After this chapter, there may not be an update for a small while. Meaning, I won't be immediately starting the next chapter with as much vigor as I usually do. School usually isn't a factor for me, but this semester, I took a class I really didn't even need to take, and I'm not doing so hot in it, so I'll need to concentrate on that. If anyone knows college algebra, let me know :'D
A Gift of Love – Chapter Eighty-Eight: She's Got Stars in Her Eyes
In a cold sweat, Pin-Mei began tossing clothes out of the closet.
Where is it? I can't go out there dressed like this!
She gripped the handle of the large door as she felt her legs begin to give out. Her body was still tired. She had hardly woken up of her own accord. An image of her family being slaughtered had come to her, and she couldn't possibly sleep anymore. It had been too early for her to be moving about, however, and her body wasn't shy about letting her know. Her legs buckled and she fell like a sack of rice. Two strong arms linked hers and gently pulled her back up again.
"My Lady," Li said calmly. "Lord Ren told me to make sure nothing happened to you. As such, I must discourage you from going out to join him in your current condition. Your strength has not been fully restored, and you are far too unstable physically."
"I don't care!" Pin-Mei yelled. She breathed deeply a few times before continuing. "I felt the furyoku of someone who should have been dead and gone a long time ago, Li. I can't allow Ren and my children to fight a battle that should have been mine and mine alone from the very beginning!"
"My apologies, My Lady, but I must reject this course of action." She grasped her mistress's shoulders. "Now please, return to your bed. I'm sure that when you wake up, Lord Ren and your children will all be back safe and sound."
"…Li, you must have felt that there are more people there than just my family. Please don't ignore it." She bowed her head, her arms shaking. "Rong's there, even after I acted like a spoiled, insufferable brat towards her, she's come to my aid just as she always has. Don't you want to help her, Li? I know that you still love and admire her very much, even after all these years. Your father may have disowned her from the family, but did you? Does she really mean nothing to you now? You no longer share your last name, but isn't she still your sister?"
Li didn't reply. All these years, she had tried to forget about the sister who allegedly shamed their family. She took Sheng away whenever Rong and her family were due for a visit, as per her brother's orders. To all of her nieces of nephews, Rong was dead. Gone. She had died with honor at the side of her master, protecting her with all she had. Li remembered being surprised when she learned of the lie she would have to tell Sheng and force her to believe, but she could do nothing to stand against her brother once he took the Wei family reins.
They could erase her sister from the records past February of 2002, but they could never erase the months that same sister spent training her to be an honorable guard just as she herself was. Li had mimicked her as often as she could, even going so far as to having a similar haircut. At the time, she had been honored to take her sister's place as Pin-Mei's guard. But once she found out just why her sister was suddenly leaving, as well as tossing the title of Captain of the Guards to her, she couldn't help but feel angry. She felt deceived. Tricked. Her sister had set her up so she could run off and have a family, something she knew she would most likely never have. The only solution was to throw her out as well; to become cold. She ignored Rong whenever she came. She wouldn't acknowledge her if she asked Li to get a plate or a glass for her, not even for a pillow. A slivering part of her reveled in the pain she could see on her sister's face. She had abandoned her, forcing her to shoulder the responsibilities that came with her position. She didn't see any way for her to see eye-to-eye with her. The circumstances of her situation meant nothing. When her father would fly into a rage about the incident and shout that Rong should have simply chosen an abortion, she agreed. That child, that bastard, half-breed child, was the enemy. It had stolen the person she loved most from her. She hated the unborn baby with a flaming and undying passion. Since the baby was still unborn, the only way she had of coping with it was to take it out on her sister. It had seemed like the correct, logical, and just thing to do. That is, until she saw her niece for the first time.
Once she saw the reason why her sister had left, the true, flesh-and-blood reason that would make her sister leave the duty she had treasured for so long, a small part of her wall fell apart. When the little girl was old enough to waddle over her and call her "Auntie", part of her heart melted. She still treated her sister's new family as coldly as ever, but she slowly felt her hatred dissipating. Thinking about it now, she didn't feel any hatred for her. But for Sheng's sake, and partially in fear of what her brother might do if he learned Li was responsible for Sheng meeting a not-so-dead Rong, she kept her distance. It had been years since she had last laid eyes on her.
Now she had the chance to do something, no longer fearing retribution from her brother. Pin-Mei, if not Ren, would make sure that didn't happen, wouldn't they?
I don't even care. This is the one time I've been needed since I came here. I don't care anymore. I just want…
It had been silent as Li thought. Now, she slowly released her master, careful that she was able to stand on her own. She went around her and looked into the closet.
"What does this outfit you're searching for look like?"
Pin-Mei smiled. "It's purple. It looks similar to the attire I wore when I returned here with Rong, Ling, and Shu."
"Ah…That one." She snapped her arm out like a preying mantis, snatching a hanger from the closet and showing it to her. "This one, My Lady?"
Pin-Mei nodded, still smiling. "That's the one."
After she had changed, Pin-Mei carefully opened the slim box where her fans were kept. Her eyes widened at the contents. She dropped the lid in disbelief.
"Th-They aren't here!" She put her hands on her cheeks as she tried to break the situation down and make sense of it all. "I was still hoping that this was just a mistake on my part, that I had confused her with someone else. After all, Ren always said that sensing furyoku wasn't my strong point. But unless Lien took them, that means..." Her hands became fists and she shut her eyes. "What if something happens to any of them? It'll be all my fault!"
"My Lady," Li said calmly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "From what I have heard, you and Lord Ren did all you could to kill that woman and seal her away to pay for her crimes in the depths of hell. If someone has broken that seal, it is of no fault of yours."
"Li..."
The guard stood. "But if you truly wish to make a difference, we must hurry. Without a pinpointed location, we could be wandering around for some time."
Pin-Mei nodded. "Yes, you're right. Thank you, Li." She went over to a rack of swords and took a DaDao from it. "It's no Minbouken, but it'll have to do." She took a deck of tags from her night stand. She looked back at her maidservant. "In case I need them."
Lie crossed her right hand to her heart and bowed slightly. "So wise to prepare yourself, My Lady. So very wise."
Her mistress smiled bashfully and they then made their way down the stairs to the main hall. Just as they were about to go down the last flight of stairs to the front door, the echo of uneven footsteps reached their ears.
Li quickly turned, drawing a chakram from her side pouch and readying it. "My Lady, if it is an enemy, please go on ahead to your family. That's what's most important now."
Reluctantly, she nodded. The footsteps came closer. The two tensed. A figure timidly came into the light.
"Um...excuse me...What's going on here?"
Li immediately dropped her guard. Pin-Mei crossed in front of her, looking at the girl quizzically. She gave a nervous laugh.
"I could ask the same thing...Are you lost?"
Ai-Li's eyes welled up with tears as she glomped the woman. "Finally! Someone who isn't cold-hearted and who cares about me! Thank goodness!"
Pin-Mei blinked, bewildered. "Miss..."
The student practically dropped her. "Ah, um, yes, sorry," she said, readjusting her glasses. "You see, I've been wandering around here for quite some time since that man let me in. He told me not to leave, but I can't stay out late on a school night. My parents won't be too happy about this."
The woman tilted her head. "Man...?"
"You know, the blue-haired one. The...cold one..." She looked upset again. "I just came over to deliver Ren and Lien's schoolwork, but he pulled me inside and told me I couldn't leave! I didn't think I'd get captured when I was doing the school a favor! I'm not even going to go into how hard it was to find this place..."
