Gazing out at my adoring fans, I soak in the applause and adulation I so desperately desired for so many years. With no cheats, the roughest of starts, and almost dying countless times along the way, I’ve finally made it big. It’s taken me seven long years to get where I am, standing at the forefront of my peers as the number one talent in the Empire. While even I don’t believe I’m the strongest person under twenty-five, no one in Nan Ping can deny I have the qualifications to be here, having defeated my rivals in single combat for everyone to see. This is my moment of glory, my time in the spotlight, the acclimation and renown I’ve dreamed of for so long.

So why does it feel so... empty?

Probably because Baledagh isn’t here to share this with.

I miss him...

For years now, I’ve tried to pretend like this wasn’t what I wanted. This was my silly little brother’s dream, he’s the one who wanted to be a hero. Me, I was more mature about it, wanting nothing more than a nice, comfy life with my family and pets, but it turns out that’s not true. I’ve always wanted the best of both worlds. That’s why I balked at the idea of giving up on the Martial Path to focus on Healing, because I wanted to ride in to save the day, lead armies against the dark lord, or go on a quest to save the world. To be fair, who doesn’t want to be the hero of their own story? Why else would I have been placed here, in this world with memories of my former life? Am I meant for something greater than I can imagine, or am I merely the result of some giant, cosmic mistake?

Then again, maybe you feel bad because you cheated to win.

Guilt compels me to check on my fallen opponent, being tended to by one of the Legate’s Healers. Poor Wu Gam, his fox-ears droopy and jaw slack, sitting there in a daze and trying to figure out why he froze during our fight while the Healer puts his intestines back where they belong. I did my best to avoid his spine, but even then it can’t feel good getting stabbed in the stomach, not to mention getting beaten in one exchange. I had no choice, his match against Yan had me shitting bricks, wondering how I’m supposed to beat either of them. Wu Gam has overwhelming power combined with impenetrable Chi-armour, how is that even remotely fair?

Then there’s Yan, whose style I can barely recognize anymore. It’s been a year and a half since her Awakening, only a few days ahead of my first, but here she is chopping up fools with wind blades while I’m spitting water for party tricks. Unfair. As much as I love Baatar and Akanai, their whole ‘figure it out for yourself’ mindset has me more than a little irked. I’m sure it worked out great for them, but different people learn in different ways. It doesn’t really matter, I don’t know any Water Blessed Martial Warriors to ask for advice, having killed the only one I ever met.

I wish Ping Ping could speak. Hurry up and turn human so you can teach me your ways.

It’s a shame Yan lost, but she’s a big girl, she can handle the disappointment. She did a real bang up job though, I thought she won for sure when she slashed his throat, but Earth-Chi is too OP. Sadly, it’s clear she was the underdog from the start. Anyone watching could see she gave it her all while Wu Gam was happy to wait for his moment, because frankly, he could afford to. If all he wanted to do was win, he could’ve ignored Yan’s attacks and splattered her across the stage during their first exchange, but he didn’t. He’s a big old softy I suppose, making moon eyes over Yan instead of caring about the title, but knowing her, she won’t appreciate his ‘chivalry’.

Anyways, after he broke Yan’s arm, he looked more worried than happy, and that’s when I decided I couldn’t let him win. He wouldn’t appreciate it and I did him a favour. With his Earth-Chi armour and powerful physique, he holds a staggering advantage over his peers, but that won’t last forever. Fung beats him through superior range, Zian through martial superiority, and BoShui... well, BoShui probably loses, and so does Dastan, but it’s okay. Better he learn his failings here and now than out on the battlefield against the Defiled.

Then again, considering the rumours surrounding his eccentric mentor, I may have just signed his death warrant. I really hope that doesn’t happen, I feel guilty enough about cheating as it is...

To be fair, it wasn’t exactly cheating per se. It’s not like I drugged his food or stabbed him while no one was looking. All I did was use my Beyblade Aura to make him flinch and lower his defences before the moment of impact. It’s no big deal, only honour-bound idiots like Gerel would consider it cheating. Winning through superior Aura is a legitimate strategy, like laying in wait for an ambush or attacking while your enemy is distracted. All’s fair in love and war. I worked hard to Hone my Aura, so why shouldn’t I use it? I mean, no one thinks Wu Gam using his Blessing of Earth is cheating, so why should using my Aura be any different?

