Although the Caesarites were already doomed to defeat, relying on their superior numbers, they still had some strength left to fight. However, when a squad of cavalry in their rear ranks broke away from the main force and fled into the distance, all the Caesarites fell into utter despair. They deserted the battlefield in groups, scattering in all directions to save their lives.

Chapter Three: The Red Ocean

Seeing that the situation was settled, Henry Sutton gave the order to withdraw the troops. A man beside him raised a black flag high and waved it continuously atop the highest wall of the inner city. Upon seeing this, Edward Grant and the others didn’t hesitate for a moment—they immediately recalled their troops and hurried back.

In stark contrast to Henry Sutton’s order, the commander of the Red Ocean issued a command for a full pursuit. All the Red Ocean cavalry, well-trained, split into a hundred squads, each with twenty or thirty men. They discarded their guns, drew their sabers, and chased after the fleeing Caesarites, each swing of the blade claiming a life.

The Caesarites organized several small-scale counterattacks on their own, but with too few men, they simply couldn’t withstand the fierce charge of the cavalry. Each time a red wave swept over them, it vanished instantly, leaving only a few corpses lying desolately on the ground. Occasionally, some Caesarites would throw down their weapons and kneel in surrender, but the Red Ocean cavalry ignored them, slashing with their sabers regardless. They were clearly determined to take no prisoners and to wipe out the enemy completely.

Watching his comrades’ heroic performance, Henry Sutton was filled with admiration. Splitting the entire force into squads of a few dozen might be a joke in a large-scale melee, but at this moment, using it to pursue a fleeing enemy was exactly the right tactic, achieving the greatest possible killing effect. The great reputation of the Red Ocean was clearly not just empty talk.

This pursuit didn’t last long—less than half an hour—before the Red Ocean warriors ceased their chase. They gathered from all directions, did a brief cleanup of the battlefield, and began to enter the city.

At this moment, the sound of galloping hooves came again from afar. Because Henry Sutton was standing high up, he could see far and immediately judged that the newcomers were Caesarite cavalry, clearly rushing to reinforce after receiving news. Unfortunately, they were still a step too late. If they had arrived half an hour earlier, or if the Caesarite infantry commander hadn’t fled but had instead organized a full resistance, then the outcome might have been hard to predict.

Although the Red Ocean troops saw the enemy cavalry, they still entered the city gates at their original unhurried pace. Once everyone was inside, the thick gates were immediately closed. Although the city walls had suffered the greatest disaster in their history over the past twenty days, and most parts were in ruins, the basic structure remained. With the walls as a defense, they had a huge advantage over fighting on open ground.

The Caesarite cavalry soon arrived at the battlefield. They weren’t many, but still numbered over five thousand. Henry Sutton gasped in shock. Now he finally understood why the Red Ocean commander had only pursued for half an hour and had insisted on taking no prisoners. It seemed he had long known that Caesarite reinforcements were nearby and had calculated their arrival time precisely. Everything was under control, and every action was orderly.

Henry Sutton compared himself to the commander in his heart and found himself far inferior. If there was any area where he could compete, perhaps it was that the blood-wine-drinking soldiers under his command had a slight edge in individual quality.

However, he didn’t know that the other side also held him in high regard. Just based on the performance of Edward Grant and the others, no one would dare underestimate him anymore. Such fearless warriors—how many could there be in the world?

The Caesarite cavalry did not attack the city. Instead, they circled at a distance just out of arrow range from the walls. Then, half of them dismounted to clean up the battlefield, while the other half kept a close watch on the Han troops inside the city. Judging by this posture, it seemed there would be no more fighting between the two sides.

After the initial excitement, Henry Sutton returned to his weakened state from excessive blood loss, unable to stand without support from those beside him. He was very puzzled as to where he had found the strength just now to run all the way from the foot of the wall to the top in one go. But when he saw the Red Ocean soldiers begin to enter the city, he immediately ordered the inner city gates opened to go out and greet them.

The Red Ocean warriors suddenly parted to both sides, and an officer in a bright red robe, escorted by several guards, stepped forward. At the inner city gate stood a row of fierce, bloodstained men, with a young man seated at the front in a rattan chair. Beside this young man stood that man who seemed like a war god—the mighty general Edward Grant. Just from this scene, even a fool could tell who the real leader was.

“I am the vanguard deputy general Brian Cooper of the Red Ocean Legion. May I ask, sir, who you are...?”

Henry Sutton looked closely. This was a young officer of about thirty, with a long face, sword-like brows, bright eyes, a broad back, and a sturdy waist. His bright red robe was embroidered with a soaring eagle, and a belt of lion and tiger jade was tied at his waist. His expression was full of heroic spirit and a touch of fierceness. The guards beside him were also impressive—each tall and imposing, moving freely even in heavy armor, all outstanding men of the army.