“I remember Hwaseong Heavens fondly. Whenever they were mentioned, my father would recite his grudge and curse them for joining Angels instead of us,” Jin Tiehan said after the B-Ranks of Alumnus and Blackviper left the field, and Leona took their place.

“Your father told me that personally countless times. Every time we meet practically,” she replied, her heart trembling inside her chest. She had always admired Jin Tiehan for his devotion to martial arts, though not to the point of envy. Closer to fear, really. Well, it was fear. This man had an inhuman obsession. Leona heard countless stories: he’d scour expedition after expedition for new techniques, new ways to cultivate, new ways to faster reach his fullest potential and go beyond.

He consumed, like how the deepest darkness swallowed all light.

Leona tightened her grip on the [Ornate Jikdo]. She guessed the reason why she was fighting alone and not with Alexander or the rest of her team: they were Pseudos, whose skills were unrefined. It’d be best to separate them, then, to know her weaknesses and areas of improvement, then come together.

Or that was what she hoped. She didn’t know Jin Tiehan’s motives nor she would ever know.

“Every now and then, I find myself watching the odd video of their recorded techniques. Some of their techniques, what’s publicly available,” he stated, focused on her blade. “Beautiful. I truly could see the two individual halves that created the art that is known as Hwaseong Heavens today: the elegant, yet fierce energy belonging to the Divine War Saintess, and the righteous pragmatism of the Heavenly Azure Swordsman. While I prefer using my hands, I can admire bladesong and your birthright.

“I have faced the current Cheonma in combat and clashed with his Heavenly Demonic Arts; I have fought Kensei in the midst of his Void-chasing pursuit. I enjoyed their works as much as I will enjoy yours.

“Demonstrate the masterpieces that your parents have cultivated.”

Leona gritted her teeth. Jin Tiehan would be a young boy since he last met Mom and Dad, forever carrying the disappointment of never actually experiencing their techniques for himself. This “demonstration” served to also feed his insatiable hunger, she ascertained. But there really was no better mentor than him.

“Remember, go easy on me,” she told him, trying to maintain a firm voice. Though a syllable or two came out uncertain.

“Of course. And I ask you to not give me the same courtesy.”

“Okay…” Leona glanced over her shoulder. Normally she could rely on Alexander’s support but his mind was on other things. She could tell. His eyes had a certain (attractive) look whenever he was focused. So knowing him, he was using her to gauge Jin Tiehan’s abilities. That pragmatic bastard.

There’s no need to be nervous. Consider this as your first obstacle, just defeat the next heir to Martials Guild, a piece of cake. If you can survive his energy, then you can survive anything.

She stepped forward, hesitant at first, but purposeful in the following steps. Ever since her parents’ passing, she lacked the perfect gait that Cheonma possessed, taught to him by the previous holder of that title, his master. She lacked the discipline as seen in Kensei, who never rested in his journey to attain Void. She lacked the desire for power as the Slayer before her, the Righteous Jin Tiehan, a monster by nature, a nurtured perfection.

What she did have was grief, admittedly, lots of it. But that wasn’t her only possession. She had the determination to hold onto strength as though a precious thing, the willpower to refuse weakness. The past week had tempered her like steel in a burning forge, and with the knowledge that she was this ‘Celestial War Empress’, it had given her a strange existential confidence to push onwards.

She was thinking it might be Fate although Alexander disagreed and playfully called her ‘silly’; he wasn’t as superstitious as she was.

Okay, let’s get this over with, she thought and entered a state of tranquility, where mortal troubles were banished and all that mattered was the first sound of steel. Her parents had taught her this mental technique to use whenever she felt stressed; if only she had used it more during her worst.

Leona exhaled.

[Skill Activation]

[Skill Activation]

“Oh?”

[Fleeting Blade]

[Hwaseong First Arte - Red Banner]

A crash echoed throughout the field and a red scar was cut into existence, but Jin Tiehan stood there staring down at where Leona had struck: right at his stomach. There wasn’t a tear in the seams of his cultivator robes. Just a thick stain of dirt and mud. He tried wiping it off with his hands but failed. It was too deep.

He sighed.

Leona knew it wasn’t going to do anything against him but a part of her was still disappointed in her own abilities.

