A/N:
Here is the next chapter to the story! I hope all of you like it!
Chapter 10: Li Pailong
"(Name) says that she wants to become a shaman." Anna said to Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru when we made it back to the house with the spirit and Ayumi in tow.
I could tell the spirit wasn't exactly thrilled about the situation. He felt extremely nervous and frustrated but he didn't try to stop me after I had made my decision.
Manta, Yoh, and Amidamaru stared at me for a few moments in complete silence as they blinked at me.
"What?!" they shouted in surprise and disbelief.
"I've offered to train her and so has Ayumi. She'll be doing the same special training you are." Anna said to Yoh as they looked at her and me in confusion.
I thought of the hellish training he had to go through on a daily basis and a feeling of dread took over me. What in the hell did I get myself into? If I didn't feel like I had a good reason there's absolutely no way I would be doing this. Hopefully I won't collapse after the first week like Yoh did. It wouldn't surprise me if he still collapsed while we weren't around to be honest...
I ate dinner at their house and stayed there for a little while as I watched television with Anna. All the running I did really took its toll on me. During that time Ayumi decided she was going to stay with Anna and Yoh instead of going back to the cemetery since she was now helping me train. They didn't seem to mind and neither did Amidamaru. In fact, those two seemed to hit it off pretty well.
"(Name)." Anna said as Manta and I were putting on our shoes to leave their house.
"What?" I asked her in confusion.
"As soon as your summer vocational classes are over I want you to come over to begin your special training."
"Okay." I said with a nod.
Yoh and Manta both looked at me and her in confusion again but they didn't say anything.
"Are you sure about this (Name)?" Manta asked me as we headed back to town.
"Yes. I'm sure."
"Why did you suddenly decide to become a shaman?"
"I made a promise to someone that I need to keep."
"A promise? To who?"
"An old friend." I said as I looked up at the night sky.
The rest of the way to town was silent and I parted ways with Manta before I headed home. I was a little nervous about my decision considering the circumstances but more than my fear I wanted to help Ren and Jun like I promised I would and I didn't want to have to rely on someone else to protect me. That night I had trouble falling asleep and the next day I was exhausted but I climbed out of bed and began my day.
When I made it to Yoh's place Anna was already outside waiting for me and handed me some weights to strap around my wrists and ankles. My body was already sore from yesterday's events but I did all of the training she asked me to do without complaints. I was ready to collapse onto the floor by the time it was almost dinner but she made me, Yoh, and Manta cook for her. After dinner she and Ayumi began to teach me the very basics of the Over Soul Merge and it wasn't until it was eight thirty I was allowed to leave. Thus began my shaman training...
Yoh and I were running together in the roaring heat as the afternoon sun beat down on us. Manta was riding his bicycle behind us and the spirit and Ayumi were next to me. A week has passed since the first day I started my training. It wasn't exactly easy to deal with training and my summer vocational classes but it was a decision that I had decided to make and I wasn't going to back out. At the moment though, I was fighting not to collapse. I knew exactly what Yoh felt like now.
I had on a purple tank top, black sweat pants, and sneakers that I changed into when I made it to Yoh's house. My hair was up in the high ponytail to keep it off of my neck. Manta wore his usual school uniform. Yoh had his hair up in a high ponytail with his headphones still on top of his head. He had on a white t-shirt, navy blue sweat pants, and his usual sandals.
We approached a bench on our training route and Yoh and I stopped at it and used it to lean on while panting in exhaustion.
"Let's stop for a bit... Let me take a break, just a little one..." Yoh said while panting.
"Y-Yeah... I can't run anymore." I said while also panting.
"Don't give up, Lord Yoh! You're already half done!" Amidamaru said as he appeared next to Manta.
"Yeah. You can do it." Ayumi said encouragingly.
"You mean I have half left?! Ah! If tears are the perspiration of the heart then perspiration is the tears of the body." Yoh said with a tired expression on his face as he and I sat down on the bench to rest.
"I haven't heard that one before." I said in amusement.
"Although, it's amazing that you've kept up this long and the same goes for you (Name). Yoh collapsed after just a week of her training." Manta said while still on his bicycle in front of us.
"I do feel like collapsing. It's been hard to deal with summer vocational classes and Anna's training. All I want to do is sleep." I muttered as Yoh let out a tired sigh.
"Those weights keep on getting heavier."
"As of late, my food has been tasting great." Yoh said.
All of us looked at him in confusion.
"Huh?" Manta said.
"In other words, it's like working out in order to eat tasty meals." Yoh said before he started laughing.
"That's... Isn't it tough?"
Yoh smiled and closed his eyes as he put his right hand behind his head.
"Well, if I train, fighting will be easier for me and Amidamaru. Plus, if I think it's fun it'll be fun."
"Lord Yoh..." Amidamaru said with a small smile on his lips as he looked at him affectionately.
A small smile appeared on my lips as I chuckled and shook my head.
This guy really is something.
Yoh stretched out his arms and legs and then jumped up onto his feet as he held his stomach.
"At this rate, I'll be able to eat 5 bowls of rice easily."
I chuckled again as I stood up and nodded my head in agreement.
"His stomach certainly seems well enough." Manta said.
"Let's go." I said before we all started to head further down our training route.
Just as we started to get a good pace again Manta yelled out from behind us causing Yoh and I to stop running. When all of us looked back at him we saw he had stopped in front of a bulletin board.
"Li Pailong?!" Manta shouted.
We walked back over to him and stared at the movie poster in confusion.
"What's a Li Pailong?" Yoh asked.
"You don't know?!" Manta asked in disbelief as he looked back at us.
