In the same ancient cavern pulsing with dark energy, the duel between Joon and Jiho escalates into an explosive display of martial prowess and demonic qi manipulation, each blow carrying the weight of their burgeoning powers.
'After absorbing power and this little bits of training this morning, I got faster.'
[By 20%]
Joon grinned, "Hell yeah."
Jiho smirked, "Hoh? Smiling? You must be confident."
"I am. Don't go too easy on me." Joon joked with a smile.
"I'd prefer not to. Besides, how would you grow if I let you beat me?"
"I'm thinking the same."
"How?"
"How would HE react if I accidentally killed you after this? For making the mistake of not giving your all?"
Jiho thought, 'He smiled when he said that, but there's a bloodlust oozing out of them. It was like gravity. He was weak to my aura earlier, you mean to tell me he adapted to it that fast and now I'm the one feeling his?! Who the hell is this kid? Vaelle…what else did you see in him?'
Elara yelled to Joon, "Kick his ass, Joon! He made us eat toxic poison!"
Caelan replied to Elara, "Ugh, don't remind me. I've embarrassed myself in front of you hooligans."
Torin laughed, "It was fun! Right Zephyr?"
Zephyr sighed, "Nothing was pleasant about that."
Yuna said, "Gross. He made you guys eat poison? All we had to do was make it."
Yeohee added, "It's because we're older and more mature, no way the same thing would happen to us."
Kang agreed with them both, "Exactly!"
Joon said to Elara, "Don't worry, I won't go too hard. He deserves payback for what he did."
Joon assesses Jiho, his mind racing with 'I need to use his momentum against him.' Suddenly, Joon darts forward, using his demonic qi to enhance his speed. His fist aims for Jiho's chest, a hard straight shot to test his defense. Jiho reacts swiftly, his axes crossing before him to block, the clashing energies sparking upon contact. In response, Jiho swings one ax horizontally. As the blade moves, blood-red spikes erupt from the ground, aiming for Joon's sides. Joon flips back, barely avoiding the spikes, his trench coat billowing.
'Tch! That was close. So he can use his qi-rune weapons to carve blood spikes in the air, making them even stationary in mid air, and make them erupt from the ground. And they're sharp! I won't take it away from him, but he's strong. One cut from that would be fatal, even though I'm tough I have to be careful.'
Regaining his stance, Joon focuses, his demonic qi swirling visibly around his fists. He punches the air, sending a shockwave of force towards Jiho. Simultaneously, Jiho spins, his axe slicing through the shockwave, dissipating it and redirecting energy-spiked slivers of blood towards Joon. Joon side steps, feeling a slice across his upper arm, the cut deeper than expected. Blood drips, but his demonic qi begins to close the wound slightly, but slowly.
[Time for wound to heal : 4 minutes]
'Dammit…he almost ripped my face off. Okay, I have to get on the offensive again. And it seems my regeneration has gotten better now ever since I devoured that blood and Xiahou Anara.'
Seizing the moment, Jiho advances, axes a whirlwind of dark energy and sharp metal. Joon counters, weaving in close, ducking under a swing to deliver a series of rapid punches to Jiho's ribs. Each hit resonates with demonic qi, pushing Jiho back. Joon thinks, 'Keep him off balance, exploit the openings.' Jiho grunts, feeling the blows but retaliating with a sudden upward swing aimed at Joon's chin, forcing him to retreat.
Jiho slid back, saying, "You're learning to apply your demonic qi to your speed and strength, keep it up."
'I hate him. Vaelle, I hate him.'
Jumping back, Joon uses his qi to propel himself into the air, somersaulting to gain a high vantage. He dives, attempting a kick from above. Jiho looks up, slashing with both axes, creating a cross-shaped barrier of blood spikes in midair. Joon twists in the air, avoiding the deadly barricade, but the move costs him the chance to strike.
'Got him!'
Landing agilely, Joon feints to the left, a blur of motion, then zips to the right. Jiho momentarily follows the feint but recovers just in time to parry a fierce side kick. The impact sends vibrations through Jiho's arms. Joon backs off, circling, trying to find another opening.
'Close again! He's adapting to my strategies.'
Jiho thought, 'Foolish child. I've been alive longer than you, you think some feint is gonna work on me? I've fought plenty of enemies before, my experience record compliments me. I should up the ante so the other children can really fear me.'
Reading the pattern, Jiho anticipates Joon's next move. He slams his axes together, chanting briefly, and a large circle of blood spikes emerges around him, creating a hazardous zone. Joon, realizing the trap, focuses, leaping high to escape the immediate danger, thinking strategically, 'Need to turn his weapon against him!'
