“Tao Zhong…” Huoshan's lord heard an unfamiliar voice call out from behind. He turned, his heart sinking upon seeing four figures standing by their carriage, their weapons bloodied after slaughtering huomas.

“Shu, get back,” Tao Zhong growled, extending his hand backward. “By the way you're dressed, you aren't from around here. Who are you and what business do you have in Huoshan?”

“We are the four lords of the Aerutian Alliance. We’ve come to take back what is ours,” one of the voices declared as the figures stepped around the carriage, revealing themselves. Taking the lead was Aikawa of Tamizu, wearing a regal white and blue suit, his sleeves dangling just a half-meter or so above the ground. His belt buckle proudly displayed the Tamizu’s national symbol, a crashing wave whose blue hues matched the man’s wavy hair and oceanic eyes. He was a handsome fellow, his skin clear and fair like a woman’s, similar to both Taos. The way he spoke, walked and stood all seeped with the same flamboyant aura. He knew he was a force to be reckoned with and it was on full display.

Beside the Lord of Tamizu, was Lord Bezawit of Bireki. Her youthful skin resembled bronze, contrasting the shimmering, golden jewelry that hung from her neck and the sharp golden armor that protected her body. Tamizu’s lord was far from short; still, Lord Bezawit towered over him, and from the looks of it, she out-muscled him. Her high stature and muscles didn’t subtract from the beauty of the youngest lord; in fact, some might say they enhanced it. She stood proud, rather than arrogant, her gaze fastened on the Huxian of Huoshan.

Beside her stood Lord Remi, matching Bezawit's height but tripling her muscle mass. The old man's head was shaven, a tribal tattoo etched across where hair once grew. He wore beads around his neck, sharing the same green, white, and red color scheme as the clothes on his back. His red shirt was tucked into his green pants, as a white and red cape fluttered behind him, giving him the appearance of an eagle. Tao Shu and his father wondered why a wrinkled old man was among this bunch of young lords; though they weren't foolish enough to assume he was weak. They figured that if he stood with the other lords; he had to have been on par with them.

Lastly, Lord Galanis stood on Lord Aikawa’s left, clad in full-body armor, a symphony of silver and gold. A white cape with the scales of dragons draped from his back, hiding the war hammer beneath it. His helmet, the crest of gleaming gold, hid his mug behind a t-shaped visor. The aura of mystery that shrouded him piqued the Huoshanese lord's interest.

Damn, Tao Zhong thought. How did they get inside the continent undetected? I could fight them one on one, but fighting all four at once might be suicide. Besides, Shu is here. I can't put him in danger.

“You mean the manuals? They're at my estate. Take them, I don't need them.” Tao Zhong said. He didn’t give a damn about some slips of paper, so long as he got to keep his son safe.

“The kind young lady informed us of where you hid the manuals but there wasn't anything to be found. The only logical explanation is that you have them on your person. Besides, it's not just the manuals we're after, but your life as well,” Lord Aikawa added, his hand impatiently gripping the handle of a katana, encased in its sheath.

I have the manuals still... Tao Shu thought, feeling the scroll in his pocket.

Tao Zhong exhaled, chuckling as the Tao family sword was magnetically pulled from his son's hands to his. "Is that so, then?"

Though Tao Zhong laughed, his heart was pulsating against the inner walls of his chest. He had to consciously make an effort not to tremble, putting on a brave face for his son. Shu must still have them, he thought. Huo Jing, lend me your strength!

Tao Shu suddenly began to sense an aura emanating from his father that he’d never felt before; it was something he’d never thought he’d feel from his father, something so powerful that it was almost unnerving. Fox's ears emerged from Tao Zhong’s head as if hidden beneath his hair which were the same shimmering gold as Huo Jing's fur. His eyes, which were once nearly black, shone the same color as the sun and his pupils became black slits. The smile on his face was fanged and the corners of his mouth pointed toward the whiskers on his face.

“Unfortunately, my life is something you cannot have. Have you forgotten that I am the descendant of the Fox of Huoshan, General Tao Mei? Like my grandmother of many generations past, I will protect my people. Most importantly, I will protect my son, even if it costs my life.” Tao Zhong’s palm was aimed at his son, a gust of wind blew the boy backward, sending him rolling until his momentum halted at the opposite end of the mountain's peak.

