YEAR: 1724. AUGUST 16TH. LOCATION: IN THE COMMAND TENT OF THIRD DIVISION IN NORTHEAST OF PLAIN OF JADE

I had to face the harsh reality—these two were absolute monsters.

When the battle kicked off, I figured it would be a breeze. I mean, we outnumbered them ten to one! But I was wrong. In no time at all, those two managed to cut down ten of our soldiers like it was nothing.

They were nothing like Major General Caelen. These two were on a whole different level, especially Brigadier General Varian—the guy with the enchanted sword. Every time he swung that thing, a deadly arc of wind would slice out, cutting through anything in its path. Whoever was unlucky enough to get hit by one of those wind blades was cleaved clean in half. It was terrifying.

And then there was Major General—no, Colonel Aylsia. She didn’t even need magic or an enchanted weapon to be a force of nature. She was a monster in her own right, moving with such precision and speed that it felt like we were up against an unstoppable force.

The moment I stepped into the tent and saw them, I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy fight. But seeing them in action? That was something else. My soldiers, who had been so confident just moments before, were now dropping like flies. It was almost as if we were the ones who had been ambushed.

Varian’s wind blades were relentless, forcing us to scatter and take cover wherever we could find it. But even then, there was no guarantee of safety. Aylsia was quick to close in on anyone who tried to retreat, her sword flashing with deadly aura that cut down anybody who dared to block her path.

"Focus on the Brigadier General!" I shouted, hoping to at least divide their attention. But it was easier said than done. Varian’s wind blades were keeping everyone at bay, while Aylsia was a whirlwind of death, preventing any of us from getting close enough to even land a hit.

I gritted my teeth, trying to think of a strategy. We needed to take them down, but how? At this rate, we’d all be dead before we even had a chance to regroup. Not to mention we needed to end this quickly or the force of 6th Company would be annihilated if we kept staying here. My mind raced, searching for any possible weakness, any opening we could exploit. But they were too well-coordinated, too powerful.

I had to do something, anything, to turn the tide. My thoughts flickered back to the mana I had used earlier, the power that had nearly killed me. I could feel it, that warm sensation coursing through my body, just waiting to be used. However, can I use it without dying?

There was no time to hesitate. I had to make a choice, and I had to make it now. We couldn’t afford to lose here, not when we were so close. I tightened my grip on my sword, feeling the familiar weight of it in my hand. If I was going to use my mana again, I had to be smart about it. I had to make it count.

"Hold the line!" I yelled to my remaining soldiers, trying to buy us a few more seconds. My heart pounded in my chest as I gathered my resolve, ready to push my body to its limits once again. This was our only chance, and I wasn’t going to let it slip away.

I let the familiar warmth of mana flow through me, feeling it course through every vein and muscle. But this time, it wasn’t overwhelming like before. Instead of that burning sensation, my body felt invigorated, almost like I was coming alive in a new way. There was no pain, only power.

Without wasting a second, I charged straight at Varian. He was still swinging his enchanted sword, each slash sending out deadly arcs of wind. But this time, I wasn’t afraid. I raised my sword and cut right through one of those wind blades, splitting it in two as I pressed forward.

Varian’s eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t expected anyone to counter his attack. I didn’t give him time to recover. My sword clashed against his with a force that sent sparks flying. The shock in his eyes quickly turned to determination as he pushed back, but I could tell he was rattled.

Aylsia saw what was happening and tried to rush to Varian’s aid. But my ten remaining soldiers intercepted her, throwing themselves into the fight with everything they had. They knew they were outmatched, and it was clear Aylsia was cutting them down with terrifying efficiency. With every swing of her sword, one of my men fell, their lives snuffed out in an instant.

But they didn’t back down. They fought with everything they had, knowing full well they might not make it out alive. Their sacrifice gave me the precious moments I needed to keep Varian occupied. It was a desperate situation, but it was our only chance.

I gritted my teeth and focused all my energy on Varian. This had to end now, before Aylsia broke through my soldiers and turned the tide against us. With every clash of our swords, I could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on me, but I couldn’t afford to lose. Not now. Not when we were so close to victory.

