The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 24: The Final Battle

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Three days later, Crassus issued a military order to annihilate the rebels who had set up camp on the hill.

The Roman army immediately prepared for battle.

The scene of eight legions moving in unison was majestic enough to be thought of as a human wave.

In fact, the rebels were already like rats in a trap, since they had been surrounded.

There was no need to attack them.

If they just kept the siege, the enemies would starve themselves to death.

That was obvious.

The reason why Crassus launched a total attack was simple.

“Pompey… he won’t help me until the end.”

Crassus gritted his teeth as he looked at the legion that had completed all the preparations for the attack.

“He has already earned enough military merit, but he is still so greedy.”

Crassus originally planned to continue the siege for at least another week before starting the battle.

He could have killed them all, but if he did that to the rebels who were already half-destroyed, he might be criticized for being too passive.

Anyway, after draining their strength, it would be easy to wipe them out no matter how he fought.

Then he could just embellish it when he reported that he fought bravely in front of them.

But his plan was messed up by Pompey’s legion, which returned to Rome faster than expected.

He had already arrived in the northern part of the Italian peninsula and started to move south at a frightening speed.

The report that Pompey’s legion had passed through the west of Capua arrived at Crassus’s camp yesterday.

In the end, Crassus scrapped his plan to continue the siege and decided to launch a total attack.

If Pompey’s legion joined, the credit for subduing the rebels would be shared by the two men.

Crassus couldn’t accept that result.

The movement of the Roman army, which suddenly entered a combat stance, was naturally seen by the rebels on the hill.

“Are they going to attack?”

Crixus muttered with an incredulous expression.

They were the ones who had formed a solid siege network until yesterday. 

He couldn’t figure out why they suddenly changed their minds.

“Anyway, it’s good news for us. I was wondering if we should launch a total attack by tomorrow.”

The food that the rebels had was running low. 

To be honest, they didn’t have enough to last more than a week. 

Of course, attacking the Roman camp was almost suicidal. 

But there was no other way out.

“We can have a good fight on our last way out.”

It wasn’t that the rebels had a chance of winning because the Romans switched to offense.

 But they got a hope of being able to fight instead of losing without doing anything.

“Ashur, tell the men to be vigilant again. Even if they come at us first, we are still in an overwhelming disadvantage.”

“Yes. But captain, are you really going to fight on the front line? It would be better to see the situation and join the battle later…”

“This is the last battle anyway. Leave the command to you as I said before. Remember what I told you yesterday.”

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? You went to the Roman camp alone last time. If those Romans had played tricks then, we would have lost our commander in a ridiculous way.”

“It would have been better if they did. We are not equal opponents to them, but mere slave rebels. And they capture and execute a captain who asked for a meeting alone? It would have been a huge joke. The pride that the Romans have wouldn’t allow that.”

Crixus drew his sword and raised it to the sky as he saw the Roman army fully ready for battle.

Chwa chwa chwong

Following Crixus, the 30,000-strong suicide squad drew their swords and lifted them above their heads.

The sunlight reflected on the blades spread over the hill, creating a splendid sight.

“Listen, my proud comrades!”

Crixus raised his voice.

“I won’t say much. It was an honor to fight with you until now. Let’s show those Romans our last will! Don’t be afraid. I’ll lead the way more than anyone else. Don’t let anyone here fall with a sword in their back!”

At the same time, Crassus also took out his weapon and aimed at the hill.

“All troops, form up and advance! Today is a great day of victory. The heroes who quelled this rebellion will be none other than me and you!”

“Waaaaah!”

The footsteps of about 80,000 soldiers shook the ground.

The 30,000 rebels running down from the hill.

On the other hand, 50,000 Roman legionaries climbed up the hill.

The spears of the soldiers in the front line of the Roman army filled the air, and the battle began.

At the same time, the front line, composed of the youngest soldiers, charged forward.

“Kill the rebels!”

“Don’t give up! Let’s give those Romans one last blow!”

A melee broke out as both sides clashed. 

