one battle wound too many // sima shi x reader

chapter fifteen

Guan Yinping charges recklessly at me, raising her gigantic weapon high above her head. Once she gets within a close enough proximity, she slams her dual-headed mace onto the ground. The shockwave itself throws me backwards, causing me to stumble. My body slams against the cool, gray stones of the castle ground. Head spinning and rump sore, I stagger to my feet. The youngest Guan child runs toward me again, rage evident in her expression.
"Yingping!"
"Yinping, wait!"
She ignores the pleas of her older siblings, swinging the massive weapon at my head. My reflexes kick in, allowing me to dodge at the last possible minute. I really don't want to hurt these poor kids, but if Jiang Wei is really holed up in this castle like I hope...it's the only way I'll redeem myself from my previous humiliating defeat.

"If you guys just let me get to Jiang Wei...we won't have to fight!" Guan Xing shakes his head sadly while Guan Suo readies a fighting stance. The female Guan offspring yells as she runs towards me once more. Guan Xing does the same, whipping his wingblades around him in an elegant fashion. Realizing my two daggers won't be enough, I dash away at the last possible moment. Guan Suo begins to attack me with his nunchaku, his blows relentless, leaving me more drained every time I try to block. What's even worse is the fact that the other two had recovered from their impromptu clash, and were about to join the fray. I'm on the defensive now, pushing against Guan Suo's weapon with my own. My breathing is ragged and unfortunately I don't think I can last much longer. I manage to push the boy back several steps.
"Sorry about this," I huff, throwing a dagger up into the air.
"What?"
Guan Suo eases up on the pressure, confused. The moment he lets down his guard, I ball my right hand into a fist and hit him as hard as I can in the jaw. He drops his nunchaku, and crumbles to the ground unconscious.
"Suo!" Guan Yinping is even more infuriated than she was before. I can see the fire in her eyes. Remembering the dagger I had tossed into the air, I spin around once, twice, before lifting my leg and feeling the ball of my foot connect with the hilt of the dagger; there wasn't any way I could have executed the move as perfectly as Lady Yuanji, but I suppose it was worth a try. Guan Yinping nimbly dodges the projectile, an amazing feat considering her humongous weapon, but the dagger finds its target in Guan Xing's shoulder.
"Gah!" He screams, as crimson liquid begins to trickle down his chest.
"Xing!" Guan Yinping spins toward her brother, almost taking me out with one of the gigantic spheres on her mace. Throwing a glance back at me, she rushes to her brother's aid.

"Don't think you've won! I'll come back after I've put on some more muscle." Yinping picks up her unconscious brother with ease and slings him over her shoulder.
"Yinping..." Guan Xing calls out, voice hoarse. When I see how much color has drained from the poor boy's face, I can't help but feel a little bad. With another agonizing scream, he slides the dagger out of his shoulder and tosses it to the ground. Discarding a wingblade, Guan Xing unwraps the headband from his forehead and presses it to his wound. All three of the remaining Guan siblings disappear into the shadows.

I collapse onto the ground, exhausted.

"I forgot how taxing fighting a battle is," I muse aloud. The cold stones under my fingertips feel fantastic. "And I didn't even do anything, really..."

"(Y/N)...? (Y/N), is that you?!"
For once, Shi's voice isn't pleasant to my ears.