Chapter 2

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“Hm, so that is the Orsini army.”

A flag bearing five crimson flower petals fluttered above Sarielal

Field.

That was the symbol of Sabrina Queen Vishnu’s military.

Where it flew, Queen Vishnu could also be found.

Orsini had sent in a large army led by General Cayfen to

take back the Sarielal region, but the Sabrina forces had received

reinforcements as well.

A lightweight cavalry unit of 6000 led by Queen Vishnu

herself had rushed in below the sun of that southern kingdom. The most

prominent members of that force were the more than 300 female knights of the

Grim Butterflies who served as the queen’s bodyguards.

Those bodyguards were more like a ceremonial guard than an

actual combat unit, so they had to be skilled in combat as well as the

loveliest of women. Also, Sabrina’s southern climate created a tendency for

lighter clothing, but they were especially lightly dressed in only bodysuits,

breast armor, shoulder armor, and long leather boots.

Of course, riding onto the battlefield while nearly nude

would be suicidal, but all of the Grim Butterflies were issued valuable magical

jewels that drastically improved their defenses when worn. It took more than

the average magic or arrow to reach them.

They loved to show off their elite status and had confidence

in their figures, so they pushed their costumes to the limit.

Their bikini-like armor in particular was shockingly skimpy.

Women dressed like that seemed out of place since the

battlefield was commonly thought of as a festival for burly men, but it made

for quite a spectacle.

No one would ever agree who the strongest unit was, but

everyone would agree this was the loveliest cavalry unit out there.

They had the skill and bravery to match their elite

position, so when Queen Vishnu led them in a charge, the entire Sabrina army’s

morale skyrocketed.

Their destructive power was unimaginable.

Sabrina Queen Vishnu was the 26-year-old woman leading them

on a red horse. She had dull silver hair that fell to her hips, a muscular

body, and skin tanned to a healthy bronze. Her large build was almost

masculine, but that was contrasted by the large mounds at her chest and her

large butt.

She had an intellectually large forehead, large eyes colored

a bright topaz, a tall bridge of her nose, and sensual red lips. She was a

lovely and energetic woman with chiseled features that anyone would recognize

as beautiful, but she had an intensity different from the average beautiful

woman. She undoubtedly had the physical beauty, but that was amplified by an

inner light fueled by her absolute pride and ambition. She had the look of a

woman who, if a man ineptly attempted to hit on her, would instantly deliver a

series of powerful slaps, spit on him, and scoff loudly as she left. In other

words, she was an extremely unapproachable woman.

She wore a strapless black leather bustier tied tight around

her chest with string. Long tanned arms extended from her thick and broad

shoulders, and a golden necklace decorated with a large magical jewel fell to

the exposed cleavage of her ample chest. Her long, wrapped skirt had bold slits

in the sides that exposed her muscular legs up to the thighs.

She was a wild-looking queen with a dynamite body. She

almost looked like a queen of thieves who ruled over a gang of bandits or crew

of pirates, but that may have been fairly accurate since she did lead a band of

thieves that was attempting to steal an entire kingdom. Of course, she was much

more powerful than some bandit leader.

Sabrina Queen Vishnu was one of the greatest women of her

generation. Her reputation was far greater than sheltered Orsini Queen Malicia.

She had led troops and had fought all over the continent

even as a princess, so she had been known as the Princess General. She was not undefeated,

but even when she faced defeat, she rallied her troops with an indomitable

fighting spirit and made sure to achieve victory in the next battle.

The Sabrina Kingdom was a relatively new kingdom that had

been established by Londbardo, one of the top vassals of the Darstal Kingdom

that had preceded Sabrina. He had spoken with the other vassals, exiled the

king, and established himself as the first king of Sabrina. The exiled king of

Darstal had of course tried to reclaim his throne and Londbardo had worked to

ensure his authority as king was absolute by purging his former allies, so he

had ended up fighting battle after battle.

He had sometimes committed horrific acts such as inviting 50

members of the rebellious families to a party in the name of making peace and

then having them all slaughtered. Of course, he had no choice but to resort to

such measures because his rule was always balanced on the edge of a knife.

During the fighting, Joshua, his eldest son and heir, was

hit by a stray arrow and killed while attacking the fortress city of Baus.

Joshua had been a popular commander known for his skill in cultural and

military pursuits and for his benevolence. Grief-stricken and enraged by his

son’s death, Londbardo had massacred the 30,000 residents of Baus (women and

children included) in the name of revenge.

But not even that gruesome slaughter would bring back his

beloved son, so he was forced to name his son’s infant daughter Vishnu as his

new heir. The Darstal Kingdom had continued its attempts to reclaim its former

glory and the battles with that relic of the past had grown even more intense.

Both sides had their wins and losses, but the year after finally extinguishing

that conflict after 30 long years, Londbardo’s dramatic life finally came to an

end at the age of 83.

He had used the cruelest of methods in that dog eat dog era

and it was the lessons he had taught his granddaughter towards the end of his

life that had made Vishnu the woman she was.

He had established the Sabrina Kingdom and Vishnu saw

expanding that kingdom as her job now.

