"Behold, mortals. The elder god of the South, Sango!" the black witch screeched, her arms perched to the sky where Sango blocked the eternal blue yonder. "His infected soul will herald your end."
It was all dark. The Southland day had become dark as night, and the frigid air became rotten with the stench of corruption. The elder god, the king of the Southland heavens, now stood as the immovable object in the way of humanity's future.
"I-impossible," Cygnus muttered, lying broken on the ground. He could barely move before because of his injuries, but now, just like every other soul in the city, he was petrified by the moonscraping colossus. They saw him as he held his divine stone axe overhead. The god, wrought upon by the witch, had become a corrupt deity under her beck and call.
"I s'pose this is it then," Brax said, a weary smirk emerging beneath his stricken face. "Damn, and here I really thought I coulda lived the good life."
"Twas wishful thinking, my friend," Epsilon said. He was laying down, having regained consciousness only to see his end right overhead.
In the darkened clouds, electricity spewed from all over, ravaging the land with each precise strike. The mere presence of Sango was enough to crush walls and topple buildings, and yet the giant stood still, awaiting the order to end humanity. The witch raised her arm to the sky, mirroring the point where Sango's axe lay. Once she struck it down, Sango's axe would fall.
"Might you indulge a dying man's curiosities?" Cygnus asked.
"I have little to say to a deadman," the witch said.
"That's fine, but we're still here," Cygnus said. "So, tell me something. Why are you using a god to crush something as insignificant as humanity?"
"The extinction of humanity is merely a stepping stone to something greater," the witch said.
With her outstretched hand, she seemed to be longing for something in the distance. Something invisible, but ever present.
"Begone for eternity," she said, her hand prepared to fall.
"No, you begone!"
Xinyu was behind the witch, reaching up to grab her hand. She squeezed it tight as the wretched woman tried to break away.
"You can escape me no longer, witch," Xinyu said as she jumped and thrust her knees into the witch's makeshift spine. She then grabbed both the woman's arms and pulled them back as she dug her foot deep into her bony back. Those arms were ripped back with such overwhelming strength that a loud crack echoed through the quiet air, followed by a tortured screech. Xinyu then ripped those phony arms off, slamming her ungraciously into the ground.
She'd been weakened from the prior battle. Her body was already torn apart, and even the frailest of attacks could deal heavy damage. Even those who were not of magic.
Xinyu landed firmly on her feet as they pivoted apart, and she took a stance reminiscent of the ancient fighting arts. Fists raised and eyes forward, she locked onto the crowd of shadowy arms that began to spew from the ground. The witch's breath was clearly heavy as the viney appendages shot forward. They pierced the air at incredulous speed, yet Xinyu dodged each one effortlessly as she slowly began to walk towards the witch, who was attempting to stand.
Left. Right. Jump. Sense each limb coming towards you, and do no falter, for you have done this before, Xinyu thought as she made her way through the rain of shadowy whips. Since we first met and I realized I could not beat you with magic,I have trained each day for this. Do not fail me now, body.
When Xinyu was upon the black witch's shuddering body, the bony woman created another limp arm from her shoulder and managed to grab Xinyu's leg. Blackish ooze leaked out, but it didn't affect Xinyu as it had before. She tore her foot away and raised it over her head.
"You're no longer using the magic of gods," the witch said weakly. "You're not even using magic…"
"I do not need magic to defeat my enemies," Xinyu said as she brought her foot down. "This frail body of mine will suffice to finish your weakened self off."
Unfortunately, her foot only hit a stain in the ground. The woman was already gone.
Xinyu looked back at her fallen allies, who could barely stand. She then looked up and saw that Sango's axe had begun to move downward. Crushing the witch didn't mean anything, at least, not without solidifying her death. It seemed Sango was still under her command, and the city would be destroyed regardless.
"I am sorry," Xinyu said. "I do not think I can carry everyone on my back to escape."
"There isn't much of a chance of escape, even if you go alone," Cygnus said.
"No. I could use my power to carry two of you away," Xinyu said. "But that means that the rest of you will have to die along with this city."
"Count me out then," Brax said immediately, lying back and closing his eyes. "Honestly, I'm tired. I just want to sleep."
"That is my line," Xinyu said quietly, trailing off.
"Seriously, is there not a way to save everyone?" Cygnus asked, chuckling as he clenched his chest.
"There is not," Xinyu said.
"If that is the case, then count me out as well," Cygnus said. "This will certainly rid me of my pesky insomnia."
