"We must be ready," Luna replied, her voice calm yet firm. "We now possess newfound strength, alongside the memory of the fallen Squad Nineteen. We are, perhaps, the last hope that remains."
"Yet, we still know naught of our enemy," Jade said, his brow furrowed with concern. "What manner of foe shall we face?"
"We shall face General Guan," Jack said, approaching them with a grave countenance. "He is the enemy's commanding officer, a warrior formidable and ruthless beyond measure."
"General Guan?" Gala frowned, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "I have heard tell of him. He is spoken of as a legend."
"A deadly legend," Jack responded to Gala's remark, his voice grim. "He will not hesitate to send us all to our doom."
"Then, what is our course of action?" Luna inquired, her gaze steady.
"We shall join the main host," the officer replied. "We shall assail the enemy from the front, whilst the other companies strike from the rear."
"Sounds perilously close to a death-wish," Jade commented, a shadow of doubt crossing his features.
"It is the only path to victory that lies before us," Jack told Jade, his gaze unwavering. "We must embrace the risk."
"Mark this well. Should you encounter General Guan, do not be reckless. He wields a special power, 'All Rage', and possesses battle experience beyond compare. A deadly combination, indeed."
Luna glanced at Jade, who now possessed a similar ability, though surely far inferior to that of a seasoned general with such vast experience in the art of war.
"Jade... I shall stand by thee. Cooperation is the only way we shall avoid returning upon stretchers, or worse."
Gala folded his arms across his chest, his expression resolute. "Luna speaks true, Jade. We must return to our kin. Act not alone; we are a fellowship in this endeavor."
"Luna... Gala... I thank you. I too shall do my utmost to guard your backs."
"Squad Nineteen! To horse, every one! The front lines are advancing!"
"Ready, Lieutenant!" Squad Nineteen shouted in unison, their voices filled with a mixture of apprehension and resolve.
All of Squad Nineteen nodded in grim acceptance of the order. They mounted their steeds and joined the ranks of the Jindara forces, beginning the long and arduous journey towards the battlefield.
Along their path, they encountered villagers gripped by fear and desperate refugees fleeing the horrors of war. They heard grim tales of the enemy's brutality, of senseless massacres and the burning of innocent villages.
"We must put an end to this," Jade said, his eyes flashing with righteous anger. "We cannot allow such cruelty to continue."
"We shall stop them," Gala vowed, his voice ringing with determination.
"We shall defeat this General Guan, and we shall bring an end to this accursed war."
"But we must tread with caution," Luna cautioned, her keen eyes scanning their surroundings. "The enemy has spies in every shadow. We can trust no one implicitly."
The three exchanged knowing glances, realizing the great peril that surrounded them. They had to be vigilant, strong, and work together as one if they wished to survive the trials that lay ahead.
They arrived at the battlefield, a vast valley shrouded in smoke and the crimson glow of distant fires.
The Jindara forces and the enemy host faced each other across the scarred earth, poised for the inevitable clash of battle. Jade, Gala, and Luna stood at the forefront of the Jindara lines, their hearts pounding with a mixture of fear and anticipation, ready to face their destiny, whatever it may hold.
The First Battle
The valley floor trembled with the thunderous roar of cannons and the fierce cries of charging soldiers.
The Jindara forces and the enemy host clashed in a brutal melee, swords met swords with ringing steel, arrows darkened the sky like a storm of locusts, and dust swirled everywhere, obscuring the carnage.
Jade and Gala exchanged a grim look, a silent acknowledgment of the peril they faced. Meanwhile, Luna stood tall in her saddle, her heart pounding in her chest, ready to unleash their newfound powers for the first time in true battle.
"Remember our plan," Luna said, her eyes narrowed as she scanned the chaotic battlefield. "Jade, thou shalt attack from the front, drawing their attention. Gala, thou shalt guard our flanks. I shall provide support from afar."
"Ready!" Jade and Gala replied in unison, their voices filled with grim determination.
Jade dashed forward, channeling the raw power of 'All Rage'. The fury surged through him, granting him speed and strength beyond mortal measure.
He swung his sword in a blinding arc, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The enemies, caught unawares by Jade's sudden onslaught, fell like mere puppets with severed strings.
Gala, wielding his incredible muscle strength, raised a large shield and stoutly defended the Jindara forces' flanks from the storm of arrows and spears.
He crushed any foe who dared to approach with his giant war hammer, each blow sending shockwaves that toppled nearby enemies like ninepins.
Luna, with her enhanced vision, surveyed the battlefield, seeking out the most perilous threats. She spotted a company of enemy archers taking aim at the heart of the Jindara lines.
