Greetings my dearest readers
I feel that it's more than about time for me to say this, although it pains me greatly to do so. You guys and girls deserve to be kept in the loop about what's happening on my end as it concerns the continuation of this story.
I haven't written any new content since the end of last year.
I'll preface my explanation by saying it's not because I've gotten bored of the story or the characters nor have I completely lost the will to continue this story. This story, incomplete as it is, will always have a special place in my heart as the first piece of writing I've thrown into the universe to have critiqued by a wide variety of amazing people.
There are a number of reasons that I haven't been writing. Firstly, my primary life obligations. I know that everyone has these and I'm not trying to use them as an excuse. I'm also aware that there are people whose life obligations are far more time-intensive and exhausting than my own who truly wish to write more but are unable to and my heart goes out to those people.
Secondly, how I choose to spend my free time. I'll admit that a disproportionate amount of it goes into naps rather than getting solid sleep, and that's partially due to me not getting regular exercise, a lifestyle thing I need to sort out. The main things I spend my free time on these days are playing fighting games online with the local community (UNIst is awesome), jamming LoL with my real friends, as well as catching up on anime (I really enjoyed Mob Psycho 100 S2 and Tate no Yuusha no ariagari and have subsequently started reading the LN of the latter from the start).
When asking myself whether I would be rather writing instead of doing one of the above activities, I struggle to find reasons to write although it will be more beneficial to me in the long run (hopefully). At that time, I also remember the time I spend just staring at my computer screen agonising over what direction I want to take the story, when I want particular events to happen, and other decisions that end up with me not typing up any new content. I end up just making notes of everything that has happened so far, the abilites of each character and various other planning tools to try and order my thoughts, thinking that will help me figure out what to do next.
Lastly, perhaps as a result of the above, I'm starting to doubt my own ability. Rather, I wonder if this type of long-running story with cultivation elements was too ambitiuous for me to attempt as my first major work. I'm starting to think that maybe I should have started with something simpler.
This isn't helped by the fact that sometimes I wake up and actually remember parts of my dreams. These dreams have given me the vaguest ideas for potential characters, power systems and stories that I would like to explore but I've been "chained" by my "responsibility" to continue working on this story, even though I really would like to progress this story.
The culmination of the above brings me to the conclusion I've now come to:
I'm putting Empyrean Blade Kira on indefinite hiatus.
If I ever have the time and inclination to continue this story, I will do so but I don't want you good people holding on for something that isn't coming.
When I next post a work on this site, it will be something complete (or nearly complete). I don't think my personality is suited to this one chapter a week/month system especially as I'm not dedicating my life, let alone all my free time, to writing as is the case for some people.
I'll admit though, one thing I'm interested in exploring is trying to gauge interest in a concept by sharing it with people. I'm not sure if this site is the best place for it but you all will know better than me. I know that just sharing snippets like that also has it's downsides as people may come up with their own variations of it and use it in more complete works so I'll have to see.
To round up, it's been a pleasure having you all reading my work and I read every comment (as few as there are) and I appreciate all the support you've given me. When I post a new work, whenever that may be, I'll probably post the announcement here (Not sure what tools this site has for informing groups of readers. Will have to look into that.)
Until then, safe travels
Arc Lumina
P.S. As a parting gift, I'll leave you with this scene I wrote long before I started coming up with ideas for the people Kira would meet during the Academy Arc, footnotes and all. Enjoy.
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Random Fight Scene #1 Kira vs Yukihime
[Kira recently broke through to the Spirit Projector Stage; bimbo and her man-club want revenge on her for insults to their beloved lady's appearance]
“Besides, those deadweights only hold you back in a fight.”
Kira remarked plainly. The crowd of male followers stood, stunned, before shouting indignantly.
“How dare you speak like that to Miss Yukihime?”
“Don’t you understand just who she is? She’s the Snow Princess[1] of the Snow Cross Clan of the Nine Heavenly Clans!”
“Yeah, what makes you think you’re so special? You’re barely even a B.”
At this last comment Kira couldn’t help blushing lightly while keeping her impassive face. While it was true that she couldn’t compare to the melons of this Snow Princess, she didn’t consider her size that bad.
