Ancient Imperial Calendar Year 1830
The two-million-strong army under the command of Ashterah Dynasty Heir Tajong had entered the Southern Lands.
First, villages were attacked; the people were slaughtered, houses were set on fire, and looting took place.
With these actions in the initial phase of the war, Tajong aimed to keep the army's morale high while instilling fear in his enemies.
After conquering and plundering several fortresses, the Ashterah army continued to advance and conquer.
Tajong was a commander thirsty for conquest, destruction, and devastation.
One midnight, spies and reconnaissance teams brought intelligence reports regarding the approaching Arfas army.
Tajong received the message and read it. Although he showed no reaction, inwardly he began to worry.
"The Arfas army numbers a full four million—twice our size."
The Ashterah commanders, like Tajong, could not hide their concerns.
"This is not good at all. Not at all."
Ashterah Commander Koushan:
"If we fight them on open desert terrain, it will be a disaster for us."
Ashterah Commander Baishun Ashterah:
"What should we do, Supreme Commander?"
Ashterah Commander Brandon Ashterah.
After thinking for a long time and developing his strategy, Tajong stood up.
Tracing his finger over certain points on the map on the table, he explained his plan.
"Our chance of defeating them in a single battle is very low. Instead, we must implement a different strategy. We will retreat. To draw the Arfas army toward us, we have to sacrifice some of our units. But it won't be an empty sacrifice. We will poison the wells and destroy every place where they can procure supplies. With night raids and guerrilla attacks, we will deprive them of sleep and exhaust them. We will slowly withdraw north and destroy them in the Eastern Lands, on our own soil."
The commanders were convinced by this classic yet effective plan.
The next day
The Ashterah forces moved without delay.
They burned as many villages as they could, slaughtered as many Southerners as they could.
They conquered and plundered several cities, committing massacres. During this process, the Arfas forces had come very close to the Ashterah army.
"Begin the retreat as planned. Commander Baishun, take one hundred thousand soldiers and attack the Arfas army."
The end of this command was death, but Baishun did not hesitate for a second.
"As you command, Dynasty Heir."
Baishun mounted his horse and took command of his unit.
One day later
The four-million-strong Arfas army faced a one-hundred-thousand-strong advance Ashterah unit.
The supreme commander of the Arfas army, Third Prince Cemalleddin Arfas, spoke with a surprised and mocking tone and manner.
"What is this? Is this all the soldiers? They were wreaking terror in our lands?"
Fourth Prince Rashidun Arfas shared similar sentiments.
"You're right, brother. This is truly ridiculous."
Cemalleddin Arfas, all his enthusiasm for battle gone, rode his horse backward.
"Rashidun, I am placing five hundred thousand soldiers under your command. Go and destroy them. I've lost all my enthusiasm."
Rashidun bowed his head.
"As you command, brother."
Rashidun ordered his five hundred thousand soldiers to attack; he himself did not feel the need to join the battle.
Five hundred thousand Arfas soldiers descended upon the Ashterah soldiers.
The battle lasted a few hours. Commander Baishun Ashterah, along with one hundred thousand Ashterah soldiers, was slaughtered. In return, the Arfas army's loss was only thirty thousand.
When the battle ended, the Arfas soldiers shouted victory cries.
Rashidun entered the tent to inform his brother that the battle was over.
Cemalleddin was sitting in his chair, waiting for the battle to end. When he saw his brother Rashidun, he glanced at his face and asked with a disinterested voice.
"Is the battle over, Rashidun?"
"It's over, brother."
"Good. Let's gather the spoils and then continue advancing. First, let's reclaim the lands we lost, then we'll begin conquering the Eastern Lands."
"As you see fit, brother."
Starting from the next day
The Arfas army began advancing uncontrollably.
Drunk with victory, the Arfas army captured the cities and fortresses occupied by the Ashterah army, one by one.
All Ashterah soldiers in the cities and fortresses liberated from occupation were slaughtered without mercy. But all good things come to an end.
Wells and water sources poisoned by Ashterah soldiers killed tens of thousands of Arfas soldiers.
During their night raids, Ashterah soldiers killed tens of thousands of Arfas soldiers, set fire to supply tents, deprived Arfas soldiers of sleep, and even succeeded in killing some commanders.
"HAAAAAAA!"
Cemalleddin overturned the table in rage. Maddened, he cursed and beat his commanders.
"INCOMPETENT WRETCHES! BECAUSE OF A HANDFUL OF EASTERNERS, WE HAVEN'T SLEPT PROPERLY FOR DAYS. LET ALONE EATING PROPERLY, I CAN'T EVEN DRINK A HANDFUL OF WATER! AND YOU SHAMELESSLY COME AND COMPLAIN TO ME?!"
The Arfas commanders had neither the energy nor any answers to give.
"Whatever you say, you are right, Supreme Commander. We have neither the face to look at you nor to answer you."
Cemalleddin tried to control his anger.