I understand the general mindset is that, in battle, there will always be multiple overlapping Auras, so crushing one person’s Aura is pointless and more effort than it’s worth, but my Honed Aura is different. It’s not like I just came up with the idea either, this is something I’ve been practising for months now, mostly with Gerel. The idea is simple: instead of shattering my opponent’s Aura, which takes too much time and effort, all I do is give it a little poke at the right time. A sharp, Honed poke, but a poke nonetheless. This takes much less effort and Chi than breaking an Aura and, assuming I successfully kill my opponent, it accomplishes the same goal of removing an enemy Aura user from the field. As cool as it is to crush my enemies’ Aura and render them helpless with my all-powerful Beyblade Aura (God I need a better name for this), it’s always a risky gamble. If I come across someone with an Aura too strong to break, by the time I realize it and give up, I’ll have already squandered significant amounts of Chi powering the Beyblade.

So, after pondering on the matter for some weeks, this was my solution, to use my Beyblade Aura (sigh) for a brief, infinitesimal moment and catch my opponents off guard. Essentially, my Aura penetrates through their defences and renders them helpless, but only for a fraction of a second. Timed properly, it allows me to attack while they’re still reeling from my Aura, leaving them shocked and helpless before me. It’s pretty fun, the first time I successfully used it against Gerel, I gave him a black eye and a fat lip. In retaliation, he chopped off both my legs above the knees and called me a deceitful trickster. The man has zero chill, and the lack of Spectres has not improved his mood.

I still can’t believe Baatar made him the Iron Banner’s spokesperson. He’s not exactly what I’d call friendly customer service. Then again, maybe that’s exactly why Baatar made him the Iron Banner’s spokesperson...

When the applause finally dies down, the Crier invites me to approach the dais. Bowing for the umpteenth time today, I stand before the Legate with a nervous smile, hoping he doesn’t admonish me for my use of Aura. Unlike regular Aura, which spreads out in all directions and encompasses everyone in the vicinity, my Beyblade Aura is more concentrated and targeted. Only my intended victim should feel the effects, but considering the Legate can see into my Natal Palace, who knows what other tricks he’s got. It’s unsettling not knowing what he knows about me, but since he didn’t have me captured and killed after our first meeting, I can at least assume he doesn’t know about Blobby.

“Falling Rain,” the Legate says, his voice booming for all of Nan Ping to hear, “Congratulations on your stunning victory. Truly a performance worthy of applause.”

“Thank you,” I reply, bowing once more for good measure, “But Imperial Servant believes his victory was more luck than skill.” The Legate’s surprised expression is priceless but I keep a straight face as the Crier repeats my words. Thankfully, all my trash talk before the match went unheard by everyone except those nearby, so my humble demeanour plays over well with the crowd. It’s not like I’m lying either, I was damn lucky to win against Dienne, much less Wu Gam. Ryo Seoyoon... she wasn’t terrible, but not quite up to par with the rest of the competitors. “This one was able to study his opponent beforehand and switched weapons for every match. Were we to fight again, Wu Gam will undoubtedly have countermeasures in place to deal with this one’s tricks and the outcome would be much closer. Truth be told, this one puts his chances of victory at 50/50 in a fair and even fight.”

Stolen story; please report.

Amused by my antics, the Legate nods along and glosses over my modest speech. “Your weapon is intriguing, a blunt-tipped two-handed sword which transforms into a glaive. Such impressive craftsmanship. Tell me, which brilliant mind came up with this design?”

Huh... blunt-tipped sword sounds way better than shallow axe... I’m stealing that. Glancing at the northern shore, I look for Mila among the crowd but fail to find her. I hope she’s watching because this is her moment. “My transforming weapon was crafted by my betrothed, Captain Sumila of the Bekhai, daughter of Lieutenant General Akanai and Divine Blacksmith Husolt. Not only is she a nineteen-year-old Divine Blacksmith, but she is also the reason why I remain humble despite my victory today. Were she standing on this stage, she would have emerged victorious as the true number one talent of the Empire, of this I have no doubt.”

My statement doesn’t have the impact I expected it to. There are no surprised gasps or indignant outbursts, only a smattering of muted, polite applause. I feel like I’ve goofed somehow, but I’m not exactly sure how. Taking things in stride, the Legate nods and replies, “Impressive work from one so young. I look forward to hearing of her future accomplishments.” Ah, I figured out where I went wrong. No one cares about my endorsement, Mila has to earn her reputation on her own. Shit. Well, at least people know her name now, and more importantly, that I’m taken. I feel sorry for any ladies looking to win my affection after this jaw-dropping display of strength, but it’s best for all of us if they stay away. Mila is definitely the jealous type and the last thing we need is for her to start a blood feud with a gaggle of flirtatious noblewomen vying to win my affection.

