Embers of the Holy War

Two Against One

That was the only warning he had before Samudaya's fist shot out. Just in time, Guang spun to his side, dodging an attack that would have flattened his face.

Something wet trickled down his cheek. Raising a hand, he touched it, and found out that blood had been drawn. Looks like he was still a little too slow.

"That was just a teaser," Samudaya grinned through bared teeth. "I hope you're ready now!"

Samudaya came at him again, as feral as before. Those crazed eyes seemed to have locked down on Guang. It took everything in Guang to dodge and deflect endless blows that destroyed furniture, the walls and the floor. However, this game of cat and mice didn't sit well with Samudaya, for he roared, "Stop running!"

Guang would love to! A hundred percent! But if he were to attack, who knew if the entire room might get blown apart in his explosive firepower?

It was too late when he realised a cramped room wasn't suited for combat, especially one between three people. He attempted to run towards the window, but he found that he couldn't move.

To his astonishment, his legs had frozen. Not in a metaphorical sense, but in a literal sense. The ice caking his legs was spreading upwards, slowly crawling its way onto his torso. He couldn't feel the part that had been frozen. What kind of sorcery is this?

"Ice needles," Nirodha murmured. Twirling his wrist, tiny little shards of ice appeared and disappeared like cards between his fingers. Without warning, he threw his hand out and the ice needles were sent flying straight towards Guang's torso. Guang wheezed as the ice needles entered his body. He didn't feel his skin getting punctured, and neither was there a visible wound. Despite that, the ice needles had definitely struck, for he could feel his insides freezing.

With a twinkle in his eyes, Nirodha cried sadistically, "How does it feel like to freeze from the inside out, Master Guang? I'm curious. Does it hurt? Does it feel splendid? Do you feel like you're on death's door? Ah, but I suppose you aren't able to experience that."

What the hell was this guy rambling about? He didn't have time to spare for his words, however, for Samudaya had thrown a gut-wrenching kick into his chest.

Incapacitated, Guang was forced to take the whole brunt of the attack. He was smashed into the bed that somewhat cushioned the impact, but Guang still had the air kicked out of his lungs.

Both Yuehua and Samudaya were powerful, no doubt about that. The only difference was that Yuehua's attacks were precise and calculated, while Samudaya's had neither rhythm, tempo, nor logic behind it. It was sheer wildness and chaos.

Guang quickly sent a course of heat into his body, melting away the freezing sensation in his torso and reawakening his legs from its icy prison. He got up, stumbling a little.

"Taking a nap already?" Samudaya jeered.

This time, when Samudaya came at him, Guang was ready. Guang twisted his body slightly, just enough for Samudaya to miss, before yelling, "Take this!"

Satisfyingly, his flaming fists connected with Samudaya's face. The impact was so powerful that it blew Samudaya out of the window he entered from.

Good. That was part of the plan. Before he ruined more of this poor inn's infrastructure, he best take it outside. Guang leapt out of the window, landing heavily on the street below, powdery glass and dust drizzling from above. At this unholy hour, Verdant Street was quiet and desolate. If Guang didn't know better, this place could have been a ghost town.

Where was Samudaya?

"You shouldn't take your eyes off of me."

Behind. Guang crouched, dodging an elbow jab that was aimed for the back of his neck. In return, Guang twisted his body around and gave Samudaya a good, flaming uppercut that sent him flying a couple metres.

Usually, that blow would have knocked out any other opponent. However, it turns out that it still wasn't enough to shake Samudaya. Flipping mid-air, Samudaya managed to land with two feet on the ground. When he raised his head, he was wearing a big, wicked smile, a trickle of blood running down his nose.

This man...was extremely sturdy.

"You're not actually enjoying this, are you?" Guang shouted.

Spitting onto the side, Samudaya taunted, "You're saying that as if you aren't enjoying this too."

He wasn't wrong. This exhilarating drumming in his chest, the adrenaline flowing in his veins, the way he was out of breath. It was different compared to the fight with Yuehua. With Samudaya, he felt like he was sparring without the pressure to win; like fighting a like-minded comrade. All that mattered right here, right now, was to have fun.

Pulling his fists back, Guang gestured for Samudaya to come at him. Samudaya's crazed smile only widened as he cackled.

"Good! That's good! I'm starting to like you, chump!"

Samudaya raised both his hands over his chest in the shape of an 'X'. The temperature of the air dropped, and the air trembled and quivered with unspoken power. Hundreds of tiny ice shards began forming in the air. Guang watched in fascination as they zoomed towards Samudaya, gathering and crystallising around his fists. Those ice shards had formed deviously sharp claws for Samudaya to wield!

With such a flashy upgrade on his part, Samudaya was clearly not holding back. Guang was not the least bit dismayed by this. Rather, Samudaya's spirit only served to inspire Guang's fighting spirit even further. Channelling fire powers through his entire body, Guang changed into his Blazing Mania form. His hair turned into flames, crackling and flickering hauntingly like hungry flames at a witch's stake.

The two of them had fixed each other with unwavering resolve. The slightest tic, the slight blink, the slightest step insinuates the beginning of the fight. Whoever makes the first move would have a great advantage, but a single misstep will result in a fatal loss. In its anticipation, even the air seemed to hold its breath. The absolute silence was unnervingly deadly, painful to the ears.

A blink of an eye, and the two had launched themselves at each other at an incredible speed. Guang with a blazing fist thrown out, and Samudaya with his claws lashing out.

Yet just before they collided: BOOM.

A flash of blinding light soared down from the heavens, splitting the skies.

A force like a meteor sent both Guang and Samudaya tumbling and crashing into the buildings. Completely taken off guard, Guang had no time to strengthen his defence and the impact shook him down to his bones. Luckily, was in his Blazing Mania state, his body was naturally enforced, and he was relatively unharmed from the impact. Otherwise, who knew how many bones he would have broken?

When he stumbled back onto his feet, there was another person standing where the impact originated. It was a tall lady with blonde hair that cascaded down her back. Her eyes serenely closed, shaded by long, gold lashes. Her flowing green dress fluttered and rippled in the wind, as did a transparent veil over her head, which were embroidered with glittering golden leaves. Fascinatingly, golden vines were etched around her arms, the right of which held a staff made of twisted wood.

With her unbothered air of calmness like the still surface of water, so elegant and majestic, Guang couldn't help but hold his breath and stare in awe. Guang wondered: was she the living incarnation of Mother Nature herself?