~Bayajidda Route

~The Battlefield

Amid the battle, dark clouds gathered in the sky. It became darker by the minute until it was so dark that visibility became almost impossible. The battle didn't stop, but everyone became more cautious. Some of the soldiers sought refuge.

Not long after that, the clouds churned and lightning flashes illuminated the sky. And soon, lightning struck and turned the battlefield into a chaos of thunder and lightning.

The battle stopped. Every face turned upward in wonder, knowing that this phenomenon wasn't natural.

A bright pillar of light illuminated the sky. Then it began to rain. The rain was full of thunder and lightning. A giant lightning fist covered the sky before descending on the enemy line.

It hit the ground hard, reducing everything on its path to rubbles and ashes. More than twenty thousand soldiers died in an instant. There was chaos on the battlefield. Daljari's men retreated, thinking it was the wrath of God that befell them.

But their path of retreat was blocked by another pillar of lightning. It had a man's silhouette in it and a close look at it revealed Armad Wilberforce. He was completely enraged.

Without giving them the chance to make a move, Armad shot another lightning arm on them. This time around, five thousand men were reduced to nothing as the lightning decimated the battlefield.

More than fifty men attacked Armad as one, raining chaos of weapons and Bends at him. Armad stood his ground. The weapons pierced through him, but instead of hurting him, they passed through him like he wasn't there, leaving him unscathed.

That infuriated him even more. As he raised his hand to shoot another lightning, Daljari turned to Uznu meaningfully and said, "You have been waiting for him, haven't you?"

Delighted, Uznu vanished from his position and reappeared beside the carriage. Armad immediately went after him.

But then, for some unknown reason, Uznu's soul star in the sky brightened. His body blurred out of existence as he was teleported away from the battlefield to the borders between the second and the first worlds. Then from there to the first world.

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Everyone was surprised by the sudden turn of events.

"Where did Uznu go?"

"Did he run away from Armad?"

"What's going on?"

"Why would he leave, isn't he supposed to kill Armad for us?"

Commander Asifu and Red Rider were almost at the carriage when Armad reached it. That stopped them short and they were forced to take a step back. Kiru and Hasanu flanked Armad, then together, they faced the enemy and defended the carriage.

Kiru laughed and nodded at Armad. "I never thought I would be so happy seeing you, bro."

Armad smile and nodded back. They'd taken back the carriage but their opponents still seemed to have the upper hand. Nazara and Bizaya had been fighting with Hasanu and Kiru. Nobody seemed to have the upper hand there. Meanwhile, the Twin Executioners and Deniz Kalhari had already killed the eight soldiers guarding the carriage so they were free to join the fray. And there was Asifu and Red Rider. It was three against seven.

Armad studied the situation and then decided. He didn't have to fight everyone. For him, the purpose of the war was to save his wife and that was what he would do.

~First World

~Lord King's Palace

~ A meeting of Ashura (Council of Ururu)

Meanwhile, in the first world, the Crown Prince and Deputy Tadiyraini Ururu called for an emergency meeting.

This meeting was normally a biannual meeting but it could be done anytime the need arose.

It was the meeting of the Ashura. It was where the kings of the world met to discuss how to rule the world.

The palace sat in the middle of the first world, directly above the black stone that separated the first and the second world. Built with the most precious stone of Yalfinji, and seen from everywhere in the first world, the palace was the tallest building in the first world.

The meeting was taking place at the largest hall in the palace. Everyone was present, including Uznu, who was among the ten Ashura kings.

Eleven men were in the hall, all of whom had the same black eye, full of haughtiness.

Unlike the rest, Uznu and Tadiyraini had their face uncovered. Tadiyraini wore a plain shirt and trousers. Despite the dress, he was very conspicuous. His was an ageless face. He'd silky black hair. His brows had the shape of a sword. On his shoulder was a sheathed blade. He was Kuyurussa'ayi Ururu's deputy minister.

The other nine men had their faces covered by a mask of dark light. You could roughly make out their facial symmetry but you couldn't see their features. They were the nine Ashura kings:

1) Dumakisu Ururu

2) Dul'Ururu Ururu

3) Jushai Ururu

4) Kilbaru Ururu

5) Jidda Ururu

6) Nasàra Ururu

7) Shiysui Ururu

8) Fayziy Ururu

9) Jailan Ururu

Tadiyraini cleared his throat and said, "I sought for your presence to discuss these four issues: Armad Wilberforce, Hidaya Wilberforce, Banzirshishirui, and Ikenga O. Bayajidda."