Moving on, the Legate says a few sentences lauding my achievements before asking, “Speak. What reward would you ask of me?”

Uh oh. No one covered this during my preparations. What am I supposed to ask for? Money? Runic Gear? Or am I supposed ask for one of his gifts piled off to the side? Re-gifting seems kinda crass to me, but who knows how these people think. Plus it’d be convenient for him, I suppose, fulfilling my request just like that. I shouldn’t though, mostly because I don’t really want anything my rivals gave him. A bunch of shitty art, sculptures, decorative armour, and jewellery, all worthless junk in my eyes. I want books on runes or Martial manuscripts, stuff like that. Oh, I could ask for a black-maned kitty, but I kinda have too many pets as it is. Besides, with my luck, it’ll be misinterpreted as a request to join his Royal Guardians or something. Bleh, no thanks. Those lion mounts are regal and dignified, but hardly cute, all serious and grumpy-faced. Aurie, Jimjam, and Sarankho are way cuter, so why settle for an inferior kitty?

Think Rain, think. You can’t leave the Legate hanging... or are you supposed to refuse the gift? That’s totally a thing right? You seen people do a whole dog and pony show about declining gifts before accepting it, but is that appropriate here? Ugh, manners are so confusing. Whatever, let’s play it safe. Eyeing the Crier to make my intentions known, the Legate smiles and signals for him to remain silent. Keeping my voice low, I say, “Last night, this one requested Marshal Yuzhen bring a matter to Imperial Legate’s attention. This one requests Imperial Legate look into the matter at his convenience, and should he deem action be taken, this one requests to take part.”

“How cryptic.” The Legate smiles, keeping our conversation private. “I will keep your request in mind, but I cannot allow you to walk away empty-handed.”

Face again, probably. “Then this one will be content with whatever Imperial Legate sees fit to reward him with.”

“You are a conundrum, young Falling Rain. Clever enough to not overstep your bounds, but brave enough to risk my displeasure.” Noticing my confusion, the Legate graciously explains, “You sent a known traitor to face off against the greatest talents in the Empire and risked killing Wu Gam for victory. Do you not fear reprisal?”

Uh oh... “Um... I’ll be honest. I forgot about the whole ‘Dastan is a traitor’ thing. Truth be told, he was duped alongside many others, a young warrior who dreams of bettering the lives of his fellow man.” I’d call him a patriot, but I’m afraid the Legate wouldn’t agree. “He was misinformed and misguided, and he’s paid a heavy price for his mistakes. As for Wu Gam,” I continue, glancing over to find him standing, hale and healthy as can be aside from the bloody robes, “With a Honed blade, the internal damage should be minimal, and I neither Amplified nor added Reverberations to the attack itself.” Technically, I failed at the first and don’t know how to do the second, but the Legate doesn’t know that. I would’ve held back even more, but Wu Gam is straight up terrifying. I can heal broken bones but not fast enough for it to matter against him, so I had to take him out before he took me out. “I aimed for a clean gut wound, which takes hours to bleed out, so I was confident he would survive.” And that if he didn’t, well... the Legate wouldn’t want two young talents dead on the opening day of the first ever Imperial Grand Conference. It’d be like a bad omen or something, right?

“No reward without risk, as they say. A bold young hero indeed, and your performance certainly did not disappoint.” I’m super glad the Legate likes me, or at least is pretending to like me. I’m still not sold on his friendly demeanour, mostly because Ping Ping doesn’t like him much, but he’s beginning to win me over. Chuckling beneath his breath, he goes back to Speaking. “Your request will be taken into consideration. As to your reward, it shall be sent to your camp post-haste.” Winking, he Sends, “I daresay you’ll enjoy it.”

“Imperial Servant thanks Imperial Legate.” I wonder what he’s giving me. I hope it’s a kitty, I was lying when I called those lions inferior, they’re majestic as fuck. Retreating to my place, I stand and smile as the Legate congratulates us all and names us future heroes of the Empire. Weathering the displeased glares from my defeated rivals, it’s all I can do to keep from smirking as their envy and jealousy makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.

