"Someone, anyone!" He cried, digging his bloody fingernails into the burning ruins. He was desperate, someone had to be alive. The fire was still ongoing so it couldn't have been long since it was lit.
Chakra enhanced hands burrowed their way into burning wood. He pulled and pushed and threw aside large beams that were formerly houses.
He recognised the tailor, Mr Lao's house, though it was in ruins. He recognised the water reservoir they were building to collect the rain. He recognised the fishermen family that had taken him in.
"Zhuzi, where are you!" He cried out. He raced for the smouldering pile. He desperately ran forward only to trip on something, something crusty.
His gaze trailed downwards catching the sight of a blackened hand.
Drip…drip…drip.
The water of his mindscape mirrored the tears he shed in the real world.
"What did I tell Yah?"
He glanced back facing the crimson cage and the sitting nine tails within. He had no words for the fox.
In the real world, he went back to digging. Corpses, there were just so many corpses. Charred remains of people he knew, burnt to a state where he didn't even recognise them anymore.
Squatting here, at the base of Zhuzi and her father's house. The nailed burnt corpse of a man and a girl lay. He was silent as the situation washed over him.
Their prone forms just lying there. The fisherman's face contorted in anguish. Zhuzi's legs spread apart over the dining room table. The scholar who was bisected just outside the house.
Why?
Why?
Why?
They didn't want to get involved. They just wanted peace. For fucks sakes, they had found peace.
"You can only blame yourself," a cold voice said above him.
He raised his tired neck to look at the man who spoke. He vaguely recognised him as one of the people following Zhao Jun when they first met. He rode a flying horse whose wings flapped above the burning smoke.
His hand was raised and a circular blazing fireball appeared in his hands. It expanded until it became the size of a miniature sun. It was probably as large as an entire house.
"You should've followed his highnesses will," the man sneered. He released the blast engulfing the entire town and him with it in an explosion of fire.
The mushroom cloud would be seen for miles.
…
Upon the ashes of the village, several days later, scavengers arrived. These men were always around, hoping to pick up any valuables from battlefields or destroyed sites. The peaceful village was just next on the chopping block.
"Hey big bro, check this out," one of the men scavenging called out. "There's something shiny beneath this rubble."
He pointed at a pile of soot and wood. A whole heap of destroyed ruins that filled out the rest of the village in a horrifying reminder of the Duke of Qi's power.
Beneath his pile, something was indeed shiny. A crystal to be exact. A crystal that was part of a necklace that he wore ver since arriving. A gift from granny.
These men reached out for this necklace that sat upon a plank of blackened wood. Most of the string was burnt off but the crystal remained.
"Some kind of jewellery," the eldest brother said. "Might be valuable. Brothers, help me move the rubble so I can grab it."
The men worked together to heave chances of wood and ash off. Some surviving furniture and tools were present as well. Among the fuss, they uncovered a foot near the crystal.
"Surprisingly good condition," one of the men said.
"Leave it, whoever's already dead anyway," the eldest brother said. He brushed past the foot and took hold of the crystal. In the gap just above the crystal, a red eye opened.
"What?" The eldest barely uttered before an animalistic human hand grabbed hold of his wrist.
"Th…that's not…y…yours," his course and weak voice said as he pulled himself out of the rubble. He was burnt and bloody. Kept alive only by the demon fox's chakra.
"Get away you freak," the eldest yelled slapping away his hand. He pulled out his sword from his belt. "Fuck, he actually survived General Chang's Great Fire Bolt?"
"Who?" He grunted weakly.
"Heh, survived or not, it won't be long. I say we bring his head to Duke Zhao. Might get some reward money as well," the eldest said after recomposing himself.
"Zhao? Zhao Jun?" He was kicked onto his back.
"Yeah, Duke Zhao Jun. The same big shot your dumbass pissed off," the eldest brother sneered. "Some hero you are. Who the fuck goes against the Duke of Qi?"
Zhao Jun, now he remembered. Zhao Jun who lured him away. Zhao Jun who attacked him unprovoked. Zhao Jun who destroyed his new home. Zhao Jun who killed his friends.
"ZHAO JUN!"
"So it begins," Kurama the nine tails mused. His vantage point captured the bloodshed before his eyes perfectly. He smirked knowing he'd be free soon.
The seal had already loosened significantly. The brat has only expedited the process. The version 2 chakra cloak that clung on to him is already on 3 tails.
