Chapter 37: The Battle of Tianshui: Part I

Xuchang Courtyard

King Cao Cao observed a uniformed brunette with displeasure as she collapsed to the ground, panting. Her Claymore clanged noisily and unpleasantly on the stone. While she had lasted longer in this particular session of training, she was still hesitant and wavering in her technique. "Your guard is completely incorrect," he chastised, walking around her. "Just what have you learnt since your battle against Luciela? Grasp your greatsword in a high guard. The stance of the hawk is a basic technique that you must master. There is no need to emulate the style of my Sword of Heaven."

He gestured outwards with his gloved fingers. "I have spent much of this life that Nu Wa has granted me out on the fields of battle. As a result of that, I determined that the sword she bestowed upon me befitted my stature and power. It is an expert's weapon, of intricate grace and subtle elegance. That is what renders it so deadly. You, on the other hand, utilize a swordfighting technique of brute, boastful destruction. There is little need for a duelist's techniques in a weapon like a Claymore."

"I'm… barely strong enough to use a greatsword. I… I have to start somewhere," stammered the chestnut-haired woman, her arms trembling. Her large eyes were ashamed. "And to have His Highness teach me a weapon that I should have been apt with… I feel so pathetic."

The King snorted. "Clarice. You should be proud of being my student. I can teach you countless things… the art of war, the art of politics and imperial intrigue. I can teach you how to read the hearts of men, and have entire nations bow before you. I can teach how to rule the world. I can even teach you Chinese poetry and calligraphy, should you ever find the time or interest," he added dryly. "You have barely arrived in my Kingdom for two months, and you already doubt my motives in taking you under my wing? A true warrior would know better," he finished, as Galatea's mordant but compassionate face flashed in his mind.

Encouraged, Clarice nodded, and rose again, steadying her Claymore in the guard of the hawk. She confidently slashed down and riposted to her left, simulating a close-range counterattack with her pommel. She capitalized on her momentum and swung upwards, her wrists remaining firm and her entire body immersed in the moment of sword forms. The weapon screeched along the ground before rising into the air dramatically. She glanced at Cao Cao as sparks danced from her blade tip, smiling hopefully.

He nodded in approval. "Where is Miata?" he asked, his voice easing in severity.

"Asleep in my room." Clarice blushed. "I'm just her guardian, really. But she won't stop calling me Mama. And… she won't stop calling His Highness Papa, either," she finally managed, looking at him in embarrassment.

To her relief, he chuckled. "But I hardly know her. She must attach herself to anyone willing to listen to her. Rather naïve even for a child, but that is telling of her generous affection." He looked at Clarice again, his eyes thoughtful.

Beyond your young countenance… I sense a faint glimmer of the innocence I have long lost.

Beaming, Clarice was about to bring down her weapon in a sweeping arc when the cold voice of Rafaela stopped her in her tracks. The Wei agent had arrived through the back entrance of the palace quarters, holding a casket in her arms. "My King. I have come with what you demanded of me," she said emotionlessly.

His expression changed upon glimpsing the coffer. In that one wooden box was the culmination of an entire year of warring struggle. "Excellent. Show me," he commanded. "Show me the fruit of our hard work." Rafaela quietly opened the box and lifted out its contents, watching the King's pleased smirk.

"You've done well. Very well," he whispered.

Clarice gagged as she stared at the head of Luciela, at the cold, lifeless eyes of the red-haired woman. Blood dripped down her lip, and her tongue hung limply from her open mouth in a grotesque taunt. "I did not need your student's help," said Rafaela coldly, glaring briefly at Clarice. "I could have finished Luciela on my own."

"That is not the account that Clarice gave me," replied Cao Cao. "She reported that Miata was quite crucial to turning the tide against the Abyssal One. In fact," he added, raising an eyebrow, "she claimed that it was she who struck the final blow, after you hesitated in beheading her. But I commend you nevertheless, Number Five. Now, we have subdued one of the three."

