NOVPUBThe golden sunlight slanted westward, illuminating the bright red battlefield. The earth was soaked with warmth, and the scent of blood drifted in the wind. Among the vibrant green grass lay tricolored feathers, patterned leather armors, broken long spears, shimmering stone flakes, diagonally inserted feathered arrows, scattered banners... and countless fallen bodies. From a distance, the red battlefield blurred the cruelty, making it seem like a field of flowers blooming in the spring of life’s cycles.
In this spring meadow, tens of thousands of Mexica warriors raised their hands in unison, issuing a victorious cheer. Golden copper spears flickered on the ground, and black war clubs glinted under the sky. Sleek greatbows were tilted upward, and smoking thunderbolts shot straight to the ground. These powerful wild oaths deeply etched themselves in the memory of the veteran militiaman Chiwaco, causing him to shudder involuntarily.
The capital city’s reinforcements numbered three thousand elite troops, with fifteen hundred samurai. Even though their hearts were not entirely aligned, after the prolonged slaughter, they were about to break through the Toltec defense line. However, at this moment, the ancestral royal banner thunderously fell, and the sacred Keshu tree toppled before their eyes, leaving no hope for anything more!
The three thousand reinforcements from the capital stood stunned for a few moments, then suddenly erupted in noise. Barbarians, militia, samurai, nobility, priests—all chaotically mixed together; angry roars, disordered cries, faint battle shouts, and intense arguments all suddenly blended into one cacophony.
The vanguard’s commander, adorned in Hummingbird war clothes, was desperate, his face contorted in a high-pitched roar, still insisting on pushing forward. Many of the great nobility, however, were shaking their heads, demanding an immediate retreat. Soon, one of the nobles cried out with inner panic,
"The Mexica legion is coming!"
Everyone looked together only to see the banner of the Black Wolf and the enemy commander’s flag waving. Thousands of Mexica samurai, bearing longbows and wielding war clubs, steadily approached the reinforcements from the royal city.
Even separated by several miles, the nobles could no longer contain themselves. They turned around, leaving the chaotic ad hoc meeting, and went back to their private forces. The Temple brigade of the rear guard, independently commanded and strictly disciplined, had already turned and set off. Under the leadership of the high priest, they were the first to embark on the northwest return journey.
Seeing this familiar scene, the veteran militiaman immediately sensed disaster. He jogged a few steps and grabbed his commander, Puap, who was furiously roaring, and urgently whispered,
"Lord Huitu! The army is collapsing! Get the troops out of here quickly!"
Puap shouted in anger, but his eyes were filled with confusion. The immortal banner had snapped like a rotten wood, and the most high king had fallen before his very eyes. Decades of worldviews collapsed in an instant, his believing heart suddenly filled with darkness.
"That’s a Divine Descendant of the king... That’s the incarnation of the Sun God... How could he disappear so easily?... Evil Mexica people!"
Puap roared again in anger, but his voice was laced with indescribable fear.
It was now a matter of life and death, with crisis right at hand! The old militiaman erupted with all his might. He looked at Puap, who was still in shock, and couldn’t contain his frustration. If it weren’t for planning the next steps, he would have taken his brothers and fled long ago. With that thought, the old militiaman gritted his teeth and slapped a hand across his face.
"Slap! My lord, if you don’t leave now, you might as well wait here to die!"
Puap was struck so hard he saw stars, but clarity finally returned to his eyes. He clutched his stinging cheek and bellowed,
"Old Chiwaco, how dare you hit me?!"
Seeing the commander come to his senses, Chiwaco quickly put on a smile and slapped himself across the face.
"My lord, the sky is practically falling, and you’re just standing there dazed. I did this for your own good! Look, the priests have fled, and the nobles around us are following suit. The fastest rabbit gets the sprouts, and the slowest rabbit gets eaten by the wolf! My lord, we must hurry. Even if we can’t be at the front, we definitely can’t be at the back!"
Puap looked around. The Mexica troops that blocked the reinforcements were covered in wounds, panting as they defended their ground. The subsequent Mexica legions were still miles away, marching at a normal pace. With the enemy not even in sight, the noble lords had completely lost their will to fight. They screamed loudly, frantically urging their private forces to assemble and turn towards the northwest capital city to flee. And farther away, the priests’ banners were rapidly shrinking.
"Shameless nobility, incompetent priests!"
Puap roared out loud. He continued his search and finally saw House of Hummingbird’s commander vigorously shaking the command flag, rallying the family warriors, and the order to advance was... to charge forward?! 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Puap paused for a moment. He subconsciously looked towards Chiwaco, who resolutely shook his head.
"My lord, charging to the rear at this time is surely a death sentence! Your lord seems to have given up on living. You can’t accompany him in that!"