With deadly precision, she loosed her arrows, striking down the archers before they could release their own deadly volleys.
In the swirling chaos of battle, a tall and imposing enemy general appeared.
He was clad in black armour adorned with neon green lines and macabre skulls, and he wielded a greatsword that shimmered with an eerie neon green light along its razor edge. This was General Guan, the enemy's commanding officer himself.
"Think you can stand against us?" Guan roared, his voice echoing across the bloodied valley like the thunder of a vengeful god. "You are sorely mistaken! We shall crush you all beneath our heel!"
Guan charged towards the Jindara forces, his greatsword a blur as he cut down enemies with brutal efficiency.
He was like a destructive storm, leaving a gruesome trail of corpses in his wake. The Jindara forces recoiled in fear, unable to withstand his relentless assault.
"We must halt his advance!" Jade exclaimed, his eyes flashing with fierce anger. "He is too strong for our ranks to bear!"
"We shall face him together," Gala nodded grimly. "Luna, lend us thy aid!"
The three of them advanced upon Guan, wielding their newfound powers in a desperate attempt to halt the formidable general. Jade attacked with blinding speed and deadly precision, Gala with unwavering strength and courage, and Luna with keen accuracy and cunning strategy.
The battle was fierce and brutal, a clash of titans amidst the carnage.
Guan proved a formidable opponent; he weathered their attacks with surprising resilience and retaliated with devastating power of his own.
Their swords clashed against Guan's blade with deafening force, Gala's war hammer slammed against Guan's shield with earth-shattering impact, and Luna's arrows flew with deadly accuracy, yet often found purchase only upon his armour.
In the midst of the raging battle, a brief but intense exchange of words occurred.
"You shall never prevail against me!" Guan roared, his eyes blazing with fury. "I am General Guan, and I shall see you all destroyed!"
"We shall not yield!" Jade retorted, slashing his sword towards Guan in a desperate attack. "We shall halt your advance!"
"You are but children playing at war!" Guan mocked, easily parrying Gala's powerful blow. "You know nothing of true conflict!"
"We know that this war must end!" Luna shouted, loosing her arrows at Guan with deadly aim.
"And we shall be the ones to end it!" Four arrows flew harmlessly, glancing off General Guan's shield like mere pebbles.
The battle raged on, a maelstrom of steel and fury. Jade, consumed by his 'All Rage', swung his sword with desperate strength, striking General Guan's shield with a resounding clang, his voice piercing the din of battle! His sword, however, was repelled with such force that it slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground.
Gala's hammer swing followed swiftly from behind Jade. Guan ducked low, allowing Gala's hammer to pass over his back, the massive head of the weapon striking his shield with a deafening thud.
A loud thud echoed once more, and Jade was thrown back by the shockwave of the impact! So too was Gala's war hammer, bouncing violently from Guan's impervious shield.
Gala was forced to retreat as his hammer vibrated intensely, sending a painful tingling sensation through his fingers and arms! Meanwhile, Jade was seen rising to his feet a few paces behind Gala, his body radiating an unnatural heat.
Steam billowed from Jade's skin, and his flesh took on a reddish hue! He was nearing the very limits of his 'Muscle Force'. Their combined attacks seemed to have little effect against this great general of Xiangdu!
Squad Nineteen, even Lieutenant Jack, was nowhere to be seen amidst the chaos. To the east, the thunderous roar of war echoed; it seemed the Jindara forces were gaining ground in that sector.
Here, however, many had already fallen beneath the might of General Guan and his forces. Only Jade, Gala, and Luna remained standing against the seemingly unstoppable tide of the enemy.
"Begone, all of you! Lend your strength to the east!" General Guan's voice echoed across the valley, momentarily blowing away the swirling dust and revealing the extent of the carnage.
"Tien Xu! Find Princess Mei Mei. I sense not her presence nearby!" General Guan continued, addressing one of his subordinates with a commanding tone.
All the troops surrounding Jade and his companions turned as one and departed in unison, leaving the three alone before the mighty general.
The Fall of Hope, the Roar of the Dragon, and the Savior
Twilight crept over the blood-soaked valley, casting a grim darkness upon the ravaged battlefield. The Jindara forces that had broken through from the center had vanished, their fate unknown.
General Guan, a towering figure silhouetted against the fading light, his bloodthirsty sword dripping with the lives he had claimed, moved with relentless purpose.
Jade, Gala, and Luna, the last flickering embers of hope for Jindara in this desperate hour, knelt before the great General of Xiangdu, their bodies bearing grievous wounds, their breaths ragged and shallow.
