The Bleeding (3)

Ciemnosc looked around and looked around some more. Everywhere around him were just people dying in the name of either protecting him or destroying him one way or another - one way or another. Images from Taldes right before he ceased to exist would constantly appear in his mind while his commanding vehicle continued on and he was in a stupor, but mainly for the tool that Taldes carried with himself and made use of.

…booom… …booom… … … …booom… …

“Go! Ciemnosc, go go!!!”

A voice shouted right onto his commanding vehicle’s driver’s window. In Ciemnosc’s mind, it was Taldes suddenly screaming at him with a relaxed countenance, but it was the voice of another person, a female even. Opening his eyes to reality, however, he realized that everyone inside his commanding vehicle was with a stern and even calm face, looking at him waiting for him to push the accelerator and to hurry the hella fuck up.

All around him, Ciemnosc could see that there were no more enemies trying to block their way and that those on his side wielding shields and defensive weapons were just beginning to stop advancing forwards, all just to cover his escape, while those who want to follow him can only do so over their corpses.

Stomp- TRRCCRKKRRR, TRRCCRKKRRR TRRCCRKKRRR, TRRCCRKKRRR~!

Without waiting anymore, without letting those now dead feel like they were used for nothing with the time that Ciemnosc had wasted just being dazed all around time and time again, and while vowing to never get dazed like that ever again, Ciemnosc stomped harshly on the pedal and his commanding vehicle suddenly reached its maximum speed of 630 km per hour right away!

“Phew…” Seeing the commanding vehicle disappear, with some extra help still given to Ciemnosc, those few thousand remaining from the 150,000 large small armies turned around and faced the more than 500,000 enemy disciples and believers, who were coming at them. But, if anything, it was a good thing that the remaining 800,000 or so disciples and believers were on the other side and coming to their aid.

That way, they only had to endure long enough for their fellow disciples and believers to reach their side and not allow a single soul out of the sect’s territory from what is the western side of it. As for the other gates of the sect’s territory, the previous booms were all they needed to hear at this moment to confirm the success of their plan ending up with great results.

Nonetheless, this was all a thing of before; and what was the current and most important mission for all of this, possibly millions and millions of disciples and believers from the major organizations to die, was to help Ciemnosc return to the Little Lake. Where his forces awaited him, and he could safely traverse it to reach the western side of the Region.

As for what would that erupt into, if more forces from the outside, foreigners and outsiders alike, would suddenly declare war with this one incredible weakening in the situation or not; or if those organizations would even take Ciemnosc in and so on. Whatever it could be, whatever happened, it would be a thing to worry about in the future and nothing else.

… It was just that not all things go that well. Ciemnosc drove his commanding vehicle for just 35 minutes. Only that small amount of time had passed before Ciemnosc suddenly began to slow down. As he did, those around him looked at him, confused as to why he would do that when the coast was clear, and their allies left behind seemed to have done their job well.

“They’re outside. Come out,” Ciemnosc said before getting out of the armored vehicle himself and the rest of those still inside having to obviously follow him. Besides, if there were some people out here, wouldn’t it just be best to pass right by them and ignore them?

But soon, their doubts were answered…

“...” Slowly, a couple hundred of figures as the afternoon slowly began to be a tiny bit darkish, began to appear all around them from the ground, as if they were hiding under the grass, dirt, and even a couple of meters from the surface altogether. They peeked out from the ground until they could all be seen standing on the ground and facing them. They were very orderly in doing so.

“Not bad, kid,” one of those figures flew into the air, scaring the shit out of the others behind Ciemnosc, who now knew why Ciemnosc stopped and that they were doomed to fail. And, indeed, this floating person was not only a Conflagrate realm cultivator according to Ciemnosc’s Spirit Sense but also only one of them.

There were figures appearing around from the ground and grass not only around them but also far behind them, it was the only way that Ciemnosc could sense them as he was going way too fast for even his 80 meters in diameter-large Spirit Sense’s range to detect. And from the very rear, 3 other Conflagrate realm enemy acting elders floated nearby.

Crrrgh- step, step step step, step step…

“Ciemnosc…”

Then, just as Ciemnosc was looking straight and fixedly towards a certain point, a female’s voice sounded out that surprised those around him. As well as those from the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect. Nobody was expecting her to show herself.

