第六卷 双雄会 第一百三十四章 塔兰托大海战（六）

13 knots!!

With all rowers straining at their oars, the warship raced forward at a terrifying speed of 13 knots (24 km/h) under the helmsman's control, charging straight at the enemy vessel ahead.

This forced the Syracusan warship to abandon its attack on Midorades' ship and instead turn to meet the oncoming Daonian vessel.

"First we'll ram that one, then finish you off!" The Syracusan captain, glancing back at Midorades' ship left behind, thought confidently.

"Oars in!" he shouted, satisfied to see his rowers quickly pull back their wooden blades. The vessel, carried by its powerful momentum, was about to cross paths with the Daonian ship.

Just then, the strange 12-meter device at the Daonian warship's prow crashed down with a roar. The spike at its tip pierced the deck, sending splinters flying.

Amid the cries of the Syracusan sailors, dozens of Daonian soldiers in black helmets and black armor rushed across the "Corvus" boarding bridge onto the deck. Another slaughter began...

...

The Syracusan navy, having dismissed the Daonian fleet, charged forward fiercely. The Daonian fleet, showing no weakness, bravely met the attack. Over a front of several nautical miles, the two sides interlocked in a fierce, dogged battle.

But in most cases, the Corvus boarding bridge would slam down, hooking onto a Syracusan warship, turning the sea battle into a land fight. The Syracusans' superior ship-handling skills became completely useless, while Daonian Army Corps platoons fell upon them like wolves among sheep, easily capturing enemy vessels.

Within just half an hour of the battle's start, the Syracusan navy had lost nearly forty triremes captured.

The wide sea prevented each Syracusan captain on the battlefield from seeing their entire force's losses, but they sensed something was wrong: once a friendly ship was hooked by that strange device on a Daonian vessel, many enemy soldiers emerged from below deck, crossed over via the device onto their deck, and soon the friendly ship withdrew from the fight, while the Daonian warship surged forward again...

Captains at the rear of the Syracusan formation had already realized: they could not engage the Daonian ships head-on. They must instead use their superior ship-handling and better maneuverability to avoid that device on the enemy's prow and attack the enemy's side or rear...

This massive naval battle raged fiercely in the coastal waters between Thurii and Castron, causing not only anxiety among the Daonian people but also attracting the attention of the Castronites.

Amykles, the chief general of Castron, along with the Council of Generals and Council members, gathered with the people on the shore, watching the sea battle unfold. It concerned not only the rise or fall of the Daonia Alliance but also a critical decision for Castron.

The Syracusan envoy had arrived in Castron the previous day. Amykles' Council of Generals and the Council had not received him, but neither had they driven him away. Instead, they allowed him to disembark and rest at an inn—a clear sign of a shift in the mindset of Castron's leadership.

In recent years, despite close ties between Castron and Daonia, with both sides regarding each other as the dearest allies—Castronites even took pride in participating in various festivals in Thurii, almost like one family—an alliance was still just an alliance, not a union. The disastrous defeat of the South Italy Alliance on the southern front, the fires of war raging across Daonia, and its political instability made the Castronites, living in Daonia's heartland, directly feel the Thurii citizens' shift from initial pride to present panic. The vast size of the Syracusan army and navy, and the horror of the slaughter at Scylletium, were shaking Castron's trust in the Daonia Alliance.

Syracuse was, after all, not Croton. During the Second Croton War, even when a defeated Croton marched in force, Castron never lost faith in Daonia. But this time, a far stronger Syracusan army, led by the brutal tyrant Dionysius—who had defeated mighty Carthage—made even Castron tremble at his advance. Looking at the ruined farmland outside Castron, the burned villages, the slaughtered people, the Castronites felt both rage and helplessness.

When news came that Davos had led his army back to Thurii and was now engaging the powerful Syracusan navy with the Daonian fleet, all Castronites rushed excitedly to the coast. Out of reverence for Davos and anger toward Syracuse, they prayed for a Daonian victory.

But for high-ranking figures like Amykles, although they also placed hope in the invincible Daonian magistrate, the Syracusan navy was far too strong...

