"I believe your companion had the right idea with deploying that technique."
Hǎishēng's voice reached me as she dragged me toward the circle.
I could barely hear her.
My eyes moved restlessly around the room, taking in everything they could before finally settling on Gajah's face.
A chill ran through me.
I looked away.
"Here you go."
A sword fell onto the floor beside me.
I stared at it for a moment before reaching for it.
Then my attention shifted to Xiǎoyōu.
He was flexing his arm, testing it with surprising care.
He has some sort of ability to manipulate attention.
I released qi around myself.
The sensation spread outward, surrounding my body.
He has a way to make himself insignificant as well.
I exhaled slowly.
Then I took my stance.
The rain had stopped at some point.
Now there was only the occasional drip from the building, the breeze moving through the openings in the walls, and the uncomfortable absence of all the noise that had previously covered our movements.
Every sound felt clearer.
Every movement felt closer.
"Alright, then."
Hǎishēng's voice came from behind me.
I exhaled again.
My eyes caught Gajah's face once more.
I forced myself to look away.
I need something that would react independently of my attention.
Xiǎoyōu moved.
I blocked his strike.
The impact traveled up my arm.
He was inside the range of Raja's technique.
Hǎishēng's earlier words returned to me.
My eyes moved toward the clothing I was still wearing.
Then an idea came.
I brought a piece of my clothing toward my mouth and burned it.
The smell of singed fabric reached my nose.
Then I blew.
A plume of qi emerged as smoke, spreading around me.
It thickened quickly, obscuring the space around my body.
It's a good thing they left our clothes on even though we were disarmed.
I raised my sword.
I couldn't clearly see what was in front of me anymore.
That was the point.
"Ahh!"
A scream came from somewhere inside the smoke.
I struck in that direction.
My sword met something.
Clang!
It stopped against resistance.
"I got him."
The words nearly escaped me as I prepared to charge.
I stopped myself.
Wait.
The smoke curled around us.
Something was moving within it.
"Interesting."
Hǎishēng sounded almost curious.
"The smoke is a lot hotter than it seems."
She paused.
"I named a technique of mine with a similar effect, Blue Ashes. What's this one called?"
I gave her no answer.
My attention remained on the smoke.
I watched for anything that disturbed it.
A shift.
A ripple.
Anything.
"Ugh!"
Xiǎoyōu grunted somewhere nearby.
The burn was significant.
But I wasn't going to take the chance of stepping outside the smoke.
Then something broke through it.
I reacted immediately.
My sword came up.
Clang!
I blocked the attack just in time.
"That was rather smart."
Xiǎoyōu stood in front of me.
His sword was nowhere in sight.
His arm, however, was badly burned.
The skin was reddened and damaged from the smoke.
Yet he didn't charge.
He simply stood there, looking at me.
There was pain in his expression.
I took a step back instead.
Then another.
Distance.
Can I try that again?
I settled into my stance.
My eyes remained fixed on him while I tried to regulate my qi.
For a while, neither of us moved.
Then I noticed something.
Water coated his injured arm.
He's treating the burn.
But he still hadn't picked up his sword.
My eyes moved toward the weapon.
Then back to him.
If I can close the distance just in time, I should be able to land a decisive strike.
I shifted my leading foot.
Xiǎoyōu watched me.
I moved.
The distance between us disappeared.
My sword came toward him.
He managed to block the attack with his arm.
The impact stopped my blade.
I didn't retreat.
Instead, I drove my fist into the side of his face.
Then I stepped back.
Xiǎoyōu staggered.
For several seconds, he seemed to have lost consciousness.
I didn't approach.
I kept my distance.
My breathing was becoming heavier.
I needed to recover.
Should I get in closer or maintain my distance?
I checked my qi.
My reserves had dropped drastically.
I have, like, only one more shot.
The smoke veil had been effective.
Very effective.
My eyes moved across the room.
I could use it again.
Then another possibility came to mind.
But then I could close the distance and use Cinder Touch.
I continued circling him as I thought.
Neither of us spoke.
Xiǎoyōu remained still.
Then Hǎishēng broke the silence.
"It seems he learned quite a lot."
Her tone remained almost casual.
"You should do better on your end."
Xiǎoyōu gave no response.
I was relieved.
Hǎishēng had stayed out of the fight this entire time.
I didn't know why.
But I wasn't going to question it.
Then Xiǎoyōu turned toward the sound of her voice.
My opening.
Without wasting another second, I moved.
I closed the distance.
Qi gathered in my palm.
I aimed for his neck.
My body committed to the strike.
Then—
Stab!
Everything stopped.
The room became quiet.
"What...?"
My voice came out weak.
I felt dirt against my face.
My breath caught.
"What happened?"
"Ugh!"
Pain tore through my back.
Sound seemed distant now.
Muted.
As though the entire room had been pushed several steps away from me.
"When did you do that?"
A voice.
Somewhere nearby.
"The ice shards."
Ice shards?
I repeated the words in my head.
My eyes moved downward.
Blood spread across the ground.
"What happened?"
I tried to move.
Could I crawl away?
Should I?
My body didn't seem interested in answering either question.
When?
What did I miss?
I tried to think.
Nothing connected.
I coughed.
Pain immediately followed.
Even breathing hurt now.
My thoughts began wandering.
I could go for some baozi.
The thought came from nowhere.
Then another followed.
I wonder if Momo is going to care if I don't come back.
Random questions.
Fragments.
Things that didn't matter.
Things that suddenly seemed easier to think about than what had just happened.
My eyelids grew heavy.
The room faded.
The last thing I heard was a voice somewhere nearby.
"You do know that we might have to leave here."
Then everything went dark.