NOVPUBAt that moment, a sharp conch horn suddenly sounded from beneath the Black Wolf’s banner. Following that, Head Warrior Bertade hurried out of formation, grabbing hold of the Toltec who awaited battle.
"His Highness orders, Toltec to return to the ranks! Surrender the chance of a duel to another brave warrior!"
Toltec struggled unwillingly in the grip of the Head Warrior. He turned his head forcefully, looking towards the small hill nearby. Beneath the fluttering flag, His Highness nodded affirmatively with a solemn expression. Only then did Black Wolf lower his head, not looking at the surely mocking Hound opposite him, and dejectedly returned to the ranks.
Yuku, however, did not reveal a smile. His expressionless face watched as his intended prey departed, then he closed his eyes slightly, motionless, waiting for a new hunting target.
Before long, a towering Mexica warrior stepped out of formation. He held his head high, proudly shouting towards the front.
"Guardian of the War God! I, the warrior from the land of Tollocan, heir to the honorable nobility, the valiant ’Black Panther’ Yomak, challenge the ’Hound’ Yuku of Tarasco! Remember, the one who will slay you is Yomak!"
Yuku slowly opened his eyes, taking a careful look at the opponent’s exceptionally tall stature and the calves that his shield could not cover. He nodded slowly, set down his shield, and clasped the nearly two-meter-long Copper Spear with both hands, pointing it diagonally forward. Relaxing his left hand forward while firmly gripping with his right hand in the back, he spread his legs, bending them slightly, and stood waiting silently.
The thunderous war drums sounded once more. Yomak raised his shield, gripping his War Club, and took several large steps forward. His eyes were tightly fixed on Yuku, but he saw no sign of movement from his opponent, as if facing a frozen sculpture. The burly warrior continued to advance, leaving deep impressions in the earth beneath him. He was confident in his tremendous strength, unmatched within his homeland of Tollocan.
Soon, the two were only five steps apart. Yomak thrust the shield in his left hand forward and furiously swung the War Club in his right, pouncing towards his shield-less enemy in front!
In that lightning-fast moment, Yuku finally struck! A glint in his eyes, he stepped diagonally with a loose left hand pushing down, and a firm right hand lifting up. Then, with a mighty forward push from his right hand, striking against his partially relaxed left, his hands met in a precise and savage thrust!
The gleaming spearhead traced a suddenly intense arc, "Phut!" it plunged into Yomak’s calf. The advancing opponent’s burly figure suddenly stumbled, his hand on the shield instinctively pressing downwards. "Screech!" The Copper Spear swiftly retracted alongside the shield, emitting a grating sound. Then came another "Phut!"
A slight smile finally appeared on Yuku’s statue-like face. "Thud!" He kicked on his opponent’s shield, and with the rebounding force, pulled back the sharp spear from the enemy’s body. Shield and War Club fell with a clatter, and the burly Yomak fell backward like a fragile Maya reed toy, facing upwards. He struggled to lift his arms, pressing on the bleeding neck, with bright red blood bubbling out from the large hole above his collarbone. Soon, endless darkness emerged from the blood, mercilessly engulfing him.
Yuku planted the Copper Spear on the ground, turned around, and bowed respectfully to the King. After that, he calmly raised his arms, declaring victory to the Mexica ranks. Cheers finally arose from the Tarasco ranks, accompanied by the excited shouting of the warriors.
"Yuku! Yuku! The Hound bestowed by the Three Gods, capturing the tigers and panthers of the Mexica people!"
Underneath the Wolf Banner, Xiulote’s eyes widened as he recalled the movement of the Tarasco warrior’s spear, but he was unable to remember it clearly. The young commander looked grave. He heard the enemy’s shouting, bit his lip slightly, and waved the small flag again.
This time, a formidable Jaguar Warrior stepped out of the formation. Dressed in a vibrant tiger-skin armor and wearing a drooping Feather Crown, he roared fiercely at the enemy before him.
"Guardian of the War God! I, the warrior from Tenochtitlan, ’War Tiger’ Ixca, challenge the ’Hound’ Yuku of Tarasco!"
Seeing the attire of the Jaguar Warrior, Yuku’s face became serious. He gripped his Spear tightly and bowed his head in respect. The intense war drums began again, and the fight for life and death continued!
Ixca used only the balls of his feet to touch the ground, maintaining a tiger-like agility in his movements. He moved quickly in short steps, wary of Yuku’s swift and accurate Spear, keeping to the maximum extent of flexibility.
This time, "Hound" Yuku also began to move. His steps were precise, his sense of distance flawlessly accurate. After a few exchanges of testing blows, he would always dodge the enemy’s attacks at just the right moment. Leveraging the length of the Copper Spear, he moved like a striking serpent, launching attacks repeatedly at Ixca’s vulnerabilities.
"Bang, bang!" The Jaguar Warrior’s shield was firm and solid. Ixca used the shield to block, deflected with side turns, not a single superfluous move, successfully defending against every attack. He came close to his adversary several times, swinging his War Club violently towards Yuku’s vital points!
However, Yuku, agile as a hunting dog, moved lightly on his feet, avoiding attacks with utmost precision. Sometimes he would split his hands, use the thick shaft of the spear to deflect the War Club, and counter-attack swiftly! The two continued their duel like jumping tigers, each concise movement filled with endless lethality!
Xiulote stood on high ground, carefully watching the exciting combat, his eyes shining with appreciation.
This Tarasco warrior’s use of the spear already bore the rudiments of the Spear Technique of the Celestial Empire. With the evolution of armor, Spear infantry would come to dominate the ranks of the armies in the Middle Ages. This spear technique, with some simplification and improvement, would be suitable for widespread introduction in the military. 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