"Yes. I am… pleased… that we did this sooner than later," observed Rafaela quietly, gazing at Luciela's head regretfully. She turned away. Something in her remaining eye had died. Clarice couldn't be sure what it was, however. "Either way, the Southern Expedition ended in a rather chaotic manner, and the battle at Shi Ting was not a truly decisive victory for us or for the allies. Now it only remains to meet the Shu forces at Wu Zhang Plains."

Clarice looked rather astonished. "The Shu forces are attempting to strike at Luoyang itself?"

The Imperial Chancellor nodded. "Neither of my rivals can afford a protracted war. Zhuge Liang hopes to end it quickly with these northern expeditions of his. But he is a dreamer. I have already responded to his aggression with my finest officers and men stationed at strategic chokepoints: Tianshui, Jieting, and across the Wei River itself, which marks the jugular of the Central Plains."

"Do you require Miata and I for any phase of the counterattack, Your Highness?" asked Clarice.

"Not as of yet. My son will personally deal with Huang Yue Ying and her friends at Tianshui. And should he fail…" his eyes flashed. "I'll have Galatea and the Imperial Lancers move to reinforce Jieting. We will put an end to their resistance there."

*

Across central China lie the famed Central Plains, hugged by the Wei River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River. While the plateaus are undoubtedly scenic expanses that continue to capture the imagination of younger generations, the Central Plains' true value was of a military nature. For much of ancient and medieval Chinese history, this legendary battlefield protected the Imperial Capital of Luoyang from southern encroachment, and during the Three Kingdoms era it also shielded the Wei first city of Xuchang from Shu and Wu, ensuring Cao Cao's continued political dominance over the princes and dukes of the realm. For his enemies, the realization of the significance of his grip over this location came too late. The death of his rival Yuan Shao signalled the end of the old guard and ushered in the age of Liu Bei and Sun Quan. But they were also unable to dislodge the Wei forces from Wu Zhang, and the full consequences of this failure would reveal themselves in the distant future, when the realm, long divided, was to be united once more.

This has become common knowledge in the modern world age. But very few know that many centuries ago, a peculiar race of silver-eyed women also walked the sacred land of the Central Plains. It is here that that our chronicles carry on, alongside one angelic lady who fought for Shu during her time in China…

A warrior who was known amongst her comrades as the Windcutter…

*

Sunset

The Wei army that defended Tianshui was massive, spanning as far as the eye could see, across the horizon and beyond it. The banners of the empire and flags of the Cao clan dotted the landscape and towered above incalculable numbers of Men-At-Arms, cavalrymen and siege engines. Flora, Yue Ying and Zhao Yun galloped towards the land armada nevertheless, leading an attack party that was dwarfed by the hundreds of thousands. A disadvantaged head count did not daunt the trio, no matter how grave. As far as Yue Ying was concerned, her friends were worth entire armies alone. But…

Something else concerned her, and that was the horseman at the head of the Wei army. Even as they closed in on him, he did not seem concerned at all, nor did her even give the signal for the archers to fire. The Men-At-Arms did not budge, nor did the cavalry charge and attempt a flank. His pearly white mantle and cape draped comfortably around his back and his horse. It was only when his narrow, vampiric face was illuminated by the reddening sun that she realized who could be so arrogant to assume victory before the battle had even begun. "The Crown Prince of Wei," breathed Yue Ying. "Cao Pi."

He brushed back his slick black hair. "Shu must be taught a lesson. They must never again dare to set foot on this land." By his side stood Zhen Ji, decked in light blue and gentle purple. Her fresh, seductive eyes had fixed themselves on the three Shu warriors as Cao Pi continued to speak. "Do you have any idea who we are? I beseech you, leave this place at once if you do not wish to suffer unqualified humiliation and an extremely painful death."

"Your arrogance will destroy you, Cao Pi," snarled Zhao Yun, somersaulting off his horse and landing several yards away from his nemesis.