I felt a whirlwind of emotions go through the spirit but the most prominent ones were longing and sadness. Why would he react like that just because of a movie poster?
Yoh, Amidamaru, Ayumi, and I spoke while we nodded our heads.
"Nope."
Manta stood on top of the seat of his bicycle with a proud look on his face.
"Li Pailong is, in the history of movies, no, in the history of the human world an action star from 17 years ago that will be renowned forever!"
"Aku-shon star? Is he a bad guy?" Amidamaru asked skeptically.
"No! Li Pailong is a kung fu hero who fights alone against evil with his body alone! He has a super human body, so he can perform super actions! His strength booms all over the world! He is famous historically!"
"If it was 17 years ago, I wasn't even born yet." Yoh said.
"Same here." I said.
"This is after I died so..." Amidamaru said.
"Same." Ayumi said.
"You should watch this movie! It will change the way you think!" Manta said excitedly as he flapped his arms up and down.
Yoh looked up at the sky and spoke after a few moments.
"Nah. Also, I don't have Anna's permission." Yoh said before he started to run again.
"I'm not really into this kind of film." I said before I followed after him as Amidamaru disappeared.
"Wait! Fist of Anger is one of his best titles!" Manta shouted as he followed us on his bicycle.
When we were forced to stop at a train crossing Manta looked at Yoh and I as we jogged in place and spoke.
"Li Pailong once said, "In a battle of strength, the person himself, as well as the opponent, will be hurt.""
After that the rails went up and we continued further down our route as he continued to speak.
"As he said, recoil occurs on extreme force. When the limit of one's power is reached, he will be destroyed. It's like... "The Wildness of Flowing Water", known by many. "Thick tree branches can be broken easily, but thin and flexible small tree branches won't be broken." Li Pailong mocks his opponent with feints and various kicking skills. And then, he gives his final blow when he spots an opening! How is it? Think it will be helpful in a Shaman Fight?" Manta asked with a bright smile.
"Shaman Fights are different from martial arts." Yoh said.
"That's true..." Manta said disheartened.
Yoh and I stopped running forward and looked back at him the second we noticed his change of attitude.
"You... Why do you want us to watch Li Pailong's movie so much?" Yoh asked as Manta stopped pedaling his bicycle.
He was quiet for a few moments before he looked down at the ground.
"Yoh and (Name)... I want Yoh and (Name) to know... The things I like... I want you to know them."
A light blush appeared on my cheeks before a small smile appeared on my lips as warmth filled my chest. It made me happy that he thought that.
"I see." Yoh said with a smile.
Manta looked up at us as we smiled at him and then nodded his head with a smile on his face.
The rest of the way to Yoh's house Manta continued to talk about Li Pailong with enthusiasm.
"The great thing about Li Pailong is that strength is not only within fictional stories, but is in movies as well!"
We made it back to the house and prepared some food before we were able to eat it. Anna was already in the living room watching television as we sat down at the small round table on the pillows on the floor. Manta continued to talk excitedly about Li Pailong throughout the entire meal while Anna ignored us.
"He mixed up martial arts from across the world, and created his own Kung fu, Daodandao!" Manta said excitedly as he stood back up.
"Daodandao?" Yoh and I asked.
"Yeah, it's called the most powerful martial art in the world. It's a one hit sure-kill fighting art! Known as Daodan in China, in other words, it possesses the destructive power of missiles!"
"Huh?" Yoh and I asked in amazement.
"No. I won't give you any money to watch movies." Anna said without hesitation.
"Eh?!" all of us said as we looked over at her.
"Any problems?" Anna asked as she dared us to go against her.
We stopped moving as we tensed up before we decided that we weren't going to say anything else as Yoh and I started to eat again.
"Even so, Daodandao's true objective isn't to defeat the enemy." Manta said with a smile as he tried to not be discouraged by her attitude.
"Meaning?" Yoh asked.
"Li Pailong's goal was to understand himself through martial arts and to find the greatest thing in the world."
"You certainly know a lot." Yoh said as Manta smiled proudly.
"It's common sense, common sense."
"What are you talking about? Since he's weak, without realizing it, he admires strong people." Anna said bluntly.
Manta's mouth fell open and he looked at her in disbelief.
"Admiration is something that gets stronger the more far fetched it is." Anna said.
That seemed to be the nail in the coffin. Manta became depressed and went over to the corner of the room and sat in it with his back to us.
"Hey, if you get discouraged from just that, you won't be able to keep up..." Yoh said with a weak smile.
"Far fetched... Yeah, Li Pailong is definitely way beyond my level... 17 years ago, before he completed Daodandao, he died mysteriously." Manta said as he turned his head to the side to look down at the floor.
"He's dead?" Yoh asked as Manta stood up and walked back over to us.
"Also, the body disappeared during the funeral. It's been a mystery until even now."
"What?" I asked with wide eyes.
"A dead body disappeared?" Anna asked with a little interest as I felt the spirit become a little nervous for some reason.
"Thanks for the meal!" Yoh and I said as we put our hands together in thanks.
"Anna, it'll be okay, right? Since (Name) and Yoh are training hard everyday, letting them take a break once in a while..." Manta said pleadingly.
Anna wordlessly stood up but didn't look at him.
"Anna!" Manta said pleadingly again.
"I'll go too." she said.
Manta made a sound of surprise before Anna looked back at him.
"What?" she asked.
"No, it's nothing..." Manta said nervously.
"Then shall we all go check it out? Li Pailong's strength." Yoh asked with a grin.
"I want to go too." Amidamaru said as he appeared with a smile on his lips.
"I want to as well. I'm curious about this Li Pailong." Ayumi said with a smile also on her lips.
