I am not a vindictive man.

Brash, reckless, petty, and disrespectful, but vindictive? Nah. For the most part, I am happy to live and let live, with the only exceptions being my long-standing grudges against bristleboars and baldies. The former needs no explanation, while the latter has none, or at least not one I’m consciously aware of, but who cares about baldies. These two allowances aside, I’ve been known to show mercy on more than one occasion, and have even turned some former enemies into stalwart allies. More than one friend has tried to kill me before, and some of my most loyal soldiers are former bandits I captured and subsequently recruited. Hell, I still have no idea who poisoned me during my wedding banquet with Luo-Luo, and honestly, I don’t really care enough to put any effort into uncovering the culprit, because at the end of the day, there was no real lasting damage.

That’s just the way I am. I’m not saying I’m some saint who believes wholeheartedly in turning the other cheek, but I offer mercy where I can and try not to harbour too much resentment over past grievances. Mostly because I have hatred enough for bristleboars and baldies as it stands, and I find that it’s not worth the emotional effort to hate someone over something as trivial as trying to kill me. It seems crazy to even admit this, but I get it. I’m kinda a dick sometimes, and I’m very good at making people angry, both on purpose and accidentally. Plus I have no regard for face which others take far too seriously for their own personal health, though I suppose many of my trials and tribulations could have easily been avoided if I wasn’t so stubborn and stupid. Seeing how I’ve made no effort to change these aspects about me however, I can hardly bitch and moan when my flippant and somewhat contemptuous attitude leads to someone trying to kill me. I’m not without blame, because I could totally conform to the cultural norm and learn how to give face, but I choose not to because it’s dumb and I don’t like it. For better or worse, this means I’ve implicitly accepted the fact that my words and actions will rub people the wrong way, so I must accept the consequences that emerge from this.

I mean seriously. I’m lucky I didn’t die the first time I visited a city. I got drunk and punched a noble brat in the face, after beating the crap out of his guards by the way, which nine times out of ten ends badly for me. Rather than take this for the wake up call it should’ve been, I doubled down and decided I would stay true to who I am and give absolutely no face regardless of the consequences, mostly because I still don’t entirely understand it. Of course, my guilty conscience is not the only reason why I’m so quick to forgive, because I’m also not a huge fan of killing in cold blood. I’ve done it before, most notably when I captured Defiled to torment and torture them for the sake of drawing out more Defiled, but in truth, I was just so hurt and angry that I wanted to hurt someone else instead. It’s the same senseless reaction I gave into the day Dad and the Iron Banner freed me and I took up a club to beat Gortan to death. Though I wouldn’t say I regret my actions, I wouldn’t say I benefitted much from them either, and those killings still haunt me to this day.

Strange, right? I hated those bristleboar guards who tormented me for months, but despite having seen them all die with my own two eyes and killing their leader myself, it’s done nothing to ease my trauma or suffering. Would I be worse off if they all lived? Couldn’t say, but I do know that seeing them die didn’t help as much as you’d think it would. Killing in cold blood has never sat well with me, so I avoid it whenever possible. Now, I’m no innocent pacifist, but I’m no murderous psychopath either, meaning I’ve no qualms against killing in battle, but outside of it, I’ll try my best to spare those I can, or at the very least give them the mercy of a quick death.

That being said, my benevolence only applies to those who wrong me, meaning that if someone targets the people I love, then all bets are off. I can forgive and forget so long as no one gets hurt, but if I see even a single drop of blood from someone precious to me, then I will repay this debt in kind. Zhen Shi has crossed this line too many times to count, but much as I would love to see him dead and gone, I lack the means to do so now that he’s Ascended to something beyond Divinity. Though I sent him running from our battle in the Void, my narrow victory was not without cost as I stand here wracked by foreign energies running rampant throughout my body, mind, and soul. This insidious force reminds me of Wraith poison, except it’s been dialed up to eleven and no longer physical in nature, a potent stream of unknown energy chipping away at my vitality with each passing moment and a festering infection which I cannot Heal or purge away. It’s taking almost everything I have to keep those energies in check by isolating it within, proving once again how powerful my enemy truly is, as not even Panacea or Blobby are able to do anything about this.