"Me, arrogant? It is you who is acting haughty by seeing yourself as my equal." The Prince flicked his royal longsword and pointed it at them. "That is true arrogance."

"Then allow a lowly woman of humble birth show you how mistaken you are." Flora stepped forward and pointed her Claymore at Cao Pi. "You will fall by my own hand."

"You would face me?" confirmed the ostentatious aristocrat. "Very well. Let it begin! My darling," he prompted.

"I understand, my Lord." Zhen Ji stepped forward, smiling coquettishly. Silence reigned for several moments as the enemies stared at one another. Then all of a sudden, the cold metal of a bladed whip shot out from her slender hand, heading directly for Zhao Yun's torso. The Shu knight reflexively raised his spear and blocked the first portion of the nine-section lash. A loud clang rung through the air, but he was too late as Zhen Ji tugged viciously and crushed his body in the grip of her terrifying weapon.

"Zilong!" cried Flora. Taken by surprise, she and Yue Ying raised their weapons, but it would not be enough. Zhen Ji's whip tightened around him, and she licked her lips. Without a further warning, she disappeared from sight, winking out in a flash of light…

And taking Zhao Yun with her.

"My Lord!" screamed Flora again, instinctively stretching out her hand for him.

"My ladies… be careful," came his fading voice. Eyes wide in shock, his hand also reached desperately for his beloved, but flesh became incorporeal as he faded into the aether. He had vanished, and even the remnants of his voice had fallen silent.

The Shu Lance Marshal whipped around to face Cao Pi, fury in her silver eyes. "What has she done with him?" she demanded.

"She merely utilized an amulet that grants its client temporary teleportation. Something that the primitives of the Continent might not understand," smirked Cao Pi. "The Qilin Amulet… a most useful tool, one that merely requires a strong will to master. You are not the only commander with alchemists and magicians at your service, Huang Yue Ying."

The Grand General aimed Sapphire Crescent at Cao Pi. "Move, and I shoot."

He smiled. "Try," he hissed.

His booted feet left the stirrups of his horse, and he spun into the air, smoothly evading the missiles that Yue Ying fired at him. The miniature novae exploded into the Wei soldiers behind him, blasting several dozen men into the air and sending the frontal guard into chaos. But she was unable to strike Cao Pi even as his bodyguards scattered. He landed close to an unprepared Flora, his hand finding her throat before she could draw her sword to use the Windcutter technique. She gagged in shock at the callously rough contact, but he ignored her. "And now it is my turn to use my own Qilin Amulet. Come," he said. "Dance with me, fair flower."

"No!" cried Yue Ying.

"All forces," commanded the Prince, seconds before he teleported to an unknown destination with a choking Flora, "attack."

Yue Ying swore as the Wei army recovered from its momentary confusion and began to charge down the sloped hills. She waved at her own Crescent Wardens, and they fearlessly fired at the enemy soldiers that outnumbered them four to one. "It seems I'll have to deploy the Juggernauts sooner than I hoped," she muttered, as pandemonium and mayhem rapidly descended upon the battlefield.

Flora… Zilong… neither of you can die on me. Do you understand?

*

He had released her. She staggered away, rubbing her sore neck as he quietly recovered from his own spell. They were shrouded in darkness, and surrounded by four cold, limestone walls. From her first impression, there did not seem to be any furniture. Good. Her movements would not be restricted. But still… "Where are we?" coughed Flora, completely disoriented.

"Tianshui fortress," replied Cao Pi obligingly. "Be grateful. I'll be scolded by my father for this." He raised his longsword, closing his eyes briefly, as if to meditate on his impending battle. "You said I was to fall by your hand. Then prove it to me."

Flora quickly placed her hand on her sword's handle, waiting for Cao Pi to commit the dire mistake of attacking first – one movement from him, and he would be dashed to pieces by her Windcutter. At least, that was what she hoped. "Once I defeat you, Wei will be bereft of an heir – I believe that would be the most ideal situation."

