This black-clad squad's armor was... off.
By no means could such craftsmanship belong to this era.
During this period, metal armor typically took the form of lamellar plates—copper or iron scales laced together, covering only the chest and shoulders.
Yet this squad was clad in sleek, full-body armor, polished to a glossy black sheen. Not a single stitched plate in sight—just smooth, form-fitting, streamlined plating.
"This is—!"
Brunhilde recognized the material, her expression shifting.
The metallurgy of this age couldn't possibly produce such armor. Even a thousand years later, forging this would be a feat—reserved for generals, not rank-and-file soldiers.
Yet here was an entire squad uniformly outfitted, suggesting mass production.
As for why she assumed they were Qin troops? The insignia emblazoned on their armor—the character Qin and the Qin army's battle standard—gave it away.
But what truly stunned Brunhilde was that uncanny portal.
It resembled something conjured by magic (or what the East called "immortal arts"), yet carried a technological aura. Unsettling, to say the least.
So... what lay beyond the portal?
Some hidden realm? Or another dimension, like the pocket space from King Solomon's era?
No way to know without crossing it.
Back to the earlier question—were these Qin soldiers?
If so, why were they bowing to Xiang Yu as if he were their superior?
And what was inside the massive crate they hauled out?
Xiang Yu strode toward the crate and slammed his palm down.
With a thunderous CRACK, the wooden box shattered under the blow, revealing its contents—
A figure, swathed in black robes.
Had this person been... locked inside?
Dead? Brunhilde could no longer sense any life force.
The next second, a red glow emanated from beneath the large hood—two points of crimson light, as if eyes were shining from within.
Then, a faint mechanical whirring sound could be heard, and suddenly, several cable-like tubes shot out from the figure, their needle-like tips plunging straight into Xiang Yu!
"Ugh—!"
The abrupt change made Randgriz, who was watching, cover her mouth in shock.
Brunhilde's pupils constricted at the sight—it was too eerie.
Those cable-like things—were they draining Xiang Yu's brain matter?
And as those cables extended from the figure's body, mechanical sounds seemed to come from within, as if machinery were operating inside. Gradually, parts of the body began to glow.
This wasn't a full-body illumination—it was more like a machine being powered on, with certain sections lighting up.
Faced with this sudden transformation, Xiang Yu's subordinates immediately tried to rush forward to save their king, but the black-armored soldiers blocked them.
Once the cables embedded in Xiang Yu seemed to finish absorbing something, they detached.
By now, Brunhilde was certain—Xiang Yu's life had ended.
Though he still stood, his eyes open, they had lost all vitality. His heart had stopped beating.
She couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Why had Xiang Yu allowed that grotesque humanoid thing to take his life?
Brunhilde was sure he could have resisted—yet he hadn't put up any fight at all, letting that bizarre entity drain him.
Had he given up because he knew the situation was beyond saving? Was that why he hadn't resisted?
No. From start to finish, Brunhilde hadn't seen a single trace of despair, frustration, or rage in the Hegemon King's eyes.
All she had seen was absolute confidence—the look of someone who had everything under control.
But by all logic, there was no way to turn the tables anymore. She couldn't understand why he had that expression.
Historical records suggested this was indeed the end.
"St—stop!"
A deep, inhuman voice rang out—coming from that humanoid figure.
The voice was stilted, as if it were speaking for the first time.
The figure finally moved, its motions mechanical, like a robot taking its first steps.
Then, it reached up and grabbed its black robe, tearing it away to reveal what had been hidden beneath.
At that moment, everyone except the black-armored soldiers froze in shock.
"Wh-what is this? Sister!"
Randgriz's face twisted in disbelief as she stared at the figure now unveiled before them.
"I don't know either!"
Brunhilde's voice was dazed. The figure beneath the black robe was none other than Xiang Yu, the Conqueror of Western Chu.
What was going on? A twin brother?
Impossible!
The most unsettling thing was that Brunhilde couldn't detect a heartbeat from this Xiang Yu—it was as if he were a cold, lifeless machine.
Wait… a machine?
This Xiang Yu's body emitted mechanical sounds, the sound of gears turning.
"Im... impossible!!!"
Brunhilde couldn't help but let out a trembling voice as an absurd possibility surfaced in her mind.
Heh heh heh!
She shuddered uncontrollably.
She had assumed the third person would be an ordinary human, yet she was met with such an abnormal sight.
Yet another figure harboring unfathomable secrets.
So, what exactly was this possibility?
It meant that the "living" Xiang Yu before her—in the terms of this era—was an artificial mechanical puppet.
In modern terms, he was an android.
He had just uploaded his consciousness—his very soul—directly into this mechanical body!
This had to be the truth, a truth so mind-bending it left her reeling.
Something that should have belonged to a sci-fi future was unfolding right before her in this era!!!
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