Foe of a Million
Tina rode the giant Mukhyang across the vast plain.
"Hyang! Over there this time!"
"Kyuuut! Kyuu!"
Tina and Mukhyang were facing down hordes of orcs on the expansive grassland.
From low-rank orc warriors and orc archers to elite orc champions, orc chieftains... and even an orc warlord.
All of them bellowed toward Tina.
"The Radiant is here! Everyone, form up the phalanx!"
"Grrgh! As expected of the Radiant! Is this truly the work of a single human?!"
"Radiant! And the Black Storm! Their mounted combat has reached true unity of rider and steed—rumors don't do it justice!"
The brave orc warriors, who lived for battle, trembled in fear.
But the orc champions didn't see their terror as shameful.
How could they? Their foe was none other than the legendary Radiant!
The mightiest martial force since ancient times: the Cheonma Divine Cult.
This organization had appeared out of nowhere and skyrocketed to power in the blink of an eye.
The Cheonma, supreme demon of past and present.
The Fist Demon, who could shatter the heavens with one strike.
The Black Wind, Mukhyang.
The Heavenly Knight, Radiant.
And countless others!
Beings who could level cities single-handedly had suddenly declared a nation under the banner of the Cheonma Divine Cult.
The rulers of every kingdom, sensing the threat, formed a united front—but it was far too late.
Exactly three years after the Cheonma, leader of the cult, proclaimed his ambition of "unifying the continent."
Every nation in the human realm knelt beneath the Cheonma Divine Cult's banner.
The endless tales of their exploits from those three years had spread far and wide, even to non-human races.
Legends like the Cheonma flipping the earth with a single glance, or the Fist Demon cleaving the sky in two—wild exaggerations, sure, but grounded in truth.
The most famous was the "Battle of the Bloodied Fields of Lunderia."
Tina and Mukhyang alone had annihilated the elite million-strong army of the Lunderia Federation.
That feat earned her the glorious title of "Foe of a Million," and the tale of the God of War descending to kiss her boot was legendary.
She was a living myth.
How could they not fear a knight charging straight at them?
"Don't fear! There's only one of her!"
The orc chieftain rallied his troops, but his own face was pale as a ghost.
Damn it, this wasn't supposed to be a raid on a human village!
"Phalanx! Form the phalanx!"
"Shieldbearers! Shields up front!"
At the chieftain's command, orc champions stepped forward with massive shields.
They lined up horizontally, layer upon layer, forming a defensive wall twenty ranks deep.
"Come at us if you dare! Even the Radiant can't break this!"
Thud thud thud!
The orcs pounded their shields against the ground to shake off their fear. Each synchronized strike sent tremors through the earth.
But from not far off, an even greater rumble approached.
Rumble rumble rumble.
It was Tina, charging atop her enlarged Mukhyang.
"All for my liege!"
A pure white aura gathered on the massive cavalry lance in Tina's hands—La Mancha.
Tens of thousands of orcs loomed ahead, radiating menace, but Tina's charge didn't falter.
No—it accelerated.
"Charge!"
Radiant Command has been activated!
For 30 seconds, all allies' physical and magical attack power increases by 200%. Physical and magical defense increases by 100%!
Just before her lance met the orc phalanx, Tina unleashed Radiant Command.
Boom!!
The collision unleashed a shockwave.
"Gaaah!"
"This is a nightmare!"
The orcs who took the lance's impact flew into the sky, soaring impossibly far as if gravity meant nothing.
"M-monster!"
"Hold the line even if you die! Plant your feet! Block her!"
But their efforts were futile.
Layer by layer, the phalanx shattered—like bowling pins toppling.
The steel shields forged tirelessly by orc smiths might as well have been paper.
Before Tina's charge, the twenty-layer defense tore apart all too easily.
"Useless! If you want to stop me, bring ten times this!"
"Kyukyu!"
"R-run! We can't win!"
"They say not a blade of grass remains where the Radiant passes. The rumors understated it!"
Having shattered the phalanx, Tina targeted clusters of orcs for another pass.
Bam!
Each lance charge sent at least hundreds airborne.
"There you are!"
Tina spotted the strongest presence on the battlefield.
The orc warlord.
The mightiest orc warrior, born once every fifty years—a force rivaling the continent's eleven strongest.
And that supreme orc was fleeing without looking back.
"A leader fleeing like a coward? Take my lance!"
"B-block her! The lord's bloodline must endure!"
"Protect the lord with your lives!"
Terrified orcs lunged at her, only to be flung aside.
No one here could halt Tina's charge.
She closed in on the warlord's back and thrust her lance.
