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 forr needs no explanation, while the latter has none, or at least not one Im consciously aware of, but who cares about baldies. These two allowances aside, Ive been known to show rcy on more than one occasion, and have even turned so forr enemies into stalwart allies. More than one friend has tried to kill before, and so of my most loyal soldiers are forr bandits I captured and subsequently recruited. Hell, I still have no idea who poisoned during my wedding banquet with Luo-Luo, and honestly, I dont really care enough to put any effort into uncovering the culprit, because at the end of the day, there was no real lasting damage.
Thats just the way I am. Im not saying Im so saint who believes wholeheartedly in turning the other cheek, but I offer rcy where I can and try not to harbour too much resentnt over past grievances. Mostly because I have hatred enough for bristleboars and baldies as it stands, and I find that its not worth the emotional effort to hate soone over sothing as trivial as trying to kill . It seems crazy to even admit this, but I get it. Im kinda a dick sotis, and Im 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 wasnt so stubborn and stupid. Seeing how Ive made no effort to change these aspects about however, I can hardly bitch and moan when my flippant and sowhat contemptuous attitude leads to soone trying to kill . Im not without bla, because I could totally conform to the cultural norm and learn how to give face, but I choose not to because its dumb and I dont like it. For better or worse, this ans Ive implicitly accepted the fact that my words and actions will rub people the wrong way, so I must accept the consequences that erge from this.
I an seriously. Im lucky I didnt die the first ti 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 tis out of ten ends badly for . Rather than take this for the wake up call it shouldve 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 dont entirely understand it. Of course, my guilty conscience is not the only reason why Im so quick to forgive, because Im also not a huge fan of killing in cold blood. Ive done it before, most notably when I captured Defiled to tornt 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 soone else instead. Its the sa senseless reaction I gave into the day Dad and the Iron Banner freed and I took up a club to beat Gortan to death. Though I wouldnt say I regret my actions, I wouldnt say I benefitted much from them either, and those killings still haunt to this day.
Strange, right? I hated those bristleboar guards who tornted for months, but despite having seen them all die with my own two eyes and killing their leader myself, its done nothing to ease my trauma or suffering. Would I be worse off if they all lived? Couldnt say, but I do know that seeing them die didnt help as much as youd think it would. Killing in cold blood has never sat well with , so I avoid it whenever possible. Now, Im no innocent pacifist, but Im no murderous psychopath either, aning Ive no qualms against killing in battle, but outside of it, Ill try my best to spare those I can, or at the very least give them the rcy of a quick death.
That being said, my benevolence only applies to those who wrong , aning that if soone 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 soone precious to , then I will repay this debt in kind. Zhen Shi has crossed this line too many tis to count, but much as I would love to see him dead and gone, I lack the ans to do so now that hes Ascended to sothing 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 of Wraith poison, except its 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 mont and a festering infection which I cannot Heal or purge away. Its 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 s 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 with dread and trepidation, alongside a yearning to obey. An unspoken Compulsion or overbearing Aura of so 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 re mortality to beco sothing more.
And as his army of Ascended Half-Demons surges into Shi Bei, I fear the worse will soon co 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 ti 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, whos fighting a hundred and fifty tres away from them atop the battlents, 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 Yans foes apart.
But even operating at peak efficiency, Yans limited Chi reserves are rapidly being depleted, and its only a matter of seconds before she can no longer sustain this defense. The mont the wind stalls will likely be the mont 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 shes 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 ans 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 sisters 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 wont be long before the Half-Demons slaughter their way to Mila and Li-Lis position through sheer volu of bodies, if not superior Martial skill.
An outco 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-bears 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 bears unrestrained fury. In contrast, Akanai appears as cool and collected as always on the surface as she weaves in and around her husbands attacks, picking off those Half-Demons clever enough to target an opening in Husolts attacks as easily as turning a hand. Though her husbands show of martial might is far more impressive, Akanais 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 battlents, the Imperial Living Legends dare not Cloud-Step carelessly about, aning Akanai and Husolt are fighting on foot and have more then a hundred tres to cross before they make it to their daughters sides. A hundred tres 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 kilotres, especially once the Enemys 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 Akanais honour guards. Not one to let their deaths go unanswered, Akanai responds with deadly force as she executes Pierce the Horizon at the forr Guard Captain, a Movent so fluid and natural it appears as if she were ready and waiting for him all along. Only a select few can tell that shes 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 Jianghongs translucent, sapphire armour and rely knocks him back a single step.
And from the gleam in the traitors eyes, I know he was ready and waiting for just this mont as he unleashes his gathered Ice Chi in the form of a sharpened spear hurtling towards my Grand-ntors unprotected belly.
