"Looks like the conflict had turned into a pushing battle," Kaljar said.

"HEYAAAAA," shouted Elite Manu as he led the Great Shield and penetrated the Djinn army formation. The Djinn shield soldiers flew backward and fell on the ground.

"It feels like a large elephant is pushing us," Laiban thought as he tried to push the march of Lorope forces.

Elite Manu used his Link Shield to connect the shields of his army. On Manu's right and left side were two long diagonal lines of shield soldiers. They had attached all their shields with a hook to form two long lines like a fence that bordered the Lorope triangle formation. Lorope called this massive combined shield as the Great Shield. Each Lorope soldier pushed his shield forward which helped advance the rest of the thousand shields that formed the Great Shield.

The Lorope forces at this point did not aim to kill off the Djinns but to split their army into two halves. Then the Lorope army will surround and kill one-half of the Djinn army at a time.

The Djinn soldiers clenched their teeth as they tried to push the Great shield backward with their shields. Those without a shield pushed it with their bare hands.

"Overweight soldiers go push the Great Shield," yelled a thin Djinn soldier after he had grown weary from pushing. He ran to the back of the Djinn army to recover his exhaustion.

"Why everyone is looking at me now?" complained a fat Djinn soldier not pushing.

"Ignore him. He will take too much space at the front."

"Instead of pushing cut these shitty hooks that connect their shields," shouted another soldier.

"No use, the hooks are too sturdy."

"Dammit."

"This is getting worse,"

"How come Lorope soldiers are not tired? I am done."

"Because they practiced? idiot."

"Even our arrows can't hit their shield soldiers," said Lajek to Vizier Kaljar. The two were standing at the back of their army behind the bow soldiers. "I was curious about the unusual new shape of the Lorope shields. I did not get why the shields were curved at the top, but now it makes full sense. It was all for this triangle push."

"True, the Lorope soldiers hid their bodies under the upper curvature of their shields to block our arrows," Kaljar replied. His chest was covered in bandages after his battle against the four Elites.

"What do we do now Vizier?" asked Lajek who seemed clueless. "Can we stop Lorope from splitting our army?"

"There must be a way," said Kaljar. "But give me some time to think about it. This decision may win us the conflict or lose it."

So far you have done it well Lustratous, Kaljar thought.

"Our sword cohorts will not be able to block the Great Shield for too long," said Lajek. "Their bodies are not trained enough like the shield soldiers to withstand it. It will even be worse once the Lorope Great Shield reaches the bow cohorts at the back. We have to plan quickly."

"I know," said Kaljar. "Perhaps we should send our whole army behind the Great shield?"

Since the Great Shield resembles a V-shape shield, its back is not covered by shields like its other two sides.

"I think Lustratous placed some protections at the back of the Great Shield," said Lajek. "But it is worth a shot if pushing the Great Shield is no longer a valid option."

"So it risky bet but still worth a shot," said Kaljar. "Fine, order the soldiers to spread and attack the rear of the Great Shield."

"Right away Vizier," said Lajek.

"Everyone spread! Attack from the rear!" shouted all the cohort leaders of the Djinn army. "Avoid the Great Shield but maintain your formation!"

Clouds of dust and metallic noise covered the field as the Djinn army ran with the Shield cohorts at the front. A few Lorope bowmen sniped the Djinn soldiers as they ran to Lorope's rear formation, but the losses were minimal.

"Why is everyone running away from Manu?" he wondered. He was still leading the triangle push at the tip of his army. He then turned to the shield soldiers who pushed the Great Shield with him. "Hey, where are the Djinn going?"

"No idea," replied one shield cohort who seemed half-asleep.

"There is no point in charging forward anymore," said another shield cohort.

"True, the front will soon be empty."

It took most of the Djinn soldiers about ten minutes to reach the base of Lorope triangle formation or the rear of the Lorope army. The Djinn soldiers saw the bow soldiers once they entered inside the Lorope triangle formation. This was a valuable opportunity for them to crush the bow cohorts quickly. If the Djinns killed a sizeable amount of them, then they will have a much better position in the battle.

The Lorope bowmen seemed shocked.

"Are these Djinn soldiers?" said a confused Lorope bow soldier.

"Idiot what else will they be? Donkies?"

"Do we run away?" asked another Lorope bow soldier.

"Switch! Switch with the sword cohorts behind you!"

The leaders of the Lorope bow cohorts and the leaders of the sword cohorts agreed to switch the positions of one another. This way Lorope sword cohort will be facing the Djinn army. The Lorope shield however cohorts could not intercept the incoming Djinn soldiers because they were busy pushing the Great Shield.

"The conflict is at its end," said Kaljar. "The Lorope soldiers are not ready to block our rear ambush. Their shields are also stuck as part of the Great Shield. They won't have enough time to detach the shields against our rear attack."

"Lustratous had failed this time," said Lajek. "While he did work it right with the cannons this tactic had a major flaw, Lustratous did not defend his rear properly."

"But let us be patient," said Kaljar. "After all, this is Lustratous we are talking about."

You think I had not anticipated this move Kaljar? Lustratous thought with a smile. He stood at the center of his army inside the triangle formation, and alongside his banner holders. The Lorope army had three banner holders instead of one. Lustratous believed that a single banner holder which is the usual practice is not enough and quite retarded.

Now is the time to show final trump card, Lustratous thought. I am betting everything on this card.

"Shield soldiers close the Great Shield!" yelled Lustratous at his army. "Prepare the forty large stones."

The shield soldiers who heard the order looked blank, and a few shield soldiers whispered to one another.

"What did he mean?"

"No idea. Close a shield? What the heck?"

"This big shield is not a gate to be closed."

"Guys, could someone hold my shield for me? I am tired."

As the shield soldiers murmured one another, the shield cohort leaders clarified the order.

"Soldiers," said the shield cohort leaders. "Hold your shield firmly and run to the other side of the Great Shield!"

A few shield soldiers spent some time imagining the order. Once they understood it, they said, "Ahaaaaa."