"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.
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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.
"You must be rewarded."
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.
"Ahh."
"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.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
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.
"Nh, ahh."
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.
"Ah…ahh, yes."
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.
"E-eeeek!"
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.
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"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.
"Ah, ah, awawawawawa."
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."
"I am honored."
While the two women enjoyed the afterglow, they received word that the rest of their troops had arrived.
"So Belzeia is here."
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."
"As you wish."
"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.
"No, I will go."
"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.
"Loose."
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.
"Strike back!"
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.
"Charge!"
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.
"Let's go. After me!"
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!?"
"They're what!?"
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."
"As you wish."
"Understood."
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.