Then, something unexpected happened. An Imperial soldier, not one of mine, suddenly stumbled into the tent. As soon as I saw him, my heart sank—this could only mean one thing: the 2nd Platoon I had stationed outside had been wiped out. My mind raced with the implications, knowing that our surprise attack was likely doomed. But then the soldier spoke, and his words shocked everyone in the tent.

"Lady Alysia! The enemies are attacking, and we require your orders!"

For a moment, everyone—including Varian and Alysia—froze. The tension in the air was palpable. What struck me most was how the soldier, despite the chaos unfolding around him, managed to deliver his message with such composure. But what he said was even more shocking. The 1st Brigade was attacking the Imperials? It didn’t make sense. The Imperials outnumbered them by a huge number, and even without Alysia leading the Imperials, the 1st Brigade should have been obliterated.

But before anyone could react, another Imperial soldier burst into the tent, bringing even more alarming news.

"Lady Alysia, the main force of the 9th Corps, numbering around 10,000 and led by General Cedric himself, is charging at us! Colonel Ominla’s forces have been annihilated, and we need to retreat immediately!"

This was beyond anything I could have imagined. General Cedric and the 9th Corps? Here? The tables were turning in ways I hadn’t anticipated, and I wasn’t sure if it was for better or worse.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

By the sound of it, Colonel Ominla’s force had been responsible for attacking Cedric’s main force, only to be utterly defeated. Come to think of it, why would the commander of the Third Division focus on our unit instead of facing Cedric? It didn’t make any sense. There had to be some other motive, something I hadn’t accounted for.

But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Alysia, having just bisected my final soldier, turned her deadly gaze toward me. She didn’t hesitate as she charged at me with terrifying speed, her sword aimed straight for my head. I barely managed to dodge the blow, rolling to the side just in time. But as I scrambled to get away, I felt a searing pain in my left arm.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed in agony as I realized what had happened—my left arm had been severed by the enchanted blade. The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt, and it was all I could do to stay conscious.

“What was that about killing us?” Alysia sneered as she brought her sword down toward me. I barely managed to block it, but with my concentration shattered, I could no longer control my mana. The strength boost I had was gone in an instant.

I dodged the next strike, but not without a cost. My sword, no longer enchanted, was cleaved in half, and this time, I wasn’t fast enough. My right foot was severed and flew through the air. I tried to get up, desperation clawing at me, but Varian sent another arc of wind my way. The blade of air cut through my left foot, and I collapsed, screaming in agony.

Before I could even catch my breath, Alysia stepped on my head, grinding my face into the dirt. My screams were muffled, the pressure on my skull unbearable. It felt like my head would explode at any second.

“Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean I’ll show you any mercy,” Alysia said, her voice icy as her blade hovered close to my throat. “How many soldiers did you kill before you got here? You’ve already spilled so much blood.”

I couldn’t deny it. I had cut down so many, easily over a hundred people, maybe more. But now, lying here with Alysia’s sword at my neck, the weight of it all started to sink in. Why had I killed so many? What was I doing here, deep in enemy territory, risking everything?

At first, it was all about the promotion. I was convinced that if I climbed the ranks high enough, I’d eventually be able to escape the brutal realities of the frontlines, and find a safer position where I could finally breathe without the constant threat of death hanging over me. I believed that with each promotion, I was getting closer to the life I wanted—a life free from the bloodshed and working somewhere safe. But as I stood here now, covered in the blood of another relentless battle, I couldn’t help but wonder: was it really worth it? Was all this violence justifiable?

What if I just… stopped? Let it all go, walked away from this life that was slowly erasing my soul, and found something else, something normal, something that wouldn’t require me to kill just to stay alive? The more I thought about it, the more doubts crept in. What was the point of getting promoted if it only meant more dangerous missions, more battles, more lives lost under my command? Even as a Captain, I couldn’t escape being sent into the frontline of the fight. The rank I had once thought would protect me had instead become a heavy burden, chaining me to a never-ending cycle of death and destruction.