To make matters worse, I fear that Zhen Shi is even more formidable here in reality, for I am unable to Manifest memes in the physical world just yet. The substantial pressure he emits by virtue of existing is almost too much to bear, a pervasive sense of foreboding which seeps through all my defenses and fills me with dread and trepidation, alongside a yearning to obey. An unspoken Compulsion or overbearing Aura of some sort, one he radiates without effort or intent, for before us stands what might well be the next step along the Path, a superior being who has transcended the limits of mere mortality to become something… more.

And as his army of Ascended Half-Demons surges into Shi Bei, I fear the worse will soon come to pass as the Enemy targets my loved ones with the feral voracity of a pack of starving predators.

Powerful ones at that, Peak Experts one and all, though most are middling at best. That still puts them head and shoulders above even your above-average Martial Warrior however, and thousands of Imperial soldiers fall in the opening clash. While the heroes of the Empire have the heart to stand and fight, their strength of arm is sorely lacking as the Transcendent Half-Demons’ chitinous armour and Domain Plating allow them to slaughter with impunity. Not all Imperials are helpless before their foes as pockets of resistance form up around select individuals. Grandpa Du is a sight to behold as he cuts his foes down two at a time with sabre and Wind Blade both, encircled by his students and supporters who fight defensively in the vain hopes that the Sanguine Tempest alone can carry the day. Kyung seeks to emulate his beloved grandfather, but he lacks the necessary Blessing, experience and versatility to stand unopposed. Two Half-Demons are injured by his sabre before he takes an injury himself and is forced to fall in line with his allies and fight defensively to hold on.

Both Kyung and Grandpa Du are desperate to make their way over to Yan, who’s fighting a hundred and fifty metres away from them atop the battlements, but my most gallant of wives has taken to this rough and tumble battle like a fish to water as she wields her Blessing of Air with a mastery far beyond her years. Taking her title as the Sanguine Whirlwind to a whole new level, Yan summons a windstorm to encircle her and her allies, one which slaughters every Half-Demon who approaches her, with a myriad of Wind Blades shredding through their Domain Plated defenses to seek out the gaps and crevices left behind by their chitinous armour before rending their bodies apart. A most formidable display of strength and comprehension, for it is not one stream of wind driving the storm, but countless streams which circle around a core few which continuously spit out new Wind Blades to carve Yan’s foes apart.

But even operating at peak efficiency, Yan’s limited Chi reserves are rapidly being depleted, and it’s only a matter of seconds before she can no longer sustain this defense. The moment the wind stalls will likely be the moment she dies, for her Peak Expert Guards are all engaged in bitter combat against the tide of Half-Demons streaming in and unable to save themselves, much less save my most independent and free-spirited of wives.

Things are even more dire by Mila and Li-Li, who stand side by side as the Enemy swarm in around them. Paragon is an exceptional Weapon with incalculable variation and unlimited potential, but my freckled, fiery beloved needs a few years more before she’s ready to take on Peak Experts with her magnum opus. Strong and confident though she might be, Mila is also pragmatic to a fault and knows well her own weaknesses, so she fights with spear readied and shield raised to ward off blow after blow after blow. She possesses power enough to go toe to toe with most Peak Experts and Half-Demons, but her lacking speed, reflexes, and perception means she is sorely outmatched in a true one-on-one match, to say nothing of the chaos on an open battlefield. All she can do is stand firm and endure while utilizing her Radiant Chi to dazzle her foes as she guards her beloved sister’s flank. As for Li-Li, she stands stoic as ever with her sabre sheathed at her hip, making clear her intent to trade her life with the first foe who steps into her range without any hesitation or regret.

Thus far, none are willing to make that trade, and all their feints and probes prove fruitless, but it won’t be long before the Half-Demons slaughter their way to Mila and Li-Li’s position through sheer volume of bodies, if not superior Martial skill.

An outcome anyone with eyes can see, and one which has driven their parents to desperation. Slaughtering their foes like gods amongst mortals, Akanai and Husolt fight their way through the crowd in a desperate bid to save their daughters, and their teamwork is breathtaking to behold. The massive half-bear’s sweeping staff is akin to a force of nature as he sets it to whirling about with a keening howl of steel and wind. None can stand before him, and the fools who dare try are pulped with a single pass, their armoured chitin and Domain Plating about as useful as paper and air before this papa bear’s unrestrained fury. In contrast, Akanai appears as cool and collected as always on the surface as she weaves in and around her husband’s attacks, picking off those Half-Demons clever enough to target an opening in Husolt’s attacks as easily as turning a hand. Though her husband’s show of martial might is far more impressive, Akanai’s efficiency is nigh unmatched as she kills with every thrust of her halberd like a fisherman spearing fish in a barrel.

