Tyranny of Steel

With the Golden Horde defeated, and the city of Constantinople under the direct authority of Prince Alexandros Palaiologos, the crisis which the Byzantine Empire was facing had ended quicker than it had come. 

However, Alexandros was far from pleased with just the elimination of the Golden Horde's army, he would not rest until the barbarians were driven back into the lands from whence they came. Thus, he quickly ordered the Byzantine Troops to sail across the Bosporus with the Byzantine Fleet, and attack the enemy's camp where the late Chagadai kept the women, children, and slaves of his massive following. 

Khorijin had watched as the skies blackened under the wings of the iron eagles. She had borne witness to the sight of her brother and his army being consumed by what could only be compared to a volcanic explosion. Yet, she did not weep, for the spirits had warned her long ago that this would be her people's fate should they march on Byzantium. 

Rather than encourage the men who guarded her to flee for their lives, the Mongol Princess stood her ground and waited to be greeted by the Byzantine Army, knowing full well that her fate was sealed.

As for the remainder of the camp, many of the women, children, and slaves tried their best to flee off into the wilderness of Anatolia taking their chances on an arduous journey home, rather than face the wrath of the Byzantine Empire who until just seconds ago were at the mercy of the great Khan and his mighty horde. Though most of them would not get far. 

Soon enough, the Byzantine Army, or what remained of it, arrived in the encampment, where Khorijin, guarded by the men her brother had tasked with restraining her, knelt before Palladius. She still did not say a word, as she had taken a strict vow of silence, one that she would not break even after Chagadai's defeat. 

It took one glance at the woman, and the men who guarded her for Palladius to understand that she held a prestigious position among the Khan's horde, though he did not know the exact role she played. He could still make an educated guess. Thus, with a swift voice, he ordered for the woman to be detained. 

"Arrest her!"

The Mongol guards raised their muskets in an attempt to defend their princess from harm, but Khorijin merely shook her head and forced them to surrender. The men beneath Palladius' command quickly bound the Mongol beauty and dragged her back to the city, where she would wait in the dungeons until her identity was ascertained. 

With this, the Golden Horde had been thoroughly defeated, and what remained of their people was either scattered to the wind, or captured by the Byzantine Army. Ultimately, their fate of their culture would be left up to the boy Prince to decide. 

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While the enemies of the Byzantine Empire had been thoroughly trounced by their German Allies. The Indian subcontinent was not as peaceful. Currently, within the Yadava Dynasty, the siege of Devagiri was taking place. The Bengal Army had broken through the capital's defenses, and intense fighting was occurring in the streets. 

In truth, the Bengal Emperor was not expecting this level of resistance. Every house that his troops tried to take over was filled with brutal urban warfare. As men, women, and children made use of matchlock muskets and primitive explosives to deal a death blow to as many of their attackers as possible. 

All of this, of course, was coordinated by Germany's Sturmkommandos, who had the intention of inciting a massacre. These elite warriors had long since fled the city, and were simply observing the flames of war unfold below as the Bengal Army struggled to deal with this new type of warfare. 

Asha sat at the rear of his forces and cursed as his men struggled to gain control of the city. The more casualties his troops suffered, the more enraged he became. Eventually the man could not endure his growing wrath any longer, and gave a command that even his troops found shocking.

"If these Yadava mongrels continue to resist their fate, then bury them! I will not lose any more men in this conquest. Load the cannons and wipe this pathetic city off the face of the earth! You are free to do what you wish to any of the survivors!"

Though the officers in the Bengal Army found this order shocking at first, they did not dare to disobey. Quickly the Bengal Army was given the order to withdraw from the city, where the locals sung their victory cries, foolishly believing they had driven back their attackers.

However, in the next moment, the boom of artillery echoed in the air, as explosive shells came raining down upon the city's inhabitants. Those who had gathered in the streets to celebrate now found themselves blasted into meat paste by the advanced weapons of their enemies. 

The barrage continued, and while it occurred, the hidden Sturmkommandos recorded every moment of it. This would be all the evidence they needed for their Anangpur allies to justify their intervention in the Bengal's conquest of the Indian subcontinent.

The bombardment continued for several minutes, as hundreds of guns unloaded their shells, destroying buildings, and annihilating most of the life within the city. However, after a while, a white flag flew over Devagiri's destroyed gates, causing the Bengal Army to halt their hostilities. If only for the briefest of moments.

The Bengal Army quickly responded to this state of surrender by rushing into the city and taking the survivors captive. Starved from their lust, the Bengal Army, who were no longer restrained by Itami's so-called rules of war, raped every woman and girl they could find, while killing the men with bayonets, and enslaving the boys.

All of these atrocities were recorded by the nearby German Sturmkommandos. No longer wanting to watch such human suffering unfold, the Captain of the Sturmkommandos ceased his recording and gave the order to withdraw back to the borders of the Anangpur Empire.

"We've seen enough. Now is the time to present this evidence to the Anangpur Emperor so he can interfere before anything worse occurs." 

Annihilating a city that continued to resist? That was something the Germans had done more than once in their previous campaigns. Enslaving and raping the survivors? Such a thing was simply barbaric and could not be tolerated.

In fact, after witnessing such a sight unfold before them, many of the Sturmkommandos wanted nothing more than to interfere. However, orders were orders, and their job now was to withdraw from the field and use what they had seen as a justification for war. 

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Berengar stood in his war room surrounded by his General Staff. The highest ranking military officers of all branches of the German Military were standing nearby, all of whom were observing the map that was sprawled out across a large table. 

As new intelligence came in from the field, the pieces representing all factions in play were shifted. One thing was certain: the enemies of the Byzantine Empire were annihilated, and what remained of the Golden Horde was either captured or scattered to the wind. 

Though this was good news, there was no time for celebration, as immediately afterward, the fall of Devagiri was announced by a nearby comms officer. In doing so, the next stage of the Indian Proxy War had truly begun. 

Generalfeldmarschall Heimmerich von Graz, who was the leading officer of the Reichsgarde, immediately moved the pieces representing the Heer's 12th Panzer Division, along with the Anangpur Army forward, and into the borders of Bengal occupied Yadava. There was a sadistic grin on his face as he announced his thoughts to his Kaiser and all of his peers.

"The War for India is now in full effect. Any moment now, we will receive word that Emperor Dharya Tomara has declared war on the Bengals, and as planned, he will be calling upon our alliance to aid him in his campaign to expel the Bengals from the Indian subcontinent. Let us show the Japanese what our armies are truly capable of!"

Adelbrand, however, was far less enthusiastic about the upcoming war in India. In fact, he shook his head before responding to the man's claims. 

"Let's just pray we can defeat the enemy before Emperor Asha calls upon his Japanese allies. I have a sneaking suspicion that this proxy war might escalate into something more serious." 

It was at this point Berengar finally broke his silence. With a confident tone in his voice, he assured all of his generals that everything would be alright.

"Whatever happens, we will be ready to face it. We have prepared for years just for this moment. The Bengal Army will fall, and India will permanently enter our sphere of influence. Not even Empress Itami Riyo can prevent this from happening." 

With this, the Byzantine Empire's troubles had come to an end, while the war in India had only just truly begin. 

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