On the other side of the Academy, the explosion has forced all the students to gather in a single place.
Panic persists for the few when they witness the entire skies being blotted by thick black smoke, saying that it was the end of the world or something, but Musashi Gen quickly silenced them all.
"Settle down y'all! It's just the Fengbao Array working as intended!"
"But Lord! I… I can't breathe… am I going to die?"
One student brazens enough to speak back to the Lord of Sword, but all he did is slap his big hand into the students back, and then an apple chunk flung out from his mouth.
"Because you're choking…"
This scene lightens the otherwise tense mood, laughing at the foolishness of those students.
But Musashi Gen remains resolute, his face tense but he kept his cool to not affect the students, raising his head towards a sudden change in the sky.
"God damn that Yurong Clan kid has some serious sword intent…"
As expected of the ex-pupil of Va Lingyun Tua, and his organic talent shines through in that intense attack. Whatever happens on the other side, the intruder didn't make it out alive.
But then his Iai sense blares an instinct at him, there are about 5 or 10 people closing in on this place. Was that intruder a diversion? Or is this a different faction?
"So, like I was saying, teacher Lu has a booger the size of a cat's head! I'm Serious!"
The students joking behind him has no idea what may entail this place in a second, so Musashi Gen snap his fingers to get their attention
"Kid, stay back…"
The students immediately comply, but his face wanders into the groves where the Lord of Sword is facing towards.
Musashi Gen cracks his neck, then with confident stride he approaches a grove of bamboo and snickered.
"If yer plan is to sneak around, well… That plan turned to shit"
At first no one responded, but when Musashi Gen brandished his Nodachi a voice responded back.
"As expected of the Lord of Sword, Swiftblade of the East hasn't lost his edge from playing around with kids I see"
The voice is playful and mocking, though it only delights Musashi Gen knowing that his nickname has spread far enough even in his year of inactivity.
"Hah, I'm flattered, but Swiftblade? Surely yer sect knows better than to give me some lame ass nickname…'
Musashi Gen face contorts from his smiling lips to now being serious, as his red eyes glint through the shade of his eyelids. Iai Sense has marked them completely.
"Fierce Heaven bastard, away with you!"
Musashi Gen's Nodachi cleanly move through the air and bamboo as if it wasn't even there to begin with.
His slash was delivered in such a way that a ripple of air blows away from him, rustling the leaf around him.
And from within the bamboo groves, three headless corpses were found still standing.
From where their head once was, a fountain of blood spurts out and draws the ground in bright red.
"…Huff"
Musashi Gen exhale as he prepared for another strike.
The students who saw this could not help but to gasp at how simple and low effort his attack was, and yet around him.
The walls and floor have a thick vertical line that gorges deep into its structure, what kind of technique did the Lord of Sword just use that he cut the space surrounding him as well?
"Young master…"
A One blade sect disciple said, beside him a boy with clean shaven head responded.
"Yes, it's the pinnacle of swordsmanship. A one strike one kill attack…"
He clenched his teeth as his lips in full smiles. Excitement gripping on his heart as he cannot believe to have witnessed a true Sword master fight.
Not with technique, just a simple slash and even then, the attack far surpassed most half-baked technique whose only purpose is spectacle over practicality.
"Reveal yourself invader…"
Musashi Gen said, then a large circular object spins in an arching trajectory to strike his right, but the Lord of Sword quickly blocks the attack with his Nodachi.
But the circular object bites into his blade as it spins, creating a flax of sparks to fly around. And soon, a second circular object comes arching towards his left, but because his blade is held in place by the first spinning object, Musashi Gen must block the second one with his hand.
Preparing to feel a jarring pain of his wrist being hacked by it
That is until it was held in place with a metal string, the string then manipulates the object trajectory and sends it off flying harmlessly into the wall where it lodges itself.
"Allow me to assist, Lord of Sword…"
Wu Yincang said, his fingers splay in front of his body as a sheen of metal strings attached to its of his finger.
Normally, Musashi Gen would not allow a student to fight in this crisis, but knowing Wu Yincang, helpful assistance will not hurt.
"Suit yourself…"
Musashi Gen said as he angled his blade to deflect the object that soon flies off into the grooves besides him.
