The Chronicles of New Havens

Five minutes. General Petra was told that inconceivably small timeframe was the Featherwind Pearl's limit. Once that ended, the Imperial Council's army would regain their senses, and begin fighting again. In other words, she had to decisively win in five minutes. However, five minutes… Three hundred seconds was an unimaginably short duration. A blink of an eye, and it would be over. To triumph against an army of three hundred thousand in that window was a tall challenge. Anyone else would have hesitated or wavered. Anyone else might have run away. But General Petra looked ahead with clear eyes. She would do it. She would find a way to win!

The Shui Family had control of Yongtein, and the city walls. They were currently attacking the Imperial Council's rear with ranged weapons. The Featherwind Sect's Elder Terus and Unvo were sieging the army from above, bombarding the center ranks with spells. Finally, the kingdom's army was attacking the vanguard head-on with swords and spears. General Petra's mind turned rapidly, as she issued her orders. The army immediately broke up into smaller formations that pierced deep into the enemy lines. Instead of shaving the enemies down layer by layer, she opted to break their formations first. They had to disrupt the enemy army as much as possible within this time!

Kill! Bodies fell every second, as blood splashed. Kill! The grass was dyed into a deep crimson red, as the dead released a foul stench. Even people inside the city walls could smell it. The revolting smell of death. Kill! It was hard to believe that one could tire from killing too many people, but it was possible. These soldiers were not infallible. Their swords would inevitably waver when slaughtering these 'dolls'. The stress accumulated until people broke down in horror. It was a nightmare! Kill! Until finally… five minutes was up. Elder Argo lowered his wings and landed on the ground out of sheer exhaustion. His mental energy was at its limit. A wisp of energy vanished in front of him. He sighed. The power of the Featherwind Pearl completely disappeared. As for the enemy army, they began to wake up.

First came the shock. Their last memory was staring up at the illusions created by the Featherwind Pearl and losing themselves in a trance. So, when they woke up in a sea of blood with thousands of their allies died, and their own limbs missing… It was easy to imagine the sheer shock, panic, and fear they felt. Everyone gave a bloodcurdling scream! The heavens shook under the sound. It was beyond mortifying! In just five minutes, more than fifty thousand people had been killed, maimed, or disabled. Although the Imperial Council had around three hundred thousand soldiers, losing fifty thousand would still sting. Not to mention, General Petra's plan had the unintentional side effect of creating more mental anguish. By having her army penetrate deeply, rather than assaulting the outer formation, she dispersed the slaughter over a larger range. The result was that there were dead people everywhere, instead of strictly at the frontlines. If it were confined to the frontlines, then people would not see it. They could ignore it. However, when it was their friends standing next to them that died… The impact was a hundred times greater.

General Petra called to reform the formation. The kingdom's soldiers stopped killing, retreated, and stood at attention in a grand display. Their banners waved proudly in the breeze, as their disciplined and bloodthirsty appearance gave off a menacing air. They resembled an army from the underworld! Their combined aura was extremely oppressive. The enemy soldiers could only cower in fear, too afraid to pick up their weapons anymore. Furthermore, the Shui Family had closed the city gates, and fortified the walls. They would kill anyone that got close. Their allegiance was clear. As if that was not bad enough, the birds from the Featherwind Sect circled overhead like vultures looking for prey… In such a situation where their allies were dead, their commanders were injured, and they were surrounded on every side… How could they muster the will to fight? How could anyone? They would have to be mad to continue. It was unknown who did it first, but a white flag was eventually raised. Then a second one. Then a third. More and more white flags appeared. Before long, there was a sea of them! It was unimaginable. On this very day, the Alzar Kingdom achieved the impossible. They won this battle!

