Chapter 461

Chapter 461

Opening my Core to the world, I Devour Heavenly Energy and Spectres without distinction.

Chaos and pandemonium breaks out across the fetid battlefield as the wails of Spectres fills the air, overwhelming the disheartened screams and bloodthirsty howls of Defiled and Imperial alike. The former flee and the latter pursue, joining the harmonies of dying groans and bitter curses to the discordant melodies of Spectre suffering which only I can hear, but there is no satisfaction to be gained in the work Ive done. No, if it were up to me, I would leave the Spectres be for a while longer yet, because the walls still stand, the camps still hold, and Sinuji remains whole. There is plenty of killing left to be done and it vexes me to cut things short, but I cant pick and choose between what to Devour, so it is an all or nothing act. Devouring Spectres is merely the side-effect in this case, because what I need now is to replenish my Chi reserves. I could still gather Chi using the traditional method of Balance and not scare off the Defiled, but Devouring is faster and Ill need all the strength I can muster.

Because Gen is here, and I will kill him. Who cares about the rest of the battle?

Better to defeat and humiliate him, make him suffer and regret.

There he sits atop his beaked monstrosity, surrounded by others of his kind. Though he looks different from my memories, I would recognize him even if he wore a different face. Theres something about him which stands out from the other Defiled, something I cannot place, yet it gives away his true identity like an illuminated arrow hanging over his head. Hes taller now, and has broader shoulders than I remember, built like a lean, athletic warrior and lacking the telltale deformities shared by other Defiled, unless you count the metallic sheen of his skin which stretches from forearm to fingertip. No longer a dirty, pinched-face villager, he could easily pass for a young Imperial noble with his ornate, green and silver Runic plate armour, a full set with breastplate, pauldrons, greaves, skirt, boots, and an open-faced helmet shaped like a wolfs head, and tigers and dragons aplenty on the rest.

Its infuriating to see him adorned with those animals, because hes no wolf, tiger, or dragon, and certainly not the prominent young hero he pretends to be. Beneath the thin veneer of wealth, strength, and confidence, Gen is nothing more than a craven bully and weak-willed shit-stain who will crumble at the first sign of adversity. He escaped justice in Sanshu, but he will not be so lucky again. Let the Defiled flee to fight another day, for their cavalry is all but eradicated, meaning they will be easy pickings for my quin riders or the Imperial light cavalry if Hongji orders a pursuit. Even if he doesnt, their deaths will come soon enough when they march on the Empire again, but Gen?

He dies today.

Death would be too easy, too merciful. He deserves so much worse.

On the surface, Gen appears eager to cross blades, but his eyes reveal him for the coward he truly is, panicking as I ride towards him with Unity in hand. Recovering from his surprise, Gen points two glowing-hot blade-fingers in my direction and unleashes a second bolt of fire, one larger and faster than the first. Cautioning Zabu to continue at a steady pace, I quickly deal with Gens attack the same way I dealt with the first. Deep in Enlightenment, time moves slowly and materializing Water Chi onto the flat of Unitys blade is as easy as turning my hand, while connecting with the firebolt is only slightly more difficult. As Water Chi meets Fire Chi, the flame dies and the water dissipates, not in the way water puts out fire or fire evaporates water, but more like two equal but opposite forces moving along the same string and negating one another when they meet, both disappearing without fanfare as if theyd never existed.

Im not entirely sure how it works except that its definitely not a rock-paper-scissors thing since I could probably use Water Chi to do the same to Yans Wind blades. Regardless, this is a matter to ponder later, because right now, theres killing to be done.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only

His end will be slow and agonizing to make him pay for his crimes. A thousand days of torture with Healers and Heavenly Energy to sustain him would only be the start...

Dispersing two of Gens firebolts expended over a fifth of my Water Chi, a hefty price but one I had to pay. Although I cant replace the depleted Water Chi, I have no real practical use for it anyways, so using it frees up valuable space in my Core for regular Chi. I know all too well how quickly the Defiled improve, and Gen improves faster than most, so not only is he better geared than I am, hes likely stronger and more skilled too. If I want him dead by my hands, then Ill need to use every tool in my arsenal to take his head and wear him down in a battle of endurance, which just so happens to be my specialty.

A shame there are so many Auras on the battlefield, rendering Honed Aura useless. Theres no way I could break through so many and still have Chi left to fight...

Drag the fight out and destroy him in mind and spirit. Shame him to the core and hurt him until he begs for the sweet relief of death.

Face twisted in a grimace, Gens fingers glow in preparation for a third firebolt, but unbeknownst to him, its already too late. A light squeeze of my calves and Zabu pounces into action, covering the last bit of distance in the blink of an eye. Blood splatters as Unity pierces through scale, bone, and brain, killing the gajashia before smashing into Gens belly. Protected by his Runic armour, the impact sends him flying off his dead mount and into the dirt, but Zabu has already ridden past his tumbling form and the fight is on in earnest. Unlike the rest of the Defiled, Gens mounted cronies didnt panic and flee when I started Devouring, but I suppose thats why they deserve the fancy Runic gear. Like Gen, theres something different about these armoured mounted bowmen, something... unsettling which makes them stand out from other Defiled, but I cant say what. Regardless, they die like any other Defiled, and impenetrable though their armour might be, their mounts are creatures of flesh and blood. After a quick exchange, Gens elite cavalry has been downgraded to elite infantry, milling about in a big clump of red, blue, and just a splash of yellow armour while surrounded on all sides by snapping quins and soldiers readying their bows and crossbows.

