"So, this…"
Wu Yincang recalls the epilogue of the Lin Era, where Hazhui downfall remains constant.
The Golden Lin Era where Hazhui prospered, was engulfed in flames, massive floods, extended famine where crops kept wilting and culminates to the Eternal Winter that ends the Lin Era.
All because of a concept brought to life, a truth the masses have yet to know about. Known as Sins
"…is what Sins Manifestation looks like"
He glances towards a raging form of nothing but flame, different from an enraged Wisp, this figure seems sentient and is aware of what it's doing.
Borne from Karixel, whatever Sins was corrupting her at the time has twisted her form into one of the depictions of Shura.
As her body was engulfed in flame, two horns sprouted on her head, or at least where her head was supposed to be.
Wu Yincang is observing from a safe distance, using 'Distant Sight' to appraise the fight between her and Musashi Gen, a master fighting others is a rare watch, and Wu Yincang didn't want to miss such a spectacle.
Musashi Gen who ripped his robe that covers his chest because the flame that burns it didn't want to be extinguished, is currently dodging the hurling flame that Karixel throws at him.
"Huff…"
His entire form is sweating from the unbearable heat radiating from Karixel, even when he exponentially increased the output of his Inhibition to form a wall of wind around him, it is still not enough to stop the piercing heat.
"You fucking Fiend! Just die already!"
Karixel attacks is by no means an attack that comes from an experienced martial artist, all she did is flailing her arms around to hurl flames like toddler throwing rocks to try and kill a charging bear.
Perhaps the side effect of Sins manifestations is a complete degradation of One own mind, in her case its impulsivity. Yet with that evident alone is not enough for Wu Yincang to determine the kind of Sins corrupting her.
By now, he knows five kinds of Sins that he learnt from an incomplete Buddhist Book. Hate, Contempt, Lust, Sloth and Pride.
But the characteristics listed on them do not fit the traits Karixel now inhabit. For example, there is no such thing as Flame Shura even when things like Ice Shura and Water Shura exist.
"Die!"
Karixel shouts as a ray of flames threatens to burn Musashi Gen to soot. But he masterfully began to chop the space that sits between him and the rushing flame.
Like a stone holding fast against a crashing tide, Musashi Gen Tachi and Wakizashi slashed the flame away from him.
It doesn't make any sense, no matter how Wu Yincang looks at it, it's a display of Martial Arts that defies the very law of nature.
And it's clear that Karixel is dumbfounded too by how she falters and loses her composure. For a split second, Musashi Gen saw that opening and launching his attack that he kept in bay in fear of needlessly hurting the students.
Both his Tachi and Wakizashi moved as one in a smooth glide across the flame that she cast.
It's nothing fancy, no Aura coats his attack nor any strings that indicate the use of a Sword Intent, its just movement, the basic of swordsmanship and yet it was delivered with absolute precision.
And it doesn't take long for his blade to find its mark, right under the throat of Karixel, the twin blade soon met the dancing flame that is her neck and it smoothly went through.
Once again, Karixel couldn't react to Musashi Gen's cut. Either from her ignorance or the sheer differences in their power.
As soon as Musashi Gen's blades pass through her, the gust of wind that follows his cut blows her fiery form away.
"Imperfect Slash: Tsubame Gaeshi!"
Yet his attack didn't stop there, soon, Musashi Gen forms blur into a fast-moving frame as he zips around Karixel, delivering cut after cut, slash after slash that slices through the space around her.
It's not just cutting Karixel away, Musashi Gen quite literally separates her body by cutting the space between them. And it's obvious why he keeps himself from using this technique.
Even the walls, trees and the pagoda that was already split was being slashed by Musashi Gen even though he didn't target them.
Karixel finally screams in pain, or frustration from being cut. Her arm gathers flame only for it to be dispersed by Musashi Gen.
But no matter how long he continues to attack her, Karixel kept on regenerating with flames as her body refused to fall.
Wu Yincang decided to perform his own attack to aid Musashi Gen, his eyes glow bright red as his Tarnished River Body activates.
Locking Karixel in his sight, he muttered a word.
"Sealed"
As he uttered, his own ribs were crushed and it pierced his lungs, the suffocating feeling of having his entire breathing tract flooded with blood is unpleasant.
But Karixel stopped moving, his words forced her to. And at that moment her regeneration ceased to function, right on time as Musashi Gen attack…
SLASH
…connects, severing her head completely as its form engulfed in flame fall into an arch before hitting the ground and bounced a couple more times.
"…"
She ceased to scream, her wailing stopped abruptly. But not her flame, it continues to blaze, rather it intensifies.
As if dying fuel her power even more, with her last voice she shouts into the air.
"WU YINCANG!!!!!!!"