“Your skills are far inferior to swordsmen your age,” he began, “though you were not training to be a Slayer until now. I can hardly fault you.”

“Well, I’ve gotten much better over the past week—“

A fist shot out. Leona yelped and hastily raised her blade to block. Even when Jin Tiehan had put himself at her rank, his strength pushed her back a few feet. So much for going easy on her.

Barely was she able to combat the next two flying fists, ringing against her steel, but she found her footing after the third. As she raised her [Ornate Jikdo] once more, Jin Tiehan’s body buzzed like he was a graphic display glitch. Then he disappeared.

Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw his extended shadow behind her.

She cursed and spun around, shrieked as Jin Tiehan’s foot shot upwards. He broke her grip. The [Ornate Jikdo] tumbled out of her hands. [Swordsman Return] could automatically retrieve her blade but that took time. Time she didn’t have.

And he was in a vulnerable position after attacking, having his leg up.

Seize the moment. You don't know when you’d get another.

[Skill Activation: Fable of the Celestial War Empress - Red Banner, Swordless]

Her right hand took on the heat of a warrior’s heart, and struck. Although weaker due to the lack of a blade, she caught Jin Tiehan again in the same spot, essentially slapping his cultivator robes with more dirt.

[Red Banner, Swordless] was a derivative of [Red Banner], one that allowed her hand to become the sword itself. And that was a part of her toolbox skill she developed over the past week: [Fable of the Celestial War Empress].

“Oh!” exclaimed Jin Tiehan delightfully as he engaged in a flurry of palm strikes and punches. Leona weaved, nimble like a rabbit in tall grass, and disengaged to create distance between them. She executed [Swordsman Return] and allowed her [Ornate Jikdo] to return to her hands once more.

Jin Tiehan lurched forward and initiated another flurry, but this time she could match his pace. She felt his rhythm. His attacks were smooth as a river flowing into the great sea. Instead of allowing her anxieties to put her on the defensive, she held onto her confidence and struck blow-from-blow, matching steel against knuckles.

He smiled proudly and changed the dance: incorporating movement instead of remaining static. Jin Tiehan used his speed to pop in and out trying to catch Leona off-guard, to attack where she least expected. A few strikes slipped her defenses and stung. None of hers were getting through his, of course they weren’t, but slowly he was using more techniques and moves—and that was a sign of victory.

Leona ducked under a kick and came at him with a swift three-strike combo. Each got blocked by his steel-like hands but good effort anyway. Sweat poured over her eyes. Her stamina couldn’t last forever. He’d win no matter what but she was proud of lasting this long against the Righteous Jin Tiehan. But if she wished to engrave herself into his memory then she needed to perform something big.

Giving him the technique he yearned for.

Leona pulled back, tasting salt on her tongue, and felt her chest glow with fervor. Jin Tiehan seemed to recognize what she was doing and prepared a storm of strikes. She took in a breath and concentrated.

[Skill Activation: Incomplete Hwaseong Fifth Arte - Crimson Fog of War]

[Crimson Fog of War] was mainly a defensive technique that turned the area in front of Leona into a cloud of slashes, effectively tearing anything caught inside: people, projectiles, attacks. Negation was its goal.

Jin Tiehan willingly stepped into the [Crimson Fog of War] and allowed his attacks to be deflected, throwing his arms back and giving Leona an opening.

[Skill Activation: Fable of the Celestial War Empress - Carmine Point Break]

And [Carmine Point Break] was a singular, focused thrust to pierce through any defenses. She howled and extended forward, felt a great impact recoiling throughout her body. A wave of dirt radiated from their position, and when Leona could see again, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Jin Tiehan had blocked her technique using a closed fist, squeezing the tip between his middle and ring finger. What was more impressive was the fact that her [Ornate Jikdo] suffered not a lick of damage; a block like that would send the force back into the blade and most likely fracture it.

He stopped her attack with enough power as required.

“Impressive. You displayed multiple techniques and applied them; not flawlessly, as you and I both know, but with sufficient competence. There is potential and so much of it.” Jin Tiehan disengaged and stood back a comfortable enough distance away. “Now, I obviously cannot amend the mistakes of your swordsmanship to the point of perfection but I’ll do what I can. I also know what techniques to impart, producing the most effective results.”