And yet, even with an Honour Guard of Bekhai Peak Experts to support them, their ferocious offensive is not enough to cut their way through the crowd, for the Ascended Half-Demons pay no mind to their losses as they throw themselves as this married Peak Expert pair. With so many high-level foes launching themselves onto the battlements, the Imperial Living Legends dare not Cloud-Step carelessly about, meaning Akanai and Husolt are fighting on foot and have more then a hundred metres to cross before they make it to their daughters’ sides. A hundred metres may not seem like much, but factor in the throngs of eager Half-Demons thirsting for their blood and it might as well be ten-thousand kilometres, especially once the Enemy’s most deadly combatants make their presence known. Resplendent in his glass-like armour, Mao Jianghong arrives in a hail of ice and blood as his twin swords scythe through two of Akanai’s honour guards. Not one to let their deaths go unanswered, Akanai responds with deadly force as she executes Pierce the Horizon at the former Guard Captain, a Movement so fluid and natural it appears as if she were ready and waiting for him all along. Only a select few can tell that she’s playing this by ear and making it up as she goes, which only makes her efforts that much more impressive, yet her superlative strike glances off Jianghong’s translucent, sapphire armour and merely knocks him back a single step.

And from the gleam in the traitor’s eyes, I know he was ready and waiting for just this moment as he unleashes his gathered Ice Chi in the form of a sharpened spear hurtling towards my Grand-Mentor’s unprotected belly.

If Dad could see this, he’d likely be frothing at the mouth, but he has his hands full dealing with another of the Enemy’s elites. This one hits close to home, and I don’t mean just in proximity, for the man who took me in is locked in bitter combat with the man who cast me out. My dad versus my sire, both so close I could almost reach out and touch them as they trade blows in a flurry of dynamic violence. Dad’s Crescent Moon bardiche rattles off a symphony of steel against the amber-eyed Half-Demon’s spear, yet the true killing weapon is his Bloody Fang, the short-sword twin to my own which plunges down from the Heavens high above. My progenitor moves as if he doesn’t see it, and for a brief moment, I almost believe that Dad has won this match in the opening act, only for the Bloody Fang to ping harmlessly off the Half-Demon’s armour as they continue their frenzied trades uninterrupted. My mother everyone, who’s apparently seen better days, and the tasteless joke sets my heart to aching as I mourn the bond which we never shared. I don’t remember a single thing about her, except I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that she didn’t love me, that I failed to live up to expectations and make up for the son she truly loved and left behind.

I shouldn’t care. Her loss right? But I do care, and it pains me in ways I cannot even explain, so much as I would love to forget her and cherish the people who love me instead, I cannot help but feel as if it’s my fault she cast me away.

Which probably explains why I never liked Gerel much. Even though I can’t consciously remember anything of my time before the mines, these emotions I feel towards my birth parents are proof enough that there are memories still buried deep, ones I subconsciously remember and act on. Gerel, my mother’s little light, a name I would’ve recognized instantly and known he was the brother I always hated, because he had a place in our parents’ hearts, whereas I was merely a replacement who failed to live up to the hype. Much as I would love to connect with this blood brother of mine, I can’t help but resent him for having the love of our mother and being everything I wished I was. Noble and heroic for starters, with the hair of a male model and a face and body to match it. Tall too, which is just an extra kick in the nuts, to say nothing of his incredible Martial skills which have brought him to one step short of true greatness. It’s no longer a matter of being ahead of the pack, for Gerel stands at the forefront of three generations, outmatched only by Peak Experts approaching the realm of Living Legend and a Warrior to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Especially when supported by his formidable grandfather, Naaran the Unyielding.

