TL: FoodieMonster007

The strategy was for the Blue Team to raise a cloud of dust to create confusion, during which Baek Suryong would directly target the White Team's Commander, Namgung Su. For this strategy to succeed, however, it was necessary to tie down the White Team's strongest combination, the Five Young Azure Dragons.

Tang Soso grit her teeth. If they notice and join up with the enemy commander before Mr. Baek seizes his headband, it will be difficult for even the Azure Dragon Hero to handle them all at once.

She decided to take on the role of tying down the Five Young Azure Dragons herself.

"Soldiers of the Azure Dragon Hero! Block them with your lives!"

Tang Soso led the riders and charged to face the Five Young Azure Dragons, her expression as tragic as an army general advancing into a death trap.

"Faster! Giddy-up!"

"...Isn't 'giddy-up' a bit much?" Mok Hyungwoo, Tang Soso's horse, grumbled.

Still, he moved his feet diligently. After ten years of military conditioning, his body somehow just reacted to orders on its own.

"Mwahahaha! I'll kill you all!" Hyonwon Kang laughed villainously, wildly stirring up the Blue Team's formation and snatching the riders' headbands. Each time his long arm swung, blue headbands fell to the ground as if he were reaping the necks of enemy soldiers.

WHOOOOSH!

Mok Hyungwoo barely avoided Geo Sangwoong's charge and swallowed dryly.

My bones will be smashed to powder if I collide with that!

Geo Sangwoong was the biggest giant at the Azure Dragon Academy, and his rider, Hyonwon Kang, was also quite tall. Their combination created a height that most riders had to crane their necks to see.

"Don't be afraid! They can't use inner arts either! Surround and attack!"

The use of inner arts was prohibited during the Azure Games. This regulation was intended to reduce the impact of martial arts and allow students of all years to enjoy the sports festival.

However…

"T-That's a monster!"

"What on earth has Mr. Baek Suryong created...?"

"Are you sure they're not using inner arts?"

Astonishment and fear spread among the Blue Team riders. The Five Young Azure Dragons' cavalry unit was on a completely different level. Their overwhelming height and mass alone created an intense sense of pressure, and they were also faster than any other cavalry.

"Is there truly no general in the Blue Team who can face this Hyonwon Kang?" Hyonwon Kang cackled.

His horse, Geo Sangwoong, smashed enemy horses with his iron-wall-like body. Meanwhile, his left and right wings, Yeo Min and Wiji Cheon, decimated the enemy flanks.

"Where is Baek Suryong? Come out, don't hide like a coward!"

When more than five cavalry units fell to the Five Young Azure Dragons, the entire Blue Team began to back away hesitantly.

Hyonwon Kang grinned smugly as he gazed down at the frightened enemies. "If you won't come, then I will! Giddy-up!"

Tang Soso, facing Hyonwon Kang, bit her lip and made a drastic decision. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she shouted, "Senior Bang Baekhyun! Senior Yoo Yiran! Senior Gun Sojin!"

The most outstanding riders of the Blue Team assembled. The overall formation rapidly collapsed because of this, but it was unavoidable.

"Huh, what's this...?" Mok Hyungwoo muttered, noting the strangely familiar tension. "I never thought I'd feel the tension I last felt on the battlefield at a school sports festival..."

Am I going crazy? Or is Tang Soso's madness contagious?

"...No, the Azure Dragon Academy itself is what's mad."

Mok Hyungwoo gave up thinking and surrendered his body to the insanity of the cavalry battle.

Now, I only want to win!

As he imagined himself as a warhorse, his distracting thoughts disappeared and his mind became calm.

"Heeheehee!" Tang Soso lightly patted Mok Hyungwoo on the head, then looked around and shouted, "Don't overdo it! We will wage a war of attrition! As long as they're human, they'll get tired!"

The four elite Blue Team units surrounded the Five Young Azure Dragons.

"Whoa, whoa..."

Since they were enemies of a different caliber, even Hyonwon Kang tightened his thighs to calm the restless Geo Sangwoong and proceeded cautiously.

Meanwhile, Tang Soso gave instructions to her allies. "Senior Yiran will take the left, Senior Bang Baekhyun the right, and Senior Gun Sojin the rear."

The Blue Team riders nodded resolutely, aware that if they didn't defeat the Five Young Azure Dragons here, they would most definitely lose the cavalry battle.

All we can do is wait for Mr. Baek to defeat their commander!

The tension in the air rose as the riders of both sides did not clash immediately but slowly circled around, facing each other.

Suddenly, as if by arrangement, all riders on both sides slapped their horses' foreheads as a signal and charged forward.

""Giddy-up!""

A large cloud of dust rose as the cavalry of both sides clashed.

sep

"I've been waiting for you," Namgung Su said, tightening the white headband on his forehead and stretching his fingers.

CRACK, CRACKLE...

A chilling sound echoed from his delicate hands as he watched Baek Suryong's unit rushing towards him with a calm gaze.

"The strategies an army with inferior forces can choose are limited. Guerilla warfare, or at best, a surprise attack on the enemy general."

"Namgung Su...!"

Ak Yeonho was the horse that Baek Suryong rode, Myeong Il'oh was the left wing, and freshman Yong Hosik was the right wing. All three were nimble, making for a combination that valued speed over destructive power and was optimized for hit-and-run tactics.

"So you were planning to strike me from the beginning." Namgung Su smiled coldly, satisfied at having read Baek Suryong's thoughts. "How utterly laughable."

Ya Suhyeok, hearing Namgung Su's voice from above his head, trembled as he recalled one of the nightmares of the last semester.

