Chapter 816

Chapter 816

There is no time for thought or deliberation as I roll and dive about the sands, avoiding a flurry of kicks and stomps that might well squash me flat.

Say what you will about Zhen Shi, but from what Ive seen thus far, Im not too too impressed by his Warrior prowess. Though hes fast as lightning and hits like a truck, his Movements are exceedingly simple and straightforward, just regular, unsophisticated strikes which prioritize efficiency and effectiveness above all else. Now, this isnt exactly a terrible thing, because if this were a test of the Forms and his familiarity with them, he would score full marks, able to always pinpoint the most direct and practical method to render me unable to fight back. Without Pong Pong radiating his Aura of Deflection to subtly sap away the lions share of the force and momentum behind each of Zhen Shis attacks, wouldve died a dozen times over, but if my foe were even half as competent as Gerel is in combat, then this fight wouldve long been over and done with.

Zhen Shis decision making reminds me of how Zian used to fight, always picking the most optimal response in any given situation. It doesnt matter how fast his attacks come or what tricky angle he approaches from if I can read his target in advance, which is a simple enough matter once I start leaving openings for him to strike at. A foot left just a bit too far out, an arm raised too high, a wild swing that I almost overcommit to, I repeatedly offer these obvious weaknesses only to avoid the all too predictable attack which follows. It feels like Zhen Shi has a pre-determined flowchart of actions that he put together a few centuries ago and has never deviated from the plan since, like a robot that takes the optimal route each and every time, and thus is easily avoided. All I need to do is stay on my toes and always be moving, dancing back and forth while threatening him with Sword Force which I am slowly growing more and more familiar with each exchange.

A minute ago, I needed a meme or a chant to help me Visualize my Intent, but now, the Sword Force is flowing freely, with Peace and Tranquility emanating an air of menace which clearly has Zhen Shis guard up. I can hurt him if I connect, but hes a man who prioritizes caution over all else, not because hes afraid of death, but because hes overly confident in his prowess. He doesnt just want to defeat me, he wants to capture me alive, which is just arrogance at its finest. Im not complaining though, because Im pretty sure Id already be dead if he wasnt being so careful.

A fist clips my shoulder, a foot slams home into my knee, a heel comes down upon my foot. Despite all my bluster about easily reading him, its still no simple task avoiding all his blows. The strikes come fast and hard as Zhen Shi aims to immobilize or incapacitate me with his pin-point attacks, but between Pong Pongs defenses, my Materialized Domain Defenses, ability to Heal on the fly, and clever feints and positioning on my part, Im able to slip away with only bruises and fractures rather than the crippling injuries I might otherwise have suffered. Its not exactly glowing praise, but its better than losing outright as I scramble and skirt across the desert sands to delay near certain defeat. I spend more time on the back foot than I would like, and at times am even forced to Cloud Step away to keep ahead of my foe, but a second passes, then another, then a third as I evade capture and draw out this battle between us.

Seconds paid for in blood, sweat, and pain. Despite Healing faster than Ive ever Healed before, the injuries are stacking up as Zhen Shi targets my ankles time and time again. When my full focus is on avoiding a broken foot, he switches it up and goes for a palm strike to the chest, one which breaks my ribs anew even after Pong Pongs Domain Deflecting a good ninety-five percent of Zhen Shis strength away. The difference is all in the timing, because while the Deflection diffuses the speed and momentum of his previous attacks, my foe has caught onto the precise limits of Pong Pongs Domain Deflection and gauged that the best time to Amplify his attacks for maximum force upon impact. All he has to do is wait patiently until his strike is about to physically connect, which sounds simple in theory, but considering hes only in control of the variables on one half of the equation and has a margin of error measured in milliseconds at most, its fairly impressive to say the least.

A minor change in timing, yet a significant one that gives Zhen Shi strength enough to pummel me into oblivion, and the next dozen blows follow suit as he aims for my chin and throat in a renewed effort to knock me the fuck out.

All the while, Buddy sits in the sand and whimpers in a general sense of worry, and an inability to understand why Im still fighting if I dont have strength enough to win. According to his doggy logic, now that Ive realized Im no match, I should either run or submit and hope for the best, neither of which is really possible. Zhen Shi is much faster than I am, and is very carefully herding me ever westward as we fight, so even if I could get away, Id only be running into danger and the unknown, meaning my best to ensure someone comes to my rescue would be to stand and fight. Pong Pong shares Buddys concerns, but thats because animals prioritize immediate survival above all else, and neither my turtle nor my dog understand that Im being led around by the nose.