Their extraordinary 'Muscle Force' seemed woefully insufficient against Guan's indomitable power.
"We... we cannot..." Gala rose unsteadily to his feet, his war hammer lying discarded on the bloodied ground, his hands trembling uncontrollably. "He... he is far too strong for us..."
"Do not yield..." Jade whispered, his eyes flashing with desperate determination despite the pain that wracked his body. "We... we must continue to fight..."
"It is of no use..." Luna sobbed, her sharp eyes now clouded with tears of despair. "We... we have lost..."
Guan, beholding their weakness, smiled with cruel cynicism. He raised his greatsword high above his head, preparing to deliver the final, crushing blow that would extinguish their lives.
"Think you can defy me?" he sneered, his voice booming across the battlefield like the death knell of their hopes. "You are but foolish children playing with powers you do not comprehend!"
He lunged forward with terrifying speed, his greatsword slicing through the air with a deadly hiss that spoke of swift and merciless death.
Gala and Luna recoiled from the general's overwhelming aura of power, unable to offer any defense against his onslaught.
Jade, summoning the last vestiges of his strength, tried to raise his fallen sword, but his hands were too weak, his muscles screaming in protest. He suffered from the extreme muscle fatigue brought on by the very limits of his 'Muscle Force'.
"No..." he whispered, tears streaming down his face, mingling with the grime and blood of battle. "Not like this..." The slash of Guan's sword split the wind, a gust of dust and blood following the deadly arc of his swing!
Suddenly, the sky above trembled with a deafening roar, a sound unlike any they had ever heard, the very air vibrating with its power. A vast shadow fell from the heavens, shrouding the battlefield in an oppressive darkness that swallowed the last rays of twilight.
The Xiangdu and Jindara forces alike stared upwards in fear and bewilderment, unsure of the cataclysm that was unfolding before their eyes.
Guan, disturbed by this sudden and violent interruption, lowered his bloodied sword. He looked up towards the darkened sky, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief at the sight that greeted him.
"What manner of beast is that?" he murmured, his voice filled with awe and a hint of terror.
The shadow drew closer, and they beheld a colossal dragon, its scales as black as night and its eyes glowing with an infernal red light. Upon the dragon's back sat a lone figure cloaked in black, his face hidden in the deep shadows of his hood.
The hooded man raised a hand, and the dragon unleashed a torrent of fire upon the ranks of the Xiangdu forces, burning them alive in a searing inferno.
The Xiangdu soldiers screamed in terror, their cries echoing across the valley as they desperately tried to escape the deadly flames that engulfed them.
"This is the end of you all!" a chilling cry echoed across the sky, the voice resonating with an otherworldly power that shook the very foundations of the battlefield.
Just as the hooded man was about to unleash another devastating attack, a figure streaked down from the heavens with incredible speed, striking the black dragon with a force that sent the monstrous creature reeling and flying away into the darkness.
The figure landed gracefully upon the battlefield, and they saw it was General Lance Garudeya, the great and supreme general of Bornika, his presence radiating an aura of immense power.
Lance Garudeya's dragon staff shimmered with a terrifying energy as he planted it firmly in the ground.
Then, a shield of brilliant light erupted outwards, enveloping the entire battle area, protecting Bornika's remaining forces from the hooded man and his dragon's devastating attacks.
Four knights of the Alden Temple, clad in gleaming silver armour, surrounded General Guan, Jade, Gala, and Luna, forming a protective formation against the attacks of smaller dragons that now began to descend from the sky.
Lance Garudeya, after driving the large black dragon beyond the continental protective shield dome, returned to face General Guan, his voice filled with unwavering authority. "This is why we beseeched Xiangdu to join our forces."
He pointed towards the sky, where the hooded man and his enraged dragon raged against the impenetrable barrier of the light shield.
"Do you see that? A power that seems impossible to exist within this world! A force beyond the grasp of human technology and intelligence."
A group of figures dressed similarly to General Lance, armed with staffs that glowed with power, were busily engaged in fierce combat with the smaller dragons, striving to push all of the monstrous creatures beyond the confines of the protective dome!
General Guan, his gaze still fixated upon the impossible power displayed in the heavens, could only stare in utter disbelief. Jade, Gala, and Luna were likewise shocked and utterly bewildered by the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
They knew not what was happening, but they sensed that something momentous had shifted, something that would irrevocably alter the course of everything they knew.
"Dra... dragons? How can this be?" Gala exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment as he beheld dozens of dragons soaring and roaring outside the shimmering dome.
