Chapter 90: SEED – The Price of Growth 4
After struggling for a while, Cagalli Yula Athha finally spoke, her face filled with both anger and sorrow.
"Damn it, what are you saying, you bastard! You bastard!" Cagalli pointed at Athrun's fallen comrade, Afmid, who now lay lifeless on the ground.
"Look! Everyone is fighting with their lives on the line, desperately trying to protect the people and things they hold dear!"
Tolle Koenig immediately slapped her across the face without hesitation. Of course, he had held back his strength—it was the kind of slap that would only leave her face red, not truly injure her.
Though Cagalli Yula Athha was a bit of a tomboy, when seen up close like this, she was still as lovely as a flower.
And besides, if her face were ruined because he hit her, that wouldn't be good. What if she clung to him afterward and demanded compensation?
After all, she was still a princess. Going up against the power of a nation would be troublesome.
Although he felt a twinge of regret and fear after hitting her, since he had already done it, he might as well carry it through.
Anyway, he remembered Kira's lines. He could just add a bit of his own flavor to them. The only question was how effective it would be.
"You call this desperately fighting to protect the people and things you cherish?
Do you really think sheer willpower alone can protect anything?
Without strength to match, you're only walking toward death. What use is strong resolve then?
You're nothing but a bunch of cowards running from reality!
You don't dare face the Desert Tiger head-on. You don't dare acknowledge the true gap between you and your enemies."
"We didn't…"
Cagalli Yula Athha had just started to speak when Tolle Koenig immediately cut her off.
"When a man is speaking, a woman isn't allowed to interrupt! Wait until I finish, or I'll spank you!"
At the mention of spanking, Cagalli's anger flared. She tried to strike Tolle Koenig.
But he was quicker, landing two hard swats on her shapely backside.
Kira Yamato, watching from the side, froze in disbelief, thinking to himself:
'Is this really the Tolle I know? Since when did he become so domineering? But I'm in no position to judge either—I've grown colder too.
Still, you already have Miriallia, and now you're fooling around outside? Is that really okay?'
If Tolle Koenig had known what Kira was thinking, he would have shouted:
'Don't talk nonsense! I didn't—absolutely impossible.
I only hit her a few times to let off steam. After all, this girl was way too reckless early on, and in the end, she even abandoned Athrun.
Especially that part about abandoning Athrun—I really didn't like that!
Sure, as a national leader she's slowly grown, and in the end she just barely became a passable leader.
But as a girlfriend? She's absolutely unqualified! I would never accept her!'
Cagalli, humiliated and furious, glared at him but didn't dare act recklessly again, afraid he might do something even more outrageous.
A member of Desert Dawn tried to rush forward to rescue Cagalli Yula Athha.
Tolle Koenig scooped Cagalli into his arms, spun around, and used her legs to kick the man to the ground.
The others also wanted to charge in for revenge, but Sahib Ashman held them back.
Tolle Koenig nodded at him—at least there was someone reasonable in Desert Dawn. Too bad he was outnumbered; most likely, he wanted to use Tolle as a tool to teach them a lesson.
In Tolle Koenig's arms, Cagalli's face flushed red with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She didn't dare move, though.
Tolle suddenly realized something was off. He looked down to see his hand resting where it shouldn't be, and worse, he had unconsciously given it two squeezes.
Their eyes met. Cagalli, her face crimson, glared at him furiously. Tolle instantly felt disgusted with himself and hastily released her.
Cagalli Yula Athha was dropped heavily to the ground. Thankfully, the desert terrain softened the fall, sparing her any real injury.
She let out an "Ah!" before getting to her feet, brushing sand off her backside, and glaring at him with eyes wide like copper bells.
Tolle Koenig, unnerved by her gaze, quickly averted his eyes and acted as if she didn't exist, continuing to speak.
"When you face a problem, all you ever do is take the extreme path!
Why don't you first think of a solution—find food, find water, at least let your family and friends survive?
Remember this! There are always more solutions than difficulties! A true man can bend and stretch!
Instead of constantly provoking an opponent like the Desert Tiger, who is many times stronger, and marching to your own deaths!
You don't even have the courage to end your own lives. You'd rather leave death to be granted by the Desert Tiger—what pathetic cowards.
You're nothing but a bunch of useless dung beetles, pitiful worms, cowards, weaklings!
Isn't it good enough just to live? Isn't it enough to spend each day with your family and friends? Do you not even have the courage to live bravely?
You're all worthless cowards who can't do a thing!"
Maybe Tolle Koenig's words had been too harsh, because even Sahib Ashman no longer stopped the Desert Dawn fighters.
Shouting angrily, they rushed toward Tolle. Kira Yamato tried to pull him away to escape quickly.
But Tolle only shook his head at Kira.
"It's fine. Don't worry, Kira. I know martial arts. Just watch me perform."
"Are you sure you can handle this? If not, we'd better run."
"I'm the man who can make the impossible possible! How could I not handle this?"
Tolle Koenig pulled out a long strip of cloth, infused it with qi, and snapped it once. With the power of qi, it transformed into a solid staff.
He charged toward the Desert Dawn fighters, wielding his self-styled Dog-Beating Staff Technique.
Swing after swing lashed at their legs, making them howl in pain.
A wide sweep followed, and even the gust from it sent men flying backward, sprawling in the sand.
Anyone who tried to stand was immediately struck in the legs again, forced to hop around the desert like dancing fools.
Don't call this the Dog-Beating Staff Technique? Well, every single strike hit "dogs," so what else would you call it?
Once the Desert Dawn fighters had been beaten into submission, too afraid to get back up, Tolle Koenig continued speaking.
"Hah! I called you useless dung beetles, pitiful worms, cowards, and weaklings, and you still disagreed?
Look at you—so many of you, and not one of you can beat me. And you got thrashed by nothing more than a strip of cloth! Truly pathetic.
Now do you submit, or do you still want to fight?"
A relatively clever member of Desert Dawn muttered softly, "I submit."
Tolle Koenig patted his shoulder lightly. "Good. You're smart."
Then he looked at the others. "What about the rest of you—do you submit?"
"We submit…" they answered weakly.
Tolle Koenig swept his contemptuous gaze across them, then brandished his staff with force, roaring:
"Louder! I can't hear you!"
Helplessly, they shouted together, "We submit!"
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