Leona couldn’t complain about her performance, but using multiple techniques at relatively high power took a drain on her stamina. It must’ve been nice to be a high-ranker, to have stamina and mana that could last you for days of hard combat.

Whatever Jin Tiehan wanted to “impart”, she’ll be receptive. “Okay,” she said, turning to leave.

“And to add.” Jin Tiehan paused. “I believe your parents would be proud to see you today.”

Leona stared at him for a second or two; he tried his best to give her a comforting smile, but it was awkward and more forced than sincere. “Right,” she muttered and nodded, acknowledging his words before reaching Alexander.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, “You alright?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I am. His definition of a ‘light spar’ is close to my max, haha. Don’t worry, sweetheart. All I need is a little rest.”

“Alright.” Alexander patted her shoulder; she could almost feel his trembling heart race from where she stood. “Wish me luck.”

“Mhm.” Leona watched as he took her place in the field, standing against the Righteous Jin Tiehan, knowing he was far more interesting than some daughter of fallen high-ranking murim-ins.

Alexander knew this as well; he couldn’t soothe his beating heart no matter what techniques he tried: breathing, cleansing thoughts, nothing. Jin Tiehan had a smothering battle presence superior to most high-rankers and rivaled the elites even. And what did Alexander have to combat it? About a week’s worth of experience and trauma to top it off.

Jin Tiehan stood marmoreal. A breeze rippled across the field, lifting away light particles of dirt and swaying the loose fabric on his cultivator robes. In the white artificial light, his irises glowed with potent energy. He greeted Alexander with an unsettling smile and parted his lips just enough to reveal a blade-thin set of teeth.

[I have waited for this, Shen Jianyu,] said Jin Tiehan in Mandarin, quietly, so no one else could hear.

Alexander stiffened.

Jin Tiehan tilted his head curiously. [Do I need to speak in another language for you to understand?] Now he was speaking in Wu Chinese, Northern Wu specifically, which was used in Hangzhou.

[...Mandarin’s fine. I haven’t used my mother-tongue in years,] he replied. He found himself using Mandarin on a fairly regular basis in Ordo, oftentimes when speaking to Chinese students in Ordo University, like Chunhua.

[Good. I was reaching the limits of my vocabulary in your mother-tongue. Any more would be an insult,] Jin Tiehan said, although his pronunciation was pristine, speaking better than Alexander, [The reason why I have avoided using English for this conversation is simple: the topic at hand lies dear to my heart.]

[I don’t have any techniques worth divulging,] Alexander stated, tense.

[I know. Half your blood rises in the east and the other half settles in the west. Despite our differences in upbringing…] Jin Tiehan paused and released a chilling stare that caused Alexander’s blood to freeze. [...You are someone like me, possessing the same intensity as Blackviper and the same hunger as I have.]

And that’s why Dad refused to let anyone else train me other than himself. He knew what’d happen. A chuckle clawed out of Alexander’s throat and he forced an answer out: [I’m sorry to say but my hunger died with my old life in Hangzhou. The monster you imply, it’s dead like Ringkid.]

[I don’t believe that. You were once driven by a child-like impulse to attain self-mastery, not dissimilar to Kensei. I can see it within your physique and your iron gaze, where extreme violence made refined you, left you stronger.]

[The Sungrazers revealed to me how weak we really are.]

[Yes, we are weak in the face of the cosmos.] Jin Tiehan shifted his stance. It was a subtle move that most wouldn’t notice. Alexander exhaled. [It is up to us to face our—]

Alexander jerked his head to the side and there came a soft gust that fluttered small fans of dirt at his feet. Jin Tiehan had came as fast as the wind, but his fist did not meet its target. Only giving a small scratch at Alexander’s neck, drew blood. Jin Tiehan tried this trick before with Leona.

That was one of the reasons why Alexander preferred to go last: to spend as much time observing Jin Tiehan, and he consequently discovered his little quirk whenever a surprise attack was in store. Whether that was intentionally crafted or something genuine, that was a question in itself.

Although this man was a monster to be intimidated by, he was also a monster to best learn from.