I took a bath to get the sweat off of my body and changed back into my school uniform before Yoh also took a bath. When he was done he came out in his cream colored long sleeved top that was open and had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, green pants, a brown belt, his bear claw necklace, and his headphones on his head.
Once we were ready all of us headed to the small movie theater where the movie was being played. While we were watching it Yoh kept making sounds of amazement especially during the fighting scenes.
"Amazing!" Yoh suddenly shouted as he stood up.
"Shut up." Anna said annoyed as she punched him in the face.
When the movie was over we all walked out of the building as Yoh stretched his arms over his head and sighed.
"Li Pailong is really great!" Yoh said with a grin.
"Isn't he?!" Manta said.
"Yeah, he was so cool!"
"Going into the enemy's base all by himself..."
""Don't make me laugh! Taste my fury!"" Yoh and Manta yelled out before they made some martial arts moves.
I couldn't stop myself from laughing at their antics.
"Simpletons." Anna said bluntly.
"I was touched too. This movie thing, it was the first time I've seen one, but it was truly great." Amidamaru said impressed.
"It's impressive how much things have progressed since I've died. It was definitely an interesting experience." Ayumi said excitedly.
Yoh began to walk down the street as he continued to speak excitedly with his eyes closed.
"The wildness of flowing water... Such a cool thing to say."
He bumped into someone and fell to the ground. My eyes widened in surprise and alarm when I looked at the man. It was a Jiang Shi.
"What the..." Yoh said with a little pain.
"Uh oh..." I said to myself as I stared at it.
"Yoh!" Manta shouted in alarm.
"Lord Yoh! We've seen this guy before!" Amidamaru said as he came to his side while holding the handle of his sword.
A large group of them came out from the alleyways between the buildings before they stood in front of us along with the one that Yoh ran into.
Each one wore a black sleeveless top with orange edging and a high collar, black round hats on their heads with orange edging, black kung fu pants, a white piece of cloth that hung down from their waist and ended at their knees, and black flats. They had a sharp claw weapon that was strapped to their left arm and a piece of paper which hung down over their faces.
"T-That's a lot." I said tensely as the spirit became extremely nervous.
"Who is this guy?" Ayumi asked me.
"Jiang Shi." Anna said.
"Yeah, they're moving corpse puppets! Jiang Shi!" Manta shouted in alarm.
"They were probably sent by the Tao family." I said.
"What?" Anna asked as she looked at me in surprise.
"You mean he was sent by Ren?!" Ayumi shouted.
"That's right." I said with a nod.
"Really?!" Manta shouted at me with wide eyes.
"Yeah. His sister and mother can control corpses."
The spirit said something to the others and they looked over at him in confusion.
"Of course I'll protect her." Ayumi said to him.
He said something else and Yoh spoke.
"Yeah. I will. Where are you going?"
Everyone looked at him in confusion as the spirit distanced himself from us but I felt like he was still nearby.
"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.
"He said that he can't be around here. He's going to hide until everything is settled and has left your protection in my hands." Ayumi said.
I looked at her in confusion and hesitantly nodded my head. That's odd for him. Normally he tries to stay with me when we're in danger. Why is he trying to hide?
"You guys, stay away." Yoh said.
He walked over to the side of the theater and grabbed one of the many metal poles that were there. The Jiang Shi started to move and jumped up high into the air as they launched their attack.
"Yoh! Be careful!" I shouted.
"Amidamaru! Spirit Ball Mode! Over Soul Merge!" Yoh shouted as Amidamaru turned into a blue spirit ball and he shoved him inside of his chest.
"There are too many of them!" Manta shouted fearfully.
"It's all right." Anna said confidently.
Yoh managed to completely annihilate every single one of the Jiang Shi in one fell swoop before they could attack him and they all turned into dust as he stood up straight. He turned around and walked back over to us with a grin on his face as he continued to hold the pole in his right hand.
"I think I'm getting pretty good." Yoh said.
Amidamaru appeared behind him again and spoke.
"I feel stronger and even more comfortable while we're united!"
"It wasn't only that food tasted better, after all this training."
All of us heard clapping behind Yoh and we all looked over at the person in confusion as they stood further down the street. We couldn't clearly see who it was since it was dark outside and they weren't underneath the street light in front of them.
"It was great, Yoh Asakura." a woman said.
"Huh?" Yoh and I said in confusion.
"Not being able to hold you off with that many Jiang Shi... I apologize for underestimating you."
"Who are you?" Yoh asked as I started to become nervous.
"My name is, Jun Tao." she said as she walked into the light to reveal herself.
Pain shot through my heart as I stared at her. This was Ling's fiancée...
She was definitely gorgeous. She was a tall, slim, curvaceous woman. Her outfit was a black sleeveless Cheongsam that reached down to the middle of her shins. It had green edging, a green dragon that wrapped around the skirt until it reached her hips, and a panda face over her chest. There was a high slit which went up to her left hip and a diamond shaped hole over her chest. She also had on black flats. The back of her long green hair was held up by three large clips and pointed straight up into the air in three spikes. It reminded me of the spike Ren had. She had thick bangs that went across her forehead and large sections of loose hair that hung down in front of her ears to frame her face. Her eyes were the same blue color as the person who attacked us with their Jiang Shi a week ago. I knew because of the color of her hair and her eyes that she was more than likely the same person.
"Jun Tao..." Yoh said in surprise.
"Tao? Then..." Manta said.
"I'm Ren's big sister."
"Are you a shaman also?" Anna asked.
"Yeah. I'm a Daoshi."
"Daoshi?" Yoh asked.
"I think Daoshi are shamans who can control Jiang Shi with mere commands. With words written on a charm, it's possible to program Jiang Shi with multiple commands." Manta said.
