The moon had risen, and it shone bright up in the dark sky. Under that sky stood Wan Heian staring right into it. The moon reflected his eyes. The unit had decided to stay in the forest area for the night. The fire blazed, and all the men were having supper.
"Isn't it lively, Wanchi?", came walking Ri Li.
"Yes, Ryo", replied Wan.
"By the way, Wanchi, what sword style do you use with those twin swords?", asked Ri Li.
"Oh...sorry, Ryo, even I don't know its real name, but I call it heaven", replied Wan.
"Heaven?", Ri Li's eyes widened when he heard that.
"What is the number of movements?", asked Ri Li.
"Um...can you please explain what you meant by that?", asked the confused Wan.
"Wait...you know the first, second, third", said Ri Li.
"Oh..yeah, I always utter first heaven, while using it", responded Wan.
"That means it's the first", said Ri Li.
"What is your master's name?", asked Ri Li.
"Um...Ryo, I don't have a master, as I said, I came here with the merchants, so they taught me everything", said Wan.
"How did you learn the sword techniques?", asked Ri Li.
"There was a man called Sen, actually, this red tainted sword that I call ohirume belongs to him", said Wan.
"Red tainted?"
"Can you show it?", asked Ri Li.
Ri Li examined the sword the moment he touched it; he knew it somewhere in his heart. In his mind he had the thought.
"This sword is from yamato"
"Do you know where he got it from?", asked Ri Li.
"Um...I have no idea"
"What is the other sword? What do you call that?", asked Ri Li.
"Oh...this is Ao, the blue tainted one", replied Wan.
"This is also the same, but their blades are different, almost like all the sword styles can be used in these, more like it's for someone who can absorb all the sword styles"
He had quickly deduced it, the truth about that sword. But he stayed silent.
"Wanchi lets have a duel!", said Ri Li.
"Wait... no, I am ready!!", said Wan.
The sight of him killing the assassins had stimulated Wan's mind...and a thought crept into his mind ever since.
Or rather it was a longing...
And it slipped out of his mouth.
"I had always yearned for it, a duel with a great general"
A smile appeared on Ri Li's face upon hearing those words.
"Lets start", said Ri Li.
Ri Li inhaled and stared right at Wan Heian. His eyes glowed with that violet aura, and the crescent moon reflected in his eyes.
"This man is different...the pressure I am feeling is the strongest that I have felt till now"
The pressure almost suffocated Wan Heian, distorting his vision and senses, and before he knew, a set of words echoed in his mind.
"FIRST MOON"
He only blinked his eyes...Ri Li was still standing there.
But...
Wan was on the ground, and there was this tinkling in his fingers.
"My fingers, and bit them?"
Wan observed the minute scratches on his fingers and blood sweeping out through them. For his it was clear as daylight.
"Is it even possible with a sword? aiming for such an area, and he is still standing there"
Wan Heain was back on his feet and thoroughly convinced his mind of only one thing.
"I can't rely on his movements, the thing I have to watch out is the change in pressure. That alone proves that he is moving."
Wan Heian inhaled. He felt the senses in his body, and here it came...
The pressure fluctuated for a split second...
"Hekireki!!"
Wan Heian blocked his face with Ohirume and his chest with Ao.
"Ah...it hit me. The tingling sensation. But I certainly slowed it down"
Seeing that, Ri Li smirked.
Again, the pressure shifted, and Wan Heian knew that it was coming again. But this time, Wan Heian was able to create a hypothesis regarding the moon sword style.
"Here it comes!!!"
"But it's too fast and more intense; neither will sakuramistuki work nor hekireki"
"All these small scratches are crescent-shaped, like a moon. That means a sword style that creates an up-down movement. To counter that, I need to mutate my sword technique, a fusion that is what I need"
"This might fail, but this is the only way"
Wan clenched his swords, his veins popped out, and his muscles bulged.
It was here...
"Raikiri!!!"
Wan held the twin swords on top of one another, mustering up his strength. He made a super light movement resembling a full moon.
Ri Li couldn't be more shocked after seeing those movements. Each of the twin swords made an anti-crescent movement, countering all his slashes.
"Wan Heian..."
The sword slipped out of Wan's hand; his hands were fatigued, and his vision blurred. Wan lost his consciousness and started to fall.
Ri Li appeared right before him and held him.
"..."
Ri Li was silent. What he had witnessed had made him silent as water.
"Ryo!!"
Sen Zhou came running from the forest.
"Senchi!!?"
"Ryo, we have to move fast. The Xiongu are chasing us", he said.
"Xiongnu? Have the spies tracked them?", asked Ri Li.
"They will reach here soon. To counter them, the queen has sent reinforcement from the east. If we head to the capital, we will be able to rendezvous with them".
Sen Zhou carried Wan on his back, and both Ri Li and he headed towards the main base.
************
In the royal capital, the people stood on both sides to welcome the Zen Shi unit after their victory. The people muttered, and the women were eager to see the warrior Zen Shi.
"Hey, look there!! There they are!!"
The gates opened, and thus entered the Zen Shi unit. The one on the front was Zen Shi, and on the horse was a corpse wrapped in clothing.
"That corpse? And what is with Commander Zen Shi's cold eyes?", the people whispered.
"It resembles a vulture with a dark past", said someone.
On top of the palace stood Great General Ku Zan, who observed Zen Shi. Queen Hia also stood beside him.
"He has awakened them", stated Ku Zan.
"The memories?", the queen had also realised it.
"Yeah"
"The time has arrived, the time of decision about the end. My queen, I wanted to ask you this, please answer me honestly"
"After the end, Zen Shi will come. What will your answer be in that moment?", he asked.
The queen's eyes glittered, and she smiled, looking at him. Her lips moved, and the wind rushed.
The words reached Ku Zan's ears, those sweet words. The wind is the only one that bore witness to that conversation.
Ku Zan smiled, looking at the sky.
"I hope I get to witness that, and also the moment the golden light will lead us to the unification heavens", said the pleasant Ku Zan.