"What will you do to stop Asura's troops?" Nora asked.
"We'll use a pincer formation around her army. First: she doesn't have a mounted cavalry, so we just need to lure them down the mountain. Second: speed and precision. Once we split them apart, the two of us will focus on Asura herself—but I doubt she'll show her face so easily."
Nora was impressed by how well everything was prepared. How could someone so young have such battlefield experience? But a single thought echoed in her mind:
"Does she really plan to fight Asura without caring about the rest of the troops?"
"We'll have to push our limits… since we're the only ones here who can use mana," Katarina continued. "Once we separate Asura, we'll need to find a way to fight her somewhere far from the main battlefield."
"I understand... Leave that to me. With the Form of Darkness, I can push her away in a random direction."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
Once their plan was set, Katarina Sui and her cousin Nora approached the gathered soldiers outside the camp to deliver a speech. Standing before five thousand foot soldiers, three thousand cavalry, and five hundred healers from her clan—the Sui, known for their mastery of medicine—was enough to make anyone tremble.
"Ahem—" Katarina cleared her throat loudly. "As you all know, today we march to our final battle! What happens today will shape our lives for generations. For freedom, for those waiting for us at home—today, we fight as one family! We share the same blood, the same hair, the same eyes... We are the Sui! And today, we'll bring an end to Alduin's tyranny!" she shouted with a voice that thundered across the ranks. Even her embarrassment couldn't hide the burning determination in her heart—to bring a better future for her people.
Nora, standing beside her, felt uneasy. Katarina's words were directed at her family. The soldiers' doubtful gazes only deepened the weight in her chest."I need to be careful… or my family could end today."
Katarina stepped closer and whispered in her ear:
"Don't worry. Luckily, he's on your side… isn't that enough of a guarantee?"Nora followed her cousin with her eyes, confused. "Who is she talking about?"
Mounting her brown-and-white horse, Katarina raised her family's crest high on a spear and shouted:
"Follow me!!!"
The march of eight thousand five hundred men and women shook the ground beneath them, crushing even the grass underfoot as they headed east toward the capital, Unandir. Along the way, Katarina approached her commander, Bartra—a seasoned warrior in his forties, slightly overweight but still formidable—to ask a favor.
"I know this sounds improvised, but once we separate Asura from her army, I want you to take command of the troops. Is that alright?"
"I live to serve you, my lady. My life exists for your command," Bartra replied, bowing his head.
Nora smiled. "Good to hear."
"Take the cavalry, Bartra, and move toward that small forest by the plains where we'll fight. When the time comes, I'll signal you to strike from the flank."
"Do you think it'll work?"
"We have to try…"
After marching for twenty minutes, the army reached a wide plain with gentle hills—not enough to affect their formation. It was around eleven in the morning. Everyone stood ready, but Katarina frowned; there was no sign of the Shisui troops anywhere. Doubt crept into her thoughts.
"I don't see the Shisui army… this was the meeting point. Did she trick me? I thought she'd honor her word…"
Earlier, Katarina and Asura had met to choose the battlefield themselves—both sides weary from endless fighting—and decided to end the conflict once and for all, without schemes.
"So, you finally arrived," Katarina muttered.
Indeed, in the distance, ten thousand soldiers stood before her—men, women, even teenagers. The Shisui didn't care who served them; as long as one's life had a purpose, that was enough.
"There are… more than I thought. Twenty, forty—no, fifty thousand?" Katarina tried to count, but the sight was overwhelming.
"She's here…"
Asura's forces approached slowly—then suddenly stopped. The first line, composed of heavily armored soldiers with long spears and large iron shields, stood firm. Katarina glanced upward and saw a shape descending from the sky—a dragon.
"There she goes again, showing off…"
Riding her dragon Valakas, Asura descended before her troops. The moment the beast roared, her soldiers erupted in cheers:
"Ahull! Ahull!"
Asura dismounted, giving the dragon two pats before it spread its wings, lifting a storm of dust and soaring back into the clouds. The air grew heavy. Katarina, Asura, and Nora exchanged glances—each fully aware of the cause they were fighting for. On one side: pride and bloodline. On the other: freedom.
"First, second, and third lines—advance! Mages, boost their strength!"
The ground trembled.
"There are too many…" Nora said, staring at the endless sea of soldiers, her hands trembling.
"Don't worry," Katarina said firmly. "We just need to hold them long enough for him to kill Alduin. Asura is our priority."
"So you're using them just to buy time to kill my sister? Why didn't you say that before?!" Nora shouted, glaring at her. "We can't let this battle drag on!"
"First and second lines, go left! Third line, right flank! Give it everything you've got—it's now or never!"
"Ahaaa! Ahruuu!"
Their soldiers charged, shouting from the depths of their souls. Hair flying, armor gleaming, their cries shook the sky—a moment that would be remembered for generations. And on the other side, fifty thousand Shisui soldiers, black-haired, blue-eyed, resolute, and proud.
Both sides carried the same determination, the same goal:To end the war.
The battle erupted in chaos. Steel clashed, blood splattered, screams were drowned by the thunder of footsteps. The earth itself seemed to weep beneath them.
"We have to force Asura into the fight, or this will all be for nothing," Katarina shouted, her eyes burning with resolve. "I'll join the front lines—wait for the right moment to separate her from the troops. We only get one chance."
To be continued...