…
The early morning saw a horde of carriages manned by soldiers rolling towards the gates of Nan Chen. The paved streets had long been cleared allowing for many horse drawn carriages through.
Natsuo sat in his own private carriage still rubbing the sleep out of his eye. Liu Han sat opposing him staring out the window.
The sun had risen not too long ago and it was still fairly cold. The chilly air had no real impact on their duties though, they were used to working in odd hours.
The silent ride was smooth. Nan Chen was certainly well maintained, a lot better than many northern cities. Then again, the south always had the best economics and was safe from a lot of the greater threats Huaxia faced.
But it was strangely quiet. Natsuo had expected there to be at least some people going about the early mornings. Some works required an easy start after all. But Nan Chen was almost like a ghost town. A strange feeling emerged from within his chest.
The early morning sun calming hovered just above the horizon. Liu Han frowned slightly within the carriage as they neared the exit. "What gall," he muttered.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Natsuo asked curiously.
Liu Han pressed a finger on his lips. Natsuo was instantly silent. The sleep disappeared from his eyes and he went rigid. Liu Han's eyes scanned his surroundings.
Liu Han closed his eyes and activated his qi sense. A martial artist of sufficiently high level like him could easily sense the natural energy around him. Liu Han was the greatest martial warrior in Huaxia. His martial ability was basically magic.
Natsuo was also alert. If Liu Han is suddenly so serious, then there was certainly a very good reason for it.
The wheelhouse abruptly stopped. Liu Han gazed out the side windows and sighed. "Knew something was up with that guy," he muttered in annoyance.
"Was that why you wanted to leave so badly?" Natsuo asked.
"Taran Zhu's already confirmed things are fishy. I just didn't think anyone will be stupid enough to try anything with you. Especially not with me here," Liu Han sighed in disappointment. He rose from his seat and headed for the door.
"Wait, let me join you," Natsuo said with a displeased frown. "I want to see just why someone will suddenly turn traitor."
Liu Han took a look at his young charge and opened the wheelhouse doors. "Stay behind me," he said before stepping out into the main road, he walked to the front of the caravan.
They were close to the gates, just that they were being blocked. Scores of men in armour and spears stood in their way. Liu Han wore a deep frown as he noticed the leading two individuals.
The man on the right was someone he had become somewhat familiar with. Their host for their stay in Nan Chen. Though city lord Ye had started on rocky grounds with Natsuo, he had nevertheless somewhat endeared himself to the royal party. But that was all a lie.
The other person wasn't someone Liu Han recognised. He did not resemble any native of Huaxia. Liu Han did not know enough about the western world to place him but his robes and magical jewellery indicated his sorcerer status. He was probably the sorcerer from the Shadowlands.
"Ye Mo, explain yourself," Natsuo said from beside Liu Han. The prince did not look pleased at all. An unhappy frown marred the face of the young prince. "Why do you block us?"
Lord Ye raised his hand. The sound of footsteps came into earshot as dozens upon dozens of men armed with crossbow walked out of the rooftops. Soldiers armed with swords and spears walked out of alleys, cornering the royal party.
Natuso tensed. Though he carried a thousand men with him, the majority of them were ordinary soldiers. In this scenario, they'd also be dubbed as his servants and cooks as well as soldiers. His only real protection was the celestial dragon guards.
These men and women would easily become fodder in the battle to come.
"You go against his majesty? You dare commit treason?" Liu Han growled.
"Piss on that foreign pretender," Lord Ye spat. "I am saving my people from that butcher in Weijin."
"How dare you call my father that!" Natsuo shouted. "He saved you and all of Huaxia. You ungrateful piece of shit."
The celestial dragon guards slammed their spears on the pavement in anger along with the prince. Liu Han unleashed a swarm of killing intent towards Lord Ye and his allies. They all instantly took a step back and couldn't help but shiver.
"Ye Mo, you really are trash. To think they used to call you a hero of Chu," Liu Han snorted. His spear was drawn and pointed directly at the city lord.
"What would a blind dog like you understand," Lord Ye snorted. "Nothing but an uneducated peasant boy who can't see the difference between…"
"You don't have a right to speak to him like that," Natsuo cut the city lord off. "I thought you were just a bit old fashioned. But it turns out you're just another opportunistic traitor."
"Silence beast," Lord Ye yelled back.
WOOSH!
A thrown spear launched itself at Lord Ye. The experienced warrior senses of the city lord were the only thing that allowed him to move his head away from the strike. Liu Han's outstretched arm retracted while the man gave Lord Ye a look of utter contempt.
