***

--- Fort Legrath ---

November 23rd, 2025

"Let go of me! I am the Princess of the Royal family of the Empire!"

Pina is being dragged through the halls of the mighty fortress of Legrath. While she has never been here herself, she has heard the stories of this place.

"How did you get me here? What is going on? I demand that you answer me!" She yells as she is being pulled by Frayen.

"I used a teleportation spell. A very advanced form of magic," Frayen answers.

"Teleportation?" She said.

"Yes. It is a very powerful magic. I set a point that I wish to come back to. It requires much time and energy. Only the most powerful of mages can master it," Frayen explains.

She looks at him. With some though, she can see a magic-user Apostle able to do something like that. As she looks closer, she can see that he looks tired and depleted of energy.

"Ok, but why?"

"Because as you said, my master wishes the presence of the Princess of the Empire," Frayen answers as he stops to this door.

"Your master?" She asked confused. The door opens and the Dark Elf tosses her inside this room.

She falls forward, landing on her knees. She then looks behind her and sees Frayen close the door.

She gets up and runs to the door, trying to open it. As she tries, the door will not move, locked from the outside.

She takes a stressed-out breath and looks around. "His master. Wait, I saw him with Krysist back in the city. Wait…" She said to herself.

That is when she realizes that this master is General Krysist. Why would he want to see her? She thought he hated her. If he asked, she would have been happy to trade herself for Sarah, but he showed little interest in her.

Seeing that she cannot break out, she starts to look around to see what room she is in.

She sees this bed on the ground, armor, and tables around. It looks very spartan, with weapons around. On the tables are piles of papers, full of markings.

She looks at them and she sees war plans, manuals, and all other information about the war.

She walks away and sees this old and worn-out piece of chest armor.

She looks at it and sees all these battles damage all over it.

She suddenly gets scared as the door bursts open.

She backs away and watches as Krysist walks through the door. Dressed like he just came from the battle.

Two of his soldiers that were behind him and close the door, standing guard outside.

Seeing him angers her greatly. "You bastard!" She said as she storms towards him and tries to slap him on the face.

He grabs her arm and tosses her onto the ground.

"Hell Princess. You seem feisty," Krysist said, annoyed by her action.

"Ah… let go!" She said as he holds onto her arm, twisting it.

"As you command," Krysist said and let go of her. He walks away to this bowl of water.

She gets up onto her knees, holding onto her arm. "What is this about?"

"Knock it off. I am in no mood for your feminine drama," Krysist said as he takes off his chest plate.

She takes a deep breath. All her life she has been talked down for being a woman, thinking of less. All her life she had to push up, fight harder just to keep up. To be an equal, that she can play a role. To be an important leader that has a place within the Empire. Not just wanting to stay home while the men fight but fight side by side with her brothers.

She stands up, looking directly at him. "You do not speak to me like that. Understand General!"

He puts down his chest plate and then takes off the undershirt clothing, now shirtless. He looks over to her. "Hmm. Interesting. I guess you are ready then."

She looks at him baffled on what he is saying. "Speak plainly."

She then blushes and looks away, seeing him taking apart his pants.

"You want to fight wars, yet you are afraid to see a naked man," Krysist said, shamelessly. “Afraid to see what a real man looks like?”

"This isn't the battlefield, this isn't proper," She responds, standing there and trying to look away.

But she also cannot help herself from looking at him. His back is facing forwards her, and she can see these three large scares that probably came from a blade.

"Why am I here?" She asked as she sees Krysist washes up the blood, dirt, and sweat over him.

He washes his faces and then looks to her. "I need you to finish my campaign You are now the key to carry out my will. Far better than I ever could"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," She said, covering her eyes as he walks past here to grab some new pants.

"Of course not,” said Krysist while he puts on new clothes. “I have been planning on this very carefully. The day I heard about these Other Worlders, I planned for this."

"I know of your past. You were once a gladiator. But this is not the arena. Thousands of likes are at stake. You cannot treat this war like a game," She responds, walking away, wanting some space between them.

After puts on this gray cloth, he looks to her. "The world is my arena."

"And that makes you think you can beat the Other Worlders? They are too strong and powerful."

"And yet you were the one who botched the peace treaty, wasn't it," Krysist states.

Hearing that, she had no easy counter. She indeed allowed her own personal interests and desires to get in the way of a peace treaty.

What he did next shocked her. Krysist sits down on this chair and looks directly at her.

"I saw what happened in the throne room(1). Then again when they strike Sadera. I saw that short conversation outside the throne room. My problem with you Sederians is that you cannot see past your walls."

"Hey, I owned up to my mistakes(2). I have been bashed down, slept I the dirt. Fought strange looking creatures(3). Faced rebellious vassals(4) and much more. I faced those people in the eyes, been judged multiple times and been morally crucified by them." She said in a furry.

