Ancient Imperial Calendar Year 1830
Simultaneously with the battle between Ricardo and Kerem Costin, the Ashterah fleet had anchored on the Eastern Coasts of the Central Lands.
Marco, the Ashterah Dynasty Lord, had been preparing for war since Ricardo declared himself Krael II.
Within ten years, he had gathered six million soldiers.
Dynasty Lord Marco Ashterah had divided his army into three equal forces.
Marco, leading two million soldiers, had attacked the Central Lands.
Brian Ashterah, with two million soldiers, attacked the Northern Lands.
His eldest son and heir, the twenty-year-old Tajong, attacked the Southern Lands with two million soldiers.
Marco rode on his horse at the forefront of the front lines, with his second son, Hakuda, beside him.
"This is the first overseas expedition of our Ashterah Dynasty, my son. We must return with victory and glory."
His second son, Hakuda, was 18 years old.
Hakuda had joined the expedition with his father, his brother, and his other siblings.
He was second in line for the Ashterah throne and served in the army as his father's aide and assistant.
"My entire fate will be determined in the coming years. If my brother Tajong dies in this war and I show success in battle, I could become the Heir to the Throne. And if I marry one of the Kislavein Dynasty Lord's daughters, I will be the greatest."
While Hakuda contemplated numerous plans and conspiracies, they encountered the Costin armies.
At the head of the Costin army was Kaan Costin, a member of the dynasty.
Upon seeing the Ashterah armies, Kaan was furious.
"Damn it, we had planned to trap them on the coastline!"
Kaan's aide, Kübilay Costin, intervened.
"Stay calm, Commander. Even if we lost an opportunity, we still have a chance. We can win the battle."
Kaan calmed down.
"You're right. Let's prepare for battle."
Kaan spurred his horse forward, drew his sword, channeled his mana into his vocal cords, and strengthened his voice.
"MY SOLDIERS! A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, WE DEFEATED FOUR ANCIENT DYNASTIES. WE CAN DEFEAT THEM AGAIN. THIS TIME, WE HAVE POWERFUL ALLIES TOO. DO NOT FEAR. FIGHT SO THAT WE ARE NEVER ENSLAVED AGAIN!"
The Costin soldiers shouted war cries and launched an attack under the leadership of their Supreme Commander, Kaan Costin.
Seeing the Costin soldiers begin their attack, Marco drew his sword and gave the order.
"ATTACK!"
Within minutes, the Ashterah and Costin forces began fighting hand-to-hand.
Millions of Warriors and Mages clashed in a bloody battle in the Kelkit Basin.
Golden and Jade-colored Auras and Spells dazzled the eyes.
Blood spurting and flowing in streams from slaughtered bodies painted the green grass red.
In the chaos of the battle, either by coincidence or a twist of fate, the commanders of the armies faced each other.
"MARCO!"
Ashterah Dynasty Lord Marco focused not on his name being called loudly, but on the owner of the voice.
He turned his head left and right to find the source of the voice and finally saw him.
"Supreme Commander Kaan Costin. I won't lie; I didn't expect to encounter you in this battle."
Instead of engaging in a verbal duel, Kaan quickly charged forward, trying to thrust his sword into Marco.
"Do I look like such an easy morsel to you?"
The two Supreme Commanders swung their swords at a speed low-ranking soldiers could not perceive.
"Not bad for a mere dynasty member, Kaan Costin. But that's it."
Marco pointed his hand at Kaan and spewed golden flames towards him.
Kaan was pushed back meters, burning inside the golden flames; his screams were high enough to burst eardrums.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH IT BURNS! KILL ME!"
Kaan Costin's aide, Kübilay Costin, cast a water spell. The jade-colored water extinguished Supreme Commander Kaan Costin's flames.
Kübilay tried to carry Kaan on his back to take him away. Costin soldiers wanting to buy him time attacked Marco.
"Take the Commander away! We'll hold them off!"
As Kübilay took advantage of the opportunity and reached out his hands to Kaan, he saw that Kaan was about to die.
"Damn it!"
At the moment he fell into despair, Hakuda Ashterah had swung his sword behind him to decapitate him.
Kübilay reacted quickly, parried Hakuda's sword, channeled his mana into his feet and legs, cast a speed spell, and retreated.
"Who are you? Are you a noble?"
Hakuda didn't answer. He swiftly swung his sword and cut off Kaan Costin's head.
Kübilay went mad with rage. Though he always acted rationally, this time he had lost control.
"MY COMMANDER!"
Kübilay charged forward, driven by anger and revenge.
"Come a little closer to me, you fool."
Hakuda pretended to defend with his sword, surprising his opponent, and attacked with magic.
The golden flames engulfed Kübilay, burning his skin and flesh, searing down to his bones.
Kübilay, just a few steps away from his commander's killer, collapsed to the ground and died.
"Hahahaha!"
As Hakuda savored his victory, his father Marco placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Well done, my son. You must show your sadistic side to your enemy and your good side to your friend."
With his father's compliments, Hakuda's arrogance and pride grew even more.
"What are you waiting for? Declare your victory."
Hakuda impaled the burned, severed heads of Kaan and Kübilay on the tips of two spears formed from his golden Aura.
He raised his sword and let out a victory cry.
"I, HAKUDA ASHTERAH, HAVE TAKEN THE LIVES OF SUPREME COMMANDER KAAN COSTIN AND HIS AIDE, KÜBİLAY COSTIN!"
As the Costin forces fled in fear, the Ashterah forces pursued the escapees, trying to kill as many as they could.
While Marco was proud of his son on one hand, he was also fearful on the other.
"Intelligent, strong, cunning, and possessing great potential... but his arrogance and pride remind me of XXI Carl Ashbrum. I hope his end is not like his."
A father's worry, a son's arrogance, and an army's victory cries.
The battle ended in an Ashterah victory, but the wars in the Northern and Southern Lands were just beginning.