Čech and Shevchenko were not angry when they heard Koeman's arrogant words, because the Ajax man in front of them, who was as big as a mountain and dragged a long sword, was indeed stronger than themselves. The two looked at each other, smiled slightly, and moved aside to make a wide gap.
Koeman looked back through the gap the two had created.
When he saw the figure sitting quietly inside the large tent, his pupils immediately contracted.
Inside the brightly lit tent, a figure sat leisurely on a stone chair, engrossed in a thick, untitled book. His head was slightly bowed, and his attire was extremely casual. Thick, long black hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall, obscuring his face. He wore a loose robe, was barefoot, and displayed a languid demeanor, completely unconcerned about the impending battle outside.
Beside this man stood a bizarre, colossal beast, over four meters tall even in a half-crouching position. Its powerful limbs were as terrifying as giant pillars, and its black mane cascaded down like a waterfall, obscuring most of its head. Behind the mane, two enormous, gleaming eyes could be vaguely seen, radiating undisguised hostility. Its sharp, white, serrated teeth seemed capable of tearing apart any opponent. Its mouth was slightly open, emanating a faint smell of sulfur, as if it could spew out scorching flames at any moment...
If it weren't for the fact that this strange beast was covered in glossy black fur, Koeman might have thought it was actually a lost ancient dragon. The faint aura of power and the smell of sulfur were exactly like those of the legendary dragons.
Clearly, the strange roar that sounded like a dog barking just now came from this monster. The roar terrified more than four hundred Sand Tiger, rendering them unable to move.
Koeman's heart sank little by little.
He couldn't sense this person's strength level at all; there was no fluctuation of Dou Qi whatsoever. It was as if this person was an ordinary person with different martial arts skills. However, the fact that this person could so easily deflect his full-force attack was clearly not something an ordinary person could do.
There is only one explanation: the opponent's strength has far exceeded what we can comprehend.
Tonight is dangerous!
Seemingly sensing Koeman's gaze, the man who had been quietly reading the book raised his head slightly. A handsome face with striking, sharp eyebrows came into Koeman's view. With a faint smile, he said, "You were just clamoring to see me. Now that you've got your wish, are you willing to kneel down and surrender?"
This handsome and dignified man was none other than His Majesty the King, who was deliberately putting on airs and acting pretentious.
It's natural to be friendly and amicable with your own people, but occasionally showing off and acting mysterious in front of enemies is definitely good for your mental and physical health. Besides, for Sun Fei, it's his first time leading an army into battle, so naturally he has to put on airs.
"Kneel and surrender?" Koeman gripped his massive scimitar tightly, took a deep breath to calm himself, and then slowly smiled. " The Ajax people have only ever had warriors who die in battle, never cowards who surrender. Besides..." He then slowly swept his gaze over the surging Zenit soldiers around him, and said arrogantly, "Besides, if we are determined to break out, it's not like we can't get through."
"Haha, a mere four hundred men dare to recklessly charge my vanguard Barracks, and even dare to boast of breaking through?"
Sun Fei laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, shaking his head. "With a single command from me, within ten minutes, all four hundred of you, including yourself, will become mangled corpses. Your heads will be severed and piled up into mountains, and your bodies will be dumped in the wilderness to be eaten by jackals and carrion birds, just like what you have done to the civilians of Zenit these past few days!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
Sun Fei's words ignited the soldiers' anger. The five or six thousand Zenit soldiers around them roared in unison, banging their weapons against their armor as they approached step by step. The rhythmic clanging of metal against metal was like a surging tide, exuding a fierce and murderous aura. Zenit's morale soared to the sky, and their powerful presence was suffocating.
Sun Fei put down his notebook, abruptly stood up, and sneered, "If you don't believe me, you can try!"
As he stood up, an intense, almost impenetrable, Bloody killing intent burst forth from his body, instantly transforming the surrounding space into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Koeman felt as if he could hear the wails of millions of people, as if crimson, pungent blood was surging towards him like a tidal wave, or as if time and space had shifted and he had suddenly found himself on a desolate, blood-soaked ancient battlefield, surrounded by Death Energy.
How terrifying... the aura!!
Koeman felt an overwhelming and irresistible force press down on him in an instant, as if thousands of mountains were pressing down on his back at the same time. His body almost instinctively launched an instinctive resistance, and his bones made crisp cracking sounds, as if they were all shattered.