"How cruel," mocked Cao Pi, circling her, spreading his arms wide while keeping a firm grip on Havoc. "The Wei Empire is the future of China – an efficient military machine that pioneers technology, philosophy, and agricultural innovation. We protect our people with the mightiest standing army the world can offer: patriotic, imperialistic, and ruthlessly… exquisitely… merciless. And what do Shu and Wu have to offer?" he asked scornfully. "One is composed of backwater forest peasantry, and the other is a nation of seafaring, fire-loving pirates."

"You forget one thing. A despot governs Wei, and a tyrant is the most unworthy of all rulers. And he is your own father!" she cried.

"He is misunderstood," replied Cao Pi defensively. "Cruelty is not the sole measure of what it means to be a tyrant. In times of chaos, a man cannot allow himself to fall into the arrogance that presumes the automatic submission of the world. No. If he wishes to realize his destiny…" his eyes glimmered. "Then he must seize it, with all his strength and power. And that is what Father has done!" Without warning, the Prince leaped into the air, spinning with a voracious speed, his twirling body resembling a vortex. Caught completely off-guard, Flora staggered back and hastily drew her sword, her arm sliding her blade out and striking at him, before quickly returning it into the niche behind her cape. She repeated that motion at an incredible speed and from a hundred different angles, attempting to break past him with a lethal blow. But he was surprisingly tenacious, and his stamina was such that he could keep up with her superhuman movements relatively effortlessly.

Their eyes met as their swords collided, again and again. Half-Yoma eyes met vampiric irises.

She charged again, and Cao Pi gave ground. "Your technique is good," he admitted, as he calmly parried every one of her attacks with refined finesse. "But I can see through your technique. It is strikingly similar to a method that draws the sword from the scabbard and fells the enemy in one finely aimed attack. On an island east of our nation, I believe they call it battojutsu." He flipped back and dashed towards her. "But its weakness is that it consistently comes from one identical location – your drawing hand." He went on the offensive, slashing and thrusting relentlessly as her Windcutter became a shield of metal, blocking and parrying each of his ferocious attacks. She slowly backed off, patiently waiting for a mistake to exploit. But just as she prepared to cut across his chest, he backed away, narrowly avoiding her surprise attack. He breathed out loudly, impressed. "Nevertheless, you're good. You would do well to serve me, and Wei."

"Excuse me?" snapped Flora uncharacteristically.

"You heard me, loud and clear." He smiled as he danced away from her angry slash. "Why fight for Shu at all? Make your home in Xuchang, and let my father take you under his wing, just as he's done with so many of your comrades."

She gasped, dreading his answer. "So many… of our comrades?"

"Indeed: Alicia. Beth. Galatea. Rafaela. Clarice… and the new Number Four – Miata." Cao Pi nodded at her astonished expression. "Yes. Any outside can see who is to win this civil war. And with the most powerful silver-eyed witches of your Continent on our side, you should see it clearly, too."

"I am not so craven as to feed a wolf merely because it howls the loudest."

Their swords met again. "No matter. If you are worried for all your friends in Shu, and even Wu, I'll simply have them join Wei, too. After all, Father's ambition is to unite this nation, not destroy it."

She gasped as his strength suddenly doubled. Her knees buckled. "We will not bow before oppressors of the weak!" she cried, as he dislodged her grip with his free hand. Holding desperately onto her sword with her left hand, she tried attacking him with her pommel, but he managed to slip past it, and they continued to struggle, their fingers clutching at one another as the heir of Wei tried to force her to release her weapon. His eyes suddenly glinted, and he twirled his sword and thrust it into her thigh, piercing through flesh, artery and bone. A loud spattering sound echoed through her body.

She gasped, her eyes widening in shock from the unexpected, devious attack. "Now I have you," he hissed in victory. Her grip on her greatsword only tightened, but now Cao Pi was free to grab her wrists. He charged forward, pushing her back and slamming her against the wall. "Surrender."

She calmly thrust the knee of her uninjured leg up into his groin.

