Yerin v.s. Yan Shoumei

Paper sky lanterns floated in the starry sky, each one shining a different color. They formed masses so thick they were as big as clouds.

Underneath, along a silver lake, a feast was going on.

The dance floor was a golden tiled floor encircled by glowing flowers that swayed in the music. Around the dancing floor were tables that stretched all the way to the horizon. Acting as waiters, baby-sized cherubs in vests floated around delivering food.

A choir of cherubs floated directly above the dance floor, singing so angelically it brought the Winter Sage to tears as she watched them, an icy flower pin holding her white hair out of her eyes.

Some of choir cherubs had wind instruments. A group of them had gathered above the dance floor and flew around as they danced. One of them began to breakdance in midair, its pants falling which it kept having to pull up lest it reveal its boxers showing Sophara’s face with a heart.

“Hey, you, babyface, over here,” called Yerin from a table. A cherub waiter squinted over at her, frowning. Its tiny wings fluttered as it hovered over to them, its face straining with the effort.

Yerin sighed as the cherub refilled her glass with water. Lindon sat next to her, wearing the black Akura robes. He fumbled with his neck.

Ziel sat in the distance, looking at the sky lanterns with a dead expression. Behind him the Heart Sage was talking with Fury, which may have described the group of Sylvan Dreamseeds that were playing with Ziel’s horns, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Does this dress make me look fat?” asked Charity.

Fury stared at her. “Noooo…?”

Sophara sat across from Lindon and Yerin on the other side of the dance floor, her claws slowly dismembering the roast pig in front of her as she glared at Lindon the whole time.

Sha Miara was walking around with a man in rainbow robes. She was pointing at a candy booth, making a pouty face as she begged.

Behind Lindon at the table sat Mercy. She kept winking over at Lindon, giving him obvious winks and huge thumbs ups.

Yerin pretended not to notice.

She took a drink of her glass as Lindon felt his heart start to pick up, hearing a child giggling behind him as she ran chasing a winged remnant.

Dross spoke in Lindon’s head. [Ugh! Just say it already! The suspense is driving me insane.]

Yerin cocked her head, noticing his expression. “You alright?”

Lindon cleared his throat, trying to listen to the pleasant music to calm his nerves. “Oh well it’s just that…wow that dance floor.… …. I think there’s a spot available…”

Lindon pointed over, only to see Pride dancing as well. He glared at Lindon when he noticed him.

Lindon made a pitiful whimpering sound as he lowered his hand.

[Time to get freaky?] Suggested Dross. [Girl, I feel a strange funk coming over me tonight? Ooh no, ask her if she wants to get groovy on the dance floor!]

Behind them, Mercy groaned.

Yerin gave him a strange look.

“You asking me to dance?”

“Apologies…” Lindon braced himself for Yerin to walk away. This would ruin their friendship forever. Not only had he lost to her in battle, but now she saw what a coward he was.

Yerin cleared her throat.

“I don’t know how.”

“…Oh.”

“Children!” Eithan interrupted as he appeared at their table in splendid white robes and combed back hair. “Fear not! I happen to have been taught by the finest dance tutors in my childhood.”

He flourished his robes with such extravagance, his voice echoing loudly, that people were noticing. Eithan almost knocked a cherub out of midair who began to squeak at him in annoyance. Eithan ignored it, bowing to his students with a hand on his chest.

“My dear Yerin and Lindon, if anyone needs any pointers…”

Lindon and Yerin walked away to the dance floor.

Eithan smiled and turned around as Mercy walked up to him with a delighted face.

“Oh, you did! What kind of dancing?” She started to make poses with Suu as she exclaimed.

“Salsa, tango, mariachi?”

Mercy pretended to shake maracas.

Suddenly her eyes opened wide as she tried to snap her fingers but failed, pointing at him with a triumphant look

“Aha! Ballet?”

***

Yerin walked over to the bathroom, passing a group of giggling Sacred Artists. The sound of the music was distant in the background, and jungle sounds called out in the distant.

After shuffling their feet while trying to dance, Yerin had felt so nervous that she had released her Goldsigns. They had shot out of her black robes with sharp pointy ends that had stabbed Pride in the butt, making him yelp.

Pride had started shouting at her, and Yerin was about to punch his teeth in as the cherubs above began to egg them on, when Mercy had interrupted and broken it up.

Lindon and Yerin had decided to forgo the ordeal and go for some training. But first, Yerin needed to go to the restroom.

Inside the bathroom, a waterfall tinkled like glass in the background. It poured from the mouth of a phoenix’s beak, glowing a myriad of colors as it flowed into a rocky hole in the floor. The rush of the waterfall echoed down below in the hole.

Yerin rubbed her head as she walked in.

