?

  Have you ever walked into an ambush? I have more times than I am happy to admit to. Usually, it didn’t matter as the soldiers under my command and I were of such a high standard of warrior that even with the element of surprise firmly in the hands of my foe, it wasn’t anywhere near enough to defeat me. As I have said before, there has never been a field of battle that I led my army upon where I was defeated. Not a single one.

  There is, I suppose, one ambush which I walked into that was successful, though I wasn’t leading my armies at the time, and it didn’t result in my death. So, I think that it doesn’t really count. I am, of course, referring to the time that Diaochan was dangled before me like bait by her father. Not only did I walk face-first into that particular trap, but I ended up killing my second adopted father over it. One of those things that is just easier the second time, I suppose.

  My daughter was barely talking when I was snared in that particular trap, but she was old enough to witness every other time I was ambushed. Obviously, she witnessed me overpower my foes and force my way out of such trickery. This still meant she had a wealth of memories when it came to my strengths, tactics, and tendencies. I don’t have weaknesses, so obviously she can’t remember anything like that.

  Alright, alright, I admit I am technically a bit impetuous on occasion, which could be called a weakness if looked upon in certain lights. Maybe, I guess. ANYWAY, I should mention a fact that I didn’t think about at the time. Linqi had an A.I as well, and just like my Diaochan could bring memories from her past life to be studied with near-perfect recall.

  I really did bring Linqi into battle with me, basically from the moment she could walk. I would keep her atop my right shoulder and treat keeping the little girl unharmed as a training exercise, and a way to make battling chaff more interesting. It worked well in those roles, and Linqi would enjoy herself.

  I suppose what I am trying to explain with all this is that my daughter set a trap for me, and I fell right into it. I have to give her credit; she must have either had it ready to go for weeks or managed to put it together in the ten or so minutes since I encountered Paul. I understand that the ability to communicate long distances instantly is powerful in the extreme and allowed her to do so, but it is still impressive who and what she managed to mobilize in such a short time.

  You might assume that the five mounted warriors who had arrived with Linqi had something to do with the ambush, which is what I thought. The only role that the pack served was as a distraction while I pursued my daughter. I think at least three of them were armed with guns, but they lacked both the skill and conviction to use them effectively.

  Linqi was skilled on her bike, as I knew she must be. She is my daughter afterall, but her mount was lesser both in size and power than my Red Hare. So, even with her having a small head start on me, I closed the distance on her quickly. The narrow streets flew by as we maneuvered between stores and street vendors. Behind me, the five warriors pursued , the ones armed with guns took the occasional shot, but almost exclusively held back, as doubtless they feared hitting their leader in the back.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  At the time, I thought that Linqi had surrounded herself with weaklings who didn’t have faith in her ability to protect herself from such stray attacks. Now, of course, I realise they were simply there to keep me from thinking too hard about where my daughter was leading me.

  If I’d had a chance to reload my pistol, I would have filled Linqi’s bike with enough holes that it fell apart beneath her, and against someone else, I would have probably swung my [CRYS?ALxCORE] backpack around and reloaded whilst I pursued my quarry. When Red Hare inhabited my bike, he changed it greatly, even adding a rack on the side where I could attach my spear should the need arise. So I could have freed a hand and done so.

  My daughter knew the area better than I, and her skill on her steed was great, so while I had the option to reload mid-chase, I believed that she would have used the opportunity to pull ahead and possibly lose me among the twisting streets. Deciding I would simply trust Red’s speed and my own skill, I instead opted to keep closing the gap and make use of my spear.

  Pulling up beside Linqi, I lashed out with the glowing blade of Featherfall. I don’t mean a single strike either, that would never be enough against Linqi. The red of her armor and the bright pink of her bike glowed as my spear’s energy blade came within millimeters of striking her. As though protected by a supernatural degree of foresight, Linqi swayed out of the way of my first three attacks.

  As annoying as my inability to hit her was, I couldn't help but smile a little with pride. This was my daughter, after all, the weapon I had forged in the fires of constant warfare. It would have been ridiculous to feel any other way at all. Besides, I was able to keep pace with her now, and no matter how she swerved, or what corners she tried to cut, she couldn’t shake me. My ability to predict the movements of those around me was greater than hers, and my bike's engine was the more powerful of the two. Now that I had gotten beside her, there would be no escape for Linqi.

  She would shift, and I wouldn’t follow. Oh no, I would move with her, before her, even in some cases. There was nothing she could do to surprise me, and with each second, my slashes with my spear grew closer and closer to catching her. I didn’t really want to kill Linqi, which limited my attacks a little, but already knowing what she was going to do several seconds in advance meant that my victory was inevitable.

  Did I say that there was nothing she could do to surprise me? No way for Linqi or ‘Lyn’ as they called her here to make a move I couldn’t predict? Well, it turns out that was a lie. I can predict the future of my opponents, but it isn’t a mystical ability. I am simply the best there is at translating the language of movement. This means that if there is something no one could have predicted, I can’t predict it either.

  So, when Linqi leaned over and activated a compartment on the other side of her bright pink bike, I knew from her posture that she was pulling out a spear or halberd of her own. That was simplicity itself to predict; the fact that it was my halberd was so surprising I almost missed the next turn into an even thinner alley and came mere inches from slamming into a wall. My Red Hare even lost a little paint, and sparks flew as the side of my bike grinded against the wall of some business.

  I barely even noticed. Not with my eyes glued to the mighty tri-bladed, one of a kind, utterly stunning piece of craftsmanship so superior I wasn’t sure that even Ji-Ho and Ha-Rin working together for months could match. I didn’t know how or why, but I knew one thing for certain. Lu Linqi wielded The Skypiercer.