This scene undoubtedly stunned the Christians, and in that instant of their daze, the battering ram struck.
With the momentum of its charge, it instantly broke through the unprepared shield wall, primarily because the soldiers instinctively recoiled at the sudden appearance of such a thing.
After all, it appeared so suddenly before everyone's eyes, without any mental preparation; such a reaction from everyone was perfectly normal, an unconscious human response that few could overcome.
Several unfortunates were struck by the battering ram, knocked down, and then mercilessly trampled by countless feet, dying without even a scream.
However, this scene did not last long; the recovering soldiers immediately blocked the way, using their shields to contend with the battering ram, while others hacked at the armored pagans carrying it, but unfortunately, the enemy's armor was too hard to penetrate.
Moreover, seeing that their kinetic energy was exhausted, they simply abandoned the log, then drew their swords and axes and charged forward desperately.
"Quick! Everyone, quickly! Block the city gate! Quick!"
Domnal roared anxiously, his reason being that during the previous retreat, the battle line blocking the city gate had become slightly sparse.
As a veteran who had fought on battlefields for countless years, Domnal knew exactly what would happen next.
And the pagans' actions were just as he predicted; those pagans following the battering ram immediately surged forward, and the sparse battle line was immediately pushed back, with many brave individuals who held their ground being cut down because they had no comrades beside them.
"Damn it!" Dir said, heartbroken, watching the scene.
The pagans had already rushed through the city gate, which was the scene Domnal and Dir least wanted to see, because crossing the city gate meant the battle line's width would be opened, and with the battle line opened, the subsequent fight would certainly favor the side with more troops, and currently, these pagans were the ones with more troops.
"That's it, that's it, go kill the pagans! My comrades! Offer their souls to the gods, and we will defeat the god on the cross!"
Kuna, carrying a two-handed axe, walked through the city gate; his tall stature and giant snake tattoo made him very conspicuous among the crowd, and the appearance of their leader naturally boosted everyone's morale.
"I didn't expect the troops I haphazardly arranged to actually work! Everyone, come with me! Gael, you go protect Lady Zoe!"
Dir charged directly, and behind him was another unit of soldiers who had been preparing to assemble under previous orders; they directly reinforced the battlefield, and the arrival of reinforcements gave the soldiers, who had experienced so much in the blink of an eye, a backbone, and they too joined the fight.
Finally, the battle line stabilized, and both sides fought in the open space behind the city gate, though the form of battle had turned into a melee, as crossbowmen from the gatehouse constantly rushed down to join the fray.
These crossbowmen were not weak; they were all clad in iron armor, existing as Rostislav's guard, their combat power was not merely limited to firing crossbow bolts; close-quarters combat was also second nature to them.
It was also because of them that the pagans had never been able to rush into the gatehouse, being firmly blocked outside.
"Domnal, don't mind me, my guards will protect me."
Just as Domnal gathered his personal guards, preparing to form a shield wall in front of Lady Zoe, Zoe spoke; there was a hint of panic in her tone, but the sense of determination was very clear.
"But, my lady…"
Domnal still wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Zoe.
"Your warriors should be where they are needed, not standing by a woman like me, Captain; I am perfectly capable of protecting myself. Moreover, if the front line falls, we will also be finished. Is Rostislav Palace a fortress?"
Domnal shook his head; that palace was certainly not a fortress, but merely the Prince's mansion. He agreed with Lady Zoe's words, then nodded, and just as he was about to lead his troops into the fray, Zoe called out to him again.
"Take my guards with you; they will be useful."
At Zoe's words, the eunuch warriors who had been silently standing behind the Prince's wife stepped forward; their faces were covered by chainmail veils, showing no expression, but their eyes were filled with determination, not fear, as if these battles were commonplace for them.
Zoe knew that these guard soldiers had endured countless trials of war when her father was still Emperor, so rather than having them protect a woman, it was better to let them go to the battlefield and play their part.
Domnal said nothing; he could, of course, see the strength of these warriors, he simply waved for them to follow, then walked towards the chaotic battlefield.
Zoe's protection was taken over by the armed civil officials and servants around her, many of whom even trembled at the sight of the bloody slaughter, and only one person stood calmly by Zoe's side.
Leo Papas, but his face was covered by a steppe iron mask, obscuring his features. After learning that this was an invasion instigated by the pagans, Leo put on this iron mask, which was originally only meant as decoration.
Because he knew that the biggest point of attack for the enemy was him, it was not suitable for him to appear on the battlefield; if the enemy saw his face, it might even boost their morale.
Moreover, Leo was somewhat anxious and uneasy; from his actions during this period, he clearly understood that everything he had done must have greatly accelerated the arrival of this scene, but he did not expect it to come so quickly.
Leo was somewhat afraid, and what he feared was simple: being discarded by the Moscow Prince as a pawn to appease the populace. He had seen countless such cases in the imperial capital, and often those who were discarded were merely people who had done what they were supposed to do.
For this reason, Leo was quite distracted, because he knew that even after overcoming the current difficulty, there would still be more difficulties to face.
His state was noticed by others; he had been standing there blankly, and everyone repeatedly reminded him not to zone out for too long, as they needed to protect the lady.
"Speaking of which, Leo, we experienced a scene like this not long after we arrived in Rus', and now it's like this again, and you are standing by my side again."
Zoe looked at the slaughter before her, a sense of reminiscence in her eyes; she thought of some past events, the burning firelight from the guards' barracks shining on her face, making her expression appear somewhat mysterious.
"I suppose my father also lost his throne under such circumstances back then, and was then exiled to an island. Speaking of which, it was his own fault; he too rashly alienated the orphanage director, and then laid hands on Basil's daughter, the one he regarded as his mother. No wonder he angered the people of Constantinople."
Zoe spoke of past events, and these words startled Leo; Zoe saying these things at this time… was she hinting at something?
It was then that he suddenly realized a certain fear had arisen within him… How could this be? He was actually afraid of this lady? He had watched her grow up.
However, he said nothing, only waiting for Lady Zoe to continue; her words were full of deep meaning, and it was better for him to listen more.
"But that is already in the past, Lord Leo, wouldn't you agree? In any case, what we must do now is overcome the current difficulty."
Hearing this, Leo fully understood Zoe's meaning, and he did not hesitate, "My loyalty to your husband has always been unwavering, my lady."
And in his heart, he sighed with emotion; her aptitude back then was extraordinary, and now she had truly become the wife a ruler ought to have. Seeing her current aptitude, she would be perfectly competent even as Empress in Constantinople.
"That's good then." Zoe said with a smile, then she looked towards the battlefield, "Bring me my crossbow."
And at Zoe's command, servants immediately presented a hunting crossbow; this crossbow had various exquisite decorations, but it did not diminish its effectiveness as a deadly weapon.
And then, Zoe aimed at the battlefield and pulled the trigger of the crossbow, and the flying bolt struck a pagan squarely in the head, killing him unprepared.
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