Sabrina’s territory provided plentiful food, but she had

many complaints. First of all, the kingdom was landlocked. Second, it had no

mineral resources. No kingdom could truly be called powerful without access to

the ocean and to resources.

That was why Sabrina had two major military goals in mind:

conquer the coast and conquer the mountains. If they wanted access to the

ocean, they needed to defeat the Etruria Kingdom. If they wanted resources,

they needed to defeat the Orsini Kingdom. Vishnu had initially planned to leave

Orsini be since that large kingdom was still slumbering and instead attack

Etruria to take their excellent ports, but those plans had not taken into

account a sudden change in Orsini’s monarch, so she had changed those plans

last minute.

The current age of war changed quickly. If an enemy revealed

an opening, you had to strike. If you overlooked it, someone else would gorge upon

that succulent feast in your stead. That was the lifestyle she learned from her

grandfather.

“Excellent work, Shariera.”

Queen Vishnu’s troops arrived at the small castle newly

constructed by Western General Shariera in Sarielal. The Western General and

the rest greeted them at the castle gate and cheered. When Vishnu saw Shariera,

she smiled brightly and jumped down from her horse.

Western General Shariera was four years Vishnu’s senior at

30 and she was single. She had a sharp appearance reminiscent of a drawn blade

and her features were both clean and majestic.

She had glossy black hair worn at shoulder length and she

wore just enough makeup for her narrow face’s features to appear almost too

perfect. That made her look like an ice sculpture, but the slight smile on her

lips shattered that impression. Her appearance led the other soldiers to call

her the Ice Flower.

Instead of the exhibitionist breast armor and high-leg

panties preferred by Sabrina’s female knights, she dressed herself as a

commander by wearing a proper military uniform colored black with silver lining

as well as a coat with a decorative sash. She had created a clear distinction

between herself and the wild female warriors on the front line.

She had been born the daughter of a powerful regional family

belonging to the since-defeated Darstal Kingdom faction, but from a very young

age, she had loved reading, worked at her education, and finally earned a

reputation as one of the kingdom’s most talented woman. She had begun her

service in Sabrina as a civil official, but while working as a regional administrator,

an enemy army had attacked and she had demonstrated her military talent in

repelling that attack. Vishnu, who had been crown princess and a general at the

time, had taken note of this and recruited her as a staff officer, where she

gained experience as a military advisor and a commander.

She had accomplished extraordinary things while rebuilding

their territory after it was ravaged by civil war, so Vishnu trusted her more

than anyone and left her in charge of running the kingdom as both a general and

a prime minister. That was how she done the unprecedented by achieving the rank

of Western General as a woman of only 30.

It was rumored that she had missed her chance at marriage

after being so busy with her official duties, but with her talent and beauty,

she could have easily had several men doing her bidding if she so wished.

“The groundwork laid by Karura proved very useful.”

Shariera shook her queen’s hand and exchanged a hug with her

before grabbing both shoulders of the girl behind her and pushing her forward.

“Really? Well done, Karura.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am delighted I could be of service.”

The girl who kneeled before Vishnu still had some innocence

to her. Her silky, bright orange hair was cut short for ease of movement and she

had large, equally-bright brown eyes. The combination gave her the look of an

adventurous boy. If looks were the only priority, there were certainly more

beautiful girls out there, but her charm was found in the youthful energy she

exuded from her body, which gave her a kind of glow.

That girl of just 16 was the leader of the Sabrina Kingdom’s

prized special forces: their ninja army.

Her father Hajido had been Sabrina King Londbardo’s

confidant and Londbardo had even called him “my other half”. He had worked

behind the scenes and led many underhanded operations including sabotage,

misinformation, and assassination. However, he had carried no greed or ambition

in his heart, so he had sought no personal glory and only worked to be the

kingdom’s shadow. He had poured all of his efforts into training the ninja army

and created one of the continent’s greatest ninja organizations in a single

generation.

Ninja Leader Hajido had been known as a cruel and

coldhearted individual, but for whatever reason, he had fallen in love with a

war orphan girl he took in in his sixties and that young wife bore him Karura.

Hajido had remained active into his old age just like King

Londbardo, but he had died less than a year after his king. Londbardo’s

granddaughter Vishnu had been chosen as heir to the throne early on, but there

had been some trouble determining who would be the new leader of the ninja

army.

The position was thought to be too great a burden for a

teenage girl with no real battle experience, so there had been a move to

instead give the position to an experienced and popular veteran or an honorable

genius ninja like Tull. But Vishnu preferred to place women in all positions of

power, so she had demanded Karura lead the ninja unit.

She of course had the veteran ninjas as advisors and she had

managed to avoid any critical mistakes so far. Karura herself was ashamed of

her lack of experience, so she preferred to command on site.

Vishnu adored that praiseworthy spirit, so the girl had become

one of the lovely women always seen around the queen.

Without the efforts of Karura’s ninjas, the takeover of

Sarielal could never have gone so smoothly.

Vishnu gave a suggestive smile and wink that caused Karura’s

face, ears, and even throat to flush red while she hung her head.

