Woohoo! Finally updating! XD
Chapter Four
Kwong-Tze opened the gate and stepped outside. She grimly grasped her sword tighter and charged into the battle scene, ignoring the fact that she was still wearing her wedding clothes. All she could see were the soldiers killing her family, slaughtering them helplessly just before they could eat dinner. Anger sliced through her. By the graves of my mother and father and sisters and brothers, I will kill all these Qu-Dong soldiers for what they did fourteen years ago! She closed her eyes and visualized a certain soldier, singling him out from the rest of the foray. There he is! The man who led the attack on my family! She fought her way through the rest of the soldiers and finally reached him.
"You. Get your poisonous soul out of Chang-Hong!" She pointed the sword at the man threateningly.
He merely laughed. "And just how are you going to get me to leave? You're a girl, for God's sake! Ya don't know how to fight!"
Anger radiated from her in waves. "You wish," she whispered. Louder, "How about I challenge you one-on-one? Then we'll see who's stronger?"
His face turned red from trying not to laugh. Finally, he burst out laughing. "Bwahahaha! You're kidding me! Someone tell me she's kidding!" He slapped his knee and continued howling. "A-all right. I accept your challenge! Hahah, ha, hahaha! Oooh, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard!" He drew his sword out. "Everyone back away," he commanded to his soldiers.
"Shao-Huan! Shao-Huan! What are you doing here?!" Nioh-An shoved his way through the crowd and stopped in front of her. "I told you to stay in the house! Why aren't you listening to me?"
"My name is no longer Shao-Huan. I have taken my old name again. Nioh- An, these people are the ones who murdered my family. Don't you recognize them? You were with us the day they attacked. It is my duty to avenge my family!"
"But Shao- I mean, Kwong-Tze, getting yourself killed isn't going to help your family! They want you to live! You must live if the Priestess is to summon the Beast God! Avenging your family, it's just pointless now, what with everything at stake these days!"
Kwong-Tze's antagonist's eyes widened. Then he snarled. "So you are a little fledgling who managed to escape that day fourteen years ago. I thought I had killed everyone, but apparently I didn't. So what is your name?"
She raised her head. "My name is Sen Kwong-Tze of Jun Fong Mun from the village, Muo-Kang, in Qu-Dong. And you are Tsai Tian-Bao, my sworn enemy. It's payback time."
He nodded his head and accepted that. "So. Let us begin then." He invited her to step inside the circle of men.
"No! Kwong-Tze, let me fight him! You can't fight with your wedding dress on!" Nioh-An shouted when she stepped inside. He threw himself in front of her and protected her with his body. "I'll fight for her."
"Nioh-An-"
He turned to her. "Your parents were mine's best friends. Besides, it is not right for you to fight since you are at a disadvantage with your dress."
"But-"
"Kwong-Tze, listen to me." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Let me fight. Just this once. You've always handled everything by yourself. You've never let me help you except once. Please, let me do this for you."
She looked into his eyes, then at the ground. "All right. But you must promise me that you'll come out of this alive. Got that?"
"Have the two of you decided who's going to fight or not?" Tian-Bao asked, annoyed.
"I'm fighting you," Nioh-An answered. He turned back to Kwong-Tze and hugged her. "I'll be fine, don't worry." He drew his own sword out and faced Tian-Bao.
One of the soldiers grabbed a comrade's shield. "On the bang. One, two-" he brought the shields smashing together with a big Bang!
Nioh-An leapt up and managed to swing his sword sideways so it sliced through Tian-Bao's armor. Or would have if the man hadn't jumped right and escaped the blow. The momentum caused Nioh-An to fall short and hit the ground. He rolled to the left just as Tian-Bao thrust his sword right where he had been seconds ago.
"Nioh-An, be careful!" Kwong-Tze shouted from where she watched the fight. The anger was beginning to leave her and be replaced with fear for her fiancé.
Sweat was beginning to drip down Nioh-An's face. Got to win this for Kwong-Tze. I just have to! She's counting on me for this! He groaned and began a hail of blows upon his opponent, forcing him down.
