Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The cries of terror had lasted all night, and the chaos among the Canine Descendants had as well. When the morning sun rose and cast its light upon the mountaintop encampment, the densely packed Canine Warriors were nowhere to be seen. From a distance, the treacherous camp looked utterly devastated, marked by the chaos of the raging fires and the haphazardly strewn corpses of the Canine Descendants.

Xiulote ascended a small hill, looking down at the mere hundreds of enemies left in the mountain stronghold, and nodded with satisfaction. Then, with a smile, he said to his most trusted Head Warrior,

"The Canine Descendant battalions have been broken. I am weary from listening to their chaotic howling all night long, I shall go sleep for a while. Bertade, you will crush the remnants for me!"

"As you command, Your Highness!"

Bertade responded with a smile. Xiulote then turned to leave, not casting another glance at the mountaintop. Soon after, the sounds of battle echoed from behind.

"Whiz, whiz, whiz!"

The rain of arrows launched from mid-mountain struck the ruined encampment, leaving fresh streaks of red. As the noonday sun reached its zenith, the brilliant sunlight fell from the blue sky, illuminating the intertwining red and brown mountains and the stronghold that had seen repeated fighting.

The remaining two hundred or so Canine Warriors, sparse in numbers, lay behind the stronghold, pinned down by the relentless flight of feathered arrows, unable to show their faces. After wave upon wave of attacks from the Cactus Tribe, they had suffered heavy losses, abandoned the main camp of the Red Dog, and had retreated to the higher ground at the back of the camp.

Shortly, following the barrage of arrows, the elite Jaguar Warrior Brigade, clad in heavy armor and holding up great shields, formed loose, small formations and began their cautious ascent once more.

The further up they went, the narrower and steeper the slope became, and the terrain grew increasingly rugged. The Canine Descendants made use of the terrain to resist step by step. Uman, the trusted aide, peeked out, raising a shield in his hand. After quickly surveying the situation, he issued commands to the red-haired Huntsmen on either side, and then personally pushed down a large boulder.

"Boom! Boom!"

A few thunderous echoes resounded—the stones rolled down from above, carrying the force to kill those in heavy armor. Seeing the fierce boulders falling, the Jaguar Warrior Brigade halted their advance. They spread out their formation even more and patiently dodged on the spot, waiting for the boulders to roll away before climbing upwards again.

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"

Soon, the Jaguar Warrior Brigade had climbed up to the encampment again. The bone arrows from the red-haired Hunters fell from an even higher place, aiming to avoid the armored bodies and hit the vital areas of the face and neck. Occasionally, small enemy squads burst out from hidden spots in the mountain, swinging stone hammers wildly and entangling in a fierce fight with the Jaguar Warriors.

Facing all manner of attacks, the Jaguars carefully halted their steps, defending before attacking steadily. They covered for each other, making full use of the advantages of their shields and armor to minimize casualties. Then, the elite Warriors systematically turned the attacking Canine Descendants into corpses.

"Too slow!"

Bertade stood mid-mountain, frowning as he looked a hundred paces away. To his surprise, it was already midday.

"The bulk of the Canine Descendants have already scattered; only a few hundred remain to cover the retreat. The Jaguar Warrior Brigade is known for their elite status; they've been assaulting the mountain half the day, yet they still haven't wiped out the remnants!"

"The Great Chief, the remains of these troops are putting up a fierce resistance, fighting to the death. Especially their red-haired leader, persistent in battle, constantly throwing stones and shooting arrows from hiding—he's already killed two Jaguar Warriors."

Tupa, holding a bow, squinted his eyes and observed the shifting figures on the mountaintop.

"The enemy on the mountain has been forced to the highest point, completely surrounded—by now, they're just trapped beasts struggling in vain. As for the Jaguar Warrior Brigade… indeed, they might be a bit too steady. Is it because the terrain is too treacherous, and the heavy armor hinders their climb? Haha, or is it the fear of being crushed by a boulder and dying an inglorious death?"

Hearing this, a smirk lifted Bertade's eyebrows. Although the Jaguar and Eagle Warrior Brigades, both noble battalions, were exceedingly elite, they each carried the autonomous will of their military nobility. These forces, even he could not command them effortlessly. Within the entire Alliance, the only ones who could truly command the noble battalions to fight to the death were probably only King Aweit and His Highness Xiulote.

