Chương 372: Chapter 365

Outnumbered and outmanoeuvred, Du Min Gyu grit his teeth and bided his time as soldiers of the Empire fought and died around him. With the Defiled closing in around them, their only path to survival lay in front, so any soldier who fell behind, would be left behind. A distasteful order which broke his heart to give, he watched in helpless fury from his perch in the sky as the Defiled followed in their wake.

Kept at bay by his Wind Chakrams, they scavenged through the battlefield with no respect for the dead and no respite for the dying. Wounded combatants both Imperial and Defiled alike were stripped and dragged away, their cannibal captors salivating at the thought of an after battle show and snack. Oath-sworn slaves though they might be, the Imperial Death Corps were still citizens of the Empire, deserving of a better end than a slow, gruelling death in the hands of the Enemy.

Disgusting creatures, these Defiled desert dwellers from beyond the Western Wall. Seeing them here in the heart of Central made his chest burn with fury and ire, aching to unleash his Chakrams upon the heathens and cut them down in droves, but doing so would be akin to washing his neck for the Enemy's blade.

Numerous as the Defiled were, all his people faced upon this battlefield were but fodder and chaff, common, blood-crazed rustics too stupid to possess a sense of self preservation led by Demons too weak to do more than distract. Were they still human, these Defiled would have long since routed in the face of Imperial might, but still they pressed on like starving feral beasts, pulling Imperial soldiers down through sheer weight of numbers and Father-cursed strength.

There was no skill or strategy to their approach aside from throwing themselves at Imperial blades, and nothing would dissuade them from their attack, not Broken Blade Pichai cutting them down like weeds in his path nor Eccentric Gam's explosive victory over his demonic foe, not his twin Wind Chakrams guarding their rear nor the sea of blood left in their wake.

This was what made the Enemy so dangerous and unpredictable, their single-minded devotion to death and destruction, unlike anything else in the natural world. While Demons and Defiled came in a variety of colours, shapes, and sizes, they were like-minded in this one aspect, living solely to maim, torture, fuck, and kill, and they weren't particularly picky about the order either.

Without the Empire for them to focus their rage upon, the Defiled would turn on themselves until nothing remained, leaving a desolate world stripped of all life but for a single sole survivor, if that. How fitting. Theologists claimed the Enemy arose from the Father's jealousy over the Mother's creations, so it made sense His children would seek to destroy Hers. A shame not all Defiled were so mindless and unthinking, else the Empire would not even have to lift a finger before the Defiled eradicated themselves.

No, the most dangerous Defiled were those still in possession of their faculties, a crafty, cunning foe to face. He sensed them lurking about the periphery, Defiled Experts and formidable Demons laying in wait, watching for their chance to strike. Hard to guard against an unseen foe, so he took to the skies and presented himself as a target, daring the Enemy Experts to openly act against him. A risky gamble to take, but a calculated and necessary one.

If the Enemy were to throw everything into keeping his forces contained, then only inevitable death awaited Min Gyu and all who travelled here with him. The Enemy numbers were far too great and despite the Death Corps best efforts, growing by the second. Their only chance was to weather the storm of sacrificial bodies and push through to the gates before the Enemy Elites struck, allowing the Imperials to focus on defending one front instead of being attacked from all angles.

Upon revealing his strength, he expected one of two things to happen: either he would be met in combat by an Enemy Expert, or failing that, their experts would lay low and wait for him to tire. If met with an Enemy Expert, then good. He was the Sanguine Tempest, in perfect health and wholly confident he would emerge victorious in any duel. Killing a Defiled Commander or an Ancient Demon would also do much to bolster the morale of his people, though it wouldn't do anything to discourage the Defiled.

Even if his foe was too strong to defeat, he had Jun Bao nearby to lend a hand if need be, the Solitary Sword famed for overwhelming his opponents in a handful of exchanges. The worst case scenario was not a foe they couldn't defeat, but if they faced too many Experts to handle at once, slowing the Imperial advance and forever trapping them in the winery. Thankfully, Min Gyu's gambit paid off and the Enemy Experts had been cowed into submission.

Instead of meeting him in open battle, they remained hidden underground or amongst their troops and waiting for his strength to wane. The longer he remained in the air, the more uneasy they would be, but it was a fine line to walk. If he appeared too strong, then they might switch to a different target, attack in a group, or worst of all, flee to fight another day.

Knowing this, he fell silent and feigned weakness for the Enemy to see, not so much to make them confident of victory, but enough to keep them following behind. This was truly a matter of dog-shit luck and finding fortune in misfortune. During his 'duel' against the fleeing Butcher of KunLun, he'd chased the bastard through the mountains for days on end, unwilling to let the criminal escape justice once again. Alone and without aid, he'd been caught off guard by an ambush from his dastardly foe.

After a brief, but intense struggle, the Butcher lost his life to a Wind Chakram and Min Gyu's right hip and leg had been shattered and mangled beyond all recognition. It took days to drag himself to safety and weeks more before he came across a friendly face. By the time he found himself in front of a Healer, too much of the damage had 'fixated' to Heal. This left him with a permanent limp and constant agony as bare bones rubbed against uncovered nerves, and try as he might, he found no way to fix it.