"You mustn't!" Epsilon said. "Your mind is something that cannot be lost! Even if we all die here, you must live."
"I couldn't agree more!" Samson said, who had managed to crawl to where the rest of them were. "Besides, I'm too fat to carry, and Epsilon's too bloody insufferable. You'd never make it!"
"Why you-" Epsilon said.
"Hao! You guys are too funny!" Xinyu said, laughing. "Even at the end, you are in good spirits!"
"It's not that we're excited to die," Cygnus said. "We're terrified of being left behind, but we're even more scared of being the ones to carry the future on our backs. Humankind's fate is a lot of weight for just two, or rather, three backs."
"Then carry it together," Xinyu said. "Do not worry, my comrades. One life is enough. With this worthless soul of mine, I shall fight!"
"And just what do ya plan on doin'?" Brax asked. "You can't possibly hold a god long enough for us to run away? We're too broken n' beaten. We won't get far, no matter how much time you buy us."
"Who said anything about running?" Xinyu asked. "As long as I am here, you have nothing to fear. As long as I stand, there will be hope. With a pained smile upon my face, I will ensure tomorrow! I do not need you to do something as cowardly as running. I only ask that you witness the legacy of Xinyu Ma, and never forget this moment!"
Xinyu looked up to the sky and saw a constellation in the infinite darkness overhead. In the imaginary stars, she saw her sister, her master, her parents, and a billion shining smiles strengthening her resolve. They called for her. Cheered her on. Made her stronger than she was alone.
"Thank you for indulging someone like me!" Xinyu called out. She turned around and clasped her hands into her fist as she bowed. She then jumped away and flew to the tallest building in Kalahari to face the impending god's axe. "It truly has been a fortune to have found you all!"
Chapter 47: Never Give Up
Every nerve in Xinyu's body screamed at her to run the other way, but she didn't. Never once, no matter how afraid she was, had she ever faltered from walking the road before her. She tackled each adversity with a smile and walked a path that she herself paved. She knew it was a path to oblivion, but at least she herself built it, and that was something she could take pride in. No one else but her could walk that thorny path, for none were stronger or more fearless than her. After all, she was Xinyu Ma, the one and only Merchant of Joy!
Her past emotions and memories came flooding back to her, ringing against her bones and making her more determined than ever. The sights. The sounds. The smells. The bells. The joy of laughter. The smiles of her friends, the future of humanity. She would save it all, no matter what. Not out of duty or obligation, but because she admired the world so much.
Xinyu shut her eyes, feeling the golden winds of destiny flowing all around her, brushing against her skin and toying with her lovely black hair. She filled her lungs with air and chanted to summon the Monkey King, Son Wukong. She was never able to successfully summon his power before, but if there were a time to do so, the moment had arrived. He was the only mortal turned immortal in the Eastland's pantheon and perhaps the only one who could have had a chance to overpower an elder god.
All her stamina, both mental and physical, poured into her spirit, which locked onto Wukong's heavenly form. She saw his silhouette sitting upon a jade throne, a chair he had swiped from an emperor. His tail whipped around nonchalantly as the monkey king yawned, stretching himself out all over the seat. She approached the throne, but was cast away with a single swipe of the spirit's hand.
She opened her eyes and almost fell over. Sweat dripped down from her forehead as she looked up. Sango's ax raced towards the city's destruction. She had to stop it, for if not her, then who?
I cannot give up yet.
She concentrated, clearing her mind. All her will and spirit went to siphon Wukong's power, but to no avail. She tried again. And again. And again. Each time she failed and refocused, the silhouette on the king's throne grew further and further away.
I cannot falter.
As she kept going, seconds passed, and the more seconds that passed, the more the axe fell. The further she was away from his power, the closer to oblivion the world grew.
Not even for a moment.
She felt weak as she stumbled and collapsed to her knees. Her body sizzled as if it were on fire, and her mind swam in overwhelming, helpless dread. Gritting her teeth, she tried over and over again to take a tiny piece of Wukong's soul, but she could no longer even see his outline. If she could not take his power, her companions, and every life in the city, and the entire world, would be destroyed. There wasn't any slight bit of power that she could take from any other god, which might have a chance to halt such a deity. Sango was an elder god, one that few other gods could stand up to.
Xinyu fell on her back, her chest pumping breath heavily, eating away at her lungs as if she had run thousands of miles. Once again, she was only greeted with Wukong's cocky laughter and his monkeyish voice echoing across her mind, mocking her.