"And I see that," Krysist said, looking directly at her, unfazed.

She looks at him, trying to figure out what is going through his head.

She thinks about her time in the woods, bonding with her Knights in the middle of the woods, riding hard trying to catch up to the people who took those American slaves. When she had to sell her crown to get seemed like unreliable information.

"And besides, what are you doing? Do you think this is a game? How many men have died so you can satisfy your desire to relive your glory days in the arena? You really think you will win against these people?" She said, wanting to stay on the offensive.

To her surprise, Krysist did not respond with words. He moved his hand, telling her to continue.

"You know what your problem is? After your fall, you saw this as a chance to get your name back. To get your honor back in the sights of the Empire. All this fighting, all these deaths. All of this drama is happening because of you."

"Yes, I screwed up, but I worked my horse's ass off to regain favor. It was the hardest thing I ever have done but I would do it again because the Empire needs to change. The people have suffered so much for the needs of the few. We have a chance to achieve and learn so much. We do not have to be the enemy." She said, catching her breath after her rant.

"Your family and the Senate will never approve any of that. That requires them to surrender power." He responds.

"So, your answer is more war. A war we cannot fight." She said and then thinks for a moment. "What are you even trying to do here? I don't accept that you came out of exile just to fight in a losing war."

"You are right. I came here to win." He replied in a calm voice.

Hearing that infuriates her. It looks like he thinks he can beat the Americans and their allies.

"You think you can regain your honor and statues by beating them in a war? Are you made? I don't care you think the world is the arena, they are not the same thing." She said, taking a step forward.

She sees him just lightly clap his hands as he sits there.

As she looks at him, she is just baffled by his manners. She cannot understand why he is acting like this.

Then he stands up. "Let me tell you a story princess."

He walks over to another table and gets himself some water.

She looks at him, wondering what he is about to say.

"Do you know the story of Odoris?" Krysist asked her.

The name sounds familiar, a name she has not heard of for a long time. Only in passing when she heard nobles talking about past famous gladiator games. A name she never put a lot of thought into. "I do not think so, but the name sounds familiar. Wasn't he this famous Minotaur from a long time ago?"

"I figured you haven't. He was the greatest gladiator of his time. About twelve years ago. He was a monster in the arena. No one has ever beaten him in twenty years of his career. A Minotaur who some believed to be blessed by the gods themselves."

She walks over and sits down on the clothed mattress.

"Then one day, this young native gladiator was ordered to fight him. Born in the depths of nonthesis where the arena is the closest thing to a mother's tits," Krysist explains.

"On that day, in the arena of Telta they fought. Beforehand the young gladiator never faced an opponent that he could not beat. The young vases the old. Youth vs the gods themselves. You see, this was the first time a single Human man ever fought against Odoris. No one thought the boy had a chance."

"Let me guess, the young gladiator won against all odds," She said, not very amused by the story. She was never taken much interest in the gladiator games. While entertaining, it was not something she felt she had to follow or watch daily, even though some of her Knights loved it, the same with both her brothers and father.

Krysist looks to her and then takes a drink. He places his cup on the table and walks around the room.

"No…,” Krysist said with a smirk, like he is remembering something. “The boy lost the fight. He fell like all others before him. Odoris won the battle, as he should have. The boy was barely a man, facing a beast twice his size. However, he did not achieve victory in the arena."

She looks at him, confused by what he just said. She wonders how someone could win a fight but also lose at the same time. That made no sense to her.

"As the young native gladiator laid in the dirt, blood flowing from the cut on his chest. All he could hear are the cheers from the crowd," As Krysist said that he sits back down in his chair and look at her.

From there she can see more of the scares on his chest. All from his time as a gladiator and being a soldier for the Empire. A true example of someone who lived in war, life as a warrior.

That reminds her of her and her knights celebrating their first real battle and how much they thought it was important. Compare to him, that was nothing.

That is when she notices that large cut doing down his chest is the one matching his story. He is talking about a story about his past.

"You see, the young gladiator had no chance to beat the beast. However, the crowd was not cheering for him but the young, defeated gladiator," Krysist said.

"That makes no sense. He lost, in a very unfair fight. Why would the crowd cheer?" She said.

"The silly boy slowly summoned what little strength and got to his knees. That is when he learned the truth. You see Princess, he fought bravely and with honor. Putting up a fight that no one has ever seen before. He fought and fought and fought. Took hit after hit, thrown around and more. But he continued until he could no longer fight."

"The crowd fell in love in the valent attempt to win, at the defiance at what should have been an easy victory for Odoris. Against all odds, the young gladiator survived longer than any other gladiator who fought him. And that is when he learned a particularly important lesson."

She looks at him, trying to figure out what lesson he is talking about. Trying to find the point in the story.

