JAYABAYA: The Journey of Being a Legend
Strategies War

After that, Mpu Karnikeswara Matanggalkana the Rakryan Kanuruhan immediately rushed to go to the west of Kotaraja Daha. Accompanied by two of his loyal servants, Mpu Karnikeswara headed to a hidden building on the banks of the Kapulungan river. The location of this building is completely protected from eye view because it is located in a sharp thorny bamboo forest or in the Javanese language called by the name of ori bamboo.

Beyond this sharp thorny bamboo forest is still covered by several large trees such as trees and angsana that makes no one would have thought that in this sharp thorny bamboo forest there is a building concealed. Some people looking for animal feed grass seem to be busy weeding the grass around these big trees. Actually this is the disguise of the guards of this place. With clothes like this, their existence is really difficult to distinguish from other citizens of Kotaraja Daha.

Seeing the arrival of Mpu Karnikeswara, the grass seekers seemed to be on standby by holding the handle of the weapon hidden behind the bamboo basket where the grass, but after knowing who the people who came, they were still waiting for them, they breathed a sigh of relief and resumed their work as if nothing had happened.

After passing the guard around the angsana tree, Mpu Karnikeswara and his two loyal servants immediately tethered their horse harnesses behind the thickets of the bush. After that they walked through the path bordering the sharp thorns before entering the hidden old building.

Outside the mossy building and the dried bamboo leaves, several burly men in black clothes rose from their seats as soon as they saw Mpu Karnikeswara coming. They immediately paid their respects to the old man.

Without caring about what these burly men were doing, Mpu Karnikeswara continued to walk into this old house. After he opened the door of the house, several men dressed in swordsmen immediately turned their heads towards him. One of them was a short white-bearded old man with white-colored right eyes who seemed to be blind. An elongated scar to the right of his face seemed to be the cause of the blindness in the old man's right eye.

"Gusti Rakryan Kanuruh, you haven't been here in a long time.

What wind brings you here?", said this blind-eyed old man immediately. He put down the bamboo cup filled with palm wine after gulping it down after speaking.

"Satan Picak, the time we have been waiting for has come. Kotaraja Daha Palace is empty with no one to guard. Only Tumenggung Mapanji Baguna alone, not an opponent to be reckoned with" said Mpu Karnikeswara while grinning widely.

Hearing those words, the old man called Satan Picak immediately stood up and walked up to Mpu Karnikeswara.

"Hahahaha, according to our plan..

The soldiers from Jenggala who infiltrated Panjalu, some have arrived. Just waiting for the arrival of soldiers led by Senopati Widangkeling and Tumenggung Jagasatru. Once they arrive, we fight Kotaraja Daha Palace", said Satan Picak with a big smile.

"That's what I expected, Devil Picak..

You as the swordsman of choice of Prince Jayengofficial will certainly be the ultimate weapon when our invasion of Kotaraja Daha Palace meets obstacles. Prabu Bameswara is very ill, even if he can fight, he will not help much" said Mpu Karnikeswara.

"Hahahaha, good then..

Without Senopati Agung Sembada and Senopati Naratama, as well as Prince Mapanji Jayabaya, the great power of the Kingdom of Panjalu is just a mere empty shell. Fragile and easy to destroy.

In a moment, Kotaraja Daha Palace will flood with blood!", Demon Picak clenched his hands tightly and Mpu Karnikeswara Matanggalaksana smiled widely.

The origin of the conspiracy between them occurred when the loyal servants of Mpu Karnikeswara sought assassins to finish the life of Prince Mapanji Jayabaya. But after the death of the world's number one hitman in the eastern region of Jawadwipa Land, Ki Lengkara and his group, Mpu Karnikeswara became aware that killing the life of Prince Mapanji Jayabaya could not be done by sending one or two high-scientific warriors but had to use a cunning tactic.

Therefore, he sent Prapta and Songkali two loyal servants to go to Kahuripan to send a letter to Prince Jayengofficial as the husband of the companion of Maharani Uttejana. Prapta and Songkali were well received by Prince Jayengofficial who had long planned a raid on Panjalu. The arrival of Prapta and Songkali is like a saying that the beloved shoots arrive.

Soon Prince Jayengofficial devised a scheming by beginning to infiltrate the Jenggala soldiers into Daha by the Kapulungan river disguised as farm laborers who were being needed for the clearing of large agricultural lands west of Kotaraja Daha precisely in the Duchy of Anjuk Field. This is very fitting with the task of Rakryan Kanuruhan who was assigned to arrange the opening of the farm by Sinuwun Prabu Bameswara.

This force was enough to lead the large army of Jenggala who infiltrated Panjalu. But Prince Jayengofficial confidants Senopati Widangkeling and Tumenggung Jagasatru still did not arrive at this place, a little longer than originally planned.

"We need to be patient a little more. When Senopati Widangkeling and Tumenggung Jagasatru, we will immediately move to storm the Kotaraja Daha Palace", hearing the words of Satan Picak, Mpu Karnikeswara nodded in understanding.

Next, they began to develop a strategy to attack the defense of Kotaraja Daha which is the obligation of Tumenggung Mapanji Baguna. Yet they would also never have expected that they would get such a big shock when that day came.

*****

"Gusti Prince, in front of the small hill is the location of Ranu Mendalan.

Are we going to build our camp around here?", asked Senopati Agung Sembada who rode beside this right Sang Yuwaraja Panjalu.

Jaka Umbaran immediately spread his gaze around where they stopped. This meadow is indeed quite spacious but can also be a cemetery for Panjalu soldiers if there is an impromptu attack from the Jenggala soldiers. Three small hills around it can be used to surround the soldiers of Panjalu from three different sides.

"No way, Uncle Senopati the Great...

Uncle looked around this place. This place can be a perfect natural stronghold but it can also be a field of mass slaughter of our soldiers if the Jenggala soldiers take control of the three small hills first. Better now we divide the troops into 4 groups.

The first group, Uncle Senopati the Great led with 10 thousand soldiers to control the small hill on the right. Place the archers in the front row as surprise attackers before the main force moves.

Then Tumenggung Setawardana and Tumenggung Besur will do the same on the small hill there. They will lead an army of 5 thousand men.

Also with Tumenggung Baratwaja and Demung Balarama will lead our troops from that hill. They had to quickly take control of that small hill because it was the entrance to this meadow from Ranu Mendalan.

The rest of our troops will make a defense at the western end of this meadow. I will be the leader of this soldier myself. Do you all understand?", Jaka Umbaran spread his gaze to the Panjalu army officers around him.

"We understand Gusti Prince", said the Panjalu army officers immediately. They all immediately respect before starting to move to carry out the duties given by Jaka Umbaran.

That afternoon, the Panjalu soldiers began to prepare everything as best as possible to ambush the Jenggala soldiers who were about to cross into the Kayuwarajan Kadiri area from the Hantang line.

Various types of death and dangerous traps were immediately arranged in such a way. The ones on the small hill set up their own death traps, while the ones in the grasslands arranged their various ways to defeat the Jenggala warriors as quickly as possible.

Towards dusk, as the sun began to set in the western horizon, a tense and tense atmosphere began to be felt in this vast meadow. Jaka Umbaran also immediately darted towards Ranu Mendalan because of curiosity with the Jenggala soldiers who were camping there.

When he arrived at the destination, Jaka Umbaran's eyes immediately widened when he saw the large number of Jenggala troops. Judging from the number of tents and torches that lit around Ranu Mendalan, there were at least more than 70 thousand soldiers. This was the largest army he had ever seen.

"It's going to be a tough battle.."