And suddenly it was somersaulting back, twirling through the air with unnatural grace, and landing a dozen feet away. An ornate spear hummed a hand’s breadth from Sadea’s face, vibrating from its embedment in the floor.

Another spear hurtled forth, zipping past her ear. The creature caught the weapon in one hand, the tip less than a whisper from its torso.

Raksha charged past her, blade flashing. The creature whipped the spear around and angled its tip to meet him. He cut the spear aside and continued closing the distance, but the creature lashed out with an open palm. Raksha met it with his own.

A tremendous boom resounded within the confines of the chamber. Air rushed from where the palms met, pushing Sadea’s hair from her face. The impact hurled both the revenant and Raksha back and away from one another. His heels skidding on the permacrete floor, the martial scientist came to a halt a foot before he would have crashed into Sadea.

To her surprise, Raksha doubled over and coughed out a mouthful of blood, spattering the floor with the crimson liquid.

“Hey! You alright?”

He held up a hand. “Just internal bleeding. No big deal.”

The revenant had let its backward momentum play out in yet another elegant somersault. Now, it stood before them, hands away from its body, weight balanced on the balls of its feet.

“Such a mighty aegis for one so young,” the revenant said, its words obviously directed at Raksha. “I am truly impressed.”

He met its gaze. “Are you a martial scientist, too? The energy field surrounding your limbs is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“In life, I was Lan Feng of the Glacial Wolf, also known as the Azure Flash. Perhaps you’ve heard that name before.”

“I have. You are famed for your mastery of the sword and spear.” Raising his hands to his chest, Raksha put them together, right fist into left palm, blade pointed downward. “I am honored to meet you, Elder.”

“Such politeness, too.” Lan Feng smiled, baring a mouthful of yellowed teeth. “Tell me your name, child.”

“I am Raksha of the Conflagration.”

“Well, Raksha. Your companion has something I want.” The revenant turned its regard to Sadea. “With that blade, I have struck down thousands of foes. Give it to me.”

“Is that all you want?” she demanded. “If we give this back to you, will you just go away?”

Lan Feng chuckled. It was a horrible, gurgling sound. “No. I will not just go away. After retrieving my sword, I will bring blissful death to all who live.”

“I cannot let you do that, Elder,” Raksha said.

“You stand in my way, child, even knowing just how badly outmatched you are? I admire your courage.” The revenant gestured dismissively. “Fine. Though it goes against the will of the one who tore me from death’s embrace, I will spare your life and the lives of those in this chamber today, so long as you return my sword.”

Before Sadea could object, Raksha snatched the jeweled blade from her and tossed it to the revenant. Lan Feng caught it midway down its sheathed length and slid it through his cloth belt.

“Ah, Distant Moon,” he sighed. “What a comfort to have you by my side again.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Sadea shrieked. “You just gave him a heavily enchanted sword!”

“It’s his.” Raksha pulled out the spear embedded in the floor and tossed it lengthwise to the revenant. “And this, too.”

Lan Feng caught the weapon, holding it alongside its twin in one hand. “You have returned my arms, but yet you still stand in my way.”

“Like I said, Elder. I cannot let you hurt anyone.” Raksha raised his sword. “Much as it pains me, I must kill you today.”

“Why? You’re not driven by blind, foolish pride.” Lan Feng cocked its head, as if in thought. “And you are obviously no simpleton.”

“Wrong about that last one,” Sadea grumbled.

“Could it be…?” The revenant’s face twisted into a ghastly smile. “The Ancient Code? You abide by it? Truly?”

Raksha nodded.

Lan Feng threw its head back and howled in laughter. Moments passed as the revenant vented its mirth. All this time, Sadea took deep breaths and put her mind through drills that would rejuvenate her soul and rekindle her lightning.

“Yeah, keep laughing, you moron,” she muttered. Within another few minutes, she would have enough strength to reduce the creature to its component atoms, enchanted sword or no.

“I lived by the Ancient Code once, a long time ago,” Lan Feng hissed, abruptly ceasing its laughter. “It was a thankless, joyless existence. Hold yourself with honor? Succor those in need? I spit on those ideals!”

“Yet everything I’ve heard about you says otherwise, Elder,” Raksha said quietly. “The Azure Flash was known for his gallantry and heroism, in his readiness to defend the helpless and his stalwart refusal to turn away in the face of evil.”