Seeing that she has not put the pieces together, he places his hands together. "That winning and victory is not the same thing. Victory is how you define it, princess. It is not one or another, but you are trying to achieve. You see, the Minotaur might have won the fight however the gladiator won the match by surviving. That itself is a victory for the young gladiator."

After saying that he stands up and heads to a corner of his quarters.

She glances down and thinks of what he said. Her eyes widen and look up to him as he walks away. She stands up. "You never intended to beat the Americans in battle?"

She sees him pull out this scroll and begins walking back to her.

She takes the scroll from him. She opens it and reads it.

To the Mighty Allies of Earth

Our armies have fought and fought bravely. The soldiers of both worlds faced head to head, using everything each other have in our storages.

You have been a worthy opponent, fighting with honor.

War is the only language that is spoken by all cultures. It shows the true face of a people.

As a soldier, you fight for your nation. On the field of battle, you fight for the brother to your side. Regardless of which flag or god a soldier serves, only a soldier can understand another soldier.

Fighting in the trenches, far from home and from the warmth of their wife. Struggling together in the rain and the mud, knowing that any day might be their last.

While elites of societies fight from the rear, only the ones who fight understand the meaning of peace. Only that is why a soldier truly fights for.

I, General Krysist, Leader of the Northern Legions and granted Commander of the Imperial Army of the Elies Provenance, granted with the authority by Emperor Molt Sol Augustus and the Imperial Senate.

I hereby accept your terms to negotiate terms for unconditional surrender to your forces.

With more to the document, she looks up in pure shock. "This has been your plan all along? To surrender to the Americans."

Krysist walks away and grabs his chest armor. "That is correct your highness. Since the first day of this campaign, I have been planning to lay down my sword to the Other Worlders."

She lowers the document, not believing what she is hearing. "Then why fight? Why did you do all of this?"

Krysist takes a tired breath, feeling all the weight in the campaign come off. "You are a young Princess. Peace is something that has to be earned, not given. Otherwise, there is no value or persuasion for it. That is why your peace failed. Both worlds are vastly different and that misunderstanding of cultures must be bridged for a true peace to be made. That only could have been gained fighting in the trenches. Soldier to soldier. Every day the war went on, both sides had a better understanding of each other."

She remembers hearing something like this before. Sharpe mention once before how on his world his people had to fight many world wars against what they consider the evilest people to finally achieve peace. It took the bravery and blood of many men to fight their evils, costing tens of millions of lives.

"But… the Senate will never approve of this. My father and brother will never honor such a surrender." She said.

While growing up in Sadera, she knows the most important thing in the father's life is the throne. That is the only thing he genuinely loves. Her brother Zorzal desperately wants that throne for his own perverted reasons. They never do anything that would risk them losing the throne.

"Not true," Krysist said, pointing his figure in the air. "After you left Sadera for your Rose quest. I addressed the Senate. I promised that I would fight the Other Worlders here in Elies and that I would bring honor to the Imperial Army. In return, I demanded that your brother Zorzal lose his crown ship and be given to Diabo."

She looks at him, impressed how depth his plan is. Right then it all clicks for her. She noticed how he said, 'he would fight' and not saying he would beat them. "That is your true purpose. You are overthrowing the government. What you have been doing here has just been a distraction. You know father and my brother would never truly accept stepping down from power and allowing Diabo to take the throne."

She takes a breath as she collects her thoughts. She sees him again, moving his hand, egging her on.

"After what happened in the throne room and the Sadera raid, there was no way the Senate would ever accept a peace agreement. It would be to humiliate for them to swallow. It would show that the Empire was too weak, and all its vassals would rebel. The Empire would fall."

"Correct. The Senate is the key to the plan in overthrowing your father and brother. By putting up an honorable fight against a far superior opponent, they would hold their heads up with pride saying that they did all they could. The defeat in the war turns into a victory in itself," Krysist said.

She sits down, taking all that in. It seems like he put a lot of thought into this plan. To her surprise, this man who was exiled and shamed cares more of the wellbeing of the Empire than the ones who lead it. There is only one question she has, why is she here.

She looks up at him. "Why did you bring me here? I thought I was a traitor's whore?"

"I apologies that I was forced to say that. I had to maintain the illusion for Major Sharpe and his people. I did not expect you to be there." He responds.

She should be surprised by the apology however after everything she just hears, nothing seems to be a shock anymore. "You needed them to think that you hated me?"

"That is correct. I needed to maintain the hostile threat, otherwise, Sharpe might not fall into my final plot. If he and his people knew my true intentions, they never would play my game. We never would understand and trust each other."

Hearing that, she thinks about what happened with Sarah. "You are going to use me to lure him here, just like what you were doing with the American woman Sarah?"

"I forgot her name. She was an accident. Sharpe had me beat at their outpost and I needed a way out. I feel ashamed I had used such a dishonorable tactic however I needed more time to finish my plan. Victory comes before my pride. And to be honest, I was not expecting you to be there either," Krysist said.