"My, my, what an excellent opening act," the sorcerer beside Lord Ye said. "Your skills precede you, God of War," he complimented.
"I don't believe we've ever met," Liu Han said eyeing the sorcerer.
"We haven't. I am Baesenar, high priest of the one true God. R'holler the Lord of Light. I am pleased to make your acquaintance," he said. "I see your fire burns as bright as any of my colleagues. I extend an invitation for you to join the us under the true God."
Natsuo couldn't believe his ears. The man sounded utterly delusional. And who even was R'holler? Some no name deity from the Shadowlands?
"Allying with second rate cults?" Liu Han snorted. "I thought the sorcerers were something big like the Shadow Council, or the Deathly Loremasters, or even the elusive Warlocks of Azarath."
Lord Ye gritted his teeth while the sorcerer beside him shook his head in disappointment. "A shame, you too are blind to the truth. The four beasts of these lands have blinded you to the god who saved you thousands of years ago."
Liu Han narrowed his eyes while Natsuo looked enraged. "Be careful," the prince warned. "That's my grandfather you speak of."
"The cloud serpent is ignorant of the truth. But he is powerful and shall serve as a good offering," the sorcerer told Lord Ye who nodded. He signalled towards his men.
"Kill them all," Natsuo instructed coldly. These people didn't deserve any justice. For the sin of insulting his family and heritage, they don't deserve a trial under his father's laws. Death was the only thing they deserved.
Arrows released from crossbows, hailing down upon the caravans. They were all magically enchanted with both speed and fire. At their quick launch, men were struck down before they could respond properly.
But before they could do any more damage, high speed orange clouds nocked away hundreds of arrows at once. Natsuo held the cloud formed in his hand and practically snarled.
"Today, we shall free our god from the bind these blind heretics placed him in," the sorcerer cult leader shouted. "Today we shall resurrect the one true God who shall part the shadow and bring us salvation. For the night is dark and full of terrors!"
"For the light is dark and full of terrors!"
Enthusiastic chants came from a large subsection of the enemy army who charged out of allies. Natsuo's men went ahead to meet them in bloody combat.
Dozens of warriors and several sorcerers ran towards Natsuo. The mages charged up large fireballs and shot them towards the prince while a combination of Lord Ye's and the cut's men armed with weapons ran forwards.
Natsuo took a step back allowing Liu Han to walk forwards. The warrior cracked his knuckle and punched forwards unleashing a gust of powerful wind.
Magic users were barely able to cast a shield up and were still knocked off their feet. Some less prepared were obliterated into meat paste. The warriors weren't so lucky and were all pulverised by the pressure.
Only Lord Ye and the cult leader got out relatively unscathed. While Liu Han's punch uprooted buildings and pavement, Lord Ye slammed his hand not he ground creating a massive wall of steel. His legs slid back as he gritted his teeth resisting the attack.
The cult sorcerer was also prepared. His hands flew up and flaming palms shot out holding the impact back. He too was pushed back but he held firm.
Both glanced back to see the collapse of the northern gate and the surrounding walls.
On the side of the streets, celestial dragon guards cut down dozens of men at once. Only the more capable veteran warriors were able to resist fighting one by teaming up. The only ones having an easier time were the sorcerers from the Shadowlands.
Shadow magic rose and carved around the dragon guards who defended and attacked with a flurry of halberd strikes and martial arts. Their use of qi worked in their favour to resist the magic and strike through them at the mages.
"Make for the fields," Liu Han ordered.
"Stop them," Lord Ye shouted bringing both hands together to fire a blast of fire int he shape of a crane. Liu Han held his hand out and caught the flaming bird by its neck and slammed it onto the ruined ground destroying the construct. He then kicked an air blast that threw Lord Ye off his feet.
The sorcerer grimaced and snapped his fingers. A ring of magical fire lit, engulfing Nan Chen in its entirety. He waved his hands and summoned tendrils of shadow across the battlefield. They slammed into houses doing as much damage as possible to break up the dragon guards.
Natsuo took a step forwards. His hands transformed into claws only for Liu Han's hand to stop him. "Their target is you, don't leave my side," he said.
Lord Ye and the sorcerer ran forwards towards them
Liu Han raised his palm. Air gathered in it, formed by his qi and transformed into an airstream the shape of a spear. He spun his makeshift weapon around forming a hurricane.
