The year is 761 in solar calendar, the year of Dragon. Today, the world is engulfed in flames, today, the kingdom is burning, today, the people are suffering. The mandate of Heaven has been lost, the Empire has been split, and all hope is lost.
I recall a Buddhist Scripture of the destined end
A White Star pass brought the White Flower, Wicked White Flower. Source of evil and root of sins, may all be cleansed, may all be saved. God help us
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"Come on boys!" A man said, he wears the red armor with a dragon decoration from the east kingdom. The men behind him were 50 at most, all were frugal, dirty and tired. The fight with the Western army at Bailang Plain is a disaster
"If not for that goddamn Cruel Demon we wouldn't have lose" one of the men cursed.
"That's right! We were just unlucky that the Cruel Demon decide to attack us" another one interject, his word is rough and tired. Yet his spite is fiercer than his exhaustion.
"Sir, how long…" A tired voice asks, not having enough energy to curse their fate
"Just one more hour, if we keep this up, we will be in Jujiang, just keep this up" The man who is the general of the army said, he held his rigorous stance even though he is as tired as everyone.
"Sir, I don't think Jujiang will accept us army men" a man said with tired voice, his armor bears the mark of severe abuse with several slash mark and a burnt mark in his barely hanging on pauldron, and an arrow shaft Is still stuck in it. The east kingdom armor is indeed as tough as the Black Jade of the Sea
"…That's why, we have to pretend to be a refugee" The general said, it was met with several disapproving glance, all are heavy with spite and hate.
"But sir! To abandon our weapon and armor is the same as betraying the King!" one man protests as he flaunts his dulled Sabre
"Honor has no meaning in this calamity, either you die clinging to that foolish honor of you, or to live!" the general said, his voice carries command that can move mountain.
"…" the disapproving soldier was silenced; they know that this is their last day on earth. So, they must choose, either die or live. And they choose to live one-by-one. In silence they march once more
"Good, lets continue…" the general said as they continue their walk of uncertainty through the forest. Behind them was a smoke of war, in front is a grey horizon, as if the world itself has no will to keep them alive
'If only…if only I was a bit stronger. Than that accursed Corrupted Arhat wouldn't have destroyed our formation' the general mutter a curse that is blown away by the wind, a mere hopeless curse that he said to burn his determination brighter
'If I live… I will make sure I pay it back to you tenfold you Cruel Demon!'
WOOOSH
Then, a dagger was lodged inside one of the men in his skull. His body moves forward in an awkward manner before it fall, he died instantly
"Huh!" his partner, confused and shocked, looked at the body of his friend in fear.
"E-ENEMY ATTACK!" The man shouts. instantly, the gathered men spring into action. Entering their own stance and tightening their formation. Their discipline takes over momentary shock and fear.
"Where are the enemies?" The general asks as he enters a stance
"I think it's from the battlefield sir" one man responded. With careful tone
"Shit, has they caught up?" other react. His words caused a commotion as the men speculates among themselves about what exactly happen
"Cut the banter! Tighten formation!" the general shouts are clear and concise as the soldier comply with practiced ease.
WOOOSH
But another knife hit a man's head, another one, another one and another one
"Where the hell do they come from?!" One bellows out, sweat falls from his forehead and back.
Yet his question did not stop the knife from showering over his friends as a scream of agony and pain from those struck filled the forest in a cacophony of nightmare inducing landscape.
"Agghhh!!!"
"I-It Hurts!!"
"Mother, help me…."
"Ahhh the pain!!!!"
Then a figure appears, wearing a thick monk-like black and red robe with some sort of chain tied to a sickle and a saber, and their face was covered in a demon-like mask in which the slit where the eyes sit glows bright red. It was the Demonic Sect.
"W-What are the Demonic Sect doing here?" A man dropped his spear at the disbelief.
"Demonic sect?"
"We're dead! Dead!"
This revelation stirs more panic as the men rowdy action intensifies.
The scream of fear and terror did not help in easing up the situation as the figure spins its weapon. When the tip of the saber hits the ground, it produces a spark with a sickening metal crunching sound
CLANG
"S-Sir Demonic sect… what are you doing here?" the general said as he manages to utter a word beyond his fear and dread. He had a wife back home who is pregnant, and he is sure his men also have someone waiting back home.
CLANG
"…" yet the figure chooses to stay silent, the dread settles into place as he didn't stop his approach.
CLANG
He gets closer each time the Sabre passes the ground, with each spark the dread grows stronger.
"W-We are of the Western army! The Demonic sect has no grudge against the west! Why are you doing this!??" the man asks in fear and dread as the figure closes in. He then stopped about 5 meters away from him
The general spear can reach him, but he cannot bring himself to strike with it. Something is holding him down, something not even years of experience could overcome it.
