[System Alert: Penalty Game activated! Dodge all of Aoto's attacks for 1 minute.]
Qin Tao frowns as he stands beside me, his voice low. "What are you planning, Li Mei?"
While it's certainly not my favorite idea, this is something I can manage. I'm not faster than Aoto but I can read the flow of his Qi.
I smile, placing my hand on Qin Tao's shoulder as I look up at him. My hand small against the grey of his robes. "I can't explain right now, I don't want them to hear me," I reply softly. "I'll okay."
I really hope so. I pull my hand away and walk into the center of the courtyard. I stretch, closing my eyes as I recenter myself.
My energy is weak, it'll still be another few days until the flow of my qi recovers from my talisman making spree.
There are advantages to rebirth in this system, I have the memories of my previous lives and something else.
I open my eyes as Lubi returns with a joss stick in hand. He watches me with a frown. "We'll make sure no one else interferes, Li Mei," he comments. He shifts his gaze to Aoto and his group with a small shake of his head. "If this the course you've decided, I trust you." He smiles, moving away.
"Thank you," I reply softly, more to myself than to Lubi.
Qin Tao clenches his jaw, he glares at the strangers in the court yard moving to the opposite side. I'd pray to the Goddess of luck but I still haven't forgiven her for the life before last.
The wind stills as if the court yard is holding its breath.
Lubi kneals down. "Aoto. Li Mei. Prepare yourselves, I'm lighting the joss stick. You have until it burns down. One strike to win, Aoto. Restrain yourself, this woman is our junior sister now," he warns.
Aoto stands before me in the center of the courtyard. He smirks, flicking the tail of his blond hair ovver his shoulder. His gaze sharp and arrogant.
I shift my stance as I focus my attention on Aoto's qi. In this moment, nothing else matters.
System, temporarily enable roll script.
[System Alert: Enabled. You will now see roll results.]
[System Alert: Demon Core Quest Reward: Hand of Destiny Unlocked! You are now able to play destiny cards to manipulate results.]
Good. I was wondering when it was going to tell me.
[3.... 2... 1. Go! You have 1 minute.]
Sandal wood incese fills the air. A bird cries out above me in the canopy of leaves. I sense the heat of the fiery rage of Aoto's qi before I see the flashing movement. He blinks into my field of vision, a fist raised to strike.
Before he can connect the world freezes.
[Your ability allows you to see the results before initiative resolves!]
[Aoto rolled, 2, 3, 4, 6, 6, 6]
[Li Mei rolled, 2, 4, 4]
Now is the tricky part, I'm not faster than Aoto but I have a skill that allows me to manipulate the threads of destiny in a sense. I don't have to be faster than Aoto, I just have to interfere with the way the system processes his chances of success.
He already has a set of three 6s, his attack is faster than my dodge of two 4s. He'll hit me.
[Do you want to play cards to change the results?]
[You have a full deck available.]
This is the real benefit of the system. Everything mortals do is a proverbial roll of the dice. The blessed possess exception luck and the Gods grant techniques that allow their favored champions to sway destiny in their favor or jinx their enemies.
It presents as a deck of cards one normally receives randomly as they act. I've been able to do this in previous lives and have been accumulating cards since I've been reborn.
Yes. Play a 1 on a 6 and 2 on a 6.
[Aoto's new roll after application of cards. 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 6]
Time flows once more, Aoto's face flies into the space where my face was. I slip put of the way his attack. His eyes widen in dismay, he should've hit me.
The whole combat rounds takes six seconds of joss stick burning to resolve. I only have to do this 10 more times.
He sharply spins, his leg swinging upward into a roundhouse kick.
[Aoto rolled, 1, 2, 4, 3, 7, 7]
[Li Mei rolled, 5, 5, 5]
[Do you want to play cards to change the results?]
[You have 50 cards remaining.]
My 3 of a kind beats the double. I want to save my cards for one if his better rolls later. I don't want to waste them now.
No.
I dance away as Aoto's foot misses me, dirtying the hem of my robe. He snarls, frustration plain across his face as he misses me again.
His qi shifts to his fist again as he launches forward again.
[Aoto rolled, 5, 5,5, 5, 4, 2]
[Li Mei rolled 6 ,6, 6]
[System Alert: You've satisfied a hidden requirement for a skill level up. Do you want to play a 6 of diamonds to increase your body skill?]
Excellent. It's better to grow skills at this stage Ike this.
Yes!
[System Alert: -1 card. Your skill level up will apply to the next round!]
[Do you want to play cards to change the results?]
[You have 49 cards remaining.]
Ugh. He's skilled. Though his set is lower in value than mine, it still beats mine. Luckily, it means if I drop the value of one of the 5s and not make another pair- I'll win the round again. If I was fighting and not just dodging- I would hit him before he hits me.
Secondary pairs allow for other techniques to activate. And I know he's skilled. The heat radiating from his fist warns me that if this hits, I will regret it. Not that I'll let him hit me.
Play a 3 on a 5.
[You have 48 cards remaining.]
[Aoto's new roll after application of cards, 3, 5, 5, 5, 4, 2]
I leap out of Aoto's reach. The arc of his fist trails sparks in its wake. Aoto glares at me, panting, his fist encased in flame.
Qin Tao shouts, "Aoto! Stop!"
Aoto has broken the unspoken rule of this fight. He's using a lethal qi technique while I'm restricted and can't use other techniques to truly block it. I can dodge or manipulate destiny but no one else knows that. At least not yet.
A buzzing fills the air and scratches at my skin. Someone is coming.
30 seconds left.
"No! It's not over yet!" Aoto roars, his aura igniting with irritation and rage. A wave of heat washes over me.
I draw into a new defensive stance. Qi rapidly pulsates and gathers into a sphere between his hands as he activates a technique.
Yup, the rope I handed Aoto is tightening into a noose. We could've argued this was an instance of a senior training his junior on how to improve her defensive techniques before, but now there's too much killing intent to be anything than a real fight.
He just forgot one thing.
[System Alert: Tranquility Ward activated! Heavenly restriction implementing.]
[Aoto rolled 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8!]
Oh sh@^.
[??? Interrupts Li Mei's action!]
[??? Altered Aoto's roll!!]
[Aoto's roll after modifications: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1!]
Oh sh@^!!
[Aoto has critically botched the Dragon's Roar technique! Failure penalty imposed.]
An intense weight crashes into me, pressing me to the ground. The orb of fire Aoto was gathering in his hands expodes, flames engulf him. His clothing is alight. He shrieks.
His brothers rush toward him as the last of the joss stick falls in a long string of ash to the ground.
[System Alert: Penalty Game successfully completed! Rewards willbe distributed shortly.]
I struggle against the weight on me. "Get off me," I demand, my body aching from the pressure.
"What is going on here?" A deep male voice barks from the direction of the gate. I lift my head and see a mountain of a man with striking long purple hair pulled into a ponytail and piercing dark eyes glaring at us. His black silken robes loosely closed by a purple sash billow behind him.
I think I recognize the man but I can't place a name. I struggle to stand but the Heavenly restriction keeps me pinned.
Qin Tao moves to meet the newcomer. "Honorable Senior Yujiro, Aoto was...."
"Stop," Yujiro orders with a raise of his hand. He looks between Aoto and myself for a moment. I'm pinned but otherwise, I'm unharmed for now. The weight of the restriction is overwhelming but it's point is made.
Aoto's skin is blackened, his robes in ashen tatters but the fire is out. His friends keep him upright.
"I want to hear this story from her lips, Qin Tao."