"Veiled Shield!"
"Helio Shield!"
Working together, their shared magic formed a shield resembling a disc that was a mix of clear liquid and raging fire. An odd mix that served its purpose in shielding both mages from the martial artist's attack.
As a martial artist, Liu Han lacked many of the complex elemental transformations mages can employ. All he could really rely on was the sheer force of his attacks. Even then, he easily blew back of them.
"Attack, for the true God!" The head cultist commanded.
Legions of men and women carrying pitchforks and homemade weaponry charged fanatically at Liu Han and Natsuo. The warrior did not hesitate to throw out mighty palm strikes that sent bursts of air that obliterated dozens of people with ease.
Natsuo was a bit disturbed by the carnage of raining human body parts. But he held firm. His cloud magic burned with orange flames and he knew many had already died by his hands. He may've stood behind Liu Han the whole time but that didn't mean he wasn't fighting.
His eyes lit up with faint light as he scanned the battle around him. Celestial dragon guards had taken no casualties and were cutting down scores of men at once. Other soldiers had been killed but it was not bad.
His gaze narrowed as he observed the men coming in to reinforce the enemies. There were faint black outlines around many of these people. His mind went into contemplation.
"Remember, the eyes of a dragon, or heck any superior being are highly sensitive to supernatural energies. Even the most subtle of uses. Both magic and martial arts uses the same source of energy. Even your father's unique heritage uses a transformations of such.
"In time, you'd be able to recognise these signs…Are you listening hatchling?"
Natsuo widened his eyes. The black lines, they were seeping into their heads, their minds. Such fanaticism on such scale for an unheard of religion was unnatural. Last he checked, the south wasn't that unconnected from the greater empire.
"Wait, something doesn't feel right," he mused.
A few celestial dragon guards cut down some magicians and turned their attention to the head cultist who had retreated several steps. They charged, aiming to finish the leaders of the insurrection.
The cult leader dodged the halberd strikes and pushed away another. He backed away and folded his palms together and chanted.
In a burst of light, he shot snakes of both shadow and flame. A magical spell that cut through the trained elites. Their skins withered and they collapsed in death.
The sorcerer then turned the trained qi on Liu Han. He fired a bolt of pure greyish light at the grand warrior. Liu Han was undeterred however, his punches easily cracked any magic thrown at him like shattering glass.
Lord Ye and the cult leader shared a look and nodded. They bolted towards the warrior with their bodies engulfed in various enchantments. Mystical veils cloaked their bodies and they were like projectiles of iron as they engaged the unarmed man in combat.
Lord Ye held duel blades made of iron and fire which fused together under his control. He was incredibly well trained in martial arts despite his intensive magical education. The same could also be said for the cult leader.
They stacked with swings and kicks which Liu Han countered with his own. His palm slapped away Lord Ye's knee and his own palm impacted the noble's chest pushing hi back. He then turned his full attention to the cult leader.
The sorcerer from the Shadowlands fought like fanatic. He was not unskilled but there was a ferocity to his strikes that resembled a khornite demon. His skin turned red and he shattered the pavement with his blows.
Only Liu Han was able to batter away his fist. He caught the sorcerer's palm which also shot out rays of energy. His subsequent punch spilled blood from the man's stomach and he threw the sorcerer into an already ruined building.
Liu Han held both his arms below him outstretched in open palms. Great wind and fierce lightning manifested below him like a howling beast.
"Raging Tiger Circular Destruction"
The vortex of qi ripped apart the northern edges of Nan Chen like tissue paper. The celestial dragon guards quickly retreated while the common soldiers dived for cover behind their wagons. Natsuo's magical clouds did much to create a stage barrier for his men.
Nan Chen on the other hand wasn't so lucky. Liu Han ripped the city apart in one move. A controlled spiral of qi that was like a hurricane bellowing from the south of a roaring tiger.
Winds of black and white resembling the mythical White Tiger instantly killed hundreds of men.
Seeing the approaching blast, Lord Ye and the sorcerer chanted incantations. They summoned forth an enormous bold of blue lightning and an enormous sword of fire with their spells.
With rough coordination, they were able to withstand the martial technique. Though it seemed far more crude than the refined control mages had, Liu Han had proven himself to be far more destructive.
He aimed his fist back at the two men and punched. His fist was like a charging bull. The force was so great that the hilly landscape overturned itself. Soil and grass ripped away into a well dug tunnel.