If Dad could see this, hed likely be frothing at the mouth, but he has his hands full dealing with another of the Enemys elites. This one hits close to ho, and I dont an just in proximity, for the man who took in is locked in bitter combat with the man who cast 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. Dads Crescent Moon bardiche rattles off a symphony of steel against the amber-eyed Half-Demons 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 doesnt see it, and for a brief mont, I almost believe that Dad has won this match in the opening act, only for the Bloody Fang to ping harmlessly off the Half-Demons armour as they continue their frenzied trades uninterrupted. My mother everyone, whos apparently seen better days, and the tasteless joke sets my heart to aching as I mourn the bond which we never shared. I dont rember a single thing about her, except I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that she didnt love , that I failed to live up to expectations and make up for the son she truly loved and left behind.
I shouldnt care. Her loss right? But I do care, and it pains in ways I cannot even explain, so much as I would love to forget her and cherish the people who love instead, I cannot help but feel as if its my fault she cast away.
Which probably explains why I never liked Gerel much. Even though I cant consciously rember anything of my ti before the mines, these emotions I feel towards my birth parents are proof enough that there are mories still buried deep, ones I subconsciously rember and act on. Gerel, my mothers little light, a na I wouldve recognized instantly and known he was the brother I always hated, because he had a place in our parents hearts, whereas I was rely a replacent who failed to live up to the hype. Much as I would love to connect with this blood brother of mine, I cant 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. Its 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 sa battle which saw Akanai dubbed the Herald of the Storms, for while she commanded the movents 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 ti and space for the two-thousand mounted archers behind them to cut the Enemy army down to size. From what I rember 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 sa unwavering determination as he stands firm against all cors, blocking, parrying, and Deflecting every attack aid at him, Gerel, and myself without blinking an eye.
Because despite his marked absence from our lives, Naaran still loves us dearly, but hes so terrified of losing us that this is the only way he knows how to show it.
Behind , 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. Shes 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 sa goes for Luo-Luo whos clutching her zither close, yet I cannot fault them for being afraid. Im terrified, and Im a veteran Warrior who trained for the better part of a decade for this, an experienced commander with well over a hundred engagents under my belt, so how could I expect two untested young won 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 co 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 teachers 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 theres 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 acun. That right there is why our forces are being overwheld so quickly, the Enemys ability to maintain discipline and work together to use their superior Martial strength to systematically dismantle the Imperial Army. Were they regular Demons, itd be possible for us to fight defensively while elite kill squads take out the Enemy one at a ti, because Demons generally dont work well together, but these Ascended Half-Demons fight like cunning Warriors rather than ravenous beasts. Though their formations are a complete ss and their battlefield tactics non-existent, but theyre still able to fight together in twos and threes as they work to bring down the greatest threats on the battlefield.
For the first ti 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 sothing to turn things around, but I am left paralyzed with indecision over my complete lack of options. Grandpa Wolf warned not to use Sword Force again, but Ive done so repeatedly because its 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 thats made him flinch is whatever voodoo the Abbot is cooking up, but from what I can see of the old monk, he doesnt have much left in him to give. Whatever hocus pocus hes 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 ti, 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 Shis mass upgrading spree, and I doubt hed leave such a critical weakness behind. How many Ascended Half-Demons can I kill with one swing of Sword Force? Not enough, and Im not sure I even have the strength for another swing left in the tank, not without succumbing to Zhen Shis 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 arent just gonna stand around and twiddle their thumbs while I break the spirit of the Treaty, if not the actual letter of the agreent itself.
So what does that leave 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 battlents 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 Fad 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 et up on the battlents just as a cadre of fresh Half-Demons converge around their position, and in what might well be their last monts alive, they lock eyes and smile. Theyre 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 ntor, 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. Its a strange familial bond they have, but its 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 isnt 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 mont of despair, he has faith in to make things right, because in his eyes, this defeat is rely a minor setback in the saga of Falling Rain.
Erupting in a pillar of flas, 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 ti for desperate asures, that ti would be now. A quick check on Blobby shows that the Elental 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, hes much more interested in Devouring however, which is alarming to say the least. Not because Im afraid of what he might do, but because Im terrified of what his interest implies. If hes uninterested in Half-Demons because theyre too human for his tastes, then what does that say about ?
My next port of call is to check on Pong Pong, who is so scared he hasnt co out of his shell since Zhen Shis Ascension, yet is still unwilling to leave 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 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 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 re handful of seconds? I cant. Thats the answer, especially not while contending against Zhen Shis 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 Ive overco, 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 overco. Its 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 whats stopping from doing the sa?
