Chapter 712

Chapter 712

What are Demons?

According to Taduks stories, theyre the Fathers most foul minions created in a fit of jealous rage. Using these avatars of anger and hatred, destruction and wrath, the Father poisoned the hearts of beasts and men alike, turning them into the Defiled. In this manner, He incited a war between the Mothers children and the Defiled, one that has been fought since time immemorial, and will be fought until one side has been wholly eradicated.

Thats how the creation myth goes at least, and it goes on to say that the Father taught the Demons how to take physical form and the Mother countered this by teaching humans and beasts how to cultivate, thereby stabilizing the balance of power ensuring the stalemate would continue on into infinity. Even when I first heard it, I thought there were some wonky bits with the story, but Taduk told me the important takeaways were that Demons exist and they want to kill everything. Since hearing this tale, I have witnessed more Demonic births than I care to count, and each one has been wholly unsettling, but now that Ive Refined my body into a Spiritual Heart and have had time to think things through, Ive got a fresh and possibly unique perspective regarding this obscure subject matter.

In Zhen Shis horrific notes detailing his vast assortment of experiments, he noted that Subject 1791 progressed from commoner to Peak Expert in a matter of seconds before Demonification ensued, a detail Id overlooked until just now. Though Huanhuzi himself is undoubtedly a Peak Expert, there are many pirates around us in the midst of the transformation process who were far less advanced, with their strength running the gamut from base Defiled to Expert Warrior. Yet each one without fail, each and every one of them advances to the Peak of the Martial Path before my very eyes, their progress perceived not with my bodily senses, but with the Spiritual Sense I have remarked upon before, but never really understood. An ineffable sense of knowing without knowing, an intuition that refuses to allow itself to be quantified, that is the best way I can describe it, but words do not do it justice. This Spiritual Sense is how I know where my Spiritual Weapons are at all times, and also how I perceive the flow of Heavenly Energy when others are demonstrating Purity. Its also how I can feel these Demonic hosts growing in power, their strength flourishing within their bodies as the Fathers foul attentions takes root upon them, preparing their mortal forms for the unholy transformation to come and unleashing an Aura of depraved corruption that is anathema to the human existence in the process.

All of which begs the question: why?

Why is it a requirement for a Demonic host to become a Peak Expert before the transformation can take place? Core Creation, Aura Condensation, Natal Palace Formation, and Domain Development are not the only milestones these mortals touch upon in the moments before transformation. The Energy of the Heavens surges into each and every one of these hosts, not only their Cores, but their physical bodies as well, Refining their mortal physiques into a Spiritual Heart, for only then can they survive what comes next as the Spectres take action. The Hosts are not killed out of hand, but rather relegated to the status of consenting passenger or defeated prisoner within their own Cores as they surrender control of their very souls, as I saw firsthand with poor Bei way back in Sanshu. Back then, I lacked the right perspective to understand what I was seeing, but I still remember everything as clear as day. There she knelt, inside the confines of her humble hut while butchering the remains of her slain father to prepare him into a meal for her husband Gen, who would soon appear to dine and torment her some more. Trapped in a prison of her own devising, Bei had surrendered herself to despair for the heinous crime of murdering her father, a crime she was forced to commit by none other than Gen. Immersed within this fabricated illusion made real within her Natal Palace, Bei wholly resisted any and all of my efforts to get her to stop, believing that she deserved to suffer for what she had wrought and refusing to see things any other way, even reaffirming how she belonged to Gen and that her place was there, in that nightmarish hellhole of a Natal Palace.

And yet, things are different with Huanhuzi before me. Armless and resigned, the Bandit King accepted his surrender and the Fathers foul attentions fell upon him, but still his mind remains intact. Reality ripples and distorts as the Energy of the Heavens surges downwards to refine his body into a Spiritual heart, his corporeal form merging with his Core and diminishing the separation between the physical and metaphysical, while going another step further than even what I accomplished. Though I am unable to divine what this step entails, I can tell that this is what Zhen Shi considers a true Peak Expert judging by what he wrote in his notes, a being who is but a half-step from Divinity, and anything less is but a mere pretender to the title. Was it arrogance and pretension which made him think this way, to view anything short of absolute perfection as sub-par, or was it merely due to his Imperial upbringing altering his perspective of the Martial Path? Six of one, half a dozen of the other, perhaps, but it raises more questions worth looking into later. For now though, the physical transformation process has begun and I must commit every moment to memory.

