The arrival of the Rabbit Demon is an extremely unprecedented turn of events, with her Slaughtering Mountain she tears through the hordes of Vehemence Crimson Birch, pulverizing their numbers to mere digit.
Until she arrived here, in the Ground of the Academy.
"Gather all the Claws, the Maws, Everyone!"
Nazawa Aigen shouts outside the Academy gate, his voice filled with haste and panicked intonation.
"B-But Lord of War, if we do that there will be one left to guard the—"
"I don't care! Send everyone here!"
He demands, swinging his hand in a fit of rage impatience. Seeing as all the Lords were on their way towards the Academy ground.
For a Xiantian has invaded the Sect.
"Hold your command Lord of War…"
The voice of the Heavenly Demon calls out from behind Nazawa Aigen, he shifts his head to regard him.
"Don't you know who we're up against? It's the Rabbit Demon!"
"The Demon King orders for the Lord to stay out of this"
"B-But…"
Nazawa Aigen hesitates, to undermine the Demon King's order is unthinkable, but this is the Rabbit Demon they're up against and who knows what the fuck her intention was invading the Academy.
"…"
But he was there, Nazawa Aigen was there to saw the Massacre over at the Bailang Plain. How she overturned the hills, shatters the earth and break the 35.000 of both the Eastern Army and the Western Army formation.
And she does that on her own. Fucking. Physical Strength.
"I'm afraid I must deafen myself towards that ord—ughh"
"Then you are not worthy of the title Lord…"
Viren eyes glows crimson, causing the Blood Wyrm inside Nazawa Aigen to reacts, causing his body to reel in excruciating pain.
"Even if you restrain me…"
Yet Nazawa Aigen did not care, even when his mouth bleeds, even when his heart threatens to burst and even when his Inhibition Core was attacked, he will see his duty done.
"…A mere Elephant (相) cannot capture a Horse (馬) on the other side of the river!"
Using 'World Awaits', he singles handedly forced the Blood Wyrm in his body to be restrained in his stomach, though it rebels and trashed around the soft organs, causing severe damage inside his internal organ, it's not something he cannot Cross.
Viren face contorts into shocked behind his mask, seeing that Nazawa Aigen was merely inconvenienced by the Blood Wyrm thrashing around.
"You cur! Cease this at once!"
Yet he didn't stop restraining him the other way, as his Aura manifest into a Snake that circles its body around Nazawa Aigen who is visibly strained beneath the coil.
"No! You didn't know what she is capable of!"
Yet once more, his 'World Awaits' quite literally pushed Viren crimson Aura with its sheer voice.
BOOM.
"-!"
"Look! That is what she is capable of!"
Both switch their attention towards the Academy skies that is blotted by the Smoke of the Fengbao array, its black skies streak with green was blown off, revealing a sizeable hole as if it was pushed up by something.
"…"
Viren hesitated, on the one hand, the Demon King words are absolute, but on the other, if he didn't act the entire Academy might as well be pulverized to the ground.
That is, until a figure falls straight from the skies and towards the Academy, a figure of pure white with a blue floral robe fluttering as she falls.
"Lord of Bloom!"
Nazawa Aigen remarks, having freed himself from Viren coiling snake before he walks towards Viren and shouted right at his red demon mask of a face.
"See that! We can't let the Lord of Bloom fight alone!"
"…Rest Assured Lord of War, if she's here everything is fine"
His statement caused Nazawa Aigen to become more confused. With demanding tone, he then shouts once more straight towards Viren face.
"Do Elaborate!"
"Don't speak right in front of me you fool! Your spits staining my cloth!"
Nazawa Aigen realized his mistake and took a step back and fiddling with his monocles for good measure.
"Having the Lord of Bloom is like having three of me at the same time… You might as well regard her as the equivalent of the Demon King should she fully recovered"
Nazawa Aigen face contorts in surprise, his snake eyes blown wide and his monocle even slip out due to his eye socket widening its gap.