Too bad for Yan though, she’s taking her loss really hard, with no more flirty smiles or fluttering lashes as she stands there hugging her arms and looking forlorn. Truth be told, if things had turned out differently and I had been matched against Wu Gam earlier, then she might be number one instead of me. I doubt Dienne could have made her show all her cards, and if I’d beaten Wu Gam, I’d probably be all confident and cocky going into our match. She could easily have caught me off guard with her crazy windstorm strike and secured the victory.

I know I said she can handle herself, but should I like, send a gift basket or something? What’s the etiquette here? I’ll ask Mila and Lin when I get back.

His speech finished, the Legate dismisses us all and calls a break in the ceremony, with tables of food popping up on the streets and wagons going out to the camps all on the Legate’s dime. Yan slips away before I have a chance to speak with her, so I lead my retinue back to camp, riding along the shoreline while Ping Ping swims in the bay beside us. As I dismount from Mafu, Lin greets me with a dainty flying tackle. “Hooray! Congratulations hubby. I always knew you were the best, and now everyone else knows it too, ya?”

“Thanks wifey, but you’re the best.”

Arms crossed and lips pouty, Mila treats me to one of her adorable snorts. “Hmph. Well fought, but once I condense my Aura, you can be sure I’ll challenge you for the title.” Her red-panda ears cease fluttering as she switches gears, but her tail keeps lashing about. “Foolish man, what were you thinking? No good comes from claiming I would have emerged victorious, words are nothing but empty air. Now everyone think you’re a henpecked fool, currying favour from your nagging betrothed.”

“Sorry beloved. I wanted people to know about how strong you are.” Punctuating my apology with a kiss on her cheek, I Send, “That’s why I asked you to come on stage with me. I figured the Legate would want to put on a show and who better to represent the North than my multi-talented and not-at-all-naggy betrothed? Instead, I had to settle for Dastan.” Who kicked ass. I need to work harder so I don’t fall behind.

“Ridiculous,” she retorts, pinching my sides. “More like you wanted to borrow my retinue to make yours look bigger.”

“True, but who says I can’t have more than one reason for doing things?” When it comes to retinues, I believe size does matter. Some might say I’m overcompensating, but that’s the jealous mutterings of tiny-retinued individuals. If you’ve got it, flaunt it, that’s what I say.

Our alone time ends as everyone else floods in to congratulate me on my victory. Taduk has no words, merely wrapping his arms around me in a warm, heartfelt hug, while Tate and Tali skip about, laughing and yelling in sheer delight. Alsantset and Charok both tell me how proud they are, and I can’t help but tear up as I thank them for everything they’ve done. Song stands off the side and puffs her cheeks, giving me a grudging nod of approval as I stop by to say hi to my furbabies. Fung and his father are all smiles and back slaps while Han BoHai and BoShui are equally enthused, the normally dour Major General more boisterous than I’ve ever seen him and already a little drunk. My fellow warrant officers from the Society Sang Ryong and Jin ZhiLan say a few polite words while their elders thank me for inviting them to watch from my camp, but I can tell they’re seething inside which makes me smile.

By the time the food arrives, my cheeks are strained from too much smiling, enjoying my moment in the spotlight. For some odd reason though, the procession is guarded by a few hundred soldiers, not Royal Guardians but the infantry types, with their intense stares and boring, black armour. A little overkill for guarding food, but I soon realize there are no wagons of food, only a single palanquin, a simple, wooden affair which seats four instead of the polished monstrosities the Legate used in his parade. At the head of their procession is a Royal Messenger, who bows and hands me a scroll and a jade plaque with both hands. Confused and hungry, I accept the plaque and unfurl the scroll, eyes widening and heartbeat rising with each passing word.

Bad news. Bad, bad news. This is not good. Shit. Oh god. Breathe. In and out. In. And out. Okay. Calm down. There’s nothing to worry about. This is a simple miscommunication, is all. Look troubled. Yea that’s it, frown. Sigh a little too, but not too much. Remember, you didn’t ask for this, so whatever you do, Do. Not. Smile.

Your life depends on it.

Sensing my inner turmoil, Mila asks, “What’s wrong?”

Okay. Make her believe it, because it’s the truth. “It’s seems there’s been a misunderstanding; as reward for becoming the number one talent in the Empire, the Legate sent me a concubine.” Mila’s darkening expression sends a chill down my spine, and I do my best to appear nonchalant. “What a wacky mix-up, right? Haha.”

God dammit, you had one job: Don’t smile. Way to fuck it up.

Welp, we had a good run buddy. Better luck next life.

Chapter Meme

- End of Volume 18 -