"Yeah. Daoshi are a part of the shaman bloodline that has descended down amongst our mighty kingdom. I came here because I have a favor to ask you." Jun said.
"Favor?" Yoh asked.
"For my lovely little brother, Ren, could I take your samurai that Amidamaru?"
"Even if you asked nicely, I couldn't just say "Oh, is that all?"." Yoh said.
"It would be to your own advantage to give it up nicely." Jun said.
"It?" I asked quietly as she took out eight charms from the lace garter that was around her left leg.
So she really was under the same assumption that Ren was. She also thought that spirits were just tools to use. It doesn't surprise me considering who she is. Ling told me that she would.
"Now, come out, my warrior, Li Pailong!" Jun shouted.
"Li Pailong?" Yoh asked in shock.
"No way..." I said in disbelief as a bad feeling came to my stomach.
The ground behind us suddenly crumbled and we immediately turned around to see what was happening. At the same time I felt the spirits nervousness sky rocket as all of us stared at the figure that was coming up from underneath the road.
"She couldn't mean...?" Yoh said.
"That's...!" Manta said in shock and horror.
The man stood in front of us with a charm covering his face just like the other Jiang Shi but he was different. When the charm blew upwards due to the wind it revealed his face. He was the exact replica of Li Pailong who mysteriously died 17 years ago.
He had short unkept black hair and black eyes. Compared to everyone here, except Amidamaru, he was also extremely tall. His outfit was a black sleeveless shirt with a high collar that had green edging, black kung fu pants, a black tall round hat that had a charm attached to it, Nunchaku on his back with the chain in front of his neck, a green cloth that hung from his waist and went down to his knees, and black flats.
"Li Pailong!" Manta and I shouted in horror.
Li Pailong jumped over us and landed behind Jun before he stood behind her with his arms straight out in front of him.
"You should fully understand his strength by now, after that movie." Jun said.
"Li Pailong's Jiang Shi..." Yoh said in disbelief.
"No way... That's..." Manta said as his body shook.
"That's correct. Li Pailong is my main spirit, the strongest of the Tao family's possessions, the ultimate corpse weapon!" Jun said with a confident smile on her lips.
"Possession?! Weapon?!" Manta asked sounding heartbroken.
"You can't be serious! Li Pailong isn't just a possession or a weapon! He's a spirit that has the same feelings and emotions we have! He was once a living person who was just like you and me!" I shouted.
"What nonsense. Is that the kind of garbage you told Lan as well?" she asked as she glared at me.
"W-What?" I asked in surprise taken off guard by the hatred in her eyes and the sudden mention of Ling.
"I know who you are. Ren told me everything that happened. You're the friend that started to put useless garbage into Lan's head causing him to eventually meet his end."
I just looked at her in shock and astonishment from her harsh words as pain shot through my heart.
"Then as if that wasn't enough, you had enough nerve to hurt my little brother Ren. After I'm finished obtaining his samurai, I'll kill you just like you killed Lan." she said as she looked at me with cold eyes.
"I... I didn't kill Ling." I whispered as the image of his lifeless body appeared in my mind.
Even though I said that, I couldn't stop myself from believing her words. I knew for a fact that he ended up dying because he was protecting me. The way his lifeless body was positioned when I woke up that day proved that much to me. His dead body was holding me in its arms even though he had a large gaping hole in his chest. It was a memory that still haunted me and one that I tried to lock away as best as I could.
I quickly pushed the memory out of my mind and focused on Jun and Li Pailong. I've managed to keep it out of my mind this long and I wasn't planning on thinking about it now! I couldn't think about it now! I'm over it! I'm over it!
"Now, before I let Li Pailong move, hand over your samurai." Jun said.
"No." Yoh said calmly.
A glare appeared on her face as she looked at him.
"You don't want that, right Amidamaru." Yoh asked as Amidamaru appeared next to him again.
"Of course not." he said with his arms crossed over his chest.
"So you intend to stand in Ren's way until the end?" Jun asked.
"No, Amidamaru is my friend. That's why I can't trade him off like an item." Yoh said.
"Friend..."
"Yeah."
"What a stupid excuse." she said after a few moments.
"It's true!"
"It seems I have no choice but to kill you. Combat seal! Equip!" Jun shouted.
She threw her charm and it went over the one Pailong already had hanging over his face and his eyes glowed white before he started to move.
"Pailong, teach that kid a lesson!" Jun shouted as she extended her right arm to the side.
Pailong took a fighting stance and then charged at Yoh.
"Amidamaru!" Yoh shouted.
"I know! Target the charm!" Amidamaru said.
Yoh and Amidamaru prepared to attack him with their pole.
"Too weak!" Jun shouted.
Pailong managed to hit him with his Nunchaku and Yoh yelled out in pain as he was sent flying backwards and landed on the ground in front of us with a loud thud.
No way! This guy is nothing like the others! He managed to attack Yoh before he could even reach him!
"Yoh! That is Li Pailong's specialty, Nunchaku!" Manta shouted in alarm.
Pailong rapidly swung his Nunchaku around as Yoh sat up.
"Could it really be Li Pailong himself?!" Manta asked with pain, worry, and horror in his voice.
"Of course, we Daoshi control our main spirits within the spirit's own body while we manipulate them." Jun said with a composed smile.
"Since it's their body to begin with they can always maintain 100 percent Spirit Fusion." Anna said seriously.
"That is correct. In other words, the ability of the Jiang Shi is the same as that of a living Li Pailong."
"That's..." Manta said before he looked down to the ground in pain.
