The roar of weapons and battle cries still echoed across the Sarre Plains. However, gradually, the lieutenant from Livasol leading the enemy troops on the western side began to show signs of pressure. His eyes were restless, his brow furrowed deeply, and his hand rose several times as if trying to signal something.
Lieutenant Rubeck, who had been leading the right wing of the Korasium forces from the start, grew suspicious. His sharp eyes observed the enemy's movements. He was no stranger to the battlefield, and his instincts began to send warning signals.
"This is too easy..." he muttered under his breath.
But joy swept through the Korasium troops. The enemy line slowly retreated, stepping back beyond a small hill that marked the western edge of the Sarre Plains. Cheers erupted from Lieutenant Rubeck's soldiers.
"We've won! They're retreating!" shouted one soldier.
"Forward! Chase them!" another shouted, raising his weapon high.
Several young officers urged Lieutenant Rubeck to give the order to pursue. Though unease still filled his heart, the euphoria of his troops and the pressure of the moment forced him to make a decision.
"Advance in formation. Don't break ranks!" he commanded firmly.
The Korasium troops crossed the hill with burning spirit. But once they passed it…
everything changed.
From behind the hill, the Livasol troops that had appeared to flee had actually formed a crescent formation. Hundreds of soldiers emerged from behind rocks and shrubs, sweeping toward the flanks of the pursuing Korasium line. In an instant, Lieutenant Rubeck's troops were trapped in a tight encirclement.
"It's a trap!" shouted a panicked Korasium soldier.
Lieutenant Rubeck drew his sword. His face was tense, but his voice remained steady. "Prepare to defend! Form a defensive line!"
Amidst the chaos, Bima stayed calm. He stood tall, his eyes sharply scanning the enemy formation. "Don't panic! We can break out of this. Follow orders!"
Rano ran beside him, panting. "We're surrounded, Bima!"
"But they haven't fully closed the gap. There's a weak point on the eastern side, near that big rock," Bima pointed. "We can push through there, form a spearhead and break through!"
Gito nodded quickly, drawing his bow and starting to shoot enemy soldiers who tried to close off the escape route. Togar had already moved forward, deflecting attacks with his large shield while opening space for the others.
Lieutenant Rubeck noticed their movements. He was surprised to see how Bima and his three friends quickly formed a unit and reignited the morale of a group of shaken soldiers.
"That boy..." he murmured in awe. "Has the gift of leadership."
Meanwhile, far from the battlefield, a bloodied courier rushed into General Yuvan's command tent.
"General! The right wing—Lieutenant Rubeck's troops are surrounded… they were ambushed behind the Sarre hill!"
General Yuvan froze for a moment. He stared at the large map before him, then looked at the commanders around him.
"They were waiting for us to make a mistake," he said quietly. "But we haven't lost. We'll get them out."
He turned north and issued orders, "Call Lieutenant Selga and two reserve platoons. We'll open a path from the eastern side. And send a swift rider to Lieutenant Darvos. Tell him—it's time we strike from the center. We'll split their focus."
General Yuvan clenched his fist. "I will not let my soldiers fall without a fight."
Back on the battlefield, Lieutenant Rubeck had begun reorganizing his lines. "Form a semicircle! Protect the archers in the middle! Don't let them approach from behind!"
Bima moved swiftly into the crowd. "We'll open a path! Togar, Gito, Rano! Follow me!"
Togar banged his shield loudly, drawing enemy attention. Gito and Rano guarded the right and left flanks, while Bima launched forward swiftly toward a narrow gap on the eastern side.
"Keep pushing! Don't let them close this gap!" Bima shouted.
Bit by bit, the formation created an opening. Troops behind began to move, following the narrow path Bima's group had forced open.
Lieutenant Rubeck, though still fighting, subtly directed his troops toward that path. He realized it was their only chance of survival.
Soon after, from a distance, a long trumpet blast echoed from the eastern side.
"Reinforcements!" a Korasium soldier shouted.
Lieutenant Selga's platoons stormed in with fierce cries, smashing into the outer edge of the encirclement. Their assault struck hard and caused the Livasol formation to falter.
Meanwhile, from the center of the battlefield, Lieutenant Darvos' troops began pressing the enemy's middle line, forcing them to divide their focus and loosen the encirclement.
General Yuvan, now leading from the front, shouted loudly. "Chaaaarge! One more push and we free our brothers!"
That shout ignited the spirit of the Korasium soldiers. They surged like a tidal wave. In the midst of the chaos, Bima continued leading his small unit, relentlessly pushing back the enemy.
After nearly an hour of intense combat, the Livasol encirclement broke. Lieutenant Rubeck's troops successfully escaped and reunited with the main forces.
Lieutenant Rubeck approached General Yuvan. "Thank you, General. If not for you—and that boy…"
General Yuvan looked at Bima, still standing tall despite his wounds and dust-covered body.
"Who is he?" Yuvan asked.
"His name is Bima. He just joined. But... he saved hundreds of lives today."
General Yuvan approached Bima and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well done, soldier. But the war isn't over. Rest for now. I'll be counting on you again."
Bima nodded. "I'm ready, General."
The sky over Sarre Plains began to darken. Yet the spirit of the Korasium army burned brightly. They knew—they survived not just because of strength, but because of the courage and wit of a young man named Bima.