The stakes are high and all the chips are on the line, so I cannot just turn tail and run. That would only lead to inevitable defeat once I am exhausted and isolated from my allies. I need to escape from Zhen Shis clutches and head back to Shi Bei to seek support from my family and allies, but I dont see any way forward from here. All I can do is slowly give ground before my foe until he inevitably lands one good hit to subdue me, a future which is set in stone unless I can come up with a way to change things. Frustrating doesnt even begin to describe it, as theres nothing I can do except fight the good fight and scour my brain for a meme to help me. That being said, I dont think I even have time to meme against Zhen Shi, because that requires a moment to breathe and focus, but the aggression continues to pile on as he slowly but surely drives me into a corner and brings our match close towards its inevitable conclusion.

With me beaten and broken and him free to flee from the Empire and spend a lifetime torturing me for all my secrets.

Ha. Cant wait to see the look on his face when he discovers I have no idea what Im doing.

Zhen Shis foot hooks around my ankle mid-air just as Im about to Cloud-Step away, resulting in a face first plant in the sand for yours truly. Rolling with the impact, I keep enough momentum to leap out of the way of his follow up stomp, one which slams into the sand a hairs breadth behind me and possesses strength enough to launch me aside on a wave of sand. Thats what I get for allowing myself to be distracted mid-fight, for not giving it my all and preparing for my loss. Its self-defeating, thinking like that, and the odds are stacked enough against me that I really shouldnt be getting in my own way.

Think positive, I tell myself, as I block a punch with the side of my face, one I shouldve been able to avoid if I wasnt so distracted by my own thoughts. Be optimistic. Things could be worse. The follow up knee to the chest does little to brighten my mood, but as I sail through the air like a sack of rice, I cling fast to hope even as the world dims around me.

Of course, Id be more optimistic if not for the fact that my brain urging me to be optimistic is a big part of the problem. Im always overthinking, overanalyzing, and over-internalizing everything happening all at once, because thats just who I am. An inquisitive and curious mind who spends too much time inside his own thoughts, which isnt always a bad thing, but it does have its downsides. The thinker in me would be happy with my memetic combat abilities and move on from there, because the problem has been solved and no longer worth consideration, but in practical terms, memes leave much to be desired. Coming up with the right meme is more a matter of luck and happenstance, because while I have a massive library of memes hidden away in my memories, theyre not all applicable to combat. Nor are they organized in any way, shape, or form, which adds even more time to the already lengthy process of Visualizing and/or Verbalizing the memes themselves. Against Zhen Shi, I barely even have time to react, much less think of and utilize any meme against him. By the time Im done calculating the best course of action, its already too late to act, which is why Im getting the shit kicked out of me at this very moment. I need to cut out the thinking part and just act, which I know is possible because Ive trained for this before, know how to fight and how to respond in any standard situation. I need to stop living in my head and just do it, but this is easier said than done. How do I change my whole personality to become more aggressive and domineering?

Well by doing what Ive always done when I find myself in over my head. Duh.

I am Falling Rain. I am Amigui. I am Rayne. Three names which all apply, and each one brings something different to the table, but while I have made my peace with who I am, there is still more to me than I care to admit. No matter what name I go by, I am a man driven by fear, so here and now, it is time to finally rise above them. Who I am is important, but now I must take that information and improve upon myself to become the Warrior once more, a man who will no longer be constrained by his fears and doubts. Forget victory, I just need to survive and make it back to my loved ones alive, so I Visualize the man I wish I could be, and proceed to act with courage and confidence which I do not truly possess.

Fake it til you make it, baby!

My eyes snap open to find Zhen Shis hand clamped around my neck as the world whizzes by. I havent been unconscious for long, not even a full second, but the speeds were travelling at is alarming to say the least. The tension in his fingers tells me my foe is aware that Im awake, and our sharp and sudden descent tells me hes about to slam me into the sand once again. Moving without thinking, I bring Tranquility up and around with a flick of my wrist, and the blade passes mere millimetres away from my nose before biting deep into the meat and bone of Zhen Shis forearm. The weapon was only Honed and fails to sever the hand entirely, but its still enough to force him to release me, and this time, instead of preparing for the rough landing ahead, I seize upon this opportunity to retaliate instead. Need and Purpose gives birth to Will and Intent as Peace surges with Sword Force and exits my hand to be Guided at my opponents unguarded mid-section. The weapon pierces through the Runic Robes and Domain Plated defenses both with laughable ease before plunging deep into Zhen Shis belly with a spray of blood, and I savour this minor victory with pride.

