Lin
Hua was a frightening storm. She launched off the stall with a flying
knee, striking the closest monster and dislocating its neck
completely. Without pause, she charged the other three as they shook
off the effects of Ezekiel's lightning. She slid low, sweeping the
second monster's leg clean from under it, and as it fell to one knee,
she spun and drove her fan through its neck. The third charged, she
simply kicked the second one into it, sending them both flying. The
fourth flailed at her wildly, but she wove through each strike with
her hands clasped behind her back, an embarrassed look on her face as
if bored. When she'd had enough, she sliced off its right hand, then
its left arm, then shattered its left knee. It crumpled. She took its
head.
It
was gruesome, however none of them could look away.
She
leapt onto a rooftop, waiting as the bodies began to regenerate.
Above, the koi fish began some sort of lap across the sky, setting a
trail of faint golden light behind it.
"Beautiful..."
Saphy whispered in awe.
Ester
agreed breathlessly.
"W-what's happening?" Ezekiel muttered weakly. They all
turned to him, exchanging worried glances.
"She's summoned a Flo beast," Kris said.
Ezekiel somehow managed a scoff. "Show off..."
They
suddenly became acutely aware of his condition. Between their shared
nervousness and the fact that the veins on his neck and wrists glowed
faintly blue, something was clearly wrong. He managed a cough and a
weak nod.
"Just
a little tired..." he said, slurring his words. Saphy began
supporting him. Ester turned back toward the battlefield.
"She knows they regenerate... what is she doing?" Ester
muttered.
Kris
was silent for a moment, thinking. "If a Synchrite can manifest
their own Flo beast, it comes with a unique ability. Depending on the
Synchrite's potential and the Flo beast's rank.. the abilities can
vary wildly."
Ester remembered Instructor Lillia—her lion made of glass, the
eagle-like bird with glowing eyes. She wasn't wrong when she'd felt
that sense of danger.
"So
her ability is something that can deal with regenerating opponents?"
Ester asked.
Kris pursed his lips, scrunching his face.
Below,
Lin Hua was a blur. Slicing and evading, slicing and evading. The
monsters multiplied before their eyes, four became eight, eight
became twenty, twenty became fifty. The odds were overwhelming now.
Lin Hua's breathing grew heavier, but there was no fear in her
expression. No worry. Instead, she wore a predatory smile... as if
she wasn’t taking this seriously.
"She
said all she needed was a minute, right?" Saphy whispered,
glancing at both of them. "Anyone know how long it's been?"
"About fifty seconds," Kris replied. Saphy and Ester looked
at him with puzzled expressions. "Give or take."
They
turned back to the battle. Ester began counting down from ten as the
monsters slowly closed in around Lin Hua.
*Eight.*
She began slowing down.
*Seven.*
She lost her footing.
*Six.*
One caught her arm. She sliced it off.
*Five.* She tried jumping to another rooftop, but one grabbed her
leg, dragging her back down.
*Four.*
Saphy screamed as they began their assault on Lin Hua while she was
in a defensive position.
*Three.*
A majestic cry echoed above. They all looked up.
*Two.*
Lin Hua smiled.
Utahime
burst into radiant light, raining down into the marketplace like
beautiful fireworks. The light coalesced around Lin Hua, encasing her
in a blinding white glow. In an instant, the army of monsters
surrounding her were blown back as if a bomb had detonated. They
crashed into every corner of the marketplace, slamming into rooftops,
smashing through stalls. One's head cracked against a stone well with
a deafening 'SPLAT'.
The
survivors scrambled to their feet, looking toward the epicentre.
Lin
Hua stood with golden light faintly exuding from her, eyes blazing
gold. She fished something from her blazer pocket. a scrunchie, and
tied her hair up, taking a slow, deep breath.
Ester blinked. Lin Hua was gone. The next thing Ester knew, she was
standing on a rooftop. She spun around, finding Saphy and Kris beside
her, both wearing intense expressions before realising the change in
scenery. Ezekiel groaned weakly.
"Uh...What?"
Saphy muttered, looking around.