Only after Huanhuzis armless body has been refined into a Spiritual Heart do the Spectres make their presence known, flowing out of the Void where they were hidden from my sight to emerge in the physical world. This explains their conspicuous absence from the Central Citadel in past weeks, as these embodiments of the worst aspects of human nature continued their nefarious workings from beyond my reach and perception. Here in the wake of these Demonic births however, they have no need to fear being Devoured by me, leaving them free to wreak havoc to their black hearts content and pursue their most primitive desire, to regain a foothold in the physical world and take form once more. Severed slivers of soul filled with the darkest of emotions, they meld together to form a single, ramshackle facsimile of a true soul lacking all that is good and holy. Bound by purpose and desire, this depraved Demonic Spectre is driven by a thousand and one differing intents, yet all pursue the same purpose as it charges into Huanhuzis Soul with triumphant glee, its goal soon to be realized as soon as it seize control of the Natal Throne and complete the transformation from human to Demon in full.

Only this newfangled amalgamated soul, this Demonic Spectre, is no match for the Bandit Kings steely resolve.

There is no surrender in the half-badgers eyes, no anguish or despair to be found, only mild regret and steadfast determination as he resists the Demonic Spectres lies and seizes control from its intangible clutches. The Energy of the Heavens cares not who holds control of the Throne and accedes to Huanhuzis whims, reshaping his body to his vision and intent rather than succumbing to the jumbled and sometimes contradicting demands of the amalgamated Demonic Spectre. This is a struggle for control in every sense of the word, a Balance unlike any other I have seen, but it is Balance all the same. The Razors Edge, Gen called it, and I now understand why, for there is little room for error as Huanhuzi takes hold of the twin powers of Creation and Destruction and hangs on for dear life. One mistake, one errant thought or moment of distraction, and the Demonic Spectre will take control, as it did with Bei and does with so many of Huanhuzis subordinate pirates attempting to accomplish the same thing. Here in the coastal waters of the Azure Sea, dozens, if not hundreds of Demons manifest before my eyes, their dark and oppressive Aura emanating out from all directions, but only a few succeed at holding fast to sanity.

Those who slip from the Razors edge lose their humanity entirely, transforming into inhuman existences which can no longer be called human or Defiled, but are true Demons in every metric which counts. So long as the Demonic Spectre holds control, the hosts eternal soul will be trapped in an endless cycle of hatred, anguish, misery, and contempt, their dark emotions drawing in the Energy of the Heavens and fuelling not only the transformation process, but the Demons life itself. The more powerful the emotions, the more powerful the Demon, but even this much isnt enough, for humans are resilient creatures and will eventually grow numb to their Demonic Spectres torments. Hence the need to consume human flesh and extract the energy contained within, to augment what their hosts can provide, for the Demon is otherwise unable to access the Energy of the Heavens. More food for thought, but as always, it is the exception to the rule that proves most fascinating as Huanhuzi defies expectations and holds fast to his humanity in the face of such overwhelming doom and despair.

Though his body continues to ripple and distort, the half-badgers eyes remain steadfastly fixated on my own, seething with anger and hatred while emanating pain and resignation. He was driven to this decision, one he would have much rather avoided, but in the face of imminent defeat, he felt like he was left with no other choice. A lie, one told to himself, but one as old as humanity itself, that the ends justify the means so long as continued survival is on the line. A selfish desire, one of the three poisons according to the Noble Eight-Fold Path, the craving for existence, one which has caused the downfall of many a good person. Who can claim to truly not fear death? Even I, a man who has personally experienced life after death, fear what comes next, because it is still wholly unknown and unfathomable, so how can I blame anyone else for wanting to live but a moment longer? No, the blame falls upon the Spectres with their whispered lies and false promises, tempting these doomed pirates into accepting a possible eternity of anguish and misery over the cold finality of death, which is no true life at all.

Huanhuzi knows all this and more, so he resists with all he has, holding onto dear life and bending the Demonic Spectre to his will while trapping it within his leather Runic Armour which merges with his flesh and blood. Bound together in physical form, but yet also distinctly separate, and the same can be said of his soul as the Bandit King treads the Razors Edge and emerges from the other side. A mass of writhing dark hair emerges from his formerly bald head, thick, lustrous, obsidian fur save for a streak of white down the middle that travels all the way down his back. More fur emerges from his torso to poke out from his armour as his face narrows and elongates as befitting his bestial nature, and his body follows suit as a stubby, white-striped badger tail emerges from the back of his pants. Two monstrous, furred arms erupting from the severed stumps I left him, but before they have fully taken form, his lifeless limbs rise out of the waters still clinging fast to his axe and cutlass. The flesh is broken down to help fuel his transformation even as the weapons merge with the Demonic Spirit itself, a part of his Core as much as his body is now. The end result is a hulking abomination far more befitting of the title half-beast, a creature that is both beast and man yet belonging to neither category, the Demonic half-badger Bandit King, Huanhuzi.

