The same "pincers" that Octavian shot into his own ships were launched at Animusfia's command.
The flagships of both sides were tightly bound together by the "pincers" fired into each other, unable to move at all.
However, Octavian still took the initiative in this battle thanks to his huge mountain-like galleys.
The ships under Animusphia and Nero slowly moved towards Octavian's fleet.
For ordinary soldiers, the iron-covered rope behind the "pliers" may make them helpless.
But such props are a piece of cake for both Nero and Octavian.
Whether it is gold, iron or paper, they are all quite fragile from the perspective of a heroic spirit.
However, neither Animusphia nor Nero had any intention of cutting off these ropes, and neither did Octavian.
All the so-called conspiracies and tricks have been exhausted, and now all that is left in front of Animusfia is this final upright decisive battle.
If all the legions under Octavian's command can be annihilated here, then the situation between Rome and the "United Empire" will be officially reversed.
Coupled with Boudicca and others from the southern Gaul line, Animusfia and Nero were able to directly take advantage of the situation to regain the entire Gaul.
That's why Animusfia ordered more than half of the warships to be deployed on the front line to fight, so that the warships of the Romagna Second Army, which had a higher combat effectiveness, surrounded Octavian's entire fleet, allowing them to Evacuation is almost impossible.
Such tactics also allowed the Animusphia Army, whose strength was almost the same as that of Octavian's army, to place more soldiers on the real battlefield.
The difference between naval battles and land battles is that soldiers in boarding battles are united in "ships".
Even though Octavian had thousands of soldiers on warships waiting to fight, only a few ships at the front of the fleet could actually fight.
The most classic battle using combat width is probably the 300 Spartan Warriors in front of Thermopylae.
Even the famous "Athanatoi Ten Thousand" (Athanatoi Ten Thousand) of the Persians could not shake the Spartans' iron wall defense at the Thermopylae Pass.
The utilization of combat width can not only allow thousands of one's own troops to exert the combat effectiveness of tens of thousands, but also allow tens of thousands of enemy troops to send only a few thousand troops into battle at a time.
The battlefield situation created by Animusfia through magic is just like this, and he wants to complete his victory in one battle.
Naval warfare in this era was nothing more than moving land warfare to the sea.
And the ship under his feet is the land where the battle is fought.
Octavian watched quietly as the fleets led by Animusphia and Nero were pulled by the "pliers" and entered the range of his own archers.
"It would be too naive to think of defeating me with my weapons——Archers, prepare!"
Many archers poked their heads out of the windows on each floor of the building and aimed at the enemy ship in front of them.
Fire ignited on their arrows.
The ships on both sides are now locked, how could Octavian let go of this opportunity.
Octavian's victory in the Battle of Actium was absolutely inseparable from the relationship between "fire".
Octavian stretched out his right hand. The west wind that had been blowing slightly when he went to sea had disappeared.
He frowned somewhat dissatisfiedly.
If there was no wind to help him, even if these rockets could hit and luckily ignite a few ships - it would only be a few ships.
It doesn't help the larger war picture.
But in the Mediterranean, no wind is the norm.
"Fire the arrow!"
Octavian waved his outstretched right hand forward.
Even if the effect is not very great, it can only ignite a few ships, and now Octavian will not be stingy with those few arrows.
The densely packed rockets fell like falling meteors towards the galley where Animusfia and Nero were.
At the same time, more "fires" jumped from the fleet behind Octavian and fell into the enemy ships approaching them.
"hateful----!"
Nero looked at the rocket that was about to fall, clenched the original fire in his hand, and prepared to jump into the air.
If she exerted her power, it would be enough to just protect the ship and surrounding ships from the rockets.
As long as the air is disturbed, these thrown bows and arrows will be easily swept into the sea.
But it was hard to say about the ships that had been sent out to surround the two wings of Octavian's fleet.
She didn't know why Animusfia didn't also order the arrows to be fired.
"His Majesty."
Animusfia gently held Nero's shoulders, then shook her head.
"It's not time yet."
"But----"
As if she didn't care about the rockets that were about to fall at all, Animusfia still looked directly at Octavian not far away.
Rockets cut through the night and fell into the sea like rain, and more of them hit the oars or hull of the rowboat.
Unfortunately, it was ejected into the water before it could ignite the wood in the hull.
Only a few rockets landed on the warship at the front, lighting up a few flames that were either big or small.
The dark sea began to gradually become clearer under the firelight.
........
For a moment, time seemed to stop. Soldiers on both sides of the ship stood on the deck and waited for the moment to pick up the ship.
The only sound left was the roar of the sea and the crackle of fire burning wood.
"Kill!"
With the voice of the first soldier who jumped onto the enemy ship along the gangplank, it was like lighting the fuse of a gunpowder keg, and the shouts of killing were heard one after another at the same time, and the entire sea area became a place of war.
Under Animusfia's previous instruction, no soldier cared about or dealt with the flames on the ship at the front.
Everyone just wanted to jump on each other's ships and form a phalanx to fight.
The raging fire quickly enveloped a circle of ships surrounding Octavian at the front of the Animusfia fleet.
Even the ship where Nero and Animusfia were on was no exception.
Octavian also drew his sword and prepared to fight on the deck with the soldiers.
Michael VIII, who was standing next to Octavian, looked at the almost indulged fire but always felt that something was wrong.
The limbs cut off by the dagger fell, and the blood flowing out like a fountain flowed in strands along the edge of the armor on the wooden deck, seeping through the gaps in the deck and dripping drop by drop. Below deck in the dim oar room.
