The battlefield is set, the war has begun, But what do they fight for, what is war's run? The war we see unfold is a war of misconceptions, One seeks revenge, while one wants protections.

The Nebu's army is strong, indeed, Yet the royal army isn't standing still, they proceed. Soon Jack will see the reality clear, As the war rages on, both far and near.

THE WAR Part 1

"Alfonse, what do you mean?" asked Ramon, perplexed. "How will technology help us?"

Alfonse replied, "I had a vision a few days ago. After seeing the car, I realized that there would be no way to defeat it unless we stood together and applied a force greater than its own. So, we kidnapped the car and modified it into a war machine."

"A war machine?" The group was left speechless.

"Right, Alfonse, come with me," commanded Khonsu. "I'll drive this car to the battlefield while the rest of you try to make it there and support the main army. I have a feeling that Commander Menes will have a hard time fighting this opponent."

"Right," the group said in unison as Khonsu and Alfonse's horses separated from the rest. They finally exited the crowded city of Thebes and reached the battlefield. Their horses raced faster and faster up the hill.

Soon, they arrived, and Jack, for the first time, saw it—an army of soldiers ready for war. Menes stood on the side of the Royal Army, while in front of the Nebu soldiers was a tall man with shining armour on his black horse, his presence enigmatic.

"So, this is what it's like to be in war," said Jack.

"Yes, it is. Well, we must get to the front lines. As a Royal Guard, I'm far too late," replied Memnon.

"Kamil, Jack, and Kasib, let's head to the front lines as well with Commander Menes," spoke Ramon.

With a serious face, Jack said, "I don't think I can do it."

"What do you mean, Jack?" asked Kamil urgently.

"I can't. I just can't. I have no skills, no power, no control over my Chronotex, and I can't use dark energy. What am I supposed to do?" Jack clung to his head, pushing his hair back.

Kasib took the cover off his sword and hit Jack on the head.

"Ouch! Why did you do that, Kasib?" questioned Jack.

"You idiot! Don't you get it? The thousands of soldiers there on the battlefield—they all do not possess any power, some do not possess any skill. But they are still here. They protect what they love. Some their mothers, some their fathers, some their daughters, and some their sons," Kasib raised his voice, questioning Jack. "So, Jack Sterling of the Future, what do you want to protect? Who do you want to protect? That's what you shall learn in this war. Understood?"

In an instant, Jack's fear turned into light.

"What do I want to protect?" He questioned his own goals. "Who do I want to protect?" He imagined the images of Ramon, Kamil, Kasib, the memories he created with them, the training sessions with General Setka and Commander Menes, the talks with Seraphina, and the crafting with Khonsu. He remembered the Bunked training Sessions with Memnon, the kids from the orphanage, and the smiles on Old Man Marcus and Ayman's faces.

In an instant, Jack's fear turned into courage. "Right! I will win."

The group felt the same determination as Jack, ready to fight. They began their march to Commander Menes at the front lines, descending the mountains at high speed. The dust from the movement of thousands of soldiers and horses scraped Jack's face, but he closed his eyes to avoid it. Finally meeting with the soldiers below and reaching the back of the soldiers, they now had to traverse their way through the human maze to Commander Menes. The horses slowed down, and Jack looked around at the soldiers, sensing their emotions—some filled with courage, while others with rage.

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"Hey Ramon, why do some of the soldiers look so pissed?" Jack whispered into Ramon's ears.

"That's probably because they are. They want revenge for what the Nebu did to them so many times—the countless attacks and killings. In those killings, some of the soldiers' family and loved ones died," Ramon explained.

Traversing halfway through the human maze, phase one of the war had already started. Arrows were being ready to be fired from the Nebu, and the Royal Army soldiers had their shields ready, held up high in the sky. The Nebu commander signalled for the arrows to be fired, and they soared through the sky like bolts of lightning—a blanket of death ready to strike the Royal Army soldiers.

Kamil, looking at the sky, was shocked and in awe. He tried to use his power to cover the soldiers, but he was too weak and couldn't secure all the gaps—his power had its limits.

Suddenly, a shadow raised into the sky, and the presence of this shadow being felt throughout the battlefield. "ABSOLUTE DEFEAT" With one slice from his sword, huge amounts of dark energy seeped through, stopping the motion and advance of the arrows, preventing them from reaching any further. The sky itself turned from the sun to a cloud of darkness. Landing onto the ground, still standing, unhinged by the sheer power he unleashed, Menes declared, "If you are here for WAR, then I will give you WAR."

The soldiers cheered, hitting their swords onto the shields. Menes released a wave of dark energy that reached all the way to the other side of the Nebu's army knocking down about 1000 soldiers’ unconscious as they danced while falling to the ground their souls too weak to counter Menes’s power. Taking this as an opportunity, the group rushed to Menes.

