Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Suddenly, the scene lost its sound, the airflow completely disappeared, and even breathing could not be heard.

It was as if I was suddenly trapped in a shadow with no thickness, my self-existence isolated from the world.

Then, a skull mask, a symbol of death, and a greatsword burning with eerie blue flames appeared.

Although it was just suspended there, the voices seemed to come from all directions, without arrogance or desire, simply existing there as a part of the world.

“You heretic, you should not have come.”

Without a doubt, what Eltrauge heard was a human voice.

“You heretic, you should not go up the mountain.”

The question, uttered so softly and delicately, penetrated the princess's soul, feeling both a stern rebuke and a tender embrace—it was an incredible sensation.

Eltrauge was speechless, or rather, she didn't know how to respond to these perplexing words.

The voice continued:

“What you are doing now is like building a tower with corpses, sowing death, causing the green fields to wither and life to pass away.”

The sound was now coming from only one direction. The black-haired girl looked up and saw shadows surrounding the skull mask, forming a tall human figure holding a greatsword.

In the 11th century, the Hassans all knew that the unreachable guiding star, the invisible norm, the inescapable 'executioner,' the founder of the conceptual embodiment.

When those whose assassination skills decline with age or depravity, or who fall into depravity due to desires, or who become addicted to human pleasures and whose righteousness degenerates into selfishness, the 'Faceless Old Man' will lead them to eternal darkness with the blade of the end, just as the end of the world will inevitably come upon all beings. After all, no world can tolerate the survival of those without faith.

"I deny you heresy, but the mountains and valleys allow you to enter, so..."

His voice, no longer filled with affection, was now flat as he appeared before the princess.

It was a death incarnation that, though the age of gods had ended, remained in human form but was covered in shadows, as if it had been incorporated into the entire underworld.

"Then hand over your head, heretic."

This being, which has become a realm of nature and phenomena, is witnessing the passing of time and the deathly aura emanating from the ancient bells, as the bells toll in the valley.

Eltrauge still didn't respond, but a surge of blood rushed to her head, not from anger... but from an indescribable fear.

The tense standoff, seemingly an eternity, was in fact only a fleeting moment, just as the old man in the mountains was about to swing his greatsword.

Suddenly, there was another person in front of him.

"Old man, whether it's saving lives or restoring them, it's all just light and shadow. War or killing, it doesn't change no matter where you go, that's all."

At this moment, the object reflected in the girl's eyes changed. The creature wearing a skull mask, which had been slowly walking towards her, was stopped by Avia beside her.

"Whether one is a believer or a follower, only the spirit that cannot be shaken by anything is truly necessary."

Despite facing such a terrifying creature, those blue eyes remained frozen, without the slightest fluctuation.

In a world seeping into darkness, a clear blue light, seemingly born of nature, shines like a star—light yet dazzling—illuminating everything around it and revealing the deep blue valley once more.

".......Huh?"

The old man in the mountains seemed to be seeing Avia for the first time, and his voice showed surprise.

Admittedly, he initially only had Eltrucci in his sight and did not see Avia. It was only after she spoke that he realized there was another person present.

They are not people who are wavering between life and death or like themselves, but people who are truly living in the present moment.

However, the old man in the mountain felt that he should be here, but it was as if he wasn't, and there was something about him that puzzled him greatly.

Hearing the old man's puzzled voice, the black-haired girl felt as if the danger that could kill her at any moment had disappeared.

In the valley filled with the aura of death, the heavy weight of death, like an unbreakable curse, had now vanished.

"...I have no name, but you may be called the Old Man of the Mountain. May I ask who you are?"

The old man in the mountains seemed unsure of what to say, but still wanted to say something, so he spoke.

"Avia".

"So that's the name... It was my fault for not sensing your presence when you arrived here, but had I already made my choice...?"

The old man in the mountains murmured blankly, as if waking from a deep dream.

“I understand now. Since you have made your decision, you have the right to carry out divine punishment on your behalf. I will not and should not obstruct you in any way.”

It's as if it's saying that whether in an endless valley or in a sacred world, choices are always acceptable.

"You need not give up anything for this wave, nor wander eternally between the light and the darkness. Go forth, light of salvation."

140: Yes, I am the representative of the benevolent deity on earth.

"I......"

Eltrauge had no idea how she got out of the valley; it felt like she'd just had a nightmare.

When she came to her senses, she found herself being led around like a child by Avia. Although she wanted to let go, the helplessness brought on by her previous fear left her with little strength, so she could only let this human do as she pleased.

"No, it doesn't really matter whether I go or not!"