The battlefield, once filled with the deafening clash of swords and the bloodcurdling war cries of men, now fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the roars of the dragons and the hushed whispers of confusion.
General Guan, Jade, Gala, and Luna stared upwards at the sky, where dragons raged against the light shield that protected Bornika.
"What... what is happening?" Jade asked, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and awe. "Who is that man upon the dragon's back?"
"That is Grand Aeon Rivotra," General Lance Garudeya replied, his voice heavy with authority and a hint of grim foreboding. "A god from the Ramon Continent."
"Ramon Continent? A god?" Gala frowned, utterly perplexed. "Where is that realm? And if he is truly a god..." Gala sat down heavily, a sense of resignation washing over him.
He realized that if their foe was a god, what hope could mere mortals possess against such power?
"A continent far across the great ocean," Lance answered, his gaze still fixed upon the raging dragons. "A land filled with powers that lie beyond our current understanding."
"What manner of powers?" Luna asked, her keen eyes narrowed in thought. "What force can command such terrible beasts as dragons?"
"Powers that transcend even the might of muscle force," Lance replied, his voice grave. "Powers that transcend everything we have ever known."
General Guan looked at Lance, his eyes filled with a multitude of questions. "Why are they assailing us?" he finally asked, his voice hesitant.
"I do not know their motives," Lance replied, his expression grim. "But I know they are dangerous. Very dangerous indeed." Rivotra and his dragons continued their relentless assault upon the light shield, striving to shatter its protective barrier.
The shield vibrated and rippled under the immense pressure, but held firm against the onslaught.
"We must do something," Jade said, his eyes flashing with renewed determination despite the weariness that clung to him. "We cannot allow them to destroy Bornika."
"We shall act," Lance replied, his voice filled with conviction. "But first, we must strive to understand the nature of the foe we face." Lance looked at General Guan, his eyes filled with a flicker of hope.
"That is why we beseeched Xiangdu to join our forces," he said, his gaze earnest. "We need all the strength we can possibly muster to stand against this new threat."
Guan looked at Lance, then at the raging sky, then at Jade, Gala, and Luna, seeing the fear and confusion etched upon their faces, but also the unwavering determination that burned in Lance's eyes.
"I... I do not know," he said, his voice hesitant and filled with doubt. "I know not if I can..."
"Ling Mei should not have been so stubborn in her pride, knowing the reality of something far greater and more perilous lurking beyond our borders."
"Guan... you must," Lance said, his voice firm and unwavering. "Bornika needs you now, and that is why Alden chose to remain silent and not join the war, even though the Queen herself pleaded for their aid."
"You must know, had Duke Herman Syailendra chosen the path of war, we would all have been annihilated by now. Are you aware that Xiangdu has only slaughtered the forces of Baranesta and Yamashiro?"
"I was once like you, I opposed the path of peace and was exiled from the city of Mandaraka, the very heart of the Thousand Flower Islands, along with my entire family."
General Guan merely stared blankly at the sky, his mind reeling from the revelations. "Paman Guan!" a woman's voice called out to him, filled with urgency. The woman ran towards him, accompanied by several remaining guards, their faces grim.
Without warning, the woman drew her sword, the polished steel flashing in the fading light, and pointed it towards General Lance, who stood tall and unmoving.
"Stay away from my uncle!" her three guards echoed, drawing their own swords in a protective stance.
"Mei Mei! Lower your sword this instant!" General Guan's voice, filled with authority, made Mei Mei shrink back, her defiant stance wavering.
"Uncle... why? We have not yet been defeated!" Mei protested to her uncle, her voice filled with disbelief as she looked at his resigned expression before the Jindara forces.
"Child, do you not see what fills the sky? Those creatures care not whether we are of Xiangdu or Jindara! They threaten us all!" Mei bowed her head, her anger slowly giving way to a dawning realization of the true danger they faced.
Mei explained to her uncle that she had believed the dragons belonged to the Jindara Kingdom, a monstrous new weapon in their arsenal.
She had been positioned in the rearguard with hundreds of thousands of Xiangdu soldiers, awaiting instructions for the second wave of attack, a force that would have surely overwhelmed the Jindara lines had it not been interrupted by the sudden arrival of the fire-breathing dragons.
"So, they are messengers of the gods, Uncle?" Mei asked, her voice filled with frustration and a growing sense of unease, a sentiment shared by Jade, Luna, and Gala, who had listened intently to the exchange between her uncle Guan and General Lance.
"If they are gods, then... what manner of dome is this that blocks such immense power from entering?" Gala asked Lance, his voice tinged with frustration and a hint of desperation at the seemingly insurmountable odds they now faced.