Empire-Union Border.
The sun gradually dipped below the horizon, dyeing the sky in shades of black and red. With the arrival of night, the skirmishes on the battlefield came to a halt.
Soldiers from either side wore haggard expressions, dark circles around their eyes from the lack of sleep. They retrieved the usable weapons from the battlefield and dragged the corpses of their comrades.
Dead bodies had become a growing problem. If they weren't disposed of in time, disease would begin to spread among the living.
So the armies were forced to act. Piles of corpses were gathered and burned, day and night, thick smoke rising over the battlefield. Others were buried hastily, covered with earth to keep the stench and rot at bay.
Even then, the smell lingered. It served as an ever-present reminder of the cost of war.
Balthazar and Bai Tianji stood outside the central camp's command tent, gazing at the enemy all the way across the battlefield.