A title he earned in the same battle which saw Akanai dubbed the Herald of the Storms, for while she commanded the movements of her Sentinels to shape the battlefield to her advantage, it was my grand-dad Naaran who held the front line with his partner, Kharuul the Spiritual Quin. Together with a thousand Sentinels, they held firm against an army of fifty-thousand Defiled and Demons as they danced about the battlefield, buying time and space for the two-thousand mounted archers behind them to cut the Enemy army down to size. From what I remember of the story, Naaran even led the final charge himself, a seemingly suicidal offensive which saw him slaughter several Demons, Champions, and even the commanding Chieftain to break the spirits of the Defiled and send them fleeing back towards the wastes. Here in Shi Bei, he embodies that same unwavering determination as he stands firm against all comers, blocking, parrying, and Deflecting every attack aimed at him, Gerel, and myself without blinking an eye.

Because despite his marked absence from our lives, Naaran still loves us dearly, but he’s so terrified of losing us that this is the only way he knows how to show it.

Behind me, Lin-Lin sidles up close to Luo-Luo, in search of and to provide comfort. Though a young Divinity and a deadly combatant should she be forced to fight, my sweet wifey is no Warrior or soldier. She’s just a young girl untrained in the ways of war, yet she refuses to leave because almost everyone she loves and cares about is here too. With Mama Bun in her arms and Blackjack on her head, Lin-Lin is ill-equipped to respond to an attack, and the same goes for Luo-Luo who’s clutching her zither close, yet I cannot fault them for being afraid. I’m terrified, and I’m a veteran Warrior who trained for the better part of a decade for this, an experienced commander with well over a hundred engagements under my belt, so how could I expect two untested young women to be unafraid? The Half-Demons have thus far ignored them both, but only because Taduk still stands guard overhead. Though the battle between Divinities having come to a stalemate, neither side wants the Treaty broken, because that might well ring in the apocalypse, but even Zhen Shi is unwilling to risk my teacher’s ire by attacking my sweet wifey, and for good reason. Even after seeing Taduk wreak havoc first-hand and slaughter the first-ever Demonic Divinity without breaking a sweat, I find it difficult to accept that my goofy, kind-hearted teacher and father-in-law ranks highly amongst the most dangerous beings alive in the world, but there’s no denying the truth.

All this and more unfolds in the opening seconds of renewed battle, and it will only get worse from here. These Ascended Half-Demons are a formidable foe, each one comparable to a regular Demon in strength yet still in possession of their intelligence and tactical acumen. That right there is why our forces are being overwhelmed so quickly, the Enemy’s ability to maintain discipline and work together to use their superior Martial strength to systematically dismantle the Imperial Army. Were they regular Demons, it’d be possible for us to fight defensively while elite kill squads take out the Enemy one at a time, because Demons generally don’t work well together, but these Ascended Half-Demons fight like cunning Warriors rather than ravenous beasts. Though their formations are a complete mess and their battlefield tactics non-existent, but they’re still able to fight together in twos and threes as they work to bring down the greatest threats on the battlefield.

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For the first time ever, the Imperials have the superior force in terms of numbers, yet our rank and file stand no chance against these Enemy elites as they carve through our lines like wolves among sheep while their best and brightest keep our Generals and Living Legends occupied.

I need to do something to turn things around, but I am left paralyzed with indecision over my complete lack of options. Grandpa Wolf warned me not to use Sword Force again, but I’ve done so repeatedly because it’s the only weapon I have that can harm Zhen Shi. I threw everything I had plus the kitchen sink at him, both here in reality and out in the Void, yet he shrugged it all off like it was nothing. Add in the poisonous or corrosive aspect of his attacks that is still eating away at my body, mind, and soul, and I had no choice but to bring out the big guns before I died in the Void or worse. Aside from Sword Force, the only other thing that’s made him flinch is whatever voodoo the Abbot is cooking up, but from what I can see of the old monk, he doesn’t have much left in him to give. Whatever hocus pocus he’s using to hit Zhen Shi with is draining him dry of stamina and more, for despite being a lofty Human Divinity, the Abbot seems ready to keel over from a stiff breeze.

And even if we could kill Zhen Shi in the next second, this army of Ascended Half-Demons is enough to slaughter every last person under Divinity in Shi Bei.

