"I feel like I should repeat this once more, the Blank is NOT our ennemy. We have no way to oppose them, and even if what the means to attack them, I am not crazy enough for that. They are not normally that active. I think that they got quite mad about Sabi, but he is someone we can't afford to lose. He could be the key that we've been looking for during decades. The only disciple ever since the creation of the sect who would be able to get the sect to the top. As for the current situation with the other sects, I will see what I can do with our current allies. In the meantime, I want you to train the disciples. The time has come for us to....Go beyond the traditional mean of training disciples. We are at war, and the disciples are now our soldiers." Giran declared with a solemn look. The situation looked bleak but all the elders had hope. For even if their leader had been wounded so easily, he still remained a force to be reckoned on the continent.
The disciples though would have a rude awakening soon. They all thought that the Raja Sect was this unstoppable force, but when they were told just how hard they would need to train and fight in the months to come, they understood that it wasn't the case at all. The sect was in the worst position possible, and only miracles could save it.
*********
( With Jian and Li Kuo )
It had been a few days since the Akaryu Order had wiped out the demonic forest. They continued on their paths instead of going back from where they came. For their mission wasn't only to wipe out the forest. They had a little stop to make at the capital of the Li Zhang Kingdom before their mission was truly over.
It was only after all those days, that Jian and Li Kuo woke up. They had been healed and fed by the doctor the knights had taken with them for their mission, a relatively young brown haired girl who looked quite shook as she entered the inn where the soldiers were drinking themselves to death.
" CAPTAIN !" She screamed, looking around frantically, as all the soldiers suddenly grabbed their sword in one fluid and synchronized motion. The captain who had been talking to his sergeant turned his head and frowned. The doctor seemed completely terrified, and the look that damn weasel from the Vishnu Institute had on his face didn't please him at all.
"Speak, what is it doctor ?" He asked. The doctor noticed the man from the institute looking at them and decided to approach the captain so they could speak without the man listening.
" Well.....The two disciples woke up. But they are....They are acting quite weird. They woke up due to a nightmare, most likely induced by their confrontation with the Asura. The one named Li Kuo immediately left the room I had placed them in and went away to 'train' as he put it. The other one is just staring at his sword in shock, and no matter how much I yell at him he just doesn't seem to register me. " She said. While no one was really surprised by what she said, Wei Lu who was drinking a tea alone in a corner of the inn heard what she said with her enhanced hearing and nearly spilt her tea.
"Excuse me, miss. Did you just say his sword ? Not his 'broken' sword ?" She asked, her lips trembling.
"Broken sword ? What broken sword ? The crimson sword the boy was examining wasn't broken at all." The doctor said. A flash recognition went through Wei Lu's eyes and she dashed away, confusing the doctor even more, while the captain frowned.
" Sergeant, follow her. Miss Chirucci, I'll need you to go see the state of the gate elder next." The captain ordered before grabbing the sergeant's drink and downing it in a second.
The two women went to do what they were told, while the previously gigantic man, Berum, sat besides the captain and acted as if he was reading a newspaper he had bought on his way, while actually talking to the man.
"We're gonna have a problem, Jiyuu." Berum said as the captain nodded. They both knew what this was about already.
" Here's what I think we should do. We drop the two kids at the capital so the little prince can talk to his family. We also give them a scroll of teleportation so they can go back to thei sect immediately. We can't do much ourselves in the end. However you know that two members of the Zhao Tribe are supposed to join our ranks in a week or so, right ?" The captain said as Berum chuckled darkly.
" You wanna launch the rabid dogs at the ennemies of the Raja Sect. My, Jiyuu, I knew you loved that Shina woman, but this is a bit too much isn't it. We both actually know just how bad the Raja Sect is. In this situation none of the two sides are actually good enough to stand up for. Even though our soldiers want to help the weakest side, the Raja Sect need to....Pay, at some point. " Berum said.
Jiyuu took out the little pendant he had, and placed it on the table.
" I have made a promise, Berum. I joined this order to fulfill it. I will never forget my true objective....." He said as they both looked at each other before smiling.
" We will protect the heads of the snake, be it the one shrouded in darkness or the one standing in the light. "
"Indeed my friend, we shall protect the snake forever. "
*********
( With the doctor )
She had just come out of Wei Feng's room. The man was doing good, and was simply caressing the two headed snake tattoo he had while seemingly being lost in his thoughts.
She had then decided to leave the sergeant to spy on the disciple named Jian, for she was much more interested in the other disciple. This Li Kuo seemed to be in great distress, and as a proud member of the Ryu Knight Orders she would help him.
She found him outside of the little town the captain had decided to stop at. He was shouting something while thrusting his arm forward. He had thrown his robe away, and was only wearing his pants now, showing his frail but developping body. He was sweating heavily due to his efforts, that seemed quite pointless.
However just as she was about to call out to him, he shouted ' Zero Sword' once more, and a sword made out of purple ice came out of his palm. He quickly grabbed it and swung it around. It moved swiftly in the air, leaving a thing trail of purple qi behind.
Chirucci soon became awed by the dance that Li Kuo started to execute. He didn't look like it, but he actually had a great form. He seemed to be quite good with sword. But she assumed that the reason he didn't use them was due to his weak body. However he could move around easily with this blade, so it must incredibly light.
Li Kuo suddenly stopped his dance and focused on the blade, putting his two hands on the handle, he close his eyes as the sword began to glow.
" ARGHHHH !" He began to scream, the blade hissing in his hands. However he refused to let go.
" I don't wish to be weak anymore, lend me you power you stubborn monster !!!" He yelled , his hair standing out as his developping muscles bulged. The sword hissed even more, ice now encasing his hands as he breathed heavily. The glow only became more visible, until the blade broke, an immense amount of frost qi being liberated.
Surprisingly Chirucci didn't seem bothered at all, in fact she stood still as the Qi assaulted her.
"I....I DID IT !!!" Li Kuo exclaimed as he lifted his new blade as high as possible. It now had the shape of a real sword. Thin, elegant and most importantly deadly. It was nothing like the crude and sharp cluster of ice he previously held. He had successfully summoned the sword of the Zero King.
" That's quite impressive." Chirucci said, a warm smile on her face as Li Kuo gasped and turned around in a hurry. He looked quite embarassed but still let out a quiet ' thanks'. Chirucci approached him and put her hand on his torso, examining his body. She then saw that he wasn't even remotely fazed by her actions. She expected a boy his age to be blushing even a little bit, but it seemed normaly to him.
' Must be because he is a noble. The nobles in the Li Zhang Kingdom aren't exactly....Prudes. Interesting.' She thought looking at him with an bigger smile.
" So, doc.....Nothing wrong with my body ?" He asked, closing in on the distance that separated their face. She actually found herself blushing as she started at his face.
' I didn't notice it before, but he is really handsome. Even a bit too handsome in fact !'
She looked away and nodded her head before they both heard a huge boom and turned around in time to see an explosion destroying the house in which Chirucci had let Wei Feng and Jian.
"Damn that hot-blooded sergeant !" Chirucci cursed and was about to run towards the house, but Li Kuo grabbed her.
" I just unlocked my next power. I think it's a occasion to test it out. Wouldn't you agree miss ?" He said. She found herself unable to resist his pretty face, and so she ended up nodding despite the fact that the boy couldn't possibly deal with the sergeant.
Li Kuo moved forward, his face changing completely in an instant. Gone was the kindess in his eyes, he now looked ready to kill.
' Time to see if I'm still such a weakling. Time to prove you wrong, you damn monster !'