Pin-Mei smiled faintly. Ren...Even during all this, you found the kindness to take care of this girl. You just continue to amaze me.
"He's right, though," she told the human. "I'm heading out to join him, but it would be in your best interest to stay here. It's very dangerous. You..." She looked away, not wanting to imagine her friends and family in this way. "...could die..."
Ai-Li just pouted. She'd had enough of being kept in the dark. How crazy were these people to tell her that she had to stay in their weird home while they left for the night, saying she could get killed if she went out? No one had even tried to explain any of this to her.
"Can someone PLEASE tell me what's going on here, for real?!" she shouted. "I-I mean, give me one good reason why I should listen to any of you! Why can't I just go home and do my homework? I have three exams tomorrow! I can't just sit around here like this!"
Li and Pin-Mei looked at each other, trying to decide if they should even attempt to explain the situation to the girl. The maidservant finally stepped forward.
"Miss, do you believe in ghosts?"
Ai-Li made a weirded out face. "N-No, of course not. There's no scientific evidence for it. No one can see them, and those photos people pass around are just Photoshopped. It's all just bad rumors. They can't possibly be real."
Li smiled. "Of course you would say that. You're just a human after all. I would expect nothing less." She patted her on the head kindly, making her seethe. "Just stay here for a moment. I will return momentarily."
Pin-Mei watched Li disappear down the hall and reappear a few minutes later carrying a few books. She shoved them into the skeptic's arms.
"I hope these will inspire you to believe in spirits," she said, still smiling like she was doing the human a favor. "Read those and then maybe you'll come to appreciate what we're trying to do for you. If you finish them, feel free to venture out if you still doubt the existence of something simply because you cannot see it." She bowed. "I wish you the best of luck, Miss."
She turned and headed for the door, leaving Ai-Li standing with the books in her arms, bewildered. Pin-Mei looked at her guard, then at the girl.
"Um...I...I hope you enjoy the books!" she said nervously before running away.
Ai-Li just stared after them through her crooked glasses. She blinked. It hadn't sunken in yet. Ghosts? Real? No way...
Wait a minute...
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT TO SAY??!!"
Hearing the echo from down the hall, Pin-Mei turned hesitantly. "Is it really okay to just leave her here like this?"
Li nodded. "My Lady, this really is the only 'safe' place she can be right now. And it won't be safe for much longer if we fail." She paused. "Are you questioning your husband's judgment?"
Her master blushed and waved her arms. "No, of course not! I'm sure Ren knew what he was doing when he invited her in! He always makes good decisions!"
Li stared at her.
"...Well, usually..."
There came a series of thunderous pounding on the front door.
Pin-Mei's eyes lit up. "M-Maybe that's them!"
She scampered down the stairs, practically running into the massive doors. Her excitement faded when she opened them.
Chun, Niu-Nai's dearest friend, stood before her, as wet as a drowned rat. Her eyes looked very determined as she stared up at her. Pin-Mei looked behind her at the clock on the far side of the room. She couldn't make out the time, but she knew it was most certainly past the child's bed time. With her best motherly frown, she turned to face Chun again.
"Chun, do you have any idea what time it is? Do your parents know that you're out so late?"
"Yes," a mature voice rang from the girl. "I'm quite aware of the time, Pin-Mei."
Pin-Mei flinched like she had just insulted her. She couldn't imagine why a normally sweet girl would do something as disrespectful as addressing her by her given name.
"Now Chun, there's no reason for such--"
"Where's Yi?"
HoroHoro and Rong held their son and watched as Lien's body began to slowly dissolve and fade away into the flames.
"I'm not going to let this happen," HoroHoro said firmly. He stood and charged at the circle.
But before he reached it, he skidded to a stop. A shadow was coming from off in the distance. It could barely be seen through the glowing case of furyoku.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY!"
The Ainu turned and ran back to his family. Rong looked at him like he was a coward.
"What the hell was that?"
HoroHoro bore a half smile. "Just take the opportunity to grin and feel victorious. The GS knows that we won't have another chance like this for a while.
"What do you--?"
There was a sound comparable to a glass house exploding. Everyone looked to see that one of the sides of the circular prison that held Lien hostage was broken. Another explosion of shattering came as another hole was broken open on the side nearest to the Usuis.
Moments later, Ren did a running tumble out of the pillar, his daughter wrapped tightly in his arms. He rolled a few times before sitting up and glaring at it.
"Ren!" HoroHoro cried. "Thank the gods you're here! What the hell took you so long?!"
"I really don't see why that's of any importance right now," he replied gruffly. "I'm here now, and just in time, it seems."
Suo gaped at him in disbelief. "How are you still alive? It was Huan's responsibility to kill you! Her plan was near perfect!"
Ren smirked. "How foolish. Did you really not consider the most obvious and constant variable while crafting that plan of yours?
"Did you really forget your own granddaughter?"
She looked stunned, but quickly tried to regain her composure. "Of course I considered her. I planned for her to be sobbing about you must hate her, or better yet, for you to have already banned her from the estate due to your inevitable squabble."
He sneered and shook his head. "Pin-Mei doesn't give up so easily. She wouldn't leave on her own. Hell, she probably wouldn't leave even if I told her to. I wouldn't be able to get rid of her so easily."
"But why are you here?! Was Huan unsuccessful in charming you?!"
Ren bowed his head for a few moments. "I was a fool for a moment, and that girl almost had me. However..."
She was getting impatient. "'However'?"
"Pin-Mei found me before then."
Suo recoiled. She hadn't counted on such interference.
Ren closed his eyes with a cocky smile. "Suo, I think it's quite clear to everyone that you put very little effort into really getting to know your granddaughter. All you really know about her are things you find useful in whatever plans you hatch. You know that she's usually very meek and doesn't like confrontation. She can be an airhead sometimes and get excited about childish things. She gets nervous when she feels she's been abandoned or that she has to do something all on her own with absolutely no assistance, especially if she has no idea what she's doing. And you know how she feels about me. But there's one thing that you only saw once, and that you gravely underestimated."
The woman seethed. "And that would be...?"
"It wasn't immediately apparent to me, either. It took a few instances before I knew that it was something that I should try to avoid...
"My wife is quite vicious when she's angry. Some would even go as far as to say that she's terrifying."
Suo's eyes widened. That weak little girl that had been at her mercy for nearly fifteen years was capable of such anger? Furthermore, it was enough to make even her husband cautious?
It makes no sense! She never fought back when I beat her! When did she get the gall to react in such a way?
"I can tell you're confused, so let me just say that her outbursts are very few and far between. It's quite possible that she developed this temper as part of assimilating into my family, which has always been associated with a certain degree of wrath." He shrugged. "Nonetheless, these outbursts have a few triggers and conditions that must be met, which is why she is usually so sweet and kind. Her children are of course one. Rong is another. But the one that always sets her off no matter what, the one that brings out the absolute worst in her..."
He opened his eyes and gave her a most pompous and knowing grin.
"Is me."
From the sidelines, Rong couldn't help herself. "Raise your hand if you saw this coming."
Three hands were raised.
Suo's face creased in anger as she glared at the family's awareness of the female Tao's anger. She was both embarrassed and enraged. "Stop basking in your foolish, pathetic pride and get to the point! Where is Huan?!"
