The Tale Never Ends

I stared, bewildered and awestruck at the beam shooting right at me from Na San’s staff! Then I felt a jolt; Big Sister shoved me aside and the ray of light shot between us harmlessly.

Lurching sideways, a thought flashed across my mind: since when do shamans use laser technology?! But Na San, the boorish brute that he was, was already readjusting the direction of his staff to send another death ray my way! The beam blazed a trench no more than three fingers wide as it charged at me like a red spear and the cobblestones sizzled with protest with a long fuming and blackened streak as the beam headed straight at me.

But I was already one with the Shiyan Blade; a state of harmony and union that allowed the Shiyan Blade to accord me unbelievable speed and superhuman strength. I leaped up, reaching as high as almost ten yards, cleanly jumping out of the trajectory of the laser beam. This is my chance to retaliate!

I raised the Shiyan Blade before my eyes, my finger sliding on the smooth and slender steel of the sword as I muttered the incantation for the Fire Charm. The blade of the sword erupted with flames as if a dragon had breathed on it and I yelled a wordless battle cry, swinging hard the Shiyan Blade and sent forth a fiery half-moon burst of flames at Na San!

The speed of my retaliation caught Na San off-guard; he looked up just in time to see the scythe-shaped mass of flames boring down on him!

But Na San reacted with lightning-speed agility; hardly terrified beyond measure, he quickly tossed aside his staff and puffed his chest defiantly. He undid the clasp of his old, battered down jacket and showed his naked chest.

Boom! The flames hit him squarely in the chest and a huge burst of fire blinded everyone. But just before my eyes closed, I caught a glimpse of a copper-bronze radiance sprouting richly from Na San’s chest like a gushing geyser. But the burst of fire was too strong and it was all I saw before my eyes shut.

I felt myself crashing to the ground with a thud and I knew I was somewhere behind Na San.

If there was anything that I have learned from my experience in fighting Big Sister, it was that I must always be prepared to accept that even the most powerful attack could fail. Immediately when I hit the ground, I quickly sprang up and charged with my sword ahead. Even with my eyes closed, I stabbed with all my weight behind my sword, trying to remember where Na San was standing, and aiming straight for his heart!

In the state of being one with the Shiyan Blade, I felt as if I was the Flash. The fiery burst had barely begun dissipating when I felt my sword hitting its mark. Only, instead of feeling the blade plunging through him, tearing through his skin and flesh, I only heard the raspy metallic clang of something hard and the Shiyan Blade bounced off something hard!

But as I regained my sight, I finally saw what it was that my sword had hit. The Shiyan Blade did not miss. Its tip had seared through the down jacket and hit the back of Na San, right where his heart would be, only something hard was in its way like a shield! A bright shade of copper winked from the cut where the Shiyan Blade had pierced through. Then I began to realize that the front of Na San’s torso was also shining brightly in bronze as if he was wearing a suit of armor and the Fire Charm had not so much as singed a hair off him!

Big Sister and I were instantly shocked beyond words! The Fire Charm I just used was not powered by my inner powers or mana, but rather the strength of the Shiyan Blade itself! Yet here was Na San, emerging completely unscathed by the power of the Shiyan Blade! An occurrence that should not have been possible!

Na San whirled around, looking fierce and ugly. Suddenly, his expression softened and he broke into a smug sneer. He puffed his chest and there it was, hanging from his neck a bronze mirror, gleaming brightly in the dark. He gleefully removed his down jacket, revealing a frayed shirt with numerous repaired patches sewn all over it and another bronze mirror hanging down his back! It must be these mirrors that had stopped the Shiyan Blade and the bolt of flames from the Fire Charm!

“You’ve spent quite a lot on equipment,” I observed with a cheeky remark, “Aren’t you a spendthrift one!” And I chuckled at my own joke. Na San merely looked at me dumbly but Jin Qichen who had been watching from beside stirred uneasily, clearly understanding me. “So,” he muttered with feigned curiosity, “How am I to defeat you when you have such epic-level equipment?” I jabbed again, giggling mirthfully.

