Before the Royal Guard could reach Korogin's side, his eyes flickered. An intense sensation of deadly crisis rose up in him! He had already distanced himself from Loujin and Yongyu. Hui could not attack again so quickly. The last Cardinal left unaccounted for was Shaolong! Shaolong was quite a distance away, far out of range, but Winstin could tell something extraordinary was happening. The pressure the Cardinal possessed vanished like thin air. In fact, every motion of his was suppressed to the utmost level, making him resemble like a corpse instead until finally, he moved! Like a raging tsunami or earthquake, boundless strength burst out of him, threatening to cut anything and everything to nothingness! He slashed the air in front of him towards Sir Winstin!
Although it seemed like Winstin had plenty of time to react, in reality, barely a second passed since fending off Yongyu. The Four Cardinals coordinated with deadly precision! Sir Winstin's eyes narrowed as he saw a flash fly off Shaolong's sabre toward him. A flying strike! It was the goal of every martial artist to surpass the limits of their weapons. It was a symbol that represented the pinnacle of combat power! It was so surprising that Sir Winstin was briefly stunned. He could do it as well, but only during training in a quiet and secluded location. For it to appear in such a heated battle and succeed was incredible. Sir Winstin had to admit that the Four Cardinals were truly extraordinary.
It sliced through the air instantaneously and slammed into Sir Winstin. The force was not weaker than a direct physical attack! Furthermore, since it was formless, he could not defend against it easily. He could only negate the part aiming for his vitals. Cutting through his plate armor, it slashed a deep wound across the knight. This time, blood wildly sprayed out of his mouth. He struggled to balance himself as he stopped next to Korogin. Weakness overtook his body and he dropped down to one knee. However, his eyes still radiated a strong defiance and willpower. He was clearly not ready to give up! Lord Korogin, as well, wanted to fight to their last breath. They were the symbol of the Alzar Kingdom! They were Sir Winstin and Lord Korogin!
The Cardinals flashed them condescending gazes, especially Cardinal Hui. Although their spirits were strong, they could not reverse these overwhelming odds. Furthermore, Sir Winstin had to defend Lord Korogin. If the Cardinals directed their attacks towards the man, the knight would be forced into a passive position. Although Winstin had grown stronger, his loyalty was a critical weakness. Even if he was stronger, he could not defend against the Four Cardinals forever.
And… the result was exactly what Cardinal Hui expected. In less than ten minutes, Sir Winstin was so exhausted and wounded that he could resist no longer. But the Four Cardinals did not win easily. Besides Hui and Loujin, the other two were unsightly. One of Yongyu's swords was shattered, the other was cracking, and her arm's wounds were gruesome. Shaolong was physically and mentally exhausted. The flying strike was his trump card and ultimate technique. Much like the Ten Dawn's Torrential Blizzard, it took a lot from him to use. Yet, he was forced to use it more than three times in the fight alone. They would need time to recover. Nonetheless, Sir Winstin was defeated!
With this, the two were captured. That was the goal of the emperor sending the Four Cardinals! Without the heads of the Alzar army guiding it, the pressure continued to build until it boiled over. Their battle spirit was destroyed! The Xingyuu army forced their way through the final line of defense and began slaughtering the fleeing soldiers indiscriminately! Screams of horror and despair echoed throughout the land as they begged for mercy. They prayed for a miracle! Yet, how could their hopes be realized? Reality was cruel. Over the span of half an hour, the Xingyuu Empire systematically killed everyone! The Alzar army was thoroughly annihilated and the Xingyuu Empire was victorious!
***
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was perfectly unaware of the events taking place with Lord Korogin. The fleet under General Illion's orders did set sail for Lord Korogin's army as she wanted, but they were still several days from arriving. The world was never convenient. The weather was particularly unforgiving as the storms sunk many of the smaller ships. Their supplies were dwindling dangerously low, such that many were starving. As if that was not bad enough, their fleet had engaged in several skirmishes along the way. After all, they were travelling in Xingyuu waters. The fleet might have been strong, but it was an escort fleet! No one expected this.
Out of the original five thousand strong force, four thousand remained. Nearly everyone was in low spirits. It was a miracle that their fleet had not met with calamity already. Of course, this had to be attributed to General Illion's predictions and planning. Even though he was forced into this, he still put forth his full effort. It was not his style to do anything less. That was the pride of the Third-In-Command of the army! However, he knew that the state of his fleet was less than good. In a battle, morale was key. If they were forced into battle, then their odds were bad. He sighed. Elizabeth really was hotheaded and naïve, a dangerous combination.
Under Elizabeth's orders, the Imperial Princesses and their Protectors were released. General Illion could barely compromise on this front because there was nowhere to escape to. If they were bold enough to steal a ship to return to the empire, then he could use it as an excuse to imprison them again. Naturally, the princesses knew such a thing and limited their presences. They knew when to hold their tongues. They were filled with gratitude that Elizabeth spared them. It was hard to describe but, in a way, their bond grew deeper through this tribulation. Empathy was powerful and it showed here.