"Hey, hey. Do you hear that? something is happening outside!" A girl whispered.

"Yes, I hear it too. Could it be our so-called salvation army?" Another female responded with high hopes.

"Everything is possible in this despicable town, might as well another kingdom would want another piece of our land!"

"Wowow, you two shut it, I hear footsteps on the balcony!" A third female whispered roughly. All pair of eyes stared carefully at the doors of the balcony, stepping backwards in fear, gathering around themselves, and taking shelter behind each other. While they witnessed a shadow of a person crawling under the door.

The balcony door was opened slowly with a squeaking voice. A short-young man stepped in, carrying a long rope, and equipped with a sword and two daggers.

"Glad I am not late," he said, with a sense of internal relief.

The girls stood up with mindfulness, trembling. They looked afraid, with tired eyes and dirty clothes.

"a..and w-who you might b-be?" Said a very little girl, about 10 years old.

"Your transportation out of here, The king already sent reinforcement and General Joseph is librating your town as we speak" he comforted them

At the end of his speech, a loud bang echoed downstairs.

The Backstabbers broke through the main door, unleashing their fury on the garrison, killing the last of the retreating enemy maggots across the halls of the building. The shouts of the battle downstairs reached the defenceless hostage's ears, filling them with uneasiness.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" a 19-year-old girl took the lead.

Louis directed the girls as they took a queue and descended towards the ground by the rope fastened to the balcony, one by one they safely reached the ground where two men were awaiting them to drive them to safety.

There were at least 10 girls there, a small number to what he expected to find and to add it up Diana wasn't among those poor souls.

"Is this all of you?" Louis asked the 19-year-old girl.

"Of course, not! We were hundreds before they split us out! I heard they had distributed us across the captains as Spoils. But the larger quality portion was sent here as a property to their bloody general. That said, there was this special girl"

Louis's eyes narrowed as the hostage continued carefully: "We heard him speaking to one of his captains about how capturing her was a great win for them and bragged about how their king would be happy to put his hands on this girl to him, not that I care of cou-"

"WHERE IS SHE!!! WHERE IS THAT SPECIAL GIRL !" he grabbed her arms tightly, shaking her with wide eyes.

The girl exchanged a vague expression with Louis. "Hold on, Why you ca-...oh God" (she finally realized it) "He probably took her to his room downstairs but wait-"

The girl extended her arm to warn her mysterious reckless saviour from something. But he ignored her and swiftly ran out of the room.

Out of the room, there was another battlefield. The Backstabbers were fighting the bodyguards. There were men and women battling sword to sword, and corpses everywhere.

He was amazed at the quickwork of the Backstabbers yet he didn't want to interfere with the battle in any way.

Find Diana now. That was his goal. So He found his way around the fighting soldiers to the ground floor below, opening every room he could find.

In the process, he freed a countless number of hostages, yet Diana was still missing.

With every girl busted out, the morality of the enemy was dwelling. They were losing control over the situation while they fell under the Backstabber's tremendous force.

Louis kept searching, continuously feeding himself the hope he would see his girl out of this mess

He reached the last room, an ordinary one, isolated from most of the building. he tried to thrash the door as usual. However, this door did not respond to his charge.

It was locked.

Definitely, That was the room.

He tried once more to charge the door, but no use. He kicked it madly, but it refused to budge.

"That does it then !" He had enough. He pulled the sword from his back and raised it up high.

With a power he didn't know he owned. He smashed the wood with his landed sword, wiping the wood off the door.

A blow...

And another...

The door began to surrender under this crazy crusade, and with one additional kick, a big hole the size of a sheep was made and Louis entered the room.

He found it empty, with a big open window and a rope strangled around a wooden desk and trailed outside the window.

The boy ran to the window to see through it. Only to see that the Wiesel blood drinker was making his escape through the fastened rope. He already reached the ground, heading for a cloth-covered carriage, driven by a pair of grey muscular horses.

Louis noticed a very slight movement of something, like a worm in the shadows under the cloth.

The blood drinker was escaping with Diana!

