spear through his side, pinning him against the wall like a grotesque trophy.

Nearby, a young Herculean soldier locked eyes with a rebel no older than himself. They hesitated for a brief moment, the chaos of the battle momentarily drowned out by their own ragged breathing.

Then, almost simultaneously, they charged.