She remembered her fight with Lindon. She remembered when she had screamed Dross, and Lindon had fought back. He had protected himself from her Final Sword, using Eithan’s technique to cover all his body in pure madra. A smile cracked her face, but it vanished.

I’m sorry Lindon, she thought.

Yerin looked up at the ceiling, where a massive birdbath hung in the vines. It was white and made of stone, birds chirping on top of it.

Then there was the matter of Penance. Everyone was tense, some of the Monarchs upping their security on their contestants. Everyone was on edge for attempted assassinations.

Well this is a pig’s mess of things.

She was trying to process what this meant for her when the Sage of Red Faith appeared in the room.

The aura surrounding her felt like a thousand corpses drowning in a crimson sea.

Yerin stayed still, fully aware this vile man had the power to destroy her without raising a finger.

He was a young handsome man with long black hair tied back in a bun. His red robes were open to reveal his muscular frame, a silver necklace with a strange symbol displayed. A red scythe hung from his back, its tip dripping with blood. His eyes were a dark red, and when he spoke, his teeth were bright red.

“Yerin Arelius.”

His voice caused Yerin to want to vomit. Her Blood Shadow swirled inside her.

Behind her, the waterfall had turned to blood, the smell of iron filling the room.

“You are truly a gem, to have advanced your Blood Shadow so far.” He opened his palms to her. “You refused my invitation to train you. But I am offering you a second chance. You should know, after your display, you have attracted the attention of many…enemies.”

He smiled, showing teeth that glowed red. “I am offering you protection. Join me, and no one will hurt you.”

Yerin defiantly held her ground. She knew this was an impossible fight, but she would go down trying.

“You’ll have to bleed me like a pig if you want to stop me.”

The Sage gave a disappointed look.

“Shame. It looks like you’ll have to meet your Blackflame friend in the afterlife then.”

Lindon! Yerin’s six Goldsings burst from her back, shining silver.

His smile never left as he vanished, but Yerin had no time to feel safe when she felt something grab her hair.

Yerin was lifted into the hair by her long hair, held in a bloody grip.

Hanging on the ceiling was a strange red face, made of blood madra. It held her hair in its teeth, swallowing it whole. Its eyes were frog-like and glowing yellow with circular black pupils.

As the Blood Shadow pulled Yerin up, a woman walked out of the stall in front of Yerin. She was a woman with black hair that hooded her eyes. Her robes were a crimson red, and a Blood Shadow cloaked her body, strands of it stretching up and connecting to the face on the ceiling.

Yan Shoumei, Underlady of Redmoon Hall.

After half a second, Yerin decided she preferred to be on her feet.

A slice of sword aura cut Yerin’s hair straight across, letting Yerin fall to the ground.

The Endless Sword ravaged the room, but Shoumei’s Blood Shadow enveloped her.

The bloody face at the top spat out Yerin’s strands of hair, melting into the ceiling as it disconnected with Shoumei’s body.

At the same time Shoumei’s Blood Shadow extended to Yerin in a wave.

Yerin flipped over Shoumei in a long arc, her feet pointing to the ceiling as she sailed overhead. The Blood Shadow reached up for her like a wing unfolding, as if to scoop her up. As it bent upwards, it followed her trajectory.

One of Yerin’s sword-arms slashed outwards, and the giant birdbath hanging from the ceiling next to her came crashing down onto the Blood Shadow. The crash sent the Blood Shadow skirting aside, the crash shaking the room.

Yerin landed with her Goldsigns stabbing into the floor, only for a tendril of Blood Shadow to wrap around her ankle and slam her into a stall.

Shoumei entered, and Yerin fought in close quarters, her Goldsigns restricted by the stalls walls as they scraped the walls with harsh metallic sound in the scuffle. Her sword was too long for her to pull out.

In a battle of pure strength, Yerin would win. But every time she tired to land a devastating hit, the Blood Shadow would block her punch like an iron wall.

Yerin swept aside Shoumei’s fist with the back of her hand, knocking her wrist aside as its bloody force hit the sandstone wall behind Yerin. Yerin stepped back and swept up her leg in a kick. Shoumei bent her back slightly back as Yerin’s foot passed over her nose, the force from the kick sending the wind rustling and Shoumei’s hair flying back; something purple was glowing on her forehead, but before Yerin could see what it was, Shoumei’s Blood Shadow was sweeping low to knock Yerin off her feet.

Shoumei’s eyes glowed purple, and lasers of purple light shot out at Yerin at the same time.

Yerin’s Goldsigns stabbed in the stall walls, and she climbed up like a spider as she dodged Shoumei’s laser beams, kicking another of Shoumei’s punch aside.

As she jumped out, Yerin Forged a blade that hung in the ceiling, slashing down onto the Underlady. Shoumei brought her Blood Shadow up to block as Yerin jumped out and started running to the doorway.