The Cold-Blooded Asura Demon King…

He didn't dare say it out loud. Though Namgung Su was often called that by the students, he knew the strict teacher did not like the childish nickname.

"Kwak Duyong. Jin Euihyeop. Go and bring me the enemy general's headband," Namgung Su commanded.

""Yes, sir!""

The two cavalry units, consisting of teachers with Kwak Duyong and Jin Euihyeop as riders, abandoned their duty to guard Namgung Su and rushed forward.

Baek Suryong narrowed his eyes. These two were certainly a cut above most students.

The distance between the two cavalry units and Baek Suryong quickly closed. He glanced at Namgung Su, but the man merely held his position as if planning to observe for now.

Meanwhile, Kwak Duyong spurred his horse forward, excited that his moment to shine had finally come. "Baek Suryong! I, Kwak Duyong, challenge you to a one-on-one duel!"

"Mr. Kwak! It's too dangerous alone!" Jin Euihyeop shouted from behind.

However, Kwak Duyong didn't listen. He couldn't guarantee that another opportunity to distinguish himself would arise if he didn't take this one.

"Come at me, Baek Suryong!" he bellowed.

Baek Suryong couldn't use inner arts right now, and he was confident that he wouldn't lose to any of the other instructors when it came to physique and strength.

The match was decided in an instant.

"Keoheok!"

Baek Suryong snatched Kwak Duyong's headband and lightly pushed his side with his foot while brushing past him. Kwak Duyong became entangled with the other cavalry of the White Team and fell with a clatter.

"Kwak-hyung!" Jin Euihyeop, the other White Team instructor, guarded against Baek Suryong's approach while shielding his head with his hands. He didn't intend to be reckless like Kwak Duyong. Rather, he aimed to buy time and wait for support from the other cavalry units.

"Don't rush! We're at a much greater advantage if we just stall and slow his advance!" he shouted to the surrounding units.

STOMP!

Ak Yeonho kicked the ground with all his might. At the same time, Myeong Il'oh and Yong Hosik broke off from their positions and pushed Ak Yeonho with all their strength.

WHOOSH!

Ak Yeonho soared through the sky, carrying Baek Suryong on his back.

Jin Euihyeop looked up, dumbfounded. "...Isn't a horse jumping a foul?"

"There's no rule against jumping."

Jin Euihyeop immediately made to chase Baek Suryong, but the man had already leaped over several cavalry units and was rushing towards Namgung Su.

"Giddy-up!"

Baek Suryong pulled the reins (Ak Yeonho's hair) tight. Though Myeong Il'oh and Yong Hosik had dropped out in the middle, the cavalry battle could continue as long as the rider and horse were alive. Furthermore, thanks to sacrificing the two, his speed had increased even more.

So far, so good.

Baek Suryong's gaze was sharp as he looked at Namgung Su. Now that the match had begun, he didn't intend to hold back at all.

"As expected of the Azure Dragon Hero! Such movements without even using inner arts!"

"I can't believe it even seeing it. To think he'd break through the enemy lines alone..."

"A-Are we really watching a sports festival?"

The spectators, who had leapt to their feet, burst into admiration at Baek Suryong's otherworldly movements. He had broken through the enemy lines alone and was now on the verge of ending the cavalry battle by capturing the enemy commander, Namgung Su.

Only Namgung Su regarded Baek Suryong with a somewhat displeased expression. "...You moved exactly as I predicted. I'm disappointed."

"Then try and stop me!"

Namgung Su flexed his thighs and pushed Ya Suhyeok forward, curling his fingers like an eagle's talons.

The two commanders' cavalry units clashed.

TAP! SMACK! THWACK!

Each time the two instructors tried to grab the other's headband, the sound of hard wooden swords striking each other could be heard. Meanwhile, below, the horses concentrated on their footwork to seize an advantageous position.

I'll end this quickly before more of them gather.

While dealing with Namgung Su, Baek Suryong kept his senses keenly focused on Ya Suhyeok's movements.

He knew all of his students' habits, such as what movements they preferred in what situations and how they dodged when they attacked. In other words, it wasn't difficult for him to use this knowledge to his advantage.

He looked at Namgung Su and smirked.

Choosing Ya Suhyeok as your horse was your fatal mistake.

Baek Suryong caused Ya Suhyeok to make a mistake. Although it was entertaining to engage in a battle of grabbing with only external arts against Namgung Su, winning the cavalry battle was the priority.

"Whoa?" Ya Suhyeok cried out, staggering as he lost his balance.

Baek Suryong smiled triumphantly and extended his hand. "I've won!"

However, at that moment, Ya Suhyeok's movement deviated from Baek Suryong's prediction. It wasn't by his own will, though. Namgung Su had forcefully twisted Ya Suhyeok's body with the strength of his lower body alone!

Baek Suryong's hand grabbed empty air instead of Namgung Su's headband, and at the same time, Ya Suhyeok stumbled behind Ak Yeonho.

Now, Ak Yeonho was the one struggling to turn around.

"Did you think you were the only one who knows their students well?" Namgung Su sneered.

"...!!" Suddenly, Baek Suryong recalled that Namgung Su was obsessed with keeping detailed notes on his students' habits and quirks. He had even recently shared information about the Five Young Azure Dragons with him in preparation for the Heavenly Martial Festival.

Baek Suryong looked up at a white cloud floating across the clear blue sky and let out a hollow sigh. "Fuck... I've been had!"

His golden eyes flashing, Namgung Su snatched Baek Suryong's headband with the speed of lightning.

"Baek Suryong. This is your defeat," the Star Instructor of the Azure Dragon Academy declared, staring down at the loser with an indifferent expression.