So what else can I do? Aural Swords might still be effective, but I can only really target one Enemy at a time, and I could swing my sword all day and still have more Ascended Half-Demons left to kill. What about regular Emotional Aura? Unlikely to work, because the regular Half-Demons already had the ability to utilize Emotional Aura before Zhen Shi’s mass upgrading spree, and I doubt he’d leave such a critical weakness behind. How many Ascended Half-Demons can I kill with one swing of Sword Force? Not enough, and I’m not sure I even have the strength for another swing left in the tank, not without succumbing to Zhen Shi’s poison. Another tidal wave would be nice and all, but my own limits aside, even if I could summon a wall of water to wash away our foes, Zhen Shi and his Divinities aren’t just gonna stand around and twiddle their thumbs while I break the spirit of the Treaty, if not the actual letter of the agreement itself.

So what does that leave me with? A sword, shield, and rifle glaive to fend off more than a million Ascended Half-Demons who are hell-bent on slaughtering every last person standing in Shi Bei. Situ Chi Gan is the first notable Imperial to fall, bulldozed by nine foes who leave eight corpses behind to bring down the formidable Clan Guardian, a Warrior to his last breath. Nanda Bayin falls next, dragged kicking and screaming over the battlements and dying before his body hits the sands below, joining his honour guard who died to the last to keep him alive this long. Nian Zu and Han BoHai fight back-to-back in the city below, supported by the Famed Fifty whose numbers have dwindled to two-dozen at most, and continues to fall as the Enemy presses their advantage. Exarch Gam, Broken Blade Pichai, Marshal Quyen, Jeong Hyo-Lynn, the lives of these foremost Warriors of the Empire hang in precarious balance as they stand firm against the tide, but others fare much worse.

Fung and Seoyoon meet up on the battlements just as a cadre of fresh Half-Demons converge around their position, and in what might well be their last moments alive, they lock eyes and smile. They’re finally being honest with themselves and each other and express how happy they are to be standing next to the person they love, but alas, it is too little, too late.

Wu Gam puts all his effort into a singular swing of his staff, hoping he has strength enough to bring down a single Half-Demon before his death and make his Mentor, brother, and father-figure proud. Little does he know his mother is watching him closely, and might well have acted to save him if not for the attention of two Enemy Divinities just waiting for an opening to strike. It’s a strange familial bond they have, but it’s there nonetheless, even if Wu Gam has yet to realize it.

Rustram fights like a man possessed with his rapier in hand, holding his ground with instinct, experience, and determination alone. Though ready to sell his life dearly, he is happy that his beloved wife isn’t here to see him die and is certain I will get her away to safety as soon as I am able to. Even now, in his moment of despair, he has faith in me to make things right, because in his eyes, this defeat is merely a minor setback in the saga of Falling Rain.

Erupting in a pillar of flames, Tenjin embodies the firebird as he fights to keep his wife safe, but he knows it is a fruitless struggle and only hopes that he will die before she does so he never has to experience that pain. On the contrary, Tursinai is still filled with hope aplenty as she fights with sickle in hand, unable to deploy her chain yet unwilling to give up despite being sorely outmatched.

Alsantset, Ghurda, BoShui, Taewoong, Hongji, and so many more fight on here in Shi Bei, but less than five seconds have passed since the battle began anew, and our positions are almost completely overrun. If ever there were a time for desperate measures, that time would be now. A quick check on Blobby shows that the Elemental Spirit is not even remotely interested in Devouring Ascendant Half-Demons, for their souls are still human enough to be unappetizing to his palate. Given my current emotional well-being, or lack there of, he’s much more interested in Devouring me however, which is alarming to say the least. Not because I’m afraid of what he might do, but because I’m terrified of what his interest implies. If he’s uninterested in Half-Demons because they’re too human for his tastes, then what does that say about me?

My next port of call is to check on Pong Pong, who is so scared he hasn’t come out of his shell since Zhen Shi’s Ascension, yet is still unwilling to leave me behind to flee for safer waters. Seeing this, I cannot bring myself to ask him to expose his existence on the exceedingly remote chance that his singular emotional Aura is enough to bring this army of over a million Ascended Half-Demons to its knees. “Leave,” I Send, not in words, but emotions, a fond farewell and best wishes while holding back as much sorrow and fear as I can. The little guy responds in the negative without poking his head out at all, determined to leave with me or fight to the end, though he would much rather flee than go down with the ship.