Shoumei sent her Blood Shadow to bar her way, a crimson flowing shade. Before she hit the wall of blood, Yerin flicked a sword-arm down, smashing through the floor.

As the floor caved under her, she burst into another room, sliding along the wall of this room.

Shoumei followed her through the hole as Yerin dropped.

Yerin twisted in midair, a shard of tile from the floor in her mouth.

She spat it out.

Shoumei moved her head to the side, but the shard burst with the Endless Sword. At the same time Yerin unleashed Rippling Swords from her Goldsigns.

Needles of blood rushed out of the woman’s cloak, powering through Yerin’s techniques and rushing at her like bullets.

Yerin slowed her fall with her Goldsigns, scratching the rocky walls with sparks to avoid the needles.

As her Goldsigns got a good hold in the rock, she began to crawl down the wall like a six-legged spider as she faced Shoumei, blocking every needle with her white sword.

Yerin landed with a crouch, the yellow sandstone floor crunching underneath, and started running.

The room was a chamber with a large pool in the middle. Thankfully, it was currently empty. Moss and vines hung from the ceiling, birds singing and flying. Bird baths hung in the air, and rainbows glittered above in spinning lights

Pillars covered with Sacred Artists facing down dread beasts supported the ceiling. A stain glass window let in moonlight into the room, making the pool glitter.

The room smelled of soap and chlorine, and sculptures of crystal dragons floated in the air above the pool. Waterfalls fell from their mouth into the pools providing a soothing noise, shimmering a myriad of colors.

Above her the birds were taking flight.

One of the birds was a large parrot with pink feathers. It took off flying, cursing at the top of its voice.

“SON OF A B—”

The parrot’s voice was cut off as Shoumei landed with a boom that echoed across the chamber.

Yerin ignored her, not seeing any exit. Fine, she would make her own. Yerin jumped up with the strength of her Steelborn Iron Body, pulling her fist back to punch through the window.

The window shattered as the Blood Shadow burst through, surprising Yerin with its yellow glare.

Yerin caught a look of its muscular figure and reptilian tail before its clawed foot hit Yerin in the face, but Yerin brought her blade up. Its foot slammed down on her blade, blasting her back…right to Shoumei.

Shoumei’s hands began to glow purple.

Yerin twisted in the air so her feet were pointed at Shoumei. She Forged a slice of sword madra in front of her feet in midair, stabilizing it with soulfire, as she landed on the flat side. And kicked off to the ceiling.

Yerin landed on one of the floating crystal dragons, taking note of her two enemies.

Yerin remembered what she had learned from the tablets Eithan had given her. There were three paths for a Blood Shadow user to take. The first method involved feeding the Blood Shadow with blood madra such as with scales to make a formless Blood Shadow able to be used as a controllable blood madra mass.

The second method was making a Bestial Blood Shadow—and the one Yerin suspected Shoumei had done. It was the method Redmoon Hall encouraged. It involved feeding the Blood Shadow with real blood and it was said to be like storing a solid remnant or viscous Sacred Beast, taking the form of whatever blood it was being fed. By the looks of it, it seemed Shoumei had been feeding hers something reptilian.

Yerin felt her blood clone swirling inside her, the third path. She wanted to avoid using it, but if she wanted to get to Lindon quickly, she would have to.

Shoumei’s Blood Shadow looked humanoid, its features looking so real and not as if it were made of blood. It had a short stocky body with red chitin skin, and a bald head. It had a long scaly tail that flapped in the air, making sick welching noises as it stuck to the floor and was pulled up over and over again.

Its ears were long and pointed, bald, and dark yellow eyes with black circular pupils. Its reptilian smile stretched all the way to its ears. It had a hooked nose and wore no clothes revealing pure muscle bulging from its chitin armor.

Yerin thought back to what Lindon had said. He had found Shoumei in a room of tanks full of decomposing creatures. She had left, saying she had all the blood she needed.

Could this creature before her have come from the tanks?

The Blood Shadow smiled, its frog-like eyes continuously glancing over at Shoumei as if waiting for permission.

Shoumei was still covered in her Blood Cloak, Yerin realized. She must have split her Blood Shadow’s power, leaving a chunk to remain as a shield—

Yerin stopped thinking as the Blood Shadow yellow eyes filled her vision, its face inches from hers. She hadn’t even heard it jump.

Yerin unleashed the Flowing Sword she had been building up, spinning around to slash.

The Blood Shadow punched it aside, smashing its fist into Yerin’s stomach. Yerin slid backwards on the crystal dragon, her sword-arms joining the fight in an intricate pattern, so fast it flowed like one metal sheet.

The Blood Shadow’s tail knocked them all to the side, its hands flowing in a martial arts stance as it raised one knee for a kick.

She brought her sword up to the left to block a spinning kick, jumped over a swing tail, and landed only to find its bloody knee driving into her stomach. Before it fully connected, she pushed it down with her left hand, her left elbow smashing into its throat.