Ren scoffed at her. "You foolishly assumed that if you killed me, Pin-Mei would simply lose her mind and be unable to stand in your way – a grave miscalculation. She did the exact opposite." chuckled softly to himself. "By the time I awoke, Huan was already dead."
She tried to show no emotion at the news. Huan had been like a replacement for Yan, the daughter she had lost. She had been dearer to her than Tadashi, despite the fact that he had been the one to constantly call her "Kaasan". Though she had pretended not to care, the puppet's death was one more thing to hold against the Tao family.
"No matter," she said shortly. "She was just another tool."
"I'm sure that when my sister returns from her retreat, she'll be very happy with the new body I'll be presenting her. She'll be transformed into a doll quite quickly." He sighed. "It's been a while since she had a fresh body to use. She'll be so excited."
The woman's eyes narrowed as she tried to disregard the Tao's attempts to fluster her. I just need to stall him for a little longer. If I can so that, then Hao will...
"I don't see any reason for you to be so smug, Tao Ren," she said sharply.
Ren, HoroHoro, and Rong eyed her. They knew she was going to try to shake them up. Seta glanced around and saw Sheng examining the tower of energy, which had by now closed the fissures Ren had made.
She looks kind of like Mom... Then he realized why she was looking so intently. He frantically turned back to his parents. "M-Mom, Dad! I think Ren's still in there!"
The elder Ren's eyes widened. He had been so concerned about Lien that he had just assumed that his son could fend for himself. This didn't seem to be the case.
Suo grinned, pleased that she had already turned the tables. "You said earlier that you came just in time, but I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. You lagged in getting here. You're already much too late!"
He narrowed his eyes. "Really, I'm almost embarrassed that I didn't put the pieces together fast enough to realize it was you all along. Between Huan having your maiden name, the use of rape to frame my son and make me turn against him, and using Lien as a sacrifice for whatever ritual this is – your methods haven't changed one bit. Would it have killed you to try something different?!" He paused and thought about the last part, then tossed his head. "You know what I mean."
She sneered. "Why try something new when the old plots seem to succeed just as well, if not better?" She pointed at Lien with her fan. "Why, your darling daughter is incehes away from death. I would say that, so far, my plan has succeeded."
Ren held Lien tighter against him, wishing there was some way to prove the witch wrong. Her skin was ice cold. There were discolored circles under her eyes. Her breathing was so shallow he could barely hear or feel it.
Dammit...I can't let her die!
"Master Ren!"
He looked up to see Sheng running toward him. The guard dropped to one knee, her right fist on the ground.
"What is it, Sheng?"
"My Lord, I believe that Ren-Bocchama is still trapped inside the confines of the ritual!"
Ren stared at the light. His blunder had been in focusing every last thought to saving Lien. He had yet to go back for his son.
Suo made a sound of amusement. "Ah, it would seem that just enough of the sacrifice's soul was taken for the ritual to continue. That precious daughter of yours is no more than a doll."
Ren's jaw tensed as he held Lien close to him one last time before quickly placing her in Sheng's arms. "Take care of her. Guard her with your life." He turned toward the light. "I'm going after Ren."
Sheng nodded. "Yes, My Lord."
Her master saw a glistening out of the corner of his eye. He walked over and reached into the mud, slowly pulling out Houraiken. For a few moments, he studied it, trying to piece together why and how the family heirloom had been buried in the mud.
He must have hid it for some reason – as if he feared that it would be used against us. His face hardened even more. Ren must have had some idea of what they were planning, and this was all he could do to thwart it.
He unsheathed the sword and charged at the light. Unlike before, he wasn't able to break through it. He fought against the barrier with all of his strength. His son was lying in the inside the circle, his body glowing, and his face concealed from his father's view.
Come on, dammit! I'm not done with him yet! He pushed even harder. I still...I still have to apologize to him!
The heat emitting from the towering furyoku suddenly heightened to a near unbearable degree. Ren tried to persevere, but moments later the dense mass energy exploded. His eyes widened as the brunt of the force hit him, showing him just how fruitless his efforts were. He was sent flying back to his allies, landing on his right side as he skidded through the mud.
HoroHoro rushed over and helped him up. "You alright?"
His friend scowled at him.
"Well, you personally I mean..."
Ren ignored him. He stood up and held his skinned shoulder. The pillar of furyoku was gone. The area was now shrouded in dark clouds of condensed energy. Every so often, they sparkled and flashed.
Sheng covered her mouth as the smoke made its way to her. She also turned Lien so that her mistress's face was hidden in Sheng's chest. Her priorities were shifting once again. She knew in her heart that Lien's safety was supposed to be her top and only priority, but she also felt the need to worry about her mistress's male counterpart as well.
Rong was studying her. The girl's style of protection was much different from her own. Part of her wanted to straighten the guard out, maybe even push her aside and show her how it was done.
No...Geming decided that I should continue to be exiled from the family, and that he didn't want me to bother his daughter if I ever saw her. I can't say things that will expose his lies. She squeezed her eyes shut. No matter how much it kills me. She held Seta closer to her, fearing the worst as she looked to the younger Ren.
As the clouds began to disperse, Ren could see a shadow standing where the circle had been. After a few moments, he slowly and cautiously advanced toward it. The chances of his son coming out of the ritual unscathed was nearly nonexistent, he knew that. But he still had a naïve hope that he was able to overcome whatever the ritual had planned for him.
Suo coughed a few times, then took her fan and swung it angrily to send the remaining clouds away. When she looked up over the fan, her eyes widened slightly before a devilish grin spread across her face. Tadashi came up next to her. He looked horrified, his face as ashen as his suit.
The Usuis watched with sullen and defeated eyes. Seta didn't seem to fully understand his parents' immediate reaction to seeing his best friend, but said nothing.
Sheng tried to read the Tao heir's face, but learned nothing. She turned to her lord. His head was drooped, his hair hiding his eyes. The shell of his son was standing before him, but the soul, his personality, everything that made him who he was had been gouged out and replaced. The son he knew and silently loved was gone.
The boy smirked. "It's been a while Ren, HoroHoro." He looked up at him, revealing menacing brown eyes. "How have you been? Well, I hope."
Ren still wouldn't look at him. HoroHoro didn't speak. He simply watched Hao intently, waiting to react to any move he made. Rong continued to clutch her son, who was still staring at the figure.
Rong knew exactly who he was. She hadn't been ignorant of his presence at the Shaman Fight, but she had never seen him up close or been face to face with him.
Suo saw her expression and took a few steps toward her master. "I believe I mentioned Rong to you once or twice – my granddaughter's former keeper and the woman who was forced out of her family due to the shame she brought them. I don't believe the two of you met at the Shaman Fight."
Hao looked mildly interested. "I might recall something like that. I believe her team blatantly threw their match so they could escape and run for their lives."
"True, true. She was nothing without her master, so she ran back to China with her tail between her legs – against my wishes, of course."
HoroHoro slowly glanced back at his wife. "Rong? Is that true? You never even mentioned participating in the Shaman Fight."
She had drooped her head. "Yeah, so? I only went for Pin-Mei, anyway."
Ren opened his eyes slightly.
"She had wanted to go so she could see Ren again. I was tested before her and qualified. When she failed her test and was told she couldn't participate, she was so devastated. She begged me to go in her place and watch him myself. I obeyed. She wanted some pictures. I took them. She wanted me to tell her if he was interviewed or on the television so she could watch him and listen to him. I did as she asked."