After thinking for a moment, Ji Jun suddenly realized that she might have been deceived. It was Avia who said that she needed to rely on her power, which is why she agreed to come along. But recalling the scene just now, she was both led to the temple by him and ultimately saved by him. No matter how she thought about it, it was different from what Avia had said.

"It seems so. I thought His Highness the Princess would display great power, but I didn't expect to be frightened."

Avia said with a smile.

The black-haired girl didn't speak, but just snorted through her nose, then turned her neck to look up at the silver-haired youth.

After a brief, hesitant silence, she finally spoke:

"I can't die, because if I die, everything I have will be meaningless."

"Stop bringing up death all the time. Look at you now, you haven't died yet. You are the Princess."

Avia sighed, as if she felt helpless.

“Everyone has said that I am going to be ‘one’.”

Altrouge remembered what the Royal Guard and the Black and White Knights said when she left the City of a Thousand Years.

That was the only thing she could do. No, it wasn't just that. There was also the responsibility she didn't want to forget about her birth and why she was born.

As long as you remember and persevere, you will surely be able to become the original 'One'.

“I want to be one of the original ‘One’ and to give them the glory they deserve.”

Avia sighed quietly at the answer. These words weren't meant for him, but they still made him very happy.

After all, the reason he brought Eltruchi out was at the request of the two knights and the Royal Guard.

They said that ever since Van Phim, their lord had been depressed and hoped that they could help her and cheer her up.

Although this trip to meet the old woman in the mountains didn't make her happy, seeing her look fearful for the first time... I guess it was a success, at least.

"—And you too."

"......oh?"

As the sun rose fully into the sky, the clear sunlight from outside the valley illuminated her directly.

“I think that Avia, as my ally and the first human I contracted, should also receive the honor she deserves.”

The tone of voice sounded as if it were concealing emotions, so cold as to be unnatural.

At the same time, there was a slight...dependent tone in his voice, like a lost child timidly reaching out to someone who cares about them.

"Yeah."

For some reason, Avia was able to understand that these seemingly calm words were actually a speech made by Eltrucci after mustering up her courage.

This made him unconsciously and naturally smile and nod.

"Then let's work together."

........

Five months have passed, and the war between the Hephthalite Empire and the Sasanian Empire in the province of Fars continues to escalate.

Although the latter made many mistakes in the early stages of the war, it recovered through continuous adjustments and promptly recaptured the major regions that had previously fallen.

The former, however, was unwilling to give up and instead brought in more reinforcements with considerable strength, determined to continue annexing the entire Fars province.

In the north and west of the Sasanian Empire, the Hunnic army, having crossed the Caucasus region with its numerous mountains, hills, and dense forests, made it extremely difficult for the local legions to gain a chance of victory. This quickly led to widespread panic and a desperate flight for survival, resulting in countless deaths.

Due to domestic discontent, constant requests for aid, and the enemy's ever-approaching capital, the Sasanian Empire was forced to dispatch a large army to slow the Huns' rapid offensive.

The force consisted mainly of 15,000 elite cavalrymen from the Persian military aristocracy and Delaminans of the Iranian plateau, along with 5,000 Arab mercenary cavalrymen, 20,000 Persian infantry and archers, and 2,000 of the most elite heavy cavalry, the Sasanian Guard, known for their dedication and the "Sacred Meteor Cavalry." They also unusually brought Indian war elephants, using these clumsy war animals on the battlefield.

At the same time, more auxiliary troops were mobilized from the local area, bringing the total number of participants to over 80,000.

It can be said that once this large army is defeated by the Huns, the Sasanian capital Ctesiphon will be indefensible, and the Sasanian dynasty will have no choice but to painfully abandon the Fars province.

The commander-in-chief, who had just prepared and led the Persian army, planned to withdraw his troops along the right bank of the Euphrates River after learning that Avia was leading a large army to the region, in order to avoid the enemy's advance and find a good defensive position.

However, most of his subordinates were restless and showed great fighting spirit, and mocked their commander who did not want to fight. Unable to persuade his subordinates and fearing that not agreeing to fight might cause a mutiny, the Persian commander still chose to fight.

At the end of 425 AD, the two armies faced off at the ruins of Nineveh on the Tigris River.

The battle was initiated by archers and light infantry from both sides. It was clear that the Persian archers had the advantage of favorable wind direction, and the Persian infantry had a high proportion of archers. In addition, their higher rate of fire allowed them to fire more arrows, putting the Huns at a disadvantage from the start.

However, since the Sasanian army of sorcerers was clearly no match for the Hunnic Dead Apostles, the Sasanian army was at a disadvantage from a magical standpoint.