“Oh my! We should not have forgotten about you, Prince Beile!” I turned to Jin Qichen, slapping my forehead with mocked surprise. “I should have dealt with you first! It’s just like playing a video game. Defeating first the Boss while ignoring the small creeps!” I lunged before I even finished with my arm outstretched, clawing for Jin Qichen’s throat!

For once, Jin Qichen looked absolutely fearful. Panic was evident in his trembling eyes for just a fleeting second before it quickly became a self-conceited smile. My hand was so close to grabbing at his throat when I felt a chill down my spine and I quickly withdrew and an earsplitting crack hit the ground! Right where I was standing just half a second before was Na San’s staff, driven inches deep into the ground! My gaze traveled further and I saw Na San still frozen in his tracks; still in his throwing stance with his arms outstretched. But I knew better than to retreat; realizing that Na San was now without his weapon, I pivoted and swung my sword, putting all my weight behind the blow that aimed for his throat! With my enhanced agility and speed, Na San could hardly even react and he could not even withdraw his arms to defend himself!

At the same time, I spied Big Sister frantically flexing her fingers at Na San from behind him with one of her hands forming the Seal of the Sword and her lips fluttering with a spell! Lo and behold, right before my sword reached Na San’s throat, three menacing icicles materialized right over his head, threatening to drive right into his skull!

Before he could draw back his arm, Na San felt the warning tingle of danger crawling on his skin. With three quick rolls to the back, he dodged my attack and the three falling icicles just in time.

Noting, Big Sister’s study of arcane magic after shedding her former demonic ways revolved around cold elements. Hence, her magic of ice manipulation. Big Sister’s conjuring of icicles and swords of ice was similar in method to my Fire Charm. Only the nature of our elements remained different, hence hers would naturally be the Ice Charm.

But as Na San rolled back in his haste, the bells hanging from his belt emitted another chiming peal of rattle and jingles and Big Sister’s magic immediately failed. She began returning back to her true form. Yet, Na San’s rolling brought him just before Big Sister! With what strength remaining before she fully returned to her fox form, she made a vicious kick into his groin!

She was still wearing the long boots I bought her when she sent the kick. A pair of boots with hard, pointy ends! The kick hit Na San right between his legs. His eyes instantly enlarged when he felt her boots hitting him; so large that I could almost see the veins in his eyes and he crumbled to the ground with an agonizing groan of pain with Big Sister nowhere to be seen; she had fully been transformed back to her fox form. For all the good his bells are doing him against demons, I smirked, and they won’t protect him against a bodily kick into his crotch! Good one, Big Sister!

Big Sister quickly transformed herself back to her human form. She emerged from her heap of clothes and lifted the now-unconscious Na San like a trussed chicken and came to me.

With a chuckle, we returned our attention back to Jin Qichen. “What else do you have now?” I pointed my sword at him. He was looking terrified with his bodyguard defeated. Even his legs were shaking that I was wondering if they were going to buckle and give way. With an aghast howl, he turned and ran, escaping deep into the darkness of the alleyway ahead.

“And where do you think you’re running off to?” I chuckled and ran after him. But in scarcely a couple of steps, a strange and staggering weariness struck me with such force that my knees immediately felt like marshmallow and I crashed to the ground! I forced myself arm with what strength remaining, feeling all strength in me ebbing like a leaking balloon and the bond that I shared with the Shiyan Blade instantly broke.

“Little Brother?!” Big Sister rushed over to help me up. “What’s wrong?!” I raised a hand to indicate I was fine. “You’ve forgotten to tell me that there’s a time limit to how long I can maintain the state of being one with the Blade… I’m okay. I’m just tired from the exertion and my link with the sword broken…”

We looked into the alleyway, seeing the red lamps of a car moving further and further away until it was but a single dot before it disappeared completely. Big Sister had wanted to chase after Jin Qichen, but she could not leave me alone there.

She carried me on her back like how she did before, dragging the fainted Na San with us back to the hotel. Then we had Na San tightly bound in ropes and left in the toilet. “So, what should we do with this shaman pup?” Big Sister asked sourly.