Seeing this development, the sorcerer engulfed his body in a thick layer of shadow. He melted into the ground with gritted teeth leaving Lord Ye to sustain the punch with his body.
"DAMN YOU!" The city lord cried towards his partner as he felt all bones in his body break. His muscles were shredded despite the body enhancing earth magic and healing water magic he used. The poor man cratered outside of Nan Chen.
The fire around the city was blown away just like that. As the sorcerer manifested on the ruined city walls, he fell to his knees with a gasp. He eyed the destruction and the martial artist who barely looked winded.
Much of his cult personnel was already killed. "So this is a Zhenren Grand Sage," he murmured.
The celestial dragon guards waked forwards and surrounded the prince who was still scanning Nan Chen's northern edges. He grimaced at the destruction.
"Kill. "Kill the beast." "For the lord." "In the name of the lord of light."
Black energy seeped out of the sorcerer's robes, they leaked into a massive pool that formed into black doorways from which people poured out, blocking the way to escape.
The head cultist felt his reserves of power drained beyond belief. But his magical artefacts on his person served to mitigate the damage. The gifts from his god opened doorways all over Nan Chen for clear reinforcement.
Hordes of civilians poured out of Nan Chen. From other parts of the city, people poured out like a fanatical mob and raced for Natsuo's men. Hundreds more people crowded to streets in a never ending horde.
The prince eyed the sorcerer who was panting. His shadowy hand was touching the stone walls seeping dark magic from his pores. "Mental influence," Natsuo realised, eyeing various charms the Shadowland dweller wore.
His guards and Liu Han were already prepared to kill all the civilians of Nan Chen to eliminate the annoyances. To them, ordinary people were hardly a threat, especially now that the powerful fighters were all killed.
In a despicable act, Lord Ye had allowed the sorcerers to put his city under a mind control. How could normal civilians resist mental influences. The northern parts where they were leaving from was relatively empty, but that was because Lord Ye had used it as a staging ground for his attack. Now though? People from all over were rushing over, carried by tendrils of darkness.
"Stop, they're under a brainwashing spell," Natsuo ordered.
"My prince," the celestial dragon guards argued. "They are a threat that must be eliminated for your safety." These elites were prepared to blow away all these people. Natsuo was the priority.
Natsuo transformed into his true form then and there. The orange scaled dragon flew into the sky and roared deafening the people.
"We can't wantonly kill my father's civilians," the dragon prince said. He hovered in the air and unleashed a breath of fire towards the sorcerer. However, his flames drained away into the sword sheathed at the sorcerer's side. His hand reached for the handle.
"Natsuo, get down here," Liu Han said leaping into the air. He crossed his arms before the dragon dragon tanking a crimson slash.
The sorcerer held the unsheathed blade with both hands and panted. "My God," he panted. "Thank you for your aid." He swung wildly, indiscriminately at the celestial dragon guards, jade warriors, and Liu Han
Liu Han's face wore a serious expression. His legs pushed hard at the air and he charged for the sorer or at blinding speed. He was stopped when a pillar of fire engulfed the area scalding even his enhanced skin.
Liu Han landed on the pavement while Natsuo floated down beside him. "What is that? The magic coming from him is insane," the prince uttered in shock.
"Witness the power of true God," the sorcerer howled. His sword, strangely normal in appearance, glowed in treasure lights that engulfed the distant citizens of Nan Chen. They cascade into the blade and spat out in a tsunami of fire.
Dozens of celestial dragon guards ran forwards. Their arms outstretched as they pushed up, manipulated the natural qi to rip out the ground beneath them into a massive wall that shielded the prince from the fire.
"Liu Han, this fire isn't natural," Natsuo said. His lizard like eyes narrowed from the heat the fire gave off. There was a distinct quality to it that he really don't like.
The warrior nodded. "Return to your human form, you're too big of a target," he instructed the dragon.
"BURN FOR ME!"
An ancient fierce voice roared from within the flames. A burning figure resembling a giant with molten skin stepped out. Hits face snarled. Its hair was wild tendrils of black smog and its teeth were sharp and rotten. It roared a challenging cry and stomped onto the ground causing an earthquake in its wake.
It strolled out of the flames towards the celestial dragon guards towering over them. It stood over twenty metres tall and roared, drinking in treasure lights from all over Nan Chen.
"That's a god?" One of the celestial dragon guards near Natsuo whispered. He can't be faulted for thinking such. This creature emanated power that those not even sensitive to qi could detect from a mile away.