As it stepped back, gagging, Yerin tried to get her sword up, but the Shadow slammed its foot down on her wrist and jumped upwards, its tail smacking her head down and causing pain to flash down her spine.

Everytime Yerin tried to raise her sword, he would slap it down with its tail. At the same time, she was forced to dodge the mysterious purple Striker techniques coming from Shoumei.

As the Shadow matched her strength, Yerin was starting to get annoyed. She fed more madra into her Steelborn body.

The next time the Shadow tried to kick her sword away, Yerin pushed it back into the air, but its tail wrapped around her neck. Yerin held her ground as the Shadow used its tail to change its trajectory, flipping onto her back.

It grabbed her Goldsigns with its hands, feet, and tail. Yerin tried to move, but its body tightened around hers like steel bands. Then it bit down into her neck, its teeth sharp enough to pierce Yerin’s skin.

Yerin’s roared as she heaved with her full strength, swinging up with her sword. A Rippling Sword sliced the head off the dragon sculpture they stood on, its sharp edges radiating sword aura.

They heavy dragon head began to fall into the pool, running into another waterfall by another floating dragon sculpture.

At the same time, a claw of blood madra extended from Yerin’s core and grabbed the dragon’s head. Its heavy weight pulled her into the air, the Shadow still on her back.

The Blood Shadow’s grip loosened on her as they fell through one of the waterfalls, a heavy ram smashing into them.

In midair, Yerin turned and grabbed its face with one hand, ignoring the effect of blood madra on her bare skin.

She squeezed.

Its skull caved in, blood squirting into the air.

Yerin kicked its body away as it was washed away by the force of the waterfall, its body tumbling down.

Yerin felt Shoumei’s Ruler technique take hold on her blood as she continued to fall, but she broke it off with a flex of her spirit.

The blood claw extending from Yerin’s core released the dragon head, switching directions to shoot back and wrap around one of the pillars. It pulled Yerin back, landing on the sandstone floor.

Shoumei was already there, her eyes wide and creepy. Her hair flew back from her forehead as she ran to Yerin, revealing what looked like a bloody star painted on her forehead

As Shoumei ran, her Blood Shadow emerged from the pool, fully healed, and leapt on her back.

Its mouth opened wide in a black gaping hole as its yellow eyes rolled up and turned red, forming the hood of her cloak as its whole body merged with the Blood Cloak around her. The purple Goldsign star on her forehead turned a bloody tinge.

Shoumei began to cup her hand as she gathered purple light there.

A ball of deep purple light formed, trembling as if pushing against the air. In her other hand a vivid purple sword appeared, crackling, and shaking as it also strained against an unseen force. Yerin felt a strange attraction, as if her body were being pulled forward.

Path of the Broken Star. The more potent version of the Path of the Stellar Spear.

Shoumei disappeared in a violet shadow of Broken Star madra as she fired the purple ball.

Yerin grunted as she felt the danger, ducking to the side as a hole opened in the pillar behind her. Where it hit, the rubble floated upwards, dust and rocks drifting upwards. Even Yerin’s hair was sticking up slightly where the ball had passed her. It was like gravity had briefly reversed directions.

Suddenly Shoumei appeared behind her in a violet flash, the purple sword buzzed and crackled in the air as she swung it behind Yerin. Yerin felt her body freeze, a strange force locking her Goldsigns in place as if the gravity around her had increased.

Bloody Goldsigns emerged from Yerin’s back, sheathing her own Goldsigns as they added onto their length. They pierced Shoumei in the limbs, chest, and head, Yerin’s sword-arms having doubled in length.

Shoumei’s Blood Cloak redirected the damage away, missing all her vitals, but Yerin’s sword-arms tensed.

Yerin was about to rip Shoumei’s body apart.

The reptilian Blood Shadow shot out Shoumei’s Cloak, its reptilian face emerging with claws headed for Yerin’s back.

Bloody hands shot from Yerin’s back, holding off its claws. A red head emerged from Yerin’s back, a smirk on it face as it stared down Shoumei’s Shadow, their faces inches away from each other.

Yerin’s Blood Shadow had come out to play.

In that distraction the reptilian Shadow’s legs formed onto Shoumei’s chest and it kicked her back, Yerin’s Goldsigns sliding out of her body with a sickening crunch.

Shoumei landed on her feet as staggered away, her Blood Cloak hissing and letting out steam as it closed her wounds.

Yerin’s Blood Shadow threw Shoumei’s Shadow back, punching it in the face. Yerin’s Shadow finished pulling itself out of Yerin’s back, following its opponent.

Shoumei looked up to see Yerin descending upon her. She vanished in violet light as Yerin shattered the tiles with her blade.

