Jeong Jeong—his na alone carried the weight of thunder—was a forr Fire Nation admiral, a true firebending master, and now one of the most formidable rebels alive.
The mont his na was spoken, the Royal Guards' expressions hardened, while the prisoners' faces lit up with hope.
For years, Jeong Jeong's overwhelming strength and elusive tactics had rendered every attempt to capture him futile.
No one had expected such a figure to appear here in person.
Kahn, however, held an additional piece of mory about him.
Iroh had once shown genuine joy upon hearing of Jeong Jeong's defection.
The two n shared striking similarities, suggesting a deeper connection between them.
But whether Jeong Jeong was also a mber of the White Lotus, Kahn did not know.
He studied the man carefully.
ssy white hair fell over his shoulders, and a worn brown cloak hung loosely from his fra.
He looked like nothing more than a weary old wanderer.
Yet the sorrow and gravity etched into his expression could not be shaken.
"Royal Guards… and it truly is Princess Azula."
"And Iroh's disciple as well."
His gaze swept over the group before settling on Kahn.
There was unmistakable disappointnt in his eyes.
"So you, too, have lost your way to the flas."
"Is it also in pursuit of power?"
"…?"
Kahn was briefly taken aback.
The old man's words were far too abstract.
Lost his way to the flas?
What was that even supposed to an?
After a mont of thought, Kahn simply adopted a vague expression and replied,
"I'm only pursuing what I choose to pursue."
Jeong Jeong's expression grew even more complicated.
In the end, he let out a long sigh and said nothing further.
Kahn, on the other hand, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
If the conversation had continued like that, he would have had no idea how to respond.
At that mont, Azula spoke up.
"So that's the secret he was relying on… just another traitor."
"I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed."
Her tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp.
"If I capture you as well and present you to Father, I imagine he'll be quite pleased."
Facing Jeong Jeong, Azula showed not a trace of fear.
If anything, she was deliberately provoking him.
"But I'm curious—what makes soone as worthless as him worth your personal intervention?"
Azula's repeated use of the word "traitor" caused Jeong Jeong to frown slightly.
Still, he answered calmly,
"Unlike you, I do not asure lives by their worth."
"Nor do I rank them as higher or lower."
Before he could finish speaking, a blazing surge of azure fire erupted from Azula's hand.
It shot straight toward his face, intent on devouring him whole.
She struck first.
Even caught off guard, Jeong Jeong's reaction was swift.
He raised a hand, summoning a wall of fla that clashed against Azula's attack, the two forces canceling each other out in an instant.
The battle ignited imdiately.
Azula's sudden strike stunned everyone present.
Kahn was the first to recover.
He ordered the Royal Guards to hold back the others while he stepped forward to support Azula.
The situation instantly turned into a two-against-one.
Kahn wasn't worried about the rest of Jeong Jeong's group.
The Royal Guards were more than capable of handling ordinary firebenders.
The only real threat on the field had always been Jeong Jeong himself.
On the battlefield, Azula and Jeong Jeong were already locked in fierce combat.
Azula's unnatural blue flas and overwhelming force clearly surprised him.
He hadn't expected soone so young to wield such terrifying power.
But surprise was all it was.
Jeong Jeong was a true master.
No matter how aggressive Azula's attacks beca, he calmly neutralized each one, dissolving her flas as though they had never existed.
Despite being on the offensive, Azula found herself subtly at a disadvantage.
It was as if she were sinking into a mire, her attacks losing their impact.
That suffocating sense of resistance only fueled her anger, driving her to attack even more fiercely.
But the more she pushed, the more her decline beca apparent, as though the outco had already been decided.
Jeong Jeong raised his hand again, unleashing a massive wave of fire ant to crush her completely.
But at that exact mont, sothing shifted.
The blazing wave he released suddenly shrank, its power weakening drastically.
At the sa ti, Azula's counterattack swelled, her fireball expanding into sothing enormous.
The imbalance reversed instantly.
The weakened wave failed to block her attack.
The massive fireball ca crashing down like a teor.
Jeong Jeong's expression changed as he narrowly dodged, landing in a slightly disheveled state.
His gaze snapped toward Kahn, now standing beside Azula.
"Heat manipulation…?"
"But to this extent?"
Even with his vast experience, he had never seen soone wield such a technique with this level of control and power.
Kahn offered no explanation.
He simply moved to Azula's side and asked,
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Azula casually wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Kahn's arrival instantly bolstered her confidence.
She stared at Jeong Jeong with a dangerous smile.
"Now it's our turn to teach this old man a lesson."
The second round began.
With Kahn joining the fight, the tide turned imdiately.
Though they had never formally trained together, their shared experiences allowed them to understand each other's rhythm instinctively.
Their coordination flowed seamlessly, creating a synergy far greater than either of them alone.
Azula was already terrifying in battle.
But Kahn was not only her equal—he surpassed her in certain aspects.
Where Azula's style was aggressive, overwhelming, and cunning, Kahn's firebending was precise, controlled, and efficient.
Each movent carried the quiet authority of a master in the making.
Under their combined assault, Jeong Jeong's composure finally broke.
His expression turned grave as the pressure mounted.
Worse still, Kahn's heat manipulation proved to be a natural counter to firebending.
Every exchange beca increasingly difficult.
The balance of the battle began to tip decisively in their favor.
Seeing Jeong Jeong fall into disadvantage, his allies grew alard.
anwhile, the Royal Guards' morale surged, pushing forward with renewed force and beginning to overwhelm the opposing group.
Sensing the shift, Jeong Jeong realized the situation had turned against him.
Not only had the rescue failed, but his own people were now in danger.
The loss would be severe.
But who could have predicted that Azula and Kahn possessed such monstrous strength?
They were nothing short of prodigies.
In the end, he could only sigh.
With a forced burst of power, he pushed them back just enough to create distance, then withdrew.
"Retreat!"
Azula imdiately moved to pursue, lightning forming at her fingertips.
But Kahn quickly stopped her.
"Hey!"
Jeong Jeong was likely an ally in the broader sche.
Killing him now would only be friendly fire.
"…Tch."
Azula clicked her tongue in annoyance but dispelled the lightning.
Instead, she turned around and captured every soldier Jeong Jeong had brought with him.
Did they really think they could just interfere and walk away unscathed?
Not a chance.
Watching from a distance, Jeong Jeong's expression darkened further.
But there was nothing he could do.
In the end, he retreated alone, his figure disappearing in a rather disheveled state.
And just like that, the clash with a firebending master ended in a decisive victory for Azula and Kahn.
User Comments
0 comments from readers