From midair, Joon sends a barrage of qi-enhanced punches downward, turning his falling momentum into offensive energy. The ground around Jiho cracks under the assault, and though Jiho blocks most, a few powerful hits land, bruising through his guard.
KATHOOM!
A blow lands on Jiho's face, splattering blood on the ground.
'How did an attack slip through?!' Jiho thought.
Joon saw the reaction on Jiho's face, and smirked, "You're probably wondering how I was able to hit you again. I won't tell you though."
'Every time I strike, he focuses his own qi to expand his senses around him. Meaning he can sense when I'm gonna infuse my own demonic qi in my blows. And he can sense which parts of my body I'm using demonic qi to enhance. He's a veteran fighter, so there's no doubt he's capable of that. So I've been leading him on over and over by purposely infusing demonic qi into expected blows, but during my barrage, I switched them back and forth from my right and left hand, catching him off guard and mixing up my punching patterns. Wait, how do I know all of that?'
[After devouring the essence of Xiahou Anara, spurts of her wisdom are infused into you every time you get stronger. 30% of her wisdom has been infused in you]
'Ah. You did mention I would get spurts of the power I devoured with Xiahou Anara. This is good.'
Using the brief moment when Joon touches down, Jiho swings his ax in a wide arc again, not aiming directly at Joon but at a rocky stone beside them. The force of the swing sends a massive shard of rock hurtling towards Joon, who rolls aside, the shard grazing his shoulder and leaving a trail of blood staining his outfit.
'He's trying to block my vision? Catch me off guard like I did him?' Joon thought.
FWOOSH!
Joon gasped as he leaned back, Jiho dashing towards him at light speed, swinging his axes towards his head. Joon had barely dodged it, the ground cracking at the force of the speed. Joon backflipped away, gritting his teeth, thinking, 'Now he's going all out?!'
Jiho said, "What's the matter? Can't take the heat?"
Joon smiled, "I want more of it!"
Both warriors, panting, face each other with renewed determination. Jiho's next ax swing releases an expanding wave of blood spikes across the floor, turning the terrain into a minefield. Joon, concentrating, uses bursts of demonic qi for lightning-fast hops between safe spots, closing in on Jiho.
'Trying to knock my balance off, clever, but I have to get in close fast!'
Now at a dangerously close range, Joon launches a flurry of punches, each empowered and crackling with dark energy. Jiho parries with the shafts of his axes, countering with short, controlled chops aimed at Joon's limbs. They exchange several hits, each block and counterstrike forcing sparks and flakes of darkened blood to scatter. As they separate, both bleeding and clothes torn, Jiho nodded, "That was interesting."
Caelan said, "I could've beaten Jiho with my skills in under 15 seconds."
Torin put his arm around Caelan, "No you couldn't, haha!"
"Damn you to hell!"
Joon wiped sweat off of his forehead, and walked to Elara, saying, "How was that?"
Elara chuckled, "I was hoping you would kill him but, I guess this will do."
They locked hands, and Joon helped her off the ground.
Elsewhere around there, Blood Sect member Kiera and Old Han watched from a distance.
Kiera said, "Joon was able to dodge a full speed attack from Jiho? He really is something."
Old Han responded, "Of course. The Head has his eyes on him. And more eyes will be on all of them since today will be their first mission."
"Who's the target?"
"Ah, he's about to explain."
"Lazy. Old. Bastard. Cripple. Fool." Kiera scoffed at Old Han for not just telling her who the target was.
After the intense training session, Jiho called everyone to gather in a straight line, signaling the transition from strenuous practice to the serious undertone of their real mission. Jiho stood before them, his expression grave and determined.
"Today marks a significant chapter in your journey as assassins. Our mission takes us to the capital, where during the midday ceremony, you all will pose as monks from the Jin-an Temple. Covered in traditional robes and baskets over your heads, you will blend in seamlessly. Our target is Yu Baozhai, the notorious leader of the Black Lotus Sect," Jiho began, his voice carrying both weight and an undeniable edge of disdain.
"The Black Lotus Sect was thought to be exterminated by the Frost Lotus Sect centuries ago, after relentless wars that stained our lands with blood and sorrow. Yet, one survived—Yu Baozhai. Over the years, he has manipulated his way to power, exploiting his lust affinity to subjugate and dishonor countless women from various sects, forcing them into bearing his offspring." Jiho paused, his gaze hardening as if visualizing every injustice that had been allowed under Yu Baozhai's reign.