Yoh stood back up and then charged at Pailong. He let out a small yell as he jumped up into the air and held his pole with both of his hands as he raised his arms over his head. Pailong managed to wrap his Nunchaku around Yoh's pole and pulled it out of his hands before he could get an attack in.
"Damn!" Yoh said as my eyes widened in alarm.
"Yoh!" I shouted.
"My Pailong's unstoppable power!" Jun said.
She widened her stance and brought her right arm out to the side while holding a charm between the pointer and middle fingers of her right hand.
"With that body feel the pain!" Jun shouted as she brought her right arm across her chest and moved the other arm straight out in front of her with her left pointer and middle finger pointed up.
Pailong punched Yoh in the stomach and knocked the air out of him. After that Yoh's body hung limply over Pailong's fist as his pole fell to the ground.
"Yoh!" Manta shouted in alarm.
This is completely one sided! Yoh and Amidamaru can't seem to do anything against him! He always seems to attack them before they can get close enough to attack the charm!
"Resistance is futile. You can't win again me." Jun said as she walked over to him and Pailong.
After that she brought her mouth over to his ear and spoke.
"Now, hand over that samurai." Jun said with a confident expression on her face.
"Like I said, giving and taking cannot be done that easily!" Yoh said with pain in his voice.
A frown appeared on her lips for a moment before she smirked as she closed her eyes and stood up straight.
"I see you... So you don't mind being killed, right?"
She bit into her left thumb and then began to draw on one of her charms with the blood that came from the wound.
"Then I will do this. Pailong! Attack this kid until he dies!" she shouted before she threw the charm and it went over the one he had previously.
Pailong used the arm that Yoh was hanging over to launch him up high into the air as my eyes widened in alarm. Manta yelled out in alarm before Pailong jumped up into the air and launched another attack.
"Yoh!" I yelled out.
"Honja Kyaku!" Pailong shouted as he sent a flying kick into Yoh's stomach causing him to make a strangled sound of pain.
"You're weak!" Jun said as Yoh's body fell towards the ground.
"Zoujidaodan Kyaku." Pailong shouted as he kicked Yoh in the stomach with a downwards kick and sent him flying towards the ground.
Yoh yelled out in pain before he slammed into the ground and yelled out in pain again when he bounced off of it once due to the force of the impact. He made another sound of pain as he fell back onto the ground with a loud thud. Pailong landed in front of Jun with his arms straight out in front of him like a zombie. There was pain on Yoh's face as he slowly rolled over and managed to get back up onto his feet.
"This guy's really strong..." Yoh said as he struggled to stay on his feet.
My eyes widened in alarm again as he fell to the ground on his side facing us.
"Yoh!" Manta shouted as he ran over to him.
Yoh didn't say anything as his eyes remained shut and his mouth hung open while Manta grabbed a hold of his shirt.
"Are you alright? Open your eyes!" Manta shouted as he shook him.
"It's no use. No human can stand after being attacked by my Pailong." Jun said as she took a few steps forward.
There was a smile on her face that didn't match the situation.
"Step aside. I'll remove the samurai's spirit from that kid." she said to him.
"I won't let you!" I said as I ran forward to stand in front of Yoh protectively.
"(Name)!" Ayumi shouted tensely.
"What can you do? You can't even do a proper Over Soul Merge with a spirit let alone withstand my Pailong's attacks." Jun said in amusement.
"I don't care! I'm not going to let you kill Yoh or take away Amidamaru! They're important friends to me! I'll do anything that I can to stop this!" I shouted.
"It's useless."
"Why?! Li Pailong was supposed to be a guardian of justice! My...! He was my idol...! How could you do such a cruel thing?!" Manta asked with sadness as tears gathered in his eyes causing me to look at him sympathetically.
"What are you talking about?" Jun asked with a frown.
"Even if he's dead, Li Pailong is still Li Pailong!"
"Manta..." I said softly.
Anna walked over to him and stood next to him before she spoke.
"Li Pailong isn't the one at fault here. Even if it's his own body, he's still a Jiang Shi. The fact that he's being manipulated doesn't change anything. That's why the bad one is the girl who's manipulating him."
"Then... Then Pailong is... Ignoring his own will." Manta said as his unshed tears disappeared.
"A shaman is someone who controls spirits. The spirit's will is meaningless. In our Tao family, to become a great shaman we receive our main spirits when we are children. Ever since I was born 17 years ago, Li Pailong has been under my command."
"What?" I whispered in shock.
"17 years... Could it be?" Manta asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Li Pailong is the best present ever given to me by my father." Jun said with a cold smile on her face as my blood ran cold.
They killed him just so he could become her Jiang Shi...?
Manta fell to his hands and knees as tears fell from his eyes.
"How could that be...? That's too much. The Pailong I used to admire was killed for this... I can't believe this." Manta said with pain in his voice.
"Don't you care at all about another person's life or are you so surrounded by death that you don't even flinch when you see someone else die?! What about Ling?! Did you not care when he died?!" I shouted at her harshly as I lost my temper.
"Shut up!" she shouted at me with a hint of anger in her voice.
"All lives are important! To just take them away as if they were nothing without even thinking about the consequences... It's not right! Those people had hopes, dreams, and ambitions! How can you just take that all way from them and then have enough nerve to call them a tool and use them when you're done killing them?! They aren't just tools! They have feelings! They have dreams just like they did when they were alive! They feel happiness, sadness, fear, pain, and every other emotion we feel!" I shouted as my body shook and tears gathered in my eyes.
I envisioned Ling and Pailong who were both so full of life but refused to let my tears fall down my face. How could they just kill him like this?! How could they use him like this?! Would Ling simply be a tool for them to use as well if he was still around?! Would his existence in their lives be completely meaningless now?!
