《The Dark Wish Maker》Chapter 8 Part 1
Advertisement
Author Note: Before you read this, i want to just say that i may have gone way overboard with how long this chapter is.
so yea enjoy now.
------------------------------
Title: Tanya Vs. Z-Monsters
“It is time to die, Onee-chan!!” Len said as he was about to slash down at her with complete malice apparent in his dark azure eyes.
Then he brought down the blade of darkness with speed that would normally blur the human eyes.
“I wish that I am on the roof...” She said faintly..
Tanya still had a shocked look in her eyes, but suddenly her face change, she then mumble something he could not hear or understand.
However he does not care and only focus on killing her.
Clunk!
However to his surprise and dismay, Tanya, which had been lying on the floor in the pool of her own blood, had suddenly disappeared from his sight.
“What the?”Len was shock to see this scene. But then said.
“Where did she go!!” Len said in great confusion. But no matter where he look, she had disappear from this room....
On the roof top, where the bright sun is high in the sky at noon, Tanya is holding her stomach while spitting out blood violently and holding her stomach tightly, that is bleeding though her clothing.
“Why... Len.. why?” she keep asking this question in her head and with a dead look in her eyes. But there is no one that had answer her, other then Silver.
(Get your ass moving and wish for yourself to be heal, dumbass!!!! did you truly believe that is actually Len, who you were just hugging right now? Huh? I don't recall our little brother, ever being able to morph a freaking blade from his arm. So the him you were fighting, was definitely not the true him.)
“Then... if he isn't him... then WHO IS HE SILVER!!!” She scream at her second personality to give her the reassurance and answer that she needs.
(I don't know!! but he is definitely not Len right now, but by my speculation, he is being possess by that virus that was inject into him 3 years ago... since that is the only reason that I can think of right now that had led to this situation, because three years ago we couldn't get rid of the virus no matter what we had tried. So this should be the reason of why we could not get rid of that virus, because it was not a virus that needs normal medicine or practice to heal from.) Silver as always, from the moment that she had awaken before has offer her the answers that she needs to hear right now.
So she got back up and said.
“I wish that all my injuries were heal..” after she said that, she glowed violently like a ball of light and this wish has consume her of 32 souls in total.
Since she had already made six wish in total. One for knowledge about her wish, one for revenge by teleportation, one for hypnotism to control others, one for getting back home from new York by teleportation, one for teleportation to get away from Len, and one for her injuries right now. Which add up to a total of 63 souls being consume in one day before the time it will reset.
However, before she has 570 soul in total, so she still can make more wishes that she need to fulfill, but the amount that she can use is getting smaller each time she use it in a single day now. So she can only use up to 3 wish in total right now, before she runs out of souls to make more wishes because the soul that she needed to consume will doubles each time she use it. So if this wish cost her 32 souls just to be fulfill, then the one after will be 64, 128, and 256 souls being consume and will only leave her with 66 soul in total. Which means she would not be able to make any more wishes after those three without it being reset today at 9 Pm.
Advertisement
So she needs to conserve her remain souls to make use of those three wishes in order to save her little brother.
When the light show is over, the injury on her stomach has already disappeared and left no marks on her milky skin whatsoever.
After that ask back to silver, in order to find a solution to save Len.
“So, what should we do now? How do we rescue Len if he is being posses by that virus?” she ask back to Silver.
(Hm... from the conversation before, you and him had, it seems that he have knowledge of us being X-Users now, which should have been impossible since he was in coma until recently, that means either he can read minds or he had a way of knowing before..... wait, I think I know how he had known that we are X-Users...) she said like she had became aware of some truth.
“How!?” she ask back in surprise.
(Didn't you feel like we were being watch before last night? When we left our house, I felt something watching us, but I had just dismissed it as a feeling, but when we were on the train I felt that we were being watched by something with pure malice for us, and when we were just outside.... there was something in the shadows that kept staring at us.... like it had some type of grudge against us.... so by my speculation from the three times that I had felt its presence staring at us from the shadow, it was the one on the train that had given us away as being a X-User, since we were using our X-Phone at that time... so this virus that posses Len must have been watching us from the day we became X-Users from the shadows... but there is still to little information to prove my speculation. So it is best to get more information at hand. Then to just keep making more random theory about this.) after Silver had said that, Tanya immediately felt imperial wrath for that thing that had posses her little brother for this long and aim to kill her using her little brother.
