"Just kill me already!"

"Don't be hasty now, General Black."

Currently, inside a room. A man in his forties is made to kneel in front of a man sitting on a chair.

'Seriously, if I know that this guy is named Black I wouldn't have named myself White. Won't we look like some characters from a children's story?'

The one kneeling in front of the guy sitting in the room where everyone is standing is indeed named Black.

To be precise, his full name is Serious Black. A known general of the empire. Currently, he is the leader of the so-called Empire's Army.

"I don't deal with traitors like you!"

"Hey, hey, aren't we past coworkers? You should know my circumstances too right?"

"Hmp! Don't take me for a fool, it's your fault for entering the field you don't belong!"

"Cheh, I can't deny that. Anyway, You all, leave us for now. I want to talk with this guy privately."

When they heard the guy named White utter those words. They all look at each other like they cannot accept the orders being ordered to them but before they could say something, they were overtaken by the guy named Black.

"No need! kill me already! If you left me alone with this guy, I'm going to kill this traitor!"

When Black said that, the people around him started to whip out their swords and spears, ready to jump at him in case Black tried to act.

When the guy who calls himself White saw the situation, he raised his hand and all the people around him stopped and sheath their weapons but some still hold onto it in case of emergency.

"Do you want me to repeat myself?"

When the guy called White said that, most of the people inside shivered and hastily left.

...

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk old man."

"You're not fooling me."

"Really, really. I'm just here to talk. After this, it's already over for me anyway, same as you... I'm going to live though."

"Cheh! Are you bragging now kid?"

"Not really, I know you wanted to die anyway."

"...I hold down the princess for you, you know. And now, you can't even let me die with an honorable death?"

Asked by General Black as he tried to speak to White but White didn't answer.

"My career already ended and I wasn't even killed in a battle..."

He then started to murmur and have a monologue on his own

"Pretty sad for you ain't it? That's why I told you to quit already and you refuse to die there. Now you can't even have a wife... Uhhmmm, by the way. How's the princess?"

"I won't even need those if you let me die in peace, you bastard!..."

General Black breathed and slowly to cool himself down.

"The princess huh... She already consolidated the power of the empire. Made the empire more powerful and It's only a matter of time before she became its ruler. How is she? I'm sure that she's better than ever.".

The Princess they are talking about is the princess of the Empire of Colis, the country which General Black serves.

"Ehhhh... How about her love life, I'm sure that as the future monarch-"

"Are you really asking me about that?"

"... No?... A---nyway, what about this old man. I'll let you live with your life and I'll fake your death-"

"Do you take me for a fool White? Not just you are shaming me for not letting me die, you also want me to live while carrying this shame?"

"Old man, you're already old. You're past your prime that your mind is already not working properly. If it was you in your prime, I wouldn't be able to beat you like this."

"Hmp! Just get to the point already!"

"You see once you've failed to die on your battle as a soldier there's only one thing that is left for you to defeat."

"That doesn't sound like you at all kid? Are you some Philosopher now?"

"Hey, hey old man. I was hired by the empire as a teacher you know. You all just push me the army thing if you forgot."

"Then what is it? What's left for me to battle?"

"It's death. Dying here anyway would make you lose face. If you chose to live here, I'll mask everything to restore your honor and announce your death as an honorable one."

General Black closed his eyes for a moment and then when he opened it, he stared in the eyes of White menacingly.

"What are you planning? There's gotta be some catch here. I know how you work White."

White on the other hand back of and walk back and forth as he discusses things about General Black.

"Well, you never have a chance to have a son or daughter. You also don't have a wife. Wouldn't it be nice for-"

But before he could even finish, General Black already cut him off.

"Don't take me for a fool! Just get to the point already!"

General Black said that while throwing a small rock at the side of White with only an inch of distance to his face.

"I really can't fool you huh old man. I actually wish to at least fool you once before we part today forever. You-"

"Make it short idiot! And what are you talking about kid? Didn't you fool me with that tactic of yours?"

"Hey! That doesn't count. With how the battle went, I'm sure that you know that there is a possibility of getting surrounded."

"You still lead me by my nose with that fake retreat of yours though."

"...Shit you're right! Aren't I great!"

"So what is really your plan?"

"... Hah.. well, I'll tell you... I'll have you kill me here."

"What?"

...

The battle went sour for the empire losing most of their troops in one single battle.

This battle between the kingdom and empire will be marked in history as the bloodiest battle that ever happened to the date that it happened and for the centuries to come.

In this battle, the only soldiers from the empire that survived were those of the fortified camp that never saw combat which left their camp as they found out that they already lost.