And so, Du Min Gyu's status fell from exalted hero to pitiable cripple Thrice he'd lopped off his leg and had it regrown by a Healer, but each time the pain returned, no better or worse than before. Eventually, he learned to Lighten his body and lift himself with Wind Chi, relieving pressure from his damaged limb by floating through the air. It wasn't true flight, an impossible feat found only in legends, and differed from Cloud Stepping.

If he had to describe it, it was like making himself almost weightless and falling incredibly slowly. This, combined with copious amounts of Dream Smoke, allowed him to remain standing without screaming in agony, though no amount of drugs would ever dull the pain completely. Thus, thanks to his years of practice, Du Min Gyu could stand in the air all day if need be, keeping himself up with a mere flick of his sleeve.

Sadly, the need for deception left the Imperial Death Corps fighting without his support, vocal or otherwise, but they did well enough. A consummate professional, Broken Blade Pichai held the left flank with ease, well practised in conserving his strength and helping only when necessary. Granted, the grey-haired warrior was well-practised at this, his Chi reserves perpetually draining away due to his... affliction.

In a way, Min Gyu saw the Southerner as a kindred spirit, as they'd both been crippled and made stronger for it, though the world had yet to learn of the Sanguine Tempest's recovery and considering his current predicament, it might remain this way forever. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Eccentric Gam was the real problem, unwilling to fight alongside the Death Corps and plunging deep into the Enemy lines by his lonesome.

Ignoring Min Gyu's orders and Sendings, the half-fox fought like a man possessed, killing Defiled with every swing and relieving pressure on the buckling right flank, but how long could he last? The Eccentric was old even by half-beast standards and only his obvious exhaustion kept the Enemy from skittering away into the darkness of their tunnels and ruining the plan he'd laid out. What a fool. Even if the half-fox had a death wish, did he intend to bring everyone here with him?

The half-rat Jorani proved a pleasant surprise, picking up the fallen reins of command upon noticing Min Gyu's 'plight'. Driving the Death Corps into a frenzy with a combination of taunts and encouragement, the Hangman rallied their flagging spirits and kept both flanks from spreading too thin, the soldiers instinctively fighting to gather around him.

Min Gyu had underestimated the illiterate half-rat from Sanshu, a capable soldier born with a natural gift for command, and he could see why Falling Rain favoured him. A shame Min Gyu had been ordered to keep Jorani's presence a secret. He would have liked to see how the half-rat used his unique Spiritual Weapon, one unlike any he'd ever seen before. Still, the battle was far from easy as his soldiers fought to escape their encirclement.

For long minutes he steeled his heart and watched good soldiers die, wavering between preserving his strength or saving more of his soldiers, but in the end, he stuck to the plan. So long as his people could make it out of the slave encampment and to the slavers huts, then the rest should be simple enough, provided the Eccentric played his part well.

Mindful of the game, he dropped down a couple centimetres to show his 'wavering' strength, and while a few enterprising Defiled swung their weapons at him from the ground, none came close to touching him as his soldiers tore through them. Finally, after a long, hard fight, the last of his soldiers made it to the line of squat, wooden shacks and Min Gyu immediately Sent the order.

"Do it."

"About. Damned. Time." The Eccentric finally responded, his tone arrogant yet relieved.

"And don't think you and me won't have words after this, barking orders like I'm a slave to be..." Mother above, how unprofessional could this damned half-fox be?" Collapse the fucking tunnels before I wrap my hands around your Mother-cursed throat and strangle you to death, you insufferable bastard!" Taking the effort to Send the sound of him sucking his teeth, Eccentric Gam stopped in place in the middle of the Enemy, at least twenty meters away from the front line of Death Corps.

Bringing his staff close, he held it upright and thumped the ground lightly, once, twice, and a third time, striking a different location by his feet each.

After the third tap, he launched his staff into the air where it sailed backwards over Defiled and Imperial lines and landed in the dirt at an angle, where the free end quivered ever so slightly. Then - Nothing. Nothing at all.... Collapse the tunnels, he says. Easy as turning a hand, he says. This over-blown braggart, Min Gyu was a fool to believe him. Turning back at the half-fox, his muttered curse died in his throat as the earth erupted in an ear-shattering roar.

Screams and dust filled the air as the ground opened up beneath Defiled feet, sending countless souls plummeting to their deaths. The once hard-packed dirt of the slave encampment quaked itself apart and collapsed into the tunnels beneath it, spawning a massive, circular pit which encompassed the entire centre of the winery, including the four warehouses which were no longer standing. Most impressive was how the pit stopped just short of the slavers huts, exactly where Eccentric Gam had told him would be safe.

It was so close, many of the Death Corps were but a single backwards step from tumbling into the pit. Overwhelming destruction and unprecedented control, this was a feat unlike any Du Min Gyu had ever witnessed in over a hundred years of life. Mother Above... And to think, this crazy old bastard wanted to do this before even setting sights on the Enemy.