"You're so stupid for crying. No matter how much emotion you show, Jiang Shi don't have feelings." she said as she closed her eyes and frowned.
"That's not true!" Yoh said.
Jun's eyes opened and she looked at him in shock as her mouth fell open in disbelief. I turned my head and looked back at him as he sat up and smiled in relief since he was okay.
"Spirits aren't things! It's the feeling itself. There is no spirit without feelings!" Yoh said seriously.
"Yoh!" Manta said.
Yoh looked over at him with a grin and spoke.
"I'm pretty tough." he said before he laughed weakly.
"Yoh..." Manta said happily.
"Impossible! There shouldn't be anyone who can take Li Pailong's attacks and still stand!" Jun said in disbelief.
"Of course it hurt. But even so, to me and Amidamaru, attacks with any hesitation won't work." Yoh said as he slowly stood up with his pole in his right hand.
"Hesitation, you say?" Jun asked.
"That's right. No matter how much you may control his body with the charm, you can't control his heart! Isn't that right? Li Pailong?" Yoh asked as he looked at Pailong.
I looked back over at Li Pailong and my eyes widened in surprise when tears began to stream down his cheeks. Manta made a sound of surprise as Jun looked over at Pailong tensely.
"Impossible! For a frozen corpse to have feelings...!" Jun said.
Her eyes widened in shock before she looked over at me and Yoh in thought.
"That can't be! Pailong! He's not dead yet. Hurry up and finish him and then finish her off!" Jun ordered.
Pailong didn't move and stood there with tears still streaming down his cheeks.
"(Name), you should probably move." Yoh said seriously.
"R-Right." I said before I ran behind him in order to stand next to Anna, Manta, and Ayumi again.
"What are you doing?! Well!" Jun shouted.
Pailong tried to resist the charm that was commanding him as his right arm bent up and he slowly reached for his Nunchaku.
"Well!" Jun shouted again.
He eventually grabbed onto it as he let out a yell and then charged forward with tears still streaming down his cheeks. Manta let out a yell of alarm.
"Just wait, Li Pailong! I'll take off that charm and set your soul free!" Yoh declared before Pailong's Nunchaku wrapped around his left arm.
"That's foolish. It's impossible to win against Li Pailong. Don't you get that by now?!" Jun asked.
"Of course I don't! I'll try until the very end!" Yoh shouted.
He jumped up into the air as he aimed an attack at the charm but Pailong managed to knee him in the face before he could hit it. Yoh let out a yell of pain as he was thrown backwards and crashed down onto the ground while Manta made a sound of alarm.
"That's why I said it was impossible. To my Li Pailong, an attack in that range is definite. Pailong, show him the way to death." she said as she took a few steps forward to stand next to Pailong.
Pailong didn't move as he hesitated to attack Yoh again.
"Pailong!" Jun shouted again.
Pailong slowly walked towards him as Yoh struggled to get back up onto his feet. Yoh made a sound of surprise and quickly lifted his metal pole over his head to defend himself as Pailong swung his Nunchaku at him over and over again.
"Anna, lend some power to Yoh!" Manta said with worry in his voice.
"I was never planning to help him." Anna said calmly.
He made a sound of disbelief as he and I looked over at her.
"That's because, this is just another trial Yoh has to face to become Shaman King. If he loses to an opponent like this, he can never be one. I don't want to become the wife of a man who doesn't even have a chance of success in the future!"
"What?! What kind of woman are you?!" Manta shouted with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Shut up! Women are realistic." she said annoyed.
After that a calm expression appeared on her face and she continued to speak.
"Even so, I think Yoh can be one. That's why I'm here."
I could tell that she truly believed in his ability to win this fight. There was no doubt on her face or in her eyes. If she didn't think that he could do it then I don't think that she would hesitate to step in if needed. I could tell by the way she acts around him that she cares about him even if she doesn't express it that well and I think Yoh feels the same.
Yoh let out a yell of pain and I looked back over at him along with Manta. His pole flew up into the air as he fell back onto the ground at our feet.
"Yoh!" Manta shouted.
"My apologies, Lord Yoh, if only... if only I had something resembling a real katana I might be able to do something." Amidamaru said.
"Something resembling a katana?" Yoh asked.
"What do you mean?" Manta asked.
"If I had a katana with a grip handle I could destroy that absolute defense of his and attack from outside his attack range to slash off that troublesome charm." Amidamaru said tensely.
"From outside his attack range?" Yoh asked.
"A katana with a grip handle." Manta said in thought.
In other words if he had some sort of sword he would be able to win this fight? Where could we get one? The only person I know that has a sword is Ryu but I have no idea where he would be. I doubt that there's a place open for me to purchase a wooden sword this time of night.
Pailong and Jun walked over and stood in front of us.
"You are a shameful samurai for blaming your lack of skill on a katana." Jun said with a confident smile on her lips and her arms crossed over her chest.
She looked down at Manta with a serious expression on her face.
"If you don't want to get involved get out of here." Jun said to him causing me to look at her in surprise.
She's giving him the chance to run?
"This time, she's getting serious?!" Manta said as he took a step back in fear.
"Hurry up!" Jun said.
Manta didn't say anything for a few moments as he looked at her in fear before he turned around and ran away as he screamed.
"Manta!" Yoh and I shouted.
"He's a smart friend."
"Manta..." Yoh said.
Manta wouldn't really abandon Yoh would he? After everything we've been through would he really leave Yoh to save himself?
"I can't play around with you any more. I'll finish this now." Jun said seriously.
"Damn it!" I shouted.
I have to do something!
"I'll follow him Yoh! Just try not to get killed until we get back! Ayumi come with me!" I said tensely before I ran after him.