"Our mission is to end his reign. This act will not only liberate the afflicted but also send a message to every corrupt leader across the land that their actions will bear consequences. You all will take your qi-rune weapons with you. It's best used during stealth, since all of your abilities are somewhat explosive, it could cause too much attention. This will teach you all how to control the velocity and power of your own abilities using qi."
As the gravity of their task sank in, each warrior's face set into a mask of resolve. They then proceeded to gear up in the preparation area just outside the cave. Each member donned new shinobi outfits, primarily shaded in stark black with hints of deep red along the seams—colors symbolizing both the shadowed stealth of their approach and the blood justice they sought to deliver.
Caelan adjusted his qi-rune weapon, making sure it was securely attached to his belt, while Elara checked the flexibility of her frost-coated armor. Torin's hands moved deftly, attaching small pouches which likely contained components for summoning his spectral wolves. Zephyr practiced a few swift moves to ensure his outfit allowed him unrestricted movement. Yeonhee, Yuna, and Kang each performed similar checks, securing their unique weapons and gear.
Yuna said, "You're putting it on ALL WRONG."
Yeonhee pouted, "But I am!"
Kang replied, "That's tough, I don't know who to side with."
Once fully equipped, they gathered at the cave's entrance. Jiho looked over them, nodding his approval before saying, "Remember, you are shadows and silence. We strike decisively and vanish. Let the winds guide you."
Elara was quiet, and Joon came to her, saying, "Elara.."
"The Black Lotus sect, long term rivals of the Frost Lotus sect, the sect I'm from. I didn't tell you this, but they were our main enemies. Our women disappeared all the time."
"Elara…"
"Including my mother…my grandmother…and Hana was almost taken."
Joon thought, 'Shit..this must be hard on her.'
Elara walked away, saying, "You usually know what to say Joon, but I'd like to be left alone right now."
"O-Okay."
Elara walked away, thinking, 'I'm sorry Joon, I really am. But I can't look you in the face for so long. The Black Lotus sect…they're all 8th gate qi cultivators…we'll lose…you'll die. The Frost Lotus Sect and the Black Lotus sect were fighting for a few days straight, we won due to the fact that our frost deity had to be summoned.'
At that moment, Caelan walked up on Joon, saying to him, "We're going outside."
"Yeah."
"Me and you and Elara are the three strongest in this entire group."
"I think so."
"How about we bust an escape? You already showed you were on almost par with the instructor. If we all band together, we can kill his ass and take off."
"What happened to staying and getting stronger and getting revenge? What happened to wanting favor from the higher ups of the blood sect?"
Caelan thought, 'After dealing with Jae…seeing how worthless it was to fight for favor when you could get killed in an instant…it's not worth it. I don't want it. I get a bad feeling I'll be taken advantage of if I chase after being number one. After I've been through so much here, I realized…I could lose. I have…too much to live for. My mother and father are always waiting on me.'
Caelan walked away from Joon, "Nevermind, forget I said anything."
Joon thought, 'Everyone's getting in their feelings now. Is it anxiety? We're going outside in what seemed like an eternity, when it's only been a day. But our first mission, I'm sure if anyone tried to escape, they have a contingency for it. What if the Head watches from a distance? Yeah I thought about making an escape, but I have too much to do.'
Torin put his arm around Zephyr, "Our first mission! And we get to go outside!"
Zephyr chuckled at Torin, "We finally get to fight alongside each other again, against other people, as we did when we first met."
"Hell yeah! Nothing will stop us!"
With that, they moved out, swiftly transitioning from the static nature of the cave to the dynamic environment of the forest. They darted through the trees, their movements a blur of precision and speed, driven by their shared purpose. The scenery rushed by in streaks of green and brown, the exterior world barely registering as they focused on the rhythm of their advance.
"Remember to keep your mind and senses sharp," Zephyr whispered to Torin as they leaped from one tree branch to another, the wind whistling past them.
"Yes! Zephyr, let's have a competition to see who kills the most people!"
"That's…rather dark."
Their race through the trees was not just a physical journey but a mental preparation, each warrior internally rehearsing the steps of the mission. The thought of what awaited society should they fail fueled their resolve to succeed. In the distance, the outline of the capital began to emerge, its myriad structures a maze they were ready to navigate.
Everyone breathed in the air under the sunlight, some almost shed a tear, but Joon had dropped many tears. He remembered playing with his puppies under the cool air and bright sun, and this reminded him of it.
He wiped his tears, thinking, 'I'm doing this all for you guys.'