Knowing Gen could unleash a massive pillar of flame at any moment, I hold off on ordering my soldiers to let loose upon the huddled Defiled, tempting though it might be. Dismounting from Zabu, I strap Tranquility on and hang two gourds of Chi-infused water to my belt, just in case a Demon shows up and joins the party. Come out Gen, I call, my voice cold with fury. Stop hiding and face your death. Dumb as it is to face him in single combat, I dont want to risk one of my soldiers killing him by accident. Gens life is mine to take, and mine alone.

Great. The fucking T-1000 remembered hes got transforming metal hands. Just great.

After I kill you, Gen whispers, his eyes burning in delight as his finger inches closer to my heart, Ill kill all your friends too. I wanted you to watch them die, but Ill have to settle for simply telling you beforehand. Their deaths will be slow and painful, but Ive special plans for a chosen few. Leaning closer, his prodigious strength forces me to my knees and his face hovers mere centimetres from mine, his broken nose still crooked but no longer bleeding. You killed my Bei, so its only fair if I take your woman to replace her. Du Min Yan was her name, yes? A half-beast, but Ill still treat her well, burn her skin and delight in her screams. Sumila too. Ive a score to settle with that bitch, and that pretty little cat-girl too. I hear you

Roaring in rage, I surge to my feet and headbutt him in the face, accepting the pain of his talon piercing through my flesh to shut his vile mouth. Breaking his nose for the second time in this fight, I shove him away and ignore the sickening squelch from his talon sliding free from my flesh or the light-headed rush which accompanies it. Stemming the bleeding with a thought, I activate my Healing Keystone before bringing the fight to Gen once more, doing my best not to worry about my literal bleeding heart. Balance on Windy Leaf, but instead of Pierce the Horizon, I raise Tranquility and perform Traverse the Mountain, diving headfirst at my foes exposed face yet again. The flying tackle connects with a satisfying crunch, because whatevers protecting Gen from my Honed blades doesnt shield him from blunt impacts. Following up with Twin Horns, Peaces Honed edge glides across Gens Runic breastplate with the shriek of metal just before Tranquilitys dual blades deliver a powerful blow to his ribs, but I am not through yet.

Rush Hour was Baledaghs invention, but after running face first into Mahakalas steel belly, I figured itd be good to have a follow up in case I ever faced another impossibly durable foe.

Borrowing a page from Song, I perform Stalk the Dragon, Swipe the Rushes, Reverse the Flow, into Fanged Clutch, smashing Gen about with a series of Amplified attacks. Head, chest, wrist, knee, I aim at whatever exposed target is convenient and overwhelm him with a deluge of powerful attacks, going off-book and using whatever movements feel right. Spear Hand delivers a thrust to his chest and sends Gen reeling away while Prancing Stride and Rising Steps closes the distance. As he regains his footing, Darting Fang and Uplifts the Sequoia connects with his helmet, and Twisting Snap delivered by my foot sends him crashing to the dirt. Standing over my fallen foe, I unleash Standing Fury and rain a flurry of powerful strikes upon him, smashing his hands out of the way so he cannot defend against my frenzied attacks. The ring of metal on metal is almost soothing as I drum out a rhythm on his armour, the noise drowning out the wailing Spectres as I draw ever closer to victory.

Hurt him. Break him. He is powerless to resist, so savour his despair.

The world spins and I land heavily in the dirt, with quins bounding past as my soldiers charge into the fray. Pulling me to my feet, Argat drags me away from the battle, away from Gen who lies bloodied, battered, and breathing. No! The howl rips from my throat before my feet touch the ground, struggling to free myself from his grip as I watch the yellow-armoured Defiled drag my foe away. Gen needs to die!

Then you shouldve killed him when you had the chance. Argats grim tone is unapologetic as he forces me to look at whats happening around us. Duels over.The Demons are here.

A flash of lightning and clap of thunder punctuate his point as Lei Gong enters the battle, his stunning attack absorbed by Pudges shimmering shield of water. The Tyrant makes her presence known with a prismatic spray of light, radiating from a diamond ring worn on her right index finger which slams into a tentacle-cloaked Demon and sends it crashing back into the crowd. Pandemonium erupts as more Demons join the fray and I lose sight of Gen as my Experts coordinate a fighting retreat while the armoured Defiled do the same, so all I can do is swallow my fury and curse my ego for dragging the battle out as long as I did.

I had him on his knees with Unity at his throat. Why didnt I kill him? Even if I cant stab him, a hard enough thrust couldve broken his neck, and hes almost as good as dead.

...

The Spectres. They manipulated me, tricked me into letting him live. I couldve killed him, but they used my anger against me, made me want to prolong his pain and suffering. Win-win for them, since it raises the chances of Gen turning full Demon instead of the weird, quasi-Demon thing hes got going on right now. I suppose I was a bit premature to throw Balance entirely out the window, especially when Ive got more Spectres in my belly than Ive ever had before, but this is the first time theyve been so... persuasive in a long while.

Burning with anger and self-loathing, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and watch as the Defiled army makes a coordinated retreat, unwilling to continue fighting without their maddened auxiliaries. Scanning the crowd for Gen, I pray for one last opportunity to slit his throat and worry I might not get another chance. No more tricks and schemes, Spectres. Gen will not escape me again. It doesnt matter if he has a Domain and or fights alongside his disciplined Defiled soldiers, or even if he has a dozen more Demons waiting in the wings. Then next time I see him, Gen will die, whether it be by my hand or anothers.

No one threatens my beloved wives. No one.

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