Natsuo glared at the creature emerging from the flames. He turned his neck and observed the city engulfed inflames. Everyone that didn't have some form of protection had been burned. What emerged was a massive demon of fire. Overall, very few survivors remained and most of them were his people.
"That's not a god," Natsuo corrected. "Divinity carries a very specific scent no matter the type. That's a very strong herald of a god though. Not unlike Greater Demons," he said shivering at the mention of demons.
"FOR R'HOLLER!"
The massive molten giant dragged its massive palm across the pavement. It pulled and ripped out a massive sword easily a third of its height and lifted it above its head.
"Behold, a herald of the one true God," the sorcerer said triumphantly. "Kill all the interlopers, the cloud serpent is mine," he told the herald of R'holler.
"DIE!"
The herald leapt high into the air and stomped the ground with such force that it uprooted the entirety of the northern city. Chunks of stone and wood flew into the air in the wake of its landing. Celestial dragon guards and common men alike were tossed beneath a mountain of rubble and fire as the herald attacked
Natsuo climbed into the air and swiped the side of the giant with his claws. He retreated from a sword swing realising his physical strike did nothing.
The young dragon roared and unleashed a range of electric orbs that shot beams of energy at the herald. As someone trained in all the elements, though he had no mastery over any of them, he was still very skilled.
Liu Han clawed his way out of the rubble with a punch. He quickly eyed the herald and launched himself into the beast. His attack staggered the herald and his proceeding punch forced it to take a few steps back.
The herald recovered quickly and breathed waves of fire at the warrior. It then swung its blade down, barely missing Liu Han who rolled to the side. It then kicked the man who with both hands, halted the kick.
Liu Han's hair was untied and flowing. Unlike his serious expression before, he was now opening smiling. He chopped the foot he held staggering the herald and jumped high. His hand gripped the chin of the creature and he dragged the beast with him, slamming it into the floor.
The sorcerer cursed and lifted his sword to block a celestial dragon guard's swing of his halberd with his sword. His palm was open as he punched the man's armour and drained the life out of him with another.
He then slammed his hand into the ground summoning golems made of flame and shadow. "Kill them!" He ordered them forwards toward the advancing celestial dragon guard.
The two forces met in the middle of the rubble city unflinching. Each soldier moved at blinding speed as they fought the creatures.
Natsuo growled in anger. From a distance, he pelted the herald with his blasts but discarded to target the sorcerer instead. He shot out a claw strike at the cult leader.
The sorcerer sensing danger rolled away and fought back, blocking claw with sword. He sent a wave of shadow that rippled across the ground throwing the dragon off balance as he prepared chains made of black shadow.
Natsuo lashed out with his long tail. With the force of his entire body behind him, he knocked the sorcerer into a pile of rocks.
He moved to attack further but was stopped. "What?" He cried out in shock when chains of blue fire gripped his body. Suddenly, he felt sluggish and tired. "Energy drain?" He bit at one of the chains and tore it apart but a spear of fire impaled his shoulder from behind forcing him to cry in pain.
Lord Ye's battered form strolled back into Nan Chen. His hand was raised, glowing in the spells he utilised. "Sorcerer! Now's your chance," he cried out.
The cult leader staggered onto his feet gripping his head in pain. He glanced at the dragon and smirked. He ran forwards with his sword prepared.
"Your highness!" Scores of celestial dragons guard cried out. They swung their halberds breaking the heads of the creatures they fought and raced forwards. Their qi blasts, unleashed from the swing of their weapons halted the advancing cult leader.
Lord Ye growled in annoyance. He raised his hand and bent a torrent of water into the air from beneath the guardsmen at the front. Then he arched the water forwards smashing into the men with such force that he broke the bones of a dozen celestial dragon guards.
"Gah!" He cried out when a guard speared him with a thrown halberd and took a step back. Dozens charged forwards having emerged victorious.
The first to reach him missed his strike when Lord Ye ducked. The city lord lauded his right arm forwards to intercept the hand with the halberd, his other elbow smashed into the guard's face. Then he kicked the man into the others.
"Did you all forget?" He growled. "I was also a hero of this era!" The city lord clapped his palms causing a sonic boom that threw the elite soldiers off their feet.
"I fought on the front lines!" He declared. "I fought demons and clashed with the strongest heroes of the other nations alike. You are nothing," he formed a massive hand from the soil that gripped over a dozen men and smashed them into the other.
