A Challenge, a Death Wish

The Black Panther Clan's Eastern Expeditionary Army officially reached the northwestern grassland border of the Bull Clan at nine in the morning.

But to Victor and the others' surprise, just as before, the Bull Clan had somehow learned of their approach through an unknown intelligence channel and assembled its troops along this border defense line in advance. What surprised Victor most—and even made him suspect a trap—was that, faced with an expeditionary force the size of an army group, the Bull Clan had not chosen to hold out behind its walls. Instead, it had deployed its troops on the plains outside the fortress.

This strange behavior immediately put Victor on guard. He ordered the army to halt three kilometers from the enemy and form up, while the Phantom Eagle Clan took to the skies to search for possible ambushes nearby. Clearly, he wanted to locate the Steel Bone Corps, which had once dealt the Black Panther Coalition a devastating blow, before it could repeat that feat. Gabri knew nothing of Victor's concerns. At that moment, he was directing the Bull Clan's army as it slowly deployed across the plain. He arranged his ten thousand-odd troops into three lines, front, middle, and rear, with an elite unit on either side covering the flanks. Their numbers were limited, however, leaving the formation rather thin. The Bull Clan's battle standard stood in the center of the line, hanging from a thick wooden pole.

The flag snapped in the sweltering summer wind.

Every Minotaur warrior stared fixedly at the distant enemy, their expressions grave and solemn. Clearly, they were ready to charge at any moment. Time slowly passed as the two sides faced each other.

After an indeterminate stretch of time, Victor seemingly confirmed that no ambush lay nearby and decided this battle posed