"What should I do with you now? If I kill you, it's a problem; if I leave you like this, it's another problem. We lost half a million soldiers just to retake a handful of lost lands. Our army is hungry, thirsty, and exhausted; morale has collapsed. Can't answer this either? What are we going to do? How will we raise this army's morale?"
Commander Zeyd asked for permission and spoke.
"We've come this far. Turning back now would be a defeat, not a victory. The Ashterah army, meanwhile, is still intact, their morale is high, and they are probably more confident in victory than we are. Therefore, we must advance without stopping. Let's enter the Eastern Lands and engage in looting and slaughter; it will raise our army's morale."
Cemalleddin thought for a while.
"Alright, let's do that. Move the army tomorrow morning and attack the Eastern Lands. Now, let's move on to the next matter. Our father, Behram II, has been killed."
The commanders were so shocked they could have swallowed their tongues.
"The Dynasty Lord is dead?"
Cemalleddin continued.
"Yes."
Commander Zeyd asked curiously.
"Has anyone ascended the throne?"
Cemalleddin answered irritably.
"Yes. Our younger brother Jamshid took advantage of the deaths of our two elder brothers and our absence and usurped the throne."
Cemalleddin entered another fit of rage.
"THE SHAMELESS JAMSHID! HOW DARE HE USURP THE THRONE THAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE?!"
Rashidun grabbed his brother's shoulder and calmed him down.
"Calm down, brother. What's done is done; we can't change anything. Besides, right now, we have a more important matter than the throne."
Cemalleddin took a deep breath.
"Alright."
As the conversation was about to continue, screams coming from the camp interrupted the Arfas commanders.
Cemalleddin and the Arfas commanders quickly exited the tent.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING NOW? ANOTHER NIGHT RAID?!"
An Arfas soldier knelt and bowed his head.
"My Supreme Commander, the Ashterahs are attacking. They are very numerous."
Cemalleddin channeled his mana into his eyes and brain and calculated the enemy army's numbers.
"Two hundred thousand? Are you mocking me? Haha! Now I can vent all my anger! BRING MY HORSE!"
An Arfas soldier brought Cemalleddin's horse.
Cemalleddin mounted his horse and swiftly charged toward the Ashterah soldiers.
The Ashterah soldiers were astonished at what was happening. Before they could even react, tens of thousands of them were slaughtered by Cemalleddin Arfas within minutes.
Encouraged by Cemalleddin, the Arfas forces overcame their initial shock and attacked the Ashterahs.
As a result of the battles that lasted throughout the night, two hundred thousand Ashterah soldiers, including their commander Brandon, were killed.
The Arfas army's loss was around seventy thousand.
"Despite all this fatigue and low morale, we suffered very few losses, brother."
"You're right, brother. So, what do we do now? What is your command?" asked Rashidun.
"We will attack. To the Eastern Lands."
Rashidun's spirits were lifted.
"We've received word from our spies, brother."
Cemalleddin asked eagerly.
"What does it say? Is it good news?"
Rashidun spoke with a laugh.
"Hahaha! Yes, very good news. The Ashterah units have withdrawn to the Eastern Lands. Last evening's raid was carried out to buy time for the main army."
Cemalleddin burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAH! ARE THESE PEOPLE IDIOTS?! If they were going to buy time, they should have attacked during the day, not at night! At night, everyone is resting anyway, and we didn't even know their positions! Haha! Who was the idiot commander of this idiot army?"
Rashidun answered mockingly.
"Ashterah Dynasty Heir, Tajong Ashterah."
"So this is their Dynasty Heir, huh? When he poisoned our wells, sabotaged our food supply, and kept us sleepless with night raids, I thought he was a formidable enemy. But now, this stupidity is unbelievable."
Rashidun suspected something.
"This is truly strange. Could someone who devised such cunning plans do something this foolish?"
Cemalleddin spoke arrogantly.
"Ah, forget it. He must have realized he couldn't win. Come on, let's advance. Move the army. We will conquer the Eastern Lands."
Rashidun obeyed his brother's command and respectfully bowed his head.
"As you command, brother. I will move the army immediately."
The Arfas army prepared and moved out.
A few days later
They reached the ports in the Eastern Region of the Southern Lands.
"Look at this. Everything is in ruins."
The traces of the massacres and destruction committed by the Ashterah soldiers were still fresh.
"What shall we do, brother?"
"We don't have time to waste on this, Rashidun. We must continue advancing. Use the entire army to build ships that will transport us to the opposite shores."
"As you command, brother."
At Cemalleddin's command, Rashidun utilized the entire Arfas army to construct a massive fleet.
"It's insufficient for combat, but it's more than enough to transport us all to the other side, brother."
"Well done, Rashidun. Despite limited resources and a lack of engineers, you did an excellent job. You know, with this intelligence, calmness, and talent, you could have been the greatest Arfas Dynasty Lord."
