Battle of Salentes

Incomplete: This article is currently incomplete, including grammar mistakes, empty sections and unfinished sentences. Reader's discretion is advised. Please do not make random edits unless you have a proper information from the source material.

Battle of Salentes
Part of Asvarre Civil War Arc
Information
Location	Salentes Plains, Asvarre
Side	Tallard Army; Prince Eliot Army
Result	Tallard Army decisive victory Prince Eliot captured and beheaded, end of Asvarre civil war.
Media Duration
Light Novel Volumes	LN Volume 7
Belligerents Tallard Army (Under the name of Princess Guinevere) Eliot Army Army Strength Initial Force: 2,500 (Asvarre Army and Sachstein Mercenaries) Reinforcement: 7,000 Initial Force: 30,000 Upon first engage: 26,000 20,000 Pirates 5,000 Defending Eliot 400 Longbow squad lead by Hamish 600 Muozinel supply columns Commanders and Leaders Initial Force: Valid Ludra (General Commander) Tigrevurmud Vorn (Brune, de facto commander) Olga Tamm (Zhcted) Matvey (Zhcted) Simon (Sachstein Mercenaries leader) Reinforcement: Guinevere Colchicum Ophelia Bedivere Asvarre (Nominal leader, did not participate) Tallard Graham (de facto leader) Kressdill Sofya Obertas (Zhcted, freed from prison and joined) Eliot Bloom Godwin Nathaniel Galahad Asvarre   Hamish † Casualties and Losses 1,500 Several tens villages burnt with unknown civilian casualties. 1,000 Night Assault 500 Salentes Plains 7,595 5,000 killed in battle 2,000 Night Assault 3,000 Salentes 2,000 surrendered 595 Muozinel supply troops are killed 19,000 escaped and rendezvous with Torbalan Aftermath Prince Eliot was captured and beheaded, end of Asvarre civil war Princess Guinevere nominally succeeded the throne of Asvarre, as Tallard became the de facto King. End of Tigre's and Sofy's mission. Many escaped pirates joined Torbalan and participated in the Battle of Olsina Sea. Concurrent Event
Chronology Light Novel Chronology Battle of Fort Lux ←Battle of Salentes→ Torbalan Ambush

The Battle of Salentes was the largest battle in terms of scale during Asvarre Civil War in Madan no Ou to Vanadis series, where Tigrevurmud Vorn and his company (Olga Tamm and Matvey), just conquered Fort Lux, receiving the grim news that Prince Eliot's army had just launched an surprise landing and heading their way. Tigre must think a way to stop Eliot's march, and delayed them long enough for Tallard Graham's reinforcement army to arrive, while seeking an opportunity to rescue Sofya Obertas, now being captured by Prince Eliot and was about to be sold to Muozinel.

Background

After hearing Lester disappearance after Fort Lux fallen to Tallard's army's hand, Eliot became both anxious and furious while lamenting everything about Tallard. Hamish entered Eliot's camp and reporting an mysterious archer's extraordinary archery and ambush tactics that eliminated half of his men. Tallard suspected that the enemy archer was Tallard, but Hamish informed Eliot that the archer was not Tallard while describing Tigre's appearances and even his calm stance. Nevertheless, with the a Vanadis as his best commodity in his exchange with Muozinel for the food and water supplies, Eliot dedicated to retake Fort Lux with his massive army.

Meanwhile, even after capturing the impenetrable Fort Lux, Tigre and Tallard Army's victory was short-lived when they receiving a grim news over Eliot's massive army's arrival for Asvarre's Mainland. Whilst everyone became panicked due to the massive army, only Tigre remained calm as he thinking an idea for his countermeasure against Eliot and his pirates.

Battle Initiation

Initial Battle of Salentes Plains

The battle commenced with 25,000 pirates were split in five groups with one group stays behind to defend the main army while the rest circling Tallard Army. Regardless, Ludra reassured his men that their chances for victory against the pirates were high because of their (Pirates) disadvantages geographically. Just as the pirates's morale were momentarily demoralized, Tallard Army begin to chase the pirates by luring into the trap, then kill them by throwing rocks towards the pirates from hilltop. Despite repeatedly pushed off from the cliff by rocks and arrows, the pirates desperately climb over the slopes for their upper hand, prompting Matvey worries over their ferociousness.

Staggeringly, the pirates successfully broke through Tallard Army's front lines and due to Tallard Army's exhaustion, their momentum risen drastically as they charging towards their enemies with their burning rage and tenacity. Tallard Army tried to retaliate but the pirates's overwhelming ferociousness proven too much for them, causing them to struggle against their massive foe. At the same time, the pirates are also tired and they are forced to retreat through the woods, leading Tallard Army's 500 cavalrymen to chase after their enemy while escaping their encirclement. Even in exhaustion however, the pirates overwhelming numbers and ferociousness still motivate the pirates to defeat their foes.