"A chakram, the attacker must've been hidden somewhere…"
Wu Yincang calmly analyzed the situation while attentively looking around the area to anticipate the next attack.
"Fierce Heaven bastard, always resort to a lowly trick…"
Musashi Gen voiced his contempt, before he banged his chest and let out a fighting spirit so fiercely it cracked the floor below him.
"YAHHHH FIGHT ME!!'
His aura of grey converges into his blade in a gust of vortex concentrating on his Nodachi before he slashed everything in front of him.
Buildings, trees, walls, whatever. Everything was cleanly severed in half.
'Nameless slash: Imperfect'
"Tch… Still not clean enough"
Even when the attack clearly caused someone to die, presumably the Fierce Heaven assailant, he is still unsatisfied, calling it not 'clean'.
Wu Yincang inspects the wound his blade caused to the environment, and sure enough, a very tiny, jagged edge prevents the attack from becoming truly clean.
"Huff… face me and met your honored death"
Musashi Gen threatened as he prepared another strike, only then did one of the hidden assailants emerge. He wears full black attire, akin to a Demonic Sect robe at a glance, but when inspected once more, it's clearly just a cheap imitation.
"So, you're that nasty one who sabotages the Fengbao Array, you drain a lot of silvers from my coffer you know…"
Musashi Gen speaks while lightly chuckling, yet there is no amusement in his tone for his eye's glows in bright red.
"Fufu, my disguise was blown~ how unfortunate…"
The figure speaks in honeyed tone, it's clear that she is a female. But her disguise, aside from her robes, were top notched. Even her face seems like it was a blur, like an amalgamation of the most basic faces one could meet.
Ironically though, Musashi Gen recognizes that painfully average face. Among the Fierce Heaven Assassins list, she is huddled with the likes of Jingxou Phantom and the Black Beast, the very top of her craft.
"Karixel twin face, does the payment worth the risk of going to the Demonic Sect?"
He said, during his time when he becomes a disguised mercenary, there is an unwritten rule among the hired blades. Don't ever mess with the Demonic Sect and the Netherstride Sect.
So, if she was willing to risk everything like this, her motive must be personal or one that involves her life.
"Yes~ Its worth it…"
She then locked her gaze towards Wu Yincang, from within a gourd she held a blade that was expelled from its inside and into her hand.
She was about to dashed straight towards him, but she bid her time, it's not yet the moment to lunge at him. So, she instead continues to converse with Musashi Gen.
"Because the contract is from me"
"Revenge then, how petty"
Musashi Gen finds it amusing and pitiful that someone within this line of work has enough compassion to avenge someone.
He understands really, watching someone die especially those you care about is tough. Most let that guilt and sadness sink, others, like her, decided to punish the world for their losses.
"However, I will not let you even graze the skin of any of these students…"
Musashi Gen didn't care about her petty revenge; it's her fault to cling to an abstract value called connection in the first place. Hired blade like her should've known better, only pain lingers in friendship.
"I just need him, if you allow me to kill him, I will leave…"
Karixel then pointed towards Wu Yincang, her eyes turned fierce at that moment.
But Wu Yincang maintains his calmness, rather he seems to enjoy the hateful gaze of his opponent.
"Are you deaf? When I say any of these students, I mean every single one of them…"
Musashi Gen pressed his claim, causing Karixel to doubt her movement for a bit, before she decided to consume some kind of bolus.
As she consumes the strange medicinal ball, her Aura begins to leak in a thick haze like quality of dark black.
"Hahaha! Feel this Demonic Scum?"
Her voice got distorted, as her whole body was envelope in her own Aura.
"I'll torn you all to shreds!"
Her distorted voice turned heavy and visceral, such quality is more Demonic than even the Fiend who stood against her.
Musashi Gen becomes wary, looking back he can see a lot of students behind.
If he goes all out, there is a chance his slash will cut some of the students down, and he cannot risk that.
"Wu Yincang, get the students to safety"
Musashi Gen said as sheathed his Nodachi back, Wu Yincang then nodded and went back into the curious group of students who wanted to watch Musashi Gen fights.
Of course, they look dejected when Wu Yincang told them to leave, but they soon comply as Wu Yincang own follower began to enforce his words.
