A thousand fully armed warriors stood in orderly formation, surrounding the Bubat square.

Their swords gleamed in the sunlight, thirsty for blood. Round shields protected their upper bodies, completing their formidable appearance.

Speed was the essence of their combat style, coupled with ambushes and traps, tactics they employed daily.

They were Majapahit warriors, renowned for repelling the Mongol Tartar forces from the land of Java and emerging victorious in various battles, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies.

Their command was clear: not a single soul should leave the Bubat square alive.

Meanwhile, amidst the square lay the victims of this siege.

Their faces flushed with anger, they had come in response to the call to marry the royal princess they loved, only to be met with the sharp blades that ready to pierced their hearts.

Thus, these two hundred men were not prepared to face the Majapahit forces before them.

They carried only swords at their waists, and many among them possessed only keris that more suited for ceremonial occasions than battles against the strongest forces in Java.

Nevertheless, none of the Sundanese warriors trembled in the face of the enemy before them.

Well, none except Aditya, who now stared wide-eyed, his face pale.

Though he was a law faculty student and not a history student, the figure with a chubby body, narrow eyes, and hair tied up in front was unmistakably recognized by every high school student in Indonesia: Gajah Mada.

It can be said that in Indonesia, there is hardly anyone who does not know the name of Gajah Mada.

He was someone who came close to unifying the entire archipelago, expanding the territory of Majapahit far beyond what Indonesia is today.

The influence and expansion of Majapahit even reached distant lands, including the Malay Peninsula (Malaysia and Brunei), Tumasik (Singapore), as well as parts of Thailand and the Philippines.

The Majapahit Navy at that time was so powerful that it was referred to as a Thalassocracy or Maritime Empire, signifying their mastery over the seas.

He was known as a ruler who governed Majapahit with an iron fist and showed no mercy to his enemies. He was also a strategic genius, and even today Indonesian historians are still trying to uncover the extent of Gajah Mada's abilities in commanding warfare.

Facing Gajah Mada was akin to facing the god of war. It is no exaggeration to say that Gajah Mada was Indonesia's Napoleon.

Aditya swallowed hard, his mouth dry and lips chapped.

His breath quickened, making him feel as if something were wrong with his body.

Aditya couldn't pinpoint the sins he had committed that led him to stand opposite Gajah Mada. If Aditya had to meet Gajah Mada, he wanted to be at least one or two kilometers away from the Majapahit commander.

Or at the very least, he wanted to be on the same side as his servant or cupbearer, someone entirely out of the commander's sight. But the reality now was that Gajah Mada was staring at Aditya with his fierce eyes, like a tiger eyeing a herd of deer daring to delay its mealtime.

It was only natural that the first thing Aditya wanted to do now was kneel at the commander's feet and beg for forgiveness.