Wukong took a lazy step to the side, dodging the makeshift shield of lashed-together breastplates. Twirling his quarterstaff, he eyed the Lion-Tiger Demon drawing his broadsword. Finally, a good fight! It had been a while, he was going to enjoy this! Wukong grinned, baring all four canines.

The demon ran straight forward, arm held back, preparing for a heavy slash. And… there it was, just as telegraphed, a slash aimed to cut him from his neck, diagonally down to his waist. Too predictable.

With the tip of his quarterstaff, Wukong deflected the broadsword, causing it to swing wide to the sound of clashing metal from the rings on the back of the broadsword, while exposing the demon’s entire side. Already spinning into the movement, the other end of his quarterstaff swung to hit the demon in the ribs, right below the arm.

There was a loud crack, but instead of broken ribs, the only result of Wukong’s cunning counter was a tiny fracture in the scaled force armour covering the demon. The fracture seemed to be more cosmetic than anything else, slightly marring the red-tinted surface.

Now it was the demon’s turn to grin, its leonine aspect making it look more like a hungry snarl, exposing way too many sharp teeth.

The demon changed to a two-handed grip while inching close to Wukong, eyes intent like it was stalking prey. Wukong tried for a bashing strike at the demon’s head, but the demon was faster, lunging forward with a slash angled upwards. In that split-second after launching his attack, Wukong registered the approaching broadsword. Acting on reflex, he hunched over while pulling in his head and arms like a tortoise holding a huge joss stick. The broadsword zoomed past the top of his head, hitting his quarterstaff so hard, he spun in a circle.

Reacting true to form, Wukong let the momentum take him off his feet into a spinning kick. His foot lashed out, hitting the demon with the force of a sledgehammer.

The only thing his kick achieved was to launch him further back, while the demon remained completely unhurt. It didn’t even budge, making it seem as though Wukong had tried to kick a mountain of granite.

The demon didn’t allow Wukong any time to recover, feet pounding forward with broadsword held high in both hands, it began slashing without pause the moment Wukong came within reach.

It was all Wukong could do to defend himself from the aggressive slashing, avoiding the incoming slashes by deflecting them or dodging. Even without meeting the attacks head on, the sheer effort needed to deflect the attacks spoke to how strong they were. He finally realised, it wasn’t that his opponent’s fighting style was too straightforward and predictable. When there was no need to worry about defence, all that was needed, was to focus on hitting one’s opponent.

It felt like the demon’s attacks were getting even faster, but even so, the fact that he committed fully to every single one of his attacks could be exploited. Predictability was a weakness.

The next time Wukong deflected a slash, he added a strong push, deflecting it even more. Spinning the quarterstaff to get it in position, Wukong seemed like a coiled spring that sprung forward with a powerful thrust at the unbalanced demon, hitting it right in the eye.

CRACK!

A small web of hairline fractures formed on the force armour. Good, hopefully it would obscure its vision. This should work. Blind it, then pound that lion face into the ground.

Now that Wukong had chanced upon a tactic, he followed it with confidence, continuing his deadly dance with the demon, searching for a chance to hit its eyes. Once! Twice! Again! He took every opportunity to create an opening, using the attack he had practiced so many times, utilising his entire body to launch the thrusting attack. By now, the force armour on the demon’s face was covered in cracks, and the demon’s attacks were starting to be just a bit off, just a bit easier to deflect. Soon, it would-

Huh… another flaming boulder? Why did it look like it was going to hit the group of demons heading for the village?

Wait… where was Mistress?

***

Shi Hu had just about enough of the irritating monkey. The attacks landing on his face didn’t hurt, but they did crack the surface of the armour, causing his vision to split up in a nauseating way, somehow shooting glints of light into his eyes no matter how hard he squinted.

Arrrgh! He was getting a headache! Why wouldn’t this monkey stay still and be chopped down, instead of wasting energy dodging here and there. It should have realised by now that it couldn’t hurt him with that little stick.

Eh? Why was it looking over his shoulder with such a stupid expression? Was there something behind-

Scale-tooth’s flaming boulder? Too close! Way too clo-

***

Wukong woke up, feeling like the time he had been tied up and beaten all over. Except that there wasn’t any rope this time, and the frumpy-faced self-proclaimed gods were absent.