From a distance, Shoumei began to gather her techniques. Purple light lit up the room as Forged weapons of all kinds began to fire at Yerin, a nonstop barrage. When she tried to get close to Shoumei, they just kept coming.

Yerin jumped over a flying broadsword, her Goldsigns blocking against a hail of arrows above. At the same time, she knocked a spear below her with her sword. She landed skidding sideways as a hammer flew in from the side. She braced her strength and sliced the attack in half, but the attack sent her flying into the ceiling. Yerin stabbed her Goldsigns into the ceiling as she began to run, her sword-arms anchoring her as the flood of weapons rained on her.

Shoumei fired a beam of purple energy at Yerin’s feet and Yerin fell off the ceiling as if gravity had increased, her body rigid. As the weapons rained upon her, Yerin closed her eyes, feeling the same elusive trance when she had fought Altavian Arelius.

A giant gong like a bell echoed through the chamber as her sword-arms exploded with the Endless Sword, striking each weapon away, knocking some of them back into Shoumei. As Yerin landed, she caught a purple spear with her Goldsigns, spun it around, and fired it back at Shoumei.

As Shoumei’s world was filled with purple light, she banished them only for her view to be filled with Yerin’s fist. Her Blood Cloak rushed up to block, but then Yerin kneed Shoumei in the ribcage, crunching through bone.

Feet away, Yerin’s clone was overwhelming Shoumei’s Shadow. The clone jumped sideways into the air to avoid a beam of bloody broken star madra, its body spinning around as its sword-arms took a chunk of the Shadow’s left side off.

Shoumei began to panic, forming complex weaponry and armor, but Yerin whittled them all down as she backed Shoumei into a corner. With her weakened Blood Cloak, she was as helpless as a chick in defending against Yerin’s strength.

Yerin kicked Shoumei into the wall, her Goldsigns cutting a purple sword in half and another catching a purple knife and sending it flying back to strike Shoumei’s Shadow as Yerin’s Shadow cornered it as well.

Shoumei’s Shadow was pushed against the wall, six sword-arms punching repeatedly into its body and spilling blood. It hissed as it slid to the floor, glaring at Yerin’s Shadow. Yerin’s clone never lost its smile as it cut off its head.

A Forged shield of purple light rose over Shoumei, but Yerin tore it apart with her Goldsigns, kicking Shoumei who blocked with her forearms. Her bones shattered from the strength as she was pounded backwards into the wall, cracks forming.

Shoumei desperately called upon her Archlord weapon from her soulspace as it began to form above her.

But she was too slow. Broken star madra required too much control, and it had taken a toll on her. Her body was tired, and the scratches Yerin had grazed along her face was bleeding into her eyes, blinding her.

So Yerin thought as her sword smashed through another half-forming Forged barrier of light and cut Shoumei’s hands off.

Shoumei barely had time to scream as three sword arms pierced through both her eyes and mouth, pinning her to the wall with a crunch.

Shoumei hung on the wall with her feet inches above the ground, her blood spilling down Yerin’s Goldsigns.

The light from her Archlord weapon vanished, never having come out.

Yerin retracted her Goldsigns, and Shoumei’s body slumped to the ground. At the same time Shoumei’s Shadow dissolved away.

Yerin’s Shadow gave her an all clear sign with her fingers and was sucked back into Yerin’s core.

Her body hurt, her hair was now short again, and her skin was scraped where the blood madra had hit her. But she had survived. Now she could go and make sure Lindon was safe.

Her heart froze as she could not move.

She felt the Ruler technique on her as a pressure built in her chest.

Behind her, Shoumei stood up in a flash of red light, fully revived.

The Sage of Red Faith appeared with a scowl.

Shoumei bowed deeply.

“Forgive me.”

“Stupid girl. I do not need weak warriors. Leave Yerin and kill the Blackflame.”

He pointed with his thumb to the pool.

“Don’t go back to the bathroom. There is trouble coming. There is a current underneath that leads to an exit.”

Shoumei bowed again and leapt into the pool, never looking at Yerin.

Tears of frustration formed in Yerin’s eyes as she tried to move. Unlike with Shoumei’s gravity attacks, this hold felt like her blood was about to burst out of her body.

Her heart felt like it would explode from pressure.

The Red Sage began to flex his madra, and Yerin knew she was dead.

Suddenly, white madra filled the room like fog, expanding in less than a second, and Yerin felt the pressure release.

The waterfalls falling from the crystal dragon sculptures froze, looking like rainbow popsicles.

The Winter Sage had arrived, one hand holding onto Yerin’s waist as Min Shuei landed next to the pool. She lowered Yerin to the ground, her face emotional as tears fell down her eyes.

“I already lost Adama. I’m not planning on losing his student.”

Yerin felt her voice catch in her throat, so she nodded in gratitude. She noticed her robes had turned icy where Min Shuei had touched her.

“Go.”