Lack of preparation and resources for one, but I dont 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 dont 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, thats 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, Ive also done it before with Rustram and the Stormguard, among many other examples, so I just need to do the sa thing again, but better and more.
The process is simple enough. I need a Natal Soul to act as a dium, a willing recipient to ld with it, and the requisite Heavenly Energy to empower the process of Insight or Enlightennt or whatever. Repeat as many tis as I can before Im spent, and pray that its enough, because Ill 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, Im 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 ti of great need, it occurs to that technically, raw Heavenly Energy is usable in all ways, just almost impossible to control.
But why would I need to control it?
Thats 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 Ive seen where an obsessive need for control will take . A desire for extre control would ultimately take down Zhen Shis Path, a cold and calculating one which asures only gains and losses without a care in the world for irritating inconveniences like empathy and humanity. ? Much as I love having answers, Im also a man who ultimately follows his heart and gut, for better or for worse. Thats what I need to do here, to take my hands off the steering wheel and let the Heavens guide , or rather guide the soldiers Im trying to help. Im 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 Developnt. The keyword there is Insight, aning not my Insights coloured by my perspective, but Insight derived from the Heavens themselves that is applicable to the recipients 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 as I gather Buddy in my arms, nuzzling him close to keep him from crying any more. He knows what Im about to do and what it will cost , but this is the only choice left to 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 victory, or give death, because Ive 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 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 Shis harrowing energies ravaging my physical and taphysical self. Barrelling through without hesitation for fear I wont follow through, I Visualize my Will and harness the Energy of the Heavens around . Allowing myself a brief, infinitesimal mont to wallow in regret, I quietly bid this life farewell and look into my dogs big, brown eyes, wishing I didnt have to part with him so soon once again and hoping he can survive without . 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 ti for regrets as my Natal Souls swarm out onto the battlefield alongside my countless brethren, just monts before Zhen Shis 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 ti for my loved ones to retreat and regroup, but either way, I fear my saga ends here today.
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Insight flooded through Milas 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-aning idiot who didnt want to say anything to distract her in battle, but an idiot all the sa for thinking she wouldnt notice sothing was wrong. All his emotions were laid bare as their souls rged together as one, a rather romantic gesture if not for the fact that she knew hed done the sa 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 sothing 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. Sothing 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 ca 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 accomplishnts, she was no dainty princess to be waited on hand and foot either, and shed 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 shed never truly understood why until now. Shed 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 beco a source of energy unto herself.
And now, that ti had co. 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 consu 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 sa, 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 battlents of Shi Bei, and she did not hesitate to do so. Her Core thrumd with the power of the Sun, an energy unlike Chi, Heavenly Energy, or anything else shed ever seen before, but also as familiar to her as the sunset, of which shed 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 trics. Such was the cost of ignition, the accumulated density of bone and muscle mass which made her so formidable a Warrior consud to create this newfangled sun energy, but not only could she recover this in ti, 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 decades 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 wasnt sure if she could even call it Chi anymore. Instead of rely 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 afla and burned to a crisp imdiately upon entering her Radiant Domain, one which Developed and Manifested itself in less ti than it took to blink an eye.
Rains work, that Domain bit, and his Natal Soul was apologetic for overstepping his bounds, though Mila magnanimously forgave him considering shed cleared an entire section of the wall singlehandedly. Shed been wary of accepting too much of his help, worried shed beco reliant on it to progress, but she saw now that his Natal Soul was rely helping her bridge a connection to the Heavens which helped guide her along her Path, the sa 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 Milas 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 Rains emotions were in turmoil, and why he was both loving and apologetic. Praying shed sohow 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 mont of respite before the next wave of Half-Demons arrived. Dont 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 didnt 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 Yans 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 tis 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 ssage 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 hed finally gone too far. Theyd touched on this briefly before, and never went into greater depths because they lacked ti 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 ti than see her die before him. Tears spilled down Yans 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 husbands 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 couldnt leave them to die no matter how much she yearned to be at her husbands side. Her grief turned to rage as she delivered howling death to her foes who forced her husband to such extres. 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 shed ever experienced before.
But one she would not lose, not after everything her idiot husband had sacrificed in the na of victory, and Yan could only hope shed still have a husband to scold after all this was said and done.
Rapidly shifting between love and hatred ti and ti again, Yan settled into a tenuous Balance, but not the familiar, cozy Balance of moderation shed kept to all her life. No, this was a Balance of Extres, one in which even a monts 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 extres, where freezing cold t 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 battlents, 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 beloveds 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, hed 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 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
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