"But… isn't she still in the Peak-Internal Realm?"
"…Her human cultivation is"
"…Pardon?"
But hearing his explanation just breeds more confusion on Nazawa Aigen, hearing someone's being strong is one thing, he could simply play it off as a baseless rumor.
But this is the Heavenly Demon, if he regards someone as strong then they are strong.
.
.
.
BRUK
Nanming was tossed around once more, his torso was hit so hard it detached from his body, spilling whatever organ was inside all over the ground that is already drenched in black.
The staff of the Rabbit mask woman pulverized his body over and over again.
Though his body regenerates the injury, his mind couldn't handle this much pain being inflicted at a short amount of time.
What's more, this woman always waits until he is fully regenerated before slamming down her staff again.
"You inflicted too much pain…"
She said, her words though muffled by the mask, contain intense malice and Wrath.
"You killed many innocent people; you burned countless more!"
She accused Nanming of things he didn't do, or so he thought, was he such a terrible person in the past?
So much so that this woman who is currently smashing his head with her staff until his brain…
…
…
…
Until his brain splattered against the ground and regenerated again, to be filled with so much pain…
"Die!"
So much unreleased venom
"Fucking Die!"
So much Wrath that it consumes her.
Wu Chen was still grounded in his place, unable to do anything. The intense pressure the Rabbit Demon exudes causes his instinct to freeze in place, like a helpless bunny rabbit in front of a Tiger.
But seeing Nanming getting killed over and over again filled him with resolve, with determination.
"Stop!"
He shouts, moving towards the raging Rabbit Demon before he gathered his Inhibition and launched a strike towards her.
"Demonic Fist: Pulverize!"
The attack was enough to kick up dust below her, yet she herself is unbothered. Instead, she swings her staff lightly to hit Wu Chen ribs and the result was devastating.
He was launched towards a tree, then a boulder that stops his flight and breaks his spine resulting in Wu Chen being unable to move.
His vision went blank, before an urge to take over him.
'Weak, you let her kill your brother'
Before he was reeled into a place of nothing but Ice and glacier that towers over him, so tall that its breaking through the heaven in its peak.
In front of him was… himself, but Wu Chen knows he is not himself, there is only One Wu Chen and that is him.
'Everyone under your Kingdom is by extension a form of your will'
"…"
'Will you let her desecrate your authority? Who is she anyway? Some kind of sorry-churl who didn't know her place'
He speaks as if he was the very top of the world, as if he is the only one who exist, as if he is the most honored among all men … No, even Gods.
"…But I lack power"
Wu Chen admits, in front of a Xiantian he is but a mere ant.
'Fools, utter my name then'
.
.
.
The Rabbit Demon turned her focus towards Wu Chen, for a second, she lost interest towards Nanming who is currently does not resemble anything like him, but his regeneration swiftly restored his previous form.
That is until The Rabbit Demon stomps her staff towards his head and crushing it once more, yet her attention was focused on Wu Chen.
Before she dashed towards him, staff in half-swings were ready to slide across Wu Chen shoulder to lop his head clean off.
"L-Lan-tia—"
CLANG
But her staff and Wu Chen muttering was stopped by a woman in white, her eyes of complete white looked vacantly upon The Rabbit Demon whose own eyes are so dark it appears to glow in between her Rabbit mask.
"Prince Wu Chen, please step aside"
She said as she lifts Wu Chen up with one hand and controlled a vine to gently put him down somewhere far away.
The Lord of Bloom has arrived.
Akiri then extended her hand towards the Rabbit Demon, sensing that something was wrong, the Rabbit Demon quickly dashed back before Akiri could do anything, but it was too late.
"Proliferating Buds of Life…"
As she said that, countless grass blades and trees have their Life energy siphoned off towards Akiri before she speaks once more.
"…Niraya"
The Rabbit Demon felt dizy, seeing countless Black flowers bloomed all over in the place of the rotting grass, the flowers of Naraka called Niraya taking over the place and filled it to the brim with Death energy.