Tens of thousands of cheers rose to the heavens, as the kingdom's soldiers cheered, roared, and celebrated. Everyone cried tears of joy, hugged each other, and smiled like idiots. That horrible nightmare that never seemed to end finally… finally ended! They could see the light of day again! In her tent, Elizabeth heard the noise and became stunned. She asked the physician to confirm. Did they really win? She could not believe it. When the physician returned, it was like they became a different person. Their dancing expression was the greatest answer. Elizabeth felt the tension drain from her body as she collapsed into her bed. It felt like a thousand weights lifted from her shoulders. She felt liberated! She giggled. This battle… No, this war was coming to an end! The girl closed her eyes and fell sound asleep. It was a similar scene in General Petra's tent. The commanders and generals were laughing and smiling over this victory. It was a truly hard fought battle. However, General Petra was the only one who remained solemn.

"We don't have much time left," she said. "The Jian and Jun Family will be here soon. We need to move into the city, fortify the walls, and prepare for their assault. Hurry!"

Everyone was startled. That was right! This battle was not over yet. They were about to issue their orders when a gust of wind blew through the tent. Princess Ming then shouted, "General Petra, the Jian and Jun Family retreated!"

General Petra stepped outside to see Elder Crus and Elder Ludin land with the Imperial Princesses, Imperian Qiang and Minister Chan. It was a surprise to see them together. "What do you mean they retreated?" she asked suspiciously. "Why would they do that?"

"It was thanks to them," Ming gestured to the two people landing. Their auras instantly dominated the space.

"Sword King!" The general was shocked. "Thank you for your assistance. We couldn't have done it without you."

The man chuckled and glanced at Protector Avin, who was directly ignored. Naturally, the protector was gloomy. Imperian Qiang coughed and introduced him. "General Petra, this is Protector Avin Arcellius. He helped us as well."

"I didn't know you were a fan of jokes, Imperian Qiang. Protector Avin Arcellius should be in the Zino Kingdom still. Why would he randomly appear here?"

"No, we're sure of it," Princess Ming asserted. "A human Arcanist that can match the Sword King in combat… Protector Avin Arcellius is the only person who could do that."

General Petra raised an eyebrow and glared at the protector. Obviously, she could not believe it. How could anything be that convenient? They must be mistaken. Sensing her distrust, the man sighed. He drew his wand and casted three different spells. Triple-casting! This legendary technique was casually executed by him. Even the general knew what this meant. It was the best proof he could give. She immediately changed her attitude.

"My apologies, Protector Avin. I didn't know it was you."

"It's fine. The Conquestian should be arriving soon with reinforcements. He'll be able to tell you more."

"I see. Thank you for telling me." She looked to her subordinates and said, "Get anyone who can move to transport the wounded off the battlefield and into the city. We'll be using their beds and medical supplies. Prioritize those with no life-threatening injuries. We won't be able to save everyone. I also want five to ten thousand soldiers to remain on guard and patrol the streets. There's no telling what might happen." It was a subtle hint that she did not trust the Shui Family yet.

"What about the council's army? What should we do with them?"

The Imperial Princesses, Imperian Qiang, and Minister Chan looked at the general nervously. The lives of several hundred thousand people were at her mercy now. Should she decide to… another tragedy could unfold. They did not fully trust her either.

General Petra noticed their anxiety and replied, "Let them go."

"Pardon?" The commanders and generals were clearly surprised.

"I said let them go. They've already surrendered. There's no need for more bloodshed. Besides, we couldn't deal with them, even if we wanted to. They outnumbered us three-to-one. Let the low-ranking soldiers leave. Division Generals and above will be detained. Also, confiscate all their weapons. We'll decide what to do next later."

"Understood!"

"Thank you, General Petra." The princesses bowed.

"You shouldn't be thanking me. If anything, you should be thanking Her Highness instead. Our victory was due to her." And it was not plain lip service either, because Elizabeth had genuinely achieved a lot. She negotiated with the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang, the Featherwind Sect, and even the Sword King. Her actions had completely changed the direction of this war! It was not wrong to say that she had made the biggest contribution. It was truly incredible.

Xiuying and Ming smiled. "We will."