A deluge of misery and desperation threaten to overwhelm me where I stand, the sum total of which bubbles up from within. I am but one man, one lacking the ability to engage even a single Half-Demon in close-quarter combat, so how can I possibly stave off inevitable defeat and lead the Imperial Army to victory in a mere handful of seconds? I can’t. That’s the answer, especially not while contending against Zhen Shi’s ghastly energies still wreaking havoc on my body, mind, and soul. Despite the long and arduous path we took to get here, all the trials and tribulations I’ve overcome, this is where my journey ends, in calamitous defeat for us all. We have the numbers, but the Enemy is just too strong for us to overcome. It’s not fair is what it is, because this war was all but won before Zhen Shi snapped his fingers and created a million plus Peak Expert equivalents in the blink of an eye.

…

So what’s stopping me from doing the same?

Lack of preparation and resources for one, but I don’t need Demons or corpses to empower my allies. Zhen Shi needed them because he was aiming to create Half-Demons, hence the need for corpses and Spectres, but a Peak Expert only requires comprehension. What is a Peak Expert except a Martial Warrior who's really, really, really good at fighting? I don’t need to bulk up my allies, I just need to give them the tools needed to injure these Ascended Half-Demon, and our superior numbers will do the rest. Domains, that’s what our soldiers need, and what makes this even better is the fact that I already know how to get this done. Not only did I just watch Zhen Shi go through this process, I’ve also done it before with Rustram and the Stormguard, among many other examples, so I just need to do the same thing again, but better and more.

The process is simple enough. I need a Natal Soul to act as a medium, a willing recipient to meld with it, and the requisite Heavenly Energy to empower the process of Insight or Enlightenment or whatever. Repeat as many times as I can before I’m spent, and pray that it’s enough, because I’ll likely run out of Natal Souls before I run out of willing recipients, though I should probably do my best to help the strongest soldiers first in order to ensure the best chances of success. That being said, while Natal Souls and willing recipients are in ample supply, I’m all out of usable Heavenly Energy and there are no Demons or Spectres available to replenish my reserves. Necessity is the mother of invention however, and in this time of great need, it occurs to me that technically, raw Heavenly Energy is ‘usable’ in all ways, just almost impossible to control.

But why would I need to control it?

That’s always been one of my greatest barriers to the Martial Path, my inability to accept things as they are. I like knowing enough to make sense of the senseless, but I’ve seen where an obsessive need for control will take me. A desire for extreme control would ultimately take me down Zhen Shi’s Path, a cold and calculating one which measures only gains and losses without a care in the world for irritating inconveniences like empathy and humanity. Me? Much as I love having answers, I’m also a man who ultimately follows his heart and gut, for better or for worse. That’s what I need to do here, to take my hands off the steering wheel and let the Heavens guide me, or rather guide the soldiers I’m trying to help. I’m not here to create super-human soldiers. All I want to do is bestow Insight upon my allies and lead them to success in Domain Development. The keyword there is Insight, meaning not my Insights coloured by my perspective, but Insight derived from the Heavens themselves that is applicable to the recipient’s perspective. For this, control is not necessary, because all I have to do is bridge the connection, and the Heavens will handle the rest.

The Void opens up around me as I gather Buddy in my arms, nuzzling him close to keep him from crying any more. He knows what I’m about to do and what it will cost me, but this is the only choice left to me which I can accept, and a price I will gladly pay. I am not capable of abandoning my friends and family, not just because I love them too much to let go, but also because I am too afraid of failure to give up. Give me victory, or give me death, because I’ve seen what life would be like without the people I love, and that is not a life worth living.

The Void and world lurch around me as I split my eternal soul into too many Natal Souls for my divided focus to keep track of, each one as equal as I can make them save for the soul holding my dog, who gets just a tiny sliver more, as well as the sum total of Zhen Shi’s harrowing energies ravaging my physical and metaphysical self. Barrelling through without hesitation for fear I won’t follow through, I Visualize my Will and harness the Energy of the Heavens around me. Allowing myself a brief, infinitesimal moment to wallow in regret, I quietly bid this life farewell and look into my dog’s big, brown eyes, wishing I didn’t have to part with him so soon once again and hoping he can survive without me. “Love you, Buddy,” I whisper, kissing his furry head with a sigh. “Good dog. See you in the next life.”

And then there is no more time for regrets as my Natal Souls swarm out onto the battlefield alongside my countless brethren, just moments before Zhen Shi’s insidious poison breaks free of my restraints and rampages throughout my body, mind, and soul. The world blurs before my eyes, and all I can do is pray that my efforts will be enough to turn the tide.

