Many figures appeared, and an overwhelming rain of arrows poured down from the high ground.
"Enemy attack! Raise shield!"
The centurions' orders were quickly passed down to the soldiers' ears step by step.
In fact, no order was needed. The well-trained professional soldiers had already found cover and removed the wide square shields behind them the moment the arrow appeared.
The square shield, which could easily defend against javelins thrown by adult men, had no trouble facing arrows that almost lost momentum after being thrown.
Coupled with the relatively sparse tree cover in the woods, only a few unlucky ones were hit by arrows at the beginning.
Even then, the arrows were not enough to penetrate their armor.
Caesar swung his sword and cut off the arrows aimed at himself and the soldiers behind him.
The sergeants of the Guard tried to protect him behind their shields, but due to Caesar's fat body, they could not completely protect Caesar behind the shield.
"There is no need to protect me, protect yourself first."
Caesar ordered the soldiers around him.
"As commanded."
The arrows that fell like rain also stopped after a brief burst.
In fact, the rain of arrows fired by the archers on the mountain could hit only a few hundred soldiers, nearly 12,000, and a large number of soldiers from the two legions were still behind.
Facing the scorching summer sun of the Italian Peninsula, Caesar squinted his eyes and looked at the disappearing figure on the high ground.
It is normal for the arrows to stop after shooting a wave, but it is undoubtedly strange that there is no follow-up force to follow.
Even if the woods here are not suitable for cavalry charges, the infantry should be allowed to throw javelins condescendingly, and then engage in battle to directly disrupt their own phalanx that was not fully formed under the attack of arrows.
In this way, even if the army from behind comes to support, they will not be able to effectively enter the battlefield due to the obstruction of the woods.
As the strength of both sides continues to increase, they will enter a protracted and chaotic close combat.
The woods between the two plateaus will become a veritable meat grinder.
Perhaps Caesar, who had an absolute numerical advantage, could win, but the battle would probably last until late at night.
This was a scene that Caesar did not want to see, and it was also why he urged the army to get out of the forest.
Originating from the Apennine Mountains in the middle of the Italian Peninsula, there is an extremely open plain near the Arno River connecting Florence and Pisa.
This is also the only plain on the northwest side of the Italian peninsula, apart from the Roman plain.
There were actually not many choices given to Caesar, but the route along the Arno River would definitely pass through this mountainous area called "Wolf Mountain".
A group of isolated hills on the entire plain.
If you want to ambush, you can only ambush here.
The other party was obviously aware of his invasion, so he intercepted Caesar's legions here.
But the other party didn't choose to fight him directly here. Why?
That is, the other party has no room to fight with him.
"The number of enemy troops is not large. Seize the gap and rush to the high ground in one go! Don't give them a chance to breathe!"
Realizing that he had encountered only a small force, Caesar immediately gave orders for his troops to pursue them.
"The five centurions at the rear are standing behind to prevent a sneak attack."
Just in case, Caesar chose to be cautious.
After all, it is a bit unwise to choose to intercept here without much troops.
If the enemy is allowed to penetrate from behind when the entire army is in motion, no matter how many soldiers Caesar has, it will be difficult to restore the out-of-control situation.
At that time, the only ones who can really fight are the small groups of soldiers around the centurions, and the only ones who can really be commanded by Caesar are the troops around him.
Caesar didn't know anything about Nero's commander, and only got information from the "spider" who weaved a web in the city of Rome early in the morning that his combat power was not inferior to that of his followers.
Now whether it is a trap or the enemy has really made a tactical fallacy, Caesar will not let go of this weak point.
This is a last-ditch battle across oceans. He must establish a foothold in the shortest possible time.
This is why he chose to abandon Pisa, which was not far from the mouth of the sea, and instead chose to go upstream along the Arno River to attack Florence.
Compared with Pisa, which has been in decline for a long time, its economy and culture are more developed, and Florence, which is densely populated and has high walls, is even more outstanding.
Wasting too much time in Pisa will only expose Caesar's traces sooner.