"You…"
The Rabbit Demon managed to speak when her body was currently dissolving, but then she utters a mantra.
"Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayur Punye Jnana Pushtim Kuru Ye Soha"
Her entire form was then covered in golden lotus that released a white Aura that dissolved all the Niraya before her and cleansing the area off any Death Energy and Demonic Energy.
"Ahh-!!"
Wu Chen, who was hit by the white Aura, was screaming in pain as his entire body was smoking as if it was burned, the same goes for Nanming whose effect was even worse as his body literally melts.
It's a given, the mantra the Rabbit Demon just uttered is a Mantra of White Tarra that grants her safety from any Demon-kin around her, and fiends are a Demon-kin.
But Akiri stood still, unbothered by the Golden Lotus nor the white Aura, causing the Rabbit Demon to be puzzled.
"You… You are not a fiend"
She then readied her Staff, Akiri in turn, is just standing there. Not even entering a stance as she calmly regards The Rabbit Demon.
"I never am…"
Akiri then dashed, her palm zips through space itself, coating itself in an Aura of black.
The Rabbit Demon swiftly blocks the fist with her staff before she quickly swings it towards Akiri, it connects to her form, yet it passes through her body as it flickers like a ripple in the water.
"-?!"
The Rabbit Demon failed to react as Akiri other hand was forming a chopping shape as it rushed towards her neck, coated in the same Black Aura.
The Rabbit Demon in turn, stomped her feet into the ground.
BOOM
Exploding the ground beneath her as the crust of dirt and stone lifted as a chunk before it was thrown everywhere with Akiri in tow.
Before Akiri could even stabilize herself, she saw as a black staff pushing the air around itself as it was swung towards her face.
Yet once again, she didn't react. Expecting the staff to pass through her once more.
BRUK
But it didn't, it instead smashed into her face and sending her flying while spinning sideways into the forest where she topples several trees before she impacts the ground at speedy velocity.
"Wise person will not fall under the same hole twice"
The Rabbit Demon said as she gently brings her staff down to the ground, she then dragged the staff as it creates a rut in the ground towards Nanming.
Nanming was already standing on his feet, staggering as he did so. The Rabbit Demon thought he was trying to run away, so she thrust her staff to create an air torrent to pulverize his legs.
It works, and the now legless Nanming is crawling in the mud drenched in his own black blood.
The Rabbit Demon scoffs, she then sings a song as she slowly walks towards Nanming with a step that crushes the mud filled with dark promise.
"I hear a Hare wailing~"
Nanming continued to crawl away, clawing his fingers deep into the ground until it bleeds to move towards something.
"I see it's form trembling~"
He could feel her singing voice get closer and closer, a voice so sweet and soothing yet it serves to press Nanming that his time was shorten with each step and each word she takes and utters.
"I ask, why are you so scared~"
Nanming leg was healed, but it was once again destroyed by the Rabbit Demon who enjoys her slow pace to chase Nanming.
"It's just a wolf, nothing else~"
When she is directly above him, casting her shadow to shade his back, the Rabbit Demon brings her staff up and is ready to strike.
"O hunter, I'm not afraid of wolf~"
She slams it down,
BLAM
Repeatedly,
BLAM
Towards Nanming back until she could see his bone protruding out,
BLAM
Yet he didn't stop crawling, leading to the Rabbit Demon to let out a laugh.
"Hahaha…It's you with a blade whom I was scared of…"
Her staff glows in white, the Slaughtering Mountain answers to her will as she prepares a strike that could sunder even the Heaven and Hell combined, all to kill this accursed Asura.
"Please…"
Nanming managed to speak, yet the Rabbit Demon responded with malice.
"Beg all you want; I will not spare you…"
"Don't kill my brother"
"-!"