The man ahead of the Nebu, wearing shining armour, laughed evilly, etching fear into the hearts of the Royal Army soldiers. "This is what I expect from Menes, the Dark King. But you're not the only one who can use dark energy," he declared, unleashing a wave of dark energy that challenged Menes, pushing his dark energy away and creating a bubble—a shield around the Nebu soldiers, avoiding further damage to his army. Menes retreated his own dark energy to avoid wasting his strength.

No way they could defend against Commander Menes's Dark Energy, gasped the soldiers of the Royal Army.

Jack and the group arrived at Menes's side, and Memnon asked, "Commander, it's him?"

Ramon, recognizing the man, spoke, "It's the guy we saw on the hill when he possessed Kasib."

Kasib, with a jolt of anger, spoke, "Ah, that bastard."

Menes spoke, "Rahotep Nefer. The man who is strong with Dark Energy and possesses a Chronotex, which is powerful as well. This will be a tough battle. I can see that the Nebu soldiers are not just motivated by themselves, but a soul is influencing their greater aura."

"You're right, Commander," spoke Kamil. "The soldiers of the Nebu, their aura is different, as if their spirit is not one, but two or even greater."

"Meaning?" Ramon questioned.

"Meaning that they are being controlled not just by one person, but maybe by two or even three people." Explained Kamil.

Silence enveloped the battlefield, and the soldiers knew this as a sign, a sign of battle. The wind sped up while the particles of sand flew into an endless void. The soldiers' swords slowly raised high, and their shoulders stiffened; the horses nickered, shaking their heads slightly. Jack's palms sweated as he gripped the sword tightly and dismounted Kailo, the black horse. Commander Menes took his last deep breath.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"

Both sides ran towards each other, ever going faster and faster, louder and louder. The swords held high as the wind rose, creating dust clouds in the past positions of the soldiers, marking a place where they shall not return. If they did, it would mean they were fleeing the battle. No soldier wanted to be left behind; they all raced each other, the adrenaline flowing like a speeding river through their veins.

Both sides had their shields at the front, ready, while the Nebu's people at the front had swords. The Royal Army had spears, showcasing their previous experiences with war, the reason being very prominent in the clash.

As both sides collided, a colossal thud could be heard echoing all the way back to the city of Thebes, where the people were still recovering from the barrage of arrows.

The spears pierced through shields and defines of the Nebu; one spear seeped through, piercing one of the soldiers, pushing him far back, the hole marking itself in the dead centre of the Nebu soldier's body, eradicating his lungs, heart, kidneys, and stomach. The only emotion the Nebu soldier had was shock—sheer shock. He wouldn't be able to go back home and meet his newborn child.

But the soldier of the Nebu, his soul did not die, out of nowhere he gained courage and power. He pulled the spear more towards him and used his sword to behead the unsuspecting soldier of the Royal Army. The soldier of the Nebu had used up all his life energy to do this one action, adding to the war. However, he didn't do this on his own accord a voice whispered to him, giving him the last command.

Jack finally raised his sword, breaking through the barrier of the Nebu soldiers. He swung his sword and managed to chop off the hand of the enemy soldier. The enemy soldier halted for a moment, realizing that someone had cut his hand off. However, before he could attack, Kasib swept in with his sword and beheaded the enemy Nebu soldier.

Ramon, racing through the Nebu soldiers with his sword, was gathering up kills upon kills, blood splattering everywhere.

Memnon used his Chronotex ability to make the enemy soldiers' mental state unstable, invoking "Past Contemplation." He brought up the darkest memories of the soldiers, haunting them.

Kamil used his ability to look out for soldiers' blind spots, creating shields so that the Royal Army soldiers didn't get hurt or killed. He also used it offensively; as the Nebu soldiers began to bring their swords down on Kamil, he used his shield to break the momentum and stab them from underneath.

However, all the killings meant nothing; even when they were half-cut or losing a limb, the Nebu soldiers somehow still stood up, their swords ready to fight. However, this time, they weren't human.

"You pathetic Royals really think you can defeat me," said Rahotep Nefer, the Commander of the Nebu, in charge of the Nebu's fleet of soldiers.

He spread his hands out and screamed, "Soldiers, I command you to fight!" The Nebu soldiers who were lying on the ground got back up; they were dead, as reflected by their wounds, but they still stood up, their souls unable to escape.

Then Nefer asked one of the Royal Army soldiers who had made it close to him, "Hey, soldier of the Royal Army, you piece of trash, you're a nobody."

To which the soldier replied, "I will kill you. Understood? I am Kolai Juse, son of Koles." The soldier then jumped up, his sword nearly striking Nefer, but he stopped.

Nefer then spoke once more, "Juse son of Koles I command you to kill Menes."

Juse stopped for a moment and turned around, running towards Commander Menes in order to kill him. His sword was held high, and Juse was a skilled swordsman.

Juse attacked Menes, and their swords clashed.

A circle, or an opening to be precise, was created where Menes was fighting Juse.

Menes advised Juse one last time, "Juse, stop. Get a hold of yourself. You're a talented swordsman, you're a member of the Royal Army, Juse!"

However, to no avail, Menes used his sword to push back Juse.