A loud thud. Contact was successful. He gasped, doubling over in trauma and pain, but as she raised her sword to decapitate him, he smirked and dived forward again, the blade of his hand striking the bottom of her wrist. Shrugging off this senseless resistance, Flora swung her sword down to cleave through his back.

But…

She gasped in astonishment as her hand refused to obey her. She could not control her movement as she involuntarily dropped her sword. The Claymore clanged to the cold stone floor. I cannot… move my arm!

Somehow, through some bizarre technique, he had immobilized her left limb completely. She stared at him in fury. What could have neutralized her enhanced strength, speed and reflexes so easily? "What… what have you done to me?!" she cried.

She attempted to smash her knee into his privates again, but Cao Pi's fingers quickly struck her hip, and her two legs froze in place. Her lower body was paralysed, rooted to the floor. "You Continentals haven't heard of pressure point manipulation? How shameful." He drew back calmly. "As a Prince, I have learned many techniques to protect myself from potential assassins. Never did I imagine that I would be forced to use them against a woman who wanted to deprive me of offspring."

"How dare you," grated Flora angrily as he drew closer. He sneered, leaving her right arm untouched. He did not bother removing her sword from her thigh. Rather, he turned her away from the wall, and gave her a disdainful push. With the loss of both her balance and support, she crashed onto the ground, and she cried out as Havoc slid up through her open wound. Her own blood spurted across her legs. Cao Pi smoothly caught his weapon and flicked away the gore, staring at the prone, immobilized blonde. "Worry not. The numbing of your nerves is only temporary. This is not a lethal martial technique. There is no fun in catching prey that cannot run."

He kneeled beside her. "But for now, you are helpless. Accept that." She struggled to push him away, but even her Yoki-infused strength was futile with merely one arm. He took her by the back of her head and her waist, raising her up to look into his ice-cold eyes. "Accept that Wei possesses the Mandate of Heaven. Accept that Shu's cause is a lost one. And…" his face neared hers, and his smirk was terrifying. "Accept that the warrior called Zhao Yun is destined to fall by my wife's whip."

"You lowlife – " Flora bucked and thrashed in the Prince's arms, gritting her teeth and glaring daggers at him. But he quickly silenced her with something she deemed only Zhao Yun to be worthy of. He kissed her, pressing himself against her reluctant mouth with the haste of an impatient admirer. She did not care if he was only toying with her. His lips were not welcome. The back of her right hand welted his cheek, and he fell back, releasing her. He rubbed his face sullenly, but returned to seize her again. She struggled desperately, but his clench was monstrous. "Such violence. If you are so naïve to think that you should hate your enemy, then you should hate my father, not me."

"You are a monster," she whispered. "Perhaps more so than Cao Cao himself."

"I defeat you fairly, initiate unpretentious advances, and still you have the gall to brand me a monster. I wonder… if it is not you who is the fool." His lips trailed along her neck, and they were surprisingly gentle, an arresting juxtaposition to what he had done moments earlier. She resisted again, this time more feebly, and his hand wandered over to her chest, and he squeezed her right breast firmly. It felt slightly painful, for he was not completely tender, yet she sensed restraint in his grip. Exhausted, confused and in pain, she moaned instinctively, unable to suppress a quiet, womanly sigh. He seemed pleased as he closed his eyes. His hand continued to wander further, up and down her wounded body, attempting to caress her to stillness, to force her into submission. "You see? I am not evil, far from it. In fact, your stubborn resistance is worthy of respect – yes, even mine. You have much to offer our Kingdom as a warrior, and as a woman." He reopened his eyes again to look at her. "All you need to do is kneel, and I can grant you all your heart's desires. I can grant you your friends' safety."

"How dare you treat me like a plaything?" gritted Flora, flustered and furious. "I won't forgive you. I won't!"

Cao Pi's vampiric eyes glinted. "Wrong once again, demon-lady. Your hands may say 'no', but your eyes say 'now!'"