And with all the flame left in her form, she hurled a flame of bright orange straight towards him, he failed to react because his body is still under the effect of his Tarnished River Body.
"NO!"
Musashi Gen appeared to shield Wu Yincang away from the flame, yet just before it hit him, the flame disperses into multiple sparks.
That sparks go around Musashi Gen and converge once more into a complete flame just behind him, as if it ignores Musashi Gen and continues to lock its trajectory towards Wu Yincang.
Wu Yincang poured all his energy into his inhibition, at least trying to decrease the damage it will inevitably do.
Yet just before it crashed, the heat of the flame pulled his mind into a white blank space.
There, he met Karixel on the ground where she clutches a maimed body, she wept as she caresses the back of the corpse.
Tears flowing down from her eyes, and stammered words come out of her lips.
"I'm sorry… I can't protect you…"
Her words full of sadness, trembling violently as she imparts a word of sorrow.
"You who pulled me out of my darkness, shows me another life I could take…"
As she said that, the white blank space turned into that night where he massacred the Fierce Heaven Branch.
Wu Yincang remembers it clearly, where he took the life of many after betraying them, promising to change their life and offers them a path free of killing. How foolish, they are a hired blade, they should've known better.
Was it desperation that pushed them to trust him, or simply a hope that maybe, just maybe, their life of darkness can be changed.
It's their fault for being easy to deceive and for being a Hired Blade, Wu Yincang felt that he did nothing wrong killing those who are destined to die anyway.
Perhaps among those he killed, is someone who Karixel held very dearly.
And there she is, in the replayed moment where he has left the scene of the massacre.
Karixel hugs a maimed corpse, holding his lifeless body very tightly as she tried to pump him full of her own Life energy.
Crying, weeping and screaming, begging him to wake up from the brink of dead, to meet her gaze once more that is now flooded with tears.
"I swear…"
But her sadness quickly turned to wrath, with resolute voice she promised the dead one thing.
"I'll make whoever responsible for this pay with their life!"
And the memory ends there, once again he met Karixel on the ground. This time, she looks directly at him.
"Any last words?"
She said, face drenched in tears, yet it didn't hide her wrath.
"Are you angry at me?"
"Yes"
"Do you hate me?"
"Yes, very"
Wu Yincang nodded, then he sneered. His lips arching into a big smile, what is the point of showing the consequences of his action? If he feared what would come next, he would've never gone down this path in the first place.
Facing his deranged expression, Karixel face remains.
"Good, continue hating me"
Wu Yincang said as he smiled, seeing as the white space fades out, pulling him back into the real world where the flame is currently heading his way.
Yet it's not fear that painted his face, it was glee and excitement. For the Wu Clan thrive from Hatred either from themselves or from others.
And Wu Yincang cannot loath himself, if there is one thing he Hates from his trait is that he is too sociopathic to the point of emotional void.
So, he relied on others to feed his Hate, and the more they Hate him the stronger he becomes.
And right in front of him, is an attack that comes from someone that Hate him soo much she would die just to kill him.
That Hatred soon feeds him a much-needed Energy to fuel his Inhibition; to block this vengeful flame he needs a massive inhibition just to block it.
FWOOOOSHHHH
The angry licks of the flame struck his arm, the burning sensation of a never-extinguishing flame is painful, but that pain serves to excite him more. Wu Yincang who lost all feelings, only this extremity can pull him out of boredom.
That is, until Wu Lixian arrives from nowhere to block that flame. Wu Yincang saw her brave the searing flame, twice in a day, he was saved by her twice in a day.
Yet before he can think of anything, an urge taking over him showered his heart with intent to push her aside, that flame would only kill a half-blood like her.
But he was too late, the violent orange explodes upon contact with her. A violent sound of sizzling flesh caused Wu Yincang heart to stop beating,
Once.
Before he managed to still himself and processed what had just happen, his dark eyes blown wide, taking every bit of information he can.
Wu Lixian arms extended out to stop the flame, and it did. The flame was spread out as if it was freezing mid-explosion, though her arms suffered damage from its heat, it didn't burn her.
"What?"
Wu Lixian expressed her shock in a voice Wu Yincang found ridiculous, because her Inhibition coated in dark red Aura meant to block flame was useless now that the flame doesn't want to move.
And before she can make sense of the situation, the flame disperses into a haze of smoke. Karixel whose head was detached saw this scene with discontent, yet she is too close to death to care.
"…"
But seeing Wu Yincang infuriatingly calm face falters for a second, when that woman decided to prevent his death, has made her realize that perhaps, just maybe.
Wu Yincang isn't as inhuman as she thought, the face that catches his face for that split second was of concern and worry.
