When the Blacksmiths charged through the city gates, the pagans, who were in the midst of a fierce battle, truly had no reaction whatsoever.
Because Vanigo and his men ran incredibly fast, Blacksmith Master and his subordinates squeezed out every last bit of their strength.
With Red City in sight, they just needed to reach the Princess Consort to protect this noble lady, fearing that something might happen to her during their sprint.
Therefore, their subsequent fighting style was also extremely wild, with various wide-open moves, and all enemy attacks were endured by their armor.
And this was indeed very effective; these pagans generally lacked means to deal with armored opponents and were directly beaten back, while those who couldn't retreat left behind bloody limbs.
The arrival of reinforcements greatly boosted the morale of those fighting in Red City, and they then fought even harder against the pagans.
Domnal and Dir directly formed a battle group, fighting fiercely within it, and anyone who stood in their way met only one fate: death.
Seeing this, Zoe subtly let out a sigh of relief; at this moment, she and the children were finally safe.
"Leo, let the civil officials also get a taste of blood.
This is Rus', and it's best to have some experience fighting on the battlefield, otherwise, if they encounter such a situation again, they might only be slaughtered."
Zoe said this as if discussing an ordinary matter, and Leo reacted similarly.
"Yes, that is indeed how it should be."
Then, the armed civil officials and servants who had been waiting by Zoe's side charged forward.
Although most of them had never seen blood, the pagans were now under full siege, and their defeat was only a matter of time.
These people, who were originally fearful and trembling, had now regained their courage and were eager to see some blood.
While the deployment of these new recruits caused quite a bit of chaos on the battlefield, the positive effects far outweighed the negative.
Although their performance was poor, they were energetic and well-equipped, which was enough to become the straw that tipped the scales.
"We've finally fallen into such a situation, damn it!
Everyone, follow me! Let's make one last charge!"
Kuna, holding his blood-stained axe, said as he looked at the ongoing battle around him.
There was not much surprise in his words regarding the current situation; instead, there was a sense of relief.
This was because when the plan was initially formulated, every possibility was listed, and the feasibility of the plan was predicted.
No matter how they predicted, the possibility of being surrounded by Christians in the end was more than half.
Moscow, after all, was the center of Northeast Rus Christianity, and a great deal of power was concentrated here, so falling into a predicament was almost inevitable.
When faced with such a situation, they could only try to make their deaths more valuable.
Surrender was impossible; there was absolutely no chance.
pagans like them would only receive a rope even if they surrendered.
Kuna's gaze swept across the battlefield, and then he saw a woman, a woman who stood out remarkably in this chaotic battle.
And at the first sight of her, Kuna knew who she was: Rostislav's Greek wife, Zoe.
A strong desire for slaughter surged in his heart; if he could take this woman's head, then his death would be worth it.
"Kill that woman! She must die!"
Kuna swung his axe, killing a Christian soldier in front of him, then kicked another who came to assist.
Then, everyone he could still command followed his direction of charge, and their only goal was Zoe's head.
But unfortunately, Zoe had just thrown a large number of rookie recruits onto the battlefield, and these rookies were numerous and well-equipped, making them perfect as human shields.
Kuna's forces fought through these cannon fodder, but unfortunately, no matter how they charged, they couldn't break through this defense line.
Moreover, troublesome individuals were attacking them—Zoe's eunuch guards.
They had once been guards of a Roman emperor, and even though much time had passed, they were still very powerful.
The spears in their hands were like venomous snakes; every strike could precisely hit the enemy's vital points, making killing even easier.
Facing this group of people, Kuna found himself completely unable to advance, and his subordinates were decreasing at a visible rate as the Christian protective circle grew smaller and smaller.
Zoe signaled a servant to hand her a crossbow; as usual, it was already strung.
Her movements became much lighter and more agile with the sense of safety.
Zoe took the crossbow, adjusted it slightly, and then shot an arrow at the pagan leader who was heavily besieged.
Kuna was fighting two eunuch guards at the time, their spears, used like a raging storm, made him incredibly disheveled and barely able to cope.
And at this very moment, a crossbow bolt pierced his head, as easily as passing through an apple.
Zoe, having accomplished this, let out a "tsk" sound, clearly, the lady of Moscow was not very satisfied with this shot.
But the Christians erupted in cheers, because the fall of the pagan leader meant their victory was secured.
As for the remaining pagans, they had largely lost their will to fight, either surrendering or being killed while stubbornly resisting.
"Victory belongs to us!"
Beneath this declaration were countless cheers.
Everyone was happy and excited about this scene, then they collapsed onto the ground with a sigh of relief; the previous battle had truly exceeded their capacity.
And just as the soldiers cheered, three men knelt before Zoe.
They were Domnal, Dir, and Vanigo.
Ordinary soldiers could cheer, but as commanders, they needed to come to the Princess Consort to receive new orders.
"My lords, thank you very much for your service.
Had it not been for you, the pagans' evil objective would have been achieved.
Upon my husband's return, I will ensure that every warrior receives the reward they deserve; no one's glory will be buried."
Zoe's words invigorated the three, as Rostislav would surely bestow generous rewards once he learned of all this.
Zoe then changed the subject.
"However, the situation in Moscow is still not very safe, my lords.
I hope you will clear out all pagans within the city to ensure its safety, and then send envoys to various parts of Northeast Rus.
Since such a thing has happened in Moscow, other places will certainly not be peaceful either."
Zoe's political acumen was undoubtedly evident.
Regarding the various aspects of this matter, it was clearly prepared long ago, but could such a large plan only involve Moscow?
"Yes!" the three replied, accepting their orders and departing.
— — — — — — — —