Clang!
"Grraaagh!"
Shockingly, the warlord's armor blocked the strike.
But it couldn't fully absorb the impact—he tumbled across the ground.
"R-Radiant!"
"Orc. You wield a treasure beyond your station. It bought you a few more moments."
Crack!
The legendary armor passed down through orc generations, Orhac's Resolve, shattered after blocking one attack.
"S-spare me. I can't die here..."
"The girls from the village you slaughtered likely begged the same. But you ignored them."
"Just ten humans! Will you slaughter tens of thousands of orcs for revenge?!"
"If my liege wills it, I could wipe out your entire race. Your head will be my offering to him."
"Who the hell is your liege?!"
"Trying to buy time with obvious questions? Why, naturally..."
Suddenly, Tina faltered.
...Who is my liege?
"See?! Radiant, you're being deceived too... Gack!"
"...I'd forgotten orc warlords excel at illusions. A futile attempt to muddle my memories."
How dare he insult my liege and his children.
Fury blazed in Tina's eyes as her lance pierced the warlord in one stroke.
"Tina! Good work!"
A man's voice called out from somewhere.
The voice of her one and only liege, to whom she'd sworn eternal loyalty.
Yet... she couldn't picture his face. The voice was crystal clear, but...
"Tch."
Since awakening from the soul stone after 800 years, her past memories had often been hazy.
The Magic King who'd created her had imposed such restrictions... Was this haze his doing?
"Tina? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, my liege."
Tina dismounted Mukhyang, knelt on one knee, and bowed her head.
Her liege approached and praised her.
"As expected of you, Tina. Another stellar victory."
"You honor me, my liege. Anything blocking your path—I shall cleave it aside."
Tina lifted her head.
To confirm her liege's face.
To dispel her confusion.
But.
"...Huh?"
Harsh sunlight created a backlight, obscuring his face. She could see everything else, but not that.
An unnatural phenomenon, plain as day—but in her muddled state, Tina didn't notice.
"Tina?"
His tone was kind, but... who was he?
The moment Tina rose to approach him.
"Heh... Just a bit more. A little more research and..."
Suddenly, the scene shifted.
The endless plain and orc horde vanished. Tina was now in what looked like an underground chamber.
Her attire had changed too—no silver armor, just an ornate dress as she sat on a sofa.
"...Huh?"
She felt a faint unease at the change, but didn't question it further.
"...Humans are so frail. Just a bit more."
A man muttered before her, engrossed in his research.
The Magic King, Dretsch Akram.
The first emperor of the Arkram Empire looked haggard as he mumbled to himself.
...A dimly remembered scene.
"...To drive out the vassals, I need a weapon that never betrays. One unmoved by temptation, unyielding..."
"...The body is complete, but the mind..."
"...Substituting with a spirit failed. I need something more flexible, more human-like..."
"..."
Dretsch persisted in his mutterings and experiments, but never succeeded.
Wearing an expression like he might break into tears, he approached Tina.
"...I'm sorry. I tried every alternative, but it was beyond me. To complete the doll, I'll have to use you after all..."
Ah. This memory too.
The rare moment the all-accomplished Magic King had failed—it stuck with her.
"Tistania. My precious child. Are you truly okay with this? You don't have to. On my name as Magic King, I'll protect you."
The Magic King was openly weeping now.
Even in her daze, Tina recalled.
What did I say then?
Ah, right. Surely...
"I'm fine, Father."
Tina closed her eyes and continued.
"For the kingdom and its people, gladly."
Make me into a doll.
With those words, the scene shifted once more.
Hooray!
"Long live Emperor Dretsch!"
"Praise the great hero who drove out the vassals!"
The people cheered.
Dretsch and Tina rode a grand white carriage, slowly parading through the throng.
"...Huh?"
"Hm? Tistania, awake?"
"...Was I asleep?"
"Haha, yes. You were dozing off—you must've been tired. Reading chivalric tales late again?"
"Embarrassing."
"Looked like a good dream, so I didn't wake you. What was it?"
"...A dream."
It felt like she'd dreamed something, but the memory was foggy.
Something blissfully happy...
Tina furrowed her brow in thought, then shook her head.
"I can't recall."
"A pity. Look out the window, princess. The people praise us... Hm?"
Then, commotion outside. An attendant entered the carriage with a report.
"Apologies, Your Majesty. A madman insisting on seeing the princess has broken through—we're subduing him."
"Again? Handle it quickly; it's trivial."
"At once."
"Madman..."
For some reason, the word tugged at Tina.
The 10-Star Player's Lucky Draw