Okay, That's So Hokuto

An eerie fog enveloped a corner of the airport, turning the area into a silent realm.

The Shadow warhorse halted its terrifying form, its horseshoes, burning with soulfire, pounding the ground. The knight seated upon it wore a stag helmet, his face obscured by nothingness, while the chains binding his arms clanged shrilly.

The giant black dog paced slowly, leaving scorched marks on its paws. The smell of sulfur permeated the air, and its enormous blood-red eyes revealed a personified cruelty and hostility.

The ship, which had been navigating through the mist, stopped not far away. The sails were lowered, and a ghastly green undead, dressed in tattered armor and wielding old-fashioned swords and instruments of torture, let out a mournful wail from hell.

Herne the Hunter, the Black Dog Demon, Death Ship.

Barber Todd stood at a distance, the sharp blades swirling endlessly, the air filled with a piercing killing intent. His handsome face turned deathly pale, his hair began to turn white, his expensive tailcoat became worn and dirty, blood seeped from the razor—a bloody splendor, a decadent elegance. Midnight had arrived.

"Monkey Rexette."

Even though it wasn't the first time he'd seen it, the Home Secretary, under heavy protection from the counter-terrorism forces, still felt cold and shaken. These terrifying figures, seemingly straight out of fireside stories from their parents, were familiar to every United Kingdom, yet now they were appearing in reality on the British Isles.

No one knows where they came from or why they came into being; he only knows that these horrific things serve the Round Table, and nothing more.

He knew very little about the Round Table —an organization that used the legend of King Arthur as its name was a huge and terrifying mystery, and the Home Secretary, being of Pakistan descent, knew very little about it.

But that didn't stop him from harboring resentment towards it.

--Your mother's outfit, with its grotesque, ghostly designs, dares to call it Round Table?

But in any case, the matter is about to be resolved.

Ian can't cause any more trouble.

"Ian Crook, submit to the Round Table, this is your last chance."

The Barber said, "Once the battle begins, you will be unable to protect your wife and daughters, and we will show no mercy—but for now, we are still willing to accept you, a lost soul. You, like us, are a chosen and nobler being. You belong to us, and the Round Table is your home..."

Accompanied by his tolerant persuasion, the three Knights of the Round Table approached step by step.

Herne the Hunter's chains slithered like venomous snakes, the Black Dog Demon bared its sharp fangs, and the undead warriors of the Death Ship had already grabbed the ropes, ready to board.

The targets of this terrifying attack were just a family of three.

A controlled puppet, an innocent wife, and a naive child.

Ian's daughter had already fainted from fright.

The wife cried desperately, tightly hugging her child with one hand and covering her with her body, while her other hand clung tightly to her husband's waist, her head pressed against Ian's back, unable to bear looking at the nightmare that had come so real.

The counter-terrorism troops on the perimeter couldn't help but lower their guns. Even the most hardened soldiers felt a pang of pity at the sight. What had mortals done to deserve this irresistible despair?

Ian, this man, could only helplessly plead, wail, beg, curse, and rage in his mental world. Fear, despair, and anger had almost destroyed his soul. He watched helplessly as his family of three walked into a dead end, and unbearable pain and despair ruled his mind.

The Barber's ultimatum was nearing its end. "This is a pointless battle, the worst possible outcome, Ian. You still have a chance... to pledge your loyalty to the Round Table and show us your sincerity and determination."

If Ian were in control of his body, he would have agreed without hesitation, but that demon, that China man, was still asking questions at his own leisurely pace.

What sincerity? What determination?

The Barber gave a sinister smile and replied, "Offer your tribute to the Round Table."

"Ian" asked hoarsely, "What tribute?"

Todd held out his hand and pointed gently. "Your wife, your daughter."

He looked at the other man and smiled slowly, "Mortals are foolish and shallow, a burden indeed. This is your greatest weakness, my brother. Since you regard them as treasures, then offer up your most precious possessions to prove your resolve and loyalty to the Round Table. Rest assured, we..."

But what he didn't know was that Ian didn't listen to the second half at all.

Surrounded by the Knights of the Round Table and under the watchful eyes of the anti-terrorist forces, the tall figure embracing his wife and daughter suddenly trembled slightly, as if in despair, in pain, or in struggle.

People watched silently, putting themselves in the man's shoes; they could imagine his despair.

The Barber watched his partner from afar. He could see the anger and hesitation on Ian's face. He shook his head slightly—it wouldn't be long before the Ian brothers laughed at his predicament and despair, and it might even become the subject of their drinking jokes... How foolish, how shallow.

He said, "We will take good care of your wife and daughters..."

The next moment, he heard a deafening roar.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!"