Koeman immediately realized he was wrong.
That's terribly wrong.
The man before them was right. Even if he ordered six thousand elite Zenit soldiers to attack, it was likely that none of his four hundred Black Torrent would be able to escape if this man himself attacked.
This terrifying opponent, by simply unleashing his aura, had already made him, Seven-Star Class martial artist, unable to even stand steadily.
"Who... are you?" Koeman Earth Inquiry, struggling to support himself with the giant scimitar.
"I, the King of Chambord, Alexander!"
"So... it was you... I... I've heard of you, I was wrong... you really were... you really were... Pfft!" The pressure made Koeman's words broken, and finally he spat out a mouthful of blood, unable to hold on any longer, his knees buckling.
"Drop your weapons, kneel and beg for mercy, and I'll show mercy today and let your four hundred knights leave alive." Sun Fei narrowed his eyes slightly, a strange smile curving his lips.
"That's impossible!" Koeman struggled to support himself, vehemently denying it. "The warriors of Ajax would never... never kneel before you... they are... the most valiant... warriors!"
"Yes, they are all brave warriors..." Sun Fei's gaze swept over the tense and fearful faces of the Ajax cavalrymen, and he sighed, "As far as I know, their mission was only to clear the area within a hundred miles of Twin Flag City. It was an easy task, and it didn't include attacking the Zenit Vanguard Legion. Unfortunately, they encountered a foolish and arrogant commander. It was your foolishness that led to the deaths of four hundred brave warriors, and it was your ambition that put them in danger. Their wives, children, and parents will suffer for the rest of their lives because of your decision... Now, you still have a chance to redeem yourself. As long as you drop your weapons and gently bend your proud knees, you can save four hundred brave Ajax warriors and prevent more than four hundred Ajax families from suffering the pain of destruction. Why not? Do you want them to die because of your foolishness and unfounded pride?"
Sun Fei's voice was like a devil's temptation, resounding in the ears of every Ajax cavalryman and stirring the deepest chords of their hearts.
"No! You monster, you..." Koeman coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He understood the significance of this battle better than anyone else.
This was the first real clash between the two armies.
Koeman had originally dreamed of killing the Zenit vanguard commander in one fell swoop, winning the first victory for the Ajax Empire and boosting the morale of the imperial army. However, since he had misjudged the situation and could not do so, even if all four hundred of his men died to become a model of the imperial soldiers' unwavering loyalty, he would never surrender.
If he chooses to kneel today, he will lose more than just his personal Glory.
It is also the pride of the entire Ajax Empire, which has been dormant for more than 20 years and is about to rise.
If he were to kneel, the entire imperial family and Military Department would be disgraced, an unbearable blow to the Ajax people striving for rise, and a devastating blow to the morale of the imperial soldiers.
This Zenit commander in front of me is terrifying and has such a vicious mind!
At that moment, Koeman suddenly regretted it.
I regret it completely.
Even if he had realized he had been tricked and surrounded, even if he knew there were experts among the Zenit troops, even if he knew that the enemy before him was beyond his ability to defeat, even if he knew that none of his group of more than four hundred people would return alive, even if... even if tonight's situation were a hundred times more dangerous, Koeman would not regret it.
But now, he truly, truly regrets it.
This enemy is terrifying; he has such a vicious mind.
One mistake of underestimating the enemy will, under the manipulation of this formidable opponent, become an indelible disgrace for the soldiers of the Ajax Empire.
Koeman had heard of King of Chambord Alexander. The Ajax had their own intelligence system and had been keeping a close eye on the Zenit's movements. The Zenit Empire's recent large-scale Martial Combat Competition for its vassal states was something they had been paying close attention to. King of Chambord Alexander, who was known as the number one fighter among Zenit's 250 vassal states, naturally appeared on Ajax's intelligence reports.
King of Chambord Alexander, was the King of a vassal state who was described by some intelligence agents as a genius of unparalleled talent.
Koeman initially scoffed at this idea.
What genius could a King of a small vassal state possibly possess?
This world has never been fair. True geniuses are almost always born into the backgrounds of super-noble families, royalty, and powerful conglomerates. Only these super-powers can cultivate a genius. Even if a commoner has exceptional talent, they will be buried by the harsh conditions of the cultivation path. What kind of genius could a small, sixth-class vassal state like Zenit possibly produce?
First update.