Even Roy was moved by the mournful song. Standing on the plains, he gazed ahead, able to see the face of every Qin soldier clearly.
These Qin soldiers were rough in appearance, with dark skin—clearly born of common families. Among them were a few with fairer complexions, likely the scions of Qin's noble houses.
Qin revered martial prowess, with a clear and strict military merit system. During the Zhou dynasty, the hierarchy of men had long been established. While future generations mocked India's caste system, in truth, lineage and bloodline determined everything in the Zhou era, leaving commoners with no path to rise.
But Qin's military merit system offered commoners a chance to change their class, transitioning from slavery to feudalism. Thus, the old Qin people feared not death—compared to the despair of a hopeless, futureless life, death was far less terrifying.
The old Qin people revered war, loved war, for only by slaying enemies in battle could they earn titles and offices, altering their social standing!
Roy's gaze never wavered. He swept his eyes over the 200,000 Qin soldiers—officers, soldiers, and many famed generals from Qin's history—all summoned by the First Emperor through the power of his "Reality Marble," akin to Servants.
Under the enhancement of the mausoleum's bounded field, each Qin soldier possessed strength far beyond ordinary men. Though not yet equal to the Heroic Spirits born from great heroes, their physical prowess neared that of Servants.
Given enough time, the First Emperor could likely forge his own Hall of Heroes.
This realization struck Roy.
He sighed softly. The First Emperor was indeed a man of extraordinary vision, but his journey ended here. To ensure the continuation of human order, Roy would correct him here and now!
"So, I face the mighty army that once crushed the six states, along with Qin's legendary generals... Very well. To fight on the battlefield, to die wrapped in horsehide—this is the romance of men!"
"...Wu Zhui!"
"Neigh——————"
With a shout, Wu Zhui, the steed bound to him by contract, materialized before him. The horse was pitch-black as ink, save for its snow-white hooves, its body gleaming under the sun like metal machinery. This was none other than the Kuaiji Zero-Type, crafted by the First Emperor as a legacy of "Universal Peace" for the world should his plans fail.
But now, the Kuaiji Zero-Type belonged to Roy, turned against Qin itself.
Roy mounted the steed, clad in silver armor, his crimson cloak billowing in the wind to the tune of the old Qin's song.
Alone, man and horse stood before the vast army, their presence undiminished.
Roy released his grip—the Sword of Judgment vanished. Then, with a forceful grasp, a blood-red spear appeared in his right hand: the "Gáe Bolg," gifted to him by Scáthach!
On the battlefield, the sword of a gentleman is not suited for killing; only spears and halberds can truly embody the aura of war.
"Hahahaha!!! Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, today I, the Overlord of Western Chu, will slay you here!!"
"Kill!!"
Roy spurred his steed, and the black-maned horse reared high before charging toward the army of thousands.
A single man and horse charging against two hundred thousand soldiers—this was a spectacle unparalleled in human history. Moreover, those two hundred thousand soldiers were no weaklings but the invincible iron cavalry of the Qin Empire.
Within the Qin formation, a general raised his hand. With the sound of war horns and the fluttering of banners, the Qin cavalry surged forward, their chariots rolling across the plains—the perfect terrain for cavalry and chariots to unleash their might.
Roy paid no heed. He leaned slightly forward as his black-maned horse galloped faster and faster, its speed like a hurricane, akin to a fighter jet preparing for takeoff. This steed was no ordinary creature, capable of speeds far beyond mortal imagination.
The distance between Roy and the Qin cavalry closed rapidly—a hundred meters, fifty, ten...
"Kill!!"
With a roar, he swung his spear. This time, Roy held nothing back, pouring the immense strength of a Campione and his nearly viscous magical energy into the strike.
"BOOM————————"
A crimson tornado erupted as Roy's spear swept out. Hundreds of Qin soldiers and their horses were sent flying into the air with agonized screams, their bodies torn apart in an instant, limbs and entrails raining down like a storm.
"Hahahaha!! Again!!"
Roy fought without respite. His black-maned horse charged relentlessly into the Qin formation. The power of a war god and peerless martial prowess coalesced in Roy's spear, its crimson arc like a mist of blood-flame. Every sweep cleaved through hundreds of Qin soldiers.
The black-maned horse's hooves struck the earth, cracking the plains with each step. Roy's terrifying magical energy turned every strike into the roar of a missile, filling the battlefield with the wails of the Qin soldiers.
Yet, even so, the hardened Qin soldiers feared no death. Their chariots rolled forward, but the black-maned horse neither dodged nor weaved. This mechanical steed, forged through immortal arts, was like a futuristic tank, smashing through the chariot formations. Each collision reduced several chariots to dust. Even if the Qin had a thousand chariots, they were no match for Roy's black-maned mount...
Roy's spear danced—thrusting, sweeping, lifting. The power of a god-slayer gathered in his hands, and in the blink of an eye, tens of thousands fell, as though a demon god had descended upon the world.
To kill one is a crime; to slaughter ten thousand is to be a hero!
These two hundred thousand Qin soldiers, granted power by the First Emperor and nearly akin to Servants, were no different from ordinary mortals before Roy.
Drunk on slaughter, his cape billowing, his dual-pupiled eyes blazing like those of a demon, Roy finally cast aside all restraint. The power of a Campione, long suppressed in this era of Qin's decline, was now unleashed upon the world.
No matter how numerous the Qin soldiers were, they could not halt Roy for even a breath. At last, one of the Qin generals could bear it no longer and spurred his horse forward.
The Qin army parted to form a path, and Roy saw a cold-faced general fearlessly approaching. He laughed heartily, "...Who comes before me?"
"Qin General Bai Qi!"
"Good! Let this king test your mettle with a single strike!"
Roy gripped his spear with his right hand, and a crimson flash erupted like a venomous serpent striking toward Bai Qi. That decisive thrust was enough to pierce the world itself—this was the Annihilating Thrust!
The two warhorses crossed paths, and by the time they passed each other, a bloody hole had already appeared in Bai Qi's throat. His lifeless eyes rolled back as his body, carried by momentum, crashed to the ground and dissolved into dust.
Had this been the true heroic spirit Bai Qi, he would not have been so weak. But this Bai Qi was merely a counterfeit conjured by the First Emperor through the power of his Reality Marble. How could he possibly withstand a spear strike from Roy, a man capable of slaying gods?
Even the god Takemikazuchi from the world of Campione had fallen to Roy's spear in a single strike!
After slaying Bai Qi, Roy reined in his horse, his blade held high. Within a hundred-meter radius, not a single living soul remained. He swept his gaze across the battlefield, and even the fearless warriors of Qin trembled in terror, their courage shattered as they retreated step by step.
Only when Roy raised his head once more, locking eyes with the First Emperor standing atop the highest beacon tower of the Great Wall, did the Qin soldiers snap out of their stupor and charge again.
Though these Qin soldiers possessed abilities close to that of Servants, they were no match for Roy, a Campione who had slain countless gods. What he displayed here was nothing short of "Great Qin Unrivaled!"
"Become terracotta warriors obediently, to be admired by future generations!"
"The Qin Dynasty—has fallen!"