The casualty count for the night assault was minimal for the Luxenberg Army. They had lost 5,000 infantrymen and 1,500 cavalrymen. All the while, they inflicted 75,000 casualties on the assaulting Gu infantry. The sun was beaming, and the defenders were cleaning up the corpses on the streets.
Blood stained the streets, and the gunk from rotting human remains festered. Bodies were piled up on carts and escorted outside the city. They would then be thrown into a deep pit where they would burn. The bodies needed to be burned; if not, they ran the risk of contracting diseases.
Field Marshal Wellesley convened the top military officials in his study to discuss the next course of action. "Gentlemen, we have successfully defeated the enemy last night; however, they still have a large army present. With this in mind, I plan to bring the fight to them. We will use the rocket artillery to decimate their defensive position, while the cavalry and infantry finish them off. Any questions?
Some of the local militia and garrison captains grumbled at the idea of destroying a village and moving the army away from the city, but General Kamensky was quick to scare them into submission.
"How are we going to move the army without being detected, Field Marshal?" General Hill asked. The Luxenberg Field Marshal offered a cheeky grin and replied, "We are going to do the exact same thing they did to us. Let us give them a taste of their own medicine. Tomorrow night we will move our army and strike their camp at dawn."
Field Marshal Wellesley was determined to eradicate the enemies that dared to invade his kingdom. He was excited to prove himself to King Victor. He was one of the newer commanders in the army and was looking for a way to distinguish himself among the top of the Luxengberg military.
Striking the Gu forces immediately was a bold plan. There were many risks involved with it, especially giving up the strong defensive position. If the plan failed, there was a high chance the city would fall, and the Gu Army would have been thrown a lifeline to sustain itself. Nevertheless, fortune always favours the bold.
With a plan already formulated, the regulars of the Luxenberg Army rested and prepared for the upcoming night assault. The militia and the garrison troops were assigned to clean up the city streets, following the previous night's carnage.
When the moon was finally high in the sky, the Luxenberg Army began its advance. They navigated the dark countryside roads that would lead them to the encamped Gu Army. In the darkness, they began their preparations. Cannons and rocket artillery were set up. Infantrymen and cavalry were ready to strike when ordered. All the while, the Gu soldiers did not notice an army lurking in the shadows.
Field Marshal Wellesley's troops were all set and ready to go, with half an hour to spare. He was tempted to strike right away, but it would not make much difference if they waited or not. Even Generals Hill and Kamensky recommended attacking right away.
With the support of his generals, Field Marshal Wellesley ordered the troops to prepare to fire. Before he gave the signal, the Field Marshal muttered, "For crown and country." After saying that, Wellesley raised and dropped his hand, signalling for the artillery to begin their bombardment.
Rockets flew high in the air, leaving a screeching noise. The Gu soldiers were alarmed at the noise, only to find that explosions and flames were raining down upon them. Cannonballs shattered into the building, sending chunks of wood everywhere.
Gu captains rushed around the camp, trying to organise the defences. Soldiers began to man the trenches and pillboxes. Unfortunately, the pillboxes were prime targets for the Luxenberg cannons. They were swiftly obliterated, and as a result, the Gu soldiers positioned in them suffered a similar fate.
"Brother! We are under attack. What should we do?" Prince San-Tong shouted. Him, Yichen and Stetson were holed up in their building with a couple of dozen Veiled Soldiers. The building had not caught fire, but had received some damage from cannonballs.
"We need to get the boats. If we can reach them, we can sail away with our lives intact," Prince Yichen replied. Many of the Veiled Soldiers present agreed and began to brave the storm of cannonballs and fire. They carefully navigated their way down to the beach to try and escape on the rowboats, but before they could get on, there was a loud and repeating "Bang!" noise.
Luxenberg infantrymen were waiting on the beach to pick off any stragglers trying to flee to their ships. In the initial volley, a handful of Veiled Soldiers perished, while another dozen had received some wounds; even Stetson had received a musketball into the shoulder.
"Quick! Into the rowboats, let's get out of here!" Prince San-Tong barked, trying to get the small group of 20 into the boats. As the naval prince was trying to organise the rowboats, he felt a warm sensation in his chest. At first, he did not notice it, but then suddenly, his legs gave out on him, causing him to fall off the docked rowboat.
The Veiled Soldiers panicked when they watched Prince Gu San-Tong drop like a fly. "Protect the prince!" One of them yelled. A dozen of them surrounded the injured prince, acting as a shield for him.
Yichen's usual emotionless expression cracked. His lips were pursed, and his jaw tensed as he saw his brother lying in the sand with blood slowly draining out of him. The prince was determined to be by his fallen brother's side. He darted across the beach to where his brother was.
His body felt heavy as he tried to sprint through the soft sand. It slowed him down, which was not ideal given the current situation. As he was making his way to his brother, Yichen suddenly lost consciousness after hearing a loud "Bang!"
One of the Luxenberg Infantrymen had managed to shoot Prince Yichen in the side of the head. The Musketball went right into the brain and lodged itself deep in the prince's head. The Veiled Soldiers, who were usually composed, began to freak out. Not one, but two princes had been shot under their watch.
Soon enough, they would join the two princes in death.