Jin Tiehan’s eyes widened, and his smile morphed into neurotic grin. [How do you explain this if your monster passed?]

[By paying attention. Even the wisest never stop learning.] Having anticipated this, Alexander pressed his [Modified Justitia S6] against Jin Tiehan’s stomach and pulled the trigger.

Some of the audience gasped after hearing the air crack.

As expected, his cultivator robes—however they were crafted—took the regular bullet better than kevlar of the highest grade. A chuckle escaped Jin Tiehan and his grin morphed into a teasing smile as though accepting Alexander’s challenge. He leapt back. Hot, compressed lead and black gunpowder were wiped off.

Alexander took aim.

[Skill Activation: Certain Shot]

And it got blocked by the back of Jin Tiehan’s hand and so were the following—pop pop pop pop. Like a crouching tiger, he pounced. Multiple shots kicked up dirt, hitting only the shadows of where he had been.

Ranged combat was awfully useless against a close combat master like Jin Tiehan, but it’d be beneficial to gauge his reactions. He reacted exactly how Alexander thought honestly: closing the distance, fast enough that Alexander’s own reflexes couldn’t keep up, and unpredictable enough where his prediction skills faltered. By the time the trigger was pulled, Jin Tiehan would be long gone.

Distance, in this case, was actually a disadvantage. There was no point in using guns if your opponent could just dodge your bullets. And when the Martial reunited with Alexander, guns also became useless when your opponent was too close.

Like how Jin Tiehan disarmed Leona, he drove his foot upwards and struck Alexander, knocking his pistol out of his hand. Alexander reached into subspace and retrieved his [Sword of Conquerors], an A-Rank weapon awarded to him after Operation Scorcher’s success, and slashed.

Jin Tiehan bent backwards with incredible flexibility and the blade smoothly cut the air above his chest. He flipped onto his feet as Alexander engaged, holding his sword with a single hand. He took searching swings, wild and aimless, chopping with no discernible target. Jin Tiehan had a laugh at his foolishness and stepped back as the swings came, hopping, skipping.

[Is this the extent of your swordsmanship?] he asked daringly, stepping just out of range, the tip just centimeters away from scrapping.

Alexander didn’t answer and came on, skirting close enough. He revealed his other hand: he had retrieved his pistol.

“Aha!” Jin Tiehan exclaimed as though he knew the trick all along, and with his keen sense of observation, he probably had.

Crack! the Martial smirked with his arm raised in front of his head, revealing the smashed lead against his silky sleeve.

Alexander frowned. His extended arm was batted away, pistol knocked out of his hand. [Conquerors] swung down and its edge bit toothless into the arm, bounced off. A palm shot into his side, lightning bounced across his nerves but he resisted the urge to collapse.

And instead he fought, while Jin Tiehan was this close.

[Skill Activation: Inexhaustible Steelwind Flurry]

Alexander bombarded Jin Tiehan with steel. Harsh, ringing steel, like he was hitting a gong as hard as he could over and over. [Inexhaustible Steelwind Flurry] was developed when Alexander wasn’t satisfied with solely using his fists for [Inexhaustible Flurry] (now [Inexhaustible Ironfist Flurry]); so he took the time to apply the same effect to his swordsmanship.

Which had the same limiter: it’d end when his stamina was depleted.

Jin Tiehan laughed underneath the hail of stinging blades and countered with his own strikes, meeting blow-for-blow. Nothing was getting through. Not the tiniest cut soiling his robes, not a single drop of blood; it was like hitting an impenetrable bank vault. That was the sheer difference between the two, between the destined Conqueror and the Righteous.

As Alexander contemplated his next move, wanting to end his skill before he actually ran out of stamina, his opponent disappeared—

“Guh?!” A knee was rammed into his stomach.

[Show me how adaptable you are, Shen Jianyu,] Jie Tiehan muttered in his ear and pushed him away. For him, it was a light push. For Alexander, it felt like he got hit by a car.

Alexander rolled on the dirt about a dozen times before coming to a stop, now disarmed of his [Sword of Conquerors] too, and he didn’t hear a bell. Amazing. By the time the spar ends, his entire arsenal will be scattered across the field.

If Jin Tiehan wanted that, so be it.