It was a terrain that was not suitable for cavalry, so they had to fight with brute force.

Curses, screams, and the sound of weapons colliding overlapped dozens of times.

But it didn’t mean that the Romans were at a disadvantage because they couldn’t use cavalry.

Rather, this kind of hand-to-hand combat between infantry was where the Roman army’s true value was shown.

The vigorous hastati exhausted the enemy’s stamina, and the experienced principes in the second line suppressed them.

The triarii, composed of the oldest veterans, waited in the rear. 

They moved tactically when the situation came and supported their allies.

This was the traditional formation of the Roman infantry in the past, the manipular system.

Thanks to this formation, the Roman army could show an organic movement that other forces couldn’t match.

After Marius’s military reform, they abolished this three-line system and unified their weapons, but the tradition of using this systematic formation didn’t disappear completely.

The individual combat power of a gladiator might have overwhelmed a Roman soldier, but in a group battle, that difference was reversed.

Moreover, among the rebels, only a few gladiators had good individual combat skills.

Naturally, the fight turned in favor of the Romans.

They stabbed the rebels’ necks with spathas and gladii, smashed their skulls with spears, and crushed their throats with shields.

No matter how hard the rebels fought with their lives on fire, there was an insurmountable difference in strength.

If one could make the strongest army with just mental strength, there would be no countries in the world that would agonize over increasing their military power.

“We need reinforcements in the center line. Send the centurions who are free!”

“The flank is collapsing! Break through with concentration!”

Under the command of the centurions, the Roman army moved as if they were one body.

These centurions, who managed the troops on the front line, were the backbone of the Roman army.

Especially in this kind of brute force battle between infantry, their abilities shone even more.

The rebels began to lose their strength.

The number of Romans hardly decreased, while the number of rebels decreased rapidly as time passed.

If it weren’t for their last spirit to show their defiance, they would have already collapsed.

They were clinging to life with only one mind that didn’t fear death.

It wasn’t ineffective.

The battle was still going on, even though they could have fallen into terror by now.

As Crixus said, no one showed their back.

The wounds on the dying rebels’ bodies were all concentrated on their torso and face.

There was one more reason why the rebels hadn’t collapsed yet.

It was thanks to Crixus and his gladiators, who were fighting fiercely on the front line.

“Come on, come! You won’t end this war unless you step over my corpse!”

Crixus roared like lightning and stabbed a Roman legionary’s heart with his sword.

The elite gladiators he led were not just mentally strong. 

They also had the skills to match their burning spirit.

Crixus helped the gladiators who were fighting fiercely and cut down the Romans one by one.

He ran around in all directions and slashed people, like an angry lion.

Even Crassus, who was far away, could see Crixus’s feats clearly.

“The more I see him, the more I pity him. He would have been a great soldier if he was born a Roman.”

He muttered to himself and turned his head to Spartacus.

“Are you sure you can win?”

“I can win.”

Spartacus stepped forward. There was no hesitation in his strong eyes.

In fact, Crassus didn’t feel like allowing this duel.

Crixus wouldn’t be able to fly like that for long anyway. 

As a human, he couldn’t have infinite stamina, and one hand couldn’t handle two hands.

If he calmly squeezed him with his troops, he would soon show his limit. 

He didn’t feel the need to give him a one-on-one duel.

If he lost, the fight that could have ended easily would drag on unnecessarily. 

But he was swayed by Marcus’s persuasion.

What pushed Crassus’s back was not a military reason, but a kind of honor.

“Everyone in Rome knows that Spartacus is a gladiator of the Crassus family. The merit of a slave is also the merit of the master. If Spartacus defeats the enemy leader, it will greatly elevate the status of the family.”

“But what if he loses?”

“Didn’t you see Spartacus’s fight in Rome? He won’t lose. Of course, there are ways even if he loses.”

The last words were Marcus’s bluff, but they were enough to reassure Crassus.

Although the proportion of one-on-one duels in inter-state battles had decreased as military strategies developed, there were still some examples.

Marcellus, who was called the sword of Rome, was a famous one.