Not changing his gaze, Ciemnosc calmly spoke out a word from his mouth with the utmost calmness in the world, he couldn’t be unperturbed even now after so much… “Fu Lan.”

“...” - “...” - “...” Both parties became silent, their respective leaders gazing at each other, one below at the plains and the other on top of a very small hill but dozens of meters apart from Ciemnosc. In the same manner, Ciemnosc and Fu Lan seemed to form part of 2 different parties than those who surrounded them, and they were of course also silent.

“Kid, this is the ‘over’ for you. Miss Fu Lan has created this trap to get you, and you couldn’t have fallen into it any easier. You are really done, kid.” From the even more, several figures rounding up to more than a dozen floating in the air, packed together and forming an oppressive energy aura that was ready to be sent down to Ciemnosc’s people - spoke a certain older man amongst them.

“...” Ciemnosc turned his head a little while Fu Lan, who had a face as if she was caught getting the prohibited cookies from the kitchen with her small, cute, and thin arms and had to face an angry grandma still looked on at Ciemnosc without changing the angle of even her pupils for a millimeter. On the other hand, seeing those uncaring, lifeless, and darkest eyes look above at themselves, the enemy acting elders felt trouble and death looming over them at the same time. “!!”

“Don’t waste my words.” Ciemnosc quietly said, and before the acting elders could react, his right hand held his Identification Token. To their oblivious selves, Ciemnosc’s Spirit Sense made contact with it instantly, not needing even to muster his Spirit Sense like the rest of the world needs to in order to make use of their Spirit Sense - and then the cannons on his commanding vehicle changed their aim towards the enemy group floating above.

Slide, slide, slide~- pum pum pum, pum pum pum, pum pum pum…

“!!...” The acting elders knew this could happen, but they didn’t imagine that one of the arrays they placed was ineffective in this marvelous work of art. It had become completely useless! But, what was worse, that meant they were never safe, and they even grouped together. They became the most delicious target to destroy!!

Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom…

“!!” - “Shit!!” - “Motherfucker, it didn’t work!” - “Everyone take cover, oaaah, uh- fuck!”

As the enemy side saw their most powerful powerhouses become basically reduced to nothingness, with 3 shots from each cannon landing all around the acting elders whose flight really couldn’t be any more mediocre compared to the cannons’ shooting speed and range. They began to move around and back into their burrows like headless little animals, hiding from the cannons as if there is no tomorrow.

Whoosh, step! Dash! Swish~~.

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… Step, step, step… step step, step… step step step step.

While every single enemy basically hid, the disciples and believers around Ciemnosc began to run and dash towards those hiding spots, with every single one of them being at the later stages of the Spirit Gathering realm, they didn’t even have to worry about those who were some not even of the same cultivation realm as they went on to get rid of as many as possible before the real battle began.

But there were, of course, those who stayed within Ciemnosc’s surroundings, which then became restless when seeing the powerful 10th stager Fu Lan slowly walking up to Ciemnosc. Ciemnosc’s gaze returned to her, while hers remained always on him, as she walked down the hill towards him with her nice body swaying a little; wearing only a few thin but not that thin dull blue cornflower colored fabric, wrapping her up neatly.

“You could’ve used those things against me, then everyone would have to run away, deserting from the sect due to not wanting to die because of me; dying.” While Fu Lan opened up the ‘conversation’, her fingertips were against her tummy below her ribcage, gesturing towards her and with her head nodding upwards to those around Ciemnosc.

“I would have never done that to you.” Ciemnosc’s voice was quiet and soft as he spoke these words, shaking his head slightly but with obvious determination, while also completely ignoring the meaning behind her words of the comparison between the people that surrounds them.

“...” Fu Lan looked on at Ciemnosc with her bright azure eyes entering deeply into his. She remained silent and just gazed at him as he gazed at her, this conversation seemed strange to them but none of it was talked about. She then raised her arms, before letting them fall on her sides and thighs, her breasts bouncing a little as she commented with her eyebrows arching up.

