["Behold, by the Marshal's side stand the six Xianzhou Generals!"]
["Towering might that pierces the heavens, an aura that dominates the firmament—General of Sky-Soaring Valor: Feixiao!"]
["Boundless radiance illuminating calamitous flames—General of Abyssal Torch: Huaiyan!"]
["Secrets of heaven and earth, unfolding across all realms—General of Strategic Prowess: Yaoguang!"]
["Spanning the vast oceans, swallowing the great wilderness—General of Tidal Conquest: Xuanquan!"]
["Indistinct yet palpable, uniting life and death as one—General of Dust and Hades: Youwu!"]
["Transcending jade boundaries, commanding celestial blades—General of Divine Stratagems: Jing Yuan!"]
["Each of these seven Reignbow Generals possesses extraordinary talents. When it comes to our [Luofu]'s General Jing Yuan, none can help but praise his peerless wisdom and profound strategies."]
["Truly—crafting interlinked tactics to annihilate the Borisin, executing heaven-concealing maneuvers to seize victory, triumphing a thousand miles away with flawless stratagems!"]
["A hand places a piece on the board, followed by a golden titan over a hundred zhang tall, wielding a glaive wreathed in endless thunder, delivering a devastating slash!"]
The momentum of this slash seemed to pierce through the screen, threatening to cleave everything before it. The overwhelming golden light forced even Kaioh Kaku to take a step back.
"Haah... this strike... is already beyond what any human could withstand, no?"
After exhaling deeply, Miyamoto Musashi realized he was drenched in sweat.
"Yujiro, didn't you say Seele was strong? Want to try blocking a few of her moves?" Musashi pointed at the titan in the sky and laughed loudly. "How does this slash compare? Think you can take it?"
"Hah..."
The usually brash Yujiro unexpectedly didn't retort. He merely stared at his cup before downing a large gulp of liquor with a cold chuckle.
Everyone present understood perfectly: even if Yujiro was the strongest human, there was no way he could withstand that "inhuman" slash from the celestial titan.
Not just him—even if all of Japan's, no... the entire world's strongest fighters combined, they would never block it. No matter how strong a mortal becomes, they cannot escape the limits of flesh and blood. Even a body honed to its peak... remains merely human in the end.
How can mortals compare to gods?
To put it bluntly, the gap in power was simply too vast.
"All Aeons have their own Emanators. So, could these seven generals be the Reignbow Arbiter's Emanators?" Retsu Kaioh suddenly posed the question.
From the factions shown on the screen so far, the only Emanator-level figure to appear was Madam Herta—but unfortunately, the Emanator herself wasn't at the space station, and her puppets alone likely didn't reach that level.
Come to think of it, no one had actually seen an "Emanator"-level figure in action yet.
"That's a possibility," Kaioh Kaku agreed. "The Marshal commanding the six Xianzhou ships and the six generals together form the Reignbow's Seven Arbiters... It's highly likely they're all Emanators. If we're fortunate enough to witness this Luofu's General Jing Yuan in action..."
Before Kaioh could finish, eager anticipation flashed across everyone's faces.
In Belobog, Seele and Gepard's skills alone had astonished countless masters. An "Emanator"-level powerhouse... Just the thought of it made Retsu Kaioh's blood boil.
[But then the screen carried the general's light chuckle: "What use are flawless stratagems without the united will of the entire army?"]
His voice was pleasant, and through the screen, it carried an inexplicable charm that seemed to resonate directly with one's soul.
Kochou Shinobu slowly raised her head.
Her mind should have been a whirlwind of thoughts, yet her most immediate impression at that moment was: He's so handsome.
She had been discussing this Luofu general with the other Hashira, imagining that someone commanding an entire starship must be a burly, intimidating figure exuding menace. Yet the reality was completely different from their expectations.
Though rendered only in monochrome paper-cut animation, he could be seen wearing a long robe adorned with silver armor and black boots. Despite lounging lazily against a lion, his posture remained upright—broad-shouldered, long-legged, and exuding grace.
However, his white hair obscured much of his face, including his eyes. Even so, the elegantly shaped lips below his nose, curved in a warm smile, and his aura of effortless command unconsciously inspired boundless goodwill from those who saw him.
Was this really a general? An Emanator?
Shinobu felt she couldn't quite grasp him.
[A piece was placed on the board with a "click," the lone "general" advancing one space to form a pincer with the other pieces.]
["With the lives entrusted to me by the Cloud Knights, I shall not fail their expectations!"]
"Hmm, this move... indeed." Kaioh Kaku lowered his head in contemplation before stating with certainty, "This game follows the same structure as 'xiangqi' (Chinese chess), so the rules should be similar."
"Oh? Is there some significance to this move?" Miyamoto Musashi asked curiously.
"This is 'Shuai wu jin yi'—in xiangqi, it symbolizes the commander leading the charge personally," Kaioh explained. "From this move alone, we can glimpse this general's attitude toward his soldiers—he's no commander who hides behind his troops, callously manipulating their lives, but one who fights alongside them on the frontlines."
"A strategist... yet one who personally enters the fray?"
Musashi found it hard to believe. As a veteran of Japan's Warring States period, he had served under countless daimyo who coveted his skills. Yet in his experience, those in positions of power never risked themselves on the battlefield. Even generals would direct battles from safe distances.
"This is madness... Is he not afraid of death?" Musashi laughed. Who would have thought this seemingly steady general was actually so audacious?
"Perhaps he's confident enough that his enemies can do nothing to him," Kaioh Kaku reminded. "He's likely an Emanator, and Emanators often receive gifts from their Aeons."
[The scene shifted to countless soldiers raising their glaives in unison, shouting: "The Xianzhou soars, the Cloud Knights ever victorious!"]
["The Xianzhou soars, the Cloud Knights ever victorious!"]
["..."]
"Such military discipline is truly awe-inspiring," Cocytus praised in admiration.
Though the Supreme One could use necromancy to create an equally orderly skeleton army, it was ultimately magic—the skeletons lacked individual thought and obeyed only singular commands.
Anyone who had led troops knew how difficult it was to achieve such perfect unity and coordination.
In Cocytus's view, regardless of other military capabilities... in terms of command alone, this Xianzhou general already surpassed him many times over.
Unconsciously, a flicker of joy rose in Cocytus—indeed, his proposal to the Supreme One had been correct. There was much worth learning from the screen. By properly absorbing and adapting these lessons, the Great Tomb of Nazarick's strength could reach even greater heights!
But just then, the screen abruptly dimmed.
After finishing the PV on the Reignbow's Seven Arbiters, Fera eagerly clicked on another one.
Animated Short—A Flash: Begin!