Knowing that the students were safe, he shifted his attention to Karixel whose form had changed. Her entire body has transformed into a weird humanoid with jagged edges around her shoulder.
"What in the…"
Karixel gourd then spewed out a multitude of swords as it flies towards Musashi Gen, startled, he began to redirect the flying swords as best as he could.
Occasionally side stepping some that he can't deflect, the sound of metal clashing becomes a background noise of the courtyard as spark of metal decorates the air like fireworks.
But Musashi Gen soon realized that the flying swords were all just a distraction, because Karixel soon dashed towards Wu Yincang who is still dealing with the students.
Yet his face is calm, his lazy gaze fell upon Karixel who extended her clawed hand towards him, readying herself to maim that face who massacred all her comrades, all her friends in Lajiu
Those dark red eyes, infuriatingly neutral look covered in blood as he mutilates all the Fierce Heaven branch right in front of her eyes.
And her own set of eyes once filled in despair, now fights back with fierce look of Wrath that propels her forward.
Just an inch closer, just a little closer, and yet it falls short.
BANG
"What?"
Her claws were stopped by a woman with jet-black hair, with defiant look and smiles so wide it reveals her teeth.
"Why help an enemy? I was about to die right there"
Wu Yincang said, his breathing was erratic for a second before it calmed down. The woman then replied.
"Well, not by my hand…"
'Shockwave Ripple'
Her fist then cracks, and Karixel was sent away by a shockwave of sound that booms the courtyard and cracks its tiles.
Karixel body hits a tree with such force that it didn't manage to stop her completely and instead, her body continues to travel across the air before her mass brought her down to earth in a painful touch down.
"Plus, you are still my brother"
The woman looked back at Wu Yincang, her face was bright and against the direct glows of the sun, she looks like those ancient painting of Hero.
Wu Yincang heart stops for a second, before he closed his eyes and nods. With calm voice he replied.
"A big mistake, emotion can only get you so far…"
He turned his body back, gesturing to his wary followers to continue pushing the students to a safe distance.
"…But thank you"
And with that, he left. The woman scoff and even laugh. 'Thank you', it's the word she least expects coming from Wu Yincang. In fact, she felt like he was just acting.
"Well… Intruder of our sect"
She said, cracking her fist. She regards Karixel who struggled to stand up, flicking her wrist in a gesture that screams 'Come at me!'.
"Fight me!"
Karixel then stands up, her eyes turned fully purple as she regards the woman. She knows her, Wu Lixian, to dare deny her Wu Yincang, she will make sure that Wu Lixian be maimed until not even her mother could recognize her.
"Arrogant, don't you dare stick your head to someone else busi—"
But before she can complete her sentence, Musashi Gen form appears in a flash behind her.
With a black Tachi in his right hand and a shorter Wakizashi in his left, he swings the Tachi straight to her neck, but thanks to her enhanced sense she could dodge it by the nick of her hair.
WOOOSHHH
Yet even then, the sheer air being displaced by his attack caused the nearby tree to get chopped in half, flinging them off into the distance.
Karixel immediately shoot her leg up towards Musashi Gen torso, but before it connects, his Wakizashi deflect her kicks to another direction, leaving her defenseless and unable to move.
And with that,
"Nameless Slash"
His Tachi swings down, Karixel torso witness as the black blade smoothly went down and cutting it. As if her torso was never there, and as the Tachi struck the ground
The entire Courtyard was split in half, and the pagoda behind him has a visible vertical line going through it. All of this happened before the air itself could response to his attack, and after it did.
BWOOSHHH
It creates a storm of its own, kicking up dust and wind in a wake of debris and blood. The woman, Wu Lixian was forced to hunker down and yet she was flung by the force of his attack.
"…"
Karixel didn't experience pain, even though she realized her body was cut in half, no pain courses through her.
"…Mercy"
Musashi Gen utters the last name of his technique, Iai sense that allows him to mark every bit of weakness in everything that has found Karixel weakness. And the resulting cut from that was so clean not even the muscle and nerves of Karixel was disturbed, it just detached painlessly.
Yet Karixel cries out, not because of pain but because of a realization that her death was in vain. That bastard Wu Yincang is alive still, even when he is so cruel and merciless, he still had someone protecting him.