Tian-Bao grinned evilly from where he lay, blocking each of Nioh-An's blows. With a clever twist, he managed to nick Nioh-An's sword arm. Blood began beading out and dripping to the floor. He fell back and knelt on one knee, his left hand clutching his right.
Tian-Bao did a pop-up and landed next to Nioh-An. He knelt and whispered something in his ear. Nioh-An's eyes widened in anger and he furiously swung his sword at him, forgetting the pain in his rage. A lucky swing managed to shatter Tian-Bao's sword into several pieces.
"How dare you spout such obscenities? I will never let you do that! Not while I still live!" he swore. Forgetting caution, he jumped up and smashed his sword toward Tian-Bao's head.
As if in slow motion, Nioh-An watched his blade hurtle toward Tian- Bao. He saw him smile expectantly and pull out a knife from where he had hidden it behind his back. Nioh-An heard Kwong-Tze's scream, and he hit the ground, bleeding heavily. He closed his eyes, remembering every sweet thing Kwong-Tze had ever done for him. For her sake, he couldn't die. Not until he told her!
"Nioh-An! No! Don't die!" Kwong-Tze screamed when she saw Nioh-An get stabbed by Tian-Bao's blade. She ran over to him and grabbed his hand. Blood poured from his side, turning the ground around him red.
"Kwong-Tze, I'm sorry, I didn't kill him for you," Nioh-An whispered.
Tears began streaming down her cheeks. "It's all right. I don't care, as long as you live. If you die, I don't know what I would do. You saved my life when the Qu-Dong soldiers attacked my home. I won't let you die! I won't, I won't, I won't!" She furiously brushed her tears away and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.
"Kwong-Tze, don't try to heal me. Please. My time's almost up. But listen to me. This is very important. Behind the painting of the lily near the dining room is a hidden room. Everything in that room is yours. I was going to give it to you as your wedding dowry, but now it seems like it won't happen. But they were the weapons I rescued from Jun Fong Mun after the attackers left. Lying on the stand is the greatest gift I could ever give you: the transformation amulet of your ancestors, the Flame Droplet. It can change the shape of whoever possesses it and itself." He smoothed Kwong-Tze's hair, which was still in its rolled-up braid. "Kwong-Tze, you are so beautiful. Whoever marries you shall always be proud."
"No, he won't, because I'll never marry. I would be betraying you. Nioh-An, don't leave me!" She buried her face in her hands and cried.
"Kwong-Tze, be brave. I'll always protect you, I promise. I swore an oath that I would always protect you seventeen years ago, and I intend to keep that promise." He chuckled a little. "Sure, we were only five when it happened, but still." The blood had begun to stop flowing and his face was whitening more and more.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a sword was thrust toward Kwong-Tze. Nioh- An shouted and pushed her aside, taking the blow in his chest.
"A-" Kwong-Tze, I'm sorry... Images flashed through his mind. All the times he and Kwong-Tze had been together. The two of them playing together when they were young, and then much older. He saw the massacre of Jun Fong Mun. And right after that, the sole small flower that had been the only thing not covered in blood. The weapon room, which had been splattered with blood, but all the weapons missing. Sen Sifu's last words to him echoed in his mind. "Kwong-Tze, protect her. She knows nothing of the outside world. Please." Nioh-An sighed his last breath and hit the ground, the sword in his chest.
Kwong-Tze's eyes widened in shock. "NOOOOOO! Nioh-An!! You can't be dead! You can't!" She scrambled over to his side and lifted his upper body. "Nioh- An.." She choked out and hugged his body, her tears splashing down. "You idiot, you lied to me. You said you wouldn't die."
Tian-Bao snapped his fingers. "Damn, I missed. But look at him." Tian-Bao laughed. "He lost his life defending you. That's why I never make those kinds of promises. Now it's time to kill you, too." He swung his sword down at Kwong-Tze.