Her grip on Seta's shoulders tightened. He looked back at her, concerned. "Mom...?"
"I knew that taking those pictures was invasive and obsessive and wrong by most people's standards, and I'm sorry about that. I really am. But I just..." Her voice quivered. "I just wanted to see my master smile. She was faking it, practicing being happy so she wouldn't be gloomy around him. It hurt to watch. I wanted to see her give me a real smile. Even though I hated Ren with a passion, I put it aside so I could do the one thing that I was positive would make her happy." She opened her eyes. "I don't regret a single moment of that. I made it out alive, and that's what mattered to me then."
Hao smiled. "So you ran away?"
Rong stared at him, eyes quivering.
"You were afraid of me. You saw what I did to the other competitors and knew that you would die if you went up against me."
She said nothing.
"You traced up the rankings and saw that if you kept winning, you'd have to face me at some point. It terrified you. It wasn't even about returning to your master. You didn't want to go down in flames, so you intentionally lost. While it's slightly better than what the Illy Five pulled against me, you lost to a weak team. Nearly everyone could tell that it was intentional."
Rong bowed her head in shame once more. "What's the big deal? That happened so long ago that it doesn't matter anymore. I'm here now, aren't I?"
Hao sneered. Her cowardice meant nothing to him. In fact, he had forgotten all about it before Suo had told him long before that night. He'd had a hunch that the ordeal would make excellent fodder for uncertainty within her heart, and it turns out he'd been right.
Rong's pride had caught up with her long ago as she sat in the dining hall of Tao Castle so many years ago and watched the video of the Shaman Fight. As soon as she saw the three boys fight so hard and so earnestly, disregarding fear and confronting it when they had to, the shame of her running away from the tournament came back and began haunting her. The reason she had fled, the man she had feared meeting had been part of the reason they had stayed and fought. Even coming upon her husband's oracle bell many years later had been a stab in the heart. She regretted throwing her final match so she wouldn't have to face Hao. But like she tried to tell herself, it didn't matter. There was no way for her to change the past.
Even so, she knew that it wasn't something to be proud of, and considering the men who had just learned of her actions, she couldn't ignore the embarrassment and shame that came with the revelation.
What does Ren think of me now? And now Seta knows that his mother isn't as 'fearless' as he once thought. Even worse...what does Horokeu think? She tried to brace herself for any jeers from Ren or disgust from her husband.
Seta smiled and patted her head. "It's okay, Mom."
She gawked at him. How could he be so calm?
"Yeah, I call bullshit."
Rong slowly looked up to see that HoroHoro had come to stand in front of them like a shield. He stared Hao down. "Rong left the Shaman Fight because she didn't want to die...Of course she did! She had to think about the little girl she would leave behind if she was killed! She didn't want that hag to make her life miserable and not be there to protect and take care of her!"
"Yes, I'd say that's a fair statement," Ren concurred. "It doesn't appear that being the Shaman King – or Queen in her case, I suppose – was her priority or even something she desired at all. It's better that she dropped out rather than be a burden and take a slot from someone who actually wanted to win. Though I'm not sure how I feel about her being my paparazzo. She'll have to do some more explaining once this is over with."
Hao's smile didn't waver. He knew that the damage had already been done. "Ah, I see."
Sheng was now staring at Rong. Father said that the Wei family participated in the Shaman Fight on Lady Pin-Mei's behalf but the team captain forced her team to lose so they could come back to China. That aside, why is this person talking like she's so familiar with My Lady? Why is Lord Ren regarding her with a tone like she's a near equal? I don't understand...If she didn't have a different last name and a family, I'd be tempted to think that she's--
She stopped as Lien stirred in her arms. Her mistress slowly opened her eyes. Sheng smiled gratefully. "Ojouchama! Thank the Great Spirits you're alright!"
Ren quickly swiveled. When he saw his daughter with open eyes, an uncharacteristic look of relief formed on his face. Thank the gods...
Suo tried to hide her irritation as she looked to her master. "Hao, why isn't she--?!"
"There's no need to worry," he cut in. "She knows that her part in this isn't over just yet." He grinned menacingly. "After all, to be a sacrifice, she has to die. Her job isn't over until she disappears completely."
Ren ran and took Lien into his arms. He held her close, still silently thanking every deity he could think of that she was alive. But something wasn't right. Her body was still ice cold like a corpse. Her skin was pale aside from the darkness under her eyes. As he tried to rationalize this, a weak, haunting voice came to his ear.
"Save us...from the hatred...of humans...Oh savior...deliver us...to your Eden..."
His eyes shot open. He pulled her away from him, holding her by her shoulders. The sense of relief he had felt vanished in an instant.
Her eyes were faded and soulless. She didn't even know that he was there. She just continued mumbling a prayer, each breath sounding like it might be her last. Ren stared at the ground.
"Dammit...How can I release her from whatever spell she's under?"
"The easiest way is to just let her die."
He tensed and turned to glare at Hao. "Like hell I'd do that," he said as he stood. "Let her go, Hao. You've gotten what you wanted. There's no need for you to hold her captive like this."
Hao sneered. "It's true that your daughter has been kind enough to trade her soul for my life, but because she's still alive, not all of my power has been restored. I want what's mine."
Ren planted his feet and pointed his kwan dao at the fiend. "You'll have to work with what you have, because there's no way you're getting Lien." He glared at him. As long as he stood between the demon and his daughter, there wasn't a chance in hell that Hao was going to get her.
Hao smiled. "Lien, will you come here, please?"
Ren stiffened and looked back at her. Sheng was struggling to keep her mistress down, but Lien flailed and hit her. As soon as she was freed, she stood and advanced toward her caller. Her father quickly dropped his weapon and grabbed her, doing his best to restrain her. She flailed more.
"No...no...no...Hao-sama...is calling me...I must go to him...Release me..." her voice haunted.
He was momentarily floored that was referring to Hao with such respect, but he held her as tight as he could. "Lien! Stop it! Calm down!" In reality, it would be child's play to take her down forcefully; to subdue her and restrain her, to slam her down into the mud so hard that he might not have to restrain her at all.
Hao smirked in amusement. He held his hand out. "Lien, if you don't come to me, you'll never be able to enter the Eden I'm going to create. Hurry up, now. Don't let the unenlightened hold you down."
She froze for a moment, then flailed harder than ever. Ren struggled to hold her back, glaring at Hao every chance he got. A constant sneer was reflected back at him.
Lien was growing visibly impatient, her eyes wide with desperation. "HAO-SAMA! HAO-SAMA!!" she screamed, reaching for him in vain.
Ren grabbed the arm and pinned it to her side, using his own to wrap around her and hold it down. All the while, he tried to bind her with just one arm so he could induce a black out via acupressure, but her struggling made it impossible for him to both restrain her and hit the point correctly. It was becoming increasingly clear to him that he might have to actually harm her in order to save her.
But he didn't get the chance to act. With one final swing, she threw her fist back, hitting her captor in the nose, then swinging it down to hit his solars. It hit him with such force that he let go for only a second, grabbing his face in pain and falling to his knees. That split second was all the time she needed to slip away and run to her killer.
Ren reached out frantically, but she slipped away from him. His eyes projected an immense horror as he watched her get further and further away from him. "Goddammit, NO!!"
Sheng had by this point recovered, but merely stood by and watched her mistress run away. Rong, unable to contain herself any longer, bolted to her in a rage.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STANDING HERE?!"