"…" another silent, the figure then swings its chain as the saber follows, it cleaves a man skull open as its inside spilt to the ground in a grotesque texture soup.
"Shit, retreat!" the general shouts the order as his instinct override his fear and instantly all the soldier runs away from the figure as if they are already planning to retreat anyway.
Yet the general chooses to stay, overcoming his fear and dread as he prepared a stance as he spins his spear. His Aura flares green as he activates his Technique
"I am the second wall, Zhang Lee!" he shouts, "Face me Demonic sect barbarian!"
"…Everyone knows me as Crow" the figure finally said in a surprisingly soft voice as they hasten their own chain, seemingly undisturbed at the general Zhang Lee battle shout.
"Crow?! Heheh, no wonder you able to nitpick the elite soldier his majesty handpicked" he said, the name Crow has been a terrifying addition in the campfire story lately, and he finally understood why.
He then readies a stance and thrusts forward
Crow was swift, he tangled his chain into the spear and pulled it forward to break Zhang Lee balance
Zhang Lee was startled at first, but he managed to pull his own spear and instead breaking Crow balance in turn.
Capitalizing on this, he thrust his spear into Crow head with startling speed, enough to surprise even Swallow, but Crow manages to dodge out of the way and dropped a smoke bomb, blinding the man
"Scum… Such petty trick won't work on me!"
Even when blinded, he swings his spear around to prevent any attempt at a backstab and to simultaneously clear the smoke. Crows were forced to dodge behind to catch his breath.
The smoke was then cleared, the man lock Crow in his sight and prepared for another rush
But Crow, activate his Foundation as his Aura explodes in bright red.
Zhang Lee was thrown back
"Tch how strong are you?" he said as he quickly re-balancing himself. He expects Crow to be strong but not THIS strong.
And this Aura, so suffocating and filled with bloodlust, even among the Demon of the Demonic Sect, there is only one Clan who possess this Aura…
"Hu Clan of the Demonic Sect… What an honor it was to fight the Blood Demonic Clan"
Crow, unbothered by his deduction, then activate his technique 'Blood shot in the water' as his chain shoots out unpredictably yet forcefully like a stream of water, forcing Zhang Lee to spin his Spear to deflect the attack
But it was too much, the sickle managed to cut his left arm. Crow capitalizes on this and activates the second effect of 'Blood shot in the water' as he grabs his Saber and slash Zhang Lee abdomen, spilling blood.
"Ugh..." He growls
Zhang Lee retreats: he spews blood from his mouth as he tried to stabilize the injury using his Inhibitor Core for no results, he is exhausted and cannot control his Inhibition correctly and thus, the wound remains, gaping and threatening.
He clutches his stomach, hoping it would stop bleeding. But then, he saw as Crow makes a hand gesture, a spell
"Summoning Weapon: Death be Fleeting, karma chasing Scythe of the Death God" a black circle appears on the ground as it shines in dark red, then a vicious Scythe appears. Black in color and spewing red aura from its skull-like object that holds the blade
'One of the Seven Gates? First, is the Cruel Demon and her fucking Slaughtering Mountain and now the Fleeting Death. Damned the god, im against an absolute monster lately'
The man thinks as he observes the ominous Scythe. One of the Seven Gates, an artifact that could cull millions. Fleeting Death Scythe,
'Why would he use such treasure to end me anyway? Well, I am honored'
But Zhang Lee can sense that there is someone behind him. He turned his head only to see a landscape of nightmare.
It is a scene of massacre, countless heaps of lifeless corpses strewn around in a disgusting mess and tangled web of gore. That was the man's soldiers, handpicked elite.
In the middle of it all was a boy, no older than 10. Red Blades in hand glowing in sick red color as if it has its own Aura. White hair neck-long, tied with a piece of black ring. Eyes as dead as a corpse as they see nothing as his form drenched in blood, be the suspect of the murder.
"Are you from the western army?" the boy asked, his voice is cold, hopeless and dead. That isn't a man, it's a monster. Zhang Lee felt like he could die if he answered wrongly.
"I-I am. Yes—" he said, but his words were cut short as the boy sink his blade into his face. The boy's face is white, as beautiful as a jade maiden, yet as cold as a Demon.
No remorse in those eyes, no joy, no guilt nor dread. Only the acceptance that he had killed someone.
The man saw all of this in terror, not of his own life. But on the mystery of this boy, how could he be this cold? Yet he had no more time left to answer those questions, he ceased breathing as his form tensed up before going limp.
Another one for the mass grave
"…" Crow ready his scythe, but unwilling to strike
"Are you one of them?" the boy asked, detached with life
"…No" as Crow said that. He was startled by the sudden attack by the boy.
His movement is as swift as wind as he pushed the Red Blade even deeper into Crow Scythe, but Crow Aura explodes in a wash of black and red to propelled him back.