Lin
Hua turned her head. The moonlight caught her cape and hair as they
billowed in the breeze. Her face had changed, her right eye closed
now, a scar running down the side of her face. A familiar,
unforgettable type of scar...
She
blinked back to the ground below, landing softly.
The
monsters were already regenerating, pulling themselves from wreckage,
crawling out from beneath debris, stumbling to their feet with snarls
and growls.
Lin
Hua simply raised her left hand, fingers stretched like claws, nails
painted purple, and twisted the air.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Every
single monster jerked violently, ripped from where they stood. They
flew through the air, tumbling and crashing across cobblestones as an
invisible force yanked them forward. Twenty. Thirty. Fifty. They
slammed together in a heap directly in front of her, like a mass of
grey flesh.
She
began walking casually, holding out her hand. Golden light flashed,
and a massive Greatsword materialised, gold and purple, gleaming in
the moonlight. She dragged it behind her, the blade sparking against
cobblestone.
Huh...
where had she seen a Greatsword that looked exactly like
hers..
Ester's
mind raced. "
“No
way..." Kris muttered, biting his nail, a small laugh escaping
him. " How Interesting…"
Saphy whipped around, eyes wide with confusion. "That sword, and
the scar... that's almost identical to Instructor Markos, isn't it?"
"Yes,
but I'm talking about Lin Hua's ability," Kris said, voice tight
with realisation. He paused. "That koi fish... Utahime, circled
the sky before she changed." He stopped. "Like some kind
of..."
"Requirement?"
Ester continued. "A ritual maybe?"
Kris nodded, looking back at Lin Hua. "A one-minute requirement
before she changes."
Saphy scratched her head. "One minute before changing into
someone else..? I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem very strong...And
why Instructor Markos?"
"Do
you know the title he was given?"
"One-Eyed King," Ester murmured, recounting the same name
her friend always told her about. "Between the scar and his
accomplishments, he was a hero."
Kris
nodded. "Not just that. His Resonance Arm... his weapon,
, is said to have the unique ability to cut
through anything...The harder he swings, the more conceptual the
damage becomes." He studied the regenerating monsters below.
"She gained an ability that can bypass things that can't be
killed normally."
"So
why
she chose Instructor Markos" Saphy concluded.
Ester
thought for a moment. "I don't think she did." She looked
at both of them. "I mean...when would she even have had the time
to choose? She's been fighting this whole time."
Kris
turned his head sharply. "The requirement…"
Ester nodded. Saphy was lost for a moment until it finally clicked.
"The fish?!" Her eyes widened.
They both nodded. "So it wasn't random," Kris muttered.
"Utahime gave her Markos's ability as a way to counter the
opponent."
Ester looked back at Lin Hua, sword dragging behind her. The
creatures looked at each other with something almost like
apprehension. "That's…"
"Terrifying," Kris concluded.
Saphy
made a sound of fascination, then froze and tilted her head. "But...
what about the blinking? Or that thing—" She gestured,
mimicking the twisted claw motion Lin Hua had used. "Where all
the monsters just flew together...Can Markos do that as well?"
Kris
frowned. "He can't..."
They
all turned back to Lin Hua.
She
stopped a few meters in front of the pile, then beckoned with her
left hand.
*Come.*
The
monsters shuffled backward, pressing against each other. They snarled
and growled and hissed, but they didn't attack.
Realising they weren't going to move, Lin Hua put a hand on her hip
and lurched backward in an exaggerated, exasperated motion. She
regained her composure, raised her left hand, and curled one finger.
Immediately, one monster lurched forward, dragged by an invisible
force, looking back in confusion. Another, seizing the opportunity,
shoved it forward. The first monster snarled and whined even louder.
Lin
Hua smirked.
It
steeled its resolve and charged.
It
didn't even get close.
One
diagonal swing. The monster fell in two pieces, separated by a
glowing white line, hitting the ground with a wet, meaty slap.
Silence.
They all waited, but nothing happened. The creature's glowing eyes
faded as its body melted into grey sludge.
Lin
Hua looked back at the others.
They all flinched.
They were scared.