Her eyes narrowed even more when the guard recoiled and gave no explanation. With a sound of disgust, Rong grabbed the girl's shoulder and threw open the armored vest. With barely a glance at the rows of elixirs, she took a vial and dashed to her son.
"I'm taking this."
"W-What?"
She tore off his headband before sprinting toward Lien. As she passed Ren, he could see her open the bottle with her teeth and pour the contents on the stolen cloth. After tossing the vial away carelessly, she flew to Lien at full speed. With one leap, she captured her. She quickly covered the girl's nose and mouth with the headband before tackling her to the ground. With her mouth still covered, Lien thrashed and emitted muffled screams for a few moments before her eyes closed. Her body went limp as she passed out.
Rong sighed in relief. She then got up and glared at the evil trio mere meters away from her, before throwing the doll over her shoulder and going back to the group. The three men stared at her as she approached. She put on a fake smile as she handed Ren his little girl.
"I don't think I need to tell you that she'll be fine," she said. "It didn't kill her, just put her to sleep."
"Yeah..." he replied, taking Lien into his arms. He bowed his head so that it just barely touched his daughter's. His eyes lowered. "...Thank you for doing that. I would have lost her if you hadn't."
She shrugged. "Like I'd be fine with it. I..." she turned away. "I don't want you and Pin-Mei to know what it feels like to lose a child."
His eyes widened. Where's Xue been all this time? He looked around and soon he spotted her corpse. Fucking... His gaze fell on Hana.
"I don't think Yoh and Anna would want you to, either." She tensed. "I don't know them as well as you do, but I don't think any decent person would wish this on anyone."
Suo's eyes lowered.
"Mommy! Help me Mommy! Pwease Mommy! It hurts, Mommy! MOMMY!!"
Her eyes closed. Her hand clenched around her fan. You all deserve every bit of pain coming to you! Even then, you could not possibly understand how it felt to watch my daughter die...so do not even try to empathize with me! I will not allow it!
Hao glanced back at her and frowned. Another weakling.
The sudden sound of a slap had them at attention.
Sheng held her cheek in surprise, then slowly looked up at her assailant.
Rong glared at her, enraged. "Why the hell weren't you the one doing that, HUH?!"
Her niece flinched and turned away. "I don't know, I...I didn't think of it."
The adult's eyes narrowed. "Didn't think of it?! Do you not even know how to use the tools you've been given? You should be able to make split-second decisions like I just did! You should be able to use that vest to the fullest extent possible! You should NEVER be standing still when your master isn't!"
HoroHoro tried to put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey now R-...I mean...er...Honey..." he stumbled, dancing around her name. "You know that you're not supposed to--"
"Yeah, I know. But this girl..." She turned back to her. "They should have just put Li in charge of protecting Lien instead of relying on this amateur! I know for a fact that Li's more than capable since I--!"
"That's enough," Ren cut in calmly. He shook his head at Rong, as if to say that if she wanted the truth to be further exposed, she would have to do it later. Now was not the time to drop bombshells on the fledgling. "I've told Sheng what would happen if Lien were to die tonight."
Rong looked at him with half remorseful eyes. I thought he had said that he wouldn't let that happen anymore. But I guess it changes when you're actually faced with the possibility that her guard could fail and your only daughter could die.
"It's so interesting how you can distract yourselves with such trivial matters," Hao said nonchalantly. "It's like you've forgotten I'm here."
The three adults glared at him.
"We still don't have a plan," HoroHoro mumbled.
Ren nodded. "And it'd be suicide to rush at him blindly…"
They whispered to each other while Rong glanced over her shoulder at Hao. He smiling like he was having a grand old time for himself. She looked at Xue's body, then at Tadashi, who was staring at the ground. Her gaze shifted to Suo. The woman was standing stiffly, yet was visibly impatient. Rong turned back to her thinking circle. The two warriors were still strategizing with no clear plan in sight. She looked at the ground, but her eyes trailed up to her left forearm. With a shaking hand, she touched it. She ran her hand down it, like something else was there. Her middle and index fingers tapped at her wrist a few times. After a while, she closed her eyes and smiled. She put her hand over her arm again and lowered it.
"I'll go."
The two men froze and stared at her. HoroHoro smiled nervously.
"What'd you say?"
His wife locked eyes with him. "I said I'll go. I'll hold them off for a while so you two can have time to think. It'll be easier if you don't have to worry about him attacking you." She smiled. "I don't have an elemental spirit or anything, so I have to make myself useful somehow, right? I'll just drag you guys down otherwise. So, if you'd excuse me…"
Panic flooded his mind the second he couldn't see her face. Like she was already gone.
She's crazy! She doesn't stand a chance! Why is she-?
Roughly, he grabbed her shoulder and spun her back to face him. But instead of a confident, cocky smile, or even angry eyes because he was stopping her, Rong's face was blank. Sullen. Apathetic. It was a face that told him that she didn't expect to come back.
He stared at her for a few moments, stunned, then shook his head and grabbed both of her shoulders. "You can't do this! I'm not going to let you! HELL NO!"
She dipped her head, hiding her eyes. "Heh…Aokun, you should know by now that you can't order me around…I'm older than you after all."
"I don't fucking care! Age isn't an issue here!" He pulled her against him, locking her in a tight embrace. "We've already lost Xue – what makes you think Seta and I want to lose you, too?!"
Her eyes softened as she looked over his shoulder. Despite her decision, she had hoped for this. She had wanted him to protest in some way, to plead with her not to go. Above all else, she wanted to know that it would matter to him if she died.
It's been fun.
She slowly wrapped her arms around him. "Sorry, but I'm not going to listen to you. I need to do this. For me."
"For…you…?"
"Yeah," she whispered. "All these years I've wondered if I made the right decision when I ran away from the Shaman Fight. I want to show myself that I didn't make a mistake in doing that. If I live, then it's fine." She let go and turned back to Hao. "If I die…"
With one last smile, she began walking toward the demon.
Horokeu reached out for her, unable to believe she was actually going. "O-Oi…Rong…" She didn't look back at him. "What the hell! 'If I die'? What's THAT supposed to mean?! Why are you even thinking that?!" When she didn't answer, he seethed in both anger and fear. He was about to run after her when Ren held him back, locking him in a full nelson. "Let me go!" He turned his head to look at him. "Don't tell me you think we should just let her do this! You know she can't go up against him! He'll kill her!"
At this, Seta tensed, then stood up. "Mom!"
Rong finally stopped. She turned and gazed back at him with a kind, motherly smile, causing his eyes to widen. He quivered, then ran and threw his arms around her.
"Please don't do this," he whispered into her shoulder, squeezing her as tightly as he could. His breathing hitched when she cradled him, as if ignoring how tall he was.
"It'll be okay," she whispered. "As long as you and Horokeu and everyone else lives, then everything will be fine."
He looked up at her. "N-No! Just come back, okay? Let Dad and Ren fight!" His body shook as tears filled his eyes. "Just don't go…Please, Mom…"
She stroked his hair to calm him down. "I love you."
He stiffened. His grip on her tightened. The tears were shameless streaming down his face. He knew what was coming. "I love you too, Mom!"
She patted his head. "I'm sorry, Seta."
"M-Mom!"
She let go of him and took hold of his arms. After prying them off of her, she thrust them upward, leaving him defenseless. With a small hop backward, she spun and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back to his father. He landed in the mud, slowly looking up at her like a beaten puppy. When she saw that he was safe, she quickly turned and continued her march.
