Seeing my expression the men all showed different reactions. Some felt fear, others felt shocked, or confused, but there were only two people who showed amusement. They were Darius and Hamilcar.
Even though I saw that they were still waiting for me to speak again I kept quietly thinking, and after a few minutes of awkward silence my eyes widened in realization.
Immediately seeing my change in expression Darius asked "My emperor did you figure something out?"
I nod my head and say "Before I say my plan I want ask the Grand Marshal something. You said that they are going to attack Abbadin but they have yet to do it, why?" I ask with an excited expression.
Hamilcar with his usual calm and emotionless voice says "Even though they won decisively, they also had to pay dearly for that victory! According to the reports I received they originally invaded with an army of 67,000. They lost 10,000 men, and they have almost 15,000 wounded. And currently, they are resting and probably waiting reinforcements, or our surrender."
Everyone had an ugly expression on their faces. In contrast my face contorted into a savage and cruel expression, as a bloodthirsty smile was etched on my face, and I laughed uncontrollably! And thought 'I figured it out! By the time this war has reached it's conclusion I would have turned those new shiny armors to hunks of scrap metal!'
Am I insane? Yes. Am I psychopathic? Yes. Am I deranged, mad, psychotic? YES!!! But what did you expect? I am the Tyrant of the Ruined Sun! The man who bathed the world in an apocalyptic level of destruction and terror! You expect a sane man to be able to do this? Of course not, because he will never be able to. Even a monster will stop at one point, but never a king! A true ruler of men will never stop until the world is in his hands! And it's time once again for my name to become a synonym for fear! Although I will heed the advice of the being I met when I returned back in time, I will not extend that same mercy to my enemies.
Pulling out of my thoughts, I notice that except for a few people, all the men had gloomy expression, and the mood was becoming depressive. Refusing to keep my men in such a state, I activate my divine power, and stand up from my throne and yell at the top of my lungs "MEN!"
Hearing my loud voice their lowered heads snap to look at me, as they stare at my strange tattoos, and haunting eyes. Seeing that I had their full attention I say in a booming voice "How dare you lower your heads? Do you not know who you are?" But before anyone can respond I say in an even louder voice "You are the empire's sword and shield! It's spear and axe! It's lance and bow! It's mightiest weapons and armor! Why do you bow your heads like this? Is it because of your shame? Your guilt for failing her, and allowing such a situation to happen?" Hearing my question they lowered their eyes, not daring to look me in the eye.
Seeing this I push my power to the limit and the light that came from the windows began to dim slowly. And then I roar even louder "You are right to feel shame! Because you have failed in protecting both the empire and your honor." This shocked them and some of them even began to silently weep. But I wasn't done "Everyone here failed the empire! Including my family! And we should feel shame for allowing foreign invaders to be able threaten it's very heart and existence! But now is not the time to lower our heads! It's time for us to make our amends!" Saying this they once again looked at me. "We must wash away our shame. Our dishonor! And the only way to do this, is by the blood of those who did this! By the blood of those who shamed us. By the blood of those who humiliated us. By the blood of those who threaten our empire!"
Reacting to my rage and words my divine blood began to release more power, and the darkness in the room began to grow thicker and thicker. "Tell me men, will you offer payment for your dept?" I asked with a thunderous voice!
Staring at my chilling silverish eyes they unconsciously activated their powers. As I looked at a hundred pairs of eyes that began to glow with wrath, and bloodlust in the dark they all roared. "We will wash away our dept!"
"They will pay for what they've done!"
"They will regret ever stepping foot in our empire!"
Seeing that the spark I wanted was ignited in their hearts, I decided it was time to turn this spark into a bestial fire that would burn the whole world in the future!
I turn and point above the throne to the map drawn above it, and say "My valiant men, we must not stop at only washing away our shame!" I stopped as I looked at the eager expressions of my men waiting for me to continue and I obliged "Men, for a thousand years our empire's armies have stayed dormant. We have forgotten our path. We have forgotten why our ancestors drew this map in the first place! It's time my men, my beasts of war!" And I look specifically at the Grand Marshal and say in a thunderous roar "It's finally time to reveal our claws! To bear our fangs! To once again roar the chants of war! What say you men?"
And Hamilcar who has remained relatively calm so far finally could no longer hold it in. And the aura of a tenth rank exploded out of him as his eyes glowed bright red, and a warlike smile crawled upon his face. He looked like war god about to go berserk! Similarly all the others followed Hamilcar's lead and fully released their power! Soon a hundred auras filled with the will to destroy and kill covered the entire palace in a suffocating pressure.
My blood resonating with the current mood roared in delight, and soon the hall no longer had even a speck of light in it, and the only thing that could be seen any longer were the eyes of a hundred men that blazed in the darkness with bloodlust and malice!
Looking at the scene Infront of me I smiled with satisfaction. I have successfully gained the loyalty of the military, and now it was time to gain the loyalty of the people, and what better way is there other than becoming their hero!
'I'll make sure the world remembers this war as the most disastrous massacre in the history of the Luminous Empire!' I thought amusedly.
***Scene Change***
A hundred miles north of Abbadin, there was a large military encampment raising a flag that had a glorious golden sun on it. This was the Luminous army camp.
A soldier wearing white armor was seen rushing quickly through the camp and he soon reached the area where the officers' tents were. But instead of this area being the most organized and disciplined, it was pure chaos with men drinking, fighting and gambling. All the while the sound of women screaming, begging for a brief respite and in pain was heard all around. They were obviously celebrating their great victory in the lowest of ways!
But the soldier simply ignored all this and went straight to the general's tent. As soon as he entered he was assaulted with the stench of blood, wine, and other body fluids. The soldier looked at the floor of the tent, and he saw a dozen beautiful naked women, that were beaten and bruised. Many of them already died due to the torture!
It was then the soldier heard a man say in an annoyed tone "I ordered not to be disturbed."
"I-I'm sorry, my lord! But urgent news has just arrived." The soldier replied stutteringly.
"Did the reinforcements arrive?" The man asked.
"No sir." The soldier replied.
"Did those shits from the Eclipse Empire send a peace treaty?" He asked again.
"No sir." Once again the soldier replied.
"Then what the hell is it?" The man asked in obvious anger.
"S-Sir, the Eclipse Empire has a new Empero..." Before the soldier could finish, the man threw a liquor bottle on his head, drenching him the liquor.
"WHO THE FUCK CARES WHO'S THE RULER OF THIS DAMNED DESERT?" The man yelled at the soldier who was clutching his bleeding head.
"IF YOU DISTURB ME AGAIN BECAUSE OF SUCH A STUPID REASON I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE!"
"Y-Y-Yes sir!" The soldier said while quickly scurrying out of the tent.
The man was tall and had a muscular physique. He also had long golden hair, and golden eyes, a sign of the imperial family of the Luminous Empire. He is Archduke Marcus, brother of the Luminous Emperor Octavian, and also the best aerial general of the empire!
"As soon as this war is over I will leave this godforsaken desert as fast as possible." Marcus said aloud. But then he turned around and looked at the victims of his sexual preferences and smiled perversely as he thought 'Although their women are a true pleasure.'
At that moment a powerful wind came from the south, and for some reason his hair stood on end, and his muscles clenched as if his body was warning him of something! But that feeling faded as fast as the wind itself, and he no longer bothered with it.
But little did he know that he would never leave this desert the same way he entered it! And that the wind that has just past by him was the herald of death, spreading the news that the ancient beast known as the Eclipse Empire has unsealed it's shackles and bared it's fangs at the Luminous Empire to finally satiate it's endless hunger!