Before Jin Tiehan could capitalize on Alexander’s fallen state, the next weapon was pulled from subspace: a [Modified S6 rifle], the standard service rifle for the Ordoian Army but modified a fair bit. An amused chuckle came from the cultivator and he disappeared again. The first bullet skidded on the dirt and cracked into the pearl-colored barrier at the end of the field.

Jin Tiehan played a game of whack-a-mole, again, with every appearance closing in on Alexander’s position. While each shot missed, they gave him time to pick himself back onto his feet. Motherfucker though, he swore, that knee was a killer.

Once Alexander was standing, he knew he couldn’t stay still and allow Jin Tiehan to come to him: he tried that and failed. Distance was, again, a disadvantage when fighting an opponent like him.

Alexander dashed to the side, eyes locked on Jin Tiehan like an eagle spotting a fish in the river, and fired. Each shot missed as predicted, but it kept him on his toes. Kept him moving. Sometimes [Certain Shot] would be added into the fray, which was guaranteed to hit its target if no outside intervention occurred. Here, Jin Tiehan simply raised his hand to block the bullet like before, smirking each time Alexander tried that as though taunts.

No good. There wasn’t an opening here. In terms of ranged options, guns and [Certain Shot] were the only tools at Alexander’s disposal.

After all, just like how Jin Tiehan was a master close combatant, Alexander, too, preferred close quarters.

So Alexander kept the timing of Jin Tiehan’s movements inside his head, allowing him to approach step-by-step until the time was right, perfectly right. To reverse the tide of a tense fight, you needed to strike when the iron was hot.

At the final step, there was only one direction Jin Tiehan could go: directly forward, where Alexander was.

And he was there, waiting.

Jin Tiehan came with a palm strike. Alexander weaved and looped the rifle sling around his extended arm, spun it and locked it tight. It didn’t matter how fast or strong he was, his body had its own mechanical limits.

One hand wound in the sling, Alexander equipped his [Steel Dagger] from his belt and closed in, so close that it was uncomfortable, and he drove the [Dagger] as far as he could. Jin Tiehan stopped it with his free hand easily. [That would’ve been the end for any normal man,] he said. [But not me.]

Alexander got shoved. Not as hard as before but enough to disconnect from the clinch. After Jin Tiehan unwrapped the sling, he rushed towards him.

[Skill Activation: Inexhaustible Ironfist Flurry]

Although he was wielding the [Steel Dagger], the skill was still applicable here, allowing Alexander to, again, deal a barrage of attacks—knuckle and blade, onto Jin Tiehan. It was as ineffective as before: banging against a bank vault, finding that despite the impediment, Jin Tiehan was fighting back.

At its denouement, when Alexander’s stamina was reaching its limit, Jin Tiehan grabbed his arm and flipped him over, slamming him onto the soft dirt. To top it off, a solid kick to the stomach, sliding back about ten meters away.

He wasn’t holding onto his [Dagger] anymore. Well shit.

Alexander only got to one knee before Jin Tiehan appeared. He stopped repeated attempts of a kick, using each instance to gradually pick himself up. He caught the last kick, holding the feet with one hand. Sweeping the leg was the obvious move.

So it wouldn’t work. He doubted he could take this monster’s legs out anyway.

Instead he dropped Jin Tiehan’s leg and came on with an elbow to the head. But Jin Tiehan moved under, slammed his own elbow into Alexander’s back.

“Ack!” Alexander cried, gritting his teeth. He performed a spinning backhand only and missed completely.

Jin Tiehan floated backwards as though carried by the wind, his long hair swaying.

“Alright…” Alexander cracked his knuckles and gingerly stepped forward, heaving.

[Are you exhausted?] asked Jin Tiehan with his hands behind his back.

[I’ve been in worse states.]

[Let’s stop here then,] he told Alexander. [Your mind is unrestricted. You are like water but you lack the tools to flourish. Or should I say, I need to nurture you as one does to a sapling. I really do have to commend you, though—any normal fighter would have perished within the first few moves. You might be able to best even a C-Rank.]

[Uh huh.] Alexander wiped the dirt off his lips, on-guard still. [What’s the plan now?]

[Training, of course.]