Why can't she get the same treatment? When her village was plundered, when her mom was devoured, when she watched in despair as all her friends and family butchered by the Demonic Sect.
Why is no one saving her?
"No…"
Why is no one there to help her?
It's all this World faults
It's the Fiends fault!
ITS ALL THEIR FAULT
-Be Wrathful!
Karixel sight was then drenched in white, the skies were evaporated, the clouds boiled, and went she cast her gaze down, she found that the Forest.
Was Set Ablaze.
"…Shit"
Musashi Gen was devoured by flame that erupts from Karixel body. As he jumps away, his robe is perforated by flames that cannot die as it blazes in bright orange.
-You are kind
Karixel body was reformed back by the flame that burns so hot it melts the courtyard tiles below her.
-You are pure
As she wakes up, her entire body becomes flame yet it's not hot for her, rather it was pleasant. A warmth of something she long forgotten, a warm embrace of a hug.
-Yet this world is tainted black, your purity was defiled
"I swear to myself"
She speaks, her voice a sharp contradiction to the intense flame blazing around her.
As her body has lost all its human features, replaced by a tongue of perforating flame.
-Kill them all, kill those who wronged you and make you impure!
"I'll burn you all to mere Soot!"
Musashi Gen dashed back towards her, his robe was still on fire, but he didn't care.
As he gathered up wind to try and slash her, he was instead met with a blow of flame that came from nowhere.
"Ughh"
He used his Wakizashi to block, but you can't exactly block a flame. And so, Musashi Gen must watch as his entire torso is devoured in flame.
The searing heath burned his skin and muscle; the flames continue to bite into his flesh like an angry dog even though it's not even a living being.
Musashi Gen was forced to dash away, he then rolled around in the dirt to try and put out the flame yet to no avail, the flames continued to blaze through him, threatening to sear his body completely.
And if that wasn't enough, Karixel continues to hurl flame towards him.
"Burn!"
In Karixel mind, the image of the massacre that day replayed once more, fueling her wrath even more.
"Burn! All of you fuck!"
She raised both of her hands and command the blazing flame around her to converge, as the heat concentrate into a ball whose brightness overpowered the sun itself.
-Enough
But the wicked whisper stopped, Karixel lost control of all the flame she gathered.
"What?!"
Surprised, she looked around only to find the students of the Southern Academy being burned alive in her blaze, their friends and Wu Yincang himself tried to put out the blaze.
"AHHHH"
Their screams, their painful wailing showered Karixel ears with the same sound she heard that day.
-Ignore the voice
Once again, her vision is covered in white, she witnessed the Forest in Flame once more. Yet now, a strange boy with white hair can be seen pushing the flames away.
-You'll burn everyone at this point
He said, and at that, Karixel couldn't help but laugh at his words.
"Hah! They are the same as Fiend! All who lives in the Demonic Sect are Fiend!"
She said, her voice of sorrow was painful to hear besides her venom filled with accusation.
"They are no human! They are Jiangshi! An undead! A monster!"
-And what does that makes you?
At his words, Karixel was stunned. How dare he lectures her; does he even understand her pain?
-Burning them alive, to them, you are the monster
"I don't care! They took everything from me!"
Karixel begins to crack, tears flow down from where her eyes were, but it soon evaporated.
"It's only fair if I took everything away from them!"
-…The moment you did that; they will grow resentful. Killing will always lead to another Killing
"…"
The white-haired boy was changed into an image of herself, when she was but a little kid. Soo innocent.
-And your pain creates another pain… Do you want that?
"…"
Karixel voice was halted and stunned, for once she begins to ask a question. Her life of killing all stemmed from her frustration of being unable to help those around her.
So, she lashed out, at least if she killed them no one else would die. But in doing so, she just perpetuates the cycle of killing.
The moment she killed, is the moment she becomes the same monster as those Fiends.
"Huh, who give a fuck"
But fuck that all, this is her life, her choice, HER FATE!
-…
"If I am a monster then so be it! If I am alive, they must die!"
Karixel then chokes on her own child-self, her past that clings to her back. Her only humanity, and she burns them down apathetically.
There is no more hope left for Karixel whose even her face has been distorted by this dark world, the only way for her to live is to kill.
And she will embrace that fate to the End.