The Head Warrior watched for a while longer and then shook his head. He turned to Tupa and said.

"Tupa, take two hundred longbow trusted aides and kill that leader for me! Black Wolf was injured and missed the battle here. Now, win some battle honors for him and yourself!"

"Understood, Holy Eagle Leader!"

Receiving the order, Tupa nodded with understanding. Without any hesitation, he knelt on one knee and saluted.

Black Wolf Toltec came from His Highness's first batch of trusted aides, and he was from the second. Both of them were commoner samurai loyal to His Highness, having been tutored by the Head Warrior. Over years of campaigning, many such trusted aides of His Highness were gradually selected by the Head Warrior and appointed as mid-level military officers of the various battle groups. They were more loyal, braver, and united than the military nobility inherited by the Alliance, subtly forming their own distinct lineage.

Subsequently, Tupa, leading the two hundred longbow trusted aides, clutching their longbows, swiftly climbed up the mountain. In just a quarter of an hour, he had crossed past the Jaguar Warrior Brigade and reached the forefront of the fighting!

"Close-range shooting!"

Tupa ordered in a low voice, and the trusted aides immediately stopped and took aggressive close-range shots. The red-haired Hunters of the Canine Descendants also stood up and furiously hurled stones and shot arrows downwards. After two volleys, both sides saw a dozen or so men fall. Tupa himself, dressed in the simple attire of a samurai, along with a few Divine Archers, lay in wait patiently behind the rocks.

Soon, Uman once again raised his shield and showed his head. Observing the precarious situation, his voice hoarsely encouraged.

"Warriors, if we hold out till nightfall, the main force of the tribe can get another day's head start! For the sake of our tribe, for the Great Chief, and for the old camp behind us, hold on for half more a day!"

The expressions of the Canine Warriors were numb as they responded weakly. They were not the core forces of the tribe but the rear guard left behind. After experiencing chaos the night before and enduring a hard fight for half the day, everyone had nearly exhausted their energy and was running on their last breath.

"Howl! Kill!"

Uman, with a fierce expression, let out a wolf howl. After a brief observation, he targeted the direction where the trusted aides were gathered and suddenly pushed down a large rock. The boulder thundered down, disrupted the formation of the trusted aides, and exposed the bodies of the warriors.

Next, he quickly put down his shield, raised his longbow, and aimed at a vital point of a trusted aide, releasing an exquisite arrow!

"Whoosh!"

The sharp bone arrow came from high above, cleverly avoiding the medium armor and accurately piercing the neck. The targeted trusted aide immediately clutched his throat, swayed as strength left his body, and rolled down the mountainside with a backward tilt of his head.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Almost at the same time, several prepared copper arrows struck together! In an instant, the cluster of lethal arrows pierced through the cotton armor and penetrated Uman's torso!

"Ah!..."

The fierce look on Uman's face vanished in the blink of an eye. As the arrow entered his body, the tremendous force sent him leaning backward; his shattered insides made him instantly lose strength. Staggering, he fell backward to the ground, a large amount of blood seeping from the wound in his chest and abdomen, staining the brown rocks. He looked up at the azure sky, imagined the boundless wilderness, and his gaze fixated for the last time.

"Ah, ah... So dying doesn't hurt? It's light and floaty, like a bird taking off... What's flying really like? Don't... Don't block me... Let me fly to the wilderness, just to see once, just once... then... return to the... earth..."

In just over a dozen breaths, Uman's gaze dissolved. He vaguely heard chaotic shouts, followed by an engulfing darkness.

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A few red-haired trusted aides rushed forward, crying out as they knelt on the ground and haphazardly clung to their leader's body. The remaining Canine Warriors had lost their fighting spirit, howling as they turned and scattered in retreat, even kneeling to surrender.

"Haha, hit them!"

Tupa laughed heartily, confidently swaying the longbow in his hand.

"My archery seems to be only slightly inferior to the Black Wolf's! Hmm, two points behind the Chief Divine... and compared to His Highness... hehe... hahaha!"

After laughing for a while, Tupa straightened up, his face showing a murderous intent.

"Let's go! To claim our victory!"