"You want to steal from heaven's greatest warrior? Well, too bad, for this power is mine and mine alone. You may not even have an ounce."
Xinyu felt anger building towards the monkey's selfishness. She knew his story well and could not understand his lack of sympathy. Legend has it that he once broke into hell to free his monkey brothers, and she wondered why he couldn't be more helpful to his fellow mortals. He must've known how cruel the gods could be, or at least, he must've learned so as he was boiling in that pot for days, or when they tried to kill him countless times.
"Cry all you want, your affairs don't mean anything to me," Wukong laughed.
Xinyu rolled over and struck the ground with her fists. Her eyes began to well up, for she was what she feared most: powerless. She talked so big moments prior, yet it seemed she couldn't fulfill her words, just like always. Her teeth felt like they were to break with how hard she bit into them, and she wanted nothing more than to dig herself a tunnel and spend the rest of her pitiful existence there. Not just because of him, but because of herself.
Why, she thought. Why could I not be born like her? Why must I always hide my weakness with a smile? The strongest? Ha, give me a break! More like the weakest of all. I hate this place… it is so unfair…
The axe drew even nearer, and her mind flew miles a minute in a flurry of visions and words. It seemed there was nothing more for her to do, but that's when the monkey's words struck her. Heaven's greatest warrior? She knew Wukong was definitely a contender for such in terms of sheer strength, but he did not officially hold that title. In her pantheon, the one known as Heaven's Greatest Warrior was Erlang Shen, the three-eyed warrior of truth. He even clashed with Wukong on even terms for a brief moment, which was a feat in itself.
Yes, that is it! Xinyu thought. My journey began with him, and it shall end with him. The answer has been with me all along!
Seeing no other option before her, Xinyu assembled her remaining might as she propelled herself to her feet and used all the will vested within her to summon Erlang into her body. She was already beyond exhaustion from trying to take from the monkey king, but she refused to die so weakly.
Stealing from Erlang was no easy task, as he had the will of a warrior god, and it felt as if Xinyu was locked in a heavy fist fight with the deity himself. She'd never before dared to siphon more than a bit of his extrasensory eye to scout out hidden paths and truths before her, because she knew his strength and how frightening he was.
Despite the probability of failure, she tried to take a lot. More than she ever had from any god or spirit or deity before.
Thousands of cuts whipped upon her body, wrought by barbed steel rods; that's what it felt like to lock mental fists with Erlang. But that was okay. If that's what it took, Xinyu would give her entire existence to press forward. If that's what it took to fight a god, she'd take a thousand more stinging deaths. If that's what it took to give humanity a fighting chance, she'd take a million more. If that's what it took to save her friends, to save the lives of everything in the city, and allow them to smile more, she'd take a billion more. There was nothing more irreplaceable than those she had grown to love. For the first time in years, she started to care for humans and the world once more, and she would not lose that feeling again. She would accomplish her goal, even if the cost was her smile. If she could give them hope in exchange for her life, then such was a trivial price to pay.
A molten glow started flashing from Xinyu's body, first starting at her heart, and then spreading to the rest of her body. With each flicker, more stabbing pains shredded her body and caused her shrieking to become ear-piercingly loud. Never before had she attempted to steal from such a powerful god, nor had she tried to take so much at once; it was pure and utter agony to do so because the power's mere presence burnt her body from the inside out.
This pain, she thought, is nothing!
Finally, in the wake of his overwhelming power, she managed to swipe a bit of Erlang's magic and imbued her soul with it instantly, assuming the associated risk of fulminating at any moment. There was also the possibility she might be struck down by the god himself, having taken enough strength to be noticed, but at least she could have afforded herself the fact that she never strayed from her path towards her dream.
"With my everlasting will, I summon the power of Heaven's Greatest Warrior, Erlang Shen," Xinyu shouted as her body lightened. In her left hand appeared Erlang's own axe, which he had once used to effortlessly slash a mountain in twain to save his mother. Upon Xinyu's body, blue robes were bestowed, and she faintly glowed with sapphire brilliance.
"And with this power," Xinyu spoke. "I use Erlang's unique ability, Nine Turns Divine Skill. Please, do not fail me until it is over. I need you now more than ever."
It was more divine magic than she had ever taken before. With it came a burning pain that shredded her body with each move. She knew that after the power was released, she would not be able to move for quite some time. She could not take any more either, for even an ounce extra would obliterate her core and undoubtedly end her life. If she was to do something, she had to make the short time she had count.