HoroHoro continued to struggle until Ren turned him and punched him square in the jaw, felling him. Bewildered, the Ainu got up. His eyes threatened retaliation, but Ren simply folded his arms and looked at him disdainfully.
"Are you finished?"
"…What?"
"When are you going to stop wasting your time and energy, not to mention mine, and help me come up with a plan?" the Tao said bluntly. Horohoro just stared at him like he had just announced he was pregnant. "Rong's pride isn't going to allow her to just stand here and watch us whip out our spirits and fight Hao. She's doing this to help us, and if you love her at all, you'll let her go and make use of the time she's given us."
"But she's--!"
"Don't say it. You know she knows it. That's another reason why she's doing this. Just..." He looked past the Ainu, gazing kindly at the red-haired warrior. "Let her relive those days of being in the Shaman Fight. Let her fight Hao like she may have back then. She won't be satisfied otherwise." He looked back at his comrade. "If we're quick enough, we can jump in and save her."
HoroHoro looked at his wife longingly. A slideshow of their life together was threatening to play, and it took all every last bit of his composure to stay strong and not condemn her right then and there.
"Alright."
Hao smirked. "It's funny that you're even attempting this. You don't have an ounce of faith that you'll survive. Inside, you're still terrified of me."
"It's funny how you think you know what I'm thinking," Rong said with a knowing smile.
His grin became menacing once more. "Oh, believe me, I do."
"Oh, okay, sure. That doesn't mean that you'll always hear my thoughts correctly." She took out her whip a final time. "If you don't mind, I'd like to treat this as a replacement for what may have happened at the Shaman Fight. I'm no longer affiliated with my two teammates, so I hope one-on-one is fine with you."
"Of course."
He himself had none of his disciples from the tournament, but even if Rong had her team, it wouldn't make any difference. The outcome would ultimately be the same.
He glanced at his hand for a moment before snapping his fingers. The Kwan Dao used earlier that night sailed over to him and he took it. He grinned. "Such a nice trick. When Pin-Mei shows up, I'll try to remember to thank her for learning it and passing it on."
Ren's eyes narrowed even more as he glared at the man possessing his son's body. He can use Ren's techniques. And since he even knew about a little nuance like that in the first place, that means that he might have his consciousness as well. Everything my son knows, Hao will know. If that's true, then he'll know just how to get to us, even if neither he nor Suo have met Lien and Seta. He glanced at Tadashi. I'm not too sure about his part in all this, but if Tadashi knew anything monumental about Lien and he told Hao, that could spell more trouble for us. He glanced back at his daughter. Don't worry...It'll all be over soon. He turned to his teammate. "Alright, let's come up with a plan. We don't have any time to waste."
HoroHoro nodded and the two came closer together to begin their brainstorm session. His back was to his wife's battle, and he had to resist the urge to look at it. Ren tried to keep eye contact him, fighting to command his attention.
If he looks back and Rong's struggling, I'll never be able to get him back on track.
Just as he finished that thought, the Ainu turned and cupped his hands on the sides of his mouth. "Hey! HEY!!"
"What the hell are you--?"
"You'd better not lose, you macho chick! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU BETTER WIN LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE BACK THEN!"
Rong's eyes widened. Win? The thought had never occurred to her. She was only expecting to lose and die. In her eyes, there was absolutely no hope in walking away from a bout with Hao and still be alive. That was why she had left the Shaman Fight in the first place.
He must be so much more powerful since he's already died. It'll be hard enough for those two to win. What the hell is that lughead thinking?
But she realized it wasn't the first time someone had cheered her on, even if she herself saw it as a fruitless waste of energy.
"Ehhh?! You lost, Rong?!"
"Yes, Milady. I am very sorry. But I'll be coming home soon." She paused, trying to think of a bright side. She frowned as the only option became apparent. "But I took a lot of pictures for yo--"
"Those jerks!"
"I beg your--?"
"Give me the number for the judge's office or something! I'm calling them! I'm calling them right now to give them a piece of my mind!"
"...Why?"
"They must've cheated! They wouldn't have won otherwise! I'm going to bring it to the officials' attention and get you reseeded!"
"No, really Milady. I really did --"
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!"
"My lady..."
"You're the strongest person I know, Rong!" Pin-Mei cried in a teary voice. "If you lost to anyone, it would be Ren! All the other participants are just wannabes and weaklings! You can beat all of them!"
For some reason, she never forgot that phone call. She believed in me so much... Rong looked back. If she was here now, she'd be over there standing next to Ren, cheering again. I know that I wouldn't want to lose in front of her, even after all these years.
Hao tilted his head slightly. "Are you trying to make up for being a coward at the Shaman Fight? Is that why you're suddenly so eager to throw your life away, hoping your family will think of you as a martyr?"
She lifted her head. "You're wrong. I'm doing this for more important reasons. After all," she brushed her bangs from her left eye, "if Pin-Mei shows up, I can't have her thinking that I'm not as strong and fearless as I was back then. I'm one to indulge people. I even told my children Santa would come if they were good enough, even though Horokeu and I knew that we weren't even the right religion for that old guy to give a damn. Lying isn't a good thing when it's used maliciously, but when it comes to giving just giving someone a moment of magic or whatever you want to call it, I'll put on a straight face and fib. Now then…"
Hao smirked as the whip was over souled. He held out the Kwan Dao horizontally beside him. "I'm told you used to have quite the pokerface back then. I wonder if that's still true."
She braced herself, knowing that he was about to do something to knock her off balance or upset her.
There was a deep roar. Rong stiffened, hoping that she could keep the straight face that had once been second nature to her. In her youth, it had been effortless. Now, it was a struggle. Her eyes did their best to narrow and not fill with fear as the Spirit of Fire appeared behind its master.
As it let out another roar, HoroHoro tensed and tried to turned to her, but Ren grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around.
"No."
His friend looked to the side, his eyes trailing to the ground in anguish.
"Just concentrate. Rong can handle this herself. I really don't think she wants you to save her. Let her do what she feels she has to do."
The Ainu shut his eyes tightly, trying to put the worst possible outcome as far away from his mind as possible.
"Besides…I won't let her die, either."
He looked up at Ren in surprise. The Tao was looking away from him, avoiding eye contact.
"She's the only mother Pin-Mei's ever known, and the one who was there for her all the years I couldn't be. She loves Rong like a family member, even now. That's why she's always insisted that your children call her 'Auntie'. Even though comparatively Li's been her guard longer than Rong was, they don't have that same bond. There's always a wall between servant and master with them, even if they don't mean for there to be. She and Rong were always equals in her eyes. That's how much she means to her. I won't allow Pin-Mei to go through the pain of losing someone so dear to her." He looked at him now. "Just stay on course and ignore them while we devise our plan of attack, as hard as it may be. I believe that Rong can hold out until then. She's not weak by any means, even if she feels that way standing next to us."
HoroHoro's eyes sunk again as he thought. This whole time, I kept telling myself that I wanted to stop her because I care about her, and I don't want her to die. But just thinking that right off the bat shows that I don't have any faith in her. Rong's the one who played a big role in helping Ren the last time we went up against Suo. He's right, she's not defenseless. She's been trying to tell me that all these years.
"Excuse me, but I don't need your help opening the soy sauce, thank-you-very-much!"
"I didn't call for an escort service. I can take care of myself, you know. I'm just going to the store."
