Not long after that, Arkadevi appears. As soon as she notices Adanu Raksa lying on the ground, she immediately rushes to him full of anxiety. However, after checking his condition, Adanu Raksa is just sleeping soundly.
"Hey, wake up!"
"Uh, mom?"
"Why are you sleeping here?"
"Hm? I don't know! I just feel so tired. And so sleepy."
Arkadevi shakes her head, and then carries him home.
"How come you get sleepy in the middle of a cemetery like this? If Prabu Jayantaka knows about this, he will be angry at me."
"Huh? Why would the king be angry with you, mom? Is he grumpy?"
"Yeah! And he really hates naughty children. He usually sends his army when he gets angry."
"Mkay! If he is angry at me, he can face my dad first."
"You stupid! The king is much stronger than your dad."
"No way!"
Meanwhile, Rangkabhumi is still busy supervising his soldiers in the fort. He checks each one of them, making sure they are in the best condition for the incoming war.
There are only about a hundred soldiers there at the moment. Most of them are just low-level warriors, and the rest, there are about thirteen youngsters from the village.
At least, he still has 7 capable captains with him, and he is quite confident with the level of their kanuragan*. But still…
"This is not enough to defend the fort from Galuguh troops," says one of his captains, whispering so close to Rangkabhumi's ear from behind.
"Rest assured! General Kagendra will arrive with his army by tomorrow morning. We won't let this fortress fall to the enemy's hand. Not when I'm still here," replies Rangkabhumi with so much confidence.
But sadly, there's no back up from the nearest regency to come the next day. Even though the sun is already beginning to move right above their head, they still don't get any news about the coming of troops from Muncar.
"Could it be that the kingdom is abandoning this border?"
"Should we just leave this place then?"
"No! The king won't abandon Talang Asri," refutes Rangkabhumi. "There must be something happen with Bramasti."
He then issues one of his captains to go, sending the message to Muncar Regency asking for help. Rangkabhumi even offers his own horse, so that one captain can reach Muncar much earlier.
"With this horse, you will reach Muncar before dark. We still have time."
"But the enemy will arrive by noon."
"I'll hold them down until you come back with General Kagendra. Just go!"
Later, the troops from Galuguh Kingdom are seen approaching in the late afternoon. Rangkabhumi is quite positive that his army will be able to withstand their onslaught until morning, with the thought the enemy will surely pull back before the night.
But he can't be more wrong. The enemy doesn't immediately attack the fort. They take a bit of rest, and then start their attack when the night comes. They don't intend to sleep before they manage to capture that fortress.
They split their big troop into two waves so they can do non stop barrage the whole night. Meanwhile, Rangkabhumi's small numbers of soldiers can't afford to do the same. They all need to stay fighting to match the enemy's number.
Even before midnight, soldiers from the Galuguh kingdom already break into the fort. Rangkabhumi began to lose control over the course of the war, because the fighting is now taking place inside his den.
More than half of his men have already met their demise. He has no other choice but to go down and join the fight to repel the enemy troops.
With ease, he jumps from the second floor of the building, as if he is able to run in the air, and then slays a few enemies' heads before he lands.
"Don't lose hope! General Kagendra will be here soon!"
His war cry manages to lit the fighting spirit that has recently begun to die out among the soldiers.
"Push them out of the fort!"
"Clear them out, so that we can recuperate inside!"
"We have to take advantage of this fort until the morning."
More soldiers begin to voice their determination, replying and encouraging each other. They no longer care whether they could win this battle or not.
What they are thinking about is Talang Asri village where their family lives. Losing the fort could already be considered losing that territory. For that, they are willing to sacrifice their lives, and fight so recklessly without the slightest hesitation.
Their retaliation manages to push the enemy out of the fortress. But it cost so many lives, and most of them are seriously injured.
"Close the gate, and cut their ladders. They will come again soon!"
The youngsters from Talang Asri village come out of the fortress. They are not soldiers, and it is for this reason they can be a help, while giving the soldiers some space to recuperate.
"General! The enemy's second wave will come soon. I don't think they will stop this. They must have already known our current situation inside this fortress by now," says one of the captains.
Rangkabhumi begins counting the number of soldiers that might still be able to continue the fight. It doesn't reach 30 men, while the rest are currently getting treatment for their injuries.
He looks up at the sky and finds it is still so dark. The dawn is very far away before it breaks. If the enemy attacks them now, surely they can take down the fortress before the army from Muncar Regency arrives.
"We can't let them get into the fortress. It will be hard for General Kagendra to take it back. We can't let that happen."
All the soldiers just shut silent. Not because they lost the will to fight. They are ready to bet their lives, and simply wait for Rangkabhumi to make a decision, whether to abandon the fort, or to fight until the end.
"Sorry, guys! I don't plan to run away from this. If you want to leave, now is the time," says Rangkabhumi, giving his men a free choice to abandon him and the fortress.