Chapter 48 - No Path Forward

*Clack… clack… clack*

Lixue's father meticulously arranges the finely crafted pieces on the stone table. One by one, they land precisely at the intersection of the lines defining the chess battlefield. Lixue smiles, her chin nested in her palms, as listens to the rhythmic sound of each piece making contact with the table.

*Clack*

As the last piece settles on the table, Lixue opens her eyes and observes the two armies. In the front lines, five Soldiers shield the two Cannons behind them, forming the vanguard. Flanking them are the Chariots, Horses, and Elephants, positioned on the outer edges and ready to maneuver freely across the battlefield for offense and defense. In the center stands The Palace, housing the General and his two Advisors. While the Advisors are confined to guarding The Palace, their roles are pivotal in assisting the General control the flow of the battlefield.

Lixue's gaze focuses on one of the Soldiers, noticing that it isn't perfectly centered on the intersecting lines. Her hand instinctively reaches out towards the side of the Soldier. Just before nudging it to the precise center, her fingers shift above the Soldier instead, gently pressing down before pushing it forward.

"Your move, father."

***

Two dust clouds billow up in the center of the valley, one after the other. The first cloud trails behind Dan as he tumbles across the ground. Mid-tumble, he opens both palms and pushes against the dirt, redirecting his momentum to help him stand upright. He digs his feet into the ground, sliding across the dirt before coming to a complete stop in front of Xi and Anning.

In the same instant that Dan catches his footing, Chunhua's sword buries itself into the earth in front of Wei. Without paying the sword any heed, Wei turns toward his senior. He watches as the deafening impact propels Chunhua through the air, creating another cloud of dust as Chunhua tumbles further away.

Chunhua's fading figure behind the cloud of dust snaps Wei out of his daze and sends him into a frenzy, filling him full of adrenaline. Without turning to look at the blade embedded in the ground in front of him, Wei swings his open palm down towards the handle of the sword. Without pausing, his fingers fold into a firm grip upon making contact, pulling the sword out of the dirt and following through with the momentum of the swing.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

A chilling scream echoes through the air as a pair of hands, still clenched tightly around the handle of a sword, thuds onto the ground. Completely unfazed by the blood splattering onto his face, Wei continues the upward swing while extending his other hand toward the sky. As the blade reaches the apex, pointing straight towards the Heavens, Wei wraps his outstretched hand around the handle. With both hands controlling the blade, Wei exhales, swinging down at a slight diagonal with all his might.

This time, there is no screaming, only a louder thud as the upper torso of the masked figure detaches from the rest of his body, sliding to the side before crashing onto the ground.

*Bueargggh!*

The gruesome sight of the crimson rain prompts Wei to collapse onto all fours and retch. His body shivers as adrenaline courses through his veins, preventing him from passing out. His heart races as if it might burst from his chest while his mind replays the horrific moment over and over.

"W-w-what j-j-just- I- j-j-ju-just-"

Despite their empty stomachs, Xi and Maoyi feel an overwhelming urge to regurgitate as well upon witnessing the lifeless body crash onto the ground in two parts. Anning, having looked away after Wei's first swing, keeps her attention on the twelve masked figures approaching them on foot.

With an unfamiliar, ferocious blaze in her eyes, she tugs at the ends of her hair ribbon, causing her dark hair to cascade around her shoulders. Pinching one end between her thumb and palm, Anning skillfully and hastily wraps the pink ribbon around her hand, occasionally weaving it between her fingers. After fastening the ribbon under the previous loop, she clenches her teeth at the midpoint of the ribbon, tearing it as she pulls.

As Anning wraps her other hand with the remaining half of her ribbon, Dan focuses on the twelve masked figures approaching his instructor's unconscious body. His mind and heart race faster than ever before as he attempts to calculate a path forward. His eyes become bloodshot as the world around him slows down. Every step the masked figures take as they approach his instructor plays out in slow motion, giving him time to strategize. Despite having what feels like an eternity, Dan can't see it.

"Tsk. Idiot. Well deserved for nearly killing a valuable bargaining chip."

His heart, previous racing, suddenly drops upon hearing the voice. His mind continues to race for a solution as he watches seven of the twelve masked figures toss the limp bodies off their shoulders and onto the ground.

"I changed my mind about the no-name. Capture him alive as well." The voice commands from behind the group of masked figures. "Be wary… lest you end up like that idiot."

With the command issued, all twelve masked figures blur as they fan out to encircle the students. As the wall of masked men disappears, Dan stares in disbelief at the thirteenth figure appearing behind them. Despite being hidden behind a black cloth, Dan still recognizes him based on his voice and eyes. He had observed those eyes once before, and although that moment was fleeting, it felt like he had known those eyes for an eternity. His heart begins to race again as the familiar figure steps towards Sun, drawing his blade as he walks.

"The kids are just business…" He glares at Sun's unconscious body, lifting his blade behind him. "This is personal."

Seeing the tip of the blade wind back, Dan's thoughts freeze up. Without thinking, he digs his toes into the dirt and kicks off with every ounce of power his body could muster up. His eyes remain locked on the blade as he soars through the air. As the blade slows to a pause beside the man's smirking eyes, Dan crashes onto the ground at the midpoint. While sliding through the dirt, he bends his knees in preparation for another leap. His eyes widen as he watches the blade, having paused for a split second earlier, starts to move again. As the tip of the blade rips through the space in front of it, aiming straight for Sun's heart, Dan kicks off. In the middle of flight, his mind begins to race again as he calculates his current speed versus the speed of the blade.

"INSTRUCTOR SUN!!!"

A desperate cry escapes him as he realizes that he won't make it in time. Dan watches helplessly as the tip of the blade slowly parts the threads on Sun's robe. His vision starts to blur, tinted with a crimson hue, as his mind stretches the split second scene into what feels like an eternity. Just as the tip of the blade rips through the fabric, right before it pierces through Sun's skin, a black blur appears in front of him, blocking his line of sight.

Dan crumbles upon realizing that it's over. It doesn't matter how much his mind slows down his perception of time. It doesn't change the reality that their only hope, their instructor, is about to perish. Dan watches as the masked man in front of him pulls back a clenched fist. He closes his eyes, ready to accept his fate. A crimson tear escapes the corner of his eyes.

Thank you, father… for showing me what it's like to be loved. Thank you… for everything.

With his final thoughts, he feels the air pressure turn from a pull into a push as the fist flies towards him.