“Hee hee. Oh, Karura. You are such a pure girl. I would love

to devour you right this instant, but could you all give me your reports before

I lose control of myself?”

Vishnu raised her shoulders and swaggered into Sarielal

Castle while accompanied by Shariera and Karura.

Shariera had constructed Sarielal Castle in a hurry, so it

was only designed for use in battle and the interior was stark, but it still

looked out of place on the battlefield due to the mountain of juicy Sabrina

peaches piled up on a silver platter.

Those juicy peaches were Sabrina Queen Vishnu’s favorite, so

her faithful Grim Butterflies and Western General Shariera made sure there were

always some within reach wherever she might be.

“Now, what is the enemy up to?”

Vishnu grabbed a peach and bit in without peeling it. Her

white front teeth stabbed in and fresh juice flowed out to wet her lips, but

she did not care and finished off the peach in no time. That left her lips and

chin soaked with juice.

A maid waiting nearby silently stepped forward, licked

Vishnu’s mouth clean, and accepted the pit into her own mouth before finally

wiping Vishnu’s mouth off with a towel and stepping back. The queen’s wild and

sensual display was a familiar sight in Sabrina, so no one so much as commented

on it.

“Then we should wait and see what they do. There is nothing to

be done while Orsini remains holed up in the mountains, but they intend to

drive us away, so they should make their move soon. We can all get some rest

until then.”

After Vishnu had heard all the reports, the various

commanders left, but she ordered Karura and Shariera to stay.

Once the other commanders were gone, Vishnu stood from her

seat and stripped off the clothing she was wearing.

Her incredible figure was apparent enough when dressed, but

it was even more fantastic in the nude.

She was in the prime of her life at 26.

She was taller than the average man and her entire body was

tanned a healthy reddish-brown. The pubic hair adorning her crotch was the same

dull silver as on her head.

Instead of a naturally-formed beauty, hers was the result of

her belief that anyone in command should train themselves even more than those

they commanded.

She had broad shoulders and long arms. Her plump butt could

be seen sticking out on either side below her tight waist. The long legs

extending dynamically down from there looked as powerful as a mare’s. She also

had two large breasts sticking out like twin grapefruits.

Every part of her body was covered in muscle and she also

carried the unique sex appeal of an adult woman.

After exposing her body as if to show off its perfect form,

she gave Karura a heated look with an expression of praise. She pulled that

faithful kitten into her arms, sat her on her lap, and placed her sensual lips

on the girl’s lovely lips.

It was a passionate kiss.

Their tongues tangled together and they licked and sucked at

each other’s lips. Meanwhile, Vishnu’s hands removed Karura’s clothing one

piece at a time.

“Ahh…Queen Vishnu, the sun has not yet set.”

“Why should that matter? I wish to love you now.”

Karura could find no other reason to refuse her queen’s

actions as nude Vishnu had the girl sit on her lap, embraced her from behind,

and grabbed both her breasts.

“Hee hee. I do love how pleasant your plump flesh feels.”

Young and healthy Karura’s plump skin seemed to suck the

woman’s hands in as she held her.

Karura was average height for a woman, but she had served as

a ninja from a young age and had a fit body and an excellent figure.

The plump legs extending from her round butt were

magnificently beautiful. Vishnu stuck her hands between those legs and forced

them apart. Shariera stood across from them, so she was given a view of a pussy

adorned with dull silver hair sitting below one with bright orange hair.

“Karura, as a reward for helping Shariera today and for

living up to my expectations, I will give you a mind-blowing time tonight.”

Vishnu blew a hot breath onto Karura’s earlobe and whispered

to her.

“Y-yes. I want that so bad.”

Karura’s cheeks, throat, and even chest were flushed pink as

she shut her eyes and leaned back into Vishnu’s embrace.

“Hee hee. You are simply adorable, Karura.”

Vishnu held her tight and Karura felt the pleasant sensation

of the queen’s two weighty breasts on her back. Ten lithe fingers lifted up

Karura’s large breasts from behind.

Karura had a youthful and boyish face, but her body was very

feminine. Her breasts were not as massive as Vishnu’s but they were quite large

for her average build.

In a way, she was the type of cute girl most loved by the

boys.

“I envy you the firmness of these boobs. Truly a privilege

of youth.”

Vishnu whispered sweetly in her ear and let those weighty

fruits spill from her hands.

While massaging each breast in turn, her sticky tongue

crawled along Karura’s nape.

“That is not true. Your boobs are perfect, Queen Vishnu. I

love them so much.”

Karura fantasized about the soft and giant breasts she could

feel on her back while she abandoned herself to the queen’s caress. She could

feel her mind fading from the pleasant sensation.

“Kh, ah. Qu-Queen Vishnu…I’m…I’m…”

Vishnu’s groping was intense and it demonstrated incredible

technique.

She pressed her nails onto the areolae and rubbed the

nipples.

While Karura’s bust was so indecently massaged, sweet nectar

dripped endlessly from her vagina. The hot liquid soaked Vishnu’s lower body.