A revolting, abomination of nature, one anathema to human life, this motherfucker dares to have bear arms before me?

...Okay, I might be fixating on the wrong point, and those are definitely badger arms, not bear, but my outrage still stands. How fucking dare he subvert my dreams like this? He has no right! None whatsoever!

There were other half-beast Demonic Warriors at the siege of the Central Citadel, but none as bestial as Huanhuzi, whose human face and torso stands in stark contrast to his badger arms and tail. I can only chalk the difference up to artistic interpretation, or perhaps Huanhuzis reluctance to take this dangerous step or inability to retain his humanity, but either way, I can sense his strength has improved by leaps and bounds and I might no longer be his match. Regardless of this, I have never been one to back down from a challenge, and the indignity of having my dreams stolen away fuel my desire for combat. As soon as the Fathers foul attentions wears off and Huanhuzi is no longer protected by the Energy of the Heavens, I unleash a point-blank thrust with all the strength I can muster, one built upon the twin concepts of the Mountain Collapsing Stomp and Moms Deadly Thorns, the move she used to wound the half-step Divinity Monk Eyebrows. A Honed, pulsating blade of Chi emerges from Unitys tip, driven home into the Demonic Huanhuzis torso by Deer Pierces the Horizon and exploding into a bramble bush of piercing Chi as my physical blade punches deep into his unholy flesh.

All of which the bestial Bandit King shrugs off without flinching as he unleashes a lightning-fast counter which almost takes my head clean off my neck.

Cold sweat drips down my back as I recover from the abrupt jolt, pulled out of the fire by Dads fast reflexes and Gao Changongs timely intervention. The Western Major General fights alongside two of his comrades to keep Huanhuzi in check, their staves flashing in rhythmic tempo to the beat of their foes attacks. Even three against one, the Bandit King still holds the initiative, his speed only above average at best, but his strength and durability unmatched. Despite almost losing my life to deal what should have been a fatal blow, Huanhuzis wounds have sealed shut and even his armour has mended itself back together again, leaving no discernible sign of my valiant efforts behind. The ship shudders under his ponderous weight as he dances across the rolling deck with grace and ease few can match, still utilizing those same advantages he used against me in order to dodge the majority of the Western Warriors attacks and shrugging off those few that do connect.

But soon, the tides and numbers turn in his favour as his Demonic reinforcements join the fray, horrific, newly-birthed Demons and half-Demons eager to slaughter and feast to their dark hearts intent.

Dad has long since left my side to lend his efforts to the cause, slaughtering his way over to engage Huanhuzi but blocked by a seemingly endless stream of Demons barring his Path. Seeing him take a glancing blow brings me back to reality as I rush forward to lend a hand, but Dad recovers easily enough and waves me off while dispatching his foe with ease. Though he wont say as much in words, hes telling me my presence at his side would be more hindrance than aid, so I should fight elsewhere instead of distracting him. I cant blame him either, because hes right, for my greatest failing as a Martial Warrior is my inability to remain focused and stay ten steps ahead of what comes next. I can no longer afford to rely on reaction alone, because my foes move faster than my mind can process, and if Dad sees me going down a path to destruction, he cannot help but try and save me, even at the cost of his own life.

I sense all this and more in the blink of an eye, but I am most focused on Dad himself. There is no sorrow or grievance to be found in my heroic father, bloodied but unbroken as he fights the good fight against his half-Demonic foe, for the Bandit King is a challenge he has not faced since... well, ever. The odds are grim and Dads fate all but sealed, yet still he struggles against the inevitable to the bitter end, seeking to kill at least one more Demon, Defiled, or Half-Demon before he goes. His soldiers falter and fall, but still he refuses to succumb to despair, with not a hint of malice or enmity directed towards me for leading him into this mess. Within him burns only righteous anger and even unbridled glee as he takes part in what he believes to be his final stand against the hateful and insidious Enemy, a fine a death as any. His only regret is that he could not see his beautiful mountain rose one last time before he goes, but he finds a hint of dark humour in the fact that he will die before her, after she spent so many years worrying about what would become of him after she was gone. He thinks its better this way, because Dad knows Mom is right, that he would crumble apart without her there to keep him sane and happy. She is more than his rose, she is his roots in this world, his sole anchor to humanity now that his daughter is wholly grown and independent, and his son a dragon come into his own. Unlike so many other Warriors taking their last stand atop the freighter, Dad was never one who fought for justice or morals, not like his beloved Mentor and Mother. No, Dad fights because he is in love with death, a hunter and predator through and through. Without the Enemy to sate his blood lust, he might well turn against the Empire if only for the challenge, a man of restless competitive spirit wholly devoted to the Martial Path.

