Esmeria

The sound of hurried footsteps approached the courtyard, growing louder with each passing second.

“What do we do now?” Harun asked, his voice laced with concern.

“We’ve achieved our objective. It’s time to retreat. We wouldn’t stand a chance against someone capable of defeating a dragon,” Yasmin replied, her tone urgent.

“Consider yourself fortunate that our target isn’t you,” Harun said to Xiao Jie, his voice edged with a mix of disdain and relief. Without another word, Harun and Yasmin turned and quickly disappeared into the shadows, vanishing as swiftly as they had arrived.

“General, don’t overwork yourself!” the soldiers rushed over, their concern evident.

“I’m fine for now,” Xiao Jie assured them, his voice steady despite the urgency of the situation.

“Who would dare commit such a massacre in the palace?” one soldier asked, his eyes scanning the surroundings littered with the corpses of servants and guards. “Should we pursue the assailants?”

“No,” Xiao Jie replied firmly. “Our priority is locating the princess and ensuring her safety.”

Turning to his troops, he commanded, “Search every part of the palace immediately. Find the princess and protect her at all costs!”

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers responded in unison, quickly dispersing in different directions to begin their search.

Xiao Jie, clutching his abdomen as blood seeped down his legs, gazed solemnly at Jian Yi’s lifeless form. “You did well,” he said quietly. “I’ll take it from here. I pray for your safe passage to heaven…”

Despite his severe injuries from his battle with Terrathorn, Xiao Jie had rushed back to Luo Yang with his troops without pausing for rest. The stitches on his wounds had burst open, and blood trickled down his body, yet he pressed on resolutely.

He noted to himself with a grim sense of irony, “It’s fortunate I’m in red armor; the assailants did not realize I’m wounded.”

Xiao Jie’s determination to protect the palace and find the princess fueled his relentless drive, even as his own body protested with every step.

“What a carnage, damned Gilles, is this what you truly desire?!” Xiao Jie thought, after looking at the corpses of guards and servants littered on the ground,

Xiao Jie, having learned of King Wu’s death and Peng Xian’s imprisonment from the rioting citizens, entered the ceremonial hall. The once opulent room now resembled a scene from a nightmare, strewn with the bodies of officials and servants.

Approaching King Wu’s coffin, Xiao Jie knelt in respect. “My King, forgive me for being late. I vow to protect the princess with my life. I pray for your safe passage to heaven.”

Rising from his genuflection, he turned and made his way toward the jail cell where Peng Xian was being held.

In the dark jail cell, Peng Xian sat deep in thought, torn between breaking out and staying put. Frustration gnawed at him as he wrestled with his dilemma. Suddenly, the heavy creak of the iron gate broke the silence. A guard, drenched in blood, staggered into the room, using Peng Xian’s staff, Mie Xie, as a crutch.

The guard barely made it to the front desk, where he fumbled for the keys, his hand trembling. Clutching them tightly, he limped toward Peng Xian’s cell.

“What happened?!” Peng Xian demanded, his voice filled with urgency.

The guard remained silent, his focus entirely on reaching the cell. With a shaky hand, he extended the key toward Peng Xian. It was then that Peng Xian noticed the gaping wound in the guard's abdomen, his insides barely contained by a bloodied hand.

“Please… save us…” The guard whispered before collapsing to the ground, leaving the key in Peng Xian’s grasp.

"Thank you, Wei Jian," Peng Xian murmured solemnly. "I will not let your death be in vain. I will make sure Xiao Chun knows of your bravery."

With these words, Peng Xian unlocked his cell and grasped his staff, Mie Xie, before leaving the jailhouse. His heart weighed heavy with the memory of Wei Jian's sacrifice, but it also strengthened his resolve.

Peng Xian had always made it a point to remember everyone’s name and story, caring deeply for the citizens of Luo Yang. This was why they adored him.

He even recalled that Wei Jian had married Xiao Chun just last month. Despite Wei Jian being a lowly guard, Peng Xian had attended the wedding, sharing in the young couple’s joy.

It was this bond, this mutual respect and care, that had driven Wei Jian to risk his life to free Peng Xian, never once believing the accusations that he had murdered King Wu.

As Peng Xian stepped out of the jailhouse, he saw Xiao Jie approaching.

“My sworn brother, I didn’t think you had it in you to break out of jail on your own. Ahahaha!” Xiao Jie laughed heartily, stroking his beard.

“Oh my, I didn’t. A brave guard sacrificed his life to set me free,” Peng Xian replied solemnly.

“Can you locate the princess?” Xiao Jie asked, his tone becoming serious.

“Thanks to the heavens, Wei Jian brought me Mie Xie. With it, I certainly can,” Peng Xian said confidently.

“[Detection Magic]!” Peng Xian chanted, tapping Mie Xie on the ground. A giant magic circle flared to life beneath him, pulsating with energy. This spell combined the elements of Light and Sound magic, enabling him to detect any movement within its area of effect, down to the size and form of whatever was present.

Moments later, Peng Xian’s eyes narrowed as he focused. “The princess is near the guest room where I was staying, and there’s someone with her. I suspect it’s the girl who resembles the princess.”

“Huh?! There’s someone who looks like the princess?!” Xiao Jie asked, his voice tinged with shock.

“We’ll move as I explain. Our princess might be in danger,” Peng Xian said, urgency creeping into his voice.