“Father!” he called out; right then, a sudden pressure toppled him over and Huo Jing Mountain started to tremble. Tao Shu felt the ground beneath start to move laterally; upon realizing that part of the mountain had been sliced, sliding away from the rest of it, Tao Shu lept closer toward the lip of the inactive volcano and watched as the ground in which he was once sitting on crumbled and disappeared beneath the clouds.

Did... Did they just cut a mountain in half? The child's inner voice trembled as he watched five figures shoot into the atmosphere as if fired from a hwacha, their weapons clashing with enough ferociousness that Huo Jing Mountain was still shaking. These tremors were felt all across Huoshan, even the oceans were fluttering. Tao Zhong was no liar; he hadn't mastered the arts of all five continents. Still, he was competent enough in all five to hold his own against the four lords. Though their weapons were unleashed on Huoshan's lord, the fox hadn't unsheathed his blade, blocking their attacks with his scabbard and occasionally counterattacking by spewing balls of fire from his mouth.

Lord Bezawit swung her short sword with both hands, sending the Fox gliding backward upon deflecting it. Her trembling, almighty hand began conjuring crackling lightning storms, her hair defying gravity as her locks pointed toward the moon. Thunder clapped, resounding across Huoshan as the Lightning Lord hurled a lightning bolt at the Fox of Huoshan. The moment it left her fingertips, its size grew immeasurably, such that the bolt of lightning was larger than Huoshan's capital. This incredible feat would go unnoticed by Tao Shu, as this all happened in less than a second and only appeared as a simple flash of light to his untrained eyes. However, Lord Tao Zhong's Mofang Eye radiated, just before the lightspeed bolt could strike the Fox of Huoshan, he snatched it like a fox swiping at its prey.

Lord Bezawit's eyelids raised, her pupils trembling. Impossible, was the first word to come to mind. Tao Zhong was supposed to be a pushover, far weaker than the legendary Tao Mei or any Huxian thus far. Yet, her world-breaking lightning was nabbed from the air like a fly being snatched by a frog. Lord Bezawit raised her shield, predicting the Fox of Huoshan's counterattack; however, her prediction was erroneous. The gleaming suns that replaced the fox's irises were aimed at Lord Galanis; his armor would make the perfect conductor for the oncoming electric attack. Tao Zhong chucked the gargantuan lightning bolt at Hephacuse's lord, faster than the armored man could react; in fact, no one but Lord Bezawit could as this entire sequence took place in less than a second, only she was capable of such movement speed. With not even the tiniest measurable amount of time to spare, Bezawit bolted in front of Galanis and protected him from most of Tao Zhong's electric attack.

Upon impact, Bezawit's electrified body was propelled backward until she collided with Galanis, and the two soared through clouds with their bodies entangled, disappearing in the distance behind Huo Jing Mountain. Despite his comrades being booted from battle momentarily, Lord Remi threw himself at the Fox of Huoshan, attacking relentlessly and wildly like an undomesticated beast wielding two axes. Each slash sliced through the air, the blades of both axes whiffing the fox lord, yet the wind pressure emanating from each attack was sharp enough to slash strands of hair off the fox's mane. He may have been a whithering old man, slower than he used to be, but Ohgawiy's Eagle was still as brisk as ever.

Though all five of the lords had achieved flight, the way the Fox and Eagle danced while airborne was on an entirely different level. It was as if they were stepping on solid ground, bouncing off clouds while dodging each other's attacks. Meanwhile, Tao Zhong's blade was still in each sheath, its true length was still hidden from his adversaries. Tao Zhong leaped backward off a cloud, holding the sheath of his dao blade tightly; with his right hand, he gripped its hilt and Lord Remi gave chase. I thought not to underestimate the old man... Tao Zhong thought. But he's slow. He shouldn't be here. It's a shame, I respect the geezer for fighting what he believes in, but unfortunately, his fight ends here.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Tao Zhong's blade screeched as its metal scraped against the inside of its sheath, revealing its incredible length to the old lord. The moment the weapon was fully unsheathed, Tao Zhong committed to weighty, yet swift horizontal slash. This compelled the Eagle to leap over this telegraphed attack, already anticipating the blade's true length. His cape spread like an eagle's wings as he flew toward the Fox, axes raised with a smile drawn across his wrinkled face.