Realizing that the prince panicked as soon as he saw the horses cry loud at the hit of its Rider's whips, for the carriage to hit the road away through the roads of Nale.

Louis's breath rose up, as he ran back turning towards the front of the building to get one of these stray horses that once belonged to the dead knights.

Although his legs began to weaken he didn't allow himself to loiter behind that man that was running away. Not with all those crimes and certainly not with Diana.

As The last bodyguard fell. The town hall finally fell. The backstabber rejoiced with high shouts and shimmering swords with their victory, a mighty blow to their invaders.

Louis, on the other hand, passed through them and got outside. He jumped on the back of the first horse he met and throttle onward to the pursuit.

(Meanwhile, as our prince was pursuing the blood drinker, Another pursuit was taking place not far to the west of the town)

Like a broom, he cleaned the town street by street, and house by house. It may seem straightforward madness how Joseph's men were largely outnumbered, but the fast and absolute tactics of their commander in encircling the town, in addition to the network of spies he planted, was only about demonstrating a genuine military mentality.

With his spearhead calvary, expertly led by his own hand, and his loyal sword firmly grasped, he launched a fierce breach. Those who dared to challenge him were swiftly struck down by his sword, while those who attempted to flee met the thunderous hooves of his powerful cavalry.

On another scale, the citizens of Nale were inspired by that courageous initiative, and they had enough of their enemy atrocities, and waged a massive rebellion. Every capable person who could hold a weapon contested between each other to achieve more kills, trying to help their patriotic army to liberate their contested home.

The whole town turned out to be a living hell of fire and bloodshed to Wain's nation, sowing what they planted...

...and they sow Doom.

Joseph's charge appeared to be non-stoppable. The enemy who dared to halt such momentum would be wiped out as a dead corpse under their revengeful blades.

However, In order to fully encircle the town, He headed towards the shallow river of Baria, the geographical border cutting between the two kingdoms. He wanted to cut down the only retreat way to the borders and out of the country.

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Trapping the blood drinker and what's left of his army in that pocket.

That river is where the blood drinker was heading...

(Returning to Louis)

The hyped prince kicked the horse hard, starting a hot pursuit after the blood drinker. From his position, he could clearly see a captive writhing in sack of cloth, inside the top speeding carriage.

Racing time across the wind. He pressed on even more, making the horse scream while he kicked his belly even more granting him speed over his enemy, closing the gap between them.

Getting close, he decided to make a leap, he was determined to make a dangerous jump on the carriage, to try to slit the general throat.

Then, he caught something with the tips of his eye to his left.

Like thunder in their charge, their armoured horses came out of the streets in their organized triangle-piercing division, They were shaking the ground under their massive numbers, breathing heavy air, charging on the heart of a single prideful man. Armed with their swords and fearsome sparkling eyes. Joseph's Elite cavalry has arrived at the scene!

Joseph and Louis spotted each other in the same instance, leading Joseph's face to jump with surprise. So did the terrified blood drinker, struck by the fact of his desperate situation, he began to panic.

He hit his horses even more, looking forward to crossing the river, trying to avoid the encirclement.

"Their general is fleeing, that man is the blood drinker!!" Louis echoed with warnings and Joseph heard it...

Joseph nodded and directed himself and his best men right towards the blood drinker's carriage, cutting his way.

The horses screamed as their bridle was pulled back, halting them and altering his course to the east. The blood drinker's fear escalated quickly. Seeing the river path closing. He tried to retreat to a stray road away from the town.

But he didn't look out for Louis's charge behind him.

The prince hopped to his foot, bending on his knees, and taking a stance on his horse's back, while his horse ran in a clashing course towards the hostile commander's right side.

With complete disregard for reason and logic, the prince firmly grasped both daggers and fearlessly launched himself from his horse's saddle, soaring over the blood drinker.

Accompanied by a pair of Murderous eyes, he barged the man of his fleeing slave carriage seat. Knocking him off to the ground.

The moving carriage horses and Louis's horse found themselves helpless and leaderless, in a collision course with each other.