“Got it!” Xiao Jie replied, immediately running alongside Peng Xian, despite the sharp pain from his injury—a pain he chose not to mention to Peng Xian.

Under the moonlit night, in a courtyard strewn with corpses, Annie relentlessly attacked Wu Zhao, her strikes swift and unyielding. Wu Zhao, wielding a sword she had picked up from a fallen guard, fought desperately to defend herself, her every move fueled by the instinct to survive.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Annie screamed, her voice laced with venom as she continued her relentless assault on Wu Zhao.

"What have I even done to you?!" Wu Zhao countered, her voice steady despite the intensity of the fight as she blocked each assault.

"You are the reason my life is so miserable!" Annie spat back, her words dripping with bitterness as she pressed her attack, each blow fueled by years of resentment.

“I have never even met you before! How am I the reason for your anguish?!” Wu Zhao demanded, her voice unwavering as she fended off Annie's relentless strikes.

“Just die already!” Annie screamed, her fury reaching a fever pitch as she pressed her assault with even more ferocity.

“I never imagined the royal combat training would come in handy like this,” Wu Zhao thought as she skillfully parried another of Annie's attacks, her grip tightening around the hilt of the sword. Despite the intensity of the battle, she remained calm, her mind racing to find a way to end this confrontation.

"What is going on with her?" Wu Zhao wondered, noticing Annie's erratic behavior. "Her temper swings from rage to eerie calmness." Wu Zhao realized something unsettling. "When she's angry, I can parry her attacks, but when she calms down... her strikes become nearly impossible to block."

"You can't keep dodging forever!" Annie snarled, her voice dripping with venom as she spun and slashed at Wu Zhao with blinding speed.

Wu Zhao narrowly avoided the attack, feeling the dagger’s cold wind brush against her cheek. She countered with a swift, precise strike, forcing Annie to leap back. “I don’t plan to,” Wu Zhao replied, her eyes narrowing in focus.

Annie’s movements grew more erratic, a wild mix of fury and skill. Wu Zhao could feel the strain in her arms as she blocked each ferocious swing. Suddenly, Annie’s demeanor shifted, her rage melting into a terrifying calm. Her attacks became more calculated, more deadly.

Wu Zhao’s heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to keep up. “She’s too fast now… I need to do something!” she thought, her mind racing for a solution.

Annie saw an opening and took it. She darted forward, her dagger aimed straight for Wu Zhao’s heart. Wu Zhao’s eyes widened in surprise, the blade plunging into her chest—or so it seemed.

Annie smirked in triumph, only for her expression to twist in confusion. Wu Zhao’s body shimmered, then vanished like mist in the moonlight. “What?!” Annie gasped, realizing that she had struck nothing but an illusion.

“What an annoying magic. It suits a spoiled princess like you perfectly!” Annie scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain.

Wu Zhao, still catching her breath, thought to herself, “Thank you, Peng Xian, for teaching me [Mirage].” She could feel the strain of the battle in every breath, but her resolve remained unshaken.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the courtyard, growing louder as they approached their location.

As the soldiers arrived, Annie and Wu Zhao abruptly paused, their attention shifting to the new arrivals. The air was thick with tension as the soldiers took in the surreal sight before them—two figures who appeared to be the princess, locked in combat.

“What is going on here?!” one soldier exclaimed, his eyes darting between the two identical figures.

Annie, her anger still simmering, glared at Wu Zhao with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. Wu Zhao, catching her breath and trying to regain her composure, allowed herself a brief moment of relief.

“Grrr, all of you are so annoying!” Annie shouted, her frustration palpable as she kneeled and drove her dagger into the ground. Instantly, a vast, dark shadow began to spread out from beneath her.

The shadow spread rapidly, engulfing the area where the soldiers stood. Darkness swallowed their forms, obscuring everything in an impenetrable black void.

“[Shadow Crusher],” Annie intoned. From within the immense shadow, countless dark appendages emerged, stabbing through the darkness and striking the soldiers. The air filled with cries of agony as the shadowy tendrils pierced and overwhelmed them, leaving no room for escape.

“How could you end human lives so easily?!” Wu Zhao exclaimed, tears streaming down her face in a mix of anger and sorrow.

“They are nothing more than flies buzzing around,” Annie replied with a chilling smile. “Do you feel remorse for ending the lives of insects?”

“You will be joining them soon enough,” Annie said, her voice cold as the shadow began to expand toward Wu Zhao.

Desperately, Wu Zhao leaped backward, trying to distance herself from the encroaching darkness. As the shadow’s appendages shot toward her, she barely managed to dodge, her movements swift and tense as she evaded the deadly tendrils.

Countless appendages surged toward Wu Zhao, targeting her vitals with deadly precision. With no option but to rely on her magic, she used [Mirage] to dodge and weave through the onslaught of dark tendrils.

Annie’s smile grew wider as she chanted, “[Shadow Blast]!” The shadow beneath them expanded, its reach growing ever larger. More appendages emerged, crashing down on Wu Zhao and demolishing the surrounding stone lanterns and other decorations in the courtyard. The once serene setting was now a chaotic battleground of darkness and destruction.

“Guk!” Wu Zhao was hurled through the air by the force of the magic, landing heavily among the debris. Wounds marred her body, and she struggled to rise but found herself unable to stand.

She lay on the ground, gasping for breath, her body battered and barely able to move. Annie approached her with a triumphant smile, dagger raised high. “Finally, all will be mine!” she declared, preparing to deliver the fatal blow.