After an especially loud moan from Karura, Vishnu laid her

face up on the sturdy table used for the war council and then kissed her soaked

hidden lips.

Karura cried out and writhed in pleasure as her legs were

spread wider and her vulva was licked all over. Vishnu’s face moved in every

direction to lick the clitoris, the inner folds, and the labia. The great

pleasure elicited moans from Karura, her own indecent behavior brought further

arousal, and that led to even more incredible moaning.

While the girl cried out like she was on the verge of death,

Vishnu raised her head and spoke to the other lover she had asked to remain.

“Shariera, do not just watch. Give me the usual.”

Vishnu wiggled her large butt to entice the other woman.

Sweet nectar dripped from the slit.

With a smile that said “if you insist”, Shariera stripped

off her uniform.

Her smooth, white body was contained in black adult

underwear. The contrast between the white and the black was sensual and

provocative. She removed just the silk panties and then equipped a pale

strap-on.

“Here I come, Queen Vishnu, my beloved ruler.”

Shariera moved behind Vishnu while she was focused on eating

out Karura, grabbed her large butt, made sure the slit was plenty wet, and

penetrated her with the dildo rising from her own crotch.

Vishnu moaned while she licked Karura’s labia, stuck her

tongue in the vagina, mixed her up inside, and audibly sucked out the pussy

juices. She moved her tongue down along the slit until she arrived at the anus.

She licked all over the girl’s butt cheeks and then got the hole in the center

plenty wet. Finally, she inserted two fingers in the anus and vagina

simultaneously and teased both while sucking at the erect clitoris.

When Shariera began thrusting her hips, the vibration passed

through Vishnu’s body and reached Karura. The powerful stimulation brought her

to climax.

“Ah…ah…nh, ahh, ah, ahn, nh…ah.”

“Ahh…how do you like it, Queen Vishnu?”

“Ah, I love it, Shariera. Yes, I love it.”

Vishnu enjoyed pleasuring Karura as much as she enjoyed

being penetrated by Shariera. Rather than being a strict dom or sub, she was a

pure hedonist who did not know how to restrain her desires.

Shariera showed no mercy as she thrust her hips into Vishnu.

“Ahh, this is…this is so good.”

She was known to her troops as an Ice Flower for how

composed she always was, but now she was thrusting her hips with a look of

ecstasy on her face.

She was a very ambitious woman who had risen this high at a

young age and from a lowly family, so she may have felt a perverted

satisfaction in mercilessly fucking her queen.

The boyish girl was tormented by the woman with skin tanned

a healthy reddish brown who was in turn fucked from behind by the strap-on worn

by a woman with skin as white as an albino snake. A dreadfully erotic beauty

ruled that scene.

Not only were they ruler and subject, but they were like

sisters to each other and they were lovers too.

The persistent oral sex finally proved too much for Karura

and she began foaming at the mouth and writhing in pleasure, so the two women

began embracing and exchanging light kisses while catching their breath.

“Oh, that was incredible. I want to have your babies,

Shariera.”

Vishnu always said that after they had sex.

“Why must you say that? I am prepared to do anything for

you, but that is the one thing I cannot do. You must find a suitable man for

that purpose.”

Vishnu was merciless to the point of tyrannical when she

took the dominant role with her female generals, female knights, and Karura,

but she became adorably submissive when it was with Shariera.

“Yes, children are the one thing you need a man for. If only

I could find a man who catches my interest. If you were a man, I would make you

my husband in a heartbeat.”

While the two women enjoyed the afterglow, they received

word that the rest of their troops had arrived.

Vishnu expressed such great love for Western General

Shariera, but she sounded less than fond of the Eastern General.

She had reformed the public finances and military as she saw

fit after becoming queen, but his troops were the one area she had failed to

reach.

If asked who Sabrina’s greatest military commander was,

everyone would give the name of Eastern General Belzeia. As impressive as

Shariera’s accomplishments were, she was still only 30, so there was only so

much she could have accomplished. Belzeia was the younger brother of the

previous king – that is, of Vishnu’s grandfather Londbardo – so he had helped

found the kingdom. He had bravely fought on the front line ever since Sabrina’s

founding and he was still active even in his seventies. He had fearsome

sideburns and, while he was not tall, he came off as a giant to anyone who saw

him due to his thick chest, broad shoulders, and powerful presence.

He was as stubborn as old men came and he displayed none of

the beauty that Vishnu adored. But as proud a woman as Vishnu was, she hated

the way that older relative looked at her. She nearly flinched whenever he gave

her that look of intense disapproval.

He was a taciturn old man and never actually voiced his

dissent, but his expression made it clear he sensed danger in her plan to

expand Sabrina’s territory.

He had been a famous general before she was even born and he

had known her when she was a small child, so dealing with him was awkward and

her aesthetic senses loathed having some filthy old man in a top rank.

However, he was famous, he was popular, and he was

undeniably skilled, so she had decided to use him the best she could.

It was well known that she grew awkward around him, but it

was unclear how he felt about his energetic grandniece. He must not have lived

a shallow enough life to let others pick up on his thoughts. Regardless, he did

play his role as a faithful servant of Sabrina.