"What? Are you trying to say I can't handle this bouncing job? What are you going to do – stop me?"
She's been this way since Xue was born. She never wanted me to think that just because she's a mom, she's weak. She's tried to tell me for so long, and I haven't been listening.
He locked eyes with Ren. "Alright. Let's do this."
Ren gave him a thin smirk before resuming their plotting. As their huddle murmured, Seta and Sheng looked on, their attention split between the two pairs. When he felt she was distracted enough, Seta gazed at the redhead beside him.
She was tall like his mother and sister, albeit and inch or two shorter. Her body was toned and slender, including her flat chest, which was covered by a stiff, backless red shirt built into her utility vest. This, along with her pants, boots, and bracers awed him. From the few pictures he had seen of his mother in her younger years, he could tell that the two looked eerily similar.
He was unable to look away before Sheng whipped her head at him. "What?" she said curtly.
"N-N-Nothing!" he cried nervously, putting his hands up in defense. "I was just looking at your clothes! I've never seen anything like them before!"
She examined his expression and his eyes. When she concluded that he was being sincere, she gave him a split-second bow of the head. "Thank you. The garb I wear is the traditional armor of the Wei family. I am honored and humbled to be able to wear it." It sounded like an automatic response.
He laughed nervously before her back caught his eye. He leaned slightly in an effort to get a better look at it. The seal which connected Sheng to her master was displayed in the center of her back. As with his mother's which he very rarely saw due to her efforts to conceal it from him, Sheng's name was etched within the borders of a circle. "Wei Sheng" had been carved over and over again until no space remained. Just as he desired for himself, "Tao Lien" was carved in the center in large characters.
She noticed his ogling. "It's rude to stare, boy," she said gruffly.
He quickly averted his gaze. "Sorry..." As she turned back around, he peeked at the emblem again, then at her.
She clenched her fists. "What is it."
"That emblem...did it hurt?"
He watched her stiffen, her eyes trying not to lose their apathetic nature as she glanced at him. It took a few moments for her to realize that she had just reprimanded him for the same thing, and she looked past him, relaxing herself. "Why are you asking a stranger such a personal question? Do you realize how invasive that is?"
He shifted his gaze to the ground, then looked up at her again slowly. "I was wondering since I think I might get something like that someday..."
She furrowed her brow. "Why would you voluntarily put yourself through something so painful?"
"To show someone how much they mean to me, that I'll do anything for them." He leaned closer, noticing how her guard had slackened. "How much did it hurt?...Did you cry?"
Her lips parted, but she held back, knowing that she couldn't tell anyone just how painful it had been. His warm hand gently rested on her wrist.
"I won't tell anyone. It's okay."
Sheng bit her lip and turned her head to hide her eyes. "I wanted to...so much. But I couldn't even make the slighting sound of pain. My grandfather scolded me after it was finished because I flinched a couple times and shed a few tears. It felt like the pain would never go away. Even when it was still bleeding, I had to train, putting aside the agony I was experiencing." She looked up at him slowly. "You're much too soft. You could never survive such a ritual." She sighed wistfully. "My grandmother said that Lady Pin-Mei's guard was perfectly still, perfectly silent. I wanted to be like that, but I'm nowhere near good enough. I couldn't possibly measure up to her. Li is much closer to being as strong as she was. I'm nothing." She looked at Rong. "I didn't want to listen to what an outside says, but she's right. I'm not a good guard. I can't protect my master. I'm a failure."
He looked away, feeling slightly guilty for bringing it up. He quickly turned back to her, a small, forced smile on his face. "Well, maybe tonight you can be the guard you want to be and protect Lien!"
She glowered at him. "Why would you wish for My Lady to be put in danger?"
He froze, his smile becoming a nervous one. "I don't! I just...I just..." He slumped, looking at the ground. "I just don't want you to beat yourself up trying to be someone else. It's not worth it."
Her eyes blinked in surprise before closing. She smirked. "You're one of those 'nice guy' types I take it."
"W-Well...I...yeah, a couple people have said that."
"I thought so. I can tell it's just in your nature to look on the bright side and tell people what you think they want to hear." She opened her eyes to see a drooped head. "But thank you. I don't know why you're so concerned about me, but I still appreciate the effort."
He looked at her sheepishly. Her smile was dim, telling him that she was probably far too hurt to be lifted by just one act of kindness. He opened his mouth, but closed it. He tried again, but failed. The words he wished to convey to her were locked in his throat.
"Isn't that what family's for?"
"D-Don't mention it," he forced out.
She gave him a cordial nod, and they both turned back to the fight.
Please be okay, Mom. I don't care if you lose – just don't die!
Rong gazed up at her fiery foe. Strangely enough, she wasn't scared. There wasn't a single tremor running through her body. The adrenaline running through her veins left no room for such a thing. Her mind was racing, sizing up the spirit and compiling everything she had learned about both it and its master during the Shaman Fight. Her primary analysis complete, she looked to Hao, eyes flashing.
"That 'pokerface' you're thinking of probably looked something like this," she said calmly. Her visage was blank aside from a cold-eyed glare. "I hope I haven't disappointed you."
Indeed, there was a speck of disappointment hidden behind his calm smile. Part of him reveled in the reactions of those who had the misfortune of meeting his Spirit of Fire face-to-face. The terrified eyes of the weak amused him. Their screams and pleas for mercy made their deaths all the more enjoyable. When he had learned of Rong's cowardice, his hopes had been moderately high that she would give him a nice horrified face to welcome him, but it was clear that she wasn't going to cooperate.
Vehemently, he raised the Kwan Dao and silently ordered his spirit to oversoul into it. Suo, in a moment of stupor, dared to question him.
"Hao-sama, would it not just be easier to utilize your usual medium instead of using a new one?"
He stiffly turned his head to glare at her. "What was that?" Fire seemed to be burning in his eyes.
She shied away, laughing to mask her terror. "Nothing, Hao-sama, nothing at all! I was simply hoping that you enjoy this nice workout before the real battle!"
His eyes smoldered, then he smiled again. "How kind. I will." He turned back to his fight, knowing what the hag's true feelings had been. Reading Rong's mind proved to be mildly tiring, as her thoughts were much too jumbled by this point with all the information she was trying to process. Patience was in short supply, so he simply ignored that part of her for the time being. He was confident that he didn't need to rely on her thoughts in order to win, anyway.
Ren tried to prevent the disgust from showing on his face so as not to worry HoroHoro. Hao knows that Rong doesn't have a prayer against him. He's just playing with her to insult her. He wants her to lose with as much humiliation as possible. With his arms folded, his grip on his right bicep tightened. Hang in there, Rong. We won't let you down.
Rong took her stance. "That annoying commentator isn't here to start the match, so I hope you don't mind if I just begin it for us."
Hao just smiled. "Go right ahead."
Without a single muscle in her face twitching, she charged at him. He simply stood where he was, not moving an inch. She focused on him.
Will he act on his own? Or will he act as Ren would?
Even as she neared him, he didn't move, so she got ready to unleash her weapon. It seemed too easy, but she tried to chalk it up to the parasite having not yet fully adjusted to his host body. Her chain extended and reeled at him.
It only cut the air.
She skid to a halt, listening for him. Before a single sound reached her, a shadow blanketed her. She looked up in time to see Hao sailing over her.
With a flip, he landed some meters away, Rong's back still turned.
