Tyranny of Steel

While the German Reich had entered an era of peace, prosperity, and expansion as the newfound global hegemon. Its allies were in the midst of fighting over who would become the number two power in the world. 

Japan was defeated. Their rebuilt industry served no purpose other than the civilian market, which only further increased the wealth of Germans, as it was the German nation who invested heavily in Japan's reconstruction. 

Since The Japanese Armed Forces had been limited to a small number of troops for self defense only, it was only natural that the various other Empires of the world were now clamoring for their former position. The Byzantine Empire had been preparing for the last five years for the eventual invasion and annexation of its neighbors, but they were not alone in this regard. 

Currently, Sultan Ghazi Al-Fadl stood at a podium on the steps of the Royal Granadan Palace. At Seventeen years of age, he had graduated from a German university with a degree in Public Administration, and was now living in Iberia full time while claiming his rightful position as Sultan. 

Today was an important day for the Iberian Empire. After five years of preparations, Ghazi was making an announcement that would change the course of North Africa's history forever. The teenage boy was the spitting image of his father, albeit with a different eye and skin color. This was something that aided in his natural charisma as he officially declared war against the Sultanate of Morocco. 

"Many years ago, my uncle, the former Sultan, Hasan Al-Fadl, invaded the Sultanate of Morocco in an attempt to expand the power and influence of his people. In that war, my uncle, along with the rest of his army, lost their lives.

If the Sultan of Morocco had simply ended the war there, then perhaps we would not be obliged to take vengeance, as I know many of you have considered doing on more than one occasion these past few years. However, Morocco did not simply call an end to the war with our defeat, like they should have, instead they mustered their armies and crossed the strait of Gibraltar to take advantage of our losses.

In doing so, they were thoroughly repelled by our German allies. But we are no longer a weak state that is reliant on the power of others do defend our borders, nor are we a divided nation like we once were. Instead, today the Iberian Empire stands as one of the most prosperous and powerful states in the world, and because of that, I hereby declare that our day of vengeance has finally come.

For the sake of my uncle, and all those brave men who perished in Morocco all those years ago, I am officially declaring war against the Sultanate of Morocco, may they feel the wrath of our people, and our combined might as we annex their state as a part of the Iberian Empire! Glory to Iberia!"

Immediately after concluding his speech, Ghazi witnessed a spectacle occur. The ten thousand soldiers who had gathered outside the palace to hear this speech lifted their rifles into the air and chanted the war cry which their sultan had just said. 

"Glory to Iberia! Glory to Iberia! Glory to Iberia!"

With this said, the war for Morocco had officially begun, and within twenty-four hours, Ghazi would dispatch tens of thousands of young men across the strait of Gibraltar to invade the Sultanate of Morocco, where he intended to take the lead personally. 

---

News reached the Kaiser's ears almost immediately after it had been announced. His son, Ghazi, had declared war against the Sultan of Morocco. The justification for the war was one of vengeance, but Berengar knew that this was just a means to rally the people for his conquest. 

In reality, Ghazi and Alexandros were now competing, much like they had done their entire lives. Both Emperors wanted to lead their nations to the position that Japan once held. They wanted to be the second most powerful state in the world, and because of this, both young men had mustered their armies for war with their neighbors.

The only difference was, Alexandros requested air support from his father, while Ghazi intended to wage this war entirely on his own. It had not even been a month since Alexandros' coronation, and during this time Berengar continued to look after his own country, and the ongoing modernization of its military. 

However, at the moment, Yasmin had entered her husband's office with a concerned look in her beautiful amber eyes as she voiced her distress over her eldest son's decision.

"I have not felt this way in a very long time. In fact, I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a loved one march off to war. I thought that in this era of peace you have established, I would never have to feel this way again, yet here we are... When I think about the possibility of my own son following my brother into the grave, I tremble with dread..." 

Berengar did not immediately respond to this, and simply stood up from his seat, and walked over to his wife, before hugging her tightly in his arms. At times like this, he needed to be there for Yasmin, especially since he had failed to do so when Hasan marched to his death in Morocco. His words were reassuring to the woman who was about to have an anxiety attack.

"This time, things will be different. Hasan had advanced into Morrocco when I was unable to support him, however with our satellites in orbit, I am able to closely monitor all events that go on in this world.

If our son finds himself in trouble, I will send an airstrike to wipe out the enemy forces. Even now, the planes I have stationed in Iberia are on high alert. If the orders are given, they will immediately be sent to bomb the Moroccan capital. 

But that won't be necessary. Our boy is not some minor player. He rules over a powerful army, one whose capabilities are far beyond his enemy's. Just watch, this war will not even last seventy-two hours. Ribāṭ will fall in a matter of days, and our son will have brought your brother justice. Have faith, my love, our son will live and conquer, as he is meant to!" 

A single tear dripped down Yasmin's amber eyes as she heard these words. She often criticized her husband for spoiling their daughters, but when it came to their sons, he had done his best to raise them right.

Ghazi was more like his father than his uncle, and although the doting mother knew the boy would not make the same mistakes, she still dreaded the thought of his death. Yet Berengar's words made sense to her, and thus she wiped the tear from her eye while smiling as she nodded her head in agreement with the man's assessment. 

"Indeed, my little boy will bring my brother justice. I can't wait to see how Ghazi treats the Sultan of Morocco and his family after what they did to Hasan!"

Though Berengar and Yasmin thought they were alone, they did not realize that their eldest daughter was just outside the door, which was slightly ajar, allowing her to overhear everything that was said. At the moment that Zara heard her brother was marching to war, she felt like she needed to do something to help him. 

---

If you're not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at https://ko-fi.com/zentmeister