Ha Linh’s voice echoes out of Bian’s mouth. “Thought you killed me? Well, you’re not exactly wrong. You and the rest of them just couldn’t finish the job. For years, I sat in that temple, dreaming of this day.”
Bian’s voice returns to her body. Her eyes narrow, her grip tightening on the sword. "And you’ll pay for what you did to the Orchid Academy."
They charge, and her sword meets his dagger. Both bounce back from the force.
Chout chuckles. "You don’t understand, do you? The Orchids were never our true targets. We were after the Vipress." His eyes gleam as he studies Bian. "You really didn’t know? Wow, I gotta give her credit. I didn’t think she could play the pleasant teacher for that long. Well, in that case, let me shed some light on your dark world. That kind-hearted teacher of yours—she isn’t who you thought she was. The Vipress was the Coalition’s deadliest assassin, more ruthless than any of us. She did things that even I found too appalling. Just ask your hero if you don’t believe me."
Ha Linh’s silence confirms Chout’s words.
Before Bian can process the revelation, Chout continues, “And you think an ancient spirit and a broken girl are going to destroy the Coalition? You have no idea who you’re dealing with. We took you down after barely tapping into the magic of chaos. What chance do you have now that we’ve had years to master it? You always told us to avoid it, but look at what chaos has done for us. It’s given us control. Control over the continent, our spirit, our bodies, and best of all, it made us powerful!” As he speaks, Chout’s form twists and warps, his body swelling as red lightning crackles around him. His eyes grow a sickly yellow as he morphs into a monstrous, grotesque creature—a giant rat, covered in thick, matted fur and bulging with unnatural strength. With a bellow, he hurls a massive brick at Bian.
She barely dodges the explosion of ice, the ship shaking beneath her feet as she scrambles to find an opening. The fight is brutal—Chout is relentless, his attacks wild yet more powerful than any of his lackeys, and Bian struggles to keep up. Ha Linh urges her to let go. “You’re not going to survive this. Let me take over. I can defeat him.”
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"No!" she shouts, her voice strained as she dodges another blast.
But then, one of the matech bricks hits its mark, fire erupts, sending Bian crashing down. Her vision blurs, and for a brief moment, she feels Ha Linh’s presence growing stronger within her.
As Bian loses consciousness, her eyes glow cerulean as Ha Linh takes full control, her voice fills with cold rage as she drives Bian’s body forward. Her attacks are strong and relentless, eventually, one of them slices deep into Chout’s side with a powerful strike, forcing him to revert to his human form.
But Bian’s consciousness echoes from within. "Stop! You’re killing me!"
Her body shakes, blood seeping from cracks in her skin as the possession takes its toll.
“Endure, child!” Just as Ha Linh prepares to deal the final blow, Bian fights back, thrashing against the ship and forcing the spirit to release her.
Bian staggers, coughing up blood, but she stands firm. "That’s it! If you take over my body without my permission again, I will end it all myself."
Amidst the chaos, Chout escapes. “Damn you, you foolish girl! Look at what you have done!” Ha Linh screams.
The two argue, their relationship reaching a breaking point. "I’m only allowing you to inhabit my body," Bian says through gritted teeth. "I’ve already lost too much. I won’t lose myself as well!"
Ha Linh, seething with frustration yet sensing Bian’s struggle, relents. "Fine! But you need to train. I won’t tolerate weakness. You’ll never survive what’s coming without my knowledge."
"Then teach me," Bian replies. "Teach me everything you know." The two finally come to an agreement.
Looking around the ship, Bian spots a set of letters on Chout’s desk, correspondence between him and another. “Take a look at these. They’re talking about my teacher—” Catching herself, “The Vipress. It sounds like Chout suspected this, Bo Khun of hiding her. Do you recognize this?” She points to a symbol of two crossed axes behind the silhouette of an ox.
Ha Linh stares at the symbol for a moment. “We need to go to the mountains, but first, you need to train.”
Bian nods. “I’m going to need a stronger sword.”
TO BE CONTINUED