Oche was inches from the city when a body soaring across the skyscape flew and flew. It zipped like a fly, but much faster. It was more like a bolt of lightning, truest to its voltic speed. That speckle of light and hope flung, brightening the darkest day for a moment as it hit the tip of Oche and exploded with fiery might. Silver blade for blade, axe to axe, the minuscule weapon of Xinyu caught the giant god's ordnance and sent a pulsating shockwave throughout the city. Though she scarcely stopped Sango's axe from completely wiping Kalahari off the planet, the city still crumbled at the clash's shockwave.
Buildings fell, and the streets became stained with red pools from dying and dead citizens. The stench of iron invaded the survivors' nostrils as body parts flung through the air. Scattering, people trampled over each other in frantic panic, and the cacophony of pandemonium rolled at each corner of what remained. Curdling screams. Wails. Prayers. Curses. Cries for salvation. Death.
Despite the extinguishing of so much life, Xinyu continued to struggle and prevent Oche's descent, pretending not to notice it. She was naive to think she could always protect everyone, and she knew it. She hated the suffering screams pelting her back like bullets, shredding her and pulling her down, but she could not stop. If the tip of Oche were to touch the ground, the earth would surely shake, quake, and crack, and the existence of every bit of life in and near the city would evaporate into oblivion, lost forever to history. There, in the sky, Xinyu propped herself up with Erlang's ability to stand in the air and continued to make her stand against the elder god.
She slowed its fall, but only for a moment. Oche was still an arm's length above Xinyu's head, and the only thing that stood between it and her death was a feeble impersonation of what a god was truly capable of; a meager tidbit of a divine weapon's true power. Sango had not yet noticed the girl between his axe and the city, but for Xinyu, it was the most intense agony she had ever endured. Her muscles tensed to the point of cramping in her calves, sides, and arms as her face became contorted with veiny, wet pain. If she relaxed even a single muscle or nerve in her body, she would instantly be crushed.
Fuzzy blackness invaded Xinyu's vision, and her back began to falter forward, breaking as her bones crumbled down upon themselves. She ripped her foot from the airy platform and propped herself up with a stomp, her head hanging down as if her neck no longer had the strength to support it. Every part of her was shrieking as weakness sucked the strength from each bodily pore, yet she did not fall. She refused. Still holding her ground, seconds away from death, the merchant was no longer fighting with the strength she had to spare, but borrowed power from her future wrought upon by sheer willpower. Power that surely would drain her life away, should she survive.
And even though Xinyu gave everything, her effort was only for a moment. Sango had won a battle he had no idea he was fighting. She knew it was over, but Xinyu continued to smile.
This smile did not indicate composure, as her body was a cesspool of writhing pain and fear, but persisted because she could not bring herself to show weakness, not even for a second. After constantly speaking highly of herself, giving up was a humiliation so great she would feel it even in death. She was a liar, an overinflated coward, and weak. She lied constantly, pretending to be someone she wasn't. Truth was, even the way she talked was a lie. Still, she bore all this upon her shoulders and walked forward because she hoped that one day, everything she said would become true.
All her life, she felt so little, so small, which is why when she met Brax, she sympathized with him.
That is why she had to prove that she was worthy, to him, and all the fellow failures of the world. She thought that maybe one day, she could give the powerless human race a little more freedom than they had. To give the weak a place where the gods didn't decide who lived and who died, and where everlasting magic was shared equally among all living beings. If she could manage that, she thought everyone would smile more. There would still be struggles, war, and hate, but if she could give her life for just a little bit more happiness, then that was enough.
It took all that desire and the confrontation of her death to finally realize that the words she thought were lies were true. The reason she fought wasn't a mystery. It was there all along!
The smiles of those around her– it really was her purpose.
When she saw others' radiant smiles, she felt a sunny warmth in her stomach, spreading through her like waves of joy. When they smiled, she smiled. Their joy was hers. That was why her smile was always the most important thing to her, because it was the one thing she could always give.
That is why she did not dare die. Not yet. If Xinyu rested an inch of her mind, soul, or body, she would lose those smiles. Her knees bent. Her bones cracked. Her wobbly arms trembled in both weakness and terror. Her muscles screamed in agony, twisting and knotting into pretzels. And she was afraid. More afraid than ever before. There was nothing she could do but muster more power she did not have. Her eyes glanced around for help, but there was no one. There never was. Only her and the endless death that faced her, now and then. Her life flashed in a blur of infinite scenes before her eyes. She was looking for a way out. A hint from any point in her life that might help her survive. She searched and searched, but there was nothing. The mountains. Her hometown. Her mom and dad. Their shop. The one who lay there in the rain. The old man. The book. A dying smile. It was too fast. There was nothing left to do but wait for her body to fail. That's when she hears him. She hears his voice echo through the city.