But now it seems that Caesar's traces have been exposed.
Caesar's original plan to seize Florence quietly and then seize all of Rome with lightning speed was completely ruined.
But now, as long as you climb over this last hill, you can reach the plain, and you can bring out the maximum combat effectiveness of the Roman legions. By then, even if the opponent has any ambush, Caesar will be confident to deal with it.
Fortunately, his military strength was sufficient to be both aggressive and cautious at the same time.
Behind Caesar, many soldiers began to rush to the high ground.
The archers who finished shooting on the high ground quickly retreated and came to Animusfiya on the other side of the high ground.
"My Lord Governor, all the arrows have been used up. The enemy has caught up."
Animusfia nodded.
"If you run out of arrows, throw away the bow. Now fight and retreat with them. Our large army is waiting in Florence."
Animusfia was surrounded by a dissatisfied centurion.
Even equipment such as spears and armor could not be gathered together. Many people still wore animal skins and soft armor, returning to the original intention of the early Republic.
The overall age of the soldiers is also over forty years old.
More like a village hunting party than an army.
On the top of the high ground, Caesar's army had climbed over the hill and began to charge downward.
"Follow my order and retreat!"
Animusfia gave an order, and the soldiers who dropped their longbows began to retreat with him.
...
Caesar looked at the centurions who could still see their backs running away in front of him with some suspicion.
He could even see Animusfia clearly.
Judging from his clothing, Caesar could probably guess that he was the center of the "army".
It's a bit flattering to say it's the military.
Animusfia, who fought and fled all the way, made Caesar have a low opinion of him.
The number of soldiers around Animusfia also continued to decrease in the continuous battles.
This is a stupid strategy that will not only affect his morale, but also weaken his own strength.
Caesar was not averse to retreat. Retreating was the best option when there were no fighters.
But fighting and retreating like this only allowed Caesar to collect and erode his army in vain.
Whether Animusfia can successfully escape in the end is anyone's guess.
After cutting a soldier covered in animal skins into two pieces with the golden sword in his hand, Caesar ordered the rear army behind the palace to march at full speed.
We are now in the Great Plains, and beyond that is the city wall of Florence.
Caesar sighed with some disappointment. It seemed that he had too high a standard for the army that could deal with Caligula's existence and Nero.
Thinking about it, when the war reached this point, the only troops Nero could pull out would be slaves and the old, weak, sick and disabled.
To Caesar's surprise, Animusfia, who was escaping at the front, suddenly stopped.
Less than half of the soldiers also stopped following his footsteps, and the remaining ones continued to run towards the city of Florence.
"...Abandon your car to save your handsome...?"
Caesar was confused.
But if he gave up his car to keep the handsome man, why would the "handsome" Animusfiya stay in person?
However, Caesar was eager to capture the opponent's commander directly, so he immediately commanded the troops around him to swarm forward and engage in close combat with Animusfia's soldiers.
The crushing numerical difference allowed the red Roman legions to instantly engulf those soldiers.
And Caesar himself came to Animusfia with vigorous steps that did not suit his fat body at all.
Different from ordinary wars, after the servants intervene, this is a battle that must be completed "against the general".
On the banks of the Arno River, the golden sword in Caesar's hand was unsheathed, and then pointed at Animusfia.
If Caesar did not sit here, no matter how many legions came, it would be difficult to win the final victory.
**********
In the city of Pisa.
"Governor...Why are Yu and you waiting here? The scouts made it very clear that the rebels from the [United Empire] are heading east to Florence, right?"
Nero stood on the observation deck of the city wall and said worriedly to Animusfia beside him.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Didn't I already divide my troops and rush to Florence?"
"That's true, but the Governor-General Ru only sent two hundred-man troops, and one of them was still dissatisfied with the formation... Yu can now exert the unstoppable power of a hundred men. At least Yu and the Governor-General Ru You should also go together!”
Animusfia smiled confidently and said:
"Those rebels won't stay in Florence for long... They will come back on their own. You just have to wait and see. We just need to wait patiently here and keep the walls clear."
