Somewhere in the vast plains of the American Midwest, a large blue portal appeared. From the portal emerged a large man clad in black plate armor. Behind him followed an army of men clad in the same intimidating armor. Once every last soldier had passed through, it closed behind them. The soldiers got into formation, ready to receive their orders. Their commander stood before them and boldly began to speak.
"Men of Runalda! Today, your country calls upon you! We will take this land and use it for the good of our nation! Show no mercy to the enemy! Think of your families back home! When you show them this land, they will know the glory of Zior!"
The men of Zior roared their approval of their commander's words. They were highly motivated and ready to fight. No army within their own dimension had been able to stop their advance. They had similarly encountered little resistance in the other dimensions they had invaded. Any resistance would be trampled underfoot. Every man in formation was willing to give their lives for the good of Runalda.
General Zior drew his sword and turned around.
"Now, my men! For Runalda!"
He was in the process of pointing his sword forward when a man suddenly appeared before him. He was clad from head to toe in what appeared to be black and gold plate armor. Standing at six feet tall, he was every bit as imposing as General Zior himself.
"You guys certainly don't look like you're here for sightseeing," Scott said.
General Zior pointed his sword at him.
"Are you a warrior of this realm? Have you come to oppose us?"
"That's right. You're violating the sovereignty of Earth One and I'm here to ask you to return home in peace."
"And if I say that I will not retreat?"
"Then I will defeat you and send you home myself."
General Zior chuckled with amusement.
"Well, I certainly commend your courage. Not every man is willing to face down an entire army by himself."
"I appreciate the props, but I'm not letting you do as you please."
General Zior took a bold step forward.
"Very well, then, warrior of Earth One. Show me what you're made of!"
He pointed his sword forward.
"Charge!"
His men began screaming and charged at Crusader.
(This
music plays during the upcoming scene.)
Crusader rushed at them with no hesitation. He began throwing punches at the jaws of his opponents, mercifully going for their knockout points. His fists, coated in the Voltari shell of Valor, easily smashed through the plate armor of his foes. Each punch was thrown with perfect Muay Thai technique, as taught to him by Lone Wolf. With his rooted stance, he was not only able to generate power for his punches, but was able to sway back to dodge enemy strikes before countering with powerful kicks. The speed and rotation of his punches led to so many being thrown that his enemies couldn't even see them.
So many men were dropped after the first charge that the others began backing off in fear. Crusader remained strongly rooted in his Muay Thai stance, his fists raised and ready for more. General Zior was impressed that a single unarmed man had taken down so many of his men. That was a feat that no man before him had ever been able to accomplish. However, he was not going to back down. The glorious future of Runalda demanded that he be unwavering in his dedication.
"Forward men! Do not be afraid! For Runalda!"
The soldiers charged forward once again, their hearts on fire and their resolve like steel. Crusader jumped back and then moved his body into a side stance. He would meet this second charge with even more power than before.
As the soldiers of Runalda got within range, Crusader lashed out with a side kick. Balancing himself on his back leg, he continued a devastating barrage of kicks to the armored faces of his enemies. Many soldiers were knocked out and others were forced back by his powerful kicks. After dozens of these kicks had landed, Crusader pulled back to almost be standing normally. He then sprang off of his back leg into a flying forward kick. Though his foot did not make contact with anyone, the forward shockwave of the attack was so fierce that the soldiers of Runalda were blown backwards.
General Zior was truly impressed by this warrior. No one had ever repelled a Runaldan charge twice. His men were at the point of terror. The only way he could restore order and continue the expansion of the glorious Empire of Runalda was to defeat this warrior in single combat. A demonstration of his strength would boost the morale of his men and allow them to fight on. The conquering general took a determined step forward.
"Warrior of Earth One! Your strength and technique are exceptional! I challenge you to single combat, for I wish to test my strength against yours!"
Crusader moved back into a forward Muay Thai stance.
"That's fine with me."
"Before we begin, may I have your name?"
"Crusader."
"Very well, Crusader. You will have the honor of being defeated by General Zior of the Empire of Runalda!"
He rushed at Crusader and unleashed a series of fencing style strikes with his sword. Every single one of them failed to penetrate his enemy's armor. General Zior was shocked and almost subconsciously took a step back.
Crusader tightened his stance.
"Sorry about this."
He then launched a high roundhouse kick that caught General Zior in the cervical vertebrae. While the damage sustained wouldn't be fatal, it was enough to render the general completely unconscious. His men watched in terror as their fearless leader first fell on his knees, and then flat on his face. The men were completely drained of their morale, too paralyzed by fear to even run away.
Crusader turned and walked away about ten paces before turning back around.
Let's send these guys back home, Valor.
I'm with you, Scott.
Gold and white energy suddenly erupted from Crusader in a powerful aura. It was the combined energy of Scott and Valor manifesting itself into a single source of power. The hero curled his right arm and his fist began glowing with blinding intensity.
Sensing his heir's intention, Firestar opened a large orange portal that would lead back to the world of Runalda. With bright lights on both sides, General Zior's men were completely disoriented. Crusader planted his lead foot and twisted his hips. Turning his shoulder, he brought forward a fist that had been cocked all the way back. Down the shoulder, elbow, and wrist the power traveled and gained more power. When his fist stopped, the destruction began.
Fist of Valor!!!
The incredible force of the technique exploded forward, sending out a shockwave so intense that it tore up the ground and blew back everything in front of it. General Zior and his men, unconscious or not, were sent hurtling into the orange portal. Once the last soldier had gone through, Firestar closed the portal. Crusader lowered his fist and smiled in satisfaction.
We did it, Valor.
Yes, we did. That was well fought.
Crusader turned and began walking away.
Hopefully that's the last time Runalda sets its sights on Earth One.
If General Zior and his men ever do return, we'll simply defeat them once again.
Scott chuckled in agreement and was happy that he had kept Earth One safe for another day.
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