‘Argh, I forgot how annoying puberty was. Wasting thoughts on pointless things.’
Kira shook her head to clear it again. This Snow Princess could definitely be considered a beauty among beauties. Her pale skin shone like purest jade and her pretty face with well-defined features, as if moulded by a professional sculptor, held a cold aloofness that must be extremely alluring to these men that surrounded her.
To Kira, however, it seemed like a mask she chose to wear because it suited her. By the sheer number of followers this white-clad woman had, there could be no doubt to its effectiveness.
“Now, now, boys. This girl obviously hasn’t had time to develop yet, in terms of both her body and manners. However, we can’t just let her get away without teaching her a lesson, don’t you think?”
“Of course, Princess. Please, leave it to us. We’ll teach her a lesson she’ll never forget.”
“I look forward to the results.”
About seven of the men stepped forward towards Kira, Twin Energies circulating violently. By the energy fluctuations in the air, Kira knew that they were at least of the Soul Spirit rank.
Yukihime looked on as her strongest followers advanced. They should be able to handle this one girl. However, she couldn’t help feeling a growing sense of unease. This girl with hair as dark as midnight who, from her worn clothes and disrespectful manner, obviously was not from a prestigious background but actually had no fear in this situation.
Moving slowly and deliberately, Kira drew her twin dragon-motif katana, its blade reflecting the sunlight in mysterious wave-like patterns.
“Small fry like you shouldn’t get in the way when the adults are talking.
True Skill: Gale Rending.”
A blast of wind shot up around her as, with a horizontal sweep of her blade, Kira slashed out at the advancing men. The air howled as if in pain and, of those seven men, the ones with the most battle-sense raised the guards just before the invisible cutting wave hit. The rest weren’t so lucky.
As their Life Energy cultivation was quite good, they didn’t take any fatal injuries but that slicing wind energy still cut deep into their flesh, forcing three of them out of the fight.
The wind blade didn’t stop there. It continued past them towards the Snow Princess and her remaining followers. As her followers cowered in fear, Yukihime waved her hand. The air in front of her rippled and the wind blade passed harmlessly through them, although the building behind them was left with a long horizontal scar about one inch deep.
Despite being slowed down and nullified completely in places, this was the strength of Kira’s high-level Basic Skill, Wind Rending, when trained to 100%, Gale Rending.
Those remaining four fighters had been in enough battles to not waste time admiring the strength of Kira’s Skill but tried to take advantage of the moment right after an attack, when even the strongest fighter would be at their weakest.
Kira anticipated this and, instead of backing off, moved towards them.
One of the men had a two-handed axe while the other three wielded fairly standard double-edged swords. Despite their numbers advantage, when Kira’s body began to move, her body seemed to become illusory and, one-by-one, their first attacks missed as she weaved through them.
“Huh?”
“What’s going on?”
“Do you really have time to talk?”
The men were now angry but also a little fearful. They knew that when they started their attacks, they were sure to land them. However, their weapons seemed to pass through Kira as if she was ghost. If they were truly fighting a ghost, there was no point, was there?
Of course, Kira didn’t really become ghost-like, nor did she move particularly fast. Her erratic movement bourne from training with the black blade that absorbed Soul Energy caused her body movements to become unpredictable to those watching, to the point that her body was never where it seemed to be.
The men fell to the ground, their legs bleeding from where Kira had severed their tendons while in passing, making them unable to get up and continue fighting.
“So, melon-princess, now am I worthy of your time?”
“You do indeed have skill. Would you consider joining the Snow Cross Clan? With my influence I can guarantee at least a place in the Outer Sect.”
“Not interested. Besides, the Snow Cross Clan has taken someone important to me so I don’t have any good feelings towards them.”
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“It seems that you harbour hostility to my clan. With your ability, it’s too dangerous to let you live in case you come knocking on our door in the future.”
Extending her right hand to the side, Yukihime grasped at the empty air. At the same time, the white sapphire ring on her finger shone with a pale blue light. With a blur of blue energy, a gigantic cross-shaped chakram made of a pale silver metal appeared in her outstretched hand, the symbol of the Snow Cross Clan.