In an instant, an extremely powerful and terrifying aura surged forth from Ian's body. His screams were filled with pain, despair, and rage. If those extreme emotions were transformed into Flame, they could even set the British Isles ablaze. The unparalleled pain transformed into the purest power, undergoing a metamorphosis and ascension.

The Shadow warhorse neighed and retreated, and the Black Dog Demon's eyes revealed human-like astonishment. The crew of the Death Ship screamed, while Barber Barber's face first showed surprise, then blankness.

"This..." he exclaimed, "How is this possible? Twice?"

"Holy crap!" Kang De, who was watching from a distance, exclaimed in astonishment, "What's going on!?"

"It's smashed! You've messed up!" Iron Son shouted, "The exoskeleton device is losing control of him!"

"Wait, wait!" Kang De exclaimed, "Are you fucking trying to scare me?"

The Transformers roared, "Do you think I'd joke like that? His physical strength is exploding, his intense mental fluctuations are transforming into pure energy... Damn, I don't understand at all! How can emotions be converted into energy? No, no, no, it's not a conversion, it seems to be..."

Kang De shouted, "Get to the point!"

"This white guy is about to awaken! A superpower awakening!"

Having witnessed the awakening of Earth's superhumans almost up close, Horus was completely unable to comprehend this process of transformation and ascension; he didn't even know how it happened!

"But one thing is certain: he's stronger than those other superhumans at the Round Table!" Horus exclaimed. "His power is growing exponentially, a leap in strength that's completely inexplicable. He's unlike any other superhuman from this world; I don't even know where his energy comes from!"

This is invaluable first-hand research data. The exoskeleton device controlling Ian's entire body is rapidly analyzing and collecting information on the entire process of Ian's physical changes.

But the more they collected, the more suspicious the Transformers became of life.

"Holy crap, this is too fantastical! How did he awaken?"

Kang De scratched his head, recalling the process. "What did we do to him? Controlled him, made him do things he didn't want to do, threatened his wife and children, made him feel ultimate despair, and then he could awaken? This is such a strange development of male virtue!"

"It's about to get out of control!" Horus shouted. "He's about to escape our control! Is he going to self-destruct?"

This white man was so badly manipulated by Kang De that he was even driven to the point of awakening in anger. He must be filled with boundless hatred. If, after escaping, he were to spread the word that a China superhuman had controlled him and that he had accomplished all these great deeds in order to save An Youyi, then the high-ranking officials of both countries would inevitably suspect Kang De.

But the invincible Transformers have a way— Horus can control the opponent's exoskeleton to perform a glorious self-destruction, thus making this newly minted superhuman keep his secret forever.

"No."

Kang De shook his head and said, "His wife and children are still with him; the whole family is going to explode."

Horus asked, "Then what should we do?"

Kang De snapped his fingers, and helmets and blades rained down from the sky.

He put on A Chuan's hood, spun around to sheath his Linked Purple Ao Sword, and said in a deep voice, "Things have come to this, I have no choice but to rush in and smash his dog's head in."

The Black Horseman with Staghelm, the Black Dog Demon of terrifying legend, the Death Ship laden with the dead, two counter-terrorism special forces units in London, as well as the United States ambassador and United Kingdom ministers.

Kang De must break into the battlefield while these NPCs are watching and smash Ian's head in.

"Such a serious scene..." Horus sighed, "At least dress like a human being."

Kang De is giving that fake dick a super-powerful enchantment.

Ian's howl almost tore through the deep night, a terrifying aura rolled like a tide, and powerful pressure surged wave after wave. His already tall body continued to expand, and explosive power burst forth from within him. His eyes were filled with pure madness, hatred, and rage.

Because tonight, he has been abandoned by the whole world.

What a terrible day... like never before.

"You..."

His voice was muffled and filled with resentment and hatred.

"I'll kill you all..."

"They all deserve to die..."

"Treachery..."

The terrifying whispers seemed to possess a soul-stirring Magic Power.

"Oh, oh, shit, no, no..."

The Home Secretary, though unaware of what had happened, knew it was a terrible situation. As he backed away, he yelled at the Barber, "Kill him! Kill him!"

The Barber didn't move. He suddenly shouted, "Ian, calm down! Now we can change the agreement and oath—you're more powerful than we think, the Round Table will make an exception for you!"

"Bullshit!" Ian roared, "Untrustworthy!"

The night was pitch black, and the fog that filled the area and obscured the view stirred restlessly.

The Black Dog Demon crouched low, Herne the Hunter grabbed the horn, and the Death Ship's skeletal ram was aimed in the direction of the attack. The hands of the counter-terrorism team were already drenched in sweat. Hunting down terrorists was their duty, but now, they seemed to be stepping into a battlefield they had never imagined.