“Granduncle, you arrived quickly for such a long journey.”

Vishnu preferred not to meet with him unless absolutely

necessary and he had no intention of taking a central position since he was

only interested in battle. She doubted he wanted any place in the royal capital

where young women strutted around like they owned the place. Keeping him on the

front line was the best way to preserve their relationship. He was currently in

charge of the region along the border with Etruria, so he had been called in to

the exact opposite end of the kingdom.

He may have noticed the lingering feminine scent from

Vishnu, Shariera, and Karura when he stepped inside because he gave his usual

disapproving look as he began to speak.

“I come bearing a report. A swift messenger arrived earlier

to inform us that an Orsini force of about 3000 led by a commander by the name

of Chandler is moving around Sarielal Field to make a direct attack on our

royal capital of Provence.”

Silence fell over the room.

“I see. So they have finally made their move.” A beautiful

smile flashed on Vishnu’s lips. “Western General, what is your opinion here?”

“It looks a lot like they intend to bring their main force

to Sarielal Field where they will fight a war of attrition while this other

unit makes their true attack on the Sabrina homeland…but that is a bluff. They

hope to shake our resolve with that before making an assault on our army to

settle this more swiftly.”

“Agreed.” Vishnu was satisfied with the usual reliability of

her favorite advisor’s observant eye. “We cannot ignore that other unit even if

they are a diversion. They would wreak havoc on our land, arrive behind our

army, and cut off our supply line. Worse, they would damage my dignity. A ruler

who cannot protect her people’s lives and property is not fit to rule.”

“We cannot allow them to attack our land, so that separate

unit must be crushed at once.”

“Then I shall deal with them.”

Shariera stood up, but Vishnu stopped her.

“That is too risky. If you leave here, Orsini will assume

their ploy was successful and make an all-out attack.”

“I am aware it is risky, but that is far better than having

them hole up in the mountains for a long, drawn-out war of attrition. We will

draw them out into Sarielal Field and crush them here.”

Vishnu’s expression grew frightening indeed when a deadly

look appeared on her beautiful face.

“Karura, go to the nearby villages and spread the word that

I have left here. The enemy is sure to rejoice and attack upon learning we have

split our already small fighting force, but they will likely fear a trap and

check the veracity of the information. They should learn the truth around noon.

That is when they will rashly attack this formation here. I will return by

evening. Preserve this formation for half a day. Shariera, Belzeia, I am

counting on your talent here.”

Overwhelmed by the queen’s powerful spirit, Shariera and

Belzeia bowed and saw her off.

That same day, Vishnu left along with just the cavalry to

attack the Orsini forces trying to enter Sabrina territory.

She rode her red-haired horse while leading the elites of

the Grim Butterflies, including Simor, Rosaria, Olga, Callion, and Lula. The

lovely horsewomen racing in the moonlight really were reminiscent of a swarm of

butterflies fluttering just off the ground. Their armor glittering in the

moonlight and their fluttering capes looked just like butterfly wings. The 6000

horsewomen who followed after them spoke not a word, kept their uniforms in

perfect order, and never strayed from their path as they raced across the

field.

The next morning, the Sabrina army caught up to the Orsini

army at the bank of the Soul River.

Vishnu rode her horse up onto a small hill where she could

look down upon the Orsini army. Her dull silver hair fluttered in the wind as

she roughly encouraged her troops like a bandit leader. And in fact, she was a

bandit leader. But it was kingdoms she stole and she was willing to kill to

that end, so she drew the curved sword from her hip and raised it into the

cloudless azure sky.

“Split their formation in two. Our target is the enemy

commander’s head! Cut down the rest if they get in the way.”

When she swung down the curved sword, the 6000 Sabrina

horsewomen galloped down the hill and charged toward the Orsini troops.

This would ultimately be a tragedy for the Orsini troops

here. They were led by Chandler who was a brave, clever, and skilled man. In

fact, the diversion tactic had been his idea.

Like many strong-willed men, he could be insolent at times,

but he was capable and had the ambitions to match. His ambition was to prove

himself in battle and name himself as a possible groom for Queen Malicia.

But in the end, his name would go down in history as a

foolish commander. By his calculations, his troops would cross the deserted

field and sweep across Sabrina territory, not be overtaken and crushed. So he

had let his guard down during the march and being flanked from the high ground came

as a complete surprise. Plus, his 3000 were no match for Vishnu’s 6000.

A charge made by 6000 horsewomen was an intimidating thing. The

pounding of hooves placed pressure on the entire area and the dust thrown into

the air was enough to obscure their vision.

The Sabrina cavalry force maintained the momentum of their

race down the slope as they crashed into the flank of the Orsini force’s long

formation.

Sabrina’s cavalry trampled and broke through the Orsini

troops before turning around and making a second charge.

The remnants of the Orsini troops were too scattered to even

call an army.

The cavalry unit led by Vishnu was exhilaratingly

destructive.

Their ferocious queen smiled as she raised her bloody sword

into the sunlight. And she swung it down once more.