It was Musique, but not the shy, nervous boy she spoke to before. He had taken up a different personality entirely and was dispersing his magic throughout the crumbling city. His voice was strong and confident as he spoke. It could be heard by everyone in the area.
"People of Kalahari. Do not give up hope. A god is before us, yet we are still here," he said, hovering upon the center of the city, shining a divine yellow glow. "We are alive because a warrior still fights. Not a divine protector or deity, but a fellow human. That is because when the gods turn on us, we do not cower and yield, we fight and we defy! So do not dare give up. Run far away and live, live for those who have perished thus far, and live so that we can create another day in which we may mourn them. Here is my song to you! It is called Victory Over the Sun! Let it empower your souls and exceed the selves you were before!"
Musique's divine song, conquered by magic, was heard by everyone who still lived in the area. It was the composition of glorious trumpets and running drums that adrenalized their souls and gave them strength and stamina. He eased their pains with music, allowing them to push beyond their limits and escape. It wasn't a beautiful sight, but the beauty of his music was that it united them all. It gave them the will to keep moving and survive at all costs. This was the only way they could possibly rebuild.
People who struggled to lift beams from their dying loved ones gained the strength to throw the debris aside. People sprinted on broken legs and carried multiple incapacitated bodies on their backs. Oddly enough, this new strength inspired something else within the city's population: compassion. Given the power to make a difference, people decided to use their bodies to help others. Others, they did not know. Strangers. Strangers helping strangers and building atop a train of empathy that spread like fire in the driest of forests. They marched to his beat and became unified in the face of humanity's greatest adversity. Even under the axe of a god's retribution, the song of humanity reverberated loudly and sliced through the darkness that loomed high above. A warrior was defying the heavens to save them, and a human one no less.
With his magic flowing into her, Xinyu felt overwhelming energy burst into each seething nerve, and her body exploded, allowing her to throw the god's ax slightly upward. Then, with a great leap, she flung her broken self higher into the sky, tearing her garments in the process, and swung at Sango's brutish chest. She was so fast and ardent that her weapon caught flame in the wind, and crashed straight in between the god's chest where his heart might've lain. It blew up on impact, showering that spot with a dome of fire and smoke.
Despite the immense force, she didn't even scratch it. Erlang's axe shattered into a thousand splintery pieces, and all the magic Xinyu had vanished in an instant.
Sango continued to ignore Xinyu, and Oche plunged downward once again. Reflexively, Xinyu kicked the air and arrived beneath the axe's head just halfway down to the ground. She clasped it in her hands, trying to stop its flight. Even with all her might, she could not halt its acceleration, and it seemed that she would be split in half trying to prevent it from reaching the city. She bled from multiple orpheuses as she strained the extent of the song's strength, but it wasn't even close to enough. The god had still not even acknowledged her. With her hands barely pushing against the meteoric weapon, all the strength in her body was sapped at once.
In her mind, she had almost given up. She wondered why her feet, her body, and her soul even moved in the first place. Was she even still alive? She struggled and barely scraped by against a few angels, winning through nothing but luck. She knew in her heart that it was simply impossible for a human to take on one of the strongest beings in existence. Beings that might have been existence.
During their bout, Sango's eyes hadn't peered at her once. She was not worth anything to him, nor anyone.
She closed her eyes and accepted her fate. She would've been confined to the end, had she not heard the voice in the back of her head. It was her sister's.
"I really am not allowed to sleep, am I?" Xinyu asked weakly as she continued to fall. She grinned.
Fine. She thought. If my life is forfeit anyway, then I might as well gamble on everything. I will take all of Erlang's power! Every last drop!
And so, for the first time ever, Xinyu did the unthinkable and tried to steal all of a god's power. Though humans could overpower the gods' will and take a little bit of their power if they knew a certain technique, trying to steal it all would end in their demise. The gods' tolerance could only go so far, but even more importantly, there was no vessel strong enough to hold a god's magic without imploding.
As blood burst from the veins on her forehead, Xinyu caught fire as she faded into unconsciousness, plunging towards the ground. Oche was moments from ending her story, as well as extinguishing everyone within the city, but at the very least, she fought until the very end.