Besides that, all of the empire's soldiers died.

45,000 out of all the 50,000 empire soldiers, dead.

In the kingdom side. Out of all the 30,000 soldiers who participated. 5,000 died.

Most of the casualties from the kingdom were from the initial encounter at the center and the fierce fighting that happened right as the Empire's soldier goes for their desperate attempt to escape closely before the battle ended.

Out of all the 45,000 recorded death in the Empire though, 1 was still left alive. He was the general of the Empire who refused to die even as he was surrounded by the kingdom's best soldiers.

The fight only really ended when he was hit by a dart with a sleeping effect.

He could have died there as he was almost overrun by the kingdom's soldiers, but their general intervened and brought the enemy general to their leader.

...

In the middle of a grassland lies 2 walls of armies looking at each other.

For the onlookers in the front, it's almost impossible to see how many the other side is.

But because of the confidence, they have with their general, their training, bravery, and other stuff that fits their bill. They were able to bring themselves on this battlefield, ready to fight the people opposite of their position.

The battle started when a skirmish broke out between the two armies.

...

When the sun came up, the empire started coming out from their fortified camp and position themselves in front of it.

When the news came to the kingdom's army positioned on the other side of the grassland. They instantly ready themselves and formed their own.

While the two army sets up their formation, skirmishers were made to form themselves up in front of the field where the main army is going to form up.

Empire or the kingdom, both sides did it with the thought in mind of the possible skirmish of the enemy that can possibly disrupt their formation.

Forming up the skirmishers on the front can prevent the enemy from seeing their own formation while it's being formed. This is beneficial to the general that is going for the strategic advantage instead of following the normal strategic doctrines that are made through the years.

When all things are set and done, suddenly, all the noises made by the soldiers marching and the shouting stopped.

The grassland which was just filled with noise just a moment ago suddenly became quiet and peaceful again.

Suddenly, after hours of silence. The sound of drums is suddenly heard from the side of the empire.

A loud synchronized sound reverberated throughout the Empire's army.

After that came the sound of the Empire soldier's feet marching.

Marching towards the position of their enemy which is the kingdom.

While all this is happening on the side of the Empire, the Kingdom's troops are watching them on the other side waiting for them to come.

As the Empire's soldiers got closer and closer, noises of the drums coming from the empire are suddenly heard by the kingdom's troops as it goes louder and louder.

Many of the Kingdom's troops that are watching the Empire as they march started to make a noise and many became nervous and scared.

Only the middle, their center. Stayed quiet and didn't move, as they continue to watch their enemy's movement.

Then suddenly, while this is all happening, a shout is heard from the back of the center from the Kingdom's line

"Sound the song of war!"

From this one shout, a chain reaction happened and the sentence of "Sound the song of war!" is repeated and heard although out the Kingdom's line.

...

"I will definitely not thank you for this."

"I already expected that. It's just my selfish desire after all."

"Hmp! But, I will at least consider this as the exchange of the shame that you are making me carry."

"Thank you very much, Sir Black."

"Can I ask you something?"

"What's that old man?"

"You see, my already dead soldiers reported to me before the battle started that your soldiers started singing while they are marching and they are saying like it's the "Song Of Death" or something like that. Is that a new strategy of yours?"

"Ohh, that! It's not really mine. I just heard it while I was recruiting soldiers."

"So it's the same case with the empire huh. But I never heard them sing it in battle before."

"Ehh did you hear it?"

"No, my soldiers said that they are singing something like the world is going to end. Doesn't that mean that they sang it well?"

"I had all of them sing it from time to time. It's not really that hard when most of them already knew the song anyway."

"Well, that song scared the shit out of my soldiers! It's like you have an entertainer for an army now!"

"Ehh? I didn't use it to scare them though?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Same with the empire, It was only meant to distract the kingdom's army. They were mostly beginners after all."

"Ehh?"

"Ehh?"

...

"Look at those kingdom boys, they look scared!"

"Guessed so!"

"Mr. White is a really genius general to even think of this stuff!"

"Sadly though that he's gone now. I heard from the veterans that he was a really good general!"

"Luckily, our general here today is good too, they said."

"Yeah, I'm sure that it would be an easy battle with this!"

"Well, that's of no use if we're going to die skirmishing here anyway."

(Choir like voice)

"Ehh? What is that noise?"

Suddenly, while the Empire's troops are marching towards their enemy, they heard voices coming from the kingdom's side.

When they heard the voices, most of the soldiers suddenly stop which disrupt their position.

"What is that!?"

From the side of the kingdom, soldiers suddenly started to sing.