The war just started but it instantly turned more than intense. As the revenge-driven soldiers of the Alewine Army fought their enemies, they resembled a beast!
Despite not being engaged in military activities for a while, Iria's patience and little training every day during the past few days paid off and she had no trouble with her shoulder. She had no problem fighting just like before.
If she was in a good form, that means the enemies should fear.
As Iria fought the soldiers, Orius and Zire were fighting right beside her. The two men tried to keep their promise to her by sticking beside her and protecting her in case something went wrong.
Even at the beginning of the war, soldiers of the Alewine Army were lesser in numbers than the soldiers Zaro Aventine brought. However, the high morale of the Alewine Army was more than obvious in the way the soldiers fought.
Nevertheless, just like Iria planned, the Royal Army soldiers somewhat believed that they had the upper hand despite being surrounded. But as the minute goes up, they slowly realized that they must be wrong!
"Your Majesty," General Trevor called out when the King was fighting right beside him. "It seems like we are at a disadvantage now. The enemy soldiers are too motivated. They don't fear anything!"
Zaro Aventine heard what his most trusted General was saying but... he didn't react or respond.
All he did was fight and slash the soldiers of the Alewine Army.
"Your Majesty!" General Trevor shouted again. "It will be best to retreat for now!"
Zaro Aventine glanced around as he take down whoever come for him. They were already surrounded before the war started and even now, they were attacked from all directions, pressing his soldiers to the center!
"Do you think we are capable of retreating now?" he said to General Trevor as he blocked the sword of the enemy soldier who came for him. He knocked the soldier down and said, "For that, we still have to force our way out."
General Trevor glanced at a large number of soldiers behind him and noticed that the King was right! Then he just realized that the Masked Commander will be able to fulfill her promise if this continued!
"Then please leave alone, Your Majesty," he begged the King. "I will pave the way for you. No matter what happened here, it will be fine as long as you manage to leave this place alive!"
"Stop thinking about that," Zaro Aventine snapped.
"Your Majesty -"
"What she wants is me," the King uttered while still fighting the enemies. "Do you think she will let me leave?"
"But... " The General's voice trailed off when he noticed a slight movement in the small mounts that surrounded the valley. When he recalled the camouflage used by the enemies to fool them, his eyes grew wide!
"There are more, Your Majesty," he shouted. "Please... I will do anything to make sure that you leave this place. Please trust in me, Your Majesty!"
They didn't even get the chance to ponder! More enemy soldiers in all directions removed their camouflage as if they could hear General Trevor and surrounded them even more than before!
By now, even a fool would know that surviving while being this heavily surrounded was practically impossible! They now resembled ants that could be easily squashed!
Seeing more soldiers removing their camouflage, Zaro Aventine realized that this was why Iria was so confident in making that daring promise. He told her that he will be looking forward to seeing how she will execute the promise and... this was it?
With the help of the Aliron Army led by Commander Julio, the Alewine Army forced the enemies to the middle and continued slashing them down without mercy!
It was at that moment that General Zire realized how much his Commander had changed! It was already obvious that the enemies couldn't move now and if it was like other times, she would already tell them to surrender. However... she didn't do that and it was evident that she had no intention to do it either.
After all, the plan was to wipe them off.
The Jerivian soldiers continuously met their demise in the swords of the revenge-driven soldiers of the Alewine Army and the motivated Aliron Army. By this time, Iria was on her horse several steps away, watching the scene with a nonchalant face. Orius and Zire were also with her as they didn't really need to fight anymore.
The enemies were already outnumbered to a huge extent.
Iria's gaze was on Zaro Aventine just like the latter watched her that day in the Serene Valley. However, she wasn't a coward and she won't use arrows like he did that day.
The Masked Commander waited until the last soldier fall and now, Zaro Aventine was standing with just General Trevor beside him.
"Enough," she commanded and rode her horse forward while the soldiers made way for her like before. In no time, she was right in front of Zaro Aventine.
She glanced down at the Jerivian King from her horse and said, "It's over, Zaro Aventine. You lost."
The moment she said that, General Trevor stood before the King and looked up at her with rage written all over his face.
Iria stared at the familiar General for a while before she turned to the soldiers. "Take him away, but don't harm him."
Though the soldiers were somewhat taken aback, they still did as the order. General Trevor struggled as he didn't want to leave the King's side but to no avail.
With her gaze on Zaro Aventine all the time, Iria sheathed her sword and gets off her horse. Then she removed her mask.
"Why didn't you run away?" she asked. "I think that will suit you more than standing here as if you are some hero."
"Do you think you are the only one who knows me well?" Zaro Aventine asked her back. "I know you enough to foresee that you will still come after me to fulfill your promise.. After all, I'm the one who said that if one makes a promise in the name of the person they respected the most, they will do anything not to disgrace the name of that person. Right?"
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel