I immediately jumped out of bed and swiftly grabbed two katanas from a nearby statue, about to spring into action. But then I hesitated, wondering what would happen if people saw me. "What if they reject me?" I thought to myself as I sat down in the shadows by the door to the inner temple.
I could hear the sounds of clashing swords, stretching bowstrings, and people moaning and screaming. Just as I was about to jump in again, I heard the sound of metal—a sword, I think—scraping against a surface from somewhere far behind me. I turned to look toward the dark alley in the temple where the sound had originated.
Tiny sparks of fire from the scraping swords suddenly erupted into massive flames covering both blades. A woman's figure emerged in the light, charging toward the battlefield that spanned from the valley of stone stairs leading to the temple gates, through the gates themselves, and into the open space behind them all the way to the temple entrance.
She wielded the flaming sword with deadly grace—long black hair flowing, dressed in tight black trousers and a metallic sleeveless vest. Looking closer, I saw it was May.
I followed quietly behind her as she jumped right into the midst of seven Claws while I perched atop the temple gates, studying my environment and marking all my enemies. May struck down three of the Claws immediately with just one swing of her sword. She kept fighting, and I could see rage blazing in her eyes through the flames as she struck down each of the Claws mercilessly and without pity.
I also spotted Li Ming meditating on the roof of his room, his staff balanced across his hands. All the Claw gang members present abandoned the other monks they were facing and turned toward May, but she showed no sign of fear. She approached them with a deadly smile, striking her flaming swords into them, cutting open their flesh and leaving them burning in agony.
I jumped from my perch, flipping through the air and cutting down a flying arrow fired toward May. I landed on the rooftop where the shot had come from, striking the archer's throat with speed faster than his own arrow. Then I flipped from the rooftop into the battlefield, unnoticed.
I gave an invisible smile, knowing full well that things were about to get very bad very quickly for the Claw gang. Immediately, members of the Claw gang started dropping to the ground with fatal cuts across their bodies. Everyone was shocked—they could only see the Claws moaning in pain on the ground.
May smiled because she knew who was responsible. After taking down more than a hundred of the Claws in just a minute, everyone smiled in relief and praised May, while I remained in the shadows.
Li Ming rose up, throwing his staff immediately as he stood. The staff flew toward where May was, passing directly beside her head to strike the ground. There was a scream—a Claw trying to strike May with a broken spear. May used her flaming sword to completely end that Claw, stabbing his chest repeatedly.
After the battle, she handed her flaming swords to a nearby monk, then pulled Li Ming's staff from the ground and took it to him. She knelt before him, raising his staff above her head as she offered it back. He touched her hair gently, saying, "You did well."
She replied, "Vanta did the most."
He smiled as he took his staff back. May stood up, sobbing as she murmured, "Still isn't enough... still wasn't enough to save..." Then she ran toward her room.
I followed. She took something from her room and ran into a small grove behind it. There I watched her crying and sobbing as she stared at the photo in her hands.
"I promise to get your revenge," she whispered.
I drew closer to see the photo in her hands, covered in blood.
"Why did you follow me here?" she asked without looking up.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you then," I answered.
"I'm sure you would have done your best, but it was many years ago. That incident forced me to become this. The loss of my mentor and a friend I loved so much but never got to see or meet properly—I lost them to the Claws! I always watched from hiding as he trained. He was one of the reasons I came here."
I stopped listening as she began to cry harder, begging me to reveal myself to her. Seeing the tears in her eyes, I swiftly left and returned with a container of gasoline...