Mira, who held the rank of First Lieutenant, a position technically below mine, had easily pushed me into this mess. Now, as I stood on this blood-soaked battlefield, surrounded by the dead and dying, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, staying in the military wasn’t worth it anymore. What good was a promotion if it meant constantly staring death in the face, knowing that each battle could be my last?

My sword felt heavy in my hand, the weight of it almost unbearable as exhaustion settled deep into my bones. The fight had drained out of me, leaving behind a hollow shell of the soldier I once was. Alysia seemed to sense my hesitation. Her blade pressed closer, her eyes searching mine as if she could see the doubt, the weariness, the desperate desire to just let it all end. And for the first time, I found myself wondering if it wouldn’t be easier to just let it end here, to drop my weapon and allow her blade to deliver the final blow.

Would that be so bad? To simply surrender to the inevitable and escape this endless cycle of violence? The thought lingered, a dark temptation that I couldn’t quite shake. Maybe quitting was the better option, even if it meant risking capture again, or worse. What was the point of fighting? What did I even fight for?

The doubts weighed heavy on my mind, but as Alysia's blade inched closer, I knew I had to make a choice. Did I still have the strength to fight for this life, or was it time to let it go and find something else, something that wouldn’t require me to sacrifice pieces of my soul with every swing of my sword?

Before I could fully give in to my doubts, an arrow suddenly shot through the fabric of the tent, streaking toward Alysia. She reacted quickly, deflecting it with her sword, but in that moment, she let go of my head, giving me a brief moment to breathe.

As I struggled to process the sudden turn of events, soldiers in the unmistakable armor of the 9th Corps burst into the tent, led by none other than Brigadier General Devon. His presence alone commanded attention, and I wasn’t the only one caught off guard. Varian and Alysia’s eyes widened in shock, though they quickly tried to regain their composure, shifting into battle stances. Yet, I could still see the surprise lingering in their expressions. Even I was stunned that the 9th Corps had arrived so quickly, given the 5,500 Imperial forces supposedly guarding the camp.

This time, Varian and Alysia weren’t facing rookies like my unit. These soldiers were the real deal—the elite. It was obvious just from how they moved. They weren’t just fighters; they were veterans of countless battles.

Varian and Alysia clearly recognized the threat. They began to retreat cautiously, but Brigadier General Devon wasn’t about to let them escape. He charged at Alysia, their swords clashing in a flurry of sparks. Meanwhile, the other soldiers engaged Varian, who continued to unleash deadly arcs of wind with his enchanted blade. Even for these elites, those wind slices were deadly, cutting down those who weren’t quick enough to dodge.

Seeing the chaos unfold, I knew I couldn’t let them get away. Summoning every last ounce of strength I had left, I gripped the hilt of my broken sword. Focusing all my remaining mana into my right arm, I hurled the sword with everything I had towards Varian.

Occupied with battling more than twenty soldiers at once, Varian didn’t notice my attack. Since I was behind him, Varian couldn’t see me, and he had no reason to suspect that I, seriously injured and drained, could still fight. The sword struck home, burying itself deep into Varian’s chest. Blood spurted from the wound as his eyes went wide in shock.

Clutching his sword as if his life depended on it, Varian collapsed to the ground. With his fall, Alysia’s attention snapped toward him, her expression a mix of shock and rage as she realized what had just happened.

Alysia was clearly losing ground. With no reinforcements in sight, it didn’t take a genius to realize she’d end up just like Varian if she didn’t act fast. Without a moment’s hesitation, she bolted, tearing straight through the walls of the tent in a desperate attempt to escape.

“After her!” Devon's voice boomed as he commanded his soldiers to give chase, determined to capture her before she could slip away.

But Devon himself didn’t join the pursuit. Instead, he made his way to where I lay, crouching down to examine my battered body. My left arm was gone, both of my feet were severed, and I was covered in injuries. I must’ve looked like a wreck, but there was no hint of worry in his voice.

“You can rest now,” he said calmly. “The medics will be here soon.”

No fuss, no sympathy, just straightforward words. It wasn’t exactly comforting, but I was too exhausted to care. As the adrenaline faded, darkness started to close in around me. Seriously, what was with me and passing out all the time? I needed to work on that.

But before I could dwell on it any longer, I slipped into unconsciousness.