"Your Highness, the Prince!"
Though it seemed unbelievable that their undefeated prince, who had conquered the far North, could be so easily sent flying, the royal guards quickly snapped back to reality. They faithfully fulfilled their duty, drawing their weapons and charging at Hak Foo.
"Stop him! Protect His Highness!"
"Tornado Destroys the Parking Lot!!!"
Hak Foo didn't even glance at the onrushing northern foreign soldiers. He spread his arms wide, stomped his right foot fiercely on the ground, and roared,
In the next moment, under the shocked gazes of countless northern soldiers—
Hak Foo's entire body began to spin rapidly! His figure blurred as the air around him churned violently, as if a thousand blades were slicing through the atmosphere.
The soldiers surrounding him instantly felt their cheeks sting, forcing them to shut their eyes.
By the time they opened them again, the giant man seemed to have disappeared. All they could see was a raging tornado tearing through the battlefield.
A tornado...?
Had this giant really conjured a storm just by spinning his body?
Was this the legendary Teigu passed down for millennia?
But there was no time for them to think. The storm was already upon them. Weapons scattered across the ground were lifted into the air, infused with tremendous force, ripping their formation to shreds, leaving it pockmarked and chaotic.
Even the bodies of heavily armored corpses were swept up and flung about!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Clang! Squish—!
As the tornado swept through, the northern soldiers' battle lines were swallowed in waves. The air filled with the sounds of flesh being torn apart, screams, and cries of agony.
...
"Though his move's name is quite... ridiculous—uh, unique—Hak Foo's improvement over the years is undeniable," commented Gensa, trying to sound more refined in his report to Selene, despite his typically rough military mannerisms, influenced by Sebas' teachings.
"Indeed... he still has the potential for further enhancement."
Selene watched the Imperial army slaughter their enemies like chickens and dogs, steadily pushing forward, while the "blood-red" tornado rampaged through the northern forces. She nodded thoughtfully.
Turning her gaze toward Gensa, she added, "Looks like, despite not personally overseeing your training these past years, the legion's overall strength has gradually improved..."
"It seems you won't have to shoot yourself in the basement... Alright, the test is over. Time to wrap things up!"
Yes, the purpose of this campaign against the northern tribes was twofold: partly to covet Tyrant's... body, and partly to assess the readiness of her legion.
The heavy weapons had been left unused, not because they lacked them, but because they were stored in the fortress beyond the Northern Wall. The icy wasteland beyond the wall was indeed unsuitable for heavy artillery. Selene's insistence on rapid marching had led them to go into battle lightly equipped.
Selene was no nanny. If an army couldn't win decisively even with overwhelming advantages, it might as well be sent back for retraining!
After all, Selene had high hopes for her legion. The project to enhance soldiers with stable collapse energy was meant specifically for them!
"Understood!" Gensa immediately gestured to the adjutant beside him. "Give the order—unleash the cavalry... Have them coordinate with the infantry to encircle and destroy the enemy!"
As the bright red smoke signal flared into the sky—
Moments later, the deafening sound of galloping hooves drew Selene's attention.
From far to near, the ground trembled lightly. Selene raised her gaze, seeing a small black dot at the edge of the battlefield, where the two armies were locked in combat.
The next moment, more and more black dots appeared, accompanied by bright banners fluttering in the sky, and heavily armored cavalry glistening with cold steel.
The thunderous roar of hooves shook the earth as they charged toward the center of the northern army's formation. A wave of snow and dust surged forward, like a tidal wave threatening to overwhelm all before it, striking terror into the hearts of those who witnessed it.
"Hmm, satisfactory. Gensa... crush them. I want total victory."
"Yes!"
...
Meanwhile, within the northern forces' central command.
"Cough, cough... I'm fine, don't worry about me... Cough, cough, press the center forward! We must not allow the Imperial cavalry to divide and encircle us!"
Despite the overwhelming sound of hooves and the clash of steel, Numa Seika struggled to rise from the heap of bodies around him, issuing orders.
"But, Your Highness..."
"No buts! Go! If we delay any longer, it will be too late, cough, cough..." Numa Seika spat out blood. His appearance was nothing short of pitiful.
Gone was the confident and spirited warrior. His silver chestplate was deeply dented, his once-flowing black hair now matted with blood and snow.
His confidence in this battle was waning. He recognized the Imperial army's standard armor all too well. To be beaten so badly by just a captain...
"Oh? You can still stand after taking my punch? No wonder the master wants you captured alive..."
Boom!
That hulking figure appeared before Numa Seika once more, dispatching several northern soldiers in an instant, clearing the space around them.
As the battlefield came into view, Numa Seika's heart sank. Behind Hak Foo lay a sea of corpses.
"You! Cough, cough..." Numa Seika's panic only worsened his injuries, causing him to cough violently. "Are you mocking me?!"
"No, no, I'm just telling the truth... Let me introduce myself—I'm Black Tiger Hak Foo. Numa Seika, prepare to meet your end!"
"Wait, we can surre—" Before Numa Seika could finish his plea, Hak Foo launched into the air like a cannonball, rocketing toward him.
Boom!
"This is the Gazelle Leap!"
With a mighty shout, Hak Foo's iron-like fists descended upon the enemy, wreaking havoc like a wolf among sheep.
"Eagle Drops to Earth!"
"Bear Claws Strike!"
"One Tiger Kills Two Lambs!"
...
A combination of raw strength and honed technique, Hak Foo's body moved with lethal precision. Every joint became a deadly weapon, sending soldiers flying with each strike of his hand.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sounds of heavy impacts rang out.
Several northern soldiers who dared stand in Hak Foo's path found their bones shattered and their bodies sent flying, blood spraying from their mouths as they crashed back into the mass of their comrades, their fate uncertain.
Witnessing Hak Foo's unstoppable rampage, Numa Seika's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, but he grit his teeth, grasped his spear, and charged forward.
After all, he was their prince. It was his duty to protect his people!
"Die!" Muscles bulging and veins popping, Numa Seika gripped his spear with both hands and leaped high into the air, aiming for a devastating strike.
But Hak Foo wouldn't give him the chance.
"Serpentine Step!"
In a move that defied logic, Hak Foo slipped beneath the airborne Numa Seika and grabbed his right leg, slamming him down with brutal force.
Thud!
Numa Seika's body once again kissed the ground, but that wasn't the end. Hak Foo's cold voice echoed once more.
"Mount Tai Crushing the Summit!"
Boom!
Before Numa Seika could rise, he felt a heavy blow to his abdomen, slamming him deeper into the frozen ground. The ice-cold earth cracked beneath him, spiderweb-like fissures spreading outward.
Amidst the snow and dust, the sound of frozen soil and rubble falling filled the air.
In the final moments before losing consciousness, Numa Seika vaguely heard...
"Hak Foo, beat Numa Seika to a pulp."
...
"Cough, cough..."
It was unclear how much time had passed, but the sounds of battle seemed to have ceased. The world had fallen into silence. As his consciousness returned, Numa Seika felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation. His nose and mouth were clogged with congealed blood, and his entire body was numb and immobile, unable to move even a single finger.
Struggling, Numa Seika barely managed to open his eyes... Was he dead? How had the battle gone? What about his people?
Until he saw...
That tall, slender figure, with crimson eyes and waist-length white hair billowing in the snowy wind. Clad in shining silver armor, reflecting the brilliant light off the snow...
She was beautiful, but that beauty had nothing to do with Numa Seika. In that moment, his heart filled only with utter despair.
"Hak Foo, it seems you went a little overboard..."