"I am no fool, Fox! The Aeruta Breaker is a blade well known by all-" Lord Remi would never finish that thought. First, the lower half of his cape began plummeting toward the Aeruta; then, the lower half of his body followed. His upper half still carried momentum; though it was lifeless. Tao Zhong stepped to the side, avoiding the corpse with eyes shut.

"My blade was the last thing you should've been worried about, Eagle," Tao Zhong proclaimed. Lord Remi did in fact avoid Tao Zhong's blade however, the old lord was oblivious to the sharp, microscopic gust of wind that the Fox had released the moment the blade was unsheathed. "To think the Eagle would allow his wings to be clipped by a wind-wielding fox."

Tao Zhong glared at the only one left standing, Lord Aikawa. The Huxian of Huoshan hadn't realized it until then; the oceanic lord hadn't thrown out a single attack during this entire battle. During its duration, though only a few seconds in real time, he was simply a spectator, balancing atop the water vapor in the atmosphere. Tao Zhong knew why Aikawa chose to watch; the Lord of Tamizu wanted the Fox for himself. Even before the world war, Tamizu and Huoshan were adversaries; fire and water did not mix, nor did wolves and foxes.

"Let me guess, you put this little coalition together," said the Fox, his voice parting clouds.

"Perhaps. Not that it matters. I've waited my entire life for this moment, to avenge my ancestors who had their land taken from them by that damned fox!" Lord Aikawa held the sheath of his blade in one hand, trembling with generational hatred and trauma.

"Your people were the ones who attacked Huoshan. General Tao Mei acted in self-defense," the fox lectured.

"Blasphemy," Lord Aikawa muttered. "You and I both know Huoshan is a nation built on deception and blood!"

"And what was Tamizu built on?" the fox retorted.

Lord Aikawa was fuming, his fair skin changing hues. "Enough of this!" he proclaimed. "Your death will mark the start of a new era, an era in which Huoshan will pay for the wounds inflicted on Aeruta all those decades ago."

"Even if you were to strike me down, Lord Aikawa, Huoshan will not fall. Even if you flatten the continent, leaving not a pebble untouched, Huoshan will live on. You've heard what they say about cornered foxes."

"Then rather than corner you, I'll just make sure you drown!" Lord Aikawa rushed forward like a wave, his eyes focused on the fox's sun-shining irises.

Tao Zhong attacked first, his flaming blade clashing with Aikawa's scabbard. In an instant, Aikawa drew his blade sending a barrage of lightspeed slashes at the fox, each clashing with his enormous, flame-encased dao blade. Each of Aikawa's slashes was accompanied by boiling, lacerating water fierce enough to cut through Huo Jing Mountain. Aikawa's blade dancing involved him constantly sliding his sword in and out of his sheath; in those moments where the blade was completely concealed, Tao Zhong still found himself blocking afterimages, water clones of Aikawa and his blade. These mimics were just as strong as the real Aikawa; an attack from a water clone was just as devastating.

Damn it, he thought. It's as if I am fighting against ten at once!

Tao Zhong soon wished for only ten, as he found twenty water clones surrounding him, each attacking the fox faster than the speed of the sun's rays, extinguishing his flames. All Tao Shu could process was Lord Aikawa walking in the air toward the Fox, his clones were moving so fast that they were a blur. As each water clone was smitten, their remains delicately fell onto Tao Shu like rain. Before long, Aikawa joined his clones, attacking the fox and overwhelming him with unimaginable speed. Tao Zhong studied Bireki techniques, learning how to move his body faster than light; however, Aikawa and his clones could nearly match his speed and as if things couldn't get any worse, they were steadily multiplying. Try as he may, he couldn't keep up. From twenty-one sides, Tao Zhong was being slashed by twenty-one blades a thousand times per second. If Tao Zhong was any other lord, these clones would have done him in; however, he managed to deflect a few thousand slashes, surviving the onslaught.

The clones merged into Aikawa; he started to mix a flurry of kicks with his blade slashes. He was moving so fast, attacking so many times every second, that Tao Shu thought he was standing still. By this point in the battle, the Fox of Huoshan's guard was finally broken. Tao Zhong dropped his weapon, the sword and sheath falling into the empty volcano below, its metal echoing until it hit the bottom. Aikawa scoffed, standing still with his blade at his hip. As if he too was a Lord of Lightning, Lord Aikawa blinked forward, cutting through the Fox of Huoshan with one decisive horizontal slash. Thousands of droplets of rain were conjured around the Fox, pelting his body like a storm of arrows. Meanwhile, with his back to the Fox of Huoshan, Lord Aikawa slowly slid his blade into its sheath.