Kira took a moment to admire the Snow Princess’ weapon. It was truly a unique blade. Each of its four curved wings carried a deadly edge while the entire weapon emitted a cold aura similar to the Princess herself. As a member of the Nine Heavenly Clans, the Snow Princess was definitely no disappointment.
With a majestic air, Yukihime walked towards Kira. Kira was nearly caught off-guard as she noticed every step Yukihime made covered several meters.
In two more steps, Yukihime was right in front of Kira and swinging that disk-shaped chakram at her neck. Keeping calm, Kira lifted her sword to block and the two weapons crashed against each other in a flurry of sparks.
Without wasting any movement, Yukihime twisted her wrist, the rotation unlocking her weapon, while pushing Kira’s sword off to the side before swiping at her neck again. Kira didn’t have any time to move her body to avoid the attack. Instead, she raised her left hand and the obsidian ring that her Uncle Tetsuya had given her before he left shone with a black light.
BANG!
The Snow Princess reeled a bit from the impact which felt almost ten times greater than when her first attack was blocked. She blinked in surprise.
In Kira’s hand had materialised a sword with a blade handle in a black scabbard, of which the scabbard alone had blocked Yukihime’s attack without receiving the slightest scratch. As Yukihime disengaged, Kira slid the scabbard into her sash-belt before drawing a sword with a blade darker than the blackest night.
Holding the black sword backhand in her left hand and twin dragon katana in her right, Kira took the initiative to re-engage, her body moving erratically making it hard to follow.
Having seen this strange movement before, Yukihime didn’t flinch. Instead she began to spin her massive chakram while a chill wind rose up around her. Heaving the chakram forward, it spun through the air straight towards Kira. As it spun, it blasted out waves of cold energy that caused even the ground warmed by the midday sun to glisten as it froze solid leaving a layer of ice wherever the chakram travelled.
“Snow Cross Style: Frozen Earth.”
Yukihime murmured as she felt the drain from using the Weapon Skill.
‘Ice element huh? I can’t let it touch me or I’ll probably be frozen solid. At the very least, if I get too close, it might slow me enough that she can use something else on me.’
Kira thought to herself as she gathered her strength and leapt straight up. However, something happened that she didn’t anticipate.
The chakram curved upwards to follow her into the air, its icy energy condensing the air around it into flakes of snow. Yukihime smiled. Although Frozen Earth was only a low-level Advanced Skill, when trained up till at least 80%, she could use the energy imbued in the chakram to control it with her mental strength.
Kira, as usual, wasn’t fazed by this turn of events. In a fight, things never went as planned. To plan too far ahead when the opponent’s abilities are unknown is inviting disaster. Besides, Kira already knew what she had to do to deal with this Skill.
As the chakram came dangerously close to her, she twisted her body in mid-air and stabbed that black blade through the hole in the centre. As she was falling while the chakram was rising, the blade dragged against the chakram, slowing its spinning momentum and dragging it back down to earth with her.
Kira ignored the frost gathering on her left side of her body as she eventually landed on the ground and yanked that, now stationary, chakram into the ground.
Yukihime was somewhat at a loss. She couldn’t understand how her Skill had been so easily countered. While she knew that her mastery was only at 80%, meaning she couldn’t force the chakram to make any sharp turns or tilts, that didn’t explain why Kira wasn’t an iceblock when she landed.
“Nice try, but this sword is a bit, special.”
When Yukihime looked closer, she noticed that the air around the black blade was distorted. Kira let out a rare smile of satisfaction.
“It absorbed all the energy that was left in your weapon, whether it was Soul Energy or momentum. It might not be sharp, but it has its uses.”
“You…”
Never before had Yukihime been in this kind of position. Usually her title as the Snow Princess of the Snow Cross Clan of the Nine Heavenly Clans was enough to make people fear and revere her. However, she was also considered fairly talented in terms of cultivation and managed to easily beat those who dared challenge her.
‘But now, this…girl…forces my hand.’
“Little girl, it seems I need to get serious. Don’t say that I didn’t start off leniently.”