"…Perhaps you are right"
Once again, she was reeled back into the landscape of white. That white-haired boy awaits her patiently amidst the burning forest.
"Killing doesn't solve anything…"
She belatedly said, even when her time is ticking down, she felt no fear.
-Perhaps in your next life, you'll be born in a place where your kindness will never be tainted
He speaks, Karixel scoffed at his words though, finding it ridiculous.
"There is no such thing as next life"
-…
"But if they are, I hope that my memory of this life will persist"
Karixel words faded and grew weaker, and before long her vision blurred.
She wanted to say more words, but her mouth couldn't move. For some reason speaking to this boy filled her with reassurance and warmth.
'Im scared'
Only now did she realize the horror of death, to watch your doom slowly encroaches and waste each time you had left.
Was this how all her victims felt?
-There is no one who isn't afraid of death
The white-haired boy suddenly spoke; his arm then extends to caress Karixel detached head that has now turned normal.
-Even those who are far from death still fears them, because they cannot stop death takes those they care about. It's alright, close your eyes
His voice is so soothing and calm, like the feeling she had when a light rain tickles her forehead.
She is still scared, but at least she isn't alone in her passing. And as her consciousness dimmed out, so did her last words.
"Thank you"
-… May your clay form reshaped by a kindling bore a good karma
…
Musashi Gen heaved his breath, sweat practically floods down from his body and drenching the ground. He looks at Karixel body that was once engulfed in flame turned to ashes and was blown by the wind.
He sheathed both swords to a wooden box covered in talisman and then turned towards the students who were burned earlier, his friend huddled together to try and mend his wound.
"Step aside"
Musashi Gen shoved one of the students to the ground so he could take a better look at the injured one.
His robe was burned, leaving the fabric clinging to his skin that has contorted into a charred red. His body posture was fixed in a crooked form and when Musashi Gen looks at his face, finding one of its eyes burnt partially and revealed its colorless iris, his nose was gone and his lower lips were split.
"No… Liris!!"
One of his friends is weeping, holding his burnt hand close to his chest. Snot and tears mixed in his face as it contorts in intense sadness, his breath stumbled by the force of his cry causing his body to shudder.
It's safe to say that Liris is dead, Musashi Gen closed his eyes and ripped what remains of his robe to cover Liris' head.
"Ahhhh-!"
His friend screams hysterically when Musashi Gen did so, realizing that his dear friends will never come back.
Several students who gather up watch the scene in grief; some weep lightly and wipe the tears off their faces. And sometimes later, 3 other students rushed towards Liris' burnt body and began to cry beside him one last time.
…
"What happened?"
Wu Yuen tried to look pass the shoulder of the students, alongside Wu Chen and Gu Tian they were situated on the very far back and other than some explosions, they cannot see anything else.
Curiosity brooding over her as she shoved the students in front of her to make way, the students frowned but didn't make any effort to reprimand her.
But since she cannot see anything else, she decided to give up and turned her face to look at Wu Chen.
Wu Chen stayed behind, his face in deep contemplation as his brows arch downward.
Gu Tian kept looking at his face, yet she didn't move an inch.
"…What?"
So, Wu Chen decided to talk to her, yet Gu Tian kept looking at his face and not saying a word.
"W-what?"
The intensity of her gaze caused him to stiffen up lightly, is there something on his face? He tried to look for any irregularity in his face and find nothing abnormal.
After that, Gu Tian averted her gaze and cast her head down, no expression covered her face.
"Nothing..."
She said, Wu Chen thought she was being cheeky, so he flicks her forehead, causing her to yelp as she rubs the spot where he just flicks.
"What the hell?!"
She frowned, eyes blown wide yet her brows knitted down.
"Nothing~"
Wu Chen smiles as he repeats her words, Gu Tian felt annoyed looking at his face. So, she decided to push her hand towards his face.
Their quarrel was observed by Nanming off in the distance who can look at them despite the many students blocking his line of sight, of course he didn't really 'see' them, he can only feel their shape moving about.
'Wu Chen and Gu Tian are there'
He is looking for those he cared for; so far, he already found Gu Liang, Wu Chen and Gu Tian. But when he tried to look for Wu Lixian, a strange foreboding feeling is taking over him.
Like she was in danger, but that feeling quickly subsides when he sensed a presence of great evil off in the distance disappears.
He planned to jump to the front, but since the situation is taken care of, he decided to stay put.
Playing with his words, a single name escaped his lips.
"…Karixel?"
Who is that?
The name that suddenly popped out in his head, a name foreign to him. Perhaps its just a fragment of his long loss memory resurfacing, he decided to ignore it and continue pondering on the last question of the theorem competition.
A question he didn't know the answer to. 'What is the name of the White Dragon of the □□□ Mountain?'