The Winter Sage turned to the icy mist, her voice heavy with danger.

Yerin jumped into the pool as she felt ice and blood madra collide behind her.

In the pool, she followed a swirling current that led into an underground tunnel. Sea dragons were swimming into the tunnel, scared away by the Blood Sage. Yerin swam to one, clutching the black hair growing along its spine as she hitched a ride.

After swimming for a couple for a minute, the rocky roof opened above her, light shining above. Yerin swam upwards, her lungs begging for air.

For a second, Yerin caught her breath at the beautiful sight, forgetting even her need for oxygen.

She was in a Cenote.

It was a, deep, water-filled sinkhole that is created when the roof of an underground cavern collapses. This creates a natural pool which is then filled by rain and water flowing from underground rivers.

Above her the Cenote opened, a gaping hole revealing the full moon. Vines hung from the rock, a small waterfall trickling down the side.

Yerin jumped up, landing on a rocky outcropping.

Shoumei was on the other side, her Blood Shadow healing. When she saw him, her eyes flashed in rage and fear.

They stared across the sparkling green water, the moonlight rays streaming in. Birds chirped in the background, the sounds of the jungle overhead. The green light from the sparkling water danced across the rocky walls, lighting up their faces

Yerin made the first move, sending out a Rippling Sword.

Shoumei closed her eyes and summoned her Archlord weapon from her soulspace.

A katana appeared in her hands, the blade a cherry red. The hilt was pure white, long, and slender for two hands. The blade ended slightly curved and was almost five feet in length.

The blade was bleeding, blood spilling in a waterfall. It evaporated away when it reached a certain distance from Shoumei.

Shoumei raised her sword over her head. The waterfall of blood parted, not a drop hitting her body. The blood began to swirl around Shoumei, forming a shield that brushed aside Yerin’s Striker technique.

Yerin felt her activate some script, and Shoumei let go of the sword. It continued floating over her, blood swirling around her.

A colony of bats flew past them, flying up into the hole.

That was their signal.

Yerin and Shoumei jumped into the air to meet each other.

Her fist had a globe of blood madra, meeting one of Yerin’s sword-arms point first.

At the same time two other Goldsigns caught Shoumei’s other fist, redirecting the punch away as Yerin stabbed with her sword. Shoumei’s Blood Shadow caught the blade, but Yerin released the Endless Sword aura in a circular cyclone. It created a whirlpool effect that sucked the Blood Shadow off Shoumei’s body, wrenching the writhing mass to the side.

Even her Blood Cloak was now gone.

Yerin’s sliced upwards, aiming to cut Shoumei’s face in two now that she was no longer under her Shadow’s protection. Her sword-arms shot forward at the same time.

The blood madra around Shoumei’s Archlord weapon responded, stopping her attacks like a wall of goo. Yerin kicked back and stabbed her sword-arms into the rocky wall to anchor herself, her skin burning where the blood madra had touched her.

Poles of purple broke star madra burst from the walls, offering a foothold for Shoumei as she jumped backwards. More poles began to jut out all around the rocky walls, a web of thorns that appeared as if it had been there all along.

She was avoiding making any spikes, not wanting to give Yerin an edge with the Endless Sword.

Shoumei began to climb upwards, weapons of all kinds flying everywhere.

As she reached the top, a ball of purple broken star madra formed above. She mixed blood madra in it, and its insides flooded with writing blood.

Shoumei’s Blood Shadow had formed into its reptilian form. It flitted in the darkness below Yerin, beginning to copy Shoumei’s technique as a massive ball of blood formed.

Yerin felt a sense of danger behind her as another pole materialized, about to stab through her spine as it jutted from the walls. She jumped from the wall as the pole materialized, curving to follow her.

Forged blood madra appeared under Yerin’s feet, her Blood Shadow providing her with footholds.

It allowed Yerin to flip over the pole, spinning in the air like a porcupine as she filled her blades with the Flowing Sword, increasing their strength. As she spun upwards, her Goldsigns vibrated with energy. In seconds she was smashing through the poles as she climbed upwards, using footholds of Forged sword madra to climb upwards.

Before Yerin reached Shoumei, Shoumei and her Shadow released the globes of madra.

They were each bigger than Orthos, and screamed with power, rotating in a circular fashion and about to obliterate Yerin to bone.

Yerin focused on the broken shards of broken star madra all around her, their sharp edges radiating a comforting aura as they lit the Cenote with an eerie purple light.

Yerin Ruled the aura, and invisible blades cut through both globes.

They exploded, and the whole cavern began to crumble to pieces, stalagmites falling through the air. Some of the debris began to rise upwards, gravity having reversed for them as they floated up to the sky.

The sword aura reached the stalagmites, which resonated like bells with the Endless Sword

There was a roar as the stalagmites fell into the water, churning the waters below.