She
beckoned again.
Nothing.
Lin
Hua sighed loudly, raised her hand, and curled her finger.
Another
monster jerked forward. She swung again, and two pieces collapsed on
the ground. She looked back up
Another curl. Another monster dragged forward, clawing at the ground
for stability. She swung. Two pieces.
Again.
And
again.
The
sound of Judgement's Yearn singing through air. The wet thump of
bodies hitting stone. The pile was shrinking.
Then one broke, scrambling toward the edge of the marketplace in a
desperate attempt.
Lin
Hua didn't even bother to look. She curled her finger. It froze in
place instantly, then did an 180-degree turn and marched back into
line.
Two
more tried next. Different directions at the same time. She simply
closed her palm, and they froze mid-air.
She
casually swung the blade from where she stood—the first monster
fell in two pieces. She swung again diagonally, and the second
monster split down the middle. The bodies hit the ground instantly,
turning to mush. She didn't even break her stride, not uttering a
word.
The
remaining creatures pressed closer together, trembling.
"She's... she's enjoying this," Saphy swallowed. "She's
executing them. One by one... why?"
Ester swallowed. Saphy was right, between this Lin Hua and the
creatures she was facing...who was the most depraved?
They even tried a different tactic, clawing at themselves, trying to
spawn more copies. But Lin Hua was faster. One by one they began
being pulled before she cut them down, faster than they could divide.
She
got down to the last five.
Both
the Greatsword and her eyes glowed an intense golden shade. She
beckoned downward with one finger. All five dropped to their knees
instantly, arms pinned behind their backs by invisible force. They
tugged and writhed, but it was useless.
She
walked toward them slowly, flexing the blade.
Then
she stopped, the golden glow intensifying as she scanned each
kneeling figure.
She
turned and began slicing heads off one by one. Each thump made
Ester's heart leap. Saphy winced with every strike. Four bodies
slumped to the side, melting into paste before dissolving entirely.
The
fifth remained kneeling, head intact.
Its
eyes were brighter than the others. More... aware.
Lin
Hua dismissed the blade, allowing it to dissolve into golden light,
fading back into Flo. She stared at the creature as it looked up at
her in snarling defiance.
"W-what's
she doing?" Saphy asked nervously.
Lin
Hua circled behind the kneeling creature. It tried to turn its head
but couldn't move—Lin Hua wouldn't allow it. She raised her hand
and chopped down hard on the side of its neck.
It
slumped to the side, unconscious. It was over.
Lin
Hua stood there for a moment, breathing hard. She staggered, catching
herself against a broken stall and pressing a hand to her temple, her
face twisted in anguish.
Just
like she'd said, they'd witnessed a massacre. The enemies they'd
thought had the upper hand had been nothing to her. This was the
power of a Synchrite. No—this was the power of Second Star Lin Hua.
Even
though she was terrified, Ester couldn't help but feel giddy, unable
to suppress a smile as her breathing quickened. Maybe even I
can...
Her
trail of thought was cut short by the sound of Kris's voice.
"Zeek?
ZEEK?!"
Ester spun around.
Kris
was frantically shaking Ezekiel's body. Ezekiel was still. Eyes
closed, a tiny smile frozen on his face. The blue markings near his
neck dull, like a branding.
A
horrible feeling crept over Ester.
Kris
turned to both of them, pure terror in his eyes.
"I—he's not waking up... I don't..."
Saphy
scrambled toward him, pressing her ear to his chest. Kris put two
fingers on his neck, lightly slapping his face.
Nothing.
Ester
couldn't breathe.
"What's happening?" Ester's voice came out hoarse. Neither
of them answered. "This isn't funny..."
Ester
tried to stay calm until she saw Saphy jump back, hand covering her
mouth, eyes wide.
“H-he's
not breathing." Saphy's voice cracked. "Ester... h-he’s
not breathing..."
Ester
tried to move toward him. Surely they were joking. They had to be.
It
was then Kris's hand fell from Ezekiel's neck to his side, dejected.
He slumped backward, staring at nothing.
His
voice was hollow.
"...He's dead."