Or at the very least, buy time for my loved ones to retreat and regroup, but either way, I fear my saga ends here today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Insight flooded through Mila’s mind to illuminate her Path, but rather than the joy of success, she felt only dread and apprehension as her husband opened up his heart to reveal everything weighing on his mind.

Not in so many words, because he was an idiot. A well-meaning idiot who didn’t want to say anything to distract her in battle, but an idiot all the same for thinking she wouldn’t notice something was wrong. All his emotions were laid bare as their souls merged together as one, a rather romantic gesture if not for the fact that she knew he’d done the same with every last one of his Stormguard, among so many others. Grievances aside, Mila knew Rain well enough to know he was trying to hide something from her, and doing a poor job of it in the process, but what, she could not say. He was so sad and apologetic without even uttering a word, yet so loving and affectionate that she could not help but smile, for she knew the depths of his love and could not imagine ever finding anyone who would love her more.

And she loved him too, even when he was being oh-so infuriating like he was being now. Something was clearly bothering him, and he refused to say what, refused to say anything besides how he loved her so. Much as Mila enjoyed hearing it, she also wanted him to know that she loved him too, and that she would always be here for him if he should need her. They were partners, husband and wife, yet he almost never came to her for help anymore, and it saddened her to see him shoulder his burdens by himself. They would have a nice long chat about this after the battle, one in which she would make clear in no uncertain terms that he was to stop trying to solve everything on his own. While Mila was far from able to match his accomplishments, she was no dainty princess to be waited on hand and foot either, and she’d bash him upside the head if he thought to turn her into one.

Putting her worries aside for now, Mila made use of her newfangled Insight to empower herself even more, for she saw now that the Sun was not just a source of light and heat, but also a source of energy unto itself. Not that this revelation was new or anything, but now she knew how the sun generated this energy, a process she could replicate within herself. Ever since she first Awakened to her Blessing, it had bestowed upon her benefits beyond even what other Awakened Warriors received, and she’d never truly understood why until now. She’d been drawing energy from the sun and storing it within her body, mind, and soul, slowly building herself up year after year so that she might one day become a source of energy unto herself.

And now, that time had come. A few years early perhaps, but any later and she might not live to see it through. There was power within Creation, and power in Destruction as well, and within the Sun, Creation and Destruction worked in tandem to create all manner of different energies. A process Mila put to use herself as she broke down the energy stored within to begin the process anew and ignite her Core, setting forth a chain reaction which threatened to consume her from within. Though the Sun itself was able to sustain this process almost indefinitely, she had yet to gather the requisite mass to do the same, and might well never succeed given the vast disparity between herself and the sun. Despite that, she had resources enough to unleash hell here on the battlements of Shi Bei, and she did not hesitate to do so. Her Core thrummed with the power of the Sun, an energy unlike Chi, Heavenly Energy, or anything else she’d ever seen before, but also as familiar to her as the sunset, of which she’d seen far too many to count. As this newfangled energy swelled from within, she felt herself growing weaker and lighter at a frightening pace, but only by physical metrics. Such was the cost of ignition, the accumulated density of bone and muscle mass which made her so formidable a Warrior consumed to create this newfangled sun energy, but not only could she recover this in time, she sensed that she could, with more practice, find an equilibrium between Destruction and Creation and bring her ignited Core to Balance.

Not here and now, but eventually, and for today, she would simply have to settle for sacrificing almost a decade’s worth of energy in one, glorious blaze.

Her body grew hotter than a lit forge until she could no longer contain the staggering power of the Sun within, leaving her no choice but to unleash it all in a singular burst of Radiant Chi. The results were staggering to behold, for before, her unleashed Radiance was the product of Chi and nothing more, but now it was so much more, for the base quality of her Chi had improved to the point where she wasn’t sure if she could even call it Chi anymore. Instead of merely dazzling her foes, the furthest Half-Demons saw their eyes permanently blinded by her Radiance, their corneas seared off by little more than a glance, while the closest were set aflame and burned to a crisp immediately upon entering her Radiant Domain, one which Developed and Manifested itself in less time than it took to blink an eye.