“Ah, no array can escape you, isn’t that right? Hehe,” Fu Lan then summoned her sword from her Covert Space bag to her left hand. While the powerful armor under her thin fabric slowly materialized under such, making Ciemnosc’s eyebrows jolt at the innovation.

“That was from a pre-inscribed array, was it not? Not only was the pre-inscription awful, the array itself is too erroneous. The people your sect depends on for these things are too little and too conceited, of a closed mind. All they do is trash.” Ciemnosc harshly criticized, with Fu Lan shaking her head with her eyes closed, a little smile on her face.

Not shaking her head to refute Ciemnosc’s words, but simply because she no longer wanted to talk about one of the halves that broke her heart to pieces and still made it ache afterwards. She then opened them and, opening her lips as if to say something, but then not, she closed them before lowering her head and continuing to step towards him. Ciemnosc could already sense the incredible prowess she had with her entire armor on and her Mortal sword at hand; as her helmet slowly began to cover her whole head.

“All of you, aid the others, battle if you must but do not dare to even touch any part of my commanding vehicle that isn’t your seats,” Ciemnosc said, slowly taking out a Mortal sword to the surprise of those around him. There were rumors of Ciemnosc actually wielding a Mortal or even several Mortal graded weapons on him within Jing Zhu’s forces, but that was all that they were; rumors.

“Are you trying to start a spite play? To get me horny for you? Do you want to convert me over to your side, is that why?” Fu Lan lifted her head, her face armor clearing up to reveal her delicate, extremely bright white creamy skin and beautiful bright azure eyes, nose, eyebrows, and tempting mouth. Looking at him clearly and shamelessly but with emotions of joy all over her face.

“Can I?” Ciemnosc blinked the rest of those around him moved to where some other enemies hid within their burrows and left him alone, the commanding vehicle moving on its own towards an isolated area from the battle about to start from all sides. His eyes rippled though, the darkest within them seemingly wanting to consume Fu Lan all for himself, forever- for good.

“...” Fu Lan, with her bright azure eyes turning so sad, tragically in sincerity as her head shook for answering with a ‘no’. And when she closed her eyes, her face armor hid her true face, but not to Ciemnosc’s eyes, and definitely not hiding those tears within.

Whoosh, swish swish CLANK!!

Both bodies rushed forth at the same time. Ciemnosc’s right hand held the Mortal sword without a problem against this enhanced Fu Lan with her incredible armor hidden beneath her thin but not that thin fabric. After a face-off so close together, reminding them of their time at that bed those few times, Fu Lan’s Mortal sword began to be covered by her Power Energy, and even the shortest of grass below them became stuck to the ground with the incoming waves of power!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh, wooooonh~ - ~ - ~ CRAAAACK.

Ciemnosc held on to his position for several more seconds even after Fu Lan placed her Power Energy into the duel right away from the start. But he couldn’t really hold on the entire time and when he finally couldn’t go on anymore his Mortal sword began to retreat while Fu Lan’s sword began sliding its edge against his sword’s edge.

Sparks flew about, rocketed between the other sword’s steel, and even bounced from one another in midair, creating more, smaller little sparks here and there that illuminated their hands as darkness seemed to become a tiny bit more present during this afternoon.

At last, Ciemnosc’s sword was almost deflected, parried away from his hands, but he still managed to keep his grip on its handle even at the most difficult moments where Fu Lan implemented her whole 2,000 kg of strength besides some more extra from her full armor. As she then pointed the tip of her sword generally towards Ciemnosc’s body, lunging at him in the next moment!

Fwoo-shh trrrr-swish, slash! Clink!... Wheesh wheesh, whooooosh~.

In response to her lethal and to-kill actions, Ciemnosc lowered his body until his knees were up to his knees, rotated to his right to a full 360 degrees with his right arm remaining above his arm with his right hand gripping on its handle right above and behind his left ear.

When he finished the 360 rotation of his body, with his chin between his right chest and armpit and his mouth right at the tip of his right shoulder, his right arm gruesomely slashed laterally at Fu Lan’s lower chest. The left side of his neck feeling hot and itchy, Ciemnosc impulsed his body to the right, evading her sword aimed at his head, almost cutting his neck with just the air as it passed 3 inches away from the skin of his neck and from his jugular.