One of the stalagmites rushed to Yerin, which she caught with her left arm. She used her strength to hurl it up at Shoumei, who blasted it apart with a beam of light. The debris from the chunk of rock spread apart like water, floating up above Shoumei to join the stars in the sky.

As Shoumei climbed higher and higher, miniature balls of purple light began to gather above her.

Shoumei looked down, and the light blinded Yerin. Her purple Goldsign was tinged with red and was glowing brighter than the sun.

Behind Yerin she felt a glowing red light and saw the Blood Shadow below standing on a rocky outcrop, also forming small balls of blood madra.

The balls of purple light shot down as the balls of blood shot upwards.

Yerin prepared to meet them head on, but they flew past her with the sound of shrieking fireworks, red and purple light flashing in the dark.

Behind her, the purple balls coalesced together into a giant spinning Forged star, forming a swirling vortex of purple broken star madra. It hummed with energy, unstable, and causing space to warp around it.

As if being sucked in, Yerin felt herself being pulled backwards, gravity pulling her in.

She stopped in midair as the bloody star formed above her, replicating the gravity technique.

She was stuck between two miniature blackholes, about to tear her spirit apart. She tried to send out Rippling Swords, but the madra was frozen in place. Her Goldsigns began to splinter under the weight, and the Blood Shadow inside her was screaming.

***

Shoumei’s breathing was harsh as she stood above the scene, her body trembling with the effort of this advanced Ruler technique called Supernova.

The Supernova technique would absorb all madra techniques, not affecting physical objects.

It strained her madra channels, and she felt her Goldsign on her forehead began to bleed. Above her head she Forged a halo of purple energy that blazed with gray soulfire, its weight of gravity stabilizing her control.

She had to maintain her distance from Yerin. Her brute strength was straining even her own Blood Shadow despite the benefits of her time at Ghostwater.

But she was finally going to kill the Sword Sage’s disciple.

She was a potential enemy that was too dangerous to let live. Her control over her Blood Shadow was stronger than anyone Shoumei had known, other than the Blood Sage.

Yerin’s story would end here.

Then she would take care of the Blackflame boy. Anagi thought he could defeat Redmoon Hall, but he was wrong. When the time came, she would personally destroy the Blackflame Empire, scattering their ashes under Hearthway.

Shoumei’s Blood Shadow hung upside-down from its tail, which was wrapped around a Forged pole, facing directly across at Yerin. It hung twenty foot from the pole, its tail having stretched out.

It raised its hands, smiling evilly at Yerin, as it began to Forge another Starlight Burst.

Shoumei copied the Striker technique, summoning another massive ball of energy. Broken star madra hummed against the air, so unstable it was hard to form. But no one could deny its power.

Yerin unleashed Endless sword aura, but it all went to waste as all techniques were stopped in place by the pull of both Supernovas. It had no effect on physical matter as the stalagmites and debris fell through, but it would absorb all attacks from an opponent until eventually tearing apart their madra channels.

Shoumei’s Blood Shadow fired first, its technique shrieking towards Yerin.

The Sword Sage’s disciple froze in midair, suddenly exuding a strange aura. It felt…peaceful. Like her spirit was following a higher power. It was the same power Shoumei had felt from Yerin back in the pool room.

As Shoumei fired her own Starlight Burst, what happened next seemed to occur in slow motion to Shoumei’s eyes.

Yerin’s stretched Goldsigns began to gather with power as they fired Rippling Swords, the Striker techniques hovering in midair from the pull of both gravity stars. She cast more and more, until a web of Forged sword madra surrounded her in a dome, her Goldsigns twitching as they fired all around.

As the bloody Starlight Burst reached Yerin, she unleashed the Endless Sword on that side. The sword aura detonated the attack, the explosion consuming Yerin.

The spinning explosion pulled everything inwards, but it was not enough to displace Yerin.

At the same time Yerin’s Blood Shadow reached its arm out, using the force of the explosion to fight against gravity as it pulled the black sword out of Yerin’s second sheath, the arm spinning around Yerin’s body with the blade.

Then Shoumei’s Starlight Burst hit from above, and Yerin detonated the Endless Sword from the top, causing another explosion.

Just as Yerin’s Blood Shadow was throwing the sword at Shoumei’s Blood Shadow.

The force of the second explosion propelled the black sword against gravity, shooting like a spear.

The Shadow’s yellow eyes widened as the black blade stabbed through its neck. It still hung upside down from its long tail, and its body bounced up and down as it struggled to pull the sword out of its neck, its rubber-like bloody tail holding it in place. Yerin’s Blood Shadow’s arm was still attached to the hilt, its arm having stretched out of Yerin’s core.

The Shadow’s hold on the supernova vanished, and the bloody gravity star above Yerin broke apart, leaving Yerin to be sucked into the bottom Supernova with no resistance.