The lacking animals were slammed into each other, causing the carriage to dangerously tilt to the opposite side, on its left wooden wheels, throwing the captive inside on one side of the carriage.

The horses in their last effort to regain their balance fell while the carriage flipped and crashed to the ground, cutting a swath before finally halting.

The captive inside took a massive beating from all this chaos and was awed by pain, yet she couldn't do anything except crooking inside the sack made of cloth, desperately trying to find a way out.

During the impact, Louis stabbed the man's right arm with one of the two daggers, and it was left hanging in the flesh.

They both fell to the ground and rolled above each other.

The rolling ended with Louis on his back under the bloodied man's full force.

Angry with his enemy, the despicable leader pulled the dagger from his arm with a click of his tongue, raising it up high as a weapon on his former user.

The prince began to struggle, and the commander weighed the hand holding the dagger. He was surprised at how his valiant plan turned up on him. His hands which were trying to stop the dagger from sinking to his chest, shook viciously under the tireless power behind the dagger.

On the opposite of his energetic enemy. Louis's fatigue had reached its final limit. His body was by far weaker from all that running and nerve-wracking battle.

His arm bones were burning, and while his rips were about to crack from the heavy weight of the man's iron armour, his vision was blurring.

The foul breath of the blood drinker was engulfing what was left of the clean air around Louis, making him wrestle even more to breathe.

The other dagger flew away during the attack. The sword was attached to the sheath of his back.

It was crystallised how this would end.

Yet, it didn't...

A running hoove sound got closer and closer.

Drawn by its Attention, the blood drinker lost his focus on the helpless Louis, to receive a sight of a big horse standing on his two back feet. The hooves slapped the man in his helmet. Shaking his brain core inside his skull and causing blood to pop up from his left eye.

The man screamed from the unimaginable pain and lost his grasp around Louis.

Barely rescued from death, Louis coughed. His lungs were free to gain fresh air again, while his dagger lay still beside him.

"How about you face one like your size?!" Joseph shouted at his injured foe.

"Like you?!" the blood drinker said with a smirk, barely supporting himself after losing his eye.

"You wish, I will gladly give my sword a taste of your blood!" he mocked his opponent. Drawing his mighty shining sword from his hide.

His red cape of him flew proudly in front of Louis as the prince eyed the two opponents.

But he wasn't here to watch the showdown, and he ran towards the fallen carriage. Panicking about her health, Louis hasted towards the Bag that held her captive, thinking the captive was his dearest Diana.

(Joseph's POV)

His men whispered to each other. "He was eager to face him for a long time, since their first clash on the border. He swore to avenge his fallen men by himself...

...It became personal now" his men whispered.

The friendly men moved on their horses, at the sidelines.

Over 100 knights were watching, circling around the two generals, creating a huge non-escapable arena.

The fallen blood drinker realized lately that he was surrounded by a circle of furious heavy horsemen who would soon witness his demise.

Joseph's horse marched proudly, stepping inside the arena while the clip-clopping sound of his horse strained his injured and surrounded enemy.

"H-hey, how about you give me a weapon before we battle, It won't be a good touch to kill an unarmed enemy, don't you agree?!" He said with a cunning theme, yet clearly filled with fear.

"Who said anything about a battle?" He chuckled. "I was just attracting attention, So when you fall and everyone sees your beheaded head swinging from my hand, your men won't think twice about laying down their arms!"

Ending his talk, Joseph got down from his horse, he approached the blood drinker with a dogmatic-shaped mouth, and tensioned sheared teeth.

The blood drinker began to retreat slowly, while his head was continuing to exert sweat. Yet, somehow he was managing to keep his sardonic smile.

"Oh, come on. I am a precious asset. It would be more practical if you kept me alive" he laughed, hiding his cowardness behind his ugly theatrical smile.

He lost his balance, and fell on his back, still retreating on his hands till he reached the edge of the arena.

Joseph walked towards him, till he was a foot away, directing his sword to the man's throat.

"REALLY! So You are bargaining with me now!? How about you beg for your life, dogswine, I would like you to test a niche of the feelings that you caused to the citizens of this town!"