He fought a close combat with Viridomarus, the chief of the Gallic Insubres tribe, and won a tremendous honor.

Crassus, who was already conscious of Pompey, was greatly tempted by this.

To be compared with Pompey, who had brilliantly suppressed Sertorius’s rebellion, he needed some degree of popularity.

There was no problem if he had a plan for when he lost. Crassus decided to trust his son’s words again.

“Good. Go and cut down the enemy leader and grab the glory. Then no one will call you a slave anymore.”

It meant that he would free him if he won the fight and brought honor to the family.

Any slave would have gone crazy for that condition, but Spartacus didn’t care.

His master was only Marcus, regardless of his status. 

He had already vowed to live like that for the rest of his life.

He parted the crowd and approached Crixus.

Crixus, who noticed his friend’s approach even in the chaotic battle, smiled faintly.

He cut off a Roman soldier’s neck and shouted with a roar that shook the ground.

“The one who takes my neck will be the hero who ends this war!”

A temptation flashed in the eyes of the Roman soldiers. 

But no one rushed in rashly.

The central army stopped their swords for a very brief time.

A voice pierced through the momentary silence like thunder from behind the Roman soldiers.

“I’m your opponent. Crixus.”

Everyone’s attention focused on him.

Crassus, the commander-in-chief of the Roman army, allowed it, and Crixus, the leader of the rebels, accepted it.

The central line, which was in the middle of the battle, had a temporary truce.

As the center stopped fighting, naturally other places also paused their weapons for a moment.

Crixus, who had time to look around, sneered.

No one complained, but the rebels were already close to their limit.

The suicide squad, which had been close to 30,000, had already lost a third of their lives since the battle began.

On the other hand, the Romans didn’t suffer much damage. 

They were a formidable army.

Crixus turned his eyes away from the corpses of his fallen comrades and pointed his sword at Spartacus.

It was time to put an end to their relationship and life, which was long or short depending on how you looked at it.

“Let’s settle this.”

Spartacus didn’t draw his sword right away. Rather, he slowly shook his head and opened his mouth.

“Catch your breath first. I don’t want to cut you when you’re tired.”

Crixus’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Unlike Spartacus, who hadn’t participated in the battle until now, Crixus had been fighting the Romans all along.

If he fought in this state, he might have lost in a vain way.

In fact, Marcus had sent Spartacus after the battle had started, hoping for this.

But Spartacus even took off his chainmail armor, the lorica hamata, that he was wearing.

“You won’t fully recover your stamina even if you rest a little. I’ll take off my armor too, so it won’t be a boring fight.”

Marcus, who was watching the situation from afar, touched his forehead and shook his head.

He had made a situation where he could win easily, but he chose the hard way.

But he couldn’t help smiling at his great appearance.

If he lost like that, he would be the biggest loser in the world, but Spartacus was different.

He won in that way, and people were fascinated by him.

It wasn’t arrogance, but absolute confidence in his own skills.

Crixus felt an ominous atmosphere and recovered his strength while breathing evenly.

“You’re different from when I saw you before. You’re really an interesting friend.”

“I’m sorry, but I won’t go easy on you.”

“Ha! Who asked you to!”

A faint smile flashed across their faces, full of fighting spirit. 

They both drew their spathas and took their stance.

The sunlight reflected on Spartacus’s blade drew a sparkling trajectory. 

At the same time, the two gladiators who represented the era rushed at each other and unleashed all their abilities.

Chwa chwa chwong!

‘He’s really strong!’

He had felt it before when they clashed, but Crixus was stronger than anyone else Spartacus had faced.

Crixus’s sword had the agility and speed that Spartacus hadn’t yet achieved.

Crixus’s impression was not much different. 

Spartacus’s sword had the destructive power that Crixus would never have in his lifetime.

Chaeng!

The metallic sound that seemed to tear the eardrums exploded one after another.

They didn’t know how many times their swords had collided.

A single blow could decide life and death, but neither of them kept their distance.

They just used all their strength to the bottom.

