The two legions of the Samnite army deployed quickly, and with the shouts of their generals, they began to advance slowly while maintaining formation.
At 50 meters from the clone army, the soldiers of the Samnite army advanced slowly to prevent the Lucanian corpses from disrupting their formation.
The two Samnite legions stopped at 20 meters from the clone army, and another volley of javelins began to rain down upon the clone army.
The soldiers of the clone army raised their black shields bearing the emblem of the three decapitated heads to withstand the impact of the javelins.
The Samnite legionaries advanced slowly, and another confrontation between both sides, adopting staggered formations, took place again.
The clone army was surrounded on three sides, facing an enemy that outnumbered it and used the same staggered formation to attack.
The staggered formation of the clone army was three times thinner on the three fronts of the combat than the formation of the Samnite army.
The great difference in numbers between the two armies became noticeable quickly, and the clone army could only compensate for the great disadvantage with the superior individual combat ability of its legionaries.
From the rear, General Pontius observed the situation on the battlefield while frowning.
The army in black armor was truly abnormal and showed no signs of surrender or desertion among its soldiers.
Any army that found itself in the same position, being surrounded and attacked from three sides, would be under immense pressure, but the clone army resisted like a rock in a storm, refusing to sink.
Pontius wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible to avoid unforeseen events.
General Pontius tried to think of a solution to end the enemy army quickly, but his efforts were in vain; the clone army showed no signs of collapsing.
The combat between the soldiers in black armor and the Samnites turned into a battle of attrition, where both sides used their advantages to maintain a balance.
Trying to completely encircle the army in black armor was also counterproductive and would only create desperation among its legionaries, causing them to lose any option of retreat and fight to the death.
Pontius also considered using the Lucanian army, but their previous performance left much to be desired, and the losses they suffered were also considerable.
Unable to find a feasible solution, General Pontius could only resign himself to wait while sending his horsemen in all directions to scout the surrounding situation.
The battle progressed slowly in a stalemate, and the casualties between the two armies remained within a controlled proportion.
The clone army was under immense pressure, and the staggered formation allowed the soldiers only a brief respite before reentering combat.
On the other hand, the Samnite army also began to feel fatigue; they had not been able to rest after traveling a long mountainous route and enduring the hot climate.
The Samnite soldiers, without the opportunity to rest after descending from the mountains, were fatigued by nearly three hours of combat.
Time passed slowly, and four hours went by.
The clone army was reduced to almost half, and its formation was also reorganized to be more compact.
The Samnite legions also suffered losses, but their large number of soldiers allowed the loss ratio to remain within the tolerance of their generals.
Pontius observed the clone army coldly and wished to be able to destroy them all.
The losses of the Samnite and Lucanian army caused by the army in black armor were a hard blow to morale and to the war strategy that Pontius had.
General Pontius felt anger because his plans were frustrated, and he wished the battle would end quickly and that the losses of his army would not be so great.
Unable to think of a solution to accelerate the battle, Pontius's mood became irritable, and his personal guards decided to remain silent.
In the middle of the battlefield, the clone army fought with a ferocity and skill worthy of a veteran army, showing no signs of surrender or fatigue.
On the other hand, the Samnite army, having greater numbers, rotated their troops more frequently, giving no rest to the clone army.
A clone soldier took advantage of a blind spot to cut the throat of the enemy in front of him; the soldier who replaced him was caught off guard and stabbed in the right eye.
The good fortune of the clone soldier ended with the third replacement Samnite soldier, who reacted quickly and confronted the clone soldier.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, an exhausted clone soldier with wounds on his body could not react quickly, and a short sword was driven into his left eye. The clone soldier who replaced him had a wound on his arm but acted quickly and cut off the hand of the Samnite soldier and, taking advantage of his screams, stabbed him in the neck.
The same pattern of combat was repeated throughout the battlefield, with clone soldiers falling due to their wounds and exhaustion.
After four hours, the number of clone soldiers was drastically reduced to fewer than 3,000 soldiers, most of them wounded and using their last strength to continue fighting.
The battle had lasted more than ten uninterrupted hours, causing heavy casualties on both sides.
The clone army maintained its will to fight because they shared a connection that turned them into a single person.
On the other hand, the Samnite army began to waver, and its morale decreased considerably.
In antiquity, the percentage of casualties of an army after a battle usually ranged between 5% and 15%, and for a decisive battle after a crushing defeat, the percentage of casualties during the battle ranged between 15% and 30%.
The great human losses of an army occur during the retreat or flight of the losing side.
With the number of corpses on the ground, it can be affirmed that the Samnite army had surpassed the limit of the tolerable percentage of casualties for an army of antiquity.
The Samnite and Lucanian armies did not collapse because it could be clearly observed that the army in black armor was taking its last breaths.
The Samnite and Lucanian soldiers truly began to respect the enemy in black armor, which showed no signs of surrender and maintained a strong will to fight.
General Pontius changed his expression and looked solemnly at the enemy army.
Pontius wished not to face such a difficult enemy army again in future battles.
On the other hand, the Samnite army showed caution when facing the clone army, and a hint of hesitation and fear could be observed when confronting the legionaries in black armor.
Pontius observed the battlefield from afar with complex thoughts.
A Samnite horseman, riding hurriedly, approached Pontius.
"General, urgent news!" the horseman shouted with an anxious voice.
Pontius's expression froze, and he had a bad premonition.
The Samnite horseman dismounted with a jump.
"Enemies, enemies are coming, and there are many," the messenger shouted with an anxious expression.
Pontius's expression darkened, and his mind went blank, not knowing what decision to make.
General Papius Mutilus quickly came out of his daze and asked the messenger more questions, confirming the bad news.
Three legions in black armor were 10 kilometers from the battlefield, and there were indications of other enemy legions approaching.
It was the end.
Total defeat.
The generals who were observing the battlefield changed their expressions, and their faces turned pale.