The second cavalry charge acted as a finishing blow.

Chandler was killed by a spear to the throat by Julia, head

of the royal guards.

“Curse that madwoman. She tricked us.”

Orsini General Cayfen did exactly what Vishnu had predicted

he would. Orsini had first learned of the enemy sending out a separate unit in

the dead of the night, but the nearby rumors seemed too good to be true, so he

had examined the information carefully.

He had become confident of Queen Vishnu’s absence at around

noon, so he had immediately ordered his troops down from the mountain. He did

not consider that half a day time loss to be a mistake. In fact, that had

allowed Vishnu’s separate unit to travel further away and it would delay her

return when she inevitably turned back upon learning her absence had been

noticed. He considered it to work in their favor.

His plan was to defeat the army left with Belzeia and

Shariera and then defeat Vishnu’s army when she returned.

If things had gone as he planned, that ideal piecemeal

destruction of the enemy army would have gone down in history.

When Karura brought word of the Orsini army descending from

the mountains, Shariera and Belzeia left Sarielal Castle with all of their

troops. The castle had been hastily constructed, so while it could shelter them

from the elements, it was too small to defend an army of 13,000. Also, they had

decided the battle would be easier if they used the Luminay River that cut

across Sarielal Field.

It was noon and the sun was brightly shining from high in

the sky.

The two armies faced each other across the beautiful silver

shine of the river. Orsini’s army numbered 22,000 and Sabrina’s numbered

13,000.

While cursing the sizzling sun and the blinding river’s

surface, the soldiers of both sides ate a small lunch, but not one of them

noticed or enjoyed the flavor.

It was the Orsini army that broke the oppressive silence. The

3000 troops led by General Darcenis took the vanguard.

Darcenis was in charge of border security on the southern

side of Orsini. He was a dandy man’s man in his late forties who had risen from

the very bottom of the ranks and excelled in combat. He was deeply considerate

of his troops, so he was evenhanded in his rewards and punishments and he had

earned great trust and popularity.

He was a bold and heroic man with a sword scar from his

right cheek to jaw. He had a powerful smile, he gave an air of reliability, and

he was indeed reliable.

But as was common with his type, he was rough around the

edges, illiterate, and ignorant of etiquette, so it was said he would never

move beyond a front-line commander and had no future in the royal capital.

The Sabrina army was led by the leaders of the kingdom’s two

factions: the pro-Vishnu and the anti-Vishnu factions. Could they really

cooperate enough to fight a battle together? They could. Shariera and Belzeia

never interacted on a personal level and had no interest in doing so, but

neither was foolish enough to neglect their job as a public official.

Once Darcenis’s troops had made it halfway across the river,

Shariera sent arrows raining down upon them. Darcenis’s troops fell apart and

nearly came to a stop, but since they had been forced to cross the river before

the enemy, they had been prepared for some losses. The Orsini army quickly sent

in a second group led by Meldis.

Meldis was a 28-year-old woman and the only female general

in the Orsini army. She tied her curly blonde hair back with a red bandanna. A

powerful light shined in her eyes and she had a boldly beautiful face, but it

was nothing that stood out in a crowd. Of course, her looks were entirely

unrelated to earning her position as a general. That was mostly due to her

being the daughter of one of Orsini’s few notable warrior families, but she was

also unusually tall for a woman, she was very muscular, and few people in the

kingdom better fit the look of a female warrior. In fact, she would have looked

more at home in the Sabrina army than the Orsini one. She was also known to be

one of the many women to be intimate with Selune. Physically intimate, that is.

She was as fierce a warrior as her appearance suggested, but she was submissive

in bed and would visit Selune’s home whenever she had some free time so he

could tease her the way she liked. She was a cheerful and frank woman who had

gone as far as to say she had him to thank for getting over her constipation.

Meldis encouraged Darcenis’s troops, her troops crossed the

river along with them, and they finally arrived at the other side.

On Belzeia’s command, the Sabrina army gave a roar and

fought back. Sword clashed with shield, pike clashed with spear, yells of anger

joined with screams of terror, and splattering blood mixed with splashing water

to create a gruesome scene.

Upon seeing that, Orsini General Cayfen grew even more

confident that Vishnu was not there and that the enemy’s army was half the size

of his own, so he ordered a full-on attack while sure of their victory.

The Orsini army flooded across the river.

The Sabrina army intercepted them near the southern bank and

fierce fighting broke out in the river itself, but no matter how skilled

Shariera and Belzeia were, they had the weaker position against an enemy nearly

twice their size. Their troops succumbed to the pressure and began to fall

back.

“The enemy has broken. Go! Crush them!”

After safely completing their important role on the

vanguard, Darcenis’s troops moved to the back of the army while the troops led

by brave Demulgast charged out ahead.

Pulled onward by Demulgast, the Orsini army utilized its

absolute advantage in numbers to try to break through the Sabrina army all at

once.

But the Sabrina army did an excellent job of supporting

their position. Not only did Shariera and Belzeia command well, but the

ordinary troops had an absolute trust in their queen. Karura and the rest of

the ninja army generally fought behind the scenes, but they stood on the

battlefield and desperately fought to prevent the entire army from falling

apart.