However, even if this is the case.. how was she going to deal with her little brother that is being posses by something so full of malice? What if it decide to take him hostage or decides to kill him?
What can she do to avoid harming Len and get rid of that malicious thing inside of him?
She is no exorcist that can banish demons and spirits from someone body, so how is she going to get rid of that thing that is a parasite to her little brothers mind and soul?
“Then what should we do?” she try asking silver again.
(I don't know, since I had never save a person from possession before, so there is no way that I can know, but we can make a wish for it.) she said and reminded her of the power they have.
After Silver said that, Tanya doubt was erase from her heart and decided to deal with whatever thing that is inside of her little brother at this moment.
“I wish for the knowledge of how to save Len!!!” in the next moment she had a glowing halo above her head and then it disappear in a few seconds.
With this she had gotten the knowledge of how to get her little brother back. But the method is something that is too surprising even for her and silver to think of....
Advertisement
When Tanya and Silver are discussing on top of the roof, Len is running though the hospital trying to find her.
“WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE!!! WHERE! WHERE! WHERE!!!!!” He scream as he can't find the location of where she is hiding.
“All of you go find her immediately!!!” he said as his legs turn into a black goo like substance with red eyes ball in them and fell on to the floor then move to the shadow and disappear to find Tanya location.
However, to his surprise at that moment, the ceiling of his medical room instantly shatter.
What appear was Tanya faint image with her eyes staring at him in pure anger and wrath.
“What the—” before he can finish saying that, a punch was directed to his stomach with so much force that it instantly blown him away through the concrete and walls of the hospital.
Only when he had finally landed on the left end of the hospital rooms did he stop from the momentum of that punch.
“Argg!” he spit out a black tar like substance from his mouth.
“Bastard.... You X-User that steal the dreams of others dare lay a hand on me? YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR SINS!!!!” after he said that.
His arm formed a sword of darkness that is dripping with liquid black tar on to the floor. Then he stab the sword of darkness onto the floor, which then turn the white concrete floor into a black obsidian color.
A Myriad of crimson eyes like that of a serpent peak out from the floor and started to from bodies of monsters that is extremely hideous in appearance.
“Shadow minions rise from the depths of the abysmal,
take revenge upon those who took your future,
heed to my command and bring forth disaster!!!!
Shadow Knights Calling!!!” after he said that.
The monster appearance change into that of knights in the most sinister and insidious armor possible. Their crimson eyes glow like that of the devils and every step they take is ominous and foreboding of an oncoming disaster. There is 20 of these entity in this room and they are being spawned more and more as time passes. Until their number reach 50 in total inside of this hospital. But they are continuously getting spawn more and more as the darkness spread to every corner of this hospital.
What is more.... their power is all equal to a A-Class X-User that can possibly turn a normal city into the realm of the dead. However that is not the most frightening part.... because not only is there power great, but due to them being a shadow, they could not be destroyed until all their hatred and residue of dark emotion was to disappear.
Len then gave his orders to them.
“Find her and kill her by any means necessary my minions!!” he commands them to kill Tanya that had just appear outside of the hospital room that he is in.
Which shocked him, because she was just leisurely walking to where he is.
“.....” Tanya did not say anything in response to this scene of dark knight rising from the ground, and instead let her action show them instead.
“Dragon Ki release” she said in a quiet voice. But the effects was imminent.
Bang!!
She release the Dragon Ki from her body and with that, a large shockwave blast the remaining structure around her into oblivion.
Even the shadow knights was knock back by her and has to form shields of darkness to protect themselves from being blown to smithereens from just being near her, and Len was sent flying into the walls, because of his negligence of underestimating her powers. And the power inside of that shockwave from her just releasing her dragon Ki outward.
Boom!!
As Ki so thick, pure, and overbearing with the might like that of a dragon came forth, her appearance change as well.
Her eyes that was blue, now became golden with a slit in her eyes and her golden hair now became longer. With her nails becoming longer to resemble that of claws.
On her head, she had two golden dragon horns, two bright golden dragon wings sprouting from her back, a tail that shimmer in golden light come from behind her back. But all these feature are made from her Dragon Ki and she did not actually grow horns, wings, and a tail.