"Do you really think that I'll let you escape? Pailong stop her!" Jun shouted.
Pailong suddenly appeared in front of me and stopped me in my tracks. My eyes widened in alarm as he aimed an attack at me.
"(Name)!" Yoh shouted.
He quickly ran in front of me and blocked his attack.
"Y-Yoh!" I said with wide eyes.
"Go! Run while you still can!" he shouted.
"Yeah! I'll be back, Yoh! Don't die on me before I can get back!" I shouted.
I quickly ran around him and Pailong and when I turned my head back to see if he was trying to follow me Yoh managed to prevent him from doing so. When I knew that he wouldn't follow me I turned my head and looked forward as I ran in the direction Manta went. The spirit followed after me and I felt his presence come up next to me but I could tell that he was extremely worried about what was happening. I didn't really have a chance to question him about his strange behavior as I looked around for Manta.
"Where the hell is he?" I asked tensely.
I felt like I had been running forever since I knew that if I didn't get back soon Yoh would end up being killed. If I didn't find Manta in the next few minutes I was going to have to ditch him and find a sword on my own so I could hurry and save Yoh and Amidamaru. After that a thought occurred to me and I stopped running as I looked over at Ayumi.
"Ayumi, can you go search for Manta for me? You can find him and I'll go find a sword for Yoh to use. Hopefully I can find Ryu in Funbari Cemetery!" I said.
"Yes!" she said before she flew up into the air.
I ran towards Funbari Cemetery as fast as I could with the spirit next to me. It was the only place I could think of that Ryu and his gang would be. That's where I always seemed to find him. It would be nice if my gut feeling would kick in right now! Why couldn't it just lead me to him like it loves to lead me into danger?!
A chill ran down my spine causing my eyes to widen as I instinctively stopped running forward. An axe suddenly flew in front of me and planted itself into the brick wall on my right where I would have been if I wouldn't have suddenly stopped. I tensed up as I looked at it before the spirit suddenly threw a strong gust of wind at me from behind and my feet left the ground as I flew forward. My body crashed down onto the ground as I landed on my stomach and a grunt of pain escaped my lips.
"Ow..." I said as I slowly pushed myself up onto my hands and knees.
If it was normal circumstances I would have yelled at the spirit but I knew that someone was attacking me. There was fear and worry coursing through him as well as anger. Something wasn't right. I felt like I was in extreme danger, more so than usual.
"Impressive. You're both pretty quick on your feet." I heard a man with a cold voice say from my left.
Another chill ran down my spine before I stood up and looked over at him.
There was a man with short messy black hair and brown eyes who was Ryu's height. He had a sadistic smirk on his lips as he looked at the spot where the spirit was. I couldn't see most of his face due to the black mask that concealed his identity by covering the top half of it. He was wearing a plain black Tangzhuang jacket over a dark blue Tangzhuang shirt, a pair of dark blue loose fitting kung fu pants, and black flats.
As I looked to my left my eyes widened in alarm and I tensed up when I noticed another axe planted into the wall where I had been just moments before. If the spirit wouldn't have pushed me out of the way I would be dead.
"I thought this might get your attention. The second I saw you I recognized you. I'm surprised that you didn't pass on." he said to the spirit.
This dangerous guy knows the spirit?
"Who are you?" I asked tensely.
The man looked over at me and stared at me for a few moments in thought. He looked back and forth between me and the spirit a few times before he made a sound of recognition as his mouth fell open in surprise. He quickly composed himself and a smirk appeared on his lips as he looked at me.
"Well, well, well it looks like we've finally found you."
"W-What?" I asked in confusion as a bad feeling came to my stomach.
"You've caused us a lot of problems over the last 5 years." he said as he took a few steps towards me.
I instinctively took a few steps back until my back touched the wall behind me.
"What are you talking about? Who are you?" I asked tensely.
This guy was giving me an extremely bad feeling.
"I guess I could introduce myself to you before I kill you." he said.
Kill me? Who the hell is this guy? Why does he want to kill me?
"I am Lun Zhao."
"Lun Zhao?" I asked.
"It must be my lucky day. Out of all the other Zhao family members it was me who finally found you. And I even managed to find this guy who shouldn't be here." he said as he took out another hand axe that had been strapped to his belt.
"Zhao? What are you talking about? Why has your family been searching for me? I don't even know who you are!" I shouted with obvious fear in my voice.
Why does the name Zhao sound so familiar? I feel like I've heard that last name from somewhere but I don't know where.
"Are you serious?" he asked as he blinked at me in surprise.
"Yes! I don't know who you are!" I shouted.
He didn't say anything for a few moments and then spoke.
"As a member of the Zhao family I can't afford to take that chance. After I kill you, I'm going to take his spirit and seal it away where no one will ever hear from him again."
"What?" I asked him with wide eyes.
He suddenly charged at me but the spirit immediately came to my aid and created a strong gust of wind to push him back as he protected me.
"What? What is this?" Lun asked in surprise.
The strength of the wind increased ten fold and Lun was thrown back. A yell escaped his lips before he crashed down onto the ground further down the road where he came from. After that the spirit used his wind to push me to the side. I didn't have to be told twice. I started to run away with the spirit next to me. I ran as fast as I could down the street and made a sharp left to run down one of the nearby alleyways in an attempt to try to get away.
My heart was racing inside of chest as I ran forward. I didn't have time for this! I needed to help Yoh and Amidamaru! I've already been gone for far too long!
"Get back here!" Lun shouted.
My eyes widened in alarm and I looked behind me only to see that he was following us.
"Go away! I don't have time to deal with you right now!" I shouted at him.
"As if I'd just do as you want me to! I'm not going to let you out of my sight now that I've found you!" he shouted back.
