Chapter 212

Chapter 212

Still rattled from the jumpscare, I thank my blessings it was only the Mother's Militia hiding in the trees. I almost pissed myself when they dropped down, but luckily, I managed not to disgrace myself. XinYue was none too pleased by the news of Mao Mao's defection, but still managed to convince the guards at the Eastern Gate to let us in. Or maybe it would have been better to stay outside.

I dunno. I'm still unhappy about the whole situation with that thieving rat Jorani. Who does he think he is, taking three sets of Runic Armour for himself? I set him free to rob the Council, so everything he takes belongs to me. You should never trust a thief, all I got was a stupid watch which I had to give to Zian. Not to mention the Spiritual Weapons he took, a coiled rope, two staves, and who knows what else that bastard misappropriated. I mean, I knew we were making bank from robbing the Council shipments, but maybe I should have had Bulat keep the treasures for us. I could use a set of armour and Jorani's is more or less my size. Too bad I wasnt shameless enough to demand he strip and hand it over, but man... I wanted to.

Well, its too late now, Jorani and his crew of cutthroats are off helping Guard Captain Sovanna and, oddly enough, the Crossbone Corsairs. Guess theres still honour among thieves for what its worth. From what Ive been able to piece together from XinYue and Tenjins reports, the Magistrate has the Defiled bottled up at three choke points while the entire city evacuates towards Jiu Lang, so things arent looking great. Riding through the empty streets with my retinue and an escort of Militiamen, I note the eerie calm about the city, the beautiful scenery appearing desolate and foreboding with the smoke hanging overhead. A buffer of quiet tranquility between the battle to the South-West and the desperate scramble for safety to the East, I can only imagine what awaits us as I listen to the reports. Here I ride towards an all-out melee, where life and death are decided in an instant. No place for fancy footwork or complex maneuvers, this will be a brutal slugfest in which guts and stamina reign supreme while I am sorely lacking both.

I wholeheartedly regret every decision Ive ever made that led me here.

Looking to Mila for moral support, I find my freckled betrothed beaming with joy, chewing her lip in anticipation of the battle ahead. Riding beside her, Li Song is composed as ever, neither alarmed nor confident, only ready for whatever might come. How do they do it? Not even twenty years old, they have centuries of life to look forward to, yet here they are risking their lives without fear or apprehension. Id give anything to be safe and sound back home, but Mila is looking forward to the fight, hungry for fame and prestige.

Swallowing my fear, I exhale softly and scan the rest of my retinue. As the nominal commander present, their lives are in my hands. A terrifying thought, but Ive already mounted the tiger and theres no getting off now. Even XinYue seems to have fallen in line, deferring to my non-existent expertise for some unfathomable reason. Probably something to do with the Magistrate asking for a repeat performance of my first visit to Sanshu.

Stop worrying, everythings fine. Youre not taking command of the city, the Magistrate has things well in hand. Gerel's probably somewhere around here and all you need to do is reinforce the southernmost position. The Magistrate and Vichear are holding the centre while Jorani and co have the north. All that's left is to wait until Yuzhen arrives, and everything will be hunky dory. I've got Ravil and Bulat for long ranged support, as well as the bulk of my experts here with them, and I can always rely on Tenjin and Tursinai to take care of the big guns. Not to mention the Guard Leader, shes here looking out for me even if she wont admit...

Wait. Wheres the Guard Leader?

In my panic, I voice the question aloud and Tursinai giggles in reply. Silly boy, you need to pay more attention if you want to be a commander. She rode off the second we entered the city.

Well... fuck. I guess she wasnt lying. She really doesnt care if I live or die.

Mildly distressing, but everything is still fine. Nothing to worry about, just focus on preparing for the battle ahead. Okay, checklist of things to do. First, unleash Aura. Doesnt matter if they have someone countering you, just do it. Keep calm, no charging in. Deflection, Amplification, Honing, and Guiding, these are the tools at your disposal. Emphasize defence, hold your ground and take it easy. Remember, the bridge is rigged to collapse, so retreat is always an option, though preferably as a last resort. With the Defiled pushing forward at the bridges, this leaves the citizens safe to flee without pursuit. Every hour we delay brings salvation and safety that much closer. Easy Peasy.

Most importantly, do not under any circumstances give in to the Spectres. Theyre assholes and liars. Fuck them. You dont need them. You can do this. Believe in yourself.