The boy was blown away and as the boy floats in the air, Crow swiftly swings their Scythe, aiming it at his chest. Yet the boy swiftly parries it to the side with ease as if he has seen it coming.
Crows were shocked, but it lasted short as the boy swung his sword towards them. It grazes on his mask, and he quickly dashes backward, examining if there are any wounds.
But the boy advanced through at a terrifying speed as he swung his sword again, then again, then again. Each one grows closer on finding its mark
Crows swung his scythes, hoping to at least push the boy away, but the boy continues through, willing to get his chest slashed as he traded it for one powerful swing at Crow neck. But it was blocked by a golden shield that reverberates from a pendant he wears. An artifact saved Crow, it was called 'Near Miss'
If it's not for that. Crow would've been killed and become just another corpse.
The boy returns the swing once more. But Crow already grew accustomed to his flow as he kicked the boy in his rib, throwing him away as a crunched noise follows through
The boy was lying on the ground, a black liquid, different from blood spewed from his mouth, yet he didn't do so much as to grunt. He wipes off the blood and rises.
The figure of his is terrorizing, he glares at Crow before dashing and swinging his sword once more
Crows put his Scythe in between their neck and his sword. But then suddenly, the sword changes its courses in an instant, becoming a Thrust instead. It pierces their mask, knocking it off the ground
The boy retreats his sword and thrusts again at the same position, but Crow makes a hand gesture and activates a spell 'Swallow swift' as he teleports 10 meters away from him
Crow breath heavily, this boy is skilled and terrifyingly swift. He even manages to force them to use an Artifact.
'If not for this artifact, I won't be able to survive a hit'
Crow thinks as he touches his face
Crow face was white, delicate and smooth skinned. Plump lips and red eyes with a bang of his black hair protruding from the robe, Crow is a female all along. But the revelation didn't bother the boy.
Then, he looks upward as a figure descend beside her.
They wear a pure red Demon mask. They had long white hair and gallant forms wearing black, elegant robes.
"Little Mei…" they bow towards Crow, worried about her. Yet the boy, despite the sudden appearance of the figure, remains emotionless as it grips his sword tighter than before
"Zaujan, be careful. That boy is stronger than he looks" Crow warned the figures as she steadies herself and retreats her Scythe. But Zaujan opted to stabilize her Core first rather than checking the threat.
"Its fine Little Mei, the boy is weakened. Surely it won't—" The boy strikes Zaujan, aiming at his throat, yet Zaujan catches the sword and throws it away along with the boy. His hand was bleeding, yet the scar is strangely scorched.
"…Corrosion" Zaujan mutters
"Ugh, I underestimated him. Stand back Little Mei" Zaujan gesture as his Aura flares up, red covers the entire forest, it was so large and powerful that it causes Crow to have some difficulty breathing and scorched the nearby leaves.
He activates his Foundation, the 'Blood Demon Physique'. His form was surrounded by blood as it orbits him.
He then gestures at the boy, unleashing a flurry of attack using the orbiting blood. The boy moves in a short, yet precise movement as he dodges all the attack in a simple and concise move
He then dashed towards Zaujan, his sword in reverse grip to not hinder the movement as he dodges the incoming barrage of blood projectile
Zaujan then hastened his own movement, sending more and more blood to intercept him. Yet the boy dodges all of them perfectly. Then, the boy thrust his sword into Zaujan hips. But Zaujan stomped on his hand using his leg, redirecting the blade to the ground
For once, the boy showed a hint of expression before Zaujan used 'Blood Strike: Nerve wrack' to incapacitate the boy. He drops unconscious
Zaujan controls his breath as he looks down on the boy with a mix of admiration and shock
"Impressive, this boy, he manages to put even me, one of the Lord of Demonic Sect to take the fight seriously" he said as he tidies his robes and deactivates his Foundation. The Aura slowly dissipates into the air.
"Not only that…" Zaujan looked at the boy more purposefully this time "He didn't even activate his Aura" he said in a voice filled with admiration even though this boy tried to kill him.
Crow, who was confused, said to Zaujan between her strangled breath "No way… But I am sure I felt his Aura"
Zaujan shook his head "No Little Mei, you must be mistaken"
Crow nod, not in agreement but because she was too tired to argue back, she then said to Zaujan "Either way, we must kill him. He is too dangerous"
"We can't my lady" Zaujan said as he picks up the boy body into his shoulder and clasped his hand into Crow's back to help her stand.
"Why?" Crow asked, deflecting his hand and opted to stand on her own.
"Because the Demon King said so" Zaujan said, his voice filled with a tone as if saying 'it was an order'.
"…" Crow was speechless, nevertheless. He accepted the fact and followed Zaujan back to the Demonic Sect. Leaving the place and the corpses behind.