Jim finished sending a heartfelt message to Shana and then switched off the tablet. He'd just gone to check his drone feed when he saw a notification of a message from Shana. She assured him that she was moving as fast as she could, and that he should hold on for as long as possible.
This had warmed his heart, especially seeing how emotional she was being. His response had been light but sincere, promising her how he would not only conquer the enemies at their door, but he would bring the entire world at her feet.
Once he had switched it off, he sighed. He knew he had deceived her, and that if, or when, she discovered the truth, she might not feel the same way anyway. He vowed to do right by her, and that she would not be just a pawn in his schemes.
He then remembered that he hadn't checked the drone feed and switched on the tablet once more.
A few minutes later, once he had confirmed everything, he set his people to purpose. Each had an assigned task. Darkness soon fell, and night robbed people of light. Time to go hunting, Jim thought.
On the other side, Maraga had been waiting for this as well. He knew the enemy was out there, somewhere. He knew he was exposed, while the enemy hid in the dark. With such a disadvantage, he guessed the enemy would definitely make a move at night, so he too would make his move.
Everyone was making plans, and the night promised much bloodloss. The horde continued on, even building fire camps, as though daring the enemy to attack. Meanwhile, every warrior in their ranks was primed and ready, with none daring to sleep. They knew, somewhere out there, in the darkness, an unknown lingered.
In the dark, a group of twenty men crawled forward, trying to remain out of sight. It did not help that the moon was rising, and their concealment would be thin. The best they could hope for was to rapidly advance, such that by the time they were discovered, it would be too late.
Already, from the weeds, they could make out a few centries, standing guards. There were guards all around. Kyalo looked forward and gave the signal, everyone got still. A guard was facing their direction, but he did not seen to have noticed them. Kyalo signalled the bowman to prime his weapon, just in case they were discovered.
Soon, the guard continued on in their patrol, without having detected anything. The group got as close as they could to the edge of the camp without being seen.
Once they were a stone's throw away, they pulled out special objects Jim had handed them. He had called them grenades. The first experience with them in training had been horrifying, and they hoped to never have to use such a weapon up close. Now, they were about to do just that.
Everyone had three grenades, and there were three other groups such as these creeping upon the camp, all possessing three grenades too. Jim had quite the stockpile, and this barely put a dent in his production.
Critical moments passed as the various groups waited for the appointed signal. From his vantage point, Jim could see each of the groups, and he was waiting for the third group to get into place. Once they were there, he turned the muzzle of his sniper rifle towards the heart of the camp.
An old man was thoroughly enjoying the company of a woman. Despite his advanced age, he was still very muscular and energetic. Jim felt like a pervert watching this unfold. He also felt it was such a shame he would interrupt their amorous activity.
Taking a deep breath, he cocked the rifle and got into position. His crosshairs had their targets, and he made adjustments for the wind and distance. He was almost a mile away from the target, a distance no arrow could cross. Even his own people did not believe he could make the shot.
He breathed deeply and then exhaled. Then counted down from three. The trigger squeeze was so gentle, and the shot caught him by surprise. Before he knew it, the general's tent turned bloody, and the woman, who had been letting out pleasure sounds was now screaming at the top of her lungs.
To his shock, the barbarians seemed ready for this. Everyone came out of their tents wielding their weapons and running towards the direction of the shot. Jim realized he'd underestimated the enemy, but his plan was foolproof.
With the sound of gunfire echoing in the night, Kyalo and his group, as well as the other groups, all leapt into action. Each pulled out the pins and tossed the grenades in various directions within the enemy's camp.
Suddenly, a cacophony of explosions suddenly erupted, shocking the night and lighting it up like the noon. All those who were within the vicinity of the grenades died instantly, without knowing how they did.
Those nearby were severly wounded, some with missing limbs. The greatest effect of the grenades was on the psyche of the enemy. Once those explosions went off, the warriors were disoriented and dizzy, while others were just panicked and in various degrees of shock.
The entire camp was in disarray. Their fearless leader was dead, his head having exploded all over his tent. To the Zithilites, this was their worst moment. Little did they know, the noose was about to get tighter around their necks.
Without giving them time to recuperate, multiple grenades flew into the camp once more. This time, the harvest was spectacular. Explosions rocked the camp, and even seasoned warriors who survived the ordeal of the explosions were seated on the ground crying and calling for their mamas.
That's when they heard it. Systematic, rhythmic, almost hypnotic firing. The guns seemed to form a symphony of their own as the bullets tore through the enemy ranks like paper.
The assault rifle bullets flew through the air, tearing through multiple warriors. Elsewhere, Janui and his team of snipers were also on the prowl. Through the scopes, they scanned through the hordes, the mission: find and eliminate anyone trying to organize.
Among the hordes, if someone started gathering the group, or got a following, they would be shot down without preamble. The night was a hellish experienced designed to exterminate the enemy completely.
"Retreat!" No one knew who sounded the call, but the moment it was said, everyone started running all over the place. They were not trying to organize, or put up a resistance. Their only concern was to put as much distance between them and the invisible demons.
"We've won!" Jassim exclaimed, hardly believing it. At first, he doubted, but after training, he started getting some believe. However, only until now, when the battle was decided, did it suddenly sink in.
The shock turned into joy, and his next words came out as a shout! "WE'VE WON! WE WON!"
He kept repeating, overflowing with jubilation. Immediately, everyone around him also started shouting, celebrating their victory.
Only one man retained his cool. His eyes on the enemy as his allies celebrated. Once he felt they'd had enough he shouted.
"Can it! Go down there and hunt as many as you can, don't be careless though!" He ordered. He then pulled his sniper rifle and aimed once more, trying to shoot at anyone running.
With the order given, the soldiers were more composed. They descended to the battlefield, and snipers continued shooting. The night was destined to be hellish for the Zithilites. By morning, multiple dead bodies were littered all over the highlands, and any that got out was so traumatized that they wouldn't dare return.
At daybreak,everyone gathered back at the campsite, which now looked like a scene from hell. The littered bodies were beginning to give off an acrid smell, but Jim had a plan for them.
Taking a lesson from history, he had his men do something that would infringe on their sensibilities, but it was absolutely necessary. Once done, he put it all together, and sent one of his guards to go as an emissary. Time for him to announce his presence in the world.