Rounding the bend, I ride through the decorative gate and into the square, the tumultuous clash of blades and screams of death drowning out my thoughts. The fetid stench of death and battle assaults me as I take in the chaos, reeling back in shock and horror. An endless tide of dark-armoured Butchers back as far as the eye can see, they push and shove while waiting their turn to charge across the bridge and into the waiting blades of the beleaguered defenders. Arrayed in a shifting half circle, the guards of Sanshu are packed in shoulder to shoulder as they fight, exhaustion and desperation etched on every face.

Noticing a complete lack of reserve units, I quickly scrap my plan of taking it nice and easy. If the Defiled break through anywhere along the line, then theyll press in and surround the stretched out defenders. Gesturing for Bulat and Ravil to head out, they take every warrior without a Spiritual Weapon and move into the surrounding buildings. Taking position in the windows, they unleash hell upon the Enemy lines while ducking a smattering of return fire from looted crossbows, whittling down the Defiled numbers. What I wouldnt give for some explosives or rapid-fire ranged weapon, theyd do massive damage to the swarming enemy, but then again, so would a line of catapults. Then again, that might bring Demons popping out to deal with the war machines, which is less than ideal, so I suppose man to man and blade to blade is the only option. Dismounting from Mafu, I calm the eager quin and pass him off to a waiting Sentinel, knowing a straight up brawl is no place for quins or horses.

XinYues calm baritone sounds in my mind. The commanding officer welcomes our arrival and suggests we move in and spread ourselves among the men, bolstering their morale. Your thoughts?

With no one left to fight, I stand alone, panting on the bridge and surrounded by corpses. My Sentinels join me and line up, weapons ready to defend. Behind us, the guards let loose with cheers of victory, taking up a chant for Sanshu even as they stagger to the ground, exhausted and spent. Adrenaline still surging through my veins, I step forward and scream in wordless challenge, glaring at the Defiled one by one.

I am Falling Rain. The crowd hushes to hear my words, though Ive not really anything to follow with. Wasnt really planning on making a speech, the words just sorta slipped out. Going with the flow, I continue, The Undying Savage. Student of Medical Saint Taduk, Disciple of Major General Baatar, Grand Disciple of Lieutenant General Akanai. Khishig of the Bekhai. Err, shit. Now what?

An armoured form shoves his way up the bridge, wielding a sword and shield like my own. An impressive youngster. Brave too, offering challenge like that.

Wait what?

Ah fuck. All that naming business is prelude for a duel, isnt it? Me and my big fucking mouth.

Snapping out of my shock, I pick up the end of my opponents sentence. ... heart Nazier who puts an end to your life, something to take pride in.

Rain step back, youre not his match.. Tenjins Sending sounds in my mind, but its too late. Nazier tenses as his head drops from sight and time slows to a crawl. Recognizing the stance, I know exactly what to expect because Ive done the same thing often enough. Balance on Windy Leaf into... something. Either a thrust to my heart or slash at my neck, those are the most likely candidates. Almost as an afterthought, I lob Peace in an underhanded throw, Honing and Guiding the sword while lifting Tranquility to guard my neck and leaving my arm to take the brunt of any possible thrust.

God I hope I guessed right. I can survive a thrust with a little luck, but if he cuts my head off, its game over.

As expected, Nazier appears directly before me. His grin twists and falls away, transforming into a look of sheer terror as Peace plunges into his throat and coats me in a spray of blood. His momentum doesnt stop as his final strike lands firmly on Tranquility, my gamble having paid off for once. The blade deflects downwards into my shoulder but lacks any follow through as Nazier drops dead after impaling himself on Peace.

Still, the blow is powerful enough to lift me off the ground, and in a moment of sheer panic, I realize Im flying through the air, arcing over the bridge and into the water. Weightless and breathless, I hang in the air for a heart-wrenching second, glancing back at the guards and Sentinels waiting in the plaza. Milas mouth is opened in a scream, tears spilling from her beautiful, brown eyes. Cracking a smile, I channel my Chi and pack it densely as I can, embedding a short message before Sending it away, praying it doesnt unravel before reaching her.

Goodbye my love. Sorry.

Plunging into the cold, murky waters, a voice in the back of my head laughing at the absurdity of it all. At least I didnt die a coward, and even took down my undoubtedly superior opponent with me. Plus, Ive been wanting a swim for a few weeks now, and this totally counts. Gotta look on the bright side sometimes. Closing my eyes, I wait for death by carnivorous fish while sinking into the warm, comforting waters of Sanshu. It swirls around me, enveloping me in its embrace, and a smile stretches across my face. You know what? This is fine. It feels right, a cleansing dip in the waters, freeing me of all worldly fear and apprehension.

I should have done this days ago. Why did I wait so long?

Chapter Meme

- End of Volume 11 -