In a secluded corner unknown to everyone, Kang De had already assumed the stance for the Iaijutsu (a type of sword strike).

At that moment, dark clouds drifted across the sky, revealing a corner of the moon, which shone with its clear light.

Ian's screams went from pain to catharsis, his immense aura reaching its peak, and the surging energy filling his body grew endlessly. It seemed that the speed of his power increase could never keep up with his raging anger. Crackling metallic vibrations erupted from his body as his exoskeleton shattered completely!

Horus shouted, "Attack!"

At the same time, Ian roared, "Tear down the putty!"

The next moment, a massive, serpentine chain came crashing down. The Black Dog Demon, leaped forward, its claws sweeping across, and gleaming metal blades rained down like a storm. The ghosts, gripping the ethereal ropes, whistled as they fell. The combined attack of the Knights of the Round Table seemed to be the clarion call for action, and the special forces opened fire with unwavering force!

Ian roared to the sky and threw a punch.

The violent energy propelled the invisible air currents to roll, surge, and spread wildly.

The chains spun in reverse, the black dog tumbled and fell, the razors scattered and flew everywhere, the ghosts howled and scattered, and the projectiles that had been shot at him bounced off in all directions. Ian's wife and daughter had already fainted from fright and were now lying at his feet. Within three meters was an absolutely safe zone, and all danger had been blocked.

--A Chuan did not swing his Iaijutsu.

Just a second before launching his righteous backstab, Kang De's figure vanished into the Phase Gate, returning to hundreds of meters away. He removed his hood, his expression strange.

"What?" Horus asked, "Can't you kill him?"

"Although I really want to come up with a joke that's perfect for this situation..." Kang De tossed the hood and fake penis into the White Mist World, "But this is just too fucking hilarious!"

Without the power of the Phoenix Eyes and the Fire Thief, the Transformers cannot understand or detect anything.

In the arena, Ian stood rooted to the spot, his overwhelming, bloodthirsty aura blatantly unleashed. The Knights of the Round Table were on high alert, the Barber had already pulled out his phone, and the Interior Minister, hiding behind special forces, urgently shouted, "Prime Minister! Quickly send our superhuman troops!"

The newly awakened superhuman stood proudly on the earth, looking down upon the two strongest violent forces in the light and darkness of Britain. He roared to the sky, his posture as fierce as a god. The eyes of the attackers were filled with fear and unease, but he responded with a defiant roar, his anger still burning.

I'll kill you all!

I'll kill you all!

"Kill—you!"

Fueled by overwhelming hatred and raging fury, Ian roared furiously, his arms bulging, his face contorted with rage. He clenched his fists and howled, "KILL!"

His face, filled with pure rage and roaring fury, was witnessed and watched by everyone.

Then...

It cracked.

The roaring mouth suddenly ripped open, and strands of muscle tissue expanded and exploded. Then, facial features were detached from the skin, flesh and blood burst open, skin tore, scalp was ripped open, hair flew everywhere, from the head to the neck, all the way down, to the torso and limbs, the expanding flesh and blood detached and exploded, inch by inch.

With a deafening roar, blood gushed forth, and bits of flesh spilled all over the ground.

Standing there was only a blood-stained, stark white skeleton, its internal organs encased in something like fascia. Ian's skeleton looked around blankly, then its eyeballs fell into the blood on the ground, splashing up a few drops of blood. Its mouth opened, then it collapsed backward with a thud.

The scene became very quiet for a moment.

Horus asked with surprise and doubt, "Father, how many Fist of the Hokuto Shinken manga have you Extraction?"

"I wish I were that awesome."

Kang De muttered, "It seems he blew himself up—his body couldn't handle this insane surge of energy, this is fucking rubbish..."

Horus asked in astonishment, "He's dead?"

"... He must be dead." Phoenix Fire flashed in Kang De's eyes. "The flame of life is rapidly fading... Well, he's gone."

Ian's skull slowly turned its head, then froze.

His empty eyes stared at his wife and daughter, who were so close to him.

The two, one large and one small, were covered in warm blood and flesh. Their faces, which had been filled with fear and panic, now seemed to show a look of relief as they slept soundly.

Perhaps they felt the warmth of their husbands and fathers in their terrifying nightmares.

Kang De watched this scene and sighed, "What a tragedy."

Horus said calmly, "Didn't you just overreact? You still have the nerve to say that."

"How the hell could I have imagined this bastard would awaken like this? I had the script all prepared, I was about to call A Chuan, and I was ready to turn the Round Table, Britain, and even the American Empire into a dogfight in no time. Who knew Ian would suddenly mess things up here? You think he's going to die after awakening? Are you kidding me?"

Kang De retorted indignantly, then stroked his chin. "What exactly is going on? Is there a chance of self-destruction during awakening? I haven't heard the government mention that..."