"ARGH!" He cried out in pain again when Natsuo, who broke out of his restraints, lunged at him. The dragon caught him between his jaw and bit down. He was only able to spare his life when he forcefully held back the prince's jaw with his hands.
His skin rippled in metal. The tips of his fingers burned as they burned into the dragon's mouth. His legs arched back as he kicked Natsuo away from him.
"Heavenly Gate Seal!" He called out summoning a massive gate that slammed onto the dragon from the heavens. His palms touched as six lights glistened across both his arms, three on each.
"Bid Dipper Northern Restraint!" He called out, manifesting six interconnecting stars that suppressed the dragon.
"Natsuo!" Liu Han cried as he deflected the massive sword of the godly herald who spewed profanities at the man. Just a single swing of that blade levelled many buildings and formed craters.
Liu Han's leg struck down as he cracked open the blade. His fist punched into the arm of the molten giant as his ripped the entire arm off. He tensed his legs preparing to jump for the prince.
He then jumped only to stop midair when the herald caught his legs with its remaining hand. He growled as he formed a dragon claw with his palms.
"Dragonic Severing!" He declared striking the wrist of the herald. Breaking the remaining hand allowed him to kick the giant across its massive face throwing it into the air. The next second he left it alone for Natsuo's location.
In an instant, he arrived, crossing hundreds of metres away from the herald. Though the construct was still alive and regenerating, it will be sometime before it can battle once more. Taking this chance, Liu Han grabbed hold of Natsuo. His fist shattered the seals suppressing the young dragon.
'Shit!' Both the cult leader and Lord Ye thought in unison. The noble Lord Ye moved to grab the dragon. One minute his arm was outstretched, in the next, nothing was there.
A swift cut from Liu Han's palm severed the mage's limb. The warrior glanced at Lord Ye coldly.
'So this is the God of War of the 12 Heavenly Lords huh?' His last thought echoed in his mind as Liu Han's palm flattened the top of his skull.
Brain matter splattered onto the floor as the city lord of Nan Chen dropped dead.
The cult leader cursed. He created an orb of light and crushed it to form a massive blinding light. That was until Liu Han grabbed hold of his orb and crushed both it and his palm in one stroke.
The sorcerer gritted his teeth suppressing the cries of pain. He swung the flaming sword he had activated for Liu Han's exposed head.
Liu Han snorted and reached for the blade. He was faster and could do it. But then he hesitated. All senses of his body were warning him away from the blade. His eyes narrowed as he watched the sword in slow motion.
There was a supreme power about the blade. A fire both hot and powerful. It was as if the sun itself was sealed within the sword.
Light.
Brilliant light.
Blood of god.
Sacrificed.
Born of sacrifice.
Born of murder.
Power.
True power.
Liu Han leaned back letting the sorcerer go in the process. The sword arced through the air splitting the natural gases in its wake. Strands of Liu Han's hair were sawed off as he back-pedalled.
"What's wrong?" Natsuo asked coiling beside Liu Han.
"Can you not see something off with that sword?" The warrior asked.
"It's just a normal if magical sword right?" The young dragon narrowed his eyes at the blade.
"How can a mere beast's eyes see through the enchantments of the true God," the sorcerer scoffed. He held the blade before him glaring at the duo. Fire lit around him dancing menacingly as he stared defiantly at the duo.
Dozens more celestial dragon guards appeared on the scene. They surrounded the sorcerer cautiously with their halberds drawn. What remained of the more common jade warriors also arrived.
The cult leader glanced around nervously though he did not let it show. His coconspirator was dead and his army had been annihilated. What's more, the herald of his god was still recovering a distance away.
Natsuo's elongated body shrunk back down to a human form. He walked beside Liu Han wearily. The sorcerer pointed his blade at them stepping back bit by bit. He was being backed into a corner until he arrived right before the corpse of Lord Ye.
In the distance, the molten herald staggered onto its feet. It roared at the group in the distance.
"Its fire is quite hot and can damage you up close. Harass it from a distance with qi attacks and you'll be fine," Liu Han advised the celestial dragon guards. There was little strange magic the herald can perform hence he commanded the celestial dragon guards to take care of it instead.
"You think a few common men can take down a herald of the true God? Laughable," the cult leader said. He slammed the sword into the pavement kicking up a slash of red energy.
Natsuo waved his hand up forming a steel halberd from the ground. Liu Han grabbed hold of the weapon and swung it intercepting it attack with little trouble.