Click!

The moment his sword locked into place, three hundred thousand, four hundred and seventeen droplets of rain transformed into water clones, each mimicking every single movement Lord Aikawa had executed since his sword had last been unsheathed.

"Drown, Fox," the water lord demanded as the Fox was cut to ribbons by countless water clones. Tao Zhong's body went limp; unlike the tales of General Tao Mei, the Fox of Huoshan descended into the mouth of Huo Jing mountain like a fallen star. Tao Shu called out to his father as his body disappeared into the volcano's blackness. Lord Aikawa flashed in front of the child, his eyes seeing the manuals protruding from the boy's pockets. Lord Aikawa stepped forward, his blade pointed at the child.

“I am no child killer, boy. However, if you refuse to hand over those manuals, I will have no other choice,” he told the young master. Lord Bezawit and Lord Galanis approached from behind Tamizu's lord, noticing Lord Remi's bottom half lying on the lip of Huo Jing Mountain.

Tao Shu said nothing; he turned to run away. However, the moment he turned away from Lord Aikawa, the Tamizuan materialized in front of him and sliced the boy’s face with the tip of his blade. Tao Shu fell to his knees, screaming in agony as blood ran through his fingers. Aikawa dug through the child's pockets, retrieving the Aeruta Manuals from him. The child then attempted to open his eyes; however, all he could see was eternal darkness.

“I can’t see!” he screamed. “I can’t see!”

“He said not to hurt the child!” Lord Bezawit exclaimed. The more the child bellowed, the more ghastly her expression became.

“He said not to kill the child,” Lord Aikawa said, placing the manuals inside his suit jacket. “Had the boy listened, he’d still have his eyesight. Besides, it’s better this way. You wouldn’t want the boy to come after you seeking vengeance, would you? You know how the Huoshanese are, they're violent animals. Now, I’ve made that impossible while upholding our deal.”

“Still, he’s a child…” Bezawit said, her voice trailing off.

“A Huoshanese child of the Tao bloodline. He deserves far worse. If you would like to be his mother, I won’t stop you. I’m leaving this disgusting place.”

Tao Shu heard Lord Aizawa's footsteps disappear behind him, followed by the heavy, metallic steps of the armor-clad Lord of Hephacuse. There was silence for a moment as Tao Shu wept. He'd hoped his eyesight would magically return or he'd wake up from this nightmare. Unfortunately for the boy, this was real. Lord Bezawit was still standing in the same place, wearing guilt like a mask over her face. She eventually looked away from the boy, and she too walked away, leaving the child to mourn in his puddle of blood and tears.

In just seconds, Tao Shu's life was over. Without sight, without anyone to save him, he had no other choice but to end his life. Slowly, he inched his way toward Huo Jing Mountain's lip, feeling a could updraft hit his face. Blood dripped from his face and fell into the abyss; he felt the warmth of the sun fade and the coldness of night send shivers down his body.

Even Huo Jing has seen enough, the child thought, climbing closer to the edge. His heart was racing; despite having no will to live, he still couldn't find the will to push himself into the abyss. Eventually, the child rolled off the mountain's edge, falling into the chasm...

Tao Shu felt himself crash into a body of water, the impact knocking him unconscious.

An indiscernible amount of time had passed and the child awoke, feeling grass touching his face and water covering his legs.

Did I hit the bottom? Why am I still alive? Just let me die... Please, just let me die...

“Shu…” he heard his father’s voice. “Shu…”

“Father!?” the child called out. He struggled, but the child crawled toward the sound of the voice until he'd reached his father's body.

“Father, I’m here!” Tao Shu said, hugging his father's lifeless body tightly.

“Shu…” the voice called out again; however, it was clear that the source of it wasn’t his father’s body. Tao Shu was certain it was his father's voice; if it wasn't coming from the body, where was the voice coming from?

Tao Shu raised his head; the source was just a few meters away. He crawled toward the voice until he reached his father's sword.

“Father?” Tao Shu called out, holding the blade in his hands.

“I’m here, my son…” said his father’s voice, emanating from Tao Mei’s blade. “I’m here.”