CHAPTER XIV

Valiance vs Power

That battle was no more than a waste of my time…I don't know how Huang Zhong or Wei Yan could possibly become aid to us in the future. I even beat him…the old man…and he's even a Tiger General now…I'm beginning to think this war has become a complete waist of time to us all. I am beginning to wonder what my true purpose is…I'm starting to lose interest. But when that warrior…Kuan Jin was it? How could there have been a survivor? We ensured that the Kuan family had been annihilated…but he survived…how many more left are there? What if there is another waiting to take my head?

If my fate is to end here…so be it. I am going to the city Liaokuang. Something tells me Kuan Jin is waiting for me there…

The night sky was clear and untainted. The stars shone over the people who gazed upon them. It was a magnificent sight, seen over generations. At the camp, people feasted under the night sky. Blue Fox sat down with Shiro, while Aka had drank himself to sleep.

"So, any idea where Kori went?" asked Shiro, eating rice cake.

"No." said Blue Fox quickly.

"Oh, come on. She told you, didn't she?"

"I said no."

Shiro was about to question further, but got the signal to stop asking. He kept wondering what the big deal was, but decided to let it go.

Blue Fox became hesitant of telling Shiro that he was going to fight Kuan Jin, or even go. He continued to tell himself that if he didn't go, he would be a coward, unworthy of being a dragon. And if he told Shiro, Shiro would assist him, also making him a coward for not fighting Kuan Jin alone. It left the difficult option of fighting the beast single-handedly, which left the chance of death.

Such a difficult choice to make…the stories they tell to children always has a hero. The hero would take any mission, defeat any monstrosity that dares to challenge him, climb any mountain…so unreal those heroes are. No one is without fear. No man, no woman, no beast, is without a fear. Some fear death's touch…some fear loss…some fear disgrace…I once feared the Kuan threat…I thought I took them down… But I told myself, should I die it would be an honorable death…

There is no honor in death…there is no glory…you sit and scream in pain, until it leaves, taking your life along with it. I know this now…but I will continue to fight to my last breath…I will fight him. Win or lose…I've done my part…

Blue Fox stood up and left to his tent. He begun putting his armor on, when Shiro went in.

"You're going to battle, without us?" asked Shiro.

"There's something that needs to be done, Shiro. Let's leave it at that." Replied Blue Fox.

"Well atleast let me help."

"You can help by staying."

"Fine, but take my spear…it'll help."

Blue Fox hesitated , then took the spear. He could use all the weapons he could get. Shiro left the tent quietly. Blue Fox put on metal shin guards, and strapped a sheathed sharp knife to his leg. He put his quiver and his bow on his back, and filled the quiver with arrows. He placed his sword onto his waist-belt, and held Shiro's spear in his hands.

Aoi Kitsune mounted his horse, and slowly left the gates. He looked behind him, and saw the camp he may never see again. Aoi strapped the spear to Shadow's saddle, and grabbed hold of the reigns. He snapped the reigns and left for Kuan Jin's old city, Liaokuang.

Shiro watched the gates close, and his old friend leave…possibly not to come back. He returned to his tent, and slept.

"We must take Shu before Cao Cao does." Said Pang Tong.

"But we would be attacking my own family!" said Liu Bei. "Lord Zhuge Liang, there must be another way."

"Lord Pang Tong is correct. We will not last forever on mere trickery. We must obtain land, and more forces." Said Zhuge Liang.

Liu Bei wanted so much to reject the thought of going to war with his own family. But his advisers instructed it to be logical to take the land…he would have no choice.

Aoi charged rapidly through the forest. He had been travelling for three days, stopping by towns for rest and food. It was not long before he saw a beat down city, once known as Liaokuang. It had mostly been rebuilt, with many beat up buildings remaining. Aoi entered the city. It was quiet…so quiet. You could drop a nail, and it would echo. He dismounetd his horse and held his spear. He walked through the sand…slowly…cautiously.

Aoi heard a noise and instantly turned around, spear ready…there was nothing there…he quickly turned around and saw nothing…but then he heard something. It sounded like steel being carved…then it hit him. Kuan Jin was there…sharpening some sort of blade made to kill him.

Kuan Jin soon came out of a small home. His blade was a long, two-pronged halberd of some sort. It was familiar…again he recognized it. It was the deadly blade that cut down hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers…a blade of a Kuan.

"HAH! I didn't think you'd show up!" said Kuan Jin.

"I never turn down a challenge, especially from vermin such as you." Said Aoi.

"Big words from such a small peon of a man. This won't take long. Though…I have to admit, I didn't think you'd come alone. I figured you would be afraid and bring Shiro Inazuma along. Or that Aka Usagi. Either way, I'll slay them one by one…and then your little girlfriend…"

Aoi glared, but knew it was a common threat. It was cliched throughout so many years…but it worked.

"You won't make it to her." Said Aoi.

"Oh don't worry, I will. But I won't kill her, don't worry. She'll be my maid. She'll scrub my floors and my armor, and maybe be a little entertainment." Said Kuan Jin with a sick smirk.

Aoi grimaced at the sight of this man. Aoi's eye's begun to glow inside, some sort of aura. The end of his spear grew a dark aura at the blade.

"Don't count on it. I slaughtered your family and I can certainly slaughter you!"

Intensity grew between them. They were both infuriated, and they were ready for bloodshed. Kuan Jin charged at Aoi.