He coughed, hacking at the light pall of dust hanging in the air. A sharp pain pulsed through his middle. Without thinking about it, he sat up, causing an even worse tearing pain. Looking down with gritted teeth, he saw the hilt of a nine-ringed broadsword protruding from his side.

Oh. So it wasn’t a beating this time. They’d changed it to stabbing instead. Then why was there such a loud ringing in his ears... and why were there so many demons on the ground?

Wait… he’d been attacked… by some demon who had muscles with muscles… a Lion-Tiger demon… and then another flaming boulder dropped… right on top of-

Mistress!

With one smooth motion, Wukong pulled out the broadsword from his middle, the rings on the back only serving to help pull out more of his insides. He had no time for pain, no worry to spare for himself. Throwing the broadsword to one side, he cast his gaze around, trying to get his bearings.

Taking a deep breath, he shouted. “Mistress!”

No, you don’t have to sound so desperate. Mistress is fine. You’re just calling for her.

“MISTRESS!”

The pain you feel when you call out? That’s from being a bad monkey. You were supposed to wait for Mistress to give the go-ahead, but you didn’t. You couldn’t wait.

“MISTRESS!”

For what? For a good fight? Was it worth it? Weren’t you supposed to protect her?

“MISTRESS!”

What if Mistress is dead? What do you have to live for then?

“M-ooph!”

Something hit him in the side, making him trip over the mangled body of a bear demon before crashing to the ground. He rolled, narrowly avoiding a foot smashing the spot his head had been. It was only after he got to his feet that he realised three things.

First, the Lion-Tiger demon was stalking towards him with nine-ringed broadsword in hand, bits of his monkey innards still dangling from the rings.

Second, his left arm was hanging useless, slashed to the bone. Most likely, tendons had been severed. That would take time to heal. On top of the deep wound through his middle.

Third, he had somehow lost his quarterstaff.

Then there was no longer any time for realizing anything more, nor much thinking. The demon came at him, slashing away like he wanted to make Wukong into a ribbon of monkey meat.

Wukong dodged and rolled to the side, ripping a spear out of a dead lynx demon’s hands. Out of position to dodge, he tried to use it to deflect the next incoming slash, but it broke in half. Still, he was partially successful. Instead of slicing off his head, the broadsword carved a bloody channel on his left arm, that was already starting to resemble raw meat prepared by a butcher.

He barely registered the fresh injury. He didn’t have TIME for pain! He didn’t have TIME for this mixed-up Lion-Tiger demon who didn’t know when to give up!

What if Mistress was lying injured somewhere, and he could save her? If only he could get rid of this demon! If only he was strong enough!

As he continued to dodge, Wukong didn’t notice some of his fur dissolving into golden particles. He didn’t notice them swirling into his wounded middle and arm, healing them within seconds. He didn’t notice them floating over his hands and forearms, forming a golden layer of force armour that looked like oversized gauntlets and bracers.

Wukong was beyond noticing anything other than his enemy, the one standing between him and Mistress. His eyes had become so bloodshot that it looked as though his eyes had turned red.

***

Shi Hu was starting to feel that this monkey was starting to get a little creepy.

Force armour, he could deal with. He’d seen Scale-tooth conjure it up enough times. But this red-eyed state, where the monkey was muttering and grunting to himself, only pausing to snarl or howl at him every time he dodged away. Even without his quarterstaff, this monkey was proving to be too capable, able to dodge most of his attacks thus far. Wasn’t this monkey’s movements becoming increasingly feral? Shi Hu went cold inside. He was reminded of the time a hyena demon started raving and foaming at the mouth, biting the other demons…

THUD

Instead of dodging Shi Hu’s last slash, Wukong received it in the palm of his armoured hand, gripping it tight. Shi Hu tried to pull it back out, but it was stuck fast.

With his other hand, Wukong gripped Shi Hu’s armour. From a slight crouch, he then sprang forward to slam his forehead into Shi Hu’s nose.

It was only after Shi Hu’s vision had exploded into purple and black lights, when he was wiping away the stream of blood dripping from his nose, that he realised his vision had been free of any red tint for a while, and that he was no longer covered by Scale-tooth’s force armour.

Also, it might be the first time in his life anyone had succeeded in giving him such an insulting injury! It was his FACE!

Even without force armour, he would TEAR that monkey’s face off, and EAT IT!

-- Chapter 45, End --