Border of Zhenhai — Fantasia
After traveling more than two hundred and fifty kilometers, young Wen finally arrived at the edge of a grim river. The air was thick with the shadow of the dead and the echoes of Asian sabers. A dense mist hovered over the water, and armored ghosts seemed to guard this forbidden place. Their empty eyes bore into Wen, a chilling pressure warning him silently: You will join us here.
A hoarse cry shattered the silence, and an immense Chinese saber stabbed into the ground at his feet with such force that the shockwave made the water explode, sending a spray of blood and mist over him. From the shadows, a skeletal horse emerged, carrying a gigantic warrior whose worn armor gleamed faintly in the darkness.
— Wretched one, this is my domain. Here is where you will end, in the entrails of the dead.
The warrior's voice rumbled through the thick air. He dismounted slowly, the aura of death surrounding him making every movement feel like an omen.
— Hmm… In 500 years, I have seen fear, doubt, and the desire to win… But you, warrior, why do you look so sad?
— What the hell does it matter to you?!
Wen spat back, rage rising within him. He seized his nodachi, standing defiantly, ready to meet the threat.
In that instant, the warrior lunged at him like lightning. With a single kick, he sent Wen flying more than thirty meters, slamming him violently into the ground.
— AAAAAAAARGH!
Wen coughed up blood, his battered body trembling from the pain. He barely managed to rise, gripping his sword tightly. Memories of Tao Yu Xin and the priestess Alya surged through his mind, igniting his fury.
— Shadow Extension: Dark Blade!
Wen's sword radiated a black energy, his aura darkening as he brandished it against his enemy.
The warrior, as fast as a shadow, rushed toward him with such speed that the air itself whistled. The two giants clashed, exchanging blows of devastating intensity. Wen struck at the warrior's helmet, but his opponent parried with the guard of his own sword, the impact creating a shockwave like a destructive blast.
Their strikes came so fast they tore through the air in violent bursts, each clash of metal echoing across the plains. The warrior, unfazed, blocked Wen's every attack and, with a swift counter, slashed deep into his cheek, then his right ankle—rendering his foot nearly useless.
— Qi Reinforcement: Slicing Thunder.
The warrior unleashed a surge of celestial lightning from his saber, blinding Wen. The force of the strike made him stagger, and a direct blow from the warrior's blade struck his torso.
— I have to deflect it… or else…
Wen's mind screamed in warning. With a superhuman effort, he managed to deflect the warrior's saber with his own. The shockwave shattered the ground beneath them, opening a seismic fissure from the sheer raw power of the impact.
In a flash of clarity, Wen searched for an opening. He aimed his sword at the warrior's midsection, but his opponent countered with a powerful thrust, sending him skidding backward.
The warrior, furious, unleashed a flurry of attacks as fast as a raging storm.
Lightning struck through the sky, cutting across the heavens, while massive waves surged from the lake, swallowing the shoreline. Electricity devoured everything in its path, and each strike threatened to reduce Wen to ashes.
— I can't feel my arms… or my legs…
Wen thought, overwhelmed by pain and exhaustion. He knew that if he took another hit, he would die. But he had no choice. I need an opening… just one….
His eyes locked onto a massive, abandoned sword at his feet. He grasped it, his bloodied fingers tightening around the hilt. With the last strength left in his broken body, he lifted it.
The skeletal horse beneath the samurai collapsed, impaled by the great blade. The warrior, thrown off balance, tumbled backward with a sickening crash, his helmet rolling across the ground. With a final surge of will, Wen leaped into the air, pushing off with his one remaining functional foot.
He plunged his sword into the fallen warrior's helmet, shattering the armor and ending the battle.
Wen collapsed onto the ground beside the great warrior, tears streaming down his face. In a broken voice, he whispered, sorrowful:
— Whether in this world or another… it never changes. We play with hearts, and then we're surprised when they turn to darkness
The ghosts, unseen yet present, smiled at his words as if they understood his pain.
"I've lost everything..." he thought, before slipping into unconsciousness..