Give flesh, break bone, the mantra flashes through my head as I crash into the sands below, but the impact merely drives the air out of my lungs, which is all too easily ignored. Bouncing back to my feet, I take a moment to check on Mama Bun whos still floating safely along behind me, her paws planted and head held high as she enjoys every second of the ride. Turns out, Blackjacks not the only one with a need for speed, and I fear Mama Bun will soon be hounding me to take her out on thrill rides through the air, but that is a burden I will gladly bear. Seeing her joy brings a smile to my face even as I trade Tranquility for Unity in hand, because now that I am the Warrior once more, I feel confident enough to wield my glaive again.

Except I do. I am Amigui, the stillborn, the boy who survived in spite of the odds. My brother died so that I could live, and so I must continue to live in honour of his memory, meaning I cannot die here. I must endure. I must survive. I must fight until my dying breath, which means I can never stop fighting.

In this battle, I am not Rayne, Amigui, Falling Rain, or even Baledagh. Here and now, I am, first and foremost, the Undying Savage.

The world comes into focus as I peer out from half-lidded eyes. My laboured breaths send sharp pains shooting all throughout my body, and it would be easier to list off what doesnt hurt than what does, but I cling to life and hope itself as I set my wounds to mending with the Usable Heavenly Energy delivered unto me by my close brush with Demonification. Holding me by the ruined collar of my tattered robes, Zhen Shi heaves with rage and fury still left unspent, but he sees my injuries and knows I will not survive if he does not rein his anger in. A truth which feeds the fires of his fury, and I can sense the struggle within as he contemplates ending my life on a whim. The Spectres encourage the impulse, spur him to indulge in vengeance and bloodshed, but the logical, rational portion of Zhen Shis mind remains firmly in control. If I die, his best chance of finding answers goes with me, though I doubt hed be so restrained if he knew how little I actually understand. The thought makes my smile stretch even further, and Zhen Shi all but recoils at the sight of my bloodied, bared teeth, because he cannot fathom how I can continue to smile in light of all my horrific injuries.

It's simple really. I am suffering, but so is he, and we all know misery loves company.

There is no meme that springs to mind as I harness my emotions, no picture to tell a thousand words. I realize now why my earlier attack failed to do away with my foe, because my memes are a coping mechanism that allow me to view my emotions through the lens of humour and levity. My choice of song was apt and emotions weighty and effective, but I dulled the edge of my own attack by treating it all as a joke, because that is the only way I know how to approach my hidden pain. Im done joking now as I reach deep down and tap into the raw, unfiltered emotions of my past, but I reach not for the despair I know so well. Zhen Shi will be guarded against it, ready to shake it off and reject it, so I must look elsewhere for a different avenue of attack, one my foe presents to me on a silver platter. The anger of injustice, the rage of a beaten slave, the fury of a vengeful man returned for blood debts owed. These are the weapons I craft within the landscape of emotion, all my repressed ire and outrage which I have always left untouched, because I know how useless anger can be. Beating Gortan to death didnt make my nightmares any better, nor would it bring my brother back from the dead, so I never had much use for anger.

Until now.

Rather than a wave of hatred or torrent of rage directed towards my foe, I set my anger to simmering and let it slowly build up instead, feeding into Zhen Shis resentment and indignation and letting him stew in it for long seconds. The last of my usable Heavenly Energy sets my flesh to mending and bones to knitting as we lock eyes upon our battlefield, one which takes place not upon these desert sands, but deep within the landscapes of our minds and souls. This is not a direct confrontation like the one we had in Meng Sha, nor is it a clash of Auras, but rather a collaborative effort in which I see him not as my foe to oppress and overcome, but as an ally to support and bolster instead.

I always found it strange how Aura was able to differentiate between friend and foe without effort, but now I see that it all has to do with intent. I am not attacking Zhen Shi with my anger and resentment, but rather using it to help him come to terms with the anger inside him, the same way the Spectres help their host connect with the darkness hidden deep within. This wouldnt work if Zhen Shi wasnt already half-way consumed with rage, but hes too far gone to see the threat. Let your anger out, dont hold it all in, give in to your hatred and indignation, because that is the only way you can ever be free of it. This I know now, a truth which should have been obvious all along, but one I ignored because I thought it easier to ignore my sorrow and pretend like it didnt bother me. It did, in more ways that I ever knew, and if Id come to terms with my emotions before my crusade to the West, mastered my emotions and mastered myself, then I might well have killed Zhen Shi in our first exchange.