Dragon Slayer Art: Third Form-Golden Dragon Transformation.
When all those that are present, saw her in this states, they they took another step back from just the aura and pressure that is being release from her body. The shadow knight still look to her without a single emotion of fear and instead just pure malice. But Len is looking at her with eyes like that of watching a monster and sweat seem to be dripping from his face as he look at her.
However, he only look like this for a moment, then made a scowl and look to her with a face full of hatred and then said.
“Whatever, you maybe Onee-chan, I will Kill you here and now!!!” he scream as he pointed his sword of darkness at her.
Tanya, however only return it with a smug look on her face, like she had just heard something funny.
“Len, no... the thing inside of him... I will rip you out from my little brother and beats you, smash you, crush, pulverize you, and mince you until you can no longer exist in this world!!! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO HIM AND TAINT HIM WITH YOUR FILTH!!!! NOW BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT!!!!” When she said that, she use the next form of the Twelfth Dragon form of the Dragon Slayer Art.
Dragon Slayer Art: Fourth Form- Golden Hydra Fortress
The aura and Ki surrounding her swirl violently and formed heads of multiple dragons with their golden eyes staring down at the shadows knights like they had committed the biggest treason that can be made and deserve their punishment.
So when their voices and action was exchange, the battle commences between them.
The shadow knights rush at her and the golden dragon heads surround her like swirling tentacle attack the shadow knights as they came slashing down upon them.
The dragon heads tore apart the shadow knights with their sharp dragon teeth, while the shadow knight slice apart the dragons neck and heads. They stuck each other without care of their surrounding and battle it out until the entire left side of the hospital collapse in on itself.
Tanya sour to the sky with her golden dragon wings on her back and came rushing down upon Len with her dragon claws.
Len merge with the shadow and disappear from the location that she had attack. Then reappear on the right side of the hospital building and then he swipe the air with his sword of darkness, in order to form myriad spears of darkness in the air and sent them flying toward her location.
After seeing this, She use her dragon wings and cover her entire body to defend herself from the attack of the spears of darkness that rain down upon her.
Boom!!
The spears of darkness hit their marks perfectly and blasted Tanya to the outside of the hospital building premise.
Then made her land on the concrete ground outside and form a small crater in the place that she had landed.
Len, then struck the ground again with his sword of darkness to form more Shadow Knights to attack her with.
In the matters of moments, new shadow knights began to rise again and rush to the location of where Tanya is with the rest of the other Shadow knights remaining from before.
On Tanya side, she got back up from Lens earlier attack and then rush to Lens location with dragon heads swirling around her and attack all the shadow knight that approach her.
(Damn... I can't maintain this form for long.... 12 Ki Cycle can't maintain this form for more then 10 minute, maybe it is time for me to release my true form)she thought about the prospect of releasing her seal and bring out more power to finish Len instantly.
While Len is also contemplating about her.
(Damn... how is she still able to fight off this many shadow knights?) he found this situation odd, because She still haven't use her soul gear or soul weapon, but she is able to hold out against this many of his shadow knights?
An ordinary X-User of A-Class would have already been killed by the swarm of shadow knights, while a Top A-Class would have been pressure by these many shadow knights attacking them relentlessly from all direction. Even they would not dare to hold back their soul and wish if they want to get out of here unscathed. But she has done none of that and still have the strength to fight off his swarm of shadow knights with those strange golden dragon heads covering her from all direction.
(Maybe it is time to crank it up a notch, even a Top A-Class would not be able to win if they don't put their life on the line while fighting against this skill...) Len had decided on what his next action is at this moment.
When Tanya is closing in on Len with incredible speed, he transform his sword of darkness into a Shadow Cube.
Then threw it into the air and chanted.
“Mighty Giant that eclipse the world and covered it with darkness,
awaken from your slumber from the depths of the abysmal,
heed to my call and bring forth a calamity,
Gargantuan of Darkness!!! I SUMMON THEE!!!!!” when he finish chanting, the Shadow Cube gave out a ear rupturing humming sound.
This sound cause Tanya to feel like she is having a terrible headache and even the dragons heads are being affected and squirm around more violently then before and out of control.
This would be a good chance for the shadow knights to attack her, but they all turned into black mist then was suck into that shadow cube.