“Her Majesty will return with reinforcements. Hold steady

until then.”

Shariera’s encouragement voiced the prayers of all the

Sabrina soldiers.

And it finally happened as the sun, redder than the

bloodstained ground, began to descend below the western horizon.

“I see the five crimson petals!”

“Impossible! It’s too soon!”

The flag bearing five crimson petals was well known as

Vishnu’s banner.

“It’s the Grim Butterflies!”

The all-female lightweight cavalry of Vishnu’s royal guard was

known as the Grim Butterflies.

The Orsini army had entirely underestimated the mobility of

the Sabrina army.

The heavily-equipped cavalry of the northern Domos Kingdom

was famous for their unparalleled destructive power on the battlefield, but

Sabrina’s lightweight cavalry was all about mobility.

Cayfen was shocked they had ridden back so quickly and that

shock spread throughout his entire army.

Vishnu raised a cry in the sunset light and her 6000 horsewomen

let their hooves rumble loud across the battlefield to strike the flank of the battle-weary

Orsini army. The fierce strike caused the Orsini ranks to crumble into

disarray, but they were not routed and just barely managed to hold strong. That

had a lot to do with the efforts of General Raymon who was in charge of that

side.

Raymon was a model Orsini noble in his mid-thirties who

shared a lot of blood with the royal family. They had not been many, but some

had tried to place him on the throne instead of Malicia after King Cerufus’s

death. He had proven himself as a general and a diplomat and he was skilled in

both literary and military matters. He had a pale face, a pretentious

moustache, and long, light brown hair bound at his back. He was a stereotypical

noble who was stylish and did everything in the most unbearably pretentious

way, but he had gained popularity in a way Selune had not because he remained

faithful to his wife. His wife always accompanied him during his non-military

official duties and he had been blessed with three sons and three daughters. He

was the kind of man who had no qualms about saying he only watched his

appearance and behavior for his beloved wife’s sake, but everyone could tell

his pretentious behavior was baked into his core.

He used an épée sword meant for jabs. That weapon was much

harder to use than a curved sword, but he loved it and fought fiercely enough

to make up for the difference.

He was the polar opposite of rough General Darcenis who had

taken the vanguard, but oddly enough, the two got along fairly well.

Belzeia and Shariera had been desperately working to

maintain a defensive line, but upon Vishnu’s arrival, they instead ordered an

attack.

“Do not let them escape! Now it is our turn!”

No matter how fiercely Raymon fought, the Orsini army was

still half-surrounded, so the tables had turned. The only reason the battle was

not decided then and there was because Vishnu’s troops had just made a hard

ride all the way here and could not provide as much help as their numbers

suggested.

Then Vishnu selected the most trusted elites of the Grim

Butterflies and had them leave the fray.

The Grim Butterflies was a small group of just 300 riders,

but Vishnu excelled at hit-and-away tactics using that small number. Also, each

of them could fight on a level worth more than ten times the average soldier.

Vishnu’s cavalry tactics bordered on the divine at times

like this. The Grim Butterflies used their mobility as their greatest weapon to

race around the outer edges of the Orsini army like pinwheel fireworks. They

never stayed to fight in one spot. They would make an attack, immediately pull

away, move elsewhere, and attack there. By repeating the process, they

scattered Orsini’s will to fight, threw them into confusion, and dragged them

all around.

It was still unclear who would ultimately emerge victorious

as the sun set. The fighting continued as darkness fell, but the Orsini

commanders must have thought both armies were at an impasse and the battle

would end in a draw for the day. However, a winner was determined soon after

the last glimmer of sunlight faded away.

With an ear-splitting cry of encouragement, Vishnu gripped

her favorite sword tightly and began riding with white skirt aflutter.

Julia, Simor, Rosaria, Callion, Olga, and Lula of the Grim

Butterflies raised their voices and followed after her.

Vishnu took the lead of the closely-packed formation of

lightweight horsewomen that raced in toward the Orsini army’s left flank,

changed direction partway through, and tore diagonally into the center of the

Orsini army.

The Orsini army was helpless after sending one of their

units out ahead with great speed. It did not help that their eyes had yet to

adjust to the darkness so soon after sunset, but the soldiers who encountered

Vishnu were intimidated, swallowed up by her intensity, and filled with such

terror that they opened a path for her.

“The Grim Butterflies are charging us!?”

Orsini General Cayfen did not immediately grasp the danger

when he first received the report, but then the cloth curtains around his camp

were sliced through and a silver-haired woman rode in on a horse.

The aged general froze in shock while a bloody blade swung

down toward his head.

Vishnu ignored the slain enemy commander and rode off. The

old man’s corpse was crushed like a bag of flesh by the hooves of the horses

following after her.

Military Overseer Ralmesel had been far enough away from

Cayfen to avoid harm, but the mystical young woman was so terrified her hips

gave out, fluids spilled from every one of her holes, and she quavered.

Vishnu’s cavalry unit broke through the center of Orsini’s

army of 20,000, fully bisected it, and left through the right flank.

