Bloody Warrior

I had enough New Qi to shape the greatsword, but not to make it sharp, stronger. I could hear my master's words not to mix two types of Qi, yet I had no choice. Without a sword, I couldn't use my full power.

While New Qi gave form to the greatsword, MaQi sharpened the blade and strengthened its core. The blade exuded power, even sizzling because of the conflicting nature of its origins, surrounded by small magic circles conjured to help.

One turn of my wrist, and the blade fell upon Haze's arm. If I had sliced it near the hand, I would cut it off. Because of his defensive power and great muscles, it only severed the bone, leaving the arm hanging in a gruesome sight.

Haze screamed, blood splattering everywhere. There was so much of it because of the increased Qi flow. With [Mind Overwhelm] and [Physical Boost], his blood rained out like a torrent. If New Qi didn't have mysterious properties and stopped bleeding, Haze would have bled out in seconds.

He let me go, but didn't fall or stop moving. He had no control over his body. Giving up wasn't a choice, even with that much pain. He made a fist with the other hand, ready to strike me again, but I also had no hesitation left in me.

I held nothing back, slicing diagonally with the Double Qi Great sword.

[Sword Slash]

Haze froze for an instant, before blood once again started raining, covering my Yusisin patched clothes. His eyes blackened out due to pain. He fell forward, no longer conscious. No matter how powerful [Mind Overwhelm] was, once someone passed out, the spell would dissipate.

I had no time to waste on Haze and dashed forward. The giant guy might be dead, but I had no time to regret or wonder if I could have done something different. The Fake Priest panicked at that sight, shouting something to Sooyeon.

As if she used her entire Qi to summon violet lightning at once, Sooyeon held nothing back. Flashes and loud bullet sounds filled the air again, aimed at me. |This time, it didn't even slow me down as my greatsword slashed in a circular motion while I ran, dissipating most of the lightning.

Some of it still hit me. The shock burned parts of my body, filling the air with the smell of burned flesh. Time was short. I ignored the wounds and the screaming pain brought forth by the combination of MaQi and New Qi piercing my veins.

I wanted to ignore Sooyeon and head straight for the Fake Priest, but the lightning was never ending. Something had to be done. Before I aimed at her, the heavy buzz of a Qi Arrow passing next to me gave me reason to smile.

The Class Rep got up, and, reacting quickly, struck Sooyeon skillfully, avoiding the lightning concentrating on me, and with just enough power to knock her down.

Without violet lighting to slow me down, I focused on the target in front of me. But the Fake Priest wouldn't go down easily. He joined hands, creating several magic circles and shooting out pure MaQi as bullets. It wasn't a skill but MaQi manipulation to attack.

Unfortunately for him, in the state I was, not even a cannon ball would slow me down. I cut the bullets, reaching him in a few nimble steps. He extended his hand in front of the body, "Wait-"

The crowd had fearful faces. He begged me to stop, but it was too late. The thought of stopping never crossed my mind.

The greatsword slashed down, cutting flesh, bones, muscles and blood, and the Fake Priest in half. He couldn't even finish screaming as my fury hit the ground, shattering the great sword of Qi into nothingness.

Silence.

Then the crowd screamed.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH, HE KILLED OUR SAVIOR!"

"HE KILLED THE PRIEST!"

Some people ran back inside, others fell down to their knees, praying. I also fell to my knees, the piercing pain in my body almost too unbearable. Sooyeon lost consciousness, as if her power went out, and didn't get up.

Was I too late?

Did [Mind Overwhelm] burn her out?

I tried to drag myself to her, but everything still wasn't over.

A silhouette flashed nearby, face full of twisted pleasure, waiting for a revenge that could now become real.

Ben dressed in unfamiliar rags, with a ragged white mask. He covered his hands with longclaws, taking not only the claws, but the entire hand as a gruesome glove.

He pulled back his arms like scissors, ready to end my life, "DIE, YOU BASTARD! I WILL BE TAKING SOOYEON WITH ME IN THE END HAHAHA!"

"ZEN!" Jiwan shouted. The Class Rep also tried nocking an arrow, but none of them could react in time.

"Got you, bastard," I said with a smile just before coughing blood. Ben was about to assassinate me...

"GRRR!!!" Shadow jumped out, enveloped in shadowy Qi, biting with his entire strength on Ben's neck.

The sneaky bastard screamed loud. Blood gushed out.

However, he hit Shadow with the claws, pushing him away, and disappeared in a flash. Running away was his specialty, after all.

Goddammit. His reactions improved tremendously. Just before Shadow bit his neck, he moved away.

'Kill him,' I ordered Shadow to hunt him down without hesitation. The bastard was my greatest worry. I would only rest when he was dead.

Shadow sniffed the air and dashed away.

Jiwan and the Class Rep ran to me, "Zen!!!"

Ben wasn't dead, but his wounds weren't small either. With some luck, he would die without treatment. I felt like passing out, but worried about Haze, Sooyeon, and Little Somi.

I had to check on her. Shadow said she was fine, but I had to be sure. There were no second chances in this world, only regret. Before I dragged my wounded body, Blood went out of the Sanctuary, carrying Little Somi on his back as if she had no worries, followed by the Black Lab.

I felt relieved.

And then, the will to resist disappeared, and pain took my consciousness away.