"You're unable to use the sword to its full ability," Liu Han analysed. "Even if you could, I can still beat you. You've lost Shadowland sorcerer."
"For the Lord of Light!" The cult leader said charging forwards for an attack. He ignored Liu Han's words of belittlement. He did not need anything but faith on his side, all will turn out well.
His flaming sword roared in even more intense flames. It struck in a beam of light that changed for Liu Han. The warrior humphed and pierced the ray of light with his new halberd splitting it in two. He readied himself to attack then stopped.
He bowed his head and knelt on the ground. The celestial dragon guards were at first confused then knelt as well. Even Natsuo was glancing at the sky just now, knelt.
The cult leader blinked, then smirked. "So you have realised the futility of your actions. You will all be a worthy sacrifice," he said lighting up the sword in fire. He swung his right arm to unleash the flame aiming to light a pyre.
Then nothing happened.
It was very quiet as things took place in an instant. An instant that felt like an eternity.
His arm was simply gone. Cut off by an orange flash that appeared before him.
In front of him stood a man with long blond hair and blue eyes giving him an incredibly unimpressed look. He wore elegant and regal orange dragon robes and upon his head was adorned an imperial crown. His arms were folded and his long sleeves fluttered along with his robes.
Naruto's glare alone quieted Nan Chen. Even the armless sorcerer could not move.
In the distance, eight dark pillars slammed into the ground around the herald of R'holler. The celestial dragon guards engaging it turned and saluted the Shadow Pan operatives.
Taran Zhu stood atop one of the pillars with his palm outstretched. The image of the eight trigrams crashed into the screaming herald who struggled in vain.
"How dare you," Naruto said slowly and calmly. His voice was full of icy wrath promising torture beyond imagination.
"How dare I? How dare you?" The cult leader roared. "You…do you understand what blasphemy you just committed? The cloud serpent belongs to R'holler, to God. You should all be kneeling for his return!"
"R'holler?" Naruto raised his eyebrows. It took mere moments for him to connect the names to legends he'd learned. "The selfish sinner who caused the fall of the Golden Empire and unleashed the tide of Chaos upon this world?"
Dense pressure fell onto Nan Chen in a suffocating manner. Naruto stared down the sorcerer hatefully. "Of all things you worship. You worship the one person who brought Chaos back to this world. And for what? Because his wife was stronger than him? Cause his wife said no?"
"Lies, R'holler is the true God of this land. He invoked the hero of dawn and saved this world from the Others. You should be thanking him," the sorcerer spat furiously.
Naruto chuckled mockingly. Even Liu Han and Natsuo looked disgusted at those declarations. How could they not when they too had been brought up on those legends.
"You…you don't even know half the things you're saying," Naruto sighed. He pointed his finger at the sorcerer preparing to cast judgement.
"NO!" The cult leader yelled. "I am a chosen champion of R'holler, the one true God. My destiny is to restore him to his rightful place above all gods. I have foreseen it."
"Yes, I have foreseen it," a gravely voice said from behind.
The cult leader's eyes widened as a sword bursted from his chest, right through his heart.
Liu Han, Natsuo, and the remaining celestial dragon guards looked stunned at the turn of events. Lord Ye's body had stood back up shrouded in a translucent blue light. The upper part of his head was still gone and his lower jaw just hung loosely. He was like a puppet.
Naruto was also surprised. The sword was the same one the sorcerer used moments ago before Naruto amputated his right arm.
"City lord of Nan Chen, Ye Mo," Naruto said in recognition. "What happened to you?" He felt like kicking himself right now. It has only been a year since he was up close and personal with Demons of Chaos. How did he miss this one?
Lord Ye's body chuckled pulling the sword out of the body of the sorcerer. The body burnt as it did so, another offering to his god.
Lord Ye's body emanated magic vastly more powerful then before. Bluish feathers spread out from his back. A blue and purple neck extended from within the base of his throat.
Natsuo felt sick looking at the transformation. He held a hand over his mouth feeling the urge to vomit.
A hideous demon crawled its way from out of Lord Ye's corpse. It heavily resembled the avian daemons that mountainous certain parts of Huaxia and was dense with pure magic. But it was also a confusing being.
Just looking at it gave off a feeling of both dread, and confusion. It was anything's yet one. Its mere appearance drove men insane with infinite possibilities.
Naruto frowned at the most troublesome type of demons to deal with. A greater demon of the Changer of Ways.
A Lord of Change.