"Then why am I here!" She demands, sick of asking the same question.

"To lead the Legions and to surrender. Seeing you standing there with Sharpe back at that city, looking for that female prisoner. For the Empire to survive your family must be removed. However, right there I saw into your eyes that you have changed. You are not your father's daughter and worthy to take the Empire into this new future."

"Right then is when I decided that you will carry out the final parts of my mission. You have earned their trust and now able to earn peace. To lead the Empire and be a true representative of our people." He said.

She takes a deep breath, suddenly feeling a massive weight on her shoulders.

"If everything goes as plan. I will surrender and you will take the peace treaty back to Sadera. They will approve the treaty and the war will end. With you leading the charge and taking all the glory and credit with it, the Senate will honor the agreement and force Molt to step down and crown Diabo as Emperor."

She stands there, liking his plan. She never thought she would ever help in removing her father however she does not see much of a choice now. She understands why Krysist is doing, her brother Zorzal cannot become Emperor.

"What if they refuse? How can you trust them?" She asked, knowing he does not trust the people of Sadera.

"If they refuse your peace treaty, then there is the Legion right behind you." He responds.

She looks at him with one question, what his motive. "Krysist, why are you doing this? The Empire stripped you and imprisoned you after your rebellion."

He looks at her with a deep hatred look on his face. "I never rebelled. I just fought back against your father. Your father got many of my men killed while I was in the Army. I sacrificed them for some reason that I cannot understand. He purged the people who were loyal to me and the only family that I consider close."

"I shall have my revenge after the Empire is secured from their corruption. Duty comes before personal interests." He states.

She looks at him, wondering what he means by that. The simple reason is that he plans on killing them however, she has quickly learned that what he said does not equal what he means.

"Ok… what happens now? We wait."

"No. Frayen left a note with directions. I shall face Major Sharpe one last time. An arena dual. This time, no outside distractions, no war. Two men fighting for their country. My last true opponent in the arena. We shall find out who is the best. Then, we will come back here and end this war once and for all."

After saying that, Krysist grabs his sword and walks out of the room.

***

--- Combat Outpost Serenity, Havcristen, Greater Elies Region ---

November 23rd, 2025

Sharpe is sitting in the make shit Command Room. The main room was destroyed so they are down below in a smaller room on the first floor.

"This is crazy." Colonel Yang said.

"We are on an alien planet fighting monsters. Crazy is an understatement at this point." He responds.

As he leans against the table, thinking about what has happened. Krysist apostle kidnaped Pina right after the five-day cease-fire. He does not know if that was preplanned or not but doesn't matter at this point.

After the event, he found a document by Krysist himself in his quarters. Frayen must have done his ghost trick to leave it in there.

The note told him to meet at this village if he wants Princess Pina back. He is does not come, nothing else was written. There is a date to be there and that he can bring his unit along. But the note was clear that this was a dual between men. If he wins, Pina shall be returned, and the war is over.

By the note was Sarah bra, clearing giving him a warning on what might happen if he doesn't show up.

He remembers how he treated her when they went after Sarah. The pure hate in his eyes, his reaction to her presence. He believed he is a man who is capable to do whatever he needs.

However, he did save Sarah from being raped by his men. If he truly had ill intent, there is no reason to stop that. That is making him doubt the full meaning of his threat.

"Do I have permission, sir?" He asked.

Yang walks over, arms crossed, not pleased with the situation. "Do I really have a choice?"

"Not really sir. Chance to win the war without more bloodshed and there is no way the President will be happy that we lost the Princess." He said.

He understands the ramifications of the situation. Recently Pina has proven to be very trusting. Major General Charles Stanford, the Senate, and the President would not enjoy losing someone that important who is trying to help us.

For Sharpe, she just helped her get back Sarah and right now he feels responsible for her being taken. If he did not bring her along as a way to bypass the defensives, this never would have happened.

"I do not like this, and I am getting sick of this," Yang said as he tosses the note on the table.

He looks over to his Colonel. "Sir, with all due respect. This is what I did all the time. We don't really have a choice."

"No. You are not in Delta anymore. You are a Ranger now. I do not just send out my men because the enemy asked me to." Yang said.

He looks at him, understands what he is saying. He is right, he is not in Delta anymore. That is a fact that he has struggled to accept. His instinct tells him to do one thing however he does not live in that world anymore.

"Major. I understand how much of an assist you can be from your past unit. My problem is that the other Rangers look at you as an example to follow in this world. I have given you a lot of leeway, but this is getting out of control." Yang adds, frustrated.

He takes a deep breath and looks at him. "Well then, we have two options. I go and get the Princess back or I do not and forget about her. I do not see another option."

Yang leans against the table and thinks. He then looks up at him. "Deploy your team and end this."