The second explosion from above was still expanding, and Yerin’s Blood Shadow shot out of Yerin, pulling itself upwards to Shoumei’s Shadow.

As it did, her Shadow kicked on Yerin’s stomach. Powered by the kick and the force of the explosion, Yerin’s body was angled away as she hit the wall, escaping the hold of the Supernova.

Shoumei began to tilt the Supernova to face Yerin, when she felt the sword aura gather behind her.

Behind Shoumei, the stalagmites exploded, the sharp jagged edges were perfect for the Endless Sword, and the air roared with invisible blades.

She had to Forge purple barriers to block. It destabilized her control, and her Supernova vanished.

Yerin’s clone had already retrieved the black sword from the reptile’s neck, spewing blood. As the reptile retreated, scuttling up the wall back to Shoumei, Yerin’s clone sent a blast of sword aura that made the stone explode.

As Shoumei’s Shadow fell to Yerin, she jumped into the air to finish it off.

The reptilian Shadow dodged in midair as the black sword sailed where its head had been, Yerin’s clone having thrown it like a javelin.

But it was not the intended target

Yerin caught the black sword behind the Shadow, dual wielding.

Shoumei and her Blood Shadow shivered as they saw what as about to happen.

Two Final Swords were Forged, looking like massive madra replicas complete with the hilt and guard. Yerin radiated sword aura like a metallic sun, two heavenly silver blades that split the Blood Shadow into two pieces.

Shoumei screamed as her Blood Shadow was destroyed, reduced to essence that flowed upwards and rejoined her core in a whimpering mass.

The strain caused Yerin’s body to sag and she began to fall.

It was time for the finale.

Her clone landed on her shoulders, and using Yerin as a platform, jumped to Shoumei. It touched the sword aura around Shoumei’s Archlord sword, about to denotate with the Endless Sword that would cut Shoumei. Its red sword-arms fired Striker techniques.

Shoumei grabbed onto a purple pole of light, swinging around to dodge the bloody Rippling swords sent her way. In her other hand she grasped the Archlord weapon, its bloody defense washing away the influence of the Endless Sword that had begun to gather around the blade.

Thirty feet below, Yerin opened her eyes, turning to look up at Yan Shoumei.

As Shoumei’s sword descend on Yerin’s clone, blood streaming behind the red blade like a flowing flag, a tendril of blood materialized connecting the Blood Shadow to Yerin’s core

It stretched as if rubber, and the Blood Shadow gripped it and pulled up, its rubbery nature causing Yerin to shoot upwards.

And over Shoumei.

Yerin held her white sword with her blade pointing down, her short black hair spreading outwards as she smirked.

Shoumei’s eyes widened in horror.

“Wait—"

“Eat this.”

Yerin activated the Archlord binding.

Icy white Archlord madra lit up the collapsing cavern, outshining the moon.

Ice madra swallowed the area like winter fog. Frozen in midair were razor sharp snowflakes, sword aura radiating around them.

Shoumei screamed as she was blasted backwards. It was like her madra channels were sluggish now, making it harder to cycle.

Yerin fell, her body sagging. But her Blood Shadow continued the fight. It cackled at Shoumei’s pained expression before slashing her across the face.

A gouge of flesh ripped from Shoumei’s cheek as she was smothered into the rocky wall.

After a couple of disorienting seconds with the sound of roaring stone collapsing behind her, Shoumei began to slowly crawl upwards out of the collapsing cavern.

Shoumei reached the top as she hauled herself out, her body broken on the rocky floor.

Her decaying Blood Cloak was the only thing that let her keep moving as it stuck to the walls and slithered her up.

*This woman…*Shoumei thought as she looked up at the winking moon. The rocky debris that had floated upwards was now raining down, smashing into the surrounding jungle.

I need help. We need everyone to take her down.

Yerin placed her foot on Shoumei’s shoulder.

The Sword Sage’s disciple stared down, her eyes cold. Her hair blew in the wind, none reaching her eyes. Her Goldsigns were spread like wings and caught the moonlight, like an angel of death.

Impossible, Shoumei thought as she stared at her executioner. How can her connection to her Blood Shadow be so strong? It’s not fair.

“This place,” said Yerin as she raised her white blade high, “is your tomb.”

Shoumei blasted through the rock as Yerin kicked her back, her blade cutting Shoumei in half.

As Shoumei broke in half, the last thing she saw was Yerin gazing down coldly.

The sea of stars above her blanketed the night sky, the full moon fading away from her sight. Birds flew across the sky, screeching. Then her sight vanished.

The rocks fell, burying Yan Shoumei in a watery grave forever.

***

Yerin sighed. Her Blood Shadow turned to her, giving her a wolfish smile.

“Save Lindon now?” it said in nightmarish voice.

Yerin shivered. “Let’s go.”