"How novice of you to think you could get a clear shot at me with such little effort."
Quick, squishy steps were all she heard before his attack. She quickly turned and tightened her whip, using it to block his blade. His menacing grin taunted her, and she narrowed her eyes before pushing the chain up slightly to expose his midsection.
A stepping stool kick sent him flying, but he gracefully landed, using his tool as an anchor. Barely a moment passed before he launched himself at her, giving her mere seconds to plan her next move.
She chose to run at him, but the mud did not agree. Her shoes slipped and she headed for the ground.
If he gets me down, that's it. I'll be a sitting duck with a target on her check. I can't let this bastard get the upper hand!
She dug her nails into a drier patch of soil and put her weight on her wrists. His blade came down, and she used her feet to block it at the hilt. She pushed against him desperately. If she wanted to survive, she knew that she had to force him off. Losing this deadlock could bring that crooked sword down for her demise.
Her guard dropped momentarily when she felt heat on the ball of her foot. A thin stream of smoke rose from between the blade and boot. She could smell the noxious fumes of burning rubber. Her eyes shot open as she gave an adrenaline-fueled push, successfully knocking him off balance. As he stumbled, she tumbled and rolled away from him.
Through the pain, she stood up, then looked at the bottom of her shoe. The sole had melted, burning her foot slightly. With a snort, she glared at him.
Hao laughed menacingly. "Did you forget my oversoul? The Spirit of Fire isn't something to be taken so lightly. I'm sure HoroHoro could have told you that. Or did you not pay enough attention when you watched my fights back then?"
Rong lightly stomped the ground, trying to soothe her foot with the cold mud. Dammit…I guess I'm not as sharp as I used to be. She reached into her vest, but found nothing – just fleece coated with nylon. Heh…Wrong vest.
Things really were different. She had been trying to fight as if she had never left that arena with her head bowed. But this was more than 25 years later – there was no denying it.
Saying nothing, she rushed him.
Hao smirked and mimicked her. Before he could see her pull back, she whipped her oversoul at him. A crimson crescent formed and flew at him. He stopped and readied himself to swat it away like a fly. But the attack hit him with much more force than he had anticipated, and he had to form a last minute resistance against it. The sheer force was to be reckoned with, and it sparked, nipping at his wrists. With a bump, he finally deflected it. It soared up into the air, where it vaporized.
He glanced at the sky, then at Rong. "What a nice parlor trick," he said with a renewed smile. He sneered and raised the weapon, flames engulfing the end. "But if that's all you can do, then I'm already bored."
The Kwan Dao was pointed at her.
"Let's try something else."
He caught Ren's eye and gave him a taunting grin.
"CHUUKA ZANMAI!"
Ren noticeably tensed at hearing his attack being used against an ally. HoroHoro was doing his best to focus his attention at the ground, resisting the urge to check up on Rong.
Her senses were failing her. Hao's attack pattern was neither his usual technique nor totally that of Tao Ren II. It was near impossible to read a style she knew nothing about, especially since she was so rusty.
Luckily, Ren's stolen attack was nothing new to her. She had seen it performed many times during Ren's exhibitions to show off his children's abilities. She dodged the dancing blade in every direction. Heat emitted from it, giving her a silent warning that she had best be on her toes. All it took was one misstep, and she could die right then and there.
But even with near-perfect footwork, she was still at Hao's mercy. He had taken her lead and was now calculating her movements as well. He found a hole, and gave one final stab.
A burning sensation entranced her as her chest was slashed, her shirt and vest singed. Once she gained her footing, and he backed off to watch her bewilderment, she looked down at her wound. A second degree burn had appeared as proof of her split-second defeat. Even as the pain washed over her, igniting her veins with agony, she held in a cry, and only allowed herself to inhale harshly a few times. She refused to give the fiend the screaming he so desired.
Hao let out a sound of amusement, but it was plain to see that his patience was wearing thin. "Hnn…Still trying to act tough?"
She only gave slow, deep breaths as she glared at him, a hand over her bosom. His face became slightly contorted.
"Humph."
He spun around and aimed the Kwan Dao at Sheng and Seta, who were still guarding an unconscious Lien as they watched the fight. The demon sneered as a burst of flames shot toward them. They were far enough away that he had time to glance back at his opponent, expectancy in his eyes. Rong was already sprinting past him, desperate to reach the would-be victims in time.
Seta was already staring at the balled inferno in horror. He tried to scoop Lien into his arms and move, but with his eyes so transfixed on the hellfire, it was no use. His instincts were failing him, and his legs refused to move. Beside him, Sheng was tentatively standing up. By the time she would be able to carry Lien on her back, it would be too late. Her only option was to deflect it.
Just as it approached, and she put her tonfas up to attempt to make her oversoul into a thin ward like she had been taught, Rong sidestepped in front of her. With a flick of her wrist, the sectioned whip assembled itself into a diamond, the extra length of it stretching across it to make it resemble a glowing kite. The flames smashed into the shield, pushing her back slightly. Sheng watched her, stupefied.
After some grunting as she struggled to make the barrier last, Rong looked back at her. Their red eyes met, locking in an uncomfortable gaze. For what seemed like the first time, Sheng understood exactly what the woman's face was trying to tell her. She swallowed.
Rong nodded at her.
She nodded back, then moved to turn around.
"Hold on."
She stopped."
"Third row, fourth one from your right."
"What?"
"The vial in your vest. Give it to me."
"Oh! Right!" The guard fumbled with her fasteners, then opened her stash of medicine and picked out the bottle Rong specified. She held it out to her. "H-Here!"
"I've got my hands full right now. Just leave in on the ground."
She nodded minimally and obeyed her. With one last glance, she grabbed Lien and carried her out of the line of fire.
"You too, Seta. Go."
He awoke from his trance, but just blinked at her.
"GO."
He looked like he was going to protest, but his father called.
"Do what she says! Get out of there!"
Seta saw how reluctant HoroHoro was to let her fight alone. He himself wanted to step in and save his wife, but he was still holding back. The boy thought for a moment, then ran away.
Rong smiled and turned back to see Hao shoot another missile of fire at her, bringing her shield to its limit. With the last of her strength, she pushed against it, causing it to disperse.
She stood weakly, her arms and parts of her face burnt and smoldering. Her whip was as hot as an iron, and made the mud hiss when it fell to the ground like a dead snake. She slumped forward, then caught herself.
They're not done yet…I can't stop…even if it kills me…I have to keep fighting…
With a shaking hand, she reached down for her whip, wincing when she realized it was still hot. Her hand trailed to the green-capped bottle and grasped it. After opening it, she poured bits of the liquid inside upon her burned skin. The pain wasn't disappearing as quickly and as much as she had hoped, but it was arguably better than nothing. She finally picked her heated weapon up, trying to hold it as she always did.
"As interesting as that was, I think you've outlived your usefulness," Hao said in a mocking tone.
She seethed and took a positioned herself to attack again.
I'll show you…You bastard…
He scoffed at her. "I'll allow you to live out your dying wish, as I'm sure you want to die just as you would have had you opposed me in the Shaman Fight."
When she didn't make any sort of retort, he grinned. After looking at HoroHoro's back, wishing he would turn around for the finale, he charged at her.
Rong braced herself and took a few steps, then stopped.
He had disappeared. She froze.
H-How did he-?!
In a flash, his nose was mere centimeters from hers. He grinned at her as her eyes widened.
"So…
…Small."