The Spectres surge within him and I sense the struggle for control playing out, with his emotions pulling him in all directions while he fights for calm and control. I see fear flicker across his eyes as he comes to terms with whats happening, realizes my part in spurring the Spectres to action which gives rise to further doubt and despair. A moment is all there is, a single moment of pure rage in which he almost gives in to emotion, but a moment is all I need. Earlier me wouldve stopped to think this through, hesitated for fear of the unknown, but the Warrior and Undying Savage both know that this is the only way. Focusing on his eyes and nothing else, I throw myself at him not physically, but mentally and spiritually, surging into the Void and his Natal Palace both, entering into his Domain using the same openings he left in his defenses to facilitate the movement of Spectres.

And there he sits in all his glory, radiant golden robes and all, though where before the Spectres were contained to his embroidery, now they are set loose within his soul.

Even as I watch, Zhen Shi reaches out with his Will and drags a torrent of Spectres back into his golden robes, only for another group to break free from within, and I sense his growing fear and frustration as he struggles to appear as calm and collected as can be. Foolish worm, he intones, radiating a sense of poise and composure as fake as my air of confidence and competence, making us both liars in a battle of self-delusion, but he doesnt stand a chance against the king. To think, you even dare set foot within this Sovereigns Domain, where you are powerless to resist. Utilizing his Will to lock me in place, Zhen Shi uses his Authority to hammer home the point and show just how much power he wields, but I know better than to give in. A most timely gift youve delivered, and this Sovereign will accept your surrender, though you deserve far worse than death.

Ha. A single laugh is all it takes to command his undivided attention, with whole hosts of Spectres breaking free from his robes in this brief moment of distraction. So what if Ive stepped foot within your Domain? Spoken with the confidence of an idiot who doesnt know any better, I flash Zhen Shi my best smile and pray that Im right. Your Authority was granted to you by the Heavens above, but I make my own Authority, seized for myself in defiance of natural law. The seed of doubt within Zhen Shi bears fruit once more as he succumbs to doubt and dismay, allowing me the opening I need to strike. An effort of Will is all it takes for my Runic Armour to materialize around me, not merely a Domain Plated Defense like in reality, but cold steel and empowered Runes as real as I am here in the Void. Peace, Tranquility, and Unity appear alongside me, and I take my sword in hand once more and ignite the light of hope within. I do not respect your Authority, nor do I recognize this area as your Domain, for my Domain exists wherever my Sword can reach.

Raising my sword to my lips, I kiss the hilt and smile, before adding, And you are standing well within range.

Again, there is no meme or chant, only a single moment of directed focus and unyielding Will as I Visualize my attack and Materialize it into existence. A wave of my hand sends out a blinding blade of light, one which slices through Zhen Shis soul from top to bottom and inflicts a wound which I know cannot kill him. Here in the Void, we are creatures of pure spirit and mere blades not enough to mortally wound us, but I dont need to kill him myself, not when there are so many Spectres ready and waiting to tear him apart.

For my blow was not aimed at Zhen Shi himself, but at the spiritual restraints he crafted within his Runic Robes to keep the Spectres in check. His expression flashes through a dozen emotions, doubt, denial, rage, rejection, terror, and finally resignation as he gazes upon the billowing mass of Spectres surging around him. It matters not the strength of his Will, for without the constraints of his Runic Robes, the sheer weight of emotion contained within is too much for Zhen Shi to handle in his current state of mind. Even Ive never faced so many Spectres at once, not even with Blobby there to back me up, as Zhen Shi has been at this for a long, long time and picked up quite the collection. Waving goodbye with a shit eating grin, I retreat from the Void and return to my still mending body, where I have nothing left to do but to sit back and watch the show as Zhen Shi goes toe to toe with millions upon millions of Spectres who all hunger for vengeance.

I didnt win, but I didnt lose either, and more importantly, Im pretty sure Ive spoiled Zhen Shis chances for victory too. I doubt fate would be so kind as to have Zhen Shi Demonize and become easy pickings for Blobby, but a man can dream, right?

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2

Chapter Meme 3