"I'm busy right now! I don't have time to mess with you! I have other fish to fry!" I shouted at him annoyed.
My luck tonight wasn't very good though. When I turned the corner I ran into a dead end and I was forced to stop running as my eyes widened in alarm.
"Shit!" I shouted.
"I finally have you where I want you." Lun said causing me to quickly turn around to face him as fear coursed through me.
He tried to charge forward but the spirit came to my aid again and threw him back and he crashed down onto the ground again. I tried to run past him to get away but before I could he managed to grab my left ankle causing me to crash onto the ground for the second time tonight.
"Let go of me!" I shouted as I kicked at his hand with my right foot.
When that didn't work I kicked him in the face as hard as I could and he was forced to let go of me.
"Ow!" he shouted at me annoyed.
After that I quickly stood up and ran away from him and headed in the direction I came from. It was too dangerous to run through the alleyways. I couldn't afford to get trapped at another dead end.
"You're getting on my nerves!" Lun shouted angrily from behind me.
Another bad feeling came to my stomach and I looked back at him as he took out a small vase.
"If you're going to get in my way then I'll deal with you first!" he shouted again.
Lun began to chant as the spirit and I made it back to the road and suddenly the spirits presence began to become distant. I stopped running and turned around before I ran towards Lun in order to try to stop him from sealing the spirit away. However, before I could reach him Lun put a lid on the vase and the spirit's presence suddenly disappeared causing me to freeze. He had just sealed him away.
He looked at me with a sadistic smirk on his lips as he placed the vase in his pants pocket. This was the first time in years that I couldn't feel the spirit around me and I didn't like it one bit. It made me feel vulnerable.
I took a step back as he grabbed two of his axes and I was caught between running and trying to obtain the vase. Damn it! I didn't have time for this! Yoh was in trouble!
I tensed up when he charged at me and moved to the side and just barely avoided his axe as he swung at me. He repeatedly swung at me and I was forced to simply dodge his attacks as I backed away to get to the road so I would have more room to move around. After a few minutes we finally made it to the road but he managed to make a round house kick and his foot connected with my right side. A yell of pain came from my lips as my body flew sideways and I crashed down onto the ground with a loud thud.
"Ow..." I said with pain in my voice as I held my side.
I stood back up again and faced him but when I didn't see him a look of confusion appeared on my face.
"This is the end for you!" he shouted from above me.
My eyes widened in alarm as I looked up and I just barely managed to dive to the side to avoid his attack. I crashed down onto the ground again and slid on the cement a little causing my left leg and arm to scrape against it. Blood came from the wounds as I quickly stood back up while ignoring the pain and began to dodge his attacks as best as I could.
I continued to dodge his axes with the exception of a few scratches that he managed to give me but he was able to get quite a few good kicks in since I was more focused on avoiding his weapons. After a little while I was beginning to lose my endurance because of all the wounds and bruises I had sustained during that time. However, instead of thinking about the pain I was in I could only think about Yoh, Manta, and the spirit. I didn't have time for this. Yoh was in trouble, I didn't know where Manta was, and the spirit had been sealed away just like Ayumi was before I released her!
A yell of pain escaped my lips as I dodged another swing from his axes but he managed to slice into my right shoulder. Blood oozed from the wound and I held it in my left hand due to the pain. He took his chance to kick me in the stomach as hard as he could. Another yell of pain escaped my lips as I flew back before I fell to the ground with a loud thud. I held my stomach in pain as I struggled to sit up and he walked over to me to stand in front of me.
"Well that was simple enough. I didn't even have to use any of my shaman abilities to defeat you." he said with a smirk.
"Y-You're a shaman?" I asked in surprise as I looked up at him.
"Of course. My family is one of the most prominent shaman families of all time."
After that he raised his axes high into the air.
"Enough with the chit chat. It's time for you to die. You've been a thorn in our side for far too long!"
A look of horror appeared on my face. I knew that I could do nothing to stop him from killing me.
"Die!" Lun shouted as he swung his axes down towards me.
A scream escaped my lips as fear coursed through me but before he could hit me he yelled out in surprise and pain as a wooden sword hit him in the face. My eyes widened in surprise before I heard the squealing of tires from behind me and the area was illuminated by light. I quickly stood up as I took several steps back in order to get away from Lun while he recovered from the surprise attack and then looked back. Ryu and Manta were on his motorcycle with Ayumi floating next to them.
"Y-You guys!" I said in surprise.
"Where's the spirit?" Manta asked me in confusion when he noticed that he wasn't around.
"This guy sealed him inside of a vase that's in his pocket!" I said as I looked back at Lun.
Lun looked at Ryu with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Don't get in my way again. If you do I will kill you." he said threateningly.
He charged at me again and my eyes widened in alarm. I moved over to the side and avoided his attack as he swung at me but he made another round house kick. His foot collided with my left side and I let out a yell of pain before I flew over to the side and slammed into the brick wall of a building that was next to us.
"(Name)!" Ayumi and Manta shouted in alarm as I fell to the ground onto my right side.
I held my left side in pain as I struggled to get up again. When I looked over at Lun he watched me with a smirk on his face as I slowly stood back up and leaned my back against the wall for support.
I can't die yet! I have to fulfill my promise to Ling! I have to help Yoh, Amidamaru, and the spirit!
"It's finally time for you to die!" Lun shouted as he charged forward to launch his final attack.
"I won't let you kill her!" Ayumi shouted.
My eyes widened in alarm while I looked at him in horror as he raised his axes into the air. A strange and familiar sensation filled my body and I felt myself fall unconscious. Ayumi was starting to take over my body just like when she protected me from Ren...