Only now did she realized that this boy whose name remain a mystery to her, this… Fucking Demon didn't crawl away to run, he crawls to try and protect the Prince of the Southern Heavenly Sect… Or perhaps it was called the Demonic Sect this day.
But why is an unfeeling Demon of Flame like him could have a capacity to protect someone? To care for someone? No, he is fooling her, and of course she will not fall under his trickery.
"Yi Ling…"
But she was interrupted by an intense killing intent that rooted her body to become unmoving.
The Demon King has arrived.
His crimson aura remains motionless as he was suspended in the air, looking down towards her with a face that is contorted into an intense Hatred.
"…Wu Hailang Raijoo, son of Wu Kiren Laju"
"…Why did you attack my children and my retinue?"
He demands answer with a voice so deep that it rattles the trees and leaf alike. As he descends, his Aura of liquid red mist falls like a curtain of crimson.
"Didn't know you were raising a Demon… Well, someone who is dwelling in the past sure had a very interesting taste in hobby"
"…"
Her words sting as ever.
"What? Don't tell me you're still so soft hearted, the great monarch of blood and the Black Storm was still so easy to be riled up huh~"
Her taunt, her insult pierced through the Demon King heart and ego as if it was an apple and her words were a knife.
"Is that why you killed Va Tua?"
"ENOUGH!"
His shouts shook the ground, but the Rabbit Demon Yi Ling didn't flinch at all.
"Huh, still so easy to provoke you"
"I'm not asking this twice… Why you attack Nanming and Chen?"
"Nanming? Wow you even named this fucking demon? Did you know who this white milksop is?"
Her voice went up in its intonation, and the Demon King face contorts even more.
"Of course you knew, you always did this shit as if you could play around with the law of nature! You cannot change a Demon, an Asura! Just like how shit will always be shit, an Asura will always be cruel!"
Her words flow down like streams as horde of accusation riled the Demon King up even more, his breath was so heavy that it seemed like he was seething.
"…If you regard him as an Asura, they why would you hesitate?"
"…"
But the Demon King decided to not fall under her provocation again and instead present his argument in a levelheaded mood.
"Nanming is a human, I believe in that…"
"…And yet you brought him here, for what? Your obsession with severing Karma? To reverse the fucking heaven and cosmos?"
Yi Ling said in anger as she flaunts her arm to make her points clear.
"That is why… I am willing to give him up"
"…"
"Please, give him a chance just… Don't kill him now"
Wu Raijoo beg with his fist clenched against his palm, drawing out blood. Yi Ling is at a loss of words, in front of him is the most feared figure of the Jianghu right now and he beg her to spare this… this…
"…I give him one chance, if he ever did anything inhuman… I will kill him"
"…"
Without waiting for a confirmation, Yi Ling slammed his staff to Nanming head to knock him out.
She then picked the motionless body up before running away in a speedy getaway.
"…"
Wu Raijoo can only see as her figures fading out into the bloated skies, drawing in heavy sight as he tried to convince himself that what he did is correct.
Nanming is better off with someone else, someone that could teach him kindness. And even when he would be happy to be the one to see Nanming truly smile one day, it's not his right to see it.
"My King"
Akiri said as she staggered to walk to the side of Wu Raijoo, her face still holds the mark of the Slaughtering Mountain even when she already heals it.
"My apology, I failed to—"
"Its fine, it's my intention to let her take Nanming away. It's the reason why I told all of the Lord to not interfere, but it seems that there is a communication lag given that you are here"
"…"
Akiri could only bow her head down, waiting for either punishment or recrimination.
"Akiri, if anyone is asking…"
Wu Raijoo held his tongue for a second, preparing himself from what he was about to say.
"…Wu Nanming was killed, and the perpetrator remain at large with their identity being unknown"
"…As you wish my king"
Akiri could only agree to the lies, while she is urging herself to stay near in this black blood that makes her stomach queasy.
And Wu Raijoo could only pray, that Nanming will never return here, to have his own life away in the other side of the World.
This is the least he can do.