"Regardless," Horus said, "Ian's situation is worth analyzing... This process seems to contain the secret of Earth's awakening of extraordinary beings; we need to summarize the patterns."

"That's right."

"Then, Father."

"Um?"

What should be done with Ian's remains?

Kang De glanced at it a few times and said, "The energy is dissipating rapidly. Furthermore, the awakening of the extraordinary should lie in the spirit; the physical body has little research value... I'll go and place a spatial beacon. The Round Table must retrieve it. Let me see if there's anything we can do."

"Um."

"But before that..." Kang De said, "I need to make a phone call."

He took one last look at Ian's remains, then turned and left. Horus's optical system continued to coldly record everything at the scene, gazing thoughtfully at Ian's skeleton.

"What the hell is going on? What's going on? Is he already dead?"

For the Round Table and the Britain government, the recent twists and turns were utterly astonishing and filled with dark humor, to the point that they hadn't even reacted after Ian blew himself up.

The Home Secretary shouted from behind, "Is this some kind of trick? Are you sure? Shouldn't we...?"

The Barber ignored him. He squatted down in front of Ian's skeleton, staring into the man's empty eyes, and sighed, "What a pity, my brother... what a pity, this is our loss."

Herne the Hunter's chilling voice echoed, "What do we do?"

"Bringing his remains back to the branch will surely pique the interest of the clerks. Why was Ian able to awaken a second time, and why did he die like this... Alas, what a pity."

The Barber removed his hat and bowed to Ian's body before rising.

The Staghelm Knight asked, "Where are his wife and daughters?"

Todd glanced at the mother and daughter on the ground, his face filled with disgust. "Despicable mortals... They made Ian worry too much, and in the end, they killed him—sent to the horse farm."

The Staghelm Knight let out a sinister laugh.

He bent down to grab the two frail women, when suddenly he heard a shout from afar, "Hey!"

Herne the Hunter turned around sharply, and an SAS officer shouted, "Let them go—women and children are innocent, no matter what. Where do you think you're taking them?"

The Barber's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Ignorant mortals, don't provoke us."

"Don't give me that crap. Our mission is to control terrorists, not to bully women, and certainly not to stand by and watch you weirdos kidnap our people!"

The officer shouted, "Let them go!"

"What are you doing, Lieutenant! Shut your mouth and get back to your unit!"

The Home Secretary retorted angrily, "This is not a place for you to speak!"

"Sir!" the officer roared, "Are we just going to stand by and watch—"

The next moment, a razor was pressed against his throat, the Barber raised his hand in a feint, his eyes arrogant.

The Special Air Service soldiers raised their guns without hesitation, the Metropolitan Counter Terrorism SWAT team immediately dispersed, and the Knights of the Round Table let out a chilling chuckle; they too had anger waiting to be vented.

Just then, the Home Secretary's cell phone rang.

"Your Excellency, we... what? I understand, but what about over there at the Round Table..."

"Yes!"

After hanging up the phone, the Home Secretary's demeanor had completely changed. He turned to the Knights of the Round Table and said, "We're taking these two women away—we're sending them to China."

He pointed to Ian's remains. "The body is yours, the man is ours."

Todd sneered, "Did Boris give you the courage, mortal?"

The Home Secretary smiled. "No, it was someone the Prime Minister couldn't refuse who gave me the courage—the Prime Minister asked me to tell you, Knights of the Round Table, to release him now, or wait for him to come and collect him."

The Barber was taken aback at first, then realized something and said angrily, "How did he know?"

The Home Secretary shrugged, glancing at Ian's skeleton. "That cunning fellow, perhaps realizing he hadn't contacted the real China embassy... he informed the China through other channels, but the truth will forever remain unknown."

The Barber's expression changed several times before he finally turned away angrily.

While they were negotiating, the exoskeleton device, covered in blood and flesh, had been quietly taken away by the Phase Gate, and a spatial beacon had been positioned on Ian's skull.

Kang De put down his phone, gazed into the distance, and sighed.

"Feeling sorry for Ian?"

"What a joke! A hopeless scumbag, he's dead, so be it."

Kang De paused for a moment, then said softly, "But..."

"What?"

"... It's nothing, I just feel something's a little strange."

However, the connection between Phoenix Vision and the Power of the Fire Thief was very clear.

Ian is probably indeed dead.

Shortly after, in a secluded underground room at a horse farm in western London, the handsome man put down his phone and smiled, "Lost two new toys... but it's alright, shall we begin?"

His gaze was mocking as he looked at the woman not far away.

"Long time no see, Shalana," the man said with a smile. "Would you like to see a few old friends?"

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: As expected... explosive writer's block, finally finished writing, time for bed.