At dawn, the sun slowly crept over the eastern hills, casting its golden rays across the vast Sarre Plains. The field, which had been quiet just days before, now rumbled under the weight of marching soldiers. General Yuvan's forces had mobilized. Rows upon rows of Korasium soldiers formed up, disciplined and focused, with their armor reflecting the morning light.
Among them, Bima stood with his companions—Togar, Rano, and Gito—in the right wing formation. Their unit marched under the command of one of Yuvan's trusted lieutenants. Although fatigue from the previous day still lingered, the fire of spirit burned brighter. Today was the second day of the war, and they had a new mission: confront the full force of Livasol's defenders.
Once they arrived on the Sarre Plains, an unsettling sight greeted them.
"Forty thousand..." General Yuvan muttered under his breath as he looked through his spyglass. "They've reinforced their numbers."
The Livasol army was now arrayed in an imposing formation: ten thousand troops on the left flank, ten thousand on the right, ten thousand at the center, and another ten thousand in reserve, led personally by their top strategist—General Salvius.
Salvius, known across the continent as a master of battlefield manipulation, stood atop a mobile command platform behind the reserve lines. With a cool gaze and fingers interlaced behind his back, he watched the Korasium army's every move.
"Let them come," Salvius said calmly to his adjutants. "Their eagerness is their weakness."
Back at the Korasium side, General Yuvan responded swiftly. He organized his forces into three main formations:
The left wing, led by Lieutenant Kirel with ten thousand cavalry units.
The right wing, led by Lieutenant Rubeck with ten thousand mixed-range and infantry troops, where Bima and his companions were assigned.
The center, the largest formation, led by Lieutenant Selga, consisted of fifteen thousand heavy infantry.
Yuvan himself stayed at the rear, commanding the reserve force of fifteen thousand, preparing for tactical intervention as needed.
The signal horn echoed across the battlefield. Dust rose. The clash began.
The right wing surged forward under Rubeck's command. Bima ran beside Rano and Togar, while Gito remained in a secondary line with the archers. The field soon turned into chaos—shouts, clashing steel, and cries of pain.
Livasol's right wing, matching Korasium in numbers, fought with calculated precision. Their formation didn't falter despite Korasium's aggressive push. It was clear that Salvius had prepared them well.
Bima ducked under a swinging axe and countered with a slash of his own, breathing heavily.
"They're more disciplined than yesterday!" he shouted.
"They're not just fighting back—they're adapting!" Rano yelled, stabbing his spear into an opponent.
Togar, his large frame swinging a heavy hammer, cleared a path with brute force. "Stay close! We push through together!"
From the rear line, Gito calmly released arrow after arrow, each finding a mark. His eyes remained sharp, even as the battlefield descended into disorder.
But as the Korasium right wing began to gain ground, Salvius made his move.
"Now," he ordered, lifting his hand.
From behind the enemy lines, Livasol's reserve units split. Five thousand troops moved to reinforce the left and right flanks simultaneously. It was a perfectly timed maneuver, cutting into Korasium's advance just as they began to push through.
Lieutenant Rubeck cursed. "Hold the line! Don't let them encircle us!"
The sudden counteroffensive caught many off guard. Bima and his group found themselves surrounded on two sides. Arrows rained down, and the once-solid line wavered.
"We're being boxed in!" Gito shouted.
Rubeck signaled for a fallback, but retreating under pressure was a nightmare. Bima made a split-second decision.
"Break toward the hill! That higher ground might give us cover!"
The small team dashed toward a nearby mound, fending off attackers. With every strike, Bima's instincts sharpened. He wasn't just surviving—he was leading.
They reached the hill, and Gito took up position to provide covering fire. Rano and Togar shielded him while Bima scanned the battlefield.
He saw the pattern.
"They're pushing us from both flanks to split our line. Salvius is trying to isolate us."
"What do we do, Bima?" Rano asked.
Bima narrowed his eyes. "We counter their momentum. Strike at their reinforcement point."
Though it sounded reckless, the idea had merit. The enemy had committed forces from their reserves, creating a temporary gap.
Rubeck, who had followed their movement from afar, noticed their position. Surprised by Bima's insight, he sent a small detachment to support the hill strike.
With new reinforcements, Bima led the charge downhill, aiming at the junction where the enemy reinforcements had split. The sudden assault caught Livasol off guard, halting their encirclement and allowing Korasium's right wing to reform.
"Hold your ground! Regroup!" Rubeck commanded.
The tide shifted once again. Although the right wing suffered heavy losses, they held firm thanks to Bima's bold action. The battlefield roared with renewed determination.
As the sun began to set, neither side had won the day. The Sarre Plains were littered with fallen soldiers and shattered weapons. The fight would continue tomorrow.
Yet among the survivors, whispers spread—of a young soldier who saw through Salvius's trap and turned the battle's tide.
Bima sat beside his friends that evening, bloodied and exhausted. He didn't speak much, but when he looked at the horizon, there was no fear in his eyes.
Only resolve.
The war had just begun, and Bima's legend was already being written.