Aoi jumped to the side and threw his spear at Kuan Jin. Jin pivoted, and the blade pierced his side. Aoi unsheathed his sword, and Jin thrusted his blade for a stab. Aoi put his sword between the two prongs and was forced back far.

Aoi went onto the offensive and charged. Jin smirked and swung his blade at Aoi, who dodged the blade and grabbed the pole with his hand. Kuan Jin gripped his blade with both hands and swung Aoi around, then slammed him into the ground. Aoi backrolled on reflex, dodging a swing from Jin.

Aoi wiped some blood from his cheek, and gripped his blade. He, again, went onto the offensive, and charged Kuan Jin.

"Idiot! You continue to fight?!" said Kuan Jin.

Jin grabbed the blade in a reverse grip and swung it upwards. Aoi rolled rightward and lunged forward, getting a blow across the stomach. Jin thrusted his blade back, backstabbing Aoi. Aoi coughed blood, but jumped off of the blade and turned around.

"Aoi Kitsune, the great savior, a god of battle, the great general! HAH!" said Kuan Jin. "This is pathetic…I expected so much more from you, Kitsune. But I guess nobody can beat Kuan Jin!"

"Just keep barking, but I will kill you, and I will win." Said Aoi.

Aoi ran at Kuan Jin again and faked a run to the right. Kuan Jin swung at the right, and Aoi ducked and ran to the left. He got behind Kuan Jin and stabbed him in the back, but it wasn't quick enough to get very deep, as Kuan Jin elbowed Aoi in the head.

Aoi fell to the ground and grabbed his blade. Kuan Jin took his blade and stabbed at Aoi, but Aoi rolled to the right and hacked at Kuan Jin's arm. Jin dropped his blade and backed up, as his arm bleeded unmercilessly.

Aoi rose to his feet, and readied himself. Kuan Jin ran behind him and opened a box. Aoi charged, and Kuan Jin through a spear at him. Aoi dodged and continued his charge. Jin took out a heavy, two-handed longsword. He hacked down at Aoi, who blocked and kicked Jin in the stomach. Jin smirked and socked Aoi across the face hard enough to hit him down. Jin took Aoi's blade in one hand, and the other blade in his right hand.

Aoi ran ahead, and took out his bow. Jin came charging at him. Aoi pulled and arrow from his quiver and shot an arrow right into Jin's stomach, but he kept going.

"Arrows will do you no good in this battle!" roared Kuan Jin.

Aoi pulled two more and shot Jin in the same place, but he continued his charge. Kuan Jin swung his blades at Aoi, who continued to back up quickly. Aoi dropped his bow and pulled another arrow from his quiver with his right hand. Jin swung at Aoi again and again, but Aoi caught Jin's hand with Aoi's blade in it. Before Jin could react, Aoi stabbed Jin's chest with the arrow, and grabbed hold of his blade again. He grabbed his bow and put it on his back and blocked a fatal blow from Jin.

Kuan Jin grabbed the arrow in his chest and pulled it out. He snapped it in half, and did the same for the other three arrows in his stomach. He was angry, Aoi was winning.

Kuan Jin grabbed his blade tightly and stabbed at Aoi. Aoi pivoted to the right, and Kuan Jin spun around and got a major blow to Aoi's side. Aoi backed away and held his wound. Kuan Jin ran back and took up his halberd again, smirking. Aoi thought for a moment, and saw Shiro's spear behind him. He backed away, so the spear would be in front of him, and held out his bow. He placed his blade's hilt on the bow's string, and Kuan Jin charged at him.

Aoi pulled his blade back in the string and fired it. It ran straight through Kuan Jin's stomach, but he continued his charge. Aoi put his foot underneath Shiro's spear and kicked it up. He caught it and slashed at Kuan Jin, who expected the attack.

Kuan Jin blocked with his halberd and kicked Aoi back, and hard. He stabbed his blade through Aoi, and slammed him all around until he fell off the blade. Aoi rolled hard across the rocky floor, blood and dirt mixed on his armor and flesh. He barely moved at all. Blood poured from Kuan Jin, but he smirked, and pulled Aoi's bloody sword from his stomach.

"And now for the trophy." Said Kuan Jin.

Jin slowly approached the body. Aoi begun getting up. His right arm supported his body, and his left arm was supposedly holding onto a leg wound. Jin lifted Aoi by the collar, but Aoi broke away and had a knife in his hand. He held the blade in a reverse motion and slashed downward towards Kuan Jin. Jin grabbed his wrist and squeezed it hard. Before he twisted the wrist, Aoi dropped the blade into his right and and stabbed Jin's chest, and twisted the blade before plucking it out. Jin dropped Aoi, and glared as blood vomited from his mouth.

"You…you ki--but…" panted Kuan Jin. "You shou..be…de…dead!"

Aoi weakly smirked and said, "Had a change of plans."

Kuan Jin fell onto his chest, and crawled towards Aoi. He grabbed Aoi's ankle.

"I-I'll kill you! I--I--swear! My line doesn't…end here! My son…will…"

Kuan Jin ended there. Aoi kicked his ankle from Jin's hand. Blood puddled there…he was dead. Aoi had kept his head…for now. He collected his weapons and put them on Shadow. He mounted the horse, but soon passed out, as Shadow slowly took him back.