Under the grueling heat of the Scorching sun, the battle raged on, both platoons tired and fatigued yet my soldiers thrived, they were in an advantageous position despite being a bunch of brutes but simple orders like stay put and shoot from afar is better than fighting them head-on and losing.

Eldritch may be a good swordswoman and leader but she can't deflect 40 arrows at the same time and neither does her guards.

we made our very own firing distance that prevents the other side's arbalest to fire against us thanks to Puree showing me that there was a limit to how effective the crossbow was, our enemy is at a disadvantage, now at a standstill and their numbers slowly whittling down.

Eldritch has realized my trap and is making a last-ditch effort, forming a spearhead and break down our impenetrable arbalest defense.

But I also got my own card up my sleeves.

"Chrome, these five swordsmen are under my control right?"

~Yes master.~

"Apply, Beast's strength on all 5 of them and also to me."

~As you will master.~

These are the same 5 men that I initiated the other day.

Now seeing there comrades defeated made them frustrated and angry giving me sufficient negative emotion.

what's more, the turmoil that I caused in Eldritch's side earlier gave hysteria and fear giving Chrome more negative emotions...

The past few days were just a ruse for Chrome to collect a massive amount of negative energy...

Chrome turned to his slithering Chain-knife state and embedded itself on the ground...

Time for this show to get on the road.

.

.

.

both sides were sweating their asses off, beads of sweat were dripping by there chins especially for the women who are wearing well-furnished but hot armor especially in this blazing heat in the afternoon.

Their clothes drenched by their wet sweat, their breathing heavy and fast.

it was clear that these women were at there breaking point.

Eldritch waited for the perfect time to counter-attack, and it opened.

the wind howled, the clouds in the sky moved and the sun was blocked from its cotton-like cover.

Their vision was clear as day, Eldritch Raised her wooden sword in the air and pointed towards us.

This time the only thing standing between her 23 soldiers was me and 5 beast strength enhanced sword lackeys.

There was no other tricks involved, this was a pure sword to sword combat.

4 to 1 huh?

These men were aching to fight.

And as if by instinct both parties once again charge against each other.

wasting no time and effort both connected wooden swords but this time taking them by surprise, the women were blown away from the sheer power of these five men's swings.

Every clash the female swordsmen are thrashed to the side.

and it was obvious who had the superiority in raw strength.

one after another the women fell to the ground and lost their ankle bands from the quick swipes of these formidable soldiers.

Whilst I clashed with the sword mistress myself, though raw power was clearly not enough to defeat her yet I struggled to keep her at bay.

"Wrong Vice-commander aren't you going to run away like the scaredy-cat that you are?"

"Well I'm facing the sword mistress of the border, aren't I? I mean fighting you need some literal balls of steel!"

Eldritch slightly taken aback from the vulgar language.

"Your fancy words don't faze me!"

...

NOO!!! a man's voice was heard,

It was one of my own men, the swordsmen are starting to lose once again.

One of the five has been takedown, and his opponents come and help their struggling allies defeat the remaining swordsmen.

Eldritch strategically pulled the battle away from the firing range of my herbalists and even though almost half-of her swordswomen were defeated... My men were being pushed towards her own firing range and without the skill to deflect these arrows.

in a matter of minutes, my allies were already on the ground tasting dirt and soon I did too as Eldritch and her soldiers have surrounded me.

"Give it up Veron! you're finished!" 

pulling myself up, I sat upright.

I wasn't outdone yet.

CHROME! NOW!

Chrome swiftly slithers out of the ground and started thrashing around the female soldiers.

...

Quickly cutting off the straps of their armor.

KYAAAAHHHHH!!!

Loud thumps sounded as female armor falls one after the other.

the sunlight shines again beyond the clouds, as hope lingers once more.

Revealing their sweat drench undergarments, glistening their pink nipples making it erect and visible.

The women were now distracted by holding on to their exposed breasts covering them.

This Event also took the spectators by surprise! 

I looked at Aria and she was certainly amused by the bizarre spectacle.

I used the commotion to escape their trap and signaled my remaining arbalists forwards. 

"CHARGE MEN! CHARGE!!!"

With the sun behind our backs, the remaining 63 arbalists took this chance, grabbed up arms and ran towards their distracted adversaries firing their dye tipped arrows against them

Eldritch escaped the onslaught but her fellow soldiers weren't so lucky.

This time it was crossbow against crossbow, arrows go flying left and right.

red dye exploding taking out the other, both sides numbers were dwindling. but due to having fewer soldiers than mine, our enemies were slowly losing this war.

Eldritch holds out her army deflecting enemy arrows from their trajectory until the numbers were merely 20 to 12 and she took this chance and aimed towards the flag.

She was desperate, she deflected the arrows straying towards her and dashes towards her last chance and by her luck, it was unguarded, though she didn't take any chances and slams the pole with her sword.

there was no camouflaged soldier or Veron, it was just the flag pole.

So she wasted no second and finally grabs the unguarded flag.

raising the flag from the ground.

(BOOOWAAAHHHHH)

the sound of the war horn resonates the field.

signaling the end of the war.