Louis's ears stopped him in his tracks. What on earth is this rubbish he just heard !!

He looked at Joseph, shocked. How can this man who is mocking his enemy and encouraging him to abandon his dignity in exchange for his life, be the same man who was once honourable and romantic back at the camp, what happened to him...

Despite his wandering, his father had already provided him with the answer to those questions years ago, an answer of one word...

...WAR.

If the money is the mother of all evil. Then a war is her wicked husband. It changes people, twisting the human soul, crushing every principle and law, raising nations above others through it, and cherishing the evil inside them. Putting it simply, No one enters the war and stays the same afterwards...

Suddenly, the blood drinker smiled under his nose. As an insane laughter came out of his pitful figure.

If it isn't for his military costume. One could mistake him for deranged ciminal, Despite how his hysterical laugh and his past cruel action confirm.

The uneasy glances exchanged between Joseph's companions were that of a concern and mockery. It appeared that the man had either lost his mind or was intentionally trying to come across as crazy.

"Me...I...would beg to you?! IN YOUR BLOODY DREAMS!"

With that said, suddenly the blood drinker got up a dagger from his sleeve, trying to take Joseph by a surprise attack.

No one saw it coming, except Joseph.

With a great reflex, Joseph parried the dagger jab. Which led the blood drinker to hit the air, stumbling and then falling with great embarrassment.

"JUST STAY STILL, SMUG FACE!", irritated by his failed attempt and numerous eyes viewing it. He swung with his dagger bluntly. A swing that was too easy to evade...

At some point, Joseph even played with his enemy, noticing how the blood drinker...the master tactician of battles...never knew how to hold a dagger properly.

...until at a point, Joseph took the most decisive action in this battle. This was a move by which he shows us how can a man's heart solidify, dried from any sense of ethics, harnessing his dark intentions reincarnated in a path of vengeance and Vedanta.

His sword swiped throught the air fast...

For the last time of that day...

Fulfilling his words...

The hardy swords slashed to the flesh of his foe, cutting through...

...and just like that.

The blood drinker lost his right arm.

The man screamed and fell to his knees, bending on himself like a crying baby. Not comprehending that his amputated limb lay meters away from his body. He held what was left of his bleeding shoulder with a broken soul and mind. A scenario that Joseph fought so hard to see.

Yet...

...that wasn't enough for his enemy... Joseph wanted his head.

He advanced again, one last time, Raising his blood-soaked sword over his head and over the completely surrendered and crying general, to implement his final black judgment.

"I...I...I...surrender, pl...please s..s.sp...spare M...me" he begged throughout his completed humiliation.

But the begging fell on deaf ears.

"Time to meet your creator"

And the sword fell...

Storyline 1: The sword fell decisively, cleaving the blood drinker's head of its normal place. His lifeless head began to roll, while his body fell for the last time in his military career and his life.

Cruel as it may seem and despite some astonishment of his men, Joseph finally took his long-awaited revenge, cutting the head of the snake.

He was right. Once the army saw the head raised in the sky, all men dropped their arms and surrendered. Soon after...Nale was finally free.

Storyline 2:

"STOP!" Louis shouted in alarm.

The sword stopped falling too close to the freezing man.

"What!" Joseph looked at Louis nervously, "I think I was clear about your leaving, wasn't I!?"

"And let you commit a war crime! What on earth is the matter of you, you are humiliating your enemy then you make him disabled, you are not the same man I know in that forest!"

"So I should leave that fucker live because of some ideal principles!? This man committed a mass murder!"

"Then be better than him! The info inside his brain is better with his head intact, and in all ways, he can be martially courted at any time. Justice has other ways rather than this inhumanity!"

Joseph stared at Louis occasionally before looking back at the disabled man with a blank face.

He pointed his sword edge toward the blood drinker's bowed head.

"Your words for your life, if you tried to outsmart me or my men, I will cut both of your legs next time, am I clear general?"

The blood drinker nodded weakly, surrendering his fate and the town to its victor