The Grim Butterflies had all survived and Vishnu had not

received so much as a scratch.

That attack caused the Orsini army to crumble.

“After them! Slaughter every last one of them!”

Vishnu need not have given that fierce command. Belzeia and

Shariera were already at the head of their armies and commanding the pursuit.

With their central command post directly attacked and

destroyed, the Orsini army’s chain of command had entirely collapsed. Raymon,

Darcenis, Demulgast, and Meldis’s units were cut off from each other and the

entire army was routed. The unit that bravely took over the rear guard in that

hopeless situation was Claus’s.

Claus was Selune’s younger brother and the youngest of the

Orsini commanders. His military talent was nowhere near his brother’s level,

but he was a hard worker and had earned a lot of trust. However, his poor

judgment could be seen in his willingness to accept the short end of the stick

that was the rear guard here. His unit was thrown into disarray in no time.

“Fight, fight! The soldiers of Adrian Castle are Orsini’s

elite. My brother will laugh at you if you flee now. He will call you too weak

to accomplish anything without his help!”

Claus tried to regain control of his troops, but his own

horse was affected by his allies’ confusion and turned the wrong way.

Even during this unilateral pummeling, there was a brave

soldier within the Orsini army who put up a desperate counterattack. Enemy and

ally alike were astonished by the fierce fighting of that knight in an antlered

helmet. He controlled his horse with great skill and slayed eight Sabrina

soldiers with arrows fired with incredible accuracy from horseback. When the

ninth arrow was loosed from the taut bowstring with a loud twang and unhorsed

Shariera, the Sabrina soldiers were flabbergasted.

However, the western general had only fallen from her horse

and was unharmed.

Shariera immediately took a bow and arrow from an orderly

and aimed for the sniper who had hit her.

Her arrow flew true, stabbed into the enemy’s breastplate,

and unhorsed him. But the distance between them meant the hit was shallow. He

hopped back to his feet, cut down a warrior on horseback riding over to slay

him, climbed onto the horse himself, and made a swift retreat.

“Well, he is certainly an…energetic fellow.”

Shariera was so astonished by the display of skill that she

simply watched him go. If she had tried, she may have been able to slay him

with another arrow, but she was so impressed she ended up letting him go.

She would come to truly regret that fact half a year later.

Despite pockets of resistance like that, Sabrina’s advantage

remained unchanged as they pursued their enemy.

The Orsini soldiers fled for their lives, but injuries

sapped the strength of some and others were taken out from behind by arrows or

magic. Most of them were massacred in a scene of utter pandemonium.

Vishnu stopped her horse after pursuing the Orsini army to

the entrance of Jeol Pass.

“Hmph, a natural fortress, is it? Still, their mobile forces

have been obliterated. We can wait until winter to cross these mountains.”

The Sabrina army had won, but they had taken damage.

Belzeia’s army, Shariera’s army, Vishnu’s Grim Butterflies, and Karura’s ninja

army were all as exhausted as could be. They could not use their current

momentum to invade Orsini territory.

Blood stained the flowers, grass, ground, and Luminay River

on that corpse-strewn battlefield. 10,000 of the Orsini troops had been taken

prisoner or killed. The prisoners could receive their freedom in a hostage

exchange or ransom payment, but Sabrina Queen Vishnu intended to crush the

Orsini Kingdom before any such diplomatic deals could be worked out, so she

presented the prisoners to her soldiers as spoils of war to do with as they

liked, including selling them into slavery.

This was especially tragic for the boys who had only just

come of age and were fighting in their very first battle. The warrior women of

Sabrina inspected them, selected one for themselves, took them away, and raped

them.

A woman raping a man might sound strange, but it was actually

very common on the battlefield. When the armed victor could choose whether the

loser lived or died, the usual sexual power balance was easily overturned. And

while it was psychologically damaging for anyone to be raped, the shock was

apparently greater for men than for women.

Some were forced to lick a woman’s crotch until their tongue

was too exhausted to move and began convulsing and were ultimately forced to

drink her urine. Some were forced to ejaculate ten times in a row until it

damaged the inside of their urethra and their semen grew bloody. Some had their

shaft bound so they could not ejaculate and then were forced to have sex with

dozens upon dozens of women. Any boy who was too scared to get an erection

received a finger up the ass to stimulate their prostate and force an erection.

Still others were forced to suck each other off or plow each other for the

women’s amusement.

The fierce warrior women of Sabrina enjoyed their victory

drinks while using the poor blushing boys for entertainment.

“This winter, once we are sufficiently resupplied and

rested, we will cross Jeol Pass and invade Orsini. That will spell the end for

the Orsini Kingdom.”

Vishnu, Shariera, and Karura exchanged a quick embrace while

regretting the brief time they would be apart. Vishnu would be returning to

their royal capital of Provence, Shariera would be advancing through Sarielal

territory, and Karura would be infiltrating Orsini territory to gather

intelligence.

Belzeia gave the women a displeased look, but he said

nothing and prepared to return to the front line in the fight against the

Etruria Kingdom.