Procession

General Khalifa and her men wasted no time and immediately began making their way to the Jasim mansion. Any resistance they met along the way was easily suppressed with the aid of their allies. Things were already looking good for them. They cleared everyone and everything that stood in their way, quickly moving to claim their prize.

"Do not falter," the general said from her steed after more men blocked their path. One of the most troublesome things about Bintan was the fact that it mined a lot of crystals, some of which could be weaponized. It was safe to say Rashid's men were well-armed. Fortunately, they didn't have to lay siege to the city; bombardment cannons would have been difficult to deal with. It wasn't that they didn't have enough resources to take Bintan, but they couldn't risk bringing too many resources when they had bigger targets to address. Bintan was important, but it wasn't their main objective. Their main goal was to take down Jai, and every resource they had would be used to carry out that mission.

Since they weren't laying siege, they would gladly face well-armed soldiers on the ground rather than throw bodies at the walls to breach the city.

After dealing with the men who stood in their way, the general and her soldiers proceeded swiftly to the mansion. They showed no sign of stopping until they reached a point near the mansion, where they were ambushed. Some of Rashid's men had gathered and waited for the army. When the army arrived, they attacked with bottles of oil, setting some of the soldiers aflame and blocking their path with fire. General Khalifa saw this and gritted her teeth in frustration.

"It seems Rashid doesn't mind destroying the city if that guarantees him victory. Well, it's not as if we haven't caused our own fair share of destruction," Khalifa thought. "We have the advantage though; their opponents have traitors among them, so it's obvious they will fall soon when their formation breaks."

When she saw their path blocked by a wall of fire, she looked at the man leading them and asked,

"Are there other ways?"

"Yes, we can go around through different areas," the man responded.

"Good." She looked at two of her men and spoke.

"Take some men and use another route, head straight to the mansion. Same for you," she said to the second.

"What about you, General?" the man leading the way asked.

"I'll stay on this path with my riders. It seems Rashid is trying to delay us for some reason. I'm betting something unexpected is about to happen," she explained.

Her men immediately followed her orders and split into three groups, led by Majeed's men who had betrayed Rashid. Some men took the streets on the left, others to the right, while General Khalifa and her riders proceeded through the flames, riding their mighty, ferocious beasts that couldn't be easily deterred by the fire.

In the distance, Karkal watched as his plan unfolded. His goal wasn't just to delay the approaching army, but to separate them and fight each group individually before his reinforcements arrived. He hadn't expected General Khalifa to keep to the burning path though; he thought they would split into two groups, allowing him to deal with the one without the leader swiftly before confronting the general. Now, he had to work triple time.

Karkal sighed regretfully.

"I hate dealing with smart people. Is it too much to ask for stupid opponents every now and then?"

Karkal turned to the man beside him.

"Deal with the men on the left. Hold them off as long as you can until our men arrive. I'll try to stop their leader. Let Ramon's men handle the rest. The others should be here soon."

Karkal immediately began to approach Khalifa and her men with the few soldiers beside him. He stood in the middle of the street, knowing it was the route they would take.

"Alright boys, time to earn your keep," Karkal said, drawing his twin blades. The moment General Khalifa and her men were visible in the distance, he took the second sword stance.

"Second Sword: Mountain Rend." He performed the attack with both swords, sending a powerful strike toward Khalifa and her men.

The general and her soldiers were surprised as the attack rushed toward them, but they didn't stop. General Khalifa suddenly leaped from her steed and stood in front of the attack, blocking it with her spear. The strike was powerful, and it took everything she had to stop it. Once she had, she sensed a threat to her left—Karkal had used the opportunity to attack her from the side, but she blocked the incoming sword with her spear.

Karkal hadn't expected the general to stop his Mountain Rend. Still, he decided to attack again once she succeeded, but it was clear he wasn't dealing with a pushover. She easily blocked his swords even though she had just defended against his powerful attack.

"So, you're not just smart," Karkal remarked.

"And who might you be?" General Khalifa asked, realizing she wasn't dealing with an ordinary soldier. First, there was the Mountain Rend, and now this. He's not just an average warrior.

"According to Lady Meliesse, Ramon is the only real threat, so who the hell is this?"

"I apologize for the rudeness, my lady—or should I call you General?" Karkal said.

Khalifa raised an eyebrow and stared at her attacker.

"I'm Karkal, Lieutenant of Mars," Karkal introduced himself.

The moment General Khalifa's men heard his name, they all took a step back. A lieutenant of one of the four horsemen was no mere warrior, especially those of War. They were among the strongest warriors alive. Karkal smiled at their reaction, but he didn't notice the general's smile until she raised her head, and her spirit spiked, causing him to frown.

"Did you say lieutenant of Mars?" A devious smile spread across General Khalifa's face as she spoke. "You guys take care of his men. He's mine," she declared, and her spirit spiked even more, signaling to her men to stay clear of the fight.

Karkal looked at the general with a frown. It seemed he had drawn the short straw. It wasn't that Khalifa was stronger than him, but she was far stronger than he had expected. He felt Rashid wasn't paying him enough if he had to deal with people like this.

"Damn civil war," Karkal thought.

Khalifa interrupted his thoughts and spoke.

"General Khalifa of the Tenth Sands. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Karkal of War."

Once the general said her name, Karkal knew what that meant. This was a simple warrior's code. It seemed one of them would likely die today. He looked at the general, who had a sharp and unwavering gaze. She was excited to fight one of War's lieutenants.

"Very well then, General Khalifa. You've got my attention," Karkal said, raising his spirit.

Both warriors stared at each other, their weapons roaring in anticipation—Karkal's twin swords and General Khalifa's spear. A second later, they both moved and clashed in a massive, violent collision that sent shockwaves across the entire street.