Yukihime focused and her eyes began to glow a brilliant blue while a blue aura surrounded her body. The ground around her began to freeze over before cracking apart and a frigid wind blew up from nowhere, causing Kira to get goosebumps.
“Come forth, Glacial Valkyrie!”
From behind Yukihime, a hazy blue outline of a female warrior with 2 wings and holding a giant chakram began to take form before solidifying into a translucent being. In the centre of its chestplate, a dark spherical orb about the size of a marble glowed gently, a blue thread of energy connecting it to Yukihime’s dantian.
‘This must be…she’s actually also a Spirit Projector?’
Kira thought to herself as she flicked her left wrist. With a glow from the ring on her finger, the black sword and scabbard disappeared in a blur of black energy. She then resheathed her twin dragon katana.
‘I suppose now is as good a time as any to test my strength.’
Similar to Yukihime before her, Kira’s eyes also began to gleam with a blue radiance as a misty blue aura surrounded her body. Shortly after, a translucent blue sword hilt pushed out from her chest. She grabbed hold of it and drew out a translucent blue katana.
The katana was longer than average and, to Kira, was the perfect weight. Its majestic blade had intricate patterns as if painted onto it by a master calligrapher. Its most striking feature, however, were the three marble-sized orbs arranged in a neat line, embedded into the blade just above the hilt.
Each of them glowed with a mottled light that was sometimes gold and sometimes blue. Unlike Yukihime, threads of light didn’t come from the katana’s orbs, but rather a single thread merged seamlessly with the ribbon attached to the end of the hilt and connected itself to Kira’s dantian.
Kira looked at the sword from a few angles, appearing to ignore Yukihime before her. While she knew that the Triple Core was a feature of the evolved Flame Blossom Trail cultivation method, she didn’t expect it to manifest itself in her Spirit Projection. It really was far too conspicuous.
Yukihime wasn’t used to being ignored. Her mask of aloofness shed, she yelled angrily at Kira.
“Hey, we’re having a fight here! You can admire your puny Spirit Projection later!”
‘Idiot. If you were really concerned with fighting and winning, you would’ve attacked by now.’
Kira thought as she visibly returned her attention to the white princess and her armoured warrior that were both exhibiting an increasingly colder aura.
Casually, Kira flicked her Spirit Blade towards the ground at her side. Without touching the ground, the blade tore it up leaving a gaping fissure a metre deep. Smiling inwardly, Kira was impressed at the sheer power of her Soul Spirit's Projection.
‘All that time cultivating those extra two Cores was worth it.’
Without warning, Kira kicked off the ground hard, covering over five meters before Yukihime realised what she was doing.
“Damn. Protect!”
The translucent Valkyrie flew in front of her and released its chakram vertically in front of her where it started spinning rapidly and acting as a shield.
Kira ignored the action and went straight for the chakram shield anyway, bringing her blade down hard on it. A strange sound similar to metal scraping against metal rang out as blue shards of translucent energy sprayed everywhere.
The one most affected was Yukihime. Although she was behind both her Valkyrie spirit and the rotating chakram shield, ultimately, both were part of her and the pressure alone that she felt from Kira’s single attack was enough to make her cough up a mouthful a blood, tainting the purity of her white dress with a violent splash of red.
Of course, those blue shards were actually pieces of Soul Energy being chipped away from the Soul Spirits but, in a direct contest of Soul Energy volume, how could anyone of the same rank be Kira’s equal? With her Tri-Cores, she could even contend with those on a rank above her in terms of pure quantity of Soul Energy.
Yukihime, while not knowing the specifics, quickly realised that if this continued, she would lose, so she had to change tactics.
“Disengage, then attack.”
‘All I need is some time.’
While the Valkyrie was keeping her busy, Kira noticed Yukihime run off behind her to retrieve her fallen weapon, but she couldn’t stop her due to the relentless attacks of the Valkyrie spirit. This was the main advantage of Living Spirits over Item Spirits.
Living Spirit holders could come up with multiple tactics to attack and defend with, including this two-pronged type of attack, although their individual abilities don’t improve too much. Meanwhile, Item Spirit holders were innately more powerful as long as they remained together with their Soul Spirits.
