บท 30: The War Plan
Atenzi stood at the head of a big table in Báthory's war room. The room was dark, with weird blue torches on the walls. Maps and charts were everywhere.
"Genghis Khan's army isn't just big," Atenzi said, his voice sharp. "It's like a force of nature. But even nature has weak spots."
He pointed at the map on the table. "Khan's strength is his horses and big weapons. But Bloodmire's forests and swamps will slow them down."
A vampire general leaned in, showing his fangs. "We could surprise them in the Whispering Woods, hit them from the sides."
Atenzi shook his head. "Too obvious. Khan expects that. We need to think bigger. Bolder." He grinned like a wild animal. "We need to think like Hattori Hanzo."
Musashi raised an eyebrow at this. Atenzi saw and kept talking.
"Hanzo was known for crazy-sounding plans. But they worked because no one saw them coming. We're not going to defend Bloodmire. We're going to attack Khan's army before they even get here."
Everyone in the room started whispering. They sounded surprised and doubtful.
Báthory leaned closer, looking interested. "Go on," she said.
Atenzi's hands moved over the map as he talked faster. "We send in small teams of your best vampire killers. I'll lead them myself. We sneak into Khan's camp at night. But we're not just trying to kill Khan."
He paused, his eyes shining dangerously. "We're going to turn Khan's army against itself."
The room went quiet. Everyone stared at Atenzi as he explained his plan.
"First, we mess with their supplies. Poison their water, ruin their food. But do it slowly. We want them to get sick little by little, make them paranoid and distrustful."
"Then, we cause trouble in the ranks. Make fake orders from Khan that go against his real ones. Plant fake proof that his top generals are betraying him."
"And then, we hit their spirit. Khan's army thinks he has a god-given right to rule. We're going to break that belief."
Atenzi's grin was scary as he went on. "We'll use tricks, vampire powers, whatever we need to make it look like the gods are turning on Khan. We'll give them nightmares, make weird things happen. We'll turn their camp into a living hell."
One of the generals spoke up, sounding both impressed and worried. "This is... unheard of. The risk-"
"The risk is nothing compared to what we'll gain," Atenzi cut him off. "By the time Khan figures out what's happening, his army will be a mess. Sick, scared, and falling apart. That's when we attack for real."
He turned to Báthory. "Your vampire armies, hitting from all sides. Not just soldiers, but living weapons. We use every trick, every dark power we have. Make them think they're fighting angry gods, not an army."
Báthory's eyes sparkled with evil joy. "And Khan himself?"
Atenzi's voice got very quiet, but everyone heard him. "We give him a choice. Run away and live with the shame, or fight me one-on-one."
Everyone in the room gasped and started talking excitedly.
Báthory laughed. It sounded like breaking glass. "Oh, my dear Oni no Atenzi. You keep surprising me. And if he chooses to fight?"
Atenzi growled. The sound made even the oldest vampires shiver. "Then I'll send his head back to his army as a message. Don't mess with Bloodmire."
As the vampire generals started talking about how to make the plan work, Musashi came up to Atenzi. "This plan," he said quietly, "it's clever, but cruel. The Atenzi I knew wouldn't have liked these tactics."
Atenzi turned to his old teacher, his eyes cold. "The Atenzi you knew was weak. He wouldn't have lived in this world. I'll do whatever it takes to win, to protect what's mine."
Musashi opened his mouth to answer, but a scout ran into the room, looking scared.
"My lords," the scout gasped, falling to his knees. "Khan's army... they're moving faster. They'll be here in less than two days!"
The room exploded into chaos, but Atenzi stayed calm. He turned to Báthory, smiling dangerously. "Well then," he said, "looks like we need to speed up our plans. Shall we start, my queen?"
Báthory smiled back, looking just as deadly. "Indeed, my champion. Let's show Khan and all of Naaim what real terror means."
As everyone rushed to get ready, Atenzi felt excited. The game was on, and he was going to play it with all his new power and ruthlessness. Genghis Khan, the destroyer of civilizations, was about to meet his match in Oni no Atenzi. The battle for Bloodmire was about to begin.
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