"Master, even if we were to surrender, now is definitely not the time! A hunter who catches too many rabbits will choose a few to butcher. After such a prolonged battle, the Mexica have blood in their eyes and have captured so many prisoners, it’s uncertain if they will start a sacrifice! The only way out is to escape, and we must do it now, immediately. Once the real pursuit begins, once the swift Jaguar Warrior Brigade joins in, we will not be able to escape!"
Upon hearing the name of the Jaguar Warrior Brigade, Puap shuddered, a habit born from childhood fears instilled by terrifying stories. He clenched his teeth and, without looking at the Commander’s assembly order, he turned and barked orders at his samurai.
"Damn the Mexica!... We’re leaving, back to the Capital City!!"
With the team leader’s order given, the old militiamen gripped their long spears, leading their brothers and turned northwest to head home. Before departing, he looked south one last time. The sunlight illuminated his aged cheeks but couldn’t penetrate his profound heart. Only a faint sigh, softly dissipating in the wind.
"This first bean, finally, the debt is repaid!"
Several hundred steps away, Black Wolf Torc was drenched in blood, breathing heavily. He had been fighting for half a day and was quite exhausted, but his face was filled with a self-satisfied grin. Torc looked across the chaotic enemy lines and saw them retreating, and with an excited wave of his great hand, he gave the order.
"What a bunch of inexperienced samurai! Soft as clay in one’s hands! Militia scouts, assemble quickly. Watch for my signal, and strike as soon as possible!"
Having issued his command, Torc finally relaxed and turned back to observe the situation to the south. He watched enviously as the Spear Army waved their broken Royal Banner and listened to the proud and jubilant shouts from afar, cursing under his breath resentfully.
"That monkey’s lucked out again, stumbling upon the first merit! Looks like he’s set to outdo me once more!"
Black Wolf’s keen eyes continued to scan the battlefield, then suddenly fixed on a location not far to the southwest. There, over two hundred Imperial Guards were fleeing, led by the Great General known as the Hound. Black Wolf’s spirit lifted sharply, and a torrent of battle intent rose again within his heart.
"I, Black Wolf Torc, will see who is the true warrior between me and the Hound Yuku! Catching the enemy’s Great General is also a major achievement!"
Black Wolf excitedly tightened his grip on the longbow. Glancing around, he decisively issued a command.
"Send up two teams of Longbow Hunters, join me in the pursuit! The rest of the militia scouts, continue pursuing the reinforcements from the Capital City, keep the orders as they are!"
As he finished speaking, the swift Black Wolf took the lead, taking dozens of trusted aides with him, he charged directly southwest. And within the remaining forces, the veteran scout Necali, covered in blood, yet clenched his bronze axe tightly. He looked at the prey fleeing north, a fierce smile slowly spreading across his face.
The Copper-axe Guards moved west at great speed, temporarily avoiding the enemy’s pursuit. Su’angua suddenly stopped running. He looked back somberly, silently watching the ancient Royal Banner fall, unable to stop the tears from overflowing in his eyes.
"The legacy of my ancestors, the bloodline of the Royal Family, the grand Capital City, the great Kingdom... all will be lost by my hand! How can I face going to the Divine Kingdom, to meet the spirits of my forefathers!"
Yuku paused for a moment, standing beside the King. Only half of his left ear remained, simply wrapped a couple of times in white cloth, complementing the wounded right arm of the King. But such a minor injury could not affect the exceptional samurai, nor could it shake his unwavering will.
"Your Majesty, as long as you live, there is still hope for the Kingdom! What’s most important now is to retreat southwest, as far as we can go before the Mexica recognize the decoy in your place! Your Majesty, please pull yourself together, we will return!"
Su’angua nodded solemnly, and said earnestly.
"Yuku, my loyal Hound! My safety is in your hands!"
"Your Majesty, I would die for you! As long as I am here, I will never let anyone threaten you. Your Majesty, please go ahead now, and I will cover the rear. I’ll make sure to fall before you do!"
Yuku knelt down calmly, bowing deeply. Then he stood up, resolutely waving the command flag. Another fifty Imperial Guards turned north, shields raised, forming scattered small formations. With a resolve to die, they faced the incoming Longbow Warriors and the more distant, formidable Head Warrior.
The Hound stood in place, took a deep breath, and then with a raise of his hand, shot down the two leading enemies with two arrows. Intimidated by the sharp archery, the pursuing Mexica warriors slowed slightly, while the Head Warrior hastened his approach. The Hound shot two more arrows, momentarily suppressing the pursuers’ speed, then turned again, chasing after the King like a running wolf.
Meanwhile, two miles away, Black Wolf Torc touched the longbow on his back, showing a wide grin. Then, he continued his rapid chase, pursuing the big catch in his mind!