Meanwhile, that impulse of his body also aided his slashing to carry more power from his 8,000 kg of bodily strength. When it made contact with her unprotected lower chest with only Power Energy running through her full armor, a quick sound of metal colliding was heard while Ciemnosc’s sword was actually bounced back!

Yet, even as his sword bounced back, a clear dent was made at the full armor. Leaving Fu Lan somewhat startled as she felt her body almost being pushed backwards with a strength she was sure she could be flying tens of meters away from her current position!

After the initial clash, with the strong impulse from his body, Ciemnosc ended up rolling on the ground for a few meters before standing back up to face Fu Lan, who was in turn already facing him but with her left hand feeling out the dent right below her breasts to the left side of her body.

She was startled, and when she lifted her head to face Ciemnosc with her face armor, she visibly became tense with the grip of her Mortal sword becoming even tighter, to the point both her gauntlet and the handle made cracking metallic noises. But even then, none of them spoke.

Step- step! Whoosh whoosh, bamp-pam! Trrrrrr~- swish swish- swish clink clank- swish swish- swish clank clink…

With the wind seeming to recognize their strength and of how much they’ve achieved, it ran about crazily for a few seconds from that small and brief first clash. And just when it receded completely, where calmness could be heard and very far away clanking and bodies being destroyed-noises could be heard with a much lesser magnitude, both duelists went full out at each other’s bodies once more!

Fu Lan stepped with both her feet on the ground, making a little jump but also rushing towards Ciemnosc. A small but obvious crater was made under both her feet as they pushed her body into the air. Ciemnosc only used his left foot to step on the ground. And the hole he made into it with just that movement alone with all of his bodily strength left a rather deep pit behind surrounding where his left foot was previously standing.

And as they reached each other faster than they even thought, as they made a full out approach onto each other, instead of using their swords’ blades to meet each other, it was both their torsos meeting one another as Ciemnosc’s left chest impacted towards her body and Fu Lan herself had the right side of her body collide against Ciemnosc’s body.

Both their bodies clashed against one another, with Fu Lan giving an extra hit on his right chest with her left palm in the end as they gritted their teeth and created a 4 meters diameter hole below their feet, barely 20 cm deep to push him away, Ciemnosc ended up being pushed but only half a meter away.

With such little distance between each other, and with their bodies unbalanced, both of them reacted incredibly fast to set their feet on the ground and roughly balance their waists, but already forming an attack towards the other with their respective Mortal graded weapons.

However, Fu Lan crazily moved both her arms, and even more, her left one, which was left somewhat sore and flung back after palming Ciemnosc slightly away so that both her hands grabbed the hilt of her Mortal sword…before separating it into two blades!

As soon as their bodies balanced on the ground, their feet lifting so much dusty dirt up to their knees, their blades were already meeting each other.

Fu Lan with her dual blades attacked first with her left and then with her right-handed blade. But Ciemnosc, almost like how Valeria fought with her in that final of the yearly tournament, quickly moved his only Mortal sword around to block the Fu Lan’s left-handed blade, which was enough to almost parry her but ended up only deviating her arm backwards to her left.

Then, Ciemnosc directly clashed against her right-handed blade, this time making her almost lose her grip on her Mortal blade without realizing that that could happen, also getting some of her own action back to herself and leaving her speechless; but not inactive.

She immediately recuperated her left-handed blade and sent it slashing diagonally from upwards at the left to downwards at the right on Ciemnosc’s torso. But she was then also directly clashed against by Ciemnosc’s incredible bodily strength, making her unable to return her left-handed blade right away like before and becoming momentarily neutralized like with her right arm.

Forced to step backwards, Fu Lan had already recuperated her right arm’s angle and sent it to thrust at Ciemnosc’s neck, but he deviated it just in time for her left arm to become recomposed as she sent it right back at Ciemnosc’s head by slashing downwards.

Ciemnosc blocked it as he placed his sword a few inches before his forehead, forcing Fu Lan to not only step back but to continuously step back and back over and over again!

Her left-handed blade retreated with her arm bouncing slightly backwards. And as her right arm slashed her blade laterally at Ciemnosc’s solar plexus, it was struck heavily by Ciemnosc's Mortal sword yet again!

…