Though he regrets he will be unable to support me any longer, he wholeheartedly believes I will be fine without him, because I am the man he wishes he could have been, the kind-hearted successor his Mentor truly deserves. Thats how my father sees me, and it fills me with warmth and despair for I know I can never truly measure up to his ideals.

I am but a man who tries to do what is right, and only when I cannot ignore the wrongness in front of me. Were I not conscripted into the war effort as a Sentinel and later Warrant Officer, I wouldve been perfectly fine sitting around at home while soldiers fought and died on the front lines. Sure, I spent a fortune opening schools and orphanages to feed hungry children and their families, but only because I was stationed at the Northern Wall and unable to overlook the gaunt, hungry stares of the beggars lining each and every street. People were starving in Shen Huo long before that, and I did nothing about it, because I only stopped in to visit every few months at most, so it didnt bother me as much. Out of sight, out of mind, thats how I live my life, and my efforts to right the world only go as far as my own personal view.

All this is made clear to me as I watch these Imperial heroes fight the good fight, and I am overwhelmed by the sheer depth and breadth of emotion surging through the air. The Demons taste it, desire it, but cannot consume it, for they lack that which is necessary to perceive these emotions, or anything outside the spectrum of hatred, sorrow, and wrath.

But I can. And not only can I perceive it, but I can also make use of it, a fact which reveals itself as the cold waters wrap me in a warm and familiar embrace, one that reminds me of what I must do next.

Calm your mind. Focus on nothing.

Draw yourself inwards and open yourself to the Energy of the Heavens.

Seek nothing, find everything.

Be aware of nothing, but awareness itself.

My nerves tingle, from my scalp down to my toes.

The pores on my skin open.

Barriers fall and the truth slips through, revealing what I should have known all along.

My second Awakening in Nan Ping Bay was no Awakening at all, but rather something entirely different.

For three days, I immersed myself in those waters and Channelled the Energy of the Heavens, so its no wonder that everyone thought it was a second Awakening, but there has never been a recorded incident in which one person was Awakened twice. No, rather than Channelling the Energy of the Heavens into my Core to unveil the secrets of an Elemental Blessing, those three days in Nan Ping Bay were spent Channelling Chi out tothe waters around me, similar to my efforts to bind bathwater both before and after the fact.

Only this was a feat I accomplished thanks solely to Blobbys intrinsic properties as a droplet of Heavenly Water, meaning there is more to him than the mere physical, and more than enough to fill an entire Sea.

Now, as I submerse myself in these familiar waters once more, I realize what I accomplished on that fateful day, and why Blobby never responded to my calls ever since. I didnt lose him, nor did I send him away, or even wholly merge with him as Abbot believes. No, instead, I made him a part of me, then separated myself from the bulk of him, because not only was my body, mind, and soul wholly unable to withstand the power Id come to comprehend, but I was also too scared to accept the truths that had been revealed to me. I am still scared, terrified even, because I do not feel like I belong in this world, but I have found a life too precious to let slip by and people I love too much to leave alone.

I am Falling Rain. I am Baledagh. I am Rayne. I am all three at once, and none of them in truth, because I am not the same person I was yesterday, nor will I be this same person I am now when tomorrow comes around. Though the Soul is an eternal vessel in which we carry all our emotions and experiences, it is also ever changing because we are always coming across new experiences. Thus, we as people are ever evolving and adapting to these new experiences, and only once we are dead and gone does our very being cease to change.

Dad is not Baatar without his beloved Mountain Rose. For better or worse, Daxian would not be the man he is today without GangShu, nor is Gao Changgong the same man if the West had held. Lei Gong is not the Lord of Thunder without his traitorous subordinates, and Kuang Biao is not Kuang Biao if not for the Grand Marshal. We as people are in a constant state of flux, but I have clung too much to the past at the expense of what lays ahead. I need to stop worrying about who I was or who I am, and instead focus on who I want to be, because with enough time and effort, perhaps I will one day become the hand-waving, spell-chanting, circle-drawing, fire-throwing, dragon summoning wizard Ive always wanted to be.

I mean, its unlikely, but if someone had come up to me ten years ago and told me Id marry three wives and have more to come, Id have straight up laughed in their face, so whos to say I wont one day rain fire and lightning down upon my foes from atop my summoned dragon on high? For now though, those abilities are out of my wheelhouse, but out here on the Azure Sea, with so many heroes of the Empire standing at my side, I am wholly within my Element.

This is my Domain, and its high time I sent these trespassers packing.

Chapter Meme