The elite archers swiftly attacked uphill, and the Canine Descendants on the mountain could no longer mount a substantial resistance. Another quarter past, and the last few red-haired warriors fell dead from arrows, with the remaining hundred or so Canine Descendants kneeling in surrender.

With his head held high, Tupa, carrying his bow, led his trusted aides to the high ground of the rear camp. He strode boldly and then suddenly stopped.

The body of Uman lay quietly on the rocky mountain. Even in death, his eyes were still wide open.

"Phew!... He was indeed a true warrior!"

Tupa let out a breath and clasped the amulet around his neck with both hands, bowing his head and praying fervently.

"Praise the Chief Divine! He loves warriors the most! May you rest in the Red Kingdom and transform into a butterfly amongst the mountains!"

After the sincere prayer, Tupa smirked once again. He reached deep into his bosom and pulled out a sharp obsidian dagger, cheerfully addressing Uman.

"Alright! Now that you've gone to the Divine Kingdom and turned into a red butterfly... lend me your former head for a while!"

The sun hung low in the west, and the red sun drenched the clouds. Red butterflies fluttered among the mountains, the warrior's head was passed down the mountain path, until it reached the hands of the King.

Inside the great tent, Xiulote looked at Uman's severed head for a while and nodded calmly. Then, turning to Keka who stood at his side, he said with a smile.

"Keka, do you recognize this warrior?"

"... Great Chief, he was the Head Warrior of Chichika's trusted aides, the most famous warrior of the Red Dog Tribe, Uman."

Keka bowed his head, his expression full of reverence. The Red Dog Alliance had completely disintegrated overnight, and even Uman had died here!

"Oh?"

Xiulote glanced at Keka indifferently and asked with a smile.

"According to the customs of the wilderness, how should a warrior be laid to rest?"

"Each tribe has different ceremonies, but they all involve fire. The ashes of a chieftain are carried with them, while the ashes of the tribal members are buried in the earth. As for brave warriors..."

Keka paused. He looked at Uman's head, his expression complicated.

"We would climb a hill. At sunrise or sunset, facing the sacred red sky, we would scatter the ashes into the wind, letting them disperse over the vast wilderness."

"Cremation and ash scattering... It's the same as the Guamal Canine Descendants."

Xiulote nodded slightly before falling into deep thought.

"The sacred red sky... it coincides with the Red Kingdom in the Alliance's faith. It seems that the origins of the Guajili Canine Descendants and the Aztec Tribe could be quite similar."

After a moment, Xiulote said warmly with a smile.

"Keka, in that case, I entrust you with the funeral of this warrior! You are to integrate the customs of the wilderness with the faith in the Chief Divine as per the Priest's instructions, and create a new ceremony to properly honor the Guajili warriors from both sides who died in battle!"

"Ah! Great Chief? Me... I'm to conduct the funeral?"

Keka's eyes widened in surprise at the words.

"Yes, this is the first task I'm entrusting to you."

Xiulote said with a slight smile. Then, his expression turned serious, issuing an undeniable order.

"Also, pull out a thousand warriors from the Red Frog Tribe! Five hundred to join the Head Warrior's Vanguard Army and pursue the remnants of the Red Dog Alliance through the night! The other five hundred will reinforce the rear army and, along the mountain paths on both sides, invite the dispersed tribal warriors to surrender!"

"Ah! Your Highness, this, I, the thousand men..."

Keka's face revealed his anxiety, yet he dared not voice his opposition. The fate of Miwa's five hundred elite was uncertain, unknown how many would return, and now another thousand were being called!

"Keka, if you faithfully serve the Chief Divine, I promise you a future."

Xiulote gently patted his shoulder.

"As for the thousand warriors you're to draw upon, I will replenish them from among the captives who surrender! Hmm, and I will also assign an army Priest to accompany you!"

Keka opened his mouth to speak but found himself unable to say anything. The fire from the day before flashed in his mind, just like Uman's head today. After a while, he resignedly knelt down.

"I obey you, Great Chief!"

The King smiled and turned to look towards the eastern sky. Evening was approaching, the sun about to set, the sky filled with red. And the faith in the Chief Divine had been sown over the vast wilderness, just like the glory of the Alliance!

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