Miasma from all over the Hospital grounds began to rise and swarm to the shadow cube as it continue to give off this horrible humming sound.
After a few minutes a gigantic ball of miasma and darkness was form in midair. Then in the next moment it begans to take the shape of a humanoid figure that is over 30 meters in height.
The bright sunny sky is now cover in clouds of miasma, blocking out the sun and swirling high above this gigantic faceless humanoid figure.
When Tanya, saw this she was honestly shock by how large this thing is and felt lost about what she should do to deal against this monstrosity that Len created.
“Onee-chan!!! this is the end for you, you have done well to make me use my trump card!!!! now perish to me!!!!!!!” he scream at the top of his lung, while standing on top of its shoulder.
Then the gargantuan shadow begins to move.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each step it took, sent earthquakes like tremors across the land. It was like a living natural disaster incarnation. This was the enemy that Tanya is facing right now.
However there is a unsolved mystery that she could not understand right now. That is.... why is there no one screaming or panicking after seeing such a huge thing appearing in the middle of Tokyo?... actually she cant sense another presence within 5 mile from here like everyone had just vanish....
It can't be... could they all be dead?
(Stupid focus on the battle, instead of worrying about others!!!) when she heard Silver say that, she got of her thinking mode and barely dodge the enormous fist that came crashing down on her.
That was a close one even for her.... then silver then told her again to focus on the battle.
(Listen, don't think about others right now, focus on getting close to Len or we will have to use our true form on him, you got that? If we release our true form it would be rather unstable since the power we have taken from master did not stabilize yet, so let tries to finish this as quickly as possible before it is too late!!) yea, she knows that.
She jump and soar into the air again to get to Lens position. But another gargantuan fist attack and block her way, so she had to glide around it.
Although she could fly in the air for a few moment, she can't actually fly with these wings, but merely glide for a longer period of time. But she could not maintain this for long, in two minute she would run out of KI to maintain her fourth form. And if she was to run out of Ki in that moment, she would need to release her true form to devastate Len with overwhelming power. Which may even kill him, since she could not completely control her true form power output. Due to it being unstable after her last fight with her master 3 years ago.
So she needs to close in on Len, in order to release him from this corruption that had made him fight her and even possibly kill him.
In the end, she made a dangerous decision to release her fourth form powerful defensive abilities and focus it all on her third form speed and power. So in the next moment the golden dragon heads surrounding her dissipated and return back to her body, allowing her to recover some of her Ki for battle. But she can't maintain this form for more then 120 seconds.
However, this is more then enough to allow her to focus all her Ki on increasing her speed to the maximum and rush toward Len in the matter of seconds.
The moment that Len saw her rush at him faster then ever before and in a blink of an eye, he was in panic due to him being unable to protect himself at this moment and for him to be underestimating Tanya power. Since all his power was use to maintain this Gargantuan shadow, he could not get away from there or else it would collapse and he could lose a major portion of his power.
Also he can't use another power of darkness to protect himself in time at this moment.
(Damn! if this was night time and I had gain a little bit more time to get use to this body, then I would have been able to even take on a S-Class X-User... Damn it all!!!!) when he thought of this sad fact, his throat was already seize by Tanya and couldn't break free any longer.
“I caught you now, you lovely piece of shit!” she said while smiling sinisterly at him and tightly grip him by the throat with her right hand, but Len still have a smug look on his face for some reason.
“So what!! we shall die together then!!!” after Len scream this at her and made the gargantuan shadow attack both of them together in order to perform a double suicide.
Which would had been lovely and romantic, but...
“Yea... I don't think so.” she said while returning a smug face to him.
Tanya tore away his legs with her left hand that was connect to the Gargantuan Shadow and pull him away with her to another building nearby. While the gargantuan shadow hit itself and because it lost its controller, it drop to the ground and started to deform and breakdown to basic miasma and darkness. Then disappear completely minutes later.
While Len experience a worse fate then death.
“WAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” Len scream in anguish because of the backlash of being torn away from a majority of his powers so quickly. It had an extremely negative effect on him, like his spirit just got rip in half instantly by her.
After he finish experiencing the backlash of losing a major part of his power. He look like a rag doll that is torn until he is broken and is left in a ragged state by her, but He still had this smug face for some reason to Tanya who had just deactivated her third form.