Ha... ha.. haha... hahahahahahahha!!!

"I won!!!"

She jumped in joy, winning by a close margin.

(Clap.. clap..clap..)

Ominous slow claps were heard from behind, she turns her head and there she sees.

Me the vice-commander, giving her a sarcastic slow clap turning my head from side to side...

"Congratulations on your victory commander..."

Eldritch could only leer from the loser of this bet...

"What game are you playing Veron!?"

"I'm not playing any games.." he bows low to the winner of the event, "I admit that you have won."

Realizing that she really won made sigh a grunt of relief... Though she is really happy to have won but etched deeply in her mind she feels that she lost something more valuable...

then she looked beyond the battlefield...

"Her female soldiers covered red and decimated."

.

.

.

The sun was barely hanging by the horizon as it was already dusk soon turning into night, Eldritch once again announces her gratitude towards all the soldiers that participated in the event, her voice light and happy.

Quite the opposite for his fellow female soldiers...

Though they might have won, despite being trained, well-equipped and lead by the sword mistress herself, they felt inferior since they all lost except for the commander who seems to be happy from the hollow victory.

the men, on the other hand, was shaking with excitement, they were able to outmatch their female counterparts despite being under-equipped, informally trained and only lead by a newbie commander at that, it was a boost to all their personal pride, when they meet up with the vice-commander after the battle they all gathered cheering! "Leader! Leader! Leader!"

Whilst Eldritch, enjoys her freedom, little does she know that she's losing the respect and trust that she from her own soldiers and much more from an important person.

After thanking the soldiers and returning them to their respective barracks, The two commanders were ordered to meet-up with Nobless Aria for a short meeting...

The three of them meet-up in the large meeting tent from earlier and Aria was already upfront on what she wanted to say.

"Eldritch! you're demoted to vice-commander"

"Uwaahh!?" She was taken by storm "What do you mean Milady!?"

"I'm demoting you to Vice-commander, Veron will be taking your post for now." Aria sternly said to her former High-commander.

"Bu-but isn't he still under-observation? " she says as she looks at me with contempt.

"I have observed enough Eldritch!" Aria says, this time in an angry voice. 

Eldritch could only "Eep" from the aggressive response of the Iron Nobless.

"Veron?" She calls out to me "Your leadership was admirable whilst Eldritch was deplorable, therefore as for now you will continue your duties as High-commander of my state's forces."

"I am truly honored milady but aren't you trusting me too much?"

"I see plenty, you expertise in combat and leadership out-matches that of my current commander and I need more people like that."

Eldritch flustered and angry finally bursts into a fit of anger

"This man is a cheat, a fake!? he uses his unconventional means to get what he wants! can't you see how despicable this man is!?"

"And you're saying that you're not Eldritch?"

Eldritch fell silent.

"I am aware of his tactics but you pushed him into a corner too didn't you? a high commander like yourself gave him the worst soldiers imaginable and even gave the assumption that he would lose no matter what, yet despite your endeavors, he almost defeated you haven't you been cheeky and took the flag by yourself where by itself is a deplorable act."

When the High-commander heard those words, it was as if her gut was slammed with a bat.

Eldritch held onto her stomach, biting her lips...

"Why was winning that important to you?"

and like a surge of lightning bolts to her brain, Eldritch couldn't speak...

She couldn't tell her reason, more like she can't because it would destroy not only her life but also her lover's...

With nothing else to say against her Nobless, she simply bowed her head and left the premises...

"What is wrong with that woman?" Aria says scratching her head.

She then turns back to me.

"For you, Mr. New high-commander."

"Ma'am?" I said in a confident tone.

"We'll be leaving for the capital tomorrow for the meeting and special meeting so I need you to return now... I have more pressing matters at hand..."

I complied with her request and left the room.

Entering the dark moonlit road towards the castle, I smiled towards the moon.

Eldritch may have won the battle, but she has lost the war.

Checkmate commander.

.

.

.

...

As I returned to the Commander's quarters in the castle I see Eldritch waiting for me by the door.

"What do you want, winner?"

"I knew it! you had been planning this from the start haven't you?"

"How could accuse me? didn't you get what you want commander?" I said sarcastically. 

"And so did you!"

"Not everything, miss commander... " I said while I walked towards her closing our distance.

"I still want you though..." grabbing a strand of her hair flirtatiously she flicks my hand at the last moment.

"You still lost, so stay away from me and Duran!"

"yes, of course, I'm a man of my word..." I said raising my hands apologetically.

"Keh, you talk mature and confident but I'll have you know." Eldritch, she says folding her arms.

"You're a fake! you act cool, kind and charismatic but in reality, you're just a perverted child who messes with other people's lives."

I fell silent...

fake? child? who the fuck!? does she think she is?

"Bitch..." I said mumbling under my breathe...

"What did you call me!?"

"Bitch!"

Slap!

Another hard ping, this time it was really painful and Eldritch left the hall leaving me with a sad, red face from the commotion...

.

.

.

I returned to my room and laid on my bed...

Her words still ringing on my mind...

Fake?.... 

Now that I realized from it all past events...

Am I really... me?