While the population was burning from both sides, the higher ups wanted to cover and put this matter under the rug as soon as possible.
After all, a blown-out war was in neither side's interests. If it were, they would already been fighting to the death after the matter with the Hidden Phoenix.
It seemed like both sides were in a standoff at the moment, and neither side wanted to be the one to fire the first shot.
With the right mindset and the right people, it looked like the matter was definitely going to be buried soon, if that damned video hadn't come out.
A video of the brave South Empire's soldiers that were captured by the border defensive army and were tortured even worse than pigs for slaughter, being called names, and abused.
Some of the tortures or injuries they suffered were beyond human limits, as they had been 'raped' by barbed wired poles, and after their wounds were stuffed with salt.