The First Bloom of Battle

At the border, on the Gobi Desert, Duke Ma’se stood amidst the wind and sand, gazing into the distance at the dense swarm of figures in the sky.

Beside him, a young man clad in silver armor stood, his eyes blazing with fierce murderous intent as he watched the approaching forms.

“This time, you have lost.”

Duke Ma’se spoke, his voice remarkably calm.

“While the situation on that front is far from optimistic, the old general has yet to make an appearance. Thus, by being the first to call for aid, you have been defeated.”

Though a hint of reluctance crossed the young man’s face, he said nothing. A loss was a loss; he had not yet reached the point where he couldn’t accept defeat.

Duke Ma’se observed the young man, a flicker of imperceptible satisfaction gracing his features. Defeat itself was not terrifying; what was truly frightening was being unable to rise again after a single fall.

“Alright, there’s no need for such unwillingness. The Winged Race is indeed a bit more formidable to deal with than the Beast Race, after all, they are winged folk who can soar through the skies.”

Duke Ma’se’s eyes widened abruptly as he watched the vast, oppressive dark mass of Winged Race warriors, resembling a rolling black fog, pressing down upon them. His tiger-like eyes, wide as brass bells, blazed with a savage, rampant ferocity.

“Watch closely, boy! Today, I’ll show you how to kill those winged folk!”

With a wild roar, Duke Ma’se vaulted onto his horse, drawing an excessively long saber from his waist.

“My warriors, for the glory of the Human Race!”

Behind him, a dense multitude of figures on horseback drew their own similarly long sabers. An earth-shattering roar erupted,

“For the glory of the Human Race!”

After the roar, the thundering of hooves echoed across the land. A vast, dark horde of human cavalry galloped across the desert, causing the earth to tremble violently, shrouded in rising dust.

In the sky, the Winged Race swept forth like a black cloud. From above, it seemed the black cloud and the human army would soon collide.

On the ground, Duke Ma’se rode at the forefront of the charge, his warhorse thundering. The young man followed closely, gripping a combat saber similar to Duke Ma’se’s.

“The Winged Race possesses an inherent advantage over the Human Race. Born with wings, they hold aerial supremacy in battle against us, which becomes a decisive disadvantage for humanity.”

Duke Ma’se spoke loudly. The young man listened intently but remained silent, knowing that if Duke Ma’se brought it up, he surely had a solution.

“The Human Race is the weakest of the five great races. We possess no inherent natural advantages; we lack the wings of the Winged Race, the abnormally robust physiques of the Beast Race, and the colossal bodies of the Dragon Race. Yet, the fact that we have fought against the other four races to this day without being annihilated, and have instead carved out our own territories, means we naturally possess something truly worthy of our pride.”

As he spoke, a hint of arrogance flickered across Duke Ma’se’s expression. Hearing this, the young man’s heart stirred.

‘Here it comes!’

“And what we, the Human Race, have to be proud of is our wisdom and tenacity!”

Duke Ma’se declared with a voice full of pride.

“Over the nearly a millennium of warring with the other four races, we, the Human Race, have, through our wisdom and tenacity, forged our own combat techniques!”

“Combat techniques?”

The young man’s face showed a trace of bewilderment.

“Indeed, combat techniques. It is these very techniques that have allowed us, the Human Race, to stand among the five great races, rather than being extinguished in the annals of history like so many other lesser races.”

Just as the young man was about to speak further, the sky suddenly darkened. Looking up, a black cloud blotted out the sun directly above them.

Seeing this, Duke Ma’se roared,

“Today, I shall show you the combat techniques forged by the blood and wisdom of our human ancestors!”

He slammed a hand forcefully onto his horse’s back, and Duke Ma’se’s body suddenly shot into the air. With another powerful push from his feet against the horse’s back, he launched himself into the sky. As he was about to make contact with the first Winged Race warrior, Duke Ma’se let out a mighty shout,

“First Severance!”

His body twisted into an uncanny parallel with the ground, his long saber carving a white arc. The blinding white light, like a stark white line, sliced through the dark cloud.

In an instant, streaks of blood blossomed in mid-air. Before long, a shower of blood rained down.

“Roar!”

A thunderous roar erupted from the human ranks. Seeing their leader display such incredible might, their morale surged, and they clashed fiercely with the Winged Race warriors descending upon them.

Immediately, screams, the metallic clang of weapons, and the tearing sound of flesh echoed across the Gobi, as blood stained half the sky crimson.

Duke Ma’se, gripping his long saber, executed a bizarre flip in mid-air after unleashing ‘First Severance’. His legs shot upwards, kicking off a Winged Race warrior, sending his body rocketing downwards. Just before landing on his horse’s back, he slapped it with one hand, then propelled himself upwards again. As he passed a Winged Race warrior in a flash, his blade gleamed, a streak of blood drawn, and blood gushed from the warrior’s body.

“First Flash!”

Next, amidst the swarm of Winged Race warriors, Duke Ma’se gripped his saber with both hands. Veins suddenly bulged across his body, and his face instantly turned a blood-red hue, as if it might drip blood.

“First Bloom!”

A mighty roar tore from his throat. In a flash, a dense flurry of white blade-lights suddenly bloomed in mid-air, resembling a pure white flower. And then, blood erupted amidst the white blossoms, like countless crimson flowers adorning them. For a moment, a colossal white flower blossomed in the center of the sky, surrounded by countless red flowers—the entire scene resembling a painting of enchanting, macabre beauty.

Below, the young man watched the spectacle, his eyes filled with fervent excitement.

‘So, so powerful!’

Duke Ma’se’s body descended. After landing on his horse’s back, he flipped into the saddle, but his body swayed slightly, and his face was somewhat pale.

“Father!”

The young man’s saber forced back a Winged Race warrior. Seeing Duke Ma’se’s somewhat off-kilter state, his face filled with worry.

“Father, are you alright?”

Duke Ma’se took a slight breath, then burst into laughter.

“Haha, I’m fine! How could I not be? It’s just a bit of exhaustion, nothing serious!”

With a sigh, Duke Ma’se added,

“Ah, I’m getting old. Even I find ‘First Bloom’ a bit beyond my strength now.”

Seeing the young man still looking worried, Duke Ma’se shouted,

“This is a battlefield! Don’t dwell on such trivialities. We’ll talk after the fighting is done. If you act like this, not even several lives would be enough for you to survive!”

As he spoke, he cleaved a Winged Race warrior attempting to ambush the young man from head to waist.

At that moment, the young man suddenly swung his saber towards Duke Ma’se. Seeing this, Duke Ma’se neither dodged nor flinched. In an instant, the blade flashed, and a Winged Race warrior who had appeared beside Duke Ma’se was cut in half at the waist by the young man.

“Haha, well done!”

Duke Ma’se laughed heartily, lifting his saber and charging towards the Winged Race warriors. The young man also let out a laugh, his eyes sharpening with a fierce glint, and a hint of bloodlust curved his lips.