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Hmmm.. I don't think there's really anything I need to translate, do I? Oh yeah. ^^;
Sen Kwong-Tze - Shin Mitsuko
Qu-Dong - Kutou
Tian-Bao - Umm.. I'm not sure how to translate 'Bao.' XD But basically, it would be 'Sky Treasure.' ^_^ Tian would be Ten. ^^
Chapter Four
Kwong-Tze opened the gate and stepped outside. She grimly grasped her sword tighter and charged into the battle scene, ignoring the fact that she was still wearing her wedding clothes. All she could see were the soldiers killing her family, slaughtering them helplessly just before they could eat dinner. Anger sliced through her. By the graves of my mother and father and sisters and brothers, I will kill all these Qu-Dong soldiers for what they did fourteen years ago! She closed her eyes and visualized a certain soldier, singling him out from the rest of the foray. There he is! The man who led the attack on my family! She fought her way through the rest of the soldiers and finally reached him.
"You. Get your poisonous soul out of Chang-Hong!" She pointed the sword at the man threateningly.
He merely laughed. "And just how are you going to get me to leave? You're a girl, for God's sake! Ya don't know how to fight!"
Anger radiated from her in waves. "You wish," she whispered. Louder, "How about I challenge you one-on-one? Then we'll see who's stronger?"
His face turned red from trying not to laugh. Finally, he burst out laughing. "Bwahahaha! You're kidding me! Someone tell me she's kidding!" He slapped his knee and continued howling. "A-all right. I accept your challenge! Hahah, ha, hahaha! Oooh, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard!" He drew his sword out. "Everyone back away," he commanded to his soldiers.
"Shao-Huan! Shao-Huan! What are you doing here?!" Nioh-An shoved his way through the crowd and stopped in front of her. "I told you to stay in the house! Why aren't you listening to me?"
"My name is no longer Shao-Huan. I have taken my old name again. Nioh- An, these people are the ones who murdered my family. Don't you recognize them? You were with us the day they attacked. It is my duty to avenge my family!"
"But Shao- I mean, Kwong-Tze, getting yourself killed isn't going to help your family! They want you to live! You must live if the Priestess is to summon the Beast God! Avenging your family, it's just pointless now, what with everything at stake these days!"
Kwong-Tze's antagonist's eyes widened. Then he snarled. "So you are a little fledgling who managed to escape that day fourteen years ago. I thought I had killed everyone, but apparently I didn't. So what is your name?"
She raised her head. "My name is Sen Kwong-Tze of Jun Fong Mun from the village, Muo-Kang, in Qu-Dong. And you are Tsai Tian-Bao, my sworn enemy. It's payback time."
He nodded his head and accepted that. "So. Let us begin then." He invited her to step inside the circle of men.
"No! Kwong-Tze, let me fight him! You can't fight with your wedding dress on!" Nioh-An shouted when she stepped inside. He threw himself in front of her and protected her with his body. "I'll fight for her."
"Nioh-An-"
He turned to her. "Your parents were mine's best friends. Besides, it is not right for you to fight since you are at a disadvantage with your dress."
"But-"
"Kwong-Tze, listen to me." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Let me fight. Just this once. You've always handled everything by yourself. You've never let me help you except once. Please, let me do this for you."
She looked into his eyes, then at the ground. "All right. But you must promise me that you'll come out of this alive. Got that?"
"Have the two of you decided who's going to fight or not?" Tian-Bao asked, annoyed.
"I'm fighting you," Nioh-An answered. He turned back to Kwong-Tze and hugged her. "I'll be fine, don't worry." He drew his own sword out and faced Tian-Bao.
One of the soldiers grabbed a comrade's shield. "On the bang. One, two-" he brought the shields smashing together with a big Bang!
Nioh-An leapt up and managed to swing his sword sideways so it sliced through Tian-Bao's armor. Or would have if the man hadn't jumped right and escaped the blow. The momentum caused Nioh-An to fall short and hit the ground. He rolled to the left just as Tian-Bao thrust his sword right where he had been seconds ago.
"Nioh-An, be careful!" Kwong-Tze shouted from where she watched the fight. The anger was beginning to leave her and be replaced with fear for her fiancé.
Sweat was beginning to drip down Nioh-An's face. Got to win this for Kwong-Tze. I just have to! She's counting on me for this! He groaned and began a hail of blows upon his opponent, forcing him down.