Rain’s work, that Domain bit, and his Natal Soul was apologetic for overstepping his bounds, though Mila magnanimously forgave him considering she’d cleared an entire section of the wall singlehandedly. She’d been wary of accepting too much of his help, worried she’d become reliant on it to progress, but she saw now that his Natal Soul was merely helping her bridge a connection to the Heavens which helped guide her along her Path, the same way a random burst of Insight or Inspiration would.

Of course, there was a cost to this power, and a cost to Rain for guiding her to it, and Mila’s heart froze in her chest as she collapsed to her knees and went over the implications in her head. Spent though her body might be, her mind was still sharp as ever, and she quickly realized why Rain’s emotions were in turmoil, and why he was both loving and apologetic. Praying she’d somehow arrived at the wrong conclusions, she desperately yearned to find her husband and make sure he was alright, but that would have to wait until the battle was over and won, for she had no strength left in her after that singular burst of power, one which bought her allies a moment of respite before the next wave of Half-Demons arrived. “Don’t be stupid, Rain,” Mila muttered to herself, but in her heart, she knew this was like asking the sun to set in the east and rise from the west. He was her beloved husband and she loved him more than words could ever describe, but that didn’t change the fact that he was an idiot through and through.

A lovable idiot, one she hoped to share many more years of married bliss with, and not just the single year behind them.

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The Energy of the Heavens surged into Yan’s Core to replenish her reserves, but the accompanying deluge of emotions almost unmade her.

There was love and passion enough to drown her a thousand times over, and plenty of other emotions to elicit joy and delight, but all of it was tainted by a tinge of contrition which Rain tried so hard to hide. There were no words shared, no message delivered, but his presence was so strong Yan could almost feel his arms wrapped around her waist, and she knew her husband well enough to know that he’d finally gone too far. They’d touched on this briefly before, and never went into greater depths because they lacked time to discuss it, but there was a cost to using his Natal Souls to deliver Insight and Heavenly Energy both, a cost he might not be able to easily replenish. He knew it too, knew it and paid the cost regardless, because he would rather risk breaking her heart and dying long before his time than see her die before him. Tears spilled down Yan’s cheeks as her Sanguine Whirlwind picked up in pace and intensity, fuelled by the grief and sorrow welling up from within even as her Domain was made Manifest in reality thanks to the Heavenly Energy bestowed upon her by her husband’s valiant sacrifice of his soul.

Much as she wanted to launch herself towards him to check if he was still alive, Yan knew better than to abandon her post. Too many soldiers had died to keep her safe, and there were still more alive who were counting on her support, so she couldn’t leave them to die no matter how much she yearned to be at her husband’s side. Her grief turned to rage as she delivered howling death to her foes who forced her husband to such extremes. Though she knew the folly of hatred, today, she loathed the Defiled with all her heart as she fought hard to hold fast to Balance in a tumultuous struggle unlike any she’d ever experienced before.

But one she would not lose, not after everything her idiot husband had sacrificed in the name of victory, and Yan could only hope she’d still have a husband to scold after all this was said and done.

Rapidly shifting between love and hatred time and time again, Yan settled into a tenuous Balance, but not the familiar, cozy Balance of moderation she’d kept to all her life. No, this was a Balance of Extremes, one in which even a moment’s distraction might well bring about disaster, but this considerable risk was not without equitable reward. A gradual change in pressure would only raise a gentle wind, but the greatest storms were born in extremes, where freezing cold met scorching heat. This was the Balance Yan sought to maintain now, one that went from malignant hatred to euphoric love and back again to drive her Sanguine Whirlwind to the greatest of heights. There was more to it than temperature and pressure, for she stood in the eye of the hurricane where no wind was present, the empty core upon which the entire storm was built. The Wind howled as she Deployed her Domain in full, using Authority granted to her by the Heavens Above to seize control of not just her position upon the battlements, but the entire wall upon which she stood to slaughter all who dared approach her. To reach any further was beyond her even with the Heavens helping her along, but it would have to be enough, because Yan refused to accept any more of her beloved’s assistance.

Because knowing him, Rain left himself just enough to survive and nothing else, if that, because though he loved his wives and family with all his heart, he’d always had little love for himself. A fool is what he was, and Yan prayed she still had a chance to convince him to love himself, because she loved him more than life itself.

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2

Chapter Meme 3