“I traveled to this region hoping in part to meet you and partake of your wisdom,” he went on, “for though I walk the Warrior’s Pilgrimage, I do so blindly, and I fear I have lost my way a long time ago.”

The revenant’s features grew somber. “I have no guidance for you, child, save to tell you, for the last time, to step aside or die.”

“And I tell you, for the last time, that I will not.” Raksha growled, striding forward. His aegis flared, bathing Sadea in its heat. “I am Raksha of the Conflagration. Death or victory!”

A grin twisted its way across the revenant’s face. “Once, I walked the Path of the Glacial Wolf. Now, I am Lan Feng of the Mortis Howl. Death or victory!”

**

And there it was. Leona pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. That was why she hated martial scientists: their hypocritical notions of honor, their touchy egos, and their belief that they were above Hegemonic laws.

Of course, thanks to their great power, they had their uses and enjoyed certain privileges within the Hegemony. After all, her chief bodyguard, a Shadow Master of the Yagyu clan, was one. But the Yagyu were different, having sworn eternal, unquestioning fealty to House Belisarius. Honor meant nothing to them.

And then there were the Orthodox Orders, the likes of Wu Dang and E’mei, whose members alternated between groveling to the Hegemonic Lords and waxing lyrical about their honor and adherence to the Code, all while raping and pillaging those weaker than them.

The worst were the true believers of the Ancient Code, often transient loners who answered to no one. Several years ago, a shipment of barbarian child slaves had begun its journey to a noble’s birthday party for recreational dissection and torture, only to be intercepted by Lan Feng. The martial scientist had then killed the guards and released the cargo.

In life, he’d been a betrayer of Hegemonic ideals, an outlaw of the worst kind.

“The Ancient Code borders on heresy,” she said. “Why the Church even tolerates it at all is beyond my comprehension. It is also fundamentally incompatible with Hegemonic law.”

Silently, Raksha held her gaze, his jaw tight but his bearing bereft of any sign of being intimidated. Leona grunted. It was useless to engage in debate with him. She doubted the martial scientist had the philosophical inclination, intellectual depth, or introspective capacity to even give the Ancient Code any critical thought. In any case, it was not her job to educate him.

“To ascertain, during a crisis, you handed over an enchanted weapon to a powerful foe. For what? So you could have a fair fight? Because honor demands it?” Leona barked.

“Because it belonged to him,” Raksha said.

Sadea sighed and patted him on the shoulder. “This is a bit sad to watch, really, like seeing an adorable retarded child who’s going to be abandoned or smothered by its parents, sooner or later.”

“Lan Feng was a highly accomplished martial scientist, with over two centuries of cultivation and battle experience.” Leona leaned back, bringing her now-cold mug of caffeine to her lips. “You might have been one of the Bloodstorm duo, but my analytical augmentations place your biological age at 20.37 years. He should have crushed you like an insect. How did that not happen?”

“Huh. I’m twenty-years-old?” Raksha blinked. “That’s good to know.”

“You don’t know how old you are, moron?” Sadea asked.

“Actually, no. My Master raised me, and he never kept track.”

“Sounds like he’s as dumb as you.”

“At least his clothes aren’t too small for him.”

“I’m flaunting what I’ve got, highlighting my assets through fashion and style. Your raggedy ass wouldn’t get it.”

“Don’t stare at my ass. It’s weird.”

“Why would I? Mine’s far more glorious.”

“Staring at your own ass is weirder.”

“I’m going to roast your—“

Leona flung her mug on the floor, shattering it and startling the pair into silence. She took a deep breath and folded her hands calmly in front of her.

“How did you survive your battle against Lan Feng?”

“The revenant called the idiot a prodigy. I think that has some special meaning to martial scientists? Uh, Great Lady,” Sadea ventured, her voice meek and contrite. “Maybe that was why he won?”

A prodigy. Leona grimaced. She’d known another prodigy of martial science once, a lifetime ago. He’d proven to be an utter disappointment.

“No. If he had been alive, I would have stood no chance against Lan Feng,” Raksha said. “In death, he was probably even more powerful. But he also had new vulnerabilities that proved to be his downfall.”

“Go on,” Leona demanded.

Raksha did.