Desperate

Viscount Sitena was still standing next to General Edgar... 

her mouth opened, shocked, as she saw this familiar scene... An army is being slain before the battle officially begins.

No... at least her soldiers in the previous battle defended themselves a little with their shields as they raised them against the arrows coming down on their heads, or used them to protect themselves from the near explosions... this certainly did not happen this time ...

The first wave of explosions destroyed the soldiers from under their feet without a barrier between the explosion and their bodies ... 

and the second wave, the explosions came down upon them from the sky while their shields were still under their feet... 

Both times the army swallowed the full force of the explosions thoroughly

if they raised their shields they will get destroyed by the underground explosions, if they stood on the shields they will get destroyed by the arrows