Pleased with the praise from his elder brother, Rashidun replied.
"That opportunity is gone now. Our brother Jamshid has already ascended the throne."
Cemalleddin adopted a stern and serious demeanor.
"I will not leave the throne or the Dynasty to that concubine's child. If it cannot be ours, it can never be his."
Rashidun could not make sense of these words.
"Brother, what are you saying? What do you mean?"
Cemalleddin looked into Rashidun's eyes and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"When this war is over, let's dethrone Jamshid, and you ascend the throne, Rashidun. You deserve the throne far more than that honorless concubine's child."
Rashidun quickly stepped back, casting aside all formality.
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! Do you know the consequences of this? The Arfas Dynasty—our Dynasty—which has ruled the Southern Lands for centuries, we would be destroying it."
Cemalleddin spoke calmly.
"The Ashbrum Dynasty's roots extended all the way to the first Emperor of the Ancient Empire. They were a Dynasty even older than ours, even older than the Kislavein Dynasty. So what happened? Their last Dynasty Lord was killed in a battle without leaving an heir; the dynasty's name came to an end. But their existence and bloodline continue under a new name. The name of the Dynasty isn't important, brother. What's important is us—us and the heirs who will come from our bloodline."
These words left Rashidun hesitant. His mind told him to accept, to take the throne and everything, while his heart told him to refuse, to protect and continue his ancestors' legacy.
"I'll think about it, brother. For now, let's focus on winning the war."
Although Cemalleddin hadn't convinced his brother, he hadn't been rejected either.
"Very well. We will win this war. We will conquer the Eastern Lands and usher in a new era."
Cemalleddin had grand dreams, but they would all drown at sea.
With only a few hours' distance remaining from the Eastern Lands
The Arfas fleet was ambushed by the Ashterah Dynasty's war fleet.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?! WHAT ARE THOSE?!"
While the screams and panic of soldiers and commanders echoed across the sea, the massive Ashterah warships began destroying the Arfas ships.
"DON'T DIE WITHOUT FIGHTING! IF ANYONE DIES EASILY, I WILL PERSONALLY RAPE THEIR CORPSE! FIGHT, DAMN IT!"
Despite all of Cemalleddin's efforts, the outcome of the battle did not change.
The naval battle, which lasted several hours, ended with the Ashterah Dynasty's overwhelming victory.
While millions of Arfas soldiers sank into the sea, becoming supper for fish and birds, the survivors resisted desperately.
Rashidun killed an Ashterah commander, Koushan, in single combat.
At that very moment, standing before him was Ashterah Dynasty Heir and Supreme Commander of the Ashterah army, Tajong Ashterah—the very man he had recently scorned.
The moment he saw him, blood rushed to his brain; he was blinded by rage and the desire for vengeance.
He charged at Tajong, killing every Ashterah soldier in his path. When he finally reached Tajong, they engaged in a duel.
They clashed swords nonstop for tens of minutes.
Rashidun's attacks, fueled by his fury, were powerful but quickly exhausted his energy.
Tajong did what he had done throughout the war: he waited patiently, and when the right moment came, he swung his sword.
Rashidun Arfas was dead.
When Rashidun's lifeless body fell to the ground, Zeyd was among the first to see it.
"My Prince, I will avenge your death. Let not your eyes be left longing."
Seizing the opportunity, Zeyd rushed toward Tajong.
"He must be tired. After all those duels and battles, he must have no energy left."
When Zeyd attempted to cut off Tajong's head, the severed head turned out to be his own.
"Was that a sudden attack... really?"
Tajong watched the corpses at his feet with mocking eyes.
By then, the battle was nearing its end; only a few thousand Arfas soldiers were making their final struggle.
"Let's finish this now."
Tajong charged forward with all his might, personally cutting down thousands of Arfas soldiers within minutes with his own sword.
Only their Supreme Commander, Cemalleddin Arfas, remained.
"You have won. I made a mistake by underestimating you. You are as strong as you are intelligent, Ashterah Dynasty Heir."
Tajong prepared to attack.
"Do you have any last words?"
Cemalleddin shook his head.
"No. But don't even dream of taking my life easily."
As he had said, Cemalleddin did not surrender his life easily.
Despite being tired and wounded, he held on for about an hour. But in the end, he perished by Tajong's sword.
Tajong, despite emerging from a long duel, hadn't even broken a sweat.
He raised his sword and declared his victory.
"VICTORY IS OURS!"
The Lions of the East roared in unison.
"HURRRAAAAAA! VICTORY IS OURS!"
The Ashterah Army's total loss was five hundred thousand. The Arfas army's total loss was four million.
After this battle, the Ashterah army under Tajong's leadership continued their conquests, looting, and massacres in the Eastern Lands from where they had left off.
With this final battle, the year 1830 of the Ancient Imperial Calendar, the first year of the Second Great Lands War, came to a close.
The first year of the war had ended; the second year had begun.