The blood gathered and flowed in the already empty oar chamber, and finally flowed into the ocean along the wooden oar, and the bright red dissipated in the water.
However, before the soldier whose limbs were severed could cry out, another dagger was inserted into his throat, twisted around and then pulled out fiercely.
The powerless corpse fell heavily on the deck, and several uneven gaps appeared on the wooden deck under the impact of the armor.
Immediately afterwards, the body and his previous stumps were kicked into the sea by not only friendly forces but also enemy forces, and sank.
...
The battle continues.
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg for the armies of both sides. More soldiers are still waiting on the ships in the rear.
Under Animusfia's advance arrangements, Octavian's army was gradually retreating.
The blazing flames on the ship also made the surrounding air hot.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
The original fire hit Octavian's sword hard. Under the impact of this force, even Octavian took a few steps back.
The constantly moving lightning released by Animusfia also hit Octavian's body from time to time. Although it could not cause him fatal damage, it still left enough damage to Octavian.
"Tsk——————"
With a backhand sword, he forced Nero back. Surrounded by the soldiers around him, Octavian inserted his sword into the deck at his feet, panting slightly.
He looked around and didn't even see the shadow of the so-called "adjutant".
Is a spider worthy of being a spider? When it's his turn to fight head-on, he doesn't even dare to show his face?
But he didn't have much hope for the Greek.
"Ah."
Smiling at Michael VIII who didn't know where he was, Octavian drew out his sword and looked around at the retreating battle lines around him.
It seems that the opponent's tactics have achieved their goals.
Octavian was unable to gain an advantage in the battle of servants, and Octavian's side was also at a disadvantage in the battle of soldiers.
Although both sides had equal strength, the soldiers on Octavian's ship faced an average of two ships of enemy troops.
The flames burning around him made Octavian feel a little hot. It must have been almost unbearable for ordinary soldiers.
It looks like we are giving up temporarily.
"Instruct the ships at the rear to set up the suspension bridges on the ships in front in order! Let our soldiers enter the battlefield!"
Octavian ordered to the soldiers behind him.
At the same time, the ships behind the battleship they were on also set up a drawbridge.
"Your Majesty, are you okay?"
Animusfia asked, looking at Nero who was walking back to her.
The long skirt around Nero's waist had a tear at some point.
Except for the large area of tender white skin exposed in the air, bright red blood seeped out from a very deep wound, soaking Nero's original red dancer's uniform.
It feels as if internal organs can leak out of it.
Animusfia frowned slightly.
"Well...it's okay, I can continue fighting."
Nero endured the pain and said.
"Venus----"
Golden light lit up from Nero's waist.
Venus is the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology, but her earliest priesthood was the goddess of harvest and fertility, which is the goddess who symbolizes life.
It was not until later that Venus was combined with Aphrodite in Greek mythology that she gradually acquired the qualities of beauty and love.
Under normal circumstances, Animusfia will not use this magic, because Venus magic, in addition to the vitality in the target's body, will also inevitably produce "beauty and love" effects——————
In other words, this is the charm magic that Matthew has been worried about.
Animusfia certainly does.
But now he doesn't care about that much. Even if he is enhanced by [Rome], Nero is still not a heroic spirit after all.
"Do you still feel pain, Your Majesty?"
"Hmm, I feel much better. Thank you very much, Governor."
However, looking at Nero's condition, it seems that he has not been affected too much by Venus Magic.
Is it the magic power brought about by the emperor's privileges?
But if that were the case, the wound would not heal.
But at least the "charm" effect was not reflected at all.
The outcome that Animusfia feared has not yet occurred.
Although Octavian and Caesar are both servants who are not very good at frontal combat, after being strengthened by [Rome], their power in attack cannot be underestimated.
At least without Animusphia, Nero could not be an enemy of either Caesar or Octavian.
Although it had caused substantial damage to Octavian, Nero, who was just a mortal, was also having a hard time.
"Your Majesty, please retreat...please let me take over the rest of the battle."
Animusfia said as she looked at Octavian who had retreated to another ship and the enemy troops arriving from behind.
It seems that Octavian finally "connected" his ships together.
The Octavian army, whose strength advantage had been reversed, began to push the front towards Animusfia again.
The melee between the two sides gradually entered a fever pitch, and it was no longer possible to withdraw troops solely by order.
"But if you are alone————"
"Your Majesty, do you still remember the ships I prepared?"
"Hmm."
Nero nodded.
"Please rush to the rear and release those ships."
The air burned by the flames continued to surge upwards, and the air from the east began to flow.
“Speaking of it————”
Nero felt the east wind blowing and said with surprise.
"Hai Lu Feng, Your Majesty, have you ever heard of it?"
"Sea and Land Breeze?"
Nero looked confused.
"Well, because the specific heat capacity of water - the amount of heat it can accept - is much greater than that of land, the temperature of the ocean will be lower than that of land during the day, and the upwelling of hot air from land will cause a wave of water blowing from the ocean to the land. The wind——that is, the west wind.”
Animusfia held Nero's hand and smiled.
"Then what will happen at night?"
"The temperature of the ocean will be higher than that of the land...so there will be wind blowing from the land to the ocean...that is..."
Nero said slowly following Animusfia's words.
"Yes, it's the east wind, Your Majesty."
Animusfia pushed Nero behind her and continued:
"Then these flames will intensify this effect. The air burned by the flames will rise faster, bringing stronger winds."
He paused, then stared at the soldiers fighting in the burning flames in front and said:
"Where there is fire, there is wind."
As if to confirm Animusfia's words, a strong east wind began to blow in an instant.