"What if... No! As long as Daonia cannot win this naval battle, this entire bay will belong to Syracuse. Then... we will have to find a way out for ourselves..." Amykles thought painfully, gazing at the many warships speeding across the distant sea...

On the Syracusan flagship, positioned at the rear of the fleet, Leptines thought he had misheard. The lookout on the mainmast told him that many of their own ships were frequently withdrawing from the battle, and the Daonian vessels were not only rarely sunk but also continuing to advance.

"General, according to reports from the fast ships, the Daonians have installed a wooden bridge on the prow of their warships and have many heavy infantry hidden in the holds. Once the bridge is lowered, those heavy infantry rush over, and our sailors cannot hold them off. Now Kleandros and the others are no longer engaging the Daonian ships head-on. Instead, they are using our superior sailing skills and rich naval experience to maneuver around the Daonians. Since the Daonian ships, burdened by the bridge and carrying too many soldiers, are much slower and less agile than ours, the battle situation should soon improve!" the flagship captain said to reassure him.

Leptines' mood improved slightly, but he still fumed: "Damn Daonians, always playing petty tricks! What do they think sacred sea warfare is? Poseidon will punish them!..."

As he was venting his anger, the lookout above suddenly shouted: "General, that ship with a statue on its mast has broken out! It's charging forward! It's moved to the front line of the enemy formation! I can see a commander in shining armor on the prow!"

Leptines was startled, then his spirits soared. He shouted: "That's the Daonian magistrate Davos! He really is on that ship! Quick! Order the column ships to press forward! Sink him! We must sink him! Even if we lose many ships, if we can kill or capture that Davos, Syracuse will still be victorious!"

Since Syracuse was using a double-column formation—ten ships per column—the bugle sounded, the flagship led the charge, and more than twenty ships followed closely, soon overtaking the flagship.

The Daonian "Star Formation" was like waves stirred by a gentle breeze; one spray of foam would die down, only for another to rise, layer upon layer, pushing ever forward.

Davos' flagship, without stopping, kept passing one Daonian ship after another that was locked in combat with enemy vessels, until it finally reached the very front of the battle line.

"Charge speed!" Miltias, seeing the enemy ships rushing toward them, gave the order without hesitation.

The warship suddenly accelerated, flying forward like an arrow.

One hundred meters between the two ships! Ninety meters! Eighty meters!...

Davos unconsciously swallowed, drawing his short sword from his belt.

But then the enemy ship suddenly veered to the right.

"Left! Hard left!" Miltias ordered urgently.

But because their speed had been too great, the turn had too wide an arc. Before they could complete the maneuver, the enemy ship had nimbly swept in an arc and was heading straight for the amidships of the flagship.

Miltias was no longer panicked. He simply ordered: "Continue turning left!"

The enemy captain watched his bronze ram getting closer and closer to this larger trireme, a smug grin spreading across his face...

But soon, his smile froze.

The Daonian warship's heavy hull turned just a bit more to the left, and the long plank-like device on the prow actually pivoted more than a hundred degrees, falling backward. The ten-meter-long bridge slammed onto the enemy's foredeck with a loud crash, linking the two ships together. Although the forward momentum of the enemy ship pushed the Daonian vessel backward, making the bridge groan under strain, it did not damage the Daonian hull. Instead, enemy soldiers stormed across the bridge.

It was over! Seeing the situation was hopeless, he abandoned all thought of his ship and sailors, steeled himself, and leaped into the sea.

"Your Majesty, please stay here. Let me lead the men over to fight!" Martius grabbed Davos, who was about to cross the bridge, and insisted firmly.

Davos did not insist. He knew that with his status, staying here would keep everyone calm.

"Then I leave it to you," he said, nodding.

"Brothers, charge with me!" Martius drew his short sword and led the guard across the bridge, determined to make the Syracusans pay for nearly costing him his life.

"Enemy ship charging from the right front!" the lookout on the mast cried out.

Miltias and Davos immediately felt tense. Now their flagship was linked to the enemy ship and could not evade.

But Seclian's flagship, behind them, swiftly intercepted the threat, using its Corvus to lock onto it.

"Enemy ship to the right rear!" the stern lookout then shouted. Moments later, his cries stopped, for another Daonian ship had rushed forward and joined it.