His opponent did not give him the chance to correct his mistakes—the soldiers of the Grand Council who had entered River Valley Village were already at their wit's end, with limited strength, and were routed in an instant; the Thunder Group County infantry encircled from both flanks, cutting off the retreat of the forces entering the village.
The brown-clad soldiers were either killed, surrendered, or in desperation, jumped off the riverbank.
The New Reclamation Expeditionary Army's troops no longer had the fierce momentum they once possessed, after experiencing an initial victory followed by defeat. They retreated to the east bank of the nameless river, disappearing into the thinning smoke.
The exhausted defenders did not pursue. The military flag of Mont Blanc County was reinstalled in its original position, and the musketeers on both sides resumed their aimless shooting at each other, though now the gunfire sounded far more feeble than before.
