Chapter 185: An Old Enemy

Zen hired a carriage. He did not have enough money to call home but according to the letter, his father’s funeral would come soon. He ad Shibi needed to get home if he were to make it.

The carriage came, stopping in front of the academy gates. Zen hopped in and closed the door before the old clunky carriage pulled away. He looked out and saw the city slowly come to life, still trying to recover from the civil war. Enforcers were on every street in town, making the oppressive presence of the nobles known to the commoners who lost the war.

They exited the city borders and were now on the road, passing the yellow fields with long grass. Zen clenched his trembling hands, his heart was beating with unease and his mind was swimming with questions.

The steed neighed and the carriage went still. Zen and Shibi exchanged confused looks. He knocked on the wall.

“Hey, why have we stopped?” there was no answer. “You need to go now!”

Zen opened the door and looked at the carriage driver.

“Listen, I…” Zen tilted his head in confusion as he walked closer to the driver. He was leaning to the side. Zen froze when he saw blood dripping from his neck and head.

He stepped back in fear. Then he was engulfed by a thick killing intent. He looked out to its source and saw a figure running towards him. In the figure’s hand was a rotating sphere of white needles.

The Masked Woman.

“WANG ZEN!” she screamed before thrusting her hand out, sending out a stream of needles at him.

Zen rolled and got up into a run, dodging the stream of needleswhich followed after him, stabbing into the carriage when they missed him. He used his ki and jumped up on the carriage before dropping is body flat on the ceiling of the carriage as the remainder of the needles passed overhead.

He had to roll back when the masked woman landed where he had been a moment ago, her fist punching a hole into the carriage. He stumbled to his feet and clumsily blocked her pnch and follow up kick. He blocked another punch before one of her kicks connected with his abdomen.

The kick sent him off the roof of the carriage and onto the ground below. He grunted in pain before looking up at the Masked Woman who pounced on him, her fist covered with her white ki.

“Ook!”

Shibi leapt for her, cutting the trajectory of her leap with his own fist, flaring in fire! She was forced to block and was prevented from falling onto Zen. The forearms of her garb were burning in a light fire.

Zen rolled to his feet and Shibi joined him by the shoulder. “Thanks,” he said to his furry companion before glaring at the Masked Woman who looked calmly at the bruning sleeves of her shirt. She swung her arms and seemingly sent the flames off her sleeve and arcing towards Zen and Shibi. Zen leapt back, allowing the double arcs of fire to smash into the ground and die into smoke.

“You’re still doing this?” Zen said. “I thought you’d given up trying to kill me.”

“You’re the reason I lost the love of my life.” She said, raising her palm ad gathering ki. “Why would I ever stop trying to kill you? You are the reason my one true love is dead.”

“You’re crazy,” Zen said. “I’ve already told you that you are an assassin, the fact that your stupid love died trying to kill me doesn’t make me responsible for his death!” Zen’s shock wore off, only to be replaced by rage. “And this is not a good time for this crap!”

“Because your daddy’s dead?” Though he could not see her face, he knew she was smiling smugly. “Or because your little teacher friend is gone.”

“How do you-“

“If it weren’t for those two, I would have killed you a dozen times over already.” The needles above her palm began to solidify, forming a sphere. “Now you have no one to protect you.”

Zen began shiffling back. “Now Shibi!”

Shibi leapt off his shouler as the Masked Woman began chasing him.

“Ki Needle Sphere: Shredder!” She thrust her spiining needle sphere at him but he went around the corner of the carriage. The needle sphere took out a chunk of the carriage instead of Zen. She brought it back round but he dodged by leaping on the roof again.

She jumped up and thrust her needle sphere at his direction. “Needle Sphere: Needle Stream!”

Zen crouched down. “Blits Punch!” His fists hit the ceiling, collapsing it in with him on and allowing the needles to pass overhead.

She landed on the roof, her needles still shooting out from her quicky depleting sphere. She aimed the sphere down the hole Zen created but the needles only stabbed he empty seats.

She looked around in confusion, realising that Zen had exited via the door and was now running to the front. The steed ran forward with Shibi on its back and its bonds burnt from the carriage by Shibi.

Zen leapt onto the steed as they rode away, hearing the shrill scream of the Masked Woman behind them. Zen sighed in relief as Shibi climbed onto his shoulde looking behind him.

The Masked Woman leapt off the carriage, producing a scroll from her person. She opened it and touched it, light coalesced and a blood red hound appears. The hound chased after them, closing the gap between them and the steed!