Yukihime knew that she couldn’t afford to waste time. If this battle became drawn-out she would ultimately be the loser…which meant she had to use her strongest ability.
‘I can’t believe I’ve been forced to use this.’
She thought as she raised her chakram above her head and set it spinning as it floated in the air. A cold wind began to blow from both her and her Valkyrie as pulse after pulse of cold energy spread out from her and washed over Kira.
“Grab her!”
Yukihime shouted as dark clouds gathered in the clear sky and a wild blizzard started to rage.
Kira heard the shout, but it was too late. In truth, Yukihime didn’t need to use verbal commands. But, for those Living Spirit holders new to using their Spirit Projection, it helped focus their thoughts to make clear commands, which meant that the Ice Valkyrie had received the command before Kira had heard it.
“Enjoy the afterlife, little girl…Absolute Zero!”
With a final pulse of energy, air itself became a solid block of ice over twenty meters high with large ice formations protruding from it. This frosted area extended for five kilometres in every direction around Yukihime who was, of course, unaffected.
Having trapped Kira within that ice to freeze to death, Yukihime collapsed to the ground, exhausted and retracted her Glacial Valkyrie into herself to restore some of her lost Soul Energy.
“That…was the hardest fight of my life. I’m…so glad…it’s over.”
Just as her words drifted away on the wind, a golden glow emanated from the ice in front of her.
“No…way.”
Hastily she summoned her Glacial Valkyrie once more despite her failing energy reserves. At the same moment, the ice in front of her burst apart, sending chunks of solid ice flying everywhere. Luckily, her Valkyrie spirit deflected the ones that flew at her or she would likely have died right there.
Standing there, coated in a fiery yellow aura that was melting the ice around her within seconds, pupils like molten gold around vivid green irises was Kira, her Bloodline Technique: Burning Soul active.
As Kira walked towards her, Yukihime noticed that that once-blue sword had become a blazing yellow and the three orbs looked like golden gems. All around Kira, energy was pouring into her from the environment, those threads of natural energy actually condensed enough to become visible to the naked eye.
Just by watching her, Yukihime knew that the amount of power at Kira’s disposal far outweighed her own. The only ones she could think of that could match Kira right now, she could count on one hand. Regardless, she had her pride and commanded her Valkyrie to attack.
Kira walked towards Yukihime as the Valkyrie threw its chakram towards her, the spinning blade cutting through the air like a giant buzzsaw, and releasing a freezing aura. Kira raised her golden spirit katana in front of her.
As the chakram touched the sword, it melted away like butter before a hot knife, the sword cutting through it like it wasn’t there at all. The first orb on Kira’s sword glowed with a bright light as she drew it behind her and jumped forward. The Valkyrie tried to intercept her but, in the blink of an eye, Kira was behind it, withdrawing her katana into an imaginary sheath.
“Takanashi Style Iai: Black Lotus.”
Three golden lines appeared on the Valkyrie in the shape of an asterisk before they ripped through the Valkyrie, their golden light blurring slightly towards Kira, seeming to drag the Valkyrie's very essence with it.
Yukihime, being inextricably bound to the Valkyrie coughed up about a litre of blood before trembling before Kira.
“Go ahead, kill me. If you don’t, I’ll make sure that you regret this.”
While Kira didn’t doubt her words, she knew that her mission wasn’t to wage war on the entire Snow Cross Clan. But was it too late for that now?
‘She tried to kill me first. Surely it’s the same as all those others who tried the same thing. So why am I hesitating?’
“Listen, all I want is to free that person your clan is holding and I’ll let you go. I’m looking for the one who also has these eyes.”
Kira said, indicating her viridian eyes with their still-golden pupils.
“Pft…Over my dead body.”
“As I said before, those things on your chest were deadweights.”
Kira said bitterly as she brought down her golden blade.
Walking away from the lifeless body of Yukihime, she decided that her next destination would definitely have to be the Snow Cross Clan before anyone sent word that their beloved Princess was dead.
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[1] Ok I’m sorry about that. I didn’t intend to make it work out like this. For those not so au fey with Japanese, Yuki- ‘snow’ and Hime – ‘princess’.