Olga charged towards the pirates while destroying the pirates with her Muma, with Matvey and Tigre as her support. Dubious over the repeated formations even with exhausted soldiers, Tigre urged Matvey to keep protesting against Ludra while he rushed for Olga alone. Just as Tigre arrived for her aid however, Olga already used her Veda to change Muma's shape and using the giant Viralt to generate an earthquake that crushes her enemies, instantly stunned both enemies and allies altogether. Tigre was displeased about her recklessness however as he scolded Olga for not heeding his instructions. As the result, Tigre and his 200 cavalrymen were desperately clashing with the pirates despite their relentless waves. Just as Tigre's group were in a sitting duck situation, Tallard and his 7,000 strong troops arrive to rescue Tigre's group, further demoralizing the pirates.

Sofy's Struggle and Tigre VS Hamish

As the pirates are heading towards Eliot 's main camp, a rain of arrows from Hamish's archer unit instantly decimating their morale and forced them to flee the progress. During the chaos, Hamish urges Eliot to escape for the Main Island while he would take the Vanadis with him later, which the latter reluctantly complied. Hamish then infiltrated into Muozinel guarded tent for Sofy. However, just as he was about to take the Light Vanadis away, he also surprised to see a glow of her Viralt appeared in Sofy's hand but quickly ignored it. Muozinel soldiers caught Hamish inside the tent and trying to retrieve Sofy by stabbing her but even locked in shackles and her fatigue, Sofy managed to dodge the knife attack and tried to run away from both Muozinel soldiers and Hamish. However, a Muozinel captain stopped Sofy by pulling her chains down but before he could subjugate Sofy, Hamish killed the captain and attempted to approach Sofy, who instantly fled away from him. As Hamish is approaching for Sofy however, she instead flees away from Hamish.

As Hamish continues to chase after Sofy, he encounters Tigre from afar and even as he is unable to recognize him, Hamish turned his focus upon Tigre and both archers notching their bows towards each other. Hamish initially counting the distance while firing his first arrow towards Tigre before the archer could even get in range. To his surprise however, Tigre's fired his own arrow and deviated Hamish's own. Being completely stunned by Tigre's amazing archery skills, including of a illusion of the Black Dragon behind Tigre, Hamish was unable to react fast enough as Tigre fired his second arrow and hit his forehead in an amazing speed, killing Hamish.

The Cornered Escaped Prince

Eliot had to spend three days in looting and hiding from Tallard's soldiers while muttering his vow in killing Tallard and Guinevere. Upon his arrival to the ruined Luarca Village, Tallard Army's cavalrymen were pursuing Eliot from behind but, fortunately for the former prince he managed to land aboard onto the pirate ship via a ladder. To Eliot's surprise however, Tigre, Olga and Sofy (who was freed by Olga's Muma) were among his enemies soldiers and Tigre immediately shot his charged arrow to the ship, causing an earthquake within Luacra Village and a simultaneous explosions to three more pirates ships, further demoralize Eliot and the pirates. As the phenomenal power traumatized Eliot whose mind turned blank, Tallard Army successfully thwarted Eliot's escape and arrested him along with the surviving pirates.

Aftermath

Tallard's resolve in becoming the King.

The following days after his arrest Eliot was executed in Colchester, leaving Guinevere as the sole survivor of the Asvarre's Royal Family. Aside from that, Eliot's demise also paved the rise of Tallard as Asvarre new king while Guinevere was enthroned as the kingdom's new queen however due to Tallard's position as non-noble, he was only recognized as de facto and not recognized as Head Monarch while Guinevere was recognized as de jure for the ruler of Asvarre, making Guinevere officially become a Head Monarch of Asvarre. Despite the victory over the fallen prince, the de facto King aimed higher as he and Guinevere not only vowed to reunite Asvarre under their rule, he also vowed to eliminate anyone who threaten the new founded kingdom.

For Tigre and his allies, they had to sail back to Zhcted with their escort ship. During their journey back to Zhcted, almost all Zhcted emissary corps were frustrated over the turns of event in Asvarre and trying to think of something to persuade Viktor. Sofy expressed her suspicions over Tallard as Zhcted's worst threat mostly due to Tallard's ulterior ambitions despite his caliber in warfare.

Meanwhile, Tallard was disappointed over Tigre's departure from Asvarre after he reject his offer but Kressdill and Ludra protested Tallard's decision to pick Tigre as his subordinate (minister). However, even after Kressdill warned the new king that Tigre could be a bigger threat due to his unknown power from his Black Bow, which based on Ludra's account, Tallard instead found his would-be rival to be intriguing as he wished to see Tigre and his Black Bow power with his own eyes.

Within six months after this battle Tallard would later reunite with Tigre again at Prowirl Plains where he became already become a noble by being promoted by Guinevere as a Duke of Asvarre. It is when Tallard realize Tigre's true caliber which brew hidden rivalries on both that in the time between or after ten years, their path shall crossed again.