What followed was a full-scale clash, with the Hunnic cavalry and Sassanid cavalry still locked in a stalemate after two-thirds of the day had passed.

At this moment, to the northwest of the Sassanid army, specifically in the direction of Armenia, the sound of iron cavalry rang out.

The utterly exhausted Sassanid army failed to notice this detail and took no action.

As the massive army, identical to the Hunnic army, appeared on the horizon, the Sassanid elite Holy Meteor Cavalry were pounced on by incredibly fast werewolves, who seized them by the throat and killed them instantly.

This was after Attila's army conquered Sassanid Armenia and marched south at an unexpected speed, plunging the unprepared Sassanid army into a rout.

After Attila's Hunnic army captured the high ground on the western flank of the Sasanian army, they immediately circled around and continued their unstoppable charge, attacking the central line of the Sasanian army. Avia's cavalry also occupied the high ground and charged downhill.

The Sasanian army's heavily armored cavalry was routed by the Huns. As for the infantry, they were already lacking in combat experience, and now they collapsed directly in battle, suffering heavy casualties. Thus, the continuous attacks of the Hunnic cavalry caused the entire Sasanian army's right flank and central line to completely collapse, with large numbers of people scattering and fleeing. Although many Persian soldiers fought bravely, they all died on the battlefield.

Thus, the Sasanian Empire suffered a crushing defeat on this river, with an estimated 50,000 deaths, most of whom were killed while fleeing.

The Sasanian general who managed to escape was subjected to the cruel punishment of being skinned alive by the king.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the current situation of the Sasanian dynasty in the west and north of the empire is beyond saving.

As for the East, besides the Hephthalites, the Gupta Dynasty in India also had the idea of ​​getting a share of the spoils. They had already joined forces with the Hephthalite Empire and were heading towards West Asia without stopping, crossing the Hephthalite-controlled territory.

However, just as the king and his ministers in the capital Ctesiphon were about to evacuate to the northeast of the empire, they received a contract from the Huns.

The contract states:

It acknowledged that the Caucasus Mountains were jointly controlled by the Hungarians and the Sassanids, and that no further fortifications could be built in the Caucasus region.

By opening up the market, the Huns would support the Sassanids against the Eastern Roman Empire in Armenia.

The Huns were ordered to pay 5000 kilograms of gold as punishment for their exhausted army, and to pay an annual tribute of 700 kilograms of gold. The ransom for each captured Sassanid was 6 gold coins.

Well, although this treaty would place a heavy burden on the Sasanian dynasty, it only involved the loss of the Caucasus region, which was much better than the defeats they had suffered against the Romans in the past, and was relatively undemanding.

And most importantly, Avia was willing to help the Sasanian dynasty fight against the combined forces of the Gupta dynasty and the Hephthalite Empire, on the condition that he become the supreme leader of the combined forces.

Therefore, the Sasanian dynasty quickly agreed to the treaty and directly declared the Huns to be noble and generous allies of the empire.

Avia and Attila, the two Hunnic kings, were friends of the empire, and Avia was also the supreme leader of the Hunnic-Sassanid allied forces.

They even went so far as to say that he was a person of justice and covenant recognized by Mithra, a person who carried the sacred fire in his heart.

Mithra is an extremely ancient god belonging to the Aryan religious system. His most original duty was to make covenants. In the Sasanian dynasty, the mainstream of Zoroastrianism, he was the earthly representative of the benevolent god Ahura Mazda, protecting truth and justice from the evil power of the malevolent god Angra Mainyu.

141: Kings of Empires

In short, after a brief rest and leaving some troops behind, the Hunnic Empire's army and the Fantasy army, led by Avia and Attila, swiftly marched towards Fars Province, where the battle was most intense.

In May of 426 AD, the Hunnic army entered Fars for the first time. By this time, the combined forces of the Gupta Dynasty and the Hephthalite Empire had already defeated the Sasanian army on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf and crossed the sea to pursue the defeated enemy, finally landing on the northern Persian hinterland.

The Gupta Empire, which currently rules the Indian subcontinent, is at the height of its power. Under the leadership of Chandragupta II, it is recorded that it had 500,000 infantry, 50,000 cavalry, 20,000 chariot soldiers, and 10,000 elephants, as well as more than 100 ships. Even with such a large army, discipline was still quite good. It was undoubtedly one of the most powerful empires in the world at that time.

The two empires not only conquered the major islands in the Persian Gulf, but also took the opportunity to plunder the birthplace of the Sasanian dynasty. Their activities also included the local capital, Istahel, and some of their actions had a great spiritual impact on the local people.

But now, their good days in Fars are over, because the Hunnic army has arrived.