Tian-Bao grinned evilly from where he lay, blocking each of Nioh-An's blows. With a clever twist, he managed to nick Nioh-An's sword arm. Blood began beading out and dripping to the floor. He fell back and knelt on one knee, his left hand clutching his right.
Tian-Bao did a pop-up and landed next to Nioh-An. He knelt and whispered something in his ear. Nioh-An's eyes widened in anger and he furiously swung his sword at him, forgetting the pain in his rage. A lucky swing managed to shatter Tian-Bao's sword into several pieces.
"How dare you spout such obscenities? I will never let you do that! Not while I still live!" he swore. Forgetting caution, he jumped up and smashed his sword toward Tian-Bao's head.
As if in slow motion, Nioh-An watched his blade hurtle toward Tian- Bao. He saw him smile expectantly and pull out a knife from where he had hidden it behind his back. Nioh-An heard Kwong-Tze's scream, and he hit the ground, bleeding heavily. He closed his eyes, remembering every sweet thing Kwong-Tze had ever done for him. For her sake, he couldn't die. Not until he told her!
"Nioh-An! No! Don't die!" Kwong-Tze screamed when she saw Nioh-An get stabbed by Tian-Bao's blade. She ran over to him and grabbed his hand. Blood poured from his side, turning the ground around him red.
"Kwong-Tze, I'm sorry, I didn't kill him for you," Nioh-An whispered.
Tears began streaming down her cheeks. "It's all right. I don't care, as long as you live. If you die, I don't know what I would do. You saved my life when the Qu-Dong soldiers attacked my home. I won't let you die! I won't, I won't, I won't!" She furiously brushed her tears away and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.
"Kwong-Tze, don't try to heal me. Please. My time's almost up. But listen to me. This is very important. Behind the painting of the lily near the dining room is a hidden room. Everything in that room is yours. I was going to give it to you as your wedding dowry, but now it seems like it won't happen. But they were the weapons I rescued from Jun Fong Mun after the attackers left. Lying on the stand is the greatest gift I could ever give you: the transformation amulet of your ancestors, the Flame Droplet. It can change the shape of whoever possesses it and itself." He smoothed Kwong-Tze's hair, which was still in its rolled-up braid. "Kwong-Tze, you are so beautiful. Whoever marries you shall always be proud."
"No, he won't, because I'll never marry. I would be betraying you. Nioh-An, don't leave me!" She buried her face in her hands and cried.
"Kwong-Tze, be brave. I'll always protect you, I promise. I swore an oath that I would always protect you seventeen years ago, and I intend to keep that promise." He chuckled a little. "Sure, we were only five when it happened, but still." The blood had begun to stop flowing and his face was whitening more and more.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a sword was thrust toward Kwong-Tze. Nioh- An shouted and pushed her aside, taking the blow in his chest.
"A-" Kwong-Tze, I'm sorry... Images flashed through his mind. All the times he and Kwong-Tze had been together. The two of them playing together when they were young, and then much older. He saw the massacre of Jun Fong Mun. And right after that, the sole small flower that had been the only thing not covered in blood. The weapon room, which had been splattered with blood, but all the weapons missing. Sen Sifu's last words to him echoed in his mind. "Kwong-Tze, protect her. She knows nothing of the outside world. Please." Nioh-An sighed his last breath and hit the ground, the sword in his chest.
Kwong-Tze's eyes widened in shock. "NOOOOOO! Nioh-An!! You can't be dead! You can't!" She scrambled over to his side and lifted his upper body. "Nioh- An.." She choked out and hugged his body, her tears splashing down. "You idiot, you lied to me. You said you wouldn't die."
Tian-Bao snapped his fingers. "Damn, I missed. But look at him." Tian-Bao laughed. "He lost his life defending you. That's why I never make those kinds of promises. Now it's time to kill you, too." He swung his sword down at Kwong-Tze.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Hmmm.. I don't think there's really anything I need to translate, do I? Oh yeah. ^^;
Sen Kwong-Tze - Shin Mitsuko
Qu-Dong - Kutou
Tian-Bao - Umm.. I'm not sure how to translate 'Bao.' XD But basically, it would be 'Sky Treasure.' ^_^ Tian would be Ten. ^^