"Hey, Old Du, be a dear and fetch my staff, will you?" Still in shock, Min Gyu obeyed the request without question, floating over to grab the still quivering weapon which sat in what was now a pillar of dirt, all that remained untouched by the destruction. Stilling in his hand, the pillar crumbled away before he could dislodge the staff.

Floating back over the Imperial lines, he landed at Eccentric Gam's side and idly noted the Defiled had retreated a healthy distance away, still watching from afar but leaving the path out all but clear. Offering the staff with both hands, Min Gyu gave a slight bow of respect and quietly said, "Your weapon, Great One."

"Huh?" With a childish grin of triumph, the half-fox accepted his staff with one hand, the other busy picking away at his ear.

"What's that?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"I'm plenty old and they say hearing is the first thing to go, so you'll have to speak up, child." Before Min Gyu lost his temper and said something he might regret, the ground shook beneath their feet.

"What have you done?" he asked, glaring at Gam in undisguised anger. Equally surprised, the half-fox shook his head.

"This isn't me," he shouted, his eyes wide with fear.

"Not good, the Enemy has an A-" The pit exploded in a cloud of dirt and stone and Min Gyu reeled in place as he suffered a glancing blow to the shoulder. A shard of brick, he realized, belatedly noting many of his soldiers had suffered the same. Not powerful enough to pierce through armour or do more than leave a bruise, but the bricks were not an attack. No, they were merely an unintended result as someone lifted hundreds of tonnes of earth and brick to save the buried Defiled.

He'd thought Eccentric Gam's feat had been monstrous enough, so what in Heaven's name was he supposed to call someone who could do the same, but in reverse? As the dust settled, he saw a single, hooded figure step out of the pit. Just as he was about to lead the attack, an insidious Aura gripped him tight and threatened to shatter him at a moment's notice, so heavy and ponderous it felt like a mountain had settled onto his shoulders and was crushing the very air from his lungs.

Backing away out of instinctive fear, the Death Corps cleared the path before this Peak Expert and Min Gyu could hardly fault them. It was all he could do to remain rooted in place, studying this terrifying existence who made Eccentric Gam look like a mere child in comparison when it came to the Blessing of Divine Earth. With a hunched back and wrinkled face, the hooded figure was hardly an imposing sight, but in Aura alone, Min Gyu was utterly inferior.

When the figure reached Min Gyu and Gam, he lifted his head to reveal a bald, elderly warrior with wrinkled skin and sightless white eyes. She, he corrected, for this Expert was a woman, though uglier than any he'd ever laid eyes on. Buck teeth jutted out from her upper lip as her pinched face furrowed in anger, her unseeing gaze locked firmly on Eccentric Gam.

"How. Dare. You?" she asked, raising a wizened hand to tap Gam's chest, which sank into cloth and flesh like a chopstick through tofu. To his credit, Eccentric Gam barely batted an eye as the elderly woman traced her finger down his sternum, leaving behind a mangled trail of flesh and blood. Sucking his teeth, Gam curled his lip in derision.

"The Treaty stands, so unless you mean to break it, why don't you fuck off and go eat worms, you wrinkled, old, hairless bag." Heaven's above. How unfortunate could they be, stumbling across an errant Ancestral Beast?

"No respect." Poking another hole in Gam's chest, she swirled it about and elicited a small grunt from the hardy half-fox.

"The others are so much better, all Venerated One this, and Venerated One that." Moving faster than the eye could see, she slapped him across the face and caught him before his body could fly off. Unable to stand, Gam fell to his knees, head sagging as blood dripped out of his ruined mouth.

"I don't much like your disrespect, don't like it much at all." Gathering his nerves, Min Gyu pieced things together and stepped forward to stop her from killing the half-fox.

"Rude as his words may be, Venerated One," he said, making sure to use her preferred title, "Eccentric Gam has a point. We are here on an Imperial mission, and as such, fall under the protections of the Treaty." Searching the crowd for Jun Bao so he could show her the Imperial Token, he cursed beneath his breath when he found no sign of his old rival, with only blank, Death Corps gazes and a shocked Jorani staring back, so scared he'd dropped his weapons and had gone back to fiddling with his sleeve.

"Oh I know dearie," the Ancestral Beast replied, and were it not for his terror, he would have burst into laughter at how grandmotherly she sounded.

"I'm bound from interfering, but this one just killed many of my children, too many to stomach. My poor little babies, digging around in the dirt. I may not have birthed them, but I raised them all the same. How can I let this stand?" Oh dear lord. She was deranged. Did she have some pet animals in the area or something?

"Besides," she added with a gap-toothed smile, her breath foul beyond imagination, "If I kill you all, who's left to complain? That's what I brought my children here to do in the first place, so I might as well finish what they started. I'll feast on his flesh in honour of their memory, my poor baby mole-rats." Oh, things were so much worse than he'd thought. This Ancestral Beast was Defiled. Chapter Meme