Kaang!

The two swords collided in the air and pushed their bodies back.

Spartacus immediately moved and swung his sword again. 

A sense of crisis filled Crixus’s eyes, who hadn’t fully recovered from the shock.

But he had the experience and skill to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

He moved his sword flexibly and deflected Spartacus’s sword. 

He used the force of the collision to create some distance and stabbed his sword back with a burning spirit.

Shing!

The incredible speed of the sword grazed Spartacus’s shoulder and passed by. 

His sword showed a complex movement.

He couldn’t easily predict the direction of the flying sword.

It was a combination of basic skills acquired through blood-shedding training and ruthlessness honed by countless battles.

It was a perfection that made it impossible to find a gap.

“Haap!”

A stream of blood sprang from Spartacus’s arm along with the shout that burst out of Crixus’s mouth.

It wasn’t a serious cut, but he felt a sharp pain.

‘If there is no gap, I’ll force one! No matter how fast and complicated the sword is, I’m stronger.’

The victory of swordsmanship comes from confidence in oneself.

No matter how strong Crixus had become, Spartacus had also become stronger than before. 

There was no reason why he couldn’t beat the opponent he had once beaten.

Spartacus’s sword regained its position after a brief dizziness.

Their swords had collided hundreds of times in an instant.

“Is that really a human fight…”

Someone muttered in admiration, which was soon the sentiment of everyone who watched this duel. 

Everyone’s hearts trembled with excitement as they watched the unparalleled confrontation.

Shing!

Crixus’s sword barely missed his side and cut the air.

Spartacus’s sword moved like lightning and unleashed an enormous power.

Crixus backed away, thinking he couldn’t block it.

That was a wrong decision.

Spartacus’s blade flashed brightly as he rushed forward with the momentum of swinging his sword.

Crixus, who decided that he had no more room to avoid, clenched his teeth and forced himself to rush forward again.

The swords of both sides crossed.

Spartacus saw the bright smile of his friend, whom he had parted with a long time ago, in his eyes.

His body dodged the approaching sword by a hair’s breadth and swung his full blow.

Chwaaak!

He felt the sensation in his hand so clearly that it hurt his heart.

A vivid spray of blood spewed from Crixus’s chest.

A trace of sadness appeared on Spartacus’s face as he looked into his fading eyes.

Crixus stabbed his sword into the ground and barely supported his falling body.

He breathed out a heavy breath with a voice that sounded strangely relieved.

“To lose twice to the same opponent… I thought it would be more… shameful if I lost to you again…”

“Crixus…”

There was not a big difference in their skills.

But one wanted to leave a legacy by dying, and the other wanted to survive and live to the end.

The difference in their perspectives on the future decided the outcome.

Thud.

Finally, Crixus’s body collapsed. 

The sound of him falling was like a signal that announced the end of the rebellion.

“I’ll say one thing… for the last time.”

There was no fighting spirit or fear of death in Crixus’s voice. 

It was only filled with the emotion of concern for the man who was his teacher, disciple, and friend.

“Our path is over, but yours is just beginning… You know that, right? If you’re alive… we’re never dead. In your heart… our will…”

“I know. I’ll use my whole remaining life… to make sure your lives are not wasted. So rest in peace.”

“Ha ha… I trust… you…”

Crixus’s voice faded away.

He lay on the ground and looked at the sky. 

He left his last words.

“…I did everything I wanted to… It wasn’t a bad life. Don’t you think so?”

His eyes closed with a satisfied smile that didn’t match his stubborn mouth.

There was the end of a man who had burned the last flame of his life splendidly.

A hero who had lived a life of fierce struggle sent the wind of freedom to the other side of the blue sky.

Spartacus got up and lifted his sword with a tear for his friend.

“Spartacus, the gladiator of the Crassus family, has cut down the enemy leader!”

“Wowaaaaaa!”

The echoing cheers enveloped Spartacus’s heart and swept over him.

The birth of a great hero.

Marcus, who watched him from afar, also had a pleased smile on his lips.

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