Chapter 2257: Final Duel

Chapter 2257: Final Duel



While the Martial Artists of the Sekigahara Confederate were uncharacteristically in a state of depression, the civil leaders of the state were in a confidential dialogue with their

counterparts in the other powerhouses of East Panama.

They had come to a conclusion rather quickly after having taken full stock of the variety of disasters that had befallen the Sekigahara Confederate.

They needed to ally with the Republic of Gorteau and the Britannian Empire.

Painful as it was to admit, the human leaders of the Sekigahara Confederate had already accepted that they were no match for the Kandrian Empire. With twenty-three known Martial Sages and an estimated hundred-seventy Martial Masters, the Kandrian Empire had become the most powerful nation in the history of the Age of Martial Art.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

An all-out war between it and the Sekigahara Confederate meant certain defeat and destruction for the latter.

They could not afford to fight the Kandrian Empire by themselves. Thus, the most obvious course of action, albeit unpleasant, was to ally with the Republic of Gorteau and, most importantly, the Britannian Empire.

The latter, functionally led by Prime Minister Edward, a man who had gained recognition and had been personally appointed by Transcendent Emperor Arthur, was someone they had come to acknowledge as necessary to overcome the Kandrian Empire and the Emperor of Harmony. "I must admit, this happened sooner than I foresaw." Prime Minister allowed himself a smug grin. "I had initially predicted that this would happen after a few months. However, it appears that Rael has prepared well this time, having driven you to desperation upon the first battle itself. How pitiful."

"...I don't see the point of even having the role of an interim leader of our proposed allied warfront," President Raymond remarked with a light huff. "Yes, the Kandrian Empire has an additional seven Martial Sages, but even considering that, we should be at a numerical advantage even considering that and our...predicament. I cannot imagine that we cannot muster more than twenty-three Sages."

Prime Minister Edward scoffed with disdain. Militarily illiterate leaders like President Raymond were the reason he hated democracies.

"Battles are not symmetric counting games where the one with the most numbers is automatically the winner. Yes, we can muster up more Sages than they have. However, unless we fight with a two-to-one numeric advantage, we will suffer heavy losses. Do you think it is possible to kill all the Martial Sages of the Kandrian Empire without suffering devastating, even greater losses that will take another five hundred years to heal? The death of each Martial Sage represents the loss of centuries of cultivation of power. I do not know about the two of you, but I do not wish to go with a pyrrhic victory that will leave the Britannian Empire so weakened that it falls from being a Sage-level powerhouse to being just an ordinary Sage- level nation."

His words were true.

The reason that they were waging war against the Kandrian Empire was to protect their dominance and influence from the future of the Kandrian Empire, which would undoubtedly dominate them all after it overcame the Great Limit.

"There's no point in waging a war to protect our dominance if that same war destroys our dominance by heavily weakening us." Prime Minister Edward snorted. "That is what Emperor Rael is counting on. He does not need to engage in active deterrence; he has cleverly ensured that Kandria has accrued just enough power to make fighting it more detrimental than not fighting it."

Prime Minister Edward cracked a smile at the edge of his mouth with grudging respect.

He was glad that his rival had clearly brought out his top game.

He looked forward to what would be shaping up to be their final and greatest duel.