“Onee-chan.. you would never kill me.... killing me would be killing your little brother as we—”however before Len could continue talking, his throat was squeeze tightly by Tanya right hand. She looked at him with so much murderous intent that it was enough to even make him feel fear.
“Don't call me Onee-chan, you are not my little brother!!! but a stinking parasite that is feeding of his hatred that you had made him feel for me!! with that you, deserve the highest form of punishment!!!!!!” she said as she dealt another punch to his stomach and he spill out a load of liquid black tar.
However, even though Len was hit and beaten, shock and afraid of her, bruise and cut, he still had that smug look... but eventually after receive a beating for two whole hours and had spilling a bucket load of black tar that seem to be his blood. He finally started to show a face with the fear of death.
“Stop... you will kill me.... kill me... you will kill—(Punch)” no matter how many times he pleaded, Tanya continue to beat, crush, pulverize, and smash him until all the bone and flesh in his body is destroyed by her.
However, she was still not done and continue to beat him into a bloody mess and deform flesh.
“Why... don't....... you care... for him....” Len.. or now the shadow try to say in order for her to stop her beating on him.
“Yea of course I do, that is why I am doing this!!!!! this hurts me a whole lot more then him!!! my injuries can be heal quickly, but his will be scarred because of you!!!!” after she said that, she kick him in the jaw and smash his head to the concrete pavement.
Boom!!
It was incredible how the shadow in Len still have not died after receive blows after blows from her that could kill a normal person with each strike and what is more, he had been puking out black liquid for fours hours now and one can now even see a tinge of red blood mix in the black liquid now.
“Arghh....” this time what Len puke out was pure red blood without any tainting of that vile black tar like substance in it.
“I.......... never....... would...... have.... thought..... that.... I..... would be..... done in..... like.... this......” he try to speak, but it was difficult for him because of the pain and all the agony from her blows that he is feeling.
He felt like he was about to died at any moment and the shadow is now trying to separate himself with Len, because it does not want to died yet. Since it still haven't fulfill all of its resentment. It try to separate from Len dying body desperately and leave here at once and seek another host.
However once it manage to separate itself from Len.
Tanya began to make another wish.
“I wish that my blood can perfectly heal those who drink it” she said another wish that cost her over 128 souls.
After that her body gave a magnificent bright glow then return to normal a few moments after.
Then, she roll up her sleeve and cut her right wrist with her nails, then let her blood flow into Lens deform mouth...
Shine!!
When Len drunk her blood, his body glowed in a red aura and started to heal and regenerated at a rapid speed that is faster then the naked eye. Once it was done, he look perfectly fine and normal, not like a person, who receive four entire hours of beating from his older sister.
(What is this... this is impossible!!!! how could a wish of a newbie X-User be this strong!!!! wait! Did she just say another wish? How is this possible... each X-User should only be able to use their one wish, even if they stole another X-User wish. They could only use their soul gear or weapon, but is unable to tap into the power of others wishes. So how is this possible!!!) the shadow inside of Len thought.
What the shadow said was true, but that is only the case if they made a wish to Enigma X and try to use another wish granted by Enigma X that is not their own. However Tanya power to make wishes all came from herself and the souls that she sacrifice to make them. So she is not limited to only a single wish like the other X-User.
Then, the shadow thought again.
(Wait! if this is truly the case, then maybe I don't have to abandon this body yet. Since it would be far more useful keeping her little brother as a hostage to make her work for me... hahaha!!!! what a fool she is!!! what a opportunity it is for me!!!!) after the shadow inside of Lens thought of this, it immediately rush to the inner mental region of Len, in order to take over Len body again and fuse with him to regain its previous power. But Tanya already knew of this and spoke to silver.
“Silver it is your turn to take the stage.” Tanya said that and then turn back to look at Len as he is unconscious now.
(You got it, and also... that beating was magnificent Tanya!) silver gave her an Ill-comment about how great she turn her little brother into a punching bag.
“Shut up, this is our little brother body that we are beating!!! not a gym bag!!!” she scream at silver to be quiet.
Although he is unconscious, he is breathing without a problem and his organs and bones all seems perfectly fine. But it won't be, if that shadow can get a hold of him again.
Which she will never allow. So she made another wish that is the last one that she could make, before 9 Pm arrives.
“I wish that I can let one of myself crossover to another persons mind and body, through a kiss by continuous contact!” after she said that, her body glowed a little and she brought Len lip close to hers and let their lips shut tightly with each other.
Other may say this is incest. But in her defense she hold no lust for her little brother and only want to save him, plus this can be consider close to a CPR kiss and not a kiss between lover.
So, don't go making incest hentai from this, Okay?
Well, anyway... after she had kiss Len, a soul channel had been created through them to allow another soul or spiritual body to crossover to the other persons mind and body.
The being that will crossover to Lens body from her is naturally.... Silver Devil...
(Well, let see the true form of this little shadow.... how dare it..... how dare it corrupt our Little brothers innocent heart!!!!!!) she said this as, she drive deep into the inner mental region of where the shadow and Len is located.
The battle of Tanya and Len is over, now it will be a battle with in the mind of her little brother.
The next battle will be between Silver and the Shadow inside the mind of Len...
Part 1 End
Advertisement
The Drifting World
In the year 2104, a brand new VRMMO called The Drifting World is released promising realism, adventure, and freedom like no other. Follow Noah as he builds his character Chemistree, a Treant rogue, and uncovers the mysteries of a destroyed virtual world. Expect guilds, dungeons, skills, stats, and, levels as he progresses through the main story of the game and tries to uncover what secrets the game has to hide. Okay, stereotypical introduction over. This is my first time trying to release a story I've written, so feedback is welcome. The premise is nothing special, I just want to do it well. A lot of similar stories I've read make me ask "what kind of game would work like that?" Sometimes believable gameplay elements give way for a more immersive story, but I hope to make that as balanced as possible rather than going for cheap thrills. Well, I guess we will just see how this goes.
8 204Transcendental Shifter
I was probably around seven when it first happened... I had hoped one day I could change many people's lives... I had thought this every day after all of my family died... I had hoped I could make nobody suffer the same ordeal I had to... Shortly after my family's death, I caught a fever... The doctor told me I may not make it... Then it just happened... I had a dream much different from anything I'd had before... A new chapter is released every Monday. You can also find this story on ScribbleHub: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/408468/transcendental-shifter/
8 174Warhost of the Returned
Casimir Voreband is a father of three children, husband of a loving wife, former mentor to a minor rising star, and a beloved friend to many. Casimir Voreband is the unremarkable man with unremarkable life of little major significance. Death has come. That is the life he wanted to live. Death has passed. For even death may die, and with strange eons, returns that which with death, should eternally lie. For by the Warmaster’s will, death is only the start. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 84Rapture: The Bloodstained Chronicles (prototype)
17 year old Cipher Avalon returns from the the dead to avenge his death with the help of a fallen angel. However something else seemed to have came along with him as the world he once knew slowly begins to die. Was it coincidence or a predetermind fate? (F.Y.I. Cover Art does NOT entirely represent the story)
8 79Lifeward
A journey across reality itself, where magic and science entangle themselves in ancient ruins, primal civilizations, fantastic creatures and space travellers. Marta is being chased by the Indirian Monarchy. Her only hope is to reach the Free Counties and start a millennial war that will decide the very nature of reality. What are the stakes? Well, the universe is surrounded by ether. This substance erases reality, thus it stops the universe from expanding. But the Indirian Monarchy’s plan will reroute the ether to the center of the universe with a magic canal, freeing the universe from its limits. When reality is affected by the ether, everything related to it disappears: the proof of its existence, the memories people hold of it... Marta will be key in an epic spacetime bending war.
8 167The Reclaimers
In the name of the Architects. 21XX, With the rise in terrorist activity stretching from southeast Asia to the middle eastern countries, and north Africa, the United States of America has authorized the Joint Special Operations Command to conduct high risk missions to dismantle these groups. Sergeant Mike Randall of the 75th Ranger Regiment is reassigned to a task force to take down a terrorist cell in Pakistan. With the cooperation of members from the infamous Delta Force officially known as Special Forces Operational Detachment- Delta, he and his squadron conduct a high-risk mission into the city of Peshwar to eliminate a terrorist leader, yet the mission goes awry, and they are thrown into a world of Knights and Magic.
8 221